Job strain and smoking cessation among Japanese male employees: a two-year follow-up study

The purpose of the present study was to assess the association between job strain and smoking cessation among Japanese male employees. In 1997, a baseline questionnaire was given to 2,625 (2,113 males and 512 females) employees of an electronics firm in Gifu Prefecture, Japan. The self-administered questionnaire was a set of questions on smoking habits and consisted of items on socio-demographic variables and smoking habits, including the Japanese version of the Job Content Questionnaire (JCQ). The JCQ consists of scales of job control, job demand, supervisory support, coworker support, job insecurity, physical demands, and isometric load. A total of 733 male smokers were then followed for 2 years, with 446 completing a follow-up questionnaire in 1999 (follow-up rate, 61%). Logistic regression analyses were performed to examine associations between job strain and smoking cessation. Among the 446 participants, 38 had quit smoking. After adjusting for age ((odds ratio: OR) = 0.38, 95% (contidence interval: CI) = 0.15-0.94), men with a high level of physical demands at baseline showed a lower smoking cessation rate at follow-up than did those with a low level. However, when adjustments were made for age and other socio-demographic variables, the odds ratio of smoking cessation showed marginal significance (OR = 0.45, 95% CI = 0.16-1.29). There was no significant association between other job strain variables and smoking cessation at the 2-year follow-up. No significant association was found between job strain and change in the number of smoked cigarettes per day. The present study did not support the hypothesis that higher levels of job stressors are associated with a lower rate of smoking cessation among men.</p

Enriching Beneficial Microbial Diversity of Indoor Plants and Their Surrounding Built Environment With Biostimulants

Microbial diversity is suggested as the key for plant and human health. However, how microbial diversity can be enriched is largely unknown but of great interest for health issues. Biostimulants offer the way to directly augment our main living areas by the healthy microbiome of indoor plants. Here, we investigated shifts of the microbiome on leaves of spider plants (Chlorophytum comosum) and its surrounding abiotic surfaces in the built environment after irrigation with a vermicompost-based biostimulant for 12 weeks. The biostimulant could not only promote plant growth, but changed the composition of the microbiome and abundance of intact microbial cells on plant leaves and even stronger on abiotic surfaces in close vicinity under constant conditions of the microclimate. Biostimulant treatments stabilized microbial diversity and resulted in an increase of Bacteroidetes and a surprising transient emerge of new phyla, e.g., Verrucomicrobia, Acidobacteria, and Thaumarchaeota. The proportion of potentially beneficial microorganisms like Brevibacillus, Actinoallomurus, Paenibacillus, Sphaerisporangium increased relatively; microbial diversity was stabilized, and the built environment became more plant-like. Detected metabolites like indole-3-acetic acid in the biostimulant were potentially contributed by species of Pseudomonas. Overall, effects of the biostimulant on the composition of the microbiome could be predicted with an accuracy of 87%. This study shows the potential of biostimulants not only for the plant itself, but also for other living holobionts like humans in the surrounding environment

Broccoli consumption and chronic atrophic gastritis among Japanese males: an epidemiological investigation.

Previous in vitro and animal experiments have shown that sulforaphane, which is abundant in broccoli, inhibits Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection and blocks gastric tumor formation. This suggests that broccoli consumption prevents chronic atrophic gastritis (CAG) introduced by H. pylori infection and, therefore, gastric cancer. For an epidemiological investigation of the relationship between the broccoli consumption and CAG, a cross-sectional study of 438 male employees, aged 39 to 60 years, of a Japanese steel company was conducted. CAG was serologically determined with serum cut-off values set at pepsinogen I &#60; or = 70 ng/ml and a ratio of serum pepsinogen I/pepsinogen II &#60; or = 3.0. Broccoli consumption (weekly frequency) and diet were monitored by using a 31-item food frequency questionnaire. The prevalence of CAG among men who ate broccoli once or more weekly was twice as high as that among men who consumed a negligible amount (P &#60; 0.05). Multiple logistic regression analysis indicated that broccoli consumption once or more weekly significantly increased the risk for CAG (odds ratio, 3.06; 95% confidence interval, 1.12-8.38; P &#60; 0.05), after controlling for age, education, cigarette smoking, and alcohol consumption. The present study failed to show an expected association between frequent broccoli consumption and a low prevalence of CAG.</p

Incorporation of 3H-thymidine and 3H-uridine into Early Embryos in Inbred and Hybrid Quail

本研究は,ニホンウズラの近交胚と雑種胚における3H-チミジン,3H-ウリジンの取り込み量および胚発育とこれらの取り込み量との関係について検討した.本研究に用いたニホンウズラは近交系,これらの近交系間交雑種(以下交雑種F1)および無作為交配群である.近交系は共通の基礎集団から4世代にわたって全きょうだい交配によって作出した.10μlの3H-チミジンあるいは3H-ウリジン量(最終濃度50nmol,2μCi)を卵黄中に注入し,孵卵後2,3,4日目に胚へ取り込まれたチミジン,ウリジンの量を測定した.さらに本実験では培養胚のチミジン,ウリジンの取り込みについても検討した. まず,胚発育,胚重量について検討した結果,近交系では著しい発育遅延と胚重量の減少が見られた.一方,交雑種F1では胚発育,胚重量の回復が認められ,無作為交配群に近似した つぎに,3H-チミジン,3H-ウリジンの取り込み量について検討した結果,近交系では交雑種F1,無作為交配群に比べて有意に低い値を示した.一方,交雑種F1でのこれらの取り込み量は無作為交配群の値に近似した.培養胚での取り込み量においても同様の結果が得られた.胚の発育と,3H-チミジン,3H-ウリジンとの関係について検討した結果,いずれの交配群においても取り込み量は胚発育の進んだ胚では高く,一方発育遅延した胚では低くなる傾向がみられ,胚発育とチミジン,ウリジンの取り込み量との間には密接な関連のあることが明らかになった.これらの結果から,核酸,タンパク合成能の低下が近交ウズラ胚での発育遅延に関連し,一方雑種ウズラ胚での胚発育の回復は核酸,タンパク合成機能の亢進に起因したものと考えられる

Incorporation of 3H-thymidine and 3H-uridine into Early Embryos in Inbred and Hybrid Quail

本研究は,ニホンウズラの近交胚と雑種胚における3H-チミジン,3H-ウリジンの取り込み量および胚発育とこれらの取り込み量との関係について検討した.本研究に用いたニホンウズラは近交系,これらの近交系間交雑種(以下交雑種F1)および無作為交配群である.近交系は共通の基礎集団から4世代にわたって全きょうだい交配によって作出した.10μlの3H-チミジンあるいは3H-ウリジン量(最終濃度50nmol,2μCi)を卵黄中に注入し,孵卵後2,3,4日目に胚へ取り込まれたチミジン,ウリジンの量を測定した.さらに本実験では培養胚のチミジン,ウリジンの取り込みについても検討した. まず,胚発育,胚重量について検討した結果,近交系では著しい発育遅延と胚重量の減少が見られた.一方,交雑種F1では胚発育,胚重量の回復が認められ,無作為交配群に近似した つぎに,3H-チミジン,3H-ウリジンの取り込み量について検討した結果,近交系では交雑種F1,無作為交配群に比べて有意に低い値を示した.一方,交雑種F1でのこれらの取り込み量は無作為交配群の値に近似した.培養胚での取り込み量においても同様の結果が得られた.胚の発育と,3H-チミジン,3H-ウリジンとの関係について検討した結果,いずれの交配群においても取り込み量は胚発育の進んだ胚では高く,一方発育遅延した胚では低くなる傾向がみられ,胚発育とチミジン,ウリジンの取り込み量との間には密接な関連のあることが明らかになった.これらの結果から,核酸,タンパク合成能の低下が近交ウズラ胚での発育遅延に関連し,一方雑種ウズラ胚での胚発育の回復は核酸,タンパク合成機能の亢進に起因したものと考えられる

The Mediating Role of Sleep Quality on Well-Being Among Japanese Working Family Caregivers

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the well-being of caregivers is mediated by the association between behavioral and psychological symptoms in elderly relatives and the quality of sleep experienced by caregivers using a mediational model. The participants were 105 working family caregivers in Japan. We assessed well-being based on the Kessler Scale 10, self-rated health, and satisfaction in daily life. Our results showed that the well-being in working family caregivers was impacted by the severity of behavioral and psychological symptoms in elderly relatives. Well-being in working family caregivers was also affected by quality of sleep. Maintaining good quality of sleep in working family caregivers is important for reducing caregiver burden and psychological distress, and for improving the balance between work and family life

Production, stability study, particles size distribution and rheological behavior of oil-in-water systems based on whey proteins / Produção, estudo de estabilidade, distribuição e tamanho de partículas e comportamento reológico de sistemas óleo/água adicionados de soro lácteo

The present study evaluated the functionality of whey protein as an emulsifying and stabilizing agent in oil-in-water systems with the purpose of suggesting the use of whey in food, cosmetic or medicines emulsions. A basic emulsion with vegetable oil (20% w/w), whey protein (20% w/w) and xanthan gum (0.1% w/w) was prepared using a mixer equipament. Stability tests and storage conditions, flow test, freeze drying, particles size characterization, analyses of microscopic and rheological measurements were performed. Characterization analyses showed that the formed systems can be classified as emulsions with droplet sizes smaller than 100 µm, non-Newtonian fluids characterized as pseudoplastics and practically constant viscosity at high shear rates. In addition, characterization indicates that the use of Turrax results in more stable emulsions (more homogeneous droplets and reduced diameter) and lower apparent viscosity values. The results showed that emulsions formed by the use of whey include xanthan gum exhibit stability at room temperature, during freezing/thawing and the freeze drying process, suggesting the satisfactory application of these compounds information and stabilization of emulsions that undergo processes involving these unitary operations in pharmaceutical and food industries.