Impacts of housing development on nutrients flow along canals in a peri-urban area of Bangkok, Thailand.

Change of nutrients load and flow according to land-use change induced by housing development was investigated in Bang Yai, Nonthaburi, Thailand, which located in the peri-urban area of Bangkok. Each house in the newly developed residential community was regulated to be equipped with a septic tank to collect night soil. However, greywater and leachate from the septic tank was collected by a community sewage system and discharged into the canals with insufficient treatment, while the canals still function as infrastructure for irrigation and transportation. In the study area, built-up area became 1.4 times and agricultural fields decreased by 13% from 2003 until 2007. Total nutrients load to the canals was increased by 25% as nitrogen and 14% as phosphorus according to the increase of built-up area. Net nutrients load from agricultural fields was largely set off when we evaluated nutrients inflow from the canals to the agricultural field through irrigation. Consequently, nutrients load from domestic wastewater accounted most of net nutrients load into the canal.

Gender differences in dietary intake among adults of Hindu communities in lowland Nepal: assessment of portion sizes and food consumption frequencies.

OBJECTIVE: To elucidate gender differences in dietary intake among adults in lowland Nepalese communities. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: For 122 male and 195 female subjects aged 20 years and over from 94 randomly selected households, interviews using a 19-item food frequency questionnaire were conducted. To determine the portion sizes of these foods, the samples consumed by 56 subjects in a full 1-day period were weighed. Energy expenditure was estimated by time spent on daily activities. RESULTS: Gender differences in per-day energy and protein intakes were related to sex differences in body size and energy expenditure. Apparent gender differences in the crude intakes disappeared when they were expressed by nutrient density (mg or microg/MJ) since micronutrient intakes were significantly correlated with energy intake. However, males' iron intake was larger even after adjustment for energy intake, attributing to their larger portion sizes of commonly consumed staple foods and higher frequencies of consuming luxury foods (fish and tea). CONCLUSION: The intrahousehold unequal distribution of food incurs risk of iron deficiency among female subjects. SPONSORSHIP: This study was financially supported by the Ajinomoto Foundation for Dietary Culture and the Alliance for Global Sustainability Program.

Behaviors and attitudes towards smoking among the nurses in Japan.

The study was carried to investigate on the actual conditions related to smoking of the nurses working in all medical institutions under a regional medical association in Mie Prefecture (regional medical institutions). Results obtained were as follows: smoking prevalence of female nurses is considered to be equal to that of the general female population in Japan. About 35% of the nurses with the smoking habit had an opinion to quit it, and about 45% of them practiced it seriously. Nearly 80% nurses favored restriction. In the way of thinking related to smoking, more than 90% of the nurses answered that women should not smoke for the health of the fetuses and infants, while only about 30% of them agreed to stop smoking working as members of the medical staff. The survey suggests that anti-smoking program is necessary to develop for smoking nurses working at medical facilities.

Three cases of pityriasis rubra pilaris successfully treated with cyclosporin A.

BACKGROUND: Pityriasis rubra pilaris (PRP) is reported to respond poorly to cyclosporin A (CsA). OBJECTIVE: We attempted to determine the efficacy of CsA in the treatment of classic adult-type PRP. METHODS: Three patients with classic adult-type PRP were treated with 5 mg/kg/day CsA. RESULTS: A sustained clinical response was achieved within 2-4 weeks of therapy. Relapses were noted when the CsA dose was decreased to 1.2 mg/kg/day. CONCLUSION: CsA should be considered in the treatment of classical adult-type PRP.

Smoking behaviors and attitudes among school teachers in Mie, Japan.

We conducted a questionnaire survey of public kindergarten, elementary and high school teachers in Mie Prefecture, concerning smoking habits and attitudes from November 1995 to February 1996. A self-reporting questionnaire was sent to approximately 16,000 teachers and school employees. The questionnaires were collected in a way which took into consideration the privacy of the respondents. A total of 13,998 questionnaires were returned. The percentages of smokers among the teachers were 44.7% for males and 3.1% for females, percentages which are lower than those for the general Japanese population. Almost all of the men and women agreed that anti-smoking education is needed. Most of those who did not feel anti-smoking education was needed were smokers themselves. Seventy percent of both men and women responded that anti-smoking education was a teachers' duty, however, only thirty-six percent of the male and twenty-one percent of the female teachers had actual experience at such education. Finally, almost all teachers wish wish that schools were totally smoke-free or had a partial ban on smoking and believe that school anti-smoking policies in Japan should be introduced.

Smoking prevalence of female nurses in the national hospitals of Japan.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the prevalence of smoking and the attitudes towards the restriction of smoking at work among female nurses in the national hospitals in Japan. DESIGN: Questionnaires mailed to 14 randomly selected national hospitals and sanitariums in Japan in 1993. SUBJECTS: 2207 female nurses. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Smoking status and history, and attitudes towards the restriction of smoking at work. RESULTS: The prevalence of smoking among female nurses was 18.6%, which was higher than the age-adjusted prevalence of the general female population using this study's subjects as a standardised population. Banning smoking in the hospital in which they worked was supported by 15.0%, whereas 81.6% supported the restriction of smoking. CONCLUSIONS: The results showed that smoking is more common among female nurses than among the general female adult population. The survey suggested that nurses favour restriction, but not banning, of smoking.

[Smoking prevalence of nurses in national hospitals of Japan].

We surveyed nurses in 14 randomly sampled national hospitals about their smoking behavior and some relating factors. The main results were as follows: 1) The prevalence of smoking among male and female nurses was 67.8% and 18.5% respectively. These figures are higher than in the general population. 2) The smoking prevalence of female nurses was highest among those in their thirties and lowest among those in their twenties, and 56% of those who smoke daily started smoking between the age of 20 and 24. 3) Smoking was more prevalent among practical nurses than among registered nurses. 4) Smoking was more prevalent among nurses who where not satisfied with their career choice than those who stated that they were satisfied with being nurses. 5) Among smokers, 80% had considered quitting, 44% had seriously tried to quit smoking, and 80% wanted to quit smoking. For this reason, it is important to provide smoking cessation programs for nurses. 6) The nurses surveyed, 93% agreed with the opinion that women should not smoke for the sake of both their own and their infant's health. However only 30% agreed with the opinion that nurses should not smoke as medical professionals.

A case of localized pemphigus foliaceus.

Pemphigus foliaceus (PF) is most commonly observed on the face, scalp, chest and back at the onset of the condition. The case described here is that of an 81-year-old female with a single PF lesion localized to the right cheek. A review of the literature published in English and Japanese disclosed only 3 cases of PF in which the patient presented with a single lesion, and 2 of these cases were referred to as "localized pemphigus foliaceus".

[Relationship between medical expenditures and government-sponsored medical check-ups for the aged].

Japanese law provides for regular medical examinations for the aged. A simulation study to determine the relationship between medical expenditures of cardiovascular disease patients and government-sponsored health check-ups for the aged was conducted in a small community town in Kanagawa Prefecture. The results showed that medical expenditures decreased in accordance with an increase in health screening. However, medical expenditure for out-patients increased slightly with an increase in screening for those cardiovascular disease patients who had not received treatment prior to the government health checkup.

[Relationship between health services and medical care expense].

The relationship of health services for the elderly to medical care expenses for persons over 40 in age was studied by examining data for fiscal year 1992 in 393 municipalities among the municipalities throughout the country where actual conditions have been surveyed. Analysis was by multiple regression analysis. Results showed that medical expenses for every disease were lower in the municipalities which had a higher rate of execution of general health examinations, stomach cancer examinations, and home-visit guidance. This tendency was particularly remarkable in the case of diseases of the circulatory system. In contrast, medical care expenses were high in the municipalities which had a higher demand rate for medical counseling or a higher rate of attendance in health consultation. However the relation of rate of execution of functional training, or attendance rate at the health education sessions, or the rate of performance of detailed examinations was not clear.

Decreased induction of gamma-glutamyltransferase activity by 3'-methyl-4-dimethylaminoazobenzene in the liver of rats given carcinogen-containing diet for several generations.

gamma-Glutamyltransferase (G-GT) has been widely used as a marker of the preneoplastic stage of chemical carcinogenesis. We obtained male rats of Donryu strain that showed a reduced response to 3'-methyl-4-dimethylaminoazobenzene (3'-MeDAB) in terms of induction of G-GT activity in the liver, by giving rats of this strain diet containing the carcinogen for several generations. In these animals, hepatic G-GT activity was only slightly higher than normal even after more than 20 weeks of continuous post-weaning exposure to the carcinogen, and it decreased to below the normal level if administration of the carcinogen was discontinued. In normal male rats, administration of diet containing 3'-MeDAB for more than 2 weeks resulted in an increase in hepatic G-GT activity, and the activity was increased further by a single injection of hydrocortisone. This response to glucocorticoid was also lost in "3'-MeDAB-resistant rats." Transient elevation of fetal hepatic G-GT activity occurred at the end of gestation of "resistant rats" as well as normal rats, but the highest activity at birth of the "resistant rats" was significantly lower than that of normal rats. We observed retardation of tumor development in the liver of fourth and fifth generation rats maintained continuously on diet containing 3'-MeDAB.

Changes in frontal lobe size with age. A CT study in children.

A series of linear measurements on computed tomography of the brain was performed in 481 children (from newborns up to 5 years of age). Each measurement increased with age in infancy and early childhood. In addition to the commonly used linear measurements, a new index has been devised. This index equals the ratio between the sagittal diameter of the brain and the sagittal midline distance from the anterior border of the brain to a line tangential to the anterior horns. All measurements were made on the scan at the level of the foramen of Monro. This index was called the frontal force index (FFI), because it seemed to reflect the morphologic change in the frontal lobes. The functions related to the frontal lobes, i.e. cognitive functions, develop rapidly during infancy and early childhood. In normally or subnormally developed children the FFI increased during early infancy and decreased in severely retarded children. The FFI is obviously useful in the evaluation of the development of the frontal lobes.

The bifrontal fluid collection area and other cerebrospinal fluid spaces at computed tomography in children. Its variations with increasing age and pathologic conditions.

A total of 592 computed tomography examinations of the brain in children were studied from the aspect of age and development. The series was divided into 3 groups with respect to neurologic development: 1) normal without neurologic symptoms, 2) normal or subnormal with neurologic symptoms, and 3) moderately to severely retarded. For evaluation, a method of visual grading was applied for each cerebrospinal fluid space. Concerning the ventricular system, the most significant changes in size with increasing age were noted in the lateral ventricles. There were no significant changes in the third and fourth ventricles. Among the three groups, the enlargement was most prominent in group 3 and less prominent in groups 1 and 2. Concerning the extraventricular spaces, the enlarged bifrontal fluid collection area, the sylvian fissure, the interhemispheric fissure, and the cerebral sulci vanished with increasing age. Similarly to the ventricular system, the enlargement was most prominent in group 3, and less prominent in groups 1 and 2, above the age of 1 year. The relation of these results to age and developmental factors are discussed.