NASDA's Advanced On-Line System (ADOLIS)

Spacecraft operations including ground system operations are generally realized by various large or small scale group work which is done by operators, engineers, managers, users and so on, and their positions are geographically distributed in many cases. In face-to-face work environments, it is easy for them to understand each other. However, in distributed work environments which need communication media, if only using audio, they become estranged from each other and lose interest in and continuity of work. It is an obstacle to smooth operation of spacecraft. NASDA has developed an experimental model of a new real-time operation control system called 'ADOLIS' (ADvanced On-Line System) adopted to such a distributed environment using a multi-media system dealing with character, figure, image, handwriting, video and audio information which is accommodated to operation systems of a wide range including spacecraft and ground systems. This paper describes the results of the development of the experimental model

Inhibition of hypertonic saline induced cough by Loratadine in nonasthmatic patients with chronic cough

We examined the effect of loratadine（ 10mg） on the number of coughs induced by ultrasonically nebulized hypertonic saline in nine patients with chronic cough and in ten normal volunteers using a randomized， double- blind cross-over method. Each subject inhaled hypertonic saline for one minute， and the numbers of coughs during the one-minute 4.5% NaCl inhalation and the 30-second period following 4.5% NaCl inhalation were counted. There was no difference in forced expiratory volume in one second （ FEV1） or maximum expiratory flow at 25% vital capacity （ V25） before to after one-minute hypertonic saline inhalation for either patients or normal subjects. There was also no significant difference in FEV1 or V25 before to one hour after oral administration of loratadine. Placebo did not reduce the number of induced coughs for either patients or normal subjects， but loratadine significantly reduced the number of coughs for patients with chronic cough （P＝0.012）. On the other hand， loratadine did not reduce the number of coughs by normal subjects. We conclude that in patients with chronic cough， the release of histamine or other chemical mediators or high sensitivity of cough receptors to histamine may be one of the reasons for persistence of chronic cough

Nonbacterial thrombotic endocarditis associated with cancer of unknown origin complicated with thrombus in the left auricular appendage: case report

A 63-year-old man was admitted to our hospital with a complaint of right lateroabdominal pain. He was diagnosed with metastatic colon cancer, and then developed multiple brain embolic infarctions 7 days after admission. Transesophageal echocardiography showed that mobile, echo-dense masses were attached to the anterior and posterior mitral valve leaflet. Furthermore, there was a thrombus in the left auricular appendage despite sinus rhythm. These findings led to a diagnosis of suspected infectious endocarditis with subsequent multiple brain infarctions. The patient's general condition worsened and he died 13 days after admission. An autopsy was performed, and, while poorly differentiated cancer was observed in multiple organs, no primary tumor could be identified. Histological analysis showed that the masses of the mitral valve consisted mainly of fibrin without bacteria or oncocytes. This patient was therefore diagnosed with nonbacterial thrombotic endocarditis associated with cancer of unknown origin complicated with thrombus in the left auricular appendage

A case of a solitary mass shadow caused by Mycoplasma pneumonia

Mycoplasma pneumonia is a well-known cause of community-acquired pneumonia, and has a variety of appearances on radiographs of the chest. A 31-year-old man with a solitary mass on chest radiograph with dry cough visited our hospital. Transbronchial lung biopsy from the upper lung showed type II pneumocyte hyperplasia. We treated him with clarithromycin given the low probability of Mycoplasma pneumonia, resulting in improvement. Mycoplasma pneumonia can appear as solitary mass on chest radiographs

DOCK2 is involved in the host genetics and biology of severe COVID-19

「コロナ制圧タスクフォース」COVID-19疾患感受性遺伝子DOCK2の重症化機序を解明 --アジア最大のバイオレポジトリーでCOVID-19の治療標的を発見--. 京都大学プレスリリース. 2022-08-10.Identifying the host genetic factors underlying severe COVID-19 is an emerging challenge. Here we conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) involving 2, 393 cases of COVID-19 in a cohort of Japanese individuals collected during the initial waves of the pandemic, with 3, 289 unaffected controls. We identified a variant on chromosome 5 at 5q35 (rs60200309-A), close to the dedicator of cytokinesis 2 gene (DOCK2), which was associated with severe COVID-19 in patients less than 65 years of age. This risk allele was prevalent in East Asian individuals but rare in Europeans, highlighting the value of genome-wide association studies in non-European populations. RNA-sequencing analysis of 473 bulk peripheral blood samples identified decreased expression of DOCK2 associated with the risk allele in these younger patients. DOCK2 expression was suppressed in patients with severe cases of COVID-19. Single-cell RNA-sequencing analysis (n = 61 individuals) identified cell-type-specific downregulation of DOCK2 and a COVID-19-specific decreasing effect of the risk allele on DOCK2 expression in non-classical monocytes. Immunohistochemistry of lung specimens from patients with severe COVID-19 pneumonia showed suppressed DOCK2 expression. Moreover, inhibition of DOCK2 function with CPYPP increased the severity of pneumonia in a Syrian hamster model of SARS-CoV-2 infection, characterized by weight loss, lung oedema, enhanced viral loads, impaired macrophage recruitment and dysregulated type I interferon responses. We conclude that DOCK2 has an important role in the host immune response to SARS-CoV-2 infection and the development of severe COVID-19, and could be further explored as a potential biomarker and/or therapeutic target