Prospective Clinical Evaluation of the Diagnostic Accuracy of a Highly Sensitive Rapid Antigen Test Using Silver Amplification Technology for Emerging SARS-CoV-2 Variants.

The COVID-19 pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 remains a serious health concern worldwide due to outbreaks of SARS-CoV-2 variants that can escape vaccine-acquired immunity and infect and transmit more efficiently. Therefore, an appropriate testing method for COVID-19 is essential for effective infection control and the prevention of local outbreaks. Compared to reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) tests, antigen tests are used for simple point-of-care testing, enabling the identification of viral infections.

Long-Term Comparison of Ethyl Icosapentate vs. Omega-3-Acid Ethyl in Patients With Cardiovascular Disease and Hypertriglyceridemia (DEFAT Trial).

Background: Numerous studies have demonstrated a reduction in cardiovascular events when the low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL) level is decreased by statin therapy. However, despite good control of LDL, cardiovascular events may increase if the triglyceride (TG) level is high. We conducted a long-term comparison of treatment of hypertriglyceridemia with ethyl icosapentate (EPA) vs.

Cross-Over Trial of Febuxostat and Topiroxostat for Hyperuricemia With Cardiovascular Disease (TROFEO Trial).

Background: We previously reported that febuxostat was more effective for hyperuricemia than allopurinol. The efficacy, however, of topiroxostat (a novel xanthine oxidase reductase inhibitor similar to febuxostat), for hyperuricemia is unknown.

Methods and results: Patients with cardiovascular disease and hyperuricemia, in whom serum uric acid (s-UA) was controlled at ≤6 mg/dL, were eligible for enrollment.

Mobile genetic element SCCmec-encoded psm-mec RNA suppresses translation of agrA and attenuates MRSA virulence.

Community acquired-methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) is a socially problematic pathogen that infects healthy individuals, causing severe disease. CA-MRSA is more virulent than hospital associated-MRSA (HA-MRSA). The underlying mechanism for the high virulence of CA-MRSA is not known.

Involvement of CjMDR1, a plant multidrug-resistance-type ATP-binding cassette protein, in alkaloid transport in Coptis japonica.

Alkaloids comprise one of the largest groups of plant secondary metabolites. Berberine, a benzylisoquinoline alkaloid, is preferentially accumulated in the rhizome of Coptis japonica, a ranunculaceous plant, whereas gene expression for berberine biosynthetic enzymes has been observed specifically in root tissues, which suggests that berberine synthesized in the root is transported to the rhizome, where there is high accumulation. We recently isolated a cDNA encoding a multidrug-resistance protein (MDR)-type ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter (Cjmdr1) from berberine-producing cultured C.