Environmental contaminations caused by the organochlorine pesticides (=OCPs) such as BHC and DDT, as well as PCB, are an important ecological problem relevant to their residue or accumulation in the human body.
In the present study, β-BHC, total DDT and PCB levels in the plasma of farmers in Japan, Korea and Nepal were analysed using the gaschromatograph with electron-capture detector, to know how the levels relate to the history of using those pesticides in each country.
The analysed blood samples are as follows:
1) 82 samples obtained from the farmers living in the four districts in Kyushu of Japan where the use of OCPs were forbidden about 10 years before the time of blood sampling.
2) 9 samples from the farmers living in Risen district near Seoul of Korea where OCPs were being used at the time of blood sampling.
3) 20 samples from the farmers living in Katmandu of Nepal where OCPs were being used at the time of blood sampling.
The obtained results were as follows:
1) Percentage of the samples showing the β-BHC level higher than 10 ppb was 48% for the Japanese, 0% for the Korean, and 0% for the Nepalese.
2) That of the samples showing the total DDT level higher than 15 ppb was 26%, 0% and 100% for the respective country in the above order.
3) That of the samples shnwing the PCB level higher than 5 ppb was 60%, 12% and 0% for the respective country.
Based on the results, relations between the OCPs or PCB level and the history of the use of OCPs or the eating habits in each country were discussed.

A special Students' Committee on Medical Education was established by the Student Union of Nippon Medical School. The members of this committee are all volunteers and have carried out several plans to improve the educational environment at our school. In 1999, the Students' Committee on Medical Education proposed holding joint meetings with the Education Committee of Nippon Medical School. The meeting was to allow communication between students and teachers for improving the curriculum. The volunteer faculty members of the Education Committee and students have held joint meetings seven times from November 1999 through February 2001. Discussions between students and teachers have changed ideas on both sides and have led to improvements in some educational programs, such as clinical internship during the summer vacation.

Objective: In 2000, the Ministry of Health and Welfare issued an advisory that recommended intake of 0.4mg of folic acid in dietary supplements to reduce the risk of development of neural tube defects.  Since subsequent reports of questionnaire surveys by various investigators showed a low in the intake rate, we surveyed and evaluated the folic acid intake rate among the pregnant women consulting the Japan Drug Information Institute in Pregnancy.
Methods: We evaluated differences in folic acid intake rate according to the consulting women’s background factors. i.e., age, pregnancy planning, pregnancy history, and taking of anticonvulsant drugs in the 1053 women capable of participating in the survey among the 1061 pregnant women who requested a consultation with the Japan Drug Information Institute in Pregnancy between April 2006 and August 2008.
Results: According to the result of our survey, the intake rate of folic acid was 29% of the 1053 pregnant women.  The only 3 women of the 42 pregnant women taking anticonvulsant drugs took folic acid before they got pregnant.
Conclusion: Even now, 8 years after the Ministry of Health and Welfare advisory, the folic acid intake rate is low.  Drawing upon successful measures promoting intake in the U.S. and Canada,we play a vital role in delivering this critical health information to pregnant women.