Post-traumatic stress disorder in pre-school aged children after a gas explosion.

Unlabelled: To evaluate the sensitivity of diagnostic criteria for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in pre-school aged children involved in a gas explosion, post-traumatic symptoms of the children were investigated four times after the accident, immediately, 10 days, 6 months, and 1 year later. Using symptoms at 6 months after the accident, sensitivity of diagnostic criteria was assessed by comparing the fourth edition of the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV), and the alternative criteria for infants and young children [10]. In addition, the published Child Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Reaction Index (CPTSD-RI) and its modified version proposed by us were also evaluated their sensitivity to rate the symptoms.

Linkage and association analyses of the osteoprotegerin gene locus with human osteoporosis.

Osteoprotegerin (OPG), a secreted glycoprotein and a member of the tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily, is considered to play an important role in the regulation of bone resorption by modifying osteoclast differentiation. Overexpression of OPG in mice has been reported to result in osteopetrosis, whereas targeted disruption of OPG in mice has been associated with osteoporosis. Accordingly, OPG could be a strong candidate gene for susceptibility to human osteoporosis.

Fetal growth and the timing of exposure to maternal smoking.

Background: Maternal smoking during the third trimester reduces the birthweight of the full-term neonate. We assessed the relationship between the timing of exposure to maternal smoking, gestational period, weight and body length for both full-term and preterm neonates.

Methods: A retrospective study with a questionnaire was conducted in 1194 infants who participated in the official medical examination for 3-year-old infants.