RESUMO
We aimed to examine the support needs of women who migrated to Fukushima Prefecture after the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident. In recent years, the presence of migrants has become an important part of the government's reconstruction policy for affected areas. However, there is insufficient research on the status of migrants in these areas, and it is unclear what kind of support the migrants, especially females, require to encourage further migration to the area. We conducted three semi-structured interviews each with four women who had migrated to Fukushima after the accident. The narratives obtained from the interviews were summarized into categories through open coding and were finally presented as support needs in the form of a four-quadrant diagram. Four needs were identified for female migrants in areas affected by the radiation disaster: "soft adaptation needs," "lifestyle constancy needs," "female empowerment needs," and "community participation needs." Female migrants in the affected areas may be marginalized in terms of receiving migrant support. Key strategies for supporting female migrants in radiation disaster areas include providing an environment in which they can relax, interact with Fukushima and its residents, and address intersectionality.
Assuntos
Acidente Nuclear de Fukushima , Migrantes , Humanos , Feminino , Migrantes/psicologia , Japão , Adulto , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Pesquisa QualitativaRESUMO
Dynamic environments, such as sports, often demand rapid decision-making and motor execution. The concept of embodied decision refers to the mutual link between both processes, but little is known about how these processes are balanced under severe time constraints. We address this problem by using a baseball-like hitting paradigm with and without Go/No-go judgment; participants were required to hit (Go) a moving target in the strike area or not to hit (No-go) other targets. We found that Go/No-go judgments were effective with regard to task performance, but efficacy was lost below the time constraint of 0.5 seconds mainly due to a reduction in judgment accuracy rather than movement accuracy. However, either slowing movement initiation in Go trials or canceling the movement in progress in No-go trials improved judgment accuracy. Our findings suggest that embodied decision efficacy is limited in split-second periods, but compensation is possible by changing ongoing movement strategies.
Assuntos
Movimento , Desempenho Psicomotor , Humanos , Julgamento , Análise e Desempenho de TarefasRESUMO
Excellent athletic performance in baseball and softball batting is achieved through the momentary cognitive-motor processes. However, in previous studies, cognitive and motor processes are investigated separately. In this study, we focused on the difference in the time of swing onset (a delta onset) during a batting task where 17 elite female softball batters hit balls randomly thrown at two different speeds by pitchers. The delta onset included both cognitive and motor processes because the batters needed to anticipate the ball speed and discriminate their swing motion according to the time-to-contact. Then, we investigated the relationship between the delta onset and the batting outcomes of the batting task, and the relationship between the experimental outcomes and actual batting performance (batting average) over a season. We used path analysis to clarify the structure of the cognitive-motor processes and consequent performance. We found that the batters who had a larger delta onset attained superior batting outcomes (i.e., higher exit velocity and lower miss ratio) in the batting task, and these experimental outcomes explained 67% of the batting average in real games. On the other hand, the cognitive scores (judgement accuracy and rapidity) obtained from a button pressing task, where batters responded to a ball by pressing a button instead of actually swinging, explained only 34% of the batting average. Therefore, our model quantitatively describes the key cognitive-motor structure for athletes and can partially predict a batter's performance in real games. These findings suggest that it is important to employ both cognitive and motor processes in performing tasks, such as this batting task, to properly evaluate a batter's actual ability.
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Objective We aimed to investigate the association between the digit symbol test (DST) and clinical characteristics, including the nutritional status of liver cirrhosis patients. Methods Fifty-nine cirrhotic patients without a history of overt hepatic encephalopathy were retrospectively evaluated. We examined neuropsychological abnormalities (NPAs) using the DST. We also estimated the detailed nutritional status using the Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ). The patients were divided into two groups according to their DST status: patients with normal DST scores (DST-Nor group, n=45) and those with abnormal DST scores (DST-Abn group, n=14). The clinical and nutritional findings of the two groups were compared. Results Overall, 14 (23.7%) patients had a DST abnormality. There were significant differences between the two groups in serum albumin (Alb; p=0.0043), valine (Val; p=0.0016), leucine (Leu; p=0.0078), isoleucine (Ile; p=0.0022), the molar ratio of total branched-chain amino acids to tyrosine (BTR; p=0.00025), total-bilirubin (T-Bil; p=0.0071), prothrombin time (%) (PT; p=0.028), and serum sodium (Na; p=0.035). A multivariate analysis found the BTR to be the only independent predictor of a DST abnormality (hazard ratio, 9.24; p<0.031). An FFQ analysis, revealed that the nutritional findings of patients with and without a DST abnormality, were similar. Conclusion The BTR was useful for predicting the risk of NPAs, as defined by a DST abnormality. The risk of NPAs may be estimated by monitoring the BTR.
Assuntos
Aminoácidos de Cadeia Ramificada/sangue , Biomarcadores/sangue , Encefalopatia Hepática/sangue , Encefalopatia Hepática/fisiopatologia , Cirrose Hepática/sangue , Cirrose Hepática/fisiopatologia , Tirosina/sangue , Adulto , Idoso , Idoso de 80 Anos ou mais , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Estado Nutricional , Estudos RetrospectivosRESUMO
The reactions of benzo[h]quinoline N-oxide with methylsulfinyl carbanion and deuterated methylsulfinyl carbanion, respectively, were studied theoretically. Differences in yield between these reactions were explained using ab initio molecular orbital methods by considering the zero-point energy correction and the barrier penetration effect. In these reactions, two transition states affected the total reaction rate. The hydrogen- or deuterium-transfer step played a significant role, accounting for the difference in reaction rates.
Assuntos
Óxidos N-Cíclicos/análise , Óxidos N-Cíclicos/metabolismo , Modelos Químicos , Quinolinas/análise , Quinolinas/metabolismo , Benzoquinonas/análise , Benzoquinonas/química , Benzoquinonas/metabolismo , Óxidos N-Cíclicos/química , Isótopos , Quinolinas/química , Ésteres do Ácido Sulfúrico/análise , Ésteres do Ácido Sulfúrico/química , Ésteres do Ácido Sulfúrico/metabolismoRESUMO
Stem cell factor (SCF) and endothelin-1 (ET-1) have been reported to be up-regulated at the protein and gene levels in human epidermis after ultraviolet B (UVB) irradiation and to play central roles in UVB-induced pigmentation. However, little is known about the time sequence of SCF and ET-1 expression in UVB-exposed human epidermis and the coordination of their roles during epidermal pigmentation. To clarify such parameters in UVB-exposed human skin, we measured the expression patterns of SCF and ET-1 (as well as of their corresponding receptors) at the gene level at various times during UVB-induced human pigmentation. When human forearm skin was exposed to UVB radiation at two minimal erythemal doses, the expression of SCF mRNA transcripts was significantly enhanced at 3 days after irradiation with an early decrease and subsequently constant expression of SCF receptor (c-KIT) mRNA transcripts. In contrast, up-regulation of ET-1 and endothelin B receptor (ET(B)R) mRNA expression was synchronized at 5 to 10 days after irradiation in concert with an increased expression of tyrosinase mRNA transcripts and the increase in pigmentation. In parallel the expression of tyrosinase and ET(B)R proteins as well as ET-1 was up-regulated at 7 to 10 days after irradiation, whereas KIT protein decreased at 3 days after irradiation and returned to the nonirradiated control level at 5 days after irradiation. When cultured human melanocytes were treated with human recombinant SCF, ET(B)R protein expression and the binding of (125)I-labeled ET-1 to the ET(B)R were significantly increased, further suggesting the preferential and coordinated role of early expression of SCF in UVB-induced melanogenesis. These findings suggest that SCF/KIT signaling is predominantly involved in the early phase of UVB-induced human pigmentation during which it stimulates the ET-1/ET(B)R linkage that is associated with the later phase of UVB-induced melanogenesis.
Assuntos
Endotelina-1/metabolismo , Melanócitos/efeitos da radiação , Melanoma/etiologia , Pele/efeitos da radiação , Fator de Células-Tronco/metabolismo , Células Cultivadas , Endotelina-1/genética , Humanos , Queratinócitos/metabolismo , Queratinócitos/efeitos da radiação , Melanócitos/metabolismo , Melanoma/metabolismo , Melanoma/patologia , Monofenol Mono-Oxigenase/metabolismo , Monofenol Mono-Oxigenase/efeitos da radiação , Proteínas Oncogênicas/metabolismo , Proteínas Proto-Oncogênicas c-kit/genética , Proteínas Proto-Oncogênicas c-kit/metabolismo , RNA Mensageiro/genética , RNA Mensageiro/metabolismo , RNA Mensageiro/efeitos da radiação , Receptor de Endotelina B/genética , Receptor de Endotelina B/metabolismo , Proteínas Recombinantes/metabolismo , Transdução de Sinais , Pele/citologia , Pigmentação da Pele/efeitos da radiação , Fator de Células-Tronco/genética , Raios UltravioletaRESUMO
It is known that expression of endothelin-1 (ET-1) increases in the epidermis after UVB irradiation, and that this plays an important role during the induction of pigmentation both as a mitogen and as a melanogen for normal human melanocytes (NHMC). When ET-1 acts on NHMC via the endothelin B receptor (ET(B)R) on their cell surface, mobilization of intracellular calcium is induced, which is followed by activation of Raf-1 located upstream of mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK). We have continued the search for new agent which inhibit this calcium mobilization and we have found that an extract of Althaea officinalis L. has such an action. In this study, we investigated the precise inhibitory mechanism of this botanical extract on the ET-1-induced activation of melanocytes. Treatment of NHMC with this extract abrogated the stimulatory effect of ET-1 on proliferation and also on activation of MAPK in the intracellular signal transduction pathway, but did not affect the binding of ET-1 to the ET(B)R or the production of Inositol 1,4,5-Trisphosphate (IP3). Further, when this extract was used to treat normal human keratinocytes (NHKC), secretion of ET-1 by those cells was reduced. Taken together, these findings indicate that an extract of A. officinalis inhibits both the secretion of ET-1 from NHKC and the action of ET-1 on NHMC mainly by suppressing the ET-1-induced calcium mobilization without the modification of IP3 production, which in turn suggests that this extract is a useful ingredient for a whitening agent.