[Practice of Disaster Medicine and Clinical Laboratory Tests].

In recent years, Japan has been hit by natural disasters such as earthquakes, typhoons, torrential rains, and heavy snow every year without exception. When such disasters occur, human lives are put at risk. These emergency situations are an unrivaled sphere of activity for physicians, nurses, and emergency life-saving technicians, and the need for these workers becomes the focus of society; however, for advanced rescue in the acute phase of disasters and to prevent disease onset in the chronic phase, clinical laboratory tests are expected to play a major role in developing more accurate diagnoses and promoting prompt medical care.

[Certifying Examination System in College of Laboratory Medicine of Japan].

The three types of certifying examinations provided by the College of Laboratory Medicine of Japan are introduced. They are the Technologist in Laboratory, Specialist in Laboratory, and Technologist in Emer- gency Laboratory. Both the Technologist in Laboratory and Specialist in Laboratory examinations focus on eight areas: microbiology, pathology, chemistry, hematology, immunology, cardiology, neurology, and respi- rology.

[Required education for medical technologists of the next generation--chairmen's introductory remarks].

This symposium is named "Required education for medical technologists of the next generation", and is held under the joint sponsorship of the Japanese Association of Medical Technology Education. We received lectures by two speakers from the clinical field and two speakers from a medical technology educational institution. From the perspective of the medical technology education institution, we were introduced to education that is actually being provided.

[Certifying examination which college of laboratory medicine of Japan is sponsoring].

Becoming a Medical Technologist capable of contributing to the clinical field requires an ability to keep up with rapid advances in the field of medicine, as well as the diligence to constantly keep abreast of new discoveries and technologies. To this end, one should forge a social identity as a Medical Technologist, thereby bringing more esteem to the profession. Moreover, applying knowledge of medical laboratory work to not only medicine but also other fields is linked with maintaining and improving public health, which is an important objective for the Medical Technologist.

[Education of medical technology and graduate school in Japan].

Now the education of medical technologists has reached the fourth turning point. The first turning point was the start of the two year education in 1958 and the second was the start of the three year education of medical Technologists in 1971 and the third was the start of the full-fledged university education in 2004 and, this time, the fourth turning point is the start of graduate school education of medical technology. From this situation, for education of graduate school, mind education that polishes personality practically is may be demanded, Therefore, human resource development with not only knowledge and technique as medical technologists but also with humanly nurtured sentiment is expected in the future.

Isolation of stable (alphabeta)4-Tetraprotomer from Na+/K+-ATPase solubilized in the presence of short-chain fatty acids.

Previously, it was demonstrated that acetate anions increase the higher oligomer (H), consuming (alphabeta) 2-diprotomer (D) and alphabeta-protomer (P) of solubilized dog kidney Na (+)/K (+)-ATPase [ Kobayashi, T. et al. (2007) J.

Na+- and K+-dependent oligomeric interconversion among alphabeta-protomers, diprotomers and higher oligomers in solubilized Na+/K+-ATPase.

Protein fractions of a higher-oligomer (H), (alphabeta)(2)-diprotomer (D) and alphabeta-protomer (P) were separated from dog kidney Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase solubilized in the presence of NaCl and KCl. Na(+)/K(+)-dependent interconversion of the oligomers was analysed using HPLC at 0 degrees C. With increasing KCl concentrations, the content or amount of D increased from 27.

Kinetic analysis of bile acids in the feces of colorectal cancer patients by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS).

Purpose: We used gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and reviewed dynamics of bile acids every colorectal cancer occupation part as contrast with a healthy adults after enforcement by all at once analysis of bile acids in feces of a healthy adults and the colorectal cancer patients so that we clarified the details of a possibility of colorectal cancer outbreak participation of allo type bile acids.

Subjects: The fecal bile acid measurements were made in a colorectal cancer group consisting of 89 patients and a control group consisting of 103 healthy adults.

Methods: All at once analyzed bile acid in feces of a control group and colorectal cancer group by GC-MS.

[Study of quantification of oxidative stresses caused by lifestyle habits].

It is now clear that oxidative stresses caused by reactive oxygen species, free radicals originating in them, and lipid peroxides can be factors to cause over 90% of lifestyle-related diseases including cancer, heart diseases, cerebrovascular diseases, arteriosclerosis, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus. In the present study, health conditions, nutrition intake, bodily activities, smoking/non-smoking, and sleep hours among other factors were surveyed with youths around twenty years old of age as subjects, and those results and the results of measurement of speed for the generation of 8-OHdG (8-Hydroxy-2'-Deoxyguanosine) as oxidative stress biomarker were compared for consideration. As a result, there were correlations detected as to exercise habits, cholesterol values, and smoking habits.

[Education in medical technology].

This year the education of Medical Technologists has reached the third turning point. The first turning point was the start of the two-year education of health laboratory technicians in 1958 and the second turning point was the start of the three-year education of Medical Technologists in 1971 and, this time, the third turning point is the start of the full-fledged university education. All 20 national education facilities for Medical Technologists and 2 public junior colleges have started the university education from this year.

[Futue direction of three-year educational establishments for students of medical technology].

The medical laboratory technologist education currently offered at four state run junior colleges will be upgraded to higher education as all those junior colleges become universities in 2004. It has already been decided that several private junior colleges and vocational schools are to be upgraded to universities as well. Furthermore, the course will not only be offered in undergraduate universities, but also on a postgraduate level, increasing the number of medical laboratory technologists with a master's degree or a doctorate.