Development of signal processing algorithms for delamination detection in composite laminates using non-contact excited Lamb waves.

A novel Signal Processing algorithm based on the combination of a Wavelet Transform Analysis and Image Processing techniques is designed for assessing the delamination detectability of Lamb Waves generated with an innovative fully non-contact system in CFRP plates. Several Damage Indexes are extracted from the wavefields in spatial-time-frequency domain and plotted as surface cartographies to visualise their ability to size and localise artificial delaminations. Results show that the algorithm is efficient for characterising the waves propagation and that sophisticated Image comparison indexes show better ability to detect the artificial defects and to recognise healthy zones despite signal measurement and calculation uncertainties.

Mid-term outcomes of delivery catheter-based and stylet-based right ventricular septal pacing: Follow-up results from a multicenter, prospective, randomized study.

Background: The Mt FUJI study was a multicenter, prospective, randomized, single-blind, controlled trial comparing delivery catheter-based and stylet-based right ventricular (RV) lead placement at the RV septum. This study extended the follow-up duration to 1 year after implantation.

Methods: Seventy patients with pacemaker indications for atrioventricular block were randomly assigned to the delivery catheter and stylet groups.

Short- and long-term performance of risk calculation tools for mortality in patients with acute coronary syndrome.

Background: The mortality rate of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) remains high. Therefore, patients with ACS should undergo early risk stratification, for which various risk calculation tools are available. However, it remains uncertain whether the predictive performance varies over time between risk calculation tools for different target periods.

Deregulated JNK signaling enhances apoptosis during hyperthermia.

Purpose: c-Jun N-terminal kinases (JNKs) comprise a subfamily of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs). The JNK group is known to be activated by a variety of stimuli. However, the molecular mechanism underlying heat-induced JNK activation is largely unknown.

Cryo-EM structures of RAD51 assembled on nucleosomes containing a DSB site.

RAD51 is the central eukaryotic recombinase required for meiotic recombination and mitotic repair of double-strand DNA breaks (DSBs). However, the mechanism by which RAD51 functions at DSB sites in chromatin has remained elusive. Here we report the cryo-electron microscopy structures of human RAD51-nucleosome complexes, in which RAD51 forms ring and filament conformations.

Delivery catheter system carries more physiological right ventricular septal pacing than stylet system.

Introduction: The Mt. FUJI multicenter trial demonstrated that a delivery catheter system had a higher rate of successful right ventricular (RV) lead deployment on the RV septum (RVS) than a conventional stylet system. In this subanalysis of the Mt.

Ultraconformable Capacitive Strain Sensor Utilizing Network Structure of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes for Wireless Body Sensing.

Capture and real-time recording of precise body movements using strain sensors provide personal information for healthcare monitoring and management. To acquire this information, a sensor that conforms to curved irregular surfaces, including biological tissue, is desired to record complex body movements while acting like a second skin to avoid interference with the movements. In this study, we developed a thin-film-type capacitive strain sensor that is flexible and stretchable on the surface of a living body.

Flexible Electrohydrodynamic Fluid-Driven Valveless Water Pump via Immiscible Interface.

The conventional electrohydrodynamic (EHD) pump is limited to pumping functional and dielectric liquids, which restricts its applications in fields like microfluidics, food safety, and materials production. In this study, we present a flexible water pump driven by EHD fluid, achieved by integrating valveless elements into the fluidic channel. Our approach leverages the water-EHD interface to propel the immiscible aqueous liquid and reciprocate this process using the nozzle-diffuser system.

Pocketable and Smart Electrohydrodynamic Pump for Clothes.

Seamlessly fusing fashion and functionality can redefine wearable technology and enhance the quality of life. We propose a pocketable and smart electrohydrodynamic pump (PSEP) with self-sensing capability for wearable thermal controls. Overcoming the constraints of traditional liquid-cooled wearables, PSEP with dimensions of 10 × 2 × 1.

Effectiveness of a web-based learning program for promoting local healthcare planning competencies.

Objective: To determine the effectiveness of a web-based educational program regarding local healthcare planning by public health nurses (PHNs) in Japan.

Design: A single-blind randomized controlled trial.

Sample: Full-time PHNs working for local governments across Japan.

Usefulness of delivery catheter on accurate right ventricular septal pacing: Mt FUJI trial.

Aims: Although the delivery catheter system for pacemaker-lead implantation is a new alternative to the stylet system, no randomized controlled trial has addressed the difference in right ventricular (RV) lead placement accuracy to the septum between the stylet and the delivery catheter systems. This multicentre prospective randomized controlled trial aimed to prove the efficacy of the delivery catheter system for accurate delivery of RV lead to the septum.

Methods And Results: In this trial, 70 patients (mean age 78 ± 11 years; 30 men) with pacemaker indications of atrioventricular block were randomized to the delivery catheter or the stylet groups.

Meiotic chromosome organization and its role in recombination and cancer.

Chromosomes adopt specific conformations to regulate various cellular processes. A well-documented chromosome configuration is the highly compacted chromosome structure during metaphase. More regional chromatin conformations have also been reported, including topologically associated domains encompassing mega-bases of DNA and local chromatin loops formed by kilo-bases of DNA.

Association between public health nurses' involvement in local healthcare planning and the corresponding off-the-job training.

Objective: This study investigated the association between receiving off-the-job training and the involvement of public health nurses in local healthcare planning.

Design: A nationwide, cross-sectional study design.

Methods: We sent self-report questionnaires to 2,185 public health nurses with experience in developing local healthcare plans in Japan since 2013 and collected information related to three main categories: demographic data, involvement in local healthcare planning and strategies for healthcare planning.

Infection control measures promoted by the public health center for "housing for the elderly" facilities during norovirus cluster outbreaks.

"Housing for the elderly" is a type of facility where a few healthcare staff and care workers provide long-term care to residents. This study aimed to explore the infection control measures promoted by the public health centers (PHC) when a cluster of norovirus cases occurred in this type of facility. This study involved a prefectural office in Japan and collected the records of PHC surveys/instructions of norovirus cluster cases that occurred in "housing for the elderly" facilities between 2017 and 2019.

[Public health nurses' activities during normal times and factors associated with their promotion of residents' mutual support during disasters].

Objective　To clarify the actual state of activities conducted by public health nurses (PHNs) during normal times and assess factors related to the implementation of such activities for the promotion of residents' mutual support during disasters, across different municipalities in Japan.Methods　We conducted a nationwide cross-sectional self-report questionnaire survey of PHNs in 1,463 municipalities. The questionnaires included descriptions of municipalities, activities related to disaster prevention and the rationale for them, and the details of activities that were being conducted to promote residents' mutual support in times of disaster.

Feasibility of an educational program for public health nurses to promote local healthcare planning: protocol for a pilot randomized controlled trial.

Background: Promoting of local healthcare planning is crucial for assisting public health nurses in improving community health inequities. However, there is no effective educational program for developing relevant skills and knowledge among these nurses. Therefore, this study aims to assess the feasibility of a newly developed web-based self-learning program to promote the involvement of public health nurses in the local healthcare planning process.

Case of catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation in a very young patient without structural heart disease.

The patient was an 18-year-old man who suffered frequent supraventricular premature complexes (SVPCs) and atrial fibrillation. Catheter ablation was performed, and the left pulmonary vein had been isolated, although firing from within the left inferior pulmonary vein remained. After that, the patient did not exhibit SVPCs and atrial fibrillation.

A DIY Fabrication Approach of Stretchable Sensors Using Carbon Nano Tube Powder for Wearable Device.

Soft robotics and wearable devices are promising technologies due to their flexibility. As human-soft robot interaction technologies advance, the interest in stretchable sensor devices has increased. Currently, the main challenge in developing stretchable sensors is preparing high-quality sensors a simple and cost-effective method.

[Factors associated with community collaboration in the implementation phase of the local health-care, medical, and welfare plan].

Objective　The aim of this study was to elucidate the status of health-care, medical, and welfare planning (hereafter, "planning")-in which public health nurses (PHNs) had participated-and the factors associated with community collaboration in the implementation phase. Additionally, suggestions regarding health activities that would contribute to improving the entire community's health level were obtained.Methods　The Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) cycle was the conceptual framework for this study, and the focus was the implementation phase of the plan (i.

Sequential Abolition of Antegrade and Retrograde Conduction in Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome: A Case Series.

BACKGROUND Radiofrequency ablation in cases of Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) syndrome is a relatively safe procedure that yields good results. However, the electrical characteristics of WPW syndrome have not yet been fully elucidated. Herein, we report 2 cases of WPW syndrome, wherein antegrade conduction was abolished first, followed by retrograde conduction.

Defibrillation threshold of internal cardioversion prior to ablation predicts atrial fibrillation recurrence.

Background: Many studies have reported the predictors of atrial fibrillation (AF) recurrence after persistent AF (peAF) ablation. However, the correlation between the atrial defibrillation threshold (DFT) for internal cardioversion (IC) and AF recurrence rate is unknown. Here we investigated the relationship between the DFT prior to catheter ablation for peAF and AF recurrence.

Clonal evolution and clinical implications of genetic abnormalities in blastic transformation of chronic myeloid leukaemia.

Blast crisis (BC) predicts dismal outcomes in patients with chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML). Although additional genetic alterations play a central role in BC, the landscape and prognostic impact of these alterations remain elusive. Here, we comprehensively investigate genetic abnormalities in 136 BC and 148 chronic phase (CP) samples obtained from 216 CML patients using exome and targeted sequencing.