A device for adsorbing unbound, unconjugated bilirubin and its effects in vitro and in a hyperbilirubinemic newborn piglet

AIMS: A novel blood purification material that we previously reported as a superantigen- and cytokine-adsorbing device (SCAD) was evaluated for its ability to adsorb unbound, unconjugated bilirubin (UUBil) in vitro and in vivo. METHODS: In albumin-containing buffer, UUBil was dissolved and circulated through the SCAD column. Also, bilirubin was infused into low-body weight newborn piglets and hemoperfused for 3 h over SCAD columns. RESULTS: In albumin-containing buffer, concentration of bilirubin decreased from 34 to 0.6 mg/dL within 5 h and the SCAD fiber turned brown, indicating that bilirubin was adsorbed onto the surface of the adsorbent and was not degraded during the circulation. Using the hyperbilirubinemia swine, clearances of total bilirubin (TBil), direct bilirubin (DBil), and indirect bilirubin (IdBil) were significantly higher (P<0.01) in the SCAD group compared with the control group. The clearances of TBil, DBil, and IdBil at 3 h after the initiation of the bilirubin infusion were 0.47, 0.53, and 0.45 mL/min, respectively, at a blood flow rate of 2.5 mL/min, and this result indicates that almost 20% of bilirubins were adsorbed to the SCAD column in a single passage. CONCLUSION: These results provide initial evidence that SCAD treatment is effective in the removal of UUBil and can be performed safely in newborn animals.     

The Effect of a Web-Based Cervical Cancer Survivor’s Story on Parents' Behavior and Willingness to Consider Human Papillomavirus Vaccination for Daughters: Randomized Controlled Trial

BackgroundProviding adequate information to parents who have children eligible for human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination is essential to overcoming vaccine hesitancy in Japan, where the government recommendation has been suspended. However, prior trials assessing the effect of brief educational tools have shown only limited effects on increasing the willingness of parents to vaccinate their daughters.ObjectiveThe aim of this trial is to assess the effect of a cervical cancer survivor’s story on the willingness of parents to get HPV vaccination for their daughters.MethodsIn this double-blinded, randomized controlled trial (RCT) implemented online, we enrolled 2175 participants aged 30-59 years in March 2020 via a webpage and provided them with a questionnaire related to the following aspects: awareness regarding HPV infection and HPV vaccination, and willingness for HPV vaccination. Participants were randomly assigned (1:1) to see a short film on a cervical cancer survivor or nothing, stratified by sex (male vs female) and willingness for HPV vaccination prior to randomization (yes vs no). The primary endpoint was the rate of parents who agreed for HPV vaccination for their daughters. The secondary endpoint was the rate of parents who agreed for HPV vaccination for their daughters and the HPV vaccination rate at 3 months. The risk ratio (RR) was used to assess the interventional effect.ResultsOf 2175 participants, 1266 (58.2%) were men and 909 (41.8%) were women. A total of 191 (8.8%) participants were willing to consider HPV vaccination prior to randomization. Only 339 (15.6%) participants were aware of the benefits of HPV vaccination. In contrast, 562 (25.8%) participants were aware of the adverse events of HPV vaccination. Although only 476 (21.9%) of the respondents displayed a willingness to vaccinate their daughters for HPV, there were 7.5% more respondents in the intervention group with this willingness immediately after watching the short film (RR 1.41, 95% CI 1.20-1.66). In a subanalysis, the willingness in males to vaccinate daughters was significantly higher in the intervention group (RR 1.50, 95% CI 1.25-1.81); however, such a difference was not observed among females (RR 1.21, 95% CI 0.88-1.66). In the follow-up survey at 3 months, 1807 (83.1%) participants responded. Of these, 149 (8.2%) responded that they had had their daughters receive vaccination during the 3 months, even though we could not see the effect of the intervention: 77 (7.9%) in the intervention group and 72 (8.7%) in the control group.ConclusionsA cervical cancer survivor’s story increases immediate willingness to consider HPV vaccination, but the effect does not last for 3 months. Furthermore, this narrative approach to parents does not increase vaccination rates in children eligible for HPV vaccination.Trial RegistrationUMIN Clinical Trials Registry UMIN000039273; https://tinyurl.com/bdzjp4yf     

Circulating immunocompetent cell profiles during oral cyclosporin therapy for immunoglobulin-resistant Kawasaki disease

Although the standard treatment for Kawasaki disease (KD)is intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) combined with oral aspirin,18％ of 1st IVIG is refractory [1].Recen...     

A questionnaire about radiation safety management of the draining-water system at nuclear medicine facilities

We conducted a questionnaire survey about radiation-safety management condition in Japanese nuclear medicine facilities to make materials of proposition for more reasonable management of medical radioactive waste. We distributed a questionnaire to institutions equipped with Nuclear Medicine facilities. Of 1,125 institutions, 642 institutes (52.8%) returned effective answers. The questionnaire covered the following areas: 1) scale of an institution, 2) presence of enforcement of radiotherapy, 3) system of a tank, 4) size and number of each tank, 5) a form of draining-water system, 6) a displacement in a radioactive rays management area, 7) a measurement method of the concentration of medical radioactive waste in draining water system, 8) planned and used quantity of radioisotopes for medical examination and treatment, 9) an average displacement of hospital for one month. In most institutions, a ratio of dose limitation of radioisotope in draining-water system was less than 1.0, defined as an upper limitation in ordinance. In 499 hospitals without facilities of hospitalization for unsealed radioisotope therapy, 473 hospitals reported that sum of ratios of dose limits in a draining-water system was less than 1.0. It was calculated by used dose of radioisotope and monthly displacement from hospital, on the premise that all used radioisotope entered in the general draining-water system. When a drainage including radioactivity from a controlled area join with that from other area before it flows out of a institution, it may be diluted and its radioactive concentration should be less than its upper limitation defined in the rule. Especially, in all institutions with a monthly displacement of more than 25,000 m3, the sum of ratio of the concentration of each radionuclide to the concentration limit dose calculated by used dose of radioisotope, indicated less than 1.0.     

A Comprehensive Analysis of Plasma Cytokines and Metabolites Shows an Association between Galectin-9 and Changes in Peripheral Lymphocyte Subset Percentages Following Coix Seed Consumption

We previously reported that healthy adult males who consumed coix seeds for 1 week demonstrated an increased intestinal abundance of Faecalibacterium prausnitzii and altered peripheral lymphocyte subset percentages. However, the mechanism underlining these effects has not been elucidated. Therefore, cytokines and metabolites in plasma obtained in this study are comprehensively analyzed. A total of 56 cytokines and 52 metabolites in the plasma are quantified. Among them, 14 cytokines and 9 metabolites show significant changes in their levels following coix seed consumption. We examine the relationship between these changes and those in peripheral lymphocyte subset percentages and intestinal abundance of F. prausnitzii, which is also considerably altered following coix seed consumption. The galectin-9 concentration considerably decreased after coix seed consumption, and these changes correlate with those in cytotoxic T cells and pan T cells. Therefore, galectin-9 is possibly involved in the changes in peripheral lymphocyte subset percentages induced by coix seed consumption.     

Measures of Perceived Neighborhood Food Environments and Dietary Habits: A Systematic Review of Methods and Associations

Access to healthy food is a necessity for all people. However, there is still a lack of reviews on the assessment of respondent-based measures of neighborhood food environments (perceived food environments). The aim of this systematic review was to evaluate the measurement tools for perceived food environments by five dimensions of food access and to obtain the overview of their associations with dietary habits among people aged 18 years and older in middle- and high-income countries. Observational studies using perceived food environment measures were identified through a systematic review based on two databases for original studies published from 2010 to 2020. A total of 19 final studies were extracted from totally 2926 studies. Pertaining to the five dimensions of food access, 12 studies dealt with accessibility, 13 with availability, 6 with affordability, 10 with acceptability, 2 with accommodation, and 8 with a combination of two or more dimensions. Perceived healthy food environments were positively associated with healthy dietary habits in 17 studies, but 8 of them indicated statistically insignificant associations. In conclusion, this review found accessibility and availability to be major dimensions of perceived food environments. The relationship between healthy food environments and healthy diets is presumably positive and weak.     

An Analytical Model / Emotional Intelligence Quotient and QOL in Mothers with Infants in Japan

Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship betweenthe emotional intelligence quotient and health-related quality of life using structuralequation modeling.Methods: A self-administered questionnaire survey was conducted among 1,911mothers who visited the Health Center for an infant medical examination. A hypotheticalmodel was constructed using variables of the emotional intelligence quotient, socialsupport, coping, parenting stress, and perceived health competence.Result: There were a total of 1,104 valid responses (57.8%). Significantstandardized estimates were obtained, confirming the goodness of fit issues with themodel. The emotional intelligence quotient had a strong impact on physical andpsychological quality of life, and showed the greatest association with coping. This studydiffered from previous studies in that, due to the inclusion of social support andexplanatory variables in coping, an increase in coping strategies was more highlyassociated with emotional intelligence quotient levels than with social support.Conclusion: An enhanced emotional intelligence quotient should be considereda primary objective to promote the health of mothers with infant children.