Educating Japanese elementary students on proper smartphone use and social media risks: Reflecting on post-COVID-19 crime trends.

Smartphone ownership and social media use are increasing worldwide, and children are not exempt from these trends. Past studies on this issue have mainly focused on educational campaigns to prevent the prolonged use of smartphones, social media, and video games. Recently, harm to children from engagement with bad actors through social media has become a major problem in Japan, and preventive measures need to be based on close analysis of the facts. The present study was performed descriptive epidemiology and comparison between two groups. This study investigated the number of children in Japan who fell victim to criminal offense through their use of social media, categorized by level of schooling, type of offense, and means of accessing social media over the 8-year period from 2016 to 2023. The 8-year period was divided into 2016-2019 (4 years prior to the COVID-19 pandemic) and 2020-2023 (4 years during the pandemic). Statistical analysis was conducted to compare these periods. The number of elementary school students victimized by criminal offense through social media in Japan increased significantly in 4 years during the pandemic. Furthermore, in 4 years during the pandemic, there was also a notable rise in felony-related incidents, and an increase in the number of victims accessing social media via smartphones. Schools, parents/guardians, and personnel and organizations in relevant fields need to collaborate in addressing and educating students about the proper use of smartphones and the risks of social media starting at the elementary school age.

Fish oil-loaded multicore submillimeter-sized capsules prepared with monoaxial electrospraying, chitosan-tripolyphosphate ionotropic gelation, and Tween blending.

In order to load fish oil for potential encapsulation of fat-soluble functional active substances, fish oil-loaded multicore submillimeter-sized capsules were prepared with a combination method of three strategies (monoaxial electrospraying, chitosan-tripolyphosphate ionotropic gelation, and Tween blending). The chitosan-tripolyphosphate/Tween (20, 40, 60, and 80) capsules had smaller and evener fish oil cores than the chitosan-tripolyphosphate capsules, which resulted from that Tween addition induced smaller and evener fish oil droplets in the emulsions. Tween addition decreased the water contents from 56.6 % to 35.0 %-43.4 %, increased the loading capacities from 10.4 % to 12.7 %-17.2 %, and increased encapsulation efficiencies from 97.4 % to 97.8 %-99.1 %. In addition, Tween addition also decreased the highest peroxide values from 417 meq/kg oil to 173-262 meq/kg oil. These properties' changes might result from the structural differences between the chitosan-tripolyphosphate and chitosan-tripolyphosphate/Tween capsules. All the results suggested that the obtained chitosan-tripolyphosphate/Tween capsules are promising carriers for fish oil encapsulation. This work also provided useful knowledge to understand the preparation, structural, and physicochemical properties of the chitosan-tripolyphosphate capsules.

Encapsulation of lutein in gelatin type A/B-chitosan systems via tunable chains and bonds from tweens: Thermal stability, rheologic property and food 2D/3D printability.

Lutein could be stabilized in gelatin type A/B-chitosan systems by different polyoxyethylene sorbitan fatty acid esters (tweens) via tunable chains and bonds, and the homogeneous system held potential in food 2D/3D printing. During encapsulation of lutein in gelatin-chitosan matrix complexes, tween 40, tween 60 and tween 80 assisted in the excellent centrifugation stability, freeze-thaw stability, chemical stability as well as thermal stability. The tweens contained systems also possessed excellent rheological properties, including shearing thinning property, self-supporting characteristics, and favorable thixotropy. Especially, tween 80 performed well in facilitating the stability and rheological properties of systems with uniform micromorphology due to its long alkyl chains and carbon-carbon double bonds (two sp2 hybridized C-atoms) (from FTIR, XRD, SEM, etc.); and gelatin type B illustrated higher protection effects on lutein because of its strong electrostatic interaction with chitosan. The optimal systems could work as edible ink for 2D/3D printing on food with great UV-irradiation stability and high definition. Surimi could be modified by the optimal complex and possessed excellent shear-thinning property, proper yield stress, low dependence on frequency and stable structure, which was successfully applied for innovative 3D printing with sophisticated shapes. The practical food 2D/3D printing (like bread and surimi) demonstrated high potential in food creation and food innovation.

Oxidation of polysorbates - An underestimated degradation pathway?

To ensure the stability of biologicals over their entire shelf-life, non-ionic surface-active compounds (surfactants) are added to protect biologics from denaturation and particle formation. In this context, polysorbate 20 and 80 are the most used detergents. Despite their benefits of low toxicity and high biocompatibility, specific factors are influencing the intrinsic stability of polysorbates, leading to degradation, loss in efficacy, or even particle formation. Polysorbate degradation can be categorized into chemical or enzymatic hydrolysis and oxidation. Under pharmaceutical relevant conditions, hydrolysis is commonly originated from host cell proteins, whereas oxidative degradation may be caused by multiple factors such as light, presence of residual metal traces, peroxides, or temperature, which can be introduced upon manufacturing or could be already present in the raw materials. In this review, we provide an overview of the current knowledge on polysorbates with a focus on oxidative degradation. Subsequently, degradation products and key characteristics of oxidative-mediated polysorbate degradation in respect of different types and grades are summarized, followed by an extensive comparison between polysorbate 20 and 80. A better understanding of the radical-induced oxidative PS degradation pathway could support specific mitigation strategies. Finally, buffer conditions, various stressors, as well as appropriate mitigation strategies, reagents, and alternative stabilizers are discussed. Prior manufacturing, careful consideration and a meticulous risk-benefit analysis are highly recommended in terms of polysorbate qualities, buffers, storage conditions, as well as mitigation strategies.

The Influence of Smartphone Use on Tweens' Capacity for Complex Critical Thinking.

The spread of modern technologies exposes many people to a high level of ambiguous and misleading information that can impact people's judgments and worldviews. This happens especially in a phase of life such as preadolescence when children are particularly sensitive to external conditioning. Critical thinking can be seen as the first line of defense against misleading information. However, little is known about the consequences of media use on the critical thinking skills of tweens. In this study, we evaluated the effects of problematic smartphone use on the various stages of critical thinking, comparing high and low tween smartphone users. The results confirm the main hypothesis, namely, that problematic smartphone use is related to the ability to think critically. There was a significant difference between high and low users in the third phase of critical thinking: evaluation of sources.

Motivating playgrounds: understanding how school playgrounds support autonomy, competence, and relatedness of tweens.

PURPOSE: Physical activity (PA) is an important factor contributing to general health. PA declines rapidly during tween years (9-12 years) when children's social world changes. School playgrounds can contribute substantially to children's PA, but little is known about how to motivate tweens to use school playgrounds. Using the three basic psychological needs (autonomy, competence, and relatedness) proposed by the Self-Determination Theory, this qualitative study aimed to investigate how school playgrounds can support tweens' needs. METHODS: Tweens (n = 56) participated in focus group go-along interviews in their school playground. RESULTS: We found that tweens needed a variety of play possibilities (autonomy) that challenged their skills (competence) as well as areas to retract and be with friends (relatedness). CONCLUSION: This research highlights the importance of incorporating tweens' perspectives in playground design to attract and retain them in play and PA in school playgrounds.

Media use and Coping in Tweens during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Public and scholarly debate about the effects of media on youth has been a topic of concern since the twentieth century. These concerns were further amplified and accelerated with heavy use of and reliance on media for everyday living and learning with the homebound conditions brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. With the public discourse about children's media use and school safety concerns, we conducted online interviews of 36 young people ages 9-14 years to learn about (1) their life situations, including school experience, (2) their overall media use, (3) their overall worries and difficulty with their situations, and (4) their stress management and coping strategies during the fall semester of 2020. While tweens reported using media more during the pandemic than before, media did not seem to completely displace other activities. Tweens engaged in media, non-media, and hybrid coping strategies to relieve stress, enhance their mood, and stay connected to others outside their home. This qualitative study was a first step in understanding the effect of COVID-19 on tweens within the context of their coping and resiliency building, and how media factor into these processes.

Impact of Thin-Ideals in Influencer Posts Promoting Healthy vs. Unhealthy Foods on Tweens' Healthy Food Choice Behavior.

The current study examines how social media influencers can be deployed to promote healthy food choice behavior among tweens. In particular, we investigated whether tweens' healthy food choice behavior can be stimulated by using a thin-ideal influencer in a sponsored influencer post promoting unhealthy vs. healthy food. A two-by-two, between-subjects experimental study (influencer weight: thin-ideal vs. overweight; snack-type: unhealthy vs. healthy) was conducted with 146 tweens (11-13 years old, 73 boys). Results show that tweens' choice for a healthy snack was higher when a (female) overweight influencer promoted an unhealthy snack (compared to a healthy snack). Using a thin-ideal influencer promoting an unhealthy vs. healthy snack did not affect tweens' healthy food choices. While there were no interaction effects of influencer weight and snack type on source effects (influencer credibility, influencer admiration, and trans-parasocial interactions), the results did show that the influencer was perceived as less credible and was admired less when she was overweight vs. when she had a thin-ideal body-type.

Effect of Surfactant Chain Length on Emulsification Dynamics of Self Emulsifying Formulation of Poorly Soluble Drug.

AIM: In this work, the aim was to study the effect of the chain length of surfactant on the self emulsifying system of a poorly soluble drug, aceclofenac. The selection of almond oil as a lipid vehicle was done on the basis of solubility and compatibility of the vehicle with the drug. METHODS: The effect of varying chain length of different surfactants of Tween series, namely Tween 20, Tween 40, Tween 60 and Tween 80, was evaluated on self emulsifying efficiency by constructing the pseudoternary diagrams. PEG-400 was used as a co-surfactant in a definite ratio with all the surfactants to minimize their concentration. The best self emulsifying ability was exhibited by Tween 80: PEG-400 combination followed by Tween 60: PEG-400, Tween 40: PEG-400, Tween 20: PEG-400. This observation indicates that as the chain length of Tweens increases, their ability to form a good microemulsion increases if the same co-surfactant is used. RESULTS: However, it has also been found that the presence of unsaturated bond in Tween 80 provides it an elasticity which supports good intermixing of oil and water, leading to formation of a fine microemulsion. Six different formulations were prepared using a combination of almond oil, Tween 80, PEG-400 and the drug aceclofenac. CONCLUSION: The formulations were subjected to various evaluation parameters, such as dispersibility, transmittance, pH, globule size, polydispersibility, zeta potential, viscosity, refractive index and in vitro dissolution. The best formulation was found to have globule size of less than 100 nm and zeta potential of -3.35 ± 0.60 mV, indicating the formation of a microemulsion of aceclofenac with good stability.

Tweens are not teens: the problem of amalgamating broad age groups when making pandemic recommendations.

Demarcating childhood into two distinct and broad 10-year age bands of over and under age 10 is a disservice to our tween population (9-12 years), and may be overlooking our role in understanding the negative impacts of SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) during a formative period of development. In this commentary, we discuss the importance of considering tweens as a unique population of youth who are differentially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. We first describe the distinctive progress of tweens across various facets of developmental health, followed by recommendations to improve understanding and address impact of the pandemic and its restrictions on tweens. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a large impact on the day-to-day lives of tweens and what we do now will have long-lasting effects on their lifelong trajectories.

RéSUMé: La séparation de l'enfance en deux groupes d'âge distincts (moins de 10 ans, 10 ans et plus) ne nous permet pas de bien caractériser les effets négatifs du SRAS-Cov-2 (COVID-19) chez les préadolescents (âgés entre 9 et 12 ans), ceux-ci étant dans une phase spécifique de leur développement. Dans cet commentaire, nous discutons de l'importance de considérer les préadolescents comme une population unique lorsqu'il s'agit de déterminer comment ils sont affectés par la pandémie du COVID-19. Nous décrivons d'abord les progrès uniques aux préadolescents dans diverses facettes de leur développement, suivis par des recommandations pour améliorer la compréhension de l'impact de la pandémie et de ses restrictions sur les préadolescents. La pandémie du COVID-19 a changé drastiquement la vie quotidienne des préadolescents, et les considérer comme un groupe unique de l'enfance aura des effets considérables sur notre habileté de les aider durant le reste de leur développement.

Formulation and evaluation of niosomal vesicles containing ondansetron HCL for trans-mucosal nasal drug delivery.

Ondansetron HCl is a (5-HT3) serotonin receptor antagonist, used as anti-emetic drug in combination with anticancer agents. Conventional dosage forms have poor bioavailability and patient compliance. These problems can be reduced by the use of nasal niosomal thermo-reversible in situ gelling system. Niosomes were formulated using various surfactants (Span 60, Span 80, Tween 20, and Tween 80) in different ratios using the thin-film hydration technique. Niosomes were evaluated for particle size, zeta potential, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) imaging, drug entrapment efficiency, and in vitro drug release. Niosomes prepared using Span 60 and cholesterol in the ratio 1:1 (F5) showed higher entrapment efficiency (76.13 ± 1.2%) and in vitro drug release (91.76%) after 12 h was optimized. The optimized niosomes were developed into thermo-reversible in situ gel, composed of Poloxamer 407 and sodium carboxymethyl cellulose, prepared by cold method technique. Compatibility study (FTIR, DSC) was made for drugs and excipients that showed no significant interaction. The gel formulation G5 showed the most suitable gelation temperature (31 °C), viscosity (1250 mpoise), bioadhesion force (5860 ± 28 dyne/cm2), and in vitro drug release (70.6%) after 12 h. Comparative in vivo pharmacokinetic study on rabbits showed a sustained release and higher relative bioavailability of the prepared nasal in situ gel compared to similar dose of oral tablets (202.4%) which make ondansetron HCl niosomal nasal thermo-sensitive in situ gel a more convenient dosage form for the administration of ondansetron HCl than oral tablets.

Effect of different polysorbates on development of self-microemulsifying drug delivery systems using medium chain lipids.

The primary objective of this study was to develop lipid-based self-microemulsifying drug delivery systems (SMEDDS) without using any organic cosolvents that would spontaneously form microemulsions upon dilution with water. Cosolvents were avoided to prevent possible precipitation of drug upon dilution and other stability issues. Different polysorbates, namely, Tween 20, Tween 40, Tween 60, and Tween 80, were used as surfactants, and Captex 355 EP/NF (glycerol tricaprylate/caprate) or its 1:1 mixture with Capmul MCM NF (glycerol monocaprylocaprate) were used as lipids. Captex 355-Tween-water ternary phase diagrams showed that oil-in-water microemulsions were formed only when the surfactant content was high (80-90%) and the lipid content low (10-20%). Thus, mixtures of Tweens with Captex 355 alone were not suitable to prepare SMEDDS with substantial lipid contents. However, when Captex 355 was replaced with the 1:1 mixture of Captex 355 and Capmul MCM, clear isotropic microemulsion regions in phase diagrams with sizes in the increasing order of Tween 20 < Tween 40 < Tween 60 < Tween 80 were obtained. Tween 80 had the most profound effect among all surfactants as microemulsions were formed with lipid to surfactant ratios as high as 7:3, which may be attributed to the presence of double bond in its side chain that increased the curvature of surfactant layer. Thus, lipid-surfactant mixtures containing 1:1 mixture of medium chain triglyceride (Captex 355) and monoglyceride (Capmul MCM) and as low as 30% Tween 80 were identified as organic cosolvent-free systems for the preparation of SMEDDS. Formulations with a model drug, probucol, dispersed spontaneously and rapidly upon dilution with water to form microemulsions without any drug precipitation.

Social Marketing as a Framework for Youth Physical Activity Initiatives: a 10-Year Retrospective on the Legacy of CDC's VERB Campaign.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: In 2002, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) launched the VERB. It's what you do! campaign to increase physical activity among tweens and concomitantly respond to the rise in childhood obesity. This retrospective study summarizes the history of the VERB campaign's social marketing approach and its effectiveness in promoting behavior change in the targeted population. RECENT FINDINGS: The legacy of VERB, which ended in 2006, is discussed, with an emphasis on examining initiatives over the last decade and the degree to which they followed (or did not follow) the structural and thematic lead of the campaign. The article ends with suggestions for how VERB still has the potential to inform other social marketing campaigns going forward.

Messages about appearance, food, weight and exercise in "tween" television.

Tweens (children ages ~8-14years) are a relatively recently defined age group, increasingly targeted by marketers. Individuals in this age group are particularly vulnerable to opinions and behaviors presented in media messages, given their level of cognitive and social development. However, little research has examined messages about appearance, food, weight, and exercise in television specifically targeting tweens, despite the popularity of this media type among this age group. This study used a content analytic approach to explore these messages in the five most popular television shows for tweens on the Disney Channel (as of 2015). Using a multiple-pass approach, relevant content in episodes from the most recently completed seasons of each show was coded. Appearance related incidents occurred in every episode; these most frequently mentioned attractiveness/beauty. Food related incidents were also present in every episode; typically, these situations were appearance and weight neutral. Exercise related incidents occurred in 53.3% of episodes; the majority expressed resistance to exercise. Weight related incidents occurred in 40.0% of the episodes; the majority praised the muscular ideal. Women were more likely to initiate appearance incidents, and men were more likely to initiate exercise incidents. These results suggest that programs specifically marketed to tweens reinforce appearance ideals, including stereotypes about female attractiveness and male athleticism, two constructs linked to eating pathology and body dissatisfaction. Given the developmental vulnerability of the target group, these findings are concerning, and highlight potential foci for prevention programming, including media literacy, for tweens.

Identification of the pregnancy-associated glycoprotein family (PAGs) and some aspects of placenta development in the European moose (Alces alces L.).

This study describes the identification and a broad-based characterization of the pregnancy-associated glycoprotein (PAG) genes expressed in the synepitheliochorial placenta of the Alces alces (Aa; N = 51). We used: (1) both size measurements (cm) of various Aa embryos/fetuses (crown-rump length) and placentomes (PLCs); (2) PCR, Southern and sequencing; (3) Western-blot for total placental glycoproteins; (4) deglycosylation of total cotyledonary proteins; and (5) double heterologous IHC for cellular immune-localization of the PAGs as pregnancy advanced (50-200 days post coitum). The crown-rump length and PLC size measurements permitted a novel pattern estimation of various pregnancy stages in wild Aa. The PLC number varied (5-21) and was the greatest at the mid and late stages of gestation in females bearing singletons or twins. The genomic existence of the identified PAG-like family was named AaPAG-L. Amplicon profiles of the AaPAG-L varied in the number and length (118-2000 bp). Southern with porcine cDNA probes confirmed specificity and revealed dominant AaPAG-L amplicons in males and females. Nucleotide sequences of the AaPAG-L amplicons shared 86.27% homology with the bovine PAG1 (bPAG1) gene. Amino acid AaPAG sequences revealed in silico 88.23% to 100% homology with the bPAG1 precursor. Western-blots revealed a dominant mature 55 kDa AaPAG fraction, and the major ∼48 kDa glycosylated form that was deglycosylated to ∼44 kDa. The AaPAG-Ls was immuno-localized to mono- and bi-nucleated trophectodermal cells (TRD-chorionic epithelium), where signal intensity resembled intense TRD proliferation within developing PLCs as pregnancy advanced. This is the first study identifying the AaPAG-L family in the largest representative among the Cervidae.

The Effect of Tween 20, 60, and 80 on Dissolution Behavior of Sprionolactone in Solid Dispersions Prepared by PEG 6000.

PURPOSE: Solid dispersions have been efficient in improving the dissolution rate and bioavailability of hydrophobic drugs. The aim of the present study was enhancement of the dissolution profile of Spironolactone using solid dispersion. METHODS: Spironolactone solid dispersions (1:1, 1:2 and 2:1 drug: carrier weight ratio) were prepared by polyethylene glycol (PEG) 6000 as a carrier by hot melt method. The influence of several amounts of Tween 20, 60, and 80 were also studied. The dissolution profile was evaluated by USP Apparatus II. RESULTS: The results showed that solid dispersions were efficacious to enhance the dissolution rate of Spironolactone in water; and the procedure indicated that there was an increase in dissolution rate for solid dispersions containing the surfactant Tweens. The solid dispersions were evaluated using Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) studies; and the results showed no complex formation or change in crystal shape of drug. CONCLUSION: It is concluded that solid dispersion technique can be successfully used for improvement of dissolution of Spironolactone.