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

Objective: We conducted a questionnaire survey to comprehend the situation regarding the collection, provision, and utilization of drug safety information at hospitals.  In addition, we asked pharmaceutical companies how they select medical institutions to provide drug safety information.  We also investigated the current situation of information provision to Tokyo Medial Center by pharmaceutical companies.
Method: A questionnaire was mailed to all hospitals in Japan.  The survey was conducted between January 13 and February 10, 2011.  Moreover, we asked thirteen pharmaceutical companies by telephone and e-mail about the implementation status of the provision of information and performed a survey at Tokyo Medical Center on the current situation of information provision by pharmaceutical companies regarding revisions to precaution sections in package inserts.
Results: The results of the questionnaire survey (response rate: 41.2%) showed that the major information sources for hospitals were medical representatives (77.8%), Drug Safety Update (50.3%) and direct mails (49.3%).  Furthermore, in the case of drugs prescribed exclusively for extramural dispensing, fewer hospitals responded that medical representatives of the pharmaceutical companies provided drug safety information and more hospitals responded that they did not obtain any drug safety information at all, compared with drugs listed in the hospital formularies.
Conclusion: To minimize the risks of drugs, healthcare professionals must collect a wide range of drug safety information and must utilize this information in their medical practice.  Therefore, it is important that pharmaceutical companies and regulatory authorities make an effort to provide suitable information dissemination to medical institutions.  Furthermore, medical institutions must also strengthen their systems for collecting drug safety information and providing such information to healthcare professionals.

The purpose of this study was to clarify social and psychological factors supporting elderly men aged 75 or older who live alone in five towns or villages designated as depopulated areas by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications in the Tohoku, Kanto, Shikoku, and Kyushu regions. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 21 elderly men who lived alone, were capable of self-selection and self-determination, and had no communication disorder. Transcripts of the interview were subjected to content analysis. Results showed that the psychological factors supporting these men could be grouped into 3 core categories: “finding a sense of purpose in life”, “carefree lifestyles without being obsessed with time”, and “a communitybased life”. Social factors were divided into two core categories: “acceptance of change in relationships with their children” and “ties with the local community”. The community in the study area became smaller due to depopulation and the aging of residents. Hence, there are limitations to supporting each other among local residents and the potential for them to become socially isolated Maintaining mental health can be regarded as having a large influence on continuing to live alone when the elderly men recognize their physical decline and have to face aging. For them to continue living in the community as they wish until the end, this study’s findings suggest that it is necessary to foster cooperation between the government and professionals who can care for emotional and spiritual needs and to establish a support system for mental health.

No abstract available.
Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacology/therapeutic use ; Bacteremia/*diagnosis/drug therapy/microbiology ; Clostridium tertium/drug effects/isolation & purification/*metabolism ; Humans ; Male ; Microbial Sensitivity Tests ; Middle Aged ; *Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization

In this study, the effects of mono(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (MEHP), one of metabolites of di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, on immature Shiba goat testes in vitro were examined. The testes of 2-month-old Shiba goats were cut into smaller pieces, and seeded in medium. At 1, 3, 6 and 9 hr after administration of MEHP at various concentrations (0, 100 nmol ml-1, 1 nmol ml-1, and 1 x 10-3 nmol ml-1, respectively), the specimens were obtained for light and transmission electron microscopic observations. As a result, at 1 hr after exposure to MEHP, the vacuolization and nuclear membrane rupture appeared in Sertoli cells. Such alterations tended to gradually increase in number in timeand dose-dependent manners. Moreover, by MEHP treatment, apoptotic spermatogenic cells (characterized with chromatin condensation, cytoplasm shrinkage without membrane rupture, still functioning cell organelles, and packed cell contents in membrane-bounded bodies), apoptotic Sertoli cells (characterized with nuclear membrane lysis, nuclear condensation), necrotic spermatogenic cells (characterized with swollen and ruptured mitochondria, plasma membrane lysis, spilt cell contents, and chromatin clumps), and necrotic Sertoli cells (characterized with marginated chromatins along the nuclear membrane, ruptured vesicles within the MNB, some swollen and ruptured cell organelles, e.g. mitochondria) could be identified. Conclusively, ultrastructurally the treatment with MEHP at low concentration tends to lead spermatogenic and Sertoli cells to apoptosis, whereas that at high concentration tends to lead spermatogenic and Sertoli cells to necrosis. Thus, the testicular tissue culture is advantageous for screening testicular toxicity of chemicals.
Animals ; Apoptosis/drug effects/physiology ; Diethylhexyl Phthalate/*analogs&derivatives/*toxicity ; Goat Diseases/*chemically induced/pathology ; Goats ; Male ; Microscopy, Electron, Transmission/veterinary ; Necrosis ; Sertoli Cells/ultrastructure ; Spermatozoa/drug effects/pathology/ultrastructure ; Testicular Diseases/*chemically induced/pathology ; Testis/*drug effects/metabolism/pathology/ultrastructure ; Vacuoles/physiology/ultrastructure

The aim of this study was to clarify the nature of psychological conflict among men aged 80 years or older who were living alone in eight depopulated municipalities designated by Japan's Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 34 elderly men who were living alone. Text-mining analysis revealed that elderly men living alone in depopulated villages were feeling lonely because they [did not have anyone to talk to] but did not want to leave their homes. They were aware of [progressive decline in physical functions] after the age of 80 and thought that [it would be the end if no longer being able to walk]. Because they needed to drive a car in order to continue living their lives, they were [conflicted about continuing to drive] and [anxious that they would not be able to go shopping] if they were to stop driving. The elderly men living in depopulated villages had developed human relationships and attachments to their hometowns, and they wanted to continue living in the homes they were born and raised in until the end of their lives. At the same time, they were struggling with conflicts related to loneliness caused by the weakening of human relationships, feelings of self-deficiency due to physical decline, and a sense of crisis stemming from the decline of the community. On the other hand, one factor supporting them was their motivation to protect the community. These findings suggest the need for a community care system that helps older people feel a sense of solidarity with, and a sense of contribution to, the community.

Disorder of Sex Development, 46,XY/genetics* ; GATA4 Transcription Factor/genetics* ; Genetic Testing ; Heart Defects, Congenital ; Humans ; Male ; Molecular Structure ; Mutation/genetics*