In the advance of research in grammaticalization, there has been some inquiry into the development of English intensifiers. While most studies focus on the process of semantic shift from adverbs or adjectives that are the primary sources of intensifiers, little attention has been drawn to minor members of the category that have developed from a prepositional phrase or noun phrase. However, it is of great interest from the viewpoint of semantic change in general as well as that of grammaticalization and subjectification to examine what factors are engaged in the development of these intensifiers. This paper examines the development of indeed, a lot, a great/good deal, big time and all X wants/likes, and found that such mechanisms as metaphor, metonymy, conversational implicature, reanalysis, and the speaker's intention of producing illocutionary forces contribute to the semantic change of these intensifiers. Furthermore, as a theoretical implication of this study, it is observed that during the semantic shift that is regarded as a case of grammaticalization, most items have undergone subjectification, which gives support to the claim by E. C. Traugott, among others, that subjectification is found to take place concomitantly with grammaticalization.

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To evaluate subacute myelo-optico-neuropathy (SMON) and stroke patients and elderly persons by using the Barthel Index (BI) and Frenchay Activities Index (FAI) and to reveal the disability and lifestyle of SMON patients, cross sectional comparison study was performed. Forty SMON patients, 92 age-matched stroke patients with the same level of BI score and 92 age-matched elderly persons living at home were subjected in this study. The SMON patients responded to a self-administered BI and FAI at their yearly health counseling, and the score of the BI and FAI of stroke outpatients and elderly persons were sampled from the databases. The differences in age distribution and sex ratio between the three groups were analyzed by the χ² test and one-way analysis of variance, respectively, and the differences in BI and FAI between the three groups were analyzed by the Kruskal-Wallis test, followed by the Mann-Whitney test. The BI total score of the SMON patients was the same as that of the stroke patients and lower than that of the elderly persons. The 4 items of self-care index and 2 items of mobility index in the SMON patients were rated significantly higher and lower than the stroke patients respectively, and all items except eating and toileting in the SMON patients were rated lower than elderly persons (Mann-Whitney test, P<0.05). The FAI scores in the SMON patients were lower than the elderly persons and higher than the stroke patients. These results suggest that the scores of the BI and FAI differentiated the features of disability and lifestyle of the SMON patients from those of stroke patients and elderly persons.

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The present study was designed to determine whether N-acetylcysteine (NAC), a potent antioxidant, modulates nitric oxide (NO) production stimulated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in adipocytes. Stimulation by the combination of 5μg/ml of LPS and 100ng/ml of TNF-α (LT) significantly enhanced NO production in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Preincubation of the cells with NAC (5-20mM) for 24h suppressed the increased NO production in a dose-dependent manner. The production of NO was decreased by 49% at the concentration of 20mM of NAC. The decrease in NO production by NAC was accompanied by a decrease in inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) protein, detected by immunoblot analysis, and iNOS mRNA, determined by real-time reverse-transcriptase coupled polymerase chain reaction analysis. Nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) was significantly activated by LT-treatment, while the pretreatment with 20mM of NAC prevented the activity by 42%. Pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (PDTC), a NF-κB inhibitor, also inhibited the LT-mediated NO production dose-dependently. One hundred μM of PDTC inhibited the NO production by 46%. We also investigated the effect of NAC and PDTC on the production of interleukein-6 (IL-6), which is regulated transcriptionally by NF-κB in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. IL-6 production was markedly increased by LT stimulus, and the enhanced secretion of IL-6 was suppressed in a dose-dependent manner by pretreatment with NAC or PDTC. These results suggest that NAC regulates iNOS expression and NO production in adipocytes through the modulating activation of NF-κB.

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The purpose of this study was to examine changes in the control of sweating by heat acclimation by using frequency of sweat expulsion (Fsw), an index of central sudomotor activity. Eight healthy young volunteers underwent a six-day heat acclimation program [a total of 80-min exercise at 50% peak rate of oxygen consumption in the heat (36℃)]. In the days before and after the heat acclimation program, we examined the local sweating rate (SR) at the chest and forearm, Fsw and esophageal temperature (Tes) during whole body heating using a water-perfused suit. Heat acclimation decreased (P<0.01) the Tes thresholds for initiation of chest and forearm sweating. Heat acclimation did not change the slopes of the SR at either site or Fsw versus Tes during heating, but shifted the slopes to a lower Tes. Heat acclimation did not change the slopes of the SR at either site versus Fsw, and the SR values at a given Fsw were similar between before and after heat acclimation. These findings suggest that short-term heat acclimation modulates central sudomotor mechanisms, decreasing the temperature threshold for sweating. We did not find a significant change in the peripheral mechanism for sweating by the heat acclimation program.

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The control of the working environment is one of the most important duties in any working place to prevent occupational disease. In Japan, in the case of the controlled area using unsealed radioisotopes, the measurement of the concentration of airborne radioactive substances should be carried out under the regulations of the "Industrial Safety and Health Law" and the "Ordinance on Prevention of Ionizing Radiation Hazards." Many reports showed that the results of regular working environment measurements of radioactive substances were about background levels. Safe working environments are sufficiently guaranteed by a suitable estimation and handling under the strict regulation by the "Laws Concerning the Prevention from Radiation Hazards Due to Radioisotopes and Others." The regulation by "Ordinance on Prevention of Ionizing Radiation Hazards" would be relaxed in the field of education and research, which use very low quantities of radioactive substances, in ways such as estimation by calculation in place of the actual measurement, decrease of the number of monthly measurements, and measurement exemption for low levels of isotopes.

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Recently, asbestos-related diseases have become serious all over the world. We investigated the condition of asbestos in large-scale buildings. The survey was performed in 2006 in Kitakyushu with self-administered questionnaires which were sent to managers of 250 buildings. We received 150 answers. Eighteen buildings out of 150 used chrysotile or crocidolite, and 6 buildings out of 18 took measures to deal with the situation. The number of buildings where asbestos was used increases with the age of the buildings. The older the buildings are, the more buildings used asbestos, probably reflecting the extent of legal regulations and recognition of the harmfulness of asbestos. Twenty-one buildings out of 150 gave education on asbestos, 9 buildings out of 21 buildings used asbestos, and half the buildings didn't give education on asbestos. These results suggest that the measures against and education on asbestos are insufficient in largescale buildings.

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A clinical trial management room was established in the pharmacy at UOEH hospital in June, 2001, and we support the clinical trials in our hospital. Meanwhile, the number of clinical trials and CRC have increased as a result of this. Moreover, there have been changes in the work contents due to the introduction of the electronic clinical record system. At this time, we will report on the various current activities, and discuss the future problems.

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By enforcement of the revised Japanese Industrial Safety and Health Law on April, 2006, the implementation of OSHMS seems to be expanding and encouraged. In OSHMS of Japan, however, the occupational health aspects have not been put into operated, while only occupational safety aspects have been prioritized. To clarify the issues to deploy OSHMS with occupational health aspects, we conducted a mail survey of 1,581 companies listed on the Tokyo Stock Market First Section in December, 2004. The effective responses were 267 (16.9%). The number of companies which had installed OSHMS, those that planned to install OSHMS and those had no plan for OSHMS were 62(23.2%), 82(30.7%) and 123(46.1%), respectively. Only 12 companies include the complete OH activities in the installed OSHMS. A significant relationship was observed among expertise of OH physicians, actual role and responsibility of OH physicians, installation of OSHMS and OH services quality level. To deploy OSHMS well-balanced for health and safety aspects in present Japan, it was suggested that the education regarding OH operation in OSHMS was necessary to the person in charge of OSHMS in each company, and the participation by OH physicians to operate OSHMS, especially OH physicians with expertise, was essential.

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