SMOOTHING EFFECT AND LARGE TIME BEHAVIOR OF SOLUTIONS TO SCHR\"ODINGER EQUATIONS WITH NONLINEARITY OF INTEGRAL TYPE

We study the smoothing effect in space and asymptotic behavior in time of solutions to the Cauchy problem for the nonlinear Schr\"odinger equation with interaction described by the integral of the intensity with respect to one direction in two space dimensions. A detailed description is given on the phase modification of scattering solutions by taking into account the long range effect of the interaction

Very low likelihood that cultivated oysters are a vehicle for SARS-CoV-2: 2021–2022 seasonal survey at supermarkets in Kyoto, Japan

The pandemic caused by novel coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) is a global threat. Wastewater surveillance in Japan and abroad has led to the detection of SARS-CoV-2, causing concern that SARS-CoV-2 in the feces of infected persons may contaminate the aquatic environment. Bivalves such as oysters cultivated in coastal areas are known to filter and concentrate viruses such as norovirus present in seawater in their bodies; however, whether they do so with SARS-CoV-2 is unknown. Therefore, we examined cultivated oysters sold in Japan for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 between October 2021 and April 2022 to clarify the extent of viral contamination and evaluate the risk of food-borne transmission of SARS-CoV-2. Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV), known as pig coronavirus, was used to spike midgut-gland samples as a whole process control. The presence of SARS-CoV-2 and PEDV was investigated using a modified polyethylene glycol precipitation method and RT-qPCR. While all samples spiked with the whole process control were positive, no SARS-CoV-2 was detected in any of the 145 raw oyster samples surveyed, despite a marked increase in infections caused by the Omicron variant from January to April 2022 in Japan. Therefore, our results suggest that with well-developed sewage treatment facilities, consumption of oysters cultivated in coastal areas may not be a risk factor for SARS-CoV-2 outbreaks

Development and evaluation of a point‐of‐care test with a combination of EZ‐Fast DNA extraction and real‐time PCR and LAMP detection: evaluation using blood samples containing the bovine leukaemia DNA

Along with progress in globalization of society, the spread of infectious diseases has accelerated worldwide. The deployment of highly sensitive genetic tests is essential for early diagnosis and early containment of potential outbreaks and epidemics, as well as routine surveillance, although tedious and expensive nucleic acid extraction steps represent a major drawback. Here we developed a simple and rapid DNA extraction method, named as an EZ‐Fast kit, applicable to the field setting. The kit does not require advanced laboratory equipment or expensive DNA extraction kits and achieves crude DNA extraction within 10 min at extremely low cost and can easily be performed in field settings. When combined with real‐time PCR and LAMP analyses, the performance of the POCT, using 183 bovine blood samples, was similar to that of the existing DNA extraction method: 92·5% (135/146) (real‐time PCR) and 93·7% (133/142) (LAMP) diagnostic sensitivities, and 100% diagnostic specificities. The developed POCT provides a powerful tool to facilitate on‐site diagnosis in a field setting

Development of a point-of-care test to detect SARS-CoV-2 from saliva which combines a simple RNA extraction method with colorimetric reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification detection

The new coronavirus infection (COVID-19) is a major public health concern, with a high burden and risk for infection among patients and healthcare workers. Saliva droplets containing SARS-COV-2 are a major vector for COVID-19 infection, making saliva a promising alternative for COVID-19 testing using nasopharyngeal swab samples. To diagnose COVID-19 patients in the field, a point-of-care test (POCT) using saliva was conceptualized. We have developed a simple method for extracting RNA from saliva samples using semi-alkaline proteinase, a sputum homogenizer typically used for preparing samples for tuberculosis testing, and a subsequent simple heating step with no need for centrifugation or RNA extraction. Further, we newly developed a triplex reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification approach (RT-LAMP) which utilizes colorimetric readout using a heat block, with results evaluated with the unaided eye. In 44 clinical patients suspected of having COVID-19 infection, the test took 45 min, and resulted in a diagnostic sensitivity of 82.6% (19/23) and diagnostic specificity of 100% (21/21), compared to the reference standard. The limit of detection was 250 copies/reaction (25, 000 copies/mL). Our newly developed POCT approach achieved simple RNA extraction and constant RT-LAMP detection. This POCT has the potential to be used for simple inspection stations in a field setting, helping reduce the risk of infection by simplifying and accelerating testing for COVID-19

Application of an Improved Micro-amount of Virion Enrichment Technique (MiVET) for the Detection of Avian Influenza A Virus in Spiked Chicken Meat Samples

Highly sensitive detection of pathogens is effective for screening meat during quarantine inspection and export. The “micro-amount of virion enrichment technique” (MiVET) was recently developed, which is a new method combining virus concentration with immunomagnetic beads and simple RNA extraction with sodium dodecyl benzenesulfonate (SDBS) for the specific and sensitive detection of avian influenza viruses (AIVs). AIV subtypes H3N2 and H4N2 were used to spike the surface of chicken breast meat samples. The modified MiVET protocol was tested by comparing it against three different homogenate preparation conditions, as well as in samples with added α-amylase and collagenase to digest inhibitors. The performance of the modified MiVET was evaluated by real-time RT-PCR assay targeting the matrix gene. Compared with conventional RNA extraction, the modified MiVET reproducibly concentrated AIVs in chicken meat samples with 100–1000-fold improvement by 60 s-hand homogenization. The 30 s- and 60 s-stomacher homogenizations resulted 100-fold and 10–100-fold improvement, respectively. The modified MiVET required < 60 min from homogenate preparation to final RNA elution. Further, use of the modified MiVET also decreased the rate of false-negative results. The modified MiVET is effective for the rapid and highly sensitive detection of AIVs in chicken meat samples, and can be applied to quarantine and export inspection at airports and seaports

Leuconostoc bacteremia in three patients with malignancies

金沢大学医薬保健研究域医学系 　　東京都立大塚病院　血液内科（輸血科）Leuconostoc is a Gram-positive coccus characterized by its resistance to glycopeptide antibiotics. Generally, this bacterium is susceptible to β-lactam antibiotics; however, here we present a leukemia patient who developed leuconostoc bacteremia during antimicrobial therapy with carbapenem. The appropriate choice of antibiotics at optimal doses enables leuconostoc infection to be overcome, even in compromised hosts. We report 3 cases of leuconostoc bacteremia: the leukemia case which was successfully treated, along with discussions of two other cases with malignancies. © 2010 Japanese Society of Chemotherapy and The Japanese Association for Infectious Diseases

Web会議システム（Zoom）を利用した同時双方向遠隔教育の試験的実践

　昨今の新型コロナウイルスの蔓延によって、これまでのような対面式授業が実施しづらくなり、オンライン授業に変更せざるを得ない状況になっている。学習者と教師の双方にとって、いわば未知の領域であるオンライン授業においても、より良い教育を提供するため、基礎的な環境整備のあり方をはじめとして、Web会議システムの使用感やオンライン授業の現状と課題を整理しておくことが重要である。さらに学習者（とその保護者）が対面式授業とオンライン授業の長短についてどのように受け止めているかに関する幅広い知見の蓄積と共有が喫緊の課題でもある。そこで、Web会議システム（主としてZoom）を利用した同時双方向遠隔教育の試験的実践を行い、対面式授業とオンライン授業の長短について調べるために、学習者（とその保護者）に質問紙調査を実施し、オンライン授業の学習者の受け止め方と、オンライン授業に対する教員の側の創意工夫に対する学習者の反応を明らかにすることを試みた

住民の精神障害者に対する意識調査

精神障害者が地域で生活するためには地域住民の理解と協力が不可欠である．精神障害者が参加する行事への住民の参加度と精神障害者に対する意識に加え，彼らとのつきあい方との関係を明らかにし，さらに，それによって精神障害および精神障害者に対する理解を促進するための住民への啓発方法を検討することが本報告の目的である．A県のB保健所の管轄区域の住民６００人を対象とした郵送法による質問紙調査を行った．回収率は４８．８％（２９３人）であった．地域住民のなかで精神障害者が参加する行事に参加した経験のある人は，１）精神障害への認識度が高かった，２）精神障害者の社会復帰のために「何か役に立ちたい」と思っている人が多かった，一方で３）精神障害者の社会復帰への支援に，協力できないと回答した人は全回答者の１割しかいなかった．精神障害者が地域で生活するために必要なものは「地域住民の精神障害についての関心と理解そして精神障害者に対する支援である」と，住民自らが感じていた．住民を巻き込んだ体験的啓発活動の実践が，精神障害者に対する理解や支援を拡大させることになるということが示唆された．Background : It is essential for mentally disabled persons who live in the community to be understood and cooperated by local residents. Aim : This study investigated the relationship between the participation of the residents to the event held in the psychiatric hospital and their attitudes towards mentally handicapped persons. The research objective is to find the method to the residents for promoting an understanding of mental disorders. Method : A mail survey was conducted in the area covered by the B health center in A prefecture. The candidate６００ residents（２．２％ of all residents）who live in B county were selected（age range : ２０-６０ y.o.）. Participants comprised ２９３ respondents（recovery ratio : ４８．８％）. Comparison was carried out by the respondents who joined or did not join the event held in the psychiatric hospital. Results : Their understanding of mental disorders is relatively high in the participants. Most of them are willing to do something for mentally disabled persons’ social rehabilitation. Ten percent of all respondents would choose ‘can’t go along with mentally handicapped persons’ social rehabilitation support’. Conclusion : The results suggest that the provision of the opportunity for personal contact with mentally handicapped persons are important for improving the educational activity of the public about mental illnesses and considered to be important measures for promoting the acceptance and support of the mentally handicapped persons by the local residents

Circadian regulation of intracellular G-protein signalling mediates intercellular synchrony and rhythmicity in the suprachiasmatic nucleus

Synchronous oscillations of thousands of cellular clocks in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), the circadian centre, are coordinated by precisely timed cell–cell communication, the principle of which is largely unknown. Here we show that the amount of RGS16 (regulator of G protein signalling 16), a protein known to inactivate Gαi, increases at a selective circadian time to allow time-dependent activation of intracellular cyclic AMP signalling in the SCN. Gene ablation of Rgs16 leads to the loss of circadian production of cAMP and as a result lengthens circadian period of behavioural rhythm. The temporally precise regulation of the cAMP signal by clock-controlled RGS16 is needed for the dorsomedial SCN to maintain a normal phase-relationship to the ventrolateral SCN. Thus, RGS16-dependent temporal regulation of intracellular G protein signalling coordinates the intercellular synchrony of SCN pacemaker neurons and thereby defines the 24 h rhythm in behaviour