Increasing access to HIV testing for men who have sex with men in Japan using digital vending machine technology

Background: In Japan, most new HIV cases are reported amongst men who have sex with men (MSM); thus, there is an urgent need for further widespread testing of MSM. The use of Digital Vending Machines (DVM) in the UK offering HIV test kits targeting MSM show promising results. Digital Vending Machines could be useful to promote and increase the uptake of testing in Japan, although no studies have yet been conducted. We aimed to assess the acceptability and feasibility of distributing HIV test kits using DVMs exploring needs and concerns as well as preferred types of test kits and locations. Methods: Fifty-four individuals participated in workshops and meetings with a further 224 MSM answering a quantitative survey assessing HIV testing and prevention needs. Results: Amongst MSM who had never been tested, 73% showed willingness to purchase tests from DVMs. Responses were broadly positive about DVMs but there were concerns regarding being seen receiving test kits from the machines and linkage to confirmatory testing and appropriate care. Conclusions: Using DVMs to distribute HIV test kits in Japan was found to be both acceptable and feasible and may have the potential to increase access to testing for MSM. Future large-scale evaluation studies are required

フィールドレポート : クィア領域における調査研究にまつわる倫理や手続きを考える : フィールドワーク経験にもとづくガイドライン試案

This paper lists ethical and procedural points that the co-authors believe are crucial for both researchers and research subjects in the realm of queer studies. While the definition of the term "queer(kuia)" in Japanese tends to be broader and more ambiguous than in English because there is no strict equivalent to "queer" in Japanese language, in this paper the authors start with the premise that Japanese-language research projects in the queer realm tend to be interdisciplinary and tend to involve people who identify themselves as sexual minorities, commonly called "LGBT(lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender)." As such, research endeavors in the queer realm have different kinds of difficulties and risks from those in other realms. Though each researcher usually belongs to another, more traditional discipline such as sociology, art history, and literary studies, among others, in addition to queer studies, the existing guidelines and textbooks in such traditional disciplines do not address the risks and problems particular to research in the queer realm. As the first attempt in the Japanese language to "spell out" such queerrelated risks, issues, and also possible ways to alleviate them, this tentative guideline nevertheless does not profess to be comprehensive or universal. Yet the authors believe that it is imperative for Japanese-language "queer" researchers to start to acknowledge specific risks and issues. In order to help the researchers(including graduate and undergraduate students), instructors(including the ones that are not at all aware of LGBT issues), research subjects or collaborators(who give interviews and provide informational materials such as the back issues of self-published zines), this paper is organized in four categories. They are: 1)"what needs to be considered in the field of queer inquiry by both the researchers and research subjects," 2)"what both the instructors and students of queer subject matter need to be careful about in the academic context," 3) "important points about textual analysis of queer material," and 4) "necessary procedures at the time of publishing and presenting the results of queer research topics." This paper discusses the complex dynamics between researchers and research subjects especially in cases in which the researchers themselves are members of sexual minorities. In such cases, the researchers might encourage research subjects of the same minority group to participate in their research without obtaining enough information about the skill, scope and aim of the researcher and the research project. This paper also examines the differences between queer readings and outing the artists and authors of the texts and representations, among many other issues

Single-cell and spatial transcriptomics analysis of human adrenal aging

Objective: The human adrenal cortex comprises three functionally and structurally distinct layers that produce layer-specific steroid hormones. With aging, the human adrenal cortex undergoes functional and structural alteration or “adrenal aging”, leading to the unbalanced production of steroid hormones. Given the marked species differences in adrenal biology, the underlying mechanisms of human adrenal aging have not been sufficiently studied. This study was designed to elucidate the mechanisms linking the functional and structural alterations of the human adrenal cortex. Methods: We conducted single-cell RNA sequencing and spatial transcriptomics analysis of the aged human adrenal cortex. Results: The data of this study suggest that the layer-specific alterations of multiple signaling pathways underlie the abnormal layered structure and layer-specific changes in steroidogenic cells. We also highlighted that macrophages mediate age-related adrenocortical cell inflammation and senescence. Conclusions: This study is the first detailed analysis of the aged human adrenal cortex at single-cell resolution and helps to elucidate the mechanism of human adrenal aging, thereby leading to a better understanding of the pathophysiology of age-related disorders associated with adrenal aging