To introduce problem-based learning (PBL) in small groups to medical education in Japan, a questionnaire was sent to 10 foreign medical schools where PBL has been used. Five schools in the United States and one each in the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia responded to all 15 questions concerning their educational system, faculty training, faculty evaluation, and student evaluation. The faculty is trained in 7 medical schools, retrained in 4, and self-trained in 5. The faculty is objectively evaluated by students and a faculty committee in seven schools and the results are returned to the faculty. The students are evaluated by self-evaluation, written tests, and oral examination in al schools, and also by peer-evaluation in one school. The evaluation of students directly affects their promotion in all schools but one. Such effective evaluation and feedback systems, including evaluations of the students' learning skills and their attitude toward learning, play important roles in effective PBL.

We studied the effects of orengedokuto on central hyperthermia after mild hypothermia therapy for cardiac arrest. The subjects in this study were 7 patients who showed central hyperthermia (>38.3 °C) after mild hypothermia therapy. Orengedokuto 7.5-15 g/day was administered and central temperature was monitored. Maximum change in central temperature was 1.55 ± 0.71 °C(from 39.1 ± 0.7 °C to 37.6 ± 0.7 °C) (p < 0.05). Mean change was 0.35 ± 0.77 °C, (from 37.7 ± 0.6 °C to 37.5 ± 0.7 °C). Thus we conclude that orengedokuto is a drug with applications in the treatment of central hyperthermia after mild hypothermia therapy.

PURPOSE: Mumps vaccine has not been included in the routine national immunization program in Japan, leading to low vaccine coverage rates and periodic epidemics approximately every 5 years. Our hospital (a secondary community hospital in Japan) experienced an increased number of mumps-related complications with a nationwide epidemic in 2016. Using previously reported data and mumps-related cases in our hospital, we estimated the cost-effectiveness of routine mumps vaccination in Japan with a static model using current epidemiologic data. MATERIALS AND METHODS: With a decision tree flowchart of mumps infection and adverse events, we estimated the burden of mumps-related complications in our hospital for 5 years, and calculated the current annual national burden. Finally, we compared the current burden and assumptive burden of the stable state after routine vaccination in Japan using a static model. RESULTS: The cost-benefit ratios with sensitivity analysis were 3.69 (1.08-9.52) and 6.84 (1.51-23.73) in independent inoculation and simultaneous inoculation, respectively, from a social perspective in addition to an annual gain of 9,487 (3,227-14,659) quality adjusted life years. CONCLUSION: We contributed additional evidence in terms of cost-effectiveness that routine mumps vaccination should be introduced in Japan with simultaneous inoculation.
Asian Continental Ancestry Group* ; Cost-Benefit Analysis ; Decision Trees ; Hospitals, Community* ; Humans ; Immunization Programs ; Japan* ; Mumps Vaccine ; Mumps* ; Quality-Adjusted Life Years ; Software Design ; Vaccination*

A new educational program for the medical doctor was introduced at Tokyo Women's Medical College in 1990 with a 4-year tutorial education model as its core. To develop the program for educational training more efficiently, current facilities were reviewed on a large scale, and various types of equipment and supplementary materials were made available. We are now investigating utilization and problems of the current program. Supplies and materials of tutorial rooms and mirror rooms have been used effectively. The library has become increasingly useful as a place for independent study and research. However, audiovisual materials have not yet been made fully available. We suggest that further improvements to the system and fostering an environment of open access to information are necessary to increase the accessibility of the support system for tutorial education.

Tutors must understand their role in advance so that tutorial education can be conducted smoothly and effectively. These abilities and attitudes require training. At our school, tutors serve as faculty for basic courses and clinical courses. We assessed their training conditions and future tasks. Of the 1, 077 faculty members who received tutor training between 1988 and 1997, 935 are current faculty members who have completed in-service training (basic course, 115; clinical course, 820). Before 1989, training was on campus, but since 1990 it has been conducted at Shirakawa Seminar House with a 2-day program. The number of working tutors per year is 192, with a basic course to clinical course ratio of 3: 7. About half of the faculty members in the basic course have had four or more experiences as tutors, whereas most clinical course faculty members have had only one experience. Thus, many tutors have had no experience. In a questionnaire survey after undergoing the training program, most participants felt that they were able to understand the theory of tutorial education and the actual role of the tutor and that they were able to concentrate on off-campus training that was removed from their everyday work. To provide added impetus to tutorial education, we suggest that in the future, in addition to the understanding and mutual cooperation of those involved, it will be necessary to provide an advanced program to train tutors who have appropriate abilities and attitudes.

Tokyo Women's Medical University introduced tutorial education in 1990 for 1st-through 4th-year students. To examine the effectiveness of this system in a basic-medicine course, questionnaires were given to all 2nd-year students. Many students felt that they had become accustomed to performing self-learning tasks through collecting information themselves and discussing their findings in a group; in particular, they found that tutorial education markedly improved their communication skills. A few students thought that this method helped them develop the ability of logical/critical thinking and analytic skills from multiple viewpoints. These findings suggest that an assessment system should be established by which students themselves could recognize the extent to which they have developed their abilities, which was the aim of tutorial education.

Personal interviews and group discussions were conducted with all 2nd-year students to examine how they feel about tutorial education used as the core of the basic-medicine course and how they recognize the importance of developing their abilities, which was the aim of this course. Many students showed slight anxiety about the results of their learning with tutorials, felt inadequate in their self-learning ability, and hoped the guidance by instructors would be improved. These findings suggest that students' anxiety will decreased and their willingness to learn will increase if their developed abilities are evaluated appropriately and if they receive adequate feedback. These findings also suggest that a retraining program for experienced instructors is needed to improve their guidance skills and to reinforce the importance of their role.

BACKGROUND: Repeated application of whole-body periodic acceleration (WBPA) upregulates endothelial nitric oxide synthase and improves brachial artery endothelial function (BAEF) as assessed by measurement of flow-mediated vasodilatation (FMD). However, the acute effect of a single application of WBPA on BAEF has not been fully characterized. In addition, although a novel semi-automatic vessel chasing system (UNEXEF18G) has now been developed in Japan, the direct comparison of UNEXEF18G with a conventional method for FMD measures has not been conducted even if UNEXEF18G has already been utilized in a relatively large scale study. METHODS: We have developed a novel semi-automatic vessel chasing system (UNEXEF18G) that can measure FMD on-line, identify time to peak vasodilatation (TPV), and determine the area under the vasodilatation curve (AUC). Thus, 45 min of WBPA was applied in 20 healthy volunteers (age, 34 +/- 13 years), and BAEF was measured by UNEXEF18G before and after WBPA. Also, UNEXEF18G measured FMD was compared with those of a conventional FMD measurement method at rest in order to validate a novel UNEXEF18G measured FMD. RESULTS: Single WBPA resulted in a significant increase in FMD (from 6.4 +/- 3.4 to 10.7 +/- 4.3%, p < 0.01), a significant decrease in TPV and a significant increase in AUC. In the validation study for UNEXEF18G, Bland and Altman analysis showed that UNEXEF18G measured FMD was almost identical to those of the conventional method at rest. CONCLUSION: These data suggest the usefulness of a new UNEXEF18G and that single application of WBPA results in acute improvement in BAEF in humans.
Acceleration* ; Area Under Curve ; Brachial Artery ; Humans ; Japan ; Nitric Oxide ; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III ; Vasodilation*

BACKGROUND: Plastic resins are complex chemicals that contain toluene diisocyanate (TDI) and/or trimellitic anhydride (TMA), which cause occupational allergies (OA), including respiratory allergies. Serum IgGs against TDI and TMA have been suggested as potential markers of the exposure status and as exploring cause of OA. Although TDI-specific IgG has been examined for suspected OA, TMA-specific IgG is not commonly evaluated in a urethane foam factory. This study therefore investigated both TDI- and TMA-specific IgGs in suspected OA patients and to evaluate the usefulness of the measurement of multiple chemical-specific IgG measurement for practical monitoring. METHODS: Blood samples were collected from two male workers who developed respiratory allergies supposedly caused by occupational exposure to TDI and/or TMA for the presence of TDI- and TMA-specific IgGs. In addition, blood samples from 75 male workers from a urethane foam factory, along with 87 male control subjects, were collected in 2014 and tested for the same IgGs in 2014. The presence and levels of TDI- and TMA-specific serum IgGs were measured using dot blot assays. RESULTS: We found that controls had mean concentrations of TDI- and TMA-specific IgGs of 0.98 and 2.10 μg/mL, respectively. In the two workers with respiratory allergies, the TDI-specific IgG concentrations were 15.6 and 9.51 μg/mL, and TMA-specific IgG concentrations were 4.56 and 14.4 μg/mL, which are clearly higher than those in controls. Mean concentrations of TDI- and TMA-specific IgGs in the factory workers were 1.89 and 2.41 μg/mL, respectively, and are significantly higher than those of the controls (P < 0.001 and P < 0.026 for TDI- and TMA-specific IgGs, respectively). CONCLUSION The workers suspected of OA showed an evidently high level of TDI- and TMA-specific IgG, and these levels in workers at the urethane foam factory were also significantly higher than those in controls. In conclusion, the measurement of TDI- and TMA-specific IgG among workers using plastic resins is helpful to monitor their exposure status.
Adult ; Air Pollutants, Occupational ; adverse effects ; immunology ; Environmental Monitoring ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin G ; blood ; immunology ; Japan ; Male ; Manufacturing and Industrial Facilities ; statistics & numerical data ; Middle Aged ; Occupational Diseases ; blood ; chemically induced ; Occupational Exposure ; adverse effects ; statistics & numerical data ; Phthalic Anhydrides ; immunology ; toxicity ; Respiratory Hypersensitivity ; blood ; chemically induced ; Toluene 2,4-Diisocyanate ; immunology ; toxicity ; Workforce