Trends in CT Examinations and Diagnostic Reference Level (DRL)

Medical exposure is increasing year by year. The main reason is an increase in CT examinations. X-ray examination has been shifting from conventional radiography to CT imaging. Although CT examinations account for only 7.9% of the total number of diagnostic medical examinations, the contribution is about 47% of the total collective effective dose due to diagnostic medical radiology in health-care level I countries according to the 1997-2007 survey by UNSCEAR. Dental X-ray examinations have hardly contributed it, but CT examination is indispensable in dentistry. Dentists also should follow the requirements for CT imaging by the ICRP recommendation and review CT imaging protocol based on national diagnostic reference level (DRL)

History of Digital Detectors in Intraoral Radiography

The first digital sensor used in intraoral radiography, RadioVisioGraphy was introduced in 1987. It was based on the activity of a charged-Coupled Device (CCD) sensor. Later on, other digital sensors became commercially available, including the Digora featuring an imaging plate coated with photostimulable phosphor (PSP) in 1994 and the complementary metal-oxide semiconductor-based sensor, CDR active pixel sensor, in 1998. These technologies have recently undergone considerable improvement, and several dental clinics have switched from film-based systems to digital imaging. In the early days, digital sensors were considered inferior to film in clinical diagnostics, but according to recent research results, there is no longer any significant difference because of the improvement in performance. However, our latest research using a new evaluation method and a precise phantom model indicated some differences between the performance of CCD and PSP systems and further differences between PSP systems of different function and performance

Os alunos de ciências sociais na encruzilhada da ciência com a magia

Esse artigo propõe uma reflexão sobre a orientação do curso de Ciências Sociais da USP, com base em uma pesquisa realizada em 1992, entre os alunos desse curso. O artigo apresenta um novo perfil dos alunos de Ciências Sociais, marcado, não pela militância política, mas pelo interesse por práticas mágico-religiosa

Cancer screening rate and cancer mortality in Tokushima Prefecture

本研究は，全国及び徳島県の公表されたデータを用いてがん死亡率及びがん検診受診率に関して検討を行った． 胃がん，肺がん，大腸がん，子宮がん，乳がんの５つのがん検診を解析対象とし，徳島県と全国の比較を行った．データは厚生労働省，国立がん研究センターがん対策情報センターのデータベース，徳島県発行の年報やホームページから収集した．がん死亡率とがん検診受診率の年次推移及び死亡率と受診率との相関を調べた．また徳島県を行政区分，地理的条件および文化的背景を考慮した１３の区分に分割し，それぞれの地域における受診率及び死亡率の相関を調べた． 大腸がんと乳がんの死亡率は徳島県では全国と比較して，低い傾向にあったが，胃がんと大腸がんの受診率は徳島県のほうが低かった．胃がん検診受診率と死亡率との関係では，徳島県，全国ともに，受診率が低くなるにつれて，死亡率が低くなる現象がみられたが，その他のがんでは明らかな関係はみられなかった．市町村別の受診率と死亡率との相関をみると，女性の胃がん検診では，受診率の向上に伴い，死亡率は低下傾向であった．肺がんと大腸がんのがん検診受診率と死亡率との関係では，明白な傾向はみられなかった．しかし子宮がんと乳がんでは，受診率の向上に伴い，死亡率が低下する傾向が認められた． 今後検診の種類による受診率の差をもたらす背景を探索する必要があると考える．The cancer mortality rate and the cancer screening rate in Tokushima Prefecture were compared with the national data of Japan in order to clarify the relationships. The cancer of stomach, lung, colorectal, uterine, and breast cancer were included in this analysis. Data were collected from databases and publications of the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, National Cancer Center, and Tokushima Prefecture. Trends in the cancer mortality rates and screening rates and the relationships between the cancer mortality and screening rates were examined. Municipalities in Tokushima Prefecture were classified into １３ areas by the point of administrative boundary, and the relationships between the cancer screening rates and mortality rates in each area was examined. The mortality rates of colorectal and breast cancer, that in Tokushima Prefecture was lower than the national data. However, the screening rates of stomach and colorectal cancer, in Tokushima Prefecture were lower than the national data. The relationships between the screening rate and mortality rate for stomach cancer revealed a positive correlation in Tokushima Prefecture as well as national data. There were no apparent relationships among other cancers. There were no apparent relationships between the screening rates and the mortality rates for lung and colorectal cancer in gender. However, for uterine and breast cancer, the mortality rates tended to decrease as the screening rates increased. We thought that it is necessary to search for background to bring the difference of the screening rates by the type of cancer in future

キソン シリョウ ニ モトズク トクシマケン ニオケル コウ トウニョウビョウ シボウリツ ノ ゲンイン ニツイテ

The purpose of this study is to review the pathogenesis of diabetes mellitus in Tokushima Prefecture from existing data and papers for figuring out the cause. Diabetes mellitus has been recently a main serious one of lifestyle-related diseases. The problem is not only hyperglycemia deprived from diabetes mellitus but also such as diabetic nephropathy, diabetic neuropathy, blindness, stroke and cardiovascular disease accompanied by the progress of diabetes. Thus, those diseases decrease a quality of life of the patients. Diabetes mellitus is thought to be a serious disease in the world and the number of the affected patients has been on the rise. International Diabetes Federation（IDF）estimates the number of diabetic patients and subjects with impaired glucose tolerance will be ３８０million（７．３％）and ４１８ million（８．０％）against the world’s population of ７．９ billion in ２０２５. The sign is not limited in developed country and also severely affected developing country. In Japan also, the number of the patients increases year by year and the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare strongly takes a campaign against diabetes. Tokushima Prefecture has the highest diabetic mortality in Japan from １９９３ to ２００６, seventh place in ２００７ but first place again in ２００８. However, we cannot find factors degrading diabetes mellitus or effecting diabetic mortality. It was suggested that unknown factor or a factor beyond our expectation as well as general factors causing diabetes mellitus should be investigated

Current status and history of radiation education : considering the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear disaster

福島原発の事故前後で国民の放射線に対する関心が大きく変化した．また大部分の原発は再稼働の目安が立たず，電力政策の変更を余儀なくされた．最終的には国民の判断に委ねられるが，放射線教育は30 年にわたり初等教育で行われなかったため，多くの人々は知識が不十分な状態にある．政府はこの問題解決の一つとして，初等・中等教育用の放射線副読本を作成した．しかし専門家からみて，むずかしい語句が多く問題を感じた．将来X 線を日常的に扱う歯学部学生を対象とし，副読本の理解度を調べた結果，十分に理解できていないことが判明し，初等・中等教育における放射線教育の方法を再考する必要があると結論づけられた．また多くの報告から放射線教育者の育成が早急に望まれることも判明した．本総説の目的は，放射線教育の歴史を振り返り，現在の国民の放射線に対する知識の現状，そして福島原子力発電所の事故と放射線との関係を知ってもらうことである．Since the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear disaster in 2011, Japanese people’s interest in radiation has dramatically changed．After the incident, most nuclear power plants were switched off and they have not yet resumed operation．This has forced the Japanese government to alter the electric energy policy．Although the energy policy is dependent on public opinion, the general public has little knowledge of radiation and atomic power, because radiation education has not been taught in elementary or secondary schools for approximately 30 years．Hence, the government has created two supplementary texts on radiation—one for elementary school students, and the other for middle and high school students．As radiation experts, however, we felt that many phrases used in the texts were too difficult, and therefore, we launched a survey to gauge dental students’ understanding of the texts, as dental students will routinely use X-rays as part of their work．The survey revealed that the dental students did not fully understand the phrases in the supplementary text for elementary school students．Thus, the method of radiation education needs to be rethought．Furthermore, reports on the radiation knowledge questionnaire helped us realize that radiation knowledge is scarce among high school and university students．There were previously very few teachers who could teach about radiation in junior-high and high schools, and this skill is highly desired．The purpose of the review is to reconsider the history of Japanese radiation education in elementary and secondary schools, to update the current status of public knowledge of radiation, and to explain the status of radioisotopes in the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear disaster

Influence of Radiation Education on Risk Perception in Japanese Dental Students

Since the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant accident in 2011, the Japanese Government has been focusing radiation education in elementary, middle and high schools to improve public understanding about the continuing existence of nuclear plants. The government developed two supplementary texts about radiation, including nuclear power, for elementary school, middle school, and high school students. The authors evaluated the content of these texts by questionnaire research and found them very difficult to understand even for dental students. After that we examined the relationship between radiation education and risk perception. The results of the present study indicate that radiation education might change students’ risk perception with regard to radiation

Cloning and functional characterization of a fructan 1-exohydrolase (1-FEH) in edible burdock (Arctium lappa L.)

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>We have previously reported on the variation of total fructooligosaccharides (FOS), total inulooligosaccharides (IOS) and inulin in the roots of burdock stored at different temperatures. During storage at 0°C, an increase of FOS as a result of the hydrolysis of inulin was observed. Moreover, we suggested that an increase of IOS would likely be due to the synthesis of the IOS by fructosyltransfer from 1-kestose to accumulated fructose and elongated fructose oligomers which can act as acceptors for fructan:fructan 1-fructosyltransferase (1-FFT). However, enzymes such as inulinase or fructan 1-exohydorolase (1-FEH) involved in inulin degradation in burdock roots are still not known. Here, we report the isolation and functional analysis of a gene encoding burdock 1-FEH.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>A cDNA, named <it>aleh1</it>, was obtained by the RACE method following PCR with degenerate primers designed based on amino-acid sequences of FEHs from other plants. The <it>aleh1 </it>encoded a polypeptide of 581 amino acids. The relative molecular mass and isoelectric point (<it>pI</it>) of the deduced polypeptide were calculated to be 65,666 and 4.86. A recombinant protein of <it>aleh1 </it>was produced in <it>Pichia pastoris</it>, and was purified by ion exchange chromatography with DEAE-Sepharose CL-6B, hydrophobic chromatography with Toyopearl HW55S and gel filtration chromatography with Toyopearl HW55S. Purified recombinant protein showed hydrolyzing activity against β-2, 1 type fructans such as 1-kestose, nystose, fructosylnystose and inulin. On the other hand, sucrose, neokestose, 6-kestose and high DP levan were poor substrates.</p> <p>The purified recombinant protein released fructose from sugars extracted from burdock roots. These results indicated that <it>aleh1 </it>encoded 1-FEH.</p

The relation between the cancer screening rate and the cancer mortality rate in Japan

The aim of this research was to clarify the relation between the screening rates for five cancers (lung cancer, stomach cancer, colorectal cancer, uterus cancer, and breast cancer) and their mortality rate by using publicly accessible databases. The used information materials were those prepared by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, the Center for Cancer Control and Information Services, and the National Cancer Center. Our results were as follows : 1) regarding stomach and colorectal cancers, a positive correlation was found between the screening rate and the mortality rate (p<0.001) ; 2) in the relation between the screening rate and the mortality rate according to administrative divisions, the mortality rate decreased significantly when the lung cancer screening rate improved (p<0.005) ; 3) the mortality rate for breast cancer increased in those aged 50 or over ; 4) the mortality rate for uterus cancer had been slightly increasing since 1990 ; and 5) regarding the screening rate, a positive correlation was found between breast cancer and uterus cancer (p<0.001). In future, improvement in lifestyle and in the knowledge of cancer should be promoted to enhance the screening rates