[Investigation of the Leakage Radiation Dose Rate from an Auto Infusion Device in 18F-FDG PET].

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to investigate the leakage radiation dose rate on the surface of an auto infusion device in 18F-fludeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography. METHOD: We preliminary measured the radioactivity of delivery-supplied FDG drugs. Leakage radiation doses on the six (front, rear, right, left, top, and bottom) surface points of the auto infusion device were measured ninety minutes before the assay time using an energy-compensated gamma scintillation survey meter and an ionization chamber-type survey meter. RESULT: Leakage radiation doses on the front, rear, right, left, and top surfaces were less than 7 µSv/h and satisfied specification of the auto infusion device. However, a leakage dose exceeding 40 µSv/h was detected on the bottom surface.

The relationship between weight loss and time and risk preference parameters: a randomized controlled trial.

This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of intervention (specifically, intervention by telephone and mails, known as 'tele-care') relative to self-help as a weight-loss method. The question of whether there is a correlation between changes in two preference parameters--time discounting (i.e. impatience) and risk aversion--and the level of commitment was examined. The study, spanning a period of 24 weeks in 2006-2007, comprised 118 participants, each of whom was randomly assigned to either the tele-care or the self-help group. A public-health nurse provided support through telephone and mail communications to the tele-care group, aiming to reduce their calorie intake and increase exercise via this intervention. There was a significant decrease in the body weight of the participants of the tele-care group from the baseline; however, there were no significant differences in the weight loss, median time discounting or risk aversion between the two groups. The subsequent analysis for weight loss with changes in time and risk parameters revealed a significant difference in the weight loss in the time-discounting-loss and risk-aversion-gain groups. From the results of the multiple regression analysis, the time discounting was noted to be associated with age, initial BMI and marital status among men, and risk aversion was associated with age and job status among women. There is a possibility that a decrease in time discounting and increase in risk aversion might correlate with the weight loss or effectiveness of commitment in this trial. This study suggests that time discounting and risk aversion may be useful in anti-obesity efforts, since they are accurate criteria of behavioural patterns associated with weight problems.

[Factor analysis of attributive determinants for life expectancy and infant mortality rate with recipient country data in consideration of socioeconomic environment].

OBJECTIVE: From a financial viewpoint, it is important that international medical care and cooperation in recipient countries by NGOs or governments of donor countries, and health promotion carried out by recipient countries' governments, are carried out efficiently. In this paper, we performed analysis of factors that determine life expectancy and infant mortality rates in recipient countries, in consideration of the socioeconomic environment. METHODS: We used data from World Development Indicators 2002 and 2003, published by the World Bank, and Human Development Indicators 2002, published by the United Nations Development Programme. We analyzed 68 countries classified as middle and low income countries by the World Bank, because complete data for these countries were available. We used life expectancy and infant mortality rates as health indicators and did multiple regression analysis; with these indicators as dependent variables, and with socioeconomic environmental data as independent variables. Furthermore, we undertook multiple regression analysis after carrying out group divisions of the countries according to the numbers of refugees, birthrates, and expenditures on armaments. RESULTS: We ascertained the following points. 1) For improving health of people in recipient countries, it is important to secure safe drinking water, improve literacy, and increase income and the possibility of access to basic medicines. 2) For countries where there are a lot of refugees, it is important to increase the measles vaccine inoculation rate. 3) In countries where there are few refugees, life expectancy will be prolonged by as much as three years if the measles vaccine inoculation rate increases by just 10%. 4) In countries with a high armaments expenditure rate in proportion to GNI, it is important to secure access to sanitary toilet facilities. 5) Life expectancy in countries tends to shorten if life expectancy in their neighboring countries is short. 6) The rate of public health expenditures in proportion to GDP has no affect on health. 7) If the literacy rate rises 10%, life expectancy will be prolonged by about 1.2 years and the infant mortality rate will decrease about 6%. CONCLUSION: Though improvement of the socioeconomic environment is more effective for improving life expectancy and infant mortality rates in recipient countries than medical conditions, the effectiveness differs according to the number of refugees, the birthrate and expenditures on armaments.

Assessment of tumor hemodynamics in small hepatocellular carcinoma: comparison of Doppler ultrasonography, angiography-assisted computed tomography, and pathological findings.

AIM: We evaluated the usefulness of Doppler ultrasonography (DUS) for the analysis of tumor hemodynamics in small hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). METHODS: We compared Doppler ultrasound (DUS) findings with angiography-assisted computed tomography (Angio-CT) such as CT during arterial portography and during hepatic arteriography in the evaluation of the intratumoral hemodynamics, and with pathologic findings in 45 small HCC nodules (< or =3.0 cm in diameter) of 43 patients. DUS flow pattern of each nodule was categorized into three types: afferent continuous flow (Type 1), afferent pulsatile flow with afferent continuous flow (Type 2), and afferent pulsatile flow without afferent continuous flow (Type 3). Intratumoral blood supply was determined by Angio-CT, and pathologic findings were evaluated on resected or biopsied specimen. RESULTS: Based on Angio-CT findings, Type 1 nodules showed decreased arterial blood supply (ABS) without decreased portal blood supply (PBS). Type 2 nodules showed unchanged ABS but decreased PBS. Type 3 nodules showed both increased ABS and decreased PBS. DUS findings well represented blood supply of HCC evaluated by Angio-CT. In addition, all Type 1 and 2 nodules were well-differentiated HCC, and all Type 3 nodules were moderately or poorly differentiated HCC; DUS findings well reflected differentiation of HCC. CONCLUSIONS: DUS is a non-invasive imaging method and can be used for the evaluation of the stage of malignancy of small HCC.