Parental Knowledge and Attitudes Towards Helicobacter Pylori Screening in Adolescents: A School-Based Questionnaire Study Among Guardians of Junior High School Students in Yokosuka City, Japan.

PURPOSE: Helicobacter pylori (HP) infection, a risk factor for gastric cancer, is prevalent in Japan. Consequently, some municipalities across Japan are implementing HP screening and treatment programs for adolescents. However, little is known about parents' attitudes and awareness regarding HP screening for their children. This study aimed to elucidate parental perspectives on HP screening for their children and identify the factors influencing these attitudes. METHODS: This study focused on the parents of first-year junior high school students in Yokosuka City, Kanagawa Prefecture, where an HP screening and treatment program had been implemented for adolescents. The survey questionnaire was distributed among parents in all 23 public junior high schools in Yokosuka City. RESULTS: Among the 618 respondents, 86.4% supported HP screening for their children. Regression analysis identified sufficient knowledge about HP (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 5.80; 95% confidence interval (CI), 2.10-16.03) and being in their 40s (aOR = 2.25; 95% CI, 1.35-3.77) as significant factors influencing supportive attitudes. For parents favoring the screening, common reasons included perceiving it as a promising opportunity (53.2%) and considering the test necessary (44.0%). In contrast, those who opposed screening frequently cited it as unnecessary (66.7%) or believed that their children did not have HP. CONCLUSIONS: A significant proportion of parents in Yokosuka City, Japan, demonstrated a good understanding of HP and expressed a high level of interest in HP screening for their children. Further investigation of parents' attitudes is essential for the effective implementation of adolescent HP screening programs.

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.

Categorization of disaster-related deaths in Minamisoma city after the Fukushima nuclear disaster using clustering analysis.

The medical situation during disasters often differs from that at usual times. Disasters can lead to significant mortality that can be difficult to monitor. The types of disaster-related deaths are largely unknown. In this study, we conducted a survey to categorize the disaster-related deaths caused by a radiation disaster. A total of 520 people living in Minamisoma City, Fukushima Prefecture, at the time of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident, who were certified to have died due to disaster-related causes were surveyed. We divided the participants into those who were at home at the time of the earthquake and those who were in hospitals or facilities when the disaster struck and conducted a hierarchical cluster analysis of the two groups. Disaster-related deaths could be divided into seven groups for those who were at home at the time of the disaster and five groups for those who were in hospitals or facilities at the time of the disaster. Each group showed different characteristics, such as "the group with disabilities," "the group receiving care," and "the group with depression," and it became evident that not only uniform post-disaster support, but support tailored to the characteristics of each group is necessary.

Antibody Profiling of Microbial Antigens in the Blood of COVID-19 mRNA Vaccine Recipients Using Microbial Protein Microarrays.

Although studies have demonstrated that infections with various viruses, bacteria, and parasites can modulate the immune system, no study has investigated changes in antibodies against microbial antigens after the COVID-19 mRNA vaccination. IgG antibodies against microbial antigens in the blood of vaccinees were comprehensively analyzed using microbial protein microarrays that carried approximately 5000 microbe-derived proteins. Changes in antibodies against microbial antigens were scrutinized in healthy participants enrolled in the Fukushima Vaccination Community Survey conducted in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan, after their second and third COVID-19 mRNA vaccinations. Antibody profiling of six groups stratified by antibody titer and the remaining neutralizing antibodies was also performed to study the dynamics of neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 and the changes in antibodies against microbial antigens. The results showed that changes in antibodies against microbial antigens other than SARS-CoV-2 antigens were extremely limited after COVID-19 vaccination. In addition, antibodies against a staphylococcal complement inhibitor have been identified as microbial antigens that are associated with increased levels of neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV-2. These antibodies may be a predictor of the maintenance of neutralizing antibodies following the administration of a COVID-19 mRNA vaccine.

Disaster-related deaths with alcohol-related diseases after the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant accident: case series.

Introduction: The health of patients with mental disorders, such as alcohol-related diseases, often deteriorates after disasters. However, the causes of death among those with alcohol-related diseases during and after radiation disasters remain unclear. Methods: To minimize and prevent alcohol-related deaths in future radiation disasters, we analyzed and summarized six cases of alcohol-related deaths in Minamisoma City, a municipality near the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. Results: Patients were generally treated for alcohol-related diseases. In one case, the patient was forced to evacuate because of hospital closure, and his condition worsened as he was repeatedly admitted and discharged from the hospital. In another case, the patient's depression worsened after he returned home because of increased medication and drinking for insomnia and loss of appetite. Discussion: The overall findings revealed that, in many cases, evacuation caused diseases to deteriorate in the chronic phase, which eventually resulted in death sometime after the disaster. To mitigate loss of life, alcohol-related diseases must be addressed during the chronic phases of future large-scale disasters, including nuclear disasters.