子守帯の快適性評価 : 官能評価と接触圧からの検討

In this study, to design comfortable baby carriers, we determined the burden on the wearer. Sensory evaluation and contact pressure were used to evaluate five types of baby carriers. The test subjects were three healthy adult women who carried a dummy approximate to a six-month-old baby. The subjects evaluated the fit of the baby carrier immediately after putting it on, and then after an activity. They also evaluated the sense of burden on different parts of the body when wearing the carrier. Contact pressure was measured with airpack sensors while the subjects were walking or resting. The results show that the type of baby carrier affected the contact pressure and the fit in the vertical holding position. A correlation, r, of 0.554 was obtained between the fit and the largest contact pressure immediately after the baby carrier was worn. Further, the correlation between the largest contact pressure during the entire activity period and the fit after the activity increased to r=0.669. While wearing the carrier, the fit at the focus area of contact pressure worsened after the activity. These findings show that, when designing baby carriers, stabilizing and distributing contact pressure points will effectively improve the fit. The findings also indicate the usefulness of the largest contact pressure as a means of objectively evaluating baby carriers

COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness against severe COVID-19 requiring oxygen therapy, invasive mechanical ventilation, and death in Japan: A multicenter case-control study (MOTIVATE study).

INTRODUCTION: Since the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant became dominant, assessing COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness (VE) against severe disease using hospitalization as an outcome became more challenging due to incidental infections via admission screening and variable admission criteria, resulting in a wide range of estimates. To address this, the World Health Organization (WHO) guidance recommends the use of outcomes that are more specific to severe pneumonia such as oxygen use and mechanical ventilation. METHODS: A case-control study was conducted in 24 hospitals in Japan for the Delta-dominant period (August-November 2021; "Delta") and early Omicron (BA.1/BA.2)-dominant period (January-June 2022; "Omicron"). Detailed chart review/interviews were conducted in January-May 2023. VE was measured using various outcomes including disease requiring oxygen therapy, disease requiring invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV), death, outcome restricting to "true" severe COVID-19 (where oxygen requirement is due to COVID-19 rather than another condition(s)), and progression from oxygen use to IMV or death among COVID-19 patients. RESULTS: The analysis included 2125 individuals with respiratory failure (1608 cases [75.7%]; 99.2% of vaccinees received mRNA vaccines). During Delta, 2 doses provided high protection for up to 6 months (oxygen requirement: 95.2% [95% CI:88.7-98.0%] [restricted to "true" severe COVID-19: 95.5% {89.3-98.1%}]; IMV: 99.6% [97.3-99.9%]; fatal: 98.6% [92.3-99.7%]). During Omicron, 3 doses provided high protection for up to 6 months (oxygen requirement: 85.5% [68.8-93.3%] ["true" severe COVID-19: 88.1% {73.6-94.7%}]; IMV: 97.9% [85.9-99.7%]; fatal: 99.6% [95.2-99.97]). There was a trend towards higher VE for more severe and specific outcomes. CONCLUSION: Multiple outcomes pointed towards high protection of 2 doses during Delta and 3 doses during Omicron. These results demonstrate the importance of using severe and specific outcomes to accurately measure VE against severe COVID-19, as recommended in WHO guidance in settings of intense transmission as seen during Omicron

As alforrias e o papel da etnia na escravidão urbana: Salvador, Brasil, 1808-1888

O objetivo deste trabalho é estudar a alforria de escravos em um dos principais portos brasileiros ao longo de oitenta anos, desde fins do período colonial (1808) até a abolição da escravidão em 1888, dando sequências e suplementando os estudos sobre alforrias na Bahia a já publicados por Stuart B. Schwartz (para o período 1684-1745) e Kátia M. de Queirós Mattoso (para 1779-1850). Adicionalmente, pretende-se contribuir para os estudos sobre as alforrias em geral, enfocando o papel da etnia na comunidade cativa do Novo Mundo.The aim of this article is to discuss the manumission of slaves in a major Brazilian port dty during eighty years from the late colonial period (1808) to the abolition of slavery (1888). This study follows and supplements the preceding manumission studies in Bahia by Stuart B. Schwartz (for 1684-1745) and Kdtia M. de Queirds Mattoso (for 1779-1850), and furthermore contributes to manumission studies in general by calling special attention to ethnicity in the New World slave community