Socioeconomic status,damage-related conditions,and PTSD following the Fukushima-daiichi nuclear power plant accident: The Fukushima Health Management Survey

The Great East Japan Earthquake severely damaged the Tohoku and Kanto districts, and Fukushima Prefecture faced a subsequent nuclear disaster. Few studies have reported the effects of socioeconomic stressors on individuals’ mental status following disasters. We analyzed the responses of 60,704 adult residents of a designated restricted area to the PTSD Checklist-Stressor-Specific Version (PCL-S). The relationships between the PCL-S scores and demographic, socioeconomic, and damage-related variables were analyzed using regression analysis to predict participants’ severity of PTSD symptoms. Approximately 14.1% of evacuees had severe PTSD symptoms (PCL-S ≥50) eighteen months post-earthquake. The PCL-S scores were higher among women, older adults, less educated people, those with a history of mental illness, and those living outside Fukushima Prefecture. The PCL-S scores increased with participants’ scores on the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale. The number of trauma-exposure stressors and socioeconomic stressors were associated with 1.52 and 3.77 increases in the PCL-S score, respectively. Furthermore, psychological distress, unemployment, decreased income, house damage, tsunami experience, nuclear power plant accident experience, and loss of someone close due to the disaster were associated with the prevalence of severe PTSD symptoms. The complex triple disaster of a major earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear accident created significant socioeconomic changes that may be important determinants of PTSD among residents of restricted access areas in Fukushima.     

Combined chemotherapy with paclitaxel and carboplatin for mucinous cystadenocarcinoma of the ovary during pregnancy

Combined chemotherapy using carboplatin and paclitaxel has been established as a standard regimen for epithelial ovarian carcinoma. We present the case of a 36-year-old woman with ovarian mucinous cystadenocarcinoma who underwent exploratory laparotomy during pregnancy, revealing Stage 1c at gestational week 15. Afterwards, five courses of paclitaxel and carboplatin chemotherapy were administered biweekly from gestational week 24. Cesarean section was performed at gestational week 36. No recurrent or metastatic lesions were found and outcomes for both mother and neonate have been satisfactory for 40 months since diagnosis of ovarian carcinoma.     

Single-cell imaging of c-fos expression in rat primary hippocampal cells using a luminescence microscope

Methods to study gene expression in live cells over time have been limited. One known method is the luciferase assay, which measures the luminescence of luciferase by coupling its expression to the promoter of a gene under study. This luminescence in cells can be measured over time by a luminometer. One major drawback of the luminometer, however, is that it can only measure the luminescence of a group of cells, and cannot follow the differences that may exist among individual cells. A novel luminescence microscope allows the visualization of individual luminescent cells over time through CCD photography. In this study, live single cells of the rat hippocampus were observed under the microscope for luciferase expression driven by the c-fos promoter. We showed that the cell body and neurite areas within a single neuron exhibited differences in luminescence. Because this microscope could detect differences among subcellular regions of single-cell, it may be a promising novel tool to study polarized cells like neurons, and to elucidate proteins involved in neuronal processes such as dendritic/axonal targeting and synaptogenesis.     

Study of automated breast tumor extraction and diagnosis using three-dimensional ultrasonic imaging: Multivariate logistic regression analysis with multiple parameters

We are developing a new method of breast cancer screening that we call Automated Breast Cancer Diagnosis (ABCD). This system uses computerized three-dimensional (3D) imaging techniques and statistical analysis to base diagnosis on data obtained from ultrasound images. Here we use this system to investigate ten parameters and their effectiveness in determining the malignancy of tumors. Twenty-nine benign tumors and 32 malignant tumors were studied. The benign tumors comprised 8 cysts and 21 fibroadenomas; the malignant tumors were 23 ductal carcinomas, 2 special carcinomas, 1 malignant lymphoma, and 6 other types of lesions. The procedure requires the simultaneous acquisition of both the ultrasonic image data and the position and orientation of the probe for each slice. This data is transferred to a computer, where the tumor surface is determined using fuzzy reasoning and relaxation techniques. The extracted tumor image is then rendered in 3D, allowing interactive manipulation and observation. A significant distinction between benign (0.57±0.25, 2.08±0.12, 0.76±0.25) and malignant tumors (0.78±0.33, 2.22±0.16, 0.58±0.29) was obtained for all three parameters (Sz/Sxy, M-D, and Vei/V). A malignancy probability expression is calculated using multivariate logistic regression analysis in combination with the five parameters (Sz/Sxy, M-D, Vei/V, 3D-D/W, and S/Vindex). Satisfactiorily results were obtained when this method was applied to newly prepared external data that consist of three benign and two malignant tumors additional tumors.     

Nutrition Support Team Intervention Improves Activities of Daily Living in Older Patients Undergoing In-Patient Rehabilitation in Japan: A Retrospective Cohort Study

The effect of nutrition support on activities of daily living (ADL) in individuals aged ≥75 years requiring rehabilitation is unknown. This study aimed to investigate the effect of nutrition support on ADL improvement in older patients undergoing in-patient rehabilitation in Japan. This retrospective cohort study was performed in 175 patients aged ≥75 years. The nutrition support team (NST) intervened in 85 cases. ADL was evaluated by the functional independence measure (FIM). We analyzed the effects of NST intervention on FIM efficiency. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that NST intervention (standard partial regression coefficient, β?=?0.164; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.003–0.229; P?=?0.044), energy intake at admission (β?=?0.179; 95% CI, 0.000–0.016; P?=?0.043), body mass index (BMI) at admission (β?=?0.227; 95% CI, 0.005–0.046; P?=?0.014), and cerebrovascular disease (β?=??0.238; 95% CI, ?0.298 to ?0.063; P?=?0.003) were independently associated with FIM efficiency. NST intervention, energy intake, and BMI on admission may affect ADL improvement in older patients undergoing in-patient rehabilitation.     

New technique using galactose-specific lectin for isolation of fetal cells from maternal blood.

To isolate fetal cells from maternal blood, we developed a new method based on galactose-bearing conjugation. Nucleated red blood cells (NRBCs), which highly express galactose on their surface, were selectively attached to a substrate coated with a galactose-containing polymer via soybean agglutinin (SBA), a galactose-specific lectin. Cord blood samples were used to evaluate enrichment efficacy of NRBCs by this method. Blood samples were obtained from 131 pregnant women between 6 and 27 gestational weeks. After preliminary condensation of fetal cells by Ficoll gradient centrifugation, NRBCs were enriched using galactose-positive selection by adjusting SBA concentration. We isolated one to several hundred NRBCs (mean+/-SD, 7.8+/-8.5) in 2.3 ml of peripheral blood samples from 96% of pregnant women. The isolated NRBCs were analyzed by a Y-chromosome FISH probe in eight cases carrying male fetuses. Y-signals were detected in all eight cases and more than half of the NRBCs were off fetal origin. The study demonstrates that our new method using galactose-specific lectin provides effective enrichment of fetal NRBCs allowing non-invasive prenatal diagnosis.     

Combining time-resolved and single-phase 3D techniques in contrast-enhanced carotid MR angiography.

We established an easy-to-use technique for performing contrast-enhanced carotid MR angiography (MRA) with a commercial scanner. Twenty-three patients with suspected carotid or vertebral arterial lesions were prospectively studied. Two techniques were applied in the study. After performing sagittal time-resolved acquisitions, we undertook a coronal single-phase 3D acquisition, in which the injection timing was estimated from the preceding images. In each case, we obtained multidirectional images with sufficient venous suppression. The combined use of time-resolved and single-phase 3D MRA is a feasible technique for obtaining selective arterial images without the use of special applications or hardware.