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A concern has been raised that the persistent COVID-19 infection in an immunocompromised host can be the source of the SARS-CoV-2 variants. This is the case of a 61-year-old man in complete remission of a follicular lymphoma after six cycles of rituximab and bendamustine with additional two cycles of rituximab completed eight months prior to the episode of COVID-19 pneumonia. The patient's respiratory failure was long-lasting, and required mechanical ventilation until day 75. Acquired immunity tested negative throughout the observational period. The viral RNA was detectable until day 100 while the infectious virus was isolated until day 79. Seven haplotypes were identified and the non-synonymous mutations accumulated in the spike gene which included E484Q and S494P. In the management of COVID-19 cases with suppressed immune statuses, initial evaluation of existing immunity and monitoring for infectiousness throughout the clinical course including the convalescent stage may be necessary.

Background Discrepancies between parents' reports of paternal parenting have been gaining attention, but epidemiological evidence is scarce in Asia. This study aimed to clarify agreement/discrepancy between paternal and maternal recognition of paternal parenting, and the association between actual paternal parenting time and background factors. Methods Data from couples whose children attended 4-month-child health check-ups in Fukushima City were analyzed (N = 509). Based on paternal recognition of paternal parenting (PRPP) and maternal recognition of paternal support (MRPS), couples were classified into four groups. Each group's paternal household work and parenting time were analyzed. Univariable and multivariable analysis were performed to investigate the association between agreement/discrepancy and background factors of children and parents. Results Frequency of positive agreement (PRPP+ and MRPS+) was 83.9%, whereas negative agreement (PRPP- and MRPS-) was 2.6%. As for discrepancy, PRPP+ and MRPS- was 8.4% and PRPP- and MRPS+ was 5.1%. Fathers' total median parenting time was 2 (weekdays) and 6 (weekends) hours, and showed significant differences among the four groups. Multivariable analysis revealed that compared to positive agreement, maternal mental health condition and pregnancy intention were significantly associated with the discrepancy PRPP+ and MRPS-, paternal mental health condition and marital satisfaction with the discrepancy PRPP-and MRPS＋, and maternal mental health condition with negative agreement. Conclusions We identified differences in parenting time and mental health characteristics among couples depending on agreement/discrepancy in recognition of paternal parenting. Assessing both parents' profiles is necessary in clinical practice to promote paternal participation in childcare.

In this paper, we conduct an investigation of available time for automated external defibrillators (AED) in a Japanese city. In Japan, there are about 600,000 AEDs available in cities or towns, but only 4.9% of AEDs are used by bystanders when citizens suffer a sudden cardiac arrest. One reason of such low usage rate comes from their available time. Since many AEDs are installed by business owners, they are not available when their business is closed. We investigate the available time of AEDs in a Japanese city, Takatsuki, Osaka Japan. The number of AEDs that are available 24 hours can be increased by installing new AEDs in 24-hour convenience stores and a koban that is a small police station with policemen.

Postpartum depression is a serious problem not only for mothers, but also for their children and families. Evidence is scarce on the effectiveness of couple-targeted antenatal interventions aimed at preventing postpartum depression in Asia. Therefore, we implemented an antenatal parenting support program from Australia ("empathy program") at three sites in Japan, and assessed the characteristics of participating couples and changes in their mental health indicators before and after the program (during pregnancy and 6 weeks postpartum, respectively). In this program, participant couples discussed concerns during pregnancy and a "difficult day" scenario with other same-gender participants and then with their own partners. In total, 100 couples attended the program. Among 60 participating mothers, 20% screened positive for maternal depression symptoms (defined as an Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale greater than 9). Changes in paternal empathy and maternal antenatal Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale score were significantly associated with maternal postpartum Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale score in multivariable analyses. Our results indicate that a key in preventing postpartum depression is paternal involvement and long-term support from antenatal phase.

Purpose The purpose of the present study was to examine the three-dimensional (3D) lip morphology in cases of skeletal Class I malocclusion with labial inclination of the upper central incisors. Materials and methods Thirty-five Japanese patients with malocclusion were divided into 2 groups: 20 patients (Test group; 9 males and 11 females; 7 years 5 months–14 years 2 months) who exhibited Class I malocclusion with labial inclination of the upper central incisors and 15 patients (Control group; 7 males and 8 females; 8 years 0 month–14 years 4 months) who exhibited skeletal Class I malocclusion with standard inclination of the upper central incisors. The 3D morphology of the facial soft tissue was recorded using a 3D surface-imaging device for both groups. The differences in the lip morphology variables between the Test and Control groups were then analyzed statistically. Results The central, right and left upper lip inclination angle in the lateral and three-quarter views in the Test group were significantly larger than those in the Control group. The upper lip base area, protrusion surface area, protrusion volume, and protrusion depth were significantly increased compared with the Control group, as were also the lower lip protrusion volume and depth. However, no significant differences in the lower lip base area and surface area were determined between the Test and Control groups. Conclusions The upper lip wholly showed labial inclination and forward protrusion in Class I malocclusion with labial inclination of the upper central incisors.

We aimed to clarify the factor structure of a bonding measure among Japanese fathers with infants and the factors associated with the subscales. Among fathers of children attending the 4-month health checkup, the Japanese version of the Mother-to-Infant Bonding Scale had a two-factor structure comprising "anger" and "lack of affection." Anger was associated with fathers' work demands and poor mental condition, and lack of affection with fathers' older age, poor mental condition, and interpersonal problems at home. Paternal parenting support needs to account for not only the fathers themselves, but also interpersonal communication at home and in the work environment.Nos propusimos clarificar la estructura de factores de una medida de acercamiento afectivo entre los papás japoneses con infantes y los factores asociados con las subescalas. Entre los papás de niños que asistían al chequeo de salud de 4 meses, la versión japonesa de la Escala de Acercamiento Afectivo Madre a Infante tuvo una estructura de dos factores que comprende “ira” y “falta de afecto.” La “Ira” se asoció con las responsabilidades del trabajo de los papás y la débil condición mental, y la “falta de afecto” con la más vieja edad de los papás, la débil condición mental y los problemas interpersonales en casa. La crianza paterna apoya las necesidades de dar cuenta no sólo de los padres mismos, sino también de la comunicación interpersonal en casa y el ambiente de trabajo.Notre but était de clarifier la structure de facteur d'une mesure de lien entre les pères japonais de nourrissons et les facteurs liés aux sous-échelles. Parmi les pères d'enfants présents pour leur visite médicale de 4 mois la version japonaise de l'Echelle de Lien Mère-Nourrisson était une structure de deux facteurs comprenant “la colère” et “le manque d'affection”. “La colère” était liée aux exigences du travail des pères et à une condition mentale moins élevée, et “le manque d'attention” était lié à l’âge plus élevés des pères, à une condition mentale moins élevée et à des problèmes relationnels à la maison. Le soutien de parentage paternel a besoin d’être pris en compte non seulement pour ce qui concerne les pères eux-mêmes mais aussi la communication relationnelle à la maison et l'environnement au travail.Vater-Kind-Bindung bei japanischen Vätern von Säuglingen: Eine gemeindebasierte Studie zum Zeitpunkt einer 4-Monats-Kinderuntersuchung Unser Ziel war es, die Faktorenstruktur und die mit den Subskalen verbundenen Faktoren eines Maßes für Bindung bei japanischen Vätern von Kleinkindern zu untersuchen. Die japanische Version der Mutter-Kind-Bindungsskala hatte bei den Vätern, deren Kinder 4 Monate nach der Geburt ärztlich untersucht wurden, eine Zwei-Faktoren-Struktur, die “Ärger” und “Mangel an Zuneigung” umfasste. “Ärger” war mit Arbeitsanforderungen und schlechter psychischer Verfassung bei den Vätern assoziiert, während “fehlende Zuneigung” mit zunehmendem Alter und schlechter psychischer Verfassung bei den Vätern sowie zwischenmenschlichen Problemen zu Hause assoziiert war. Erziehungsunterstützung für Väter sollte nicht nur die Väter selbst, sondern auch die zwischenmenschliche Kommunikation zu Hause und das Arbeitsumfeld berücksichtigen.日本人の乳幼児の父親における父−子ボンディング:3−4カ月健診での地方自治体ベースの研究 本研究の目的は、日本人の乳児の父親におけるボンディング尺度の因子構造と下位尺度に関連する因子を明らかにすることである。4ヶ月健診を受けた乳児の父親に対して行ったMother-to-Infant Bonding Scale (MIBS) 母子絆尺度の日本語版は、「怒り」と「愛情の欠如」の2因子構造であった。「怒り」は父親の仕事の負担と不健全な精神状態に関連し、「愛情の欠如」は父親の高齢化、不健全な精神状態、家庭での対人関係の問題に関連していた。父親への育児支援においては、父親自身だけでなく、家庭や職場環境での対人コミュニケーションも考慮する必要がある。.我们旨在阐明一次日本父亲与婴儿之间连结关系测量的因素结构, 以及与各分量表相关的因素。在四个月的儿童参加健康检查时, 其父亲在日本版的“母婴连结量表”中, 有一个由“愤怒”和“缺乏亲情”组成的双因素结构。“愤怒”与父亲的工作烦恼和不良心理状况有关, 而“缺乏亲情”与父亲年龄大、不良心理状况和家庭人际关系问题有关。父亲的育儿支持不仅要考虑父亲本身, 还要考虑家庭和工作环境中的人际沟通。.الترابط بين الأب والطفل بين الآباء اليابانيين للرضع: دراسة محلية في وقت إجراء فحص صحة الطفل في عمر أربعة شهور استهدفت الدراسة توضيح الهيكل العامل لمقياس الترابط بين الآباء اليابانيين مع الرضع والعوامل المرتبطة بالمقاييس الفرعية. ومن بين آباء الأطفال الذين يحضرون الكشف الطبي في عمر أربعة شهور، كان للنسخة اليابانية من مقياس الترابط بين الأم والرضيع هيكل مكون من عاملين يتألف من “الغضب” و “انعدام المودة”. ارتبط “الغضب” بمطالب عمل الآباء وسوء الحالة النفسية، وارتبط “نقص المودة” بتقدم الآباء في السن، وسوء الحالة النفسية والمشاكل الشخصية في المنزل. ولذلك لا يحتاج دعم التربية الأبوية إلى أن يكون مسؤولا عن الآباء أنفسهم فحسب، بل أيضا عن التواصل بين الأشخاص في المنزل وبيئة العمل.

Little scientific evidence exists on ways to decrease the psychological stress experienced by disaster responders, or how to maintain and improve their mental health. In an effort to grasp the current state of research, we examined research papers, agency reports, the manuals of aid organisations, and educational materials, in both English and Japanese. Using MEDLINE, Ichushi-Web (Japanese search engine), Google Scholar, websites of the United Nations agencies, and the database of the Grants System for Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare, 71 pertinent materials were identified, 49 of which were analysed. As a result, 55 actions were extracted that could potentially protect and improve the mental health of disaster responders, leading to specific recommendations. These include (1) during the pre-activity phase, enabling responders to anticipate stressful situations at a disaster site and preparing them to monitor their stress level; (2) during the activity phase, engaging in preventive measures against on-site stress; (3) using external professional support when the level of stress is excessive; and (4) after the disaster response, getting back to routines, sharing of experiences, and long-term follow-up. Our results highlighted the need to offer psychological support to disaster responders throughout the various phases of their duties.

published online 12 April 2017, Lithium concentrations [Li] and isotopic ratios [Li-7]/[Li-6] were measured for effluent fractions from a biphasic zeolite column. The biphasic state was ascribed to a mixture of hydrated Linde Type A (LTA) zeolites, [Li-0.008(NH4)(0.92)]A and [Li-0.33(NH4)(0.67)]A, which were formed by Li ion exchange from hydrated ammonium in the form (NH4)(12)[Al12Si12O48]center dot nH(2)O (NH(4)A). The biphasic Li band of the column was displaced by ion exchange with a solution of NH4NO3. A constant [Li] with a much lower level than the concentration of NHt(4)(_)(+) in the displacer (NH4NO3) was observed for the effluent from a short column. This constant lower level of [Li] was attributable to the biphasic state. On this [Li] plateau of the effluent, the level of [Li-7] shifted higher than the original isotopic composition of the Li feed, whereas Li-6 was concentrated on the biphasic zeolite solid. The accumulation of Li-6 in the zeolite proceeded by a mechanism of differential elution of Li-7 from the biphasic zeolite. For the long column experiment, a significant enrichment of Li-6 in the zeolite was observed, whereby a triadic band of Li was probably formed in the column. Two monophasic and a biphasic state were assigned. The biphasic band was deemed to push the monophasic bands forward, thereby enriching the monophasic bands with Li-7, while Li-6 accumulated at the end of the biphasic band. The trio structure of the Li band and isotopic discrimination in the band were analyzed. (C) 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved., Article, MICROPOROUS AND MESOPOROUS MATERIALS. 248:115-121 (2017)

Human-to-human transmission of PA I38 mutant influenza A(H3N2) viruses with reduced baloxavir susceptibility has been reported in Japan. In December 2019, we detected a PA E23K mutant A(H1N1)pdm09 virus from a child without baloxavir treatment. The PA E23K mutant virus exhibited reduced baloxavir susceptibility but remained susceptible to neuraminidase inhibitors. Epidemiological data suggest possible transmission of this PA E23K mutant virus among humans, although its growth capability relative to that of the wild-type virus was reduced. Therefore, baloxavir susceptibility monitoring of influenza viruses is essential.

Young women in their late teens and early 20s are at the highest risk for depression onset. The present study aimed to assess depressive symptoms among female college students in Fukushima. More specifically, it aimed to clarify factors predicting possible symptom profiles, with an emphasis on determining how nuclear radiation risks affect the reporting of depression symptoms. A cross-sectional survey was conducted of 310 female students at a college in the Fukushima prefecture, Japan, in December 2015, and 288 participants submitted valid questionnaires. In total, 222 (77.1%) participants lived in Fukushima at the time of the Great East Japan Earthquake. The measures included the World Health Organization-Five Well-Being Index, the Fukushima Future Parents Attitude Measure, and risk perception of radiation health effects. A total of 46.5% of participants reported depressive symptoms. Path analysis revealed that higher radiation risk perceptions and reduced efficacy with reproduction related to a decline in self-esteem and self-efficacy, which was subsequently associated with increased depressive symptoms. These findings highlight the importance of radiation education among children and young adults, both after a nuclear accident and during disaster preparation, particularly in the context of reproductive and mental health.

La0.6Sr0.4CoO3 has been studied as an SOFC cathode because of its high mixed ionic electronic conductivity. The mixed conductivity makes the zone of oxygen reduction reaction extended from triple-phase boundary to two-phase boundary. The rate limiting step of the cathode reaction is oxygen reduction reaction on two-phase boundary (1). Sase et al. reported that the oxygen reduction is activated at hetero-interface of La0.6Sr0.4CoO3 and La1.5Sr0.5CoO4 (2). The hetero- interface effect leads to development of higher performance electrode. However, the detail mechanism is still not clear. This study aims to elucidate the mechanism of the hetero-interface effect by the relationship between the electrode performance and the surface chemistry. Thin-film electrodes were fabricated on the electrolyte substrate of Ce0.9Gd0.1O1.95 (10GDC) by pulse laser deposition (PLD) method. The two-layer electrodes were made: the first layer was La0.6Sr0.4CoO3 (LSC40); the second layer, La1.5Sr0.5CoO4(LSC155), was prepared exactly onto the first layer. Additionally single layer electrodes of LSC155 and LSC40 were also formed on the same 10GDC electrolyte to evaluate the hetero- interface effect. Several samples were prepared with changing thickness of LSC155. A micro probe apparatus equipped with a potentio-galvano stat and a frequency response analyzer was employed for the electrochemical measurement. The measured electrode could be selected by manipulating probes of the micro prober. This setup enables to measure four electrodes simultaneously without changing the sample and its thermal history. The thin-film electrodes, the porous Pt on the side surface, and the porous Pt on the opposite side of the sample were used as working, reference, and counter electrodes, respectively. The measurement conditions were at 873, 973, and 1073 K, in air. The electrode reaction resistances of the hetero-interface electrodes were measured by an impedance measurement. It was expected that the resistance of the double layer electrodes should become larger with increase in thickness of LSC155 due to longer ionic diffusion pathway. However, the measured electrode resistances did not depend much on LSC155 thickness. Electrode resistances of most of the double-layered electrodes were smaller than those of the LSC155 single-phase electrode in spite of LSC155 thickness. This phenomenon implies the electrochemical properties of LSC155 film on LSC40 might be modified and different from those of LSC155 film on a substrate Focusing on the LSC40 single-phase electrode, the electrode resistance increased from 873 to 973 K. It may be the influence of rearrangement of cations, which can occur over 923 K: the deposition temperature of the electrodes. The resistances of the layered electrodes were smaller than that of LSC40 single-phase electrode. Element distribution was evaluated by EDX analysis. The enrichment of strontium was observed at the surface grains of the degraded LSC40. The concentrations of lanthanum and cobalt were lower at the surface grains. This means the surface composition changed from that of bulk. Therefore, the segregation of strontium on the surface of LSC40 may degrade the electrode performance. This research was supported by JST-PREST and JST-CREST project. References 1. T. Kawada, K. Masuda, J. Suzuki, A. Kaimai, K. Kawamura, Y. Nigara, J. Mizusaki, H. Yugami, H. Arashi, N. Sakai, H. Yokokawa, Solid State Ionics, 271–279, 121 (1999). 2. M. Sase, K. Yashiro, K. Sato, J. Mizusaki, T. Kawada, N. Sakai, K. Yamaji, T. Horita, H. Yokokawa, Solid State Ionics, 1843–1852, 178 (2008).

Results: During the study period, 8,596 patients with acute myocardial infarction without arrest and 9,283 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests of cardiac origin were registered. The hospital arrival time (from patient’s call until hospital arrival) increased along with the increasing number of phone calls to hospitals from ambulances for patients with acute myocardial infarction (from 23.2 min with one phone call to 39.7 min with ≥5 phone calls; P for trend

Background: Detailed characteristics of those who experience an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) with public-access defibrillation (PAD) are unknown. Methods and Results: A prospective, population-based observational study involving consecutive OHCA patients with emergency responder resuscitation attempts was conducted from July 1, 2004 through December 31, 2008 in Osaka City. We extracted data for OHCA patients shocked by a public-access automated external defibrillator (AED) and evaluated the patients' and rescuers' characteristics. The main outcome measure was neurologically favorable 1-month survival. During the study period, 10,375 OHCA patients were registered and of 908 patients suffering ventricular fibrillation arrest, 53 (6%) received public-access AED shocks by lay-rescuers, with the proportion increasing from 0% in 2004 to 11% in 2008 (P for trend

We examined water from 182 non-circulating hot spring bathing facilities in Japan for possible Legionella occurrence from June 2005 to December 2006, finding Legionella-positive cultures in 119 (29.5%) of 403 samples. Legionellae occurrence was most prevalent in bathtub water (39.4%), followed by storage tank water (23.8%), water from faucets at the bathtub edge (22.3%), and source-spring water (8.3%), indicating no statistically significant difference, in the number of legionellae, having an overall mean of 66 CFU/100mL. The maximum number of legionellae in water increased as water was sampled downstream:180 CFU/100 mL from source spring, 670 from storage tanks, 4,000 from inlet faucets, and 6,800 from bathtubs. The majority--85.7%--of isolated species were identified as L. pneumophila : L. pneumophila serogroup (SG) 1 in 22%, SG 5 in 21%, and SG 6 in 22% of positive samples. Multivariate logistic regression models used to determine the characteristics of facilities and sanitary management associated with Legionella contamination indicated that legionellae was prevalent in bathtub water under conditions where it was isolated from inlet faucet/pouring gate water (odds ratio [OR] = 6.98, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.14 to 22.8). Risk of occurrence was also high when the bathtub volume exceeded 5 m3 (OR = 2.74, 95% CI = 1.28 to 5.89). Legionellae occurrence was significantly reduced when the bathing water pH was lower than 6.0 (OR = 0.12, 95% CI = 0.02 to 0.63). Similarly, occurrence was rare in inlet faucet water or the upper part of the plumbing system for which pH was lower than 6.0 (OR = 0.06, 95% CI = 0.01 to 0.48), and when the water temperature was maintained at 55 degrees C or more (OR = 0.10, 95% CI = 0.01 to 0.77). We also examined the occurrence of amoeba, Mycobacterium spp., Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Staphylococcus aureus in water samples.

2-Deoxyribose 5-phosphate production through coupling of the alcoholic fermentation system of baker's yeast and deoxyriboaldolase-expressing Escherichia coli was investigated. In this process, baker's yeast generates fructose 1,6-diphosphate from glucose and inorganic phosphate, and then the E. coli convert the fructose 1,6-diphosphate into 2-deoxyribose 5-phosphate via D-glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate. Under the optimized conditions with toluene-treated yeast cells, 356 mM (121 g/l) fructose 1,6-diphosphate was produced from 1,111 mM glucose and 750 mM potassium phosphate buffer (pH 6.4) with a catalytic amount of AMP, and the reaction supernatant containing the fructose 1,6-diphosphate was used directly as substrate for 2-deoxyribose 5-phosphate production with the E. coli cells. With 178 mM enzymatically prepared fructose 1,6-diphosphate and 400 mM acetaldehyde as substrates, 246 mM (52.6 g/l) 2-deoxyribose 5-phosphate was produced. The molar yield of 2-deoxyribose 5-phosphate as to glucose through the total two step reaction was 22.1%. The 2-deoxyribose 5-phosphate produced was converted to 2-deoxyribose with a molar yield of 85% through endogenous or exogenous phosphatase activity.

2'-Deoxyribonucleosides are important as building blocks for the synthesis of antisense drugs, antiviral nucleosides, and 2'-deoxyribonucleotides for polymerase chain reaction. The microbial production of 2'-deoxyribonucleosides from simple materials, glucose, acetaldehyde, and a nucleobase, through the reverse reactions of 2'-deoxyribonucleoside degradation and the glycolytic pathway, was investigated. The glycolytic pathway of baker's yeast yielded fructose 1,6-diphosphate from glucose using the energy of adenosine 5'-triphosphate generated from adenosine 5'-monophosphate through alcoholic fermentation with the yeast. Fructose 1,6-diphosphate was further transformed to 2-deoxyribose 5-phosphate in the presence of acetaldehyde by deoxyriboaldolase-expressing Escherichia coli cells via D-glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate. E. coli transformants expressing phosphopentomutase and nucleoside phosphorylase produced 2'-deoxyribonucleosides from 2-deoxyribose 5-phosphate and a nucleobase via 2-deoxyribose 1-phosphate through the reverse reactions of 2'-deoxyribonucleoside degradation. Coupling of the glycolytic pathway and deoxyriboaldolase-catalyzing reaction efficiently supplied 2-deoxyribose 5-phosphate, which is a key intermediate for 2'-deoxyribonucleoside synthesis. 2'-Deoxyinosine (9.9 mM) was produced from glucose, acetaldehyde, and adenine through three-step reactions via fructose 1,6-diphosphate and then 2-deoxyribose 5-phosphate, the molar yield as to glucose being 17.8%.

The gene encoding a deoxyriboaldolase (DERA) was cloned from the chromosomal DNA of Klebsiella pneumoniae B-4-4. This gene contains an open reading frame consisting of 780 nucleotides encoding 259 amino acid residues. The predicted amino acid sequence exhibited 94.6% homology with the sequence of DERA from Escherichia coli . The DERA of K. pneumoniae was expressed in recombinant E. coli cells, and the specific activity of the enzyme in the cell extract was as high as 2.5 U/mg, which was threefold higher than the specific activity in the K. pneumoniae cell extract. One of the E. coli transformants, 10B5/pTS8, which had a defect in alkaline phosphatase activity, was a good catalyst for 2-deoxyribose 5-phosphate (DR5P) synthesis from glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate and acetaldehyde. The E. coli cells produced DR5P from glucose and acetaldehyde in the presence of ATP. Under the optimal conditions, 100 mM DR5P was produced from 900 mM glucose, 200 mM acetaldehyde, and 100 mM ATP by the E. coli cells. The DR5P produced was further transformed to 2′-deoxyribonucleoside through coupling the enzymatic reactions of phosphopentomutase and nucleoside phosphorylase. These results indicated that production of 2′-deoxyribonucleoside from glucose, acetaldehyde, and a nucleobase is possible with the addition of a suitable energy source, such as ATP.

三歳児健康診査での視覚検査は、1997年の母子保健法改正により、実施の主体が都道府県から市町村になった。(以下三歳児健診)今回、我々は現在の三歳児健診における視覚検査の実態を明らかにするために、神奈川県7つの市における健診結果の分析と、実際に三歳児に携わっている視能訓練士へのアンケート調査を行った。神奈川県における受診率は1次検査84.4%、2次検査73.5%、精密検査83.6%であった。2次健診の受診率は73.5%と他に比べ低く、過去の報告と変わらなかった。異常検出率は対象者総数15,903名のうち6%(954名)で、その内訳は屈折異常が3%(477名)、弱視、眼位・眼球運動異常、その他がそれぞれ1%(159名)で、これは過去の報告と比べるとやや低い結果であった。3歳1～2か月児は、3歳6か月児に比べて、診断名の確定が出来ない対象児の割合が多かった。この結果は、検査時期は、発達の状態や協力性などの点からも、3歳0～1か月より3歳6か月の方が適切と答えた、視能訓練士に対するアンケート調査の結果を反映するものであった。今回の結果からは、三歳児健診を効率良く行なう時期は、3歳6か月が適当と思われた。

Bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation including automated external defibrillator use increases the chance of survival after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. However, bystanders may be distressed by witnessing out-of-hospital cardiac arrest and may hesitate to initiate cardiopulmonary resuscitation. The present study examined factors associated with layperson confidence in carrying out resuscitation of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients.We carried out a cross-sectional survey in February 2012. Laypeople were asked about background characteristics, whether they had performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation, had received cardiopulmonary resuscitation training, were aware of the location of the neighborhood automated external defibrillator, and felt confident in performing resuscitation, and their potential emotional distress if a resuscitation attempt were to prove unsuccessful.Participants comprised 4,853 respondents. Of these, 2,372 (49%) had received cardiopulmonary resuscitation training, and 3,607 (74%) knew where the neighborhood automated external defibrillator was located. Confidence in performing chest compressions was reported by 2,667 (55%), confidence in performing rescue breathing by 2,498 (52%), and confidence in using an automated external defibrillator by 2,822 (58%). Potential emotional distress if a resuscitation attempt proved unsuccessful was reported by 4,247 (88%). Multivariate regression analysis showed that having carried out cardiopulmonary resuscitation, having received cardiopulmonary resuscitation training, and awareness of the neighborhood automated external defibrillator location were significantly associated with confidence in performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation.Our results suggest that more extensive cardiopulmonary resuscitation training and information regarding neighborhood automated external defibrillator locations may increase layperson confidence in initiating resuscitation.

We have applied the time-resolved and space-resolved spectroscopies of vapour zones produced by gradual thermal evaporation in a noble gas to study the electronic properties and stability of hydrogenated clusters and microcrystals. Optical extinction spectra of lithium vapour zones in pure Ar gas and Ar - H2 gas mixture atmospheres confined at various pressures were obtained. Some comparisons of the observed spectra with those predicted theoretically indicate that hydrogenated clusters LinHm are to be found near the vapour source, while lithium microcrystals coated with LiH shells are to be found far away from the vapour source. Electron localization around hydrogen atoms and the hydrogenation mechanism of lithium particles are also discussed.

During evaporation of powder in confined noble gas, flowing noble gas and vacuum, the optical absorption spectra of vapour zones, microcrystal beam and film on a substrate were measured as functions of the time elapsed since the beginning of the evaporation. The results show clearly the spectral evolution from molecule to solid. Also, to clarify the details of the optical excitation and relaxation in the condensed solid, the absorption, photoluminescence and photoconduction spectra were measured for films at various temperatures from 7 K to room temperature.

We have produced two vertically well separated zones of lithium vapour above the evaporation source in a confined noble gas atmosphere by setting an appropriate condition for the gas evaporation. Optical extinction spectra of lithium atoms, dimers and clusters were obtained by time-resolved and space-resolved measurements after the beginning of the evaporation. Also, vapour species in each zone were selectively excited using laser light and the emission spectra were measured. Some of the observed spectra were compared with theoretical ones, and information on the following points was derived: (i) the mechanism of lithium cluster and microcrystal growth in the gas evaporation method, (ii) the size trend of the collective mode resonance of the valence electrons, (iii) the excitation energy transfer between lithium vapour species, (iv) the structure of the vapour zone and (v) the mechanism of laser photofragmentation of clusters.

This study investigated the association between the number of phone calls made to hospitals from ambulances requesting if they can accept prehospital emergency patients with cardiovascular events, and the prehospital transportation time.Using ambulance records, we retrospectively enrolled adult patients suffering acute myocardial infarction from 1998 to 2007, and out-of-hospital cardiac arrest of cardiac origin from 2000 to 2007, transported to medical institutions by the emergency medical service in Osaka City.During the study period, 8,596 patients with acute myocardial infarction without arrest and 9,283 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests of cardiac origin were registered. The hospital arrival time (from patient's call until hospital arrival) increased along with the increasing number of phone calls to hospitals from ambulances for patients with acute myocardial infarction (from 23.2 min with one phone call to 39.7 min with ≥5 phone calls;From ambulance records in Osaka City, we showed that the increased number of phone calls to hospitals from ambulances led to prolongation of the hospital arrival time.

We examined water from 182 non-circulating hot spring bathing facilities in Japan for possible Legionella occurrence from June 2005 to December 2006, finding Legionella-positive cultures in 119 (29.5%) of 403 samples. Legionellae occurrence was most prevalent in bathtub water (39.4%), followed by storage tank water (23.8%), water from faucets at the bathtub edge (22.3%), and source-spring water (8.3%), indicating no statistically significant difference, in the number of legionellae, having an overall mean of 66 CFU/100mL. The maximum number of legionellae in water increased as water was sampled downstream:180 CFU/100 mL from source spring, 670 from storage tanks, 4,000 from inlet faucets, and 6,800 from bathtubs. The majority--85.7%--of isolated species were identified as L. pneumophila : L. pneumophila serogroup (SG) 1 in 22%, SG 5 in 21%, and SG 6 in 22% of positive samples. Multivariate logistic regression models used to determine the characteristics of facilities and sanitary management associated with Legionella contamination indicated that legionellae was prevalent in bathtub water under conditions where it was isolated from inlet faucet/pouring gate water (odds ratio [OR] = 6.98, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.14 to 22.8). Risk of occurrence was also high when the bathtub volume exceeded 5 m3 (OR = 2.74, 95% CI = 1.28 to 5.89). Legionellae occurrence was significantly reduced when the bathing water pH was lower than 6.0 (OR = 0.12, 95% CI = 0.02 to 0.63). Similarly, occurrence was rare in inlet faucet water or the upper part of the plumbing system for which pH was lower than 6.0 (OR = 0.06, 95% CI = 0.01 to 0.48), and when the water temperature was maintained at 55 degrees C or more (OR = 0.10, 95% CI = 0.01 to 0.77). We also examined the occurrence of amoeba, Mycobacterium spp., Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Staphylococcus aureus in water samples.

Bacillus sphaericus AKU 229 was found to produce an acetaldehyde-tolerant and phosphorylated compound-tolerant phosphopentomutase useful for enzymatic 2'-deoxyribonucleoside production. The gene encoding the phosphopentomutase was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli. The E. coli expressing B. sphaericus phosphopentomutase was an excellent catalyst as to production of 2'-deoxyribonucleoside in the presence of acetaldehyde and phosphorylated compounds such as fructose 1,6-diphosphate, and d-glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate, which are derived from glucose through glycolysis with yeast cells, and exist abundantly in the practical reaction mixture for enzymatic 2'-deoxyribonucleoside production.

A one-pot enzymatic synthesis of 2'-deoxyribonucleoside from glucose, acetaldehyde, and a nucleobase was established. Glycolysis by baker's yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) generated ATP which was used to produce D: -glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate production from glucose via fructose 1,6-diphosphate. The D: -glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate produced was transformed to 2'-deoxyribonucleoside via 2-deoxyribose 5-phosphate and then 2-deoxyribose 1-phosphate in the presence of acetaldehyde and a nucleobase by deoxyriboaldolase, phosphopentomutase expressed in Escherichia coli, and a commercial nucleoside phosphorylase. About 33 mM 2'-deoxyinosine was produced from 600 mM glucose, 333 mM acetaldehyde and 100 mM adenine in 24 h. 2'-Deoxyinosine was produced from adenine due to the adenosine deaminase activity of E. coli transformants.

2-Deoxyribose 5-phosphate was produced from acetaldehyde and dihydroxyacetone phosphate via D-glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate by Klebsiella pneumoniae B-4-4 through deoxyriboaldolase- and triosephosphate isomerase-catalyzing reactions. Under the optimum conditions, 98.7 mM 2-deoxyribose 5-phosphate was produced from 200 mM acetaldehyde and 117 mM dihydroxyacetone phosphate in 2 h with a molar yield of 84%. The 2-deoxyriobse 5-phosphate produced was directly transformed to 2′-deoxyribonucleoside by phosphopentomutase- and nucleoside phosphorylase-catalyzing reactions.

Feeding rats with a diet containing 0.25% clofibrate for 2 weeks elevated the hepatic NAD+ and total nicotinate levels significantly. Other peroxisome proliferators, such as 2-(4-chlorophenoxy)propionic acid and di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate, had similar effects. When rats were fed the control diet without clofibrate for 1 week after 2 weeks of the clofibrate diet, the hepatic NAD+ level returned to the control value. Muscular NAD+ content was not affected by the peroxisome proliferators. The results were discussed in relation to induction of peroxisomal beta-oxidation enzymes by the peroxisome proliferators.

Background Reproduction and sustainability are important for future society, and bioprocesses are one technology that can be used to realize these concepts. However, there is still limited variation in bioprocesses and there are several challenges, especially in the operation of energy-requiring bioprocesses. As an example of a microbial platform for an energy-requiring bioprocess, we established a process that efficiently and enzymatically synthesizes 2′-deoxyribonucleoside from glucose, acetaldehyde, and a nucleobase. This method consists of the coupling reactions of the reversible nucleoside degradation pathway and energy generation through the yeast glycolytic pathway. Results Using E. coli that co-express deoxyriboaldolase and phosphopentomutase, a high amount of 2′-deoxyribonucleoside was produced with efficient energy transfer under phosphate-limiting reaction conditions. Keeping the nucleobase concentration low and the mixture at a low reaction temperature increased the yield of 2′-deoxyribonucleoside relative to the amount of added nucleobase, indicating that energy was efficiently generated from glucose via the yeast glycolytic pathway under these reaction conditions. Using a one-pot reaction in which small amounts of adenine, adenosine, and acetone-dried yeast were fed into the reaction, 75 mM of 2′-deoxyinosine, the deaminated product of 2′-deoxyadenosine, was produced from glucose (600 mM), acetaldehyde (250 mM), adenine (70 mM), and adenosine (20 mM) with a high yield relative to the total base moiety input (83%). Moreover, a variety of natural dNSs were further synthesized by introducing a base-exchange reaction into the process. Conclusion A critical common issue in energy-requiring bioprocess is fine control of phosphate concentration. We tried to resolve this problem, and provide the convenient recipe for establishment of energy-requiring bioprocesses. It is anticipated that the commercial demand for dNSs, which are primary metabolites that accumulate at very low levels in the metabolic pool, will grow. The development of an efficient production method for these compounds will have a great impact in both fields of applied microbiology and industry and will also serve as a good example of a microbial platform for energy-requiring bioprocesses.

There are some typographical errors in this paper. (1) Page 2347, the second paragraph in the introduction. The sentence, `We gradually elevated the temperature of C60 powder in confined gas, in flowing noble gas and in vacuum with a high velocity to produce ...' should be corrected as follows: `We gradually elevated the temperature of C60 powder in confined gas, in flowing noble gas with a high velocity and in vacuum to produce ...'. (2) Page 2358, line 11. The sentence `... for film, R is estimated to be 0.65 nm and 0.70 nm, respectively' should be corrected as follows: `... for film, R is estimated to be 0.70 nm and 0.65 nm, respectively'. These corrections do not affect the conclusion of this work.