HUMORAL AND CELLULAR IMMUNOGENICITY INDUCED BY THIRD BOOSTER OF SARS-CoV-2 VACCINES IN PATIENTS WITH RHEUMATIC MUSCULOSKELETAL DISEASES

BackgroundAmid the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) crisis, two messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) have benefited most people worldwide. While healthy people can acquire sufficient humoral immunity against COVID-19 even in the elderly by vaccination with three doses of vaccine., recent studies have shown that complex factors other than age, including the type of vaccines and immunosuppressive drugs, are associated with immunogenicity in patients with rheumatic musculoskeletal disease (RMD). Identifying factors that contribute to the vulnerability of those patients to acquire not only humoral but also cellular immunity to SARS-CoV-2 despite multiple vaccinations is crucial for establishing an appropriate booster vaccine strategy.ObjectivesTo assess humoral,and T cell immune responses after third doses of mRNA vaccines against SARS-CoV-2.MethodsThis prospective observational study included consecutive RMD patients treated with immunosuppressant who received three doses of mRNA vaccines including BNT162b2 and mRNA-1273. Blood samples were obtained 2-6 weeks after second and third dose of mRNA vaccines. We measured neutralizing antibody titres, which against the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 and seroconversion rates to evaluate the humoral responses. We also assessed T-cell immunity responses using interferon releasing assay against SARS-CoV-2.ResultsA total of 586 patients with RMD treated with mmunosuppressive treatments were enrolled. The mean age was 54 years, and 70% of the patients were female. Seroconversion rates and neutralizing antibody titres after third vaccination of SARS-CoV-2 were significantly higher compared to those after second vaccination (seroconversion rate, 94.5% vs 83.6%, p<0.001;titres of neutralizing antibody, 48.2 IU/mL vs 11.0 IU/mL, p<0.001, respectively). Interferon releasing assay after third vaccinations demonstrated that T cell reaction against SARS-CoV-2 was also increased from that of second vaccination (interferon for antigen 1, 1.11.9 vs 0.61.9, p=0.004,interferon for antigen 2, 1.72.6 vs 0.82.3, p=0.004). Humoral and cellular immunogenicity did not differ between the types of third vaccination including full dose of BNT162 and half dose of mRNA1273.(neutralizing antibody titers, 47.8±76.1 IU/mL vs 49.0±60.1 IU/mL, p<0.001;interferon for antigen 1, 1.12.0 vs 1.01.5, p=0.004, respectively). Attenuated humoral response to third vaccination was associated with BNT162b2 as second vaccination age (>60 years old), glucocorticoid (equivalent to prednisolone > 7.5 mg/day), and immunosuppressant use including mycophenolate, and rituximab. On another front, use of mycophenolate and abatacept or tacrolimus but not rituximab were identified as negative factors for T-cell reactions against SARS-CoV-2. Although 53 patients (9.0%) who had been immunised with third-vaccination contracted COVID-19 during Omicron pandemic phase, no one developed severe pulmonary disease that required corticosteroid therapy.ConclusionOur results demonstrated third mRNA vaccination booster of SARS-CoV-2 contributed to restore both humeral and cellular immunity in RMD patients with immunosuppressants. We also identified that certain immunosuppressive therapy with older RMD patients having BNT162b2 as a second vaccination may need additional booster vaccination.Reference[1]Furer V, Eviatar T, Freund T, et al. Ann Rheum Dis. 2022 Nov;81(11):1594-1602. doi: 10.1136/ard-2022-222550.Acknowledgements:NIL.Disclosure of InterestsNone Declared.

Predicting the infection probability distribution due to airborne and droplet transmission

In this study, a method was proposed to predict the infection probability distribution rather than the room-averaged value. The infection probability by airborne transmission was predicted based on the CO2 concentration. The infection probability by droplet transmission was predicted based on occupant position information. Applying the proposed method to an actual office confirmed that it could be used for quantitatively predicting the infection probability by integrating the ventilation efficiency and distance between occupants. The infection probability by airborne transmission was relatively high in a zone where the amount of outdoor air supply was relatively small. The infection probability by droplet transmission varied with the position of the occupants. The ability of the proposed method to analyze the relative effectiveness of countermeasures for airborne transmission and droplet transmission was verified in this study. © 2022 17th International Conference on Indoor Air Quality and Climate, INDOOR AIR 2022. All rights reserved.

Changes in Cargo Movement due to the Effects of COVID-19

This study analyses and discusses how the unique cargo movements in Japan and changes in the social environment during the COVID-19 pandemic have affected social life. Since the outbreak of COVID-19, cargo movements in Japan have undergone significant changes. This study analyses cargo movements in Japan by showing correlation coefficients to indicate the extent to which each industry was affected by the spread of the new coronavirus to infected persons. The heightened awareness of the pandemic caused by the state of emergency led to the closure of many stores and a decline in outbound shipments. Although the volume of incoming shipments increased, the volume of outgoing shipments did not. As a result, warehouse vacancy rates declined. Therefore, the study revealed that distribution centers in Japan are becoming more self-sufficient, and cloud-based logistics information systems are becoming more widely used. © 2023 Kuninori Suzuki et al., published by Sciendo.

Long-term follow-up of SARS-CoV-2 IgM and IgG production in the patients with COVID-19 in Japan

Introduction: It is known that Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients produce severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) IgM and IgG. However, the frequency and duration of the antibodies production are not fully understood. Aim and objectives: We aimed to investigate the production of SARS-CoV-2 IgM and IgG over 12 months and to verify the relationship with the characteristics of COVID-19 patients. Method(s): COVID-19 patients admitted to either of Showa University Hospital, Koto Toyosu Hospital, Fujigaoka Hospital, or Northern Yokohama Hospital, were enrolled for the study. The patients were followed up until they became negative for SARS-CoV-2 IgM and IgG or for up to 12 months after the date of SARS-CoV-2 PCR became negative. Result(s): Forty-five patients were enrolled, and 34 patients were followed up to the end. The positivity rates of SARSCoV-2 IgM and IgG were 27.3% and 68.2% when SARS-CoV-2 PCR was negative. The positivity rate of SARS-CoV2 IgG was 70.6%, 52.9%, 14.7%, 2.9% and 0.0% after 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months, respectively, after the date of PCR negativity. Moreover, we divided the patients into 2 groups;the milder conditions who did not require oxygen administration (non-severe group) and the severe conditions who required oxygen administration (severe group). The positivity rate of SARS-CoV-2 IgG was significantly higher in severe group compared to non-severe group on the date of PCR negativity and after 1 month, but no significant difference after 3 months. Conclusion(s): Present study suggested that more severe COVID-19 patients produced more SARS-CoV-2 IgG. However, the duration of SARS-CoV-2 IgG production was independent of COVID-19 severity.

A Study on Head and Neck Cancer Patients Who Opted for Best Supportive Care Before and After the COVID-19 Epidemic

During the pandemic of COVID-19, people in many countries were under lock down in their own homes. Early diagnosis and treatment of cancer patients are important. However, we noted that the number of advanced cancer patients was slightly higher in 2020. We compared head and neck cancer patients who opted for BSC between 2017–2019 and 2020. In addition, we reviewed the number of head and neck cancer first-visit patients between 2017–2019 and 2020 at Kansai Medical University Hospital, and compared disease stage distribution of the patients, stage at first visit, and initial treatment strategy between 2017–19 and 2020. The number of first-visit patients in 2020 was lower as compared with that in 2017–2019. The disease stage distribution of patients was sililar between 2020 and 2017–2019. Among the first-visit patients, the percentage of patients treated by extended surgery was lower and the number of patients who opted for BSC was significantly higher in 2020 as compared with 2017–2019. The proportion of patients opting for active treatment during the COVID-19 pandemic could have been lower because of an increase in the incidence of depression. People's psychological state could be expected to deteriorate and affect their treatment choices during any global epidemic. © 2023 Society of Practical Otolaryngology. All rights reserved.

Clinical study of antibody cocktail therapy for COVID-19

Background: Randomized phase III clinical trials suggest that the antibody cocktail containing casirivimab and imdevimab reduces the risk of hospitalization/death in high-risk COVID-19 patients. However, the efficacy of the cocktail in daily clinical practice remains unknown.

A Study on Head and Neck Cancer Patients Who Opted for Best Supportive Care Before and After the COVID-19 Epidemic

During the pandemic of COVID-19, people in many countries were under lock down in their own homes. Early diagnosis and treatment of cancer patients are important. However, we noted that the number of advanced cancer patients was slightly higher in 2020. We compared head and neck cancer patients who opted for BSC between 2017–2019 and 2020. In addition, we reviewed the number of head and neck cancer first-visit patients between 2017–2019 and 2020 at Kansai Medical University Hospital, and compared disease stage distribution of the patients, stage at first visit, and initial treatment strategy between 2017–19 and 2020. The number of first-visit patients in 2020 was lower as compared with that in 2017–2019. The disease stage distribution of patients was sililar between 2020 and 2017–2019. Among the first-visit patients, the percentage of patients treated by extended surgery was lower and the number of patients who opted for BSC was significantly higher in 2020 as compared with 2017–2019. The proportion of patients opting for active treatment during the COVID-19 pandemic could have been lower because of an increase in the incidence of depression. People's psychological state could be expected to deteriorate and affect their treatment choices during any global epidemic. © 2023 Society of Practical Otolaryngology. All rights reserved.

Being doubly disadvantaged or escaping gender discrimination?: female self-employment in Japan and their responses to the COVID-19 crisis

This study focuses on female self-employed workers in Japan, evaluating their position in the labour market and access to social protection. It also investigates the impact of the COVID-19 crisis and their responses to it. We find that female self-employed workers are in a better position than female employees working on non-standard contracts, with less gender disparity. However, they lack social protection against sudden income loss, which caused them more serious damage during the COVID-19 crisis. Although the segment is relatively free from gender discrimination, it cannot escape the gender biases embedded in the social security system.

Effects of Ozone on the thermal decomposition behavior of Guanidine Nitrate

The deterioration of chemicals contained in safety devices is an important issue because such devices must be ready for emergencies and should remain functional for a long period of time, even when exposed to degrading environments. In this study, we focused on the influence of ozone disinfection on chemicals present in safety devices as ozone can be used for virus inactivation in compartments housing these devices. Specifically, we conducted accelerated deterioration tests to evaluate the effects of ozone exposure on guanidine nitrate (GN).Under the experimental conditions of this study, ozone-containing water deteriorated GN, whereas no change was observed in GN exposed to dry ozone. The ion chromatography (IC) analysis of the deteriorated product suggested that GN decomposed into nitrate ions, while capillary electrophoresis (CE) revealed a transformation of guanidine ions into ammonium ions. These results imply that GN deterioration produces ammonium nitrate. Additionally, ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy revealed the reaction products between GN and ozone, which were considered electrically neutral because of their absence in the results of IC and CE analyses.In a differential accelerating rate calorimeter, decomposition started at a lower temperature for the deteriorated GN than for the pristine sample. This indicates that the deterioration products affected the thermal decomposition behavior of GN. This change in exothermic and pressure-release behavior is considered to have an impact on the performance of pyrotechnics using GN.

A mother’s work is to worry: Accepting maternal concerns during a health crisis

Natural and technical disasters significantly impact human life cycles starting from reproduction through child rearing. Mothers of young children have been identified as one of the groups at the greatest risk of negative mental health consequences. At the same time, it has been suggested that a life-threatening event, depending on its severity, could motivate people to make positive life decisions. This presentation reviews mothers’ reproductive intention, parenting concerns, and support provided to them to explore the resiliency of their reactions after the Fukushima nuclear accident. I further test the hypothesis of maternal concern as a motivator for health promotion behaviors using data collected during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The single most important clinical implication drawn from the data is that when facing a health crisis, healthcare providers do well to maintain positive receptive attitudes toward mothers expressing concerns and to seek common ground to turn these concerns into positive preventive actions. © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

COMPARISON of SARS-COV-2 VACCINE RESPONSE in PATIENTS with INFLAMMATORY RHEUMATIC DISEASE;MRNA-1273 VACCINE INDUCES HIGHER HUMORAL IMMUNOGENICITY THAN BNT162B2

Background: The SARS-CoV-2 messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines BNT162b2 (Pfzer-BioNTech) and mRNA-1273 (Moderna) have beneftted all countries amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) crisis. Whereas both of them have shown efficacy in preventing COVID-19 illness in healthy participants, there is paucity of data about immunogenicity and safety of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines in patients with autoimmune, infammatory rheumatic disease. Recent observational studies evaluated mainly BNT162b2, suggesting that glucocorticoids, immunosuppressive agents impair SARS-CoV-2 vaccine responses. However, difference in immune reactions and safety between BNT162b2 and mRNA-1273 have not been clarifed in patients with infammatory rheumatic diseases. Objectives: To assess humoral and T cell immune responses and safety profiles after two doses of different mRNA vaccine against SARS-CoV-2;BNT162b2 and mRNA-1273. Methods: We enrolled consecutive, previously uninfected patients with infam-matory rheumatic diseases receiving mRNA vaccine including BNT162b2 and mRNA-1273. Healthy participants receiving BNT162b2 were also recruited as control. Blood samples were obtained 3weeks, 2 months, 3 months, 4 months, and 6 months after second dose of vaccines. We measured titres of neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 and calculated seroconversion rates to evaluate humoral responses. We also assessed T-cell immunity responses by using interferon releasing assay against SARS-CoV-2 in a part of the patients. Answers to questionnaires about adverse reactions were obtained from participants. Results: A total of 974 patients with infammatory rheumatic diseases and healthy 630 control participants were enrolled. Among them, 796 patients received BNT162b2, 178 patients received mRNA-1273, and all control participants received BNT162b2. Seroconversion rates and neutralizing antibody titres 3 weeks after vaccination were signifcantly higher in patients with mRNA-1273 and healthy participants with BNT162b2 compared with patients with BNT162b2;seroconver-sion rates, 97.2% vs 99.5% vs 83.3%, p<0.001;titers of neutralizing antibodies, 29.4±33.9 IU/mL vs 23.9±14.2 IU/mL vs 10.8±16.5 IU/mL, p<0.001, respectively. On another front, T cell reaction against SARS-CoV-2 was similar in both patients with mRNA-1273 and BNT162b2;interferon gamma levels for antigen 1, 1.2±2.1 IU/mL vs 0.8±2.5 IU/mL, p=0.23;and for antigen 2, 1.4±1.9 IU/mL vs 1.0±2.1 IU/mL, p=0.11, respectively. Regarding adverse reaction of each mRNA vaccine, the frequency of systemic adverse reactions including fever and general fatigue are also signifcantly higher in patients with mRNA-1273 and healthy controls than patients with BNT162b2;fever, 48.0% vs 44.9% vs 10.2%, p<0.001;general fatigue, 70.4% vs 61.8% vs 31.2%, p<0.001, respectively). In longitudinal measurement, neutralizing antibody titres in patients with BNT162b2 were decreased more rapidly than those in healthy controls;3.3±3.2 IU/mL in patients with BNT162b2 at 4 months and 3.2±4.7 IU/mL in healthy controls with BNT162b2 at 6 months. We identifed age, glucocorticoid dose (prednisolone > 7.5mg), use of immunosuppressants including methotrexate, mycophenolate, cyclophosphamide, and tacrolimus are associated with rapid attenuation of humoral responses in patients with BNT162b2. Conclusion: Our results demonstrated a signifcant higher humoral immuno-genicity and frequency of systemic adverse reaction of the SARS-CoV-2 mRNA-1273 (Moderna) compared with the BNT162b2 (Pfzer-BioNTech) in infammatory rheumatic disease patients. Glucocorticoid and immunosuppressive agents impaired induction and sustention of neutralizing antibody, and earlier third booster vaccination may be required within 4 months, especially for those receiving BNT162b2.

Civic-Tech and Volunteered Geographic Information under the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Japanese Case Study

In the early spring of 2020, a new infectious disease, COVID-19, emerged and spread globally, showing how vulnerable humans are to novel viral threats. Evidently, this crisis has inspired new technological and social innovations. The aim of this paper is to provide a brief overview of the application of civic tech and volunteered geographic information to confront the disease, which spontaneously emerged after the first case was confirmed in Japan in late January 2020. The trend of participatory Geographic Information Systems/PGIS that emerged from the GIS controversy in the 1990s went through crisis mapping and has demonstrated a new way of using GIS via social participation in the 21st century.

HappyRec: Evaluation of a "happy Spot" Recommendation System Aimed at Improving Mental Well-Being

In recent years, the number of people with depression has increased due to the COVID-19 pandemic. One of the activities which has been found to help in improving mental well-being and reducing stress is an exercise called the "three good things". In this exercise, participants are asked to write down and reflect on three good things that happened to them each day every night before they sleep. However, for the people who suffer from conditions such as low self-esteem and depression, it is not easy for them to be aware of good things or small moments of happiness in their daily lives. To address this issue, we propose a happiness spot recommendation system to provide suggestions for nearby spots which might improve their positive affect using Google Maps. To verify the validity of our proposed method, we asked nine subjects to evaluate the proposed system and reported the happiness ranking accuracy of the recommended spots. © 2021 IEEE.

A study of the effect of wearing face masks in preventing COVID-19 transmission in the United States of America

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to intelligibly demonstrate the effectiveness of face mask wearing as a means to prevent COVID-19 transmission. Through understanding the benefits of wearing masks, it is hoped to facilitate the change of societal behavior and more people are willing to wear face mask. Design/methodology/approach - The paper investigates the 50 states in the United States of America (U.S.) and Washington, D.C. that implemented the mask mandates before September 30, 2020, which are divided into four groups: (1) those implemented the statewide mask mandates before June 5, 2020 when World Health Organization (WHO) recommended mask wearing;(2) those implemented statewide mask mandates after June 5, 2020;(3) those implemented partial mandates affecting 30 percent or more of the state's population;and (4) those implemented partial mandates affecting less than 30 percent. Simple descriptive statistics are analyzed. Findings - For the 50 U.S. states andWashington, D.C., the higher the mask wearing rate, the lower the number of COVID-19 cases (correlation coefficient: -0.69 (p<0.001)). For the 23 states with mobility reduction of less than 15 percent, the higher the proportion of population required to wear masks, the lower the number of cases. This can be seen from the difference in the number of cases among the four groups by ANOVA (p = 0.013). Originality - The positive effect of wearing masks is shown based on simple descriptive statistics for intuitive and intelligible understanding, which may lead people to comprehend the importance of wearing masks, and break through their custom, culture, and norms, and wear masks.