A qualitative analysis of sexual transformation in Japanese women after ovarian cancer treatment.

Objective: Ovarian cancer treatment, involving surgery and chemotherapy, profoundly affects the psychosocial dimensions of patients, particularly their sexuality. However, detailed experiences among Japanese women with ovarian cancer have not been clarified. This study was aimed to assess the nuanced transformation of sexuality in Japanese women after ovarian cancer treatment. Methods: Eighteen women who underwent ovarian cancer treatment were interviewed. Data were analyzed using a modified grounded theory approach by categorizing identified concepts based on nuanced relationships and meanings. The interplay among these categories was depicted as a narrative. Results: The analysis revealed five categories and 13 subcategories that encapsulated the transformation of sexuality in women with ovarian cancer. These categories included (1) confronting the reality of losing their ovaries and uterus; (2) contemplating the reversibility and irreversibility of womanhood; (3) grappling with altered and often negative feelings toward sexual activity; (4) reassessing the essence of partnership; and (5) finding contentment in their identity as women. Overcoming the mental and physical alterations resulting from treatment, coupled with interactions with partners, enabled women to gradually perceive themselves and their femininity positively. Conclusions: The transformation of sexuality in Japanese women undergoing treatment for ovarian cancer unfolds in five distinct stages. This evolution appears to be influenced by the unique characteristics of ovarian cancer diagnosis and treatment, past reproductive decisions, communication dynamics with partners, and societal norms in Japan. Further research is needed to offer comprehensive care during the preoperative phase.

Survey Result for E-labeling Initiatives in Asia.

Under the COVID-19 pandemic, various electronic labeling initiatives have accelerated worldwide in the healthcare and pharmaceutical fields as part of a wider digital transformation [1, 2]. Although there is no universal definition of electronic labeling (e-labeling) globally, it is widely understood that e-labeling refers to the product information that is distributed via electronic means. There are 5 factors to be considered in e-labeling, and these are discussed in this publication. APAC is an industry-driven initiative with 13 R&D-based pharmaceutical associations joining from 11 markets in Asia. e-labeling was discussed as a new topic starting in 2020, and a 22-question survey was conducted in November 2021 to understand the current e-labeling status. The survey results showed that e-labeling initiatives were at different levels of maturity in the Asian region, although most markets have started to discuss e-labeling initiatives. Various challenges exist around e-labeling initiatives due to a variety of different approaches being taken in the region. It would be advisable to develop regional guidance on how to proceed with e-labeling initiatives in the Asian region to have a consistent and efficient approach. The close collaboration between agencies, Health Care Professionals (HCPs), patients, and industry associations is important to move e-labeling initiatives forward in Asia.

A small, stainless-steel sieve optimized for laboratory beaker-based extraction of microplastics from environmental samples.

Removing non-plastic materials is a mandatory process for studying microplastics in environmental samples, and non-plastic materials, both inorganic and organic matter, are often removed chemically through sequential processes. In the multiple chemical treatment processes, the samples need to be collected and the reagent removed at the end of each chemical treatment before the samples are again exposed to a different reagent in a separate container. This leads to a loss of microplastics to some extent. Here, we developed a new, yet simple, small sieve made of stainless-steel that can fit in a laboratory beaker (e.g. 200 ml volume), allowing it to be transferred as-is between chemical treatments of environmental samples, even being soakable in a beaker of acid solution. The collection rates of microplastics were significantly higher in the small stainless-steel sieve than the commonly used filter method for different size of microplastic particles. The use of the new sieve means the processes of rinsing off and filtering samples can be abbreviated throughout the entire process of non-plastic matter removal from environmental samples, contributing to a lower chance of microplastic loss. The time consumed in the sieve method was also significantly lower than for the filtering method due to the elimination of the collection and rinsing steps, thus the use of this sieve can reduce processing time for the samples. The new method is innovative in terms of reducing both the microplastic loss and processing time during chemical treatment processes. •The method developed allows the lower chance of microplastic loss during chemical digestion process•The method reduces the time of sequential processes during chemical digestion.

Grandmother's support for new mothers in Japan.

OBJECTIVES: This study was designed to describe grandmothers' intentions regarding providing satisfactory infant care support for new mothers. DESIGN AND SAMPLE: Qualitative inductive analysis was performed using semistructured interviews conducted with 19 pairs of grandmothers and new mothers with one child aged 3-4 months old. RESULTS: Support that satisfied the new mothers was categorized into five concepts, which included support activities such as "minding the grandchild" and "supporting family life". Six reasons were attributed by the new mothers for their satisfaction such as "reduced anxiety toward infant care" and "lifestyle stability including infant care". The grandmothers' intentions in providing satisfactory infant care support for new mothers were categorized into seven concepts that included "sympathizing with the hardships of motherhood upon seeing the mother's situation" and "balancing the desire to provide support and maintain their own lifestyle". CONCLUSIONS: Grandmothers wanted to help new mothers by supporting and empowering them. Data also showed that grandmothers could potentially benefit from research-based information on modern infant care practices as well as reliable and up-to-date infant care information obtained from within the community. Supporting grandmothers in their role will ultimately benefit infants and new mothers and contribute to grandmothers' personal fulfillment.

What Drives Adoption of National Labels as Global Reference Labels? A Case Study With the JPI.

Pharmaceutical labeling describes the safe and effective use of an approved product. Such information may be provided to consumers and/or health care physicians, and available online or in the pack in a variety of different formats according to local or regional regulations. Depending on the Health Authority (HA), content within a nationally approved label is generally reliant on two primary sources, a Company Core Data Sheet (CCDS), and the text approved by the Health Authority. Content in the nationally approved label may differ from the CCDS for a variety of reasons. In some countries, HAs require the Marketing Authorization Holder (MAH) to base their national label on an already approved label in a "major market" economy, only approving changes to the label when there is evidence that the major market has already approved. In this paper, we examine recent steps taken by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) and Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency (PMDA) to change labeling regulation in Japan in the context of the recently communicated national strategy, and assess whether this may impact on uptake of the J-PI as a reference label. Decreases in approval times by PMDA for new products, development of basic principles on multiregional clinical trials, greater transparency of content on the PMDA website, and increasing outreach to other Asian Agencies in recent years are highlighted. Labeling harmonization across regions, particularly of safety-related information, represents a key factor in promoting patient safety and risk communication, and is a worthy topic for future ICH consideration.

Decreased daytime light intensity at nonwindow hospital beds: Comparisons with light intensity at window hospital beds and light exposure in nonhospitalized elderly individuals.

Light is crucial for the synchronization of internal biological rhythms with environmental rhythms. Hospitalization causes a range of unfavorable medical conditions, including delirium, sleep disturbances, depressed mood, and increased fall, especially in elderly people. The hospital room environment contributes significantly to patients' circadian physiology and behavior; however, few studies have evaluated light intensity in hospital settings. In this study, bedside light intensity during the daytime (6:00-21:00) was measured at 1-min intervals using a light meter on 4869 bed-days at the Inabe General Hospital in Mie, Japan (latitude 35°N), for approximately 1 month in each season. Daytime light exposure in home settings was measured in nonhospitalized elderly individuals (n = 1113) for two consecutive days at 1-min intervals using a wrist light meter. Median daytime light intensities at window and nonwindow hospital beds were 327.9 lux [interquartile range (IQR), 261.5-378.4] and 118.4 lux (IQR, 100.6-142.9), respectively, and daytime light intensity measured in nonhospitalized elderly individuals was 337.3 lux (IQR, 165.5-722.7). Compared with data in nonhospitalized elderly individuals, nonwindow beds were exposed to significantly lower daytime light intensity (p < 0.001), whereas window beds were exposed to similar daytime light intensity to that of home settings (p = 1.00). These results were consistent regardless of seasons (spring, summer, fall, and winter) or room directions (north vs. south facing). The lowest median daytime light intensity was observed at nonwindow beds in north-facing rooms during the winter (84.8 lux; IQR, 76.0-95.8). Further studies evaluating the incidence of in-hospital outcomes between patients hospitalized in window and nonwindow beds are needed.

In vitro-in vivo correlation of the effect of supersaturation on the intestinal absorption of BCS Class 2 drugs.

The aim of this study was to establish an in vitro method for evaluating the effect of supersaturation on oral absorption of poorly water-soluble drugs in vivo. Albendazole, dipyridamole, gefitinib, and ketoconazole were used as model drugs. Supersaturation of each drug was induced by diluting its stock solution by fasted state simulated intestinal fluid (FaSSIF) (solvent-shift method), then dissolution and precipitation profile of the drug was observed in vitro. The crystalline form of the precipitate was checked by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). For comparison, control suspension was prepared by suspending a drug powder directly into FaSSIF (powder-suspending method). In vivo intestinal absorption of the drug was observed in rats by determined the plasma concentration after intraduodenal administration of drug suspensions. For all drugs, suspensions prepared by solvent-shift method showed significantly higher dissolved concentration in vitro than that prepared by powder-suspending method, clearly indicated the induction of supersaturation. DSC analysis revealed that crystalline form of the precipitate profoundly affects the extent and the duration of supersaturation. A rat in vivo study confirmed that the supersaturation of these drugs increased the fraction absorbed from the intestine, which corresponded well to the in vitro dissolution and precipitation profile of drugs except for ketoconazole. For ketoconazole, an in vivo absorption study was performed in rats pretreated with 1-aminobenzotriazole, a potent inhibitor of CYP mediated metabolism. CYP inhibition study suggested that the high luminal concentration of ketoconazole caused by supersaturation saturated the metabolic enzymes and further increased the systemic exposure of the absorbed drug. The additional effects of supersaturation on the absorption of ketoconazole are consistent with previous studies in humans under differing gastric pH conditions. In conclusion, effects of supersaturation on the intestinal absorption of poorly water-soluble drugs could be predicted from in vitro dissolution and a precipitation study. However if supersaturation affects the pharmacokinetic profiles of drugs, such as a first-pass metabolism, a combination with in vivo study should be required to evaluate its impact on oral bioavailability.

Syntheses and applications of fluorescent and biotinylated epolactaene derivatives: Epolactaene and its derivative induce disulfide formation.

Epolactaene, isolated from cultured Penicillium sp. BM 1689-P mycelium, induces neurite outgrowth and arrests the cell cycle of the human neuroblastoma cell line, SH-SY5Y, at the G1 phase. We have found that epolactaene and its derivatives induce apoptosis in the human leukemia B-cell line, BALL-1. In this study, we prepared fluorescent and biotinylated epolactaene derivatives. We characterized the cellular location and the identification of BALL-1 proteins that reacted with these compounds. The results obtained from the reaction of epolactaene or its derivative with N-acetylcysteine methyl ester indicate that these compounds induce the disulfide formation and the alpha-position of the epoxylactam core is the reactive site.

Apoptosis-inducing effect of epolactaene derivatives on BALL-1 cells.

Epolactaene, a neuritogenic compound in human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y, induces apoptosis in a human leukemia B-cell line, BALL-1. The apoptosis-inducing activities of 34 epolactaene derivatives, including those of the newly synthesized alpha-alkyl-alpha,beta-epoxy-gamma-lactam derivative and cyclopropane derivatives, were also tested. The structure-activity relationships of the epolactaene derivatives as an inducer of apoptosis are described. The alpha-acyl-alpha,beta-epoxy-gamma-lactam moiety as well as the hydrophobicity derived from the long alkyl side chain are both important for activity. Compound 1e displayed the strongest activity among all the synthesized compounds with an IC50 value of 0.70 microM.