Articles

Epigenetics in congenital diseases and pervasive developmental disorders

Epigenetics is an intrinsic mechanism that alters gene function – not by altering DNA sequences, but by chemically modifying the DNA and chromosomal histone proteins. Epigenetics is involved in genomic imprint...

Authors: Takeo Kubota

Epigenetic abnormalities in cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure

Epigenetics refers to the heritable regulation of gene expression through modification of chromosomal components without an alteration in the nucleotide sequence of the genome. Such modifications include methy...

Authors: Hiroyuki Mano

Association of glycemic profiles with whole blood polyamine among middle-aged Japanese men: colorimetric assay using oat and barley seedling polyamine oxidase

Polyamines have long been known to have an insulin-like action, but their antiglycating effect has only recently attracted the attention of researchers. The aim of our investigation was to determine the whole ...

Authors: Takaaki Kondo, Kanami Yamamoto, Akiko Kimata, Jun Ueyama, Yoko Hori and Kenji Takagi

DNA methylation: a marker for carcinogen exposure and cancer risk

Cancers arise as a consequence of multiple genetic and epigenetic alterations. Many genes aberrantly methylated in cancers have been identified in recent years, and their use in cancer diagnosis and therapy is...

Authors: Takeshi Nakajima, Shotaro Enomoto and Toshikazu Ushijima

Epidemiological approach to nosocomial infection surveillance data: the Japanese Nosocomial Infection Surveillance System

Surveillance of nosocomial infection is the foundation of infection control. Nosocomial infection surveillance data ought to be summarized, reported, and fed back to health care personnel for corrective action...

Authors: Machi Suka, Katsumi Yoshida and Jun Takezawa

Epigenetics in mood disorders

Depression develops as an interaction between stress and an individual’s vulnerability to stress. The effect of early life stress and a gene–environment interaction may play a role in the development of stress...

Authors: Patrick O. McGowan and Tadafumi Kato

Association of serum NO _x level with clustering of metabolic syndrome components in middle-aged and elderly general populations in Japan

The aim of this study was to determine whether the serum nitrite plus nitrate (NO _x ) level correlates with biomarkers that are known components of the metabolic syndrome (Me...

Authors: Jun Ueyama, Takaaki Kondo, Ryota Imai, Akiko Kimata, Kanami Yamamoto, Koji Suzuki, Takashi Inoue, Yoshinori Ito, Ken-ichi Miyamoto, Takaaki Hasegawa and Nobuyuki Hamajima

Keynote lecture in the 13th Japanese Society of Immunotoxicology (JSIT 2006)

Silica and silicates may disturb immune functions such as autoimmunity and tumor immunity, because people who are exposed to the materials sometimes develop autoimmune and malignant diseases, respectively. Alt...

Authors: Takemi Otsuki, Yoshie Miura, Megumi Maeda, Hiroaki Hayashi, Shuko Murakami, Maolong Dong and Yasumitsu Nishimura

Risk of transmission of airborne infection during train commute based on mathematical model

In metropolitan areas in Japan, train commute is very popular that trains are over-crowded with passengers during rush hour. The purpose of this study is to quantify public health risk related to the inhalatio...

Authors: Hiroyuki Furuya

Incidence and outcome of sepsis in Japanese intensive care units: The Japanese nosocomial infection surveillance system

To determine the incidence of sepsis in Japanese intensive care units (ICUs) and to evaluate the impact of sepsis on mortality and length of stay (LOS).

Authors: Machi Suka, Katsumi Yoshida and Jun Takezawa

Behaviors and perceptions of Japanese tourists affecting diarrheal illness and health care need assessment: A questionnaire study

To measure the prevalence rate of, and determine the association between food and drink related behaviors and diarrheal illness among Japanese tourists, and assess their health care needs.

Authors: Nawarat Suwannapong, Nopporn Howteerakul and Chaweewon Boonshuyar

Glutaraldehyde exposure and its occupational impact in the health care environment

Despite the search for effective and less toxic substitutes, glutaraldehyde (GA) remains one of the few substances capable of high-level instrument disinfection in modern health care. Workers commonly affected...

Authors: Derek R. Smith and Rui-Sheng Wang

Globalization and emerging governance modalities

This paper explores the possibilities for global governance effectively dealing with the international transmission of disease. First, zoonotic regulation and control pose a special case for public health agen...

Authors: Deane Edward Neubauer

Emerging zoonotic diseases: An opportunity to apply the concepts of nidality and one-medicine

The use of animals as sentinels of human disease revolves around the concept of nidality. That is, an agent of disease occupies a particular ecologic niche and alterations in that niche will change the functio...

Authors: John R. Herbold

Control of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome in Singapore

A Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak occurred in Singapore from February to May 2003. A high vigilance for the disease, frequent and regular temperature monitoring, early case identification and...

Authors: Kwai Pen Chan

Lessons learned from international responses to severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)

In early February 2003, a previously unknown disease causing severe pneumonia was recognised. This disease which is now known as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is believed to have had its origins in ...

Authors: Hitoshi Oshitani

Advocacy, promotion and e-learning: Supercourse for zoonosis

This paper discusses the history of emerging infectious diseases, risk communication and perception, and the Supercourse lectures as means to strengthen the concepts and definition of risk management and globa...

Authors: Gino C. Matibag, Manabu Igarashi, Ron E. La Porte and Hiko Tamashiro

Disease ecology and the global emergence of zoonotic pathogens

The incidence and frequency of epidemic transmission of zoonotic diseases, both known and newly recognized, has increased dramatically in the past 30 years. It is thought that this dramatic disease emergence i...

Authors: Bruce A. Wilcox and Duane J. Gubler

HIV/AIDS prevention in China: A challenge for the new millennium

China’s first HIV infection was officially reported in 1985 and by the end of 1996, there may have been up to 200,000 people affected nationwide. In 2001, this figure probably exceeded 600,000. By 2003, the pr...

Authors: Derek R. Smith, Ning Wei, Peter A. Leggat and Rui-Sheng Wang

Association between APACHE II score and nosocomial infections in intensive care unit patients: A multicenter cohort study

To examine whether nosocomial infection risk increases with APACHE II score, which is an index of severity-of-illness, in intensive care unit (ICU) patients.

Authors: Machi Suka, Katsumi Yoshida and Jun Takezawa

Psychosocial stressors in inter-human relationships and health at each life stage: A review

Currently, psychosocial stressors’ impacts on health are increasing. Among these stressors, this review focused on inter-human relationships. Since social supports could be protective against ill health, conse...

Authors: Sadanobu Kagamimori, Ali Nasermoaddeli and Hongbing Wang

Impact of intensive care unit-acquired infection on hospital mortality in Japan: A multicenter cohort study

To elucidate factors associated with hospital mortality in intensive care unit (ICU) patients and to evaluate the impact of ICU-acquired infection on hospital mortality in the context of the drug resistance of...

Authors: Machi Suka, Katsumi Yoshida and Jun Takezawa

Erratum

Authors: Mizue Okada, Yoshinori Okada, Ryoichi Inaba and Hirotoshi Iwata

Erratum

Authors: Shinya Matsuda, Miyako Omoto, Tsunehiko Imai, Kumiko Seki, Ryoji Nomura, Yumi Otahara, Tsutomu Yoshida, Syogo Shima, Hideki Kurita, Kaoru Nagaoka, Hiroshige Taniwaki, Yasuki Asada, Kai-ping Shai, Mitsumasa Koike, Kunihiko Morita, Yutaka Watanabe…

Erratum

Authors: Ryoichi Inaba, Haruo Sugiura, Hirotoshi Iwata and Takuji Tanaka