Both VOCs and dampness were significantly related to symptoms. We should take measures to reduce the concentrations of VOCs, dampness and microbial growth in dwellings.

Stimulated by maturation-inducing hormone secreted from follicle cells surrounding the oocytes, fully-grown oocytes mature and become fertilisable. During maturation, immature oocytes resume meiosis arrested at the first prophase and proceed to the first or second metaphase at which they are naturally inseminated. Paying special attention to general and species-specific aspects, we summarise the mechanisms regulating the initial phase of oocyte maturation, from the reception of hormonal signals on the oocyte surface to activation of the maturationpromoting factor in the cytoplasm, in amphibians, fishes, mammals and marine invertebrates. INTRODUCfION TO OOCYTE MATURATIONThe life of multicellular organisms begins at fertilisation, the union of germ cells (the egg and the spermatozoon). The production and maturation of germ cells and their fusion are indispensable for the maintenance of a species beyond the limited longevity of individuals. Oocytes are produced in ovaries by the entry of mitotically proliferating oogonia into meiosis. Oocytes stop their meiotic cell cycle at the first prophase, during which they grow by the accumulation of substances necessary for early embryonic development (vitellogenesis). In many species, fullygrown postvitellogenic oocytes arrested at the first meiotic prophase are immature, and they are unable to be fertilised until they mature. The oocytes that have been induced to mature resume meiosis from the first prophase and proceed to the first or second metaphase, at which time, in many invertebrates and vertebrates, they are inseminated (1). During the course of maturation, oocytes undergo drastic morphological changes associated with progression of the meiotic cell cycle, among which breakdown of the oocyte nuclear envelope (germinal vesicle breakdown, GVBD) occurring at the prophase/metaphase transition is frequently regarded as a hallmark of the progress of maturation, although it does not necessarily mean the completion of maturation (Figure 1).Oocyte maturation is induced by sequential actions of three substances (2): gonadotropic hormone (GTH; or gonad-stimulating substance in starfish, GSS), maturation-inducing hormone (MIH; or maturationinducing substance, MIS) and maturation-promoting factor (MPF) (Figure 2). Two species of GTH, a luteinizing hormone (LH) and a follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), are secreted from the pituitary gland in vertebrates. Both LH and FSH consist of two glycoproteinous subunits, a and ~ subunits; the former is also a component of the thyroid-stimulating hormone (ISH) and the latter characterises each hormone. FSH is responsible for oocyte growth, and LH triggers oocyte maturation by stimulating follicle cells surrounding the 115 oocytes to produce MIH. MIH in vertebrates is a steroid derivative and interacts with a membrane-bound receptor on the oocyte surface, and subsequent signal transduction from the surface to the cytoplasm is probably intermediated by GfP-binding proteins (Gproteins). The MIH signal finally results in the formation and activa...

The results suggest that a preventive home visit program might be ineffective on functional and psychosocial status among ambulatory frail elders overall, although it might significantly improve ADLs, IADLs and depression for those with ADL dependency.

We evaluated the effects of inhaled di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP) on the onset of puberty and on postpubertal reproductive functions in prepubertal female rats. DEHP was administered by inhalation at doses of 0, 5, and 25 mg/m3 to groups of female rats for 6 h/day, 5 contiguous days/week from postnatal days (PNDs) 22 to 41 and to PND 84. The onset of puberty was determined by daily examination for vaginal opening (VO) and first estrous cycle. Reproductive function was evaluated by observing estrous cyclicity from PNDs 49 to 84. Upon completion of exposure, the rats were sacrificed at PND 42 and PNDs 85-88 during the diestrous stage. DEHP exposure advanced the age of VO and first estrous cycle, and serum cholesterol, luteinizing hormone, and estradiol levels were significantly elevated in the 25-mg/m3 DEHP group. Irregular estrous cycles were observed more frequently in DEHP-exposed rats, and serum cholesterol decreased in DEHP-exposed rats in adulthood; RT-PCR showed that the expression of aromatase mRNA, encoding a rate-limiting enzyme that catalyzes the conversion of testosterone to estradiol, was elevated in the 25-mg/m3 DEHP group. These data suggest that inhaled DEHP may advance the onset of puberty and alter postpubertal reproductive functions.

Genetic susceptibility to tobacco smoke might have relation to adverse pregnancy outcomes. To estimate the effects of maternal smoking and genetic polymorphisms on infant birth weight and length, we conducted a prospective cohort study of 293 women who delivered singleton live births in Sapporo, Japan. Birth weight and length were significantly lower among infants born to continuously smoking women having the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) wild type genotype (Arg/Arg; 211 g +/- 76 g; 1.2 cm +/- 0.4 cm, p < 0.01 and p < 0.01, respectively), the CYP1A1 variant genotype (m1/m2 + m2/m2; 170 g +/- 64 g, 0.8 cm +/- 0.3 cm, p < 0.01 and p < 0.05, respectively), or the GSTM1 null genotype (171 g +/- 58 g, 0.6 cm +/- 0.3 cm, p < 0.01 and p < 0.05, respectively). When combinations of these genotypes were considered, birth weight and length were significantly lower for infants of continuously smoking women in the AhR wild type + CYP1A1 variant group (315 g +/- 116 g; 1.7 cm +/- 0.6 cm, p < 0.01 and p < 0.01, respectively) and in the CYP1A1 variant + GSTM1 null group (237 g +/- 92 g; 1.3 cm +/- 0.5 cm, p < 0.05 and p < 0.01, respectively). These genotypes did not confer adverse effects among women who had never smoked; therefore, maternal smoking in combination with maternal AhR, CYP1A1 and GSTM1 genetic polymorphisms may adversely affect infant birth size.

Y Saijo et al. 17994-revised CapsuleThere was a statistically significant difference in the IL-6-634C→G genotype frequency between Japanese patients with recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) and controls.Patients who carry the -634 G allele may have a decreased risk of RPL. Y Saijo et al. 17994-revised Structured AbstractObjective: To investigate the relationships between recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) and single nucleotide polymorphisms (-634 C→G and -174 G→C genotypes) in the promoter region of the IL-6 gene in the Japanese population.Design: A case-control study. Setting: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology in a university hospital.Patient(s): 76 cases with RPL. Controls were 93 fertile women. Intervention(s):Frequency and distribution of the promoter region of the IL-6 gene allele. Main Outcome Measure(s): Determination of IL-6 promoter gene polymorphisms was performed by polymerase chain reaction and gel electrophoresisResults: There was a significant difference in the -634C→G genotype frequency (CC vs. CG/GG) between the women with RPL and the controls. The risk of RPL was lower in the carrier of the G allele than in women with the wild type（CC）, with OR = 0.46 (95% CI = 0.24-0.91). On the other hand, we did not detect any carrier of -174C in the 169 subjects. Conclusion(s):The results suggest that women carrying the -634 G allele of the IL-6 gene may have a decreased risk of RPL in the Japanese population. A shift to type-2 T-helper (Th2) cytokine production with abundant interleukine (IL)-6 and IL-10 is considered essential for the maintenance of normal pregnancy. There is evidence of a diminished Th2 immune response to placental antigens in women with RLP (5). Plasma levels of IL-6, IL-8 and IL-11 have been found to be decreased in such women compared with normal pregnancies (6).Additionally, IL-6 levels in maternal serum (7), amniotic fluid (8), vaginal fluid (9), and placenta (10) have been found to increase during the process of normal labor compared to the nonlabor state.One study demonstrated an increase in the frequencies of type-1 T-helper (Th1) cytokine IL-1β gene promoter region variants IL-1B-511C and IL-1B-31T in RPL women with RLP (11). One of the Th2 cytokines, IL-10 promoter region variant (-1082G→A) was not associated with RPL (12,13). However, relationships between many diseases and IL-6 promoter gene polymorphisms, such as IL-6 -174G→C (14, 15) and IL-6 -634C→G (16), were recently demonstrated. It is also known that the former polymorphism is frequently found in Caucasians (14, 15) and the latter in Japanese (16). There have been no reports of other frequent polymorphisms of the IL-6 gene, and the relationship between any IL-6 gene polymorphism and RPL has not yet been investigated. In the present study, therefore, we assessed these two promoter polymorphisms and investigated whether either of these IL-6 gene polymorphisms Materials and MethodsThis case-control study was performed in Sapporo, Japan, during the years 1999-2002. We studied 76 cases aged 20-42 years with a history of RP...

Cyclin B mRNA stored in immature zebrafish oocytes is translationally activated upon the stimulation of 17alpha,20beta-dihydroxy-4-pregnen-3-one (17alpha,20beta-DP), an event prerequisite for initiating oocyte maturation in this species. We investigated localization of cyclin B mRNA in zebrafish oocytes. Cyclin B mRNA was found to be exclusively localized as an aggregation along the cytoplasm at the animal pole of full-grown immature oocytes. When oocytes were treated with 17alpha,20beta-DP, a meshwork of microfilaments in the oocyte cortex disappeared and the aggregation of cyclin B mRNA dispersed just prior to the initiation of cyclin B synthesis and germinal vesicle breakdown (GVBD). Cytochalasin B, but not nocodazole or taxol, deformed the aggregation of cyclin B mRNA, indicating the involvement of microfilaments in organizing this form. Like 17alpha,20beta-DP, cytochalasin B (10 microg/ml) induced both complete dispersion of the aggregation and translational activation of cyclin B mRNA, forcing the oocytes to undergo GVBD without 17alpha,20beta-DP. Conversely, disturbance of the aggregation of cyclin B mRNA with a low concentration (1 microg/ml) of cytochalasin B inhibited 17alpha,20beta-DP-induced GVBD. These results suggest that the direct change in cyclin B mRNA from the aggregated form to the dispersed form is responsible for translational activation of the mRNA during zebrafish oocyte maturation.

Culture not only assigns a name to occupation through its language, but it also shapes the form it takes and the meaning with which it is imbued. When an individual chooses an occupation, psychological and physical concerns as well as cultural practices, values, and beliefs come into play. Although occupational therapists are trained to be culturally competent, their grasp of the importance of cultural considerations can be enhanced through detailed accounts of the way in which such concerns affect clinical practice. In this paper, I describe in detail my observations of how differences between American and Japanese culture have created tensions in occupational therapy practice in Japan. Further, largely through a case presentation, I illustrate the necessity for incorporating in-depth cultural considerations as a central part of the occupational therapy process. I argue that the study of culture and the production of culture-specific occupational therapy theories will contribute to best practice. I conclude by demonstrating that universal as well as culture-specific theories are needed to nurture occupational therapy.