Secular increase of the Astronomical Unit: a possible explanation in terms of the total angular momentum conservation law

We give an idea and the order-of-magnitude estimations to explain the recently reported secular increase of the Astronomical Unit (AU) by Krasinsky and Brumberg (2004). The idea proposed is analogous to the tidal acceleration in the Earth-Moon system, which is based on the conservation of the total angular momentum and we apply this scenario to the Sun-planets system. Assuming the existence of some tidal interactions that transfer the rotational angular momentum of the Sun and using reported value of the positive secular trend in the astronomical unit, $\frac{d}{dt}{AU} = 15 \pm 4 {(m/cy)}$, the suggested change in the period of rotation of the Sun is about $21 {ms/cy}$ in the case that the orbits of the eight planets have the same "expansion rate." This value is sufficiently small, and at present it seems there are no observational data which exclude this possibility. Effects of the change in the Sun's moment of inertia is also investigated. It is pointed out that the change in the moment of inertia due to the radiative mass loss by the Sun may be responsible for the secular increase of AU, if the orbital "expansion" is happening only in the inner planets system. Although the existence of some tidal interactions is assumed between the Sun and planets, concrete mechanisms of the angular momentum transfer are not discussed in this paper, which remain to be done as future investigations.Comment: 4 pages, accepted for publication in PAS

Daily calcium intake and physical activity status in urban women living on low incomes in Davao, Philippines : a primary study for osteoporosis prevention

Low calcium intake and physical inactivity are modifiable risk factors of osteoporosis ; however, little information is available about the prevalence of these risk factors among urban Filipino women living on low-incomes. The present study, therefore, investigated daily calcium intake, main calcium sources, and physical activity status in this population. The study group comprised healthy women aged in their 30 s who had participated in our previous survey using heel speed of sound (SOS) measurement in Davao, Philippines. The women were stratified into three groups based on SOS score and 20 were randomly selected from each, giving 60 in total. Calcium intake was measured by direct analysis of the food samples collected from 3-days 24 hour-food duplicate method. Physical activity was estimated based on pedometer determined walking steps over 5 days. The median [25%, 75%] calcium intake per day was 289 [225, 434] mg. Traditional foods derived from local small fish and plants were the main calcium sources. The median walking steps per day was 8750 [6920, 10836]. Although three groups did not show significantly different calcium intakes and walking steps, consumption of low-cost small fish and plant foods could be encouraged along with walking in urban Filipino women living on low-incomes

Resuscitation of Preterm Infants with Reduced Oxygen Results in Less Oxidative Stress than Resuscitation with 100% Oxygen

The objective of this study was to determine the effects of the level of inhaled oxygen during resuscitation on the levels of free radicals and anti-oxidative capacity in the heparinized venous blood of preterm infants. Forty four preterm infants <35 weeks of gestation with mild to moderate neonatal asphyxia were randomized into two groups. The first group of infants were resuscitated with 100% oxygen (100% O2 group), while in the other group (reduced O2 group), the oxygen concentration was titrated according to pulse oximeter readings. We measured total hydroperoxide (TH) and redox potential (RP) in the plasma within 60 min of birth. The integrated excessive oxygen (∑(FiO2-0.21) × Time(min)) was higher in the 100% O2 group than in the reduced O2 group (p<0.0001). TH was higher in the 100% O2 group than in the reduced O2 group (p<0.0001). RP was not different between the 100% O2 and reduced O2 groups (p = 0.399). RP/TH ratio was lower in the 100% O2 group than in the reduced O2 group (p<0.01). We conclude that in the resuscitation of preterm infants with mild to moderate asphyxia, oxidative stress can be reduced by lowering the inspired oxygen concentration using a pulse oximeter

Application of double stapling technique after anterior resection for rectal cancer

Double stapling technique (DST) were applied in 22 cases who underwent low and high anterior resection of the rectum. Postoperative complications were encounted in six, three were mild strictures and the other three were minor leakages. All were not severe, demonstrating no correlation to the conditions of the anastomosis and subsided by conservative therapy in a short period. Anastomotic leakage occurred in three but these were based on technical problems and it is possible to avoid with careful surgical management. In conclusion, DST is of great benefit for the treatment of carcinoma of the rectum to reduce the consuming operation time and to lessen the risk of bacteriological and oncological contaminations

Postoperative Course of Crohn\u27s Disease -In regard to Recurrence and Residual Disease at Anastomosis -

Twenty-seven patients with Crohn\u27s disease who were operated on at the First Department of Surgery, Nagasaki University School of Medicine and followed-up after surgery were reviewed. Involved portion of intestinal tract were 10 in small bowel only, 14 in both small and large bowels, and 3 in large bowel. Major indication for surgery were obstruction, fistula, peritonitis and intractability of medical therapy. Twenty-two patients underwent radical resection and the other 5 patients had the disease left behind at anastomosis. The recurrence rate was 25.9% (7 out of 22), and early recurrence was found in small bowel diseases with longitudinal ulcerations or multiple aphthoid ulcers. Initial recurrence occured near the suture line, which showed no wide spreading in subsequent periods. Two cases with both small and large bowel disease required reoperation over 5 years after initial surgery because of stenosis. Three out of five cases with residual disease at the intestinal resection margin had a good condition, but the other three cases with skip sigmoid disease were intractable for medical therapy. Most suture line recurrence and residual disease at anastomosis were sufficiently managed by postoperative medication for long periods of time. Long-term follow-up study showed a good quality of life in about 75% of these cases. In conclusion, conservative resection rather than the sacrifice of normal bowel should be recommended for an extended disease of small bowel

介護福祉学生の専門職としての自覚や資質についての意識調査 : 1年次生と2年次生の比較より

介護福祉学生が,学内学習及び介護福祉実習という一連の学習過程から,専門職としての自覚や資質をどのように捉えているのか,社会的スキルと合わせ分析した。学生は,介護福祉士として求められる資質には,人間関係形成能力や温かいパーソナリティー,分析的・論理的思考能力が必要であると捉えている。しかし,社会的スキルの観点から対人関係を捉えると今後介護福祉士養成教育において体系的に対人関係能力を育成していく必要性が示唆された。The purpose of this study is to examine the process of acquisition for awareness and quality as professionals from the lectures, training, and social skill as well for care and welfare students. The results show that the students need to have ability of human relations, compassion, analytical and logical thinking for certified care worker. We need to cultivate the ability of personal relation systematically on care and welfare education with considering personal relations as the skill

介護福祉士養成校におけるボランティア活動の課題

本研究は,介護福祉士養成校における学生のボランティア活動の実状と,活動の課題を明らかにすることを目的として調査・分析を行ったものである。その結果,ボランティア活動への参加者は多かったが,その目的は自己の職業的理由を主とした者が多く,活動が福祉施設に限定されたものであること,また,ボランティア活動の特徴の一つである自己啓発的な理由が少ないことなどが認められた。これらのことから,多様な価値を承認し,共生の視点を持った介護福祉士を育てていくために,学生のボランティア活動の意味理解へ繋げる学習機会の強化,幅広い日常的な活動へとつないでいく支援体制の整備の必要性が示唆された。This paper discusses the volunteer in care and welfare education through the survey result for care and welfare students. The results show that many students have experience of volunteer, but the places of volunteer are limited in social welfare facilities, many students are motivated for their future job, and scantly motivated for self-enlightenment is usually one of trait on volunteer actions. Considering this, it is necessary to increase opportunity for learning on volunteer, and improve the support system for broad scope and ordinary actions to train certified care worker with convivial and various viewpoint

特別養護老人ホームにおける介護職員の社会的スキルに関する研究

本研究は、特別養護老人ホームに働く介護職員を対象に行った社会的スキルの結果から、今後の介護福祉士現任教育のあり方を考察したものである。調査の結果、(1)介護職員は総体的に利用者の表出行動などから、感情や態度を判断するスキルを高く評価していた。しかし、自分から表現をすることは総体的にできていないといえる。(2)若い世代の介護職員は比較的、社会的スキルの評価は低い結果であった。(3)資格では、訪問介護員が「感情コントロール」において介護福祉士より高く評価していた。(4)介護職員の社会的スキルの構造を明らかにするため因子分析をした結果、『伝達因子』・『解読因子』・『表出因子』・『感情統制因子』の4因子が抽出された。これらのことから、人間関係の学習は、継続して教育され、実践の場において活用されてこそ意義があると考える。したがって、介護福祉士の専門性を高める意味でも社会的スキル・アップの研修の場が必要であると考える。This research considered in-service training for care personnels in Special nursing homes from their results of the social skill. The results were as follows: (1) The care personnels were esteem the skill which judges the feeling and attitude to users\u27 expressional action. But it can be said those can not performed expressing to something from oneself. (2) In age difference, the evaluation to social skill of young care workers were low results. (3) In the qualification differences, the visiting care wokers were higher esteemed than the care workers in feeling control. (4) In the factor analysis in order to clarify the structures of the care personnels\u27 social skill, four factors were extracted. those were the trancefer molecule, the decipherment, expression, and feeling control. Therefore, it can be said that learning of human relations is educated continuously and utilized at the place of practice. Consequently, the training place of skill-up the care workers speciality is requiered in meanuing which improve care workers speciality

CNVs in Three Psychiatric Disorders

BACKGROUND: We aimed to determine the similarities and differences in the roles of genic and regulatory copy number variations (CNVs) in bipolar disorder (BD), schizophrenia (SCZ), and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). METHODS: Based on high-resolution CNV data from 8708 Japanese samples, we performed to our knowledge the largest cross-disorder analysis of genic and regulatory CNVs in BD, SCZ, and ASD. RESULTS: In genic CNVs, we found an increased burden of smaller (500 kb) exonic CNVs in SCZ/ASD. Pathogenic CNVs linked to neurodevelopmental disorders were significantly associated with the risk for each disorder, but BD and SCZ/ASD differed in terms of the effect size (smaller in BD) and subtype distribution of CNVs linked to neurodevelopmental disorders. We identified 3 synaptic genes (DLG2, PCDH15, and ASTN2) as risk factors for BD. Whereas gene set analysis showed that BD-associated pathways were restricted to chromatin biology, SCZ and ASD involved more extensive and similar pathways. Nevertheless, a correlation analysis of gene set results indicated weak but significant pathway similarities between BD and SCZ or ASD (r = 0.25–0.31). In SCZ and ASD, but not BD, CNVs were significantly enriched in enhancers and promoters in brain tissue. CONCLUSIONS: BD and SCZ/ASD differ in terms of CNV burden, characteristics of CNVs linked to neurodevelopmental disorders, and regulatory CNVs. On the other hand, they have shared molecular mechanisms, including chromatin biology. The BD risk genes identified here could provide insight into the pathogenesis of BD

介護福祉学生の自己教育力に関する研究

本研究は、介護福祉士養成校の在学生を対象に、自己教育力の横断的な調査を行った。介護福祉学生の自己教育力の構造を明らかにするため因子分析した結果、『目標意欲因子』・『プライド因子』・『自己肯定因子』・『行動統制喪失因子』・『内省因子』・『感情統制因子』・『発展意欲喪失因子』・『目標喪失因子』の8因子が抽出された。また、短大生は専門学校生より、自己教育力得点と、『自己肯定因子』の因子得点が高かった。反面、『発展意欲喪失因子』の因子得点も高かった。全学校の1年次生と2年次生では、『発展意欲喪失因子』・『目標喪失因子』共に、2年次生の方が得点が高かった。以上のことから、短大生の方が専門学校生より高い自己教育力を持っていると推測されるが、短大生・専門学校生共に、学年があがるに従って自己教育力が身についているとはいえなかった。This study presents the result of the cross-sectional study of the care and welfare students on their ability of self-education. The results of the factor analysis to know the constitution of the ability of self-education are that eight factors of \u27the goal desire factor\u27 \u27the pride factor\u27 \u27the self affirmation factor\u27 \u27the action control loss factor\u27 \u27the introspection factor\u27 \u27the feeling control factor\u27 \u27the development desire loss factor\u27 \u27the goal loss factor\u27 were obtained. The points of the junior college students are higher in the ability of self-education, \u27the self affirmation factor\u27, and \u27the development desire loss factor\u27 in comparison with that of the professional school students. The points of \u27the development desire loss factor\u27 \u27the goal loss factor\u27 of second year students are higher than the first year students. It is conceivable that the junior college students have higher the ability of self-education than the professional school students from over. However, it is not able to say that the ability of self-education is acquired in accordance with the rise of the academic year, with both students