Risk Factors for Renal Cell Cancer in a Japanese Population

The incidence of renal cell cancer has been increasing worldwide. Although the incidence of renal cell cancer in Japan is lower than the rates in the other industrialized countries, there is no doubt that it is increasing. In this paper, we would like to introduce the result of our studies, which evaluate the risk factors for renal cell cancer in Japan. Hypertension, diabetes mellitus, kidney diseases, fondness for fatty food and black tea showed an increased risk of renal cell carcinoma while an intake of starchy roots such as taro, sweet potato and potato reduced the risk of renal cell carcinoma. In Japan, however, drinking black tea may be a surrogate for westernized dietary habits while eating starchy roots may be a surrogate for traditional Japanese dietary habits. Further studies may be needed to evaluate risk factors for renal cell cancer because the number of renal cancer cases was small in our studies in spite of a large population-based cohort study

Epidemiology of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Epidemiology is the study of the frequency and distribution of diseases and factors related to the development of diseases. Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a rare, chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease that affects many tissues and organs, whose female-to-male incidence ratio is 6:10 for childbearing age. Its chronic intractable nature has a significant impact on medical care utilization, activities of daily living, and quality of life. However, the etiology of SLE has not yet been elucidated in detail, although genetic factors as well as environmental factors are thought to play a role in its development. In this chapter, we introduce the incidence and the prevalence of SLE as well as factors related to the development of SLE and discuss how to prevent the development of SLE

Depression in Family Caregivers of the Frail Elderly in Sapporo, Japan : A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Depression affecting caregivers is a risk factor for discontinuing at-home care. Objective: The present cross-sectional study was conducted to evaluate factors related to depression of family caregivers. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in order to evaluate factors related to depression among family aregivers for the frail elderly with periodic nurse service in 2008, in 7 home-visiting nursing service stations in Sapporo, Japan. Caregivers were asked to answer a self-administered questionnaire about various factors that might affect their depression, and also to complete a Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale Evaluation (CES-D). We analyzed 71 pairs in total. Results: Factors related to poor health (OR=3.40, 95%CI: 1.13, 10.18) and a longer time spent physically caregiving (OR=3.08, 95%CI: 1.02, 9.35) were associated with being depressed. On the other hand, factors related to a good or fair economic position (OR=0.30, 95%CI: 0.10, 0.91), having a sister or brother who could help from the outside (OR=0.21, 95%CI: 0.05, 0.91), being able to relieve irritation caused by caregiving (OR=0.10, 95%CI: 0.03, 0.36), using the care service at home well (OR=0.24, 95%CI: 0.06, 0.98), and being able to pay more than 10,000 Japanese Yen by themselves as part of the total care service costs (OR=0.15, 95%CI: 0.04, 0.57) were associated with not being depressed. Conclusion: Caregivers should be supported not only informally but also by a new government funded system

Risk factors for severity of colonic diverticular hemorrhage

Background/AimsColonic diverticular hemorrhage (DH) was a rare disease until the 1990s, and its incidence has increased rapidly since 2000 in Japan. In recent years, colonic DH has been the most frequent cause of lower gastrointestinal bleeding (LGIB). Nearly all cases of DH are mild, with the bleeding often stopping spontaneously. Some cases, however, require surgery or arterial embolization. In this study, using a cohort at Fukuoka University Chikushi Hospital, we investigated factors associated with severe colonic DH.MethodsAmong patients with LGIB who underwent colonoscopy at our hospital between 1995 and 2013, DH was identified in 273 patients. Among them, 62 patients (22.7%) were defined as having severe colonic DH according to recurrence of bleeding in a short period, and/or the necessity of transfusion, arterial embolization, or surgery. We then evaluated risk factors for severe DH among DH patients in this retrospective cohort.ResultsAmong the 273 patients with DH, use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) (odds ratio [OR], 2.801; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.164–6.742), Charlson Risk Index (CRI) ≥2 (OR, 3.336; 95% CI, 1.154–7.353), right-sided colonic DH (OR, 3.873; 95% CI, 1.554–9.653), and symptoms of cerebral hypoperfusion (such as light-headedness, dizziness, or syncope) (OR, 2.926; 95% CI, 1.310–6.535) showed an increased risk of severe DH even after controlling for other factors.ConclusionsSevere DH occurred in 23% of DH patients, and NSAID use, CRI ≥2, right-sided colonic DH, and symptoms of cerebral hypoperfusion are suggested to be predictors of severe DH

Quantum Beams Applying to Innovative Industrial Materials

Welcome to this Special Issue of Quantum Beam Science entitled “Quantum Beams Applying to Innovative Industrial Materials” [...

Quantum Beams Applying to Innovative Industrial Materials

本稿では、Quantum Beam Science の特集号 “Quantum Beams Applying to Innovative Industrial Materials” 発行に際し、1950年代から現在に至るまでの量子ビーム利用の歴史（工業的な機能性材料の開発・製造から、最近では非破壊の分析ツールとして動作中のエンジンの可視化などに利用されていること）を述べた。また、本特集号では、（１）電子・ガンマ線による架橋やグラフトを用いた新規機能性高分子、（２）金属材料改質などにおける先進イオンビーム技術、（３）電子線リソグラフィなどのナノスケール加工技術、（４）量子ビーム技術の新規応用例に関する論文が掲載されていることを紹介した

Gender Difference in Lung Cancer Susceptibility

Several epidemiological studies indicate that for a given number of cigarette smoked, females may be at higher risk of lung cancer compared with males. Females who smoke appear to be at higher risk of developing small cell lung cancer than squamous cell lung cancer, whereas men who smoke have a similar risk for the two histologic conditions.Molecular epidemiological studies have also indicated gender differences in the genetic and biochemical alterations in lung cancer. Higher levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon-DNA adducts were observed in female lung cancer patients compared with males, even though the level of tobacco carcinogens was lower among the females than among the males. A higher frequency of G to T transversion mutations in the p53 gene has been observed in females compared with males. Gender differences have been identified in the expression of cytochrome P4501 A1 gene or gastrin-releasing peptide receptor gene, with females exhibiting higher gene expression.Thus, the risk for lung cancer is consistently higher in females than in males at every level of exposure to cigarette smoking; odds ratios for an sociation of lung cancer with smoking are 1.4-fold to 1.9-fold higher for females than for males, depending on the histologic type of lung cancer.Whether lung cancer represents a different disease in women than in men is unclear. If the hypothesis regarding gender differences in genetic susceptibility to lung cancer proves to be true, education for reducing passive and active exposure to cigarette smoke must have a high priority for female\u27s health