Wakayama Shin-Ai Women's Junior College

Background Although folic acid supplementation during pregnancy has been recommended for over 20 years, awareness remains insufficient. This study aimed to investigate whether graduates who received folic acid education at a dietitian training school intended to take supplements prior to future pregnancies and to examine the methods of information dissemination. Methods This cross-sectional study targeted graduates of the Department of Lifestyle and Culture at Wakayama Shin-Ai Women's Junior College, Wakayama, Japan. Data were collected via a questionnaire administered through Google Forms (Google LLC, Mountain View, CA, USA). The primary outcome was the intention to take folic acid supplements before pregnancy, and the main exposure was having received folic acid nutrition education during student years. A logistic regression model was used to assess associated factors. Results A total of 1,109 graduates (532 from the Life Culture major and 577 from the Food and Nutrition major) were eligible. Forty-eight responses were received, with 47 considered valid (response rate: 4.2%). Among the valid responses, 24 participants (51%) indicated they would take folic acid supplements before future pregnancies, while 23 (49%) reported they would not. A Food and Nutrition major was strongly associated with a higher intention to take folic acid supplements (OR: 17.69, 95% CI: 2.91-343.83). Awareness of neural tube defects (NTDs; OR: 3.81, 95% CI: 1.17-13.49) and access to folic acid-related information (OR: 7.20, 95% CI: 2.07-28.94) were also positively associated with this intention. Furthermore, participants who recalled learning about folic acid during junior college were more likely to intend to take supplements (OR: 6.50, 95% CI: 1.80-28.14). Conclusions Having a Food and Nutrition major, awareness of NTDs, access to folic acid information, and prior education about folic acid were positively associated with the intention to take folic acid supplements before pregnancy. However, due to the very low response rate, the multivariate findings were unstable and exploratory. Therefore, interpretation was limited to univariate results. Further prospective cohort studies with larger sample sizes are needed to confirm these associations.

A few studies indicate exposure to forests may alleviate oxidative stress in the body. However, more evidence is needed to support this potentiality. The purpose of the current study aimed at examining whether there is any difference in urinary levels of oxidatively modified proteins or lipids—dityrosine (DT) and hexanoyl-lysine (HEL), respectively, after a forest or urban walk. The study was performed on 29 university students who took part in forest walks (Shinjo Village) in Okayama Prefecture of Japan and on 42 university students who took part in urban walks in the downtown area of Okayama City. Urine samples before and after the walks were analyzed for DT and HEL excretion. Air phytoncides during the walks were also measured. We found a decreased tendency in urinary DT and HEL (p < 0.05) in most participants after the forest walks, but not after the urban walks. We further found the total levels of air phytoncides in the forest field were 1.50 times higher compared with those in the urban field. This study suggests the possibility that regular immersion in a forest environment might contribute toward weakening of the oxidative modifications of proteins or lipids in the body.

Previous studies have shown that the use of a baby-walker during the first year after birth of a baby, when the motor skill is most significantly developed, may affect the subsequent development of the child. However, since trends in use of other infant equipment have not been investigated, it is not clear what kind of infant equipment is used at each stage of the infantile development. The present study was usage survey of infant equipment, including those other than baby-walkers, for newborns and infants during their first year of life. The survey was conducted by means of a questionnaire targeting 612 infants in Hyogo, Okayama, and Tottori prefectures in Japan, resulting in 307 valid responses, which have revealed their usage of infant equipment. Some items of infant equipment that are used for a longer time than baby-walkers may restrict infant. While the infant equipment increases the safety of the lives of infants, our data suggests the possibility that those devices may also limit their self-directed, which is important for gross motor development.

Umesu phenolics were obtained from the salt extracts of Japanese apricot (Nanko-mume cultivar of Prunus mume Sieb. et Zucc.) as purified phenolics. The antiviral activities of umesu phenolics obtained were then examined against herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and type 2 (HSV-2), enveloped DNA viruses. The phenolics inhibited the multiplication of these viruses when added to the culture media of the infected cells. This inhibition occurred at phenolic concentrations at which they showed no severe cytotoxicity. One-step growth experiments showed that the eclipse period in the HSV-1 multiplication process was extended in the presence of umesu phenolics and that the addition of phenolics after the completion of viral DNA replication did not affect their multiplication. More drastic effects were observed on virucidal activities against HSV-1 and HSV-2; the infectivity decreased to 0.0001 when infected cells were incubated with 3 mg/ml phenolics at 30°C for 5 min. These results demonstrate the antiviral and virucidal activities of umesu phenolics and suggest a potential pharmacological use for these phenolics as a sanitizing or preventive medicine against superficial HSV infections.

92008 ?? 33 1114 Received 19.4.2007 ; a cepted 30.1.2008 Copyright © 20 8 MSJ Introduction The a e of neonates in mammals is primarily the responsibility of females because of their ability to lactate, while the contribution of paternal care, a central issue in mammalogy, has been studied mainly under experimental conditions (e.g. Wilson et al. 1993; Gubernick et al. 1994; Cantoni and Brown 1997; Patris and Baudoin 2000). The frequency of reproductive periods in the Japanese field mouse Apodemus argenteus, one of the smallest rodents endemic to Japan, varies from one in summer to two in spring and autumn or one in autumn to winter, corresponding to mean temperatures during the reproductive periods (Nishikata 1979). In Central Japan, where A. argenteus reproduction occurs in spring and autumn, the clear overlap of the home ranges of the two sexes and the exclusive distribution of the males’ home ranges suggest that A. argenteus is likely monogamous (Oka 1992). Paternal care may affect the growth of neonates (e.g. Schradin and Pillay 2005), and indeed the experimental removal of A. argenteus adult males resulted in a decreased body weight of neonates (Oka 1991). In contrast, in northern Japan, A. argenteus experience only one reproductive period annually, and recent paternity tests using genotype analyses have indicated that these mice have a polygynous mating system (Ohnishi et al. 2000). However, Ohnishi et al. (2000) did not document the presence of males in the nursing nests. Here, we conducted direct observations of the nursing nests of A. argenteus in Central Japan to determine which sexes nursed and their nighttime nursing patterns. We also describe the neonatal developmental process.

補聴器の効果を知るため, 補聴器装用感についてアンケート調査を行った。 99例より100通のアンケートを回収した。 アンケート結果の要約は以下であった。1) 高齢者ほどアンケート結果が悪かった。2) 装用期間が長いほど結果が良かった。3) 耳掛形, 挿耳形, compeletely in the canal type (以下CIC) の順で, 大きいものほど結果が良かった。4) Kアンプ方式の補聴器は静かなところで良く, デジタル式補聴器は騒がしいところで良かった。 また音楽はリニア型増幅方式やKアンプ方式の補聴器が良かった。5) 装用閾値を測定できたもので, 耳掛形, 挿耳形, CICの出力を検討したが, 耳掛形で低音域の利得が少なかった以外は差を認めなかった。6) 4分法の装用利得と近距離での聞き取りには関連があるように思われた。

Shikoro-buki is the traditional farmhouse design of Senshu area in Osaka prefecture. In this paper we analyzed the transformation of farmhouse design in the fringe of urban zone by using the Shikoro-buki as a indicator. The main results are as follows. 1) In the farm villages with the low agricultural productivity, the facade of the houses are strongly influenced by the character of inhabitants (farmers or not-farmers). 2) The distance from the urban area relates to the facade of farmhouse in the farm village. In the village near to the urban area, the facade of Shikoro-buki decrease. 3) In the local community, there are a ranking of houses and the Shikoro-buki is situated at the top of them.