Advanced laryngeal cancers are clinically complex; there is a paucity of modern decision-making models to guide tumour-specific management. This pilot study aims to identify computed tomography-based radiomic features that may predict survival and enhance prognostication.

Pre-biopsy, contrast-enhanced computed tomography scans were assembled from a retrospective cohort (n = 72) with advanced laryngeal cancers (T3 and T4). The LIFEx software was used for radiomic feature extraction. Two features: shape compacity (irregularity of tumour volume) and grey-level zone length matrix – grey-level non-uniformity (tumour heterogeneity) were selected via least absolute shrinkage and selection operator-based Cox regression and explored for prognostic potential.

A greater shape compacity (hazard ratio 2.89) and grey-level zone length matrix – grey-level non-uniformity (hazard ratio 1.64) were significantly associated with worse 5-year disease-specific survival (p < 0.05). Cox regression models yielded a superior C-index when incorporating radiomic features (0.759) versus clinicopathological variables alone (0.655).

Two radiomic features were identified as independent prognostic biomarkers. A multi-centre prospective study is necessary for further exploration. Integrated radiomic models may refine the treatment of advanced laryngeal cancers.

In a large-scale disaster, medical professionals need to access medication records and provide medicines to people who cannot return home to take their daily medicines. We investigated the proportion of carrying the paper notebook or availability of the smartphone application of the medication record among people who are assumed to have difficulty in taking their medicines during large-scale disasters.

In Japan, a web-based survey was conducted in 2018 by randomly selecting adults ≥ 20 years of age.

There were 2286 medication record owners in 3082 participants. Of the medication record owners, 784 (34.3%) took medicines that could not be missed for even a day. Among them, 724 used paper notebooks alone, 26 used smartphone applications alone, and 34 used both. Among the 724, 208 (28.8%) always carried a paper notebook. Among the 26, 16 (61.5%) could use their applications anytime. Therefore, among the 784, at least 560 (71.4%) could not always access their medication information.

An awareness campaign to carry paper notebooks and install applications for medication records should be held, since only a limited number of people carry their medication records and always have access to their medication information.

The association between high sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) intake during pregnancy and offspring overweight/obesity has been reported only from Western countries. The objective of this study was to examine the association between SSB intake before and during pregnancy and offspring overweight/obesity among Japanese women.

Japanese prospective birth cohort study.

We analysed mother–offspring pairs who participated in the Tohoku Medical Megabank Project Birth and Three-Generation Cohort Study from 2013 to 2017. SSB intake during pregnancy was evaluated using the FFQ and classified into three groups: none (0 g/d), medium (<195 g/d) and high (>195 g/d). Overweight or obesity at 1 year of age in offspring was defined as having a BMI Z-score greater than 2 sd, calculated based on the BMI reference data for Japanese children. Multiple logistic regression analyses were performed to examine the associations between SSB intake before and during pregnancy and offspring overweight/obesity, after adjusting for covariates.

Japanese mother–offspring pairs (n 7114).

The overweight/obesity rate of the offspring was 8·8 %. Pregnant women with a high intake of SSB in early to mid-pregnancy had a higher risk of overweight/obesity in their offspring compared with those who did not; the OR was 1·52 (95 % CI (1·09, 2·12)).

High SSB intake in early to mid-pregnancy was associated with an increased risk of offspring overweight/obesity at 1 year of age.

With rapid increase of aging worldwide, the number of people suffering from cognitive decline and dementia has been rapidly increasing. Numerous epidemiological and clinical studies have shown that consumption of dairy products have beneficial effects on cognitive decline and dementia in elderly. Our previous demonstration using pharmacologically-induced amnesia model mice identified tryptophan-tyrosine-related peptides, especially glycine-threonine-tryptophan-tyrosine (GTWY) of lactotetrapeptide, b-lactolin, as responsible agents improving cognitive decline in whey digestions, and we have originally developed GTWY-rich whey peptide by a specific enzymatic digestion. However, the effect of GTWY-rich whey peptide on cognitive functions in human has not been investigated. The present study is the first clinical trial evaluating the effects of GTWY-rich whey peptide on cognitive functions in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled design.

Healthy middle to older adults, aged from 45 to 64 years, with a self-awareness of cognitive decline were recruited. 101 eligible subjects received either whey peptide tablets containing 1 g of the GTWY-rich whey peptide per day, which included 1.6 mg of GTWY, (N = 50) or placebo containing the same amount of maltodextrin (N = 51) for 12 weeks. Changes of cognitive functions from 0 week of the intervention were assessed using neuropsychological tests assessing memory functions (word recall, story recall and verbal fluency test) and attention and executive functions (stroop test, digit span, and paced auditory serial addition test) at 6 and 12 weeks.

The change of verbal fluency test (VFT) score evaluating long-term memory retrieval at 12 weeks in whey peptide group tended to be higher than that in placebo group. Subgroup analysis showed that in the subjects with high-level of subjective fatigue measured by visual-analog scale, the changes of VFT, stroop test evaluating inhibition of executive functions and subjective memory function test at 6 weeks in whey peptide group were significantly higher than those in placebo group. The change of VFT score was also significantly higher in subjects with high fatigue measured by profile of mood status.

The present study suggests that consumption of GTWY-rich whey peptide improve cognitive functions, especially memory retrieval and executive function, in healthy middle to older adults, with high subjective fatigue. It is also suggested that prefrontal cortex functions, especially dorsolateral prefrontal cortex is associated with the effects of the whey peptide. Consumptions of 1 g GTWY-rich whey peptide in daily life are safe and easy, which might be a practical approach to support cognitive function.

We aimed to investigate the association between types of housing and allergic symptoms at 3–4 years following the Great East Japan Earthquake.

Our study was based on the ToMMo Child Health Study conducted in 2014 and 2015, a cross-sectional survey of public school children in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. Of the 46 648 invited schoolchildren in the 2nd to 8th grades, 9884 were included. Presence of eczema, wheezing, and mental health symptoms was defined with questionnaires. To calculate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% CIs for the associations between types of housing and eczema or respiratory symptoms, we fitted generalized linear mixed models, included a random effect for municipality of residence, and adjusted for sex, school grade, survey year, and mental health symptoms.

Prefabricated temporary housing was significantly associated with eczema symptoms (OR, 1.46; 95% CI, 1.06–2.02). Even after adjusting for the presence of mental health symptoms, our analysis produced similar results (OR, 1.42; 95% CI, 1.03–1.96). Conversely, it was not significantly associated with respiratory symptoms (OR, 0.97; 95% CI, 0.61–1.54).

Children living in prefabricated temporary housing had a higher prevalence of eczema symptoms; however, prevalence of respiratory symptoms was not significantly higher.

To explore whether stressors after a disaster have later effects on the mental health of public servants who engage in disaster response and to estimate the proportion of those experiencing persistent mental distress.

We analyzed the data of health surveys conducted in Miyagi Prefecture for all prefectural public servants at 2, 7, and 16 months after the Great East Japan Earthquake (n=3174). We investigated relationships between mental distress (defined as K6≥10) at 16 months after the earthquake and earthquake damage and working conditions at 2 months. We also calculated the proportion of participants who scored K6≥10 on all 3 surveys.

The experience of living someplace other than one’s own home was significantly related with mental distress at 16 months after the earthquake. Few participants consistently scored K6≥10 throughout all 3 surveys.

The effects of stressors in the aftermath of a disaster could remain for a long time. Few public servants experienced persistent mental distress. Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2018;12:622–630

We aimed to clarify the correlation between the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and pregnant women’s awareness of social capital 3 to 9 months after the tsunami disaster.

We analyzed data on responses to a questionnaire by 7451 pregnant women in their second to third trimesters. The proportions of social capital–related items were calculated in the north and south coastal areas of Miyagi Prefecture and were compared with national samples. The factors associated with social capital were estimated by use of multivariate logistic regression analyses.

The proportion of women feeling that they had helpful neighbors was higher (69.0% vs 56.7%, P=0.0005), the proportion of women regarding their communities as safe and secure was lower (51.7% vs 62.4%, P=0.002), and the proportion of women feeling that most people were trustworthy was lower (23.7% vs 32.9%, P=0.006) in the north coastal area than nationwide. Such differences were not observed in the less severely affected south coastal area. Age of 35 years or older, extended family, college or university graduation, and being multiparous were associated with the feeling of having helpful neighbors.

The current status of pregnant women’s awareness of social capital in disaster-affected areas was revealed. Continuous monitoring and support may be necessary to address this issue.(Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2017;11:355–364)

This study aimed to clarify the correlation between the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and domestic violence (DV) against pregnant females after the disaster in Miyagi Prefecture, an area damaged by the earthquake and tsunami.

We analyzed 7600 pregnant females from June to December 2011. The incidence of physical and mental DV and the proportions in the inland, north coastal, and south coastal areas of Miyagi Prefecture and nationwide were calculated, and a chi-square test was conducted for comparison. The risk factors for DV were estimated with multivariate logistic regression analyses on a prefecture-wide basis.

The incidence levels for physical DV were found to be 5.9% in the north coastal area, which was significantly higher than in the inland area (1.3%, P=0.0007) and nationwide (1.5%, P<0.0001). There were no significant differences in the incidence of mental DV between the 3 areas in Miyagi Prefecture (inland 15.2%, north coast 15.7%, and south coast 18.8%) or nationwide (13.8%). Experiencing disease or injury in someone close and changes in the family structure were significantly associated with mental DV in Miyagi Prefecture.

Continuous monitoring and support for pregnant females may be necessary to address this issue in disaster-affected areas. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2017;11:216–226)

The Great East Japan Earthquake of March 11, 2011 may have influenced the long-term health of those in the disaster area. It is important to collect current and future health information of the people living in the post-disaster area to provide appropriate health support and quality-oriented care. However, public perceptions of health and genomic studies in the Great East Japan Earthquake disaster area are still unknown.

A questionnaire survey was conducted in one town affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake and subsequent tsunami. The results of the questionnaire were tailed and the differences in responses to each question were assessed by sex and age.

In 284 eligible people (137 men, 147 women), almost all participants agreed to join a health survey investigating the adverse effects of the disaster, and over 80% of the total participants agreed to genomic analysis. Over 70% of the participants wanted to receive pharmacogenetic testing and to receive feedback on which medications were suitable or unsuitable for them.

Most people living in the disaster area are interested in health surveys. Most of the participants also showed interest in genomic analysis.

IshikuroM, NakayaN, ObaraT, SatoY, MetokiH, KikuyaM, TsuchiyaN, NakamuraT, NagamiF, KuriyamaS, HozawaA, the ToMMo Study Group. Public Attitudes toward an Epidemiological Study with Genomic Analysis in the Great East Japan Earthquake Disaster Area. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2016;31(3):330–334.

This study aimed to explore the correlation between the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and postpartum depression among perinatal subjects in the Miyako region of Iwate, an area damaged by earthquakes and tsunamis.

We retrospectively compared the percentages of women with scores ≥9 on the Japanese version of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) among 3 groups of women who gave birth prior to the disaster (before-disaster group: n=141), within 3 months after the disaster (within-3-months group: n=70), and 4-6 months after the disaster (4-6-months group: n=89) at the Iwate Prefectural Miyako Hospital. The risk factors for EPDS scores ≥9 were estimated with multivariate logistic regression analyses.

Compared with the before-disaster group, a significantly greater number of women in the within-3-months group had EPDS scores ≥9 at hospital discharge (31.4% versus 9.9%, P<.0001), whereas women in the 4-6-months group did not (10.1% versus 9.9%, P=.96). In both the after-disaster groups, the destruction of their home (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 3.68; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.46-9.26) and dissatisfaction with their living conditions (AOR, 3.02; 95% CI, 1.20-7.59) were significantly associated with EPDS scores ≥9.

An increase in postpartum depression was observed after the Great East Japan Earthquake among perinatal women. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2015;9:307-312)