Nicotine cut-off value in human hair as a tool to distinguish active from passive smokers: A cross-sectional study in Japanese men.

Background: Nicotine concentration in hair is a useful marker of tobacco exposure. Detection of nicotine in the hair of non-smokers indicates passive smoking. Accurate measurement of nicotine among active and passive smokers can help in smoking cessation programs or programs designed to prevent secondhand smoke exposure.

EFFECT OF CYP2A6*4 GENETIC POLYMORPHISMS ON SMOKING BEHAVIORS AND NICOTINE DEPENDENCE IN A GENERAL POPULATION OF JAPANESE MEN.

Objectives: Nicotine in cigarettes is metabolized primarily by CYP2A6-catalyzed oxidation. The CYP2A6*4 allele, in which CYP2A6 is a homozygous whole-deletion variant, completely lacks enzyme activity. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of CYP2A6*4 genetic polymorphism on smoking behavior and nicotine dependence in a general population of Japanese men.

Correlations among heavy metals in blood and urine and their relations to depressive symptoms in Parkinson's disease patients.

Objectives: From our previous results, manganese (Mn) and iron (Fe) in the blood of Parkinson's disease (PD) patients without depression were higher than those of both the PD patients with depression and controls, the hypothesis that "two types of PD exist-PD without depression and affected by Mn and Fe, and PD with depression and unaffected by Mn or Fe" was induced. To investigate the hypothesis, correlations among blood and urine metals were compared in the subjects.

Methods: Subjects comprised PD patients with depression, PD patients without depression and controls recruited from an outpatient clinic in China.

Heavy metals in blood and urine and its relation to depressive symptoms in Parkinson's disease patients.

Objectives: Some heavy metals are suspected to be pathogenic to both Parkinson's disease (PD) and depression. Common background may exist in them.

Methods: Subjects comprised PD patients with depression, PD patients without depression and controls recruited from the outpatient clinic in China.

Differences in rates of decrease of environmental radiation dose rates by ground surface property in Fukushima City after the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant accident.

After the Great East Japan Earthquake on 11 March 2011, the environmental radiation dose in Fukushima City increased. On 11 April, 1 mo after the earthquake, the environmental radiation dose rate at various surfaces in the same area differed greatly by surface property. Environmental radiation measurements continue in order to determine the estimated time to 50% reduction in environmental radiation dose rates by surface property in order to make suggestions for decontamination in Fukushima.

Reducing radiation exposure using commonly available objects.

Objectives: One and a half years have passed since the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant disaster. The environmental radiation dose rate was not critical, but an existing exposure situation has been identified in a large part of Fukushima Prefecture. Although people continue to live and work in the contaminated area, they are not provided with sufficient information to reduce their exposure to radiation by themselves.

Toxic effects of nicotinamide methylation on mouse brain striatum neuronal cells and its relation to manganese.

Objective: It is well known that manganese (Mn) exposure is involved in parkinsonism. The aim of our study was to test the hypotheses that Mn affects nicotinamide N-methyltransferase (NNMT) activity, increases the metabolism of nicotinamide (NA) to 1-methylnicotinamide (MNA), and leads to neurocytotoxicity.

Methods: Following demonstration of the effects of Mn concentrations on the survival rate of Mouse CD1 brain striatum neuronal cells (MS cells), the effect of Mn on NNMT activity was investigated by comparing the difference in the amount of MNA produced after various Mn concentrations were added to mouse brain cytosol fractions as an enzyme solution.

An assessment of radiation doses at an educational institution 57.8 km away from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant 1 month after the nuclear accident.

Objectives: On 11 March 2011, the Great East Japan Earthquake occurred. Due to this earthquake and subsequent tsunami, malfunctions occurred at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. Radioactive material even reached the investigated educational institution despite being 57.

Effect of PSK on the maturation of dendritic cells derived from human peripheral blood monocytes.

Dendritic cells (DCs) are powerful antigen-presenting cells (APCs) that have attracted attention in recent years from the viewpoint of DC vaccine therapy against cancer. However, the existence of a strongly immunosuppressed state in cancer-bearing individuals inhibits DC maturation, which is one of the problems facing anti-cancer DC vaccine therapy. Protein-bound polysaccharide K (PSK), which is extracted from the cultured mycelium of Coriolus versicolor (Fr.

[Effect of DC therapy combined with chemotherapy in advanced cancer cases].

Dendritic cells (DC) are powerful antigen-presenting cells, and have attracted attention in recent years from the viewpoint of DC vaccine therapy against cancer. However, the existence of an immunosuppressive state in cancer individuals leads to anergy and immunotolerance, which has been reported to be caused by T cell and DC immunosuppressive subsets or cytokines such as Th2, Tc2, CD4+CD25+, DC2 and IL-10 against Th1, Tc1, DC1 and IL-12. Therefore, DC therapy could be incompatible with severe chemotherapy.