Four hundred and six soil samples collected from five schoolyards in Mai Trung Commune, Bac Giang Province, Northern Vietnam, from 2005 to 2007 were examined for helminth eggs using a sucrose centrifugal flotation method. The soils around latrines was found to be heavily contaminated with Ascaris sp. eggs. The contamination rate of Ascaris sp. eggs at each school and prevalence of ascariasis among the school children showed a positive correlation (P&It;0.05). This indicated that examination of soil from the area around latrines for Ascaris sp. eggs is a useful method to estimate the prevalence of ascariasis among school children.

Contamination of water and air by soil-transmitted helminth eggs was investigated in a small village located in the suburbs of Hanoi, Vietnam. Water samples were collected from 29 households, two schools, two kindergartens, one restaurant, three ponds and 23 ditch sites during the rainy season. Water samples were also collected at the same places, except for one household and one restaurant, during the dry season. The water samples collected from households, schools, kindergartens and restaurant were comprised of well-water and rain-water. These samples included both water filtrated with sand and gravel and non-filtrated water. Two-liter water samples were examined for helminth eggs by either a centrifugation or flotation method. The contamination of air by helminth eggs was assessed by the method of Kroeger et al. (1992). Eggs in air were trapped on adhesive tapes hanging in rooms and in the area around 29 houses, two schools, two kindergartens, one restaurant and 18 utility poles.
Out of 63 water samples collected from households in the rainy season, helminth eggs were found in four water samples; one from non-filtrated well-water and three from filtrated well-water samples. The one non-filtrated water sample contained six eggs of Toxocara sp., while the three filtrated water samples contained one egg each of Trichuris sp., Trichiuris sp. and Taenia sp. No eggs were found in the water samples collected from schools, kindergartens or the restaurant in the rainy season. All water samples collected from ponds and ditches in the rainy season contained many helminth eggs. The eggs found were Ascaris sp., Trichuris sp., Toxocara sp., Ascaridia galli, hookworm, Taenia sp. and Fasciola sp. Examination of the adhesive tapes hanging in the air showed that four sites were contaminated by helminth eggs, i. e. one site near the house, two sites near the school and one site at a utility pole. The species of eggs found were Trichuris sp., Ascaridia galli and Taenia sp. The number of eggs found on tapes was only one or two. In the dry season, a few samples of well-water and rain-water collected from the residential area were contaminated with helminth eggs, and all samples collected from ponds and ditches contained many eggs of various species similar to those collected in the rainy season. The present study clearly indicates that, in our study area, the villagers were subject to infection from soil-transmitted helminthes directly and indirectly through water.

Traditional Japanese massage, Anma therapy has a long history and popularity in Japan. It is known to maintain well-being, promote health, treat illness and prevent disease empirically, however, it is difficult to find published studies. It is necessary to explore the mechanisms of traditional Japanese massage, Anma therapy scientifically, thus, this preliminary study was examined. In this study, three clients assigned to the Anma therapy group participated in five Anma therapy sessions (two per week for two and a half consecutive weeks) of 40 minutes duration. Three healthy volunteer students assigned to a non-intervention group participated in one session involving rest on a bed. Immediate changes between pre- and post-therapy, and longer-term changes between first and last session were observed. In the results, for the Anma therapy group immediate changes were lower subjective symptom and state anxiety scores, with general longer-term effects. Another immediate change in the Anma therapy group was an increase in secretory immunoglobulin A in saliva, but salivary cortisol concentrations did not change. These results suggest that Anma therapy may be physically and psychologically effective in ameliorating subjective symptoms and anxiety, and enhancing immune function, though sample sizes used were too small to analyze statistically. In addition, the result from salivary cortisol concentration implies that effect of Anma therapy is different from that of Western style massage.

The first workshop on medical ethics education was held for 28 members including mainly university tutors and hospital tutors in November 2002 at Gifu. Trail for training of several kinds of medical ethics education technique was evaluated to a certain extent. We submit report of the practice and participants' evaluation of the workshop.

Since the model core curriculum was shown in public, the discussion about the medical education is getting hot in every medical school. In the model core curriculum, the integrated course is designed with the basic sciences and the clinical medicine via pathophysiology, which will be educated by the PBL tutorial. Thus, the model core curriculum is suitable for growing up better clinician. The problem involved in the context is the lower recognition to the basic sciences and also the missing of the next generation in the teaching staff of the basic sciences. The introduction of the information technology to the medical education should be much progressive. The new integrated course with the structure and function should be designed with the information technology, which will fit to the new medical education in the 21st century.

The effectiveness of role play in large classes for terminal-care education was through written comments of students. We analyzed written comments after the role-play scenario “Anger Toward the Nursing Attendant” in which an irritated and anxious patient who cannot accept the terminal stage of cancer shows anger toward a nurse. Eighty-three percent of students noted the importance of mental care for terminally ill patients; 80% noted the difficulty of giving such care; 70% noted the importance of acceptance, empathy, and support of terminally ill patients; and 22% of students referred to the method of mental care.

Characteristics of clinical training of Tsukuba University School of Medicine are pre-BSL, essential and elective training, out of university clinical training, new medical science course, electives, and overseas clinical training. The main problems of this clinical training are some students have insufficient motivation or basic knowlegde for learning, and some tutors have insufficient passion or skill for teaching. These problems might be common with the problems of core curriculum of clinical training.

We proposed the curriculum plan of medical ethics in the medical school in our country. That was the curriculum throughout a few years and the participating education. Now we present the manual for one case of the each six strategies. When the teacher holds classes according to this manual or with some modifications, the medical students will probably participate the education with high motivation to learn.

There is no objection that the medical ethics enters basic matters of the undergraduate medical education. The curriculum plan of medical ethics in the medical school in our country is proposed. This curriculum aims at the participating education that the student personally chooses and discovers the result to be studied instead of the passive lecture like the boring preaching from the platform. This is the curriculum throughout a few years, because it is necessary to repeatedly study adjusting to the learning achievement.

To analyse the present condition and to survey Japanese medical graduate schools (Master's course), questionnaires were sent to all six universities in 1999. All the universities have the aim of, education of medical basic researchers, in common. This aim has high social needs. Four of the six universities also have the aim of, education of high grade specialists in the medical field. The number of applicants has increased for some national and public universities. For other universities, more public relations are necessary to increase the number of applicants. The social situation has altered, and finding employment has became difficult after completion of the course. It is therefore necessary to open new courses to match social needs. Buildings and equipment are not enough at present. As a result, a course for Master of Public Health will be established at Kyoto University.