Development of the Japanese version of the health‐related quality of life questionnaire for bladder cancer patients using the Bladder Cancer Index: A pilot study

Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/151958/1/iju14073.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/151958/2/iju14073_am.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/151958/3/iju14073-sup-0003-app2.pd

Prevention of Sugi (Cryptomeria Japonica D. Don) from Turning Black by Smoke Heating

Green sugi logs (tree A, normal heartwood color; tree B, heartwood color gradually turned to black after harvesting) were smoke-heated for 5, 10, 20, and 40 h to investigate the influence of smoke heating on the color change of heartwood. After the treatment, changes in color, pH, and content of norlignan were examined. The heartwood was also saturated with KHCO3 in order to examine the relationship between pH and changes in heartwood color. The results revealed that smoke heating the logs for at least 5 h prevented the heartwood from turning black; instead, the treated heartwoods turned yellowish-white. The pH value of the tree B decreased significantly from 7.4 to 6.5 after a 5-h smoke heating; from then on, the pH remained nearly constant with additional exposure. When smoke-heated, tree A- and tree B-heartwood specimens were saturated with a KHCO3 solution (pH 8.6), the brightness decreased, and the color turned black, suggesting that the blackening substances did not deteriorate when exposed to smoke heating. In the tree A heartwood, on the other hand, the contents of sequirin-C and agatharesinol barely changed before and after smoke heating. In the tree B heartwood, however, the amounts of agatharesinol and sequirin-C decreased significantly compared with those in the fresh heartwood before it turned black, whereas a large amount of norlignans, in particular, sequirin-C, was found in the smokeheated heartwood. The results obtained in the present study suggest that the chemical changes of norlignans accompanied with pH changes are closely involved in color changes in the sugi heartwood

Plasma calcium and calcitonin levels at food intake in eels and goldfish

金沢大学環日本海域環境研究センター生物多様性研究部門In order to examine whether calcitonin plays an important role in Ca homeostasis of teleosts, such as suppressing hypercalcemia at food intake, we compared the plasma Ca levels and calcitonin levels in eels fed normally with eels starved for one week (Experiment I), and in goldfish administered with a high Ca-consomme solution into the digestive tract with goldfish given physiological saline solution (Experiment II). In Experiment I, the plasma Ca levels and calcitonin levels in the fed eels were significantly higher than those in the starved eels after one week. In Experiment II, the plasma Ca levels in the high Ca-treated goldfish were significantly higher than those in the saline-treated goldfish after 1 hr and 3 hr. The number of goldfish showing over 500 pg/ml of plasma calcitonin was significantly higher in the high Ca-treated group than in the saline-treated group. From the results of both experiments, we conclude that in these two species, Ca and/or nutriment absorbed via the digestive tract may affect plasma calcitonin levels. However, more experiments are needed to directly demonstrate that calcitonin suppresses hypercalcemia at food intake

25-Gauge Microincision Vitrectomy to Treat Vitreoretinal Disease in Glaucomatous Eyes after Trabeculectomy

Purpose. To determine the feasibility of using 25-gauge microincision vitrectomy surgery (25GMIVS) to treat vitreoretinal disease in glaucomatous eyes which have previously undergone trabeculectomy (TLE). Methods. A consecutive, interventional case series. We performed 25GMIVS in 15 glaucomatous eyes that had undergone TLE. Follow-up period was 11.5 months. Results. 25GMIVS was successfully used and led to improvement in visual acuity (P<0.01). We performed 25GMIVS for proliferative diabetic retinopathy with neovascular glaucoma in 53% of eyes (8 of 15). Although 3 eyes needed further TLE following 25GMIVS, final IOP was below 21 mmHg in all eyes except one eye (93%) and was comparable to pre-25GMIVS IOP (P=0.20) without an increase in the number of glaucoma medications (P=0.14). Conclusions. 25GMIVS is a feasible treatment for vitreoretinal disease in eyes with preexisting TLE, effective in both significantly improving BCVA and preserving the filtering bleb, while not excluding further glaucoma surgery

Providing prostate cancer survivorship care in Japan: Implications from the USA care model

Despite an increasing number of prostate cancer survivors in Japan, the current delivery of prostate cancer survivorship care is insufficient and lacks a multidisciplinary approach. We carried out a study to characterize prostate cancer survivorship care in Japan, examine the Japanese workforce available to deliver survivorship care, introduce a conceptual framework for survivorship and identify opportunities to improve Japanese survivorship care. We systematically searched PubMed for prostate cancer survivorship care studies, including those from Japan. We also searched the internet for prostate cancer guidelines relevant to survivorship care. We found 392 articles, of which 71 were relevant, read in detail and reported here. In Japan, survivorship care is mostly provided by urologists. Primary care as a specialty does not exist in Japan, and there are no independent nurse practitioners or physician assistants to assist with survivorship care. Japanese quality of life studies characterize the long‐term effects of prostate cancer treatment, but routine use of patient‐reported outcomes is not common in Japan. In the USA, in light of a growing comprehensive awareness of challenges facing survivors and their providers, the American Cancer Society prostate cancer survivorship care guidelines serve as a tool for optimizing the management of long‐term treatment effects and coordination of care. In order to deliver high‐quality survivorship care in Japan, urologists need to establish collaborations with other disciplines within the delivery system. A multidisciplinary guideline for prostate cancer survivorship care in Japan appears warranted.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/134455/1/iju13186_am.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/134455/2/iju13186.pd