Study of the sleep patterns, sleep habits, and sleep problems in Japanese elementary school children using the CSHQ-J

Objective: This study aimed to examine the sleep patterns, sleep habits, and sleep problems in Japanese elementary school children from the aspect of their developmental age. Methods: The Japanese version of the Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ-J) was distributed to the parents of 330 students of which 296 (154 boys and 142 girls) questionnaires were returned. The subjects were divided into 3 groups by grade (Low-grade [1st−2nd graders], Middle-grade [3rd−4th graders], and High-grade [5th−6th graders]). Results: Bedtime was significantly later and sleep duration was significantly shorter in the older students. The total CSHQ-J score was significantly higher in the Low-grade group compared with that in the High-grade group. Regarding the sub-items of the CSHQ-J, the scores for "bedtime resistance" and "sleep anxiety" were significantly higher in the Low-grade group compared with those in the High-grade group. Conclusions: That sleep duration was significantly shorter in the older students was attributable to their later bedtimes. Differences in the total and sub-item scores of the CSHQ-J were largely attributable to the autonomy of sleep

Enhanced Nox1 expression and oxidative stress resistance in c-kit-positive hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells

Although stem cells are generally thought to be resistant to oxidative stress, the fact and in detail molecular mechanism are still to be clearly identified. We herein tried to understand the overall characterization of redox regulatory signaling in hematopoietic stem cells. We purified c-kit-positive hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells from the bone marrow of healthy mice, and then evaluated their redox regulatory property. Compared to the c-kit-negative matured mononuclear cells, c-kit-positive stem/progenitor cells showed lower basic levels of intracellular reactive oxygen species, faster clearance of the accumulated intracellular reactive oxygen species, and higher resistant to oxidative stress. An overall view on the gene expression profile associated with redox regulation showed to be widely differed between cell types. We confirmed that the c-kit-positive stem/progenitor cells expressed significantly higher of Nox1 and catalase, but less of lactoperoxidase than these matured mononuclear cells. Our data suggests that stem cells keep specific redox regulatory property for defensing against oxidative stress

Association between interstitial lung abnormality and mortality in patients with esophageal cancer

The version of record of this article, first published in Japanese Journal of Radiology, is available online at Publisher’s website: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11604-024-01563-x.Purpose: To investigate the relationship between interstitial lung abnormalities (ILAs) and mortality in patients with esophageal cancer and the cause of mortality. Materials and methods: This retrospective study investigated patients with esophageal cancer from January 2011 to December 2015. ILAs were visually scored on baseline CT using a 3-point scale (0 = non-ILA, 1 = indeterminate for ILA, and 2 = ILA). ILAs were classified into subcategories of non-subpleural, subpleural non-fibrotic, and subpleural fibrotic. Five-year overall survival (OS) was compared between patients with and without ILAs using the multivariable Cox proportional hazards model. Subgroup analyses were performed based on cancer stage and ILA subcategories. The prevalences of treatment complications and death due to esophageal cancer and pneumonia/respiratory failure were analyzed using Fisher’s exact test. Results: A total of 478 patients with esophageal cancer (age, 66.8 years ± 8.6 [standard deviation]; 64 women) were evaluated in this study. Among them, 267 patients showed no ILAs, 125 patients were indeterminate for ILAs, and 86 patients showed ILAs. ILAs were a significant factor for shorter OS (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.68, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.10–2.55, P = 0.016) in the multivariable Cox proportional hazards model adjusting for age, sex, smoking history, clinical stage, and histology. On subgroup analysis using patients with clinical stage IVB, the presence of ILAs was a significant factor (HR = 3.78, 95% CI 1.67–8.54, P = 0.001). Subpleural fibrotic ILAs were significantly associated with shorter OS (HR = 2.22, 95% CI 1.25–3.93, P = 0.006). There was no significant difference in treatment complications. Patients with ILAs showed a higher prevalence of death due to pneumonia/respiratory failure than those without ILAs (non-ILA, 2/95 [2%]; ILA, 5/39 [13%]; P = 0.022). The prevalence of death due to esophageal cancer was similar in patients with and without ILA (non-ILA, 82/95 [86%]; ILA 32/39 [82%]; P = 0.596). Conclusion: ILAs were significantly associated with shorter survival in patients with esophageal cancer

Christopher Simpson The Division-Viol, or, The Art of PLAYING Extempore upon a GROUND. EDITIO SECVNDA Dedication & Recommendation

本訳稿はChristopher Simpson (1605頃－1669) 著 The Division-Viol, or, The Art of PLAYING Ex tempore upon a GROUND. DIVIDED INTO THREE PARTS. EDITIO SECVNDA, London, 1665 の著者による献辞および楽譜出版権所有者による推薦文の全訳である

Excessive Daytime Sleepiness and its Associated Factors among Male Non-shift White-collar Workers , including an increase in mortality and

Abstract: Excessive Daytime Sleepiness and its Associated Factors among Male Non-shift Whitecollar Workers: Yuriko DOI, et al. Department of Epidemiology, National Institute of Public HealthExcessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) has been noted as a tremendous burden on our modern society and life, but evidence on EDS is limited for white-collar workers in occupational settings. To estimate the prevalence rate of EDS and examine its associated factors, we investigated 3,909 male non-shift whitecollar employees aged 20-59 working in a telecommunications company in the Tokyo metropolitan area between December 1999 and January 2000 (a response rate of 91.0%). Our main findings in the present study were that the prevalence rate of EDS was 7.2% and five factors associated with EDS were identified in a multivariate logistic regression model (p<0.05): nocturnal sleep duration, sleep-wake schedules, depression, marital status and smoking. These results suggest that the individual behavioral modification of sleep habits and lifestyle is one of the promising strategies for reducing EDS. More importantly, it is possible that occupational and health promotion policies such as a ban on overtime work and the provision of mental health hygiene and social support at worksites are effective for the prevention of EDS in the workplace. The consequences of sleep deprivation and sleepiness have been noted as a tremendous burden on our modern society and life Received Oct 16 2001; Accepted Jan 31, 2002 Correspondence to: Y. Doi, Department of Epidemiology, National Institute of Public Health, 2-3-6 Minami, Wako, Saitama 351-0104 Japan morbidity, errors and accidents, absenteeism, a decrease in productivity, and the deterioration of personal and professional relationships 2, 3) . Japanese society is not an exception with respect to sleep loss and sleepiness 4) . In particular, excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) is the critical issue in workplaces from the viewpoints of occupational health and safety. Past research has focused on daytime sleepiness and alertness among shift workers whose circadian rhythms are affected by the irregular sleep-wake schedules due to their shift work Therefore, the purpose of our study was to shed light on EDS among male non-shift white-collar workers residing and working in the Tokyo metropolitan area, who restrict their sleep due to work, work-related activities and their long commute Subjects and Methods Subjects The telecommunications company employed 5,608 white-collar workers at 22 work sites distributed in Kanagawa Prefecture at the time of the survey conducted between December 1999 and January 2000. After permission for the study was obtained from the headquarters and the labor union, questionnaires on sleep and health were distributed to 5,571 full-time white-collar workers by site staff. A total of 5,072 workers responded to the survey (a response rate of 91.0%). Each questionnaire, sealed in an envelope, was collected fro

Gender differences in excessive daytime sleepiness among Japanese workers

Excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) is serious concern in the workplace with respect to errors, accidents, absenteeism, reduced productivity and impaired personal or professional life. Previous community studies found a female preponderance of EDS, however, there is little research on EDS and gender in occupational settings. We examined the gender differences in prevalence and risk factors of EDS among employees working at a telecommunications company in the Tokyo metropolitan area. Our outcome measure of EDS was the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS). A self-administered questionnaire on health and sleep including ESS was distributed to 5571 workers between December 1999 and January 2000, and 5072 responses were returned (91.0%). A total of 4722 full-time, non-manual and non-shift employees aged 20-59 were used for analysis (3909 men and 813 women). Chi-squared tests and multiple logistic regression analyses were applied for examining the gender differences in the prevalence and risk factors of EDS. The prevalence rates of EDS were 13.3% for women and 7.2% for men (PExcessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) Gender Sleep duration Sleep-wake rhythms Depression Marital status Japan

Alkali Attack on Cation-Exchange Membranes with Polyvinyl Chloride Backing and Binder: Comparison with Anion-Exchange Membranes

Systematic alkali immersion tests of cation-exchange membranes (CEM) with polyvinyl chloride (PVC) as their backing and binder were conducted to compare that of an Anion-exchange membrane (AEM) with the same PVC materials to investigate the mechanism of dehydrochlorination. In the immersion tests, originally colorless and transparent AEM turned violet, and chemical structure analysis showed that polyene was produced by the dehydrochlorination reaction. However, the CEM did not change in color, chemical structure or membrane properties during the test with less than 1M alkali solutions. According to the Donnan equilibrium theory and the experiments using CEM and AEM, the hydroxide ion concentration in the CEM was much lower than that in the AEM under the same conditions. However, when the alkali immersion test was performed using the CEM under more severe conditions (6 M for 168 h at 40 °C), there was a slight change in the color and chemical structure of the CEM, clearly indicating that not only AEMs, but also CEMs with PVC matrixes were deteriorated by alkali, depending on the conditions