Exploring Learning Problems of Filipino Nurse Candidates Working in Japan: Based on the Results of a Practice National Board Examination of Japan Given in English

This article investigates the status of the education and training of Filipino nurse candidates who have been working in Japan under the Japan-Philippine Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA). A survey was conducted among Filipino nurse candidates, using a practice examination based on the English version of Japan’s National Board Examination for Registered Nurses in 2009. Categorized by area, the mean correct answer rate for nursing-related questions ranged between 61% and 73%; the rate for questions concerning basic knowledge of body functions and diseases ranged between 55% and 57%. There was a large gap in terms of the results of the examination between those who had previously seen the exam questions and those who had never seen them. While 57.1% of those who had previously seen the questions satisfied the acceptance criteria, only 23.7%of those who had never viewed the test satisfied it. Based on these results, the factors which serve as obstacles that Filipino nurse candidates encounter in passing the national examination include not only difficulties in acquiring Japanese proficiency but also differences between Japan and the Philippines in respect to the nursing education curriculum and basic nursing policies

Exploring Learning Problems of Filipino Nurse Candidates Working in Japan: Based on the Results of a Practice National Board Examination of Japan Given in English

This article investigates the status of the education and training of Filipino nurse candidates who have been working in Japan under the Japan-Philippine Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA). A survey was conducted among Filipino nurse candidates, using a practice examination based on the English version of Japan’s National Board Examination for Registered Nurses in 2009. Categorized by area, the mean correct answer rate for nursing-related questions ranged between 61% and 73%; the rate for questions concerning basic knowledge of body functions and diseases ranged between 55% and 57%. There was a large gap in terms of the results of the examination between those who had previously seen the exam questions and those who had never seen them. While 57.1% of those who had previously seen the questions satisfied the acceptance criteria, only 23.7%of those who had never viewed the test satisfied it. Based on these results, the factors which serve as obstacles that Filipino nurse candidates encounter in passing the national examination include not only difficulties in acquiring Japanese proficiency but also differences between Japan and the Philippines in respect to the nursing education curriculum and basic nursing policies

Factors influencing the psychological independence of retired community-dwelling older adults in Japan

Background: In an aging society, it is necessary to promote successful aging by helping older adults maintain engagement in social activities, especially after retirement. Focusing on psychological independence is critical for helping community-dwelling older adults maintain their ability to do things independently and build appropriate relationships with neighbors. However, shifting one’s mindset from the workplace to the local community can be difficult, especially for Japanese people who prioritize work over local community activities. Few studies have investigated the factors associated with the psychological independence of community-dwelling older adults, so this study examined the factors influencing the psychological independence of older adults in T town, a typical commuter town in Japan. Methods: A self-administered, anonymous questionnaire was distributed to 246 neighborhood association members aged 65 and older. T-test, Pearson’s correlation coefficient, Cronbach’s alpha, and multiple regression analysis were used to develop a model for predicting psychological independence and its two subconstructs, purposefulness and personal accountability.Results: The results demonstrated that psychological independence,purposefulness, and personal accountability were significantly predicted byhaving abilities that are useful to other people (β = 0.399, p = 0.001; β = 0.277,p = 0.019; and β = 0.394, p = 0.001, respectively).Conclusion: The findings suggest that older adults can maintain psychologicalindependence using their existing characteristics, such as hobbies and lifeskills that are useful to others in the community

Factors Predicting the Quality of Life of University Students in Japan Amidst COVID-19: A Cross-Sectional Study

Owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, classes and club activities in Japanese universities have been canceled; this may increase students’ perceived stress and adversely affect their quality of life. This study investigated the factors that influence Japanese university students’ quality of life during the pandemic. An online questionnaire collating data related to demographic characteristics, the perceived stress scale (PSS), sense of coherence (SOC), number of social supports, and quality of life (Short Form Health Survey; SF-8) was distributed to university students. Participants were divided into two groups: those who entered university before (seniors) and after (juniors) the onset of the pandemic. Their scores on the two sub-domains (physical and mental) of the SF-8 were evaluated. Multiple regression analysis was performed to identify factors associated with the composite mental summary of the SF-8. Regression analysis indicated that the predictor model of the composite mental summary differed between juniors and seniors. Among seniors, the composite mental summary was significantly indicated by the composite physical summary (b = 0.549, p < 0.0001) and PSS (b = 0.422, p < 0.0001). Among juniors, it was significantly indicated by the composite physical summary (b = 0.531, p < 0.0001), PSS (b = 0.390, p < 0.0001), and number of social supports (b = −0.148, p = 0.006). The factors associated with quality of life differed between seniors and juniors. Universities must provide opportunities for students to find more friends, especially for juniors who have limited socialization opportunities owing to the pandemic

Is farmer-to-farmer extension effective? The impact of training on technology adoption and rice farming productivity in Tanzania

Agricultural training is a potentially effective method to diffuse relevant new technologies to increase productivity and alleviate rural poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). However, since it is prohibitively expensive to provide direct training to all the farmers in SSA, it is critically important to examine the extent to which technologies taught to a small number of farmers disseminate to non-trained farmers. This paper investigates the technology dissemination pathways among smallholder rice producers within a rural irrigation scheme in Tanzania. As an innovative feature, we compare the performance of three categories of farmers: key farmers, who receive intensive pre-season training at a local training center; intermediate farmers, who are trained by the key farmers; and other ordinary farmers. By collecting and analyzing a unique five-year household-level panel data set, we estimate difference-in-differences models to assess how the gap in performance evolve as the technologies spill over from the trained farmers to the ordinary farmers. To disentangle the technology spillover process, we also examine the extent to which social and geographical network with the key and intermediate farmers influences the adoption of technologies by the ordinary farmers, by incorporating social relationship variables into spatial econometric models. We found that the ordinary farmers who were a relative or residential neighbor of a key or intermediate farmer were more likely to adopt new technologies than those who were not. As a result, while the key farmers’ technology adoption rates rose immediately after the training, those of the non-trained ordinary farmers caught up belatedly. As the technologies disseminated, the paddy yield of the key farmers increased from 3.1 to 5.3 tons per hectare, while the yield of the ordinary farmers increased from 2.6 to 3.7 tons per hectare. Our results suggest the effectiveness and practical potential of farmer-to-farmer extension programs for smallholders in SSA as a cost effective alternative to the conventional farmer training approach

The whole blood transcriptional regulation landscape in 465 COVID-19 infected samples from Japan COVID-19 Task Force

「コロナ制圧タスクフォース」COVID-19患者由来の血液細胞における遺伝子発現の網羅的解析 --重症度に応じた遺伝子発現の変化には、ヒトゲノム配列の個人差が影響する--. 京都大学プレスリリース. 2022-08-23.Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a recently-emerged infectious disease that has caused millions of deaths, where comprehensive understanding of disease mechanisms is still unestablished. In particular, studies of gene expression dynamics and regulation landscape in COVID-19 infected individuals are limited. Here, we report on a thorough analysis of whole blood RNA-seq data from 465 genotyped samples from the Japan COVID-19 Task Force, including 359 severe and 106 non-severe COVID-19 cases. We discover 1169 putative causal expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs) including 34 possible colocalizations with biobank fine-mapping results of hematopoietic traits in a Japanese population, 1549 putative causal splice QTLs (sQTLs; e.g. two independent sQTLs at TOR1AIP1), as well as biologically interpretable trans-eQTL examples (e.g., REST and STING1), all fine-mapped at single variant resolution. We perform differential gene expression analysis to elucidate 198 genes with increased expression in severe COVID-19 cases and enriched for innate immune-related functions. Finally, we evaluate the limited but non-zero effect of COVID-19 phenotype on eQTL discovery, and highlight the presence of COVID-19 severity-interaction eQTLs (ieQTLs; e.g., CLEC4C and MYBL2). Our study provides a comprehensive catalog of whole blood regulatory variants in Japanese, as well as a reference for transcriptional landscapes in response to COVID-19 infection

DOCK2 is involved in the host genetics and biology of severe COVID-19

「コロナ制圧タスクフォース」COVID-19疾患感受性遺伝子DOCK2の重症化機序を解明 --アジア最大のバイオレポジトリーでCOVID-19の治療標的を発見--. 京都大学プレスリリース. 2022-08-10.Identifying the host genetic factors underlying severe COVID-19 is an emerging challenge. Here we conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) involving 2, 393 cases of COVID-19 in a cohort of Japanese individuals collected during the initial waves of the pandemic, with 3, 289 unaffected controls. We identified a variant on chromosome 5 at 5q35 (rs60200309-A), close to the dedicator of cytokinesis 2 gene (DOCK2), which was associated with severe COVID-19 in patients less than 65 years of age. This risk allele was prevalent in East Asian individuals but rare in Europeans, highlighting the value of genome-wide association studies in non-European populations. RNA-sequencing analysis of 473 bulk peripheral blood samples identified decreased expression of DOCK2 associated with the risk allele in these younger patients. DOCK2 expression was suppressed in patients with severe cases of COVID-19. Single-cell RNA-sequencing analysis (n = 61 individuals) identified cell-type-specific downregulation of DOCK2 and a COVID-19-specific decreasing effect of the risk allele on DOCK2 expression in non-classical monocytes. Immunohistochemistry of lung specimens from patients with severe COVID-19 pneumonia showed suppressed DOCK2 expression. Moreover, inhibition of DOCK2 function with CPYPP increased the severity of pneumonia in a Syrian hamster model of SARS-CoV-2 infection, characterized by weight loss, lung oedema, enhanced viral loads, impaired macrophage recruitment and dysregulated type I interferon responses. We conclude that DOCK2 has an important role in the host immune response to SARS-CoV-2 infection and the development of severe COVID-19, and could be further explored as a potential biomarker and/or therapeutic target

Indonesian Nurses' Challenges for Passing the National Board Examination for Registered Nurse in Japanese: Suggestions for Solutions

Between 2008 and 2011, nearly 800 Indonesian nurses and care workers have entered Japan as candidates for registered nurse (kangoshi) or certified care worker (kaigo fukushishi) under the Indonesia-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement (IJEPA). The most serious problem in their everyday life is the difficulty in mastering the Japanese language, which presents a high hurdle for passing the national board examination for registered nurse. Until 2011, only 17 Indonesian nurse examinees have been able to pass the examination, and become registered nurses in Japan. To contribute the developing of a more sustainable IJEPA program, this research aims to explore Indonesian nurse candidates’ learning strategies for passing the national examination in Japan, and identify other factors that hinder their success. Although the number of Indonesian and Japanese interviewees was limited, the analysis of the research demonstrates that strong material and moral support by the management and staff of the receiving hospital is essential in motivating Indonesian candidates to do their best to pass the examination. It also suggests that such support is critical especially in the early stage of training at the workplace even for improving the efficiency of educational investment that makes nurse candidates pass the national exam and become registered nurses in Japan