Migration patterns of pregnant women after disasters

The 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake (within Fukushima, Iwate, and Miyagi prefectures) was a complex disaster; it caused a tsunami and the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident, resulting in radiation exposure. This study investigated the earthquake’s effects on the migration patterns of pregnant women and their concerns regarding radiation exposure. We also considered the following large-scale earthquakes without radiation exposure: Great Hanshin-Awaji (Hyogo prefecture), Niigata-Chuetsu, and Kumamoto. Pregnant women were categorized as outflow and inflow pregnant women. Data on the annual number of births three years before and after the earthquake were used as a denominator to calculate the outflow and inflow rates per 100 births. The odds ratios of annual outflow and inflow rates after the earthquake, using three years before the earthquake as the baseline, were calculated. The odds-ratio for outflow significantly increased for Hyogo, Fukushima, Miyagi, and Kumamoto prefectures after the earthquake, particularly for Fukushima, showing a significant increase until three years post the Great East Japan Earthquake (disaster year: odds-ratio: 2.66 [95% confidence interval: 2.44–2.90], 1 year post: 1.37 [1.23–1.52], 2 years post: 1.13 [1.00–1.26], 3 years post: 1.18 [1.05–1.31]), while the remaining three prefectures reported limited increases post one year. The inflow decreased after the earthquake, particularly in Fukushima, showing a significant decrease until 2 years post the Great East Japan Earthquake (disaster year: 0.58 [0.53–0.63], 1 year post: 0.76 [0.71–0.82], 2 years post: 0.83 [0.77–0.89]). Thus, pregnant women’s migration patterns changed after large-scale earthquakes, suggesting radiation exposure concerns possibly have a significant effects. These results suggested that plans for receiving assistance and support that considers the peculiarities of disaster related damage and pregnant women’s migration patterns are needed in both the affected and non-affected areas

Major Causes of Death among Older Adults after the Great East Japan Earthquake : A Retrospective Study

This retrospective study investigated the 3-year impact of the Great East Japan Earthquake (GEJE) of 2011 on deaths due to neoplasm, heart disease, stroke, pneumonia, and senility among older adults in the primarily affected prefectures compared with other prefectures, previous investigations having been more limited as regards mortality causes and geographic areas. Using death certificates issued between 2006 and 2015 (n = 7,383,253), mortality rates (MRs) and risk ratios (RRs) were calculated using a linear mixed model with the log-transformed MR as the response variable. The model included interactions between the area category and each year of death from 2010 to 2013. The RRs in the interaction significantly increased to 1.13, 1.17, and 1.28 for deaths due to stroke, pneumonia, and senility, respectively, in Miyagi Prefecture in 2011, but did not significantly increase for any of the other areas affected by the GEJE. Moreover, increased RRs were not reported for any of the other years. The risk of death increased in 2011; however, this was only significant for single-year impact. In 2013, decreased RRs of pneumonia in the Miyagi and Iwate prefectures and of senility in Fukushima Prefecture were observed. Overall, we did not find evidence of strong associations between the GEJE and mortality

ダイジョ DIOSCOREA ALATA L. ノ セイチョウ カテイ ニ オケル ケイヨウ コンケイ ノ ガンスイリツ ノ ヘンカ

関東地域で収穫可能なダイジョの1品種を用いて,地下部の塊茎のみならず塊茎デンプンのソースである地上部の茎葉における生長過程の含水率の変化を調べた。その結果,生長時期の推移に伴う茎葉含水率と塊茎の含水率の変化には顕著な差異が認められた。すなわち,茎葉の含水率は生長期間の大半を通して緩やかに減少するが,塊茎の含水率は肥大初期に急速に減少し,その後横這いから緩やかな減少傾向を示した。塊茎では,肥大初期にはその組織が主に若い柔組織細胞で構成されているため水分含量が高いが,肥大が旺盛になるにつれてデンプンの蓄積が進み,それに伴って含水率が低下したものと推測された。このことから,ダイジョの塊茎の含水率の推移は,品種の塊茎成熟度の特性を評価する有効な方法となる可能性が考えられた。Greater yam (Dioscorea alata L.) is one of the yams and still a staple food tuber crop in parts of developing and self-sustaining agriculture in tropical Asia. Yam tuber contains high moisture content, which changes during growth stages. The present research investigated changes of moisture content in tubers and tops of an early cultivar, which is able to riper in the Kanto Metropolitan area. According to the results, remarkable differences were observed in changes of moisture content of tubers and tops of growing plants. Moisture content of tops gradually decreased throughout whole growth stages, while that of tubers rapidly decreased at the early stage of growth and thereafter tended to reduce gradually. In the earlier stage of growth, tubers consisting of young parenchyma seems to maintain higher moisture content. But as the growth of tuber progresses, starch is accumulated and moisture content of the tuber is thought to be reduced. From these results, the changes of moisture content in tubers will be an useful indicator for tuber maturity

ダイジョ DIOSCOREA ALATA L. ノ セイチョウ カテイ ニ オケル ケイヨウ コンケイ ノ ガンスイリツ ノ ヘンカ

関東地域で収穫可能なダイジョの1品種を用いて,地下部の塊茎のみならず塊茎デンプンのソースである地上部の茎葉における生長過程の含水率の変化を調べた。その結果,生長時期の推移に伴う茎葉含水率と塊茎の含水率の変化には顕著な差異が認められた。すなわち,茎葉の含水率は生長期間の大半を通して緩やかに減少するが,塊茎の含水率は肥大初期に急速に減少し,その後横這いから緩やかな減少傾向を示した。塊茎では,肥大初期にはその組織が主に若い柔組織細胞で構成されているため水分含量が高いが,肥大が旺盛になるにつれてデンプンの蓄積が進み,それに伴って含水率が低下したものと推測された。このことから,ダイジョの塊茎の含水率の推移は,品種の塊茎成熟度の特性を評価する有効な方法となる可能性が考えられた。Greater yam (Dioscorea alata L.) is one of the yams and still a staple food tuber crop in parts of developing and self-sustaining agriculture in tropical Asia. Yam tuber contains high moisture content, which changes during growth stages. The present research investigated changes of moisture content in tubers and tops of an early cultivar, which is able to riper in the Kanto Metropolitan area. According to the results, remarkable differences were observed in changes of moisture content of tubers and tops of growing plants. Moisture content of tops gradually decreased throughout whole growth stages, while that of tubers rapidly decreased at the early stage of growth and thereafter tended to reduce gradually. In the earlier stage of growth, tubers consisting of young parenchyma seems to maintain higher moisture content. But as the growth of tuber progresses, starch is accumulated and moisture content of the tuber is thought to be reduced. From these results, the changes of moisture content in tubers will be an useful indicator for tuber maturity

Narrowing the Patient–Physician Gap Based on Self-Reporting and Monthly Hepatologist Feedback for Patients With Alcohol-Related Liver Disease: Interventional Pilot Study Using a Journaling Smartphone App

BackgroundScreening and intervention for alcohol use disorders (AUDs) are recommended to improve the prognosis of patients with alcohol-related liver disease (ALD). Most patients’ smartphone app diaries record drinking behavior for self-monitoring. A smartphone app can be expected to also be helpful for physicians because it can provide rich patient information to hepatologists, leading to suitable feedback. We conducted this prospective pilot study to assess the use of a smartphone app as a journaling tool and as a self-report–based feedback source for patients with ALD. ObjectiveThe aims of this study were assessment of whether journaling (self-report) and self-report–based feedback can help patients maintain abstinence and improve liver function data. MethodsThis pilot study used a newly developed smartphone journaling app for patients, with input data that physicians can review. After patients with ALD were screened for harmful alcohol use, some were invited to use the smartphone journaling app for 8 weeks. Their self-reported alcohol intake, symptoms, and laboratory data were recorded at entry, week 4, and week 8. Biomarkers for alcohol use included gamma glutamyl transferase (GGT), percentage of carbohydrate-deficient transferrin to transferrin (%CDT), and GGT-CDT (GGT-CDT= 0.8 × ln[GGT] + 1.3 × ln[%CDT]). At each visit, their recorded data were reviewed by a hepatologist to evaluate changes in alcohol consumption and laboratory data. The relation between those outcomes and app usage was also investigated. ResultsOf 14 patients agreeing to participate, 10 completed an 8-week follow-up, with diary input rates between 44% and 100% of the expected days. Of the 14 patients, 2 withdrew from clinical follow-up, and 2 additional patients never used the smartphone journaling app. Using the physician’s view, a treating hepatologist gave feedback via comments to patients at each visit. Mean self-reported alcohol consumption dropped from baseline (100, SD 70 g) to week 4 (13, SD 25 g; P=.002) and remained lower at week 8 (13, SD 23 g; P=.007). During the study, 5 patients reported complete abstinence. No significant changes were found in mean GGT and mean %CDT alone, but the mean GGT-CDT combination dropped significantly from entry (5.2, SD 1.2) to the week 4 visit (4.8, SD 1.1; P=.02) and at week 8 (4.8, SD 1.0; P=.01). During the study period, decreases in mean total bilirubin (3.0, SD 2.4 mg/dL to 2.4, SD 1.9 mg/dL; P=.01) and increases in mean serum albumin (3.0, SD 0.9 g/dL to 3.3, SD 0.8 g/dL; P=.009) were recorded. ConclusionsThese pilot study findings revealed that a short-term intervention with a smartphone journaling app used by both patients and treatment-administering hepatologists was associated with reduced drinking and improved liver function. Trial RegistrationUMIN CTR UMIN000045285; http://tinyurl.com/yvvk38t