The effect of guardians' health literacy on the child's spending time at home: A cross-sectional study among Japanese schoolchildren

Background: The contents of children's daily activities and the amount of time spent on them has been directly linked to their health and development. Parental health behavior has also been considered a key factor, and the aim of this study was to determine the relationship between parent/guardian health literacy (HL) and their child's time spent at home by behavioral types. The study was conducted in elementary schools in Japan.\ud Method: The target subjects for this study were elementary schoolchildren (all grades, aged 6 to 12 years) and their parents/guardians, and almost 3000 schoolchildren and their parents/guardians in the Northern and Southern districts in Japan participated. The questionnaire for parents/guardians included amount of time spent per day on the seven major behavioral contents of their child's time at home, on weekdays and weekends, respectively, and a shortened five-item health literacy (HL) scale. Parent/guardian HL results were categorized into two groups (low HL group and high HL group), and we analyzed the association between the HL and child's time spent at home by behavioral contents. Results: Children in the high HL parent/guardian group spent significantly less time watching TV and playing games than those in the low HL group, both on weekdays and weekends. Time spent playing outside on weekdays and on hobbies on weekdays and weekends was significantly longer for children in the high HL parent/guardian group than in the low HL group. Results of logistic regression analyses adjusted for confounders showed that higher parental/guardian HL reduced children's spending more than 30 minutes watching TV or playing games and increased children's spending more than 30 minutes on outside playing and doing hobbies. Conclusions: Parental/guardian HL affected the child's time spent at home. The results could suggest that increasing parental/guardian HL has strong potential to improve children's major lifestyle behaviors

含水スポンジの乾燥速度式における速度パラメータの算出

既報1)において，殻状乾燥モデルに基づく乾燥速度式の設定および速度パラメータの算出方法について報告した。本報では，含水スポンジを仮想食品として考えて，乾燥実験を行ない，速度パラメータの算出をした。含水スポンジは，表面収縮をしなく殻状乾燥をするので，既報の各種の乾燥速度式を検討するのに都合のよい簡単なモデル体である。球，長い円柱および無限平板状の試料について検討した結果，つぎに示すような結論が得られた。 (1) ガス境膜および乾燥殻状部拡散律速をそれぞれ仮定して誘導された積分形1)から求められた速度パラメータhm (cm3-void/cm2・min)およびkm (cm3-void/cm・min)を用いた計算結果は，試料の重さω(g)対乾燥時間θ(min)の関係で得られた実験データを満足しなかった。この原因は，速度パラメータの相関性によるものであり，非線形最小二乗法を用いた同時計算が必要であることが分った。 (2) 本研究で使用した含水スポンジは，細孔径が大きく，長い円柱および無限平板状の試料においては，未乾燥核が水の凝集力によりそれぞれ楕円体および円盤体となり，殻状乾燥モデルを満足する実験データが得られなかった。このような試料の場合に対しては，球状についての実験が必要であることが分った。 (3) 球状の試料については，実験データをよく満足する速度パラメータhmおよびkmが得られた。従来の関係式から求められる各種の推算値と比較検討を行なった。理論的により意味のある速度パラメータを得て従来の値と比較検討をしていくためには，未乾燥核の温度変化を測定する実験などを行なっていくことが必要である。 本研究で示した方法で得られる乾燥速度式は，速度パラメータの意味が究明されていかない限り半理論式的なものであるが，当面する各種の乾燥装置の設計などに対しては簡単な取り扱いをしており有用なものである。In a previous paper, we studied the drying-rate equations based on the drying-shell models and the calculation methods of the rate parameters in the rate equations. In present paper, the rate parameters of the water-absorbing sponges which are considered as imagined fiber-foods, were determined for the sphere, the long-cylinder and the infinite-slab using a non-linear least square method. The imagined fiver-foods are simple samples which have no shrinkage of surface. The calculated values using the rate parameters obtained independently from the integrated equations did not agree with the observed values. Simulate calculations of the rate parameters using a non-linear least square method were necessary. The pore diameters of the sponges used in this study were not small and the water cores of the long-cylinder and the infinite-slab were transformed into ellipsoids and the disks. The calculated results for the long-cylinder and the infinite-slab did not agree with the observed values, but in the case of the sphere the results agreed. The rate parameters in this paper are merely experimental ones, but can be adopted satisfactorily for the design of various drying apparatuses

Morphological changes in the meibomian glands of patients with phlyctenular keratitis: a multicenter cross-sectional study

Summary of 13 patients with phlyctenular keratitis. (XLSX 11 kb

Accuracy and Time Delay of Glucose Measurements of Continuous Glucose Monitoring and Bedside Artificial Pancreas During Hyperglycemic and Euglycemic Hyperinsulinemic Glucose Clamp Study

Background: Glucose values of continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) have time delays compared with plasma glucose (PG) values. Artificial pancreas (STG-55, Nikkiso, Japan) (AP), which measures venous blood glucose directly, also has a time delay because of the long tubing lines from sampling vessel to the glucose sensor. We investigate accuracy and time delay of CGM and AP in comparison with PG values during 2-step glucose clamp study. Methods: Seven patients with type 2 diabetes and 2 healthy volunteers were included in this study. CGM (Enlite sensor, Medtronic, CA) was attached on the day before the experiment. Hyperglycemic (200 mg/dL) clamp was performed for 90 minutes, followed by euglycemic (100 mg/dL) hyperinsulinemic (100 μU/mL) clamp for 90-120 minutes using AP. CGM sensor glucose was calibrated just before and after the clamp study. AP and CGM values were compared with PG values. Results: AP values were significantly lower than PG values at 5, 30 minute during hyperglycemic clamp. In comparison, CGM value at 0 minute was significantly higher, and its following values were almost significantly lower than PG values. The time delay of AP and CGM values to reach maximum glucose levels were 5.0 ± 22.3 (NS) and 28.6 ± 32.5 (p<0.05) min, respectively. Mean absolute rate difference of CGM was significantly higher than AP (24.0 ± 7.6 vs. 15.3 ± 4.6, p < 0.05) during glucose rising period (0-45 min), however, there are no significant difference during other periods. Conclusions: Both CGM and AP failed to follow plasma glucose values during non-physiologically rapid glucose rising, however, indicated accurate values during physiological glucose change

The role of declining ataxia-telangiectasia-mutated (ATM) function in oocyte aging

Despite the advances in the understanding of reproductive physiology, the mechanisms underlying ovarian aging are still not deciphered. Recent research found an association between impaired ATM-mediated DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair mechanisms and oocyte aging. However, direct evidence connecting ATM-mediated pathway function decline and impaired oocyte quality is lacking. The objective of this study was to determine the role of ATM-mediated DNA DSB repair in the maintenance of oocyte quality in a mouse oocyte knockdown model. Gene interference, in vitro culture, parthenogenesis coupled with genotoxicity assay approaches, as well as molecular cytogenetic analyses based upon next-generation sequencing, were used to test the hypothesis that intact ATM function is critical in the maintenance of oocyte quality. We found that ATM knockdown impaired oocyte quality, resulting in poor embryo development. ATM knockdown significantly lowered or blocked the progression of meiosis in vitro, as well as retarding and reducing embryo cleavage after parthenogenesis. After ATM knockdown, all embryos were of poor quality, and none reached the blastocyst stage. ATM knockdown was also associated with an increased aneuploidy rate compared to controls. Finally, ATM knockdown increased the sensitivity of the oocytes to a genotoxic active metabolite of cyclophosphamide, with increased formation of DNA DSBs, reduced survival, and earlier apoptotic death compared to controls. These findings suggest a key role for ATM in maintaining oocyte quality and resistance to genotoxic stress, and that the previously observed age-induced decline in oocyte ATM function may be a prime factor contributing to oocyte aging