The relationship between parents with a history of childhood problems and incidence of consequent child abuse

The purpose of this study was to determine the factors related to the need for cooperation with child guidance centers with a focus on the presence or absence of a history of childhood problems in at-risk parents receiving support from their municipality. Among the 1890 parents who received child care support from public health nurses in the municipalities, 164 parents (8.7%) had a history of childhood problems. Among these, 50 parents (30.5%) received support from child guidance centers. The parents with a history of childhood problems had a higher incidence rate for receiving support from child guidance centers than other parents. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that “marital strife or domestic violence”, and “financial problems” were associated with consultations with child guidance centers among parents with a history of childhood problems. The results showed that family situations of parents who had a history of childhood problems may, in time, become more severe, even if they have received support from public health nurses in the municipalities. Therefore, parents with a history of childhood problems need support as early as possible. In addition, those parents with “marital strife or domestic violence” and “financial problems” also need guidance and early nursing care interventions

Effects of primary prevention of child abuse that begins during pregnancy and immediately after childbirth

Objective : To improve primary prevention of child maltreatment, the association between at-risk parents identified by maternity hospitals and local health centers and intervention outcomes was investigated. Methods : A screening program for primary prevention of child maltreatment has been implemented for parents with children aged<3 years in A Prefecture. At-risk parents are identified at maternity hospitals and local health centers. Public health nurses provide intervention to promote positive parenting through home visits, and referred to child protective centers when they suspect child maltreatment. Results : Between 2009 and 2014, a total of 2,252 new at-risk parents were identified, 956 from maternity hospitals and 1,296 from local health centers. Among these at-risk parents, 356 (15.8%) were referred to child protective centers for possible child maltreatment, 88 of which came from maternity hospitals and 268 from local health centers. The rate of referral from maternity hospitals was significantly lower than that from local health centers (9.2% vs. 20.7%, p<0.001). Conclusions : Identification of at-risk parents during pregnancy and early intervention resulted in a decrease in the rate of referrals to child protective centers. The specific risk factors of “perceived lack of social support”, “mental illness” and “teen pregnancy” may be mitigated by early intervention

Eosinophil Cationic Protein Shows Survival Effect on H9c2 Cardiac Myoblast Cells with Enhanced Phosphorylation of ERK and Akt/GSK-3β under Oxidative Stress

Eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) is well known as a cationic protein contained in the basic granules of activated eosinophils. Recent studies have reported that ECP exhibits novel activities on various types of cells, including rat neonatal cardiomyocytes. Here we evaluated the effects of ECP on rat cardiac myoblast H9c2 cells. Our results showed that ECP enhanced the survival of the cells, in part by promoting the ERK and Akt/GSK-3β signaling pathways. ECP attenuated the cytotoxic effects of H2O2 on H9c2 cells as well as the production of reactive oxygen species, the number of apoptotic cells and caspase 3/7 activity in the cells. In conclusion, ECP activated the ERK and Akt/GSK-3β pathways, resulting in anti-oxidative effects on H9c2 cells that attenuated apoptosis

Woody Biomass and Bioenergy Potentials in Southeast Asia between 1990 and 2020

Forests in Southeast Asia are important sources of timber and other forest products, of local energy for cooking and heading, and potentially as sources of bioenergy. Many of these forests have experienced deforestation and forest degradation over the last few decades. The potential flow of woody biomass for bioenergy from forests is uncertain and needs to be assessed before policy intervention can be successfully implemented in the context of international negotiations on climate change. Using current data, we developed a forest land use model and projected changes in area of natural forests and forest plantations from 1990 to 2020. We also developed biomass change and harvest models to estimate woody biomass availability in the forests under the current management regime. Due to deforestation and logging (including illegal logging), projected annual woody biomass production in natural forests declined from 815.9 million tons (16.3 EJ) in 1990 to 359.3 million tons (7.2 EJ) in 2020. Woody biomass production in forest plantations was estimated at 16.2 million tons yr−1 (0.3 EJ), but was strongly affected by cutting rotation length. Average annual woody biomass production in all forests in Southeast Asia between 1990 and 2020 was estimated at 563.4 million tons (11.3 EJ) yr−1 declining about 1.5% yr−1. Without incentives to reduce deforestation and forest degradation, and to promote forest rehabilitation and plantations, woody biomass as well as wood production and carbon stocks will continue to decline, putting sustainable development in the region at risk as the majority of the population depend mostly on forest ecosystem services for daily survival.Other Research Uni

Association of elevated plasma B-type natriuretic peptide levels with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation in patients with nonobstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

Objectives: To investigate the relationship between the plasma B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) level and the occurrence of atrial fibrillation (AF) in nonobstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) patients. Methods: Patients (n=97) were classified into chronic AF (CAF; n=14), paroxysmal AF (PAF; n=18) and normal sinus rhythm (NSR; n=65) groups. The plasma BNP values were analyzed with logarithmic transformation. Results: The PAF group showed significantly higher plasma BNP levels than the NSR group [mean (range; -1 SD and +1 SD); 248.3 (143.5, 429.5) vs. 78.2 (27.9, 218.8 ng/L), p Conclusions: The present study indicated that plasma BNP level is clinically useful for identification of nonobstructive HCM patients who have a risk of PAF.</p

Versican is induced in infiltrating monocytes in myocardial infarction

Versican, a large chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan, plays a role in conditions such as wound healing and tissue remodelling. To test the hypothesis that versican expression is transiently upregulated and plays a role in the infarcted heart, we examined its expression in a rat model of myocardial infarction. Northern blot analysis demonstrated increased expression of versican mRNA. Quantitative real-time RT-PCR analysis revealed that versican mRNA began to increase as early as 6 h and reached its maximal level 2 days after coronary artery ligation. Versican mRNA then gradually decreased, while the mRNA of decorin, another small proteoglycan, increased thereafter. Versican mRNA was localized in monocytes, as indicated by CD68-positive staining, around the infarct tissue. The induction of versican mRNA was accelerated by ischemia/reperfusion (I/R), which was characterized by massive cell infiltration and enhanced inflammatory response. To examine the alteration of versican expression in monocytes/macrophages, we isolated human peripheral blood mononuclear cells and stimulated them with granulocyte/macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF). Stimulation of mononuclear cells with GM-CSF increased the expression of versican mRNA as well as cytokine induction. The production of versican by monocytes in the infarct area represents a novel finding of the expression of an extracellular matrix gene by monocytes in the infarcted heart. We suggest that upregulation of versican in the infarcted myocardium may have a role in the inflammatory reaction, which mediates subsequent chemotaxis in the infarcted heart

Overexpression and gene amplification of both ERBB2 and EGFR in an esophageal squamous cell carcinoma revealed by fluorescence in situ hybridization, multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification and immunohistochemistry

EGFR and ERBB2 belong to the EGFR gene family. In esophageal squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs), amplification of EGFR or ERBB2 is usually mutually exclusive. EGFR amplification occurs in approximately 15% of SCCs, ERBB2 occurs in less than 5%. Here, we report the co-amplification of EGFR and ERBB2 in an ulcerative and infiltrating-type SCC that measured approximately 4.2 × 2.7 × 1.2cm with a superficial lesion occurring in the thoracic esophagus of a 72-year-old man. Multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification using representative tumor sections showed gain of CCND1 and coincident amplification of ERBB2 or EGFR or neither. Immunohistochemistry and fluorescence in situ hybridization revealed that the tumor comprised three cancer-cell populations: well-differentiated SCC with high-level ERBB2 amplification and ERBB2 overexpression, more infiltrative poorly-differentiated SCC with high-level EGFR amplification and EGFR overexpression, and poorly-differentiated SCC lacking any ERBB2 or EGFR abnormality. These three populations each had low-level CCND1 amplification and nuclear cyclin D1 overexpression. This histological topology and gene amplification combinations suggested that genetic instability first produced CCND1 amplification, and then ERBB2 or EGFR gene amplification occurred. It is further speculated that during cancer progression and clonal selection indecisive predominance of either clone caused the rare co-amplification of ERBB2 and EGFR in a single chimeric tumor. © 2015 Japanese Society of Pathology and Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.発行後1年より全文公

Allelotypes of lung adenocarcinomas featuring ALK fusion demonstrate fewer onco- and suppressor gene changes

BACKGROUND: A subset of lung adenocarcinomas harboring an EML4-ALK fusion gene resulting in dominant oncogenic activity has emerged as a target for specific therapy. EML4-ALK fusion confers a characteristic histology and is detected more frequently in never or light smokers and younger patients. METHODS: To gain insights into etiology and carcinogenic mechanisms we conducted analyses to compare allelotypes of 35 ALK fusion-positive and 95 -negative tumours using single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) arrays and especially designed software which enabled precise global genomic profiling. RESULTS: Overall aberration numbers (gains + losses) of chromosomal alterations were 8.42 and 9.56 in tumours with and without ALK fusion, respectively, the difference not being statistically significant, although patterns of gain and loss were distinct. Interestingly, among selected genomic regions, oncogene-related examples such as 1p34.3(MYCL1), 7q11.2(EGFR), 7p21.1, 8q24.21(MYC), 16p13.3, 17q12(ERBB2) and 17q25.1 showed significantly less gain. Also, changes in tumour suppressor gene-related regions, such as 9p21.3 (CDKN2A) 9p23-24.1 (PTPRD), 13q14.2 (RB1), were significantly fewer in tumours with ALK fusion. CONCLUSION: Global genomic comparison with SNP arrays showed tumours with ALK fusion to have fewer alterations in oncogenes and suppressor genes despite a similar overall aberration frequency, suggesting very strong oncogenic potency of ALK activation by gene fusion

Strategies of community health activities to improve the quality of inhabitants' life

ヘルスプロモーションの理念にそって，住民組織，行政，研究グループが協働して，住民の生活の質の向上をめざした地域保健活動の展開を計画した。まず，休眠状態にあった岡山県M町の健康づくり推進協議会（以下M町協議会と略す）を活性化するため，協議会の委員18人を対象に聴き取り調査を行い，次に，M町協議会でのディスカッションを深めた。1．M町協議会構成団体のうち住民組織は9組織で，このうち6組織は居住地域内の住民の推薦や輪番で代表を選出しており，他の3組織は任意であった。8組織の事務局は行政機関内にあり，活動経費の公費補助率は70％以上であった。2．委員の描く理想の町のイメージとして，福祉の充実した町で老後も安心できるという内容を含んだ回答が多かった。それを実現する為に，住民一人一人が自己管理意識を持つと同時に，協議会が支援的な活動を身近なところで展開することの必要性が挙げられた。3．M町協議会活動への委員の期待は大きく，協議会内での委員間の意思疎通も次第に深められた。事前に聴き取り調査を行ったこと等が効果的に影響したと考えられた。Along with the idea of health promotion, we planned the community health activities to improve the quality of inhabitants' life in cooperation with inhabitants, community organizations, local government and health professionals. In order to revitalize an inactive committee for health promotion of M town hearing surveys were conducted on the members of the committee. 1. Leaders of community organizations occupied 9 of 19 members of the committee. Leaders of 6 organizations out of 9 ones were decided by recommendation or rotation. Eight secretariats of those organizations were located in the governmental office. Seventy percent or more of activity costs of these organizations depends on assistance of local government. 2. Members of the committee imaged the town, which was healthy and filled with mind of welfare as an ideal town. They pointed out that it was required for the committee to perform support activities to realize an ideal town as well as for every inhabitant to have the consciousness of self-management. 3. Activities of the committee were much expected by members of the committee. Communications between members deepened gradually by repeating the meetings. Hearing survey on members also seemed to be much effective for those progress