Deep Neural Network-Based Method for Detecting Central Retinal Vein Occlusion Using Ultrawide-Field Fundus Ophthalmoscopy

The aim of this study is to assess the performance of two machine-learning technologies, namely, deep learning (DL) and support vector machine (SVM) algorithms, for detecting central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO) in ultrawide-field fundus images. Images from 125 CRVO patients (n = 125 images) and 202 non-CRVO normal subjects (n = 238 images) were included in this study. Training to construct the DL model using deep convolutional neural network algorithms was provided using ultrawide-field fundus images. The SVM uses scikit-learn library with a radial basis function kernel. The diagnostic abilities of DL and the SVM were compared by assessing their sensitivity, specificity, and area under the curve (AUC) of the receiver operating characteristic curve for CRVO. For diagnosing CRVO, the DL model had a sensitivity of 98.4% (95% confidence interval (CI), 94.3–99.8%) and a specificity of 97.9% (95% CI, 94.6–99.1%) with an AUC of 0.989 (95% CI, 0.980–0.999). In contrast, the SVM model had a sensitivity of 84.0% (95% CI, 76.3–89.3%) and a specificity of 87.5% (95% CI, 82.7–91.1%) with an AUC of 0.895 (95% CI, 0.859–0.931). Thus, the DL model outperformed the SVM model in all indices assessed (P < 0.001 for all). Our data suggest that a DL model derived using ultrawide-field fundus images could distinguish between normal and CRVO images with a high level of accuracy and that automatic CRVO detection in ultrawide-field fundus ophthalmoscopy is possible. This proposed DL-based model can also be used in ultrawide-field fundus ophthalmoscopy to accurately diagnose CRVO and improve medical care in remote locations where it is difficult for patients to attend an ophthalmic medical center

Optical and Near-Infrared Photometry of Nova V2362 Cyg : Rebrightening Event and Dust Formation

We present optical and near-infrared (NIR) photometry of a classical nova, V2362 Cyg (= Nova Cygni 2006). V2362 Cyg experienced a peculiar rebrightening with a long duration from 100 to 240 d after the maximum of the nova. Our multicolor observation indicates an emergence of a pseudophotosphere with an effective temperature of 9000 K at the rebrightening maximum. After the rebrightening maximum, the object showed a slow fading homogeneously in all of the used bands for one week. This implies that the fading just after the rebrightening maximum ( less or equal 1 week ) was caused by a slowly shrinking pseudophotosphere. Then, the NIR flux drastically increased, while the optical flux steeply declined. The optical and NIR flux was consistent with blackbody radiation with a temperature of 1500 K during this NIR rising phase. These facts are likely to be explained by dust formation in the nova ejecta. Assuming an optically thin case, we estimate the dust mass of 10^(-8) -- 10^(-10) M_solar, which is less than those in typical dust-forming novae. These results support the senario that a second, long-lasting outflow, which caused the rebrightening, interacted with a fraction of the initial outflow and formed dust grains.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures, 2010, PASJ, 62, 1103--1108, in pres

An Improved Convenient Molecular Weight-determination Method for Active Stainable-Enzyme after SDS Electrophoresis

An improved method to determine the molecular weight of alcohol dehydrogenase after sodium dodecylsulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis(SDS-PAGE) has been developed. This method was based on the finding that on a gel, which was washed with a buffer to remove SDS after SDS-PAGE, stained with an enzymatic activity staining mixture and then stained with coomassie blue, there appeared two active stained bands with apparent molecular weights of 148,000(tetramer)and 35,000(monomer)on the SDS-PAGE gel. The method developed here may be applicable to a wide range of active stainable-enzymes as a rapid and simple molecular weight determination method after SDS-PAGE

An Improved Convenient Molecular Weight-determination Method of Subunit for Active Stainable-Enzyme after SDS Electrophoresis

An improved method to determine the molecular weight of the subunit of lactate dehydrogenase and malate dehydrogenase after sodium dodecylsulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) has been developed. This method was based on the finding that on a gel, which was washed with a buffer to remove SDS after SDS-PAGE, stained with an enzymatic activity staining mixture and then stained with coomassie blue, there appeared one active stained band with apparent molecular weights of 35,500 (monomer) (lactate dehydrogenase) and 31,000 (monomer) (malate dehydrogenase) on the SDS-PAGE gel. The method developed here may be applicable to a wide range of active stainable-enzymes as a rapid and simple molecular weight determination method of the subunit after SDS-PAGE

The 2006 November outburst of EG Aquarii: the SU UMa nature revealed

We report time-resolved CCD photometry of the cataclysmic variable EG Aquarii during the 2006 November outburst During the outburst, superhumps were unambiguously detected with a mean period of 0.078828(6) days, firstly classifying the object as an SU UMa-type dwarf nova. It also turned out that the outburst contained a precursor. At the end of the precursor, immature profiles of humps were observed. By a phase analysis of these humps, we interpreted the features as superhumps. This is the second example that the superhumps were shown during a precursor. Near the maximum stage of the outburst, we discovered an abrupt shift of the superhump period by ${\sim}$ 0.002 days. After the supermaximum, the superhump period decreased at the rate of $\dot{P}/P$=$-8.2{\times}10^{-5}$, which is typical for SU UMa-type dwarf novae. Although the outburst light curve was characteristic of SU UMa-type dwarf novae, long-term monitoring of the variable shows no outbursts over the past decade. We note on the basic properties of long period and inactive SU UMa-type dwarf novae.Comment: 9 pages, 7 figures, accepted for PAS

Effects of Fermentable Sugar Derived from Bunashimeji Mushroom on Fermentation in Bread Processing

The addition of bunashimeji affected gas production in baker\u27s yeast. After 4 hours of incubation, total gas production increased about 1.8 times that of standard dough, and a few large holes and many small holes appeared on top of the dough containing bunashimeji after 6 hours of incubation. Gas production increased with increasing consumption of glucose in bunashimeji. The addition of bunashimeji to wheat flour increased production of low molecular weight sugar (fermentable sugar). Therefore, we concluded that adding bunashimeji to white bread dough provided nutrients as fermentable sugar for the yeast. This resulted in excessive initial production of gas forming holes upon exiting the dough, and reducing the volume of the dough as a result. Consequently, dough in which holes were formed on top was broken before oven baking, and loaf volume and specific loaf volume of the bread containing 5% bunashimeji was markedly decreased when an automatic bread baker was used

HbA1c and telemedicine during COVID-19

Aims/Introduction: To investigate whether the COVID-19 pandemic affected behavioral changes and glycemic control in patients with diabetes and to conduct a survey of telemedicine during the pandemic. Materials and Methods: In this retrospective study, a total of 2,348 patients were included from 15 medical facilities. Patients were surveyed about their lifestyle changes and attitudes toward telemedicine. Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels were compared among before (from June 1 to August 31, 2019) and in the first (from June 1 to August 31, 2020) and in the second (from June 1 to August 31, 2021) year of the pandemic. A survey of physician attitudes toward telemedicine was also conducted. Results: The HbA1c levels were comparable between 2019 (7.27 ± 0.97%), 2020 (7.28 ± 0.92%), and 2021 (7.25 ± 0.94%) without statistical difference between each of those 3 years. Prescriptions for diabetes medications increased during the period. The frequency of eating out was drastically reduced (51.7% in 2019; 30.1% in 2020), and physical activity decreased during the pandemic (48.1% in 2019; 41.4% in 2020; 43.3% in 2021). Both patients and physicians cited increased convenience and reduced risk of infection as their expectations for telemedicine, while the lack of physician–patient interaction and the impossibility of consultation and examination were cited as sources of concern. Conclusions: Our data suggest that glycemic control did not deteriorate during the COVID-19 pandemic with appropriate intensification of diabetes treatment in patients with diabetes who continued to attend specialized diabetes care facilities, and that patients and physicians shared the same expectations and concerns about telemedicine

Effects of Hormones on Cultivation of Tricholoma matsutake Mycelia

A mixture of callus of Akamatsu and mycelium of Tricholoma matsutake was obtained from roots of it with MS medium containing 0.01μM of 2, 4-D and 0.1μM of kinetin. Colony, which formed polymer of mycelia of T. matsutake, was obtained with MS medium containing 0.01μM of IAA and 0.01μM of kinetin. Therefore, it may be possible to cultivate T. matsutake by means of using hormones such as IAA and kinetin on the sawdust medium

Effects of Aspartame on alcohol fermentation in Aspartame-added bread processing

The addition of aspartame to white bread dough affected the gas production due to baker\u27s yeast. After 3 hours of incubation, the total gas production of 3% aspartame-added dough decreased about 0.4 times that of standard dough. Gas production decreased with increasing concentrations of aspartame. On the other hand, the expansion of aspartame-added dough increased with increasing concentration of aspartame. The dough containing 3% aspartame expanded the same as standard dough. The ratio of internal gas production to total gas production increased by about 3 times that of standard dough with sugar. The addition of aspartame to white bread dough inhibited the activity of alcohol dehydrogenase. The characteristics of aspartame-added bread allows extension of the dough with gas, keeps the gas in the dough, preserves gas release, and leads to a normal loaf volume, though the addition of aspartame to white bread dough regulated alcohol fermentation of the yeast and the total gas production decreased

Utilization of Enokitake and Shiitake in fiber-bread processing and their characteristics

Bread containing 5% enokitake (Flammulina velutipes) produced manually the expanded most, however, in the case of shiitake (Lentinus edodes), the loaf volume of bread decreased with an increasing concentration of shiitake. In the case of dough without sugar, the bread containing 10% enokitake the expanded most, however, that of more than 10% enokitake decreased with an increasing concentration of enokitake. The loaf volume of shiitake bread without sugar also decreased with an increasing concentration of shiitake because shiitake strongly inhibited the growth of baker\u27s yeast. The firmness of the bread increased with an increasing concentration of enokitake or shiitake until the concentration was 30%. Fermentable sugars such as glucose, mannitol, maltose and trehalose from enokitake and glucose from shiitake were consumed with fermentation by yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) during the first 4 hours of incubation