"Farm Size, Productivity, and Speculative Motives in Agricultural Land: Why Japanese Farmers are So Small in Scale?" (in Japanese)

This paper examines the effect of speculative motives in agricultural land on farm size and labor productivity in Japan, by use of the prefecture- and size-level census panel data in the period from 1990 to 2005. The paper employs a discrete choice model to formulate the farm behavior in the choice of land size (including exit), and then simulates the model to assess the counterfactual situation in the absence of speculative motives. While it identifies the existence of strong increasing returns, the paper finds that speculative motives in agricultural land do account for why Japanese farm size is small in scale. Our simulation result reveals that in the absence of the speculations, farm size would have become larger by 30 percent and labor productivity increased by more than 20 percent.

The Impact of Expectations of the Transfer of Agricultural Land to Other Uses on the Management Scale and Productivity of Rice Cultivation (Japanese)

This paper examines the effect of speculative motives in agricultural land on farm size and labor productivity in Japan, by use of the prefecture- and size-level census panel data in the period from 1990 to 2005. When agricultural land is sold for alternative uses, such as for residential land, it is often sold for amounts close to the prices of neighboring residential land. The price of agricultural land intended for such alternative uses tends to be higher than the prices of agricultural land that changes hands for the purpose of agricultural farming. It has been pointed out that, in view of this, farmers do not part with agricultural land because they expect there to be opportunities to sell it later for alternative use, and thus this acts as an impediment to exercising scale economies in the agriculture industry. The paper employs a discrete choice model in the choice of land size (including exit), and then simulates the model to assess the counterfactual situation in the absence of speculative motives. While it identifies the existence of strong increasing returns, the paper finds that speculative motives in agricultural land do account for why Japanese farm size is small in scale. Our simulation result reveals that in the absence of the speculations, farm size would have become larger by 30 percent and labor productivity increased by more than 20 percent.

Simulation Analysis of Community Farming: Is there any room for growth in Japanese rice farming? (Japanese)

To what extent could productivity of Japanese rice farming be improved, if farmers were to cooperatively manage their rice production at the rural community level? Using the census data of 1990, 1995, and 2000, this paper estimates production function of individual farmers, and uses the estimates to simulate the productivity of counterfactual community rice farming. Simulation results indicate that production costs would decrease by approximately 60 percent, from 5.04 to 1.91 trillion yen in a total of 42 prefectures. While community farming would improve productivity of rice production through the effect of scale economies, it would not be sufficient to save the majority of Japanese rice farmers from the chronic state of deficit.

Risk of higher dose methotrexate for renal impairment in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Renal impairment is a major concern in patients taking high-dose methotrexate (MTX) for malignancy, but it has not been fully explored in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients taking low-dose MTX. This study aimed to elucidate the dose-dependent effects of MTX on the renal function of patients with RA. We retrospectively reviewed 502 consecutive RA patients who were prescribed MTX for >= 1 year at Okayama University Hospital between 2006 and 2018. The primary outcome was the change in estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) over 1 year. The association between MTX dosage (= 12 mg/week) and the change in eGFR was evaluated using multiple linear regression analysis with adjustment for possible confounding factors including age, sex, disease duration, body weight, comorbidity, baseline eGFR, concomitant treatment, and disease activity. Mean patient age was 63 years; 394 (78%) were female. Median disease duration was 77 months, while mean MTX dosage was 8.6 mg/week. The last 1-year change of eGFR (mean +/- SD) in patients treated with MTX= 12 mg/week (n=97) decreased by 0.2 +/- 7.3, 0.6 +/- 8.6, and 4.5 +/- 7.9 mL/min/1.73 m(2)/year, respectively (p= 12 mg/week was still correlated with a decrease in 1-year eGFR (beta-coefficient:-2.5; 95% confidence interval,-4.3 to-0.6; p=0.0089) in contrast to MTX 8-12 mg/week. Careful monitoring of renal function is required in patients with MTX >= 12 mg/week over the course of RA treatment regardless of disease duration

Association of explanatory histological findings and urinary protein and serum creatinine levels at renal biopsy in lupus nephritis: a cross-sectional study

Background The aim of the present study was to evaluate the association between the histology of active and chronic lesions and urinary protein and serum creatinine (SCr) levels, as common clinical endpoints in clinical trials for lupus nephritis (LN). Methods In total, 119 patients diagnosed with LN class III, IV, and V, as defined by the International Society of Nephrology/Renal Pathology Society, between 1990 and 2015, were enrolled in the present study. Multiple regression analysis was performed to explore semi-quantitative histological variables associated with urinary protein and SCr levels. Results The mean age of the enrolled patients was 45 years, and 79% were female. The mean SCr and mean urinary protein levels at the time of renal biopsy were 0.87 mg/dl and 3.00 g/gCr, respectively. Class IV (71%) was the most common type of LN followed by class III (17%), and class V (13%). Multicollinearity was confirmed between monocellular infiltration (variance inflation factor [VIF] = 10.22) and interstitial fibrosis (VIF = 10.29), and between karyorrhexis (VIF = 4.14) and fibrinoid necrosis (VIF = 4.29). Fibrinoid necrosis and monocellular infiltration were subsequently excluded, and multiple regression analysis revealed that only the urinary protein level was correlated with wire loop lesions (β-coefficient [β]: 1.09 and confidence interval [CI]: 0.35 to 1.83), and that the SCr level was correlated with glomerular sclerosis (β: 1.08 and CI: 0.43 to 1.74). Conclusion As urinary protein and SCr levels were not quantitatively associated with active lesions, they may not accurately reflect the response to remission induction therapy in patients with LN

Alternative to Rituximab Therapy for a Patient with Ankylosing Spondylitis Who Was Unable to Continue Anti-TNF Therapy

We herein present a case of a 38-year-old man who had bamboo spine and severe sacroiliitis and who was diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis (AS). Infliximab (IFX) markedly improved the axial symptom but was discontinued due to the side effect of peripheral neuropathy. Switching from IFX to etanercept worsened the side effect. Rituximab (RTX) administration elicited a good response without side effects. RTX might be a suitable option for AS therapy when TNF inhibitors are difficult to use

Risk Factors for Chronic Damage Accumulation Across Different Onset Eras in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: A Cross-sectional Analysis of a Lupus Registry of Nationwide Institutions (LUNA)

Chronic damage accumulation affects not only mortality but also quality of life in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Risk factors for chronic damage were explored in SLE through different onset eras. Two hundred forty-five patients at Okayama University Hospital and Showa University Hospital were divided into three groups based on the onset era: a past-onset group (onset before 1995; n=83), middle-onset group (1996-2009; n=88), and recent-onset group (after 2010; n=74). The mean Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics/American College of Rheumatology Damage Index (SDI) score as an index of chronic damage was 1.93, 1.24, and 0.53 in the past-, middle-, and recent-onset groups, respectively. In the pastonset group, the total SDI score was significantly associated with glucocorticoid monotherapy by linear regression analysis (β-coefficient [β]=0.63; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.21-1.05) and C-reactive protein levels (β=0.67; 95% CI, 0.27-1.07). In the middle-onset group, the total SDI score was significantly associated with the SLE Disease Activity Index at registration (β=0.09; 95% CI, 0.03-0.12). Reducing the accumulation of chronic damage in SLE patients might be possible with the concomitant use of immunosuppressants and tight control of disease activity

The Naming of Names: Guidelines for Gene Nomenclature in Marchantia.

While Marchantia polymorpha has been utilized as a model system to investigate fundamental biological questions for over almost two centuries, there is renewed interest in M. polymorpha as a model genetic organism in the genomics era. Here we outline community guidelines for M. polymorpha gene and transgene nomenclature, and we anticipate that these guidelines will promote consistency and reduce both redundancy and confusion in the scientific literature