Environmental DNA preserved in marine sediment for detecting jellyfish blooms after a tsunami.

Environmental DNA (eDNA) can be a powerful tool for detecting the distribution and abundance of target species. This study aimed to test the longevity of eDNA in marine sediment through a tank experiment and to use this information to reconstruct past faunal occurrence. In the tank experiment, juvenile jack mackerel (Trachurus japonicus) were kept in flow-through tanks with marine sediment for two weeks. Water and sediment samples from the tanks were collected after the removal of fish. In the field trial, sediment cores were collected in Moune Bay, northeast Japan, where unusual blooms of jellyfish (Aurelia sp.) occurred after a tsunami. The samples were analyzed by layers to detect the eDNA of jellyfish. The tank experiment revealed that after fish were removed, eDNA was not present in the water the next day, or subsequently, whereas eDNA was detectable in the sediment for 12 months. In the sediment core samples, jellyfish eDNA was detected at high concentrations above the layer with the highest content of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, reflecting tsunami-induced oil spills. Thus, marine sediment eDNA preserves a record of target species for at least one year and can be used to reconstruct past faunal occurrence.

Distribution of hydrocarbons in seabed sediments derived from tsunami-spilled oil in Kesennuma Bay, Japan.

As a result of the 2011 Great East Japan earthquake, about 11,000kL of fuel oil was spilled into Kesennuma Bay, Miyagi Prefecture. This oil either accumulated in seabed sediments or was burned in a marine fire on the sea surface. We investigated spatial and temporal variations in the concentrations of oil and hydrocarbons. The maximum concentrations of n-hexane extract (NHE), total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH), and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the sediments in 2012 were 8000, 1200, and 16.2mg/kg (DW), respectively. NHE and TPH concentrations were high in the inner and west bay, and PAHs concentrations were high in the east bay. NHE and PAH concentrations didn't change; however, TPH concentrations decreased significantly with time. The total NHE in the sediment across the whole bay was estimated at 1685kL and there was still about 13% of the original amount in the sediment in December 2014.

Is mindfulness protective against PTSD? A neurocognitive study of 25 Tsunami disaster survivors.

BACKGROUND: It has been suggested that mindfulness is a protective factor that buffers individuals from experiencing severe posttraumatic stress following exposure to a trauma. We aimed to examine the association between dispositional (trait) mindfulness and posttraumatic stress in individuals who had been exposed to the trauma of a natural disaster. METHOD: A disaster group (n = 25) consisting of Norwegian tourists who survived the 2004 South East Asian tsunami at a location with high mortality rates was recruited. Dispositional mindfulness and posttraumatic stress were measured with the Five-Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire and the Impact of Event Scale-Revised Version, respectively. RESULTS: There was no significant association between mindfulness and posttraumatic stress. Moreover, there were no significant associations between posttraumatic stress and the mindfulness sub-facets of observing, acting with awareness, non-judging, and non-reacting. However, there was a significant positive correlation between the descriptive factor of mindfulness and IES-R total. There were no significant linear correlations between the five sub-facets of mindfulness and the three categories of posttraumatic symptoms, intrusion, avoidance and hyper-arousal. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings do not indicate a relationship between dispositional mindfulness and posttraumatic stress levels after exposure to a trauma, except for the descriptive sub-facet of mindfulness and here the correlation is positive and not negative as would be expected if mindfulness is a protective factor for posttraumatic stress. Future studies should investigate the relationship between mindfulness and posttraumatic stress while accounting for factors such as trauma history, type of trauma, and individual differences in traumatic stress reactions.

Psychosocial Interventions for Children and Adolescents after a Disaster: A Systematic Literature Review (1991–2015)

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this systematic literature review is to analyze the psychosocial interventions for children and adolescents after disasters. METHODS: We conducted a review of the extant research literature from 1991 to 2015 via a comprehensive search of the MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane CENTRAL, PubMed and PsyclNFO databases. The keywords employed in this research included: ‘child’, ‘adolescent’, ‘youth’, ‘disaster’, ‘posttraumatic’, ‘psychosocial’, ‘therapy’ and ‘intervention’. The researchers followed the PRISMA guidelines. A total of 850 articles were screened for their eligibility and fifty-nine were found to meet the study criteria. The final data analysis was performed based on the disaster type, study design, type of intervention, sample size, age, school grade, number of sessions, setting of intervention delivery, providers, approach and parent involvement. RESULTS: Countries worldwide have experienced various kinds of disasters, including earthquakes, hurricanes, vessel accidents, tornados, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, war, fire, terrorism, and traffic accidents. The types of psychosocial intervention that were conducted after these disasters included: psychological first aid, psychological debriefing, psychoeducation, trauma focused cognitive behavior therapy, eye movement desensitization reprocessing, prolonged exposure therapy, group play therapy and arts therapy, project interventions, school-based interventions and web-based interventions. CONCLUSION: The findings of the systematic literature review suggest that an appropriate psychosocial intervention could be utilized as evidence-based mental health treatment for children and adolescents after disasters.

DISASTER RELIEF FOR THE JAPANESE EARTHQUAKE-TSUNAMI OF 2011: STRESS REDUCTION THROUGH THE TRANSCENDENTAL MEDITATION® TECHNIQUE.

This study examined changes in self-reported stress symptoms after instruction in the Transcendental Meditation(®) technique among 171 residents of two cities (Sendai and Ishinomaki) directly affected by the 2011 Japan earthquake and tsunami disaster compared with 326 non-disaster Tokyo participants previously tested before and after learning the technique and a no-treatment control group (n = 68). The participants completed a rating checklist of mental and physical symptoms. Disaster area participants who learned the Transcendental Meditation(®) technique in contrast to controls showed a significant drop in total symptom score from pre-test to post-test (effect size = -1.09). Results were comparable for an ordinal measure of symptom intensity. The findings suggest the potential value of this procedure for relief from disaster trauma.

Bioaccumulation of metals and metalloids in medicinal plant Ipomoea pes-caprae from areas impacted by tsunami.

Tsunami events may have an enormous impact on the functioning of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems by altering various relationships with biotic components. Concentrations of acid-leachable fractions of heavy metals and metalloids in soils and plant samples from areas affected by the December 2004 tsunami in Thailand were determined. Ipomoea pes-caprae, a common plant species growing along the seashore of this region, and frequently used in folk medicine, was selected to assess the presence of selected elements. Elevated amounts of Cd, Pb, Zn, and As in soil samples, and Pb, Zn, As, Se, Cr, and Ni in plant samples were determined from the tsunami-impacted regions for comparison with reference locations. The flowers of Ipomoea pes-caprae contained the highest amounts of these metals, followed by its leaves, and stems. In addition, its bioaccumulation factor (BAF) supports this capability of high metal uptake by Ipomoea pes-caprae from the areas affected by the tsunami in comparison with a reference site. This uptake was followed by the translocation of these elements to the various plant components. The presence of these toxic metals in Ipomoea pes-caprae growing in contaminated soils should be a concern of those who use this plant for medicinal purposes. Further studies on the content of heavy metals and metalloids in this plant in relation to human health concerns are recommended.

The role of integrative medicine and Kampo treatment in an aging society: experience with Kampo treatment during a natural disaster.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: After the Great East Japan Earthquake, elderly individuals, who are particularly vulnerable during natural disasters, experienced difficulty while evacuating the area. This report discusses the Kampo treatments provided to elderly individuals in the disaster areas, and the role of integrative medicine and Kampo treatment. METHODS: The changes in symptoms and Kampo treatment contents were summarized using the medical records of treatments provided in the evacuation centers until 10 weeks after the earthquake. RESULTS: Infectious diseases, the common cold and hypothermia were frequently observed in most patients for first two weeks after the disaster. Allergies increased two weeks later, and mental distress was commonly observed six weeks later. We prescribed several Kampo formulas to treat the individual symptoms. DISCUSSION: Many elderly individuals were treated using Western medications, but the symptoms persisted; however, after Kampo formulas were included in the treatment, the symptoms of many patients improved. Unlike Western medications, Kampo formulas warmed the bodies of elderly individuals who often had a reduced basal metabolism and low body temperatures due to exposure to the cold tsunami waters. Therefore, the Kampo formulas may have improved the immunity of those who were under psychological and physical stress because they had spent several days in the evacuation centers. CONCLUSION: Many studies have reported the effectiveness of Kampo formulas. Therefore, the combined usage of both Western and Kampo medicine may be used in a mutually complementary manner, and these combination treatments may play an important role in preserving the victims overall health after natural disasters.

The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami catastrophe, its survivors, job and the universal features of suffering: a theoretical study.

The purpose of this theoretical article is to discuss the existential and universal feature of suffering--as illustrated by Job's suffering in the Book of Job in the Bible and by the survivors of the 2004 Asian tsunami catastrophe--and to highlight its significance for health care. Further, the study is aiming at contributing to health professionals' understanding of patients' suffering. The sources are narratives, comprising Job's book, TV interviews 1 year after the tsunami catastrophe and the survivors' autobiographies. The methodological approach is a philosophical analysis. The existential, universal, ontological and epistemological aspects of suffering are carefully scrutinized to unveil the universal and existential versus culture-specific features of suffering. Based on the results, the authors' recommendations are (1) a holistic concept of the patient and health care has to seriously consider suffering in all its complexity because when a person is in pain, it is not his/her body but the whole person as a unity of body, psyche and spirit that suffers and (2) suffering should be seen as the most central concept of health care, which should provide treatment for physical pain and all dimensions of suffering: physical, social, mental and spiritual aspects.

Community destruction and traumatic stress in post-tsunami Indonesia.

How are individuals affected when the communities they live in change for the worse? This question is central to understanding neighborhood effects, but few study designs generate estimates that can be interpreted causally. We address issues of inference through a natural experiment, examining post-traumatic stress at multiple time points in a population differentially exposed to the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. The data, from the Study of the Tsunami Aftermath and Recovery, include interviews with over 16,000 Indonesian adults before and after the event. These data are combined with satellite imagery, direct observation, and informant interviews to examine the consequences of community destruction for post-traumatic stress. Using multilevel linear mixed models, we show that community destruction worsens post-traumatic stress, net of rigorous controls for individual experiences of trauma and loss. Furthermore, the effect of community destruction persists over time and extends across a wide range of community types.

Change in the health of tsunami-exposed mothers three years after the natural disaster.

BACKGROUND: Women's experiences with secondary stressors resulting from natural disasters, such as increased economic insecurity, expanded caregiving responsibilities and disrupted family life, may contribute to women's mental and physical health problems. AIMS: The present study investigates change and stability in post-tsunami depressive symptoms and perceived physical health of tsunami-exposed mothers over three and a half years. METHODS: Using data from 160 tsunami-affected mothers, the present study uses structural equation modelling to investigate (1) change, stability, cross-lagged reciprocal influences of mental and physical health and (2) the meditation effect of negative life events on the relationship between tsunami exposure and post-tsunami depressive symptoms and perceived physical health of tsunami-exposed mothers from 2005 to 2008. RESULTS: Tsunami exposure contributed to depressive symptoms among mothers independently of pre-tsunami family adversities. Average depressive symptoms showed a decline whereas poor physical health showed an increase over this period. The results also revealed an interrelated health process between depression and physical health over time. Continuity of health problems were mediated by secondary stressors that also exerted an additive effect on later health problems. CONCLUSIONS: Post-disaster intervention and recovery programmes should focus not only on mothers' exposure to natural disasters, but also their pre- and post-natural disaster adversities. They should reach disaster-exposed mothers directly and have an integrated health approach to disrupt continuities of health problems.

The Japanese tsunami and resulting nuclear emergency at the Fukushima Daiichi power facility: technical, radiologic, and response perspectives.

The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power facility, in the Futaba District of the Fukushima Prefecture in Japan, was severely damaged by the earthquake and ensuing tsunami that struck off the northern coast of the island of Honshu on March 11, 2011. The resulting structural damage to the plant disabled the reactor's cooling systems and led to significant, ongoing environmental releases of radioactivity, triggering a mandatory evacuation of a large area surrounding the plant. The status of the facility continues to change, and permanent control of its radioactive inventory has not yet been achieved. The purpose of this educational article is to summarize the short-term chronology, radiologic consequences, emergency responses, and long-term challenges associated with this event. Although there is ongoing debate on preparedness before the event and the candor of responsible entities in recognizing and disclosing its severity, it largely appears that appropriate key actions were taken by the Japanese authorities during the event that should mitigate any radiologic health impact. These actions include an organized evacuation of over 200,000 inhabitants from the vicinity of the site and areas early in the emergency; monitoring of food and water and placement of radiation limits on such foodstuffs; distribution of stable potassium iodide; and systematic scanning of evacuees. However, the risk of additional fuel damage and of further, perhaps substantial, releases persists. The situation at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear facility remains fluid, and the long-term environmental and health impact will likely take years to fully delineate.

Changes in religious beliefs and the relation of religiosity to posttraumatic stress and life satisfaction after a natural disaster.

OBJECTIVE: To study changes in religious beliefs and predictors of such changes in a community sample exposed to a natural disaster, and to investigate whether religiosity was linked to post-disaster mental distress or life satisfaction. METHODS: An adult population of 1,180 Norwegian tourists who experienced the 2004 tsunami was surveyed by a postal questionnaire 2 years after the disaster. Data included religiosity, disaster exposure, general psychopathology, posttraumatic stress and life satisfaction. RESULTS: Among the respondents, 8% reported strengthening and 5% reported weakening of their religious beliefs. Strengthening was associated with pre-tsunami mental health problems (OR: 1.82, 95% CI: 1.12-2.95) and posttraumatic stress (OR: 1.62, 95% CI: 1.22-2.16). Weakening was associated with younger age (OR: 0.98, 95% CI: 0.96-1.00) and posttraumatic stress (OR: 1.72, 95% CI: 1.23-2.41). Two years after the tsunami, 11% of the sample considered themselves to be positively religious. There were no significant differences in posttraumatic stress, general psychopathology or life satisfaction between religious and non-religious groups. CONCLUSIONS: Religion did not play an important role in the lives of Norwegian tsunami survivors in general. Respondents who had the greatest disaster exposure were more likely to report changes in religious beliefs in both directions. Religious beliefs did not prevent post-disaster long-term mental distress, and religiosity was not related to higher levels of life satisfaction.

Effects of a yoga breath intervention alone and in combination with an exposure therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder and depression in survivors of the 2004 South-East Asia tsunami.

OBJECTIVE: This study evaluated the effect of a yoga breath program alone and followed by a trauma reduction exposure technique on post-traumatic stress disorder and depression in survivors of the 2004 Asian tsunami. METHOD: In this non-randomized study, 183 tsunami survivors who scored 50 or above on the Post-traumatic Checklist-17 (PCL-17) were assigned by camps to one of three groups: yoga breath intervention, yoga breath intervention followed by 3-8 h of trauma reduction exposure technique or 6-week wait list. Measures for post-traumatic stress disorder (PCL-17) and depression (BDI-21) were performed at baseline and at 6, 12 and 24 weeks. Data were analyzed using anova and mixed effects regression. RESULTS: The effect of treatment vs. control was significant at 6 weeks (F(2,178) = 279.616, P < 0.001): mean PCL-17 declined by 42.5 +/- 10.0 SD with yoga breath, 39.2 +/- 17.2 with Yoga breath + exposure and 4.6 +/- 13.2 in the control. CONCLUSION: Yoga breath-based interventions may help relieve psychological distress following mass disasters.

Infections and treatment of wounds in survivors of the 2004 Tsunami in Thailand.

On 26 December 2004, a tsunami devastated the west coast of Thailand and caused 8457 injuries and 5395 deaths. Data were collected from 26 December 2004 to 31 January 2005 at four public hospitals to describe the character and treatment of wounds of 523 persons who were injured during tsunami and sought medical treatment. Wounds were contaminated with mud, sand, debris and sea water and had an infection rate of 66.5% (674/1013). Most wounds (45%) had poly-microbial infection with gram-negative rods such as Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Proteus and Pseudomonas species. The risk of wound infection increased with size of the wound and presence of an open fracture. Infections occurred more frequently on the lower than upper trunk of the body. Early treatment with antibiotics was protective against wound infection. Many patients asked to have their wounds sutured so that they could return to their village to look for their families and to repair damage. This report suggests that wounds should be aggressively debrided and suturing postponed if possible. Patients should be given broad spectrum antibiotics to assist with wound healing.

Antimicrobial therapy for water-associated wound infections in a disaster setting: gram-negative bacilli in an aquatic environment and lessons from Banda Aceh.

INTRODUCTION: As members of the Japan Disaster Relief (JDR) team in Banda Aceh, three of the authors treated 1,891 patients following the tsunami of 2004. Of the 367 cases with traumatic injuries, 216 cases required antimicrobial therapy. The medical services were continued by the Japan Self-Defense (JSD) Medical Team until mid-March 2005. Of the 216 cases initially treated by JDR, 54 required prolonged antimicrobial therapy for persistent symptoms despite repeated debridement. The aim of this study is to recommend an appropriate antimicrobial therapy for water-associated wound infections in the absence of laboratory services in disaster settings following tsunami. METHODS: The JDR and JSD treatment records were analyzed retrospectively. In August 2006, 19 months after the tsunami, the authors investigated pathogens in natural aquatic habitats in the affected area in Banda Aceh. At the same time, interviews with tsunami survivors were performed to determine the influential factors that facilitated wound infections after the tsunami. RESULTS: From the 49 water samples tested, Aeromonas sp., Vibrio sp., Klebsiella sp., and Proteus sp. were isolated from 24, 16, 15, and six samples, respectively. Regardless of the genus, almost all of the isolated gram-negative bacilli were sensitive to ciprofloxacin and gentamicin. CONCLUSIONS: From the microbiological test results and analyses of the medical records and interviews, the researchers recommend the following regimen when clinical microbiological tests are not available: initial treatment with beta"lactam penicillins for three days, followed, if the first antimicrobial is not effective, by ciprofloxacin or any other relevant new quinolones, with the addition of gentamicin if necessary.

Home fortification in emergency response and transition programming: experiences in Aceh and Nias, Indonesia.

BACKGROUND: Improving the nutritional status of an emergency-affected population is essential, because undernutrition increases infection risk and is linked to more than 50% of childhood deaths in developing countries. Emergency food aid addresses nutritional needs, including micronutrient deficiencies, but is provided only for a limited time and uses few items, so the needs of specific target groups are often not fully met. OBJECTIVE: To describe the post-tsunami experience with distribution of Vitalita Sprinkles in Aceh and Nias and to analyze the monitoring data gathered for the emergency response. METHODS: International agencies such as Helen Keller International and partners provided micronutrients in response to the tsunami emergency in Aceh and Nias and to analyze the monitoring data gathered for the emergency response. RESULTS: In March and April 2006, the percentage of children aged 6 months to 59 months who had consumed Vitalita in the previous month was more than 70% in 5 of 11 districts evaluated, 40% to 70% in another five districts, and 32% in one district. An independent survey found 25% less anemia among recipients. Almost all mothers interviewed during March to April 2006 (96.3%) had heard about Vitalita and recognized its packaging, 69% said that Vitalita contained vitamins for under-fives, 86% knew the appropriate target group for Vitalita, and 83% said it had to be mixed with solid food. Of the 26% that reported not having given Vitalita to their child in the last month, 90.5% said that their child did not like it. CONCLUSIONS AND LESSONS LEARNED: Because the product, including its concept, was new, appropriate information and training was required as well as a thorough introduction to the beneficiaries, particularly on proper use, to ensure acceptance. This experience demonstrates that providing micronutrients as part of emergency relief and transition programming, as recently recommended by the World Health Organization/UNICEF/World Food Program, is feasible.