The quality of life (QOL) in aged people is an important issue that has been discussed for a long time and led to a number of studies. In this review article, the relationship between subjective QOL of the aged and various factors is summarized by referring to articles published in the United States of America.
In the first chapter, representative methods for the quantitative analysis of subjective QOL are described. Among a variety of methods for measuring subjective QOL, the LSI-A and the PGC Morale Scales are commonly used.
In the next chapter, based on the studies using these methods, various factors that determined subjective QOL are analyzed. These studies indicate that physical well-being and socioeconomic status are significant determinants of the QOL for the aged people. In addition, employment and social activity are shown to be associated with subjective QOL. On the other hand, age, gender, race and marital status do not have an influence on subjective QOL for the aged as individual factors.
QOL can not be measured with a unidimensional scale. Therefore, it is necessary for the investigator to carefully choose an appropriate analytical method by understanding the characteristics of the research subject and the purpose of the study. It is also essential to keep it in mind that any method has its own limitations in analyzing QOL.

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A population-based cancer registration scheme started in three areas in Japan in the 1950s solely for studying cancer incidence in their respective areas. Soon thereafter, several prefectural governments started their own schemes as part of their cancer control programs, effectively expanding the aims of cancer registration: to clarify cancer facts, to elevate the medical care for cancer patients, and to plan and evaluate cancer control programs. The Osaka Cancer Registry (OCR) started in 1962, and has been using epidemiological methods as a tool in constructing its registration scheme, as well as analyzing and utilizing registry data. This report deals with the results obtained in the OCR, classifying these results into four activities of epidemiology.
1. Clarifying cancer facts (descriptive epidemiology): The OCR has been observing incidence, medical care for cancer patients, distribution of cases by clinical stage, and the 5-year relative survival rate, and has estimated the prevalence rate, cured-case rate, and future incidence into the 21st century. Population-based data on histology and multiple cancers collected at the OCR have also contributed to the new approaches in cancer epidemiology.
2. Research on risk factors (analytical epidemiology): The OCR developed a computerized record-linkage system in 1970. This not only made registry work more effective and reliable, but many cohort studies were able to be conducted with relatively little effort and highly reliable results. The cancer case file in the OCR has been linked with the newly prepared data file of the study group, and cancer incidence among the study group has been observed. Finally, cancer risks of possible causal factors in that group have been estimated quantitatively.
3. Evaluation of control programs: Secondary prevention programs (early detection) have been conducted in Japan as major cancer control programs, because effective risk factors were not previously defined. OCR data have been used for estimating sensitivity and specificity of screening tests for various cancers, as well as for evaluating the effect of clinical work on improving survival and on decreasing cancer deaths.
4. Planning future cancer control programs: The OCR has reported on the probable rapid increase of cancer incidence in the 21st century, especially of elderly cancer cases, and cancer cases with poor survival. To control these difficult problems, new cancer programs should be urgently designed and implemented. The authors have recommended that programs be prepared by cancer site, and have already presented a detailed program for lung cancer control.

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Psychiatric care in Japan has received criticisms not only within Japan but from other parts of the world. In contrast, the services for the mentally ill in England are considered to be superior, despite serious criticisms. Psychiatric services in Japan and England are compared using government statistics. In Japan, the number of inpatients per 100, 000 population has increased from the 1950s, while that of England has decreased since 1954. Since 1972 the prevalence of inpatients has been higher in Japan than in England. The history of psychiatric services in England where, after World War II, deinstitutionalization has been occuring is briefly described. For developing community care of the mentally ill in Japan, alternativs to inpatient care are thought to be important. These include primary care, day care and residential service in the community. Studies on families of mentally ill patients are crucial in community care and, among them, Expressed Emotion (EE) study is promising. Twenty cohort studies on EE and schizophrenic relapse, most of which successfully replicated the relationship between EE of the family and the course of the disease, are reviewed. Finally, some important aspects of EE study in Japan are discussed.

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Changes in ischemic findings in ECG, obesity and serum lipids and the relations among them were investigated in Sada Town, a typical agricultural and mountaineous area in Shimane Prefecture, where the mortality rate from ischemic heart disease had increased.
Compared with 1983, the percentage of ischemic findings in ECG in 1990 increased, and a marked elevation of total serum cholesterol level, and relative and absolute lowering of HDL cholesterol level were observed in 1990.
By observing the relations of total serum cholesterol, HDL cholesterol and the atherosclerotic index to the ischemic findings in electrocardiograms (ECG), it was found that males showed a significantly lower HDL cholesterol level and higher atherosclerotic index than the control group.
In males, a relation between obesity and ischemic findings in ECG was observed. In females, a relation between obesity and the atherosclerotic index was observed; however, no relations were observed between ischemic findings and obesity.
These results support the hypothesis that a marked elevation of the total serum cholesterol level, relative and absolute lowering of the HDL cholesterol level and obesity have an effect on the recent increase of male deaths due to ischemic heart disease in Sada Town, Shimane Prefecture.

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The experience rates of eighteen life events of Japanese workers were surveyed and the strength of each of the events was evaluated by a self-reported questionnaire. The fifteen professions surveyed included construction, transport, mailing, chemical production, banking, newspaper, TV services, commercial publishing, advertising, teaching and civil service.
The number of workers who answered was 18, 657 males and 4, 443 females, aged 20 to 59 years. The male workers were divided and analysed in six job groups: clerical workers (n=5, 866), professionals (n=3, 696), blue collar day workers (n=1, 623), blue collar night or shift workers (n=3, 191), drivers (n=1, 663) and construction workers (n=2, 466). They were divided into groups and compared according to job, sex and five different age groups.
The highest experience rate in each of the life events such as family trouble for both sexes, death of a family member, financial trouble and anxiety, death of a close friend, dissatisfactory transport to workplace or job, respectively. Comparing the experience rates between males and females we found no significant difference for five items. However, other items had higher experience rates for males than for females with the exception of family trouble.
In regard to the age characteristics of each of the life events, as the age increased the experience rates of health-related life events such as the death of a spouse, child, family member or close friend and one's own illness or injury became higher. In contrast, the experience rates of items such as moving to a worse residence and failure in a school or training program became lower as the age increased for both sexes.
Among job groups, construction workers had the highest experience rates of most life events except for the item of dissatisfactory transport to the workplace or job. Among other job groups, drivers had higher experience rates in the following four items: re-employment, death of spouse, divorce and financial trouble and anxiety. Blue collar day workers had higher rates for failure in school or training program and family trouble. The blue collar night or shift workers had higher rates for failure in school or training program and dissatisfactory transport to the workplace or job.
The mean values of strength in six life events: re-employment, death of a family member, death of a close friend, serious physical illness, dissatisfactory transport to the workplace or job and family trouble were stronger in females than in males. In both sexes the strongest life events were the death of a child, dissatisfactory transport to the workplace or job and serious physical illness.

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Seasonal variations of the mean gestational period (MGP) and mean birth weight (MBW) are examined by the traditional method of time-series analysis during the period from 1979 to 1983 in Japan.
The results of the present study support the existence of a seasonal rhythm of MGP. Generally MGP showed a deep trough in winter and a shallow one in summer to early autumn. This pattern was similar to that of MBW. The two time series showed a statistically significant coincidence in their monthly fluctuations, and a statistically significant correlation was also observed for their amplitude. According to these results, we concluded that the seasonality in MGP plays an important role in creating the seasonality in MBW. However, the seasonality in MGP can not be the only definitive factor that totally regulates the seasonal variations in MBW. The relationship between the two time series is considered to be different among different seasons as well as regions. For example, we observed a decrease of the seasonal index in winter in the same month for both MBW and MGP, but not necessarily in summer. This suggests that the etiology of the decrease in seasonal variations is different between summer and winter.

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We compared thyroid hormone levels of inhabitants (19 men and 16 women) of the cadmium (Cd)-polluted Kakehashi River basin in Ishikawa Prefecture, with those of subjects (23 men and 47 women) living in a non-polluted area. In addition, we investigated the relationships between the thyroid hormone levels and indices of renal dysfunction induced by Cd exposure.
The following results were obtained:
1) The free T4 level of females was significantly lower than that of controls.
2) The T3 level of inhabitants of both sexes was significantly higher than that of controls.
3) The level of free T4 among females became lower with the increases of urinary β2-microglobulin (β2-MG), urinary protein, urinary sugar, urinary amino acids and serum creatinine (Cr) levels, and with decreases of creatinine-clearance (CCr) and % TRP.
4) We could not find any relationship between the increase of T3 and the indices of renal dysfunction induced by Cd exposure in either sex.

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Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) are allocated to each food article as published in the Denmark Budget Methods in the Codex Alimentalius of the WHO/FAO Joint Committee when standards of pollutants in food are needed. When daily intakes of Food Additives and Contaminants need to be calculated, the Theoretical Maximum Daily Intake (TMDI) and the Estimated Maximum Daily Intake (EMDI) have been generally used. TMDI and EMDI are calculated using the formulae shown below;
TMDI=ⁿ∑_i=1AiXi, EMDI=ⁿ∑_i=1liAiXi
i: food article(i=1, …, n)
A: standard value for food additives and contaminants
X: mean weight of food article consumed daily
l: rate of residue after cooking
Exposure assessment should be more exact in order to meet social health needs and to help avoid unnecessarily strict regulations. The U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is continually improving its estimates of the dietary intakes of pesticides and essential minerals, and comparing these intakes with established safe or recommended dietary intake levels. Dietary survey methods have also improved in parallel, with examples being the USDA's Household Food Consumption Survey (1955 and 1965) and National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey II (1976-1980).
In Japan, TMDI and EMDI have received more attention as methods of estimating the daily intakes of food additives and contaminants than has the Total Diet Study, even though the former are not as exact as the latter.
The Japanese National Nutrition Survey is one of the most respected nutrition surveys in the world, because it has continued nationwide yearly since 1946. Nevertheless, it is very unfortunate that no one utilizes the Household Food Consumption Survey data for the estimation of intakes of food additives and contaminants, because that is not the primary purpose of the Japanese National Nutrition Survey.
Practically, there are neither foods which have an uniform level of food additives and contaminants nor individuals who consume uniform amounts of each food item. In this report the authors propose a revised estimation method for the daily intake of food contaminants and additives, based on food consumption data of 159 female volunteers, without using the National Nutrition Survey data.
The results obtained are as follows:
1) This method succeeded in making clear the intakes of food additives and contaminants. Mean, maximum and minimum values and distribution curves for the target population were obtained.
2) The suggested name for this method is “Estimated Ecological Daily Intake (EEDI)”, which is processed in terms of the food consumption structure for calculation, and methodologically estimated by food ecology.

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The effects of the mercuric compounds methylmercuric chloride (MMC) and mercuric chloride (MC) on growth, cell composition, and glucose uptake were studied in the ciliate protozoan Tetrahymena pyriformis GL.
MMC was the most effective growth inhibitor of Tetrahymena among mercuric compounds and sulfhydryl inhibitors; it completely inhibited growth of Tetrahymena at concentrations of 1/30-1/3000 of the others.
The growth inhibition of Tetrahymena was inversely proportional to concentrations of chemicals in medium. Particulary in the case of MMC and MC the relationship between the concentrations and growth were S-curved in shape.
Contents of RNA and DNA in cells were shown to accumulate proportionally to the MMC concentration. Cell division was probably delayed by MMC. The value of the ratio of RNA to DNA content shown by DNA synthesis was inhibited more strongly than RNA at MIC/4 of MMC.
MMC inhibited glucose uptake, and the inhibition was likely due to altered permeability of cell membranes. However, no difference was found in lipid compositions between control and MMC cells by thin-layer chromatography.

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