Because Japanese high school graduates have poor basic English skills they have difficulty acquiringduring the 6 years of medical school English skills sufficient to write medical papers in easily understood English and to converse with foreign medical researchers at international medical conferences in fluent English. In an attempt to improve English teaching in medical schools we analyzed the structures of sentences in high school English textbooks and compared them with those of sentences in more advanced English, as in the journals Science and Nature. We found that the English in high school textbooks has significantly lower subordination ratios. Thus, we propose that English with higher subordination ratios be taught in the 1st year of medical school.

OBJECTIVESRecently, perfluorooctanoate (PFOA) has been ubiquitously detected in the environment as well as in human serum. Fluorotelomer alcohols (FTOHs), a precursor of PFOA, undergo biodegradation via several metabolic routes which leads to formation of various biodegradation products. The degradation of FTOHs produces an α,β-unsaturated aldehyde that seems possibly to be electrophilic and may react with cellular macromolecules including DNA.

METHODSWe investigated the genotoxicity of three FTOHs (6∶2 FTOH, 8∶2 FTOH and 10∶2 FTOH), PFOA and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) using theumu test.

RESULTSThe FTOHs, PFOA and PFOS showed no significant increases in β-galactosidase activity at 0-1000 μM in the absence of S9 mix. The results were unchanged by the metabolic activation with S9 mix.

CONCLUSIONThe genotoxicities of FTOHs, PFOA or PFOS are not detectable using the present method, suggesting that they are unlikely mutagens.

Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) comprise a class of per- and poly-fluorinated compounds that have been detected in the environment as well as in humans. The aim of this review is to summarize several monitoring studies in Japan and characterize the toxicokinetics of these compounds. We found that the levels of contamination by these compounds had unique patterns in Japan. The levels of PFOA in serum from inhabitants of the Kansai region were higher than those of other regions. The PFOA levels in air and water samples from the Kansai region were also relatively high. The estimated intakes from these routes partly explain the differences in the serum levels. The toxicokinetics of these compounds have been investigated. Serum samples from male participants had significantly higher geometric means for PFOS and PFOA compared to samples from female participants. This sex-related difference was partly simulated by menstrual blood loss. There are large interspecies differences in the excretion pathways of these compounds. The serum clearances of PFOA via urine were 300-1,000-fold lower in humans than in Wistar rats and Japanese macaques. On the other hand, the biliary excretion of these compounds was comparable in rats and humans, and the long half-lives in humans may be attributable to the low levels of urinary excretion and high biliary reabsorption rates. These findings suggest that qualitative differences in the excretion routes exist between humans and other species. For risk assessment of these compounds, further information regarding sources of exposure and their toxicokinetics is needed.

OBJECTIVETeeth can serve as records of environmental exposure to heavy metals during their formation. We applied a new technology - synchrotron radiation microbeams (SRXRF) - for analysis of heavy metals in human permanent teeth in modern and historical samples.

METHODSEach tooth was cut in half. A longitudinal section 200 mum in thickness was subjected to the determination of the heavy metal content by SRXRF or conventional analytical methods (ICP-MS analysis or reduction-aeration atomic absorption spectrometry). The relative concentrations of Pb, Hg, Cu and Zn measured by SRXRF were translated in concentrations (in g of heavy metal/g of enamel) using calibration curves by the two analytical methods.

RESULTSConcentrations in teeth in the modern females (n = 5) were 1.2 +/- 0.5 mug/g (n = 5) for Pb; 1.7 +/- 0.2 ng/g for Hg; 0.9 +/- 1.1 mug/g for Cu; 150 +/- 24.6 mug/g for Zn. The levels of Pb were highest in the teeth samples obtained from the humans of the Edo era (1603-1868 AD: ) (0.5-4.0 mug/g, n = 4). No trend was observed in this study in the Hg content in teeth during 3,000 years. The concentrations of Cu were highest in teeth of two medieval craftsmen (57.0 and 220 mug/g). The levels of Zn were higher in modern subjects (P < 0.05) than those in the Jomon (~1000 BC: ) to Edo periods [113.2 +/- 27.4 (mug/g, n = 11)]. Reconstruction of developmental exposure history to lead in a famous court painter of the Edo period (18th century) revealed high levels of Pb (7.1-22.0 mug/g) in his childhood.

CONCLUSIONSSRXRF is useful a method for reconstructing human exposures in very long trends.

OBJECTIVEExposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) is considered to have culminated between 1950 and 1970 in Japan, and exposure through diet, the major exposure route, has decreased significantly over the last 10 years. The primary goal of the present study was to investigate the long-term trends and congener profiles of serum and dietary levels of PCBs using historical samples.

METHODSUsing banked samples collected in 1980, 1995, and 2003 surveys, we determined the daily intakes and serum concentrations of 13 PCB congeners (#74, #99, #118, #138, #146, #153, #156, #163, #164, #170, #180, #182, and #187) in women.

RESULTSThe total daily PCB intake [ng/day, geometric mean (geometric standard deviation)] decreased significantly from 523 (2.5) in 1980 to 63 (3.2) in 2003. The serum total PCB level (ng/g lipid) in women <40 years of age decreased significantly from 185 (1.8) in 1980 to 68 (1.8) in 2003. In contrast, the level in women >50 years of age increased significantly from 125 (1.7) in 1980 to 242 (1.7) in 2003. Specifically, the serum concentrations of hexa (#138, #146, #153, #156, #163, and #164) and hepta (#170, #180, #182, and #187) congeners increased significantly. A comparison of the serum PCB levels of women born from 1940 to 1953 revealed that their serum total PCB level was significantly higher in the 2003 survey [242 (1.7), n = 9] than in the 1995 [128 (2.0), n = 17] surveys. This increase in the total PCB level was attributable to increases in the hepta congener groups.

CONCLUSIONPresent results suggest a decreased rate of elimination of hepta congeners with aging in females, rather than a birth-generation phenomenon.

BACKGROUNDIn an earlier study, we identified a locus for Moyamoya disease (MMD) on 17q25.3.

METHODSLinkage analysis and fine mapping were conducted for two new families in additional to the previously studied 15 families. Three genes, CARD14, Raptor, and AATK, were selected based on key words, namely, "inflammation", "apoptosis", "proliferation", and "vascular system", for further sequencing. A segregation analysis of 34 pedigrees was performed, followed by a case-control study in Japanese (90 cases vs. 384 controls), Korean (41 cases vs. 223 controls), Chinese (23 cases and 100 controls), and Caucasian (25 cases and 164 controls) populations.

RESULTSLinkage analysis increased the LOD score from 8.07 to 9.67 on 17q25.3. Fine mapping narrowed the linkage signal to a 2.1-Mb region. Sequencing revealed that only one newly identified polymorphism, ss161110142, which was located at position -1480 from the transcription site of the Raptor gene, was common to all four unrelated sequenced familial affected individuals. ss161110142 was then shown to segregate in the 34 pedigrees studied, resulting in a two-point LOD score of 14.2 (P = 3.89 × 10(-8)). Its penetrance was estimated to be 74.0%. Among the Asian populations tested (Japanese, Korean, and Chinese), the rare allele was much more frequent in cases (26, 33, and 4%, respectively) than in controls (1, 1, and 0%, respectively) and was associated with an increased odds ratio of 52.2 (95% confidence interval 27.2-100.2) (P = 2.5 × 10(-49)). This allele was, however, not detected in the Caucasian samples. Its population attributable risk was estimated to be 49% in the Japanese population, 66% in the Korean population, and 9% in the Chinese population.

CONCLUSIONss161110142 may confer susceptibility to MMD among East Asian populations.

ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIALThe online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s12199-009-0116-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

OBJECTIVES: After the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant disaster in 2011, residents of Kawauchi village who experienced evacuation had a high risk of suffering from diabetes and metabolic syndrome compared with non-evacuees. In addition to evacuation, lifestyle characteristics can be important factors influencing the development and prognosis of diabetes or glucose tolerance. The current study aimed to evaluate the effects of evacuation (i.e., lifestyle changes) on the incidence of diabetes among the non-diabetic residents of Kawauchi village. METHODS: Design is retrospective cohort study. Annual health examination data of residents of Kawauchi village and control area (Ono town) in Fukushima prefecture from 2008 to 2017, as available from the Japanese National Health Insurance system. Participants were classified into three groups: "Diabetes (DM)" (FBG ≥ 126 mg/dL or HbA1c ≥ 6.5% or hospital visit for DM or usage of diabetic medication), "Borderline DM" (126 mg/dL > FBG ≥ 110 mg/dL or 6.5% > HbA1c ≥ 6.0%, and without hospital visit, and without diabetic medication), and "Normoglycemic" (FBG < 110 mg/dL and HbA1c < 6.0%, and without hospital visit, and without diabetic medication). New onset of diabetes was evaluated and the events or missing data were occurred at health checkup. For this survival analysis, 339 residents in Kawauchi and 598 residents in Ono were included. Average follow-up periods after 2010 were 3.9 years in Kawauchi village and 3.6 years in Ono town. RESULTS: Compared with the normoglycemic group, incidence of DM was much greater in the borderline DM group, where DM occurred among 38.2% of the group in 2012 and increased to over 60% cumulatively through 2017 in Kawauchi village. DM had a prevalence of 16.3% in 2012, and below 30% in 2017 in borderline DM group of Ono town. Cox proportional hazard regression analysis was applied to non-DM groups at both study sites separately to evaluate the effects of lifestyle changes at each site. While BMI, BMI change, and the lack of regular exercise (HR = 1.29, 1.72, and 5.04, respectively) showed significant associations with the onset of diabetes in Ono town, only BMI and late-night dinner (HR = 1.21 and 4.86, respectively) showed significant associations with diabetes onset in Kawauchi village. CONCLUSIONS The current results confirmed that diabetes incidence was increased 6 years after the Daiichi nuclear power plant disaster in Kawauchi. We also found changes in lifestyle habits, suggesting that diabetes prevention with promotion of healthy lifestyle behaviors is an urgent priority.
Aged ; Cohort Studies ; Diabetes Mellitus ; epidemiology ; etiology ; Female ; Fukushima Nuclear Accident ; Health Surveys ; Humans ; Incidence ; Japan ; epidemiology ; Life Style ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies

In 1952, the Japanese Society for Hygiene had once passed a resolution at its 22nd symposium on population control, recommending the suppression of population growth based on the idea of cultivating a healthier population in the area of eugenics. Over half a century has now passed since this recommendation; Japan is witnessing an aging of the population (it is estimated that over 65-year-olds made up 27.7% of the population in 2017) and a decline in the birth rate (total fertility rate 1.43 births per woman in 2017) at a rate that is unparalleled in the world; Japan is faced with a "super-aging" society with low birth rate. In 2017, the Society passed a resolution to encourage all scientists to engage in academic researches to address the issue of the declining birth rate that Japan is currently facing. In this commentary, the Society hereby declares that the entire text of the 1952 proposal is revoked and the ideas relating to eugenics is rejected. Since the Society has set up a working group on the issue in 2016, there have been three symposiums, and working group committee members began publishing a series of articles in the Society's Japanese language journal. This commentary primarily provides an overview of the findings from the published articles, which will form the scientific basis for the Society's declaration. The areas we covered here included the following: (1) improving the social and work environment to balance between the personal and professional life; (2) proactive education on reproductive health; (3) children's health begins with nutritional management in women of reproductive age; (4) workplace environment and occupational health; (5) workplace measures to counter the declining birth rate; (6) research into the effect of environmental chemicals on sexual maturity, reproductive function, and the children of next generation; and (7) comprehensive research into the relationship among contemporary society, parental stress, and healthy child-rearing. Based on the seven topics, we will set out a declaration to address Japan's aging society with low birth rate.
Aging ; Birth Rate ; trends ; Child ; Child Health ; Environmental Exposure ; adverse effects ; prevention & control ; Female ; Health Planning Guidelines ; Humans ; Japan ; epidemiology ; Male ; Occupational Health ; Reproductive Health ; education ; Research Design ; standards ; Societies, Scientific ; organization & administration ; Stress, Psychological ; prevention & control ; Women's Health