Di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) is the most extensively used phthalate ester as a plasticizer for plastic products made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and previous mutagenic and genotoxic studies have shown positive and negative results of DEHP-induced genotoxicity. To elucidate this discrepancy, we reestimated the genotoxicity of DEHP in more detail using the umu C gene expression system in Salmonella typhimurium (TA 1535/pSK 1002) which reflects SOS response against genotoxin-induced DNA damage. Although DEHP itself did not have a significant effect on umu C gene expression in tester bacteria at 0.5 to 4 mM, higher concentrations of DEHP (2 and 4 mM) caused a weak induction of umu C gene expression in the presence of commercially available S-9 mixture. Rat liver S-9 fraction alone also showed a similar weak inducing activity in the absence of substrates for drug-metabolizing enzymes. When DEHP was preincubated with S-9 fraction of various rat organs and applied to the umu C gene expression assay, S-9 fraction of rat pancreas had the strongest inducing activity, and S-9 fractions of liver and intestine homogenates showed weak but significant activities. However, S-9 fractions of lung and kidney homogenates did not exhibit any significant activities. These S-9 fractions have proportional lipase activities comparable with umu C gene expression activities. Furthermore, when DEHP was treated with highly purified lipase from porcine pancreas, a significant umu C gene expression was observed and this expression was enhanced in the presence of 1 or 5 mM bile acids such as choric acid and deoxychoric acid. These results suggest that DEHP itself has no or very low genotoxicity, but enzymatic and non-enzymatic factors in specific tissues induce DEHP-dependent genotoxic activity.

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Mouse liver microsomes treated with octylthioglucoside were examined for iron-stimulated ATPase activity. The activity was about 6 μmol Pi/mg protein/hr under optimal conditions [300mM KCI, 3 mM MgSO₄, 10 mM glutathione (GSH), 100μM FeCl₃, 3 mM ATP and 50 mM acetate buffer at pH 5.0]. The Km for iron was 20 μM. A reducing agent, such as GSH or dithiothreitol, was required for the activity, and removal of Fe²⁺ from the reaction mixture by bathophenan-throlinedisulfonate resulted in a complete loss of the iron-stimulated ATPase activity. Vanadate inhibited the iron-stimulated ATPase activity. These results suggest that microsomes from mouse liver contain the Fe²⁺ -stimulated P-type ATPase.

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Since the introduction of the market economy in 1986, Vietnam has been in the process of rapid economic development. However, the current state of affairs in the industries is very profit-oriented and due consideration is not given to the occupational health services and environmental health. In order to investigate the relationship among occupational exposure to dust/chemicals (toxic gases/fume), environmental pollution and chronic respiratory symptoms in Vietnam, the questionnaire standardized by the American Thoracic Society was applied to 1,562 subjects living in the Quang Ninh area and its surroundings, North Vietnam. Chronic respiratory symptoms such as cough, phlegm, wheezing and breathlessness appeared from the questionnaire. According to the results of multiple logistic regression analyses, among current non-smokers, the odds ratios of chronic respiratory symptoms with a history of occupational exposure to dust, living in polluted district and age were over unity. Especially for cough, significantly higher odds ratios were observed among those with the history of occupational exposure to dust: 2.248 (95% confidential interval: 1.642-3.077). Among current smokers, the odds ratios of chronic respiratory symptoms with the history of occupational exposure to dust were over unity. These results indicate that the history of occupational exposure to dust, living in polluted area and age cause non-smokers to have chronic respiratory symptoms, and also that the history of occupational exposure to dust affect the current smokers.

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Handwashing is very basic and important in controlling nosocomial infection. We researched the effect of handwashing by doctors and nurses at the UOEH Hospital. One hundred and eight doctors and 114 nurses of 19 wards were examined. The number of bacteria was determined by a palm stamp check agar plate for general bacteria before and after handwashing. The difference in the condition of microorganism contamination among the wards was found by the number of bacteria before handwashing, and by comparing the number of bacteria before and after handwashing, the effect of handwashing was determined. Handwashing by water or soap is not effective in killing bacteria. Therefore, we suggest that doctors and nurses use an effective disinfectant when washing their hands before and after contact with patients. We also think that the results noted in this paper will help doctors and nurses to have a better understanding of importance of infection control.

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It is a well-known fact that women almost monopolize the field of fortune-telling in the present Japanese society-fortune-tellers and their customers (or clients) are mostly women. But once we view the relationship between women and fortune-telling in a general way, we can understand that fortune-telling is not necessarily monopolized by women. In other words, if we take for granted only the relationship between the two, we will overlook some sociological questions. Close observation of the relationship in question reveals several phenomena. One of them is 'the feminization of fortune-telling'.
The feminization of fortune-telling is the process by which women's interests are channeled into fortune-telling and their monopolization of it. The purpose of this paper is to focus on this phenomenon-'the feminization of fortune-telling'. By focusing on this phenomenon and analizing its process, we can understand not only some aspects of the relationship between women and fortune-telling, but also bring up other questions regarding the image of Japanese women in the modern era.

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In work in which women predominate, the highest rate of the occupational contact dermatitis is seen among hairdressers and medical nursing staffs.
Twelve such cases are presented and several points regarding the diagnosis and treatments are discussed. The patients were five hairdressers, two dental technicians, two nurses and three woman divers. A patch test was useful in identifying the allergens or irritants in most cases.

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Critical Path (CP) is a kind of time-task matrix format. The first CP was developed by Karen Zander, an American nurse. The principal purpose of CP development was to improve the efficiency of hospital services under financial constraint caused by the introduction of DRG/PPS (Diagnosis Related Groups/Prospective payment system). Actually, the Japanese government is also discussing the possibility of introducing the DRG/PPS into the hospital financing scheme. In order to maintain, and even to improve the quality of hospital care, it is necessary to standardize care in the hospital. Thus it is necessary to develop a series of CPs in each hospital.
In the spring of 1999, Prof. Osato, Director of the University Hospital, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, organized a task force team for CP development. Since then, this task force has been in charge of developing CP in our University Hospital. We have already developed several CPs and some of them are now in the process of field testing in each ward in order to check their applicability and problems to be corrected. In order to facilitate the use of CP in the hospital, doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and other health professionals must become more aware of the benefits of CP.

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Artemia sp. is classified into phylum Arthropoda and class Crustacea. Ecological and experimental studies of this animal have been reported using wild species. In order to isolate inbred strains of Artemia, we have established a subculturing method for siblings of Artemia. Details of our practice on the culturing method of Artemia are described and the recent classification of Artemia is presented.

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