Health-promotion Activities and Health Status

In this study, we examine what promotes individual's health-related activities and how these activities affect the individual's health status. For this purpose, we use data from an original survey conducted in Japan. We adopt an estimation model which takes into account the following points: the impact of time preference and risk aversion on health-promotion decisions, the correlation among health-promotion activities (eating balanced meals, regular physical activity, moderate or no use of tobacco, and getting enough sleep or adequate rest), and the unobserved factors that influence both an individual's health-promotion decisions and his/her health status simultaneously. This is because, studies have pointed out that the individual rate of time preference plays an important role in health-promotion decisions. In addition, the individual could have several healthy activities simultaneously, and the unobserved heterogeneity included in the self-assessed health status, which we use as an index of health status, may also influence the individual's health-promotion decisions. Our empirical investigation shows that the error terms of health-promotion equations have a positively significant correlation with each other. These results imply that it is important to take into account the correlation among health-promotion decisions simultaneously. Moreover, even after controlling for this correlation, we find that the health-promotion activities, specifically, getting enough sleep or adequate rest, has a positive impact on the individual's health status.correlated disturbances, health-promotion activities, risk aversion, self-assessed health, time preference.

Opiskelijoiden osallistaminen aktiivisemmiksi toimijoiksi : Pohjois- Karjalan koulutuskuntayhtymä Joensuu Tekniikan yksikkö

Kehittämishankkeeni tavoitteena on saada esille mahdollisuuksia, joiden avulla Pohjois-Karjalan koulutuskuntayhtymän Joensuu Tekniikan yksikön opiskelijat saataisiin aktiivisemmin osallistumaan opiskelijakunnan hallituksen (JOPO) järjestämiin tapahtumiin ja tempauksiin. Yhtenä osa-alueena opinnäytetyöni käsittelee osallisuuden tasoja sekä sosiaalisen vahvistamisen käytänteitä, joiden avulla osallisuus toteutuisi nykytilaa paremmin. Osallisuuteen liittyy vahvasti tieto itseä koskevista asioista, eikä myöskään kokemusta itseä koskeviin vaikutusmahdollisuuksiin voi unohtaa. Ammattialalle opinnäytetyöstä tekee ajankohtaisen se kuinka sosiaalinen vahvistaminen toteutuu ammattiopetuksen arjessa. Opinnäytetyössä käsitellään sosiaalisten vahvistamisen näkökulmaa kehitettäessä toiminnasta opiskelijalähtöistä sekä kuinka opiskelijoiden omaa kansalaisvaikuttamista voitaisiin kehittää innostavuudella. Opinnäytetyötä varten hankitun aineiston avulla JOPO saa tietoa, missä formaateissa Tekniikan yksikön opiskelijat haluavat heitä koskevista tapahtumista tiedotettavan sekä millä tasolla opiskelijoiden tietous on heille järjestetyistä tapahtumista. Opinnäyteyö tarjoaa näkökulmia ja idoita, millä keinoin opiskelijalähtöisyyttä voitaisiin kehittää, että Tekniikan yksikön opiskelijat saataisiin paremmin innostettua ja osallistettua yhteisiin tapahtumiin sekä toimimaan aktiivisempina vaikuttajina omassa oppimisympäristössään. Aineistosta sain selville kuinka tapahtumista tiedottamiseen haluttaisiin kehitystä. Vaikutusmahdollisuuksien koetaan paranevan, jos opiskelijat tietäisivät paremmin, kuinka oppilaitoksessa voi vaikuttaa sekä mitkä asiat vaikuttavat opiskelijoiden aktiivisuutta lisäävästi. Tarkastelen opiskelijalähtöisyyttä vertaistuen, sosiaalisen vahvistamisen käytänteiden, osallisuuden tasojen sekä yhteisötoiminnan kautta. Käsittelen myös opiskelijoiden itsensä vastuuta omasta aktiivisuudesta ja osallisuuteen vaikuttavista näkökulmista.The goal of my development project is to bring out ways to get students of Pohjois-Karjalan koulutuskuntayhtymä Joensuu Tekniikan yksikkö to take part in events organized by the student board (JOPO) more active. This thesis partly covers levels of participation and customs of social empowerment which will improve participation. Participation has to do with knowledge of those matters that involves students. This thesis is topical because of how social empowerment occurs in daily professional training. In thesis I process point of view of social empowerment to make activity more student oriented and how to raise students’ civil activity skills by improving motivation. The material acquired for this thesis will give knowledge to JOPO in which formats the students of technical unit want information of events and how well the students think they have been informed about those events. Thesis also offers point of views and ideas how to improve student oriented approach so that students would be more motivated, participate events more active and work mor e active to effect on their school environment. I found out from the material that students wanted that events should be announced earlier. Students feel that their ways to affect would be better if they knew how they can affect in their school. I examine student oriented approaching by peer supporting, knowledge of social empowerment, levels of participation and co-working. I also reflect students’ responsibility of their own activity and the point of views that effect on participation

Indoor navigation using Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacons

The popularity of indoor navigation has significantly increased during the last decade. Nowadays, many studies aim to develop new indoor navigation systems and improve the accuracy of the already existing ones. Unfortunately, no definitive method for indoor navigation has been approved yet, which is why this type of systems are not as accessible as those used for outdoor navigation. The purpose of this thesis is to introduce the concept of indoor navigation and demonstrate how common electronic devices can be used to create a simple indoor navigation system. In order to do this, a mobile Android application that helps users navigate inside a building was developed. Signal readings and other information broadcasted by Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) devices, known as beacons, were used as reference for this application. In addition to this, adapters and sensors integrated into the mobile device were used to track the user’s movement. The application is also capable of providing information to the user related to their location using additional data attachments associated to the beacons. This application is only a prototype meant to provide an idea of how indoor navigation could be possible using no more than a smartphone and few BLE beacons. Even though the system proved to work quite well within the testing area, there are still plenty of aspects that can be improved

Aging and CMV Infection Affect Pre-existing SARS-CoV-2-Reactive CD8⁺ T Cells in Unexposed Individuals

加齢やサイトメガロウイルス感染が新型コロナウイルス反応性キラーT細胞に与える影響. 京都大学プレスリリース. 2021-08-23.Severe COVID-19 symptoms in the elderly are consistent with a weaker immune system. 京都大学プレスリリース. 2021-08-23.Age is a major risk factor for COVID-19 severity, and T cells play a central role in anti-SARS-CoV-2 immunity. Because SARS-CoV-2-cross-reactive T cells have been detected in unexposed individuals, we investigated the age-related differences in pre-existing SARS-CoV-2-reactive T cells. SARS-CoV-2-reactive CD4⁺ T cells from young and elderly individuals were mainly detected in the central memory fraction and exhibited similar functionalities and numbers. Naïve-phenotype SARS-CoV-2-reactive CD8⁺ T cell populations decreased markedly in the elderly, while those with terminally differentiated and senescent phenotypes increased. Furthermore, senescent SARS-CoV-2-reactive CD8⁺ T cell populations were higher in cytomegalovirus seropositive young individuals compared to seronegative ones. Our findings suggest that age-related differences in pre-existing SARS-CoV-2-reactive CD8+ T cells may explain the poor outcomes in elderly patients and that cytomegalovirus infection is a potential factor affecting CD8⁺ T cell immunity against SARS-CoV-2. Thus, this study provides insights for developing effective therapeutic and vaccination strategies for the elderly

Transient improvement of urticaria induces poor adherence as assessed by Morisky Medication Adherence Scale-8.

Poor adherence to medication is a major public health challenge. Here, we aimed to determine the adherence to oral and topical medications and to analyze underlying associated factors using the translated Japanese version of Morisky Medication Adherence Scale-8 regarding urticaria treatment. Web-based questionnaires were performed for 3096 registered dermatological patients, along with a subanalysis of 751 registered urticaria patients in this study. The adherence to oral medication was significantly associated with the frequency of hospital visits. Variables that affected the adherence to topical medication included age and experience of drug effectiveness. The rate of responses that "It felt like the symptoms had improved" varied significantly among the dermatological diseases treated with oral medications. Dermatologists should be aware that adherence to the treatment of urticaria is quite low. Regular visits and active education for patients with urticaria are mandatory in order to achieve a good therapeutic outcome by increasing the adherence

A combination of a DNA-chimera siRNA against PLK-1 and zoledronic acid suppresses the growth of malignant mesothelioma cells in vitro.

Although novel agents effective against malignant mesothelioma (MM) have been developed, the prognosis of patients with MM is still poor. We generated a DNA-chimeric siRNA against polo-like kinase-1 (PLK-1), which was more stable in human serum than the non-chimeric siRNA. The chimeric PLK-1 siRNA inhibited MM cell proliferation through the induction of apoptosis. Next, we investigated the effects of zoledronic acid (ZOL) on MM cells, and found that ZOL also induced apoptosis in MM cells. Furthermore, ZOL augmented the inhibitory effects of the PLK-1 siRNA. In conclusion, combining a PLK-1 siRNA with ZOL treatment is an attractive strategy against MM