Dependence of photocatalytic activity on particle size of a shape-controlled anatase titanium(IV) oxide nanocrystal

Decahedral anatase titanium(IV) oxide (TiO2) with {1 0 1} and {0 0 1} exposed crystal faces was prepared by hydrothermal treatment of peroxo titanic acid (PTA) solution with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) as a shape-control reagent. pH of the PTA solution and amounts of PVA and amorphous titania included in the PTA solution had a large influence on size and shape of the prepared particles, and particle width of the decahedral anatase TiO2 was controllable between 25 and 60 nm. Photocatalytic activity of the decahedral anatase TiO2 was examined in terms of the relationship between particle size and photocatalytic activity. Decahedral anatase TiO2 with particle width of ca. 40 nm showed excellent activity because of the optimized balance between efficient separation of redox sites and large specific surface area

Schizotypy is associated with difficulties detecting emotional facial expressions

People with schizophrenia or subclinical schizotypal traits exhibit impaired recognition of facial expressions. However, it remains unclear whether the detection of emotional facial expressions is impaired in people with schizophrenia or high levels of schizotypy. The present study examined whether the detection of emotional facial expressions would be associated with schizotypy in a non-clinical population after controlling for the effects of IQ, age, and sex. Participants were asked to respond to whether all faces were the same as quickly and as accurately as possible following the presentation of angry or happy faces or their anti-expressions among crowds of neutral faces. Anti-expressions contain a degree of visual change that is equivalent to that of normal emotional facial expressions relative to neutral facial expressions and are recognized as neutral expressions. Normal expressions of anger and happiness were detected more rapidly and accurately than their anti-expressions. Additionally, the degree of overall schizotypy was negatively correlated with the effectiveness of detecting normal expressions versus anti-expressions. An emotion–recognition task revealed that the degree of positive schizotypy was negatively correlated with the accuracy of facial expression recognition. These results suggest that people with high levels of schizotypy experienced difficulties detecting and recognizing emotional facial expressions

Real-world comparative effectiveness and safety of tofacitinib and baricitinib in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Objective: To compare the efficacy and safety of tofacitinib and baricitinib in patients with RA in a real-world setting.Methods: A total of 242 patients with RA who were treated with tofacitinib (n = 161) or baricitinib (n = 81) were enrolled. We evaluated efficacy and safety between tofacitinib and baricitinib using multivariable analyses to avoid confounding. Their clinical disease activity and AEs were evaluated for 24 weeks.Results: The mean (SD) DAS28-ESR change from baseline to 24 weeks was 1.57 (1.55) (tofacitinib) and 1.46 (1.36) (baricitinib). There was no significant difference in the clinical response between the two groups (adjusted mean difference, 0.04; 95% CI, −0.35 to 0.28). The efficacy was not significantly changed in the patients without concomitant MTX use in both groups, but the concomitant MTX use showed better clinical efficacy in the cases of baricitinib treatment. In both groups, the most common AE was herpes zoster infection, and the AE rates were similar between the two groups. However, the predictive factors contributing to clinical response as revealed by a multivariable logistic analysis differed. The concomitant oral steroid use was independently associated with the achievement of DAS-low disease activity in the tofacitinib group, whereas in the baricitinib group, the number of biological and/or targeted synthetic DMARDs previously used was associated.Conclusions: Our findings indicate that tofacitinib and baricitinib had comparable continuing efficacies and safety profiles. However, there is a possibility that the influence of clinical characteristics on the treatment response differs. The comparison provides useful information to the optimal use of JAK inhibitors in real-world settings

Comparison of Pulmonary Involvement Between Patients Expressing Anti-PL-7 and Anti-Jo-1 Antibodies

Anti-PL-7 is an anti-tRNA synthetase antibody, and interstitial lung disease (ILD) is the most frequent complication of anti-PL-7-associated antisynthetase syndrome. However, the features of ILD have not been fully elucidated. The present study retrospectively compares 7 and 15 patients who were positive for anti-PL-7 and anti-Jo-1 antibodies, respectively. The features of ILD did not significantly differ between the two groups, but the ratio of lymphocytes in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid was higher in the Jo-1 than in the PL-7 group. High-resolution computed tomography revealed nonspecific interstitial pneumonia in all patients in the PL-7 group and organizing pneumonia in four of the 15 patients in the Jo-1 group. These findings suggest that pulmonary complications slightly differ between patients expressing anti-PL-7 and anti-Jo-1 antibodies. Further studies are required to clarify the features of ILD associated with PL-7

Effectiveness of forward obstacles collision warning system based on deceleration for collision avoidance

In the authors previous study, the authors proposed deceleration for collision avoidance (DCA) as an index to evaluate collision risks against forward obstacles and examined the effectiveness of their forward obstacles collision warning system (FOCWS) based on DCA. In the present manuscript, they improve the visual interface of the FOCWS, and conduct driving simulator experiments to quantitatively evaluate the effectiveness of the improved FOCWS in situations where a preceding vehicle decelerates abruptly. The experimental results revealed that the FOCWS based on DCA was effective in assisting drivers to shorten the reaction time and to avoid collisions. Moreover, in the subjective assessment questionnaire, a significant number of experimental participants reported that the FOCWS based on DCA could evaluate collision risks more properly compared with the FOCWS based on a time-to-collision

The changing patterns of dispensing branded and generic drugs for the treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease between 2006 and 2011 in Japan: A retrospective cohort study

[Background]Despite rising healthcare costs, generic drugs are less frequently dispensed in Japan compared with other developed countries. This study aimed to describe changes in dispensing of branded and generic drugs and to explore possible factors that promote the use of generic drugs. [Methods]We conducted a retrospective cohort study using a Japanese medical and pharmacy claims database. All proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) and histamine H2-receptor antagonists (H2RAs) with indications for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) described on Japanese labels were included. Patterns of dispensing branded and generic drugs for the treatment of GERD between 2006 and 2011 were analyzed. Multivariate logistic regression was applied to investigate factors associated with receiving generic drugs. [Results]The study cohort included 14, 590 patients (male: 50.2%, mean age: 43.1 years). Branded drugs for GERD were still frequently dispensed despite an increase in the share of generic drugs. Only 4.3% of patients who initially received branded drugs switched to generic drugs. The percentage of patients who received only generic drugs increased over time (6.5% to 22.1%). The frequency of generic drug dispensing was the highest in the setting where both prescription and dispensing were implemented in clinics (43.3%), while the lowest in the setting where both prescription and dispensing were implemented in hospitals (11.5%). Factors associated with receiving generic drugs included year of dispensing (adjusted OR 2.22, 95% CI 1.94 to 2.55 for 2009–11 v 2006–8), prescription and dispensing setting (OR 1.81, 95% CI 1.44 to 2.26 for prescription in hospitals and dispensing in community pharmacies; OR 2.21, 95% CI 1.80 to 2.72 for prescription in clinics and dispensing in community pharmacies; and OR 4.55, 95% CI 3.68 to 5.62 for prescription and dispensing in clinics v prescription and dispensing in hospitals) and H2RAs (OR 1.64, 95% CI 1.49 to 1.81 compared to PPIs). [Conclusions]The share of generic drugs for the treatment of GERD increased over time although branded drugs for GERD were still dispensed frequently. The use of generic drugs for GERD was influenced not only by government policies but also by changes in treatment approach and the setting of prescription and dispensing

The Effect of False-Positive Results on Subsequent Participation in Chest X-ray Screening for Lung Cancer

[Background]: High attendance rates and regular participation in disease screening programs are important contributors to program effectiveness. The objective of this study was to examine the effects of an initial false-positive result in chest X-ray screening for lung cancer on subsequent screening participation. [Methods]: This historical cohort study analyzed individuals who first participated in a lung cancer screening program conducted by Yokohama City between April 2007 and March 2011, and these participants were retrospectively tracked until March 2013. Subsequent screening participation was compared between participants with false-positive results and those with negative results in evaluation periods between 365 (for the primary outcome) and 730 days. The association of screening results with subsequent participation was evaluated using a generalized linear regression model, with adjustment for characteristics of patients and screening. [Results]: The proportions of subsequent screening participation within 365 days were 12.9% in 3132 participants with false-positive results and 6.7% in 15 737 participants with negative results. Although the differences in attendance rates were reduced with longer cutoffs, participants with false-positive results were consistently more likely to attend subsequent screening than patients with negative results (P < 0.01). The predictors of subsequent screening participation were false-positive results (risk ratio [RR] 1.72; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.54–1.92), older age (RR 1.17; 95% CI, 1.11–1.23), male sex (RR 1.46; 95% CI, 1.29–1.64), being a current smoker (RR 0.80; 95% CI, 0.69–0.93), current employment (RR 0.79; 95% CI, 0.70–0.90), and being screened at a hospital cancer center (vs public health centers; RR 1.36; 95% CI, 1.15–1.60). [Conclusions]: Our findings indicated that subsequent participation in lung cancer screening was more likely among participants with false-positive results in an initial screening than patients with negative results