Impact of the Great East Japan Earthquake followed by the nuclear power plant accident on the nursing students' academic progress in Soma, Fukushima, Japan: a retrospective cohort study with questionnaire survey.

BACKGROUND: The Great East Japan Earthquake and the subsequent Fukushima nuclear power plant accident in 2011 posed significant challenges to the educational sector, particularly affecting nursing students in the disaster area. However, to the best of our knowledge, there are no reports on the effects of the natural disaster coupled with the nuclear accident on the nursing students. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the impact of the Fukushima disasters on rate of academic failure events in nursing education. METHODS: A retrospective cohort approach was conducted, focusing on 677 students from Soma Nursing School admitted between 2001 and 2017. Four failure events-failure to pass the national examination, student retention, suspension, and withdrawal from school-were compared between three time periods: pre-disaster, early peri-disaster, and later peri-disaster. This analysis was followed by a questionnaire survey among the students and an interview with faculty members to gain further insights. RESULTS: Of the student cohort, 17% had at least one failure event. Students in the later peri-disaster phase faced an elevated failure rate at 29%. Variables such as being male, admission during later peri-disaster period, and local pre-admission residence played a significant role in these failure events in multivariate logistic regression analysis (adjusted odds ratio [95% confidence interval, p value]; 2.63 [1.49-4.64, < 0.001], 3.207 [2.00-5.15, < 0.001], and 1.84 [1.12-3.02, 0.02], respectively). CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights the impact of the Great East Japan Earthquake and the following nuclear accident on nursing education. The elevated failure rates in the later peri-disaster period emphasize the challenges posed by continuing disaster phases. Thus, there is a need for intensified and tailored strategies in nursing education in disaster-affected regions.

Improved Quality of Life Among Chronic Pancreatitis Patients Undergoing Total Pancreatectomy With Islet Autotransplantation-Single Center Experience With Large Cohort of Patients.

Total pancreatectomy with islet autotransplantation (TPIAT) is the treatment of choice to preserve pancreatic endocrine function, alleviate pain, and improve quality of life (QoL) when other strategies are ineffective for chronic pancreatitis (CP) patients. This study utilized pancreatic disease-specific surveys developed by the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) to conduct a comprehensive, single-center examination of a large cohort of patients to gain understanding of QoL post-TPIAT. Two validated QoL surveys of the EORTC-QLQ-C30 and QLQ-PAN26-were administered in a prospective cohort of CP patients during pre-and post-operative scheduled visits. A total of 116 patients responded to the preoperative survey and were included in this study. The global health scale of QLQ-C30 was significantly improved after TPIAT when compared to baseline with delta scores of 24.26, 20.54, and 26.7 at 1, 2, and 3 years post-TPIAT (p < 0.001). The EORTC-PAN26 revealed significant improvements in symptom scales for pancreatic pain, bloating, digestive symptoms, taste, indigestion, weight loss, body image, and future worries. The comprehensive surveys in such a large cohort expands the QoL criterion in CP patients and indicates significant improvement in QoL post-TPIAT, further validating TPIAT as a treatment option for refractory CP.

Disaster response among hospital nurses dispatched to evacuation centers after the Great East Japan Earthquake: a thematic analysis.

BACKGROUND: Disaster relief operations involve a variety of components of healthcare efforts. The post-disaster recovery is a key component of hospital preparedness. This study aimed to investigate the role of hospital nurses in the disaster area and their challenges during the relief efforts after the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011. METHODS: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten nurses who worked in a general public hospital before the Great East Japan Earthquake and were dispatched to the evacuation centers after the disaster. A qualitative approach with the thematic analysis method was employed. Three research queries (RQs) were prepared before the interview. RESULTS: The study participants played administrative roles as city employees in addition to performing nursing services as healthcare providers in evacuation centers. The first RQ on their challenges in evacuation centers gave us four themes: criticism by the evacuees, conflicts between multiple roles, difficulties in performing the first experience, and anxiety in working. The second RQ asking about motivation to accomplish disaster relief efforts raised three themes of carrying out the nursing role, acceptance by evacuees, and strengths of human connections. Two themes of awareness of disaster medicine and professional growth were raised from the third RQ of gains from the experiences in the evacuation centers. CONCLUSIONS: The hospital nurses in the disaster area performed multiple roles in the relief efforts in the evacuation centers, which developed a psychological burden on them. A sense of competence supported the motivation to accomplish the disaster relief activities and professional growth as a specialist in disaster medicine. A study limitation is missing hospital nurses who resigned during the relief efforts. Further study is warranted to refine the disaster preparedness of hospital operations.

Absence of Relatives Impairs the Approach of Nurses to Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation in Non-Cancer Elderly Patients without a Do-Not-Attempt-Resuscitation Order: A Vignette-Based Questionnaire Study.

A Do-Not-Attempt-Resuscitation (DNAR) order solely precludes performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) following cardiopulmonary arrest. A patient's personal status is known to influence a range of clinical practices, not only CPR, when a DNAR order is given. We assessed whether the absence of supporting relatives or a diagnosis of dementia can influence nurses' perceptions of clinical practices for elderly patients with non-malignant and chronic diseases. A vignette-based questionnaire was used to evaluate nurses' beliefs both before and after issuance of a DNAR order. Three vignettes were developed: the control vignette described an 85-year-old woman with repeated heart failure, the second and third incorporated a lack of relatives and a dementia diagnosis, respectively. The survey assessed the approach of nurses to 10 routine medical procedures, including CPR, clinical laboratory testing and nursing care, using a 5-base Likert-scale, for six vignette scenarios. A questionnaire was completed by 186 nurses (64% response). The pre-DNAR non-relative vignette showed significantly lower scores for CPR, indicating a deterioration in willingness to perform CPR, compared to the pre-DNAR control (median [interquartile]; 3 [2-4] and 4 [3-4] in the non-relative and control vignettes, respectively, p < 0.001). No significant differences were observed between the dementia and control vignettes. Absence of contactable relatives and resultant lack of communication can diminish the perception of nurses regarding the provision of CPR, even when a DNAR does not exist. This result suggests a necessity for comprehensive training all medical staff about issuance of DNAR orders and what care should be provided thereafter.

A call for improved transparency in financial aspects of clinical trials: a case study of the CREATE-X trial in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Introduction Globally, laws and guidelines for managing conflict of interest are increasingly implemented to achieve transparency in financial ties between physicians and pharmaceutical and medical device industries, yet little information is available regarding the limitations of the current frameworks for disclosing these financial ties. Case In June 2017, the Capecitabine for Residual Cancer as Adjuvant Therapy (CREATE-X) trial was published in the New England Journal of Medicine. In this study, which suggested the post-surgery addition of capecitabine would improve survival of high-risk breast cancer patients, the cost of capecitabine for off-label use was illegally claimed to the Japanese public health insurance system, rather than being covered by the research budget. This illegal claim led to the profit of more than 100,000,000 JPY (approximately 0.91 million USD) for Chugai Pharmaceutical Company (CPC), which manufactures capecitabine. Additional evidence suggests that the CPC made donations of at least 100,000,000 JPY (approximately 0.91 million USD) and 236,000,000 JPY (approximately 2.1 million USD) to the Japan Breast Cancer Research Group (JBCRG), the study's sponsor and funder where the majority of the Japanese authors served high-level positions, and the Advanced Clinical Research Organization, the other study funder, respectively, during the study period, though the total amount has not been clarified. Neither the CPC's involvement nor its undue profit was mentioned in the published article. Conclusion This case report highlights the lack of financial transparency in the CREATE-X trial, and discusses the potential limitations that may exist in the current frameworks for disclosing financial ties between physicians and relevant industries in clinical trials. Achieving improved transparency is essential to heighten credibility in the findings of clinical trials.

A study of the clinical utility of a 20-minute secretin-stimulated endoscopic pancreas function test and performance according to clinical variables.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Direct pancreas juice testing of bicarbonate, lipase, or trypsin after stimulation by secretin or cholecystokinin is used to determine exocrine function, a surrogate for diagnosing chronic pancreatitis (CP). Endoscopic pancreas function tests (ePFTs), where a peak bicarbonate concentration (PBC) ≥80 mEq/L in pancreas juice is considered normal, are now used more frequently. In this ePFT, aspirates start 35 minutes after secretin administration because pancreas output peaks 30 minutes after secretagogue administration. The performance of ePFT in a cohort of patients with a presumptive diagnosis of CP referred to a pancreas clinic for consideration of an intervention including total pancreatectomy and islet autotransplantation was studied, compared with EUS, ERCP, histology, and consensus diagnosis. The effect of sedation, narcotic use, aspirate volume, body mass index, age, and proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) on test performance is reported. METHODS: After a test dose, synthetic human secretin was administered intravenously, and 30 minutes later sedation was achieved with midazolam and fentanyl or propofol. A gastroscope was advanced to the major papilla where 4 continuous aspiration samples were performed at 5-minute intervals in sealed bottles. PBC ≥80 mEq/L was normal. RESULTS: Eighty-one patients had ePFTs from August 2010 through October 2015. Twenty-seven patients (33%) were diagnosed with CP. Eighteen of the 27 patients with CP and 1 of the 54 patients without CP had an abnormal ePFT, producing a sensitivity of 66% (95% CI, 46.0-83.5), specificity 98% (95% CI, 90.1-99.9), positive predictive value 94.7% (95% CI, 74-99.9), and negative predictive value 85.5% (95% CI, 74.2-93.1). ERCP and PBC concordance was generally poor, but none of the patients without CP had major EUS changes, and only 3 patients with a PBC <80 mEq/L had a normal EUS. The PBC was affected by narcotics and PPI use. CONCLUSION: A 20-minute ePFT after secretin administration had a marginal sensitivity for diagnosis of CP. The diagnosis of CP should not rely on a single study and certainly not a PFT. The duodenal aspirate volume did not correlate with the PBC, which contrasts with current secretin-enhanced MRCP knowledge; therefore, further studies on this subject are warranted. Neither type of sedation, BMI, nor age affected test performance. Narcotics and PPIs may affect the PBC, so borderline results should be interpreted with caution in these groups.

Essential phospholipids prevent islet damage induced by proinflammatory cytokines and hypoxic conditions.

BACKGROUND: The pancreatic islet damage that occurs through an inflammatory response and hypoxia after infusion is a major hurdle in islet transplantation. Because essential phospholipids (EPL) have been shown to exhibit anti-inflammatory properties in liver disease, we analysed their protective effect on islets in inflammatory or hypoxic conditions. METHODS: We evaluated the viability of mouse and human islets cultured with cytokines or in hypoxic conditions for 48 h and measured cytokine expression in islets by quantitative polymerase chain reaction. We then employed an in vivo mouse assay, transplanting a marginal dose of human islets treated with or without EPL into the subcapsule of the kidney in diabetic nude mice and determining the cure rate. RESULTS: The viability of mouse and human islets damaged by cytokines was significantly improved by supplementation of EPL in the culture (p = 0.003 and <0.001 for mouse and human islets respectively). EPL significantly inhibited intracellular expression of IL-1ß and IL-6 in cytokine-damaged human islets (p < 0.001). The viability of human islets in hypoxic conditions was significantly better when treated with EPL (p < 0.001). In the in vivo mouse assay, the EPL-treated islet group had a higher cure rate than the untreated control, with marginal statistical significance (75 and 17% respectively, p = 0.07). CONCLUSIONS: EPL could be a potent agent to protect islets from inflammatory and hypoxic conditions after isolation procedures. Further studies to clarify the effect of EPL in islet transplantation are warranted.

Improving allogeneic islet transplantation by suppressing Th17 and enhancing Treg with histone deacetylase inhibitors.

Islet transplantation is a new treatment for achieving insulin independence for patients with severe diabetes. However, major drawbacks of this treatment are the long graft survival, the necessity for immunosuppressive drugs, and the efficacy of transplantation. Donor-specific transfusion (DST) has been shown to reduce rejection after organ transplantation, potentially through enhanced regulatory T-cell (Treg) activity. However, recent findings have shown that activated Treg can be converted into Th17 cells. We focused on histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACi) because it was reported that inhibition of HDAC activity prevented Treg differentiation into IL17-producing cells. We therefore sought to enhance Treg while suppressing Th17 cells using DST with HDACi to prolong graft survival. To stimulate Treg by DST, we used donor splenocytes. In DST with HDACi group, Foxp3 mRNA expression and Treg population increased in the thymus and spleen, whereas Th17 population decreased. qPCR analysis of lymphocyte mRNA indicated that Foxp3, IL-10, and TGF-b expression increased. However, interleukin 17a, Stat3 (Th17), and IFN-g expression decreased in DST + HDACi group, relative to DST alone. Moreover, DST treated with HDACi prolonged graft survival relative to controls in mice islet transplantation. DST with HDACi may therefore have utility in islet transplantation.

Risk Index of Regional Infection Expansion of COVID-19: Moving Direction Entropy Study Using Mobility Data and Its Application to Tokyo.

BACKGROUND: Policies, such as stay home, bubbling, and stay with your community, recommending that individuals reduce contact with diverse communities, including families and schools, have been introduced to mitigate the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, these policies are violated if individuals from various communities gather, which is a latent risk in a real society where people move among various unreported communities. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to create a physical index to assess the possibility of contact between individuals from diverse communities, which serves as an indicator of the potential risk of SARS-CoV-2 spread when considered and combined with existing indices. METHODS: Moving direction entropy (MDE), which quantifies the diversity of moving directions of individuals in each local region, is proposed as an index to evaluate a region's risk of contact of individuals from diverse communities. MDE was computed for each inland municipality in Tokyo using mobility data collected from smartphones before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. To validate the hypothesis that the impact of intercommunity contact on infection expansion becomes larger for a virus with larger infectivity, we compared the correlations of the expansion of infectious diseases with indices, including MDE and the densities of supermarkets, restaurants, etc. In addition, we analyzed the temporal changes in MDE in municipalities. RESULTS: This study had 4 important findings. First, the MDE values for local regions showed significant invariance between different periods according to the Spearman rank correlation coefficient (>0.9). Second, MDE was found to correlate with the rate of infection cases of COVID-19 among local populations in 53 inland regions (average of 0.76 during the period of expansion). The density of restaurants had a similar correlation with COVID-19. The correlation between MDE and the rate of infection was smaller for influenza than for COVID-19, and tended to be even smaller for sexually transmitted diseases (order of infectivity). These findings support the hypothesis. Third, the spread of COVID-19 was accelerated in regions with high-rank MDE values compared to those with high-rank restaurant densities during and after the period of the governmental declaration of emergency (P<.001). Fourth, the MDE values tended to be high and increased during the pandemic period in regions where influx or daytime movement was present. A possible explanation for the third and fourth findings is that policymakers and living people have been overlooking MDE. CONCLUSIONS: We recommend monitoring the regional values of MDE to reduce the risk of infection spread. To aid in this monitoring, we present a method to create a heatmap of MDE values, thereby drawing public attention to behaviors that facilitate contact between communities during a highly infectious disease pandemic.

Evaluating ChatGPT's effectiveness and tendencies in Japanese internal medicine.

INTRODUCTION: ChatGPT, a large-scale language model, is a notable example of AI's potential in health care. However, its effectiveness in clinical settings, especially when compared to human physicians, is not fully understood. This study evaluates ChatGPT's capabilities and limitations in answering questions for Japanese internal medicine specialists, aiming to clarify its accuracy and tendencies in both correct and incorrect responses. METHODS: We utilized ChatGPT's answers on four sets of self-training questions for internal medicine specialists in Japan from 2020 to 2023. We ran three trials for each set to evaluate its overall accuracy and performance on nonimage questions. Subsequently, we categorized the questions into two groups: those ChatGPT consistently answered correctly (Confirmed Correct Answer, CCA) and those it consistently answered incorrectly (Confirmed Incorrect Answer, CIA). For these groups, we calculated the average accuracy rates and 95% confidence intervals based on the actual performance of internal medicine physicians on each question and analyzed the statistical significance between the two groups. This process was then similarly applied to the subset of nonimage CCA and CIA questions. RESULTS: ChatGPT's overall accuracy rate was 59.05%, increasing to 65.76% for nonimage questions. 24.87% of the questions had answers that varied between correct and incorrect in the three trials. Despite surpassing the passing threshold for nonimage questions, ChatGPT's accuracy was lower than that of human specialists. There was a significant variance in accuracy between CCA and CIA groups, with ChatGPT mirroring human physician patterns in responding to different question types. CONCLUSION: This study underscores ChatGPT's potential utility and limitations in internal medicine. While effective in some aspects, its dependence on question type and context suggests that it should supplement, not replace, professional medical judgment. Further research is needed to integrate Artificial Intelligence tools like ChatGPT more effectively into specialized medical practices.

Long-term evacuation and obesity: a 12-year follow-up comparative study of residents inside and outside Katsurao Village after the Fukushima nuclear disaster.

Objective: Evacuation, owing to a disaster, impacts various aspects of an individual's life, including health status. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of obesity among residents of Katsurao Village, Fukushima Prefecture, after the evacuation order due to the Fukushima nuclear disaster in 2011 was lifted in 2016 and to compare the prevalence of obesity by place of residence (inside or outside the village). Methods: The number of examinees, sex, age, place of residence, body mass index (BMI), exercise habits, smoking habits, drinking habits, and dietary status were extracted from the results of health checkups since 2016. We compared the BMI of the indigenes of Katsurao Village by place of residence (inside or outside the village) over time. Results: Although 7 years have passed since 2016, ~70% of the registered residents of Katsurao Village still live outside the village. The obesity rates have consistently been higher among people living outside the village compared to those inside, and the place of residence was the only factor significantly associated with obesity. Conclusion: The findings of this study suggest early intervention is necessary to prevent health risks associated with disaster evacuation if the evacuation period is prolonged.

Diminished neutralizing activity against the XBB1.5 strain in 55.9% of individuals post 6 months COVID-19 mRNA booster vaccination: insights from a pseudovirus assay on 1,353 participants in the Fukushima vaccination community survey, Japan.

This study investigates the neutralizing activity against the XBB1.5 variant and the ancestral strain in a population post-bivalent vaccination using a pseudo virus assay validated with authentic virus assay. While bivalent booster vaccination and past infections enhanced neutralization against the XBB 1.5 strain, individuals with comorbidities showed reduced responses. The study suggests the need for continuous vaccine updates to address emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants and highlights the importance of monitoring real-world immune responses.