The Relationship Between Information Sources, Health Literacy, and COVID-19 Knowledge in the COVID-19 Infodemic: Cross-sectional Online Study in Japan

[Background:] The COVID-19 pandemic has caused not only a disease epidemic but also an infodemic. Due to the increased use of the internet and social media, along with the development of communication technology, information has spread faster and farther during the COVID-19 infodemic. Moreover, the increased choice of information sources has made it more difficult to make sound decisions regarding information. Although social media is the most common source of misinformation, other forms of media can also spread misinformation. However, the media sources used by people with high health literacy and COVID-19 knowledge to obtain information are unclear. Furthermore, the association between the use of multiple information sources and health literacy or COVID-19 knowledge is ill-defined. [Objective:] This study aims to examine the following 3 aspects regarding the COVID-19 infodemic: (1) the relationship between health literacy, COVID-19 knowledge, and the number of information sources used; (2) the impact of media use on health literacy; and (3) the impact of media use on COVID-19 knowledge. [Methods:] An online cross-sectional study was conducted in November 2021. Participants were 477 individuals aged 20-69 years. After obtaining consent to participate in the study, participants were asked about sociodemographic indicators, sources of health-related information, health literacy, and COVID-19 knowledge. Sources of health-related information were categorized into 4 types: mass media, digital media, social media, and face-to-face communication. The Spearman rank correlation test was conducted to determine the relationship between health literacy, the number of correct answers to COVID-19 knowledge, and the number of information sources used. Multiple regression analysis was conducted with health literacy and the number of correct answers as dependent variables, the 4 media types as independent variables, and age and sex as adjustment variables. [Results:] Mass media was the most frequently used source of information, followed by digital media, face-to-face communication, and social media. Social media use was significantly higher among individuals aged 20-29 years than among other age groups. Significant positive correlations were found between health literacy, the number of positive responses to COVID-19 knowledge, and the number of information sources used. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that health literacy is associated with access to information from digital media and face-to-face communication. Additionally, COVID-19 knowledge was associated with access to information from mass media, digital media, and face-to-face communication. [Conclusions:] Health literacy and COVID-19 knowledge could be improved using diverse information sources, especially by providing opportunities to use digital media and face-to-face communication. Furthermore, it may be important to improve health literacy and provide accurate knowledge about COVID-19 to young adults

地域の「稼ぐ力」を促進するDMOの在り方―米国カリフォルニア州ナパ・バレー DMO の事例から―

日本版DMO（Destination Management/Marketing Organization）候補法人の登録が開始されてから3年が経過した。DMOの役割・機能は非営利的な活動が主であるが、DMOが成果として期待されることは、観光を通じて地域の「稼ぐ力」を引き出し、地域に継続的な経済効果を産むことにある。また、DMOは、独立した法人としての自律的・継続的な活動のための安定的な運営資金を確保することが必要となる。そこで、本稿は、米国の先進事例として、米国カリフォルニア州ナパ・バレーのVisit Napa Valley（公式DMO）を取り上げ、その公表データにより概要と戦略を把握することを目的とした。Visit Napa Valleyは“プレミア”な地域としての有り様と目標を示しながら、ラグジュアリー・トラベラー（富裕層の旅行者）に対する戦略を行なっていること、地域のマーケティング活動などにかかる独自財源の安定的な確保する仕組みであるTID（Tourism Improvement District）で運営資金を確保し、同組織の活動の結果を広く公開して成果を明示していることがわかった。今後の日本版 DMOの方向性を示す指針となると考えられる

An Investigation into the Genetic History of Japanese Populations of Three Starfish, Acanthaster planci, Linckia laevigata, and Asterias amurensis, Based on Complete Mitochondrial DNA Sequences

Crown-of-thorns starfish, Acanthaster planci (COTS), are common in coral reefs of Indo-Pacific Ocean. Since they are highly fecund predators of corals, periodic outbreaks of COTS cause substantial loss of healthy coral reefs. Using complete mitochondrial DNA sequences, we here examined how COTS outbreaks in the Ryukyu Archipelago, Japan are reflected by the profile of their population genetics. Population genetics of the blue starfish, Linckia laevigata, which lives in the Ryukyu Archipelago, but not break out and the northern Pacific sea star, Asterias amurensis, which lives in colder seawater around the main Islands of Japan, were also examined as controls. Our results showed that As. amurensis has at least two local populations that diverged approximately 4.7 million years ago (MYA), and no genetic exchanges have occurred between the populations since then. Linckia laevigata shows two major populations in the Ryukyu Archipelago that likely diverged approximately 6.8 MYA. The two populations, each comprised of individuals collected from coast of the Okinawa Island and those from the Ishigaki Island, suggest the presence of two cryptic species in the Ryukyu Archipelago. On the other hand, population genetics of COTS showed a profile quite different from those of Asterias and Linckia At least five lineages of COTS have arisen since their divergence approximately 0.7 MYA, and each of the lineages is present at the Okinawa Island, Miyako Island, and Ishigaki Island. These results suggest that COTS have experienced repeated genetic bottlenecks that may be associated with or caused by repeated outbreaks

Structural basis for the sequence-specific RNA-recognition mechanism of human CUG-BP1 RRM3

The CUG-binding protein 1 (CUG-BP1) is a member of the CUG-BP1 and ETR-like factors (CELF) family or the Bruno-like family and is involved in the control of splicing, translation and mRNA degradation. Several target RNA sequences of CUG-BP1 have been predicted, such as the CUG triplet repeat, the GU-rich sequences and the AU-rich element of nuclear pre-mRNAs and/or cytoplasmic mRNA. CUG-BP1 has three RNA-recognition motifs (RRMs), among which the third RRM (RRM3) can bind to the target RNAs on its own. In this study, we solved the solution structure of the CUG-BP1 RRM3 by hetero-nuclear NMR spectroscopy. The CUG-BP1 RRM3 exhibited a noncanonical RRM fold, with the four-stranded b-sheet surface tightly associated with the N-terminal extension. Furthermore, we determined the solution structure of the CUG-BP1 RRM3 in the complex with (UG)3 RNA, and discovered that the UGU trinucleotide is specifically recognized through extensive stacking interactions and hydrogen bonds within the pocket formed by the b-sheet surface and the N-terminal extension. This study revealed the unique mechanism that enables the CUG-BP1 RRM3 to discriminate the short RNA segment from other sequences, thus providing the molecular basis for the comprehension of the role of the RRM3s in the CELF/Bruno-like family

Western North Pacific Integrated Physical-Biogeochemical Ocean Observation Experiment (INBOX): Part 1.Specifications and chronology of the S1-INBOX floats

An interdisciplinary project called the Western North Pacific Integrated Physical-Biogeochemical Ocean Observation Experiment (INBOX) has been conducted since 2011. In the oligotrophic subtropics south of the Kuroshio Extension near biogeochemical mooring S1 (30° N, 145° E), 18 floats, each with a dissolved oxygen sensor, have been deployed in a 150 × 150 km square area. With the horizontal (30 km) and temporal (2 days) resolution of the data, we observed an upper ocean structure associated with mesoscale eddies and ocean responses to atmospheric forcing. The data set obtained from the S1-INBOX study was used to elucidate the impacts of physical processes on biogeochemical phenomena. This article is the first in a series of articles: specific information about the floats and a chronology of events are provided

Phylogenetic Analysis of Cellulolytic Enzyme Genes from Representative Lineages of Termites and a Related Cockroach

The relationship between xylophagous termites and the protists resident in their hindguts is a textbook example of symbiosis. The essential steps of lignocellulose degradation handled by these protists allow the host termites to thrive on a wood diet. There has never been a comprehensive analysis of lignocellulose degradation by protists, however, as it has proven difficult to establish these symbionts in pure culture. The trends in lignocellulose degradation during the evolution of the host lineage are also largely unknown. To clarify these points without any cultivation technique, we performed meta-expressed sequence tag (EST) analysis of cDNA libraries originating from symbiotic protistan communities in four termite species and a wood-feeding cockroach. Our results reveal the establishment of a degradation system with multiple enzymes at the ancestral stage of termite-protistan symbiosis, especially GHF5 and 7. According to our phylogenetic analyses, the enzymes comprising the protistan lignocellulose degradation system are coded not only by genes innate to the protists, but also genes acquired by the protists via lateral transfer from bacteria. This gives us a fresh perspective from which to understand the evolutionary dynamics of symbiosis

Brief Questioning by Nursing Staffs before Endoscopic Examination May Not Always Pick Up Clinical Symptoms of Endoscopic Reflux Esophagitis

The clinical features of patients reflux esophagitis without any symptoms have not been clearly demonstrated. This study evaluated the clinical features of patients with endoscopy-positive reflux esophagitis, who did not complain of symptoms, as detected by brief questioning by nursing staffs. Eight thousand and thirty-one patients not taking medication for gastrointestinal disease, were briefly asked about the presence of heartburn, dysphagia, odynophagia and acid regurgitation by nursing staffs before endoscopy for assessment of esophagitis utilizing the Los Angeles Classification. Endoscopically, 1199 (14.9%) patients were classified as positive for reflux esophagitis. The endoscope positive subjects who complain heartburn were 539/1199 (45.0%).The endoscope positive subjects who do not complain symptoms were 465 in 1199 positive reflux esophagitis (38.8%). We compared endoscopic positive subjects without any complain by brief question by nursing staffs to endoscopic positive subjects with heartburn. Male gender, no obesity, absence of hiatus hernia, and low-grade esophagitis were associated with endoscopy-positive patients who do not complain of symptoms. The results of this study indicated correct detection of clinical symptoms of reflux esophagitis might be not easy with brief questioning by nursing staffs before endoscopic examination