Malaria is a parasitic disease of major global health significance that causes an estimated 1.5-2.7 million deaths each year. Though immunochromatographic test (ICT) have been used for the convenient method of diagnosis of malaria, microscopy of Giemsa-stained thick and thin films by a skilled microscopist has still remaind the standard laboratory method for the diagnosis of malaria in the endemic area of developing countries. In the present study, we innovated a small light box equipped with light emitting diode (LED) for the source of light of microscopy to improve the blood check in the field of malaria endemic area. We performed field trials for the check of the utility of the light box in Malaita Province, Solomon Islands. All the microscopists of some clinics answered that the LED light box is a promising tool for improvement of diagnosis of malaria with microscopy.

We recovered Giardia cysts from sewage and estimated the prevalence of giardiasis among inhabitants in Hyogo Prefecture, western Japan. Two 200-ml sewage samples were collected once a month from two different sewage plants (A and B) during a one-year period. After pretreating the samples by filtration and centrifugation in the presence of alcohol and diethyl ether, an immunomagnetic separation method was applied to isolate Giardia cysts. The mean number of cysts recovered from plants A and B were 880⁄L and 2,000⁄L, respectively. Circadian rhythms in the number of cysts detected on each of two examination days were observed with a peak at 10:00 a.m., and seasonal variations in cyst numbers were also observed with two peaks in May and December. By using the data obtained from this survey, we estimated that the prevalence of Giardia infection in habitants in the areas serviced by plants A and B were 0.1-1.1 and 0.1-1.3%, respectively.

There were 651 deliveries and 4 maternal deaths at Christian Hospital Chandraghona between October 2000 and August 2001. Eleven eclampsia patients were admitted and the mean age was 22.1 years. Ten patients were primipara and 1 patient was multipara. Among those eclampsia cases, 2 maternal deaths were observed and 10 patients delivered babies (8 live babies and 2 stillbirths). Delivery methods were 8 normal deliveries, 1 forceps delivery and 1 cesarean section. Ten patients had never consulted a doctor before eclampsia occurred. Eclampsia occurred at the third trimester of pregnancy in 9 patients and after delivery in 2 patients. Nine patients came to the hospital within 5 hours after the onset of eclampsia. Those who came late to the hospital progressed to be maternal death. To reduce maternal death, it is necessary to promote antenatal checkup and provide education about obstetrical complications at the grassroots level.

Objective
The purpose of this study was to assess the psychological impact and associated factors in adolescents 5 years after the ethnic tension in the Solomon Islands.
Methods
In total, 199 high school students and villagers from Guadalcanal province and Malaita province participated in this study. To examine the psychological impact of the ethnic tension, a semi-structured interview was performed using a questionnaire and the Impact of Event Scale Revised (IES-R) for posttraumatic stress disorders (PTSD) symptoms. The participants were divided into three groups according to the places (A, B, C) where the participants lived at the beginning of the ethnic tension.
Results
Recalled emotions of traumatic experiences were significantly more severe in the most affected areas (group A, B). Although previous studies showed females are more emotionally impacted than males in disaster, the emotional impact was significantly more frequent in males than females in this study. Especially, the IES-R score was significantly higher in males of group A. No differences were found in the IES-R scores among the three groups; A: 33.4, B: 30.0, C: 34.5. The adolescents in this study had higher IES-R scores.
Conclusions
This study indicates that the PTSD symptoms of the adolescents have persisted for 5 years after the ethnic tension in the Solomon Islands.

Summarized in the following are lessons and recommendations gained through the three-year project on -Strengthening of Malaria Control in Solomon Islands”. The poor quality of malaria services and people's lack of access to proper services remain as a tremendous obstacle in developing countries. In areas remote from the central town, both morbidity and mortality from malaria tend to be higher than those in the central area. The concern shared by many living in such remote areas is how to prevent severe cases of malaria. Recommendations for malaria-related strategies in the isolated area include (1) fostering the capacity of the community to respond to severe cases of malaria through strengthening the key health facility in the malaria management (2) having the community residents themselves to have the ownership of the activities, and constructing malaria control for the community by the community. Nevertheless, it has been recognized that creating a malaria control guideline as well as its complete implementation is not enough to achieve the objectives. The guideline simply provides a standard or a benchmark, and it is, above all, not only flexible but also sensible and timely decisions suited to each circumstance, as well as actions backed by a strong sense of mission that, in the end, save the lives of malaria patients. In addition, if self-help efforts in the country are to be expected, it is of foremost importance to train healthcare workers and reserve officers.

 Malaria is a parasitic disease of major health significance that arrests the development of the tropical countries, and the developmental education on malaria for the local residents has crucial effects for the successful control of malaria. In the present study, we tried to innovate an effective education program for a community primary school in a malaria endemic area of Solomon islands. The integrated program was consisted mainly with practical exercises of the surveillance of mosquito larvae that transmit malaria parasites, identification of the species of mosquito larvae and the mapping of the breeding sites and the localization of the residence of village people under the cooperation of the local residents and teachers. We successfully established a risk map showing the approximate localization of Anopheles larvae that transmits malaria. An impressive observation of mosquito larvae was performed with microscope equipped with LED light box in the dark classroom without electric power equipments. Though no students have ever observed the mosquito larvae and few students have some knowledge for malaria, all students replied that they learned about malaria with a deep interest by the educational program. Thus, this educational program is shown to be promising for the health education in the schools of malaria endemic area.

 Malaria is a parasitic disease of major health significance that arrests the development of the tropical countries.We assembled an innovated LED light box for diagnosis of malaria, and examined for availability of the LED light box in the clinics of malaria endemic area in Solomon islands in the previous study. In the present study, we tried to use the LED light box for the practical use in the clinics with diagnostic service of malaria in Vanuatu (next country of Solomon Islands) for 1 year, and verified the availability and problems of the continual use of the LED light box.We identified the advantage of the use of LED light box in the diagnosis of malaria using microscopy. On the other hand, additional training of basic electricity is needed for microscopists who have little experience for electronics in the course of training of mictroscopists for the practical use of the LED light box.

PURPOSE: Sonic hedgehog (Shh) signaling and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) are both known to relate to cancer progression. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of Shh signaling and EMT in renal cell carcinoma (RCC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Cell proliferation was assayed in RCC cell lines in the presence or absence of a Shh signaling stimulator, recombinant Shh (r-Shh) protein, or a Shh signaling inhibitor, cyclopamine. Real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was performed to study the expression of EMT markers (E-cadherin, N-cadherin, and vimentin) and osteonectin. The expression of Ki-67, Gli-1, osteonectin, and EMT markers in nephrectomy specimens from RCC patients was also measured by immunohistochemical (IHC) staining. RESULTS: RCC cells showed enhanced cell proliferation by r-Shh protein, whereas cell proliferation was suppressed by the addition of cyclopamine in RenCa cells. Real-time RT-PCR showed that r-Shh suppressed the expression of E-cadherin and that this suppression was partly blocked by cyclopamine alone in RenCa cells. In the IHC results, osteonectin significantly correlated with vein sinus invasion (p=0.0218), and the expression of vimentin significantly correlated with lymphatic invasion (p=0.0392). CONCLUSIONS: Shh signaling and EMT play roles in RCC progression, and the Shh signaling inhibitor cyclopamine might be a possible molecular targeted therapeutic strategy for RCC.
Cadherins ; Carcinoma, Renal Cell ; Cell Line ; Cell Proliferation ; Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition ; Hedgehogs ; Humans ; Nephrectomy ; Osteonectin ; Polymethacrylic Acids ; Veins ; Veratrum Alkaloids ; Vimentin