Generation of Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells and Neural Stem/Progenitor Cells from Newborns with Spina Bifida Aperta

Study DesignWe established induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and neural stem/progenitor cells (NSPCs) from three newborns with spina bifida aperta (SBa) using clinically practical methods.PurposeWe aimed to develop stem cell lines derived from newborns with SBa for future therapeutic use.Overview of LiteratureSBa is a common congenital spinal cord abnormality that causes defects in neurological and urological functions. Stem cell transplantation therapies are predicted to provide beneficial effects for patients with SBa. However, the availability of appropriate cell sources is inadequate for clinical use because of their limited accessibility and expandability, as well as ethical issues.MethodsFibroblast cultures were established from small fragments of skin obtained from newborns with SBa during SBa repair surgery. The cultured cells were transfected with episomal plasmid vectors encoding reprogramming factors necessary for generating iPSCs. These cells were then differentiated into NSPCs by chemical compound treatment, and NSPCs were expanded using neurosphere technology.ResultsWe successfully generated iPSC lines from the neonatal dermal fibroblasts of three newborns with SBa. We confirmed that these lines exhibited the characteristics of human pluripotent stem cells. We successfully generated NSPCs from all SBa newborn-derived iPSCs with a combination of neural induction and neurosphere technology.ConclusionsWe successfully generated iPSCs and iPSC-NSPCs from surgical samples obtained from newborns with SBa with the goal of future clinical use in patients with SBa

The Survey Measure of Psychological Safety and Its Association with Mental Health and Job Performance: A Validation Study and Cross-Sectional Analysis

Objectives: This study validated the Japanese version of O’Donovan et al.’s (2020) composite measure of the psychological safety scale and examined the associations of psychological safety with mental health and job-related outcomes. Methods: Online surveys were administered twice to Japanese employees in teams of more than three members. Internal consistency and test–retest reliability were tested using Cronbach’s α and intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC), respectively. Structural validity was examined using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and exploratory factor analysis (EFA). Convergent validity was tested using Pearson’s correlation coefficients. Multiple linear regression analyses were conducted to examine the relationship between psychological safety and psychological distress, work engagement, job performance, and job satisfaction. Results: Two hundred healthcare workers and 200 non-healthcare workers were analyzed. Internal consistency, test–retest reliability, and convergent validity were acceptable. CFA demonstrated poor fit, and EFA yielded a two-factor structure, with team leader as one factor and peers and team forming the second factor. The total score showed significant and expected associations with all outcomes in the adjusted model for all workers. Conclusions: The Japanese version of the measure of the psychological safety scale presented good reliability and validity. Psychological safety is important for employees’ mental health and performance

Euthymia scale as a protective factor for depressive symptoms: a one-year follow-up longitudinal study

Abstract Objectives This study aimed to examine whether a high score on the euthymia scale (ES) predicts a low incidence of depressive symptoms one year later. Methods The baseline online survey was conducted in February 2020, and a follow-up survey was done in February 2021. Japanese over 20 years old were enrolled. Respondents who answered both baseline and follow-up, and without depressive symptoms at baseline were included in the analysis. The euthymia scores at baseline was measured by the 10 items of the Japanese version of the ES. Depressive symptoms at follow-up were determined if participants showed either depressive feelings or anhedonia. The odds ratio (OR) was calculated using multivariate logistic regression analysis, adjusting for age, gender, marital status, educational attainment, and clinical visit for depressive episode before the baseline survey. Results The total of 624 participants were analyzed. A total of n = 63 (10.1%) presented depressive symptom at follow-up. A high ES score significantly predicted a lower incidence of depressive symptoms, after adjusting for covariates (aOR = 0.81 [95% confidence interval: 0.72–0.89]). Using the cutoff score retrieved from this data, a high ES score (7 or more) showed the same tendency, compared to a low ES score (< 7) (aOR = 0.46 [0.25–0.83]). Conclusions This study suggests the predictive usefulness of euthymia for subsequent depressive symptoms. Further investigation is needed by employing rigid diagnostic criteria

Preconception menstrual cycle disorder and antenatal depression: a cross-sectional study with prerecorded information

Objectives This study aimed to evaluate the association between pre-pregnancy menstrual cycle characteristics (i.e. cycle-length variability and cycle length) and antenatal depression. Methods This study retrieved the data from the baseline survey of the randomized controlled trial with pregnant women at 16–20 weeks gestation who used a pregnancy tracking app. The antenatal depression was assessed using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) at 16–20 weeks gestation, and the cutoff point of 10/11 was adopted. Pre-conceptional menstrual cycle information was obtained via a prerecorded period tracking app. Cycle-length variability was defined as the average difference in the lengths between cycles, dichotomized into regular (≤6 days) and irregular (>6 days). Cycle length was coded as a categorical variable: 6 days) was significantly associated with high EPDS scores (adjusted: standardized beta = 0.049, p = 0.003) and with high cutoff EPDS scores (over 11) (adjusted OR = 1.40 [1.02–1.94], p = 0.038) but not with cycle length. Conclusion Irregular menstrual cycle before pregnancy was associated with depression during pregnancy. The health of the menstrual cycle during preconception needs to be further explored to promote healthy maternal mental health

Effectiveness of an Internet-Based Machine-Guided Stress Management Program Based on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Improving Depression Among Workers: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial

BackgroundThe effect of an unguided internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy (iCBT) stress management program on depression may be enhanced by applying artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to guide participants adopting the program. ObjectiveThe aim of this study is to describe a research protocol to investigate the effect of a newly developed iCBT stress management program adopting AI technologies on improving depression among healthy workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. MethodsThis study is a two-arm, parallel, randomized controlled trial. Participants (N=1400) will be recruited, and those who meet the inclusion criteria will be randomly allocated to the intervention or control (treatment as usual) group. A 6-week, six-module, internet-based stress management program, SMART-CBT, has been developed that includes machine-guided exercises to help participants acquire CBT skills, and it applies machine learning and deep learning technologies. The intervention group will participate in the program for 10 weeks. The primary outcome, depression, will be measured using the Beck Depression Inventory II at baseline and 3- and 6-month follow-ups. A mixed model repeated measures analysis will be used to test the intervention effect (group × time interactions) in the total sample (universal prevention) on an intention-to-treat basis. ResultsThe study was at the stage of recruitment of participants at the time of submission. The data analysis related to the primary outcome will start in January 2022, and the results might be published in 2022 or 2023. ConclusionsThis is the first study to investigate the effectiveness of a fully automated machine-guided iCBT program for improving subthreshold depression among workers using a randomized controlled trial design. The study will explore the potential of a machine-guided stress management program that can be disseminated online to a large number of workers with minimal cost in the post–COVID-19 era. Trial RegistrationUMIN Clinical Trials Registry（UMIN-CTR) UMIN000043897; https://upload.umin.ac.jp/cgi-open-bin/ctr_e/ctr_view.cgi?recptno=R000050125 International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)PRR1-10.2196/3030

Internet-based acceptance and commitment therapy programme ‘Happiness Mom’ for well-being: a protocol for a randomised controlled trial

Introduction This randomised controlled trial (RCT) aims to examine the effects of an internet-delivered acceptance and commitment therapy (iACT) programme (‘Happiness Mom’) on the psychological well-being of working mothers.Methods and analysis The target population of the RCT will be employed mothers with at least one preschool child. Participants who fulfil the study’s eligibility criteria will be randomly assigned either to an iACT intervention group (n=200) or to a wait-list control group (n=200). Participants in the intervention groups will be asked to complete the programme within 12 weeks of the baseline survey. The intervention programme contains eight modules based on ACT. Primary outcomes are six components of psychological well-being, based on Ryff’s theory. Secondary outcomes are intention to leave their job, work engagement, work performance, sick leave days, psychological distress, euthymia, positive emotions, job and life satisfaction, social support and parental burn-out.Ethics and dissemination Ethical approval for this study has been obtained from the Research Ethics Review Board of Graduate School of Medicine, the University of Tokyo (No. 2019134NI). If the intervention programmes are found to be significantly beneficial, the programmes can be made available for all working mothers with preschool children in Japan.Discussion This study will contribute to the development of an internet-based self-care programme that is effective, feasible, low cost and accessible to improve the well-being of working mothers.Trial registration number UMIN000039918

Association between school bullying experience and work-related subjective well-being: A systematic review

Objectives: Work-related subjective well-being (SWB) may be negatively affected by early-life adverse experiences, such as school bullying experience. This study aimed to identify the association between work-related SWB and school bullying experiences. Methods: A systematic review was conducted using five electronic databases to search for published observational studies from inception to May 5th, 2022. Eligibility criteria included the original papers in English, which measured school bullying experiences and work-related SWB (eg, satisfaction, engagement). Eight researchers independently conducted screening and a full-text review. We used the Risk of Bias Assessment tool for Non-randomized Studies to assess the certainty of the evidence. Narrative data were summarized. The study has been registered at UMIN-CTR (UMIN000040513). Results: A total of 6,842 studies were initially searched. We included two cross-sectional studies. Both studies were rated as high risk for bias in exposure measurements and incomplete outcome data. These studies showed conflicting results. One study reported that school bullying was negatively associated with job satisfaction among British lesbian, gay, or bisexual workers; on the other hand, another study reported that school bullying was positively associated with work engagement among Japanese workers. Conclusions: We found limited inconsistent evidence for the association between work-related SWB and school bullying experiences