Intravenous immunoglobulin for the treatment of Kawasaki disease

This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of IVIG in treating and preventing cardiac consequences of Kawasaki disease

Parental psychological distress in the postnatal period in Japan: a population-based analysis of a national cross-sectional survey

Abstract Mental health assessments of both members of a couple are important when considering the child-rearing environment. The prevalence and factors associated with both parents’ psychological distress have not been fully investigated. A nationally representative sample from the 2016 Comprehensive Survey of Living Conditions in Japan was used to examine the prevalence of moderate and severe psychological distress in parents in the first year after childbirth. In total, 3,514 two-parent households raising children under one year old met the study criteria. The Japanese version of Kessler 6 was used to assess moderate and severe psychological distress. The prevalence of either or both parents experiencing psychological distress in the first year after birth were 15.1% and 3.4%, respectively. A multivariate logistic regression analysis showed factors of fathers who worked ≥ 55 h a week, reduced duration of sleep in mothers, age in months of the youngest child, and high household expenditures were significantly associated with both parents simultaneously having moderate or severe psychological distress. This study implied the importance of prevention and early detection of parental psychological distress in both parents. Assessing parents’ psychological distress and work-style reform in the childcare period is an urgent issue to improve their mental health conditions

Communication Tools Used in Cancer Communication with Children: A Scoping Review

Background: Although communication tools might guide healthcare professionals in communicating with children about cancer, it is unclear what kind of tools are used. This scoping review aimed to map the communication tools used in cancer communication among children with cancer, families, and healthcare professionals. Methods: A comprehensive search using PubMed (including MEDLINE), Embase, CENTRAL, PsycINFO, and CINAHL was conducted on 1 August 2021. We mapped communication tools and their impacts. Results: We included 25 studies (9 experimental studies and 16 feasibility studies) of 29 reports and found 21 communication tools. There was a lack of communication tools that were (1) accessible and validated, (2) designed for healthcare professionals, (3) targeted children, families, and healthcare professionals, and (4) were designed to meet the needs of children and families. Experimental studies showed that the communication tools improved children’s knowledge and psychological outcomes (e.g., health locus of control, quality of life, self-efficacy). Conclusion: We mapped communication tools and identified areas that needed further research, including a lack of tools to guide healthcare professionals and share information with children and families. Further research is needed to develop and evaluate these communication tools. Moreover, it is necessary to investigate how communication tools support children, families, and healthcare professionals

Effectiveness of Workplace Interventions for Improving Working Conditions on the Health and Wellbeing of Fathers or Parents: A Systematic Review

Evidence on the effectiveness of workplace interventions for improving working conditions on the health and wellbeing of fathers is scarce. We reviewed studies on the effectiveness of various workplace interventions designed to improve working conditions for the health and wellbeing of employed fathers and their families. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and quasi-randomized controlled trials of workplace interventions applied to employees with the aim of improving working conditions of employed parents, compared with no intervention, other active arms, placebo, wait list, or usual practice were included. Studies involving only women were excluded. An electronic search of the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, ERIC and SSCI was done for eligible studies. Studies were screened against predetermined criteria and assessment of risk of bias done using the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions for RCTs and the Risk of Bias Assessment tool for Non-randomized Studies for non-RCTs. Of the 8229 records identified, 19 reports were included in this review: 14 reports from five RCTs and five reports from two quasi-RCT studies. The studies were conducted in four different countries among working populations from various sectors. Studies addressing issues related to improving working conditions of fathers alone were lacking. All included studies assessed intervention effects on various health-related outcomes, the most common being sleep disturbances and mental health outcomes. Interventions administered yielded positive effects on various health outcomes across all seven studies. All included studies had methodological limitations, while study designs and methodologies lacked comparability. Consequently, a narrative synthesis of evidence is provided. Based on our findings, providing workplace interventions for improving working conditions may improve some aspects of the health and wellbeing of employed parents, including fathers

Utilization of mouse polyomavirus derived virus-like particles for cargo delivery into cells

and key words Mouse polyomavirus-derived virus-like particles composed from major capsid protein VP1 (MPyV VP1-VLPs) are interesting structures for use as a delivery system of various cargos into cells. VP1 protein self-assembles into icosahedral particles of 45 nm in diameter that are hollow highly regular nanoparticles. In this work, model small molecule cargo, Cyclodextrin-Based Bimodal Fluorescence/MRI Contrast Agent, was encapsidated into MPyV VP1-VLPs. The cargo was stably associated with VLPs and was delivered into mammalian cells using these VLPs. To prevent VLPs entrapment in endolysosomal compartments and increase the potential of VLPs applications, MPyV VP1 protein was modified by insertion of histidine-tag (6 histidine long sequence surrounded by glycine and serine) sequences into VP1 surface loop DE, because histidine modification of synthetic systems had enhancing effect on endosome escape and cargo delivery. With the use of in Bac-to-Bac® baculovirus expression system His-VP1 protein was expressed in insect cells and a variety of VP1-assemblies was obtained: long tubules and small 20nm VLPs formed from VP1 with 4 histidine-tags in DE loop, and novel VP1 nanostructure, which we named nano-jumpers, formed from VP1 with 2 histidine-tags. Nonetheless the endosome escape properties of..

Preconception underweight impact on postnatal osteoporotic fracture: a retrospective cohort study using Japanese claims data

Abstract Background Undernutrition and underweight are osteoporosis risk factors. Therefore, improving the health of underweight young women in Japan is an important medical issue. However, few studies have evaluated the association between being preconception underweight and postnatal osteoporotic fractures in young women. Methods This retrospective cohort study used a Japanese nationwide claims database (JMDC Inc.) to evaluate the effect of preconception underweight on the incidence of osteoporotic fracture within two years after delivery. Data from 16,684 mothers who delivered their first singleton babies between January 2006 and December 2020 were analysed. The combination of disease codes of fractures at sites associated with osteoporosis and medical procedures for fractures was defined as the incidence of osteoporotic fractures, whereas the body mass index (BMI) recorded 12–36 months before delivery was used as the exposure. We estimated the incidence of osteoporotic fractures by BMI category using a Kaplan–Meier curve and examined the fracture risk using Cox hazard regression analyses. Results Fifty-one women (0.31%) were affected by osteoporotic fractures within two years of delivery. More than 80% of these were rib fractures, and approximately 65% of fractures occurred after the first year postpartum. Preconception underweight (BMI < 18.5 kg/m2) was significantly associated with the incidence of postpartum osteoporotic fractures. There was no significant association between low BMI and postnatal fractures, as analysed via multiple categorical logistic regression analysis. Conclusion Appropriate control of preconception weight might be critical to improving the postpartum quality of life, subsequent bone health, and neonatal care environment

Additional file 1 of Preconception underweight impact on postnatal osteoporotic fracture: a retrospective cohort study using Japanese claims data

Supplementary Material

GTN057, a komaroviquinone derivative, induced myeloma cells' death in vivo and inhibited c‐MET tyrosine kinase

Abstract Objective Despite the development of newly developed drugs, most multiple myeloma (MM) patients with high‐risk cytogenetic abnormalities such as t(4;14) or del17p relapse at anin early stage of their clinical course. We previously reported that a natural product,komaroviquinone (KQN), isolated from the perennial semi‐shrub Dracocephalum komarovi, i.e., komaroviquinone (KQN) and its derivative GTN024 induced the apoptosis of MM cells by producing reactive oxygen species (ROS), but both exhibited significant hematological toxicity. Aim of this study is to clarify anti‐tumor activity, safety and pharmacokinetics of GTN057, an optimization compound of KQN in vivo. Methods ICR/SCID xenograft model of KMS11, a t(4;14) translocation‐positive MM cell line, was used for in vivo study. Mice pharmacokinetics of GTN057 and the degradation products were analyzed by LC‐MS/MS. Results Herein, our in vitro experiments revealed that GTN057 is much less toxic to normal hematopoietic cells, induced the apoptosis of both MM cell lines andpatient samples, including those with high‐risk cytogenetic changes. A xenograft model of a high‐risk MM cell line demonstrated that GTN057 significantly delayed the tumor growth with no apparent hematological or systemic toxicities in vivo. The pathological examination of GTN057‐treated tumors in vivoshowed revealed apoptosis of MM cells and anti‐angiogenesis. In addition to the production of ROS, GTN057 inhibited the downstream signaling of c‐MET, a receptor tyrosine kinase a receptor forand hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) receptor. Thus, GTN057 is less toxic and is able tomay be a candidate drug for treating MM patients, via multifunctional mechanisms. We have also extensively studied the pharmacologyical analysis of GTN057. The metabolites of GTN057, (e.g.,such as GTN054), may also have anti‐tumorantitumor activity. Conclusion Natural products or and their derivatives can could be good sources of antineoplastic drugs even for high‐risk cancer