著者

Ryosuke NAKAZATO Keeko MATSUMOTO Noboru YAMAGUCHI Margherita CAVALLO Valentina CROCELLÀ Francesca BONINO Matthias QUINTELIER Joke HADERMANN Nataly Carolina ROSERO-NAVARRO Akira MIURA Kiyoharu TADANAGA

出版者

The Electrochemical Society of Japan

雑誌

Electrochemistry (ISSN:13443542)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.91, no.9, pp.097003, 2023-09-26 (Released:2023-09-26)

参考文献数

49

被引用文献数

2

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Carbon dioxide electrochemical reduction (CO2ER) has attracted considerable attention as a technology to recycle CO2 into raw materials for chemicals using renewable energies. We recently found that Zn-Al layered double hydroxides (Zn-Al LDH) have the CO-forming CO2ER activity. However, the activity was only evaluated by using the liquid-phase CO2ER. In this study, Ni-Al and Ni-Fe LDHs as well as Zn-Al LDH were synthesized using a facile coprecipitation process and the gas-phase CO2ER with the LDH-loaded gas-diffusion electrode (GDE) was examined. The products were characterized by XRD, STEM-EDX, BF-TEM and ATR-IR spectroscopy. In the ATR-IR results, the interaction of CO2 with Zn-Al LDH showed a different carbonates evolution with respect to other LDHs, suggesting a different electrocatalytic activity. The LDH-loaded GDE was prepared by simple drop-casting of a catalyst ink onto carbon paper. For gas-phase CO2ER, only Zn-Al LDH exhibited the CO2ER activity for carbon monoxide (CO) formation. By using different potassium salt electrolytes affording neutral to strongly basic conditions, such as KCl, KHCO3 and KOH, the gas-phase CO2ER with Zn-Al LDH-loaded GDE showed 1.3 to 2.1 times higher partial current density for CO formation than the liquid-phase CO2ER.

著者

Wataru Mimura Chieko Ishiguro Junko Terada-Hirashima Nobuaki Matsunaga Shuntaro Sato Yurika Kawazoe Megumi Maeda Fumiko Murata Haruhisa Fukuda

出版者

Japan Epidemiological Association

雑誌

Journal of Epidemiology (ISSN:09175040)

巻号頁・発行日

pp.JE20230106, (Released:2023-09-23)

参考文献数

33

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Background: We evaluated the effectiveness of the BNT162b2 vaccine against infection, symptomatic infection, and hospitalization in older people during the Delta-predominant period (July 1 to September 30, 2021).Methods: We performed a population-based cohort study in an older adult population aged ≥65 years using data from the Vaccine Effectiveness, Networking, and Universal Safety Study conducted from January 1, 2019, to September 30, 2021, in Japan. We matched BNT162b2 vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals in a 1:1 ratio on the date of vaccination of the vaccinated individual. We evaluated the effectiveness of the vaccine against infection, symptomatic infection, and COVID-19-related hospitalization by comparing the vaccinated and unvaccinated groups. We estimated the risk ratio and risk difference using the Kaplan–Meier method with inverse probability weighting. The vaccine effectiveness was calculated as (1 − risk ratio) × 100%.Results: The study included 203,574 matched pairs aged ≥65 years. At 7 days after the second dose, the vaccine effectiveness (95% confidence interval) of BNT162b2 against infection, symptomatic infection, and hospitalization was 78.1% (65.2 to 87.8%), 79.1% (64.6 to 88.9%), and 93.5% (83.7 to 100%), respectively.Conclusions: BNT162b2 was highly effective against infection, symptomatic infection, and hospitalization in Japan's older adult population aged ≥65 years during the Delta-predominant period.

著者

Sinchaisri Tip-Aksorn 永田 伴子 吉川 泰弘 甲斐 知恵子 山内 一也

出版者

JAPANESE SOCIETY OF VETERINARY SCIENCE

雑誌

Journal of Veterinary Medical Science (ISSN:09167250)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.54, no.3, pp.409-416, 1992-06-15 (Released:2008-02-15)

参考文献数

20

被引用文献数

9 12

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狂犬病ウイルスCVS株を, 脳内, 眼球内, 鼻腔内, 筋肉内, 皮下それぞれの経路でマウスに接種した後, 中枢神経系におけるウイルスの広がりをアビジン-ビオチン複合体(ABC)法を用いた免疫化学的および病理組織学的手法によって経時的に検索した. 脳内接種と眼球内投与群でのみマウスは致死性感染を生じたので, この2経路において詳細な検討を行った. 脳内接種マウスでは, ウイルス抗原は主に大脳皮質の神経細胞, 錐体細胞, 海馬の顆粒細胞に認められた. 眼球内接種マウスにおいては, 最初に三叉神経節に検出され, 続いて大脳皮質と小脳に広がっていく傾向が観察された. 海馬で眼球内接種の初期では極く僅かの細胞に抗原が認められたのみであった. いずれの経路においても感染マウスの中枢神経系には炎症像もNegri小体も認められなかった. この結果から, 死に至る運動失調や衰弱といった臨床症状は, 炎症反応によるものではなく, ウイルスの神経系機能への直接的な影響に起因することが示唆された. また, 通常の病理組織学的検査や海馬のスタンプ標本の蛍光抗体法では狂犬病の同定ができない症例が存在する可能性が示唆され, 狂犬病を疑われて早期に死亡した患者や屠殺された動物などの検査には, ABC法が有用であると考えられた.

著者

von R. v. Krafft-Ebing

出版者

F. Enke

巻号頁・発行日

1892

著者

von R.v. Krafft-Ebing

出版者

F. Enke

巻号頁・発行日

1886

著者

Namiko Sakurai Koyuru Iwanami Shingo Shimizu Yasushi Uji Shin-ichi Suzuki Takeshi Maesaka Ken-ichi Shimose Paul R. Krehbiel William Rison Daniel Rodeheffer

出版者

Fuji Technology Press Ltd.

雑誌

Journal of Disaster Research (ISSN:18812473)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.16, no.4, pp.778-785, 2021-06-01 (Released:2021-06-01)

参考文献数

26

被引用文献数

3

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The National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Resilience deployed a lightning mapping array (LMA) in the Tokyo metropolitan area in March 2017. Called the “Tokyo LMA,” it obtains detailed three-dimensional observations of the total lightning activity (cloud-to-ground and intracloud flashes) in storms. The network initially consisted of 8 receiving stations, expanded to 12 stations in March 2018. Real-time total lightning images were first opened on the webpage in Japan. Real-time observations from the Tokyo LMA will be used in nowcasting lightning hazards and mitigating lightning disasters. Archived data will be used to develop lightning prediction techniques and a lightning climatology for the Tokyo metropolitan area.

著者

Yu-Hang Cao Ting-Ting Chen Xiong Peng Rong-Rong Wu Xiang Li Gao-Feng Liu Li-Xia Shen Xiao-Jun Chen Zi Yang Zhao-Ying Liu Zhi-Liang Sun Yong Wu

出版者

Japan Poultry Science Association

雑誌

The Journal of Poultry Science (ISSN:13467395)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.60, no.2, pp.2023023, 2023 (Released:2023-09-09)

参考文献数

42

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The plant species Gelsemium elegans Benth. (GEB) promotes pig and sheep growth; however, little is known about its effects in chickens. In this study, a GEB extract (GEBE) was prepared, and its effects on the growth, slaughter, antioxidant performance, meat quality, serum biochemical indices, intestinal morphology, and microflora of yellow-feathered chickens were evaluated. In total, 600 chickens aged 15 days were randomly divided into four groups with five replicates each and fed a basal diet containing 0% (control), 0.25% (0.25 GEBE), 0.75% (0.75 GEBE), or 1.25% (1.25 GEBE) GEBE until 49 days of age. Chickens were then killed, and their meat, organs, and serum and cecal contents were collected. GEBE reduced the feed conversion ratio, particularly in the 0.75 and 1.25 GEBE groups. Furthermore, the GEBE diet improved meat tenderness and reduced the meat expressible moisture content and liver malondialdehyde content, indicating high meat quality. Whereas the 0.25 GEBE diet increased the level of Lactobacillus acidophilus in the cecum, the 0.75 GEBE diet decreased the Escherichia coli level therein. These findings demonstrate that GEBE may improve the meat quality and cecal microbiota of yellow-feathered chickens, providing a basis for identifying candidate alternatives to conventional antibiotics as growth promoting feed additives.

著者

ELENA GIL-DONOSO CECILIA GARCÍA-CAMPOS SILVIA BLASCO-MORENO MARIO MODESTO-MATA MARINA MARTÍNEZ DE PINILLOS CHITINA MORENO-TORRES MARÍA MARTINÓN-TORRES JOSÉ MARÍA BERMÚDEZ DE CASTRO

出版者

The Anthropological Society of Nippon

雑誌

Anthropological Science (ISSN:09187960)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.131, no.2, pp.107-115, 2023 (Released:2023-08-22)

参考文献数

68

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The dental tissue proportions of human permanent canines are one of only a few sexually dimorphic features that are present in childhood, and therefore offer the opportunity to estimate the sex of immature individuals. This work aims to evaluate for the first time the degree of sexual dimorphism in the three-dimensional (3D) measurements of deciduous canine dental tissues, to assess their potential in sexual assessment. Computed microtomographic techniques have been employed to analyse the maxillary and mandibular deciduous canines of 65 individuals (36 females and 29 males) of known sex and age. The teeth were scanned and the volumes and 3D surface areas of the enamel cup and the dentine–pulp complex were obtained. Our results did not show statistically significant differences in either the absolute or relative dimensions of the enamel and dentine between female and male teeth. We hence conclude that volumes and 3D surface areas of deciduous canine dental tissues do not allow for sex determination, which contrasts with what has been observed in permanent canines by other authors. The differences in the degree of sexual dimorphism in dental tissue proportions between permanent and deciduous canines seem to be due to a decrease in the intersexual variability of the dentine component dimensions. Since the dentine component is a tissue capable of responding to changes in sex hormone concentration levels, our results might indicate that hormones play a more important role in the development of sexual dimorphism in the permanent dentition than previously thought.

著者

Alexis Guerin-Laguette

出版者

The Mycological Society of Japan

雑誌

Mycoscience (ISSN:13403540)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.62, no.1, pp.10-28, 2021-01-20 (Released:2021-01-20)

参考文献数

168

被引用文献数

10 12

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The cultivation of edible mycorrhizal fungi (EMF) has made great progress since the first cultivation of Tuber melanosporum in 1977 but remains in its infancy. Five cultivation steps are required: (1) mycorrhizal synthesis, (2) mycorrhiza development and acclimation, (3) out-planting of mycorrhizal seedlings, (4) onset of fructification, and (5) performing tree orchards. We provide examples of successes and challenges associated with each step, including fruiting of the prestigious chanterelles in Japan recently. We highlight the challenges in establishing performing tree orchards. We report on the monitoring of two orchards established between Lactarius deliciosus (saffron milk cap) and pines in New Zealand. Saffron milk caps yields reached 0.4 and 1100 kg/ha under Pinus radiata and P. sylvestris 6 and 9 y after planting, respectively. Canopy closure began under P. radiata 7 y after planting, followed by a drastic reduction of yields, while P. sylvestris yields still hovered at 690 to 780 kg/ha after 11 y, without canopy closure. The establishment of full-scale field trials to predict yields is crucial to making the cultivation of EMF a reality in tomorrow’s cropping landscape. Sustainable EMF cultivation utilizing trees in non-forested land could contribute to carbon storage, while providing revenue and other ecosystem services.

著者

Shin-Ichi SEKI

出版者

The Ornithological Society of Japan

雑誌

ORNITHOLOGICAL SCIENCE (ISSN:13470558)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.22, no.2, pp.137-150, 2023 (Released:2023-08-01)

参考文献数

66

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The Ryukyu Robin species complex, including the Ryukyu Robin Larvivora komadori and the Okinawa Robin L. namiyei, is endemic to the islands of the Ryukyu Archipelago. Population genetic structure and gene flow within this complex were investigated using 14 nuclear microsatellite markers. Distinct genetic differentiation was detected between the Ryukyu and Okinawa robins, and the Ryukyu Robin was further differentiated into four regional groups belonging to the Danjo Islands, Tokara Islands, Oh-shima with some adjacent islands, and Tokuno-shima. Contemporary gene flow among these regional groups was restricted overall, but outflow from the Tokara Islands group to the other three groups was exceptionally high. This asymmetric pattern may have been affected by differences in the isolation distance, migratory habits, and population size. The Ryukyu Robin species complex was long considered a single polytypic species; however, it has recently been classified as two independent species, mainly owing to the deep mitochondrial DNA divergence between them and a phenotypical re-examination. The genetic structure inferred from the nuclear loci strongly supports their genetic independence. The Okinawa Robin provides the first case among birds for which the splitting of sister species both endemic to the Ryukyu Archipelago is supported by all of the morphological, behavioral, ecological, and genetic evidence. Such recognition appears preferable in avian conservation and biogeography studies. Currently, the Ryukyu Archipelago includes an Endemic Bird Area and two Natural World Heritage sites, making the reliable delimitation of endemic species all the more important. Comprehensive genetic investigation, together with phenotypical re-examination is necessary, even for closely resembling but allopatric sister forms in this region.

著者

Jyun-Rong ZHUANG Hayato NAGAYOSHI Hirotoshi KONDO Keiichi MURAMATSU Keiichi WATANUKI Eiichiro TANAKA

出版者

The Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers

雑誌

Journal of Advanced Mechanical Design, Systems, and Manufacturing (ISSN:18813054)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.11, no.6, pp.JAMDSM0089, 2017 (Released:2017-12-22)

参考文献数

13

被引用文献数

3 6

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Wearable assistive devices have been receiving considerable attention in academic circles. To make these devices efficient, we need additional research on the service lives of the mechanical elements used in these devices. The wearers of these devices frequently encounter unexpected movements that lead to motor failure in the devices. The purpose of this study is to develop an overload protection mechanism using a torque limiter, which can eliminate the overload torque delivered in the reverse direction to effectively prevent the device from breaking and ensure the safety of the user. To improve the service life of assistive walking devices, we designed a sandwich mechanism for the final gear of the servo motor. We made the material from rubber and configured it between a pair of circular plates. The surface tractive force delivered the required torque. When the surface load exceeded the maximum friction force, the circular plates slipped and protected the device. In this paper, we implement a torque limiter and prove its durability by performing experiments using two circular plate designs, one with grooves type and another without grooves type. We also use various materials to assess the applicability of the assistive walking device. The findings indicate that the with grooves type gives better torque performance; it achieves the same rated torque as the servo motor. Thus, this study recommends that with grooves type is particularly suitable for the elderly who require high assistive power. On the other hand, without grooves type is suitable for users who employ the device for extended periods because this type has an excellent service life. Our experiment proves that the torque limiter that we developed can withstand the load torque over 300 times for situations involving the loss of balance such as stumbling and slipping. Finally, we experimentally validate the improvement of walking performance by using this torque limiter.

著者

Naoyuki NISHIO Shin-Ichiro NISHIDA Shintaro NAKATANI

出版者

THE JAPAN SOCIETY FOR AERONAUTICAL AND SPACE SCIENCES

雑誌

TRANSACTIONS OF THE JAPAN SOCIETY FOR AERONAUTICAL AND SPACE SCIENCES, AEROSPACE TECHNOLOGY JAPAN (ISSN:18840485)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.19, no.4, pp.469-476, 2021 (Released:2021-07-04)

参考文献数

16

被引用文献数

1

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The rover for future Mars exploration will be expected to have higher rough terrain traveling performance compared with conventional rovers. In this paper, we propose a rover with a weight of about 30 kg that can be transported to Mars by a Japanese rocket. The purpose of this study is to propose and develop a hinge-type movable center-of-gravity mechanism wherein the bending of the rover's body with a motor shows high rough terrain-driving performance with minimum degrees of freedom. The proposed mechanism's performance is evaluated by conducting travel experiments on a assumed terrain, that is, a hard rock with a grade inclination of 45 deg and a height of 0.15 m above the sand. The effectiveness of the proposed mechanism in getting over a step was confirmed by conducting experiments using a prototype model.

著者

Keita Aida Kentaro Kamiya Nobuaki Hamazaki Ryota Matsuzawa Kohei Nozaki Takafumi Ichikawa Takeshi Nakamura Masashi Yamashita Emi Maekawa Minako Yamaoka-Tojo Atsuhiko Matsunaga Junya Ako

出版者

International Heart Journal Association

雑誌

International Heart Journal (ISSN:13492365)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.61, no.3, pp.571-578, 2020-05-30 (Released:2020-05-30)

参考文献数

40

被引用文献数

7 10

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The simplified frailty scale is a simple frailty assessment tool modified from Fried's phenotypic frailty criteria, which is easy to administer in hospitalized patients. The applicability of the simplified frailty scale to indicate prognosis in elderly hospitalized patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD) was examined.This cohort study was performed in 895 admitted patients ≥ 65 years (interquartile range, 71.0-81.0, 541 men) with CVD. Patients were classified as robust, prefrail, or frail based on the five components of the simplified frailty scale: weakness, slowness, exhaustion, low activity, and weight loss. The primary endpoint was the composite outcome of all-cause mortality and unplanned readmission for CVD.Patients positive for greater numbers of frailty components showed higher risk of all-cause mortality or unplanned CVD-related readmission (P for trend < 0.001). Classification as both frail (adjusted HR: 3.27, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.49-7.21, P = 0.003) and prefrail (adjusted HR: 2.19, 95% CI: 1.00-4.79, P = 0.049) independently predicted the composite endpoint compared with robust after adjusting for potential confounding factors. The inclusion of prefrail, frail, and number of components of frailty increased both continuous net reclassification improvement (0.113, P = 0.049; 0.426, P < 0.001; and 0.321, P < 0.001) and integrated discrimination improvement (0.007, P = 0.037; 0.009, P = 0.038; and 0.018, P = 0.002) for the composite endpoint.Higher scores on the simplified frailty scale were associated with increased risk of mortality or readmission in elderly patients hospitalized for CVD.

著者

Reina Hiraishi Yuika Morita Ryo Nakamura Haruhiko Koseki Kazuko Koshiba-Takeuchi Jun K. Takeuchi

雑誌

BMB2015 Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

巻号頁・発行日

2015-11-02

著者

Thi Thu Ha DUONG Doo-Chul Kim

出版者

The Association of Japanese Geographers

雑誌

Geographical review of Japan series B (ISSN:18834396)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.95, no.2, pp.69-82, 2022-12-29 (Released:2022-12-28)

参考文献数

39

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This study aims to analyze the results of Vietnam’s land consolidation program of 2006 and to explore why it remains incomplete through a case study of Binh Dao Commune, a typical coastal plain commune in the country’s central region. Using a geographic information system, combined with secondary data and in-depth interviews with stakeholders, we created digital maps of the spatial structure of farmland parcels and rural infrastructure before and after the land consolidation program to determine the changes therein. In parallel, a clearer picture of the land consolidation program’s implementation mechanism is presented. The findings show that the land consolidation program in Binh Dao Commune contributed to a decrease in the average number of plots per household from 7.9 to 4.2; however, the change in the average farm size was not significant, with a mean increase of only 16.4 m2 per household, from 2,071.2 m2 to 2,087.6 m2. The agricultural road and irrigation systems in Binh Dao Commune were also significantly improved as a by-product of land consolidation. However, the fragmented classification system of agricultural land stemming from the principle of equality redistribution by the socialist agricultural revolution led to the program’s incomplete results.

著者

Jun-ichi Kawabe Fumitaka Ushikubi Naoyuki Hasebe

出版者

The Japanese Circulation Society

雑誌

Circulation Journal (ISSN:13469843)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.74, no.5, pp.836-843, 2010 (Released:2010-04-23)

参考文献数

86

被引用文献数

81 86

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Prostacyclin (PGI2) is one of the important vascular prostanoids, the effects of which counteract those of thromboxane (TXA2), and these 2 prostanoids provide an important balance in cardiovascular homeostasis. The clinical experience of COX-2 selective inhibitors having unexpected adverse effects in patients with cardiovascular risk has opened up a debate about the role of COX-2-derived prostanoids in vascular pathophysiology. PGI2 is a major anti-atherogenic prostanoid produced by COX-2 in vascular cells, including endothelial and vascular smooth muscle cells. The balance between COX-2-derived PGI2, COX-1-derived TXA2, and other COX-2-mediated atherogenic prostanoids is a crucial factor in determining pathophysiological outcomes. Recent studies using stable PGI2 analogs and genetically deficient mice have revealed novel effects of PGI2 on its target cells, such as endothelial and endothelial progenitor cells. The role PGI2 in the physiology and pathophysiology of vascular diseases is reviewed and the recent findings linking PGI2, COX-2 and atherothrombosis are summarized. (Circ J 2010; 74: 836 - 843)

著者

TAKENORI INOMATA JAEMYOUNG SUNG ALAN YEE AKIRA MURAKAMI YUICHI OKUMURA KEN NAGINO KENTA FUJIO YASUTSUGU AKASAKI AKIE MIDORIKAWA-INOMATA ATSUKO EGUCHI KEIICHI FUJIMOTO TIANXIANG HUANG YUKI MOROOKA MARIA MIURA HURRAMHON SHOKIROVA KUNIHIKO HIROSAWA MIZU OHNO HIROYUKI KOBAYASHI

出版者

The Juntendo Medical Society

雑誌

順天堂醫事雑誌 (ISSN:21879737)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.69, no.1, pp.2-13, 2023 (Released:2023-02-28)

参考文献数

63

被引用文献数

1

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During the 5th Science, Technology, and Innovation Basic Plan, the Japanese government proposed a novel societal concept -Society 5.0- that promoted a healthcare system characterized by its capability to provide unintrusive, predictive, longitudinal care through the integration of cyber and physical space. The role of Society 5.0 in managing our quality of vision will become more important in the modern digitalized and aging society, both of which are known risk factors for developing dry eye. Dry eye is the most common ocular surface disease encountered in Japan with symptoms including increased dryness, eye discomfort, and decreased visual acuity. Owing to its complexity, implementation of P4 (predictive, preventive, personalized, participatory) medicine in managing dry eye requires a comprehensive understanding of its pathology, as well as a strategy to visualize and stratify its risk factors. Using DryEyeRhythm®, a mobile health (mHealth) smartphone software (app), we established a route to collect holistic medical big data on dry eye, such as the subjective symptoms and lifestyle data for each individual. The studies to date aided in determining the risk factors for severe dry eye, the association between major depressive disorder and dry eye exacerbation, eye drop treatment adherence, app-based stratification algorithms based on symptomology, blink detection biosensoring as a dry eye-related digital phenotype, and effectiveness of app-based dry eye diagnosis support compared to traditional methods. These results contribute to elucidating disease pathophysiology and promoting preventive and effective measures to counteract dry eye through mHealth.

著者

Yuta NAKAZAWA Takafumi OHSHIMA Hideyuki KANEMOTO Aki FUJIWARA-IGARASHI

出版者

JAPANESE SOCIETY OF VETERINARY SCIENCE

雑誌

Journal of Veterinary Medical Science (ISSN:09167250)

巻号頁・発行日

pp.23-0315, (Released:2023-09-04)

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Advanced imaging techniques under general anesthesia are frequently employed to achieve a definitive diagnosis of canine nasal diseases. However, these examinations may not be performed immediately in all cases. This study aimed to construct prediction models for canine nasal diseases using less-invasive examinations such as clinical signs and radiography. Dogs diagnosed with nasal disease between 2010 and 2020 were retrospectively investigated to construct a prediction model (Group M; GM), and dogs diagnosed between 2020 and 2021 were prospectively investigated to validate the efficacy (Group V; GV). Prediction models were created using two methods: manual (Model 1) and LASSO logistic regression analysis (Model 2). In total, 103 and 86 dogs were included in GM and GV, respectively. In Model 1, the sensitivity and specificity of neoplasia (NP) and sino-nasal aspergillosis (SNA) were 0.88 and 0.81 in GM and 0.92 and 0.78 in GV, respectively. Those of non-infectious rhinitis (NIR) and rhinitis secondary to dental disease (DD) were 0.78 and 0.88 in GM and 0.64 and 0.80 in GV, respectively. In Model 2, the sensitivity and specificity of NP and SNA were 0.93 and 1 in GM and 0.93 and 0.75 in GV, respectively. Those of NIR and DD were 0.96 and 0.89 in GM and 0.80 and 0.79 in GV, respectively. This study suggest that it is possible to create a prediction model using less-invasive examinations. Utilizing these predictive models may lead to appropriate general anesthesia examinations and treatment referrals.

著者

Masahito Michikura Masatsune Ogura Mika Hori Kota Matsuki Hisashi Makino Kiminori Hosoda Mariko Harada-Shiba

出版者

Japan Atherosclerosis Society

雑誌

Journal of Atherosclerosis and Thrombosis (ISSN:13403478)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.29, no.11, pp.1603-1612, 2022-11-01 (Released:2022-11-01)

参考文献数

25

被引用文献数

4 10

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Aims: Achilles tendon (AT) xanthomas are a specific physical finding of familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) and AT thickness has been used for its diagnosis and evaluation of its severity. Recently, we reported that the AT of FH patients was softer than that of non-FH patients and the combined use of a cut-off value for AT softness with that for AT thickness improved diagnostic accuracy. However, an association between AT softness and severity of atherosclerosis has not been reported. Accordingly, the present study aimed to investigate whether AT softness was associated with carotid atherosclerosis and presence of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) in FH.Methods: The AT of 176 genetically diagnosed FH patients and 98 non-FH patients was examined to measure AT thickness and the elasticity index (EI) as an indicator for assessing AT softness using ultrasonography.Results: Increased age was associated with AT softness, and overweight was negatively related to AT softness. There were significant inverse correlations between EI and maximum and mean intima-media thickness (IMT) within the common carotid artery only among FH patients. In multiple linear regression analysis, although the relationship between EI and mean IMT was attenuated, the association between EI and maximum IMT remained robust. In logistic regression analysis adjusted for age, sex and traditional cardiovascular risk factors (smoking history, presence of hypertension, presence of diabetes mellitus, overweight, LDL-cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, and Log triglycerides), EI was associated with presence of ASCVD (Odds ratio per 1-SD increase, 0.37; 95% CI, 0.15 – 0.86; P=0.0252).Conclusion: The degree of lipid deposition in the AT of FH patients could be assessed by its thickness as well as its softness. AT softness is not only useful in diagnosing FH but is also associated with the severity of carotid atherosclerosis and presence of ASCVD. In addition, these findings suggest that AT softness would be helpful in risk assessment for FH patients.

著者

Mariko Harada-Shiba Junya Ako Atsushi Hirayama Masato Nakamura Atsushi Nohara Kayoko Sato Yoshitaka Murakami Ryusuke Koshida Asuka Ozaki Hidenori Arai

出版者

Japan Atherosclerosis Society

雑誌

Journal of Atherosclerosis and Thrombosis (ISSN:13403478)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.29, no.8, pp.1201-1212, 2022-08-01 (Released:2022-08-01)

参考文献数

32

被引用文献数

3 7

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Aim: Genetic testing can provide a definitive diagnosis of familial hypercholesterolemia (FH). However, accessibility of genetic testing may be limited in certain countries where it is not considered “standard of care,” including Japan. In addition, mutations responsible for FH cannot be identified in approximately 30% of patients. Methods: EXPLORE-J is a multicenter, prospective, observational study of patients presenting with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). The genetic data were analyzed and adjudicated as pathogenic, indeterminate, or nondetectable pathogenic variant.Results: Of 1,944 patients, 431 underwent genetic screening. Overall, most patients had nonpathogenic variants of LDLR, LDLRAP1, or PCSK9 (n=396, 91.9%). Of the 25 (5.8%) patients with pathogenic variants, variants of the LDLR gene and the PCSK9 gene were seen in 10 and 15 patients, respectively. Indeterminate variants were observed in 10 (2.3%) patients. Of the 431 patients, eight (1.9%) met the criteria for a diagnosis of FH using the Japanese Atherosclerosis Society (JAS) 2017 guidelines. When genetic data were incorporated, 33 (7.7%) patients met the JAS guidelines. No patients with FH pathogenic variants satisfied the JAS clinical criteria for a diagnosis of FH.Conclusions: The results revealed a higher prevalence of genetic mutations of FH among Japanese patients with ACS and a low sensitivity of the FH diagnostic criteria of the JAS 2017 guidelines. These findings highlight the difficulties of FH diagnosis in patients with ACS in the acute phase and suggest the importance of genetic testing and family history.