Suicidal ideation and burnout among psychiatric trainees in Japan

AIM: Burnout is a psychological condition that may occur in all workers after being exposed to excessive work-related stresses. We investigated suicidal ideation and burnout among Japanese psychiatric trainees as a part of the Burnout Syndrome Study (BoSS) International.  METHODS: In the Japanese branch, 91 trainees fully completed suicide ideation and behaviour questionnaire (SIBQ) and Maslach Burnout Inventory-General Survey (MBI-GS).  RESULTS: Passive suicidal ideation was reported by 38.5% of Japanese trainees and 22.0% of them had experienced active suicidal ideation. The burnout rate among Japanese subjects was 40.0%. These results were worse compared to the all 1980 trainees who fully completed the main outcome measure in BoSS International, 25.9%, 20.4% and 36.7%, respectively.  CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest a higher risk of suicide among Japanese residents. Japan has a higher suicide rate than other countries. Early detection of, and appropriate intervention for, suicidal ideation is important in preventing suicide in psychiatry residents

ロシア キョクトウ ヒガシ シベリア ニホンゴ ベンロン タイカイ ニオケル シンサ キジュン サクセイ

本稿では、「ロシア極東・東シベリア日本語弁論大会」の新審査基準作成過程およびその試用結果について報告する。ロシア極東・東シベリア地域では、毎年、国際交流基金の助成を受け、ウラジオストク、ユジノサハリンスク、ハバロフスクの3地域持ち回りで、日本語を学ぶ大学生による日本語弁論大会が開催されている。しかし、開催地により審査基準が異なり、その基準も曖昧であったため、共通した審査基準の作成が望まれた。作成に際しては、信頼性の高い評価が行える基準を作成することをねらいとしたが、副次的に学習・指導の一助となるよう配慮した。試用結果から、新基準は適切な手続きをふまえて使用すれば良好に機能することが確認されたが、質的な検証も含めた信頼性のさらなる検証が今後の課題である。This paper reports on the development of new criteria for ”The Japanese Speech Contest of Far East Russia and East Siberia” as well as the trial results. The Japanese Speech Contest for university students is alternated annually between Vladivostok, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk and Khabarovsk thanks to a grant from The Japan Foundation. Since the criteria used varied according to the venue and were also ambiguous, the development of common criteria became a necessity. Completion of common criteria had the goal of providing a tool for highly reliable evaluation, but additionally contributed to assisting in learning and instruction. The trial results showed that the new criteria are highly reliable when the appropriate procedures are followed. However, a further qualitative assessment of the new criteria is still needed in order to corroborate the findings

Calcitonin-typical suppression of osteoclastic activity by amphioxus calcitonin superfamily peptides and insights into the evolutionary conservation and diversity of their structures

Calcitonin (CT) is a hormone that decreases serum calcium level by suppressing osteoclastic activity in the vertebrate bone. In vertebrates, the structure-function relationship of CTs has been studied extensively. We recently identified three CT superfamily peptides, Bf-CTFP1 to 3, and clarified the molecular and functional characteristics of their receptor and receptor activity-modifying protein in amphioxus, Branchiostoma floridae. However, the CT activity of Bf-CTFPs has yet to be investigated. In the present study, a functional analysis of Bf-CTFPs was performed using goldfish scales having both osteoclasts and osteoblasts. All Bf-CTFPs suppressed osteoclastic activity via a goldfish CT receptor. Although the primary amino acid sequences of the Bf-CTFPs showed low sequence similarity to vertebrate CTs, Bf-CTFP1 to 3 share three amino acids, Thr25, Thr27, and Pro32-NH2, that are required for receptor binding, with salmon CT. Moreover, homology model analysis revealed that the Bf-CTFPs form alpha-helical structures. The alpha-helical position and length of Bf-CTFP1 and 2 were conserved with those of a highly potent ligand, teleost CT. Interestingly, the composition of the alpha-helix of Bf-CTFP3 differed from those of teleost CT, despite that the action of Bf-CTFP3 on goldfish scales was the same as that of Bf-CTFP1 and 2. Collectively, the present study provides new insights into the structure-function relationship of CT and its functional evolution in chordates. © 2017 Elsevier Inc.Embargo Period 12 month

Sardine procalcitonin amino-terminal cleavage peptide has a different action from calcitonin and promotes osteoblastic activity in the scales of goldfish

The nucleotide sequence of a sardine preprocalcitonin precursor has been determined from their ultimobranchial glands in the present study. From our analysis of this sequence, we found that sardine procalcitonin was composed of procalcitonin amino-terminal cleavage peptide (N-proCT) (53 amino acids), CT (32 amino acids), and procalcitonin carboxyl-terminal cleavage peptide (C-proCT) (18 amino acids). As compared with C-proCT, N-proCT has been highly conserved among teleosts, reptiles, and birds, which suggests that N-proCT has some bioactivities. Therefore, both sardine N-proCT and sardine CT were synthesized, and their bioactivities for osteoblasts and osteoclasts were examined using our assay system with goldfish scales that consisted of osteoblasts and osteoclasts. As a result, sardine N-proCT (10− 7 M) activated osteoblastic marker enzyme activity, while sardine CT did not change. On the other hand, sardine CT (10− 9 to 10− 7 M) suppressed osteoclastic marker enzyme activity, although sardine N-proCT did not influence enzyme activity. Furthermore, the mRNA expressions of osteoblastic markers such as type 1 collagen and osteocalcin were also promoted by sardine N-proCT (10− 7 M) treatment; however, sardine CT did not influence their expressions. The osteoblastic effects of N-proCT lack agreement. In the present study, we can evaluate exactly the action for osteoblasts because our scale assay system is very sensitive and it is a co-culture system for osteoblasts and osteoclasts with calcified bone matrix. Both CT and N-proCT seem to influence osteoblasts and osteoclasts and promote bone formation by different actions in teleosts. © 2017 Elsevier Inc.Embargo Period 12 month

Tumor-containing CEA in Colon Cancers

Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) in serum and fresh cancer tissue taken at surgery was measured and analyzed in terms of the disease stage. The CEA level in serum (s-CEA ) has become higher with advance in the disease stage. However, in stage V it was lowered as well as CEA level in cancer mass (ca-CEA). It is suggested that S-CEA is influenced by cancer invasion into the vessel wall, tumor necrosis and/or degeneration which ca-CEA may well be migrated from the tumor cells

Current status of space gravitational wave antenna DECIGO and B-DECIGO

Deci-hertz Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory (DECIGO) is the future Japanese space mission with a frequency band of 0.1 Hz to 10 Hz. DECIGO aims at the detection of primordial gravitational waves, which could be produced during the inflationary period right after the birth of the universe. There are many other scientific objectives of DECIGO, including the direct measurement of the acceleration of the expansion of the universe, and reliable and accurate predictions of the timing and locations of neutron star/black hole binary coalescences. DECIGO consists of four clusters of observatories placed in the heliocentric orbit. Each cluster consists of three spacecraft, which form three Fabry-Perot Michelson interferometers with an arm length of 1,000 km. Three clusters of DECIGO will be placed far from each other, and the fourth cluster will be placed in the same position as one of the three clusters to obtain the correlation signals for the detection of the primordial gravitational waves. We plan to launch B-DECIGO, which is a scientific pathfinder of DECIGO, before DECIGO in the 2030s to demonstrate the technologies required for DECIGO, as well as to obtain fruitful scientific results to further expand the multi-messenger astronomy.Comment: 10 pages, 3 figure

Sodium fluoride influences calcium metabolism resulting from the suppression of osteoclasts in the scales of nibbler fish Girella punctata

The influence of sodium fluoride (NaF) on calcium metabolism was examined in nibbler fish (marine teleosts). Two days after the administration of NaF (5 μg/g of body weight) (around 10−4 M in fish), we showed that plasma calcium levels significantly decreased in NaF-treated nibbler fish. In addition, we detected fluoride in the treated scales by use of a scanning electron microscope with an energy-dispersive X-ray microanalysis, indicating that NaF directly affects their scales. Therefore, the influence of NaF on osteoblasts and osteoclasts in the scales was examined. In the scales of NaF-injected nibbler fish, tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) (osteoclastic marker enzyme) decreased, although alkaline phosphatase (osteoblastic marker enzyme) was activated. To confirm the effect of NaF on osteoclasts, furthermore, the mRNA expressions of osteoclastic markers (matrix metalloproteinase-9 and TRAP) were decreased significantly 2 days after incubation. In barred knifejaws, plasma calcium levels decreased as they did in nibbler fish. Therefore, NaF functions in both osteoblasts and osteoclasts and then influences calcium metabolism in marine fish. In the marine environment, high levels of fluoride (1.2–1.5 mg F−/l) (around 10−5–10−4 M) are present in seawater. It is probable that teleosts living in seawater efficiently use fluoride to regulate their blood calcium levels. © 2017 Japanese Society of Fisheries Science出版者照会後に全文公開 / Embargo Period 12 monthsErratum to: Sodium fluoride influences calcium metabolism resulting from the suppression of osteoclasts in the scales of nibbler fish Girella punctata (Fish Sci, 10.1007/s12562-017-1086-0)( https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs12562-017-1092-

Current status of space gravitational wave antenna DECIGO and B-DECIGO

The Deci-hertz Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory (DECIGO) is a future Japanese space mission with a frequency band of 0.1 Hz to 10 Hz. DECIGO aims at the detection of primordial gravitational waves, which could have been produced during the inflationary period right after the birth of the Universe. There are many other scientific objectives of DECIGO, including the direct measurement of the acceleration of the expansion of the Universe, and reliable and accurate predictions of the timing and locations of neutron star/black hole binary coalescences. DECIGO consists of four clusters of observatories placed in heliocentric orbit. Each cluster consists of three spacecraft, which form three Fabry–Pérot Michelson interferometers with an arm length of 1000 km. Three DECIGO clusters will be placed far from each other, and the fourth will be placed in the same position as one of the other three to obtain correlation signals for the detection of primordial gravitational waves. We plan to launch B-DECIGO, which is a scientific pathfinder for DECIGO, before DECIGO in the 2030s to demonstrate the technologies required for DECIGO, as well as to obtain fruitful scientific results to further expand multi-messenger astronomy

Effect of Test Conditions on Child Occupant Responses in CRS

A child restraint system (CRS) is installed in various vehicles with different seat, seatbelt routing paths, and seatbelt characteristics. In this research, a series of sled tests were conducted using the ECE R44 seat bench utilizing various CRS models under the same crash pulse specified by JNCAP. During the impact in JNCAP, the cushion of the multi-purpose vehicle seat was soft and the CRS rotated, which led to large forward excursions of the CRS and dummy. A trend was observed that there is a linear relationship of the assessment values between the JNCAP tests and the ECE base tests