Dialogue System for Friendly Support in Collecting Information about University Student Life

本研究では，大学の学生生活に関する情報収集を親和的に支援する対話システムを開発して，2020年4 月から徳島大学に導入を開始した．本システムは通常の対話機能に加えて，ユーザの発話内容に応じた感情や動作を応答キャラクターが表現することで，利用者とシステム間の親和な関係を成立させている．2020 年4 月から2022 年3 月までを対象とした分析結果として，4 月に利用する学部1 年生が多いこと，9 時～12 時の利用者数が最も多いが0 時～6 時の利用者もいること，本学のマスコットキャラクターであるとくぽんへの質問が最も多いこと，応答件数の20.31% は調査対象の学務窓口での主な問い合わせ内容であることなどが明らかになった．また，比較評価の結果，感情や動作を応答キャラクターが表現することは，対話システムへの親しみや質問のしやすさの向上に繋がり，親和な関係の成立に有用であることが示された．This study develops a dialogue system for friendly support in collecting information about university student life. Specifically, the respondent in the dialogue systems expresses emotions and actions for forming friendly relationships between the users and the systems depended on the contents of the user utterances. The results of the introduction analysis in Tokushima University from April 2020 to March 2022, for examples, showed that the number of 1st year undergraduate students in April was large, the number of users from 9:00 to 12:00 was the largest, there were also users from 0:00 to 6:00, there were a lot of utterances related about Tokupon which is the Tokushima University mascot, 20.31% of the number of responses was the main content inquirys at the academic affairs counters. The results of the comparative evaluation showed that the respondent’s emotions and actions expressions could improve familiarity and ease of making queries, and they were useful for forming friendly relationships

A Questionnaire System with an Authentication Framework Considering Online Activities of Users

It is difficult to distribute online questionnaire adequately to those subjects who satisfy requirements of investigations. In addition, low questionnaire response rates, because of factors such as overlooking request emails and noncooperation to answer the questionnaires, sometimes annoy the investigators. Now that today’s organizational systems adopt a unified authentication framework of which logging function stores authentication records of users in federated systems, the possible solution for these problems arises by utilizing the log data and adding the questionnaire process to the framework. The present paper proposes a flow controlling mechanism arranged in a major unified authentication framework and describes how to utilize log data on the framework to select target persons for questionnaires and increase the response rates

Effect of fentanyl for preterm infants on mechanical ventilation: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Introduction: Because excessive physical stress is harmful, reducing pain and discomfort in premature neonates during mechanical ventilation is a major challenge for physicians. There are no consensus and systematic review on the use of fentanyl, the most commonly used pain reliever in preterm neonates during mechanical ventilation. We aim to compare the benefits and harms of fentanyl versus placebo or no drug for preterm neonates receiving mechanical ventilation. Methods: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) was conducted according to the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions. The systematic review was reported using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses statement. Scientific databases such as MEDLINE, Embase, CENTRAL, and CINAHL were searched. All preterm infants on mechanical ventilation and enrolled in an RCT of fentanyl versus control were included. Results: Of 256 reports initially retrieved, 4 reports met the eligibility criteria. Fentanyl was not associated with mortality risk compared to the control (risk ratio: 0.72, 95% confidence intervals [CIs]: 0.36–1.44). No increase in ventilation duration (mean difference [MD]: 0.04, 95% CIs: −0.63–0.71) and no effect on hospital stay length (MD: 4.00, 95% CIs: −7.12–15.12) were found. Fentanyl intervention does not affect any other morbidities, including bronchopulmonary dysplasia, periventricular leukomalacia, patent ductus arteriosus, intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH), severe IVH, sepsis, and necrotizing enterocolitis. Conclusion: The present systematic review and meta-analysis failed to demonstrate the benefit of administering fentanyl to preterm infants on mechanical ventilation in mortality and morbidities. Follow-up studies are required to investigate the long-term neurodevelopment of the children

肝線維化におけるペリオスチンの役割 : レニン・アンギオテンシン系とクロストーク

Periostin is a 90‑kDa extracellular matrix protein, which is secreted primarily from fibroblasts and is expressed in the lungs, kidneys and heart valves. Angiotensin II (AT‑II) serves pivotal roles in the pathogenesis of several diseases with accompanying fibrosis, including chronic liver diseases. AT‑II induces periostin expression by regulating transforming growth factor‑β1 (TGF‑β1)/Smad signaling during cardiac fibrosis. The aim of the present study was to investigate the interaction between AT‑II and periostin during liver fibrosis development. Fischer 344 rats were fed a choline‑deficient L‑amino‑acid (CDAA)‑defined diet for 12 weeks to simulate the development of steatohepatitis with liver fibrosis. Losartan, an AT‑II type I receptor blocker, was administered to inhibit the effect of AT‑II. The therapeutic effect of losartan on hepatic fibrosis development and on periostin expression was then evaluated. Several in vitro experiments were performed to examine the mechanisms underlying the interaction between AT‑II and periostin in activated hepatic stellate cells (Ac‑HSCs). Treatment with losartan suppressed the development of liver fibrosis induced by the CDAA diet, and reduced hepatic periostin expression. In addition, losartan treatment suppressed hepatic Ac‑HSC expansion and hepatic TGF‑β1 expression. In vitro analysis using LX2 HSC cells indicated that AT‑II can augment TGF‑β1 and collagen type I α1 mRNA expression via periostin expression, suggesting that the interaction between AT‑II and periostin may serve a role in liver fibrosis development. In conclusion, blockade of AT‑II‑induced periostin may suppress the progression of liver fibrosis development.博士（医学）・乙第1413号・平成30年3月15日Copyright: © Takeda et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of Creative Commons Attribution License(CC BY-NC-ND 4.0) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/

An open-label, phase 1 study evaluating safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics of linifanib (ABT-869) in Japanese patients with solid tumors

PURPOSE: This phase 1 study assessed the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and preliminary antitumor activity of linifanib in Japanese patients with advanced solid tumors. METHODS: Patients were assigned to one of four sequential cohorts (0.05, 0.10, 0.20, or 0.25 mg/kg) of oral, once-daily linifanib on a 21-day cycle. Adverse events (AEs) were assessed per common terminology criteria for adverse events v3.0; tumor responses were assessed by response evaluation criteria in solid tumors. RESULTS: Eighteen patients were enrolled. Eleven (61%) received ≥3 prior therapies. Dose-limiting toxicities were Grade 3 ALT increase (0.10 mg/kg linifanib) and Grade 1 T-wave inversion (0.25 mg/kg linifanib) requiring dose interruption for >7 days and discontinuation on day 29. The most common linifanib-related AE was hypertension. Other significant treatment-related AEs included proteinuria, fatigue, and palmar-plantar erythrodysaesthesia. Linifanib pharmacokinetics were dose-proportional across 0.10–0.25 mg/kg. Two patients (11.1%) had confirmed partial responses, 12 had a best response of stable disease (11 had stable disease for ≥12 weeks), and four patients were not evaluable due to incomplete data. Four patients (lung cancer, breast cancer, thymic cancer, sarcoma) have continued linifanib for ≥48 weeks (range, 48–96+ weeks). CONCLUSION: Linifanib was well tolerated with promising preliminary clinical activity in Japanese patients. Later-phase global studies examining linifanib efficacy will include Japanese patients

La fundación de la Madrasa al-Adāb por la Asociación de ulemas musulmanes argelinos en la ciudad de Hennaya (Tremecén) en 1950

A biphenyl-fused BODIPY was synthesized through a facile oxidative cyclization of peripheral aryl-substituents at the β-position of the BODIPY unit. The extended π-system of the fused BODIPY induces near-infrared (NIR) absorption and strong π–π interactions in the solid state. These features are beneficial for the application of the dye as a functional material. The biphenyl-fused BODIPY dye was demonstrated to exhibit photocurrent conversion ability on the basis of its <i>n</i>-type semiconducting property

VISUAL ANALYSIS OF DIALOGUE SYSTEMS INTRODUCED

It is important to analyze the usage statistics of dialogue systems in order to identify improvements that can increase user satisfaction. However, further beneficial information may be hidden among the information (such as logs and registered usage statistics in the database) that is not output as a result of the general analysis methods and can be discovered through exploratory analysis. To this end, this study proposes a method for the exploratory analysis of the usage statistics of dialogue systems using visualization to detect beneficial information, either intentionally or unintentionally. Specifically, usage statistics are visualized as network graphs showing the queries and transitions among them, and functions to extract particular visualized objects and identify characteristic queries are implemented to support the analysis. The results of this evaluation show that the proposed method can detect beneficial information through an exploratory analysis of visualized usage statistics, thereby demonstrating its effectiveness in the analysis of dialogue systems