Change in sense of food safety associated with social connectedness and information sources-A 10-year longitudinal survey before and after the Fukushima nuclear power plant accident.

OBJECTIVES: This study analyzes the change in the sense of food safety over time, from 2 years before to 8 years after the Fukushima accident in 2011, and its association with social connectedness using cohort data, taking into account regional differences in Fukushima Prefecture. STUDY DESIGN: Repeated cross-sectional data from Fukushima Prefectural Government from 2009 to 2018 were used. METHODS: We randomly selected 1300 people every fiscal year (FY). The survey gathered data on age, gender, occupation, residential region, and the explanatory variables 'sense of social connectedness' and 'recovery-related information source' (information source). The prefecture was divided into three regions for the survey-Hamadori region, where the nuclear power plant is located, Nakadori region, where the air dose rate after the earthquake was high, and in Aizu, far from the nuclear power station but has suffered from harmful rumors. RESULTS: Focusing on FY 2014, when the sense of safety first showed recovery, we performed a binominal logistic regression analysis with 'sense of safety' as the outcome and 'sense of social connectedness' and 'information source' as the explanatory variables. The sense of safety significantly decreased in all regions in 2011 relative to earlier years. The sense of food safety decreased markedly in Hamadori and Nakadori but started to improve 3 years after the earthquake and reached the pre-earthquake level in 2018. The effect sizes were larger in the Hamadori region and in Nakadori than in Aizu. In FY 2014, multivariate analysis found that a sense of food safety was significantly positively associated with a sense of social connectedness, whereas the use of information from newspapers and TV and word of mouth was negatively associated. CONCLUSION: Although the recovery of a sense of food safety may take some time, a focus on social connectedness during recovery and scrutiny of information sources may facilitate recovery. Health communication has an important role when the provider sends information intelligibly and the recipient can distinguish good news from bad and link it to self-determination. It is necessary to improve literacy.

Characterization of the small subgenomic RNA of Soybean dwarf virus.

We have characterized a small subgenomic RNA of Japanese strains of Soybean dwarf virus (SbDV). Northern blot analyses of SbDV-infected plants showed that the small RNA contained the 3' terminal sequence of the genome and was detected in four typical Japanese SbDV strains, YS, YP, DS and DP. In the case of SbDV-DS, the RNA was 220 nucleotides in length and was transcribed from the 3' terminal region of the genome. This RNA appeared at a similar time to genomic RNA and a large sgRNA, and thereafter persisted in the infected plant. Since no conserved open reading frame (ORF) among the strains was postulated in the 3' terminal region, the small subgenomic RNA may have some regulatory roles in SbDV infections.

Comparison of complete nucleotide sequences of genomic RNAs of four Soybean dwarf virus strains that differ in their vector specificity and symptom production.

Soybean dwarf virus (SbDV) is divided into four strains, namely YS, YP, DS and DP. YS and YP cause yellowing in soybeans, while DS and DP cause dwarfing. YS and DS are transmitted by Aulacorthum solani, while YP and DP are transmitted by Acyrthosiphon pisum. To clarify the taxonomic relationship between the four strains and to classify SbDV into an appropriate genus in the Luteoviridae, we determined the complete nucleotide sequences of genomic RNAs of four isolates belonging to each of the strains. The genomes of the four isolates had a chimeric form between Barley yellow dwarf virus-PAV and poleroviruses, and the genome organizations were similar to the Australian isolate SbDV Tas-1. In all of the non-coding regions and ORFs, nucleotide and deduced amino acid sequence identity between the same symptom-type strains was higher than that between the different symptom-type strains. However, in the N-terminal half of the readthrough domain (RTD) the deduced amino acid identity between the same aphid transmissibility-type strains was higher than that between the different aphid transmissibility-type strains. These data suggest that the N-terminal half of the RTD is closely related to the aphid transmission specificity, and that the present strains were generated from ancestral Y and D strains by mutations and strong selection pressures of efficient aphid transmission. Therefore, we propose that SbDV should be classified into a new genus in the family Luteoviridae and that the four strains described should be regarded as different strains of the same virus, rather than as distinct virus species.

Deglitching procedure for XAFS.

A computer program for eliminating artifacts such as glitches and Bragg peaks of the polarized XAFS spectra is presented. It permits to easily locate and to eliminate from the EXAFS spectra the additional signals originated from the Bragg scattering by crystalline samples. The test of the procedure on the spectra with specially introduced artifacts and on the experimental polarized XAFS spectra showed its high effectiveness.

EXAFS study of phase transitions in KIO3.

The iodine K-edge EXAFS study of KIO3 was performed to clarify local structural changes on the successive phase transitions. The pair-distribution function of three oxygen atoms in an oxygen octahedron is almost independent on temperature like a covalent bond, whereas that of the other three is gradually reduced with increasing temperature like an ionic bond. The result indicates that iodine and oxygen atoms exist as an IO3- molecule in a pseudo-perovskite-type structure. The anomalous behavior in the Debye-Waller factor for the latter pair-distribution function appears around 50 K, which is associated with the orientational glass transition.

EXAFS study of glass transition in K1-x(NH4)xI.

The iodine K-edge EXAFS study of K1-x(NH4)xI mixed crystals was performed to clarify the local structure of the dipole glass associated with the random reorientational freezing of ammnonium ions. The pair-distribution function of the nearest iodine-iodine ions is strongly reduced with increasing ammonium concentration. The reduction originates in the local distortion of lattice induced by the short-range antiferroelectric order of ammonium ions. We discuss the relationship between the reorientational freezing of ammonium ions and the local distortion of lattice in comparison with the results of X-ray diffraction measurements.

Polarized XAFS study of high-temperature phases of NaNbO3.

Temperature dependence of the Nb displacement relative to the center of oxygen octahedron in NaNbO3 has been studied by polarized Nb K XAFS. Spectra were measured at two orientations of a single crystalline sample. Room temperature EXAFS data are in a good agreement with earlier X-ray diffraction data: Nb antiferroelectric displacements were found to be orthogonal to the b axis. Analysis of the temperature dependent EXAFS data didn't reveal any abrupt changes of Nb-O distances in the phase transition points. In all high-temperature paraelectric phases Nb appeared to be displaced to the off-center positions. Displacements, orthogonal to b axis, remained almost constant, while displacement along b axis gradually increased with temperature, so that in the cubic phase the displacements along all axes became equal. This shows, that disorder plays an important role in the high temperature phases. The above results are supported also by the analysis of the pre-edge structure, - the integral intensity of the pre-edge peak was temperature-independent when the polarization vector of the X-rays was orthogonal to b axis and gradually increased with temperature when the polarization was parallel to b.

Surgically-induced astigmatism following single-site phacotrabeculectomy, phacotrabeculotomy and advanced non-penetrating phacotrabeculectomy.

We study surgically-induced astigmatism following three kinds of glaucoma surgeries combined with cataract surgery with 6 months of follow-up. The mean surgically-induced astigmatism at 6 months postoperatively was 1.92 +/- 1.87 diopters in phacotrabeculectomy (n = 45), 0.72 +/- 0.40 diopters in advanced non-penetrating phacotrabeculectomy (n = 40) and 0.76 +/- 0.47 diopters in phacotrabeculotomy (n = 49), which appeared to be stabilized by 3 months. Each group revealed a tendency of "with the wound" induced astigmatism. Phacotrabeculectomy could induce greater surgically-induced astigmatism than advanced non-penetrating phacotrabeculectomy and phacotrabeculotomy.

Trabeculotomy combined with phacoemulsification and implantation of intraocular lens for primary open-angle glaucoma.

Retrospective study examined the surgical effects of lowering intraocular pressure of trabeculotomy combined with phacoemulsification and implantation of an intraocular lens. Included in the retrospective study were 96 eyes of 64 patients with primary open-angle glaucoma. Preoperative mean IOP was 25.6 mmHg. At final examination, the IOP was well-controlled at 21 mmHg or lower without medications in 32 of 96 eyes. In another 62 eyes, the IOP was well-controlled with antiglaucoma medications. The postoperative IOPs were in the high teens after surgery. The life table analysis using Kaplan-Meier methods showed that the success probability after phacoemulsification and implantation of intraocular lens, combined with trabeculotomy (PIT)-I and PIT-II, were 93.9% and 82.6% at 4 years, respectively. Postoperative visual acuity improved by more than two lines in 79 of the 96 eyes. In no case was the visual acuity decreased by more than two lines. Deterioration of the visual field was found in 4 eyes. There were no complications such as shallow anterior chamber, choroidal detachment, malignant glaucoma, hypotonic maculopathy, and endophthalmitis. This triple procedure should be performed in the early stages of glaucoma. Trabeculotomy is thought to relieve the resistance to aqueous outflow by mechanical cleavage of the trabecular meshwork and the inner layer of Schlemm's canal. This technique leads to aqueous outflow the from the opening of the internal trabecular meshwork to the collector channel. For this reason trabeculotomy was developed by a number of surgeons. Recently, however, trabeculotomy has not been selected for those patients with advanced stages of primary open-angle glaucoma because of the disadvantages such as transient intraocular pressure (IOP) elevation several days after surgery and somewhat higher levels (18 mmHg) of postoperative intraocular pressure (Fig. 1). To avoid the IOP spike (transient IOP elevation) after trabeculotomy, we reported previously that the new technique of trabeculotomy combined with outer sclerectomy was a useful surgical option. The results of our previous study indicated that the postoprative intraocular pressure levels after combined trabeculotomy and outer sclerectomy were significantly lower than that of trabeculotomy alone. On the other hand, trabeculotomy with mitomycin C is currently the standard filtration procedure for glaucoma. This technique, however causes severe postoperative complication such as hypotonic maculopathy, bleb leakage and late bleb infection. The major advantages of trabeculotomy preclude these severe complications resulting from creating progressive filtration of aqueous humor from the anterior chamber to the subconjunctival space. The recent advance of small-incision phacoemulsification procedure prompted phacoemulsification and implantation of intraocular lens and trabeculotomy. The theoretical advantages of smaller scleral, conjunctival incision, reduced stimuli to wound healing, and inflammation, could improve long-term IOP control in patients with glaucoma. Therefore several reports have been published on the surgical outcomes of combined trabeculotomy and modern phacoemulsification. These reports suggested that the combined trabeculotomy and a small-incision with intraocular lens implantation is effective in controlling IOP in patients with glaucoma.

Trabeculectomy combined with phacoemulsification and intraocular lens implantation.

It has recently become popular to use mitomycin C (MMC) with trabeculectomy. MMC helps to maintain effective filtration and long-term intraocular pressure (IOP) control, while the use of laser suture lysis has improved the safety of this procedure. We evaluated the outcome of trabeculectomy alone and of trabeculectomy plus phacoemulsification (PEA) and intraocular lens (IOL) implantation, each supplemented with MMC. The mean preoperative IOP for the trabeculectomy alone group was 22.4 +/- 3.2 mmHg(bleb+), 25.3 +/- 2.6 mmHg(bleb-), and that of the combined surgery group was 22.4 +/- 2.8 mmHg(bleb+), 21.0 +/- 3.5 mmHg(bleb-). Mean postoperative IOP for the two groups were 13.3 +/- 2.7 mmHg(bleb+), 17.1 +/- 4.4 mmHg(bleb-) and 11.9 +/- 2.7 mmHg(bleb+), 16.4 +/- 3.4 mmHg(bleb-), respectively. After 4.5 years, the success probability for postoperative IOP control was 38%(bleb+), 3%(bleb-) in the trabeculectomy alone group and 53%(bleb+), 10%(bleb-) in the combined surgery group (

Advanced nonpenetrating trabeculectomy (advanced NPT) and combined surgery of advanced NPT and phacoemulsification and intraocular lens implantation.

We have devised a new glaucoma surgery combining deep sclerectomy with nonpenetrating trabeculectomy (NPT); we call this surgery advanced NPT. We evaluated intraocular pressure (IOP) control, postoperative complication and visual acuity after combined advanced NPT and phacoemulsification and intraocular lens implantation (combined surgery), and advanced NPT alone. The mean preoperative IOP for the trabeculectomy only group was 22.4 +/- 6.3 mmHg(bleb+), 23.0 +/- 4.9 mmHg(bleb-), and that of the combined surgery group was 18.1 +/- 4.5 mmHg(bleb+), 18.5 +/- 2.6 mmHg(bleb-). Mean postoperative IOP for the two groups were 13.0 +/- 2.3 mmHg(bleb+), 15.0 +/- 1.5 mmHg(bleb-) and 12.9 +/- 2.7 mmHg(bleb+), 13.3 +/- 2.4 mmHg(bleb-), respectively. After 15 months, the success probability for postoperative IOP control were 63%(bleb+), 23%(bleb-) in the advanced NPT only group (

Surgical effects of combined trabeculotomy and sinusotomy compared to trabeculotomy alone.

PURPOSE: To elucidate long-term surgical results and problems of combined trabeculotomy and sinusotomy in comparison with trabeculotomy alone. METHODS: The study included 91 glaucomatous eyes in 57 patients with primary open angle glaucoma, who underwent either combined trabeculotomy and sinusotomy (40 eyes) or trabeculotomy alone (51 eyes). The mean follow-up period (+/-standard deviation) was 46.1+/-10.4 months (range: 30 to 60 months). RESULTS: At the final examination, in 37 (93%) of the 40 eyes after combined trabeculotomy and sinusotomy and in 40 (78%) of the 51 eyes after trabeculotomy alone, intraocular pressures were well controlled. The mean intraocular pressures at the end of the first postoperative year were 15.6+/-3.0 mmHg in the 40 eyes after the combined procedure, and 17.8+/-3.1 mmHg in the 51 eyes after trabeculotomy alone (p=0.0001, unpaired t-test). Complications included Descemet's membrane detachment in 1 eye (3%) and 4 eyes (8%), and transient elevation of intraocular pressure to higher than 30 mmHg (IOP spike) in 6 eyes (15%) and 11 eyes (22%), respectively, after the combined procedure and trabeculotomy alone. CONCLUSION: Combined trabeculotomy and sinusotomy is a useful surgical modality for the treatment of primary open angle glaucoma to obtain lower intraocular pressure levels than those after trabeculotomy alone.

Extracapsular cataract extraction with a sutureless incision for dense cataracts.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the use of extracapsular cataract extraction (ECCE) via a sutureless incision for dense cataracts. SETTING: Nagata Eye Clinic, Nara, Japan. METHODS: This retrospective study comprised 51 eyes of 45 consecutive patients with dense cataracts who had ECCE with a sutureless incision between January 1996 and April 1998. A scleral incision from 6.0 to 8.5 mm was made at 12 o'clock or between 9 and 12 o'clock (oblique incision). Measures of outcome included postoperative visual acuity, surgically induced astigmatism (polar value method and vector analysis), complications, and changes in corneal endothelial cell density and morphology. RESULTS: Self-sealing was achieved in 45 eyes (88.2%), but additional sutures were required in 6 (11.8%). Intraoperative complications included posterior capsule rupture in 3 eyes (5.9%) and iris prolapse in 2 (3.9%). Corneal flattening against the preoperative steep meridian was observed in the 12 o'clock incision group (0.24 diopter [D] +/- 1.23 [SD]) and in the oblique incision group (0.17 +/- 0.89 D). By vector analysis, the surgically induced vector was 1.41 +/- 0.72 D in the 12 o'clock incision group and 1.02 +/- 0.66 D in the oblique incision group. After surgery, the mean cell loss was 8.2% +/- 12.5%. There were no significant differences, however, between other preoperative and postoperative morphometric indexes. CONCLUSION: This fast, safe, and inexpensive technique may be a viable treatment for dense cataracts with large, hard nuclei.

First results from the crystal structure analysis beamline at SPring-8.

Results from the first measurements at the crystal structure analysis beamline (BL02B1) at SPring-8 are presented. The capabilities of this beamline are also discussed.

[The long-term cystic bleb appearance and safety after trabeculectomy with mitomycin C].

The clinical appearance of cystic blebs and the incidence of bleb infection were retrospectively evaluated in 215 trabeculectomies with mitomycin C. The incidence of cystic bleb formation in trabeculectomy was 79% (169/215). The cumulative incidence of the cystic bleb survival when using the Kaplan-Meier method was 73% in the 50th month after surgery. The incidence of large cystic bleb survival was better than that of small and localized cystic blebs. There was statistically significant difference. The incidence of cystic bleb survival without Seidel phenomenon and bleb infection was 96% in the first year after surgery and 91% in the third year. Bleb infections occurred in two of 169 eyes (1.2%). Bleb infection was successfully treated and there were no cases of endophthalmitis. The large cystic blebs had a higher incidence of bleb infection than the small ones. In one of 25 eyes treated with antibiotic eye drops after surgery, the Seidel test was positive and bleb infection occurred. The Seidel test was positive in 5 of 96 eyes in which antibiotic eye drops were not used and bleb infection occurred in one of these 5 eyes.

Nicotinamide derivatives as a new class of gastric (H+/K+)-ATPase inhibitors. III. Synthesis and gastric antisecretory activity of 2-[(2- and 4-aminobenzyl, and alpha-methylbenzyl)sulfinyl]-N-(4-pyridinyl) -3-pyridinecarboxamides.

A new series of 2-[(2-aminobenzyl, 4-aminobenzyl, and alpha-methylbenzyl) sulfinyl]-N-(4-pyridinyl)-3-pyridinecarboxamides. was synthesized and evaluated for gastric antisecretory activities. Several of the compounds synthesized exhibited potent inhibitory activities against [14C]aminopyrine accumulation stimulated by dibutyryl cyclic AMP in isolated rabbit parietal cells and histamine-induced gastric acid secretion in pylorus-ligated rats by intraduodenal administration. In particular, the more polar diastereoisomer of 2-[(4-methoxy-alpha-methylbenzyl)sulfinyl] -N-(4-pyridinyl)-3-pyridinecarboxamide (13b) showed in vivo inhibitory activity equivalent or superior to that of omeprazole and was a more selective (H+/K+)-ATPase inhibitor than omeprazole.

Nicotinamide derivatives as a new class of gastric (H+/K+)-ATPase inhibitors II. Synthesis and structure-activity relationships of 2[(2,4-dimethoxybenzyl)sulfinyl]-N-(4-pyridinyl)pyridine-3-carboxamides.

Members of a new series of 2-[(2,4-dimethoxybenzyl)sulfinyl]-N-(4-pyridinyl)pyridine-3-carboxamides were synthesized and evaluated for their gastric antisecretory activity and the ability to inhibit cytochrome P450-dependent O-dealkylation of 7-ethoxycoumarin (7-EC) in rat liver microsomes. Several of the compounds synthesized exhibited potent inhibitory activities against both [14C]aminopyrine accumulation stimulated by dibutyryl cyclic AMP in isolated rabbit parietal cells and histamine-induced gastric acid secretion in pylorus-ligated rats when administered intraduodenally; their inhibitory activities were equivalent to or superior to those of the parent compound [2- [(2,4-dimethoxybenzyl)sulfinyl]-N-(4-pyridinyl)pyridine-3-carboxamide] and omeprazole. Among the compounds having potent antisecretory activity in vitro and in vivo, 2-[(2,4-dimethoxybenzyl)sulfinyl]-N-(2,5-dimethyl-4-pyridinyl) pyridine-3-carboxamide and 2-[(2,4-dimethoxybenzyl)sulfinyl]-N-(2,6-dimethyl-4-pyridinyl)pyridine-3 - carboxamide in particular showed lower inhibitory activity against the 7-EC deethylase than omeprazole. It seems probable that, unlike omeprazole, these compounds do not interact with a metabolism of other drugs in vivo. These compounds, therefore, are considered to be more promising candidate agents for treating acid-related gastrointestinal disorders than the parent compound reported previously.