The antioxidant and prooxidant activities of six B group vitamins against hydroperoxide generation in linoleic acid peroxidation were analyzed by the aluminum chrolide method. The B group vitamins were divided into three types by their antioxidant and prooxidant properties. The first type, including B₁, B₂ vitamin, nicotinic acid and folic acid, showed prooxidant activities in the early phase (1 week) of the linoleic acid peroxidation at concentrations of 2.5 μM－2.5 mM, but caused relatively strong antioxidant activities in the later phase reaction (3 weeks) at the same concentrations. The second type, such as B₁₂ vitamin, did not cause significant effects in the early phases (1－2 weeks) of linoleic acid peroxidation, but exhibited significant antioxidant activities in the later phase reactions (3 weeks). The third type, such as B₆ vitamin, exhibited significant antioxidant activity in the early phase reaction and caused strong antioxidant effects in the later phase reaction (3 weeks). Generally, the antioxidant activities of B group vitamins in the later phases of lipid peroxidation was much stronger than those in the earlier phases. These experimental results suggest a possibility that B group vitamins have both antioxidant and prooxidant effects on lipid peroxidation under different experimental conditions.

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Indoor air in public facilities contains various pollutants jeopardizing the health of employees or occupants in the facilities. We evaluated the respiratory allergy-related immune status of employees, and investigated a role of genetic predisposition on respiratory allergy occurrence in the employees. Among 23 workers from 5 facilities, 48% were positive for aeroallergens. House dust mite was the major allergen demonstrating positive skin reactions. The level of plasma IgE, an immunologic marker for allergic hypersensitivity induction, was upregulated in the allergy positive employees. The percentage of eosinophils in peripheral blood was also higher in the allergy positive employees than in the employees with negative skin test results. We also evaluated genetic polymorphisms on interleukin-4 (IL-4) receptor α chain (Gln576Arg and Ile50Val), IL-4 (C589T) and interleukin-13 (Arg130Gln), which has been implicated in asthma induction in children. However, no higher frequencies of these genetic variations were found in the adults with positive skin test results for aeroallergens. This study implies that workers in social welfare facilities may have a substantial risk of suffering from respiratory allergy associated with exposure to aeroallergens, but genetic variations in the IL-4 receptor α chain, IL-4 and IL-13 may not be critical in adult workers for the development of respiratory allergic diseases.

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The aim of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of targeted intra-arterial carboplatin chemoradiotherapy in allowing less invasive surgery for patients with oral and oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma. Twenty patients with previously untreated squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity and oropharynx (T4; 8, T2; 12 patients) were treated with targeted transfemoral intra-arterial carboplatin infusion with concurrent hyperfractionated radiotherapy and the administration of tegafur/uracil (UFT^®). Of 20 patients, 15 underwent surgery after completion of one course of targeted chemoradiotherapy, and five were given another course or radiotherapy only. Eighteen (90%) of 20 patients had a clinically complete response at the primary site and two (10%) had a partial response. Of the 15 patients who underwent tumor resection, 11 (73%) showed histopathological disappearance of cancer cells at the primary site. Sixteen (80%) of 20 tumors were controlled at the primary site within a mean follow-up of 30 months. Adverse effects were relatively mild. Targeted intra-arterial chemoradiotherapy caused a down-staging of tumors and facilitated the use of less invasive surgery in patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity and oropharynx as a result of its favorable anti-tumor effect.

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A reduction of the biological half life of toluene in blood in the simultaneous exposure to toluene and alcohol vapors has been reported. To clarify the cause of this reduction, gene expression of CYP mRNA in liver of rats exposed to bi-component organic vapors was investigated. Wistar male rats were repeatedly exposed to 500 ppm of toluene and 300 ppm of 1-butanol vapors individually and simultaneously by inhalation 6 hours a day, five days a week for 4 weeks. After the exposure, the rats were sacrificed and the livers were collected and homogenized. RNA was extracted from the livers, and gene expression of CYP mRNA was observed by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The gene expression of CYP3A2 in the simultaneous exposure group was significantly higher than that in the toluene exposure group. However, there was no significant difference in that of CYP1A2, CYP2B1, CYP2C11, CYP2E1 and CYP4A1.

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Hand washing is the most fundamental method for preventing infection. Currently, hand washing with an alcohol-based handrub is the international gold standard method. However, in our study we found many samples of ineffective hand washing using an alcohol-based handrub. The rates of ineffective samples were 10.4% (5/48) in 2004 and 34.3% (12/35) in 2005. We examined the morphology by Gram staining and biochemical properties of the bacteria which remained after hand washing in 2005. Their colonies were divided into 3 groups (round colonies, irregular-shaped and diffusive colonies). The round colonies were considered Staphylococcus spp., and the irregular-shaped colonies or diffusive colonies were considered Gram-positive spore-forming bacteria. In the 12 ineffective hand washing samples (more than the same number of bacteria colonies as before hand washing, or ≧300), there were 3 samples considered to be the result of the survival of Staphylococcus spp., and 9 samples considered to be the result of the survival of Gram-positive spore-forming bacteria including Bacillus cereus. Based on these results, we should take careful measures, such as wearing sterile gloves if necessary. We should never be overconfident regarding the effect of hand washing.

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In order to prepare a new prevention program under the long term care insurance from the fiscal year 2006, we have organized an oral health care program for the elderly in a town of Kagoshima prefecture. We conducted a series of oral health education, i.e., instruction on brushing and flossing, and oral function exercises. Before and after the three months program, we evaluated the unstimulated and stimulated salivary flow rate, the counts of S. mutans, the counts of repetitive saliva swallowing test (RSST), bilateral bite force and the number of permanent teeth and artificial teeth. According to the results, a statistically significant improvement was observed in RSST and the unstimulated and stimulated salivary flow rate, but not in the S. mutans level and bite force. The present research suggests the effectiveness of the oral health care program for the aged. A larger sized and longer period intervention will be necessary in order to validate our findings.

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More than 200 diseases are known to be transmitable from animals to humans. These zoonotic infections (zoonoses) are considered as a major occupational health risk among zoo workers, including veterinarians and animal handlers. In order to prevent possible pathogen transmission, precaution measures for workers, visitors and animals are important, as well as institutional hygiene. Construction of a zoonoses control system at a zoo is presented in this report. There are two main components of this system: 1. routine disease prevention activity, 2. action planning for crisis. Workers, an operating officer, an occupational physician and a veterinarian from the zoo cooperated with infection control professionals from the local community.

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Preparatory education has been provided for both nursing students and teachers to understand the electronic patient record (EPR) since 2004 when EPR was introduced to the hospitals where students are allocated to undertake their work experience. First, the training and management board contacted our medical information department for an appointment and sent us a working group. They taught the nursing training staff how to use EPR and how to assign students to the proper patient record in the EPR system. Second, as preparatory education for the students, they explained the procedure for the use of EPR and the protection of personal information. Students practiced with training in the EPR system, focusing on the functions which are used frequently in practical tasks. As a result of this preparatory education, students understood the protection of personal information very well, although their understanding of the operation and management of the equipment was relatively poor and adversely affected their practice. We need to review our education contents more often. We also need to examine the present state of understanding of EPR and the problems of teaching in practical nursing training.

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