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Previous in vitro and animal experiments have shown that sulforaphane, which is abundant in broccoli, inhibits Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection and blocks gastric tumor formation. This suggests that broccoli consumption prevents chronic atrophic gastritis (CAG) introduced by H. pylori infection and, therefore, gastric cancer. For an epidemiological investigation of the relationship between the broccoli consumption and CAG, a cross-sectional study of 438 male employees, aged 39 to 60 years, of a Japanese steel company was conducted. CAG was serologically determined with serum cut-off values set at pepsinogen I < or = 70 ng/ml and a ratio of serum pepsinogen I/pepsinogen II < or = 3.0. Broccoli consumption (weekly frequency) and diet were monitored by using a 31-item food frequency questionnaire. The prevalence of CAG among men who ate broccoli once or more weekly was twice as high as that among men who consumed a negligible amount (P < 0.05). Multiple logistic regression analysis indicated that broccoli consumption once or more weekly significantly increased the risk for CAG (odds ratio, 3.06; 95% confidence interval, 1.12-8.38; P < 0.05), after controlling for age, education, cigarette smoking, and alcohol consumption. The present study failed to show an expected association between frequent broccoli consumption and a low prevalence of CAG.

This study focused on the effects of different intervals between sessions of a hypercholesterolemia education class on post-intervention outcomes. The same comprehensive group-programme contents on hypercholesterolemia were delivered either monthly (for 6 months) or twice-monthly (for 3 months) by the same teaching professionals in a community setting. The twice-monthly programme included 46 participants (male/female = 7/39, average age: 65.8 years)and the monthly programme consisted of 48(male/female = 9/39, age: 66.4). At the beginning of the study, all subjects belonged to the 'contemplation' stage of diet and exercise habits within the Transtheoretical Model of Change. The stage-matched intervention helped many participants move to the 'action ' stage by 6 months after the last session, especially in the twice-monthly group. The change rate of exercise from the 'contemplation' stage to the 'action' stage was significantly higher in the twice-monthly group (76.1 percent) than in the monthly (54.2 percent ). In both monthly and twice-monthly formats, participants' satisfaction and understanding levels at the end of the programme were high, but were significantly higher in the twice-monthly group. Through favorable lifestyles and higher levels of satisfaction and learning, the twice-monthly format may produce more positive results in cholesterol management than the monthly format, as the shorter period of time makes the programme more intensive.

The present study aimed to investigate the status of physical activity and the differences in psychological factors associated with physical activity from the perspective of transtheoretical model stages between prime- and middle-aged Japanese. The study involved 375 prime-aged volunteers (175 men, 200 women) and 557 middle-aged volunteers (247 men, 310 women) living in Kuse, a town in Okayama Prefecture, Japan. We found that the prime-aged men at the preparation stage had significantly higher self-efficacy scores than at the contemplation stage (p<0.01). Middle-aged men had significantly higher self-efficacy scores at the contemplation stage than at the precontemplation stage (p<0.001). Middle-aged women, meanwhile, had significantly higher self-efficacy scores at the maintenance stage than at the action stage (p<0.01), and at the contemplation stage than at the precontemplation stage (p<0.001). The present findings provide valuable information about the differences in psychological factors affecting physical activity between prime-aged and middle-aged community-dwelling Japanese. This information may be useful to health professionals as they develop effective community-based intervention programs for target populations.

We encountered a rare case of suffocation by an advertising balloon filled with pure helium gas. Suffocation caused by inhalation of atmosphere lacking in oxygen is not exceptional, but reports of death by suffocation due to a pure inert gas such as helium are very rare. In this case, the balloon mooring on the ground was enclosed, warning signs were displayed, and it was clear that entering the balloon filled with an atmosphere lacking in oxygen was extremely dangerous and should not be done; the accident did, however, occur. Accidents of this kind may occur in the future unless appropriate education and countermeasures are taken.

The aim of this study is to obtain data for improving a training program for patients with diabetes mellitus. One hundred eighty-seven patients with non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus were tested with 20 questions about their knowledge for self-management of diabetes mellitus. Then to draw out factors in their personal backgrounds relating to their correct answers, multiple regression analyses were conducted. As a result, four factors showed significant differences in the following order: Educational careers > ages > duration of disease > socioeconomic strata. The results of the present study have shown for the first time, that these four factors closely concern patients to acquire the necessary knowledge for their self-management of the disease. In addition, this study has raised some fundamental problems regarding the training program for patients: how education should be given to patients.

In the present study, we examined the dynamic of school-health-based parasite control and the related socio-economic influences. This is an ecological study based on data from 46 prefectures in Japan. The exponential decay of Ascaris lumbricoides prevalence was calculated by iterative least-squares method. Pearsonʼs correlation and multiple linear regression model analysis were performed to assess the associations between the prevalence of Ascaris lumbricoides in Japanese school children and socio-economic variables such as the prefecture income per capita, the percentage of primary industry, the population density per 1 km2, the diffusion rate of population under water supply, and the percentage of upper secondary school enrollment. The results indicated that the parasite carrier rate was higher in younger students. The half-life of Ascaris lumbricoides prevalence was approximately 3 years with significant variation among prefectures. Multiple regression analyses showed that the decrease of infection in elementary and lower secondary school children had a significant positive association with primary industry and a significant negative association with prefecture income per capita. The school-health-based parasite intervention differs by prefecture and has changed over time according to the respective prefectural stage of economic development.

To decrease the incidence of pneumoconiosis, we examined dust protective mask performance and its relation to pulmonary function as well as the effects of worker education on the proper wearing of masks. One hundred and seventy-eight workers from 15 factories subject to dust exposure participated in this study. All participants were interviewed to obtain relevant personal information and underwent both a mask leakage and a pulmonary function test. The mask leakage was expressed as a percentage, with under 10% leakage indicating that the dust protective mask worked efficiently. In addition, 23 workers from 2 factories were educated on how to wear masks properly. The average mask leakage was 24.3%, and 58% of workers wore ineffective masks. Though pulmonary function was almost normal, the percent vital capacity (%VC) tended to be lower depending on the mask leakage. Mask education, which was very easy and took only a short time, dramatically decreased average mask leakage from 32.1% to 10.5% (p0.001). Educating workers to wear masks properly might prevent the worsening of pulmonary function in response to dust exposure. Appropriate mask fitness by education could be useful in preventing the development of pneumoconiosis.

We examined whether selected circulatory diseases (heart disease, stroke, diabetes and hypertension) were associated with an increased risk of major depression in the Japanese community population. Face-to-face household surveys were carried out in 7 areas, and a total of 2,436 persons participated (overall response rate: 58.4%) from 2002 to 2004. The WHO Composite International Diagnostic Interview 3.0 was used to diagnose major depression according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, and additional interviews assessed the presence of circulatory diseases. Using data from a random subsample of the respondents (n=832), we conducted Cox proportional hazards models to calculate hazard ratios for the onset of major depression with comorbid circulatory diseases as a time-dependent covariate. Heart attack was significantly associated with the onset of major depression (hazard ratio [HR], 7.51 [95%Confidential Interval (CI), 1.36-41.45]) after adjusting for sex, birth cohort, smoking, alcohol intake, and education. Heart disease (HR, 2.12 [95% CI, 0.79-5.70]), diabetes (HR, 2.36 [95% CI, 0.42-13.34]) and hypertension (HR, 0.97 [95% CI, 0.37, 2.50]) were not significantly associated. There were no subjects who developed major depression after stroke. These results suggest that heart attack, and maybe also heart disease and diabetes, affect the onset of major depression.

The purpose of this study was to determine the aerobic training intensity from the maximal and submaximal running exercise in 21 untrained adult men. To accomplish this, we evaluated the relationship between physiological (oxygen intake and heart rate) and physical parameters (running speed) of training intensity, and determined the training intensity at the submaximal exercise. Oxygen intake and heart rate were measured by a treadmill test. The maximal oxygen intake (VO2 max), and the aerobic threshold (AerT) and anaerobic threshold (AT) were measured to determine respiratory gas exchange. Running capacity was measured by a 12-min running and treadmill test. For the maximal exercise, there was a significant correlation (r = 0.88, P < 0.01) between VO2 max and 12-min running distance (speed). In addition, the oxygen intake and heart rate at AerT and AT in the submaximal exercise were linearly correlated with running speed. Three levels of training intensity at the submaximal exercise were termed: light, moderate, and heavy. Since AerT was the lower limit intensity and AT was the upper limit, we took the middle of their values as the moderate intensity. The end point for the determination of the training intensity at the submaximal exercise was estimated to be 85% VO2 max and 180 beats.min-1.

In decerebrated cats the impulse discharges were detected by means of an unipolar microelectrode from a single inspiratory neuron in the respiratory centers, and the change in discharge produced by administration of stimulating, as well as depressant agents, was studied. The results were summarized as follows. 1) Inhalation of the air containing all. excess of carbon dioxide, as well as the air deficient of oxygen and the intravenous administration of a small dose of caffeine, aminocordine and lobeline produced a) a remarkable increase of frequency of impulses in the stage of constant frequency of the volley, b) a rapid increase of frequency of impulses in the stage of crescent frequency of the volley and c) a shortening of the duration of the volleys, as well as of silent periods. 2) In narcosis by a moderate dose of morphine, as well as in the recovery stage from apnea produced by over-ventilation, there were observed the phenomena which were exactly opposite to those described in 1). 3) It was concluded that a most essential sign by which one can discern whether the activity of the respiratory Genters is raised or depressed, is the changes of the frequency of impulses produced from an inspiratory neuron. The expense of this research was defrayed from the grant in aid of the Ministry of Education.