Association between suicide-related ideations and affective temperaments in the Japanese general adult population

Background: Suicide rates are vastly higher in Japan than in many other countries, although the associations between affective temperaments and suicide-related ideations in the general adult population remain unclear. Therefore, we aimed to elucidate these associations in the present study. Methods: We analyzed data from 638 Japanese volunteers who completed both the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and the Temperament Evaluation of the Memphis, Pisa, Paris, and San Diego Auto-questionnaire (TEMPS-A). Participants were then divided into three groups based on PHQ-9 summary scores and responses to the suicide-related ideation item: non-depressive control group (NC; N = 469), depressive symptoms without suicide-related ideations group (non-SI; N = 135), and depressive symptoms with suicide-related ideations group (SI; N = 34). The depressive symptoms were defined for PHQ-9 summary scores ≥5, and the suicide-related ideations were defined for PHQ-9 #9 score ≥1. We then compared TEMPS-A scores among the groups using Kruskal-Wallis tests. Then the 95% confidence intervals of differences in TEMPS-A subscale scores between the NC and non-SI groups, or between NC and SI groups, were calculated. Results: Participants of the SI group exhibited significantly higher scores on the depressive, irritable, and anxious temperament subscales than those of the non-SI group. Similarly, women of the SI group exhibited significantly higher scores of the depressive and irritable temperament subscales than women of the non-SI group, while men of the SI group exhibited significantly higher depressive temperament scores than those of the non-SI group. Among all participants and only men, cyclothymic subscale scores were higher in those of the SI group than the non-SI group (not significant), although the 95% confidence intervals did not overlap. Limitations: The cross-sectional study design was the main limitation. Conclusions: Depressive, irritable, and anxious temperaments are significant risk factors for suicide-related ideations in the Japanese general adult population. Furthermore, irritable temperament in women and depressive temperament in men are associated with suicide-related ideations

International differences in gradients in early childhood overweight and obesity : the role of maternal employment and formal childcare attendance

Background There are significant cross-country differences in socio-economic gradients in later childhood and adulthood overweight/obesity; few studies assess whether this cross-national variation is evident from early childhood. Furthermore, the role of childcare in explaining overweight/obesity gradients might vary across countries, given differences in access, quality and heterogeneity within. Additionally, childcare is linked to parental characteristics such as maternal employment. The interplay between childcare and employment in producing early overweight/obesity gradients has received little attention, and might vary cross-nationally. Methods Using harmonized data from six high-quality, large datasets, we explore the variation in gradients in early overweight/obesity (at age 3–4 years old) by parental education across several high-income countries (USA, UK, France, the Netherlands, Germany and Japan). We then assess whether differential formal group care use attenuates some of these gradients, and whether this varies across maternal employment. Results Gradients in early childhood overweight/obesity by parental education are evident across several developed countries. Countries with higher overall prevalence of early overweight/obesity did not have the largest inequalities across education groups. The contribution of formal group care to producing these gradients varied across countries and across maternal employment status. Conclusion Early childhood inequalities in overweight/obesity are pervasive across developed countries, as noted for older children and adults. However, mechanisms producing these gradients vary across national contexts. Our study shows that, given the right context, quality childcare and maternal employment can successfully support healthy weight trajectories and not contribute (or even reduce) social inequalities in early overweight/obesity

Cross-national differences in socioeconomic achievement inequality in early primary school : the role of parental education and income in six countries

This paper presents comparative information on the socioeconomic status (SES) gradients in literacy skills at age 6-8, drawing on harmonized national datasets from France, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the United States. We investigate whether understanding of comparative SES gradients in early-to-mid childhood depends on the operationalization of SES (parental education, income, or both); and whether differences in inequalities at the end of lower secondary schooling documented in international large-scale assessments are already present when children have experienced at most two years of formal compulsory schooling. We find marked differences in the SES gradient in early achievement across countries that are largely insensitive to the way SES is measured, and that seem to mirror inequalities reported for older students. We conclude that country context shapes the link between parental SES and children’s educational achievement, with country differences rooted in the early childhood period

ホッカイドウ アバシリシ ニ オケル オオアシトガリネズミ Sorex unguiculatus ノ キセイチュウソウ

北海道網走市の山林で捕獲したオオアシトガリネズミを対象に,駆虫を行う前段として寄生虫を採集,同定した。外部寄生虫,内部寄生虫の蠕虫類は,常法により採集,同定した。採集された外部寄生虫類は10種で,マダニ科は咬傷・炎症,コナダニ科はアレルギー疾患,ケモチダニ科は皮膚炎を宿主または飼育従事者に起こす可能性がある。種名の判明した寄生ダニの多くは,道内における様々な哺乳類への寄生が報告されていた。ケモチダニ科はトガリネズミ亜科に寄生するが,寄生された個体で皮膚の発赤が観察され,駆虫の必要性が強く示された。内部寄生虫の蠕虫類は野生由来の全例で観察され,線虫類が多くの部位,吸虫・条虫類が主に腸から採集された。We collected and identified the parasites in captive wild long-clawed shrews from forests in Abashiri as the first step of disinfection. The ecto- and endoparasites, especially helminthes, were collected and identified using conventional procedures. Ten species of external parasites were identified, including those of Ixodidae that causes bites and inflammation, Acaridae that causes allergic disease, and Myobiidae that causes dermatitis in their hosts and handlers. Most of the identified parasitic mites have been reported to infect various mammals in Hokkaido. Myobiidae were exclusively collected from the examined shrews, and thus, should be removed by anti-parasitic treatment because it causes skin rubor in their hosts. Internal parasitic helminths were detected in all the wild shrews. Nematodes were observed in various organs, whereas trematodes and cestodes were mainly found in the intestines