Fukuda Denshi (Japan)

Bioelectrical impedance plethysmography (IPG) for measuring human body fraction and disease has been progressing in the past half-century, and few studies have reported lower-extremity arterial disease (LEAD) in recent years. The present study enrolled patients who underwent examinations for LEAD. IPG with venous occlusion was performed, and flow volumes were compared with those measured using Doppler duplex ultrasonography, the ankle-brachial index (ABI), and assessments of arterial stenosis and collaterals using computed tomography and/or magnetic resonance angiographies. Fifty patients suspected of LEAD were enrolled; 15 had no arterial stenosis and 35 had LEAD. Arterial blood flow volume (BFV) was assessed. Although the area under the curve for IPG-BFV and Doppler-BFV in the popliteal artery with arterial stenosis were similar, IPG-BFV exhibited better diagnostic accuracy than Doppler-BFV (accuracy 0.765 and 0.694, respectively; McNemar's test P<0.01). In the analysis of covariance with IPG-BFV adjustment, Doppler-BFV was significantly lower in patients with LEAD (ABI<0.9), and morphological arterial stenosis, particularly in those with collaterals than in those without (F-test P<0.05, respectively). IPG-BFV could have a better ability to discern the presence of arterial stenosis compared with Doppler-BFV and might not be confounded by the presence of collateral circulation when assessing blood flow in the entire lower extremity, which could be an advantage of IPG-BFV.

BackgroundPfizer’s bivalent respiratory syncytial virus prefusion F subunit vaccine (RSVpreF [ABRYSVO™]) was approved in the United States for prevention of lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI) caused by RSV in individuals ≥60 years. The objective of this analysis is assessing the durability of RSVpreF vaccination on immunologic response over time.Figure 1.RSV A GMTs and GMFRs by Time Interval After Vaccination with RSVpreF, by Country- Evaluable Immunogenicity PopulationGMT= geometric mean titer; GMFR= geometric mean fold riseMethodsThe bivalent RSVpreF Efficacy Study was a phase 3, global, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study evaluating VE for RSV-LRTI in adults ≥60 years over two RSV seasons (NCT05035212). A total of 36862 participants received RSVpreF or placebo (1:1) starting in August 2021. VE for LRTI-RSV with 3 or more symptoms was 88.9% (53.6, 98.7) in Season 1 and 77.8% (51.4, 91.1) in Season 2. The immunogenicity subset from selected sites included 1150 participants enrolled in the United States and Japan. Blood samples were collected at baseline prior to vaccination, 1 month post vaccination, and planned prior to the start of the second RSV season. Based on follow-up timelines, serology was draw in US participants (N=307) 8-12 months after vaccination and in Japanese participants (N=230) 18-20 months post vaccination.Figure 2.RSV B GMTs and GMFRs by Time Interval After Vaccination with RSVpreF, by Country- Evaluable Immunogenicity PopulationGMT= geometric mean titer; GMFR= geometric mean fold riseResultsOverall, RSV GMTs increased substantially after vaccination with RSVpreF (GMFR was 11.6 and 12.7 at 1-month postvaccination for RSV A and B respectively) and remained high at pre-Season 2 (GMFR was 4.7 and 4.8); while remained the same as baseline for placebo group (GMFR ranged from 1.1 to 1.3 for both RSV A and RSV B at both timepoints). When further analyzing data at pre-Season 2 timepoint for RSVpreF, both RSV A (figure 1) and RSV B (figure 2), GMTs remained persistently elevated well above pre-vaccination levels 8-12 months post vaccination among US participants (RSV A GMFR range: 3.2-4.5; RSV B GMFR range: 3.5-4.8) and 18-20 months among Japanese participants (RSV A GMFR range: 5.1-6.2; RSV B GMFR range: 5.3-6.0).ConclusionVaccination with RSVpreF elicited a strong immune response in adults ≥60 years to both RSV A and B and remained durable throughout the first RSV season up to 18-20 months after vaccination, during a time when high VE was demonstrated. This analysis provides further data to support the importance of neutralizing titers in the VE of RSVpreF.DisclosuresTarek Mikati, MD,MPH, Pfizer, Inc.: salary|Pfizer, Inc.: Stocks/Bonds (Public Company) Qin Jiang, PhD, Pfizer: Salary|Pfizer: Stocks/Bonds (Public Company) Daniel P. Eiras, MD, MPH, Pfizer. Inc: Employee|Pfizer. Inc: Stocks/Bonds (Private Company) John Woodside, PhD, Pfizer: Stocks/Bonds (Public Company)|Pfizer, Inc.: salary|Pfizer, Inc.: Stocks/Bonds (Public Company) Michael Patton, B.Sc., Pfizer: Employee|Pfizer: Stocks/Bonds (Public Company) Kumar Ilangovan, MD, MSPH, MMCi, Pfizer, Inc.: salary|Pfizer, Inc.: Stocks/Bonds (Public Company) Elena Kalinina, PhD, Pfizer, Inc.: Salary|Pfizer, Inc.: Stocks/Bonds (Public Company) David Cooper, PhD, Pfizer, Inc.: Employee|Pfizer, Inc.: Stocks/Bonds (Public Company) Kena A. Swanson, Ph.D., Pfizer: Employee of Pfizer|Pfizer: Stocks/Bonds (Public Company) Annaliesa S. Anderson, PhD, Pfizer, Inc.: Employee|Pfizer, Inc.: Stocks/Bonds (Public Company) Alejandra C. Gurtman, M.D., Pfizer, Inc.: Employee|Pfizer, Inc.: Stocks/Bonds (Public Company) Iona Munjal, MD, Pfizer: Salaried employee|Pfizer: Stocks/Bonds (Public Company)

本研究の目的は，無作為化クロスオーバー試験により，歯周ポケット内に表面麻酔ゲルを注入塗布する麻酔方法（ゲル麻酔）のスケーリング・ルートプレーニング（SRP）時の鎮痛効果と歯周組織の改善効果を，浸潤麻酔を対照として比較することである。

In order to demonstrate the application of terahertz time-domain ellipsometry (THz-TDE) in the characterization of anisotropic semiconductors, we studied two zinc oxide (ZnO) single crystals with different orientations. The optical properties such as the refractive index of ZnO samples are obtained by ellipsometric parameters, while the electrical properties of ZnO samples are well deduced and fitted using the Drude model. These results suggest that THz-TDE can effectively obtain the optical and electrical properties of anisotropic semiconductors and can be used to characterize semiconductors with carrier densities higher than 10<sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">16</sup> cm<sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">−3</sup>.

This study is a fundamental work conducted to theoretically estimate the acoustic properties of a simplified frame structure, that is, a simplified foam sound absorbing material, which is a porous material. The changes in the sound absorption characteristics caused by the presence of a membrane are also considered as part of the fundamental study of foam materials. In the mathematical model, the clearance composed by the frame structure with the membrane is divided into elements perpendicular to the direction of the soundwave incidence and approximated as a clearance bounded by two parallel planes. The characteristic impedance and the propagation constant are obtained for the approximated clearance and introduced into a one-dimensional transfer matrix. The transfer matrix method is used to calculate the sound absorption coefficient. The calculated theoretical values are compared with the experimental values. Sensitivity analysis is also performed for the changes in the parameters used in the theoretical analysis, such as the cylinder diameter and the pitch between the cylinders. The samples are fabricated using a three-dimensional printer. The sound absorption coefficient is measured using a two-microphone impedance measurement tube. The theoretical values based on the analysis tended to be close to the experimental ones. They showed a high prediction accuracy with respect to the peak frequency of the sound absorption curve. These values for the presence and increase of the membrane closely followed the experimental values when the percentage of the membrane present was varied.

Abstract Quantitative morphometry (QM) is crucial to accurately diagnose and perform follow-up of vertebral fractures. Although the semiquantitative technique by Genant is prevalent, its accuracy and reproducibility are low. This study combines an AI model that identifies the position of each vertebral body from thoracic and lumbar lateral X-ray images with another AI model that determines vertebral body height ratios required for QM to develop a software for automatic evaluations. The learning data set comprised 3,082 vertebrae annotated by an orthopedic specialist. Thereafter, the correlation and concordance were evaluated between the specialist in the validation set and external evaluators in the test set. The software required approximately 6 s to read one image. For the validation set, Spearman’s correlation coefficient (rs) was 0.605, 0.721, and 0.798 for C/A, C/P, and A/P, respectively. Bland–Altman analysis indicated that the percentage within the limits of agreement (LOA) was 96.8%, 95.7%, and 94.9%, respectively, which decreased as the vertebral body compression increased. For the test set, rs were between 0.519–0.589, 0.558–0.647, and 0.735–0.770, respectively, and the correlations between the external evaluators were similar. Additionally, LOAs were almost above 95%. The proposed software is expected to improve the diagnosis of vertebral fractures and osteoporosis, enabling appropriate treatment.

To examine the actual conditions of older patients receiving home medical care after hospitalization over a period of 2 years in Japan. The study population included 102 participants, aged ≥65 years, receiving home medical care, who consented to participate in the Osaka Home Care Registry (OHCARE) study in Japan over a period of 2 years. We investigated the actual conditions for returning home after hospitalization. The median age of the 102 participants was 84 years, and 61 (59.8%) were women. In the group that returned home, 42 (55.3%) of the respondents desired to recuperate in a familiar place, as in advanced care planning (ACP). During the 2-year follow-up period, the group that did not return home had significantly more deaths. A multivariate analysis showed the association in the presence of ACP (odds ratio: 4.72, 95% confidence interval: 1.60-13.86) and cardiac disease (odds ratio: 0.25, 95% confidence interval: 0.08-0.76). The lack of ACP in the medical records when the patient was admitted to the hospital may have prevented the return home. In older patients who had difficulty returning home after hospitalization, the lack of ACP in home medical care may have been an influencing factor. ACP could help continue with home medical care. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2024; 24: 320-326.

A series of 3 direct-type earthquakes with magnitude ≥6 occurred in the Kumamoto Prefecture, located in the western area of Japan, between April 14 and 16, 2016. Children with food allergies (FA) had difficulty procuring allergen-free meals during this period due to the infrastructure shutdown. We investigated the status of children with FA during the 2016 Kumamoto Earthquake and their behavioral changes after the disaster. We conducted a survey of the parents of 59 children with FA (median: 4 years and 1 month old) who were clinically followed up at our institution. They were questioned about their behavior change to allergen removal and using allergen-free foods during the disaster. Forty-seven (79.7%) children with FA were evacuated immediately after the earthquake and returned to their homes after the restoration of lifelines. Most stayed in their cars, while a few took shelter at public evacuation sites. Thirty-eight children (64.4%) had difficulty obtaining allergen-free food, and 29 children with FA (49.2%) did not have a stockpile at home. Thirty-three children with FA (55.9%) consumed allergen-free foods acquired primarily through relief supplies. Forty-seven guardians (79.7%) insisted that stockpiling allergy-friendly foods at home should be a part of future disaster planning. Stockpiles of allergen-free food were not sufficient in most households. Awareness of self-stockpiling allergen-free foods, reassessing public stockpiling, and establishing a system to provide information regarding relief supplies to evacuees outside evacuation centers are important for disaster planning in children with FA.