Awareness, information sources, and beliefs regarding palliative care in the general population in Japan: a nationwide cross-sectional survey (INFORM study 2023).

BACKGROUND: The diversification of information sources and changes in social structures necessitates updates on the state of public awareness of palliative care. Therefore, we clarified the status and determinants of awareness, information sources, and beliefs, regarding palliative care in Japan. METHODS: This nationwide cross-sectional survey included 10 000 participants aged ≥20 years enrolled through random sampling using a two-stage stratification in 2023. We used a mailed self-administered questionnaire (INFORM Study 2023). The questionnaire items were selected (partially modified) from the Health Information National Trends Survey (USA) to ensure comparability, included palliative care awareness, information sources, and beliefs. Weighted logistic regression was conducted to explore the determinants of awareness. RESULTS: Of the 3452 participants that responded (response rate: 35.3%), 65.2% had palliative care awareness. The weighted logistic regression analysis revealed that respondents less likely to have any palliative care awareness were younger, were male, had limited education history, had lower household income, and were non-Internet users. Of these, sex had the clear association (adjusted odds ratio for female vs. male: 3.20 [95% CI: 2.66-3.85]). Across all age groups, healthcare professionals (58.5%) and the Internet (30.5%) were the most trusted source of information. Younger participants frequently received information online. Most participants believed that palliative care was beneficial, although 82.0% associated it with death. CONCLUSIONS: The Japanese population had a relatively high palliative care awareness, with the majority trusting information from healthcare professionals rather than the Internet. Further efforts are warranted to address barriers to receiving trustworthy palliative care information.

Smartphone-based distress screening, information provision, and psychotherapy for reducing psychological distress among AYA cancer survivors: protocol for a fully decentralized multicenter randomized controlled clinical trial.

Fear of cancer recurrence (FCR) is a common and distressing condition among adolescents and young adults (AYAs). This study aims to investigate the efficacy of digital interventions, including distress screening-based information provision and smartphone problem-solving therapy, on common psychological distress, especially FCR, in AYA patients with cancer. Participants will be 224 AYA outpatients with cancer aged 15-39 years who will be randomly assigned to either an 8-week smartphone-based intervention or a waitlist control group. This intervention includes smartphone-based distress screening, information provision, and psychotherapy (problem-solving therapy). The primary endpoint will be the Fear of Cancer Recurrence Inventory-Short Form score at week 8. This study will be conducted as a fully decentralized, randomized, and multicenter trial. The study protocol was approved by the Institutional Review Board of Nagoya City University on 19 April 2024 (ID: 46-23-0005). Trial registration: UMIN-CTR: UMIN000054583.

A randomized phase III study evaluating dexamethasone-based mouthwash to prevent chemotherapy-induced stomatitis in patients with breast cancer.

Stomatitis, which is a common side effect of chemotherapy, currently lacks a standardized approach for its prevention. Therefore, this multicenter, randomized, open-label, controlled phase III trial aims to assess the efficacy and safety of a dexamethasone-based mouthwash for preventing chemotherapy-induced stomatitis in patients with early breast cancer. We will randomly assign 230 patients with early breast cancer scheduled to receive chemotherapy in a 1:1 ratio to either the dexamethasone-based mouthwash group (10 ml, 0.1 mg/ml; swish for 2 min and spit 4 times daily for 8 weeks) or the mouthwash-with-tap-water group. The incidence of stomatitis, measured using electronic patient-reported outcomes, is the primary endpoint.

Survey on adverse events associated with drug therapy for breast cancer patients.

BACKGROUND: In the breast cancer treatment, there may be a gap between patients' information needs and physicians' perceptions. To address this issue, we conducted a comprehensive questionnaire survey aimed to assess the specific information needs of patients regarding the adverse events (AEs) associated with treatment. METHODS: A web-based questionnaire survey (UMIN000049280: Registered on October 31, 2022) was conducted in patients with a history of breast cancer treatment. Responses were obtained regarding AEs experienced, AEs for which remedies were identified, AEs patients sought to prevent, and pre-treatment information on AEs patients desired to have. RESULTS: Data from 435 breast cancer patients were analyzed. The most common AEs reported included hair loss (93.3%), malaise/fatigue (89.4%), nail changes (83.2%), dysgeusia (69.0%), leukopenia/white blood cell decreased (65.1%), neuropathy (62.3%), and nausea/vomiting (61.4%). Financial anxiety was reported in 35.2% of the participants. AEs for which a minority of patients found effective solutions included neuropathy (20.3%), financial anxiety (21.6%), edema (24.3%), joint pain (26.0%), and malaise/fatigue (26.7%). Patients expressed the greatest desire to avoid hair loss (34.7%), followed by nausea/vomiting (23.7%), interstitial lung disease/pneumonitis (5.5%), malaise/fatigue (5.1%), and dysgeusia (5.1%). The most commonly requested pre-treatment information regarding AEs was their duration, followed by prevention methods, management strategies, time to onset, and the impact on daily life. CONCLUSIONS: This survey highlights the existence of significant unmet medical needs among breast cancer patients, due to the inadequate solutions available for managing AEs associated with various therapeutic agents. In addition, the survey revealed that patients have different information needs regarding different types of AEs.

Optimizing smartphone psychotherapy for depressive symptoms in patients with cancer: Multiphase optimization strategy using a decentralized multicenter randomized clinical trial (J-SUPPORT 2001 Study).

AIM: Patients with cancer experience various forms of psychological distress, including depressive symptoms, which can impact quality of life, elevate morbidity risk, and increase medical costs. Psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy are effective for reducing depressive symptoms among patients with cancer, but most patients prefer psychotherapy. This study aimed to develop an efficient and effective smartphone psychotherapy component to address depressive symptom. METHODS: This was a decentralized, parallel-group, multicenter, open, individually randomized, fully factorial trial. Patients aged ≥20 years with cancer were randomized by the presence/absence of three cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) skills (behavioral activation [BA], assertiveness training [AT], and problem-solving [PS]) on a smartphone app. All participants received psychoeducation (PE). The primary outcome was change in the patient health questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) total score between baseline and week 8. Secondary outcomes included anxiety. RESULTS: In total, 359 participants were randomized. Primary outcome data at week 8 were obtained for 355 participants (99%). The week 8 PHQ-9 total score was significantly reduced from baseline for all participants by -1.41 points (95% confidence interval [CI] -1.89, -0.92), but between-group differences in change scores were not significant (BA: -0.04, 95% CI -0.75, 0.67; AT: -0.16, 95% CI -0.87, 0.55; PS: -0.19, 95% CI -0.90, 0.52). CONCLUSION: As the presence of any of the three intervention components did not contribute to a significant additive reduction of depressive symptoms, we cannot make evidence-based recommendations regarding the use of specific smartphone psychotherapy.

Faecalibacterium hominis Liu et al. 2023 is a later heterotypic synonym of Faecalibacterium duncaniae Sakamoto et al. 2022.

A strain of the recently validated species Faecalibacterium hominis shares 99.0 % 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity with the type strain of Faecalibacterium duncaniae. The aim of this study was to evaluate the taxonomic relationship between F. hominis and F. duncaniae. F. duncaniae JCM 31915T showed 73.0 % digital DNA-DNA hybridization (dDDH) value with F. hominis JCM 39347T. The average nucleotide identity (ANI) value between these two strains was 96.7 %. These results indicate that F. duncaniae JCM 31915T and F. hominis JCM 39347T represent members of the same species. Based on these data, we propose Faecalibacterium hominis as a later heterotypic synonym of Faecalibacterium duncaniae. An emended description is provided.

Genome-based, phenotypic and chemotaxonomic classification of Faecalibacterium strains: proposal of three novel species Faecalibacterium duncaniae sp. nov., Faecalibacterium hattorii sp. nov. and Faecalibacterium gallinarum sp. nov.

Faecalibacterium prausnitzii is one of the most important butyrate-producing bacteria in the human gut. Previous studies have suggested the presence of several phylogenetic groups, with differences at the species level, in the species, and a taxonomic re-evaluation is thus essential for further understanding of ecology of the important human symbiont. Here we examine the phenotypic, physiological, chemotaxonomic and phylogenomic characteristics of six F. prausnitzii strains (BCRC 81047T=ATCC 27768T, A2-165T=JCM 31915T, APC918/95b=JCM 39207, APC942/30-2=JCM 39208, APC924/119=JCM 39209 and APC922/41-1T=JCM 39210T) deposited in public culture collections with two reference strains of Faecalibacterium butyricigenerans JCM 39212T and Faecalibacterium longum JCM 39211T. Faecalibacterium sp. JCM 17207T isolated from caecum of broiler chicken was also included. Three strains of F. prausnitzii (BCRC 81047T, JCM 39207 and JCM 39209) shared more than 96.6 % average nucleotide identity (ANI) and 69.6 % digital DNA-DNA hybridization (dDDH) values, indicating that the three strains are members of the same species. On the other hand, the remaining three strains of F. prausnitzii (JCM 31915T, JCM 39208 and JCM 39210T) were clearly separated from the above three strains based on the ANI and dDDH values. Rather, JCM 39208 showed ANI and dDDH values over the cut-off values of species discrimination (>70 % dDDH and >95-96 % ANI) with F. longum JCM 39211T, whereas JCM 31915T, JCM 39210T and JCM 17207T did not share dDDH and ANI values over the currently accepted cut-off values with any of the tested strains, including among them. Furthermore, the cellular fatty acid patterns of these strains were slightly different from other F. prausnitzii strains. Based on the collected data, F. prausnitzii JCM 31915T, F. prausnitzii JCM 39210T and Faecalibacterium sp. JCM 17207T represent three novel species of the genus Faecalibacterium, for which the names Faecalibacterium duncaniae sp. nov. (type strain JCM 31915T=DSM 17677T=A2-165T), Faecalibacterium hattorii sp. nov. (type strain JCM 39210T=DSM 107841T=APC922/41-1T) and Faecalibacterium gallinarum sp. nov. (type strain JCM 17207T=DSM 23680T=ic1379T) are proposed.

Comorbid insomnia among breast cancer survivors and its prediction using machine learning: a nationwide study in Japan.

OBJECTIVE: Insomnia is an increasingly recognized major symptom of breast cancer which can seriously disrupt the quality of life during and many years after treatment. Sleep problems have also been linked with survival in women with breast cancer. The aims of this study were to estimate the prevalence of insomnia in breast cancers survivors, clarify the clinical characteristics of their sleep difficulties and use machine learning techniques to explore clinical insights. METHODS: Our analysis of data, obtained in a nationwide questionnaire survey of breast cancer survivors in Japan, revealed a prevalence of suspected insomnia of 37.5%. With the clinical data obtained, we then used machine learning algorithms to develop a classifier that predicts comorbid insomnia. The performance of the prediction model was evaluated using 8-fold cross-validation. RESULTS: When using optimal hyperparameters, the L2 penalized logistic regression model and the XGBoost model provided predictive accuracy of 71.5 and 70.6% for the presence of suspected insomnia, with areas under the curve of 0.76 and 0.75, respectively. Population segments with high risk of insomnia were also extracted using the RuleFit algorithm. We found that cancer-related fatigue is a predictor of insomnia in breast cancer survivors. CONCLUSIONS: The high prevalence of sleep problems and its link with mortality warrants routine screening. Our novel predictive model using a machine learning approach offers clinically important insights for the early detection of comorbid insomnia and intervention in breast cancer survivors.

Oncology care providers' awareness and practice related to physical activity promotion for breast cancer survivors and barriers and facilitators to such promotion: a nationwide cross-sectional web-based survey.

PURPOSE: A known barrier to getting breast cancer survivors (BCSs) to engage in habitual exercise is a lack of information on recommended physical activity levels provided to them by oncology care providers (OCPs). However, the actual situation in Japan remains unclear. This study sought to clarify OCPs' awareness and practice related to Japan's physical activity recommendation for BCSs and to ascertain barriers to routine information provision. METHODS: We conducted a web-based survey involving members of the Japanese Breast Cancer Society (JBCS) and the Japanese Association of Cancer Rehabilitation between Dec. 2018 and Feb. 2019. RESULTS: Of 10,830 members, 1,029 (9.5%) responded. Only 19.1% were aware of the details of the JBCS physical activity recommendation, and only 21.2% routinely provided physical activity information to BCSs. Factors related to being aware of the recommendation details were 1) availability of the guidelines, 2) experience reading relevant parts of the guidelines, and 3) involvement in multidisciplinary team case meetings. Barriers to routine information provision were 1) absence of perceived work responsibility, 2) underestimation of survivors' needs, 3) lack of resources, 4) lack of self-efficacy about the recommendation, and 5) poor knowledge of the recommendation. CONCLUSIONS: Only one fifth of the OCPs routinely provided physical activity information. Barriers to provision were poor awareness, self-efficacy, and attitudes and unavailable resources. The physical activity recommendation needs to be disseminated to all OCPs and an information delivery system needs to be established for BCSs to receive appropriate information and support to promote their engagement in habitual physical activity.

[Describing the Burdens on Patients and Healthcare Providers for Outpatient Chemotherapy-A Proceedings Paper].

Because the demand for outpatient chemotherapy has been increasing, the burdens on patients have recently become diversified, ranging from not only the physical burden due to hospital visits but also the psychological and financial burden due to the impact on employment. In addition, healthcare providers are currently facing a number of challenges in the management of outpatient chemotherapy, including labor shortages and equipment or system problems. On Tuesday, September 22,2020, an online meeting was held by the authors of this paper(moderator: Hiroko Bando)entitled" Describing the Burdens on Patients and Healthcare Providers for Outpatient Chemotherapy". This paper is the minutes of this conference and here we visualize the burdens on patients and healthcare providers and discuss the necessity of burden reduction or efficiency, measures to alleviate the burdens, and other topics.

[Perceptions toward Employment and Support Needs in Medical Institutions and Workplace among AYA Cancer Survivors].

We conducted a cross-sectional questionnaire study to explore perceptions of employment, job-related help-seeking behaviors at the time of cancer diagnosis, illness disclosure at the workplace, and support needs for continuous employment among adolescent and young adult cancer survivors. The mean age at the time of cancer diagnosis was 27.8(range, 15-37) years. For survivors in this age category, employment is the foundation for economic development and contributions to society. Approximately half of the participants sought job-related help from medical staff and employment experts. Approximately 90%of the participants disclosed their illness to their workplace, and most were given consideration for their situation. To ensure continuous employment, the participants required environmental improvement at the workplace rather than consultation services at hospitals. This study suggests the need to further investigate when and where certain support is required and to consider ways to improve support at both hospitals and workplaces.

Infection control and COVID-19 outbreak training at elderly care facilities.

Fatalities caused by pneumonia and underlying diseases from COVID-19 infection show the highest relative frequency among elderly people. Long-term care facilities for elderly people have continued to be the areas most vulnerable to COVID-19. We examined the effectiveness of training for infection control and COVID-19 at elderly care facilities. After sending questionnaires to all long-term elderly care facilities in Ibaraki prefecture, Japan during January 18-29, 2022, we received useful responses from 98 facilities. Using logistic regression, we regressed a dummy variable for outbreak experience to dummy variables representing routine but partial training, routine training for all staff members, long-term care facilities for elderly people, numbers of nurses, and numbers of residents. Outbreak experiences of two types were inferred, as represented by a dummy variable for a COVID-19 outbreak at the facility, and by a dummy variable for outbreak experience at the facility before COVID-19 was found. Multivariate analysis indicated routine training for all staff members as the most effective, in fact the only effective, countermeasure against COVID-19 outbreak.

Factors associated with financial toxicity in patients with breast cancer in Japan: a comparison of patient and physician perspectives.

BACKGROUND: Financial toxicity (FT) is a notable concern for patients with breast cancer worldwide. The situation regarding FT in Japan, however, has not been well explored. This study examined FT in patients with breast cancer in Japan and presented an overview of the group study's overall findings. METHODS: The survey used the Questant application and primarily targeted patients with breast cancer attending research facilities and physicians who are members of the Japanese Breast Cancer Society. The Japanese version of the Comprehensive Score for FT (COST) was used to quantify patients' FT. Multiple regression analysis was used to identify factors related to FT in patients with breast cancer in Japan and evaluate the sufficiency of information support level (ISL) for medical expenses. RESULTS: We collected 1558 responses from patients and 825 from physicians. In terms of factors affecting FT, recent payments had the highest impact, followed by stage, and related departments positively affecting FT. Conversely, factors such as income, age, and family support were found to negatively affect FT. A significant discrepancy was identified between patients and physicians in perceived information support, with patients frequently feeling unsupported and physicians believing that they have provided adequate support. Furthermore, differences in the frequency of explanations and opportunities to ask questions about medical costs across FT grades were found. The analysis also showed that physicians with a better understanding of information support needs and greater knowledge of medical costs tended to provide more support that is comprehensive. CONCLUSION: This study emphasizes the importance of addressing FT in patients with breast cancer in Japan and highlights the need for enhanced information support, deeper understanding by physicians, and collaborative efforts among professionals to mitigate financial burden and provide personalized, tailored support for individual needs.

Effectiveness of a facilitation programme using a mobile application for initiating advance care planning discussions between patients with advanced cancer and healthcare providers: protocol for a randomised controlled trial (J-SUPPORT 2104).

INTRODUCTION: Timely implementation of the discussion process of advance care planning (ACP) is recommended. The communication attitude of healthcare providers is critical in ACP facilitation; thus, improving their communication attitudes may reduce patient distress and unnecessary aggressive treatment while enhancing care satisfaction. Digital mobile devices are being developed for behavioural interventions owing to their low space and time restrictions and ease of information sharing. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of an intervention programme using an application intended to facilitate patient questioning behaviour on improving communication related to ACP between patients with advanced cancer and healthcare providers. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This study uses a parallel-group, evaluator-blind, randomised controlled trial design. We plan to recruit 264 adult patients with incurable advanced cancer at the National Cancer Centre in Tokyo, Japan. Intervention group participants use a mobile application ACP programme and undergo a 30 min interview with a trained intervention provider for discussions with the oncologist at the next patient visit, while control group participants continue their usual treatment. The primary outcome is the oncologist's communication behaviour score assessed using audiorecordings of the consultation. Secondary outcomes include communication between patients and oncologists and the patients' distress, quality of life, care goals and preferences, and medical care utilisation. We will use a full analysis set including the registered participant population who receive at least a part of the intervention. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The study protocol was reviewed and approved by the Scientific Advisory Board of the Japan Supportive, Palliative and Psychosocial Oncology Group (Registration No. 2104) and the Institutional Review Board of the National Cancer Centre Hospital (registration No. 2020-500). Written informed consent is obtained from the patients. The results of the trial will be published in peer-reviewed scientific journals and presented at scientific meetings. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBERS: UMIN000045305, NCT05045040.

Significance of the comprehensive geriatric assessment in the administration of chemotherapy to older adults with cancer: Recommendations by the Japanese Geriatric Oncology Guideline Committee.

INTRODUCTION: The number of older patients with cancer is expected to continue to increase owing to the aging population. Recently, the usefulness of geriatric assessment (GA) conducted by multiple staff members from different medical backgrounds has been reported; however, a consensus on the effectiveness of GA has not yet been achieved. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We, as the Japanese Geriatric Oncology Guideline Committee for elderly patients with cancer, conducted a literature search of randomized controlled trials published before August 2021 that used GA or comprehensive GA (CGA) as an intervention for patients with cancer undergoing chemotherapy. As the key outcomes for answering the clinical question, we focused on survival benefit, adverse events, and quality of life (QOL). After a systematic review of these studies, the expert panel member developed recommendations according to the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) system. RESULTS: For older patients with cancer, GA or CGA is suggested during or before chemotherapy (weakly recommended). Chemotherapy-induced adverse events were significantly reduced by GA/CGA interventions without any adverse effects on survival. Health-related QOL tended to improve with the GA/CGA interventions. DISCUSSION: Although, in our opinion, GA/CGA does require time and resources, it poses no harm patients. Therefore, we suggest expanding the human resources and educating skills of medical providers for clinical implementation of GA/CGA.

Optimization of smartphone psychotherapy for depression and anxiety among patients with cancer using the multiphase optimization strategy (MOST) framework and decentralized clinical trial system (SMartphone Intervention to LEssen depression/Anxiety and GAIN resilience: SMILE AGAIN project): a protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Cancer patients experience various forms of psychological distress. Their distress, mainly in the form of depression and anxiety, leads to poor quality of life, increased medical spending due to frequent visits, and decrease in treatment adherence. It is estimated that 30-50% among them would require support from mental health professionals: in reality, much less actually receive such support partly due to a shortage of qualified professionals and also due to psychological barriers in seeking such help. The purpose of the present study is to develop the easily accessible and the most efficient and effective smartphone psychotherapy package to alleviate depression and anxiety in cancer patients. METHODS: Based on the multiphase optimization strategy (MOST) framework, the SMartphone Intervention to LEssen depression/Anxiety and GAIN resilience project (SMILE-AGAIN project) is a parallel-group, multicenter, open, stratified block randomized, fully factorial trial with four experimental components: psychosocial education (PE), behavioral activation (BA), assertion training (AT), and problem-solving therapy (PS). The allocation sequences are maintained centrally. All participants receive PE and then are randomized to the presence/absence of the remaining three components. The primary outcome of this study is the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) total score, which will be administered as an electronic patient-reported outcome on the patients' smartphones after 8 weeks. The protocol was approved by the Institutional Review Board of Nagoya City University on July 15, 2020 (ID: 46-20-0005). The randomized trial, which commenced in March 2021, is currently enrolling participants. The estimated end date for this study is March 2023. DISCUSSION: The highly efficient experimental design will allow for the identification of the most effective components and the most efficient combinations among the four components of the smartphone psychotherapy package for cancer patients. Given that many cancer patients face significant psychological hurdles in seeing mental health professionals, easily accessible therapeutic interventions without hospital visits may offer benefits. If an effective combination of psychotherapy is determined in this study, it can be provided using smartphones to patients who cannot easily access hospitals or clinics. TRIAL REGISTRATION: UMIN000041536, CTR. Registered on 1 November 2020  https://center6.umin.ac.jp/cgi-open-bin/ctr/ctr_view.cgi?recptno=R000047301 .

Smartphone Psychotherapy Reduces Fear of Cancer Recurrence Among Breast Cancer Survivors: A Fully Decentralized Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial (J-SUPPORT 1703 Study).

PURPOSE: Fear of cancer recurrence (FCR) is a common distressing condition. We investigated the efficacy of smartphone problem-solving therapy and behavioral activation applications in breast cancer survivors. METHODS: This was a decentralized randomized trial. Participants were disease-free breast cancer survivors age 20-49 years who were randomly assigned to the smartphone-based intervention or waitlist control. Both groups received treatment as usual. The control group could access the smartphone apps during weeks 8-24. The intervention comprised smartphone problem-solving therapy and behavioral activation apps. The primary end point was the Concerns About Recurrence Scale at week 8. Secondary outcomes included the Fear of Cancer Recurrence Inventory-Short Form (FCRI-SF), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), the Short-form Supportive Care Needs Survey (SCNS-SF34), and the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory at weeks 8 and 24 (trial registration: UMIN-CTR: UMIN000031140). RESULTS: The intervention group included 223 participants, and the control group included 224 participants. Primary outcome data were obtained for 444 participants, and 213 participants in the intervention arm completed the week 24 assessment. The intervention group had statistically greater improvements than controls at week 8 on the Concerns About Recurrence Scale (difference -1.39; 95% CI, -1.93 to -0.85; P < .001), FCRI-SF (difference -1.65; 95% CI, -2.41 to -0.89; P < .001), HADS depression (difference -0.49; 95% CI, -0.98 to 0; P < .05), and SCNS-SF34 psychological domain (difference -1.49; 95% CI, -2.67 to -0.32; P < .05). These scores at week 24 were not statistically significant compared with week 8 although the HADS depression score at week 24 was significantly reduced (P = .03). CONCLUSION: Novel smartphone psychotherapy offers a promising way to reduce FCR given the large number of survivors and a limited number of therapists to competently conduct psychotherapy.

Cardiorespiratory fitness in breast cancer survivors: a randomised controlled trial of home-based smartphone supported high intensity interval training.

BACKGROUND: A strategy for maintaining and/or improving cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) in the growing population of cancer survivors is of major clinical importance, especially in the COVID-19 era. The effect of unsupervised high-intensity interval training (HIIT) on increasing CRF in breast cancer survivors is unknown. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine whether the newly developed habit-B programme, which involves home-based smartphone-supported HIIT using body weight exercises, improves CRF in early-stage breast cancer survivors. METHODS: This single-centre, 12-week, parallel-group, single-blind, randomised controlled trial involved 50 women with stage I-IIa breast cancer, aged 20-59 years, who had completed initial treatment except for hormone therapy. Participants were randomised to either the exercise or control group. The primary outcome was the 12-week change in peak oxygen uptake [Formula: see text]. Other outcomes included muscle strength, 6 min walk test, resting heart rate, physical activity, fatigue, safety and quality of life. RESULTS: The change in [Formula: see text] and leg strength increased significantly in the exercise group compared with the control group (p<0.01). Changes in other outcomes were not significantly different between the groups. CONCLUSION: A home-based HIIT intervention can lead to improve CRF and muscle strength in early-stage breast cancer survivors.

Study Elucidating Disinfection at Nursery Schools in Ibaraki, Japan.

Control of infectious diseases requires switching from usual hygiene such as water wiping and cleaning, to control measures including appropriate and aggressive disinfection using 70% alcohol and/or hypochlorous acid depending on the pathogen. Nevertheless, some nursery schools might not understand or select proper disinfectant methods. A survey was administered by the local government of Ibaraki prefecture, Japan in January 2018 to all 456 nursery schools in Ibaraki prefecture. The surveyed items were the number of nursery teachers, usual manual hygiene among children, usual disinfection for lavatories, diaper changing spaces, tables used by children for meals, and classroom floors when there was no vomiting in the facilities and no outbreak in surrounding area. Moreover, it asked about disinfection procedures if children vomited during a community outbreak of gastroenteritis infection. We defined proper use for usual disinfection of a lavatory or diaper changing space as chlorine-based disinfectant including hypochlorous acid or 70% alcohol according to guidelines. Overall, 403 nursery schools responded to the survey. All nursery schools implemented usual hand hygiene. Association between proper disinfection and the size of nursery schools was not significant. Moreover, association between proper disinfection and nursery schools with nurse presence was not found to be significant.

Attenuation of antibody titer of measles and rubella virus among university students of department of healthcare providers during 2015-2018 in Japan.

BACKGROUND: In Japan, measles elimination was confirmed in March 2015. Nevertheless, some outbreaks with cases imported from abroad were reported even after certification. A large rubella outbreak has been occurring since 2017. This study examines measurement of the speed of attenuation of antibody titer for a measles virus comparison with rubella virus. METHOD: Student subjects born from April 2, 1996 through April 1, 2000 were selected at Ibaraki Prefectural University of Health Sciences for this study: 177 for measles and 114 for rubella. They had available dates of additional immunization and antibodies in the following period and were judged as requiring additional immunization. We used enzyme immunoassay for IgG antibody testing. We regressed post-antibody titers of measles or rubella on pre-antibody titers and functions of duration between inoculation to post-evaluation. Functions of duration were selected according to the adjusted coefficient of determination. RESULTS: For measles, only a linear term of duration or log of duration was found to be significant without the quadratic terms. For rubella, we selected a five-order linear model which indicated that titer after vaccination would converge to 19.2. DISCUSSION: Results demonstrate that measles antibody decreased monotonically. If the pre-antibody titer was 15, vaccination raised titer quickly to 26; then it attenuated by 0.014 per day. Antibody titer is expected to be less than 16, which is the protection level of titer, after 704 days. For rubella, however, when pre-vaccination titer was evaluated at its average, the lower limit was 19.2. Therefore, protection can be maintained for a long time. This difference might reflect some circumstances of outbreaks of the respective diseases. CONCLUSION: This report describes the speed of attenuation and the epidemiological situation. The speed of attenuation can be expected to rise. Therefore, additional vaccination every several years might be necessary to maintain a protection level if a disease is almost eliminated.