1,383 research outputs found
External electric field effects on absorption, fluorescence and phosphorescence spectra of 4-(dimethylamino)benzonitrile in a polymer film.
Association between social isolation and smoking in Japan and England
BACKGROUND: Existing evidence suggest that those who are socially isolated are at risk for taking up or continuing smoking. This study investigated country-based differences in social isolation and smoking status. METHODS: We performed a repeated cross-sectional study using two waves of data from two ongoing aging studies: the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing and the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study. Participants from both studies aged ≥65 years old were included. We applied a multilevel Poisson regression model to examine the association between social isolation and smoking status and adjusted for individual sociodemographic characteristics. We used the social isolation index which comprises the following domains: marital status; frequency of contact with friends, family, and children; and participation in social activities. Interaction terms between each country and social isolation were also entered into the mode. RESULTS: After exclusion of never smokers, we analyzed 75,905 participants (7,092 for ELSA and 68,813 for JAGES, respectively). Taking ex-smokers as the reference, social isolation was significantly associated with current smoking; the prevalence ratios (PRs; 95% credible intervals [CrIs]) were 1.06 (1.05-1.08) for men and 1.08 (1.04-1.11) for women. Taking Japan as a reference, the interaction term between country and social isolation was significant for both sexes, with increased PRs (95% CrIs) of 1.32 (1.14-1.50) for men and 1.30 (1.11-1.49) for women in England. CONCLUSIONS: Older people who were less socially isolated were more likely to quit smoking in England than in Japan, possibly explained by the strict tobacco control policies in England
Experience of childhood abuse and later number of remaining teeth in older Japanese: a life-course study from Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study project
OBJECTIVES: From a life-course perspective, adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) such as childhood abuse are known risk factors for adult diseases and death throughout life. ACEs could also cause poor dental health in later life because they could induce poor dental health in childhood, initiate unhealthy behaviors, and lower immune and physiological functions. However, it is not known whether ACEs have a longitudinal adverse effect on dental health in older age. This study aimed to investigate the association between experience of childhood abuse until the age of 18 and current number of remaining teeth among a sample of older Japanese adults. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted using the data from the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study (JAGES), a large-scale, self-reported survey in 2013 including 27 525 community-dwelling Japanese aged ≥65 years (response rate=71.1%). The outcome, current number of remaining teeth was used categorically: ≥20, 10-19, 5-9, 1-4, and no teeth. Childhood abuse was defined as having any experience of physical abuse, psychological abuse, and psychological neglect up until the age of 18 years. Ordered logistic regression models were applied. RESULTS: Of the 25 189 respondents who indicated their number of remaining teeth (mean age: 73.9; male: 46.5%), 14.8% had experience of childhood abuse. Distributions of ≥20, 10-19, 5-9, 1-4, and no teeth were as follows: 46.6%, 22.0%, 11.4%, 8.2%, and 11.8% among respondents with childhood abuse, while 52.3%, 21.3%, 10.3%, 6.6%, and 9.5% among respondents without childhood abuse. Childhood abuse was significantly associated with fewer remaining teeth after adjusting for covariates including socioeconomic status (odds ratio=1.14; 95% confidence interval: 1.06, 1.22). CONCLUSIONS: Childhood abuse could have a longitudinal adverse effect on later dental health in older age. This study emphasizes the importance of early life experiences on dental health throughout later life
Association between social isolation and depression onset among older adults: a cross-national longitudinal study in England and Japan
OBJECTIVE: Social isolation is a risk factor for depression in older age. However, little is known regarding whether its impact varies depending on country-specific cultural contexts regarding social relationships. The present study examined the association of social isolation with depression onset among older adults in England, which has taken advanced measures against social isolation, and Japan, a super-aged society with a rapidly increasing number of socially isolated people.
DESIGN: Prospective longitudinal study.
SETTING: We used data from two ongoing studies: the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA) and the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study (JAGES).
PARTICIPANTS: Older adults aged ≥65 years without depression at baseline were followed up regarding depression onset for 2 years (2010/2011–2012/2013) for the ELSA and 2.5 years (2010/2011–2013) for the JAGES.
PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURE: Depression was assessed with eight items from the Centre for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale for the ELSA and Geriatric Depression Scale for the JAGES. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate social isolation using multiple parameters (marital status; interaction with children, relatives and friends; and social participation).
RESULTS: The data of 3331 respondents from the ELSA and 33 127 from the JAGES were analysed. Multivariable logistic regression analysis demonstrated that social isolation was significantly associated with depression onset in both countries. In the ELSA, poor interaction with children was marginally associated with depression onset, while in the JAGES, poor interaction with children and no social participation significantly affected depression onset.
CONCLUSIONS: Despite variations in cultural background, social isolation was associated with depression onset in both England and Japan. Addressing social isolation to safeguard older adults’ mental health must be globally prioritised
Role of systemic T-cells and histopathological aspects after subcutaneous implantation of various carbon nanotubes in mice
ArticleCarbon. 44(6):1079-1092 (2006)journal articl
Non-thermal Leptogenesis and a Prediction of Inflaton Mass in a Supersymmetric SO(10) Model
The gravitino problem gives a severe constraint on the thermal leptogenesis
scenario. This problem leads us to consider some alternatives to it if we try
to keep the gravitino mass around the weak scale GeV. We
consider, in this paper, the non-thermal leptogenesis scenario in the framework
of a minimal supersymmetric SO(10) model. Even if we start with the same
minimal SO(10) model, we have different predictions for low-energy
phenomenologies dependent on the types of seesaw mechanism. This is the case
for leptogenesis: it is shown that the type-I see-saw model gives a consistent
scenario for the non-thermal leptogenesis but not for type-II. The predicted
inflaton mass needed to produce the observed baryon asymmetry of the universe
is found to be GeV for the reheating temperature
GeV.Comment: 9 pages, 2 figures; the version to appear in JCA
Free energy of the Fr\"ohlich polaron in two and three dimensions
We present a novel Path Integral Monte Carlo scheme to solve the Fr\"ohlich
polaron model. At intermediate and strong electron-phonon coupling, the polaron
self-trapping is properly taken into account at the level of an effective
action obtained by a preaveraging procedure with a retarded trial action. We
compute the free energy at several couplings and temperatures in three and two
dimensions. Our results show that the accuracy of the Feynman variational upper
bound for the free energy is always better than 5% although the thermodynamics
derived from it is not correct. Our estimates of the ground state energies
demonstrate that the second cumulant correction to the variational upper bound
predicts the self energy to better than 1% at intermediate and strong coupling.Comment: RevTeX 7 pages 3 figures, revised versio
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