Since the 1970s increase in smoking prevalence and decrease in body mass index in young women, especially those in their thirties, appeared to be the major factors involved in the increase in LBW babies.

our data indicate that the sensitivity of the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th edition) and the Child Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Reaction Index in rating symptoms of pre-school aged children is not sufficient. The alternative criteria of the former and modified version of the latter would be the better choice in this age group.

Maternal smoking during any trimesters increased the risk of preterm birth. Maternal smoking during the third trimester reduced the body length of both full-term and preterm neonates, and the birthweight of the full-term neonate in a somewhat dose-dependent manner.

A case of a 12-year-old girl with a multiple auto-immune disorder is reported. She showed Hashimoto thyroiditis which subsequently developed to hashitoxicosis and distal renal tubular acidosis at 5 years of age, pernicious anaemia at the age of 9 and severe encephalopathy at the age of 12. Laboratory studies revealed very high titres of anti-microsomal and anti-thyroglobulin antibodies and positive gastric parietal cell antibody. As to the encephalopathy, positive oligoclonal IgG bands and high values of IgG index and IgG synthesis ratio in CSF were observed with aggravation of her neurological symptoms. High-dose steroid therapy was effective toward the encephalopathy. Paediatricians should pay careful attention to patients with Hashimoto thyroiditis for association with other autoimmune disorders.

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To clarify the role of oxygen radicals in the development of myocardial injury during ischemia, production of lipid peroxides mediated by oxygen radicals was determined in in vivo dogs subjected to regional ischemia and reperfusion. Myocardial injury was assessed by derangement in energy and carbohydrate metabolism caused by ischemia and reperfusion. The production of lipid peroxides mediated by oxygen radicals considerably increased not only during reperfusion after ischemia but also during ischemia. Removal of oxygen radicals by administration of radical scavengers [recombinant human superoxide dismutase + catalase or N-(2-mercaptopropionyl)glycine] completely prevented the increase in production of lipid peroxides during ischemia. However, the radical scavengers did not attenuate the myocardial energy and carbohydrate metabolic derangements caused by ischemia and reperfusion after ischemia. These results suggest that significant amounts of oxygen radicals are generated during ischemia as well as during reperfusion and that the oxygen radicals and subsequent lipid peroxidation are not major factors in development of myocardial injury during either ischemia or reperfusion after ischemia.

BackgroundSmoking bans in public places have been shown to have an impact on smoking habits, however the potential influence of a university smoking ban on faculty and staff smoking habits remains elusive.MethodsThis cross sectional study was implemented in Nayoro City, Japan in 2011, among the faculty and students of the Nayoro City University. Five years after the declaration of a total ban on smoking on a university campus, the smoking characteristics of all students, teachers and office workers, and the policy’s impact on smokers were investigated. The survey was conducted through an anonymous, self-administered, multiple-choice questionnaire. Information was gathered on the characteristics and smoking characteristics of respondents, and the smokers attitudes toward smoking.ResultsThe recovery rate was 62.1%. Among respondents, smoking prevalence was 17.9% in teachers and office workers, and 4.0% in students. Among all smokers, 46.4% did not abstain from smoking while at the university and they indicated their smoking areas were “on the streets next to the campus”: 16 and “outdoors on campus”: 3, respectively. As for smokers, 29.6% of them reduced the number of cigarettes smoked per day as a result of the smoking ban. None of the ex-smokers replied that their principal motivation for quitting smoking was the smoking ban.ConclusionsThe ban on smoking served a motivator for smokers to reduce in smoking, but not serve as an effective motivator to quit smoking.

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