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The demand for therapeutic robots to alleviate mental health problems is growing. Studies have shown that people’s mental health improves when they are touched. Consequently, therapeutic robots are designed to alleviate stress through robot’s autonomous touch. However, robot’s autonomous touch can sometimes cause discomfort to recipients. This paper proposes a semi-autonomous touch method that merges robot’s autonomous touch with user-operated touch to mitigate discomfort while maintaining the sensation of being touched by another person. We conducted an experiment involving 24 participants who were touched on the neck by robots under three conditions: robot’s autonomous touch, user-operated touch, and the proposed semi-autonomous touch method condition. Additionally, the study investigated participants’ impressions of the robot in each condition. The results showed that semi-autonomous touch condition mitigated discomfort more effectively compared with the robot’s autonomous touch method condition. It also enhanced the feeling of being touched by another person entity and suppressed interaction boredom compared with the user-operated touch method condition. Participants reported higher trustworthiness and perceived friendliness in robots utilizing the semi-autonomous touch method compared to those with autonomous touch method condition. These findings indicate that robots featuring the proposed semi-autonomous touch method can provide a comforting experience, leveraging the therapeutic benefits of being touched by another person, and underscore their potential in mental health applications.

Studies on social robots that can communicate with humans are increasingly important. In particular, semi-aautonomous robots have shown potential for practical applications in which robot autonomy and human teleoperation are jointly used to accomplish difficult tasks. However, it is unknown how the attitude represented in the autonomous behavior of the robots affects teleoperators. Previous studies reported that when humans play a particular role, their attitudes align with that role. The teleoperators of semi-autonomous robots also play the role given to the robots and may assimilate their autonomous expression. We hypothesized that the attitude of teleoperators may align with that of robots through teleoperation. To verify this, we conducted an experiment with conditions under which a participant operated a part of the body of an android robot that autonomously expressed a preferential attitude toward a painting and a condition under which they did not. Experimental results demonstrated that the preferential attitude of participants who teleoperated the android aligned statistically significantly more with that of the robot in comparison to those who did not teleoperate it, thereby supporting our hypothesis. This finding is novel regarding attitude change in teleoperators of semi-autonomous robots and can support the implementation of effective human-robot collaboration systems.

Recently-emerging genome editing technologies have enabled targeted gene knockout experiments even in non-model insect species. For studies on insecticide resistance, genome editing technologies offer some advantages over the conventional reverse genetic technique, RNA interference, for testing causal relationships between genes of detoxifying enzymes and resistance phenotypes. There were relatively abundant evidences indicating that the overexpression of a cytochrome P450 gene CYP9M10 confers strong pyrethroid resistance in larvae of the southern house mosquito Culex quinquefasciatus . However, reverse genetic verification has not yet been obtained because of the technical difficulty of microinjection into larvae. Here, we tested two genome editing technologies, transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALEN)s and clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR/Cas9), to disrupt CYP9M10 in a resistant strain of C. quinquefasciatus . Additionally, we developed a novel, effective approach to construct a TALE using the chemical cleavage of phosphorothioate inter-nucleotide linkages in the level 1 assembly. Both TALEN and CRISPR/Cas9 induced frame-shifting mutations in one or all copies of CYP9M10 in a pyrethroid-resistant strain. A line fixed with a completely disrupted CYP9M10 haplotype showed more than 100-fold reduction in pyrethroid resistance in the larval stage.

To assess the association between gestational weight gain (GWG) and the risk of developing chronic diseases in later life, this historical cohort study of 318 non-overweight women was conducted between April 2017 and November 2020 at a hospital in Tokyo. Data about GWG in the last pregnancy and the development of any chronic diseases of the subjects were retrieved from the women’s Maternal and Child Health Handbooks and through a questionnaire survey, respectively. The outcomes were chronic diseases, such as diabetes mellitus (DM), hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and being overweight (body mass index [BMI] ≥ 25 kg/m 2 ). Association between GWG and outcomes were assessed using a logistic regression analysis. There were significant positive linear associations between GWG and the risks of developing DM, hypertension, and being overweight ( P  = 0.013, 0.050, and 0.017, respectively). After adjusting for later-life BMI, a significant association between GWG and DM ( P  = 0.025) remained, but the association between GWG and hypertension disappeared. GWG was significantly associated with DM, hypertension, and being overweight later in life. Although the association between GWG and DM was partially independent of BMI later in life, the association between GWG and hypertension was influenced by being overweight later in life.

The association between fetal gender and rare pregnancy complications has not been extensively investigated, and no studies have examined this association in Japanese women. Thus, we used a large Japanese birth registry database to investigate the extent to which fetal gender affects various pregnancy outcomes. We analyzed 1,098,268 women with a singleton delivery with no congenital anomaly at 22 weeks or later between 2007 and 2015. Women carrying a male fetus had a significantly higher risk of placental abruption (adjusted risk ratio [aRR] 1.15, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.10–1.20)], preterm delivery (aRR 1.20, 95% CI 1.19–1.22), instrumental delivery (aRR 1.27, 95% CI 1.26–1.29), and cesarean delivery (aRR 1.01, 95% CI 1.00–1.02). In contrast, they had a significantly lower risk of preeclampsia (aRR 0.92, 95% CI 0.89–0.94), placenta accreta (aRR 0.90, 95% CI 0.85–0.96), atonic hemorrhage (aRR 0.95, 95% CI 0.93–0.96), and maternal blood transfusion (aRR 0.95, 95% CI 0.92–0.99). Our findings demonstrate a significant association between fetal gender and various pregnancy complications and delivery outcomes among Japanese women.

The reduction in the use of neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) during the COVID-19 outbreak has been reported, but whether this phenomenon is widespread across countries is unclear. Using a large-scale inpatient database in Japan, we analysed the intensive neonatal care volume and the number of preterm births for weeks 10–17 vs weeks 2–9 (during and before the outbreak) of 2020 with adjustment for the trends during the same period of 2019. We found statistically significant reductions in the numbers of NICU admissions (adjusted incidence rate ratio (aIRR), 0.76; 95% CI, 0.65 to 0.89) and neonatal resuscitations (aIRR, 0.37; 95% CI, 0.25 to 0.55) during the COVID-19 outbreak. Along with the decrease in the intensive neonatal care volume, preterm births before 34 gestational weeks (aIRR, 0.71) and between 34 0/7 and 36 6/7 gestational weeks (aIRR, 0.85) also showed a significant reduction. Further studies about the mechanism of this phenomenon are warranted.

PurposeTo clarify risk factors and clinical outcomes for placenta accreta spectrum (PAS) stratified by placenta previa.MethodsWe conducted registry-based multicenter cross-sectional study including 472,301 singleton deliveries between 2013 and 2015. PAS was considered as a primary outcome, as well as maternal age, parity, history of cesarean section, history of miscarriage, and assisted reproductive technology (ART) were considered as potential exposures. A multivariable Poisson regression analysis was conducted to assess the risk for PAS, stratified by placenta previa. In addition, the risk for subsequent blood transfusion and hysterectomy by each exposure using multivariable Poisson regression analysis was conducted.ResultsThere were 426 and 1827 cases of PAS with and without placenta previa. Among cases with placenta previa, the number of previous cesarean sections was the most powerful predictor for PAS [adjusted risk ratio (aRR) for one previous cesarean section 5.34, 95% confidence interval (CI) 3.70–7.71; aRR for two or more previous cesarean section 16.5, 95% CI 11.5–23.6]. Among cases without placenta previa, previous cesarean section was not a significant predictor, whereas the strongest predictor was conception through ART (aRR 5.05, 95% CI 4.50–5.66). Although the risks of PAS for blood transfusion and hysterectomy were higher among cases with placenta previa, those without placenta previa also demonstrated non-negligible risks.ConclusionThe current study demonstrated that history of cesarean section was the strongest risk factor for PAS among women with placenta previa. Among those without placenta previa, ART was an important predictor, but not cesarean section.

In Japan, maintenance tocolysis has been conventionally administered. The current study aimed to identify the annual trends in the prolonged administration of ritodrine hydrochloride and its differences in terms of region and type of facility. This study used data from the Japanese Diagnosis Procedure Combination inpatient database, and the survey included women with premature labor or threatened premature delivery based on the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, 10th Revision, codes. The primary outcome was prolonged administration of ritodrine hydrochloride, defined as treatment for ≥ 4 days. The primary exposures were type of institution, regions where the institutions are located, and year at admission. The effect of each exposure on prolonged administration was assessed via multivariate-modified Poisson regression analysis. Of 280,734 female participants, 180,674 received prolonged administration of ritodrine hydrochloride. Women in primary hospitals had a significantly more prolonged duration of administration than those in tertiary hospitals. Prolonged administration was significantly more common in Hokkaido, Chubu, Kansai, and Shikoku than in Tokyo. Conversely, Kyushu had a significantly lower adusted risk ratio than Tokyo. The prolonged administration of ritodrine hydrochloride has been gradually decreasing annually. However, the rate differed in terms of regions and type of facility.

Background While several studies have demonstrated the increased risk of pregnancy complications for women of advanced age, few studies have focused on women with very advanced age (≥ 45), despite the increasing rate of pregnancy among such women. Furthermore, how such risks of increase in age differ by maternal characteristics are also poorly understood. Thus, we aimed to clarify pregnant outcomes among women with very advanced age and how the effect of age differs by method of conception and parity. Methods We used the national multicenter Japan Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology perinatal database, including 365,417 women aged 30 years or older who delivered a singleton between 2005 and 2011. We divided women into four groups based on age (years): 30–34, 35–39, 40–44, and ≥45, and compared risk of adverse birth outcomes between the groups using Poisson regression. Effect modification by parity and use of assisted reproductive technology (ART) was also evaluated. Results: Compared with women aged 30–34 years, women aged 45 or older had higher risk of emergency cesarean delivery [adjusted risk ratio (aRR): 1.77, 95% confidence interval (95% CI): 1.58–1.99], preeclampsia (aRR: 1.86, 95% CI: 1.43–2.42), severe preeclampsia (aRR: 2.03, 95% CI: 1.31–3.13), placenta previa (aRR: 2.17, 95% CI: 1.60–2.95), and preterm birth (aRR: 1.20, 95% CI: 1.04–1.39). The effect of older age on risk of emergency cesarean section, preeclampsia, and preterm birth were significantly greater among those who conceived naturally compared to those who conceived by ART. The effect on emergency cesarean section was stronger among primiparous women, whereas the risk of preeclampsia associated with older age was significantly greater among multiparous women. Conclusions Very advanced maternal age (≥ 45) was related to greater risk for adverse birth outcomes compared to younger women, especially for maternal complications including cesarean section, preeclampsia, severe preeclampsia, and placenta previa. The magnitude of the influence of age also differed by conception method and by parity.

We aimed to clarify how maternal physical characteristics explains the association between adolescent pregnancy and adverse birth outcomes, focusing on their height. We used a national multicenter-based delivery registry among 30,831 women under age 25 years with a singleton pregnancy between 2005 and 2011. Adolescent pregnancy was defined as younger than 20 years of age, and categorized into “junior adolescent” (aged ≤15 years) and “senior adolescent” (aged 16–19 years). We used multivariate Poisson regression and mediation analysis to assess the extent to which maternal height explained the association between adolescent pregnancy and risk of adverse birth outcomes. Risks for preterm birth [(adjusted risk ratio (aRR) 1.17, 95% confidence interval (95% CI), 1.08–1.27], low birthweight (aRR 1.08, 95% CI, 1.01–1.15), and low Apgar score (aRR 1.41 95%CI, 1.15–1.73) were significantly higher among adolescent women compared to women of 20–24 years of age. The mediation effect of maternal height on these outcomes were moderate for low birthweight (45.5%) and preterm birth (10.5%), and smaller for low Apgar score (6.6%). In all analyses, we did not detect significant differences between junior adolescent and senior adolescent. Adolescent women have higher risk of adverse birth outcomes. This association is partially mediated by shorter maternal height.