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Aim: Caregivers in home care settings may experience significant physical, emotional, and financial burdens in providing toileting assistance. However, few studies have evaluated these three aspects of caregiver burden. Therefore, this study aimed to clarify the physical, emotional, and financial burdens of toileting assistance and examine the factors associated with each burden. Methods: A self‐administered postal questionnaire was distributed to 405 family caregivers of older adults receiving home care and subsidies for incontinence products in Japan in 2019. Family caregivers answered questions about toileting assistance, the perceived physical, emotional, and financial burdens of providing toileting assistance at home, and the urinary/fecal symptoms of older adults. Results: Of the 242 family caregivers who reported each burden, 213 (88%) had experienced at least one physical, emotional, or financial burden. The prevalence of physical, emotional, and financial burdens was 77.3%, 78.1%, and 70.7%, respectively. Approximately 60% of respondents reported experiencing all three burdens. Physical burden was associated with spouses acting as primary caregivers, nocturia, fecal incontinence, and the odor of urine/feces from toileting assistance. Emotional burden was associated with nighttime assistance, urinary/fecal leakage from absorbent incontinence products, and the odor of urine/feces. Financial burden was associated with frequent assistance, disposal costs of absorbent incontinence products, and the degree of toileting assistance. Conclusions: The results revealed a high prevalence of the three burdens of toileting assistance among family caregivers, suggesting the need to assess these burdens. Furthermore, they suggested the importance of providing guidance to family members, which may help reduce these burdens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: A large‐scale nationwide epidemiological survey of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) was conducted via the Internet in 2023 to clarify the current prevalence of LUTS and evaluate its impact on daily life in Japan. Methods: The survey was conducted among individuals aged 20–99 years old who had anonymously registered with a Japanese online research company. The survey consisted of 48 questions related to LUTS and daily life. Results: A total of 6210 participants (3088 females and 3122 males), who were selected by probability sampling based on the composition of the Japanese population (age range: 20–99), were recruited. The overall prevalence of LUTS was 77.9% among the subjects aged ≥20 and 82.5% among those aged ≥40. The prevalence of LUTS differed between the sexes and trends toward significant increases in prevalence with age were seen for almost all LUTS. Furthermore, the prevalence of overactive bladder (OAB) was 11.9% among the subjects aged ≥20 and 13.8% among those aged ≥40. This study also showed that LUTS negatively affected daily life. However, the percentage of subjects who visited a physician to receive treatment for LUTS was low, including for participants with a history of treatment for LUTS, although this increased with age. Conclusion: The prevalence of LUTS, including OAB, increased with age and negatively affected daily life. However, since the percentage of patients who visit a physician to receive treatment for LUTS remains low, further educational activities regarding LUTS are necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To epidemiologically determine post‐void residual urine volume (PVR) and identify the characteristics of "potential" older adult patients with voiding dysfunction in an acute‐care hospital. Methods: A cross‐sectional study was conducted on 614 older adult patients in an acute‐care hospital between November 2018 and May 2019. Using portable ultrasound devices, nurses measured the patients' PVR three times after admission. Lower urinary tract symptoms were evaluated using the Core Lower Urinary Tract Symptom Score prior to admission. Results: A total of 107 older adult patients (17.4%) had episodes of abnormal PVR ≥100 mL. An age of over 75 years (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 1.899) and feeling of incomplete emptying (aOR: 4.337) were associated with having at least one episode of abnormal PVR, whereas neurological or circulatory diseases (aOR: 3.699) were associated with having two or three episodes. Conclusions: The results showed a high prevalence of abnormal PVR in older adult patients. Screening for PVR in older adult patients aged over 75 years who experience incomplete emptying or neurological or circulatory diseases may help identify those at risk for voiding dysfunction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Author(s): Naoki Hosen (corresponding author) [1, 2, 3]; Yukiko Matsunaga [4]; Kana Hasegawa [1]; Hiroshi Matsuno [5]; Yuki Nakamura [1]; Mio Makita [1]; Kouki Watanabe [1]; Mikako Yoshida [1]; Kei [...], Cancer-specific cell-surface antigens are ideal targets for monoclonal antibody (mAb)-based immunotherapy but are likely to have previously been identified in transcriptome or proteome analyses. Here, we show that the active conformer of an integrin can serve as a specific therapeutic target for multiple myeloma (MM). We screened [greater than] 10,000 anti-MM mAb clones and identified MMG49 as an MM-specific mAb specifically recognizing a subset of integrin [beta][sub.7] molecules. The MMG49 epitope, in the N-terminal region of the [beta][sub.7] chain, is predicted to be inaccessible in the resting integrin conformer but exposed in the active conformation. Elevated expression and constitutive activation of integrin [beta][sub.7] conferred high MMG49 reactivity on MM cells, whereas MMG49 binding was scarcely detectable in other cell types including normal integrin [beta][sub.7][sup.+] lymphocytes. T cells transduced with MMG49-derived chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) exerted anti-MM effects without damaging normal hematopoietic cells. Thus, MMG49 CAR T cell therapy is promising for MM, and a receptor protein with a rare but physiologically relevant conformation can serve as a cancer immunotherapy target.

Author(s): Kenji Takehara[sup.1] , Amarjargal Dagvadorj[sup.1] [sup.2] , Naoko Hikita[sup.3] , Narantuya Sumya[sup.4] [sup.5] , Solongo Ganhuyag[sup.5] , Bayasgalantai Bavuusuren[sup.5] , Erika Ota[sup.1] , Megumi Haruna[sup.3] , Mikako Yoshida[sup.6] , [...], Objectives In recent years Mongolia has made great advances towards Millennium Development Goals to reduce maternal and child mortality, however few studies have investigated maternal and child health status several years after childbirth. Our study aims to describe priority health issues in maternal and child health in Mongolia 3 years after childbirth, and key areas requiring further health policy development. Methods We conducted a population-based cross-sectional study in Bulgan province, Mongolia. Participants were women who gave birth in 2010 and lived in Bulgan in 2013, and their children who were almost 3 years of age. Data was collected using structured interviews, self-administered questionnaires, transcribed records from the Maternal and Child Health Handbook, anthropometric measurements, and a developmental assessment tool. Results Data was obtained from 1,019 women and 1,013 children (recovery rate: 94.1 %). Among women, 171 (17.2 %) were obese and had an average body mass index (BMI) of 25.7, 40 (4.4 %) experienced intimate partner violence (IPV) and 356 (36.2 %) reported urinary incontinence in the past month. Among children, 110 (10.8 %) were assessed as at risk of developmental delay, 131 (13.1 %) were overweight or obese, burns accounted for the highest number of serious accidents at 173 (17.0 %) while lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) were the most frequent cause of pediatric hospitalization. Conclusions for Practice Further development in health policy is required in Mongolia to target the significant health challenges of obesity, IPV, and urinary incontinence in women, and obesity, development delay, burns, and LRTIs in children.