Utilizing eye-tracking to explain variation in response to inconsistent message onbelief change in false rumor

Exposure to Inconsistent message has been demonstrated as auseful method to alleviate belief in false rumor. However, thedata from previous research included unexplained variation inresponse to inconsistent message. Existing research alsoincluded the possibility that participants skipped out onreading and therefore they were not exposed to a message.We used an eye tracker to eliminate the possibility. Eyetracking data revealed that participants not only did not skipbut they paid more visual attention to inconsistent messagescomparing with consistent messages. Despite the overalleffectiveness of inconsistent message, some responsesshowed continued belief in rumors even after the exposure.Eye-tracking analyses demonstrated that when participantshad positive pre-belief for a rumor, more visual attention toinconsistent message predicted strengthened the belief. Wediscuss when exposure to inconsistent message does not workwell as a way for harnessing belief in false rumor

Microsatellite Capture Sequencing

Microsatellites (simple sequence repeats, SSRs) that consist of repetitive sequences of one to six bases are ubiquitous in most eukaryotic genomes. The use of molecular markers for this region is efficacious in molecular-assisted breeding, molecular phylogenetics, and population genetics. Recently, the detection of a number of SSRs using a high-throughput DNA sequencing assay has become possible. Particularly, microsatellite capture sequencing using our developed protocol can detect SSRs more effectively by enriching the DNA library using an SSR probe. Our protocol used in this study demonstrates the possibility of using low-input DNA (≥1 ng), and while the use of restriction enzymes was more suitable for identifying the heterozygous genotype than sonication was, sonication facilitated the detection of various SSR flanking regions with both species-specific and common characteristics more than restriction enzyme digestion did. Moreover, a simulation analysis using various scale reads estimated that a few thousand SSRs could be detected from 50 K reads per sample. Furthermore, we described an in silico polymorphic detection and phylogenetic analysis method based on microsatellite capture sequencing data

住民主体の地域づくりに向けた地域包括支援センター看護職の支援

目的：「いきいきまつり」を通じ、地域づくりに向けて地域包括支援センター看護職が行なった支援を記述することを目的とした。方法：自治体と連携して先駆的な地域づくり型保健活動を行なっているA 区地域包括支援センターの看護職を対象とし、半構造的面接を行なった。逐語録から、看護職の支援の内容を抽出し、支援の流れを示した。結果：活動の立ち上げにあたって、看護職は〈日頃の活動から把握している住民参加者の選定〉などを行なっていた。その後〈住民の意識を地域づくりに向くよう促す〉、〈健康づくりを強化できるよう促す〉、〈地区特性に合わせた活動を行なうことを提案する〉などして、住民主体の地域づくりに発展させていた。考察：地域包括支援センター看護職は地区に密着した日々の活動を生かし、地域づくりの中心となる人材を発掘し、住民同士や住民と自治体保健師をつなぐとともに、活動を地区特性に合わせる役割を担うと考えられる

Efficacy and Tolerability of Peginterferon Alpha Plus Ribavirin in the Routine Daily Treatment of Chronic Hepatitis C Patients in Korea: A Multi-Center, Retrospective Observational Study

Background/Aims: We aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of peginterferon plus ribavirin for chronic hepatitis C (CHC) patients under real life setting in Korea. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the medical records of 758 CHC patients treated with peginterferon plus ribavirin between 2000 and 2008 from 14 university hospitals in the Gyeonggi-Incheon area in Korea. Results: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 1 was detected in 61.2% of patients, while genotype 2 was detected in 35.5%. Baseline HCV RNA level was >= 6x10(5) IU/mL in 51.6% of patients. The sustained virological response (SVR) rate was 59.6% regardless of genotype; 53.6% in genotype 1 and 71.4% in genotype 2/3. On multivariate analysis, male gender (p=0.011), early virological response (p<0.001), genotype 2/3 (p<0.001), HCV RNA <6x10(5) IU/mL (p=0.005) and adherence to the drug >80% of the planned dose (p<0.001) were associated with SVR. The rate of premature discontinuation was 35.7%. The main reason for withdrawal was intolerance to the drug due to common adverse events or cytopenia (48.2%). Conclusions: Our data suggest that the efficacy of peginterferon and ribavirin therapy in Koreans is better in Koreans than in Caucasians for the treatment of CHC, corroborating previous studies that have shown the superior therapeutic efficacy of this regimen in Asians.This study was supported by the Korean Association for the Study of the Liver in 2009

Enantiopure distorted ribbon-shaped nanographene combining two-photon absorptionbased upconversion and circularly polarized luminescence

Herein we describe a distorted ribbon-shaped nanographene exhibiting unprecedented combination of optical properties in graphene-related materials, namely upconversion based on two-photon absorption (TPA-UC) together with circularly polarized luminescence (CPL). The compound is a graphene molecule of ca. 2 nm length and 1 nm width with edge defects that promote the distortion of the otherwise planar lattice. The edge defects are an aromatic saddle-shaped ketone unit and a [5]carbohelicene moiety. This system is shown to combine two-photon absorption and circularly polarized luminescence and a remarkably long emission lifetime of 21.5 ns. The [5]helicene is responsible for the chiroptical activity while the push–pull geometry and the extended network of sp2 carbons are factors favoring the nonlinear absorption. Electronic structure theoretical calculations support the interpretation of the results.This project has received funding from the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program (ERC-2015-STG-677023). We also thank the Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (MINECO, Spain) (CTQ2015-70283-P, CTQ2014-53598-R, MAT2014-54231-C4-1P, FIS2016-77578-R) and the “Unidad de Excelencia Química Aplicada a Biomedicina y Medioambiente (UGR)”. A. G. C., C. S. S. and C. M. C. acknowledge funding from MINECO (Spain) for RyC-2013-12943, IJCI-2014-19291 and BES-2016-076371 contracts, respectively. I. R. M. thanks UGR (Spain) for a postdoctoral scholarship. I. M. and E. M. thank the Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia for financial support (IF/00759/2013 and post-doc grant SFRH/BPD/75782/2011). We thank the CSIRC-Alhambra for supercomputing facilities

Chronic Hepatitis C

The goal of antiviral therapy for patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is to attain a sustained virologic response (SVR), which is defined as undetectable serum HCV-RNA levels at 6 months after the cessation of treatment. Major improvements in antiviral therapy for chronic hepatitis C have occurred in the past decade. The addition of ribavirin to interferon-alfa therapy and the introduction of pegylated interferon (PEG-IFN) have substantially improved SVR rates in patients with chronic hepatitis C. The optimization of HCV therapy with PEG-IFN and ribavirin continues to evolve. Studies are ongoing that use viral kinetics to tailor therapy to an individual's antiviral response and determine the ideal length of treatment to maximize the chance of SVR. Improved SVR can be achieved with new specific inhibitors that target the HCV NS3/4A protease and the NS5B polymerase. Several long-term follow-up studies have shown that SVR, when achieved, is associated with a very low risk of virologic relapse. Furthermore, antiviral therapy can reduce the morbidity and mortality rates associated with chronic hepatitis C by reducing fibrosis progression, the incidence of cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma

Fluorescence Detection-FIA for ppb Levels of Bromate with Trifluoperazine

Abstract The fluorescence of tifluoperazine at EX:300 nm and EM:485 nm was changed into non-fluorescent substance in the presence of bromate under acidic conditions, and the fluorescence detection-FIA of trace amounts of the bromate was developed using this phenomenon. In the concentration range of 1-15 μg L -1 , the bromate analysis was able to obtain a good straight line and eighteen samples per hour were measured. For 7.5 μg L -1 of bromate, the relative standard deviation(RSD) was 2.03 %(n=5) and the detection limit (3σ) was 1.47 μg L -1

Effect of Long-Chain Fatty Acids on the Binding of Triflupromazine to Human Serum Albumin: A Spectrophotometric Study

Human serum albumin (HSA) in the blood binds long-chain fatty acids (LCFAs), and the number of bound LCFAs varies from 1 to 7 depending on the physical condition of the body. In this study, the influence of LCFA-HSA binding on drug-HSA binding was studied using triflupromazine (TFZ), a psychotropic phenothiazine drug, in a buffer (0.1 M NaCl, pH 7.40, 37°C) by a second-derivative spectrophotometric method which can suppress the residual background signal effects of HSA observed in the absorption spectra. The examined LCFAs were caprylic acid (CPA), lauric acid (LRA), oleic acid (OLA), and linoleic acid (LNA), respectively. Using the derivative intensity change of TFZ induced by the addition of HSA containing LCFA, the binding mode of TFZ was predicted to be a partition-like nonspecific binding. The binding constant (K M−1) showed an increase according to the LCFA content in HSA for LRA, OLA, and LNA up to an LCFA/HSA molar ratio of 3–4. However, at higher ratios the K value decreased, i.e. for OLA and LNA, at an LCFA/HSA ratio of 6–7, the K value decreased to 40% of the value for HSA alone. In contrast, CPA, having the shortest chain length (8 carbons) among the studied LCFAs, induced a 20% decrease in the K value regardless of its content in HSA. Since the pharmacological activity of a drug is closely related to the unbound drug concentration in the blood, the results of the present study are pharmaco-kinetically, pharmacologically, and clinically very important

In Vitro Endothelialization Test of Biomaterials Using Immortalized Endothelial Cells.

Functionalizing biomaterials with peptides or polymers that enhance recruitment of endothelial cells (ECs) can reduce blood coagulation and thrombosis. To assess endothelialization of materials in vitro, primary ECs are generally used, although the characteristics of these cells vary among the donors and change with time in culture. Recently, primary cell lines immortalized by transduction of simian vacuolating virus 40 large T antigen or human telomerase reverse transcriptase have been developed. To determine whether immortalized ECs can substitute for primary ECs in material testing, we investigated endothelialization on biocompatible polymers using three lots of primary human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) and immortalized microvascular ECs, TIME-GFP. Attachment to and growth on polymer surfaces were comparable between cell types, but results were more consistent with TIME-GFP. Our findings indicate that TIME-GFP is more suitable for in vitro endothelialization testing of biomaterials