ABSTRACT
Owing to the global COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic, many people have been forced to adopt a new lifestyle that makes extensive use of information and communication technology (ICT) under the slogan “Stay Home.” Because older adults have been reported to be more resistant to information technology, such rapid changes in their lifestyle would be more difficult for them to accept. However, some senior citizens have used ICT or have improved their ICT skills since the COVID-19 pandemic. Analyzing the current situation of older adults may allow for a detailed analysis of the acceptance process of information technology. In this article, we aim to clarify the mechanism of acceptance and use of information technology among older adults in terms of social conditions, support systems, and the usability and accessibility of interfaces. The results indicated that the transtheoretical model of behavior change in terms of interest and usage status of ICT/IoT services can be used to categorize technology acceptance situations. © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.
ABSTRACT
Hirosaki University has been designated by the Nuclear Regulation Authority as an Advanced Radiation Emergency Medical Support Center and as a hospital which accepts radiation emergency medical patients in Japan. One of the efforts of the Advanced Radiation Emergency Medicine Support Center is cytogenetic biodosimetry in radiation emergency medicine. We are working on validating all the steps from blood collection and storage to DNA damage evaluation. We are also improving various methodologies, such as the cytokinesis-block micronucleus (CBMN) assay. In our improved CBMN harvest protocol to store fixed isolated PBMCs (peripheral blood mononuclear cells), a high frequency of scorable binucleated cells can be obtained with routine biodosimetry reagents and equipment. In addition, we are strengthening infection control measures and working to establish a system that enables safe and reliable dose estimation of exposed patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, we have developed on-campus education system for undergraduate and graduate students, and programs for off-campus trainees, such as International Training Program for Radiation Protection to develop human resources responsible for cytogenetic biodosimetry. In this time, I would like to introduce the efforts of the cytogenetic biodosimetry laboratory in Hirosaki University, Japan. © 2021 Author(s).
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: A new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) abruptly emerged in Wuhan, China, in 2019 and rapidly spread globally to cause the COVID-19 pandemic. AIM: To examine the anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity of the potent disinfectant Cleverin, the major disinfecting component of which is chlorine dioxide (ClO2); and to compare the results with that of sodium hypochlorite in the presence or absence of 0.5% or 1.0% foetal bovine serum (FBS). METHODS: Concentrated SARS-CoV-2 viruses were treated with various concentrations of ClO2 and sodium hypochlorite and 50% tissue culture infective dose was calcurated to evaluate the antiviral activity of each chemical. FINDINGS: When SARS-CoV-2 viruses were treated with 0.8 ppm ClO2 or sodium hypochlorite, viral titre was decreased only by 1 log10 TCID50/mL in 3 min. However, the viral titre was decreased by more than 4 log10 TCID50/mL when treated with 80 ppm of each chemical for 10 s regardless of presence or absence of FBS. It should be emphasized that treatment with 24 ppm of ClO2 inactivated more than 99.99% SARS-CoV-2 within 10 s or 99.99% SARS-CoV-2 in 1 min in the presence of 0.5% or 1.0% FBS, respectively. By contrast, 24 ppm of sodium hypochlorite inactivated only 99% or 90% SARS-CoV-2 in 3 min under similar conditions. Notably, except for ClO2, the other components of Cleverin such as sodium chlorite, decaglycerol monolaurate, and silicone showed no significant antiviral activity. CONCLUSION: Altogether, the results strongly suggest that although ClO2 and sodium hypochlorite are strong antiviral agents in absence of organic matter but in presence of organic matter, ClO2 is a more potent antiviral agent against SARS-CoV-2 than sodium hypochlorite.