Examination of the Robustness of the Resilience Scale Using Multigroup Analysis

This study aimed to investigate the factor invariance and robustness of a resilience scale using multigroup analysis to allow for a relative comparison of models. Participants were 2568 high school students (male: 1211, female: 1357) in Japan. They answered the questionnaire about their respective general attributes (gender, grade) and the resilience scale. The resilience scale included 9 items and 3 factors (building relationship, overcome power, and breakthrough strength). To investigate whether the resilience scale responds appropriately to the participants in this study, a separate confirmatory factor analysis was conducted for each gender. After examining the construct validity of the resilience scale, a multigroup analysis was conducted for groups by gender. The multigroup analysis confirmed configural invariance, measurement invariance, weak factorial invariance, and strong factorial invariance. The results of the confirmatory factor analysis for each gender was a good fit. Configural invariance was adopted for multigroup analysis. The validity of interpreting resilience in male and female participants using the same model was established in this study. We expect that the current findings will help interpret gender differences in resilience in the field of mental health

The estimated GFR, but not the stage of diabetic nephropathy graded by the urinary albumin excretion, is associated with the carotid intima-media thickness in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a cross-sectional study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>To study the relationship between the intima-media thickness (IMT) of the carotid artery and the stage of chronic kidney disease (CKD) based on the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and diabetic nephropathy graded by the urinary albumin excretion (UAE) in the patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A cross-sectional study was performed in 338 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. The carotid IMT was measured using an ultrasonographic examination.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The mean carotid IMT was 1.06 ± 0.27 mm, and 42% of the subjects showed IMT thickening (≥ 1.1 mm). Cerebrovascular disease and coronary heart disease were frequent in the patients with IMT thickening. The carotid IMT elevated significantly with the stage progression of CKD (0.87 ± 0.19 mm in stage 1, 1.02 ± 0.26 mm in stage 2, 1.11 ± 0.26 mm in stage 3, and 1.11 ± 0.27 mm in stage 4+5). However, the IMT was not significantly different among the various stages of diabetic nephropathy. The IMT was significantly greater in the diabetic patients with hypertension compared to those without hypertension. The IMT positively correlated with the age, the duration of diabetes mellitus, and the brachial-ankle pulse wave velocities (baPWV), and negatively correlated with the eGFR. In a stepwise multivariate regression analysis, the eGFR and the baPWV were independently associated with the carotid IMT.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Our study is the first report showing a relationship between the carotid IMT and the renal parameters including eGFR and the stages of diabetic nephropathy with a confirmed association between the IMT and diabetic macroangiopathy. Our study further confirms the importance of intensive examinations for the early detection of atherosclerosis and positive treatments for hypertension, dyslipidaemia, obesity, as well as hyperglycaemia are necessary when a reduced eGFR is found in diabetic patients.</p

Long-term effect of metformin on blood glucose control in non-obese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>We aimed to investigate the long-term effect of metformin on the blood glucose control in non-obese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A retrospective study was performed in 213 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus under the administration of metformin for more than one year. The clinical parameters were investigated for 3 years. The obese and non-obese individuals were defined as a body mass index (BMI) of 25 kg/m²or over (<it>n </it>= 105) and a BMI of less than 25 kg/m²(<it>n </it>= 108), respectively.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>HbA1c levels were significantly decreased compared with those at the baseline time. The course of HbA1c was similar between the non-obese and the obese groups, while the dose of metformin required to control blood glucose was significantly lower in the non-obese group than in the obese group. The reductions in HbA1c were 1.2% and 1.1% at 12 months, 0.9% and 0.9% at 24 months, and 0.8% and 1.0% at 36 months in the non-obese and obese groups, respectively. BMI did not change during the observation periods. Approximately half of all patients required no additional antidiabetic agents or a reduction in other treatments after the initiation of metformin in either of the two groups.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The present study demonstrated the long-term beneficial effect of metformin in non-obese (BMI < 25 kg/m²) diabetic patients. This effect appears to be maintained even after the observation period of this study, because metformin was limited to a relatively low dose in the non-obese group and the observed worsening in glycemic control over time can probably be attenuated by increasing the dose of metformin.</p

On Economic Structures and Their Problems of Urban Agriculture in Shanghai, China (II)

本稿は、「上海農村総合研究プロジェクト」の一環として、平成13年度～平成15年度日本学術振興会科学研究費補助金(基盤研究(B)(1)、海外学術調査、課題番号13572022、代表・石田浩)を得て、「改革開放期における中国農村の社会経済変化と今後の発展可能性についての総合的研究-上海農村を事例として-」というテーマで、上海近郊農村で行った実態調査に基づく。本科研プロジェクトは過去2年間にわたり、上海郊外農村の奉賢区Q鎮T村と同B村、宝山区Y鎮S村、南匯区D鎮C村、四川省成都郊外での農家調査、珠江デルタ(深川・東莞)や長江デルタ(昆山・蘇州・呉江・松江等の経済開発区や輸出加工区)の外資系企業調査を実施してきた。本稿は、南匯区D鎮C村で行った農村調査に基づき、上海郊外農村経済の実態を分析するものである。D鎮C村は大都市上海近郊に位置することから、1970年代に農地が工業用地や住宅地に収用され、農民は優先的に郷鎮企業に職を配分されて早期に離農が進んだ。つまり、上海農民は零細農業を放棄して農外産業に就労することで、現金収入を得て、安定した生活を営むことができた。それゆえ、上海農業は都市型農業の先進モデルとなるのではないかと考えられてきたが、調査の結果は必ずしもそうではなかった。上海郊外農村は改革開放前の1970年代から農村工業が発展し、改革開放後の1980年代に入ると郷鎮企業は飛躍的に発展し農家経済は潤った。ところが、1990年代に入ると鎮営や村営の農村工業は競争に敗れ、郷鎮企業は倒産したり、個人に売却されたりして、工場に働く農民の多くは解雇された。ところが、解雇された農民は学歴や年齢・技術等の条件により再就職が困難であり、また雇用条件が悪くても労働意欲のある若者が内陸農村から大量に押しかけ、零細農業に回帰せざるを得ず、近年に至っては貧困問題を抱えるようになった。本稿では、上海近郊農村におけるこの三農(農業・農村・農民)問題を考察する

Development of the Anger Coping Behaviors Style Scale for High School Students

The reliability and validity of the Anger Coping Behaviors Style Scale for High School Students were examined in this study. In the analysis, we used the data of senior high school students in A Prefecture (n=3360) who had no missing values on the survey items. We extracted the following four factors using exploratory factor analysis: Support seeking, Situation analysis, Escape, and Violence. Then, we examined the factorial validity of the scale using confirmatory factor analysis, which indicated that an oblique factor model consisting of these four factors fitted the data（CFI: Comparative Fit Index=0.955, RMSEA: Root Mean Square Error of Approximation=0.070). The results of statistical analysis supported the reliability and validity of the Anger Coping Behaviors Style Scale for High School Students developed in this study