Yoshimitsu Okita

Combined influence of media use on subjective health in elementary school children in Japan: a population-based study

BackgroundIn recent years in Japan, electronic games, home computers, and the internet have assumed an important place in people’s lives, even for elementary school children. Subjective health complaints have also become a problem among children. In the present study, we investigated the relationship between media use and health status in elementary school children in Japan.MethodsA cross-sectional school-based population survey was conducted in 2009 with a sample of fourth-, fifth-, and sixth-grade children (age range: 10–12 years old) in elementary schools in Japan (n = 3,464). Self-reported health, lifestyle habits, and time spent using media were assessed.ResultsThe use of games, television, and personal computers was significantly associated with lifestyle (p < 0.05) and subjective health (p < 0.05). In addition, the use of games, the use of television, and the use of personal computers were mutually associated. The greater the number of media used for more than 1 hour was, the higher the odds ratio of the association of media use with unhealthy lifestyle and subjective health complaints was. The plural use of these media had stronger associations with unhealthy lifestyle and subjective health complaints.ConclusionsGame, television, and personal-computer use were mutually associated, and the plural use of these media had stronger associations with unhealthy lifestyle and subjective health complaints. Excessive use of media might be a risk for unhealthy lifestyle and subjective health complaints.

Measurement of terahertz properties of pastes and gels used in medical examinations

Terahertz properties of materials like paste and gel used in medical examinations are measured in order to investigate their applicability to terahertz sensing probes in contact with human skin. Measured samples are cream, paste and gels used for electrocardiogram (ECG), electroencephalography (EEG), ultrasonography and so on, which have quality against skin irritation. Measurements are done with a time-domain spectroscopy system, and dielectric constants, absorption coefficients and electric conductivities are obtained for 1-2 mm thick samples packed between thin polyethylene films.

Development state of multifrequency microwave radiometer system for noninvasive measurement of infant's deep brain temperatures

Hypothermia is proposed as a treatment for hypoxia-ischemia in newborn infants who suffer serious cerebral injury or die, if they are brought back early. In this treatment the deep brain temperature monitoring which is noninvasive and continuous is required. Multifrequency microwave radiometry (MWR) is one of the promising candidates for that purpose, and we have been developing a five-band microwave radiometer system and appropriate data processing methods. This paper is to describe the current status of a newly designed MWR system which operates in a normal room with various electromagnetic background noise. Temperature resolutions of the five receivers were obtained by a calibration experiment using a temperature-controlled water-bath. The results of a temperature retrieval simulation experiment is also presented.

Optimal control of active transport across a biological membrane

We propose an optimal control principle for active transport across a biological membrane. The modeling of the membrane is based on Hill and Kedems thermodynamic model. The performance function used to evaluate the optimality of the transport involved the rate of time-dependent changes in the concentration of particles in all the membrane layers as the state variables, and the number of receptor sites on the membrane as the control input. We decided that the optimal transport state is achieved when this cost function has been minimized under the constraints of the system equations characterizing the membrane modeling. The changes in the number of particles in the membrane layer evoked by changes in the kinetic parameters can be explained by the compensatory action of the optimal control strategy in order to prevent excessive decrease or increase of the molecular particles in all the membrane layers. The changes in the number of receptors in the paths of some physiological states can be explained by the optimal control modeling of the membrane transport. This model will be made available to create and evaluate an artificial membrane.

Novel Multiple Type Molecular Targeted Antitumor Agents: Preparation and Preclinical Evaluation of Low-Molecular-Weight Phospha Sugar Derivatives

GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT Abstract Phospha sugar derivatives of 2,3-dibromo-3-methyl-1-phenylphospholane 1-oxide and 2,3,4-tribromo-3-methyl-1-phenylphospholane 1-oxide were synthesized from 2-phospholenes and evaluated by in vitro 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide method against leukemia cell lines, and then characterized by cell cycle analysis, Western blot analysis, and molecular docking simulation. Phospha sugar derivatives were revealed to be potential antitumor agents against leukemia cell lines such as U937 and K562. Cell cycle analysis indicated that phospha sugar derivatives induced apoptoses. Western blot analyses against U937 showed that phospha sugar derivatives regulate many mitotic regulators in cell cycle. Results of molecular docking simulation suggested that phospha sugar derivatives enter the pockets present in cell cycle and apoptosis-related proteins.

P32-4 Detection of motion direction of random dot pattern with different speeds

Result: To extract neural activities for peripheral distractors, we subtracted the ERPs to distractors at an ipsilateral hemisphere to a visual field from those at a contralateral hemisphere. As a result, the left distractors evoked a P2 component at the occipito-temporal electrodes, which had the largest amplitude in the dissimilar and highload conditions. There were no significant effects on P1 and N1. Conclusions: Distractor processing may not be attenuated during early stages of processing when targets and distractors are presented simultaneously. The result suggests that bottom-up saliency interacts with top-down modulation regarding task load at a relatively higher processing stage in such case. Significance: The present study offered a finding on distractor processing in rather real-life situation.

P2-22 Effects of the odor of green young barley grass extract on central and autonomic nervous system function

Objectives: Clarify neurological complications in xeroderma pigmentosum (XP). Methods: Neurological examinations and nerve conduction studies were performed in 14 patients with XP-A (1 20 years old). Results: Despite normal at birth, walking tended to delay. Gait disturbance developed insidiously until wheel chair bound at 13 18 years old. Dysphagia and frequent inspiration pneumonia required PEG and tracheotomy at 16 20 years old. Early abnormalities found in neurological examination were decreased tendon reflexes and positive Babinski signs inevitable after 6 years old. Various degree of trunkal ataxia was noticed all of the patients. Nerve conduction studies revealed decreased SNAP, especially in the lower extremities and totally lost over the age of 14. CMAP and MCV were relatively preserved in the median nerves, but lost in the peroneal nerves after the age of 12. Conclusion: In all of the patients with XP-A, neurological deteriorations start since early in their life and progress in their adolescence.

P24-10 On emotional effects of odors of squeezed organic kale leaf based on EEGs and heart rate variability

Objective: Analysis of clinical manifestations, critical, intercritical and intraoperative EEG monitoring in temporal epilepsy’s patients with medical treatment resistance successfully controlled surgically. Methods: Retrospective analysis, 33 patients. In statistical average terms, the age was 36 years, with 9 monthly seizures, 22 years of disease’s course and 3 antiepileptic polytherapy treatment. The average of days of revenue was 6.42 days, on video EEG Unit Care for Intensive Electroencephalography Monitoring. The record fulfilled by means of surface electrodes placed according to 10 20 International System with additional electrodes based on 10-10 System adapted ones for record of the temporal basal region and sphenoidal ones. In 12 patients, subdural electrodes were necessary. Results: On critical clinical analysis, 158 seizures were recorded of which, the most frequent type was focal complex. Speaking on percentages, 82 of patients presented aura (36.1 gastric). The level of conscienceaccents disorder appeared in almost 100 (94.3), being more precocious than the automatisms in the majority of the sample. For automatisms, the most frequent and precocious was the oromandibular. On having analyzed our information we meet a low percentage of distonyc contralateral position that it might turn explained by the criterion used to consider as such to the sign. On bioelectrical analysis: Intercritical: epileptiform activity 87.9. Sharp wave 93.1. Increase with sleepness 97. Polyspikes in dream 21.2. Bilateral activity 21.2. Critical activity: more precocious EEG activity 69.1. Type beginning: levelling 46, rhythmic slow activity 41.7. Focal 48.9 (posterior lateral temporary 16.5, frontotemporal 15.1). Conclusions: Detailed knowledge of clinical and electrical manifestations of temporal lobe epilepsies would allow a precocious diagnosis and a reduction on accessing time of these patients to surgical treatment in case of farmacological resistence.

P4-11 Effects of odor on event-related potential (P300) and pleasantness

By contrast, in Control, Jaw Movement, and Finger Tapping, they were almost identical among sessions or significantly shorter in Pre than in Post 2 or Post 3. Conclusions: Mastication influences cognitive processing time as reflected by RT and the latency of ERP waveforms. Significance: This is the first study investigating the effect of mastication on the central nervous system using event-related potentials.

23. Event-related potentials related to memory recall, comparison and judgment of the motion direction

the R–R conditions, oxygenated hemoglobin concentration (OxyHb) started to increase approximately 120 s after the task onset, and the increase was larger in the F–F condition than in the R– R condition. The difference was considered to reflect the active process to inhibit responses to the rare non-targets in the F–F condition where the subjects were required to respond semi-automatically to most stimuli. In the F–R and the R–F conditions, Oxy-Hb increased soon after the target probabilities were changed. The increases were assumed to reflect prefrontal cortex activation by shifting of motor response strategy according to target probabilities.