Shaping global health protection policy following nuclear disasters: learning from Japan’s 2011 Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant Incident

Japan's 2011 Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant Incident displaced more than 150 thousand people due to a release of radioactive material, highlighting the challenges facing us regarding radiation dose assessment and effective countermeasures (especially evacuation) when responding to a major incident. The overall aim of my PhD project was to inform the design, preparation, and delivery of measures to manage health risks of a major nuclear disaster, by adding evidence to fill knowledge gaps using data collected following the Fukushima nuclear incident. The emergency phase of the incident (i.e. within the first few hours/days) has been assessed elsewhere, so my focus was the post-emergency phase (i.e. in the days/months/years following the incident). To meet this aim, and building on a review of the relevant literature, I identified key research questions linked to the radiological and non-radiological health protection aspects in the context of the Fukushima incident. I was primarily interested in understanding 1) the potential challenges concerning the assessment of levels of external radiation exposure (the dominant exposure pathway) in children in the post-emergency phase following the Fukushima incident, and 2) the potential benefits and health risks of the post-incident evacuation in adults. The study areas are Minamisoma City and Soma City in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan, located 14–38 and 35–50 km from the Fukushima nuclear plant, respectively. Various primary and secondary datasets were used in my PhD project, including: measured levels of external radiation exposure; data on post-incident daily behaviour patterns; air dose rate data; measured levels of internal/body radio-contamination; early incident response patterns; nursing home data with evacuation records; and public health check-up data. A variety of statistical approaches to analyse these data were applied. Key findings concerning the evaluation of external radiation exposure in children included: (a) an average three-fold disagreement between the measured dose and that estimated from Japan's government dose reconstruction model, with the model overestimating it; (b) air dose rates at places where children spend most of the day being the significant predictors of the dose; and (c) poor compliance with radiation dosimeters among children (only 7.3% used the dosimeters properly). With respect to the potential benefits and health risks of early evacuation of adults, findings included: (d) limited effectiveness of early evacuation on reducing internal exposure risk; (e) a substantial mortality impact of initial evacuation (vs. non-evacuation); and (f) increased risk of long-term hyperlipidemia associated with evacuation. Overall, these findings indicate that the latitude for improving the evaluation of external radiation exposure in children in the post-emergency phase of a major nuclear incident is wide; dose reconstruction models should be developed that ensure a more realistic representation of external exposure risk factors, and factors influencing the proper use of direct measurements (using an individual radiation dosimeter) must be better understood. In addition, there is scope for reducing post-incident evacuation-related health risks; disaster planning must emphasise well-planned evacuation, with satisfactory arrangements for appropriate transportation, places to evacuate to safely, and include the long-term strategies for mitigating the evacuation-related health risks. The evidence presented in this PhD thesis will help the government, local authorities, health planners, and disaster coordinators to develop better optimized radiological and non-radiological protection policies to minimise health risks of future nuclear incidents.Open Acces

Pengaruh Kandungan Lemak Dan Energi Yang Berbeda Dalam Pakan Terhadap Pemanfaatan Pakan Dan Pertumbuhan Patin (Pangasius Pangasius)

Pakan merupakan faktor terpenting dalam menunjang pertumbuhan dan perkembangan dalam kegiatan budidaya ikan, didalam pakan harus mengandung nutrisi yang lengkap. Penggunaan lemak dalam pakan sangat penting dalam menunjang pertumbuhan, karena lemak merupakan sumber energi yang memiliki nilai cukup tinggi dibanding protein dan karbohidrat. Pengunaan lemak sebagai “Protein sparing effect” yaitu pengganti protein sebagai sumber energi, sehingga penggunaan energi yang berasal dari protein dapat digunakan untuk menunjang pertumbuhan. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui pengaruh kandungan lemak dan energi yang berbeda dalam pakan terhadap pemanfaatan pakan dan pertumbuhan patin (P. pangasius).Metode penelitian yang dilakukan adalah metode eksperimen dengan rancangan acak lengkap (RAL) yang terdiri dari 4 perlakuan dan 3 kali ulangan. Perlakuan yang diterapkan adalah perbedaan kandungan lemak dan energi antara lain pada perlakuan A (8%, 281,98 kkal); B (9%, 286,74 kkal); C (10%, 289,45 kkal); dan D (11%, 296,21 kkal). Ikan uji yang digunakan adalah patin (Pangasius pangasius) yang berasal dari Banjarnegara, Jawa Tengah. Ikan uji yang digunakan dengan bobot rata-rata 6,48±0,68 g/ekor, dengan padat tebar 1 ekor/liter. Pakan diberikan 3 kali dalam sehari yaitu pada sekitar pukul 08.00 WIB, pukul 12.00 WIB, dan pukul 16.00 WIB. Pemberian pakan diberikan secara at satiation.Hasil penelitian menunjukan bahwa kandungan lemak dan energi yang berbeda dalam pakan buatan, memberikan pengaruh nyata (P<0,05) terhadap EPP, PER, dan RGR pada patin (P. pangasius), sedangkan pada variabel TKP dan SR tidak memberikan pengaruh nyata (P>0,05). Perlakuan D diperoleh hasil tertinggi dengan nilai TKP (25,27±0,06g), EPP (54,62±0,93%), PER (1,82±0,03%), RGR (0,75±0,02%/hari), dan SR (95,83%).Kandungan lemak dan energi yang berbeda dalam pakan, memberikan pengaruh nyata terhadap EPP, PER, dan RGR; tetapi tidak memberikan pengaruh nyata terhadap TKP dan SR patin (P. pangasius). Feed played an important role in fish farming and therefor, it should contain complete nutrition. The use of fat in fish diet was required for energy supply and producing of growth. The fat was used to subtitute energy source from protein, so the use of protein for fish growth can be optimaled. This study was aimed to observe the influence of different fat and energy on the feed utilization and growth of P. pangasius.The experimental method used was completely randomized design, which consisted of 4 treatments and 3 replicats, that were trial diets with ratio of treatment A (8%, 281.98 kkal); B (9%, 286.74 kkal); C (10%, 289.45 kkal); dan D (11%, 296.21 kkal) respectively. The ratio of vegetable oil : animal oil was equal. The fish used was P. pangasius, which was quired from Banjarnegara, Central Java. It\u27s average body weight of 6.48±0.68 g. The fish was maintenance in 8 l-tanks for 35 days. with a stocking density of 1 fish/l. The fish were feed 3 times a day, at 08.00, 12.00, and 16.00 by appliying at satiation method.The fish fed on resulted on dietary of different fat and energy on the feed on values significantly different (P<0.05) on the EPP, PER and RGR. But for feed in TKP and SR values (P>0.05). TKP value (25.27±0.06g) EPP (54.62±0.93%) , PER (1.82±0.03%) , RGR (0.75±0.02%/day), and SR (95.83%).It was concluded that the influence of different fat and energy on the feed utilization and growth of pangasius in feed significantly effect on, EPP, PER, and RGR while for TKP and SR where not significantly different

System for the remote control and imaging of MW fields for spin manipulation in NV centers in diamond

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Perceptions and responses to COVID-19 through wastewater surveillance information and online search behavior: A randomized controlled trial

Murakami M., Nomura S., Ando H., et al. Perceptions and responses to COVID-19 through wastewater surveillance information and online search behavior: A randomized controlled trial. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction 118, 105224 (2025); https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijdrr.2025.105224.An influence of wastewater surveillance during infectious disease outbreak on public perception and behavior remains unclear. Here, we used a randomized controlled trial to analyze the influence of wastewater surveillance-based information on “understanding of,” “interest in,” “relief regarding,” “preventive behavioral intention against,” and “subsequent online search behavior related to” COVID-19. Valid responses were obtained from 1000 individuals in both control and intervention groups from Yahoo! JAPAN crowdsourcing users aged ≥18 years in Japan. This survey was conducted from August 4 to August 7, 2023, just before the common Japanese tradition of returning to hometowns. The questionnaire not only collected personal attributes but also gauged responses to COVID-19 information. This information highlighted the early detection capabilities and representativeness of wastewater surveillance compared with sentinel surveillance at medical institutions. At one-week post-survey, we obtained the survey participants’ online search history for key words such as “bullet train,” “highway,” “airplane,” and “wastewater.” Wastewater surveillance-based information did not notably elevate “understanding” or “specific intentions” regarding COVID-19, such as wearing masks and receiving vaccination. However, it significantly increased “interest in,” “relief concerning the infection status,” and “general preventive behavioral intentions.” Heightened “interest” and “general preventive intentions” did not depend on prior interest or behavior. However, those who previously engaged in preventive behavior or who were less interested in COVID-19 exhibited more “relief” after exposure to wastewater surveillance-based information. Furthermore, this information could slightly influence online searches, such as highways. In conclusion, information from wastewater surveillance effectively shapes individual perceptions of and responses to infections

Assessment of traffic accidents in Japan during the COVID-19 pandemic vs. previous years: a preliminary report

Beginning in April 2020, social distancing measures were implemented to mitigate the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan. We assessed whether traffic accident rates had decreased from April 2020 to December 2021 as compared with previous years. The analysis included 2,934,477 traffic accidents, and the trend of decreasing rates of traffic accidents in recent years and seasonal fluctuations in traffic accidents were considered. The yearly change in the traffic accident rate between 2015 and 2019 was estimated, and the traffic accident rate in 2020 and 2021 was predicted. This was followed by the comparison of observed vs. predicted traffic accident rate. In 2020, the observed vs. expected rates of traffic accidents were lower in April to December 2020, and the rate of traffic accidents in Japan was 30–40% lower in April–May 2020 than would be expected based on trends from previous years. In 2021, rates of traffic accidents remained lower than expected between January and November, but the magnitude of decrease was not as pronounced. These findings could be explained by social distancing policies, including the declaration of the state of emergency, and the relaxation of public health and social measures over time

Tracking sectoral allocation of official development assistance: a comparative study of the 29 Development Assistance Committee countries, 2011–2018

Background: Official development assistance (ODA) is one of the most important means for donor countries to foster diplomatic relations with low- and middle-income countries and contribute to the welfare of the international community. Objective: This study estimated the sectoral allocation of gross disbursements of ODA of the 29 Development Assistance Committee (DAC) member countries of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) for the duration of 2011 to 2018, by aid type (bilateral, multilateral, and both aids). Methods: Data from the OECD iLibrary were used. The sector definition was based on the OECD sector classification. For core funding to multilateral agencies that do not specialize in each aid sector, we estimated ODA and its flows based on the OECD methodology for calculating imputed multilateral ODA. Results: For all 29 countries, during the period of 2014–2018 where data were available for all the countries, the sector with the highest average annual ODA contribution was health at 20.34 billion USD (13.21%), followed by humanitarian aid at 18.04 billion (11.72%). Humanitarian aid has increased in the sectoral share rankings in both bilateral and multilateral aid, and the sectoral share for refugees in donor countries has increased in bilateral aid. While the 29 countries show relatively similar trends for sectoral shares, some countries and sectors display unique trends. For instance, infrastructure and energy sectors in bilateral aid of Japan are particularly high accounts for 48.48% of the total bilateral ODA of the country in 2018. Conclusions: This paper evaluated ODA trends by major donors of DAC countries in the pre-COVID-19 pandemic periods. We hope that our estimates will contribute to the review of the strategic decision-making and the effective implementation of future ODA policy discussions in the DAC countries while ensuring transparency

Changes in health care access during the COVID-19 pandemic: Estimates of national Japanese data, June 2020-October 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted health care access around the world, both for inpatients and outpatients. We applied a quasi-Poisson regression to national, monthly data on the number of outpatients, number of inpatients, length of average hospital stay, and the number of new hospitalizations from March 2015 to October 2021 to assess how these outcomes changed between June 2020 to October 2021. The number of outpatient visits were lower-than-predicted during the early phases of the pandemic but normalized by the fall of 2021. The number of inpatients and new hospitalizations were lower-than-predicted throughout the pandemic, and deficits in reporting continued to be observed in late 2021. The length of hospital stays was within the predicted range for all beds, but when stratified by bed type, was higher than predicted for psychiatric beds, lower-than-predicted for tuberculosis beds, and showed variable changes in long-term care insurance beds. Health care access in Japan was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic