著者

Kae Okoshi Kyoko Nomura Kayo Fukami Yasuko Tomizawa Katsutoshi Kobayashi Koichi Kinoshita Yoshiharu Sakai

出版者

Tohoku University Medical Press

雑誌

The Tohoku Journal of Experimental Medicine (ISSN:00408727)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.234, no.3, pp.221-227, 2014 (Released:2014-10-28)

参考文献数

45

被引用文献数

27 32

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During the past three decades, the participation of women in medicine has increased from 10.6% (1986) to 19.7% (2012) in Japan. However, women continue to be underrepresented in the top tiers of academic medicine. We highlight gender inequality and discuss the difficulties faced by female surgeons in Japanese academic surgery. Using anonymous and aggregate employment data of medical doctors at Kyoto University Hospital from 2009 and 2013, and a commercially-published faculty roster in 2012-2013, we compared gender balance stratified by a professional and an academic rank. The numbers of total and female doctors who worked at Kyoto University Hospital were 656 and 132 (20.1%) in 2009 and 655 and 132 (20.2%) in 2013, respectively. Approximately half the men (n = 281) were in temporary track and the rest (n = 242) were in tenure track, but only one fifth of women (n = 24) were in tenure track compared to 108 women in temporary track (p < 0.0001) in 2013. There were three female associate professors in basic medicine (8.1%), two female professors in clinical non-surgical medicine (3.9%) and one female lecturer in clinical surgical medicine (2.3%) in 2012. Fewer female doctors were at senior positions and at tenure positions than male doctors at Kyoto University Hospital. There were no female associate and full professors in surgery. The status of faculty members indicates the gender differences in leadership opportunities in Japanese academic surgery.

著者

Norio Suzuki

出版者

Tohoku University Medical Press

雑誌

The Tohoku Journal of Experimental Medicine (ISSN:00408727)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.235, no.3, pp.233-240, 2015 (Released:2015-03-17)

参考文献数

43

被引用文献数

15 27

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Erythrocytes play an essential role in the delivery of oxygen from the lung to every organ; a decrease in erythrocytes (anemia) causes hypoxic stress and tissue damage. To maintain oxygen homeostasis in adult mammals, when the kidney senses hypoxia, it secretes an erythroid growth factor, erythropoietin (Epo), which stimulates erythropoiesis in the bone marrow. Recently, studies using genetically modified mice have shown that the in vivo expression profile of the Epo gene changes dramatically during development. The first Epo-producing cells emerge in the neural crest and neuroepithelium of mid-stage embryos and support primitive erythropoiesis in the yolk sac. Subsequently, Epo from the hepatocytes stimulates erythropoiesis in the fetal liver of later stage embryos in a paracrine manner. In fact, erythroid lineage cells comprise the largest cell population in the fetal liver, and hepatocytes are distributed among the erythroid cell clusters. Adult erythropoiesis in the bone marrow requires Epo that is secreted by renal Epo-producing cells (REP cells). REP cells are widely distributed in the renal cortex and outer medulla. Hypoxia-inducible Epo production both in hepatocytes and REP cells is controlled at the gene transcription level that is mainly mediated by the hypoxia-inducible transcription factor (HIF) pathway. These mouse studies further provide insights into the molecular mechanisms of the cell-type specific, hypoxia-inducible expression of the Epo gene, which involves multiple sets of cis- and trans-regulatory elements.

著者

Koji Kanamori Noriko Ihana-Sugiyama Ritsuko Yamamoto-Honda Tomoka Nakamura Chie Sobe Shigemi Kamiya Miyako Kishimoto Hiroshi Kajio Kimiko Kawano Mitsuhiko Noda

出版者

Tohoku University Medical Press

雑誌

The Tohoku Journal of Experimental Medicine (ISSN:00408727)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.243, no.1, pp.35-39, 2017 (Released:2017-09-15)

参考文献数

13

被引用文献数

7

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Carbohydrate-restricted diets are prevalent not only in obese people but also in the general population to maintain appropriate body weight. Here, we report that extreme carbohydrate restriction for one day affects the subsequent blood glucose levels in healthy adults. Ten subjects (median age 30.5 years, BMI 21.1 kg/m2, and HbA1c 5.5%), wearing with a continuous glucose monitoring device, were given isoenergetic test meals for 4 consecutive days. On day 1, day 2 (D2), and day 4 (D4), they consumed normal-carbohydrate (63-66% carbohydrate) diet, while on day 3, they took low-carbohydrate/high-fat (5% carbohydrate) diet. The daily energy intake was 2,200 kcal for males and 1,700 kcal for females. On D2 and D4, we calculated the mean 24-hr blood glucose level (MEAN/24h) and its standard deviation (SD/24h), the area under the curve (AUC) for glucose over 140 mg/dL within 4 hours after each meal (AUC/4h/140), the mean amplitude of the glycemic excursions (MAGE), the incremental AUC of 24-hr blood glucose level above the mean plus one standard deviation (iAUC/MEAN+SD). Indexes for glucose fluctuation on D4 were significantly greater than those on D2 (SD/24h; p = 0.009, MAGE; p = 0.013, AUC/4h/140 after breakfast and dinner; p = 0.006 and 0.005, and iAUC/MEAN+SD; p = 0.007). The value of MEAN/24h and AUC/4h/140 after lunch on D4 were greater than those on D2, but those differences were not statistically significant. In conclusion, consumption of low-carbohydrate/high-fat diet appears to cause higher postprandial blood glucose on subsequent normal-carbohydrate diet particularly after breakfast and dinner in healthy adults.

著者

Nao Uchida Naonori Kumagai Kandai Nozu Xue Jun Fu Kazumoto Iijima Yoshiaki Kondo Shigeo Kure

出版者

東北ジャーナル刊行会

雑誌

The Tohoku Journal of Experimental Medicine (ISSN:00408727)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.240, no.3, pp.251-257, 2016 (Released:2016-11-29)

参考文献数

18

被引用文献数

2

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Alport syndrome is a progressive renal disease caused by mutations in COL4A3, COL4A4, and COL4A5 genes that encode collagen type IV alpha 3, alpha 4, and alpha 5 chains, respectively. Because of abnormal collagen chain, glomerular basement membrane becomes fragile and most of the patients progress to end-stage renal disease in early adulthood. COL4A5 mutation causes X-linked form of Alport syndrome, and two mutations in either COL4A3 or COL4A4 causes an autosomal recessive Alport syndrome. Recently, renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) blockade has been shown to attenuate effectively disease progression in Alport syndrome. Here we present three Japanese siblings and their father all diagnosed with autosomal recessive Alport syndrome and with different clinical courses, suggesting the importance of the early initiation of RAAS blockade. The father was diagnosed with Alport syndrome. His consanguineous parents and his wife were healthy. All three siblings showed hematuria since infancy. Genetic analysis revealed that they shared the same gene mutations in COL4A3 in a compound heterozygous state: c.2330G>A (p.Gly777Ala) from the mother and c.4354A>T (p.Ser1452Cys) from the father. Although RAAS blockade was initiated for the older sister and brother when their renal function was already impaired, it did not attenuate disease progression. In the youngest brother, RAAS blockade was initiated during normal renal function stage. After the initiation, his renal function has been normal with the very mild proteinuria to date at the age of 17 years. We propose that in Alport syndrome, RAAS blockade should be initiated earlier than renal function is impaired.

著者

Haneul Lee JongEun Yim

出版者

東北ジャーナル刊行会

雑誌

The Tohoku Journal of Experimental Medicine (ISSN:00408727)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.240, no.4, pp.287-294, 2016 (Released:2016-12-09)

参考文献数

46

被引用文献数

16

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Lateral ankle sprains are one of the most common injuries among the physically active subjects. Ankle inversion-eversion laxity is greater and dynamic postural control is less in women compared with men. The purpose of this study was to examine differences in postural sway and its effects on the neuromuscular activities of the ankle stabilizing muscles during the menstrual cycle in young women. Fourteen young women with regular menstrual cycles participated in this experiment. Postural sway and electromyographic signals of the lateral gastrocnemius, peroneus longus (PL), and tibialis anterior (TA) were recorded while the participants performed eight different balance tasks at ovulation and early follicular phase during one full menstrual cycle. Significantly greater postural sway in the two most difficult balance tasks was observed at ovulation compared to that in the early follicular phase (p < 0.001). A similar pattern was also observed in terms of PL activity, while TA activity was significantly greater in the most difficult balance task at ovulation. In addition, TA-PL co-contraction (TA/PL ratio) was significantly higher at ovulation compared with that in the follicular phase in the two most difficult balance tasks (p < 0.01). Young women could benefit from increased understanding of the varying neuromuscular activation patterns throughout the menstrual cycle. The results of this study suggest that health professionals should be aware of the physiological effects and the shifts in neuromuscular strategies in each menstrual cycle phase in order to prevent increased risk of lower extremity injury.

著者

Kaya Mori-Yamanaka Fuminori Kimura Akiko Nakamura Tetsuro Hanada Jun Kitazawa Aina Morimune Shunichiro Tsuji Takashi Murakami

出版者

Tohoku University Medical Press

雑誌

The Tohoku Journal of Experimental Medicine (ISSN:00408727)

巻号頁・発行日

pp.2022.J106, (Released:2022-12-08)

著者

Kyoko Kawaida Hisashi Yoshimoto Ryohei Goto Go Saito Yasukazu Ogai Nobuaki Morita Tamaki Saito

出版者

Tohoku University Medical Press

雑誌

The Tohoku Journal of Experimental Medicine (ISSN:00408727)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.245, no.4, pp.263-267, 2018 (Released:2018-08-29)

参考文献数

25

被引用文献数

6 7

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Excessive drinking by college students is a major public health problem in Japan. However, data on heavy episodic drinking (HED) and nomihodai, a several-hour all-you-can-drink system, are scarce. We surveyed the drinking behavior of undergraduate and graduate students at 35 colleges, and examined the association between HED and use of nomihodai. The study used a cross-sectional design conducted by a self-administered questionnaire. From December 2016 to March 2017, we sampled undergraduate and graduate students aged 20 or older at 35 colleges in the Kanto area, including Tokyo. The following items were measured: 1) frequency of drinking; 2) frequency of binge drinking in the past year; 3) nomihodai use; 4) the number of drinks consumed when using or not using nomihodai; and 5) sex and age for demographic data. Paired t-test was used to compare means between use and non-use state of nomihodai. The Fisher’s exact test was used to evaluate the significance of the distribution difference between the two types of states. A total of 511 subjects completed the questionnaire, including 274 men and 237 women. The amount of drinking was increased 1.8-fold (85.9 ± 49.7 g vs. 48.2 ± 29.5 g) among men and 1.7-fold (63.7 ± 39.3 g vs. 36.5 ± 26.7 g) among women during nomihodai use, comapred with non-use states. Among them, 109 (39.8%) men and 71 (30.3%) women reported HED only at nomihodai states. These data suggest that the use of nomihodai system may lead to excessive drinking among college students.

著者

Yasuko Tomizawa

出版者

東北ジャーナル刊行会

雑誌

The Tohoku Journal of Experimental Medicine (ISSN:00408727)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.235, no.2, pp.97-102, 2015 (Released:2015-02-05)

参考文献数

25

被引用文献数

5 12

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Japan ranks low in the global gender gap index. Academic promotion is difficult for women doctors, and the leaky pipeline of women doctors is evident in academic medicine. The Japan Surgical Society (JSS) has 2,874 (7.2% of total membership) female members as of April 2014. The total number of councilors in JSS has increased, but there is still only one female member on the Council. The fact that there are so few women in decision-making positions makes it challenging to fight for equality. The Japanese Association of Medical Science (JAMS) is an association with exclusive institutional membership comprising the major medical societies in Japan, and currently has a membership of 122 specialist medical societies. It is essential to have at least one female committee member in each committee of the JAMS, which would provide opportunities to establish career paths for women doctors, to make rules that suit the lifestyle of women doctors, and to improve work-life balance.

著者

Di Wu Fuminori Kimura Akiko Takashima Yoshihiko Shimizu Akie Takebayashi Nobuyuki Kita GuangMei Zhang Takashi Murakami

出版者

Tohoku University Medical Press

雑誌

The Tohoku Journal of Experimental Medicine (ISSN:00408727)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.230, no.1, pp.17-23, 2013 (Released:2013-05-11)

参考文献数

38

被引用文献数

7 12

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Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is one of major causes of irregular menstruation. It is defined as a condition involving the combination of hyperandrogenism and chronic oligomenorrhea or anovulation, and is thought to have a variety of etiologies. Insulin resistance (impaired insulin sensitivity) has been suggested to be one of the etiologies of PCOS. PCOS patients often need to take medication to treat anovulation and infertility. Therefore, it would be beneficial to patients if simple non-pharmacological treatments can be developed. Recently the efficacy of vinegar to improve insulin resistance has been reported. To study the effect of vinegar on metabolic and hormonal indices and ovulatory function in PCOS, seven patients seeking a non-pharmacological treatment for PCOS took a beverage containing 15 g of apple vinegar daily for 90 to 110 days. Ovulation, the menstrual interval, fasting serum glucose level, fasting serum insulin level, luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), and testosterone were compared before and after intake of the vinegar beverage. Intake of the vinegar beverage resulted in a decrease of the homeostasis model assessment insulin resistance index (HOMA-R) in six patients, as well as a decrease of the LH/FSH ratio in five of seven patients. Ovulatory menstruation was observed within 40 day in four of seven patients. These findings suggest the possibility of vinegar to restore ovulatory function through improving insulin sensitivity in PCOS patients, thus, avoiding pharmacological treatment. Intake of vinegar might reduce medical cost and treatment time for insulin resistance, anovulation, and infertility in patients with PCOS.

著者

Kazuhiro Takahashi

出版者

東北ジャーナル刊行会

雑誌

The Tohoku Journal of Experimental Medicine (ISSN:00408727)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.242, no.3, pp.165-166, 2017 (Released:2017-07-07)

参考文献数

7

著者

Naoko Tachibana Michiaki Kinoshita Fuyuki Kametani Keiko Tanaka Yumi Une Yotaro Komatsu Yukihiro Kobayashi Shu-ichi Ikeda

出版者

東北ジャーナル刊行会

雑誌

The Tohoku Journal of Experimental Medicine (ISSN:00408727)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.235, no.3, pp.223-231, 2015 (Released:2015-03-17)

参考文献数

55

被引用文献数

1 4

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Autoimmune synaptic encephalitis is characterized by the presence of autoantibodies against synaptic constituent receptors and manifests as neurological and psychiatric disorders. Anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) encephalitis is such an autoimmune disorder that predominantly affects young women. It is associated with antibodies against the extracellular region of the NR1 subunit of postsynaptic NMDAR. Each NMDAR functions as a heterotetrameric complex that is composed of four subunits, including NR1 and NR2A, NR2B, or NR2C. Importantly, ovarian teratoma is a typical complication of anti-NMDAR encephalitis in female patients and may contain antigenic neural tissue; however, antigenic sites remain unknown in female patients without ovarian teratoma. The purpose of this study was to investigate the expression of NMDARs in the ovum. We detected NR1 and NR2B immunoreactivity in protein fractions extracted from the bovine ovary and ova by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and immunoblotting analysis. Immunoprecipitates digested with trypsin were analyzed by reverse phase liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry. We obtained the following five peptides: SPFGRFK and KNLQDR, which are consistent with partial sequences of human NR1, and GVEDALVSLK, QPTVAGAPK, and NEVMSSK, which correspond to those of NR2A, NR2B and NR2C, respectively. Immunocytochemical analysis revealed that the bovine ovum was stained with the immunoglobulin G purified from the serum of a patient with anti-NMDAR encephalitis. Taken together, we propose that the normal ovum expresses NMDARs that have strong affinity for the disease-specific IgG. The presence of NMDARs in ova may help explain why young females without ovarian teratomas are also affected by anti-NMDAR encephalitis.

著者

Kayo Sakamoto Yoshitaka Minamidate Takayuki Nagai

出版者

Tohoku University Medical Press

雑誌

The Tohoku Journal of Experimental Medicine (ISSN:00408727)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.225, no.2, pp.77-80, 2011 (Released:2011-09-08)

参考文献数

4

被引用文献数

2 2

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On March 11, 2011 at 14:46 (Friday), a massive magnitude-9.0 earthquake attacked large areas of northeastern Japan, including Sendai City. The huge earthquake generated catastrophic tsunamis, leading to unprecedented disasters in the seacoast areas of the Tohoku region (about 20,000 dead and missing persons). Upon this earthquake, in Tohoku University Medical Library, a 3-storey earthquake-resistant building, most of books fell down from bookshelves on the second and third floors, but the bookshelves remained steady because of the effective fixation. Many piles of fallen books blocked up the walkways and the narrow passages between the bookshelves; namely, books are easily transformed to dangerous weapons in a shaking building. Fortunately, all library staffs and users evacuated outside the building without even a scratch. Importantly, we were able to open the first floor of the Medical Library on March 14 (Monday), because the first floor has been used for the Learning Commons, with open space for group meetings. We thus provided students, medical staffs, and faculty members with the comfortable place during the early stage of the disasters. In fact, medical staffs and faculty members worked hard over weekend to deal with many patients and clear the post-quake confusions. Moreover, electricity, gas, or water supply was not yet restored in most areas of Sendai City. In the earthquake-prone zones, the Medical Library should function as a facility that not only enhances information gathering but also provides the place like an oasis of relaxation for students and medical staffs upon great earthquakes.

著者

EIJIRO SATOYOSHI

出版者

Tohoku University Medical Press

雑誌

The Tohoku Journal of Experimental Medicine (ISSN:00408727)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.161, no.Supplement, pp.1-19, 1990 (Released:2011-03-14)

参考文献数

45

被引用文献数

4 4

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Various types of the distal myopathy except Welander's late distal myopathy of Swedish type were described. There were many reports in the past concerning the varieties of the distal myopathy. Distal myopathy is a rather rare disorder and it may be difficult to diagnose these cases. Among these various distal myopathy, an emphasis was made upon the clinical and pathological characteristics of the diseases, particularly distal muscular dystrophy of Miyoshi, Distal myopathy with rimmed vacuolear formation of Nonaka and ours, and Oculopharyngo-distal myopathy. All these diseases show the distal muscle involvement but the clinical features, heredity, course and pathological features are quite different, and prognosis is also different. Accordingly when we examined these distal myopathy cases, clinical characteristics and histo-pathological findings should be carefully studied. It shoud be also emphasized that the level of serum CPK dose not indicate the severity of the myopathy. In muscluar dystrophy or myositis, serem CPK elevates remarkably and we can consider the level of CPK as a sign of the severity or condition of the disease. However, in myopathy as “rimmed vacuolar distal myopathy” serem CPK remains in normal level even though weakness is severe. This is due to absence of the membrane abnormalities of muscle cells. Leakage of the CPK from muscle cells, therefore, does not reflect the degree of the cell destruction. In this point we have to remember the fact that serum CPK is not a indicator of all muscle diseases and even if the CPK is normal, we have to consider the presence of myopathy.

著者

Hisanori Fukunaga Hiromi Kumakawa

出版者

東北ジャーナル刊行会

雑誌

The Tohoku Journal of Experimental Medicine (ISSN:00408727)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.237, no.1, pp.41-43, 2015 (Released:2015-09-01)

参考文献数

6

被引用文献数

1 10

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The great earthquake of 11 March 2011 and resulting tsunami caused serious damage to various areas of the Pacific coast in northeast Fukushima, and all the residents faced fears of meltdown of the reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. One of the most seriously affected areas was the district of Soso, located in the northeast part of Fukushima prefecture, with 12 municipalities (Soma City, Minamisoma City, Shinchi Town, Namie Town, Futaba Town, Ōkuma Town, Tomioka Town, Naraha Town, Hirono Town, Iitate Village, Katsurao Village and Kawauchi Village). The district of Soso is home to approximately 200,000 residents, many of whom were seriously affected by the threefold disaster. During the subsequent four years, the population of Soso decreased by nearly 10%. In March 2011 before the disaster, five hospitals and two clinics for psychiatric patients, along with 712 inpatients, were operating in the district of Soso. However, as of March 2015, there were only one hospital and three clinics, along with approximately 50 inpatients, although a new mental health clinic in Soma City was opened in 2012 for supporting victims suffering from the disaster. We hereby suggest that the patients and residents of northeast Fukushima may be undergoing mental health crisis. In fact, disaster-related psychological stress could have induced several physical and mental disorders. The mid- and long-term supports are urgently needed not only for psychiatric patients but also for all residents in the district of Soso.

著者

Youngsook Bae

出版者

Tohoku University Medical Press

雑誌

The Tohoku Journal of Experimental Medicine (ISSN:00408727)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.239, no.2, pp.159-164, 2016 (Released:2016-06-10)

参考文献数

40

被引用文献数

2 7

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Vision, proprioception and plantar sensation contribute to the control of postural balance (PB). Reduced plantar sensation alters postural response and is at an increased risk of fall, and eye movements reduce the postural sway. Therefore, the aim of this study was to study the improvement of plantar sensation and PB after saccadic eye movement (SEM) and pursuit eye movement (PEM) in community-dwelling elderly women. Participants (104 females; 75.11 ± 6.25 years) were randomly allocated into the SEM group (n = 52) and PEM groups (n = 52). The SEM group performed eye fixation and SEM for 5 minutes, and the PEM group performed eye fixation and PEM for 5 minutes. The plantar sensation was measured according to the plantar surface area of the feet in contact with the floor surface before and after the intervention. Before and after SEM and PEM with the eyes open and closed, PB was measured as the area (mm2), length (cm), and velocity (cm/s) of the fluctuation of the center of pressure (COP). The plantar sensation of both feet improved in both groups (p < 0.01). Significant decreases in the area, length, and velocity of the COP were observed in the eye open and close in both groups (p < 0.01). The length and velocity of the COP significantly decreased in the SEM group compared to the PEM group (p < 0.05). In conclusion, SEM and PEM are effective interventions for improving plantar sensation and PB in elderly women, with greater PB improvement after SEM.

著者

Yeongcheol Eum Jongeun Yim

出版者

Tohoku University Medical Press

雑誌

The Tohoku Journal of Experimental Medicine (ISSN:00408727)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.235, no.1, pp.17-23, 2015 (Released:2014-12-26)

参考文献数

65

被引用文献数

7 27

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Stroke is one of the leading causes of morbidity and long-term disability worldwide, and post-stroke depression (PSD) is a common and serious psychiatric complication of stroke. PSD makes patients have more severe deficits in activities of daily living, a worse functional outcome, more severe cognitive deficits and increased mortality as compared to stroke patients without depression. Therefore, to reduce or prevent mental problems of stroke patients, psychological treatment should be recommended. Literature and art therapy are highly effective psychological treatment for stroke patients. Literature therapy divided into poetry and story therapy is an assistive tool that treats neurosis as well as emotional or behavioral disorders. Poetry can add impression to the lethargic life of a patient with PSD, thereby acting as a natural treatment. Story therapy can change the gloomy psychological state of patients into a bright and healthy story, and therefore can help stroke patients to overcome their emotional disabilities. Art therapy is one form of psychological therapy that can treat depression and anxiety in stroke patients. Stroke patients can express their internal conflicts, emotions, and psychological status through art works or processes and it would be a healing process of mental problems. Music therapy can relieve the suppressed emotions of patients and add vitality to the body, while giving them the energy to share their feelings with others. In conclusion, literature and art therapy can identify the emotional status of patients and serve as a useful auxiliary tool to help stroke patients in their rehabilitation process.

著者

Tokutaro Sato Masao Oouchi Hiroari Nagakubo Tooru Chiba Susumu Ogawa Chiharu Sato Kazuhiko Sugimura Motosi Fukuda

出版者

Tohoku University Medical Press

雑誌

The Tohoku Journal of Experimental Medicine (ISSN:00408727)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.185, no.1, pp.25-29, 1998 (Released:2005-12-16)

参考文献数

17

被引用文献数

4 4

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Hydroxy-3 methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) is a common intermediate metabolite of cholesterol synthesis and ketone formation in the liver. In order to study the effect of HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor (pravastatin) on ketone formation, changes in the plasma levels of ketone bodies by treatment with pravastatin were studied in 18 non-insulin dependent diabetics with hypercholesterolemia. Body mass index, diabetic control, and plasma free fatty acid levels were not changed during the study, and the plasma levels of cholesterol decreased significantly from 250±25 to 211±34 mg/100 ml after 6 months of pravastatin treatment. The plasma levels of acetoacetic acid also significantly decreased from 37.7±22.6 to 28.4±13.4 μmol/l, and those of 3-hydroxybutyric acid and total ketone bodies also tended to decrease after pravastatin treatment. These results suggest that pravastatin decreases ketone formation in hepatic mitochondria besides cholesterol synthesis in hepatic microsome.

著者

Yuka Ueda Michio Murakami Masaharu Maeda Hirooki Yabe Yuriko Suzuki Masatsugu Orui Seiji Yasumura Tetsuya Ohira The Fukushima Health Management Survey Group

出版者

Tohoku University Medical Press

雑誌

The Tohoku Journal of Experimental Medicine (ISSN:00408727)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.248, no.4, pp.239-252, 2019 (Released:2019-08-10)

参考文献数

40

被引用文献数

14

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Many studies have consistently reported the bidirectional relationship between problem drinking and psychological distress following a disaster, but the risk factors of problem drinking following a disaster remain unclear. In this study, we therefore aimed to explore the risk factors associated with the incidence of problem drinking among evacuees after the Great East Japan Earthquake of March 11, 2011. We used the data for evacuees of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant accident, obtained from the Mental Health and Lifestyle Survey. A total of 12,490 individuals from 13 municipalities, which included the evacuation order areas after the accident, completed surveys between 2012 and 2013. The CAGE (Cutting down, Annoyed by criticism, Guilty feeling, and Eye-opener) questionnaire was used to screen the participants for alcohol dependence, and a score ≥ 2 indicated problem drinking. Logistic regression models were applied to investigate the possible predictors of problem drinking. The results showed that insufficient sleep and heavy drinking (≥ 4 drinks per day) were significant risk factors for the incidence of problem drinking in both men and women. Additional risk factors included family financial issues due to the disaster and trauma symptoms among men and a diagnosed history of mental illness among women. Other remaining variables were not significantly associated with problem drinking. The present study is the first to identify the risk factors for problem drinking following a compound disaster. Our findings could be used to develop a primary intervention program to improve evacuees’ health and lives following a disaster.

著者

Makoto Hasegawa Michio Murakami Shuhei Nomura Yoshitake Takebayashi Masaharu Tsubokura

出版者

Tohoku University Medical Press

雑誌

The Tohoku Journal of Experimental Medicine (ISSN:00408727)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.248, no.2, pp.115-123, 2019 (Released:2019-06-26)

参考文献数

35

被引用文献数

8

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After Fukushima disaster in 2011, the health status of the region’s residents deteriorated. We analyzed the health status, care needs, and access to health services among evacuees and non-evacuees using healthcare expenditure (for self-employed and unemployed individuals aged < 75 years) and long-term care expenditure (mainly for individuals aged ≥ 65 years). Fukushima Prefecture was divided into four areas according to their evacuation status: non-EOAs (municipalities that did not include evacuation order areas (EOAs)); EOAs/non-EOAs (municipalities that included both EOAs and non-EOAs); short-term EOAs (municipalities where the EOA designation was lifted in most areas by fiscal year (FY) 2011); and long-term EOAs (municipalities where most EOA designations remained in place until the end of FY 2015). Increases in expenditure on healthcare and long-term care per capita in short-term and long-term EOAs were greater in FY 2015 than the average values in FYs 2008-2010. The increases in expenditure were higher in short-term and long-term EOAs than those in non-EOAs and EOAs/non-EOAs. The increases in dental health expenditure were attributed to enhanced accessibility to dental health facilities. Furthermore, the evacuations contributed to increases in healthcare and long-term care expenditure, independent of aging and improved accessibly to health facilities. Possible explanations for these increases include the poor health status of the evacuees following the evacuations, reduced availability of informal care provided by family members and neighbors, and reduced patient copayments. The findings highlight the necessity of health promotion among evacuees.

著者

Yoko Aoki Katsumi Mizuta Tatsuya Ikeda Chieko Abiko Tsutomu Itagaki Tadayuki Ahiko

出版者

Tohoku University Medical Press

雑誌

The Tohoku Journal of Experimental Medicine (ISSN:00408727)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.230, no.2, pp.111-115, 2013 (Released:2013-06-20)

参考文献数

7

被引用文献数

5 6

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The measles elimination project led by the World Health Organization (WHO) has been moving toward the target of eliminating measles in the WHO Western Pacific Region. In Japan, prefectural public health institutes play a key role for the laboratory diagnosis of measles virus (MV) infection, which is based on PCR, virus isolation, and genotyping. Microscopic examination of viral-sensitive cell lines during routine virus isolation from nasopharyngeal specimens has been used to detect the morphological changes typical for the growth of respiratory viruses. Here, we describe the unexpected isolation of vaccine-derived MVs from the two unrelated 1-year-old boys with acute respiratory infection. The nasopharyngeal specimens were obtained from one patient in February 2007 and from another in December 2012. Incidentally, the two children had received measles-rubella vaccination 9 or 11 days before the sampling. The isolates from two children induced morphological changes of the viral-sensitive cell lines, such as syncythia formation (cell fusion). We finally identified the isolates as vaccine-derived MVs by sequence analysis and immunological methods with anti-measles nucleoprotein antibodies. As no typical symptoms of MV infection were observed in either patient, the vaccine-derived MVs were isolated not as causative pathogens but by chance. In fact, there was no suspected case of secondary MV infection in either patient, thereby excluding the possibility that vaccine-derived MVs spread from human to human. Our experiences suggest the possibility of vaccine-derived MV isolation by cell cultures and the difficulty in identifying MVs in specimens from patients other than clinically suspected measles cases.