RESUMEN

Self-disclosure is the attitude of communicating one's experiences and condition to others and is an indicator of mental health and an open personality. Frailty, characterized by reduced physical and psychological resistance, predicts the incidence of dependency and mortality. Although low self-disclosure may be associated with frailty, there is no scale to measure older adults' self-disclosure. This cross-sectional study assessed the validity of a self-assessment self-disclosure questionnaire and examined the association between the content of self-disclosures to friends and acquaintances and frailty among community-dwelling older adults. A total of 237 adults aged ≥65 in Japan were surveyed using a mailed self-administered questionnaire in 2021. The self-disclosure scale consisted of 10 items and showed adequate validity. Participants were classified into a robust group (n = 117, women 57.3%) and a frailty group (n = 120, women 73.3%) using the Kihon Checklist. After adjusting for covariates, multivariate-adjusted logistic regression models revealed frailty was associated with lower self-disclosure of recent positive events, motivation and strengths (indicating strong points) in life, relationships with family and relatives, experiences of work and social activities, and financial status. The proposed questionnaire must still be further tested in other populations, but our initial results may contribute to preventing frailty and improving mental health among community-dwelling older adults.

RESUMEN

During the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) accident, radioactive cesium was released in the environment and deposited on the soils. Depth profiles of radioactive cesium in contaminated soils provide useful information not only for radiation protection and decontamination operations but also for geoscience and radioecology studies. Soil samples were collected using a scraper plate three times between December 2011 and December 2012 at 84 or 85 locations within a 100-km radius of the Fukushima Dai-ichi NPP. In most of the obtained radioactive cesium depth profiles, it was possible to fit the concentration to a function of mass depth as either an exponential or hyperbolic secant function. By using those functions, following three parameters were estimated: (i) relaxation mass depth ß (g cm(-2)), (ii) effective relaxation mass depth ßeff (g cm(-2)), which is defined for a hyperbolic secant function as the relaxation mass depth of an equivalent exponential function giving the same air kerma rate at 1 m above the ground as the inventory, and (iii) 1/10 depth L1/10 (cm), at which the soil contains 90% of the inventory. The average ß value (wet weight) including ones by hyperbolic secant function in December 2012, was 1.29 times higher than that in December 2011. In fact, it was observed that depth profiles at some study sites deviated from the typical exponential distributions over time. These results indicate the gradual downward migration of radioactive cesium in the soils. The L1/10 values in December 2012 were summarized and presented on a map surrounding the Fukushima Dai-ichi NPP, and the average value of L1/10 was 3.01 cm (n = 82) at this time. It was found that radioactive cesium remained within 5 cm of the ground surface at most study sites (71 sites). The sech function can also be used to estimate the downward migration rate V (kg m(-2) y(-1)). The V values in December 2012 (n = 25) were in good agreement with those found by a realistic approach using a diffusion and migration model. Almost all values ranged between 1.7 and 9.6 kg m(-2) y(-1) in this study.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

BACKGROUND: Immediate-type wheat allergy due to hydrolyzed wheat protein (HWP-IWA) supplemented soap has been a serious social issue. We investigated the significance of challenge test and other tests not only to diagnose HWP-IWA but to know the symptoms of each patients. METHODS: From January 2010 to June 2012, we performed challenge test in 41 cases with positive prick test of Glupearl 19S®, a major allergic HWP found in Cha no Shizuku®. RESULTS: Thirty nine of 41 cases were challenge test positive. In two patients who showed positive skin prick test but negative for challenge test, titer of specific IgE antibody and/or basophil histamine release test against Glupearl 19S® revealed positive reaction. CONCLUSION: Challenge test is not included in indispensable examinations for the diagnosis of HWP-IWA in the recommended guidelines. However, challenge test is still a useful tool for assessing actual severity of each patient's symptoms and determining the timing of cessation of wheat avoidance. In addition, combined check-up with several laboratory examination and challenge test may help appropriate diagnosis of HWP-IWA.

Asunto(s)

RESUMEN

BACKGROUND: Though the epidemiological relationship between obesity and asthma has been widely investigated, the mechanism is less known. Several studies have examined that weight loss improved lung function in adults. However, it has not been systematically studied in children. We investigated the effect of weight reduction on respiratory function in obese children with asthma. METHODS: We selected 10 obese children aged 7-13 years with physician diagnosed asthma who was subjected the weight reduction program in Fukuoka National Hospital in 2003-2007. Obesity was defined by BMI >90 percentile of the same age population. Before and after the program, they performed the spirometry. And they were measured the height, the weight, the %Fat, and the Fat volume. Logistic linear analysis was conducted to determine the correlation between relative change in each obesity markers and relative change in each respiratory parameter. RESULTS: Reduction of BMI, %Fat, and Fat volume correlated with relative changes in %FVC and %FEV1. Reduction of %Fat and Fat volume also correlated with relative changes in %PEF and %V50. CONCLUSION: Reduction of BMI, %Fat, and Fat volume can improve respiratory function in obese children with asthma. Obesity may be contribute to aggravate the symptoms of asthma.

Asunto(s)