First-in-human phase 1 trial of hemoglobin vesicles as artificial red blood cells developed for use as a transfusion alternative

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Genetic and antigenic characterisation of influenza A(H3N2) viruses isolated in Yokohama during the 2016/17 and 2017/18 influenza seasons.

BACKGROUND: Influenza A(H3N2) virus rapidly evolves to evade human immune responses, resulting in changes in the antigenicity of haemagglutinin (HA). Therefore, continuous genetic and antigenic analyses of A(H3N2) virus are necessary to detect antigenic mutants as quickly as possible. AIM: We attempted to phylogenetically and antigenically capture the epidemic trend of A(H3N2) virus infection in Yokohama, Japan during the 2016/17 and 2017/18 influenza seasons. METHODS: We determined the HA sequences of A(H3N2) viruses detected in Yokohama, Japan during the 2016/17 and 2017/18 influenza seasons to identify amino acid substitutions and the loss or gain of potential N-glycosylation sites in HA, both of which potentially affect the antigenicity of HA. We also examined the antigenicity of isolates using ferret antisera obtained from experimentally infected ferrets. RESULTS: Influenza A(H3N2) viruses belonging to six clades (clades 3C.2A1, 3C.2A1a, 3C.2A1b, 3C.2A2, 3C.2A3 and 3C.2A4) were detected during the 2016/17 influenza season, whereas viruses belonging to two clades (clades 3C.2A1b and 3C.2A2) dominated during the 2017/18 influenza season. The isolates in clades 3C.2A1a and 3C.2A3 lost one N-linked glycosylation site in HA relative to other clades. Antigenic analysis revealed antigenic differences among clades, especially clade 3C.2A2 and 3C.2A4 viruses, which showed distinct antigenic differences from each other and from other clades in the antigenic map. CONCLUSION: Multiple clades, some of which differed antigenically from others, co-circulated in Yokohama, Japan during the 2016/17 and 2017/18 influenza seasons

地域社会で生きるがんサバイバーを支援するスタッフ養成経験型学習プログラムの試み

ファミリー・ホスピス株式会社京都府立医科大学大学院保健看護学研究科独立行政法人 国立病院機構 京都医療センター京都大学大学院医学研究科大阪大学CO デザインセンタ―Family Hospice, Ltd.Graduate School of Nursing for Health Care Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of MedicineNational Hospital Organization, Kyoto Medical CenterGraduate School of Medicine, Kyoto UniversityCenter for the Study of CO Design, Osaka University本研究は、地域社会で生きるがんサバイバーを支援するスタッフを養成するための学習プログラムを展開し、学習効果を検討することを目的とした。13名を対象にプログラムを実施した。本プログラムの特徴は、支援者が患者－医療者といった役割や立場にとらわれず、Safe Community of Inquiry（以下、ScoI）に基づく対話を体験し、対話的態度を身に付けることを試みた点である。プログラムの評価指標は、量的な評価として対話評価項目、批判的思考態度尺度、講義内容の理解度、対話体験の自己評価などを設定した。さらに、質的評価として、対話体験の自己評価の選定理由から得られた質的データ、支援に対する認識を設定した。分析対象者は12名であった。対話評価項目、批判的思考態度尺度の前後比較において有意な差は認めなかったが、講義内容の理解度、対話体験、支援に対する認識の自己評価は高かった。対話体験の自己評価の選定理由から得られたデータの質的分析では、対話体験の特徴として【自分らしくいられる場への信頼】【問いの本質への探究】【ケア的思考への気づき】【自己内省することにより得られた発見】の4カテゴリが抽出され、本プログラムの対話体験が、SCoIに基づく対話として成立していたことが示唆された。量的評価による有意差は認めなかったが、講義の理解度、対象者の対話体験の質的分析結果等から本プログラムの実施可能性が示唆されたと考える。今後はプログラムを修正した上で、評価指標も含め再構築していくことが課題である

Tracer experiment using 42K+ and 137Cs+ revealed the different transport rates of potassium and caesium within rice roots

The differences in the transport characteristics in planta between potassium (K+) and caesium (Cs+) was investigated using their radionuclides, 42K+ and 137Cs+. A tracer experiment using nutrient solutions supplemented with 42K and 137Cs revealed that the ratio of the root’s K+ uptake rate to its Cs+ uptake rate was 7–11 times higher than the K+ : Cs+ concentration ratio in the solution, and the number was varied depending on the K concentration in the solution and also on the growth condition. After entering through the root tissues, the 42K+ : 137Cs+ ratio in the shoots was 4.28 times higher than the value in the roots. However, the 42K+ : 137Cs+ ratio in each leaf did not differ significantly, indicating that the primary transport of K+ and Cs+ in the shoots are similarly regulated. In contrast, among the radionuclides stored in the roots over 4 h, 30% of the 42K+ was exported from the roots over the following hour, whereas only 8% of 137Cs+ was exported. In addition, within the xylem, K+ was shown to travel slowly, whereas Cs+ passed quickly through the roots into the shoots. In conclusion, our study demonstrated very different transport patterns for the two ions in the root tissues