Association between Polypharmacy and Adverse Events in Patients with Alzheimer's Disease: An Analysis of the Japanese Adverse Drug Event Report Database (JADER).

: Alzheimer's disease is a global health concern, with a rising prevalence among the elderly. Current pharmacological treatments, including acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (AChEIs) and N-Methyl D-Aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonists, are associated with adverse events (AEs), particularly in the context of polypharmacy. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between Alzheimer's disease treatment combinations, the number of concomitant medications, and the occurrence of AEs.

NBF2, an Algal Fiber-Rich Formula, Reverses Diabetic Dyslipidemia and Hyperglycemia In Vivo.

, known as Aonori in Japan, is an edible alga species that is mass-cultivated in Japan. Supplementation with Aonori-derived biomaterials has been reported to enhance metabolic health in previous studies. This was an experimental study that evaluated the metabolic health effects of NBF2, a formula made of algal and -derived biomaterials, on obesity and type 2 diabetes (T2DM).

The Impact of Light Touch and Pin Prick on Functional Outcomes in Patients with Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury.

A spinal cord injury (SCI) can cause severe lifelong functional disability and profoundly affect an individual's daily life. We investigated the prediction of patients' post-SCI functional outcomes by evaluating sensory scores rather than motor scores, as the latter's association with functional outcomes is well established. We examined patients' responses to a light touch (LT) and pin prick (PP) at admission and the response data's usefulness as predictors of functional outcomes (i.

COVID-19 fatality and DALYs, and associated metabolic disorders and ambient air pollutants in pre-Omicron era of the pandemic: an international comparative study.

Background: Air pollution and a number of metabolic disorders have been reported to increase the risk of severe COVID-19 outcomes. This study explored the association between severe COVID-19 outcomes, metabolic disorders and environmental air pollutants, at regional level, across 38 countries.

Methods: We conducted an ecological study using COVID-19 data related to countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), with an estimated population of 1.

A Comparison of Sleep Duration Accuracy Between Questionnaire and Accelerometer in Middle Childhood.

Purpose Healthy sleep is vital to children's well-being, and assessing sleep efficiently and accurately can help understand children's lifestyles. Due to the difficulty in objectively measuring sleep duration using wearable sensors in large-scale surveys of children, self-administered questionnaires are often used in Japan; however, their accuracy is uncertain. We evaluated and compared the accuracy of questionnaire-based sleep times to those of wearable sensors.

The number of physicians is related to the number of nighttime emergency surgeries in Japan: An ecological study.

Purpose: Increasing the number of physicians per population may improve the quality of medical services, but there are few reports on this aspect in the field of surgery. This study aimed to examine whether the number of physicians is associated with the number of nighttime emergency surgeries, which may be one of the indicators of the quality of medical services in the field of surgery.

Methods: This was a prefecture-based ecological study utilizing open data from Japanese government surveys conducted between 2015 and 2019.

Prevalence and factors related to hypouricemia and hyperuricemia in schoolchildren: results of a large-scale cross-sectional population-based study conducted in Japan.

Hypouricemia in children including renal hypouricemia, which is a major cause of exercise-induced acute renal injury (EIAKI), is an important clinical problem, in addition to hyperuricemia. However, no large-scale studies of serum uric acid (UA) concentrations in the general pre-adolescent population have been carried out. We conducted a population-based cross-sectional study to measure the prevalences of hypouricemia and hyperuricemia and identify the associated factors.

Country-level and regional COVID-19 burden and determinants across OECD member states and partner countries.

Background: COVID-19 pandemic is tremendously impacted by socioeconomic and health determinants worldwide. This study aimed to determine factors associated with COVID-19 fatality among member states and partner countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

Methods: An ecological study was conducted using COVID-19 data of 48 countries for the period between 31 December 2019-31 December 2021.

The Association between Preoperative Blood Pressure Elevations and Postoperative Adverse Outcomes after Non-cardiac Surgery: A Single-center Retrospective Observational Study.

Blood pressure (BP) often rises before surgery. This study investigated whether BP elevation immediately before surgery was associated with adverse outcomes. Medical records of 11,732 patients (average age: 61 years; male: 47.

COVID-19 outbreak trends in South Africa: A comparison of Omicron (B.1.1.529), Delta (B.1.617.2), and Beta (B.1.351) variants outbreak periods.

Objectives: We provided COVID-19 outbreak trends in South Africa during the Omicron (B.1.1.

Trends in per Capita Food and Protein Availability at the National Level of the Southeast Asian Countries: An Analysis of the FAO's Food Balance Sheet Data from 1961 to 2018.

We aimed to analyze the temporal trends in the per capita food (kcal/day/person) and protein (g/day/person) availability at the national level in the Southeast Asian (SEA) countries from 1961 to 2018. To avoid intercountry variations and errors, we used a dataset derived from the FAO's old and new food balance sheets. We used the joinpoint model and the jump model to analyze the temporal trends.

Quality of Life and Mental Health Status of Japanese Older People Living in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

This study aimed to establish the quality of life and mental health status among older Japanese people living in Chiang Mai, Thailand. We conducted a questionnaire survey among Japanese retired people aged 50 years or over who had been living in Thailand. The questionnaire covered socio-demographic variables including health status and ability to communicate in Thai.

Occupational COVID-19 Prevention among Congolese Healthcare Workers: Knowledge, Practices, PPE Compliance, and Safety Imperatives.

The SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic has had a tremendous impact on the functionality of health systems and world affairs. We assessed knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAPs) of healthcare workers (HCWs) in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). This was a cross-sectional study conducted in 23 referral hospitals located in three towns of the DRC (Lubumbashi, Kamina, Mbuji-Mayi).

Face-to-Face Exercises Performed by Instructors to Improve the Mental Health of Japanese in the Community-A Randomized Control Trial.

The purpose of this study is to clarify the effects on the mental health of face-to-face exercise performed by an instructor (lesson-style Group: Group L) and exercise using machines (program-style Group: Group P) by randomized control trial. Among 120 subjects, 117 subjects were allocated to two groups with stratified randomization by sex (Group P: 58 subjects; Group L: 59 subjects). A 60-min health exercise class was held once per week for 12 consecutive weeks.

Temporal Trends in Apparent Energy and Macronutrient Intakes in the Diet in Bangladesh: A Joinpoint Regression Analysis of the FAO's Food Balance Sheet Data from 1961 to 2017.

We analyzed the temporal trends and significant changes in apparent energy and macronutrient intakes in the Bangladeshi diet from 1961 to 2017. Due to the lack of a long-running national dietary intake dataset, this study used the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)'s old and new food balance sheet dataset. We used the joinpoint regression model and jump model to analyze the temporal trends in apparent energy and macronutrient intakes.

Trends in COVID-19 Outbreak in Tokyo and Osaka from January 25 to May 6, 2020: a Joinpoint Regression Analysis of the Outbreak Data.

We analyzed the trends of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak in Tokyo and Osaka from January 25 to May 6, 2020. To analyze the trends and identify significant changes in them, we performed a joinpoint regression analysis. From the last week of March, the number of COVID-19 cases soared in Tokyo (β = 103.

Temporal Trends in Apparent Food Consumption in Bangladesh: A Joinpoint Regression Analysis of FAO's Food Balance Sheet Data from 1961 to 2013.

We analyzed the temporal trends and significant changes in apparent food consumption or availabilityin Bangladesh from 1961 to 2013. Due to the lack of a long-term national dietary intake dataset, this study used data derived from the FAO's food balance sheets. We used joinpoint regression analysis to identify significant changes in the temporal trends.

Quality of dying and death desired by residents of Kagawa Prefecture, Japan: a qualitative study.

Background: Achieving a desirable death is an urgent aging-related problem in Japan. However, measures of the quality of death and dying in Japan are lacking. This study aimed to identify components of a desirable death in the residents of Kagawa prefecture, Japan, through focus group interviews.

Behavior problems and dysfunctional parenting: Cross-sectional study in Japan.

Background: The Japanese government has established a law encouraging early detection and treatment of developmental disorders in children. Child behavior problems (CBP) tend to be recognized at school as a result of developmental disorders. The aim of this study was to identify factors associated with CBP in Japan.

Long-term effects of low-intensity training with slow movement on motor function of elderly patients: a prospective observational study.

Background: Slow-motion training, which comprises exercising using extremely slow-movements, yields a training effect like that of high-intensity training, even when the applied load is small. We developed a slow-training exercise program that allows elderly people to safely use their own body weight without a machine. Previously, it was confirmed that functional gait and lower limb muscle strength were improved by low-intensity training using bodyweight training for 3 months.

Lung-thorax compliance measured during a spontaneous breathing trial is a good index of extubation failure in the surgical intensive care unit: a retrospective cohort study.

Background: Extubation failure is associated with mortality and morbidity in the intensive care unit. Ventilator weaning protocols have been introduced, and extubation is conducted based on the results of a spontaneous breathing trial. Room for improvement still exists in extubation management, and additional objective indices may improve the safety of the weaning and extubation process.

Effects of low-intensity bodyweight training with slow movement on motor function in frail elderly patients: a prospective observational study.

Background: Slow-motion training, an exercise marked by extremely slow movements, yields a training effect like that of a highly intense training, even when the applied load is small. This study evaluated the effects of low-intensity bodyweight training with slow movement on motor function in frail, elderly patients.

Methods: Ninety-seven elderly men and women aged 65 years or older, whose level of nursing care was classified as either support required (1 and 2) or long-term care required (care level 1 and 2), volunteered to participate.

The linkage among ambulance transports, death and climate parameters in Asahikawa City, Japan.

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the linkage among climate parameters, total ambulance transports and the number of deaths in Asahikawa City in northern Japan.

Methods: Monthly data on total ambulance transports and the number of deaths from January 2004 to December 2011 were obtained from Asahikawa City Fire Department and the Asahikawa City official website. Climate parameters for the required period were also obtained from the Japan Meteorological Agency, Japan.