Thursday, February 28, 2019

HPV can be eliminated by vaccination

Vaccination is one of the most effective ways to prevent serious diseases. It covers not only infectious diseases such as influenza but also other types of diseases which are caused by viruses.

One of the examples is HPV vaccine. HPV is a virus commonly living in pubic area in the human. It does damage to the human body continuously for a long time. And finally, it leads to cervical cancer.

HPV vaccination is known as effective to eliminate HPV infection. The vaccination can potentially eliminate cervical cancer at all, according to the latest research.

The Jakarta Post: Vaccine could virtually eliminate cervical cancer: Study

It is also known that many people are killed because of the lack of money to get some vaccinations in developing nations. HPV vaccination will be counted as an essential vaccination also in countries with low income.

On the other hand, some people are strongly against the HPV vaccination in Japan. They claim that vaccination will cause irreversible trouble on the body. But there is scarce evidence of adverse effects of vaccination. It is likely a few people are so vulnerable that they should avoid vaccination. But it is rare that the risk is superior to the merit of vaccination. To warn excessively the risk of vaccination is rather harmful in a longitudinal way. Neutral and scientific decision-making is needed.

Wednesday, February 27, 2019

New Galaxy will equip Bitcoin wallet

Samsung is planning to introduce apps to manage Bitcoin in its new products.

According to the media, Samsung's Galaxy S10 will be released in coming March. There will be three models, Galaxy S10, S10+ with a larger screen, and S10e as an entry model. These smartphones will equip a new identification system using supersonic. As soon as you touch the screen, your fingerprint will be scanned to check your identity.

Also, cryptocurrency wallets will be installed in these smartphones. You can store Bitcoin, Etherium, and a couple of other crypto coins in the device.

Coin Telegraph: Samsung Announces Galaxy S10 Crypto Partners, Bitcoin and Ethereum Support

To be honest, I could not understand whether the new Galaxy S10 would be utilized as a hard wallet or not, through reading this article below. Considering that soft wallets are available in most smartphones without any additional mechanical chips, the new Galaxy will equip some exclusive chips in it.

Smartphone and cryptocurrency are very synergetic with each other. On the other hand, Samsung will be responsible for keeping the consumer's crypto coins secure. If someone breaches the security of Galaxy, to steal the coins, Samsung will certainly be sued by the user.

I bought Galaxy S9 just recently. I knew the new models would be released soon. Therefore, I got S9 at a low cost. I would not purchase the Galaxy S10.

Tuesday, February 26, 2019

Japan railways to quit on-train foods and drinks

Some popular Japanese railways have decided to abandon the service of selling foods and drinks on-train.

The Japan Times: Passengers unhappy on-train food, drink service ending

So far, you could purchase some foods and drinks, such as a riceball and beer, on the seat of Shinkansen super express or other rapid trains. Recently, however, few passengers are fond of getting foods on-train.

In Japan, there are a large variety of foods and drinks you can buy for a few coins. In a convenience store, hundreds of bottles of tea, juice and coffee are selectable. In contrast, a seller can carry only some kinds of drinks. It is disadvantageous for both seller and consumer.

In addition, some stores are selling foods and drinks for cheaper price. On the other hand, in general, express sellers do not discount the goods. Therefore, passengers who want to save the money tend to purchase foods and drinks before riding on the train.

To continue on-train selling, developing limited versions of goods is essential, I reckon. When you cannot get the food outside of the train, you will be interested in the food. But, creating an exclusive item is costly. Most railway companies are not motivated to increase the sales of on-train foods. 

Monday, February 25, 2019

Alcohol issues in pilots

Recently, there were some scandals of aircraft pilots regarding drinking in Japan.

Some months ago, similar incidents were reported in abroad. Therefore, airline companies in Japan were keen to address this issue. They conducted strict alcohol checking for flight staffs.

However, All Nippon Airways, a leading airline company in Japan, had to report a delay of departure due to a co-pilot having failed an alcohol breath test.

The Jakarta Post: Pilot drinking delays Japan plane despite new rules

The co-pilot drunk a can of beer and half a can of a spirit-based drink six hours before the flight. In general, the Japanese are not good to metabolize alcohol in the body. Many Japanese, including me, lack specific enzymes to detoxicate alcohol. Six hours were not enough for the co-pilot to cancel the influence of alcohol completely.

I suspect similar incidences frequently occurred before, though not reported. Most of them seemed not to result in a critical problem. Nonetheless, an absolute rule is necessary for this region since the safety of flight is prioritized.

On the other hand, I am afraid some pilots are suffering from alcohol dependence or other mental disorders. Pilots always take health examination in detail. But, mental disorders are hardly detected if the patient wants to conceal the fact.

Sunday, February 24, 2019

FDA warns harmful use of dietary supplements

Recently, the Food and Drug Administration in the US sent warning letters to several providers of supplements. It seems concerned about the potential risk of using supplements.

Washington Post: FDA launches tougher oversight of supplements

One of the backgrounds of this action by the FDA is the growing market of supplements. Originally, the US citizens are fond of using supplements, partially due to poor access to medical doctors. Therefore, the US is now the biggest fertile market for supplements. On the other hand, supplements are not regulated strictly compared to medical drugs. Indeed, there are several reports of adverse effects of supplements found after many users were intoxicated.

I have no idea how strictly the FDA will address this issue. Generally speaking, regulation by the government or other authorities will inhibit free competition and make the market itself shrunk. And many Americans will be against any external regulation. On the other hand, it is no doubt that the government is responsible for protecting citizens' health. The FDA has to make a balanced decision making.

Saturday, February 23, 2019

Free mealtime reduces waste in hospital

Recently, UC San Francisco Medical Center conducted an interesting attempt. It let inpatients choose the mealtime according to each favorite. As a result, food waste was dramatically reduced, as well as improving patients' satisfaction.

Hospital Wastes A Third Less Food After This One Change

Hospital is one of the places where the most amount of wastes are produced. It is mainly for sanitary, being deemed as necessary. But, mealtime is relatively amendable without the risk of infection.

Free for selecting mealtime has been ignored in many hospitals. I appreciate the challenge of San Francisco Medical Center.

Friday, February 22, 2019

Smartphone in the future

I bought Samsung's Galaxy S9 recently because the previous smartphone was crippled.

My past entry: Crippled Nexus

The new smartphone is of course very good. Meanwhile, however, Samsung will launch the new model, Galaxy 10, soon. I knew this expectation, but I had no choice than replacing my smartphone.

Then, what is the final goal of smartphones?

According to the media, the larger the screen is, the more time we spend on the smartphone. This hypothesis is reasonable considering the convenience of a larger screen. But, there is a trade-off between the screen size and portability. You would not carry a device with an 8-inch screen identifying it as a phone.

Samsung is planning to launch a smartphone with a foldable screen. This vision has been suggested by Samsung since it adopted organic EL displays.

The New York Times: What’s Next for Smartphones? Here Are a Few Answers

Therefore, a foldable smartphone will be seen in the near future, I believe. But, it will never be an ultimate solution for the need for omnipotent smartphones. I have never visualized the final device the human can get.