Heterogenous effects of the Great East Japan earthquake on prosociality of people depending on their age.

This study investigates the instability of prosociality in the real world by looking at the age-specific non-linear relationship between disaster exposure and prosocial behavior. We employed unique microdata from two communities in Japan that were hit by the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami disaster in 2011. Exploiting exogenous variations in disaster exposure, we find age-specific heterogeneous effects of disaster exposure on prosocial behavior captured by the behavior of sending New Year's cards as well as attitudinal survey questions. Among the older groups, disaster damages undermine prosociality, whereas the younger groups show reinforced prosocial behaviors. These findings can be explained consistently by combining two possible determinants of prosocial behavior: pure or impure altruism and self-enforcements in repeated interactions at workplaces. Age information can help disentangle these two elements at least partially.

Hyperpotassemia and bradycardia in a bedridden elderly woman with selective hypoaldosteronism associated with low renin activity.

A bedridden 85-year-old woman had hyperpotassemia (7.7 mEq/L) and bradycardia (30/min). Endocrinologic findings revealed a decrease in the renin-aldosterone system and normal adrenoglucocorticoid function. The results were consistent with the abnormalities seen in selective hypoaldosteronism with low renin activity. In addition, 9 of 11 patients, selected randomly from 72 bedridden elderly patients with normal serum sodium and potassium levels in our hospital, had diminished plasma renin activity (PRA) and plasma aldosterone concentration (PAC). The present patient was prescribed nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID). NSAID reduces renal potassium excretion through the inhibition of renal prostaglandin synthesis. Therefore, the use of NSAID in bedridden elderly patients might intensify the underlying asymptomatic hypoaldosteronism and cause life-threatening hyperpotassemia.

Spironolactone effective hypertension in the elderly due to 11beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 (11beta-HSD2) impairment: contributory role of determining serum cortisol/cortisone ratio as a marker of 11beta-HSD2 activity.

Two elderly patients with mineralocorticoid excess state due to 11 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 (11beta-HSD2) impairment are described. Moreover, the role of the precursor-product ratios of the steroids reflecting 11beta-HSD2 activity was estimated in 5 patients, including 3 patients reported previously by us. Significant elevations of urinary cortisol/cortisone ratios were observed, whereas urinary tetrahydrocortisol (THF)+allo-THF/tetrahydrocortisone (THE) ratios were not elevated significantly. Furthermore, an even more distinct elevation of serum cortisol/cortisone ratio was evident in all instances of 5 patients, suggesting a significant clinical role of the serum cortisol/cortisone ratio in the diagnosis of 11beta-HSD2 impairment.

Two elderly patients with mineralocorticoid excess due to 11 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 (11 beta-HSD2) impairment.

A 75-year-old woman had a low circulating level of aldosterone, despite the mineralocorticoid excess state. These abnormalities were improved by spironolactone administration. The distinct elevation of urinary cortisol/cortisone ratio revealed 11beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 (11beta-HSD2) impairment. Moreover, slight but distinct elevation of the ratio was found in a 95-year-old woman with normotension and normopotassemia. The mineralocorticoid excess state with reduced aldosterone level appeared following with vomiting and diarrhea, exaggerating asymptomatic impairment of 11beta-HSD2 to induce apparent mineralocorticoid excess (AME)-like condition.

A short synthesis of lennoxamine using a radical cascade.

[reaction: see text] A short synthesis of lennoxamine has been achieved by using a radical cascade involving aryl radical-induced 7-endo cyclization and homolytic aromatic substitution.

[Significance of the detection of staphylococcal enterotoxin A gene in low fat milk which caused a serious outbreak of food poisoning].

In June 2000, there was a large-scale outbreak of food poisoning after consumption of Snow Brand low fat milk. In the evening of a day the incident made public, some cartons of low fat milk were brought to our laboratory for examination. Next day, we detected only staphylococcal enterotoxin (SE) A gene among SE (A-E) genes by PCR in left-over milk samples or samples from the same lots that patients had consumed. We presumed that the outbreak was caused by the intake of SEA. We subsequently confirmed the presence of SEA in these samples. To investigate the existence of SE (A-E) genes in milk, we examined 100 samples of commercial low fat milk and milk by PCR, but none of the genes was detected. We estimated the detection limit of SEA gene in low fat milk by PCR. Four strains of SEA-producing Staphylococcus aureus cultures were serially diluted in low fat milk. The SEA gene was detected at levels of 5.5 x 10(2) to 1.6 x 10(4) cfu/mL of S. aureus. These amounts of S. aureus are higher than the values in raw milk reported previously. Therefore we consider that SE genes in low fat milk should usually be undetectable by our PCR. This study shows that quick detection of SE genes by PCR is very helpful to analyze outbreaks, especially if no significant bacterium can be cultured.