General health literacy, COVID-19-related health literacy, and protective behaviors: evidence from a population-based study in Japan

IntroductionHealth literacy (HL) can be regarded as a key element of non-pharmaceutical interventions used in emergency responses. The present study aimed to determine the associations of combinations of general HL and COVID-19-related HL with COVID-19 protective behaviors and healthy lifestyle behaviors.MethodsA questionnaire survey was conducted from December 2020 to January 2021 among residents in Japanese metropolitan areas. Valid responses were received from 1,443 residents. The levels of HL were categorized into four groups: low level in both HLs (reference), high level in general HL only, high level in COVID-19-related HL only, and high level in both HLs. The total scores of eight COVID-19 protective behaviors were dichotomized into low and high adherence. Healthy lifestyle behaviors included healthy and balanced diet, adequate sleep, and regular exercise. Poisson regression analyses were conducted to examine the associations between the HL groups and high adherence to COVID-19 protective behaviors.ResultsHigh level in COVID-19-related HL only was associated with high adherence to COVID-19 protective behaviors [prevalence ratio (PR), 1.25; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.09–1.45], while high level in general HL only was associated with healthy and balanced diet (PR, 1.49; 95% CI, 1.04–2.13), adequate sleep (PR, 1.46; 95% CI, 1.02–2.10), and regular exercise (PR, 2.00; 95% CI, 1.29–3.13). High level in both HLs showed the highest prevalence of high adherence to COVID-19 protective behaviors and healthy lifestyle behaviors.ConclusionThese findings indicate that COVID-19-related HL and general HL can both be considered to enhance protective behaviors

The Effects of Glycine on Subjective Daytime Performance in Partially Sleep-Restricted Healthy Volunteers

Approximately 30% of the general population suffers from insomnia. Given that insomnia causes many problems, amelioration of the symptoms is crucial. Recently, we found that a non-essential amino acid, glycine subjectively and objectively improves sleep quality in humans who have difficulty sleeping. We evaluated the effects of glycine on daytime sleepiness, fatigue, and performances in sleep-restricted healthy subjects. Sleep was restricted to 25% less than the usual sleep time for three consecutive nights. Before bedtime, 3 g of glycine or placebo were ingested, sleepiness, and fatigue were evaluated using the visual analog scale (VAS) and a questionnaire, and performance were estimated by personal computer (PC) performance test program on the following day. In subjects given glycine, the VAS data showed a significant reduction in fatigue and a tendency toward reduced sleepiness. These observations were also found via the questionnaire, indicating that glycine improves daytime sleepiness and fatigue induced by acute sleep restriction. PC performance test revealed significant improvement in psychomotor vigilance test. We also measured plasma melatonin and the expression of circadian-modulated genes expression in the rat suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) to evaluate the effects of glycine on circadian rhythms. Glycine did not show significant effects on plasma melatonin concentrations during either the dark or light period. Moreover, the expression levels of clock genes such as Bmal1 and Per2 remained unchanged. However, we observed a glycine-induced increase in the neuropeptides arginine vasopressin and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide in the light period. Although no alterations in the circadian clock itself were observed, our results indicate that glycine modulated SCN function. Thus, glycine modulates certain neuropeptides in the SCN and this phenomenon may indirectly contribute to improving the occasional sleepiness and fatigue induced by sleep restriction

Monetary Diet Cost is Associated with not only Favorable but also Unfavorable Aspects of Diet in Pregnant Japanese Women: The Osaka Maternal and Child Health Study

While several observational studies in European countries have shown that higher monetary diet cost is associated with healthier diets, information on the relationship of cost to diet quality in other countries is sparse, including Japan. This cross-sectional study examined the association between monetary diet cost and dietary intake in a group of pregnant Japanese women. Subjects were 596 pregnant Japanese housewives. Dietary intake was estimated using a validated, self-administered, comprehensive diet history questionnaire. Monetary diet cost was calculated using retail food prices. Values of monetary diet cost and nutrient and food intake were energy-adjusted using the density method. Monetary diet cost was associated positively with the intake of protein, total fat, saturated fatty acids, dietary fiber, cholesterol, sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron, vitamins A, D, E, C, and folate, and inversely with that of carbohydrate. For foods, cost was associated positively with the intake of potatoes, pulses and nuts, fish and shellfish, meat, dairy products, vegetables, and fruits, and inversely with that of rice and bread. No association was seen for noodles, confectioneries and sugars, fats and oils, or eggs. Cost was also associated inversely with dietary energy density. In conclusion, monetary diet cost was associated with not only favorable aspects of diet, including a higher intake of dietary fiber, key vitamins and minerals, fruits, and vegetables and lower dietary energy density, but also unfavorable aspects, including a higher intake of fat and sodium and lower intake of carbohydrate and rice, in a group of pregnant Japanese women

The Acquisition of Finance Knowledge and Optimization of a Portfolio

本稿では，金融資産管理シミュレーション・ゲームを実施して得たデータを基に，家計の選択するポートフォリオの効率性について検証を行う。資産選択の効率性を論じる指標として，平均分散アプローチによって導出した効率的フロンティアからの距離を用いる。Probit分析から得られた結果と，Panel Probit 分析から得られた結果は概ね整合的である。Panel Probit 分析の結果から示唆されることは，ゲーム参加者のうち，新たに習得した知識をより理解している者，過去の投資資産数の多い者，今後，株式市場が好転すると予測している者のポートフォリオの効率性は上昇し，資産選択の直前の株価の上昇は，ポートフォリオの効率性を低下させることである。また，ゲーム参加者の過去のポートフォリオの運用成績は，ポートフォリオの効率性に影響を与えない。In this paper, we examine the efficiency of portfolios on the basis of the simulation data of the portfolio management simulation game. The distance from the efficient frontier derived from the mean−variance portfolio theory is employed as the index of efficiency to select the assets. The results of the Probit analysis are consistent with the results derived from the Binary Panel Probit model analysis. The latter results suggest that the portfolio selected by one who understands new knowledge, possesses several types of assets, and predicts an improvement in the stock market, is efficient. Furthermore, a rise in the price index of stocks prior to portfolio selection decreases the efficiency of a portfolio. The previous portfolio performance does not affect the efficiency of the portfolio

Fabrication and catalytic activity of thermally stable gold nanoparticles on ultrastable Y (USY) zeolites

Au was deposited on ultrastable Y (USY) zeolites using an ion-exchange method. Up to 5.5 wt% Au was introduced into the NH4-form of USY zeolites. In contrast, deposition of Au hardly took place on the H- and Na-forms of Y-type zeolites, NH4-forms of mordenite, and ZSM-5. Treatment of the Au-loaded USY zeolite in a H2 atmosphere, afforded Au0 nanoparticles. These particles were thermally stable even at 973 K, where their mean particle diameter was 3.7 nm. In contrast, highly aggregated Au particles were observed after thermal treatment at temperatures lower than 523 K, followed by storage in air for a month. The resulting particle sizes were in good correlation with the IR band intensity of the adsorbed CO and the catalytic activity of Au in the aerobic oxidation of benzyl alcohol. The Au nanoparticles showed highest activity when the Au/USY zeolite was thermally treated at 673–973 K. A negligible deactivation was observed after repeating the reaction at least 12 times. In the case of Au/TiO2 catalyst prepared by the deposition-precipitation method, the highest activity was observed at 573 K, which was lower than the temperature used for the Au/USY zeolites. This study demonstrated the potential use of the NH4-form of USY zeolites for supporting Au

Autoinducer Analogs Can Provide Bactericidal Activity to Macrolides in Pseudomonas aeruginosa through Antibiotic Tolerance Reduction

Macrolide antibiotics are used in treating Pseudomonas aeruginosa chronic biofilm infections despite their unsatisfactory antibacterial activity, because they display several special activities, such as modulation of the bacterial quorum sensing and immunomodulatory effects on the host. In this study, we investigated the effects of the newly synthesized P. aeruginosa quorum-sensing autoinducer analogs (AIA-1, -2) on the activity of azithromycin and clarithromycin against P. aeruginosa. In the killing assay of planktonic cells, AIA-1 and -2 enhanced the bactericidal ability of macrolides against P. aeruginosa PAO1; however, they did not affect the minimum inhibitory concentrations of macrolides. In addition, AIA-1 and -2 considerably improved the killing activity of azithromycin and clarithromycin in biofilm cells. The results indicated that AIA-1 and -2 could affect antibiotic tolerance. Moreover, the results of hydrocarbon adherence and cell membrane permeability assays suggested that AIA-1 and -2 changed bacterial cell surface hydrophobicity and accelerated the outer membrane permeability of the hydrophobic antibiotics such as azithromycin and clarithromycin. Our study demonstrated that the new combination therapy of macrolides and AIA-1 and -2 may improve the therapeutic efficacy of macrolides in the treatment of chronic P. aeruginosa biofilm infections

Clinical Significance of Carbapenem-Tolerant Pseudomonas aeruginosa Isolated in the Respiratory Tract

We often come across difficult to treat infections—even after administering appropriate antibiotics according to the minimal inhibitory concentration of the causative bacteria. Antibiotic tolerance has recently started to garner attention as a crucial mechanism of refractory infections. However, few studies have reported the correlation between clinical outcomes and antibiotic tolerance. This study aims to clarify the effect of antibiotic tolerance on clinical outcomes of respiratory tract infection caused by Pseudomonas aeuginosa (P. aeruginosa). We examined a total of 63 strains isolated from sputum samples of different patients and conducted a retrospective survey with the medical records of 37 patients with imipenem-sensitive P. aeruginosa infections. Among them, we selected 15 patients with respiratory infections, and they were divided into high-tolerance minimal bactericidal concentration for adherent bacteria (MBCAD)/minimal inhibitory concentration for adherent bacteria (MICAD) ≥ 32 (n = 9) group and low-tolerance MBCAD/MICAD ≤ 16 (n = 6) group for further investigations. The findings indicated that the high-tolerance group consisted of many cases requiring hospitalization. Chest computed tomography findings showed that the disease was more extensive in the high-tolerance group compared to the low-tolerance group. Regarding the bacterial phenotypic characterization, the high-tolerance group significantly upregulated the production of the virulence factors compared to the low-tolerance group. Our study provided evidence that carbapenem tolerance level is a potent prognostic marker of P. aeruginosa infections, and carbapenem tolerance could be a potential target for new antimicrobial agents to inhibit the progression of persistent P. aeruginosa infections

Engineered MATE multidrug transporters reveal two functionally distinct ion-coupling pathways in NorM from Vibrio cholerae.

Multidrug and toxic compound extrusion (MATE) transport proteins confer multidrug resistance on pathogenic microorganisms and affect pharmacokinetics in mammals. Our understanding of how MATE transporters work, has mostly relied on protein structures and MD simulations. However, the energetics of drug transport has not been studied in detail. Many MATE transporters utilise the electrochemical H+ or Na+ gradient to drive substrate efflux, but NorM-VC from Vibrio cholerae can utilise both forms of metabolic energy. To dissect the localisation and organisation of H+ and Na+ translocation pathways in NorM-VC we engineered chimaeric proteins in which the N-lobe of H+-coupled NorM-PS from Pseudomonas stutzeri is fused to the C-lobe of NorM-VC, and vice versa. Our findings in drug binding and transport experiments with chimaeric, mutant and wildtype transporters highlight the versatile nature of energy coupling in NorM-VC, which enables adaptation to fluctuating salinity levels in the natural habitat of V. cholerae