We have developed a wearable airbag that incorporates a fall-detection system that uses both acceleration and angular velocity signals to trigger inflation of the airbag. The fall-detection algorithm was devised using a thresholding technique with an accelerometer and gyro sensor. Sixteen subjects mimicked falls, and their acceleration waveforms were monitored. Then, we developed a fall-detection algorithm that could detect signals 300 ms before the fall. This signal was used as a trigger to inflate the airbag to a capacity of 2.4 L. Although the proposed system can help to prevent fall-related injuries, further development is needed to miniaturize the inflation system.

Spectroscopic properties of CaMoO 4 and MgMoO 4 crystals were studied in view of their application to cryogenic scintillation detectors. Luminescence spectra and the luminescence decay kinetics were measured over a wide range of temperatures (8-300 K). For the first time we measured time-resolved luminescence spectra of CaMoO 4 . In addition to the green emission arising from the triplet state of self-trapped excitons (STEs), a new band at around 430 nm with a decay time constant 10 ± 3 ns was observed at T = 8 K. This emission is assigned to the radiative decay of a singlet STE.The relaxation of electronic excitations in the crystals under study is discussed on the basis of our current understanding of their electronic structures and a configuration coordinate model for the radiative decay of STEs. The model includes adiabatic potential energy surfaces (APESs) associated with singlet and triplet states and explains the variation of the luminescence kinetics with temperature as a result of a re-distribution in the population of these states. Thus, judging from the change of the singlet STE emission due to temperature variation, we infer the existence of an energy barrier between the singlet and triplet APESs. The multi-exponential character of the decay of the triplet emission can be understood assuming that the relevant radiative transitions originate from different minima of the triplet APES. Non-radiative energy transfer processes control the population of these states, resulting in thermal variation of the intensities of the different emission components.

Households are important settings for the transmission of seasonal influenza. Previous studies found that the per-person risk of within-household transmission decreases with household size. However, more detailed heterogeneities driven by household composition and contact patterns have not been studied. We employed a mathematical model that accounts for infections both from outside and within the household. The model was applied to citywide primary school seasonal influenza surveillance and household surveys from 10,486 students during the 2014/15 season in Matsumoto city, Japan. We compared a range of models to estimate the structure of household transmission and found that familial relationship and household composition strongly influenced the transmission patterns of seasonal influenza in households. Children had a substantially high risk of infection from outside the household (up to 20%) compared with adults (1-3%). Intense transmission was observed within-generation (between children/parents/grandparents) and also between mother and child, with transmission risks typically ranging from 5-20% depending on the transmission route and household composition. Children were identified as the largest source of secondary transmission, with family structure influencing infection risk.

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BackgroundOral candidiasis is an infection caused by a yeast-like fungus called Candida. Various methods can be used to isolate Candida from the oral cavity. However, it is difficult to correctly and satisfactorily diagnose oral candidiasis because currently no microbiological or laboratory standards based on samples from the oral cavity are available. The aim of this study is to establish a reliable laboratory test for diagnosing oral candidiasis.MethodsOral swab, rinse and concentrated rinse samples were obtained from 200 consecutive outpatients (103 male patients and 97 female patients; mean age, 47.2 years; age range, 9–89 years). Candida colonies from cultured samples were enumerated to compare the sensitivities and specificities of the above sampling methods, and the associations between Candida detection or concentration and the clinical oral signs were examined.ResultsThe mean colony numbers were 263 ± 590 CFU/swab for the swab method, 2894 ± 6705 CFU/100 μL for the rinse method, and 9245 ± 19,030 CFU/100 μL for the concentrated rinse method. The median numbers were 23 CFU/swab for the swab method, 56 CFU/100 μL for the rinse method, and 485 CFU/100 μL for the concentrated rinse method. Candida was detected in the oral cavity of 33.5 % and 52.0 % of the outpatients by the swab method and concentrated rinse, respectively. Candida concentrations determined by the concentrated rinse were closely related to the severity of the clinical oral signs. The positive predictive values of residual root, redness of the oral mucosa, denture, glossalgia, dry mouth, and taste disorder were useful predictors of oral candidiasis.ConclusionsConcentrated rinse sampling is suitable for evaluating oral candidiasis, and Candida concentrations examined using this method strongly associated with the oral signs associated with Candida infection.