It is said that retrospection therapy is effective in stabilizing emotional states of the aged and alleviating or holding in check symptoms associated with senile dementia. In recent years, the extended care facility of Asuke General Hospital has become so crowed with old people with dementia that it has become increasingly difficult to hold annual events on schedule. With the aim of improving the inmates' mental as well as psychological conditions, we more recently tried a retrospection therapy on a group of eight old people consisting of one emotionally unstable person and seven persons suffering from senile dementia.The group therapy was performed after ushering the old people into a private room with soft BGM played. In such a relaxing atmosphere, the session began along with a certain theme. For assessing the effectiveness of the therapy, 1) DMAS, 2) MOSES and3) NM scale were used. Apparently it produced some desired effects in every participant. Thus, the retrospection therapy proved to be useful. However, the results obtained varied depending on the kind of assessment methods. From this, we have also learned that there would be a risk of making an error of judgment with one assessment table.
Therapeutic procedure ; Knowledge acquisition using a method of assessment ; Effective ; Senile dementia ; Elderly

Background: Hand hygiene is recognized as the leading factor to prevent Healthcare-Associated Infection. This report describes an investigation of education in hand hygiene for nurses to visualize hand contamination.
Method: Twenty-nine nurses underwent education using adenosine triphosphate (ATP) measurements and fluorescent cream and black light, and a survey was conducted.
Results: A significantly higher number of nurses recognized the importance of hand hygiene after receiving education. Approximately 80% of nurses were able to: ″reflect on their methods for washing their hands″ , ″understand the necessity of keeping their hands clean after removing their gloves″ , and ″check for areas of the hands that had not been cleaned″ .
Discussion: This report suggested that education in hand hygiene using adenosine triphosphate (ATP) measurements and fluorescent cream and black light for nurses improves their perception of the importance of hand hygiene.

We have continued a study on the preventive effects of acupuncture on recurrent tonsillitis. Among 239 patients with tonsillitis examined in 1980, 200 were included in the category of recurrent tonsillitis, showing a fever four or more times a year.
The preventive effects of acupuncture in these 200 patients are reported in this paper.
The subjects were 200 patients with recurrent tonsillitis treated in our department in 1980. The frequency, number of days and severity of fever and other symptoms (conditions of the nose and throat, snoring, colds and general condition) were followed for one year after the acupuncture treatment.
Of the 200 patients, 171, excluding the 29 in whom the results of research could not be obtained, were analyzed. With regard to the frequency of fever, the number of patients with a fever 12 or more times a year decreased from 102 before acupuncture therapy to nine after the treatment. The number of patients who did not have any fever and who had a fever one to three times after treatment was 30 and 69, respectively. Thus, 40.4% were not included in the category of recurrent tonsillitis, even though fever was present. In addition, there was a decrease in the severity and number of days of fever.
Favorable effects of the treatment on symptoms other than fever, such as conditions of the nose and throat, snoring, resistance to colds and general condition, were noted in more than 50% of the patients who did not have any fever after treatment or had a fever half as frequently as before treatment.
When the preventive effects on fever were determined according to age, improvement was observed in all age groups. From the viewpoint of the prevention of repetition of a high fever, the best results were obtained in patients 6-11 years of age, followed by those five years old or less.
Acupuncture treatment for recurrent tonsillitis is not so effective as tonsillectomy. However, we consider that acupuncture treatment is worth using prior to tonsillectomy to prevent the relapse of recurrent tonsillitis, taking into account operative stress on the living body and economic and personal problems arising from tonsillectomy.

The experience at the time of a patient’s death can affect the mental health of bereaved families. Performing death pronouncements is an important skill for end-of-life care. However, almost no educational content regarding death pronouncements is presently included in medical educational programs. We have created a guidebook for “Physician behavior at the time of death pronouncement” based on the results of a questionnaire given to the families of deceased patients that included several items related to this topic. The purpose of this research was to investigate the educational effect of using this guidebook. The guidebook was given to 4th-year medical students attending the Yokohama City University School of Medicine. A survey was then conducted to assess evaluations of self-practice and feelings of difficulty at the time of making death pronouncements both before and after the class. Among the 39 students who provided valid responses, the majority (89.5%) indicated that they had difficulty with the item regarding “the specific method of death pronouncement.” A significant improvement was observed between the responses obtained before and those obtained after the class. We concluded that our guidebook for physician behavior at the time of death pronouncement might be useful for the education of medical students.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to examine the association of Japanese schoolchildren's involvement in at-home meal preparation with food intake and cooking skill. SUBJECTS/METHODS: We included 1,207 fifth-grade children aged 10-11 years and one parent of each child. A cross-sectional survey was used to collect data on involvement in at-home meal preparation. Correspondence analysis was used to classify involvement in at-home meal preparation into three groups: food-related activities (cooking only or with other activities such as shopping, table-setting, clean up, and dishwashing), non-food-related activities (table-setting and/or clean up), and no (helping) activities. Food intake was assessed using a food frequency questionnaire. Logistic regression models were used to examine involvement in at-home meal preparation associations. RESULTS: The sample consisted of 1,207 fifth-grade children. Vegetable intake was lower in the no (helping) activities group than the food-related activities group (95% CI; boys: 1.2, 5.1, girls: 2.0, 8.9). Fewer children in the non-food-related activities group reported they were able to make a portion of their meals compared with the food-related activities group (95% CI; boys: 1.6, 3.5; girls: 1.5, 3.2). CONCLUSIONS: Children in the food-related activities group showed more favorable food intake and cooking skills than children in the no (helping) activities or non-food-related activities group.
Asian Continental Ancestry Group* ; Child ; Cooking* ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Eating ; Female ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Meals* ; Parents ; Vegetables

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to examine the association of Japanese schoolchildren's involvement in at-home meal preparation with food intake and cooking skill. SUBJECTS/METHODS: We included 1,207 fifth-grade children aged 10-11 years and one parent of each child. A cross-sectional survey was used to collect data on involvement in at-home meal preparation. Correspondence analysis was used to classify involvement in at-home meal preparation into three groups: food-related activities (cooking only or with other activities such as shopping, table-setting, clean up, and dishwashing), non-food-related activities (table-setting and/or clean up), and no (helping) activities. Food intake was assessed using a food frequency questionnaire. Logistic regression models were used to examine involvement in at-home meal preparation associations. RESULTS: The sample consisted of 1,207 fifth-grade children. Vegetable intake was lower in the no (helping) activities group than the food-related activities group (95% CI; boys: 1.2, 5.1, girls: 2.0, 8.9). Fewer children in the non-food-related activities group reported they were able to make a portion of their meals compared with the food-related activities group (95% CI; boys: 1.6, 3.5; girls: 1.5, 3.2). CONCLUSIONS: Children in the food-related activities group showed more favorable food intake and cooking skills than children in the no (helping) activities or non-food-related activities group.
Asian Continental Ancestry Group* ; Child ; Cooking* ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Eating ; Female ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Meals* ; Parents ; Vegetables

We administered electro-acupuncture with the purpose of preventing repeated attacks of repetitive tonsillities.
The majority of the 77 subjects were kindergarden and elementary shool children, who had high fiver more then 4 times a year.
The treatment method was as follows: 1Hz low frequency stimulation between Co 4 and lu 6 (and this bilateral) for 20 to 30 minutes.
The treatment interval was once a week, with 3 weeks constituting a treatment course.
And depending on the results of 1 course, the treatment was repeated or not. 53 patients followed 1 course, 24 patients followed 2 course.
The evaluaton of the results is based on a 1 year observation period.
RESULTS:
-9 patients (11.68%) didn't got any high fever.
-49 patients (63.63%) noticed a decrease of the high fever frequency [39 patients (50.64%) got less then 3 times a year a high fever.]
-19 patients (24.67%) didn't notice any effect [6 patients (7.79%) got tonsillectomy.]
This study showed the usefulness of acupuncture and as it's a general and easy to apply therapy, we can consider acupuncture as a first choice therapy for the prevention off repetitive tosillitis.

We have conducted acupuncture treatment for prevening the relapse of recurrent tonsillitis. We previously noted the effectiveness of this treatment in 121 of 239 patients treated in 1980, especially in elementary school children. In the present study, we compared the annual days of absence from school and the body dimensions of children with tonsillitis given acupuncture treatment with those having tonsillar hypertrophy chosen by a school study, although there is a question on the latter's propriety as a control group in a strict sense, in order to investigate the degree of spontaneous healing included in the preventive effects of acupuncture treatment on the relapse of recurrent tonsillitis.
By May 1983, our reseach was completed in 22 children with tonsillitis given acupuncture treatment and 19 with tonsillar hypertrophy not given such therapy. In children with tonsillitis given acupuncture treatment, the average annual days of absence from school before treatment was 14.0, which was more than that for all children in the S elementary school, and that in the year after treatment was 6.5, approximating that for all children in the school. In children with tonsillar hypertrophy not given acupuncture treatment, the average number of days of absence was close to that for all children in the S elementary school in both years.
Among 14 children with tonsillitis given acupuncture treatment, lower values of height and weight were noted in eight and 12 children, respectively, at the beginning of treatment, as compared with the national averages. The body dimensions of children with tonsillar hypertrophy not given acupuncture treatment were similar to the national averages. Of 14 children with tonsillitis given acupuncture treatment, an increase to a value exceeding the national average was observed with both the height and weight in six children, the height in two and the weight in one within the year after treatment.
The above results show that children with tonsillitis have a problem from the educational and developmental standpoint, even if they do not have a focal tonsil. We think that acupuncture treatment is worth attempting prior to tonsillectomy, although it is not so surely effective as tonsillectomy, when the severity of operative stress on the living body due to tonsillectomy and the burden of medical expenses and the load on the patient's family caused by hospitalization are taken into consideration.

PURPOSE: Oxidized low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL) plays a key role in endothelial dysfunction, vascular inflammation, and atherogenesis. The aim of this study was to assess blood clearance and in vivo kinetics of radiolabeled oxLDL in mice.METHODS: We synthesized ¹²³I-oxLDL by the iodine monochloride method, and performed an uptake study in CHO cells transfected with lectin-like oxLDL receptor-1 (LOX-1). In addition, we evaluated the consistency between the ¹²³I-oxLDL autoradiogram and the fluorescence image of DiI-oxLDL after intravenous injection for both spleen and liver. Whole-body dynamic planar images were acquired 10 min post injection of ¹²³I-oxLDL to generate regional time-activity curves (TACs) of the liver, heart, lungs, kidney, head, and abdomen. Regional radioactivity for those excised tissues as well as the bladder, stomach, gut, and thyroid were assessed using a gamma counter, yielding percent injected dose (%ID) and dose uptake ratio (DUR). The presence of ¹²³I-oxLDL in serum was assessed by radio-HPLC.RESULTS: The cellular uptakes of ¹²³I-oxLDL were identical to those of DiI-oxLDL, and autoradiograms and fluorescence images also exhibited consistent distributions. TACs after injection of ¹²³I-oxLDL demonstrated extremely fast kinetics. The radioactivity uptake at 10 min postinjection was highest in the liver (40.8 ± 2.4% ID). Notably, radioactivity uptake was equivalent throughout the rest of the body (39.4 ± 2.7% ID). HPLC analysis revealed no remaining ¹²³I-oxLDL or its metabolites in the blood.CONCLUSION: ¹²³I-OxLDL was widely distributed not only in the liver, but also throughout the whole body, providing insight into the pathophysiological effects of oxLDL.
Abdomen ; Animals ; Atherosclerosis ; CHO Cells ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Cricetinae ; Fluorescence ; Head Kidney ; Heart ; Inflammation ; Injections, Intravenous ; Iodine ; Kinetics ; Lipoproteins ; Liver ; Lung ; Methods ; Mice ; Radioactivity ; Spleen ; Stomach ; Thyroid Gland ; Urinary Bladder

PURPOSE: Oxidized low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL) plays a key role in endothelial dysfunction, vascular inflammation, and atherogenesis. The aim of this study was to assess blood clearance and in vivo kinetics of radiolabeled oxLDL in mice. METHODS: We synthesized ¹²³I-oxLDL by the iodine monochloride method, and performed an uptake study in CHO cells transfected with lectin-like oxLDL receptor-1 (LOX-1). In addition, we evaluated the consistency between the ¹²³I-oxLDL autoradiogram and the fluorescence image of DiI-oxLDL after intravenous injection for both spleen and liver. Whole-body dynamic planar images were acquired 10 min post injection of ¹²³I-oxLDL to generate regional time-activity curves (TACs) of the liver, heart, lungs, kidney, head, and abdomen. Regional radioactivity for those excised tissues as well as the bladder, stomach, gut, and thyroid were assessed using a gamma counter, yielding percent injected dose (%ID) and dose uptake ratio (DUR). The presence of ¹²³I-oxLDL in serum was assessed by radio-HPLC. RESULTS: The cellular uptakes of ¹²³I-oxLDL were identical to those of DiI-oxLDL, and autoradiograms and fluorescence images also exhibited consistent distributions. TACs after injection of ¹²³I-oxLDL demonstrated extremely fast kinetics. The radioactivity uptake at 10 min postinjection was highest in the liver (40.8 ± 2.4% ID). Notably, radioactivity uptake was equivalent throughout the rest of the body (39.4 ± 2.7% ID). HPLC analysis revealed no remaining ¹²³I-oxLDL or its metabolites in the blood. CONCLUSION ¹²³I-OxLDL was widely distributed not only in the liver, but also throughout the whole body, providing insight into the pathophysiological effects of oxLDL.