Factors associated with acceptance of a digital contact tracing application for COVID-19 in the Japanese working-age population

The working-age population is at the epicenter of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infections. Therefore, it is important to increase the acceptance of digital contact tracing apps in this population. Contact-Confirming Application (COCOA) is the only digital contact tracing app in Japan. This study aimed to determine factors associated with acceptance of the COCOA for COVID-19 in the Japanese working-age population. A cross-sectional study was performed for 27,036 full-time workers registered with an internet survey company during December 2020 in Japan. Factors associated with COCOA adoption were evaluated by multivariate logistic regression analysis. The rate of downloading the COCOA was 25.1%. The COCOA was more likely to be accepted by people with married status, university graduation or above, higher income, and occupations involving desk work. Fear of COVID-19 transmission, wearing a mask, using hand disinfection, willingness to be vaccinated against COVID-19, and presence of an acquaintance infected with COVID-19 were also associated with a greater likelihood of adopting the app. The rate of downloading the COCOA in Japan was not very high. The present findings have important implications for widespread adoption of digital contact tracing apps in working-age populations in Japan and elsewhere.departmental bulletin pape

Na, K-ATPase α3 is a death target of Alzheimer patient amyloid-β assembly

Neurodegeneration correlates with Alzheimer's disease (AD) symptoms, but the molecular identities of pathogenic amyloid β-protein (Aβ) oligomers and their targets, leading to neurodegeneration, remain unclear. Amylospheroids (ASPD) are AD patient-derived 10- to 15-nm spherical Aβ oligomers that cause selective degeneration of mature neurons. Here, we show that the ASPD target is neuron-specific Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase α3 subunit (NAKα3). ASPD-binding to NAKα3 impaired NAKα3-specific activity, activated N-type voltage-gated calcium channels, and caused mitochondrial calcium dyshomeostasis, tau abnormalities, and neurodegeneration. NMR and molecular modeling studies suggested that spherical ASPD contain N-terminal-Aβ-derived "thorns" responsible for target binding, which are distinct from low molecular-weight oligomers and dodecamers. The fourth extracellular loop (Ex4) region of NAKα3 encompassing Asn(879) and Trp(880) is essential for ASPD-NAKα3 interaction, because tetrapeptides mimicking this Ex4 region bound to the ASPD surface and blocked ASPD neurotoxicity. Our findings open up new possibilities for knowledge-based design of peptidomimetics that inhibit neurodegeneration in AD by blocking aberrant ASPD-NAKα3 interaction

Photon spectroscopy of heavy quarkonia

We have studied the inclusive photon spectrum in [Special characters omitted.] (2 S ), Υ(2 S ), and Υ(3 S ) decays using the CLEO III detector. We present the most precise measurements of electric dipole (E1) photon transition rates and photon energies for [Special characters omitted.] (2 S ) [arrow right] γχ cJ (1 P ), Υ(2 S ) [arrow right] γχ cJ (1 P ), and Υ(3 S ) [arrow right] γχ bJ (2 P ) ( J = 0, 1, 2). The rate for rare E1 transition, Υ(3 S ) [arrow right] γχ b0 (1 P ) is measured for the first time. We also confirm the hindered magnetic dipole (M1) transition, [Special characters omitted.] (2 S ) [arrow right] γη c (1 S ). However, the direct M1 transition [Special characters omitted.] (2 S ) [arrow right] γη c (2 S ) observed by the Crystal Ball as a narrow peak at a photon energy of 91 MeV is not found in our data. We have also searched for the spin-singlet bottomonium states η b (1 S ) and η b (2 S ) via the hindered magnetic dipole (M1) photon transitions Υ(3 S ) [arrow right] γη b (1 S ), Υ(3 S ) [arrow right] γη b (2 S ); and Υ(2 S ) [arrow right] γη b (1 S ). No evidence for such transitions are found. We set upper limits on the branching ratios which rule out some of the theoretical calculations