Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is one of the most critical morbidities in preterm infants. The incidence of NEC is 7% in very-low-birth-weight infants, and its mortality is 15 to 30%. Infants who survive NEC have various complications, such as nosocomial infection, malnutrition, growth failure, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, retinopathy of prematurity, and neurodevelopmental delays. The most impo...

Pneumonia is the fourth leading cause of death despite the availability of potent new antimicrobials in Japan. Aspiration of oropharyngeal bacterial pathogens to the lower respiratory tract is one of the most important risk factors for pneumonia. Impairments in swallowing and cough reflexes among disabled older persons, e.g., related to cerebrovascular disease, increase the risk of pneumonia. T...

Virus-associated human cancers provide unique opportunities for preventive strategies. The role of human papilloma viruses (HPV 16 and 18), hepatitis B virus (HBV), Epstein-Barr herpes virus (EBV), and retroviruses (human immunodeficiency virus [HIV] and human T-cell leukemia/lymphoma virus [HTLV]) in the development of common carcinomas and lymphomas represents a major cancer threat, particula...

This work addresses the problem of finding the minimal-cost preventive maintenance schedule for a single item. We develop an optimization algorithm that reduces the computational effort to find the optimal schedule. This approach relies on the item having an increasing failure rate, which is typical, and employs a Gibbs sampling algorithm to simulate from the failure rate distribution using rea...

Bath-related deaths occur frequently in Japan, particularly in the elderly population; however, this fact is not sufficiently well known by the public. The advent of a super-aging society will expose general physicians to more cases of fatal and nonfatal bath-related accidents. As many of the victims have one or more lifestyle-related diseases, general physicians will play a more important role...

Ultraviolet (UV)-associated cancer is the most common cancer in the United States. Approximately 90% of nonmelanoma skin cancer and 65% of melanoma are attributable to UV exposure and theoretically could be eliminated by primary prevention measures. Safe sun strategy includes use of sunscreens, use of protective clothing, minimization of exposure from 10 A.M. to 3 P.M., and avoidance of tanning...

My aim in this article is to move the debate about schizophrenia and violence forward to consider the evidence on what mediates that association and, more importantly, what could be done to reduce the violence. I will begin by presenting evidence in support of a substantial and clinically relevant association. Next, I will review the research on factors that mediate between having a schizophren...

Previous studies have shown that corrosion is very costly and has a major impact on the economies of industrial nations. A 1975 benchmark study by Battelle-NBS pointed out the severe impact on the U.S. economy. The estimates based on the Battelle-NBS study are that the cost of corrosion in the United States alone was approximately $70 billion, which was 4.2 percent of the gross national product...

Cancer chemoprevention is defined as the use of specific chemical compounds to prevent, inhibit or reverse carcinogenesis. Chemopreventive intervention can occur throughout carcinogenesis. Many specific food components (e.g. calcium, selenium, folic acid) may also be suitable for chemopreventive use. Chemopreventive drugs are usually administered chronically and are expected to have low toxicit...