Psychiatric nurses’ observation techniques

The purpose of this study was to clarify characteristics of psychiatric nurses’ observation techniques for psychopathological symptoms. The subjects were 21 psychiatric nurses and 20 nursing students who had finished their practicum in psychiatric nursing. Using a non-contact eye-tracking analysis system, we compared quantitatively their radial motion while they were observing psychopathological symptoms of a schizophrenia simulation patient. The radial motion of them was recorded while they were observing a video of a simulated patient presenting psychopathological symptoms, and the recording was analyzed by the eye-tracking system. The investigator set the important observation areas and determined the sum of the fixation time and the number of fixations in the areas. Differences between psychiatric nurses and nursing students were tested using the Mann-Whitney U-test. The results revealed a significant difference in observation of the upper limbs area with a median of 7147.90 msec for nurses group and a median of 2447.54 msec for students group (U = 98.00, p = 0.01). The finding suggests that nurses tend to pay more attention to patient’s upper limbs to be cautious about possible violence and to find agitation caused by psychopathological symptoms, extrapyramidal adverse effects, and scars caused by self-mutilation

A Study on Relationship between Psychological Well-being and Menstrual-Associated Symptoms in Female University Students

Female-specific menstrual-associated symptoms are regarded as a factor to lower psychological well-being. The purpose of the current study was to clarify the relationship between psychologocal well-being and menstrual-associated symptoms. We conducted an anonymous survey using self-report questionnaires, in which the MOS 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey version1.2 （SF-36） and the Menstrual Distress Questionnaire （MDQ） were administered to 382 female university students in order to evaluate health-related quality of life and menstrual-associated symptoms respectively. Data from 311 subjects were analyzed to investigate the relationship between the two scales before, during and after menstruation and in strong and weak menstrual-associated symptoms groups. There were significant negative correlations between the SF-36 subscale ‘vitality’ and the MDQ subscale ‘negative affect’ before and during menstruation. In the strong menstrual-associated symptoms group, significant negative correlations were found between subscales of the SF-36 and the MDQ before, during and after menstruation, suggesting that psychological symptoms of menstrual-associated symptoms might influence their physical and psychological quality of life. We concludes that to examine coping methods in order to reduce psychological symptoms and to provide individualized education are necessary

QOL in schizophrenia inpatients

Objective : The purpose of this study was to clarify the relationship between quality of life (QOL) and clinical factors in inpatients with schizophrenia. Methods : Subjects were 50 hospitalized patients with schizophrenia. Their mean age was 56.48 (Standard Deviation = 11.93) years. Japanese version of the schizophrenia Quality of Life Scale (JSQLS) and Subjective Well-being under Neuroleptic drug Treatment Short form, Japanese version (SWNS-J) were used to assess subjective QOL, and Mini Mental State Examination-Japanese was used to evaluate cognitive function. Japanese version of the Calgary Depression Scale for Schizophrenia (JCDSS), Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale, and Drug-Induced Extrapyramidal Symptoms Scale were used to assess depression severity, psychotic symptoms, and drug-induced extrapyramidal symptoms, respectively. Stepwise regression analyses were conducted to find factors influencing JSQLS and SWNS-J. Results : JCDSS was a predictor of two scales of JSQLS, and JCDSS also predicted SWNS-J Total and it’s two subscales. However, other clinical factors were not related to JSQLS and SWNS-J. Conclusion : The results indicate that treating depressive symptoms may lead to improvement of subjective QOL in inpatients with schizophrenia

Psychometric properties of the Japanese version of the Recovery Attitudes Questionnaire (RAQ) among mental health providers: a questionnaire survey

The Japanese version of the 7-item Recovery Attitudes Questionnaire (RAQ). (DOCX 31 kb

Specification of Dendritogenesis Site in Drosophila aCC Motoneuron by Membrane Enrichment of Pak1 through Dscam1

SummaryPrecise positioning of dendritic branches is a critical step in the establishment of neuronal circuitry. However, there is limited knowledge on how environmental cues translate into dendrite initiation or branching at a specific position. Here, through a combination of mutation, RNAi, and imaging experiments, we found that a Dscam-Dock-Pak1 hierarchical interaction defines the stereotypical dendrite growth site in the Drosophila aCC motoneuron. This interaction localizes the Cdc42 effector Pak1 to the plasma membrane at the dendrite initiation site before the activation of Cdc42. Ectopic expression of membrane-anchored Pak1 overrides this spatial specification of dendritogenesis, confirming its function in guiding Cdc42 signaling. We further discovered that Dscam1 localization in aCC occurs through an inter-neuronal contact that involves Dscam1 in the partner MP1 neuron. These findings elucidate a mechanism by which Dscam1 controls neuronal morphogenesis through spatial regulation of Cdc42 signaling and, subsequently, cytoskeletal remodeling

Finding abnormal events during the Iraq War monitored at Japan 8000km away from Iraq

Department of Earth Sciences, Faculty of Science, Kanazawa UniversityGraduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Kanazawa UniversityMeteorological Research Institute JST Cooperative System for Supporting Priority ResearchMeteorological Research Institute JST Cooperative System for Supporting Priority ResearchGraduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Kanazawa UniversityGraduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Kanazawa UniversityGraduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Kanazawa UniversityUnusual strong acidic rain recorded during the Iraq War in Japan Sea side 8000km away from Iraq. In order to monitor the seasonal change of pH, the rainwater was collected during the period from March 24th to September 24th, 2003 at Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan. For comparison, the rainwater at Wakayama (the Pacific Ocean side) was collected, during the period from March 24th to April 30th, 2003. The pH, Eh, EC, and DO of the rainwater were measured in laboratory periodically. Filtered rain dusts were investigated by scanning electron microscope equipped with energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer (SEM-EDX), electron probe micro analyzer (EPMA), transmission electron microscope (TEM), energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometer (ED-XRF), and X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) analyses. In this study, the fluctuation of pH values and electrical conductivity (EC) of rainwater during this half-year period were measured to find abnormal events, such as the Iraq War effects. Since March 21st, 2003, Iraq plunged into the war. The more than 30 oil field fires in Rumaylah, Basrah, Mosul, and other oil fields near the borderline of Kuwait and Iran were reported in March and in April, 2003 in Japan. The first precipitation during the Iraq War was caught on March 24th, 2003. In the period from March 24th to April 5th, the notable low pH value of 3.4-4.4 and high EC value of 20-360ƒﾊS/cm were detected in Kanazawa. The acidic rain associated with WNW wind (2.7-4.1m/s) has continued to the first 10 days of April in Kanazawa, during the 9 oil fields were burning in Rumaylah, Iraq. In the same time, the upper current of air maps confirmed that the 5520-5700m lines cross over and spread on both Iraq and Japanese Honshu Island. It is considered that westerly wind crossed over both Iraq and Japan. The high EC values from March 24th to April 5th, 2003, suggest that high concentrations of water-soluble carbon particles and soot contained in the rainwater. In addition, the black powdery dusts were detected from the strong acidic rainwater on April 1st. The powdery dusts and carbon-bearing particles contained in the rainwater have characteristics different from that of the Asian aerosol particles (Kosa). The results suggest that both powdery dusts and carbon-bearing particles of rainwater have been produced by combustion of oil field in Iraq. Simulation data support the directly cycling by westerly wind indicating the influence of the Iraq War. Possible evidences provided in this paper, such as strong acidic rain and high EC values with nm-sized carbon soot at lapan Sea side, was the influence of the Iraq War. It was suggested that local events affect the global atmospheric environments. Smoke from oil field fires around Baghdad and other wartime pollution could create long-term health hazards

Soy protein diet prevents hypermethioninemia caused by portacaval shunt in rats

In hepatic disorders, abnormal plasma amino acid profiles are observed. In this study, we examined whether soy protein isolate (SPI) improved plasma methionine concentration in the model animals. Portacaval shunt (PCS) increased alanine aminotransferase (ALT) activity and methionine concentration in blood of rats fed a 40% casein diet supplemented with 0.6% methionine (casein-M diet). A 40% SPI diet supplemented with 1.28% methionine (SPI-M diet), which contained the same amount of methionine as that in 40% casein-M diet, normalized plasma ALT activity and methionine level in PCS rats. These effects of a SPI diet may be due to its amino acid composition, since an amino acid mixture diet mimicking a 40% SPI-M diet was also effective to hypermethioninemia of PCS rats. To find key enzymes for the beneficial effect of soy protein, we examined effects of a 40% SPI-M or casein-M diet on the activities of three methionine-metabolizing enzymes in liver of PCS rats. A SPI-M diet stimulated only the activity of cystathionine γ-lyase, compared with a casein-M diet. A SPI diet has a preventive effect on hypermethioninemia, at least in part, by stimulating cystathionine γ-lyase activity in liver and may be used for nutritional management of liver disorders with hypermethioninemia

Antibody titers against SARS-CoV-2 decline, but do not disappear for several months

Background: To develop an effective vaccine against a novel viral pathogen, it is important to understand the longitudinal antibody responses against its first infection. Here we performed a longitudinal study of antibody responses against SARS-CoV-2 in symptomatic patients. Methods: Sequential blood samples were collected from 39 individuals at various timepoints between 0 and 154 days after onset. IgG or IgM titers to the receptor binding domain (RBD) of the S protein, the ectodomain of the S protein, and the N protein were determined by using an ELISA. Neutralizing antibody titers were measured by using a plaque reduction assay. Findings: The IgG titers to the RBD of the S protein, the ectodomain of the S protein, and the N protein peaked at about 20 days after onset, gradually decreased thereafter, and were maintained for several months after onset. Extrapolation modeling analysis suggested that the IgG antibodies were maintained for this amount of time because the rate of reduction slowed after 30 days post-onset. IgM titers to the RBD decreased rapidly and disappeared in some individuals after 90 days post-onset. All patients, except one, possessed neutralizing antibodies against authentic SARS-CoV-2, which they retained at 90 days after onset. The highest antibody titers in patients with severe infections were higher than those in patients with mild or moderate infections, but the decrease in antibody titer in the severe infection cohort was more remarkable than that in the mild or moderate infection cohort. Interpretation: Although the number of patients is limited, our results show that the antibody response against the first SARS-CoV-2 infection in symptomatic patients is typical of that observed in an acute viral infection