Scoping Review of Screening and Assessment Tools for Social Determinants of Health in the Field of Cardiovascular Disease.

BACKGROUND: Despite the importance of implementing the concept of social determinants of health (SDOH) in the clinical practice of cardiovascular disease (CVD), the tools available to assess SDOH have not been systematically investigated. We conducted a scoping review for tools to assess SDOH and comprehensively evaluated how these tools could be applied in the field of CVD.Methods and Results: We conducted a systematic literature search of PubMed and Embase databases on July 25, 2023. Studies that evaluated an SDOH screening tool with CVD as an outcome or those that explicitly sampled or included participants based on their having CVD were eligible for inclusion. In addition, studies had to have focused on at least one SDOH domain defined by Healthy People 2030. After screening 1984 articles, 58 articles that evaluated 41 distinct screening tools were selected. Of the 58 articles, 39 (67.2%) targeted populations with CVD, whereas 16 (27.6%) evaluated CVD outcome in non-CVD populations. Three (5.2%) compared SDOH differences between CVD and non-CVD populations. Of 41 screening tools, 24 evaluated multiple SDOH domains and 17 evaluated only 1 domain. CONCLUSIONS: Our review revealed recent interest in SDOH in the field of CVD, with many useful screening tools that can evaluate SDOH. Future studies are needed to clarify the importance of the intervention in SDOH regarding CVD.

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Information for Cardiologists　- Systematic Literature Review and Additional Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Despite the rapidly increasing attention being given to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, more commonly known as coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the relationship between cardiovascular disease and COVID-19 has not been fully described.Methods and Results:A systematic review was undertaken to summarize the important aspects of COVID-19 for cardiologists. Protection both for patients and healthcare providers, indication for treatments, collaboration with other departments and hospitals, and regular update of information are essentials to front COVID-19 patients. CONCLUSIONS: Because the chief manifestations of COVID-19 infection are respiratory and acute respiratory distress syndrome, cardiologists do not see infected patients directly. Cardiologists need to be better prepared regarding standard disinfection procedures, and be aware of the indications for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation and its use in the critical care setting.

Public awareness of palliative care for heart failure in Japan: A cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Palliative care (PC) benefits cancer patients and those with heart failure (HF), improving quality of life and symptom burden. Despite guidelines recommending the integration of PC into HF care, its use remains inadequate, partly due to insufficient public awareness. This study aimed to assess the public awareness of PC for HF in Japan and identify factors associated with awareness. METHODS: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted from March 6-13, 2023, using a panel operated by Intage Inc. (Tokyo, Japan), which has a pool of 3.78 million potential Japanese respondents. The survey included 51,790 participants, matched for sex, age, and region of residence. Participants were asked about their awareness of PC eligibility for HF, along with demographic information, history of hospitalization for sudden illness, outpatient visits, and health status in the previous 2 years. The χ2 test and Cramer's V were used to analyze associations between awareness and variables, and multivariate logistic regression was used to estimate awareness predictors. RESULTS: In total, 91 % of participants were unaware of PC eligibility for HF. Age group, healthcare professional occupation, and history of hospitalization for acute myocardial infarction, acute HF, acute pulmonary embolism, and ruptured aortic aneurysm had weak to moderate associations with awareness. Multivariate analysis revealed that a history of hospitalization for sudden cardiovascular illness and being a healthcare professional were positively related to awareness, while age, female sex, and being married were associated with lower odds of awareness. CONCLUSION: The low public awareness of PC for HF in Japan underscores the importance of increasing awareness of the eligibility of PC for HF, as well as cancer, to integrate PC into HF practice as basic care.

Photorheological response of aqueous wormlike micelles with photocleavable surfactant.

Recently, we have reported a new cinnamic acid-type photocleavable surfactant, C4-C-N-PEG9 that experiences a photocleavage through UV-induced cyclization in aqueous solution, yielding a coumarin derivative (7-butoxy-2H-chromen-2-one) and an aminated polyoxyethylene compound. Here, we have studied the effects of C4-C-N-PEG9 on the photorheological behavior of viscoelastic wormlike micelles formed by aqueous mixture of nonionic surfactants, polyoxyethylene phytosterol ether (PhyEO20) and tetraoxyethylene dodecyl ether (C12EO4). The 4.9 wt % PhyEO20/H2O + 2.4 wt % C12EO4 solution forms wormlike micelles, and its viscosity is ~10 Pa·s. We have found that the addition of C4-C-N-PEG9 into this viscous, non-Newtonian fluid system decreases the viscosity. Viscosity decreased in parallel to the C4-C-N-PEG9 concentration reaching ~0.003 Pa·s at 2.5 wt % of C4-C-N-PEG9. However, viscosity of the C4-C-N-PEG9 incorporated system increased significantly (~200 times at 1.5 wt % of C4-C-N-PEG9 system) upon UV irradiation. Small-Angle X-ray scattering studies have shown that addition of C4-C-N-PEG9 favors wormlike-to-sphere type transition in the micellar structure. However, UV irradiation in the C4-C-N-PEG9 incorporated system causes one-dimensional micellar growth. Since C4-C-N-PEG9 has relatively bigger headgroup size compared to the C12EO4, addition of C4-C-N-PEG9 into wormlike micelles reduces the critical packing parameter resulting in the formation of spherical aggregates. UV irradiation induced one-dimensional micellar growth is caused due to photocleavage of the C4-C-N-PEG9 into a less surface-active coumarin derivative and an aminated polyoxyethylene compound, as confirmed by UV-vis spectrometry and HPLC measurements. The hydrophobic coumarin derivative formed after cleavage of C4-C-N-PEG9 goes to the micellar core and is responsible for decreasing the viscosity. However, the hydrophilic aminated polyoxyethylene prefers to reside at the vicinity of headgroup of PhyEO20 reducing the interhead repulsion, increasing the critical packing parameter and the viscosity as well.

Denitrification in soil amended with thermophile-fermented compost suppresses nitrate accumulation in plants.

NO (3) (-) is a major nitrogen source for plant nutrition, and plant cells store NO (3) (-) in their vacuoles. Here, we report that a unique compost made from marine animal resources by thermophiles represses NO (3) (-) accumulation in plants. A decrease in the leaf NO (3) (-) content occurred in parallel with a decrease in the soil NO (3) (-) level, and the degree of the soil NO (3) (-) decrease was proportional to the compost concentration in the soil. The compost-induced reduction of the soil NO (3) (-) level was blocked by incubation with chloramphenicol, indicating that the soil NO (3) (-) was reduced by chloramphenicol-sensitive microbes. The compost-induced denitrification activity was assessed by the acetylene block method. To eliminate denitrification by the soil bacterial habitants, soil was sterilized with γ irradiation and then compost was amended. After the 24-h incubation, the N(2)O level in the compost soil with presence of acetylene was approximately fourfold higher than that in the compost soil with absence of acetylene. These results indicate that the low NO (3) (-) levels that are often found in the leaves of organic vegetables can be explained by compost-mediated denitrification in the soil.

Effects of a chicken collagen hydrolysate on the circulation system in subjects with mild hypertension or high-normal blood pressure.

We investigated the effects of a chicken collagen hydrolysate (CCH) on the circulation system in humans. A total of 58 subjects with either mild hypertension (systolic blood pressure (SBP) of 140-159 mmHg or diastolic blood pressure (DBP) 90-99 mmHg) or high-normal blood pressure (SBP 130-139 mmHg or DBP 85-89 mmHg) were assigned to two groups, one involving a placebo and the other, the test food (including CCH of 2.9 g/d). The parameters related to each subject's circulation system were monitored over the study period of 18 weeks. The Δbrachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV), an indicator of arterial stiffness and marker of vascular damage, was significantly lower in the test food group than in the placebo group during the treatment period. The blood pressure in the test food group was also significantly lower than that in the placebo group, while the serum nitrogen oxide was higher in the test food group after the treatment. These results suggest that CCH exerted modulatory effects on the human circulation system.

BLV-CoCoMo-qPCR: a useful tool for evaluating bovine leukemia virus infection status.

BACKGROUND: Bovine leukemia virus (BLV) is associated with enzootic bovine leukosis, which is the most common neoplastic disease of cattle. BLV infects cattle worldwide, imposing a severe economic impact on the dairy cattle industry. Recently, we developed a new quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method using Coordination of Common Motifs (CoCoMo) primers to measure the proviral load of known and novel BLV variants in BLV-infected animals. Indeed, the assay was highly effective in detecting BLV in cattle from a range of international locations. This assay enabled us to demonstrate that proviral load correlates not only with BLV infection capacity as assessed by syncytium formation, but also with BLV disease progression. In this study, we compared the sensitivity of our BLV-CoCoMo-qPCR method for detecting BLV proviruses with the sensitivities of two real-time PCR systems, and also determined the differences of proviral load with serotests. RESULTS: BLV-CoCoMo-qPCR was found to be highly sensitive when compared with the real-time PCR-based TaqMan MGB assay developed by Lew et al. and the commercial TaKaRa cycleave PCR system. The BLV copy number determined by BLV-CoCoMo-qPCR was only partially correlated with the positive rate for anti-BLV antibody as determined by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, passive hemagglutination reaction, or agar gel immunodiffusion. This result indicates that, although serotests are widely used for the diagnosis of BLV infection, it is difficult to detect BLV infection with confidence by using serological tests alone. Two cattle were experimentally infected with BLV. The kinetics of the provirus did not precisely correlate with the change in anti-BLV antibody production. Moreover, both reactions were different in cattle that carried different bovine leukocyte antigen (BoLA)-DRB3 genotypes. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that the quantitative measurement of proviral load by BLV-CoCoMo-qPCR is useful tool for evaluating the progression of BLV-induced disease. BLV-CoCoMo-qPCR allows us to monitor the spread of BLV infection in different viewpoint compared with classical serotest.

Clinical correlates associated with cognitive dysfunction in people with schizophrenia.

AIMS: The purpose of the present study was to investigate the correlation between cognitive function and clinical variables in people with schizophrenia. METHODS: The subjects were 61 stabilized outpatients with schizophrenia (DSM-IV). Their mean age was 40.1 (SD = 12.2) years. All subjects gave written informed consent to participate in the research. Cognitive function was evaluated using the Brief Assessment of Cognition in Schizophrenia. Clinical symptoms were assessed using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale, the Calgary Depression Scale for Schizophrenia, and the Drug-Induced Extrapyramidal Symptoms Scale. RESULTS: The Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale Negative syndrome score was significantly correlated with verbal memory score (r = -0.37, P < 0.01), working memory score (r = 0.38, P < 0.01), attention and speed of information processing score (r = -0.51, P < 0.01), verbal fluency score (r = -0.39, P < 0.01), and composite score (r = -0.54, P < 0.01). In addition, the Drug-Induced Extrapyramidal Symptoms Scale score was significantly correlated with attention and speed of information processing (r = -0.45, P < 0.01), and composite score (r = -0.41, P < 0. 01). Dose of antipsychotics and anti-Parkinson drugs was not significantly correlated with the Brief Assessment of Cognition in Schizophrenia scores. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that cognitive dysfunction of people with schizophrenia might be associated with negative and drug-induced extrapyramidal symptoms, suggesting that their minimization would be important for improving cognitive dysfunction.

Evaluation of the effectiveness of the physician education program on primary palliative care in heart failure.

Major cardiology societies' guidelines support integrating palliative care into heart failure (HF) care. This study aimed to identify the effectiveness of the HEart failure Palliative care Training program for comprehensive care providers (HEPT), a physician education program on primary palliative care in HF. We performed a pre- and post-test survey to evaluate HEPT outcomes. Physician-reported practices, difficulties and knowledge were evaluated using the Palliative Care Self-Reported Practices Scale in HF (PCPS-HF), Palliative Care Difficulties Scale in HF (PCDS-HF), and Palliative care knowledge Test in HF (PT-HF), respectively. Structural equation models (SEM) were used to estimate path coefficients for PCPS-HF, PCDS-HF, and PT-HF. A total of 207 physicians participated in the HEPT between February 2018 and July 2019, and 148 questionnaires were ultimately analyzed. The total PCPS-HF, PCDS-HF, and PT-HF scores were significantly improved 6 months after HEPT completion (61.1 vs 67.7, p<0.001, 54.9 vs 45.1, p<0.001, and 20.8 vs 25.7, p<0.001, respectively). SEM analysis showed that for pre-post difference (Dif) PCPS-HF, "clinical experience of more than 14 years" and pre-test score had significant negative effects (-2.31, p = 0.048, 0.52, p<0.001, respectively). For Dif PCDS-HF, ≥ "28 years old or older" had a significant positive direct effect (13.63, p<0.001), although the pre-test score had a negative direct effect (-0.56, p<0.001). For PT-HF, "involvement in more than 50 HF patients' treatment in the past year" showed a positive direct effect (0.72, p = 0.046), although the pre-test score showed a negative effect (-0.78, p<0.001). Physicians who completed the HEPT showed significant improvements in practice, difficulty, and knowledge scales in HF palliative care.

Health Inequality Among Older Adults with Percutaneous Coronary Intervention and Universal Health Coverage in Japan.

This study aimed to comprehensively evaluate whether income affects long-term health outcomes for older patients who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) provided by a universal health coverage system. Data were from the Latter Stage Elderly Healthcare Insurance database in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. A total of 5625 individuals aged ≥65 years who underwent PCI in 2014-2016 were included. Cox proportional hazards models were used to assess the association between income status and the incidence of health outcomes. With a median follow-up of 1095 days, 554 acute myocardial infarction (AMI) cases, 1075 stroke cases, 1690 repeat revascularization cases, and 1094 deaths were observed. Risk of all-cause mortality decreased significantly with increasing income level in both unadjusted and adjusted Cox regression models. Patients in the low-income level had a significantly higher rate of AMI (log-rank P = 0.003), stroke (log-rank P = 0.039), and all-cause mortality (log-rank P = 0.001) compared with patients in the high-income level. Observed rates for repeat revascularization also were high in the first year after PCI. In the Japanese universal health setting, low-income patients had a comparatively higher mortality risk after PCI. Poor long-term outcomes might be attributed to patients' baseline characteristics rather than treatment processes.

Wavelength dispersive X-ray fluorescence imaging.

A new wavelength-dispersive X-ray fluorescence (WD-XRF) imaging spectrometer equipped with a two-dimensional X-ray detector was developed in the laboratory. Straight polycapillary optics was applied instead of a soller slit, which is used in conventional WD-XRF spectrometers. X-rays were guided through the straight polycapillary to the exit of the optics by X-ray external total reflections. X-ray fluorescence was dispersed by an analyzing crystal (LiF(200)), keeping the information of elemental distribution on the surface of the sample. The energy resolution of the developed spectrometer was 130-152 eV at the Zn Kα peak. X-ray elemental images of Cu Kα and Ni Kα were successfully obtained by an X-ray CCD detector at the corresponding diffraction angles. The analytical performance of this technique, and further improvements are discussed.

Association between Bathing and Survival in Patients with Advanced Cancer in Their Last Days of Life: A Prospective Cohort Study.

Background: Although many Japanese patients wish to take a bath in their last days, the safety of bathing for patients with a prognosis of a few days is not known. Objective: To examine whether taking a bath affects the survival of advanced cancer patients with prognoses of a few days. Design: A single-center prospective cohort study. Setting/Subject: Advanced cancer patients in their last days of life in a palliative care unit of a Japanese hospital. We compared patients who took baths with those who did not. The primary endpoint was 24-hour survival rate. Result: Among 110 patients eligible for this prospective study, 89 (72%) met the inclusion criteria. Forty-eight patients (43%, 223 person-days) were eligible for analysis. A total of 28 patient-days were classified into the bathing group, and 192 patient-days were classified into the nonbathing group. After propensity score matching, the 24-hour death rate was 10.7% in the bathing group and 8.0% in the nonbathing group, respectively (mean difference 2.8% with 95% confidence interval of -11.2% to 16.8%, p = 0.65). Conclusion: Taking a bath does not appear to bear a significant association with shortening of life among advanced cancer patients in their last days of life.

Polyoxyethylene/polyoxypropylen dimethyl ether (EPDME) improves the structure of intercellular lipids in SDS-induced dry skin.

The dimethyl ether of an amphiphilic random ethylene oxide/propylene oxide copolymer (EPDME) is useful for the preparation of finely dispersed micro-emulsions. We examined whether EPDME is effective for skin moisturization by means of electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) studies of ex vivo specimens of stratum corneum (SC) obtained by successive stripping. The values of the order parameter S obtained by EPR measurement indicated that EPDME treatment improved sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)-induced disruption of SC lipid structures. This effect appeared to be related to improved hydration of the epidermis, not occlusion by EPDME, since there was no significant change in transepidermal water loss (TEWL).

Complete Genome Sequence of Mycoplasma bovis Strain KG4397, Isolated from Cattle in Japan.

Mycoplasma bovis is a major bacterial pathogen that causes pneumonia, mastitis, and arthritis in cattle. In this study, we performed whole-genome sequencing of an M. bovis strain isolated in Japan for the first time and announce the complete genome sequence of strain KG4397, which caused respiratory diseases in cattle in 2012.

Real-World Effectiveness of Ramelteon and Suvorexant for Delirium Prevention in 948 Patients With Delirium Risk Factors.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to examine the effectiveness of ramelteon and suvorexant for delirium prevention in real-world practice. It explored whether ramelteon and/or suvorexant would affect delirium prevention among both patients at risk for but without delirium (patients at risk) and those with delirium the night before a consultation. METHODS: This multicenter, prospective, observational study was conducted by trained psychiatrists at consultation-liaison psychiatric services from October 1, 2017, to October 7, 2018. Patients who were aged 65 years or older and hospitalized because of acute diseases or elective surgery, had risk factors for delirium, and had insomnia or delirium on the night before the consultation were prescribed ramelteon and/or suvorexant. The decision to take medication was left to the discretion of each patient. The primary outcome was incidence of delirium based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, during the first 7 days. RESULTS: Among 526 patients at risk, those taking ramelteon and/or suvorexant developed delirium significantly less frequently than those who did not, after control for the effects of risk factors on the estimate of an independent association between the effects of ramelteon and/or suvorexant and the outcome of developing delirium (15.7% vs 24.0%; odds ratio [OR] = 0.48;, 95% CI, 0.29-0.80; P = .005). Similar results were found among 422 patients with delirium (39.9% vs 66.3%; OR = 0.36; 95% CI, 0.22-0.59; P < .0001). CONCLUSIONS: Ramelteon and suvorexant appear to be effective for delirium prevention in real-world practice.

[Use of transport medium in sputum bacterial culture examination of lower airway infection].

Our medical institution does not have a bacterial culture facility, requiring outsourcing of bacterial culture tests. Due to the time elapsed from the time of specimen collection to culturing, the identification of causative bacteria in respiratory tract infections tends to be difficult. We therefore used transport medium for sputum bacteria examinations. Expectorated purulent or purulent-mucous sputum specimens were collected from 32 patients with lower respiratory tract infection. We divided each of the sputum specimens into the two treatment groups: transport medium (Seedswab gamma2) ndar and stad disinfection container. Paired samples prepared from each patient were sent out for bacterial culture together. The time elapsed from collection to delivery to the lab were as follows: day 0 (same day, n = 14 patients), day 1 (n = 15), day 2 (n = 2), and day 3 (n = 1). The identified causative bacteria were Streptococcus pneumoniae (n = 6 patients), Haemophilus influenzae (n =5), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (n = 4), Staphylococcus aureus (n = 2), Moraxella catarrhalis (n = 2), Klebsiella pneumoniae (n = 1), and Streptococcus agalactiae (n = 1). Samples prepared by each of the two methods gave similar results. The utility of transport medium for examination of general bacteria for lower airway infection from sputum samples was not demonstrated. The rate of detection of bacteria decreased, when the transport of samples was delayed. Therefore, we need to send the sputum specimens as quickly as possible.

Implications of Differential Chemotaxis and Cohesiveness for Cell Sorting in the Development of Dictyostelium discoideum: (Dictyostelium discoideum/cell sorting/developmental age/chemotaxis/cohesiveness).

Cell sorting behavior was observed during the development of Dictyostelium discoideum Ax-2, between cells grown with [G(+) cells] and without [G(-) cells] glucose. Development of the G(-) cells was about 2-3 hr faster, as reflected by differences in chemotactic sensitivity of the cells and cell cohesiveness. Among various mixing combinations of G(-) and G(+) cells, the most clear sorting occured when vegetative G(+) cells were mixed with G(-) cells which had been allowed to develop for 3 hr, the G(-) cells being located in the anterior prestalk region of a migrating slug. In contrast, vegetative G(-) cells moved to the posterior prespore region of a slug when mixed with G(+) cells which had developed for 6 hr. These findings indicate a close relationship of the cellular developmental stage to the sorting behavior. Possible implications of the differential chemotactic ability and cohesiveness for the sorting mechanism are disscussed.

In Vitro and in Vivo Anti-platelet Effects of Enzymatic Hydrolysates of Collagen and Collagen-related Peptides.

Collagen-related peptides, Gly-Pro-Arg and its analogues, were examined for their inhibitory effects on platelet aggregation induced by the addition of ADP. Human platelet aggregation was suppressed by more than 50% with each of Gly-Pro-Arg and such Gly-Pro-Arg-containing peptides as Gly-Pro-Arg-Gly, Gly-Pro-Arg-Gly-Pro, Gly-Pro-Arg-Pro-Pro, and Gly-Pro-Arg-Pro-Pro-Pro at a concentration of 0.3 mm. The inhibitory effects of these peptides were about 10 times higher in human PRP than in rat PRP. Other Gly-Pro-Arg analogues such as Sar-Pro-Arg, Gly-Pro-Lys, Gly-Ala-Arg, and Ala-Gly-Pro-Arg had no inhibitory effect at a concentration from 0.1 to 0.8 mm even in human PRP. Intravenous and oral administrations of Gly-Pro-Arg and enzymatic hydrolysates of collagen suppressed the decrease in platelet count for endotoxin-induced DIC in rats. Collagen itself has been regarded as a potent inducer of platelet aggregation, but these findings suggest that collagen-related peptides and enzymatic hydrolysates of collagen prevent platelet aggregation.

Glucose uptake activity in murine red blood cells infected with Babesia microti and Babesia rodhaini.

The glucose uptake activity in Babesia rodhaini and B. microti - infected red blood cell (IRBC) was investigated in mice using 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2DOG) and L-glucose (L-Glc), a non-metabolizable analogue of D-glucose and non-incorporative glucose to non-infected RBC (NRBC), respectively. The uptake activities of both DOG and L-Glc were higher in IRBCs than those in NRBC. The concentration dependent uptake of 2DOG and L-Glc in both IRBC revealed a linear curve, indicating non-transporter mediated uptake. In addition, B. microti IRBC showed higher 2DOG uptake than B. rodhaini IRBC, whereas no difference was observed in L-Glc uptake. These results indicated that some new glucose uptake system, at least two systems, developed in both IRBC. The new systems were sodium independent, non-competitive to L-Glc, and sensitive to temperature. One of two systems had no kinetical difference between B. rodhaini and B. microti IRBC, however another one might have higher uptake activity in B. microti IRBC compared to that in B. rodhaini IRBC.

Effects of epidermal growth factor on placental amino acids uptake in pregnant rats.

To evaluate the effects of epidermal growth factor (EGF) on placental amino acids uptake, transport activities for L-proline, L-leucine, and L-alanine were kinetically examined in placental microvillous vesicles(PMV) obtained from pregnant rats administered with EGF(100 and 200 microg/kg/day) from day 18 to 21 of pregnancy. The Vmax of Na(+)-dependent proline uptake remarkably increased with a dose-dependent manner of EGF, while Km did not change. In contrast, Vmax and Km values of Na(+)-dependent and -independent alanine, and Na(+)-independent leucine uptake were not affected. These results suggested that EGF enhanced proline transport activity in placental microvillous membranes, resulting in an increase of proline concentration in the fetal blood. The selective up-regulation of proline uptake was considered to contribute to fetal growth by EGF.