“Go To Travel” Campaign and Travel-Associated Coronavirus Disease 2019 Cases: A Descriptive Analysis, July–August 2020

This article belongs to the Special Issue Real Time Clinical and Epidemiological Investigations on Novel Coronavirus - Part IThe Japanese government initiated the Go To Travel campaign on 22 July 2020, offering deep discounts on hotel charges and issuing coupons to be used for any consumption at travel destinations in Japan. In the present study, we aimed to describe the possible epidemiological impact of the tourism campaign on increasing travel-associated cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the country. We compared the incidence rates of travel-associated and tourism-related cases prior to and during the campaign. The incidence of travel-associated COVID-19 cases during the tourism campaign was approximately three times greater than the control period 22 June to 21 July 2020 and approximately 1.5 times greater than the control period of 15 to 19 July. The incidence owing to tourism was approximately 8 times and 2–3 times greater than the control periods of 22 June to 21 July and 15 to 19 July, respectively. Although the second epidemic wave in Japan had begun to decline by mid-August, enhanced domestic tourism may have contributed to increasing travel-associated COVID-19 cases during 22 to 26 July, the early stage of the Go To Travel campaign

Repeated shunt dysfunction due to barium allergy

We encountered a case of repeated shunt dysfunction caused by barium allergy. The patient was a 60-year-old male who underwent ventricular peritoneal shunting for hydrocephalus following subarachnoid hemorrhage due to a ruptured aneurysm ; however, it malfunctioned many times. A patch test performed after the third reconstruction was positive for barium. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case report of shunt malfunction due to barium allergy. The patch test is useful in cases of suspected allergy-related dysfunction. We recommend the introduction of barium into antigen testing using the patch test

どうすれば実習中の事故を未然に防げるか : ＫＹＴ活動、ヒヤリ・ハット事例から見えてきた事

We started the KYT as safety education for students . KYT (K: kiken (hazard), Y: yochi (prediction), T:(training)) Using illustrations showing the workplace and work conditions, or while supervising or demonstrating work in real situations on site, discuss in small groups hazardous factors in the workplace and in work conditions (unsafe conditions and unsafe behavior that may lead to industrial accidents or accidents). Discuss, think about, and understand (or ask yourself about) the phenomena (type of accidents) that may arise from such factors, and determine the danger points and the kind of action to take, confirming these with pointing and calling, and pointing and saying out louder together. Conduct this training so that you can take steps on preemptive action for safety before you act. Although we were conducted three times KYT until April of this year from last year , it has a good reputation in the students , and it has helped very much to the safety awareness of students . At the same time, we started a collection of the near miss accidents cases . These are also , is expected to be utilized for safety education in the future

Fasting period after Rybelsus administration influences clinical benefit

Glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) have been attracted attention for various beneficial effects. Among them, oral semaglutide (Rybelsus) was developed using the absorption enhancer sodium N-(8-[2-hydroxybenzoyl] amino) caprylate (SNAC). The relationship between the bioavailability and post-dose fasting time period was analyzed. The results showed that i) its bioavailability with drinking 50mL and 120mL of water together was almost similar, ii) bioavailability for 240mL intake was about 2/3 of 50-120mL, iii) general availability would be about 1.4% for 50-120ml water, and 0.8% for 240mL of water. Tolerability and safety of Rybelsus showed similar results for healthy subjects, patients with renal and/or hepatic impairment. From mentioned above, Rybelsus has been one of the topic agents with characteristic mechanism of SNAC and clinical benefit of GLP-1RA. It will be expected to be applied widely in actual diabetic practice

Soil N Fluxes in Three Contrasting Dry Tropical Forests

A comparative study of N fluxes in soil among a dry dipterocarp forest (DDF), a dry evergreen forest (DEF), and a hill evergreen forest (HEF) in Thailand was done. N fluxes in soil were estimated using an ion exchange resin core method and a buried bag method. Soil C and N pools were 38 C Mg/ha/30 cm and 2.5 N Mg/ha/30 cm in DDF, 82 C Mg/ha/30 cm and 6.2 N Mg/ha/30 cm in DEF, and 167 C Mg/ha/30 cm and 9.3 N Mg/ha/30 cm in HEF. Low C concentration in the DDF and DEF sites was compensated by high fine soil content. In the highly weathered tropical soil, fine soil content seemed to be important for C accumulation. Temporal and vertical fluctuations of N fluxes were different among the sites. The highest N flux was exhibited at the onset of the wet season in DDF, whereas inorganic N production and estimated uptake of N were relatively stable during the wet season in DEF and HEF. It is suggested that N cycling in soil becomes stable in dry tropical forests to intermediate in temperate forests. N deposition may result in large changes of N cycling in the DDF and DEF due to low accumulations of C and N

Evidence-based Tool for Triggering School Closures during Influenza Outbreaks, Japan

Guidelines available to school administrators to support school closure decisions during influenza outbreaks are usually not evidence-based. Using empirical data on absentee rates of elementary school students in Japan, we developed a simple and practical algorithm for determining the optimal timing of school closures for control of influenza outbreaks

Structural and functional insights into IZUMO1 recognition by JUNO in mammalian fertilization

Kato, K., Satouh, Y., Nishimasu, H. et al. Structural and functional insights into IZUMO1 recognition by JUNO in mammalian fertilization. Nat Commun 7, 12198 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms1219

pH-dependent Formation of Membranous Cytoplasmic Body-like Structure of Ganglioside GM1/Bis(Monoacylglycero)Phosphate Mixed Membranes

Membrane structures of the mixtures of ganglioside GM1 and endosome specific lipid, bis(monoacylglycero)phosphate (BMP, also known as lysobisphosphatidic acid, LBPA) were examined at various pH conditions by freeze-fracture electron microscopy and small-angle x-ray scattering (SAXS). At pH 8.5 – 6.5, a GM1/BMP (1/1 mol/mol) mixture formed small vesicular aggregates, whereas the mixture formed closely packed lamellar structures under acidic conditions (pH 5.5, 4.6) with the lamellar repeat distance of 8.06 nm. Since BMP alone exhibits a diffuse lamellar structure at a broad range of pH values and GM1 forms a micelle, the present results indicate that both GM1 and BMP are required to produce the closely stacked multilamellar vesicles. These vesicles resemble membranous cytoplasmic bodies (MCB) in cells derived from patients suffering from GM1 gangliosidosis. Similar to GM1 gangliosidosis, cholesterol was trapped in BMP vesicles in GM1- and in a low pH-dependent manner. Studies employing different gangliosides and a GM1 analog suggest the importance of sugar chains and a sialic acid of GM1 in the pH-dependent structural change of GM1/BMP membranes