日常物品開封時に必要な母指圧力に関する研究

　Detailed guidance for rehabilitation patients in their daily activities can be provided by determining the thumb pressure required to effectively utilize daily commodities. In order to clarify the necessary pressure for opening the lid of food containers and packages, we targeted 20 healthy persons and 85 patients with a distal radius fracture to determine the thumb pressure required for opening four types of daily commodities using a small pressure sensor and examined the relationship with normal evaluated muscle pressure. For the containers of goods, we used two types of cup-type containers, a bag-type container, and a plastic bottle, and the four types of commodities were pudding, jelly, snacks, and plastic bottles. The results revealed that the less pressure required for opening in the following order : pudding, snacks, jelly, and plastic bottles. Furthermore, for patients with distal radius fractures, we analyzed the relationship with the capability of opening commodities and examined the cut-off value. As a result, the pressure indicated by the small sensor showed high sensitivity and specificity in the following order : pudding at 0.25 Mpa, snacks at 0.41 Mpa, jelly at 0.48 Mpa, and plastic bottles at 0.54 Mpa, with grip pressure revealing high discrimination accuracy in jelly at 14.5 kg and plastic bottles at 19.5 kg. The results of this study lead us to conclude that the opening of commodities is closely related to the pressure indicated in the small sensor and the grip pressure on the injured side and this is a useful indicator for implementing rehabilitation in the upper arms. 食料品の容器の蓋や袋の開封に必要なつまみ力を明らかにするために、健常者２０例と、 橈骨遠位端骨折患者８５例を対象に小型圧力センサーを用いて、４種類の日常物品開封時に 必要な力を明らかにし、通常評価している筋力との関連性について検討した。物品の容器 は、カップ型２種類と袋型、ペットボトルを用いて、プリン、ゼリー、お菓子、ペットボ トルの４種類とした。結果は、プリン、スナック菓子、ゼリー、ペットボトルの順で開封 に必要な圧力が増加することがわかった。また、橈骨遠位端骨折患者を対象に、物品の開 封可否との関連性について分析し、カットオフ値を検討した。その結果は、小型センサー 力は、プリン０.２５ Mpa、スナック菓子０.４１ Mpa、ゼリー０.４８ Mpa、ペットボトル０.５４ Mpa で感度、特異度が高く、さらに握力は、ゼリー１４.５ kg、ペットボトル１９.５ kgで高い判別精 度を示していた。今回の研究結果により、物品の開封には、小型センサー力や受傷側握力 との間に密接な関連性をみとめ、上肢のリハビリテーションを進めていく上での有用な指 標であると考えられた

Seventeen-Year Observation on Urinary Cadmium and β2-Microglobulin in Inhabitants After Cessation of Cadmium-Exposure in Japan

金沢大学大学院医学系研究科保健看護科学専攻金沢大学医薬保健研究域保健学系The purpose of this study was to clarify the change and relationship of urinary cadmium (Cd) and β2-microglobulin (β2-MG) concentrations of inhabitants in Cd-polluted areas after soil restoration. The urinary Cd and β2-MG concentrations of 25 males and 28 females did not show a significant change, 22 years after the Cd-polluted soil was restored. Once exposed to Cd, it was found to remain in the body, 22 years after the Cd -polluted soil was restored. However, this did not influence renal tubular dysfunction in most of the younger generation compared with elders heavily exposed to Cd. © 2010 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC

日本人男性海外勤務者の精神的健康度と職業関連要因との関係

目的：海外勤務者の精神的健康度と職業関連要因の関係と日本国内勤務者の精神的健康度の違いを明らかにすることである。方法：同一の金属製品製造業に勤務する男性海外勤務者450名と男性日本国内勤務者683名を対象に自記式質問紙調査を行った。精神的健康度は日本版気分プロフィール検査を用いて評価した。 結果：日本国内と海外勤務者の精神的健康度の比較では、34－39歳において海外勤務者が日本国内より低く、40代と50代では海外勤務者が日本国内より高かった。 　ロジスティック重回帰分析の結果、精神的健康度の不良に関連していたものは、ヨーロッパに対して東アジア（e.g. オッズ比 : 7.548, 95%信頼区間［以下CI］: 2.912－22.293［抑うつ－落込み〔以下D〕］）、東南・南アジア（e.g. オッズ比 : 4.675, 95% CI : 1.679－14.433［D］）、北米（e.g. オッズ比 : 3.997, 95% CI : 1.495－11.895［D］）。管理職に対してエンジニア（e.g. OR : 2.328, 95% CI : 1.168－4.679［緊張－不安〔以下T－A〕］）と生産管理（OR: 5.268, 95% CI : 1.520－18.013［T－A］）。労働時間10－11時間未満に対して12－13時間未満（e.g. OR : 2.063, 95% CI : 1.007－4.283［D］）、13時間以上（e.g. OR : 2.651, 95% CI :1.227－5.814［D］）。休日日数 8 日以上に対して 5 日未満（e.g. OR : 2.285, 95% CI : 1.276－4.129［疲労〔以下F〕］）、5－7日以下（e.g. OR : 2.219, 95% CI: 1.246－4.000［F］）であった。結論：海外勤務者の精神保健対策は、地域別ではアジア圏特に東アジア、職種ではエンジニアや生産管理を中心に取り組んでいく必要がある。また実労働時間が12時間を超える者や休日日数が7日以下の者には、就労時間の制限や休日日数を 8 日以上確保することも対策として考えられた。Objectives : The aim of this study was to clarify the relationship between the mental-health status of overseas employees and work-related factors, and also to determine the difference between the mental-health status of these employees and their counterparts in Japan. Method : Four hundred and fifty male overseas employees and 683 male employees in Japan were surveyed using a self-assessment questionnaire, namely the Japanese version of the Profile of Mood States, which is used to assess mental-health status. Result: The mental-health status of overseas employees in the age range 34－39 years was worse, and that for those in their forties and fifties better, than those o employees in Japan. A multiple logistic regression analysis showed that employees in East Asia Southeast & South Asia and North America were positively associated with poor ental-health status compared with employees in Europe (e.g. odd ratio [OR] : 7.548, 95% confidence interval [CI] : 2.912－22.293, OR : 4.675, 95% CI : 1.679－14.433 and OR: 3.997, 95% CI : 1.495－11.895 in depression/dejection, respectively). Engineers and production controllers were positively associated with poor mental-health status compared with those in managerial posts (e.g. OR : 2.328, 95% CI : 1.168－4.679 and OR : 5.268, 95% CI : 1.520－18.013 in tension/anxiety, respectively). As regards average daily working hours, those employees working for between 12 and less than 13 hours and 13 hours or more were positively associated with poor mentalhealth status compared with those working for between 10 and less than 11 hours (e.g. OR : 2.063, 95% CI : 1.007－4.283 and OR : 2.651, 95% CI : 1.227－5.814 in depression/dejection, respectively). In terms of number of days’ holiday in the last month, those employees who had taken less than five days and between five days and seven days were positively associated with poor mental-health status comparison with those who had taken eight days or more (e.g. OR : 2.285, 95% CI : 1.276－4.129 and OR : 2.219, 95% CI : 1.246－4.000 in fatigue, respectively). Conclusion : Mental-health protection measures in overseas bases need to focus on Asia, especially East Asia and employees who work as engineers or production controllers. Furthermore, average daily working hours should be shortened as much as possible and employees should take at least eight days’ holiday per month

Dietary glycemic index and risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus in middle-aged Japanese men

This cohort study investigated the association between dietary glycemic index (GI), glycemic load (GL), and the incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus in middle-aged Japanese men, and the effect of insulin resistance and pancreatic B-cell function on the association. Participants were 1995 male employees of a metal products factory in Japan. Dietary GI and GL were assessed using a self-administered diet history questionnaire. The incidence of diabetes was detected in annual medical examinations over a 6-year period. The association between GI, GL, and the incidence of diabetes was evaluated using Cox proportional hazards models. During the study, 133 participants developed diabetes. Age- and body mass index-adjusted hazard ratios across the GI quintiles were 1.00 (reference), 1.62, 1.50, 1.68, and 1.80; and those of GL were 1.00 (reference), 1.07, 1.48, 0.95, and 0.98. The hazard ratio for the highest GI quintile was significantly greater than that for the lowest quintile. The influence of GI was more pronounced in the lowest insulin resistance subgroups. GI and pancreatic B-cell function were independently associated with the incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus; participants with low B-cell function and the highest tertile of GI had the highest risk of diabetes. Dietary GI is associated with the incidence of diabetes in middle-aged Japanese men. GI and B-cell function were independently associated with incidence of diabetes. © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved

Family history of diabetes, lifestyle factors, and the 7-year incident risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus in middle-aged Japanese men and women

Aims/Introduction: This cohort study of middle-aged Japanese participants investigated the relationship between family history of diabetes, the incident risk of type 2 diabetes and the interaction of these variables with other factors. Materials and Methods: Study participants were 3,517 employees (2,037 men and 1,480 women) of a metal products factory in Japan. Baseline health examinations included questions about medical history, physical examination, anthropometric measurements, questions about lifestyle factors, such as smoking, alcohol consumption and habitual exercise, and a self-administered diet history questionnaire. Family history of diabetes was defined as having at least one-first-degree relative with diabetes. The incidence of diabetes was determined in annual medical examinations over a 7-year period. Hazard ratios (HRs) for type 2 diabetes were estimated by Cox proportional hazards analysis. Results: Of the 3,517 participants, 630 (18%) had a family history of diabetes mellitus. During the study, 228 participants developed diabetes. The age and sex-adjusted HR for type 2 diabetes in participants with a family history of diabetes was 1.82 (95% confidence interval 1.36-2.43) as compared with those without a family history of diabetes. HRs did not change after adjustment for body mass index and lifestyle factors. We found no interactions with body mass index, insulin resistance, pancreatic β-cell function or lifestyle factors. Conclusions: Family history of diabetes was associated with the incident risk of diabetes, and these associations were independent of other risk factors, such as obesity, insulin resistance, and lifestyle factors in Japanese men and women. © 2013 Asian Association for the Study of Diabetes and Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd

Self-reported speed of eating and 7-year risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus in middle-aged Japanese men

Objective: This cohort study investigated the association between eating speed and the incidence of type 2 diabetes in middle-aged Japanese men. Materials/Methods: Participants were 2,050 male employees of a metal products factory in Japan. We measured self-reported categorical eating speed. The incidence of diabetes was determined in annual medical examinations over a 7-year period. The association between eating speed and the incidence of diabetes adjusted for multiple variables (age, family history of diabetes, smoking, alcohol drinking, habitual exercise, and presence of hypertension and hyperlipidemia) was evaluated using Cox proportional hazards models. Results: The prevalence of obesity (BMI ≥ 25 kg/m 2) across the categories of eating speed (slow, medium, and fast) was 14.6, 23.3, and 34.8%, respectively, and a faster eating speed was associated with a higher prevalence of obesity. During the study, 177 participants developed diabetes. Crude incidence rates (/1,000 person-years) across the three categories of eating speed were 9.9, 15.6, and 17.3, respectively. Multivariate-adjusted hazard ratios (95% CI) across the categories were 1.00 (reference), 1.68 (0.93-3.02), and 1.97 (1.10-3.55), respectively, and eating speed was associated with the risk of diabetes (p for trend = 0.030). After further adjustment for BMI, a significant association was not observed. Conclusions: Eating speed was associated with the incidence of diabetes. Since these associations were not significant after adjusting for BMI, eating speed may act via its effect on body weight. Eating speed is a controllable risk factor, and eating slowly could be an acceptable lifestyle intervention for the prevention of diabetes mellitus. © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved

Sugar-sweetened beverage and diet soda consumption and the 7-year risk for type 2 diabetes mellitus in middle-aged Japanese men

Purpose: This cohort study investigated the association between sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) and diet soda consumption and the incidence of type 2 diabetes in Japanese men. Methods: The participants were 2,037 employees of a factory in Japan. We measured consumption of SSB and diet soda using a self-administered diet history questionnaire. The incidence of diabetes was determined in annual medical examinations over a 7-year period. Hazard ratios (HRs) with 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) for diabetes were estimated after adjusting for age, body mass index, family history, and dietary and other lifestyle factors. Results: During the study, 170 participants developed diabetes. The crude incidence rates (/1,000 person-years) across participants who were rare/never SSB consumers, <1 serving/week, ≥1 serving/week and <1 serving/day, and ≥1 serving/day were 15.5, 12.7, 14.9, and 17.4, respectively. The multivariate-adjusted HR compared to rare/never SSB consumers was 1.35 (95 % CI 0.80-2.27) for participants who consumed ≥1 serving/day SSB. Diet soda consumption was significantly associated with the incident risk of diabetes (P for trend = 0.013), and multivariate-adjusted HRs compared to rare/never diet soda consumers were 1.05 (0.62-1.78) and 1.70 (1.13-2.55), respectively, for participants who consumed <1 serving/week and ≥1 serving/week. Conclusions: Consumption of diet soda was significantly associated with an increased risk for diabetes in Japanese men. Diet soda is not always effective at preventing type 2 diabetes even though it is a zero-calorie drink. © 2013 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

Dietary carbohydrate intake, presence of obesity and the incident risk of type 2 diabetes in Japanese men

The present cohort study assessed the risk among Japanese men for developing type 2 diabetes, based on the percentage of energy intake from carbohydrates and degree of obesity. Participants and Methods: The participants were 2,006 male factory employees, and the macronutrient intake of each patient was measured using a self-administered diet history questionnaire. The incidence of diabetes was determined in annual blood examinations over a 10-year period. Results: During the study, 232 participants developed diabetes. The crude incidence rates (/1,000 person-years) for different levels of carbohydrate intake as a percentage of calories consumed (65.0% of energy intake) were 16.5, 14.4, 12.7 and 17.6. Overall, carbohydrate intake was not associated with the risk of diabetes. However, there was significant interaction between carbohydrate intake and degree of obesity on the incidence of diabetes (P for interaction = 0.024). Higher carbohydrate intake was associated with elevated risk for diabetes among participants with a body mass index ≥25.0 kg/m2 (P for trend = 0.034). For obese participants, the multivariate-adjusted hazard ratio for those with carbohydrate intakes >65% energy was 2.01 (95% confidence interval 1.08-3.71), which was significantly higher than that of participants with carbohydrate intakes 50.0-57.4% energy. Conclusions: Higher carbohydrate intake was associated with higher risk of diabetes in obese participants, but not in non-obese participants. Obese participants with carbohydrate intakes >65% energy should reduce their intakes to levels within the desirable carbohydrate energy proportion for Japanese (50-65% energy) to prevent development of type 2 diabetes. © 2016 Asian Association for the Study of Diabetes and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd

Multivariate meta-analysis of the association of G-protein beta 3 gene (GNB3) haplotypes with cardiovascular phenotypes

The objective of the present study was to review previous investigations on the association of haplotypes in the G-protein β3 subunit (GNB3) gene with representative cardiovascular risk factors/phenotypes: hypertension, overweight, and variation in the systolic and diastolic blood pressures (SBP and DBP, respectively) and as well as body mass index (BMI). A comprehensive literature search was undertaken in Pubmed, Web of Science, EMBASE, Biological Abstracts, LILACS and Google Scholar to identify potentially relevant articles published up to April 2011. Six genetic association studies encompassing 16,068 participants were identified. Individual participant data were obtained for all studies. The three most investigated GNB3 polymorphisms (G-350A, C825T and C1429T) were considered. Expectation–maximization and generalized linear models were employed to estimate haplotypic effects from data with uncertain phase while adjusting for covariates. Study-specific results were combined through a random-effects multivariate meta-analysis. After carefully adjustments for relevant confounding factors, our analysis failed to support a role for GNB3 haplotypes in any of the investigated phenotypes. Sensitivity analyses excluding studies violating Hardy–Weinberg expectations, considering gender-specific effects or more extreme phenotypes (e.g. obesity only) as well as a fixed-effects “pooled” analysis also did not disclose a significant influence of GNB3 haplotypes on cardiovascular phenotypes. We conclude that the previous cumulative evidence does not support the proposal that haplotypes formed by common GNB3 polymorphisms might contribute either to the development of hypertension and obesity, or to the variation in the SBP, DBP and BMI.This work was supported by the Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP, Brazil, to T.V.P.). This work was also supported in part by the Global Center of Excellence Program (No. F03, to M.D.) founded by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Japan (to Y.S.) and Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology of Japan (Numbers 18209023, 18018021, and 19659149 to Y.Y.)