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Background and Aim: This study analyzed inflammatory bowel disease activity for 2 years after the Great East Japan Earthquake. Methods: We compared the relapse rates of patients with ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease 1 and 2 years after the earthquake with rates immediately after the earthquake. To evaluate continuous disease courses, we also performed multivariate time‐to‐event analyses from the time of the earthquake to the onset of additional treatments. Results: Of 903 patients with ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease in our previous study, we could evaluate 2‐year courses in 677 patients (394 ulcerative colitis and 283 Crohn's disease). Compared with the relapse rates of ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease immediately after the earthquake (15.8% and 7.0%, respectively), those in the corresponding periods in 2012 (2.5% and 1.1%, respectively) and 2013 (2.3% and 2.5%, respectively) significantly decreased. There were 226 patients who required additional treatments after the earthquake. Multivariate time‐to‐event analyses revealed that only patients who had experienced the death of family members or friends were likely to need additional treatments (hazard ratio = 1.77, 95% confidence interval = 1.25–2.47). No other factors had a significant influence. Conclusions: The relapse rates 1 and 2 years after the earthquake significantly decreased. The factors that influenced long‐term relapse were different from those that influenced short‐term relapse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discusses the development of a multimedia training material for use at the high-level public vocational training center, Chubu Polytechnic Center, Japan, run by the Employment Promotion Corporation. Reason for development of instructional material; What material allows for; Difference with this system; Response of those attending seminar using this material; Background information on center.

Although the cleanliness of the angiography room and that of the operating room have long been equally attended to, the concept of Standard Precautions (including the basic measures and procedures to prevent infection) of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 1996, as well as the introduction of transmission-based precautions, have been changing to preventive measures that are based on concrete measures. Therefore, a questionnaire was introduced in order to determine the actual status of countermeasures against infection used in the angiography room. The questionnaire was sent to 530 institutions, and 286 responded, a response rate of 54.0%. Its results significantly revealed the following: 1) unexpectedly low recognition of the need and importance for the CDC preventive measures against infection, 2) a considerable number of institutions continuing to perform the conventional preventive measures, 3) problems with education systems on preventive measures, and 4) handwashing, the most important measure against infection, failing to be adequately carried out noticeably among radiological technologists.