The COVID-19 pandemic has forced people to change many behaviours, including physical distancing, hygiene measures and lifestyles. This study aimed to evaluate the indirect impact of the COVID-19 ...pandemic on the incidence of non–COVID-19 infections and medical care costs/visits using health insurance claims.
This was an observational study using patient-based administrative claims covering approximately 800,000 insured persons and their dependents in the Mie Prefecture in Japan.
This study identified non–COVID-19 infectious disease incidences, number of outpatient visits and healthcare costs between 2017 and 2021. Each year was divided into quarters. The adjusted incidence rate ratios (IRRs) during the pandemic (January 2020 to September 2021) and during the prepandemic period (January 2017 to December 2019) were determined using Poisson regression.
The adjusted influenza IRRs from April 2020 were close to zero. The incidence of upper respiratory tract infections and bacterial pneumonia was significantly reduced (IRRs range: 0.39–0.73 and 0.43–0.84, respectively). Gastrointestinal and urinary tract infection incidences decreased by approximately 30% and 10%, respectively. In contrast, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including syphilis, gonococcal infection and Chlamydia trachomatis infection, did not decrease during the pandemic but increased significantly between April and June 2021 (adjusted IRR, 1.37; 95% confidence interval, 1.18–1.60). The adjusted IRRs for outpatient visits and healthcare costs were 0.86–0.93 and 0.91–0.97, respectively.
In contrast to other infections, STIs did not decrease during the COVID-19 pandemic. The IRR of STIs during the pandemic period is an area of public health concern. Appropriate screening and medical consultations are strongly recommended.
Microporous, non-woven poly(
ε-caprolactone) (PCL) scaffolds were made by electrostatic fiber spinning. In this process, polymer fibers with diameters down to the nanometer range, or nanofibers, are ...formed by subjecting a fluid jet to a high electric field. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) derived from the bone marrow of neonatal rats were cultured, expanded and seeded on electrospun PCL scaffolds. The cell-polymer constructs were cultured with osteogenic supplements under dynamic culture conditions for up to 4 weeks. The cell-polymer constructs maintained the size and shape of the original scaffolds. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), histological and immunohistochemical examinations were performed. Penetration of cells and abundant extracellular matrix were observed in the cell-polymer constructs after 1 week. SEM showed that the surfaces of the cell-polymer constructs were covered with cell multilayers at 4 weeks. In addition, mineralization and type I collagen were observed at 4 weeks. This suggests that electrospun PCL is a potential candidate scaffold for bone tissue engineering.
The most significant problem of intra-arterial chemotherapy for advanced paranasal sinus carcinomas and residual cancers supplied by internal carotid artery (ICA) and involving the skull base is the ...lack of salvage therapies.
The objective of the study was to evaluate the usefulness of intra-arterial chemotherapy including ICA infusion for treating advanced paranasal sinus carcinomas, which have invaded the skull base.
Forty-six patients with advanced paranasal sinus carcinomas supplied by ICA were treated by intra-arterial chemotherapy using CDDP and sodium thiosulphate (STS) as a neutraliser of CDDP toxicity. After evaluating CT angiography, 150 mg m(-2) of CDDP was superselectively administered weekly to each feeding artery including ICA four times.
The 10-year overall survival rate and progression-free survival rate were 70.7 and 60.2%, respectively. Compared with control group without infusing ICA, recurrences at anterior skullbase or anterior ethomoid sinus were significantly diminished. Of 32 patients in which the orbital apex had been invaded, 29 patients were treated with successful preservation of orbital contents. The CT angiography could efficiently determine all feeding arteries supplying the cancers. Consequently, chemotherapy could be administered on schedule, and side effects were minimal and acceptable.
This new method has promising applications in the treatment of advanced paranasal sinus carcinomas involving the skull base.
CsI calorimeter for the J-PARC KOTO experiment Sato, K.; Lee, J.W.; Banno, S. ...
Nuclear instruments & methods in physics research. Section A, Accelerators, spectrometers, detectors and associated equipment,
12/2020, Letnik:
982, Številka:
C
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
An electromagnetic calorimeter made of undoped CsI crystals is used in the J-PARC KOTO experiment to search for new physics beyond the standard model with the KL→π0νν̄ decay. The calorimeter is ...designed to operate in vacuum of 0.1 Pa and in a high-rate environment where the counting rate due to KL decays is O(100) kHz. A special method to calibrate the calorimeter during the data taking without using a tracking system for charged particles is reported. The energy, position, and timing resolutions of the calorimeter were evaluated in several beam tests, and the resolutions satisfy the required performance. The energy resolution with the total energy E is 0.66⊕1.81∕EGeV% in the inner region of the calorimeter.
Effective therapy for chronic radiation injuries, such as ulcers, is prone to infection. Stiffness is expected since the therapeutic radiation often involves wider and deeper tissues and often ...requires extensive debridement and reconstruction, which are not sometimes appropriate for elderly and compromised hosts. Autologous adipose-derived regenerative cells (ADRCs) are highly yielding, forming relatively elderly aged consecutive 10 cases, 63.6±14.9 y (52-89 y), with mean radiation dose of 75.0±35.4 Gy (50-120 Gy) were included with at least 10-month follow-up. Minimal debridement and ADRC injection in the wound bed and margin along with the injection of mixture of fat and ADRCs in the periphery were tested for efficacy and regenerated tissue quality by clinically as well as imaging by computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. Uncultured ADRCs of 1.6±1.3×10(7) cells were obtained. All cases healed uneventfully after 6.6±3.2 weeks (2-10 weeks) post-operatively. The done site morbidity was negligible and without major complications, such as paralysis or massive haematoma. The regenerated tissue quality was significantly superior to the pre-operative one and the mixture of fat and ADRCs connected to the intact tissue was very soft and pliable. Mean follow-up at 1.9±0.8 y (0.9-2.9 y) revealed no recurrence or new ulceration after treatment. Thus, the ADRCs treatment for decades-long radiation injuries is effective, safe and improves the quality of wounds.
Branched-chain alcohols, such as isoamyl alcohol and isobutanol, and isoamyl acetate are important flavor components of yeast-fermented alcoholic beverages. Analysis of a null mutant of the BAT2 gene ...encoding cytosolic branched-chain amino acid aminotransferase, and a transformant with multi-copy plasmids containing the BAT2 gene showed that the BAT2 gene product plays an important role in the production of branched-chain alcohols and isoamyl acetate. Fermentation tests using the bat2 null mutant transformed with multi-copy plasmids carrying the ATF1 gene, which encodes alcohol acetyl-transferase, indicated that modified expression of BAT2 and ATF1 genes could significantly alter the proportion of branched-chain alcohols and isoamyl acetate synthesized. Furthermore, fermentation tests using different ratios of nitrogen source and RNA blot analyses demonstrated that transcription of L-leucine biosynthetic (LEU) and BAT genes is co-regulated by nitrogen source, that production of isoamyl alcohol depends on this transcription, and that ATF transcription increased with increased concentrations of nitrogen source. Our data suggest that changes in isoamyl alcohol production by nitrogen source are due to transcriptional co-regulation of LEU and BAT genes, and that production of isoamyl acetate is dependent on isoamyl alcohol production and ATF transcription.
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