Hirosaki University of Health and Welfare

Background/Objectives: Although medical radiation practice is essential for current medical care, many nursing students and nurses lack sufficient basic knowledge about radiation, and they are unfamiliar with learning about it. This study aimed to evaluate the usefulness of self-made video teaching materials for radiation education for nursing students and nurses after clarifying their basic knowledge of radiation. Methods: Educational video materials were developed to provide basic radiation knowledge. The video materials included scenes of radiation measurement, such as the attenuation of scattered X-rays with distance, and illustrations drawn by nursing students to make them familiar to nursing staff. This study included 29 nursing students and 16 nurses. The participants were instructed to answer 20 questions regarding the characteristics of radiation and its influence and protection measures. The same questions were asked again after watching the video materials. Results: Nursing students and nurses correctly recognized the classification of medical or occupational exposure and the three principles for reducing external exposure; however, it became clear that dose limits do not apply to medical exposure and that radiation units and their effects on the human body were not correctly recognized. Furthermore, the educational materials were effective because the scores and the percentage of correct answers increased after viewing the video materials. Furthermore, positive comments were expressed regarding the scenes of the experiments and the illustrations drawn by the students about the teaching materials. Conclusions: The contents that should be addressed more intensively were clarified, and the effectiveness of using video teaching materials in radiation nursing education was demonstrated.

Purpose A non-targeted effect called radiation-induced cohort effect, which results in interactions among irradiated neighboring cells through cellular communication, has been reported. In high-precision radiotherapy, the dose is localized to the tumor, and rapid spatial changes occur in dose distribution. However, the effect of irradiating a population of cells with non-uniform doses remains unknown. In this study, we evaluated the influence of cohort effect by creating cell populations irradiated with different doses using human oral squamous cell carcinoma (SAS) and human lung (A549) cells. Materials and methods Cell populations irradiated with different doses were created in two ways: direct contact co-culture (DCC) using a cell tracer dye and indirect contact co-culture (ICC) using cell culture inserts to assess the effects of soluble factors. Target cells were irradiated with 4 Gy and co-cultured cells with 0, 0.8, 3.2, and 4 Gy. In DCC, cell proliferation assays were performed using a flow cytometer, and in ICC, modified high-density survival, clonogenic, and apoptosis assays were performed. Results In DCC, irradiation of co-cultured cells with X-rays increased the relative proliferation rate of the target cells. Similarly, irradiating co-cultured cells using ICC with X-rays increased the relative survival rate of target cells. Conclusions The results of this study showed that, even if there is a sharp decrease in dose near the tumor, the cytocidal effect on the tumor is not adversely affected. In addition, soluble factors were found to be involved in cohort effect.

The purpose of this study was to clarify the factors related to preparatory behaviors for death of older women who lost their husbands before old age and are now in old age. Five older women who lost their husbands before old age were interviewed. Data were analyzed using Steps for Coding and Theorization (SCAT), which is a qualitative data analysis method using four-step coding. Factors related to preparatory behaviors for death were generated in three categories, such as behaviors that help in adapting to life without a spouse, behaviors that aim at seeking to live better, and behaviors that prepare for the final stages of life. Behaviors that help in adapting to life without a spouse included time factors, living factors, financial factors, health factors, and family factors related to the opportunity and room to think about their death. In behaviors that aim at seeking to live better, it was the action factors with a view to enjoyment and death, such as goal factors, internal factors, acceptance factors for aging, and acceptance factors towards death. Behaviors that prepare for the final stages of life included recognition of preparatory behaviors, expectations for preparatory behaviors, actual preparatory behaviors, and the matter that revealed in preparatory behaviors. These were not behaviors of a particular order, but occur naturally as part of a spouseless life.

Introduction:To evaluate fall-prevention rehabilitative slippers for use by self-caring, independent older adults.Materials and Methods:This assessor-blinded, randomized, and controlled 1-year study included 59 self-caring, independent participants (49 women) who attended day services. The mean age of participants was 84.0 ± 5.3 years. Participants were randomly selected from 8 nursing homes. We tested slippers top-weighted with a lead bead (200, 300, or 400 g). Intervention group participants walked while wearing the slippers for 10-20 min, 1-3 days/week at the day service center. Fall risk was measured using the Berg Balance Scale and the Tinetti Performance-Oriented Mobility Assessment (POMA) before and at 3-month intervals after the intervention/control phase.Results:After 12 months, the intervention group demonstrated significant improvement. Berg Balance and POMA compared to the control group (p < .05 p < .01, respectively). Mobility scores improved significantly for both measurements in the intervention group before and after (p < .01), but the control group had significantly lower scores.Discussion:Overall, falls decreased in the intervention group from 10 to 7, and control group falls increased from 9 to 16 (p = .02). No adverse events related to the intervention were reported.Conclusions:Rehabilitation training slippers may reduce falls in older adults.

The research objective is to clarify the awareness of nursing care workers how they perceive “Individuality” of users and what they actually do to respect “individuality” when providing cares. We had semi-structured interview among 20 nursing care workers who worked at care welfare facilities over three years. We prepared verbatim and qualitatively analyzed data using inductive approach. As a result, we had 52 codes, 13 sub-categories and 6 categories, and found that nursing care workers provide essential care “now” and “here” for individual users. The word, “individuality” includes the consistency sought when providing cares and the uniqueness of individual nursing care workers with a certain balance, and this shows unique relationship of users and nursing care workers.

Biotransformations of citronellal and geranial were carried out using Botrytis cinerea as a biocatalyst. Biotransformation of citronellal using B. cinerea produced 100% citronellol on the third day. Conversely, no reaction was observed when citronellol was added to culture containing B. cinerea. Biotransformation of geranial using B. cinerea produced almost 100% geraniol after 18 h. Biotransformation of citral (mixture of neral and geranial) using B. cinerea produced almost 100% citrol (nerol and geraniol) on the third day. Examination of the antimicrobial activity of the related compounds revealed that citronellal and citronellol showed activity against Escherichia coli (ATCC 25922), methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Candida albicans but showed no activity against enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) or Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The same findings were obtained using the sensitive disc method: citronellal and citronellol showed activity against Escherichia coli (ATCC 25922), MRSA and Candida albicans but not EHEC or Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

We investigated the hydrodistillation (HD) and supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) methods for the extraction of essential oils with antibacterial actions from lavender for use in aromatherapy and cosmetics. Extracts were analyzed by flame ionization detector-gas chromatography and mass spectrometer-gas chromatography. The HD method extracted 66 compounds, while SFE extracted 46. The principal components of the oils extracted by HD were linalyl acetate (25.3%), terpinen-4-ol (16.4%), and linalool (13.0%). The principal components extracted by SFE were linalyl acetate (30.6%), terpinen-4-ol (14.1%), and lavandulyl acetate (8.4%). The extraction rate of essential oil for the SFE method was at least 10 times that for the HD method. We also clarified that SFE is suitable for obtaining compounds that are unstable at relatively high temperatures and that HD is suitable for compounds with high volatility.