Estimating Annual Available Amounts of Forest Biomass Resources with Total Revenues and Costs during the 60-Year Rotation in a Mountainous Region in Japan

This study extracted production forests and estimated the annual available amounts of forest biomass resources under profitable forest management. Production forests were extracted as sub-compartments where expected revenues surpassed all costs, from planting to final harvesting, for a 60-year rotation. These revenues and costs were estimated for two types of timber harvesting systems (a conventional operation system using a chainsaw and mini-forwarder, and a mechanized operation system using a processor and forwarder) and three types of forest biomass harvesting systems (normal extraction, landing sales, and no biomass extraction) in each sub-compartment using a geographic information system. Then, annual available amounts of forest biomass resources were estimated on the basis of annual supply potentials from production forests. The model was then applied to Nasushiobara City and the Kanuma area in Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. As a result, the number of profitable sub-compartments was estimated as 2,814 out of a total of 5,756 in Nasushiobara City, and 22,872 out of a total of 32,851 in the Kanuma area. The annual amounts of available forest biomass resources were estimated as 11,849 m3 y–1 and 115,213 m3 y–1 in Nasushiobara City and the Kanuma area, respectively. These amounts largely exceed the annual demands of a 500 kW woody biomass power generation plant planned in Nasushiobara City (6,000 m3 y–1) and a chip production factory located in the Kanuma area (12,000 m3 y–1), respectively. €1 = 143 yen on March 13, 201

地域生活を継続している慢性心不全患者のセルフケア －外来患者のセルフケア影響要因に注目して－

目的：外来治療を受けながら，地域生活を継続している慢性心不全患者のセルフケアを明らかにし，外来での看護援助の方向性を検討する．方法：研究参加者7 名を対象に，半構成的面接法によりデータ収集し，帰納的質的分析を行った．結果：【他者との相互関係の影響をうけるセルフケア】【病状理解の影響をうけるセルフケア】【生活習慣に影響を与えるセルフケア】の3 カテゴリーが抽出され，セルフケアの維持を強化している要因と継続を阻害する恐れがある要因が明らかになった．結論：外来での慢性心不全患者の看護では①患者の信頼を得るだけでなく，患者を信頼し更なる継続が期待できる医療者としての姿勢，②患者とともに病いと向き合う家族員との調整，③患者自身が様々な情報の中から，適切な情報を取捨選択していけるようになるための支援，④病状の正しい理解のための支援⑤緊急時の受診システムの確保のための支援など，患者・家族の背景に合わせて支援していくことが重要である．Objective: The objective of this study was to investigate the Self-Care of patients with chronic heart failure continuously living in an outpatient community setting.Methods: Seven patients underwent semi-structured interviews. The interview data were analyzed qualitatively and inductively.Results: Three categories: Self-Care under the influence of having interactions with other people, Self-Care under the influence of having an understanding of one’s disease condition, and Self-Care influencing the patient’s lifestyle were studied. Also, the factors which has strengthened the ability to maintain Self-Care and the factors which may inhibit the ability to maintain Self-Care were clarified.Conclusions: The results of this study showed that it is important in outpatient nursing for patients with chronic heart failure to support them in what is described below according to the situation of the patients and their family: 1) The attitude of the medical staff who can not only obtain reliability from a patient, but can trust a patient, 2) consultation with patients’ families for facing up to the disease with the patient, 3) support for the patients to make an appropriate choice concerning the various information about the disease, 4) support for the patients to correctly understand the clinical conditions and 5) support to secure a consultation system in an emergency

Association between Hardness (Difficulty of Chewing) of the Habitual Diet and Premenstrual Symptoms in Young Japanese Women

Recent evidence suggests that voluntary rhythmic movements such as chewing may increase blood serotonin and subsequently brain serotonin, which in turn acts to alleviate premenstrual symptoms. In this observational cross-sectional study, we tested the hypothesis that hardness (difficulty of chewing) of the habitual diet (i.e. dietary hardness) is associated with decreased premenstrual symptoms. Subjects were 640 female Japanese dietetic students aged 18–22 years. Dietary hardness was assessed as an estimate of masticatory muscle activity for the habitual diet (i.e. the difficulty of chewing the food). The consumption of a total of 107 foods was estimated by means of a self-administered, comprehensive diet history questionnaire, and masticatory muscle activity during the ingestion of these foods was estimated according to published equations. Menstrual cycle symptoms were assessed using the retrospective version of the Moos Menstrual Distress Questionnaire, from which total score and subscale scores (i.e. pain, concentration, behavioral change, autonomic reactions, water retention, and negative affect) in the premenstrual phase were calculated and expressed as percentages relative to those in the intermenstrual phase. Dietary hardness was not associated with total score in the premenstrual phase (P for trend = 0.48). Further, no association was seen for any subscale score in the premenstrual phase (P for trend = 0.18–0.91). In conclusion, this preliminary study failed to substantiate a hypothesized inverse relationship between hardness of the habitual diet and premenstrual symptoms. Considering the plausibility of the putative mechanism, however, further investigation using more relevant measures of chewing and premenstrual symptoms is warranted

Geographic and Temporal Trends in Influenzalike Illness, Japan, 1992–1999

Kriging analysis improved visualization and understanding of trends in seasonal ILI activity in Japan

Strategies of community health activities to improve the quality of inhabitants' life

ヘルスプロモーションの理念にそって，住民組織，行政，研究グループが協働して，住民の生活の質の向上をめざした地域保健活動の展開を計画した。まず，休眠状態にあった岡山県M町の健康づくり推進協議会（以下M町協議会と略す）を活性化するため，協議会の委員18人を対象に聴き取り調査を行い，次に，M町協議会でのディスカッションを深めた。1．M町協議会構成団体のうち住民組織は9組織で，このうち6組織は居住地域内の住民の推薦や輪番で代表を選出しており，他の3組織は任意であった。8組織の事務局は行政機関内にあり，活動経費の公費補助率は70％以上であった。2．委員の描く理想の町のイメージとして，福祉の充実した町で老後も安心できるという内容を含んだ回答が多かった。それを実現する為に，住民一人一人が自己管理意識を持つと同時に，協議会が支援的な活動を身近なところで展開することの必要性が挙げられた。3．M町協議会活動への委員の期待は大きく，協議会内での委員間の意思疎通も次第に深められた。事前に聴き取り調査を行ったこと等が効果的に影響したと考えられた。Along with the idea of health promotion, we planned the community health activities to improve the quality of inhabitants' life in cooperation with inhabitants, community organizations, local government and health professionals. In order to revitalize an inactive committee for health promotion of M town hearing surveys were conducted on the members of the committee. 1. Leaders of community organizations occupied 9 of 19 members of the committee. Leaders of 6 organizations out of 9 ones were decided by recommendation or rotation. Eight secretariats of those organizations were located in the governmental office. Seventy percent or more of activity costs of these organizations depends on assistance of local government. 2. Members of the committee imaged the town, which was healthy and filled with mind of welfare as an ideal town. They pointed out that it was required for the committee to perform support activities to realize an ideal town as well as for every inhabitant to have the consciousness of self-management. 3. Activities of the committee were much expected by members of the committee. Communications between members deepened gradually by repeating the meetings. Hearing survey on members also seemed to be much effective for those progress

Patient self-reported symptoms using visual analog scales are useful to estimate endoscopic activity in ulcerative colitis

Background/Aims In clinical practice, colonoscopy has been regarded as the gold standard for the evaluation of disease severity as well as mucosal healing in ulcerative colitis (UC). Some activity indices incorporating patient symptoms as parameters have been shown to reflect the endoscopic activity of UC. The aim of this study was to examine whether self-reported symptoms with visual analog scales (VAS) can predict endoscopic activity. Methods A cross-sectional study of 150 UC patients who underwent colonoscopy with submission of VAS scores of 4 symptoms: general condition, bloody stools, stool form, and abdominal pain (0: no symptoms, 10: the most severe symptoms). Each VAS score was compared with colonoscopic activity assessed with the Mayo endoscopic subscore (MES). Results All VAS scores were significantly correlated with the endoscopic severity (Spearman correlation coefficients of general condition, bloody stools, stool form, and abdominal pain: 0.63, 0.64, 0.58, and 0.43, respectively). Mucosal healing defined as MES 0 alone was predicted by VAS score <1.5 on general condition or 0 on bloody stools with sensitivity of 0.84 and 0.76 and specificity of 0.66 and 0.76, respectively. Additionally, VAS score <2.5 on stool form predicted active lesions in distal colorectum alone with sensitivity of 0.67 and specificity of 0.66, suggesting that this item could predict the indication of topical therapy. Conclusions Self-reported VAS scores on symptoms were correlated with endoscopic activity of UC. To clarify the relationship between VAS and mucosal healing, further validation studies are needed

The Surgical Benefits of Repeat Hepatectomy for Colorectal Liver Metastasis

The most common site of distant metastasis from colorectal cancer is the liver, and hepatectomy presents the best curative treatment for recurrence of colorectal liver metastasis （CRLM）. This study aimed to identify factors of prognostic value for repeat hepatectomy for CRLM and to determine whether a third such procedure could similarly produce favourable outcomes for CRLM. We analyzed data for 161 patients in our department with colorectal metastasis. Of these, 22 patients underwent repeat hepatectomy for recurrent metastasis, with 16 undergoing a second hepatectomy and 6 a third hepatectomy. We analyzed patient characteristics, tumor status, operation-related variables, and short- and long-term outcomes. Univariate analysis for repeat hepatectomy identified the following five prognostic risk factors: T factor （＞SE） of the primary cancer, number of tumors involved in the initial hepatectomy （＞5）, interval from first to second hepatectomy （＜1year）, number of tumors involved in second hepatectomy （＞3）, and post-operation time （＞30days）. By multivariate analysis, T factor （＞SE） of the primary cancer, number of tumors in the initial hepatectomy （＞5）, and number of tumors in the second hepatectomy （＞3） were independently associated with a worse survival after surgery for CRLM. Although surgical outcomes of the third hepatectomy were not compared with those of the first and second hepatectomy, there were no obvious differences, nor did the 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival rates differ significantly among the three groups. Repeat hepatectomy for CRLM could improve long-term survival. In addition, patients undergoing a third hepatectomy showed a similar survival benefit to those having one or two resections

Enhancement activity of QS autoinducer analog

In this study, we have investigated the effects of the newly synthesized analog of Pseudomonas aeruginosa quorum-sensing autoinducer named AIA-1 (autoinducer analog) against antibiotic-resistant bacteria. In vitro susceptibility and killing assays for P. aeruginosa PAO1ΔoprD mutant and clinical isolates were performed by using antibiotics and AIA-1. In an in vivo assay, a luminescent carbapenem-resistant strain derived from PAO1ΔoprD was injected into neutropenic ICR mice and bioluminescence images were acquired after the treatment with antibiotics and AIA-1. Additionally, we investigated the effects of the combination use against carbapenem- resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE). Using killing assays in P. aeruginosa, the survival rates in the presence of antibiotics and AIA-1 significantly decreased in comparison with those with antibiotics alone. Furthermore, dual treatment of biapenem and AIA-1 was more effective than biapenem alone in a mouse infection model. AIA-1 did not change the MICs in P. aeruginosa, suggesting that AIA-1 acts on the mechanism of antibiotic tolerance. Conversely, the MICs of antibiotics decreased in the presence of AIA-1 in some CRE strains, indicating that AIA-1 may require additional mechanism to act on CRE. In conclusion, AIA-1 may be a potent drug for clinical treatment of infections caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria