Background: Living alone and limited social interaction are associated with frailty, while low satisfaction with interactions is associated with negative health outcomes. However, the effects of living arrangements, interaction frequency, and interaction satisfaction on physical frailty remain unclear. This study examined the associations among living arrangements, the frequency and satisfaction of social interactions, and physical frailty among community-dwelling older adults. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 5,538 community-dwelling adults aged 60 or older living in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. The revised Japanese version of the Cardiovascular Health Study criteria evaluated physical frailty. Frequency and satisfaction of social interactions were evaluated using the National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology–Social Network Scale (SNS). Logistic regression analysis was conducted by living arrangement, with physical frailty as the dependent variable and the SNS as the explanatory variable. In the sensitivity analysis, SNS was categorized into two groups based on the median, then combined with living arrangements into four groups to examine the association with physical frailty. Results: A total of 338 (6.3%) participants were classified as physically frail. Participants with high SNS scores showed significantly lower odds of physical frailty regardless of living arrangement (OR: 0.36, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.16-0.80; OR: 0.66, 95% CI: 0.45-0.96). Sensitivity analysis similarly showed the high SNS group had lower ORs for physical frailty, regardless of living arrangements. Conclusion High frequency and satisfaction with social interactions were negatively associated with physical frailty, suggesting that enhancing both aspects of social engagement may be beneficial.

Objective: The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variant B.1.1.529 (Omicron) was first detected in Japan in November 2021. In Osaka, public health centres subsequently increased active case finding and encouraged self-isolation. This study investigated the effectiveness of these countermeasures. Methods: Cases targeted for analysis were persons who had neither recently travelled abroad nor had contact with foreign tourists but tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 between 24 November 2021 and 4 January 2022 and were suspected or confirmed to have the Omicron variant. We performed a descriptive analysis and calculated the reproduction number (R) for each generation using the branching process method. Genomic sequencing data were analysed to plot a haplotype network. Results: A total of 251 cases were analysed. The median age was 30 years, and 46% (115/251) were in their 20s or younger. The first Omicron case in Osaka was detected on 21 December 2021. Local public health centres conducted health monitoring and contact tracing. We analysed R, using information from six clusters, including 42 pairs with a clear relationship between the case and the infected contact (infector–infectee pairs); the clusters had 19, 21 and 2 cases in each subsequent generation. The basic R (t = 0) was estimated to be 3.2, and subsequent generations (t = 1, 2) of R decreased to 1.1 and 0.1, respectively. The haplotype network showed that these cases constituted a monophyletic group with others detected around Osaka, indicating that these case-related clusters had been contained and were not involved in the nationwide Omicron waves. Discussion: Active case finding and self-isolation were found to be effective in limiting the spread of an emerging novel variant.

In order for pharmacists to be collaboratively involved with patients in pharmacotherapy, there is a need to improve patients’ understanding of pharmacists’ involvement in extended pharmacotherapy, i.e., their interpersonal work. This study explores the factors that affect patients’ perceptions of pharmacists’ interpersonal work. A survey on patients’ perceptions of pharmacists’ interpersonal work was conducted among 450 patients aged 20 years or older who visited a pharmacy. Logistic regression analysis was performed with low and high patient perceptions of pharmacists’ interpersonal work as the objective variables. Valid responses were obtained from 350 participants. More than half of the respondents did not understand the nature of the interpersonal work of pharmacists. Patients who were unaware of pharmacists checking for side effects were more prevalent than those who were unaware of other interpersonal work. Explanations from the family pharmacist (OR＝2.25, P＝0.033) and trust in the pharmacist (OR＝1.11, P＝0.001) had a positive influence on patients’ perceptions of the pharmacist’s interpersonal tasks. As pharmacy pharmacists are increasingly becoming more involved with patients’ drug treatment and to ensure safe drug treatment practices for patients, it is considered important for pharmacists to actively explain their involvement in drug treatment to patients. This will be conducive to building trusting relationships, and for pharmacists to fulfil their function as family pharmacists.

Background/Aims: To validate endoscopic ultrasound-guided tissue acquisition (EUS-TA) used in conjunction with stereomicroscopic on-site evaluation (SOSE) as a preoperative diagnostic tool for resectable pancreatic cancer (R-PC) and borderline resectable PC (BR-PC). Methods: Seventy-eight consecutive patients who underwent EUS-TA for suspected R-PC or BR-PC were enrolled. The primary endpoint was the sensitivity of EUS-TA together with SOSE based on the stereomicroscopically visible white core (SVWC) cutoff value. One or two sites were punctured by using a 22-gauge biopsy needle for EUS-TA, based on the SOSE findings. Results: We collected 99 specimens from 56 and 22 patients with R-PC and BR-PC, respectively. Based on the SOSE results, we performed 57 procedures with one puncture. The SVWC cutoff values were met in 73.7% and 73.1% of all specimens and in those obtained during the first puncture, respectively. The final diagnoses were malignant and benign tumors in 76 and two patients, respectively. The overall sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of EUS-TA for the 78 lesions were 90.8%, 100%, and 91.0%, respectively. The sensitivity for malignant diagnosis based on the SVWC cutoff value were 89.5% and 90.4% for the first puncture and all specimens, respectively. Conclusions The sensitivity of EUS-TA in conjunction with SOSE for malignancy diagnosis in patients with suspected R-PC or BR-PC was 90.4%.

Community-based care systems aim to enable people to live to the end of their lives in the community. Hospitals for community-based care, established in 2014, often provide dementia care with the aim of helping patients return to their own lives. For this reason, nursing professionals working in these hospitals are required to cultivate ethical standards and improve their care skills. The objective of this study was to investigate the moral sensitivity of nursing professionals working in hospitals for community-based care, as well as their knowledge of and attitudes toward dementia, and to identify associated factors. A questionnaire survey was administered to 208 nursing professionals in nine hospitals for community-based care in two prefectures, and 97 respondents were included in the analysis. The results of the analysis showed no association between moral sensitivity and knowledge of and attitudes toward dementia. There were weak associations of moral sensitivity with total years of work experience and whether or not the nurses had attended training courses on dementia nursing. Data also revealed that those with a “higher awareness of dignity” might also have a higher awareness of “helping patients live their own lives” and of “making the most of the abilities of the elderly”. Our results suggest that improving moral sensitivity requires training on dementia and ethics, ongoing ethics conferences, and creation of an environment that encourages awareness of ethics.

Introduction: We experienced a case of lung cancer in which arthrocentesis and radiation were effective in treating pain caused by malignant joint fluid. Case: An 80-year-old man was referred to our hospital because of right shoulder pain and difficulty in raising his right hand. Whole body computed tomography (CT) showed right lung tumor, multiple liver metastases and multiple bone metastases. There were also bone metastases in the right scapula and joint fluid accumulation in the right shoulder joint. He was irradiated for bone metastases in the right scapula, but the pain remained, although it had not worsened. Therefore, an arthrocentesis of the right shoulder joint was performed and pain was alleviated. In addition, the diagnosis of non-small cell carcinoma was made by joint fluid cytology. A biopsy was also taken from the right lung tumor, and as the histological diagnosis was similar to that of the joint fluid, chemotherapy was started. CT after the start of treatment showed a decrease in the right shoulder joint fluid and no progression of right scapular metastases. Conclusion: In case of malignant joint fluid associated with bone metastases, a severe prognosis is expected, but arthrocentesis and irradiation can reduce pain.

Background/Aims: To validate endoscopic ultrasound-guided tissue acquisition (EUS-TA) used in conjunction with stereomicroscopic on-site evaluation (SOSE) as a preoperative diagnostic tool for resectable pancreatic cancer (R-PC) and borderline resectable PC (BR-PC). Methods: Seventy-eight consecutive patients who underwent EUS-TA for suspected R-PC or BR-PC were enrolled. The primary endpoint was the sensitivity of EUS-TA together with SOSE based on the stereomicroscopically visible white core (SVWC) cutoff value. One or two sites were punctured by using a 22-gauge biopsy needle for EUS-TA, based on the SOSE findings. Results: We collected 99 specimens from 56 and 22 patients with R-PC and BR-PC, respectively. Based on the SOSE results, we performed 57 procedures with one puncture. The SVWC cutoff values were met in 73.7% and 73.1% of all specimens and in those obtained during the first puncture, respectively. The final diagnoses were malignant and benign tumors in 76 and two patients, respectively. The overall sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of EUS-TA for the 78 lesions were 90.8%, 100%, and 91.0%, respectively. The sensitivity for malignant diagnosis based on the SVWC cutoff value were 89.5% and 90.4% for the first puncture and all specimens, respectively. Conclusions The sensitivity of EUS-TA in conjunction with SOSE for malignancy diagnosis in patients with suspected R-PC or BR-PC was 90.4%.