Development of telemedicine tools with an emphasis on visual observation.

We developed a system to improve the quality of telemedicine, and the test results obtained have been presented in this paper, along with the technical details of the system. The spread of COVID-19 has accelerated the need for telemedicine to effectively prevent infections. However, in traditional Japanese medicine (Kampo), where color is essential, an accurate diagnosis cannot be made without color reproduction. Because commercial smartphones cannot reproduce colors with the level of fidelity required for medical treatments, we created a color chart that includes the human skin and tongue colors to help doctors identify their colors accurately during a telemedicine examination. Further, we developed a telemedicine system that allows for automatic color correction using a mobile device, with a color chart and non-contact heart rate measurements.

Immunological and Preventive Effects of Hochuekkito and Kakkonto Against Coronavirus Disease in Healthcare Workers: A Retrospective Observational Study.

Amid the global outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), it may be expected that low-toxicity natural compounds, such as Kampo formulas, will have a preventive effect on COVID-19. Although the biological properties and safety of the representative Kampo compounds, hochuekkito (HET) and kakkonto (KKT), have been confirmed in various animal model experiments, clinical studies, and a few human studies to induce biological effects on various infectious diseases without significant toxicity, it is unclear whether HET and KKT are safe and effective for COVID-19 prevention. The study population included healthcare workers (HCWs), as they are at a higher risk of infection than the other populations. We retrospectively investigated the immunological and preventive effects of HET and KTT against COVID-19. We included 27 HCWs (aged 21-72 years, F:M = 18:9) from hospitals and clinics of the Hokuriku-Tokai region. The HCWs received HET and KKT for general fatigue and myalgia during this period for 28 days. We obtained patient clinical data from electronic medical records. We analyzed the changes in immunomodulation before and after the administration of the formulas from residual specimens based on the expression of relevant surface markers. The specimens were also tested for the presence of antibodies against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. The following side effects were reported: abdominal discomfort in five patients, diarrhea in two, and loose or soft stool in three. All 27 HCWs tested negative for COVID-19 antibodies. HET and KKT administration significantly increased the absolute number of circulating lymphocytes expressing the activating receptors NKp46, NKp30, and suppressing receptor NKG2A. There was also a significant increase in the absolute number of circulating lymphocytes expressing the receptors TLR4, OX40, 4-1BB, GITR, PD-1, and ICOS. These data indicate that HET and KKT can enhance and modulate NK activity in circulating human immune cells. The immunomodulatory effects, such as activation and regulation of T cells, are consistent with a putative improvement in infectious immunosurveillance. An increase in the number of T cells and CD4/CD8-positive cells indicates an enhanced ability to protect against infection. HET and KKT may prevent the onset or worsening of COVID-19 through their immunomodulatory effects.

Efficacy of the Japanese herbal medicine rikkunshito in infants with gastroesophageal reflux disease.

BACKGROUND: Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) in infants is among the most common reason for physician consultation worldwide. A traditional Japanese medicine, rikkunshito (RKT), is effective for GERD in adult and pediatric patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of RKT in infants with GERD. METHODS: Fifty-four infants were referred to between July 2004 and December 2012 for evaluation and treatment of GERD. All infants had failure to thrive. We excluded nine patients with cow's milk protein allergy, neurological impairment or surgical indications. We retrospectively reviewed the clinical records of 45 infants with GERD. Twenty-nine infants were treated with RKT (TJ-43; 0.3 g/kg/day; RKT group), and 16 infants were treated with mosapride citrate at 0.5 mg/kg/day (mosapride group). The primary endpoint was RKT-induced relief of clinical symptoms and bodyweight gain in infants with GERD. RESULTS: After 3 months of treatment, the frequency of vomiting per day was significantly lower in the RKT group than in the mosapride group (P = 0.0146) and the weight Z-score was significantly higher in the RKT group than in the mosapride group (RKT group, -2.5 ± 1.5 vs mosapride group, -5.0 ± 2.0; P = 0.0386). No adverse effects were noted in either group. CONCLUSIONS: RKT may be safe and effective for relief of GER symptoms and for bodyweight gain in infants with GERD.

Factors affecting early psychiatric intervention for patients with first-episode psychosis in Japan.

AIM: The present study aimed to clarify the factors affecting early psychiatric intervention for patients with first-episode psychosis in Japan. METHODS: A postal questionnaire survey was conducted in 346 members of the Association of Family of Psychosis Patients, in Mie, Japan. RESULTS: The questionnaire was completed by 138 respondents. The mean interval between a suspected first episode of psychosis and the first visit to a medical institution was 18.4 months (SD: 40.0, range: 0-336 months). Forty-five respondents consulted a family member first and required a mean duration of 9.8 months (SD: 11.2) before their first visit; this was significantly shorter than those who did not. Eighteen respondents consulted their class teacher at school first and required a mean duration of 40.2 months (SD: 63.0) before their first visit; this was significantly longer (P < 0.05) than those who did not. When loss of sleep or appetite was present, the mean duration before their first visit was 9.3 months (SD: 12.1), which was significantly shorter (P < 0.05) than the time required by those who did not. Logistic regression analysis using the first episode-first visit interval as an independent variable, and independent variables such as age, gender of the patient and family member, and loss of sleep, revealed that variables relating to the respondent's notion about the psychosis were mitigating factors (e.g. 'prejudice-causing' and 'nothing to do with me'). CONCLUSION: Prejudice towards psychosis and poor awareness about mental illnesses are two factors that may affect early psychiatric intervention.

Role of stromal myofibroblasts in invasive breast cancer: stromal expression of alpha-smooth muscle actin correlates with worse clinical outcome.

BACKGROUND: Recently, the desmoplastic reaction has been implicated as having an important function in epithelial solid tumor biology. There have been no reports showing the relativity of invasive breast cancer and the desmoplastic reaction by a quantitative analysis of the myofibroblasts that were an important player in the desmoplastic reaction. The purpose of this study was to immunohistochemically investigate the correlation between the desmoplastic reaction and the clinicopathology of invasive breast cancer. METHODS: The study included 60 patients with a known prognosis of invasive breast cancer. We quantified the expression of α-SMA as a marker of myofibroblasts in the invasive breast cancer. After staining samples for α-SMA, their expression was extracted and quantified as a relative percentage by computer-assisted image analysis. RESULTS: There was relatively wide variation in the expression of α-SMA with the percentage of the area from 0.68 to 28.15% (mean 8.48 ± 5.40%). The metastasis group showed significantly higher α-SMA expression compared with the no metastasis group (p < 0.001). When the patients were divided into two groups according to their α-SMA expression using a cutoff point at the mean value of 8.48%, the high α-SMA group had a significantly poorer overall survival rate (p < 0.001). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that α-SMA and lymph node metastasis were identified as independent predictive factors of metastasis. CONCLUSION: Myofibroblasts represent an important prognostic factor for invasive growth that is translated into a poor clinical prognosis for patients with invasive breast cancer.

Motivation of primary care physicians for participating in early intervention for psychosis in Japan.

People with psychosis as represented by schizophrenia experience lengthy delays between the onset and the start of treatment. This duration is called Duration of Untreated Psychosis (DUP). Since it has been indicated that shorter DUP leads to their better prognosis, early intervention has been a hot topic for decades in clinical psychiatry. In Japan, as any patient can visit either specialists or primary care physicians using medical insurance, a considerable portion of psychosis patients are supposed to visit the latter first. Thus, a role of primary care physicians seems keys of success in implementation of early intervention system in the Japanese society. In this study, to clarify the motivation of physicians to participate in early intervention, we sent postal questionnaires to 4030 private clinics throughout Japan, inquiring physicians' situations around psychiatric disorders. Seven hundred and fourteen questionnaires were used for analysis (17.7%). Among these 714 respondents, 364 (51.0%) reported that they have willingness to participate in early intervention. Similarly, 494 (69.2%) were interested in psychiatric disorders, whereas only 168 (23.5%) were confident in identifying schizophrenia. The interest in psychiatric disorders was most strongly associated with their willingness to participate (Odds ratio = 3.54 by logistic regression analysis). These results, therefore, suggest that the interest in psychiatric disorders motivates them to participate in early intervention for psychosis; this has considerable implications for future approach to build up early intervention system in Japan.