Altered Sex Ratio at Birth with Maternal Exposure to Dioxins in Vietnamese Infants.

Excess female births (lower sex ratio at birth) associated with paternal exposure to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlordibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) have been reported in Italy. However, no significant effects of maternal TCDD exposure on the sex ratio were reported. We investigated the effects of maternal TCDD exposure and the toxic equivalent quantity of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins/dibenzofurans (TEQ-PCDD/Fs) on the sex ratio at birth in 576 Vietnamese infants from three birth cohorts. TCDD and TEQ-PCDD/Fs in breast milk were stratified (low, mild, moderate, and high) as maternal exposure markers. Logistic regression analysis was used to investigate associations between female birth and dioxin exposure groups after adjusting for confounders. In sprayed and unsprayed areas, adjusted odds ratios (ORs) of female birth (reference: low-TCDD group) were 2.11 in the moderate-TCDD group and 2.77 in the high-TCDD group, which were significantly associated with increased TCDD exposure. In sprayed areas, a significantly increased OR in the high-TCDD group was observed. No significant associations, however, were found between having a girl and TEQ-PCDD/F levels. These results suggest that maternal TCDD exposure may alter the sex ratio at birth among Vietnamese residents of areas with high dioxin contamination.

The Effects of Neighborhood Trust and Support on Parenting Stress of Mothers With Young Children in Japan.

INTRODUCTION: While childrearing can enhance mothers' psychological well-being, parenting can also increase mental stress for mothers with young children, which is considered a risk factor for child maltreatment. A lack of social capital reportedly influences mothers' parenting, but few studies have investigated the effects of social capital on the perception of mental stress and well-being associated with childrearing among mothers with young children. Therefore, we investigated the effects of lower perceived neighborhood trust and support on higher mental stress and/or lower well-being associated with childrearing among Japanese mothers with children aged 2 to 3 years. METHODS: A total of 570 mothers with children (aged 2-3 years) in nursery school were invited to join the survey. The childrearing perspective scale for mothers (CPS-M97) was used to evaluate mothers' perceptions of mental stress and well-being associated with childrearing. Odds ratios (ORs) reflecting lower satisfaction/fulfillment scores (ie, well-being) and/or higher burdened/anxious scores (ie, mental stress) associated with perceived social capital levels were analyzed, after adjusting for confounding factors. RESULTS: The OR for lower satisfaction/fulfillment scores was significantly higher (OR = 1.77) for mothers with lower neighborhood trust. Significantly increased ORs for higher burdened/anxious scores were found in mothers with lower neighborhood trust (OR = 1.50) and support (OR = 1.49). The ORs for poor mental status, with lower satisfaction/fulfillment scores and higher burdened/anxious scores, were significantly increased in mothers with lower neighborhood trust (OR = 1.96) and lower neighborhood support (OR = 2.10). CONCLUSIONS: Higher social capital was associated with higher psychological well-being and/or lower mental stress in Japanese childrearing mothers. These results suggest that enhancing social capital is necessary to facilitate successful parenting that contributes to the prevention of child maltreatment.

Foods and Nutrients at Risk for Insufficient Intake by Community-Dwelling Healthy Older Women Eating Alone and Together in Japan-A Preliminary Finding.

Eating alone and poor dental status have been reported to influence dietary intake in older adults. First, we compared nutrient and food intake and dental markers between women eating alone and together, who participated in a home health management program conducted by Kanazawa Medical University. The results showed the significantly higher intake of fresh fruit and some micro-nutrients and a lower decayed, missing, and filled teeth (DMFT) index (better dental status) in women eating alone after adjusting for age, suggesting that dental status may mediate the association between commensality and dietary intake. Then, we investigated nutrients and foods at risk for insufficient intake and associated with increasing dental markers. The risks for the insufficient intake of protein and n-3 and n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) were significantly increased with an increasing DMFT index. The risk for n-3 PUFA intake also increased with increasing numbers of missing teeth in women. Foods at risk for insufficient consumption included beans for women with an increasing DMFT index and green and yellow vegetables, fresh fruits, and meat and fish for women with increasing numbers of missing teeth. These findings suggest that good health management, including the treatment of decayed teeth, is important for the prevention of malnutrition in community-dwelling healthy older women.

Association of Socioeconomic Status Assessed by Areal Deprivation With Cancer Incidence and Detection by Screening in Miyagi, Japan Between 2005 and 2010.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have shown that socioeconomic factors are associated with cancer incidence and stage at diagnosis; however, relevant findings in Japan are limited. We examined the association between socioeconomic status and cancer incidence, stage at diagnosis, and detection status by screening, as assessed using the areal deprivation index (ADI), in population-based cancer registry data. METHODS: A total of 79,816 cases, including stomach, colorectal, lung, female breast, and cervical cancer diagnosed in Miyagi Prefecture between 2005 and 2010, were analyzed. After calculating the ADI at the place of residence in each case, we examined the association between quintiles of ADI and age-adjusted incidence rates of all stages and advanced stages by sex and site using Poisson regression analysis. The association between the ADI and the proportion of screen-detected cancers was also examined using logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: The age-adjusted incidence rates of all sites and lung cancer in men and lung cancer and cervical cancer in women tended to increase significantly in areas with a higher ADI. The age-adjusted incidence rates of advanced-stage cancers were significantly higher for all sites and lung cancer in both sexes, and for stomach and colorectal cancer in men. The proportion of screen-detected cancer tended to be significantly lower in areas with a higher ADI for stomach and colorectal cancer in men. CONCLUSION: Our results indicate that socioeconomic disparities may affect cancer incidence and early diagnosis in Japan. These results suggest the importance of cancer control measures targeting people with low socioeconomic status in Japan.

Clinical application of a new latex photometric immunoassay reagent, LPIA-GENESIS D-dimer, and its performance in patient-derived plasma samples.

INTRODUCTION: We previously reported an antibody MIF-220 that recognizes a specific structure induced on the surface of thrombin-activated E-domain of one fibrin molecule bound with the D-domains of other fibrinogen/fibrin molecules. Utilizing MIF-220, we produced a test kit for cross-linked fibrin degradation products (XDP), LPIA-GENESIS D-dimer (LG-DD), and evaluated basic performance characteristics for clinical application. We then attempted to apply LG-DD to see its eligibility in clinical plasma samples. METHOD: The characteristic performances requested for clinical use were studied including limit of quantitation, within-run imprecision, day-to-day imprecision, antigen excess, interference study, and method comparison with LPIAACE-Ddimer (ACE-DD) available on the market. RESULTS: The performance characteristics were all satisfactory. Extraordinarily high concentrations of XDP are occasionally obtained by ACE-DD in samples with collection problems, but not by LG-DD, indicating that a certain XDP species present in the former was not measured by LG-DD. Structural studies suggested that the "B-b" set of polymerization sites must be involved as well in the maintenance of cross-linked fibrin in vivo. CONCLUSION: LG-DD was able to measure a wide range of XDP, that is, 0.20-35.0 µg FEU/mL that covers the levels of XDP in most of the clinical samples. LG-DD was found to almost avoid false-positive results noticed in samples as mentioned above, and this feature seems to be preferable to established kits for the measurement of XDP.

Immunohistochemical and CBCT-based examination of differences between deformed and normal human condylar processes.

The condylar process is the most common site of mandibular fracture; however, the biomechanics of this site are not well understood. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a marker for vasculogenesis and the formation of bone. Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) is also a biochemical marker of bone formation. To better understand the biomechanics of the condylar process, we examined the structure of the heads and necks of human mandibles from 35 male cadavers aged 25 to 90 years (mean, 61.5 years) using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT). In addition, we used immunohistochemistry to assess the expression of the vascular markers VEGF and CD31 as well as the bone formation marker ALP. Significant differences were observed in the thickness of the posterolateral region of the cortical bone in the head of the mandible (p < 0.05) as well as in the medial (p < 0.001) and posterior (p < 0.01) regions of the neck of the mandible. VEGF accumulated more in deformed heads than in heads with oval-shaped structures. ALP was found in numerous small cavities of cortical bone in oval-shaped heads. These differences may be related to dislocation caused by muscle tension or the occlusion of temporomandibular joint movement.

Two phenylpropanoid glycosides from Neopicrorhiza scrophulariiflora.

Two new phenylpropanoid glycosides, scrophulosides A (1) and B (2), were isolated from the rhizomes of Neopicrorhiza scrophulariiflora (Scrophulariaceae), along with two known compounds, androsin (3) and picroside I. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of both chemical and spectroscopic data.