Biocompatible Poly(catecholamine)-Film Electrode for Potentiometric Cell Sensing

Surface-coated poly(catecholamine) (pCA) films have attracted attention as biomaterial interfaces owing to their biocompatible and physicochemical characteristics. In this paper, we report that pCA-film-coated electrodes are useful for potentiometric biosensing devices. Four different types of pCA film—L-dopa, dopamine, norepinephrine, and epinephrine—with thicknesses in the range of 7–27 nm were electropolymerized by oxidation on Au electrodes by using cyclic voltammetry. By using the pCA-film electrodes, the pH responsivities were found to be 39.3 to 47.7 mV/pH within the pH range of 1.68 to 10.01 on the basis of the equilibrium reaction with hydrogen ions and the functional groups of the pCAs. The pCA films suppressed nonspecific signals generated by other ions (Na+, K+, Ca2+) and proteins such as albumin. Thus, the pCA-film electrodes can be used in pH-sensitive and pH-selective biosensors. HeLa cells were cultivated on the surface of the pCA-film electrodes to monitor cellular activities. The surface potential of the pCA-film electrodes changed markedly because of cellular activity; therefore, the change in the hydrogen ion concentration around the cell/pCA-film interface could be monitored in real time. This was caused by carbon dioxide or lactic acid that is generated by cellular respiration and dissolves in the culture medium, resulting in the change of hydrogen concentration. pCA-film electrodes are suitable for use in biocompatible and pH-responsive biosensors, enabling the more selective detection of biological phenomena

東京都墨田区の町会・自治会の高齢者にかかわる活動状況と住生活改善要求

本研究は、墨田区における高齢者の住生活改善要求の概要を把握するために、墨田区の全ての町会・自治会167件を対象としてアンケート調査を実施した。アンケートは、郵送にて配布、回収。調査期間は2009年７〜８月。配布167件、回収90件、回収率は53.9％であった。　調査の結果、以下の５点が明らかとなった。第１は、高齢者の当面する問題として挙げられたものは、介護問題、健康・医療問題、さらに経済問題や地域の人間関係であり、住宅問題はそれより下位である。第２は、防災問題と高齢者施設の不足が、地域の問題としても、地域居住継続要求としても、上位に挙げられた。第３に、墨田区が力を入れている墨田区の「耐震改修促進事業」や「家具転倒防止助成」は、「町会等」役員の意識にかなり浸透しており、普及活動が行われていた。第４に、高齢化率の高い北部と南部地域の違いに全般的に有意な差はなかったが、北部では震災被害に対する不安が高く、南部との有位差が見られた。第５に、町会では役員の高齢化や役員のなり手不足などの問題を抱え、高齢者にかかわる活動や支援は、高齢化率の高い北部の方が南部よりも相対的に低かった。　以上の結果から、高齢者の住生活改善については、第１に、介護、医療、年金等の問題解決を差し迫ったものとして解決すると共に、これらの要求と住宅との関連性を解き明かさなければ、住宅問題の解決にも繋がらないこと、第２に、地域における居住継続のために、主要には防災対策と、高齢者施設が必要であること、第３に、諸問題については墨田区全地域で同様の傾向が見られるが、特に北部で震災への不安感が強く、地域の高齢化に対処しながらの改善策が必要である

市川市における高齢者の居住環境改善 : 住宅改修システムと建築士の関与に関する予備的研究

本研究は、2003年度の介護保険を利用して住宅改修を実施した市川市における要介護者調査、2004年度のケアマネジャー調査に引き続き、住宅改修にかかわる4つの主体-(1)要介護者とその家族、(2)ケアマネジャー、(3)住宅改修業者、及び(4)専門家による住宅改修システムを整理し、建築設計技術者(建築士)等の関与のあり方を検討するための予備的研究である。住宅改修システムの実態をみるために、市川市の「受領委任払い制度」の登録を行った住宅改修業者を9タイプ-(1)工務店系、(2)建設系、(3)設備系、(4)リフォーム系、(5)インテリア系、(6)管理業系、(7)介護系、(8)特定非営利法人、(9)その他-に分類して特徴を整理した。その結果、A:工務店系・建設系・設備系・リフォーム系、B:介護系、C:大手住宅メーカー関連系の3つに分類でき、この中でCタイプのみに建築士の直接関与がみられた。他方、高齢者の住宅改修に関する自治体の事業で建築士が関与しているものは、住宅相談事業が主要であり、ユニークなものとしては品川区の高齢者障害者のモデルルーム(バリアフリー館)における住宅相談であった。これらのことから、介護保険による住宅改修システムにおいて建築士の関与は一般的には難しいことが再確認され、これを打開するためには、大手住宅メーカー方式か、自治体の建築系技術職が直接関与するか、住宅相談事業が重要であることが明らかとなった

Structural properties and thermodynamic stability of Ba-doped silicon type-I clathrates synthesized under high pressure

We present a joint experimental and theoretical study of the stability and structural properties of Ba-doped silicon type-I clathrates Ba8Si46 synthesized under high pressures. The thermodynamic stability of Ba8Si46 under high pressure has been discussed from the total energy calculations of some barium silicides within the local density approximation (LDA). We have theoretically found that pressure favors the formation of the clathrate phase as experimentally observed. We have also performed a synchrotron x-ray-diffraction experiment of Ba8Si46 prepared under high pressures. Some of the missing endohedral Ba elements in the small cage of Si(20) have been observed by x-ray crystallography, while big cages of Si(24) are found to be completely occupied by Ba elements. The stabilization energies of Ba atoms in the endohedral sites estimated within the present LDA calculation suggest that this is presumably attributed to the energetical site preference of Ba atoms between d(6) and a(2) sites. In addition, the isothermal parameter of Ba in the big cage of Si(24) has been found to be larger than that in the small Si(20) unit, which is consistent with some theoretical predictions in earlier works

Association between shift work and the risk of death from biliary tract cancer in Japanese men

Background: There is increasing evidence suggesting that shift work involving night work may increase cancer risk. Methods: We examined the association between working rotating shifts and the risk of death from biliary tract cancer among Japanese men who participated in the Japan Collaborative Cohort Study. Of the 46, 395 men recruited, 22, 224 men aged 40-65 at baseline (1988-1990) who reported working full-time or were self-employed were included in the present analysis. The study subjects were followed through December 31, 2009. Information regarding occupation and lifestyle factors was collected using a self-administered questionnaire. Cox proportional hazard models were used to estimate the hazard ratio (HR) and 95 % confidence interval (CI) for the risk of death from biliary tract cancer in relation to shift work. Results: During a mean 17-year follow-up, we observed 94 biliary tract cancer deaths, including 23 deaths from gallbladder cancer and 71 deaths from extrahepatic bile duct cancer. Overall, shift work was associated with a statistically non-significant increase in the risk of biliary tract cancer, with an HR of 1.50 (95 % CI: 0.81-2.77), among rotating shift workers. When the analysis was limited to extrahepatic bile duct cancer, a significant association appeared, with a multivariable-adjusted HR of 1.93 (95 % CI: 1.00-3.72) for rotating shift workers. Conclusion: Our data indicate that shift work may be associated with increased risk of death from extrahepatic bile duct cancer in this cohort of Japanese men. The association with gallbladder cancer remains unclear because of the small number of deaths

Hepatectomy for rapidly growing solitary liver metastasis from non-small cell lung cancer: a case report

BackgroundPatients with liver metastasis from non-small lung cancer (NSCLC) usually have multiple metastases at other sites and thus rarely undergo liver surgery. We present a case involving successful resection of rapidly growing liver metastasis from squamous cell carcinoma of the lung.Case presentationA 74-year-old man had undergone left lower lobectomy for squamous cell carcinoma of the lung, which was diagnosed pathologically as stage IA. A computed tomography (CT) scan that was taken 12 months after lung resection showed an irregularly shaped mass lesion (size, 8.3 cm) in segment five of the liver. Retrospectively, the mass was identifiable on CT 6 months before this initial recognition. Although the lesion showed rapid growth, positron emission tomography and brain magnetic resonance imaging ruled out the possibility of other metastatic lesions. Therefore, we performed right hepatectomy 14 months after the initial lung surgery. The patient was pathologically diagnosed with liver metastasis from lung cancer and has remained free from recurrence 41 months after the liver surgery, without receiving any adjuvant chemotherapy.ConclusionsAlthough there is no reliable clinical indicator for selecting oligo-recurrence, hepatectomy could be an option for solitary liver metastasis from NSCLC for patients who are in good health

Clinical and MRI Characteristics of Uterine Cervical Adenocarcinoma: Its Variants and Mimics

Adenocarcinoma currently accounts for 10–25% of all uterine cervical carcinomas and has a variety of histopathological subtypes. Among them, mucinous carcinoma gastric type is not associated with high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and a poor prognosis, while villoglandular carcinoma has an association with high-risk HPV infection and a good prognosis. They show relatively characteristic imaging findings which can be suggested by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), though the former is sometimes difficult to be distinguished from lobular endocervical glandular hyperplasia. Various kinds of other tumors including squamous cell carcinoma should be also differentiated on MRI, while it is currently difficult to distinguish them on MRI, and HPV screening and pathological confirmation are usually necessary for definite diagnosis and further patient management

Smoking and the Risk of Upper Aero Digestive Tract Cancers for Men and Women in the Asia-Pacific Region

Although smoking is an established causal factor for upper aero digestive tract cancer (UADTC), most of the evidence originates from the West. Thus, we analysed data from 455,409 subjects in the Asia Pacific Cohort Studies Collaboration. Over a median of around six years follow-up, 371 deaths from UADTC were observed. The hazard ratio (95% confidence interval) for current smokers, compared with those who had never smoked, was 2.36 (1.76 – 3.16), adjusted for age and alcohol drinking. Tobacco control policies are urgently required in Asia to prevent millions of deaths from UADTC that smoking will otherwise cause