Seasonal and annual heat budgets offshore the Hanko Peninsula, Gulf of Finland

Peer reviewe

General Consumer Awareness of Warnings Regarding the Consumption of Alcoholic Beverages

Over the past two decades, the liquor industry in Japan has strived to address alcohol-related problems through initiatives such as warnings in the various media. In this study, we conducted an Internet-based questionnaire survey to examine general consumer awareness of such warnings, and the media by which they are conveyed, on the consumption of alcoholic beverages. A total of 985 subjects (males:487, females:498) in age groups ranging from 20s to 70s responded (response rate:22.4%). The awareness rates for warnings regarding underage drinking, drunk driving, and drinking during pregnancy, and those for messages encouraging moderation in drinking, were 96.4%, 83.7%, 59.6%, and 45.5%, respectively. Logistic regression analysis adjusted for habitual alcohol consumption demonstrated significant gender- and/or age-based differences in the rates of awareness of warnings and the media publicizing them. For example, the odds ratio of awareness among women of warnings against underage drinking was significantly higher than that of awareness among men. Issues that must be addressed in the future include:(1) increasing public awareness about messages regarding drinking during pregnancy and drinking in moderation;(2) reviewing the wording of warnings to make them more effective;and (3) devising and employing, on a regular basis, more effective means of transmitting messages in consideration of gender and age

Gene transfer of metalloproteinase transin induces aberrant behavior of cultured mesangial cells

Gene transfer of metalloproteinase transin induces aberrant behavior of cultured mesangial cells. The aim of the present study is to clarify whether the cellular expression of a matrix-degrading metalloproteinase, transin, alters the behavior of cultured mesangial cells (MCs). The cDNA encoding rat transin was introduced into rat MCs and transcribed under the control of a Rous sarcoma virus promoter. The resulting transfectants were then investigated for cell shape, migration, proliferation, and expression of genes associated with matrix metabolism. Northern blot analysis routinely detected the transin transcript in two separate transfectants, MeTRN2 and MeTRN5. Transin expression was strong in MeTRN2, moderate in MeTRN5, but absent in mock transfectants. Immunoblot analysis revealed that these transin transfectants synthesized 59 and 62kDa molecules, which correspond to transin gene products. Casein digestion assay detected enhanced proteolytic activity in MeTRN2 and MeTRN5. Microscopically, the transfected cells were somewhat elongated with accentuated margins compared with mock transfectants. [3H]-thymidine uptake studies revealed accelerated growth of the transfectants on a plastic substratum as well as within gel matrix. The migration of the transfectants into gel matrix was also significantly enhanced compared with that of mock transfectants. No obvious alteration, however, was found in transcripts of procollagen α1(IV), laminin B2, or the metalloproteinase inhibitor TIMP. We hypothesize that the metalloproteinase transin has a potential for affecting the behavior of MCs and contributing to the pathogenesis of glomerular injury

Sleep Duration and Overweight among Elementary Schoolchildren:A Population-based Study in Japan

Although a number of studies have investigated the relationship of sleep duration to overweight and obesity, studies conducted among population-based elementary schoolchildren have been limited in Japan. The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between sleep duration and overweight among elementary schoolchildren in Japan. The study subjects were all fourth-grade schoolchildren (9 or 10 years of age) in Ina-town, Saitama Prefecture, Japan from 1999 to 2008. Information concerning each subjectʼs sex, age, and lifestyle was obtained using a self-administered questionnaire, while measurements of his or her height and weight were carried out. Childhood overweight was determined according to the definition established by the International Obesity Task Force. Data from 3,433 children were analyzed. In logistic regression analysis, a statistically significant dose-response relationship was observed between sleep duration and overweight among boys (p for trend＝0.014) but not among girls (p for trend＝0.149). Short sleep duration was associated with childhood overweight, and the sex difference in the association was observed. These findings suggested that it is important to consider sleep duration as part of any program to prevent overweight among elementary schoolchildren, especially among boys

Lifespan and Glucose Metabolism in Insulin Receptor Mutant Mice

Insulin/insulin-like growth factor type 1 signaling regulates lifespan and resistance to oxidative stress in worms, flies, and mammals. In a previous study, we revealed that insulin receptor (IR) mutant mice, which carry a homologous mutation found in the long-lived daf-2 mutant of Caenorhabditis elegans, showed enhanced resistance to oxidative stress cooperatively modulated by sex hormones and dietary signals (Baba et al., (2005)). We herein investigated the lifespan of IR mutant mice to evaluate the biological significance of insulin signaling in mice. Under normoxia, mutant male mice had a lifespan comparable to that of wild-type male mice. IR mutant female mice also showed a lifespan similar to that of wild-type female mice, in spite of the fact that the IR mutant female mice acquired more resistance to oxidative stress than IR mutant male mice. On the other hand, IR mutant male and female mice both showed insulin resistance with hyperinsulinemia, but they did not develop hyperglycemia throughout their entire lifespan. These data indicate that the IR mutation does not impact the lifespan in mice, thus suggesting that insulin signaling might have a limited effect on the lifespan of mice

Attitudes of Japanese Medical Students towards Disclosure of a Diagnosis of Life-threatening Illness

In this study we investigated the attitudes of Japanese medical students toward being informed of a diagnosis of life-threatening illness. Fourth-year medical students from 20 randomly sampled universities were administered questionnaires that examined their opinion about whether they would welcome disclosure of medical information if they were diagnosed as having an ultimately fatal disease. Data from 1,619 students (male 1,074, female 545, effective collection rate 90.6%) were analyzed. With regard to attitudes about disclosure of a diagnosis of life-threatening illness, 87.7% of the students stated that they would wish to be informed even if there was little chance of recovery, and 11.6% expressed a wish to be informed of their condition only if there was a chance of recovery. Students who did not wish to be informed even if there was a chance of recovery accounted for 0.7% of those surveyed. Our study reveals that medical students are more positive than are members of the general population with regard to being informed of the truth. The proportion of those who wished to be informed even if there was little chance of recovery was higher among students from national and public universities than among those from private universities, and the inter-group difference was statistically significant. Among male students, answers to the survey were significantly correlated with 12-item General Health Questionnaire scores and mental health status, suggesting that mental health status may have affected how this study population viewed being informed of their diagnosis.</p

Parametric Instability of Helical Oscillations with External Signals in a Positive Column

ArticleJournal of the Faculty of Textile Science and Technology, Shinshu University. Ser. F, Physics and mathematics 8: 1-10(1990)departmental bulletin pape

Murine T cells expressing high activity of prolyl endopeptidase are susceptible to activation-induced cell death

AbstractProlyl endopeptidase (PEP) is widely distributed and thought to play an important role in the degradation of peptide hormones and neuropeptides, but its biological role is totally unknown. In this study, we examined PEP activity in subpopulations of murine T cells and found that PEP activity was significantly higher in immature thymocytes than in mature thymocytes or in peripheral T cells. Stimulation of murine peripheral T cells time-dependently increased PEP activity. Although murine T cell hybridomas exhibited high PEP activity, the PEP activity was fully inhibited by treatment with PEP inhibitor. The pretreated T cells were found to be resistant to activation-induced cell death (AICD). Similar results were obtained in murine thymocytes as well as in activated peripheral T cells. PEP activity in T cell hybridomas remained unchanged during AICD. These results suggest that T cells expressing high PEP activity are susceptible to ACID