Workplace incivility in Japan: Reliability and validity of the Japanese version of the modified Work Incivility Scale

PubMed Central

Tsuno, Kanami; Kawakami, Norito; Shimazu, Akihito; Shimada, Kyoko; Inoue, Akiomi; P. Leiter, Michael

2017-01-01

Objectives: Although incivility is a common interpersonal mistreatment and associated with poor mental health, there are few studies about it in Asian countries. The aim of this study was to develop the Japanese version of the modified Work Incivility Scale (J-MWIS), investigate its reliability and validity, and reveal the prevalence of incivility among Japanese employees in comparison with data on Canadian employees. Methods: A total of 2,191 Japanese and 1,071 Canadian employees were surveyed, using either the J-MWIS or MWIS. Japanese employees additionally answered questions on civility, worksite social support, workplace bullying, psychological distress, intention to leave, and work engagement to investigate construct validity. Results: At least one form of workplace incivility was experienced by both Japanese (52.3%) and Canadian (86.0%) employees in the previous month. Internal consistency reliability of the J-MWIS was acceptable (α=0.71-0.81), and correlation analyses also confirmed its construct validity as expected. Workplace incivility was associated with lower workgroup civility, lower supervisor and coworker support, higher workplace bullying, higher psychological distress, higher intention to leave, and lower work engagement. Confirmatory factor analyses showed that the original three-factor model (supervisor incivility, coworker incivility, and instigated incivility) fitted moderately in both Japan and Canada data, though the privacy/overfamiliarity factor was additionally extracted from exploratory factor analysis for the J-MWIS. Conclusions: The results of this study suggested that the J-MWIS has moderate internal consistency reliability and good construct validity. PMID:28302927

Workplace incivility in Japan: Reliability and validity of the Japanese version of the modified Work Incivility Scale.

PubMed

Tsuno, Kanami; Kawakami, Norito; Shimazu, Akihito; Shimada, Kyoko; Inoue, Akiomi; P Leiter, Michael

2017-05-25

Although incivility is a common interpersonal mistreatment and associated with poor mental health, there are few studies about it in Asian countries. The aim of this study was to develop the Japanese version of the modified Work Incivility Scale (J-MWIS), investigate its reliability and validity, and reveal the prevalence of incivility among Japanese employees in comparison with data on Canadian employees. A total of 2,191 Japanese and 1,071 Canadian employees were surveyed, using either the J-MWIS or MWIS. Japanese employees additionally answered questions on civility, worksite social support, workplace bullying, psychological distress, intention to leave, and work engagement to investigate construct validity. At least one form of workplace incivility was experienced by both Japanese (52.3%) and Canadian (86.0%) employees in the previous month. Internal consistency reliability of the J-MWIS was acceptable (α=0.71-0.81), and correlation analyses also confirmed its construct validity as expected. Workplace incivility was associated with lower workgroup civility, lower supervisor and coworker support, higher workplace bullying, higher psychological distress, higher intention to leave, and lower work engagement. Confirmatory factor analyses showed that the original three-factor model (supervisor incivility, coworker incivility, and instigated incivility) fitted moderately in both Japan and Canada data, though the privacy/overfamiliarity factor was additionally extracted from exploratory factor analysis for the J-MWIS. The results of this study suggested that the J-MWIS has moderate internal consistency reliability and good construct validity.

Evidence of Validity for the Japanese Version of the Foot and Ankle Ability Measure

PubMed Central

Uematsu, Daisuke; Suzuki, Hidetomo; Sasaki, Shogo; Nagano, Yasuharu; Shinozuka, Nobuyuki; Sunagawa, Norihiko; Fukubayashi, Toru

2015-01-01

Context: The Foot and Ankle Ability Measure (FAAM) is a valid, reliable, and self-reported outcome instrument for the foot and ankle region. Objective: To provide evidence for translation, cross-cultural adaptation, validity, and reliability of the Japanese version of the FAAM (FAAM-J). Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: Collegiate athletic training/sports medicine clinical setting. Patients or Other Participants: Eighty-three collegiate athletes. Main Outcome Measure(s): All participants completed the Activities of Daily Living and Sports subscales of the FAAM-J and the Physical Functioning and Mental Health subscales of the Japanese version of the Short Form-36v2 (SF-36). Also, 19 participants (23%) whose conditions were expected to be stable completed another FAAM-J 2 to 6 days later for test-retest reliability. We analyzed the scores of those subscales for convergent and divergent validity, internal consistency, and test-retest reliability. Results: The Activities of Daily Living and Sports subscales of the FAAM-J had correlation coefficients of 0.86 and 0.75, respectively, with the Physical Functioning section of the SF-36 for convergent validity. For divergent validity, the correlation coefficients with Mental Health of the SF-36 were 0.29 and 0.27 for each subscale, respectively. Cronbach α for internal consistency was 0.99 for the Activities of Daily Living and 0.98 for the Sports subscale. A 95% confidence interval with a single measure was ±8.1 and ±14.0 points for each subscale. The test-retest reliability measures revealed intraclass correlation coefficient values of 0.87 for the Activities of Daily Living and 0.91 for the Sports subscales with minimal detectable changes of ±6.8 and ±13.7 for the respective subscales. Conclusions: The FAAM was successfully translated for a Japanese version, and the FAAM-J was adapted cross-culturally. Thus, the FAAM-J can be used as a self-reported outcome measure for Japanese-speaking individuals; however, the scores must be interpreted with caution, especially when applied to different populations and other types of injury than those included in this study. PMID:25310247

Memantine in Japanese patients with moderate to severe Alzheimer's disease: meta-analysis of multiple-index responder analyses.

PubMed

Okuizumi, Kaoru; Kamata, Teruyoshi; Matsui, Daiju; Saito, Kengo; Matsumoto, Takuyuki; Fukuchi, Yoshikazu

2018-04-01

Responder analyses assessing clinical worsening have attempted to clarify clinically meaningful drug efficacy enhancements in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). This was a meta-analysis of two multicenter, randomized, double-blind, parallel-group, 24-week studies of 633 Japanese patients with moderate to severe AD receiving memantine 20 mg/day (n = 318) or placebo (n = 315). The clinical trial registration number is UMIN000026013. Overall odds ratios (OR) for a reduced likelihood of clinical worsening (memantine versus placebo) were statistically significant on the following individual and combined rating scales: Severe Impairment Battery-Japanese version (SIB-J, OR 0.52; 95% CI: 0.37, 0.73; p = 0.0001); Behavioral Pathology in AD Rating Scale (BEHAVE-AD, OR 0.53; 95% CI: 0.37, 0.75; p = 0.0003); and SIB-J + Clinician's Interview-Based Impression of Change-plus-Japanese version (SIB-J + CIBIC-plus-J; OR 0.53; 95% CI: 0.37, 0.77; p = 0.0009). A significantly reduced risk of triple worsening was evident in the memantine versus placebo group on the combined SIB-J + CIBIC-plus-J + BEHAVE-AD rating scales (OR 0.38; 95% CI: 0.22, 0.65; p = 0.0003). Memantine is a viable treatment option for patients with AD presenting not only with cognitive impairment, but also with a broader range of symptoms, including the behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia.

Development of the Japanese version of the Quality of Life in Late-stage Dementia Scale.

PubMed

Nagata, Yuma; Tanaka, Hiroyuki; Ishimaru, Daiki; Uematsu, Masayasu; Naito, Yasuo; Nishikawa, Takashi

2018-03-01

Until now, there has been no instrument to measure the quality of life (QoL) of patients with severe dementia in Japan. The purpose of this study was to translate the Quality of Life in Late-stage Dementia Scale and to evaluate the reliability and validity of the Japanese version (QUALID-J). We translated the Quality of Life in Late-stage Dementia into Japanese with permission from the original authors. We assessed a total of 70 dementia patients (14 men, 56 women; mean age: 87.4 ± 7.9 years) with the QUALID-J. The test-retest and inter-rater reliability of the QUALID-J was significant. With regard to the criterion-related validity, the correlation coefficient for the total score between the QUALID-J and Quality of Life for Alzheimer's Disease was -0.287 (P < 0.05). With regard to the construct validity, the QUALID-J total score was significantly correlated with the Mini-Mental State Examination (ρ = -0.346, P < 0.01), the Cognitive Test for Severe Dementia (ρ = -0.323, P < 0.01), the Neuropsychiatry Inventory-Nursing Home version (ρ = 0.386, P < 0.01), the Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia (ρ = 0.262, P < 0.05), the Physical Self-Maintenance Scale (ρ = -0.283, P < 0.05), and the Pain Assessment in Advanced Dementia (ρ = 0.530, P < 0.01). The results of this study showed that the QUALID-J is a reliable and valid quality of life scale for severe dementia. This scale finally enables an adequate assessment of the quality of life of patients with severe dementia in Japan, which has not been possible until now. © 2018 Japanese Psychogeriatric Society.

Psychometric Properties of the Japanese Version of the STarT Back Tool in Patients with Low Back Pain.

PubMed

Matsudaira, Ko; Oka, Hiroyuki; Kikuchi, Norimasa; Haga, Yuri; Sawada, Takayuki; Tanaka, Sakae

2016-01-01

The STarT Back Tool uses prognostic indicators to classify patients with low back pain into three risk groups to guide early secondary prevention in primary care. The present study aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Japanese version of the tool (STarT-J). An online survey was conducted among Japanese patients with low back pain aged 20-64 years. Reliability was assessed by examining the internal consistency of the overall and psychosocial subscales using Cronbach's alpha coefficients. Spearman's correlation coefficients were used to evaluate the concurrent validity between the STarT-J total score/psychosocial subscore and standard reference questionnaires. Discriminant validity was evaluated by calculating the area under the curves (AUCs) for the total and psychosocial subscale scores against standard reference cases. Known-groups validity was assessed by examining the relationship between low back pain-related disability and STarT-J scores. The analysis included data for 2000 Japanese patients with low back pain; the mean (standard deviation [SD]) age was 47.7 (9.3) years, and 54.1% were male. The mean (SD) STarT-J score was 2.2 (2.1). The Cronbach's alpha coefficient was 0.75 for the overall scale and 0.66 for the psychosocial subscale. Spearman's correlation coefficients ranged from 0.30 to 0.59, demonstrating moderate to strong concurrent validity. The AUCs for the total score ranged from 0.65 to 0.83, mostly demonstrating acceptable discriminative ability. For known-groups validity, participants with more somatic symptoms had higher total scores. Those in higher STarT-J risk groups had experienced more low back pain-related absences. The overall STarT-J scale was internally consistent and had acceptable concurrent, discriminant, and known-groups validity. The STarT-J can be used with Japanese patients with low back pain.

[Control of craving for methamphetamine: development of scales for dependence and search for medicines for treatment].

PubMed

Ogai, Yasukazu; Haraguchi, Ayako; Kondo, Ayumi; Takamatsu, Yukio; Yamamoto, Hideko; Sendoo, Eiichi; Ikeda, Katzutaka

2005-10-01

Methamphetamine dependence presents a serious problem not only for patients but also for society. Medical treatment has mainly targeted psychotic symptoms such as hallucination and delusion, and ignored the symptoms of craving, which are the major cause of dependence. Therefore, the risk of lapse into methamphetamine reuse remains very high. Although development of both medicines and programs for treatment of craving is needed, progress has been hampered by the lack of appropriate scales for assessing the severity of dependence and craving. On the other hand, recent breakthroughs in genomic sciences and molecular medicine have made it possible to investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying craving in animals. This paper reviews studies on the development of scales for assessing the severity of methamphetamine dependence and craving, together with recent data on candidate medicines for craving treatment in animals. The reliability and validity of the revised Addiction Severity Index -Japanese version (ASI-J) was confirmed after its administration to 100 drug abuse patients. The Craving Index was also newly developed, and its validity for prediction of relapse was confirmed. In animal experiments, fluoxetine, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, was recognized as a candidate medicine for treatment of methamphetamine dependence.

Recent status scores for version 6 of the Addiction Severity Index (ASI-6).

PubMed

Cacciola, John S; Alterman, Arthur I; Habing, Brian; McLellan, A Thomas

2011-09-01

To describe the derivation of recent status scores (RSSs) for version 6 of the Addiction Severity Index (ASI-6). 118 ASI-6 recent status items were subjected to nonparametric item response theory (NIRT) analyses followed by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Generalizability and concurrent validity of the derived scores were determined. A total of 607 recent admissions to variety of substance abuse treatment programs constituted the derivation sample; a subset (n = 252) comprised the validity sample. The ASI-6 interview and a validity battery of primarily self-report questionnaires that included at least one measure corresponding to each of the seven ASI domains were administered. Nine summary scales describing recent status that achieved or approached both high scalability and reliability were derived; one scale for each of six areas (medical, employment/finances, alcohol, drug, legal, psychiatric) and three scales for the family/social area. Intercorrelations among the RSSs also supported the multi-dimensionality of the ASI-6. Concurrent validity analyses yielded strong evidence supporting the validity of six of the RSSs (medical, alcohol, drug, employment, family/social problems, psychiatric). Evidence was weaker for the legal, family/social support and child problems RSSs. Generalizability analyses of the scales to males versus females and whites versus blacks supported the comparability of the findings, with slight exceptions. The psychometric analyses to derive Addiction Severity Index version 6 recent status scores support the multi-dimensionality of the Addiction Severity Index version 6 (i.e. the relative independence of different life functioning areas), consistent with research on earlier editions of the instrument. In general, the Addiction Severity Index version 6 scales demonstrate acceptable scalability, reliability and concurrent validity. While questions remain about the generalizability of some scales to population subgroups, the overall findings coupled with updated and more extensive content in the Addiction Severity Index version 6 support its use in clinical practice and research. © 2011 The Authors, Addiction © 2011 Society for the Study of Addiction.

Feasibility and clinical utility of the Japanese version of the Abbey pain scale in Japanese aged care.

PubMed

Takai, Yukari; Yamamoto-Mitani, Noriko; Chiba, Yumi; Kato, Ayako

2014-06-01

Active usage of observational pain scales in Japanese aged-care facilities has not been previously described. Therefore, to examine the feasibility and clinical utility of the Abbey Pain Scale-Japanese version (APS-J), this study examined the interrater reliability of the APS-J among a researcher, nurses, and care workers in aged-care facilities in Japan. This study also aimed to obtain nurses' and care workers' opinions on use of the scale. The following data were collected from 88 residents of two aged-care facilities: demographics, Barthel Index, Folstein Mini-Mental Examination (MMSE), 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15), and APS-J for pain. The researchers, nurses, and care workers independently assessed the residents' pain by using the APS-J, and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) for interrater reliability and Cronbach alpha for internal consistency were examined. The ICC between researchers and nurses, researchers and care workers, and nurses and care workers were 0.68, 0.74, and 0.76, respectively. Nurses and care workers were invited for focus group interviews to obtain their opinions regarding APS-J use. During these interviews, nurses and care workers stated that the observational points of APS-J subscales were the criteria they normally used to evaluate residents' pain. Several nurses and care workers reported a gap between the estimated pain intensity and APS-J score. Unclear APS-J criteria, difficulties in observing residents, and insufficient practice guidelines were also reported. Our findings indicate that the APS-J has moderate reliability and clinically utility. To facilitate APS-J usage, education and clinical guidelines for pain management may be required for nurses and care workers. Copyright © 2014 American Society for Pain Management Nursing. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Validity and reliability of the Japanese version of the Newest Vital Sign: a preliminary study.

PubMed

Kogure, Takamichi; Sumitani, Masahiko; Suka, Machi; Ishikawa, Hirono; Odajima, Takeshi; Igarashi, Ataru; Kusama, Makiko; Okamoto, Masako; Sugimori, Hiroki; Kawahara, Kazuo

2014-01-01

Health literacy (HL) refers to the ability to obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services, and is thus needed to make appropriate health decisions. The Newest Vital Sign (NVS) is comprised of 6 questions about an ice cream nutrition label and assesses HL numeracy skills. We developed a Japanese version of the NVS (NVS-J) and evaluated the validity and reliability of the NVS-J in patients with chronic pain. The translation of the original NVS into Japanese was achieved as per the published guidelines. An observational study was subsequently performed to evaluate the validity and reliability of the NVS-J in 43 Japanese patients suffering from chronic pain. Factor analysis with promax rotation, using the Kaiser criterion (eigenvalues ≥1.0), and a scree plot revealed that the main component of the NVS-J consists of three determinative factors, and each factor consists of two NVS-J items. The criterion-related validity of the total NVS-J score was significantly correlated with the total score of Ishikawa et al.'s self-rated HL Questionnaire, the clinical global assessment of comprehensive HL level, cognitive function, and the Brinkman index. In addition, Cronbach's coefficient for the total score of the NVS-J was adequate (alpha = 0.72). This study demonstrated that the NVS-J has good validity and reliability. Further, the NVS-J consists of three determinative factors: "basic numeracy ability," "complex numeracy ability," and "serious-minded ability." These three HL abilities comprise a 3-step hierarchical structure. Adequate HL should be promoted in chronic pain patients to enable coping, improve functioning, and increase activities of daily living (ADLs) and quality of life (QOL).

Association Between Sarcopenia and Mild Cognitive Impairment Using the Japanese Version of the SARC-F in Elderly Patients With Diabetes.

PubMed

Ida, Satoshi; Nakai, Mari; Ito, Sho; Ishihara, Yuki; Imataka, Kanako; Uchida, Akihiro; Monguchi, Kou; Kaneko, Ryutaro; Fujiwara, Ryoko; Takahashi, Hiroka; Murata, Kazuya

2017-09-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between sarcopenia and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in elderly patients with diabetes using the Japanese version of the simple 5-item questionnaire (SARC-F-J). Cross-sectional study. Community hospital in Japan. Subjects were people with diabetes aged 65 years and older being treated on an outpatient basis at the Ise Red Cross Hospital. We used the Japanese version of the self-administered cognitive test Test Your Memory (TYM-J) to measure MCI and the self-administered questionnaire SARC-F-J, consisting of 5 items, to evaluate sarcopenia. We conducted a multiple logistic regression analysis with MCI as the dependent variable and sarcopenia as the explanatory variable to calculate the odds ratio of sarcopenia in association with MCI. A total of 250 cases (150 men and 100 women) were included in our study. The prevalence of sarcopenia in this sample was 19.5% and that of MCI was 40.3%. The adjusted odds ratio of sarcopenia in association with MCI was 2.96 (95% confidence interval, 1.09-7.70, P = .032). A statistically significant association was found between sarcopenia and MCI in an assessment of elderly patients with diabetes using the SARC-F-J. Copyright © 2017 AMDA – The Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

[Schizophrenia Cognition Rating Scale Japanese version (SCoRS-J) as a co-primary measure assessing cognitive function in schizophrenia].

PubMed

Kaneda, Yasuhiro; Ueoka, Yoshinori; Sumiyoshi, Tomiki; Yasui-Furukori, Norio; Ito, Toru; Higuchi, Yuko; Suzuki, Michio; Ohmori, Tetsuro

2011-11-01

The assessment of cognitive function is important for patients with schizophrenia because cognitive impairment is a core feature of the disease, and is a major determinant of functional outcome. To implement a practical assessment tool, we previously developed the Japanese-language version of the Brief Assessment of Cognition in Schizophrenia that objectively measures cognitive domains relevant to outcome. Meanwhile, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration took the position that a drug to improve coghition should show changes on an additional measure (a co-primary), in addition to an accepted consensus cognitive performance measure that is considered functionally meaningful. Thus, four potential co-primary measures, two measures of functional capacity and two interview-based measures of cognition, were evaluated for psychometric properties and validity. The Schizophrenia Cognition Rating Scale (SCoRS) is one of the interview-based measures of cognition. It consists of 20 questions to measure attention, memory, reasoning and problem solving, working memory, language production, and motor skills, which are related to day-to-day functioning. University of California at San Diego Performance-Based Skills Assessment (UPSA) is one of the measures of functional capacity. For its clinical application, we developed the Japanese-language version of the SCoRS (SCoRS-J) and UPSA (UPSA-J) through back-translation into English.

Relationship between assertiveness and burnout among nurse managers.

PubMed

Suzuki, Eiko; Saito, Miyuki; Tagaya, Akira; Mihara, Rieko; Maruyama, Akiko; Azuma, Tomomi; Sato, Chifumi

2009-12-01

We aimed to clarify the relationship between assertiveness and burnout among nurse managers at university hospitals. The directors at three university hospitals agreed to cooperate with our study. During a one-month period from May to June 2007, a self-administered questionnaire was distributed to 203 nurse managers (head and sub-head nurses). The Japanese version of the Rathus Assertiveness Schedule (J-RAS) and the Japanese version of the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) were used as scales. Burnout was operationally defined as a total MBI score in the highest tertile. Valid responses were obtained from 172 nurse managers. The mean J-RAS score of the burnout group (-14.3) was significantly lower than that of the non-burnout group (-3.3). Responses about work experience and age showed no significant group difference. Total MBI score was inversely correlated with J-RAS score (R = -0.30, P < 0.01). Multiple logistic regression analyses indicated a decrease in the risk of burnout by 26% (0.74 times) for every 10 point increase in the J-RAS score, and by 60% (0.40 times) for greater satisfaction with own care provision. The results suggest that increasing assertiveness and satisfaction with own care provision contributes to preventing burnout among Japanese nurse managers.

The effect of computer-mediated administration on self-disclosure of problems on the addiction severity index.

PubMed

Butler, Stephen F; Villapiano, Albert; Malinow, Andrew

2009-12-01

People tend to disclose more personal information when communication is mediated through the use of a computer. This study was conducted to examine the impact of this phenomenon on the way respondents answer questions during computer-mediated, self-administration of the Addiction Severity Index (ASI) called the Addiction Severity Index-Multimedia Version((R)) (ASI-MV((R))). A sample of 142 clients in substance abuse treatment was administered the ASI via an interviewer and the computerized ASI-MV((R)), three to five days apart in a counterbalanced order. Seven composite scores were compared between the two test administrations using paired t-tests. Post hoc analyses examined interviewer effects. Comparisons of composite scores for each of the domains between the face-to-face administered and computer-mediated, self-administered ASI revealed that significantly greater problem severity was reported by clients in five of the seven domains during administration of the computer-mediated, self-administered version compared to the trained interviewer version. Item analyses identified certain items as responsible for significant differences, especially those asking clients to rate need for treatment. All items that were significantly different between the two modes of administration revealed greater problem severity reported on the ASI-MV((R)) as compared to the interview administered assessment. Post hoc analyses yielded significant interviewer effects on four of the five domains where differences were observed. These data support a growing literature documenting a tendency for respondents to be more self-disclosing in a computer-mediated format over a face-to-face interview. Differences in interviewer skill in establishing rapport may account for these observations.

Japanese normative data for the Unhelpful Thoughts and Beliefs about Stuttering (UTBAS) Scales for adults who stutter.

PubMed

Chu, Shin Ying; Sakai, Naomi; Mori, Koichi; Iverach, Lisa

2017-03-01

This study reports Japanese normative data for the Unhelpful Thoughts and Beliefs about Stuttering (UTBAS) scales. We outline the translation process, and evaluate the psychometric properties of the Japanese version of the UTBAS scales. The translation of the UTBAS scales into Japanese (UTBAS-J) was completed using the standard forward-backward translation process, and was administered to 130 Japanese adults who stutter. To validate the UTBAS-J scales, scores for the Japanese and Australian cohorts were compared. Spearman correlations were conducted between the UTBAS-J and the Modified Erickson Communication Attitude scale (S-24), the self-assessment scale of speech (SA scale), and age. The test-retest reliability and internal consistency of the UTBAS-J were assessed. Independent t-tests were conducted to evaluate the differences in the UTBAS-J scales according to gender, speech treatment experience, and stuttering self-help group participation experience. The UTBAS-J showed good test-retest reliability, high internal consistency, and moderate to high significant correlations with S-24 and SA scale. A weak correlation was found between the UTBAS-J scales with age. No significant relationships were found between UTBAS-J scores, gender and speech treatment experience. However, those who participated in the stuttering self-help group demonstrated lower UTBAS-J scores than those who did not. Given the current scarcity of clinical assessment tools for adults who stutter in Japan, the UTBAS-J holds promise as an assessment tool and outcome measure for use in clinical and research environments. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Measuring adjustment in Japanese juvenile delinquents with learning disabilities using Japanese version of Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children II.

PubMed

Kumagami, Takashi; Kumagai, Keiko

2014-10-01

The aim of this study was to create a profile of the cognitive and academic abilities of juvenile delinquents (JD) in Japan using the newly validated Japanese version of the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children, Second Edition (KABC-II-J). We administered the KABC-II-J to 22 JD (Mage  = 15.9 years, standard deviation [SD] = 1.4), 28 typically developing high school students (Mage  = 16.0 years, SD = 0.08), and (as controls) 12 special education students (Mage  = 16.9, SD = 0.83) with mild intellectual disabilities. We observed significant differences between JD and typically developing students on learning index of the Mental Process Index, and the vocabulary, reading, writing, and mathematics indices on the Achievement Index. JD had lower scores than did typically developing high school students. Fourteen JD had a 1 SD discrepancy (43%) in scores on these indices. These cases were suspected of having learning disabilities. The KABC-II-J is a suitable means of assessing academic and cognitive problems in JD; professionals working in the field of juvenile delinquency should recognize that offenders might have severe academic delays and learning disabilities. © 2014 The Authors. Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences © 2014 Japanese Society of Psychiatry and Neurology.

Validation of the Japanese version of the job crafting scale.

PubMed

Eguchi, Hisashi; Shimazu, Akihito; Bakker, Arnold B; Tims, Maria; Kamiyama, Kimika; Hara, Yujiro; Namba, Katsuyuki; Inoue, Akiomi; Ono, Masakatsu; Kawakami, Norito

2016-06-16

The aim of this study was to validate the Japanese version of the job crafting scale (JCS-J). JCS measures four independent job crafting dimensions, namely increasing structural job resources, decreasing hindering job demands, increasing social job resources, and increasing challenging job demands. The translated and back-translated JCS-J questionnaires were administered online to 972 employees of a Japanese manufacturing company. The data were then divided into independent explorative and confirmative samples. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were performed to evaluate the factorial validity of JCS-J. The relationship with potential consequences of job crafting (e.g., job demands, job resources, and psychological well-being) was investigated to evaluate construct validity. Internal consistency was examined to evaluate the reliability of the four JCSs. An exploratory factor analysis extracted a five-factor solution. Decreasing hindering job demands was further split into two separate dimensions supporting a five- rather than four-factor structure. A series of confirmatory factor analyses revealed that the modified five-factor model that allows covariance between items fits the data best. Construct validity was generally supported by the expected correlations of each job crafting dimension with each corresponding job resource (+), job demand (+), and psychological well-being (+). Cronbach's α coefficient was sufficient for each of the four dimensions of job crafting (α ranged between 0.76 and 0.90). This study confirmed that JCS-J is an adequate measure of job crafting that can be used in the Japanese context.

Validation of the Japanese version of the job crafting scale

PubMed Central

Eguchi, Hisashi; Shimazu, Akihito; Bakker, Arnold B.; Tims, Maria; Kamiyama, Kimika; Hara, Yujiro; Namba, Katsuyuki; Inoue, Akiomi; Ono, Masakatsu; Kawakami, Norito

2016-01-01

Objectives: The aim of this study was to validate the Japanese version of the job crafting scale (JCS-J). JCS measures four independent job crafting dimensions, namely increasing structural job resources, decreasing hindering job demands, increasing social job resources, and increasing challenging job demands. Methods: The translated and back-translated JCS-J questionnaires were administered online to 972 employees of a Japanese manufacturing company. The data were then divided into independent explorative and confirmative samples. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were performed to evaluate the factorial validity of JCS-J. The relationship with potential consequences of job crafting (e.g., job demands, job resources, and psychological well-being) was investigated to evaluate construct validity. Internal consistency was examined to evaluate the reliability of the four JCSs. Results: An exploratory factor analysis extracted a five-factor solution. Decreasing hindering job demands was further split into two separate dimensions supporting a five- rather than four-factor structure. A series of confirmatory factor analyses revealed that the modified five-factor model that allows covariance between items fits the data best. Construct validity was generally supported by the expected correlations of each job crafting dimension with each corresponding job resource (+), job demand (+), and psychological well-being (+). Cronbach's α coefficient was sufficient for each of the four dimensions of job crafting (α ranged between 0.76 and 0.90). Conclusions: This study confirmed that JCS-J is an adequate measure of job crafting that can be used in the Japanese context. PMID:27108643

Validation of the Japanese version of the Ford Insomnia Response to Stress Test and the association of sleep reactivity with trait anxiety and insomnia.

PubMed

Nakajima, Shun; Okajima, Isa; Sasai, Taeko; Kobayashi, Mina; Furudate, Naomichi; Drake, Christopher L; Roth, Thomas; Inoue, Yuichi

2014-02-01

Our study was conducted to validate the Japanese version of the Ford Insomnia Response to Stress Test (FIRST-J) and to clarify the association of the measure with trait anxiety and insomnia in healthy subjects and insomnia patients. We studied 161 healthy subjects and 177 insomnia patients who completed the FIRST-J, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS), and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory-Trait (STAI). The healthy subjects and the insomnia patients were classified, respectively, into two groups with high FIRST-J and low FIRST-J scores (divided by the median value of healthy subjects). Cronbach α coefficients of the FIRST-J in the insomnia patients and healthy subjects were 0.89 and 0.87, respectively. Factor analysis revealed that the FIRST-J had a single-factor structure. The FIRST-J score significantly correlated with all other measures in the healthy subjects, though the score only correlated with the score of the STAI in the insomnia patients. The healthy subjects with high FIRST-J scores showed higher scores of the AIS and STAI than those with low FIRST-J scores. Furthermore, insomnia patients had a higher total score of the FIRST-J than the healthy subjects. The FIRST-J is an important tool for assessing vulnerability to insomnia. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Development of the Japanese version of the Council on Nutrition Appetite Questionnaire and its simplified versions, and evaluation of their reliability, validity, and reproducibility.

PubMed

Tokudome, Yuko; Okumura, Keiko; Kumagai, Yoshiko; Hirano, Hirohiko; Kim, Hunkyung; Morishita, Shiho; Watanabe, Yutaka

2017-11-01

Because few Japanese questionnaires assess the elderly's appetite, there is an urgent need to develop an appetite questionnaire with verified reliability, validity, and reproducibility. We translated and back-translated the Council on Nutrition Appetite Questionnaire (CNAQ), which has eight items, into Japanese (CNAQ-J), as well as the Simplified Nutritional Appetite Questionnaire (SNAQ-J), which includes four CNAQ-J-derived items. Using structural equation modeling, we examined the CNAQ-J structure based on data of 649 Japanese elderly people in 2013, including individuals having a certain degree of cognitive impairment, and we developed the SNAQ for the Japanese elderly (SNAQ-JE) according to an exploratory factor analysis. Confirmatory factor analyses on the appetite questionnaires were conducted to probe fitting to the model. We computed Cronbach's α coefficients and criterion-referenced/-related validity figures examining associations of the three appetite battery scores with body mass index (BMI) values and with nutrition-related questionnaire values. Test-retest reproducibility of appetite tools was scrutinized over an approximately 2-week interval. An exploratory factor analysis demonstrated that the CNAQ-J was constructed of one factor (appetite), yielding the SNAQ-JE, which includes four questions derived from the CNAQ-J. The three appetite instruments showed almost equivalent fitting to the model and reproducibility. The CNAQ-J and SNAQ-JE demonstrated satisfactory reliability and significant criterion-referenced/-related validity values, including BMIs, but the SNAQ-J included a low factor-loading item, exhibited less satisfactory reliability and had a non-significant relationship to BMI. The CNAQ-J and SNAQ-JE may be applied to assess the appetite of Japanese elderly, including persons with some cognitive impairment. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Recent Status Scores for Version 6 of the Addiction Severity Index (ASI-6)

PubMed Central

Cacciola, John S.; Alterman, Arthur I; Habing, Brian; McLellan, A. Thomas

2012-01-01

Aims To describe the derivation of Recent Status Scores (RSSs) for Version 6 of the Addiction Severity Index (ASI-6). Design 118 ASI-6 recent status items were subjected to nonparametric item response theory (NIRT) analyses followed by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Generalizability and concurrent validity of the derived scores were determined. Setting and Participants 607 recent admissions to variety of substance abuse treatment programs constituted the derivation sample; a subset (N = 254) comprised the validity sample. Measurements The ASI-6 interview and a validity battery of primarily self-report questionnaires that included at least one measure corresponding to each of the seven ASI domains were administered. Findings Nine summary scales describing recent status that achieved or approached both high scalability and reliability were derived; one scale for each of six areas (medical, employment/finances, alcohol, drug, legal, psychiatric), and three scales for the family/social area. Intercorrelations among the RSSs also supported the multidimensionality of the ASI-6. Concurrent validity analyses yielded strong evidence supporting the validity of the six of the RSSs (Medical, Alcohol, Drug, Employment, Family/Social Problems, Psychiatric). Evidence was weaker for the Legal, Family/Social Support and Child Problems RSSs. Generalizability analyses of the scales to males versus females and whites versus blacks supported the comparability of the findings with slight exceptions. Conclusions The psychometric analyses to derive Addiction Severity Index-6 Recent Status Scores (RSSs) support the multidimensionality of the ASI-6 (i.e., the relative independence of different life functioning areas), consistent with research on earlier editions of the instrument. In general, the ASI-6 scales demonstrate acceptable scalability, reliability and concurrent validity. While questions remain about the generalizability of some scales to population subgroups, the overall findings coupled with updated and more extensive content in the ASI-6 support its use in clinical practice and research. PMID:21545666

The Japanese Clinical Practice Guidelines for Management of Sepsis and Septic Shock 2016 (J-SSCG 2016).

PubMed

Nishida, Osamu; Ogura, Hiroshi; Egi, Moritoki; Fujishima, Seitaro; Hayashi, Yoshiro; Iba, Toshiaki; Imaizumi, Hitoshi; Inoue, Shigeaki; Kakihana, Yasuyuki; Kotani, Joji; Kushimoto, Shigeki; Masuda, Yoshiki; Matsuda, Naoyuki; Matsushima, Asako; Nakada, Taka-Aki; Nakagawa, Satoshi; Nunomiya, Shin; Sadahiro, Tomohito; Shime, Nobuaki; Yatabe, Tomoaki; Hara, Yoshitaka; Hayashida, Kei; Kondo, Yutaka; Sumi, Yuka; Yasuda, Hideto; Aoyama, Kazuyoshi; Azuhata, Takeo; Doi, Kent; Doi, Matsuyuki; Fujimura, Naoyuki; Fuke, Ryota; Fukuda, Tatsuma; Goto, Koji; Hasegawa, Ryuichi; Hashimoto, Satoru; Hatakeyama, Junji; Hayakawa, Mineji; Hifumi, Toru; Higashibeppu, Naoki; Hirai, Katsuki; Hirose, Tomoya; Ide, Kentaro; Kaizuka, Yasuo; Kan'o, Tomomichi; Kawasaki, Tatsuya; Kuroda, Hiromitsu; Matsuda, Akihisa; Matsumoto, Shotaro; Nagae, Masaharu; Onodera, Mutsuo; Ohnuma, Tetsu; Oshima, Kiyohiro; Saito, Nobuyuki; Sakamoto, So; Sakuraya, Masaaki; Sasano, Mikio; Sato, Norio; Sawamura, Atsushi; Shimizu, Kentaro; Shirai, Kunihiro; Takei, Tetsuhiro; Takeuchi, Muneyuki; Takimoto, Kohei; Taniguchi, Takumi; Tatsumi, Hiroomi; Tsuruta, Ryosuke; Yama, Naoya; Yamakawa, Kazuma; Yamashita, Chizuru; Yamashita, Kazuto; Yoshida, Takeshi; Tanaka, Hiroshi; Oda, Shigeto

2018-01-01

The Japanese Clinical Practice Guidelines for Management of Sepsis and Septic Shock 2016 (J-SSCG 2016), a Japanese-specific set of clinical practice guidelines for sepsis and septic shock created jointly by the Japanese Society of Intensive Care Medicine and the Japanese Association for Acute Medicine, was first released in February 2017 in Japanese. An English-language version of these guidelines was created based on the contents of the original Japanese-language version. Members of the Japanese Society of Intensive Care Medicine and the Japanese Association for Acute Medicine were selected and organized into 19 committee members and 52 working group members. The guidelines were prepared in accordance with the Medical Information Network Distribution Service (Minds) creation procedures. The Academic Guidelines Promotion Team was organized to oversee and provide academic support to the respective activities allocated to each Guideline Creation Team. To improve quality assurance and workflow transparency, a mutual peer review system was established, and discussions within each team were open to the public. Public comments were collected once after the initial formulation of a clinical question (CQ), and twice during the review of the final draft. Recommendations were determined to have been adopted after obtaining support from a two-thirds (>66.6%) majority vote of each of the 19 committee members. A total of 87 CQs were selected among 19 clinical areas, including pediatric topics and several other important areas not covered in the first edition of the Japanese guidelines (J-SSCG 2012). The approval rate obtained through committee voting, in addition to ratings of the strengths of the recommendation and its supporting evidence were also added to each recommendation statement. We conducted meta-analyses for 29 CQs. Thirty seven CQs contained recommendations in the form of an expert consensus due to insufficient evidence. No recommendations were provided for 5 CQs. Based on the evidence gathered, we were able to formulate Japanese-specific clinical practice guidelines that are tailored to the Japanese context in a highly transparent manner. These guidelines can easily be used not only by specialists, but also by non-specialists, general clinicians, nurses, pharmacists, clinical engineers, and other healthcare professionals.

Japanese version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment cut-off score to clarify improvement of mild cognitive impairment after exercise training in community-dwelling older adults.

PubMed

Nara, Marina; Sugie, Masamitsu; Takahashi, Tetsuya; Koyama, Teruyuki; Sengoku, Renpei; Fujiwara, Yoshinori; Obuchi, Shuichi; Harada, Kazumasa; Kyo, Shunei; Ito, Hideki

2018-02-02

Physical exercise improves cognitive function in people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). However, information about whether the degree of MCI before exercise training affects improvement in cognitive function is lacking. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the cut-off value in a MCI screening tool that predicts reversal to normal cognitive function after exercise training in older adults with MCI. Participants included 112 Japanese community-dwelling older adult outpatients (37 men, 75 women; mean age 76.3 years). We administered the Japanese version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA-J) before and after exercise training. MCI was defined as a MoCA-J score <26. All participants underwent exercise training 2 days per week for 6 months, according to American Heart Association guidelines. The prevalence of MCI was 65.2%. After exercise training, 46.6% of participants with MCI reversed to normal cognitive function. The MoCA-J cut-off score to predict cognitive function potentially reversible to normal was 23, with receiver operating characteristic analysis showing an area under the curve of 0.80, sensitivity of 79.4% and specificity of 69.2%. Multiple logistic regression analysis to predict non-MCI after exercise training showed that MoCA-J score ≥23 (OR 6.9, P < .001), female sex (OR 3.4, P = .04) and age (OR 0.9, P = .04) were independent determinants. The MoCA-J cut-off score of 23 might be useful to predict cognitive function that is potentially reversible to normal among community-dwelling Japanese older adults with MCI. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2018; ••: ••-••. © 2018 The Authors Geriatrics & Gerontology International published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Japan Geriatrics Society.

The minimally important difference for the Japanese version of the health assessment questionnaire in patients with rheumatoid arthritis in daily practice.

PubMed

Shidara, Kumi; Nakajima, Ayako; Inoue, Eisuke; Hoshi, Daisuke; Sugimoto, Naoki; Seto, Yohei; Tanaka, Eiichi; Ikari, Katsunori; Taniguchi, Atsuo; Yamanaka, Hisashi

2017-05-01

To validate the minimally important difference (MID) of physical function using the Japanese version of the Health Assessment Questionnaire (J-HAQ) in a cohort of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Patients who participated in a cohort study in both October 2008 and April 2009 were analyzed. Patients self-rated their change in overall status over 6 months using a 5-point Likert scale ("much better", "somewhat better", "same", "somewhat worse", or "much worse"). The MID for J-HAQ score was defined as the mean J-HAQ score change in patients who rated themselves "somewhat better". An effect size (ES) of 0.2-0.5 was considered to be suitable for MID. A total of 4560 patients were analyzed. The mean (standard deviation [SD]) MID for J-HAQ score was -0.06 (0.29), corresponding to an ES of 0.08. As exploratory analysis, 1999 patients with a J-HAQ score ≥0.5 and 28-joint disease activity score (DAS28) ≥ 2.6 at baseline were assessed. The mean (SD) MID for J-HAQ score of these patients was 0.13 (0.01), corresponding to an ES of 0.21. The MID for J-HAQ score was 0.13 in patients with baseline J-HAQ score ≥0.5 and DAS28 ≥ 2.6. The MID for J-HAQ score was influenced by disease status and functional disability.

Reliability and validity of a Japanese version of the Cambridge depersonalization scale as a screening instrument for depersonalization disorder.

PubMed

Sugiura, Miyuki; Hirosawa, Masataka; Tanaka, Sumio; Nishi, Yasunobu; Yamada, Yasuyuki; Mizuno, Motoki

2009-06-01

The Cambridge Depersonalization Scale (CDS) is an instrument that has obtained reliability and validity in some countries for use in detecting depersonalization disorder under clinical conditions, but not yet in Japan under non-psychiatric conditions. The purposes of this study were to develop a Japanese version of the CDS (J-CDS) and to examine its reliability and validity as an instrument for screening depersonalization disorder under non-clinical conditions. The CDS was translated from English into Japanese and then back-translated into English by a native English-speaking American. After making the J-CDS, we examined its reliability and validity. Questionnaires that were composed of J-CDS, the Dissociative Experience Scale (DES), the Zung self-rating scale and the Maudsley Obsessional-Compulsive Inventory were administrated to 59 participants (12 patients with depersonalization disorder, 11 individuals who had recovered from depersonalization and 36 healthy controls). Cronbach's alpha and split-half reliability were 0.94 and 0.93, respectively. The J-CDS score in the depersonalization group was significantly higher than in the healthy control group. The J-CDS score was significantly correlated with scores of total DES, and DES-depersonalization. The best compromise between the true positive and false negative rate was at a cut-off point of 60, yielding a sensitivity of 1.00 and a specificity of 0.96. In this study, J-CDS showed good reliability and validity. The best cut-off point, when we use this for distinguishing individuals with depersonalization disorder from individuals without psychiatric disorders, is 60 points.

Prevalence, symptomatic features, and factors associated with sleep disturbance/insomnia in Japanese patients with type-2 diabetes.

PubMed

Narisawa, Hajime; Komada, Yoko; Miwa, Takashi; Shikuma, Junpei; Sakurai, Mamoru; Odawara, Masato; Inoue, Yuichi

2017-01-01

To clarify the prevalence and symptomatic characteristics of sleep disturbance/insomnia among type-2 diabetes mellitus (DM) Japanese patients. A cross-sectional survey of Japanese patients with the disorder was conducted. Participants consisted of 622 type-2 DM patients (mean 56.1±9.56 years) and 622 sex- and age-matched controls. Participants' scores in the Japanese version of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI-J), the Japanese version of the 12-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), the Medical Outcomes Study 8-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-8), and the glycated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) of type-2 DM patients were analyzed. There were 253 poor sleepers (43.9%) in the type-2 DM group as a result of dichotomization with the PSQI-J cutoff total score of 5.5. The type-2 DM group recorded a higher mean PSQI-J total score ( P <0.01) and manifested poorer sleep maintenance. Poor sleepers in both groups had lower mental component summary from SF-8 (MCS), physical component summary from SF-8 (PCS), and CES-D than good sleepers, and good sleepers in both groups had higher MCS, PCS, and CES-D than poor sleepers. Higher body mass index, presence of smoking habit, and living alone were significantly associated with sleep disturbance/insomnia symptoms, but HbA1c was not associated with sleep disturbance/insomnia in the type-2 DM group. Individuals affected with type-2 DM are likely to experience sleep problems, characterized by disturbance in sleep maintenance. Sleep disturbance/insomnia symptoms in DM patients might considerably reduce health-related quality of life.

Reliability, validity, and responsiveness of the Japanese version of the Patient-Rated Wrist Evaluation.

PubMed

Imaeda, Toshihiko; Uchiyama, Shigeharu; Wada, Takuro; Okinaga, Shuji; Sawaizumi, Takuya; Omokawa, Shohei; Momose, Toshimitsu; Moritomo, Hisao; Gotani, Hiroyuki; Abe, Yukio; Nishida, Jun; Kanaya, Fuminori

2010-07-01

The Patient-Rated Wrist Evaluation is a regionspecific, self-administered questionnaire consisting of a pain scale (PRWE-P) and a functional scale (PRWE-F), with the latter consisting of specific function (PRWE-SF) and usual function (PRWE-UF). The PRWE was cross-culturally adapted from the original English version by the Impairment Evaluation Committee, Japanese Society for Surgery of the Hand (JSSH). The purpose of this study was to test the reliability, validity, and responsiveness of the Japanese version of PRWE (PRWE-J). A consecutive series of 117 patients with wrist disorders completed the PRWE-J, the JSSH version of the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (DASH-JSSH) questionnaire and the 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36). Of the 117 patients, 71 were reassessed for test-retest reliability 1 or 2 weeks later. Reliability was investigated by reproducibility and internal consistency. To analyze the validity, a factor analysis (principal axis factoring) of PRWE-J and correlation coefficients between PRWE-J and DASH-JSSH were obtained. Responsiveness was examined by calculating the standardized response mean (SRM) (mean change/SD) and effect size (mean change/SD of baseline value) after open surgery in 50 patients. Cronbach's alpha coefficients for PRWE-P, PRWE-F, and PRWE were 0.90, 0.95, and 0.95, respectively. The intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) for the same were 0.86, 0.93, and 0.92, respectively. Unidimensionality of PRWE-P was con-firmed. Bidimensionality of PRWE-F was confirmed and separated clearly into PRWE-SF and PRWE-UF. The correlation coefficients between PRWE-P and PRWE-F or DASH-JSSH were 0.63 or 0.63, respectively. The correlation coefficient between PRWE-F and DASH-JSSH was 0.80. The correlation coefficients between DASH-JSSH and PRWE-SF or PRWE-UF were 0.76 or 0.73, respectively. Moderate correlation was observed in "physical functioning" for SF-36 and PRWE-SF (r = -0.46), PRWE-F (r = -0.46), or PRWE (r = -0.46). The SRMs/effect sizes of PRWE-P, PRWE-F, or PRWE were respectively excellent: 1.7/2.2, 1.2/1.3, 1.6/1.9. The PRWE-J has evaluation capacities equivalent to those of the original PRWE.

The Japanese version of the questionnaire about the process of recovery: development and validity and reliability testing.

PubMed

Kanehara, Akiko; Kotake, Risa; Miyamoto, Yuki; Kumakura, Yousuke; Morita, Kentaro; Ishiura, Tomoko; Shimizu, Kimiko; Fujieda, Yumiko; Ando, Shuntaro; Kondo, Shinsuke; Kasai, Kiyoto

2017-11-07

Personal recovery is increasingly recognised as an important outcome measure in mental health services. This study aimed to develop a Japanese version of the Questionnaire about the Process of Recovery (QPR-J) and test its validity and reliability. The study comprised two stages that employed the cross-sectional and prospective cohort designs, respectively. We translated the questionnaire using a standard translation/back-translation method. Convergent validity was examined by calculating Pearson's correlation coefficients with scores on the Recovery Assessment Scale (RAS) and the Short-Form-8 Health Survey (SF-8). An exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was conducted to examine factorial validity. We used intraclass correlation and Cronbach's alpha to examine the test-retest and internal consistency reliability of the QPR-J's 22-item full scale, 17-item intrapersonal and 5-item interpersonal subscales. We conducted an EFA along with a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Data were obtained from 197 users of mental health services (mean age: 42.0 years; 61.9% female; 49.2% diagnosed with schizophrenia). The QPR-J showed adequate convergent validity, exhibiting significant, positive correlations with the RAS and SF-8 scores. The QPR-J's full version, subscales, showed excellent test-retest and internal consistency reliability, with the exception of acceptable but relatively low internal consistency reliability for the interpersonal subscale. Based on the results of the CFA and EFA, we adopted the factor structure extracted from the original 2-factor model based on the present CFA. The QPR-J is an adequately valid and reliable measure of the process of recovery among Japanese users with mental health services.

Validity and reliability of the Japanese version of the FIM + FAM in patients with cerebrovascular accident.

PubMed

Miki, Emi; Yamane, Shingo; Yamaoka, Mai; Fujii, Hiroe; Ueno, Hiroka; Kawahara, Toshie; Tanaka, Keiko; Tamashiro, Hiroaki; Inoue, Eiji; Okamoto, Takatsugu; Kuriyama, Masaru

2016-09-01

The study aim was to investigate the validity and reliability of the Functional Independence Measure and Functional Assessment Measure (FIM + FAM), which is unfamiliar in Japan, by using its Japanese version (FIM + FAM-j) in patients with cerebrovascular accident (CVA). Forty-two CVA patients participated. Criterion validity was examined by correlating the full scale and subscales of FIM + FAM-j with several well-established measurements using Spearman's correlation coefficient. Reliability was evaluated by internal consistency (tested by Cronbach's alpha coefficient) and intra-rater reliability (tested by Kendall's tau correlation coefficient). Good-to-excellent criterion validity was found between the full scale and motor subscales of the FIM + FAM-j and the Barthel Index, National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale, modified Rankin Scale, and lower extremity Brunnstrom Recovery Stage. High internal consistency was observed within the full-scale FIM + FAM-j and the motor and cognitive subscales (Cronbach's alphas were 0.968, 0.954, and 0.948, respectively). Additionally, good intra-rater reliability was observed within the full scale and motor subscales, and excellent reliability for the cognitive subscales (taus were 0.83, 0.80, and 0.98, respectively). This study showed that the FIM + FAM-j demonstrated acceptable levels of validity and reliability when used for CVA as a measure of disability.

Modeling of SSME fuel preburner ASI

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Liang, Pak-Yan

1992-01-01

The Augmented Spark Ignitor (ASI) is a LOX/H2/electrical spark system that functions as an ignition source and sustainer for stable combustion. It is used in the Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME) preburner combustor, the SMME main combustion chamber, the J-1 and J-2 engines, as well as proposed designs of the Space Transportation Main Engine (STME) main combustor and gas generators. An undertaking to characterize the flow of the ASI is documented. The code consists of a marriage of the Implicit-Continuous Eulerian/Arbitrary Lagrangian Code (ICE-ALE) Navier-Stokes solver with the Volume-of-Fluid (VOF) Methodology for tracking of two immiscible fluids with sharp discontinuities. Spray droplets are represented by discrete numerical parcels tracked in a Lagrangian fashion. Numerous physical sub-models are also incorporated to describe the processes of atomization, droplet collision, droplet breakup, evaporation, and droplet and gas phase turbulence. An equilibrium chemistry model accounting for 8 active gaseous species is also used. Taking advantage of this symmetry plane, half of the actual ASI is modeled with a 3-D grid that geometrically resolves the LOX ports, the spark plug locations, and the hydrogen injection slots.

Communication attitudes of Japanese school-age children who stutter.

PubMed

Kawai, Norimune; Healey, E Charles; Nagasawa, Taiko; Vanryckeghem, Martine

2012-01-01

Past research with the Communication Attitude Test (CAT) has shown it to be a valid and reliable instrument for assessing speech-associated attitude of children who stutter (CWS). However, in Japan, the CAT has not been used extensively to examine the communication attitude of CWS. The purpose of this study was to determine if a Japanese version of the CAT could differentiate between the communication attitude of Japanese elementary school CWS and children who do not stutter (CWNS). A Japanese translation of the 1991 version of the Communication Attitude Test-Revised (CAT-R) was used in this study. Eighty Japanese CWS and 80 gender- and grade level-matched CWNS participated in the study. The results showed that CWS had a significantly more negative communication attitude than CWNS. Both CWS and CWNS in 1st grade showed significantly more positive communication attitudes than children in 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th grades. Furthermore, a link between stuttering severity and CWS' communication attitude was found. Additional research is needed to confirm the results of the current study, which indicate that the communication attitude of Japanese CWS becomes more negative as they get older. The reader will be able to: (1) Describe the process that was used to develop a Japanese version of the Communication Attitude Test (CAT-J). (2) Discuss attitude differences between Japanese children who stutter and those who do not and how grade level impacts a negative attitude toward communication. (3) Explain the link between stuttering severity and attitudes of Japanese children who stutter. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Reliability and validity of the Japanese version of the Work Limitations Questionnaire in employees of multiple private companies.

PubMed

Ida, Hiromasa; Nakagawa, Kazumi; Tanoue, Asuka; Nakamura, Kentarou; Okamura, Tatsuya

2017-01-31

Previous studies reported that presenteeism costs the enterprises more than absenteeism. It becomes more important for corporate management to evaluate the outcomes of health promotion initiatives for their employees using work performance scales in Japan. We previously developed a Japanese version of Work Limitations Questionnaire (WLQ-J), a presenteeism scale developed by Lerner D. et al., and conducted an internet survey to examine the reliability and validity of WLQ-J with 710 employees from an IT company and a medical institution as subjects and reported the study results (Ida et al, 2012). The objective of the present study is to examine the reliability and validity of WLQ-J with employees from more companies and industries than those included in the previous study. We analyzed for 4,440 employees from 14 companies and 9 industries as subjects, who were selected from a total of 4,712 employees who answered both WLQ-J and Brief Job Stress Questionnaire (BJSQ) on the internet or paper survey conducted from September 2014 to January 2015. The subjects' average age was 40.3±11.8 years (33.2±9.5 years in the previous study), with the percentage of males and females being 77.9% and 21.1%, respectively. The factor structure of WLQ-J accorded with that of the original version of WLQ. This supports the factorial validity of WLQ-J. In addition, sufficient internal consistency was recognized by Cronbach's alpha of the whole scale (0.87 for the present study and 0.97 for the previous study) and the subscales (0.77-0.94 for the present study and 0.88-0.95 for the previous study). The four subscale scores of WLQ-J were significantly correlated with the stress response of BJSQ with correlation coefficients of 0.28-0.64 for the present study and 0.39-0.60 for the previous study (p < 0.01 for both studies). Moreover, criterion-related validity of WLQ-J was also supported by the significant dose-response relationship between the subscale scores of WLQ-J and stress response of BJSQ (p < 0.01 for the previous study and p < 0.001 for the present study). The present study demonstrated the reliability and validity of WLQ-J in a population of employees from more companies and industries than those in the previous study, with its average age and percentage of males and females close to those of the whole Japanese industries. This suggests that WLQ-J is available as a stable scale for presenteeism in different populations in Japan.

A Computer Adaptive Testing Version of the Addiction Severity Index-Multimedia Version (ASI-MV): The Addiction Severity CAT

PubMed Central

Butler, Stephen F.; Black, Ryan A.; McCaffrey, Stacey A.; Ainscough, Jessica; Doucette, Ann M.

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a computer adaptive testing (CAT) version of the Addiction Severity Index-Multimedia Version (ASI-MV®), the Addiction Severity CAT. This goal was accomplished in four steps. First, new candidate items for Addiction Severity CAT domains were evaluated after brainstorming sessions with experts in substance abuse treatment. Next, this new item bank was psychometrically evaluated on a large non-clinical (n =4419) and substance abuse treatment sample (n =845). Based on these results, final items were selected and calibrated for the creation of the Addiction Severity CAT algorithms. Once the algorithms were developed for the entire assessment, a fully functioning prototype of an Addiction Severity CAT was created. CAT simulations were conducted and optimal termination criteria were selected for the Addiction Severity CAT algorithms. Finally, construct validity of the CAT algorithms was evaluated by examining convergent/discriminant validity and sensitivity to change. The Addiction Severity CAT was determined to be valid, sensitive to change, and reliable. Further, the Addiction Severity CAT’s time of administration was found to be significantly less than the average time of administration for the ASI-MV composite scores. This study represents the initial validation of an IRT-based Addiction Severity CAT, and further exploration of the Addiction Severity CAT is needed. PMID:28230387

The Anxiety Sensitivity Index--Revised: Confirmatory Factor Analyses, Structural Invariance in Caucasian and African American Samples, and Score Reliability and Validity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arnau, Randolph C.; Broman-Fulks, Joshua J.; Green, Bradley A.; Berman, Mitchell E.

2009-01-01

The most commonly used measure of anxiety sensitivity is the 36-item Anxiety Sensitivity Index--Revised (ASI-R). Exploratory factor analyses have produced several different factors structures for the ASI-R, but an acceptable fit using confirmatory factor analytic approaches has only been found for a 21-item version of the instrument. We evaluated…

Total Quality Management Analysis of LAMPS MK 1 Aviation Maintenance Data

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-06-05

Qualit Control? The Japanese Way by Dr. Kaoru Ishikawa translated by David J. Lu offers the Japanese version of Total Quality Management. Dr...causes to an effect or problem. It is called the Ishikawa Diagram after its inventor Kaoru Ishikawa , a pioneer in quality control. The name fishbone...pathways involved. 2) Cause and Effect Diagram (also known as an Ishikawa Diagram or a Fishbone Diagram). This diagram used to identify the causes, and

Gender, age, and cultural differences in the Japanese version of the Infant-Toddler Social and Emotional Assessment.

PubMed

Yago, Satoshi; Hirose, Taiko; Kawamura, Aki; Omori, Takahide; Okamitsu, Motoko

2015-01-01

This study aimed to clarify the characteristics of the Japanese version of the Infant-Toddler Social and Emotional Assessment (J-ITSEA), a parentreport questionnaire concerning social-emotional/behavioral problems and delays in competence in 1- to 3-year-old children. The differences in score between genders, ages, and between the J-ITSEA and the original Infant-Toddler Social and Emotional Assessment were examined. The data of 617 participants recruited from Saitama prefecture through stratified two-stage sampling were analyzed. The Cronbach's alpha ranged from 0.76 to 0.93. Gender differences emerged for some problems and all competence scales, with boys rated higher in the Externalizing problem domain and Activity/Impulsivity subscale and girls rated higher in the Internalizing problem domain, Inhibition to Novelty subscale, and all Competence scales. The Competence domain score increased across age groups. Compared with a normative sample in the US, participants in this study rated higher in Aggression/Defiance and Separation Distress, and rated lower in Peer Aggression and most of the Competence scales. The results indicate that the J-ITSEA scores should be interpreted in comparison with standard scores assigned for gender and 6-month age groups, and that specific criteria for the cut-off points for the J-ITSEA are required instead of those in the original questionnaire.

A computer adaptive testing version of the Addiction Severity Index-Multimedia Version (ASI-MV): The Addiction Severity CAT.

PubMed

Butler, Stephen F; Black, Ryan A; McCaffrey, Stacey A; Ainscough, Jessica; Doucette, Ann M

2017-05-01

The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a computer adaptive testing (CAT) version of the Addiction Severity Index-Multimedia Version (ASI-MV), the Addiction Severity CAT. This goal was accomplished in 4 steps. First, new candidate items for Addiction Severity CAT domains were evaluated after brainstorming sessions with experts in substance abuse treatment. Next, this new item bank was psychometrically evaluated on a large nonclinical (n = 4,419) and substance abuse treatment (n = 845) sample. Based on these results, final items were selected and calibrated for the creation of the Addiction Severity CAT algorithms. Once the algorithms were developed for the entire assessment, a fully functioning prototype of an Addiction Severity CAT was created. CAT simulations were conducted, and optimal termination criteria were selected for the Addiction Severity CAT algorithms. Finally, construct validity of the CAT algorithms was evaluated by examining convergent and discriminant validity and sensitivity to change. The Addiction Severity CAT was determined to be valid, sensitive to change, and reliable. Further, the Addiction Severity CAT's time of completion was found to be significantly less than the average time of completion for the ASI-MV composite scores. This study represents the initial validation of an Addiction Severity CAT based on item response theory, and further exploration of the Addiction Severity CAT is needed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Physical Disabilities Related to the Depressive Mental States of Japanese Patients with Subacute Myelo-optico-neuropathy.

PubMed

Konishi, Tetsuro

2018-05-18

Objective The aim of this study was to clarify the clinical conditions related to the depressive mental states in Japanese patients with subacute myelo-optico-neuropathy (SMON), caused by clioquinol intoxication more than 40 years previously. Materials and methods The changes in the mental states with aging were investigated in 25 Japanese SMON patients (mean age: 77.2 years old, range: 53-90) using a Japanese version of the Zung Self-rating Depression Scale (J-SDS) questionnaires with supportive interviews by the clinical psychotherapist and medical checkup records. These mental and medical examinations were repeated more than twice within 2 to 11 years' interval. The J-SDS questionnaires were also examined in 25 age-matched non-SMON elderly people. Results The total J-SDS scores of most of the SMON patients decreased with age without significant changes in the mean Barthel index scores during this study period. The mean J-SDS scores at the first and latest studies were significantly higher than in the age-matched healthy elderly people. The total J-SDS scores of the latest study were significantly correlated with the degree of physical disability, such as the inverse total Barthel index scores, severity of SMON or gait disturbance, but not with the age. Conclusion The total J-SDS scores of most of the SMON patients tended to decrease with age. Repeating mental supportive interviews and medical examinations by experts helped to improve the depressive mental state and revealed close relationship between the mental state and the physical disabilities of the SMON patients.

Feasibility, reliability, and validity of the Japanese version of the 12-item World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule-2 in preoperative patients.

PubMed

Ida, Mitsuru; Naito, Yusuke; Tanaka, Yuu; Matsunari, Yasunori; Inoue, Satoki; Kawaguchi, Masahiko

2017-08-01

The avoidance of postoperative functional disability is one of the most important concerns of patients facing surgery, but methods to evaluate disability have not been definitively established. The aim of our study was to evaluate the feasibility, reliability, and validity of the Japanese version of the 12-item World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule-2 (WHODAS 2.0-J) in preoperative patients. Individuals aged ≥55 years who were scheduled to undergo surgery in a tertiary-care hospital in Japan between April 2016 and September 2016 were eligible for enrolment in the study. All patients were assessed preoperatively using the WHODAS 2.0-J, the 8-Item Short Form (SF-8) questionnaire, and the Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology Index (TMIG Index). The feasibility, reliability, and validity of WHODAS2.0-J were evaluated using response rate, Cronbach's alpha (a measure of reliability), and the correlation between the WHODAS 2.0-J and the SF-8 questionnaire and TMIG Index, respectively. A total of 934 patients were enrolled in the study during the study period, of whom 930 completed the WHODAS 2.0-J (response rate 99.5%) preoperatively. Reliability and validity were assessed in the 898 patients who completed all three assessment tools (WHODAS 2.0-J, SF-8 questionnaire, and TMIG Index) and for whom all demographic data were available. Cronbach's alpha was 0.92. The total score of the WHODAS 2.0-J showed a mild or moderate correlation with the SF-8 questionnaire and TMIG Index (r = -0.63 to -0.34). The WHODAS 2.0-J is a feasible, reliable, and valid instrument for evaluating preoperative functional disability in surgical patients.

Effects of cognitive stimulation therapy Japanese version (CST-J) for people with dementia: a single-blind, controlled clinical trial

PubMed Central

Yamanaka, Katsuo; Kawano, Yoshiyuki; Noguchi, Dai; Nakaaki, Shutaro; Watanabe, Norio; Amano, Takashi; Spector, Aimee

2013-01-01

Objectives Cognitive stimulation therapy (CST) has shown to have significant benefits in improving the cognitive function and quality of life (QOL) in people with mild-to-moderate dementia in a UK randomized controlled trial (RCT). We developed and examined the Japanese version of group CST (CST-J) in a single-blind, controlled clinical trial. Method CST-J consisting of 14 sessions was administered to a treatment group (n = 26) twice a week for 7 weeks. The treatment group was compared with a control group (n = 30). Based on single-blindness, cognition was evaluated by a researcher, and QOL and mood were rated by the participants themselves. Additionally, QOL and mood of participants were rated by care workers who were not blind but who observed them most directly in their daily life (important for social validity). Results A linear mixed model was used for analyses of cognition and QOL. There were significant improvements in cognition [COGNISTAT (Neurobehavioral Cognitive Status Examination) and MMSE (Mini-Mental State Examination)] for the treatment group compared with the control group (p < 0.01). Regarding QOL, the EQ-5D was significant (p = 0.019) and the QoL-AD (Quality of Life – Alzheimer's Disease) showed a positive trend (p = 0.06) when rated by care workers, although not when rated by the participants themselves. Using a nonparametrical analysis, there were significant improvements in the face scale for mood when rated by both the participants (p < 0.01) and the care workers (p = 0.017). Conclusion The CST-J shows promising improvements in cognition, mood, and aspects of QOL for people with dementia in Japanese care settings. A large RCT is now needed. PMID:23550665

Examining the relationships between attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder and developmental coordination disorder symptoms, and writing performance in Japanese second grade students.

PubMed

Noda, Wataru; Ito, Hiroyuki; Fujita, Chikako; Ohnishi, Masafumi; Takayanagi, Nobuya; Someki, Fumio; Nakajima, Syunji; Ohtake, Satoko; Mochizuki, Naoto; Tsujii, Masatsugu

2013-09-01

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationships between attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder and developmental coordination disorder symptoms and writing performance in Japanese second grade students from regular classrooms. The second grade students (N=873) in Japanese public elementary schools participated in this study. We examined a variety of writing tasks, such as tracing, copying, handwriting (Hiragana and Katakana), and spelling (Hiragana, Katakana, and Kanji). We employed the Japanese version of the home form ADHD-rating scale (ADHD-RS) and the Japanese version of the Developmental Coordination Disorder Questionnaire (DCDQ-J) to assess the developmental characteristics of the participating children. Seven writing performance scores were submitted to a principal component analysis with a promax rotation, which yielded three composite scores (Spelling Accuracy, Tracing and Copying Accuracy, and Handwriting Fluency). A multiple regression analysis found that inattention predicted Spelling Accuracy and Handwriting Fluency and that hyperactive-impulsive predicted Handwriting Fluency. In addition, fine motor ability predicted Tracing and Copying Accuracy. The current study offered empirical evidence suggesting that developmental characteristics such as inattention and fine motor skill are related to writing difficulties in Japanese typical developing children. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Development and testing of the Survey of Family Environment (SFE): a novel instrument to measure family functioning and needs for family support.

PubMed

Hohashi, Naohiro; Honda, Junko

2012-01-01

Hohashi's Concentric Sphere Family Environment Model (CSFEM; Hohashi & Honda, 2011) is a newly proposed family nursing theory for holistically understanding the family environment that acts on family well-being. The purpose of this article is to develop and psychometrically test the Japanese version of the Survey of Family Environment (SFE-J), grounded in the CSFEM, for measuring family's perceived family functioning and family's perceived needs for family support. The SFE-J is a 30-item self-administered instrument that assesses five domains (suprasystem, macrosystem, microsystem, family internal environment system, and chronosystem) and has been subjected to rigorous reliability and validity investigations among paired partners in child-rearing families (N of family = 1,990). Internal consistency reliability was high as measured by Cronbach's alpha coefficients. Temporal stability over a 2-week interval was supported by high (substantial or perfect) and significant intraclass correlation coefficients. The total score for the SFE-J was significantly correlated with the Japanese version of the Feetham Family Functioning Survey (FFFS-J), indicating an acceptable concurrent validity. Construct validity was supported by a confirmatory factor analysis that evaluated the five-factor structure to measure the concept of CSFEM. Results also demonstrate that the SFE-J family functioning scores show no significant differences between paired partners. The SFE-J is a reliable and valid instrument to assess not only intrafamily functioning but also interfamily functioning and, by identifying items/domains with high requirements for family support, serves to facilitate the providing of appropriate support to families.

Japanese version of the ALS-FTD-Questionnaire (ALS-FTD-Q-J).

PubMed

Watanabe, Yasuhiro; Beeldman, Emma; Raaphorst, Joost; Izumi, Yuishin; Yoshino, Hiide; Masuda, Michihito; Atsuta, Naoki; Ito, Satoru; Adachi, Tadashi; Adachi, Yoshiki; Yokota, Osamu; Oda, Masaya; Hanashima, Ritsuko; Ogino, Mieko; Ichikawa, Hiroo; Hasegawa, Kazuko; Kimura, Hideki; Shimizu, Toshio; Aiba, Ikuko; Yabe, Hayato; Kanba, Makoto; Kusumi, Kimiyoshi; Aoki, Tetsuya; Hiroe, Yu; Watanabe, Hirohisa; Nishiyama, Kazutoshi; Nomoto, Masahiro; Sobue, Gen; Nakashima, Kenji

2016-08-15

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) share common clinical, genetic and neuropathological features. Some ALS patients have behavioral/personality changes, which could result in significant obstacles in the care provided by family members and caregivers. An easy screening tool would contribute greatly to the evaluation of these symptoms. We translated the ALS-FTD-Questionnaire, developed in the Netherlands, into Japanese (ALS-FTD-Q-J) and examined the clinimetric properties (internal consistency, construct and clinical validity). Patients with ALS and/or behavioral variant FTD (bvFTD) were evaluated alongside healthy controls in this multicenter study. All ALS patients, regardless of bvFTD status, were further evaluated by the frontal behavioral inventory (FBI) and for frontal/executive function, cognition, anxiety/depression, and motor functions. Data from 146 subjects were analyzed: ALS (92), ALS-bvFTD (6), bvFTD (16), and healthy controls (32). The internal consistency of the ALS-FTD-Q-J was good (Cronbach α=0.92). The ALS-FTD-Q-J showed construct validity as it exhibited a high correlation with the FBI (r=0.79). However, correlations were moderate with anxiety/depression and low with cognitive scales, in contrast to the original report, i.e. a moderate correlation with cognition and a low correlation with anxiety/depression. The ALS-FTD-Q-J discriminated ALS patients from (ALS-)bvFTD patients and controls. Thus, the ALS-FTD-Q-J is useful for evaluating Japanese ALS/FTD patients. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Development of the Japanese Version of the Psychosocial Assessment of Candidates for Transplantation in Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation.

PubMed

Harashima, Saki; Yoneda, Ryo; Horie, Takeshi; Kayano, Mami; Fujioka, Yosei; Nakamura, Fumihiko; Kurokawa, Mineo; Yoshiuchi, Kazuhiro

The Psychosocial Assessment of Candidates for Transplantation (PACT) is a validated instrument for evaluating psychosocial risk factors in transplant candidates. This study examined reliability and validity of the Japanese version of the PACT (J-PACT). PACT is a clinician-rated scale consisting of an initial rating, 8 subscales, and a final rating. J-PACT was developed through a translation and back-translation procedure. Seventy adult patients who underwent allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant between April 2009 and December 2013 received retrospective J-PACT ratings based on medical records. Interrater reliability and concurrent validity with Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and Profile of Mood Status (POMS) scores were assessed. Interrater reliability for each J-PACT item was generally high, ranging from 0.53 (drug and alcohol use)-0.93 (support stability). The concurrent validity analyses revealed the following significant relationships (p < 0.05). Higher support stability was associated with lower HADS depression (p = 0.02), POMS anger (p = 0.001), POMS fatigue (p = 0.03), and POMS confusion (p = 0.01) scores. Higher support availability was associated with lower POMS anger scores (p = 0.01). More suitable personality was associated with lower HADS anxiety (p = 0.04) and HADS depression (p = 0.048) scores. Better scores on lifestyle factors and alcohol use were both associated with lower POMS confusion scores (p = 0.01, 0.04, respectively). Better final rating was associated with lower HADS anxiety (p = 0.03) and HADS depression (p = 0.02) scores. J-PACT was reliable and valid, although further study is needed to confirm these findings. Copyright © 2017 The Academy of Psychosomatic Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

[Developing Japanese version of the eHealth Literacy Scale (eHEALS)].

PubMed

Mitsutake, Seigo; Shibata, Ai; Ishii, Kaori; Okazaki, Kanzo; Oka, Koichiro

2011-05-01

With the rapid developing an internet society, ehealth literacy, defined as the ability to seek, find, understand, and appraise and apply the knowledge gained to addressing or solving a health problem, becomes important to promote and aid health care at the individual level. However, the eHealth Literacy Scale (eHEALS) was only a scale developed to assess the ehealth literacy. Thus, the present study was conducted to evaluated the validity and reliability of a Japanese version of the eHEALS (J-eHEALS), and examine the association of ehealth literacy with demographic attributes and characteristics on health information searching among Japanese adults. Data were analyzed for 3,000 Japanese adults (males: 50.0%,mean age: 39.6 + 10.9 years) who responded to an Internet-based cross-sectional survey. The J-eHEALS, 6 demographic attributes, resources for obtaining health information (health resources), and contents of health information obtained from internet (ehealth contents) were obtained with a questionnaire. Confirmatory factor analysis and correlation with the communicative and critical health literacy scale were utilized to assess construct validity and criterion validity. Cronbach alpha and correlation coefficients were computed for internal consistency and test-retest reliability. Also, differences in J-eHEALS scores with each demographic attribute were examined with ANOVA and the independent t-test. Finally, chi-square tests were used to determine differences in the proportions of ehealth literacy groups (high or low) classified with a median split within health resources and ehealth contents. Principal components analysis produced a single factor solution and confirmatory factor analysis for the 8-items model demonstrated high indices (GFI = .988, CFI = .993, RMSEA= .056). A significant positive correlation was found between the J-eHEALS and communicative and critical health literacy scores. Cronbach alpha was 0.93 (P < .01), and test-retest reliability was r = 0.63 (P < .01). The J-eHEALS scores were significantly higher in women, the 40-and 50-year age group, those with high income, and individuals with a high frequency of internet searching. Furthermore, the high ehealth literacy group used many health resources and obtained a greater variety of ehealth contents as compared with the low literacy group. The most frequent resource was the internet in the high group, and television/radio in the low group. However, these results could be subject to bias because of the non-representative nature of the Internet population. The results indicate the J-eHEALS to be a highly validated and reliable scale. The present study suggests that enhancement of ehealth literacy will be important to utilize the increasing amount of health information on the internet effectively and appropriately.

Effect of blonanserin on cognitive function in antipsychotic-naïve first-episode schizophrenia.

PubMed

Tenjin, Tomomi; Miyamoto, Seiya; Miyake, Nobumi; Ogino, Shin; Kitajima, Rei; Ojima, Kazuaki; Arai, Jun; Teramoto, Haruki; Tsukahara, Sachiko; Ito, Yukie; Tadokoro, Masanori; Anai, Kiriko; Funamoto, Yasuyuki; Kaneda, Yasuhiro; Sumiyoshi, Tomiki; Yamaguchi, Noboru

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of blonanserin, a novel antipsychotic, on cognitive function in first-episode schizophrenia. Twenty-four antipsychotic-naïve patients with first-episode schizophrenia participated in the study. Blonanserin was given in an open-label design for 8 weeks. The Brief Assessment of Cognition in Schizophrenia-Japanese language version (BACS-J) was administered as the primary outcome measure at baseline and 8 weeks. Clinical evaluation included the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), the Schizophrenia Quality of Life Scale-Japanese language version (SQLS-J), and the Clinical Global Impression-Severity of Illness Scale (CGI-S). To exclude the possibility of retest effects on the BACS-J, 10 age-matched patients with chronic schizophrenia treated with blonanserin were tested at baseline and after an 8-week interval. Twenty first-episode patients completed the study. Repeated measures analysis of covariance revealed a significant group-by-time interaction effect on the letter fluency task due to better performance in the first-episode group, but not in the control group. Main effect of time or group-by-time interaction effect on the Tower of London task was not significant; however, the first-episode group, but not the control group, showed substantial improvement with a moderate effect size. All items on the PANSS, SQLS-J, and CGI-S significantly improved after 8 weeks of treatment. These results suggest that blonanserin improves some types of cognitive function associated with prefrontal cortical function. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Scanning Tunneling Microscopy, Atomic Force Microscopy, and Related Techniques

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-02-26

92. (B47) Fujui, T.; Suzuki, MA.; Miyashita, MA.; Yamaguchi, M.; Onuki , T.; Nakamura, H .; Matsubara, T.; Yamada, H .; Nakayamia, K. J. Vac. Sd...and seven deflection detection systems (A 15). (Al) Binnig, G.; Rohrer, H .; Gerber, Ch.; Weibel, E. Phys. Rev. Lett. 1982, 49, 57. (A2) Ray, M.A...J. J. Vac Sci. Technol. A 1ඣ, 9, 44-50. (AS) Scanning Tunneling Microscopy and Related Methods; Behm, RJ., Garcia, N., Rohrer, H ., Eds.; NATO ASI

Cross-sectional Internet-based survey of Japanese permanent daytime workers' sleep and daily rest periods.

PubMed

Ikeda, Hiroki; Kubo, Tomohide; Sasaki, Takeshi; Liu, Xinxin; Matsuo, Tomoaki; So, Rina; Matsumoto, Shun; Yamauchi, Takashi; Takahashi, Masaya

2018-05-25

This study aimed to describe the sleep quantity, sleep quality, and daily rest periods (DRPs) of Japanese permanent daytime workers. Information about the usual DRP, sleep quantity, and sleep quality (Japanese version of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index: PSQI-J) of 3,867 permanent daytime workers in Japan was gathered through an Internet-based survey. This information was analyzed and divided into the following eight DRP groups: <10, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, and ≥16 h. The sleep durations for workers in the <10, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, and ≥16 h DRP groups were found to be 5.3, 5.9, 6.1, 6.3, 6.5, 6.7, 6.7, and 6.9 h, respectively. The trend analysis revealed a significant linear trend as the shorter the DRP, the shorter was the sleep duration. The PSQI-J scores for the <10, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, and ≥16 h DRP groups were 7.1, 6.7, 6.7, 6.3, 6.0 (5.999), 5.6, 5.2, and 5.2, respectively. The trend analysis revealed a significant linear trend as the shorter the DRP, the lower was the sleep quality. This study described sleep quantity, sleep quality, and DRP in Japanese daytime workers. It was found that a shorter DRP was associated with poorer sleep quantity as well as quality.

Health-related quality of life in young adults in education, employment, or training: development of the Japanese version of Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL) Generic Core Scales Young Adult Version.

PubMed

Kaneko, Mei; Sato, Iori; Soejima, Takafumi; Kamibeppu, Kiyoko

2014-09-01

The purpose of the study is to develop a Japanese version of the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL) Generic Core Scales Young Adult Version (PedsQL-YA-J) and determine the feasibility, reliability, and validity of the scales. Translation equivalence and content validity were verified using back-translation and cognitive debriefing tests. A total of 428 young adults recruited from one university, two vocational schools, or five companies completed questionnaires. We determined questionnaire feasibility, internal consistency, and test-retest reliability; checked concurrent validity against the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D); determined convergent and discriminant validity with the Medical Outcome Study 36-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36); described known-groups validity with regard to subjective symptoms, illness or injury requiring regular medical visits, and depression; and verified factorial validity. All scales were internally consistent (Cronbach's coefficient alpha = 0.77-0.86); test-retest reliability was acceptable (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.57-0.69); and all scales were concurrently valid with depression (Pearson's correlation coefficient = 0.43-0.57). The scales convergent and discriminant validity with the SF-36 and CES-D were acceptable. Evaluation of known-groups validity confirmed that the Physical Functioning scale was sensitive for subjective symptoms, the Emotional Functioning scale for depression, and the Work/School Functioning scale for illness or injury requiring regular medical visits. Exploratory factor analysis found a six-factor structure consistent with the assumed structure (cumulative proportion = 57.0%). The PedsQL-YA-J is suitable for assessing health-related quality of life in young adults in education, employment, or training, and for clinical trials and epidemiological research.

An open-label, dose-titration tolerability study of atomoxetine hydrochloride in Japanese adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

PubMed

Takahashi, Michihiro; Takita, Yasushi; Goto, Taro; Ichikawa, Hironobu; Saito, Kazuhiko; Matsumoto, Hideo; Tanaka, Yasuo

2011-02-01

The main purpose of this first atomoxetine study in Japanese adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) was to investigate the tolerability of an 8-week treatment regimen. This was an open-label, dose escalation study conducted in 45 Japanese patients aged at least 18 years with DSM-IV-defined ADHD. Patients received atomoxetine orally for 8 weeks. Atomoxetine administration was started at 40 mg/day (7 days), and subsequently increased to a maximum dose of 120 mg/day. Tolerability was assessed by discontinuation rate due to adverse events. Adverse events, laboratory tests, vital signs and electrocardiograms were collected. In addition, ADHD symptoms were assessed by using the Japanese version of the Conners' Adult ADHD Rating Scale-Investigator Rated: Screening Version (CAARS-Inv:SV) scores. Thirty-nine patients completed the study period. Atomoxetine was well tolerated with a 6.7% (3/45) discontinuation rate due to nausea, malaise and anorexia. The most commonly reported adverse events were nausea, nasopharyngitis and headache; there were no unexpected safety concerns. No deaths or serious adverse events were reported. Mean CAARS-Inv:SV-J total ADHD symptom scores decreased in a time-dependent manner; the mean change from baseline to endpoint was -15.0 (P<0.001). This study showed that atomoxetine was well tolerated in these patients and suggested that atomoxetine at a maximum dose of 120 mg/day would be safe in Japanese ADHD patients. © 2011 The Authors. Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences © 2011 Japanese Society of Psychiatry and Neurology.

Identification of Cha o 3 homolog Cry j 4 from Cryptomeria japonica (Japanese cedar) pollen: Limitation of the present Japanese cedar-specific ASIT.

PubMed

Osada, Toshihiro; Tanaka, Yuki; Yamada, Akira; Sasaki, Eiji; Utsugi, Teruhiro

2018-03-07

About one-third of the Japanese population suffers from Japanese cedar pollinosis, which is frequently accompanied by Japanese cypress pollinosis. Recently, a novel major Japanese cypress pollen allergen, Cha o 3, was discovered. However, whether a Cha o 3 homolog is present in Japanese cedar pollen remains to be determined. Western blot analysis was performed using Cha o 3-specific antiserum. In addition, cloning of the gene encoding Cry j 4 was conducted using total cDNA from the male flower of Japanese cedar trees. Allergen potency and cross-reactivity were investigated using a T-cell proliferation assay, basophil activation test, and ImmunoCAP inhibition assay. A low amount of Cha o 3 homolog protein was detected in Japanese cedar pollen extract. The deduced amino acid sequence of Cry j 4 showed 84% identity to that of Cha o 3. Cross-reactivity between Cry j 4 and Cha o 3 was observed at the T cell and IgE levels. Cry j 4 was discovered as a counterpart allergen of Cha o 3 in Japanese cedar pollen, with a relationship similar to that between Cry j 1-Cha o 1 and Cry j 2-Cha o 2. Our findings also suggest that allergen-specific immunotherapy (ASIT) using Japanese cedar pollen extract does not induce adequate immune tolerance to Cha o 3 due to the low amount of Cry j 4 in Japanese cedar pollen. Therefore, ASIT using Cha o 3 or cypress pollen extract coupled with Japanese cedar pollen extract is required in order to optimally control allergy symptoms during Japanese cypress pollen season. Copyright © 2018 Japanese Society of Allergology. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Official portrait of the STS-46 Atlantis, Orbiter Vehicle (OV) 104, crew

NASA Image and Video Library

1999-02-26

STS046-S-002 (May 1992) --- The crew members assigned to the STS-46 mission pose with seven flags that represent participation on the flight. Loren J. Shriver (right front) is mission commander; Andrew M. Allen (left front) is pilot. Others are (left to right) Marsha S. Ivins, mission specialist; Claude Nicollier, mission specialist representing the European Space Agency (ESA); Jeffrey A. Hoffman, payload commander; Franklin R. Chang-Diaz, mission specialist; and Franco Malerba, flying for the Italian Space Agency (ASI). The flags, left to right, represent the United States of America, Costa Rica (Chang's native country), Italy, Switzerland (Nicollier's homeland), NASA, ESA and ASI.

Construction and reliability of the Japanese version of the Adolescent Egocentrism-Sociocentrism (AES) scale and its preliminary application in the Japanese university students.

PubMed

Yamamoto, Mayumi; Tomotake, Masahito; Ohmori, Tetsuro

2008-08-01

In recent years, the problem of interpersonal relationships has been reported to be associated with various adolescent psychiatric problems. Egocentrism is one factor related to the problem of interpersonal relationships. The Adolescent Egocentrism-Sociocentrism (AES) scale is used to assess egocentrism in Western countries, but no such scale has been developed in Japan. The purpose of our current study was to develop the Japanese version of the AES scale and investigate the relationship between the egocentrism assessed by the AES scale and the self-consciousness assessed by the Japanese version of the self-consciousness scale. The original version of the AES scale was first translated into Japanese using the forward-backward method and examined for factorial reliability and validity. The results demonstrated that the Japanese version of the AES scale shows adequate factorial reliability and validity, but different from the original version the "egocentrism personal fable" subscale which measures the feeling that oneself is special and unique was not extracted in the Japanese version. We found a moderate correlation between the non-social focuses of the AES scale and the public self-consciousness subscale of the self-consciousness scale. This correlation suggests that a strong attention of others' view on oneself results in the avoidance of others. The Japanese version of the AES scale can examine egocentrism adequately together with sociocentrism and non-social focuses. As this scale is self-reporting and easy to complete, it may have practical utility in a clinical setting.

Identifying child abuse and neglect risk among postpartum women in Japan using the Japanese version of the Kempe Family Stress Checklist.

PubMed

Baba, Kaori; Kataoka, Yaeko

2014-11-01

The aims of this study were to determine the rate of women who are high-risk for child abuse and neglect in a perinatal unit in Japan, and to identify the factors associated with risk level. To assess the potential risk for child abuse and neglect the Japanese version of the Kempe Family Stress Checklist (FSC-J) was used to guide interviews with postpartum women. FSC-J uses a three-point scale to score 10 categories, categorizing responses as "no risk=0", "risk=5", and "high risk=10". The range of FSC-J is 0-100. Using an established cutoff point of 25, subjects were divided into high and low risk groups. For both groups, relationships between factors were analyzed. Of the 174 subjects who agreed to participate, 12 (6.9%) scored high-risk, and 162 (93.1%) scored low-risk. Adjusted odds ratio identified three associated factors as important for predicting risk level: past mental illness (OR=341.1), previous experience of intimate partner violence (OR=68.0), and having a partner who was unemployed (OR=14.5). Although this study was on a small sample of women in one hospital in Japan and a larger population would make this study much stronger, these results suggest that some 6.9% of postpartum women in Japan may be at high-risk for child abuse and neglect. It is critical, therefore, to develop a system for screening, intervention, and referral for such women and their children. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Psychometric properties of a Spanish-language version of the Short Inventory of Problems

PubMed Central

Kiluk, Brian D.; Dreifuss, Jessica A.; Weiss, Roger D.; Horigian, Viviana E.; Carroll, Kathleen M.

2013-01-01

Hispanic Americans are substantially under-represented in clinical and research samples for substance use treatment, with language cited as one of the major barriers to their participation, indicating a need for more validated assessments in Spanish. This study evaluated the psychometric properties of a Spanish version of the Short Inventory of Problems (SIP), used in a multisite, randomized trial conducted for Spanish-speaking substance users. The sample included 405 Spanish-speaking treatment seekers, mostly male (88%) and legally mandated to treatment (71%). The Spanish version of the revised SIP (SIP-RS), as well as other commonly-used assessment measures translated into Spanish, were administered at baseline and at the end of treatment. Internal consistency was excellent (α = .96), and construct validity was supported through correlations with composite scores from the Addiction Severity Index (ASI) (e.g., r = .57, p<.01 for ASI drug composite), and through differential SIP-RS scores according to diagnostic criteria. The SIP-RS also demonstrated an association with substance use and treatment retention, with higher baseline scores associated with significantly less abstinence during treatment (β = −.22, p<.01) and fewer days retained in treatment (β = −.14, p<.05). However, the latter association was moderated by participants’ legal status. Nevertheless, this Spanish-translated version of the SIP (SIP-RS) appears to be a reliable and valid assessment of adverse consequences associated with alcohol and drug use, with psychometric properties comparable to the English version. PMID:23772760

Translation and Initial Validation of the Japanese Version of the Self-Beliefs Related to Social Anxiety Scale.

PubMed

Maeda, Shunta; Shimada, Hironori; Sato, Tomoya; Tashiro, Kyoko; Tanaka, Yuki

2017-04-01

Cognitive models of social anxiety posit that there are several types of maladaptive beliefs responsible for persistent social anxiety. Although these beliefs are theoretically important, currently there is no validated measure of these beliefs in Japan. In the present study, we translated into Japanese a well-validated measure of these beliefs, the Self-Beliefs Related to Social Anxiety (SBSA) Scale. The psychometric properties of the scale were also examined in two nonclinical samples ( ns = 401 and 30). Using confirmatory factor analysis, the Japanese version of the SBSA was found to have a correlated three-factor structure that consisted of "conditional beliefs," "unconditional beliefs," and "high standard beliefs." In addition, the Japanese version of the SBSA and its subscales demonstrated good internal consistency reliability and test-retest reliability. The Japanese version of the SBSA also demonstrated good convergent and divergent validity. Future applications of the Japanese version of the SBSA are discussed.

The Search for New High-Energy-Density Materials

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-01-01

Evolution of the superhalogen properties in PtCln clusters“, J. Chem. Phys. (in press). Behera, S. and Jena, P.: “Stability and Spectroscopic Properties...Society, Cocoa Beach, FL, February 21-25, 2010 US-Egypt Advanced Studies Institute (ASI) on “Nanomaterials and Nanocatalysis for Energy

Verification of reliability and validity of a Japanese version of the Rathus Assertiveness Schedule.

PubMed

Suzuki, Eiko; Kanoya, Yuka; Katsuki, Takeshi; Sato, Chifumi

2007-07-01

To verify the reliability and validity of a Japanese version of the Rathus Assertiveness Schedule in novice nurses to contribute to nursing management. An adequate scale is needed to measure the assertiveness and the effect of assertion training for Japanese nurses and to compare them with those in other countries. Rathus Assertiveness Schedule was adapted to Japanese with back-translation and its validity was examined in 989 novice nurses. The Japanese version showed a high coefficient of reliability in a split-half reliability test (r=0.76; P<0.01). The coefficient of reliability of Cronbach's alpha was high (r=0.84; P<0.01) indicating high internal consistency. The similarity with the concept of stress coping was shown. We extracted eight principal factors using factor analysis with varimax rotation. Elements of these factors were similar to those of the original Rathus Assertiveness Schedule. The Japanese version of Rathus Assertiveness Schedule was verified.

Prevalence of gastroesophageal reflux disease symptoms and effects of esomeprazole on the quality of life related to reflux and dyspepsia in patients on maintenance hemodialysis.

PubMed

Namikoshi, Tamehachi; Harada, Kazuhiro; Hatta, Hidekazu; Tokura, Takehiko; Oshiro, Yoshiyuki; Nishizaki, Tetsuichi; Obata, Takahiro; Mori, Masahiro; Fueki, Takaaki; Fujimoto, Sohachi; Haruna, Yoshisuke; Kuwabara, Atsunori; Yorimitsu, Daisuke; Ihoriya, Chieko; Kadoya, Hiroyuki; Itano, Seiji; Fujimoto, Yasuo; Komai, Norio; Sasaki, Tamaki; Kashihara, Naoki

2016-02-01

The prevalence of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) symptoms has not been investigated in patients on maintenance hemodialysis in Japan, and few studies have reported the effect of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) in hemodialysis patients with GERD symptoms. Here, we investigated the prevalence of GERD symptoms and the effects of the PPI esomeprazole on the quality of life related to reflux and dyspepsia in patients on maintenance hemodialysis. This was a cross-sectional/cohort study of hemodialysis outpatients implemented in 10 Japanese medical facilities from October 2012 to March 2014. The trial was registered in the UMIN Clinical Trial Registry (UMIN000009124). Forty-one of 385 patients (11%) reported GERD symptoms on the Global Overall Symptom (GOS) questionnaire. Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified the independent prognostic factors for GERD symptoms as a history of gastric ulcer and use of sevelamer hydrochloride or calcium polystyrene sulfonate. Participants with GERD symptoms completed the Quality of Life in Reflux and Dyspepsia, Japanese version (QOLRAD-J) questionnaire and were assigned to receive 4-week esomeprazole treatment (20 mg/day). This PPI therapy significantly improved all QOLRAD-J domains in the full analysis set (n = 28) and improved the GERD symptoms listed in the GOS questionnaire. Significantly impaired disease-specific quality of life (QOL) in the QOLRAD-J domains was observed in 44.4-74.1% of patients who had symptoms before treatment. The mean GOS and QOLRAD-J scores correlated significantly. Therapy with 20 mg/day esomeprazole appears to be efficacious for improving disease-specific QOL and GERD symptoms in Japanese patients on maintenance hemodialysis.

Occlusal force is correlated with cognitive function directly as well as indirectly via food intake in community-dwelling older Japanese: From the SONIC study.

PubMed

Ikebe, Kazunori; Gondo, Yasuyuki; Kamide, Kei; Masui, Yukie; Ishizaki, Taturo; Arai, Yasumichi; Inagaki, Hiroki; Nakagawa, Takeshi; Kabayama, Mai; Ryuno, Hirochika; Okubo, Hitomi; Takeshita, Hajime; Inomata, Chisato; Kurushima, Yuko; Mihara, Yusuke; Hatta, Kohdai; Fukutake, Motoyoshi; Enoki, Kaori; Ogawa, Taiji; Matsuda, Ken-Ichi; Sugimoto, Ken; Oguro, Ryosuke; Takami, Yoichi; Itoh, Norihisa; Takeya, Yasushi; Yamamoto, Koichi; Rakugi, Hiromi; Murakami, Shinya; Kitamura, Masahiro; Maeda, Yoshinobu

2018-01-01

Growing evidence suggests that oral health may be an important factor associated with cognitive function in aged populations. However, many previous studies on this topic used insensitive oral indicators or did not include certain essential covariates. Thus, we examined the association between occlusal force and cognitive function in a large sample of older adults, controlling for dietary intake, vascular risk factors, inflammatory biomarkers, depression, and genetic factors. In this cross-sectional study of older community-dwelling Japanese adults, we examined data collected from 994 persons aged 70 years and 968 persons aged 80 years. Cognitive function was measured using the Japanese version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA-J). Oral status and function were evaluated according to the number of remaining teeth, periodontal pocket depth, and maximal occlusal force. Associations between MoCA-J scores and occlusal force were investigated via bivariate and multivariate analyses. Education level, financial status, depression score, and intake of green and yellow vegetables, as well as number of teeth and occlusal force, were significantly correlated with MoCA-J scores in both age groups. Among individuals aged 80 years, CRP and periodontal status were weakly but significantly associated with MoCA-J score. After controlling for all significant variables via bivariate analyses, the correlation between maximal occlusal force and cognitive function persisted. A path analysis confirmed the hypothesis that cognitive function is associated with occlusal force directly as well as indirectly via food intake. After controlling for possible factors, maximal occlusal force was positively associated with cognitive function directly as well as indirectly through dietary intake.

The effects of inorganic phosphate and arsenate on both passive muscle visco-elasticity and maximum Ca2+ activated tension in chemically skinned rat fast and slow twitch muscle fibres.

PubMed

Mutungi, Gabriel

2003-01-01

The effects of adding either 25 mM inorganic phosphate (Pi) or its structural analogue arsenate (ASi) on both the maximum Ca2+ activated tension (Po) and passive muscle visco-elasticity (P2 tension) were investigated at 10 degrees C, using segments of single, chemically skinned rat muscle fibres. Whilst the results confirmed some previous findings on the effects of Pi on Po, they also showed that the addition of 25 mM ASi led to a large (approximately 50%) but completely reversible depression of Po in both the fast and slow twitch rat muscle fibres. Moreover, the depression of Po by ASi was greater at low than at high pH values. Examined in the presence of Dextran T-500, the passive tension and sarcomere length responses to a ramp stretch were found to be qualitatively and quantitatively similar to those previously reported in intact rat muscle fibres. Thus, the tension response to a ramp stretch, in the presence and absence of either 25 mM Pi or ASi, consisted of a viscous (P1), a visco-elastic (P2) and an elastic (P3) tension. However, the addition of either 25 mM Pi or ASi led to approximately 15-18% increase in the amplitude of the visco-elastic (P2) tension but had little or no effect on the amplitudes of the other two tension components (viscous, P1 and elastic, P3 tensions). Furthermore, neither compound significantly altered the relaxation rate of the passive muscle visco-elasticity (P2 tension). These results show that Po (arising from cycling cross-bridges) and passive muscle visco-elasticity (P2 tension) are affected differently by both Pi and ASi and suggest that they may not share a common structural basis. The possibility that passive muscle visco-elasticity (P2 tension) arises from the gap-(titin) filament (as suggested previously by Mutungi and Ranatunga, 1996b J Physiol 496: 827-837) and that Pi and ASi increase its amplitude by interacting with the PEVK region of the filament are discussed.

Validation of a Japanese version of the Scoliosis Research Society-22 Patient Questionnaire among idiopathic scoliosis patients in Japan.

PubMed

Hashimoto, Hideki; Sase, Takeshi; Arai, Yasuhisa; Maruyama, Toru; Isobe, Keijirou; Shouno, Yasuhiro

2007-02-15

A cross-sectional observational study to determine the response distribution, internal consistency, and construct, concurrent, and discriminative validities of The Scoliosis Research Society-22 (SRS-22) Patient Questionnaire translated into Japanese as compared with the other language versions. To validate the Japanese version of SRS22. The SRS-22 was translated into several languages but yet not into Japanese. The Japanese SRS-22 and Medical Outcomes Study Short Form 36 were simultaneously administered to 114 adolescent idiopathic scoliosis patients. Exploratory factor analysis revealed a 4-factor structure, though several items were not loaded as theoretically expected. The originally constructed Japanese SRS-22 subscales and the English version showed similar response distribution. Internal consistency was fair but lower than that of the English version. The concurrent validity of the translated version, except for the self-image subscale, was supported using Medical Outcomes Study Short Form 36 subscales as a reference. The function scale differed significantly by curve angle magnitude and treatment status. The self-image score was the highest in patients under observation when curve angle was < 40 degrees, while postsurgical patients marked the highest scores when the angle > or = 40 degrees, respectively. The Japanese SRS-22 is valid and may be useful for clinical evaluation of Japanese scoliosis patients, though the self-image subscale may need further assessment.

[An attempt to construct a Japanese version of the Implicit Positive and Negative Affect Test (IPANAT)].

PubMed

Shimoda, Shunsuke; Okubo, Nobutoshi; Kobayashi, Mai; Sato, Shigetaka; Kitamura, Hideya

2014-08-01

The Implicit Positive and Negative Affect Test (IPANAT) is an instrument for the indirect assessment of positive and negative affect. A Japanese version of the IPANAT was developed and its reliability and validity were examined. In Study 1, factor analysis identified two independent factors that could be interpreted as implicit positive and negative affect, which corresponded to the original version. The Japanese IPANAT also had sufficient internal consistency and acceptable test-retest reliability. In Study 2, we demonstrated that the Japanese IPANAT was associated with explicit state affect (e.g., PANAS), extraversion, and neuroticism, which indicated its adequate construct validity. In Study 3, we examined the extent to which the Japanese IPANAT was sensitive to changes in affect by assessing a set of IPANAT items after the presentation of positive, negative, or neutral photographs. The results indicated that the Japanese IPANAT was sufficiently sensitive to changes in affect resulting from affective stimuli. Taken together, these studies suggest that the Japanese version of the IPANAT is a useful instrument for the indirect assessment of positive and negative affect.

A new laser-ranged satellite for General Relativity and space geodesy: I. An introduction to the LARES2 space experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ciufolini, Ignazio; Paolozzi, Antonio; Pavlis, Erricos C.; Sindoni, Giampiero; Koenig, Rolf; Ries, John C.; Matzner, Richard; Gurzadyan, Vahe; Penrose, Roger; Rubincam, David; Paris, Claudio

2017-08-01

We introduce the LARES 2 space experiment recently approved by the Italian Space Agency (ASI). The LARES 2 satellite is planned for launch in 2019 with the new VEGA C launch vehicle of ASI, ESA and ELV. The orbital analysis of LARES 2 experiment will be carried out by our international science team of experts in General Relativity, theoretical physics, space geodesy and aerospace engineering. The main objectives of the LARES 2 experiment are gravitational and fundamental physics, including accurate measurements of General Relativity, in particular a test of frame-dragging aimed at achieving an accuracy of a few parts in a thousand, i.e., aimed at improving by about an order of magnitude the present state-of-the-art and forthcoming tests of this general relativistic phenomenon. LARES 2 will also achieve determinations in space geodesy. LARES 2 is an improved version of the LAGEOS 3 experiment, proposed in 1984 to measure frame-dragging and analyzed in 1989 by a joint ASI and NASA study.

[Development of a Japanese version of the TALE scale].

PubMed

Ochiai, Tsutomu; Oguchi, Takashi

2013-12-01

The Thinking About Life Experiences (TALE) Scale (Bluck & Alea, 2011) has three subscales that assess the self, social, and directive functions of autobiographical memory. This study constructs a Japanese version of the TALE Scale and examines its reliability and validity. Fifteen items that assess the three functions of autobiographical memory were translated into Japanese. We conducted an online investigation with 600 men and women between 20-59 years of age. In Study 1, exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis identified that the three-factor structure of the Japanese version of the TALE Scale was the same as the original TALE Scale. Sufficient internal consistency of the scale was found, and the construct validity of the scale was supported by correlation analysis. Study 2 confirmed that the test-retest reliabilities of the three subscales were sufficient. Thus, this Japanese version of the TALE Scale is useful to assess autobiographical memory functions in Japan.

Reliability and Validity of the Japanese Version of the Kinesthetic and Visual Imagery Questionnaire (KVIQ)

PubMed Central

Nakano, Hideki; Kodama, Takayuki; Ukai, Kazumasa; Kawahara, Satoru; Horikawa, Shiori; Murata, Shin

2018-01-01

In this study, we aimed to (1) translate the English version of the Kinesthetic and Visual Imagery Questionnaire (KVIQ), which assesses motor imagery ability, into Japanese, and (2) investigate the reliability and validity of the Japanese KVIQ. We enrolled 28 healthy adults in this study. We used Cronbach’s alpha coefficients to assess reliability reflected by the internal consistency. Additionally, we assessed validity reflected by the criterion-related validity between the Japanese KVIQ and the Japanese version of the Movement Imagery Questionnaire-Revised (MIQ-R) with Spearman’s rank correlation coefficients. The Cronbach’s alpha coefficients for the KVIQ-20 were 0.88 (Visual) and 0.91 (Kinesthetic), which indicates high reliability. There was a significant positive correlation between the Japanese KVIQ-20 (Total) and the Japanese MIQ-R (Total) (r = 0.86, p < 0.01). Our results suggest that the Japanese KVIQ is an assessment that is a reliable and valid index of motor imagery ability. PMID:29724042

National addictions vigilance intervention and prevention program (NAVIPPRO): a real-time, product-specific, public health surveillance system for monitoring prescription drug abuse.

PubMed

Butler, Stephen F; Budman, Simon H; Licari, Andrea; Cassidy, Theresa A; Lioy, Katherine; Dickinson, James; Brownstein, John S; Benneyan, James C; Green, Traci Craig; Katz, Nathaniel

2008-12-01

The National Addictions Vigilance Intervention and Prevention Program (NAVIPPRO) is a scientific, comprehensive risk management program for scheduled therapeutics. NAVIPPRO provides post-marketing surveillance, signal detection, signal verification and prevention and intervention programs. Here we focus on one component of NAVIPPRO surveillance, the Addiction Severity Index-Multimedia Version (ASI-MV) Connect, a continuous, real-time, national data stream that assesses pharmaceutical abuse by patients entering substance abuse treatment by collecting product-specific, geographically-detailed information. We evaluate population characteristics for data collected through the ASI-MV Connect in 2007 and 2008 and assess the representativeness, geographic coverage, and timeliness of report of the data. Analyses based on 41,923 admissions to 265 treatment centers in 29 states were conducted on product-specific opioid abuse rates, source of drug, and route of administration. ASI-MV Connect data revealed that 11.5% of patients reported abuse of at least one opioid analgesic product in the 30 days prior to entering substance abuse treatment; differences were observed among sub-populations of prescription opioid abusers, among products, and also within various geographic locations. The ASI-MV Connect component of NAVIPPRO represents a potentially valuable data stream for post-marketing surveillance of prescription drugs. Analyses conducted with data obtained from the ASI-MV Connect allow for the characterization of product-specific and geospatial differences for drug abuse and can serve as a tool to monitor responses of the abuse population to newly developed "abuse deterrent" drug formulations. Additional data, evaluation, and comparison to other systems are important next steps in establishing NAVIPPRO as a comprehensive, post-marketing surveillance system for prescription drugs. Copyright (c) 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Development of the Japanese DOLOPLUS-2: a pain assessment scale for the elderly with Alzheimer's disease.

PubMed

Ando, Chiaki; Hishinuma, Michiko

2010-09-01

Pain assessment in non-communicative patients relies primarily on observation scales. The DOLOPLUS-2 is a behavioral pain assessment scale for the elderly with impaired verbal communication. It rates five somatic items, two psychomotor items, and three psychosocial items as indicators of pain. The aims of the present study were to develop a Japanese version of the DOLOPLUS-2 and to apply it to elderly patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). The translated instrument was evaluated with reference to Japanese patients with AD experiencing pain during post-surgery rehabilitation for hip fractures and who were unable to use any self-reported pain measures. After translation and back-translation, 21 registered nurses tested 'Version 1' of the pain assessment scale on three patients. The ratings of the nurses and researcher were compared and the number of matching scores determined. Semistructured interviews were conducted with the nurses and patient case studies were recorded. The results of the interviews provided the basis for the development of 'Version 2' of the scale, which was then tested with six patients and 31 nurses using the same procedures as for the testing of Version 1. The intraclass correlation coefficient for inter-rater reliability for the Version 2 administrators was 0.90 (P < 0.001), with a 95% confidence interval of 0.88-0.92; the degree of agreement by items (0.67-0.90) was excellent. Nurses' comments for Version 1 revealed that it was 'difficult to use' and that 'some Japanese expressions and explanations needed improvement'. In contrast, the nurses' comments on Version 2 indicated that there were no problems. Analysis of patient case studies in Version 2 indicated that pain scores were high only when the patients clearly would have had pain, such as when they started with full weight bearing. On the basis of these results, we developed a final version of the Japanese DOLOPLUS-2. The findings of the present study suggest that Version 2 of the Japanese DOLOPLUS-2 can be used reliably in clinical settings to measure the pain AD patients may be experiencing. However, the final version of the Japanese DOLOPLUS-2 needs to be validated in a larger patient cohort in future studies. © 2010 The Authors. Psychogeriatrics © 2010 Japanese Psychogeriatric Society.

Official Japanese Version of the Movement Disorder Society-Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale: validation against the original English version.

PubMed

Kashihara, Kenichi; Kondo, Tomoyoshi; Mizuno, Yoshikuni; Kikuchi, Seiji; Kuno, Sadako; Hasegawa, Kazuko; Hattori, Nobutaka; Mochizuki, Hideki; Mori, Hideo; Murata, Miho; Nomoto, Masahiro; Takahashi, Ryosuke; Takeda, Atsushi; Tsuboi, Yoshio; Ugawa, Yoshikazu; Yamanmoto, Mitsutoshi; Yokochi, Fusako; Yoshii, Fumihito; Stebbins, Glenn T; Tilley, Barbara C; Luo, Sheng; Wang, Lu; LaPelle, Nancy R; Goetz, Christopher G

2014-09-01

The Movement Disorder Society (MDS)-sponsored revision of the Unified Parkinson's Disease (PD) Rating Scale (UPDRS) (MDS-UPDRS) has been developed and is now available in English. Part of the overall program includes the establishment of official non-English translations of the MDS-UPDRS. We present the process for completing the official Japanese translation of the MDS-UPDRS with clinimetric testing results. In this trial, the MDS-UPDRS was translated into Japanese, underwent cognitive pre-testing, and the translation was modified after taking the results into account. The final translation was approved as Official Working Draft of the MDS-UPDRS Japanese version and tested in 365 native-Japanese-speaking patients with PD. Confirmatory analyses were used to determine whether the factor structure for the English-language MDS-UPDRS could be confirmed in data collected using the Official Working Draft of the Japanese translation. As a secondary analysis, we used exploratory factor analyses to examine the underlying factor structure without the constraint of a pre-specified factor organization. Confirmatory factor analysis revealed that Comparative Fit Index for all Parts of the MDS-UPDRS exceeded the minimal standard of 0.90 relative to the English version and therefore Japanese translation met the pre-specified criterion to be designated called an OFFICIAL MDS TRANSLATION. Secondary analyses revealed some differences between the English-language MDS-UPDRS and the Japanese translation, however, these differences were considered to be within an acceptable range. The Japanese version of the MDS-UPDRS met the criterion as an Official MDS Translation and is now available for use (www.movementdisorders.org).

Reliability and Validity of the Japanese Version of the Kinesthetic and Visual Imagery Questionnaire (KVIQ).

PubMed

Nakano, Hideki; Kodama, Takayuki; Ukai, Kazumasa; Kawahara, Satoru; Horikawa, Shiori; Murata, Shin

2018-05-02

In this study, we aimed to (1) translate the English version of the Kinesthetic and Visual Imagery Questionnaire (KVIQ), which assesses motor imagery ability, into Japanese, and (2) investigate the reliability and validity of the Japanese KVIQ. We enrolled 28 healthy adults in this study. We used Cronbach’s alpha coefficients to assess reliability reflected by the internal consistency. Additionally, we assessed validity reflected by the criterion-related validity between the Japanese KVIQ and the Japanese version of the Movement Imagery Questionnaire-Revised (MIQ-R) with Spearman’s rank correlation coefficients. The Cronbach’s alpha coefficients for the KVIQ-20 were 0.88 (Visual) and 0.91 (Kinesthetic), which indicates high reliability. There was a significant positive correlation between the Japanese KVIQ-20 (Total) and the Japanese MIQ-R (Total) (r = 0.86, p < 0.01). Our results suggest that the Japanese KVIQ is an assessment that is a reliable and valid index of motor imagery ability.

The Internalized Stigma of Mental Illness (ISMI) scale: validation of the Japanese version.

PubMed

Tanabe, Yosuke; Hayashi, Kunihiko; Ideno, Yuki

2016-04-29

The present study investigated the reliability and validity of a Japanese version of the Internalized Stigma of Mental Illness (ISMI) scale, designed to assess internalized stigma experienced by people with mental illness. A survey was conducted with 173 outpatients with mental illness who attended psychiatric clinics on a regular basis. A retest was conducted with 51 participants to evaluate the scale's psychometric properties. The alpha coefficient for the overall internal consistency was 0.91, and the coefficients of the individual ISMI subscales ranged from 0.57 to 0.81. The test-retest reliability was r = 0.85 (n = 51, P < 0.01). In terms of criterion-related validity, the Japanese version of the ISMI scale was significantly correlated with the Beck Depression Inventory (r = 0.61, P < 0.01), the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (r = -0.53, P < 0.01), and the Empowerment Scale (r = -0.52, P < 0.01). In addition, factor analyses of the ISMI items demonstrated a four-factor solution for the alienation, stereotype endorsement, discrimination experience, and social withdrawal subscales, with the stigma resistance items excluded. The Japanese version of the ISMI scale demonstrated similar reliability and validity to the original English version. Therefore, the Japanese version of the ISMI scale may be an effective and valid tool to measure internalized stigma among Japanese people who have a mental illness.

Acculturation and Perceptions of a Good Death Among Japanese Americans and Japanese Living in the U.S.

PubMed

Mori, Masanori; Kuwama, Yuichiro; Ashikaga, Takamaru; Parsons, Henrique A; Miyashita, Mitsunori

2018-01-01

Acculturation is the phenomenon of the attitudinal changes of individuals who come into continuous contact with another culture. Despite the long history of Japanese immigration to America, little is known about the impact of acculturation on perceptions of a good death. To examine differences in perceptions of a good cancer death among Japanese Americans (JA/A), Japanese living in America (J/A), and the Japanese living in Japan (J/J). We administered surveys among JA/A and J/A and used historical J/J data for reference. Primary endpoint was the proportion of respondents who expressed the necessity of core and optional items of the Good Death Inventory. Group differences ≥20% were deemed clinically important. In total, 441 survey responses in America and 2548 in Japan were obtained. More than 80% of respondents consistently considered nine of 10 core items necessary without significant group differences. No core item reached a ≥20% group difference. Three of the eight optional items reached ≥20% group difference: fighting against disease until one's last moment (49%, P < 0.0001; 52%, P < 0.0001; and 73% in JA/A, J/A, and J/J, respectively), knowing what to expect about one's condition in the future (83%, P < 0.0001; 80%, P < 0.0001; and 58%, respectively), and having faith (64%, P = 0.0548; 43%, P = 0.0127; and 38%, respectively). Although most core items of a good death were preserved throughout the levels of acculturation, perceptions of some optional items shifted away from Japanese attitudes as individuals became more acculturated. Understanding of different levels of acculturation may help clinicians provide culturally sensitive end-of-life care. Copyright © 2017 American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The use of a medical dictionary for regulatory activities terminology (MedDRA) in prescription-event monitoring in Japan (J-PEM).

PubMed

Yokotsuka, M; Aoyama, M; Kubota, K

2000-07-01

The Medical Dictionary for Regulatory Activities Terminology (MedDRA) version 2.1 (V2.1) was released in March 1999 accompanied by the MedDRA/J V2.1J specifically for Japanese users. In prescription-event monitoring in Japan (J-PEM), we have employed the MedDRA/J for data entry, signal generation and event listing. In J-PEM, the lowest level terms (LLTs) in the MedDRA/J are used in data entry because the richness of LLTs is judged to be advantageous. A signal is generated normally at the preferred term (PT) level, but it has been found that various reporters describe the same event using descriptions that are potentially encoded by LLTs under different PTs. In addition, some PTs are considered too specific to generate the proper signal. In the system used in J-PEM, when an LLT is selected as a candidate to encode an event, another LLT under a different PT, if any, is displayed on the computer screen so that it may be coded instead of, or in addition to, the candidate LLT. The five-level structure of the MedDRA is used when listing events but some modification is required to generate a functional event list.

Validation of the Japanese Version of the Body Vigilance Scale.

PubMed

Saigo, Tatsuo; Takebayashi, Yoshitake; Tayama, Jun; Bernick, Peter J; Schmidt, Norman B; Shirabe, Susumu; Sakano, Yuji

2016-06-01

The Body Vigilance Scale is a self-report measure of attention to bodily sensations. The measure was translated into Japanese and its reliability, validity, and factor structure were verified. Participants comprised 286 university students (age: 19 ± 1 years). All participants were administered the scale, along with several indices of anxiety (i.e., Anxiety Sensitivity Index, Short Health Anxiety Inventory Illness Likelihood Scale, Social Interaction Anxiety Scale, and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale). The Japanese version of the Body Vigilance Scale exhibited a unidimensional factor structure and strong internal consistency. Construct validity was demonstrated by significant correlations with the above measures. Results suggest that the Japanese version of the scale is a reliable, valid tool for measuring body vigilance in Japanese university students. © The Author(s) 2016.

Understanding abuse of buprenorphine/naloxone film versus tablet products using data from ASI-MV® substance use disorder treatment centers and RADARS® System Poison Centers.

PubMed

Butler, Stephen F; Black, Ryan A; Severtson, Stevan Geoffrey; Dart, Richard C; Green, Jody L

2018-01-01

The objectives were to examine the abuse prevalence and route-of-administration (ROA) profiles of sublingual buprenorphine/naloxone combination (BNX) film in comparison with the BNX tablet and to identify clinically-relevant subgroups of patients or geographic patterns. Between Q1 2015 through Q3 2015, data were collected from two major surveillance systems: (1) assessment of individuals in substance use disorder (SUD) treatment collected from the National Addictions Vigilance Intervention and Prevention Program (NAVIPPRO®) ASI-MV® system and (2) intentional abuse/misuse exposures in the RADARS® System Poison Center Program. Poisson regression models were tailored to each system's data characteristics by population (all SUD treatment patients, US census) and adjusted for prescription volume. Effects of gender, race, age and US region as well as ROA profile were examined. For the ASI-MV study, 45,695 assessments of unique adults evaluated for substance use problems were collected. The abuse rate unadjusted for prescription volume of BNX tablet formulation was 2.64 cases/100 ASI-MV respondents versus 7.01 cases for the film formulation (RR=0.390, p<0.001). Prescription-adjusted abuse, however, was greater for the tablet version (0.47 abuse cases/100 ASI-MV respondents/100,000 dosage units compared with 0.38 for the film) (RR=1.25, p<0.001). Results among the US population from the RADARS System Poison Center Program data revealed a similar pattern; population rates for film abuse (0.0364) were greater than for tablet (0.0161), while prescription-adjusted rates were greater for tablet (0.2114) than for film (0.1703) per 100,000 prescriptions. ASI-MV ROA analyses indicated less abuse of the film by any alternate route, insufflation or injection than the tablet. Poison center data found more injection of tablets than film, although insufflation was not significantly different. On a prescription-adjusted basis, overall abuse of the BNX tablet is greater than that of the sublingual film formulation. For those who continue to abuse BNX, use by alternate ROAs was, in general, lower for the film. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The development of fears of compassion scale Japanese version.

PubMed

Asano, Kenichi; Tsuchiya, Masao; Ishimura, Ikuo; Lin, Shuzhen; Matsumoto, Yuki; Miyata, Haruko; Kotera, Yasuhiro; Shimizu, Eiji; Gilbert, Paul

2017-01-01

Cultivation of compassion is a useful way to treat mental problems, but some individuals show resistance. Fears of compassion can be an obstacle for clinicians when providing psychotherapy, and for clients when engaging in interpersonal relationships. Despite its importance, a Japanese version of fears of compassion scales (for others, from others, and for self) has not yet been developed. This study developed a Japanese version of the Fears of Compassion Scales and tested its reliability and validity. This study used a cross-sectional design, and a self-report procedure for collecting data. A total of 485 students (121 males and 364 females) answered self-report questionnaires, including the draft Fears of Compassion Scales-Japanese version. There were distinctive factor structures for fear of compassion from others, and for self. The fear of compassion from others scale consisted of concern about compassion from others and avoidance of compassion from others. All scales had good internal consistency, test-retest reliability, face validity, and construct validity. Discrimination and difficulty were also calculated. These results indicate that the Fears of Compassion Scales-Japanese version is a well-constructed and useful measure to assess fears of compassion and the existence of cultural differences in fears of compassion.

Cross-cultural comparison of the Scoliosis Research Society Outcomes Instrument between American and Japanese idiopathic scoliosis patients: are there differences?

PubMed

Watanabe, Kei; Lenke, Lawrence G; Bridwell, Keith H; Hasegawa, Kazuhiro; Hirano, Toru; Endo, Naoto; Cheh, Gene; Kim, Yongjung J; Hensley, Marsha; Stobbs, Georgia; Koester, Linda

2007-11-15

A comparative study. To report a preliminary evaluation of the Scoliosis Research Society Outcomes Instrument (SRS-24) and determine whether differences in baseline scores exist between American and Japanese patients with idiopathic scoliosis. Because the SRS outcomes instrument was primarily introduced for the American population, baseline scores in the Japanese population might differ from the American population. A comparative study using the SRS instrument between American and Japanese patients with idiopathic scoliosis has not been reported. Two comparable groups of 100 idiopathic scoliosis patients before spinal fusion were separated into American (A) and Japanese (J). There were no statistically significant differences between the groups for gender (A: 9 men/91 women vs. J: 13 men/87 women), age (A: 15.0 +/- 2.4 vs. J: 14.9 +/- 3.8), main curve location (A: 77 thoracic/23 lumbar, J: 76 thoracic/24 lumbar), main curve Cobb angle (A: 50.5 +/- 5.2 vs. J: 51.1 +/- 8.7), and thoracic kyphosis (A: 20.9 +/- 14.3 vs. J: 19.9 +/- 12.1) (P > 0.05, for all comparisons). Patients were evaluated using the first section of the SRS-24 which was divided into 4 domains: total pain, general self-image, general function, and activity. SRS-24 scores were statistical compared in individual domains and questions using the Mann-Whitney U test. American patients had significantly lower scores in pain (P < 0.0001, A: 3.7 +/- 0.8 vs. J: 4.3 +/- 0.4), function (P < 0.01, A: 3.9 +/- 0.6 vs. J: 4.2 +/- 0.5), and activity (P < 0.0001, A: 4.5 +/- 0.8 vs. J: 4.9 +/- 0.3) domains compared with Japanese patients. Japanese patients had significantly lower scores in the self-image (P < 0.0001, A: 4.0 +/- 0.7 vs. J: 3.5 +/- 0.5) domain. With regard to individual questions, there were significant differences in the scores between the 2 groups for all questions except 5 and 13 (P < 0.05, for all comparisons). SRS-24 scores in the Japanese idiopathic scoliosis population differed from that of the American population. Japanese patients had less back pain, a negative self-image regarding back deformity, higher general physical function, and daily activity. It is highly probable that patient's perceptions differ due to cultural differences, which affect SRS-24 scores so a cross-cultural comparison of the SRS instrument content is necessary in the future.

Comparison of neurocognitive function in major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia in later life: A cross-sectional study of euthymic or remitted, non-demented patients using the Japanese version of the Brief Assessment of Cognition in Schizophrenia (BACS-J).

PubMed

Terachi, Sayaka; Yamada, Takeshi; Pu, Shenghong; Yokoyama, Katsutoshi; Matsumura, Hiroshi; Kaneko, Koichi

2017-08-01

Major depressive disorder (MDD), bipolar disorder (BD), and schizophrenia (SZ) are associated with cognitive dysfunction both in adulthood and in later life. In this study, we directly compared neurocognitive function between these three conditions in later life, employing stringent definitions of euthymia and symptomatic remission. Cognitive function in 60 elderly outpatients with MDD, BD, or SZ (20 patients per group) was assessed using the Japanese version of the Brief Assessment of Cognition in Schizophrenia. Patients with MDD had significantly higher z scores than both the other groups with large or moderately large effect sizes, for verbal fluency, attention and speed of information processing, and composite scores. In contrast, there were no significant differences in the degree of neurocognitive impairment between patients with BD and SZ. In later life, patients with BD and SZ showed a similar degree of neurocognitive impairment, while patients with MDD showed smaller impairments in several neurocognitive domains compared to patients with either of the other two disorders. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Reliability and validity of the Japanese version of the Resilience Scale and its short version.

PubMed

Nishi, Daisuke; Uehara, Ritei; Kondo, Maki; Matsuoka, Yutaka

2010-11-17

The clinical relevance of resilience has received considerable attention in recent years. The aim of this study is to demonstrate the reliability and validity of the Japanese version of the Resilience Scale (RS) and short version of the RS (RS-14). The original English version of RS was translated to Japanese and the Japanese version was confirmed by back-translation. Participants were 430 nursing and university psychology students. The RS, Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES), Social Support Questionnaire (SSQ), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), and Sheehan Disability Scale (SDS) were administered. Internal consistency, convergent validity and factor loadings were assessed at initial assessment. Test-retest reliability was assessed using data collected from 107 students at 3 months after baseline. Mean score on the RS was 111.19. Cronbach's alpha coefficients for the RS and RS-14 were 0.90 and 0.88, respectively. The test-retest correlation coefficients for the RS and RS-14 were 0.83 and 0.84, respectively. Both the RS and RS-14 were negatively correlated with the CES-D and SDS, and positively correlated with the RSES, SSQ and PSS (all p < 0.05), although the correlation between the RS and CES-D was somewhat lower than that in previous studies. Factor analyses indicated a one-factor solution for RS-14, but as for RS, the result was not consistent with previous studies. This study demonstrates that the Japanese version of RS has psychometric properties with high degrees of internal consistency, high test-retest reliability, and relatively low concurrent validity. RS-14 was equivalent to the RS in internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and concurrent validity. Low scores on the RS, a positive correlation between the RS and perceived stress, and a relatively low correlation between the RS and depressive symptoms in this study suggest that validity of the Japanese version of the RS might be relatively low compared with the original English version.

[Linguistic validation of Japanese version of Prolapse/Urinary Incontinence Sexual Questionnaire, IUGA-Revised (PISQ-IR)].

PubMed

Tomoe, Hikaru; Inoue, Miyabi; Kimoto, Yasusuke; Nagao, Koichi; Homma, Yukio; Takahashi, Satoru; Kobayashi, Mia; Ikeda, Shunya

2014-07-01

To translate the Prolapse/Urinary Incontinence Sexual Questionnaire, IUGA-Revised (PISQ-IR) into Japanese and evaluate the linguistic validation of the translated PISQ-IR. The translation and evaluation of PISQ-IR were performed through 3 steps: forward translation based on 2 urologists and discussed by another 4 urologists, 1 pharmacoeconomist and 1 nurse; the community review process consists of conducting one-on-one cognitive interviews with 20 patients by a professional interviewer; backward translation by a native English speaker, which was negotiated with the PISQ-IR Working Group comprised original authors in International Urogynecological Association (IUGA). The PISQ-IR Working Group generally approved our translation and had 2 major concerns in the Japanese version; 1) "disagree" in every sentence of English version was not translated into Japanese, and 2) the Japanese expression in "sexual desire" should be more emotional. The former concern was approved by explaining that Japanese does not have the word which is the equivalent of "disagree", and "don't agree" is always used instead of "disagree". The latter concern was compromised by switching to a translation using emotional words. The Japanese version of PISQ-IR was translated in a linguistically valid manner. It would be equivalent to the original English questionnaire. It may provide a tool to assess sexual function for Japanese women with prolapse, urinary incontinence and/or fecal incontinence in an internationally harmonized fashion.

Reliability and validity of the Japanese version of the Community Integration Measure for community-dwelling people with schizophrenia.

PubMed

Shioda, Ai; Tadaka, Etsuko; Okochi, Ayako

2017-01-01

Community integration is an essential right for people with schizophrenia that affects their well-being and quality of life, but no valid instrument exists to measure it in Japan. The aim of the present study is to develop and evaluate the reliability and validity of the Japanese version of the Community Integration Measure (CIM) for people with schizophrenia. The Japanese version of the CIM was developed as a self-administered questionnaire based on the original version of the CIM, which was developed by McColl et al. This study of the Japanese CIM had a cross-sectional design. Construct validity was determined using a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and data from 291 community-dwelling people with schizophrenia in Japan. Internal consistency was calculated using Cronbach's alpha. The Lubben Social Network Scale (LSNS-6), the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSE) and the UCLA Loneliness Scale, version 3 (UCLALS) were administered to assess the criterion-related validity of the Japanese version of the CIM. The participants were 263 people with schizophrenia who provided valid responses. The Cronbach's alpha was 0.87, and CFA identified one domain with ten items that demonstrated the following values: goodness of fit index = 0.924, adjusted goodness of fit index = 0.881, comparative fit index = 0.925, and root mean square error of approximation = 0.085. The correlation coefficients were 0.43 (p < 0.001) with the LSNS-6, 0.42 (p < 0.001) with the RSE, and -0.57 (p < 0.001) with the UCLALS. The Japanese version of the CIM demonstrated adequate reliability and validity for assessing community integration for people with schizophrenia in Japan.

Cognitive inflexibility in Japanese adolescents and adults with autism spectrum disorders

PubMed Central

Yasuda, Yuka; Hashimoto, Ryota; Ohi, Kazutaka; Yamamori, Hidenaga; Fujimoto, Michiko; Umeda-Yano, Satomi; Fujino, Haruo; Takeda, Masatoshi

2014-01-01

AIM: To investigate executive function in Japanese adolescents and adults with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) compared to Japanese controls. METHODS: Thirty-three individuals with ASD and 33 controls participated. The ASD and control groups’ demographic variables were matched for gender (male/female: 20/13 vs 20/13), age (26.1 ± 11.5 vs 26.8 ± 9.6), years of education (13.2 ± 2.9 vs 14.2 ± 1.9), full-scale intelligence quotient (IQ) (103.0 ± 16.7 vs 103.7 ± 14.7), performance IQ (96.2 ± 16.1 vs 97.8 ± 15.0), and verbal IQ (107.9 ± 16.3 vs 107.7 ± 14.4). Participants performed the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST), which assesses the executive processes involved in problem solving and cognitive flexibility, and the Continuous Performance Test (CPT), which assesses attention and impulsivity. Symptoms were assessed by the Autism-Spectrum Quotient Japanese version (AQ-J). First, we compared the scores of the WCST between the groups using a Mann-Whitney U-test and conducted an analysis of covariance for the variables with the scores of category archives and CPT scores as covariates. Second, we analyzed the correlation between the scores of the WCST and the AQ-J in the ASD group using Pearson’s r. RESULTS: The total errors (TE) and the percentages of perseverative errors of the Milner type (%PEM) and Nelson type (%PEN) among the TE in the ASD group were significantly worse compared with the control group (ASD vs Control, respectively: TE: 16.0 ± 6.2 vs 12.6 ± 3.5, P = 0.012; %PEM: 11.7 ± 10.7 vs 6.6 ± 8.9, P = 0.037; %PEN: 20.1 ± 14.5 vs 8.7 ± 10.4, P = 0.0011). In contrast, no significant difference was observed between the two groups in the scores of categories achieved on the WCST or the CPT. An analysis of covariance revealed significant differences between the groups in the %PEN scores (P = 0.0062) but not in the TE or the %PEM scores. These results suggest that Japanese adolescents and adults with ASD have cognitive inflexibility. Furthermore, our results suggest that Japanese adolescents and adults with ASD may have difficulties using negative feedback because perseverative errors of the Nelson type indicate persistence in choosing the incorrect reaction. By contrast, there was no significant correlation between the WCST and AQ-J scores. CONCLUSION: We confirmed the presence of cognitive inflexibility in Japanese adolescents and adults with ASD. Our results also indicated that subjects with ASD may not use negative feedback effectively. PMID:25019056

Taxometric and Factor Analytic Models of Anxiety Sensitivity: Integrating Approaches to Latent Structural Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bernstein, Amit; Zvolensky, Michael J.; Norton, Peter J.; Schmidt, Norman B.; Taylor, Steven; Forsyth, John P.; Lewis, Sarah F.; Feldner, Matthew T.; Leen-Feldner, Ellen W.; Stewart, Sherry H.; Cox, Brian

2007-01-01

This study represents an effort to better understand the latent structure of anxiety sensitivity (AS), as indexed by the 16-item Anxiety Sensitivity Index (ASI; S. Reiss, R. A. Peterson, M. Gursky, & R. J. McNally, 1986), by using taxometric and factor-analytic approaches in an integrative manner. Taxometric analyses indicated that AS has a…

[Reliability and validity of the Japanese version of the Thinking Style Inventory].

PubMed

Ochiai, Jun; Maie, Yuko; Wada, Yuichi

2016-06-01

This study examined the internal and external validity of the Japanese version of the Thinking Styles Inventory (TSI: Hiruma, 2000), which was originally developed by Sternberg and Wagner (1991) based on the framework of Sternberg's (1988) theory of mental self-government. The term "thinking style" refers to the concept that individuals differ in how they organize, direct, and manage their own thinking activities. We administered the Japanese version of the TSI to Japanese participants (N = 655: Age range 20-84 years). The results of item analysis, reliability analysis, and factor analysis, were consistent with the general ideas of the theory. In addition, there were significant relationships between certain thinking styles and 3 participant characteristics: age, gender, and working arrangement. Furthermore, some thinking styles were positively correlated with social skill. Implications of these results for the nature of Japanese thinking styles are discussed.

Factor Validation of the Addiction Severity Index Scale Structure in Persons With Concurrent Disorders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Currie, Shawn R.; el-Guebaly, Nady; Coulson, Ronaye; Hodgins, David; Mansley, Chrystal

2004-01-01

Confirmatory factor analysis was used to test the scale structure of the Addiction Severity Index (ASI) in a sample of 1,802 substance abusers (43% alcohol dependent) with a concurrent psychiatric disorder (46% with mood disorders). The fit of the original composite score model based on the work of P. L. McGahan, J. A. Griffith, R. Parente, & A.…

Socioeconomic status is significantly associated with the dietary intakes of folate and depression scales in Japanese workers (J-HOPE Study).

PubMed

Miyaki, Koichi; Song, Yixuan; Taneichi, Setsuko; Tsutsumi, Akizumi; Hashimoto, Hideki; Kawakami, Norito; Takahashi, Masaya; Shimazu, Akihito; Inoue, Akiomi; Kurioka, Sumiko; Shimbo, Takuro

2013-02-18

The association of socioeconomic status (SES) with nutrient intake attracts public attention worldwide. In the current study, we examined the associations of SES with dietary intake of folate and health outcomes in general Japanese workers. This Japanese occupational cohort consisted off 2266 workers. SES was assessed by a self-administered questionnaire. Intakes of all nutrients were assessed with a validated, brief and self-administered diet history questionnaire (BDHQ). The degree of depressive symptoms was measured by the validated Japanese version of the K6 scale. Multiple linear regression and stratified analysis were used to evaluate the associations of intake with the confounding factors. Path analysis was conducted to describe the impacts of intake on health outcomes. Education levels and household incomes were significantly associated with intake of folate and depression scales (p < 0.05). After adjusting for age, sex and total energy intake, years of education significantly affect the folate intake (β = 0.117, p < 0.001). The structural equation model (SEM) shows that the indirect effect of folate intake is statistically significant and strong (p < 0.05, 56% of direct effect) in the pathway of education level to depression scale. Our study shows both education and income are significantly associated with depression scales in Japanese workers, and the effort to increase the folate intake may alleviate the harms of social disparities on mental health.

The development of fears of compassion scale Japanese version

PubMed Central

Asano, Kenichi; Tsuchiya, Masao; Ishimura, Ikuo; Lin, Shuzhen; Matsumoto, Yuki; Miyata, Haruko; Kotera, Yasuhiro; Shimizu, Eiji; Gilbert, Paul

2017-01-01

Objectives Cultivation of compassion is a useful way to treat mental problems, but some individuals show resistance. Fears of compassion can be an obstacle for clinicians when providing psychotherapy, and for clients when engaging in interpersonal relationships. Despite its importance, a Japanese version of fears of compassion scales (for others, from others, and for self) has not yet been developed. This study developed a Japanese version of the Fears of Compassion Scales and tested its reliability and validity. Design This study used a cross-sectional design, and a self-report procedure for collecting data. Methods A total of 485 students (121 males and 364 females) answered self-report questionnaires, including the draft Fears of Compassion Scales—Japanese version. Results There were distinctive factor structures for fear of compassion from others, and for self. The fear of compassion from others scale consisted of concern about compassion from others and avoidance of compassion from others. All scales had good internal consistency, test-retest reliability, face validity, and construct validity. Discrimination and difficulty were also calculated. Conclusions These results indicate that the Fears of Compassion Scales—Japanese version is a well-constructed and useful measure to assess fears of compassion and the existence of cultural differences in fears of compassion. PMID:29023461

Psychometric Properties of the Spanish Version of the Panic Disorder Severity Scale.

PubMed

Fuste, Gideoni; Gil, María Ángeles; López-Solà, Clara; Rosado, Silvia; Bonillo, Albert; Pailhez, Guillem; Bulbena, Antoni; Pérez, Víctor; Fullana, Miguel A

2018-03-25

The Panic Disorder Severity Scale (PDSS) is a well-established measure of panic symptoms but few data exist on this instrument in non north-American samples. Our main goal was to assess the psychometric properties (internal consistency, test re-test reliability, inter-rater reliability, convergent and divergent validity) and the factor structure of the Spanish version. Ninety-four patients with a main diagnosis of panic disorder were assessed with the Spanish version of PDSS, the Anxiety Sensitivity Index-3 (ASI-3), the Panic and Agoraphobia Scale (PAS), the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) the PDSS self-rating form and the Clinical Global Impression-Severity scale (CGI). The Spanish PDSS showed acceptable internal consistency (α = .74), excellent test-retest (total score and items 1-6: α > .58, p .90) and medium to large convergent validity (r = .68, 95% CI [.54, .79], p < .01; r = .80, 95% CI [.70, .87], p < .01; r = .48, 95% CI [.28, .67], p < .01; BAI, PAS and ASI-3 total scores respectively). Data on divergent validity (BDI-II total score: r = .52, 95% CI [.34, .67], p < .01) suggest some need for refinement of the PDSS. The confirmatory factor analysis suggested a two-factor modified model for the scale (nested χ2 = 14.01, df = 12, p < .001). The Spanish PDSS has similar psychometric properties as the previous versions and is a useful instrument to assess panic symptoms in clinical settings in Spanish-speaking populations.

Comparison of Practices, Knowledge, Confidence, and Attitude toward Oral Cancer among Oral Health Professionals between Japan and Australia.

PubMed

Haresaku, Satoru; Makino, Michiko; Sugiyama, Seiichi; Naito, Toru; Mariño, Rodrigo Jose

2018-04-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the practices, knowledge, confidence, and attitude toward oral cancer among Japanese oral health professionals (J-OHPs) and to identify Japanese-specific problems in oral cancer practices by comparing them between Japan and Australia. A questionnaire survey regarding oral cancer practices among Australian oral health professionals (Au-OHPs) was conducted in Australia in 2014-2015. The questionnaire was translated into Japanese, and a Web-based questionnaire survey was conducted among 131 Japanese dentists (J-Dentists) and 131 dental hygienists (J-DHs) in 2016. To compare the J-OHPs' findings with the Au-OHPs', the data of Australian dentists (Au-dentists) and Australian dental hygienists (Au-DHs) were extracted from the Australian survey. Those findings were then compared via a statistical analysis. Eighty-two J-Dentists, 55 J-DHs, 214 Au-Dentists, and 45 Au-DHs participated in this study. Only 34.1 % of J-Dentists and 36.4 % of J-DHs performed oral cancer screenings on their patients; J-OHPs were significantly less likely to perform them than Au-OHPs. The level of knowledge and confidence regarding oral cancer among JOHPs were significantly lower than among Au-OHPs. About 90 % of J-OHPs felt that they needed additional training in oral cancer practices. Less than 40 % of J-OHPs performed oral cancer screenings in their patients. The low level of knowledge and confidence regarding oral cancer among JOHPs may contribute to their low performance of oral cancer practices. Therefore, further education and training programs for oral cancer practices should be provided to Japanese OHPs for the prevention and early detection of oral cancer.

Improved Neural Processing Efficiency in a Chronic Aphasia Patient Following Melodic Intonation Therapy: A Neuropsychological and Functional MRI Study

PubMed Central

Tabei, Ken-ichi; Satoh, Masayuki; Nakano, Chizuru; Ito, Ai; Shimoji, Yasuo; Kida, Hirotaka; Sakuma, Hajime; Tomimoto, Hidekazu

2016-01-01

Melodic intonation therapy (MIT) is a treatment program for the rehabilitation of aphasic patients with speech production disorders. We report a case of severe chronic non-fluent aphasia unresponsive to several years of conventional therapy that showed a marked improvement following intensive 9-day training on the Japanese version of MIT (MIT-J). The purpose of this study was to verify the efficacy of MIT-J by functional assessment and examine associated changes in neural processing by functional magnetic resonance imaging. MIT improved language output and auditory comprehension, and decreased the response time for picture naming. Following MIT-J, an area of the right hemisphere was less activated on correct naming trials than compared with before training but similarly activated on incorrect trials. These results suggest that the aphasic symptoms of our patient were improved by increased neural processing efficiency and a concomitant decrease in cognitive load. PMID:27698650

Validity and reliability of the Cognitive Complaints in Bipolar Disorder Rating Assessment (COBRA) in Japanese patients with bipolar disorder.

PubMed

Toyoshima, Kuniyoshi; Fujii, Yutaka; Mitsui, Nobuyuki; Kako, Yuki; Asakura, Satoshi; Martinez-Aran, Anabel; Vieta, Eduard; Kusumi, Ichiro

2017-08-01

In Japan, there are currently no reliable rating scales for the evaluation of subjective cognitive impairment in patients with bipolar disorder. We studied the relationship between the Japanese version of the Cognitive Complaints in Bipolar Disorder Rating Assessment (COBRA) and objective cognitive assessments in patients with bipolar disorder. We further assessed the reliability and validity of the COBRA. Forty-one patients, aged 16-64, in a remission period of bipolar disorder were recruited from Hokkaido University Hospital in Sapporo, Japan. The COBRA (Japanese version) and Frankfurt Complaint Questionnaire (FCQ), the gold standard in subjective cognitive assessment, were administered. A battery of neuropsychological tests was employed to measure objective cognitive impairment. Correlations among the COBRA, FCQ, and neuropsychological tests were determined using Spearman's correlation coefficient. The Japanese version of the COBRA had high internal consistency, good retest reliability, and concurrent validity-as indicated by a strong correlation with the FCQ. A significant correlation was also observed between the COBRA and objective cognitive measurements of processing speed. These findings are the first to demonstrate that the Japanese version of the COBRA may be clinically useful as a subjective cognitive impairment rating scale in Japanese patients with bipolar disorder. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Long-term efficacy and safety of blonanserin in patients with first-episode schizophrenia: a 1-year open-label trial.

PubMed

Ninomiya, Yuriko; Miyamoto, Seiya; Tenjin, Tomomi; Ogino, Shin; Miyake, Nobumi; Kaneda, Yasuhiro; Sumiyoshi, Tomiki; Yamaguchi, Noboru

2014-12-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the long-term effectiveness and safety of blonanserin, a second-generation antipsychotic drug developed in Japan, in patients with first-episode schizophrenia. Twenty-three antipsychotic-naïve patients with first-episode schizophrenia were treated within an open-label, 1-year, prospective trial of blonanserin (2-24 mg/day). Clinical evaluations were conducted at baseline and 2, 6, and 12 months after the start of treatment. The main outcome measures were changes in subjective well-being and subjective quality of life, as assessed by the Subjective Well-being under Neuroleptic treatment scale Short form-Japanese version and the Schizophrenia Quality of Life Scale-Japanese version, respectively. Secondary outcome measures included the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale, the Brief Assessment of Cognition in Schizophrenia-Japanese version, laboratory tests, bodyweight, and extrapyramidal symptoms. Fourteen patients (60.9%) remained on the study at 1 year. In the intention-to-treat analysis, significant improvements were observed in several subscales on the Subjective Well-being under Neuroleptic treatment scale Short form-Japanese version, the Schizophrenia Quality of Life Scale-Japanese version, and the Brief Assessment of Cognition in Schizophrenia-Japanese version, and in all factor scores on the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale. Improvement in depressive symptoms with blonanserin treatment was positively correlated with improvements in subjective well-being and subjective quality of life, as well as verbal memory. No significant changes were noted for any safety measure during the 1-year study period. Blonanserin was well tolerated and effective for the treatment of first-episode schizophrenia in terms of subjective wellness, cognition, and a wide range of pathological symptoms. Further large-scale studies are warranted to confirm our findings. © 2014 The Authors. Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences © 2014 Japanese Society of Psychiatry and Neurology.

Cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the Japanese version of the new Knee Society Scoring System for osteoarthritic knee with total knee arthroplasty.

PubMed

Hamamoto, Yosuke; Ito, Hiromu; Furu, Moritoshi; Ishikawa, Masahiro; Azukizawa, Masayuki; Kuriyama, Shinichi; Nakamura, Shinichiro; Matsuda, Shuichi

2015-09-01

The purposes of this study were to translate the new Knee Society Score (KSS) into Japanese and to evaluate the construct and content validity, test-retest reliability, and internal consistency of the Japanese version of the new KSS. The Japanese version of the KSS was developed according to cross-cultural guidelines by using the "translation-back translation" method to ensure content validity. KSS data were then obtained from patients who had undergone total knee arthroplasty (TKA). The psychometric properties evaluated were as follows: for feasibility, response rate, and floor and ceiling effects; for construct validity, internal consistency using Cronbach's alpha, and correlations with quality of life. Construct validity was evaluated by using Spearman's correlation coefficient to quantify the correlation between the KSS and the Japanese version of the Oxford 12-item Knee Score or Short Form 36 Health Survey (SF-36) questionnaires. The Japanese version of the KSS was sent to 93 consecutive osteoarthritic patients who underwent primary TKA in our institution. Fifty-five patients completed the questionnaires and were included in this study. Neither a floor nor ceiling effect was observed. The reliability proved excellent in the majority of domains, with intraclass correlation coefficients of 0.65-0.88. Internal consistency, assessed by Cronbach's alpha, was good to excellent for all domains (0.78-0.94). All of the four domains of the KSS correlated significantly with the Oxford 12-item Knee Score. The activity and satisfaction domains of the KSS correlated significantly with all and the majority of subscales of the SF-36, respectively, whereas symptoms and expectation domains showed significant correlations only with bodily pain and vitality subscales and with the physical function, bodily pain, and vitality subscales, respectively. The Japanese version of the new KSS is a valid, reliable, and responsive instrument to capture subjective aspects of the functional symptoms and abilities of patients who undergo TKA.

Development of a Japanese version of the emotional skills and competence questionnaire.

PubMed

Toyota, Hiroshi; Morita, Taisuke; Taksic, Vladimir

2007-10-01

The present study described development of a Japanese version of the Emotional Skills and Competence Questionnaire and examined the relations of scores with those on Big Five scales of personality and self-esteem scales. The participants were 615 undergraduates. Factor analysis led to the shortened version of 24 items in three subscales. Although Cronbach alphas were low for the subscale, Manage and Regulate Emotion, values were satisfactory for the other two subscales, Express and Label Emotion and Perceive and Understand Emotion. Total scores of this version were positively correlated with score for self-esteem, Extraversion, and Openness but negatively correlated with scores on Neuroticism. This shorter Japanese versions shows suitable internal consistency and content validity, but other reliabilities and validities must be examined precisely.

Science and Technology of Nanostructured Magnetic Materials: Proceedings of a NATO Advanced Study Institute Conference Held in Aghia Pelaghia, Crete, Greece on 24 June -6 July 1990. NATO ASI Series B: Physics. Volume 259

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-07-06

Tung in Silicon-Molecular Beam Epitaxy. vol. 11 eds. Erich Kasper and John C . Bean, CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL (1988), or J. Derrien and F. Arnaud...mum~ J goS-MS AD- A24 6 363 ..T.. C .... Magnetbic Mean eiteral C dstibtio I Edliited.b Gary A . ....... MagntOc aeria Series B: Physics Vol. 259 ’o98...NATO Scientific Affairs Division A Life Sciences Plenum Publishing Corporation B Physics New York and London C Mathematical and Physical Sciences Kluwer

Investigation of Schottky Barrier on GaAs and InP Using a Multi-Disciplined Approach

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-10-29

Appl. Phys. 51 6140 (1982); E. R. Weber and J. Schneider, Physica B J.L, 398 (1983). 7. N. Newman, K. K. Chin , W. G. Petro, T. Kendelewicz, M. D...ASI Series, Series B, Physics 125. ed. I. B. Batra, Plenum Press, NY and London, 1989, p. 91 30. W. E. Spicer, P. W. Chye , P. R. Skeath, C. Y. Su and

The Japanese version of the Postpartum Bonding Questionnaire: Examination of the reliability, validity, and scale structure.

PubMed

Suetsugu, Yoshiko; Honjo, Shuji; Ikeda, Mari; Kamibeppu, Kiyoko

2015-07-01

The purpose of this study was to develop the Japanese version of the Postpartum Bonding Questionnaire (PBQ) to gather data on Japanese mothers for comparison with other cultures and to examine the scale structure of the PBQ among Japanese mothers. We administered the PBQ to a cross-section of 244 mothers 4 weeks after delivery and again 2 weeks later to 199 mothers as a retest to examine reliability. We used exploratory factor analysis to evaluate the factor structure of the PBQ. Correlations with the Mother-to-Infant Bonding Scale (MIBS), the Maternal Attachment Inventory (MAI), Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), and sociodemographic variables were calculated for validation. The 14-item version of the PBQ extracted by exploratory analysis consisted of four factors: 'impaired bonding', 'rejection and anger', 'anxiety about care', and 'lack of affection'. We found significant correlations of the total scores of the PBQ and the 14-item version of the PBQ positively with the MIBS and negatively with the MAI. Moderate significant correlations with total scores were also found with the EPDS. Total scores for primiparous and depressed mothers were higher than those for multiparous mothers and mothers without depression. The results of this study demonstrated the reliability and validity of the PBQ and the 14-item version of the PBQ in Japanese mothers 4 weeks after delivery. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Influence of the extent of westernization of lifestyle on the progression of preclinical atherosclerosis in Japanese subjects.

PubMed

Egusa, Genshi; Watanabe, Hiroshi; Ohshita, Kayo; Fujikawa, Rumi; Yamane, Kiminori; Okubo, Masamichi; Kohno, Nobuoki

2002-01-01

To clarify the influence of a westernized lifestyle on the risk factors for atherosclerosis and preclinical atherosclerosis in Japanese subjects, we surveyed a Japanese population and Japanese immigrants in the United States. Based on the extent of westernization of their lifestyle, the subjects were classified as Japanese (J), first generation Japanese-Americans (JA-I), and second or later generation Japanese-Americans (JA-II). The consumption of animal fat and simple carbohydrates increased in the order of J, JA-I, and JA-II, while the subjects with strenuous physical activity decreased in the same order. The waist-hip ratio, fasting insulin level, serum cholesterol and triglyceride levels, and prevalence of hypertension increased in the same order as the dietary changes. The carotid intima-media wall thickness and the plaque size, which are indices of preclinical atherosclerosis, also increased in the order of J, JA-I, and JA-II. These data indicate that a westernized lifestyle aggravates the risk factors for atherosclerosis and influences the progression of preclinical atherosclerosis, in correspondence with the extent of westernization.

Predicting anxious response to a social challenge: the predictive utility of the social interaction anxiety scale and the social phobia scale in a college population.

PubMed

Gore, K L; Carter, M M; Parker, S

2002-06-01

Trait anxiety is believed to be a hierarchical construct composed of several lower-order factors (Adv. Behav. Res. Therapy, 15 (1993) 147; J. Anxiety Disorders, 9 (1995) 163). Assessment devices such as the Social Interaction Anxiety Scale, the Social Phobia Scale (SIAS and SPS; Behav. Res. Therapy, 36 (4) (1998) 455), and the Anxiety Sensitivity Index (ASI; Behav. Res. Therapy, 24 (1986) 1) are good measures of the presumably separate lower-order factors. This study compared the effectiveness of the SIAS, SPS, ASI-physical scale and STAI-T (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychologists Press (1970)) as predictors of anxious response to a social challenge (asking an aloof confederate out on a date). Consistent with the hierarchical model of anxiety, the measures of trait anxiety were moderately correlated with each other and each was a significant predictor of anxious response. The specific measures of trait social anxiety were slightly better predictors of anxious response to the social challenge than was either the ASI-physical scale or the STAI-T. The results provide evidence of the predictive validity of these social trait measures and some support for their specificity in the prediction of anxious response to a social challenge.

Association between dietary patterns and cognitive function among 70-year-old Japanese elderly: a cross-sectional analysis of the SONIC study.

PubMed

Okubo, Hitomi; Inagaki, Hiroki; Gondo, Yasuyuki; Kamide, Kei; Ikebe, Kazunori; Masui, Yukie; Arai, Yasumichi; Ishizaki, Tatsuro; Sasaki, Satoshi; Nakagawa, Takeshi; Kabayama, Mai; Sugimoto, Ken; Rakugi, Hiromi; Maeda, Yoshinobu

2017-09-11

An increasing number of studies in Western countries have shown that healthy dietary patterns may have a protective effect against cognitive decline and dementia. However, information on this relationship among non-Western populations with different cultural settings is extremely limited. We aim to examine the relationship between dietary patterns and cognitive function among older Japanese people. This cross-sectional study included 635 community-dwelling people aged 69-71 years who participated in the prospective cohort study titled Septuagenarians, Octogenarians, Nonagenarians Investigation with Centenarians (SONIC). Diet was assessed over a one-month period with a validated, brief-type, self-administered diet history questionnaire. Dietary patterns from thirty-three predefined food groups [energy-adjusted food (g/d)] were extracted by factor analysis. Cognitive function was assessed using the Japanese version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA-J). Multivariate regression analysis was performed to examine the relationship between dietary patterns and cognitive function. Three dietary patterns were identified: the 'Plant foods and fish', 'Rice and miso soup', and 'Animal food' patterns. The 'Plant foods and fish' pattern, characterized by high intakes of green and other vegetables, soy products, seaweeds, mushrooms, potatoes, fruit, fish, and green tea, was significantly associated with a higher MoCA-J score [MoCA-J score per one-quartile increase in dietary pattern: β = 0.56 (95% CI: 0.33, 0.79), P for trend <0.001]. This association was still evident after adjustment for potential confounding factors [β = 0.41 (95% CI: 0.17, 0.65), P for trend <0.001]. In contrast, neither the 'Rice and miso soup' nor the 'Animal food' pattern was related to cognitive function. To confirm the possibility of reverse causation we also conducted a sensitivity analysis excluding 186 subjects who reported substantial changes in their diet for any reason, but the results did not change materially. This preliminary cross-sectional study suggests that a diet with high intakes of vegetables, soy products, fruit, and fish may have a beneficial effect on cognitive function in older Japanese people. Further prospective studies are needed to confirm this finding.

Reliability and Validity of Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised, Japanese Version

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tsuchiya, Kenji J.; Matsumoto, Kaori; Yagi, Atsuko; Inada, Naoko; Kuroda, Miho; Inokuchi, Eiko; Koyama, Tomonori; Kamio, Yoko; Tsujii, Masatsugu; Sakai, Saeko; Mohri, Ikuko; Taniike, Masako; Iwanaga, Ryoichiro; Ogasahara, Kei; Miyachi, Taishi; Nakajima, Shunji; Tani, Iori; Ohnishi, Masafumi; Inoue, Masahiko; Nomura, Kazuyo; Hagiwara, Taku; Uchiyama, Tokio; Ichikawa, Hironobu; Kobayashi, Shuji; Miyamoto, Ken; Nakamura, Kazuhiko; Suzuki, Katsuaki; Mori, Norio; Takei, Nori

2013-01-01

To examine the inter-rater reliability of Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised, Japanese Version (ADI-R-JV), the authors recruited 51 individuals aged 3-19 years, interviewed by two independent raters. Subsequently, to assess the discriminant and diagnostic validity of ADI-R-JV, the authors investigated 317 individuals aged 2-19 years, who were…

Green tea consumption affects cognitive dysfunction in the elderly: a pilot study.

PubMed

Ide, Kazuki; Yamada, Hiroshi; Takuma, Norikata; Park, Mijong; Wakamiya, Noriko; Nakase, Junpei; Ukawa, Yuuichi; Sagesaka, Yuko M

2014-09-29

Green tea is known to have various health benefits for humans. However, the effect of green tea consumption on cognitive dysfunction remains to be clinically verified. We conducted a clinical study to investigate the effects of green tea consumption on cognitive dysfunction. Twelve elderly nursing home residents with cognitive dysfunction (Mini-Mental State Examination Japanese version (MMSE-J) score: <28) participated in the study (2 men, 10 women; mean age, 88 years). The participants consumed green tea powder 2 g/day for 3 months. After three months of green tea consumption, the participants' MMSE-J scores were significantly improved (before, 15.3 ± 7.7; after, 17.0 ± 8.2; p = 0.03). This result suggests that green tea consumption may be effective in improving cognitive function or reducing the progression of cognitive dysfunction; however, long-term large-scale controlled studies are needed to further clarify the effect.

[Developing the Japanese version of the Adult Attachment Style Scale (ECR)].

PubMed

Nakao, Tatsuma; Kato, Kazuo

2004-06-01

This study attempted to adapt into Japanese the Adult Attachment Style Scale (ECR: Experiences in Close Relationships inventory) that was constructed by Brennan, Clark, and Shaver (1998), based on 14 existing scales. Of 387 respondents, 231 who reported having been or are currently involved in romantic relationships were employed for final analysis. We examined validities of the Japanese version of ECR in the two ways: (1) Examining the correlations between "Anxiety" and Self-esteem scale by Rosenberg (1965) which were theoretically related to Self-view, and the correlations between "Avoidance" and Other-view scale by Kato (1999b) which were theoretically related to Other-view; (2) whether or not ECR represents the features of four attachment styles as classified by Relationship Questionnaire (RQ; Bartholomew & Horowitz, 1991). The results supported our expectations. This Japanese version of ECR was demonstrated to have adequate psychometric properties in validity and reliability.

Longitudinal association of hypertension and diabetes mellitus with cognitive functioning in a general 70-year-old population: the SONIC study.

PubMed

Ryuno, Hirochika; Kamide, Kei; Gondo, Yasuyuki; Kabayama, Mai; Oguro, Ryosuke; Nakama, Chikako; Yokoyama, Serina; Nagasawa, Motonori; Maeda-Hirao, Satomi; Imaizumi, Yuki; Takeya, Miyuki; Yamamoto, Hiroko; Takeda, Masao; Takami, Yoichi; Itoh, Norihisa; Takeya, Yasushi; Yamamoto, Koichi; Sugimoto, Ken; Nakagawa, Takeshi; Yasumoto, Saori; Ikebe, Kazunori; Inagaki, Hiroki; Masui, Yukie; Takayama, Michiyo; Arai, Yasumichi; Ishizaki, Tatsuro; Takahashi, Ryutaro; Rakugi, Hiromi

2017-07-01

Both hypertension and diabetes in middle-aged individuals have been suggested to be predictive indicators of cognitive decline. However, the association of hypertension, diabetes and their combination with cognitive functioning is still controversial in older people. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between cognitive decline and hypertension, diabetes, and their combination in 70-year-old people based on a 3-year longitudinal analysis. Four hundred and fifty-four people aged 70 (±1) years who participated in the Japanese longitudinal cohort study of Septuagenarians, Octogenarians and Nonagenarians Investigation with Centenarians (SONIC) were recruited randomly from a general population and were monitored for 3 years. The data, including most of the demographics, cognitive functioning measured by the Montreal Cognitive Assessment Japanese version (MoCA-J), blood pressure, blood chemistry and other medical histories, were collected at baseline and during the follow-up. The prevalence of hypertension noted in the follow-up survey was significantly higher than than noted at baseline. The mean MoCA-J score at follow-up was not significantly different from the score obtained at baseline. However, the participants with diabetes, especially combined with hypertension at baseline, had significantly lower MoCA-J scores than those without lifestyle-related diseases. The combination of hypertension and diabetes was still a significant risk factor for cognitive decline, considering the MoCA-J scores obtained during the follow-up after adjustments at baseline, relative to sex, body mass index, dyslipidemia, smoking, excessive alcohol intake, antihypertensive treatment and education level (β=-0.14; P<0.01). Our findings indicate that diabetes and the combination of hypertension and diabetes are clear risk factors for future cognitive decline in elderly individuals who are 70 years of age.

A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of escitalopram in patients with social anxiety disorder in Japan.

PubMed

Asakura, Satoshi; Hayano, Taiji; Hagino, Atsushi; Koyama, Tsukasa

2016-01-01

This randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled study compared the efficacy and tolerability of escitalopram (10 and 20 mg/day) in Japanese patients with social anxiety disorder (SAD). Patients aged 18-64 years with a primary diagnosis of DSM-IV-TR defined SAD, a Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale Japanese version (LSAS-J) total score ≥60 and a Clinical Global Impression-Severity (CGI-S) score ≥4 at baseline were randomly assigned (1:1:1) to placebo, escitalopram 10 mg or escitalopram 20 mg. The primary endpoint was change from baseline to Week 12 in the LSAS-J total score for both escitalopram 10 mg and 20 mg versus placebo (ANCOVA, FAS, LOCF), using a hierarchical testing procedure. Pre-specified secondary endpoints included LSAS-J sensitivity analyses. This study has the www.japic.or.jp identifier: JapicCTI-121842. For the primary efficacy endpoint, the difference from placebo in the LSAS-J was -3.9 (p = 0.089) for escitalopram 10 mg. Since the superiority of escitalopram 10 mg over placebo was not confirmed, an analysis without multiplicity adjustment was made, which showed a difference for escitalopram 20 mg versus placebo of -9.8 (p < 0.001). In pre-specified sensitivity analyses, the difference versus placebo was -4.9 (p = 0.035) (ANCOVA, FAS, OC) and -5.0 (p = 0.028) (MMRM, FAS) (escitalopram 10 mg) and -10.1 (p < 0.001) (ANCOVA, FAS, OC) and -10.6 (p < 0.001) (MMRM, FAS) (escitalopram 20 mg). Common adverse events (incidence ≥5% and significantly different from placebo) were somnolence, nausea and ejaculation disorder. Escitalopram was efficacious, safe and well tolerated by patients with SAD in Japan. Study limitations are discussed including patient characteristics.

Effectiveness of the Mindfulness Art Therapy Short Version for Japanese Patients with Advanced Cancer

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ando, Michiyo; Kira, Haruko; Hayashida, Shigeru; Ito, Sayoko

2016-01-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility of the Mindfulness Art Therapy Short Version for Japanese patients with advanced cancer. Patients learned mindfulness practices and then made art to express their feelings in the first session. After receiving instruction on practicing mindfulness 2 weeks later, they participated in a second…

Materials and Manufacturing Processing; Special Issue on Hard Carbon Films

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-01-01

Hiraki . Japanese Journal of Applied Physics, Vol.23, p.L234, (1984). 31. Davanloo, F., E.M. Jungerman, D.R. Jander, T.J. Lee, and C.B. Collins, Journal...Weissmantel, Physics Status Solodi A, Vel.71. p.K57, (1981). 84. Miyasato, T., Y. Kawakami. T. Kawano, and A. Hiraki , Japanese Journal of Applied...Kobayashi, Applied Physics Letters, Vol.51. No.10, p.737, (1987). 9. Suzuki, J., H. Kawarada, K. Mar, J. Wei, Y. Yokota, and A. Hiraki , Japanese

Anxiety sensitivity among Cambodian refugees with panic disorder: A factor analytic investigation.

PubMed

Hinton, Devon E; Pich, Vuth; Safren, Steven A; Pollack, Mark H; McNally, Richard J

2006-01-01

Among Cambodian refugees with panic disorder (N = 208), we performed two factor analyses, one with the ASI, another with an Augmented ASI (consisting of the 16-item ASI supplemented with a 9-item addendum that assesses additional Cambodian concerns about anxiety-related sensations). The principal component analysis of the ASI yielded a 3-factor solution (I, "Weak Heart Concerns"; II, "Social Concerns"; III, "Control Concerns"); the Augmented ASI, a 4-factor solution: I, "Wind Attack Concerns"; II, "Weak Heart Concerns"; III, "Social Concerns"; and IV, "Control Concerns." The item clustering within the factor solution of both the ASI and Augmented ASI illustrates the role of cultural syndromes in generating fear of mental and bodily events.

A model of pathways to artificial superintelligence catastrophe for risk and decision analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barrett, Anthony M.; Baum, Seth D.

2017-03-01

An artificial superintelligence (ASI) is an artificial intelligence that is significantly more intelligent than humans in all respects. Whilst ASI does not currently exist, some scholars propose that it could be created sometime in the future, and furthermore that its creation could cause a severe global catastrophe, possibly even resulting in human extinction. Given the high stakes, it is important to analyze ASI risk and factor the risk into decisions related to ASI research and development. This paper presents a graphical model of major pathways to ASI catastrophe, focusing on ASI created via recursive self-improvement. The model uses the established risk and decision analysis modelling paradigms of fault trees and influence diagrams in order to depict combinations of events and conditions that could lead to AI catastrophe, as well as intervention options that could decrease risks. The events and conditions include select aspects of the ASI itself as well as the human process of ASI research, development and management. Model structure is derived from published literature on ASI risk. The model offers a foundation for rigorous quantitative evaluation and decision-making on the long-term risk of ASI catastrophe.

Prevalence of pain among residents in Japanese nursing homes: a descriptive study.

PubMed

Takai, Yukari; Yamamoto-Mitani, Noriko; Chiba, Yumi; Nishikawa, Yuri; Sugai, Yuichi; Hayashi, Kunihiko

2013-06-01

It is often observed that pain causes substantial problems for nursing home residents. However, there has been little research about the prevalence of pain for nursing home residents in Japan. This study aimed to examine the prevalence of pain in older adults living in nursing homes in Japan by using self-reporting and the Abbey Pain Scale-Japanese version (APS-J) and to explore factors related to pain. This is a descriptive study. Residents in two Special Nursing Homes for the Elderly in Tokyo, Japan, were asked to participate in this study, with the exclusion of short-term temporary residents. Data collected from participating residents included their demographics and the results from the Barthel Index, the Folstein Mini-Mental State Examination, the APS-J, and the Verbal Descriptor Scale for pain. The residents were divided into two groups: residents able to report their pain (self-report group) and residents not able to report their pain. The second group was assessed by using the APS-J (APS-J group). The Mann-Whitney U test, the χ2 test, and logistic analyses were performed to derive factors related to pain prevalence. Data were obtained from 171 residents. The prevalence of pain in the self-report group (n = 96) was 41.7%. For the 75 residents unable to report their pain, 52.0% were assessed by the APS-J to have pain. The overall pain prevalence of all residents was 46.2%. Age, Barthel Index score, and length of time of institutionalization were significantly associated with residents' pain in the APS-J group. Logistic regression analysis showed that contracture (odds ratio 3.8) and previous injury (odds ratio 3.4) were associated with residents' pain in the self-report group, whereas only the length of nursing home stay (odds ratio 1.03) was a predictor for pain in the APS-J group. Nearly one-half of residents had pain when they moved or were moved. Pain assessment and management is needed for residents. Copyright © 2013 American Society for Pain Management Nursing. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Participants' understanding of a randomized controlled trial (RCT) through informed consent procedures in the RCT for breast cancer screening, J-START.

PubMed

Shiono, Yoko Narikawa; Zheng, Ying-Fang; Kikuya, Masahiro; Kawai, Masaaki; Ishida, Takanori; Kuriyama, Shinichi; Ohuchi, Noriaki

2014-09-25

It is often difficult to enrol healthy volunteers into a randomized controlled trial (RCT) as there are barriers to participants' proper understanding of a trial. This study aimed to evaluate degrees of understanding of the informed consent (IC) process among healthy volunteers who participated in an RCT. Additionally, factors associated with degree of understanding were investigated. The J-START (the Japan STrategic Anti-cancer Randomized controlled Trial) is an RCT investigating the effectiveness of ultrasonography screening for breast cancer in women aged 40 to 49 years. To evaluate participants' understanding of the J-START, we administered questionnaires to 376 Japanese women on the day of enrolment at five study sites across Japan. The respondents were asked to complete the anonymous questionnaire within 2 weeks. We assessed objective understanding and perceived subjective understanding of IC using a Japanese version of the Quality of Informed Consent scale (QuIC). Then we analyzed the characteristics of women whose understanding was poor, and clarified the association between providing information and their understanding of the study protocol. The average QuIC scores were 78.2 and 82.2 (out of 100 each) for objective and subjective understanding, respectively. These are generally acceptable scores for participants' understanding of an RCT. However, there were four domains with low scores, indicating poor understanding: (1) experimental nature of the study, (2) potential risks or discomfort, (3) benefit to self, and (4) compensation. Healthy volunteers generally well understood the J-START. Nevertheless, there were some domains in need of improvement. In order to facilitate participants' understanding, it is necessary to provide training to reduce differences in information-providing procedures between medical centres and to endeavour to provide consistent information and conditions. The J-START was registered with the University Hospital Medical Information Network Clinical Trial Registration (UMIN-CTR), Japan (registration number: UMIN000000757), on July 1, 2007.

A Validation Study of the Japanese Version of the Addenbrooke's Cognitive Examination-Revised

PubMed Central

dos Santos Kawata, Kelssy Hitomi; Hashimoto, Ryusaku; Nishio, Yoshiyuki; Hayashi, Atsuko; Ogawa, Nanayo; Kanno, Shigenori; Hiraoka, Kotaro; Yokoi, Kayoko; Iizuka, Osamu; Mori, Etsuro

2012-01-01

The aim of this study was to validate the Japanese version of the Addenbrooke's Cognitive Examination-Revised (ACE-R) [Mori: Japanese Edition of Hodges JR's Cognitive Assessment for Clinicians, 2010] designed to detect dementia, and to compare its diagnostic accuracy with that of the Mini-Mental State Examination. The ACE-R was administered to 85 healthy individuals and 126 patients with dementia. The reliability assessment revealed a strong correlation in both groups. The internal consistency was excellent (α-coefficient = 0.88). Correlation with the Clinical Dementia Rating sum of boxes score was significant (rs = −0.61, p < 0.001). The area under the curve was 0.98 for the ACE-R and 0.96 for the Mini-Mental State Examination. The cut-off score of 80 showed a sensitivity of 94% and a specificity of 94%. Like the original ACE-R and the versions designed for other languages, the Japanese version of the ACE-R is a reliable and valid test for the detection of dementia. PMID:22619659

[Reliability of the Japanese version of the Scale for the Assessment and Rating of Ataxia (SARA)].

PubMed

Sato, Kazunori; Yabe, Ichiro; Soma, Hiroyuki; Yasui, Kenichi; Ito, Mizuki; Shimohata, Takayoshi; Onodera, Osamu; Nakashima, Kenji; Sobue, Gen; Nishizawa, Masatoyo; Sasaki, Hidenao

2009-05-01

The International Cooperative Ataxia Rating Scale (ICARS) is widely used as a scale for the assessment of the severity of cerebellar ataxia. However, this scale comprises several items; thus, making the application of this scale is not sufficiently practical to perform daily assessment of ataxic patients. A new rating scale--Scale for the Assessment and Rating of Ataxia (SARA)--was shown to provide highly reliable assessments; further, the scores on SARA correlated with the ICARS score and the Barthel index. After obtaining the permission, original SARA was translated into Japanese. To examine the reliability and internal consistency of the Japanese version of the SARA for the assessment of cerebellar ataxia in 66 patients with spinocerebellar degeneration. Intraclass coefficients (ICC) were observed to be greater than 0.8 except in the case of the inter-rater "finger chase" and "fast alternating hand movement" tests. The Japanese version of SARA is highly reliable and very useful for the assessment of cerebellar ataxia on a daily basis.

Evaluating cultural competence among Japanese clinical nurses: Analyses of a translated scale.

PubMed

Noji, Ariko; Mochizuki, Yuki; Nosaki, Akiko; Glaser, Dale; Gonzales, Lucia; Mizobe, Akiko; Kanda, Katsuya

2017-06-01

This paper describes the factor analysis testing and construct validation of the Japanese version of the Caffrey Cultural Competence Health Services (J-CCCHS). The inventory, composed of 28 items, was translated using language and subject matter experts. Psychometric testing (exploratory factor, alpha reliability, and confirmatory factor analyses) was undertaken with nurses (N = 7494, 92% female, mean age 32.6 years) from 19 hospitals across Japan. Principal components extraction with varimax rotation yielded a 5-factor solution (62.31% variance explained) that was labeled: knowledge, comfort-proximal, comfort-distal, awareness, and awareness of national policy. Cronbach α for the subscales ranged from 0.756 to 0.892. In confirmatory factor analysis using the robust maximum likelihood estimator, the chi-square test was as follows: χ 2 (340) = 14604.44, P < .001. After correlated errors were introduced, there was evidence of improved model fit (χ 2 (335) = 8681.61, P < .05) but the other indices showed improvement (RMSEA = .058 [90% CI, 0.057-0.059], TLI = .891, CFI = .903, and SRMR = .059). The discriminating power of the J-CCCHS was indicated by statistically mean differences in J-CCCHS subscale scores between predefined groups. Taking into consideration that this is the first foray into construct validation for this instrument, and that fit was improved when a subsequent data driven model was tested, and it has the ability to distinguish between known groups that are expected to differ in cultural competence, the instrument can be of value to clinicians and educators alike. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

The reliability and validity of the Japanese version of the Temperament and Personality Questionnaire for patients with non-melancholic depression.

PubMed

Kudo, Yuka; Nakagawa, Atsuo; Tamura, Noriko; Kato, Noriko; Williams, Aya; Aida, Nobuo; Mimura, Masaru

2016-07-01

Parker et al. (2006) proposed a new approach to classify specific sub-types of non-melancholic depression caused by various stress factors and premorbid personality styles: the Temperament and Personality Questionnaire (T&P). The current study aim was to develop the Japanese version of the T&P and evaluate its reliability and validity. We studied 114 patients with non-melancholic depression. Reliability was assessed using the test-retest method. Convergent validity of the T&P was compared with the clinician ratings of each patient for the eight personality traits. We also assessed the impact of depressive state on the T&P. The test-retest intraclass correlation coefficients among eight constructs of the T&P ranged from 0.77 to 0.89, indicating good-to-excellent reliability. Anxious Worrying (rho=0.29), Perfectionism (rho=0.17), Personal Reserve (rho=0.18), Irritability (rho=0.38), and Social Avoidance (rho=0.32) showed adequate levels of convergent validity; Rejection Sensitivity (rho=0.16), Self-criticism (rho=-0.02), and Self-focus (rho=0.07) showed relatively weak convergent validity. Perfectionism (rho=-0.06), Social Avoidance (rho=0.17), Anxious Worrying (rho=0.40), Personal Reserve (rho=0.30), Irritability (rho=0.28), Rejection Sensitivity (rho=0.35), Self-criticism (rho=0.49), and Self-focus (rho=0.24) showed minimal sensitivity to mood state effects. Only one site was used. While a Likert scale was used, the clinician-rated personality trait measure had not been validated. The J-T&P is a reliable and valid measure for assessing temperament and personality in Japanese patients with non-melancholic depression. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Association of Job Demands with Work Engagement of Japanese Employees: Comparison of Challenges with Hindrances (J-HOPE)

PubMed Central

Inoue, Akiomi; Kawakami, Norito; Tsutsumi, Akizumi; Shimazu, Akihito; Miyaki, Koichi; Takahashi, Masaya; Kurioka, Sumiko; Eguchi, Hisashi; Tsuchiya, Masao; Enta, Kazuhiko; Kosugi, Yuki; Sakata, Tomoko; Totsuzaki, Takafumi

2014-01-01

Objectives Recent epidemiological research in Europe has reported that two groups of job demands, i.e., challenges and hindrances, are differently associated with work engagement. The purpose of the present study was to replicate the cross-sectional association of workload and time pressure (as a challenge) and role ambiguity (as a hindrance) with work engagement among Japanese employees. Methods Between October 2010 and December 2011, a total of 9,134 employees (7,101 men and 1,673 women) from 12 companies in Japan were surveyed using a self-administered questionnaire comprising the Job Content Questionnaire, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Generic Job Stress Questionnaire, short 10-item version of the Effort-Reward Imbalance Questionnaire, short nine-item version of the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale, and demographic characteristics. Multilevel regression analyses with a random intercept model were conducted. Results After adjusting for demographic characteristics, workload and time pressure showed a positive association with work engagement with a small effect size (standardized coefficient [β] = 0.102, Cohen’s d [d] = 0.240) while role ambiguity showed a negative association with a large effect size (β = −0.429, d = 1.011). After additionally adjusting for job resources (i.e., decision latitude, supervisor support, co-worker support, and extrinsic reward), the effect size of workload and time pressure was not attenuated (β = 0.093, d = 0.234) while that of role ambiguity was attenuated but still medium (β = −0.242, d = 0.609). Conclusions Among Japanese employees, challenges such as having higher levels of workload and time pressure may enhance work engagement but hindrances, such as role ambiguity, may reduce it. PMID:24614682

Rethinking Rice Preparation for Highly Efficient Removal of Inorganic Arsenic Using Percolating Cooking Water

PubMed Central

Carey, Manus; Jiujin, Xiao; Gomes Farias, Júlia; Meharg, Andrew A.

2015-01-01

A novel way of cooking rice to maximize the removal of the carcinogen inorganic arsenic (Asi) is presented here. In conventional rice cooking water and grain are in continuous contact, and it is known that the larger the water:rice cooking ratio, the more Asi removed by cooking, suggesting that the Asi in the grain is mobile in water. Experiments were designed where rice is cooked in a continual stream of percolating near boiling water, either low in Asi, or Asi free. This has the advantage of not only exposing grain to large volumes of cooking water, but also physically removes any Asi leached from the grain into the water receiving vessel. The relationship between cooking water volume and Asi removal in conventional rice cooking was demonstrated for the rice types under study. At a water-to-rice cooking ratio of 12:1, 57±5% of Asi could be removed, average of 6 wholegrain and 6 polished rice samples. Two types of percolating technology were tested, one where the cooking water was recycled through condensing boiling water steam and passing the freshly distilled hot water through the grain in a laboratory setting, and one where tap water was used to cook the rice held in an off-the-shelf coffee percolator in a domestic setting. Both approaches proved highly effective in removing Asi from the cooking rice, with up to 85% of Asi removed from individual rice types. For the recycled water experiment 59±8% and 69±10% of Asi was removed, on average, compared to uncooked rice for polished (n=27) and wholegrain (n=13) rice, respectively. For coffee percolation there was no difference between wholegrain and polished rice, and the effectiveness of Asi removal was 49±7% across 6 wholegrain and 6 polished rice samples. The manuscript explores the potential applications and further optimization of this percolating cooking water, high Asi removal, discovery. PMID:26200355

Association of job demands with work engagement of Japanese employees: comparison of challenges with hindrances (J-HOPE).

PubMed

Inoue, Akiomi; Kawakami, Norito; Tsutsumi, Akizumi; Shimazu, Akihito; Miyaki, Koichi; Takahashi, Masaya; Kurioka, Sumiko; Eguchi, Hisashi; Tsuchiya, Masao; Enta, Kazuhiko; Kosugi, Yuki; Sakata, Tomoko; Totsuzaki, Takafumi

2014-01-01

Recent epidemiological research in Europe has reported that two groups of job demands, i.e., challenges and hindrances, are differently associated with work engagement. The purpose of the present study was to replicate the cross-sectional association of workload and time pressure (as a challenge) and role ambiguity (as a hindrance) with work engagement among Japanese employees. Between October 2010 and December 2011, a total of 9,134 employees (7,101 men and 1,673 women) from 12 companies in Japan were surveyed using a self-administered questionnaire comprising the Job Content Questionnaire, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Generic Job Stress Questionnaire, short 10-item version of the Effort-Reward Imbalance Questionnaire, short nine-item version of the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale, and demographic characteristics. Multilevel regression analyses with a random intercept model were conducted. After adjusting for demographic characteristics, workload and time pressure showed a positive association with work engagement with a small effect size (standardized coefficient [β] = 0.102, Cohen's d [d] = 0.240) while role ambiguity showed a negative association with a large effect size (β = -0.429, d = 1.011). After additionally adjusting for job resources (i.e., decision latitude, supervisor support, co-worker support, and extrinsic reward), the effect size of workload and time pressure was not attenuated (β = 0.093, d = 0.234) while that of role ambiguity was attenuated but still medium (β = -0.242, d = 0.609). Among Japanese employees, challenges such as having higher levels of workload and time pressure may enhance work engagement but hindrances, such as role ambiguity, may reduce it.

[Briefs of Japanese acupuncture-moxibustion works of Chinese translation version in modern times].

PubMed

Liu, Kechen; Zhang, Shujian

2017-05-12

The authors collected 25 Japanese acupuncture-moxibustion works of Chinese translation version in modern times (1912-1960) and investigated them from 3 aspects, named the study on the mechanisms of acupuncture and moxibustion, the explanation of basic theory and clinical treatment with acupuncture and moxibustion. Generally speaking, Japanese acupuncture-moxibustion works of Chinese translation version explained the mechanisms of acupuncture and moxibustion in terms of the theory of western medicine rather than traditional one. It proposed the study on the phenomenon of meridian and collateral, which absorbed the anatomic knowledge of western medicine in the discussion on meridians, collaterals and acupoints; introduced diagnostic methods and techniques of acupuncture and moxibustion and adopted the classification of western medicine system and the diseases in western medicine to discuss the treatment with acupuncture and moxibustion. All of these reflect the academic characteristics of acupuncture and moxibustion in Japan at those times and the position of Chinese scholars, by which the Japanese medical works were introduced for the academic innovation.

Japanese Version of Home Form of the ADHD-RS: An Evaluation of Its Reliability and Validity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tani, Iori; Okada, Ryo; Ohnishi, Masafumi; Nakajima, Shunji; Tsujii, Masatsugu

2010-01-01

Using the Japanese version of home form of the ADHD-RS, this survey attempted to compare the scores between the US and Japan and examined the correlates of ADHD-RS. We collected responses from parents or rearers of 5977 children (3119 males and 2858 females) in nursery, elementary, and lower-secondary schools. A confirmed factor analysis of…

[Development of free will and determinism scale in Japanese].

PubMed

Goto, Takayuki; Ishibashi, Yuya; Kajimura, Shogo; Oka, Ryunosuke; Kusumi, Takashi

2015-04-01

We developed a free will and determinism scale in Japanese (FAD-J) to assess lay beliefs in free will, scientific determinism, fatalistic determinism, and unpredictability. In Study 1, we translated a free will and determinism scale (FAD-Plus) into Japanese and verified its reliability and validity. In Study 2, we examined the relationship between the FAD-J and eight other scales. Results suggested that lay beliefs in free will and determinism were related to self-regulation, critical thinking, other-oriented empathy, self-esteem, and regret and maximization in decision makings. We discuss the usefulness of the FAD-J for studying the psychological functions of lay beliefs in free will and determinism.

Historical series and Near Real Time data analysis produced within ASI-SRV project infrastructures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Silvestri, M.; Musacchio, M.; Buongiorno, M.; Corradini, S.; Lombardo, V.; Merucci, L.; Spinetti, C.; Sansosti, E.; Pugnaghi, S.; Teggi, S.; Vignoli, S.; Amodio, A.; Dini, L.

2009-12-01

ASI-Sistema Rischio Vulcanico (SRV) project is devoted to the development of a pre-operative integrated system managing different Earth Observation (EO) and Non EO data to respond to specific needs of the Italian Civil Protection Department (DPC) and improve the monitoring of Italian active volcanoes. The project provides the capability to maintain a repository where the acquired data are stored and generates products offering a support to risk managers during the different volcanic activity phases. All the products are obtained considering technical choices and developments of ASI-SRV based on flexible and scalable modules which take into account also the new coming space sensors and new processing algorithms. An important step of the project development regards the technical and scientific feasibility of the provided products that depends on the data availability, accuracy algorithms and models used in the processing and of course the possibility to validate the results by means of comparison with non-EO independent measurements. The ASI-SRV infrastrucutre is based on a distributed client/server architecture which implies that different processors need to ingest data set characterized by a constant and common structure. ASI-SRV will develop, in its final version, a centralized HW-SW system located at INGV which will control two complete processing chains, one located at INGV for Optical data, and the other located at IREA for SAR data. The produced results will be disseminated through a WEB-GIS interface which will allow the DPC to overview and assimilate the products in a compatible format respect to their local monitoring system in order to have an immediate use of the provided information. In this paper the first results producing ground deformation measurement via Differential Interferometric SAR (DInSAR) techniques by using SAR data and via the application of the Small BAseline Subset (SBAS) technique developed at IREA, are reported. Moreover different products obtained using optical data (ASTER, MODIS, HYPERION, and AVHRR) are also reported. The processing modules for EO Optical sensors data are based on procedures those allow to estimate a number of parameters which include: surface thermal proprieties, concentration and flux of sulphur dioxide (SO2), water vapor and volcanic aerosol optical thickness, ash emissions and to characterize the volcanic products in terms of composition and geometry. For the analysis of the surface thermal characteristics, the available algorithms allow to extract information useful to detect small changes in the retrieved parameters. ASI-SRV foresees the generation of significant information also for the definition of the new lava and ash cover distribution after the end of an eruption.

Assessment of Japanese stimulant control law offenders using the Addiction Severity Index--Japanese version: comparison with patients in treatment settings.

PubMed

Watanabe, Takashi; Ogai, Yasukazu; Koga, Takehiro; Senoo, Eiichi; Nakamura, Kazuhiko; Mori, Norio; Ikeda, Kazutaka

2009-12-01

The present study assessed problems in Japanese prisoners (inmates) who abused methamphetamine. Fifty-two male inmates were assessed in 2005-2007 using the Addiction Severity Index-Japanese version and compared with 55 male methamphetamine abusers in hospitals and recovery centers. The chi(2) and Mann-Whitney-Wilcoxon tests showed that the inmates had a significantly lower education level, more frequently had full-time jobs, had more experience living with a sexual partner, and more frequently had a history of juvenile delinquency and criminal records than patients. Although psychiatric symptoms, such as depression, anxiety, and hallucinations, were not common among inmates, suicidal behavior and trouble controlling violence were common in both groups.

Assessment of Japanese Stimulant Control Law Offenders Using the Addiction Severity Index—Japanese Version: Comparison with Patients in Treatment Settings

PubMed Central

Watanabe, Takashi; Ogai, Yasukazu; Koga, Takehiro; Senoo, Eiichi; Nakamura, Kazuhiko; Mori, Norio; Ikeda, Kazutaka

2009-01-01

The present study assessed problems in Japanese prisoners (inmates) who abused methamphetamine. Fifty-two male inmates were assessed in 2005–2007 using the Addiction Severity Index-Japanese version and compared with 55 male methamphetamine abusers in hospitals and recovery centers. The χ2 and Mann-Whitney-Wilcoxon tests showed that the inmates had a significantly lower education level, more frequently had full-time jobs, had more experience living with a sexual partner, and more frequently had a history of juvenile delinquency and criminal records than patients. Although psychiatric symptoms, such as depression, anxiety, and hallucinations, were not common among inmates, suicidal behavior and trouble controlling violence were common in both groups. PMID:20049245

A Construct Validity Investigation of Scores on the Japanese Version of an Academic Self-Concept Scale for a Sample of College Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Paik, Chie Matsuzawa; Michael, William B.

The twofold purpose of this study was to investigate the reliability and construct validity of scores on the Japanese version of an academic self-concept scale titled the Dimensions of Self-Concept (DOSC) Form H and ascertain any relationships between scores on the DOSC scale and selected demographic variables, including class, gender, and…

Development of an Individualized Occupational Therapy Programme and its Effects on the Neurocognition, Symptoms and Social Functioning of Patients with Schizophrenia.

PubMed

Shimada, Takeshi; Nishi, Ai; Yoshida, Tomotaka; Tanaka, Sachie; Kobayashi, Masayoshi

2016-12-01

We described an individualized occupational therapy (IOT) programme and examined the effects of adding IOT to group OT (GOT) on improving neurocognition, symptoms and social functioning among recently hospitalized patients with schizophrenia. The Brief Assessment of Cognition in Schizophrenia-Japanese version (BACS-J), the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) and the Global Assessment of Functioning scale were used for outcome evaluations. Fifty-one patients were voluntarily assigned to either the GOT + IOT (n = 30) or GOT alone (n = 21) groups based on their preferences. Retention in the GOT + IOT group was 100%. Three-month baseline to discharge assessments in the GOT + IOT group showed significant improvements in BACS-J verbal memory, working memory, verbal fluency, attention, executive function and composite score, and in PANSS positive subscale, general psychopathology subscale, and total score compared to the GOT alone group. Study limitations notwithstanding, the present findings provide preliminary support for the feasibility of implementing IOT and its effectiveness for improving cognitive impairment and symptoms in patients with schizophrenia. The results of this study indicate that IOT in psychiatric facilities may improve psychosocial treatment of schizophrenia. Additional study is warranted to replicate the effects of IOT as demonstrated in this Japanese study. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Rethinking Rice Preparation for Highly Efficient Removal of Inorganic Arsenic Using Percolating Cooking Water.

PubMed

Carey, Manus; Jiujin, Xiao; Gomes Farias, Júlia; Meharg, Andrew A

2015-01-01

A novel way of cooking rice to maximize the removal of the carcinogen inorganic arsenic (Asi) is presented here. In conventional rice cooking water and grain are in continuous contact, and it is known that the larger the water:rice cooking ratio, the more Asi removed by cooking, suggesting that the Asi in the grain is mobile in water. Experiments were designed where rice is cooked in a continual stream of percolating near boiling water, either low in Asi, or Asi free. This has the advantage of not only exposing grain to large volumes of cooking water, but also physically removes any Asi leached from the grain into the water receiving vessel. The relationship between cooking water volume and Asi removal in conventional rice cooking was demonstrated for the rice types under study. At a water-to-rice cooking ratio of 12:1, 57±5% of Asi could be removed, average of 6 wholegrain and 6 polished rice samples. Two types of percolating technology were tested, one where the cooking water was recycled through condensing boiling water steam and passing the freshly distilled hot water through the grain in a laboratory setting, and one where tap water was used to cook the rice held in an off-the-shelf coffee percolator in a domestic setting. Both approaches proved highly effective in removing Asi from the cooking rice, with up to 85% of Asi removed from individual rice types. For the recycled water experiment 59±8% and 69±10% of Asi was removed, on average, compared to uncooked rice for polished (n=27) and wholegrain (n=13) rice, respectively. For coffee percolation there was no difference between wholegrain and polished rice, and the effectiveness of Asi removal was 49±7% across 6 wholegrain and 6 polished rice samples. The manuscript explores the potential applications and further optimization of this percolating cooking water, high Asi removal, discovery.

Subarashii: Encounters in Japanese Spoken Language Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bernstein, Jared; Najmi, Amir; Ehsani, Farzad

1999-01-01

Describes Subarashii, an experimental computer-based interactive spoken-language education system designed to understand what a student is saying in Japanese and respond in a meaningful way in spoken Japanese. Implementation of a preprototype version of the Subarashii system identified strengths and limitations of continuous speech recognition…

STS-47 Spacelab-J, Onboard Photograph

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1992-01-01

Japanese astronaut, Mamoru Mohri, talks to Japanese students from the aft flight deck of the Space Shuttle Orbiter Endeavour during the Spacelab-J (SL-J) mission. The SL-J mission was a joint venture between NASA and the National Space Development Agency of Japan (NASDA) utilizing a marned Spacelab module. The mission conducted 24 materials science and 20 life science experiments, of which 35 were sponsored by NASDA, 7 by NASA, and two collaborative efforts. Materials science investigations covered such fields as biotechnology, electronic materials, fluid dynamics and transport phenomena, glasses and ceramics, metals and alloys, and acceleration measurements. Life sciences included experiments on human health, cell separation and biology, developmental biology, animal and human physiology and behavior, space radiation, and biological rhythms. Test subjects included the crew, Japanese koi fish (carp), cultured animal and plant cells, chicken embryos, fruit flies, fungi and plant seeds, and frogs and frog eggs. Spacelab-J was launched aboard the Space Shuttle Orbiter Endeavour on September 12, 1992.

Development and evaluation of a self-efficacy instrument for Japanese sleep apnea patients receiving continuous positive airway pressure treatment

PubMed Central

Saito, Ayako; Kojima, Shigeko; Sasaki, Fumihiko; Hayashi, Masamichi; Mieno, Yuki; Sakakibara, Hiroki; Hashimoto, Shuji

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study was to develop and evaluate a self-efficacy instrument for Japanese obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) patients treated with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). Analyzed subjects were 653 Japanese OSA patients (619 males and 34 females) treated with CPAP at a sleep laboratory in a respiratory clinic in a Japanese city. Based on Bandura’s social cognitive theory, the CPAP Self-Efficacy Questionnaire for Sleep Apnea in Japanese (CSESA-J) was developed by a focus group of experts, using a group interview of OSA patients for the items of two previous self-efficacy scales for Western sleep apnea patients receiving CPAP treatment. CSESA-J has two subscales, one for self-efficacy and the other for outcome expectancy, and consists of a total of 15 items. Content validity was confirmed by the focus group. Confirmatory factor analysis showed that the factor loadings of self-efficacy and outcome expectancy were 0.47–0.76 and 0.41–0.92, respectively, for the corresponding items. CSESA-J had a significant but weak positive association with the General Self-Efficacy Scale, and a strong positive association with “Self-efficacy scale on health behavior in patients with chronic disease.” Cronbach’s alpha coefficient was 0.85 for the self-efficacy subscale and 0.89 for the outcome expectancy subscale. The intraclass correlation coefficient using data from the first and second measurements with CSESA-J for a subset of 130 subjects was 0.93 for the self-efficacy and outcome expectancy subscales. These results support CSESA-J as a reliable and valid instrument for measuring the self-efficacy of Japanese OSA patients treated with CPAP. Further studies are warranted to confirm validity for female OSA patients and generalizability. PMID:25678832

Validity of a gambling scale for the addiction severity index.

PubMed

Petry, Nancy M

2003-06-01

This study assessed the validity of an adaptation of the Addiction Severity Index (ASI) for evaluating severity of gambling problems. Participants (N = 597) from four different populations (pathological gamblers enrolled in a treatment study, pathological gamblers initiating outpatient treatment at a community-based program, frequent gamblers recruited from advertisement, and substance abusers) completed the ASI, along with a supplemental gambling subscale (ASI-G). Internal consistency of the ASI-G was good (alpha =.90), and a principal components analysis indicated a single factor explained 73% of the variance in responses. ASI-G scores demonstrated excellent convergent validity with other measures of gambling and convergent validity with external sources, including collateral informant and clinician-rated reports. ASI-G scores discriminated among the samples tested. Temporal stability of ASI-G scores was high during a 1-month period for patients with substance abuse disorder who were not seeking gambling treatment. For treatment-seeking gamblers, the number of treatment sessions attended was significantly associated with reductions in ASI-G scores. Together, these data suggest that the ASI-G subscale may be a useful tool for assessing severity of gambling problems in a variety of populations.

Unexpected dependence of RyR1 splice variant expression in human lower limb muscles on fiber-type composition.

PubMed

Willemse, Hermia; Theodoratos, Angelo; Smith, Paul N; Dulhunty, Angela F

2016-02-01

The skeletal muscle ryanodine receptor Ca(2+) release channel (RyR1), essential for excitation-contraction (EC) coupling, demonstrates a known developmentally regulated alternative splicing in the ASI region. We now find unexpectedly that the expression of the splice variants is closely related to fiber type in adult human lower limb muscles. We examined the distribution of myosin heavy chain isoforms and ASI splice variants in gluteus minimus, gluteus medius and vastus medialis from patients aged 45 to 85 years. There was a strong positive correlation between ASI(+)RyR1 and the percentage of type 2 fibers in the muscles (r = 0.725), and a correspondingly strong negative correlation between the percentages of ASI(+)RyR1 and percentage of type 1 fibers. When the type 2 fiber data were separated into type 2X and type 2A, the correlation with ASI(+)RyR1 was stronger in type 2X fibers (r = 0.781) than in type 2A fibers (r = 0.461). There was no significant correlation between age and either fiber-type composition or ASI(+)RyR1/ASI(-)RyR1 ratio. The results suggest that the reduced expression of ASI(-)RyR1 during development may reflect a reduction in type 1 fibers during development. Preferential expression of ASI(-) RyR1, having a higher gain of in Ca(2+) release during EC coupling than ASI(+)RyR1, may compensate for the reduced terminal cisternae volume, fewer junctional contacts and reduced charge movement in type 1 fibers.

Development of a novel robust measure for interhemispheric synchrony in the neonatal EEG: activation synchrony index (ASI).

PubMed

Räsänen, Okko; Metsäranta, Marjo; Vanhatalo, Sampsa

2013-04-01

The degree of interhemispheric synchrony in the neonatal EEG assessment refers to the co-occurrence of activity bouts during quiet sleep or burst suppression, and it has been widely considered as a key component in assessing background activity. However, no objective measures have been published for measuring it, and all conventionally used visual criteria suffer from significant ambiguities. Our present study aimed to develop such a quantitative measure of (a)synchrony, called activation synchrony index (ASI). We developed the ASI paradigm based on the testing of statistical independence between two quantized amplitude envelopes of wideband-filtered signals where higher frequencies had been pre-emphasized. The core parameter settings of ASI paradigm were defined using a smaller EEG dataset, and the final ASI paradigm was tested using a visually classified dataset of EEG records from 33 fullterm and 25 preterm babies, which showed varying grades of asynchrony. Our findings show that ASI could distinguish all EEG recordings with normal synchrony from those with modest or severe asynchrony at individual level, and there was a highly significant correlation (p<0.001) between ASI and the visually assessed grade of asynchrony. In addition, we showed that i) ASI is stable in recordings over several hours in duration, such as the typical neonatal brain monitoring, that ii) ASI values are sensitive to sleep stage, and that iii) they correlate with age in the preterm babies. Comparison of ASI to other three potential paradigms demonstrated a significant competitive advantage. Finally, ASI was found to be remarkably resistant to common artefacts as tested by adding significant level of real EEG artefacts from noisy recordings. An objective and reliable measure of (a)synchrony may open novel avenues for using ASI as a putative early functional biomarker in the neonatal brain, as well as for building proper automated classifiers of neonatal EEG background. Notably, the signature of synchrony of this kind, temporal coincidence of activity bouts, is a common feature in biological signals, suggesting that ASI may also hold promise as a useful paradigm for assessing temporal synchrony in other biosignals as well, such as muscle activities or movements. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Reliability and Validity of a Japanese-language and Culturally Adapted Version of the Musculoskeletal Tumor Society Scoring System for the Lower Extremity.

PubMed

Iwata, Shintaro; Uehara, Kosuke; Ogura, Koichi; Akiyama, Toru; Shinoda, Yusuke; Yonemoto, Tsukasa; Kawai, Akira

2016-09-01

The Musculoskeletal Tumor Society (MSTS) scoring system is a widely used functional evaluation tool for patients treated for musculoskeletal tumors. Although the MSTS scoring system has been validated in English and Brazilian Portuguese, a Japanese version of the MSTS scoring system has not yet been validated. We sought to determine whether a Japanese-language translation of the MSTS scoring system for the lower extremity had (1) sufficient reliability and internal consistency, (2) adequate construct validity, and (3) reasonable criterion validity compared with the Toronto Extremity Salvage Score (TESS) and SF-36 using psychometric analysis. The Japanese version of the MSTS scoring system was developed using accepted guidelines, which included translation of the English version of the MSTS into Japanese by five native Japanese bilingual musculoskeletal oncology surgeons and integrated into one document. One hundred patients with a diagnosis of intermediate or malignant bone or soft tissue tumors located in the lower extremity and who had undergone tumor resection with or without reconstruction or amputation participated in this study. Reliability was evaluated by test-retest analysis, and internal consistency was established by Cronbach's alpha coefficient. Construct validity was evaluated using the principal factor analysis and Akaike information criterion network. Criterion validity was evaluated by comparing the MSTS scoring system with the TESS and SF-36. Test-retest analysis showed a high intraclass correlation coefficient (0.92; 95% CI, 0.88-0.95), indicating high reliability of the Japanese version of the MSTS scoring system, although a considerable ceiling effect was observed, with 23 patients (23%) given the maximum score. Cronbach's alpha coefficient was 0.87 (95% CI, 0.82-0.90), suggesting a high level of internal consistency. Factor analysis revealed that all items had high loading values and communalities; we identified a central role for the items "walking" and "gait" according to the Akaike information criterion network. The total MSTS score was correlated with that of the TESS (r = 0.81; 95% CI, 0.73-0.87; p < 0.001) and the physical component summary and physical functioning of the SF-36. The Japanese-language translation of the MSTS scoring system for the lower extremity has sufficient reliability and reasonable validity. Nevertheless, the observation of a ceiling effect suggests poor ability of this system to discriminate from among patients who have a high level of function.

A cross-cultural comparison of dental health attitudes and behaviour among freshman dental students in Japan, Hong Kong and West China.

PubMed

Kawamura, M; Yip, H K; Hu, D Y; Komabayashi, T

2001-06-01

To clarify the differences in dental health attitudes/behaviour among freshman dental students. Cross-cultural differences. Japan, Hong Kong and West China. The original version of the Hiroshima University-Dental Behavioural Inventory (HU-DBI) was written in Japanese. After testing the validity of both English and Chinese versions, the original version of the HU-DBI was administered to 58 freshman Japanese dental students, the English version to 43 Hong Kong Chinese peers and the Chinese version to 39 West Chinese peers. Significant cultural differences were found for 16 items out of 20. The most striking result was that the Japanese students were more likely to have used a dye to see how clean their teeth were, compared to their Chinese peers (P<0.001). The Chinese students were less likely to have a belief that they could clean their teeth well without using toothpaste (P<0.001), whereas higher percentages of the Chinese students worried about having bad breath (P<0.001). A higher percentage of the Hong Kong students reported that they regularly checked their teeth in a mirror than did their West Chinese or Japanese peers (P<0.05). There were considerable differences in dental health attitudes/behaviour among freshman dental students in the three cultural groups.

Spacelab

NASA Image and Video Library

1992-09-01

Japanese astronaut, Mamoru Mohri, talks to Japanese students from the aft flight deck of the Space Shuttle Orbiter Endeavour during the Spacelab-J (SL-J) mission. The SL-J mission was a joint venture between NASA and the National Space Development Agency of Japan (NASDA) utilizing a marned Spacelab module. The mission conducted 24 materials science and 20 life science experiments, of which 35 were sponsored by NASDA, 7 by NASA, and two collaborative efforts. Materials science investigations covered such fields as biotechnology, electronic materials, fluid dynamics and transport phenomena, glasses and ceramics, metals and alloys, and acceleration measurements. Life sciences included experiments on human health, cell separation and biology, developmental biology, animal and human physiology and behavior, space radiation, and biological rhythms. Test subjects included the crew, Japanese koi fish (carp), cultured animal and plant cells, chicken embryos, fruit flies, fungi and plant seeds, and frogs and frog eggs. Spacelab-J was launched aboard the Space Shuttle Orbiter Endeavour on September 12, 1992.

Mapping Japanese medical terms to UMLS Metathesaurus.

PubMed

Onogi, Yuzo; Ohe, Kazuhiko; Tanaka, Masaaki; Nozoe, Atsutake; Sasaki, Tetsuro; Sato, Megumi; Kikuchi, Yuko; Shinohara, Tsuneki; Suzuki, Hiromichi; Kaihara, Shigekoto; Seyama, Yousuke

2004-01-01

This paper introduces and reports the results for a project to map Japanese medical terms to the UMLS Metathesaurus. The "Thesaurus for Medical and Health related Terms version 5" published in 2003 by the Japan Medical Abstracts Society and UMLS version 2002AC provided by NLM were used in this study. The goal was to judge the validity of the correlation between the Japanese and English terms that belong to the same MeSH concept. Fifteen medicine, nursing, and library science professionals, excluding JAMAS, used a custom designed Web interface to perform this task. About 10% of the concepts were judged as invalid, and the reasoning behind these failures were analyzed. Experience from this project can be used to estimate the manpower required to revise the Japanese thesaurus after future revisions to UMLS or MeSH.

The Reliability and Validity of the Japanese Version of the Stroke Impact Scale Version 3.0.

PubMed

Ochi, Mitsuhiro; Ohashi, Hiroshi; Hachisuka, Kenji; Saeki, Satoru

It is important to evaluate body functions and structures, activity, and participation in stroke rehabilitation. The Stroke Impact Scale (SIS), a new stroke-specific self-report measure that was developed by Duncan et al, is widely used to measure multidimensional consequences about health-related quality of life. The SIS version 3.0 includes 9 domains (strength, hand function, activity of daily living and instrumental activity of daily living, mobility, communication, emotion, memory and thinking, participation, and recovery). Patients are asked to make a percentage rating of their recovery since their stroke on a visual analog scale of 0 to 100 for the stroke recovery domain. Each item in the 8 domains other than stroke recovery are scored in a range of 1 to 5 as a raw score and calculated using the manual to a final score. We developed a Japanese version of the SIS version 3.0 and assessed its reliability and validity in 32 chronic stroke survivors. The internal consistency (Cronbach's α < 0.70) was satisfactory. The test-retest reliability (ICC, 0.86 to 0.96) was also satisfactory. Regarding convergent validity, a significant correlation (Spearman's correlation coefficient, P < 0.05) was found between the SIS physical domain score and Brunnstrom stage (r, 0.49 to 0.53) and short form 8 (r = 0.82). The Japanese version of the SIS version 3.0 is valid, reliable, and clinically useful for stroke survivors.

Effect of autogenic training on cardiac autonomic nervous activity in high-risk fire service workers for posttraumatic stress disorder.

PubMed

Mitani, Satoko; Fujita, Masatoshi; Sakamoto, Satoko; Shirakawa, Taro

2006-05-01

We investigated the effect of autogenic training (AT) on cardiac autonomic nervous activity in fire services workers with the use of the questionnaire of the Japanese-language version of Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R-J) and indexes of heart rate variability. We studied 22 male fire services workers who were divided into posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)-related stress group (n=10) and control group (n=12). They underwent AT twice or three times a week for 2 months. Posttraumatic stress disorder-related stress group showed a significantly higher cardiac sympathetic nervous activity and a significantly lower cardiac parasympathetic nervous activity than control group at baseline. Autogenic training significantly decreased cardiac sympathetic nervous activity and significantly increased cardiac parasympathetic nervous activity in both groups. These changes were accompanied by a significant decrease in the total points of IES-R-J. Autogenic training is effective for ameliorating the disturbance of cardiac autonomic nervous activity and psychological issues secondary to PTSD.

Pre-immunotherapy serum CA27.29 (MUC-1) mucin level and CD69+ lymphocytes correlate with effects of Theratope sialyl-Tn-KLH cancer vaccine in active specific immunotherapy.

PubMed

Reddish, M A; MacLean, G D; Poppema, S; Berg, A; Longenecker, B M

1996-06-01

Patients with metastatic breast, colorectal or ovarian cancers received active specific immunotherapy (ASI) with Theratope sialyl-Tn-KLH (keyhole limpet hemocyanin) cancer vaccine emulsified in Detox adjuvant. The median log2 anti-STn IgG titer generated by ASI, estimated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay with solid-phase ovine submaxillary mucin, was 5.322 (range = 0 - 9.322). Following ASI, 51 patients who generated titers higher than the median value for anti-STn+ mucin IgG survived longer than 46 patients who generated lower titers below the median. 38 of the patients were phenotyped for CD69 prior to ASI. The patients with lower numbers of CD69+ peripheral blood lymphocytes prior to immunotherapy (pre-ASI) also had low serum CA27.29 cancer antigen (MUC-1) levels, and had longer times to disease progression and improved survival following ASI. Elevated pre-ASI serum CA27.29 tumor antigen levels were associated with higher numbers of CD69+ PBL, with decreased anti-STn antibody production and decreased survival following ASI. The data are compatible with the hypothesis that elevated serum MUC-1 mucin is specifically immunosuppressive.

Dietary arginine silicate inositol complex inhibits periodontal tissue loss in rats with ligature-induced periodontitis.

PubMed

Dundar, Serkan; Eltas, Abubekir; Hakki, Sema S; Malkoc, Sıddık; Uslu, M Ozay; Tuzcu, Mehmet; Komorowski, James; Ozercan, I Hanifi; Akdemir, Fatih; Sahin, Kazim

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study was to induce experimental periodontitis in rats previously fed diets containing arginine silicate inositol (ASI) complex and examine the biochemical, immunological, and radiological effects. Fifty two 8-week-old female Sprague Dawley rats were equally divided into four groups. The control group included those fed a standard rat diet with no operation performed during the experiment. The periodontitis, ASI I, and ASI II groups were subjected to experimental periodontitis induction for 11 days after being fed a standard rat diet alone, a diet containing 1.81 g/kg ASI complex, or a diet containing 3.62 g/kg ASI complex, respectively, for 8 weeks. Throughout the 11-day duration of periodontitis induction, all rats were fed standard feed. The rats were euthanized on the eleventh day, and their tissue and blood samples were collected. In the periodontitis group, elevated tissue destruction parameters and reduced tissue formation parameters were found, as compared to the ASI groups. Levels of enzymes, cytokines, and mediators associated with periodontal tissue destruction were lower in rats fed a diet containing ASI complex after experimental periodontitis. These results indicate that ASI complex could be an alternative agent for host modulation.

Integrated Artillery Recoil Mechanism and Automated Handling Design for 155mm Self-Propelled Howitzer

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-04-01

3.8" iv, ?J Oo -r- p,Ik-- 1. 346.57T ,.~ ~ ~~ q 1-- - 44t_ L m50 PCF-RM-1284 A-3 PACIFIC CAR AND FOUNDRY COMPANY lit) ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT .1 NAME...c . / KBEARSTR _ 14138 11/19/79 MONDAY I06 THIS PROG. CALCS. BEARING STRESS IN HOLES DUE TO BOLT BEARING & IOMtENT. ENTER HOLT (SHAFT) & HOLE...Ref 2. Alternativ ly, the calculated Survival after 10 million cycles of ASI-SA| 4340 steel with tensile strengths of "S, 1320, stress may be adjusted

Applying RUG-III in Japanese Long-Term Care Facilities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ikegami, Naoki; And Others

1994-01-01

Tested U.S. nursing home case-mix system, Resource Utilization Groups, Version III (RUG-III) in Japanese long-term care facilities. Measured staff time and resident characteristics for 871 patients. Found acceptable reliability for items defining RUG-III, and system explained 44% of variance in wage-weighted staff time (cost). Japanese and U.S.…

A FACETS Analysis of Rater Bias in Measuring Japanese Second Language Writing Performance.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kondo-Brown, Kimi

2002-01-01

Using FACETS, investigates how judgments of trained teacher raters are biased toward certain types of candidates and certain criteria in assessing Japanese second language writing. Explores the potential for using a modified version of a rating scale for norm-referenced decisions about Japanese second language writing ability. (Author/VWL)

New J-STAGE system accelerates digitization and distribution of academic journals from Japan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sato, Ryuichi; Kubota, Soichi; Aoyama, Kota; Tsuchiya, Eri; Miyagawa, Yoshiyuki

13 years have passed since J-STAGE was launched. At present no one could deny that its user interface and functions were already out of date comparing to foreign established e-journals. So JST has developed a new system called “J-STAGE3” in order to offer better usability and give powerful dissemination of academic papers from Japan. As the result of it, they will be able to enjoy the following things: 1) integration of two databases, Journal@rchive and J-STAGE, 2) new design/interface, 3) introduction of international standard XML format, 4) advanced subscription management, 5) saving cost of publishers, and 6) improving J-STAGE online submission and review system. At the end of March 2011, we conducted a market research on current status of digitization on Japanese society journals. The report told us that digitization ratio of those was 62% in total but it was 34% in humanities/social sciences. Or it was 92% in English journals and 55% in Japanese ones. It means that we need further promotion of digitization. In this paper, we discuss functions and direction of J-STAGE3 as well as our role in promotion of digitization of Japanese society journals.

The Japanese Clinical Practice Guidelines for Management of Sepsis and Septic Shock 2016 (J-SSCG 2016).

PubMed

Nishida, Osamu; Ogura, Hiroshi; Egi, Moritoki; Fujishima, Seitaro; Hayashi, Yoshiro; Iba, Toshiaki; Imaizumi, Hitoshi; Inoue, Shigeaki; Kakihana, Yasuyuki; Kotani, Joji; Kushimoto, Shigeki; Masuda, Yoshiki; Matsuda, Naoyuki; Matsushima, Asako; Nakada, Taka-Aki; Nakagawa, Satoshi; Nunomiya, Shin; Sadahiro, Tomohito; Shime, Nobuaki; Yatabe, Tomoaki; Hara, Yoshitaka; Hayashida, Kei; Kondo, Yutaka; Sumi, Yuka; Yasuda, Hideto; Aoyama, Kazuyoshi; Azuhata, Takeo; Doi, Kent; Doi, Matsuyuki; Fujimura, Naoyuki; Fuke, Ryota; Fukuda, Tatsuma; Goto, Koji; Hasegawa, Ryuichi; Hashimoto, Satoru; Hatakeyama, Junji; Hayakawa, Mineji; Hifumi, Toru; Higashibeppu, Naoki; Hirai, Katsuki; Hirose, Tomoya; Ide, Kentaro; Kaizuka, Yasuo; Kan'o, Tomomichi; Kawasaki, Tatsuya; Kuroda, Hiromitsu; Matsuda, Akihisa; Matsumoto, Shotaro; Nagae, Masaharu; Onodera, Mutsuo; Ohnuma, Tetsu; Oshima, Kiyohiro; Saito, Nobuyuki; Sakamoto, So; Sakuraya, Masaaki; Sasano, Mikio; Sato, Norio; Sawamura, Atsushi; Shimizu, Kentaro; Shirai, Kunihiro; Takei, Tetsuhiro; Takeuchi, Muneyuki; Takimoto, Kohei; Taniguchi, Takumi; Tatsumi, Hiroomi; Tsuruta, Ryosuke; Yama, Naoya; Yamakawa, Kazuma; Yamashita, Chizuru; Yamashita, Kazuto; Yoshida, Takeshi; Tanaka, Hiroshi; Oda, Shigeto

2018-01-01

The Japanese Clinical Practice Guidelines for Management of Sepsis and Septic Shock 2016 (J-SSCG 2016), a Japanese-specific set of clinical practice guidelines for sepsis and septic shock created jointly by the Japanese Society of Intensive Care Medicine and the Japanese Association for Acute Medicine, was first released in February 2017 and published in the Journal of JSICM , [2017; Volume 24 (supplement 2)] 10.3918/jsicm.24S0001 and Journal of Japanese Association for Acute Medicine [2017; Volume 28, (supplement 1)] http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jja2.2017.28.issue-S1/issuetoc.This abridged English edition of the J-SSCG 2016 was produced with permission from the Japanese Association of Acute Medicine and the Japanese Society for Intensive Care Medicine. Members of the Japanese Society of Intensive Care Medicine and the Japanese Association for Acute Medicine were selected and organized into 19 committee members and 52 working group members. The guidelines were prepared in accordance with the Medical Information Network Distribution Service (Minds) creation procedures. The Academic Guidelines Promotion Team was organized to oversee and provide academic support to the respective activities allocated to each Guideline Creation Team. To improve quality assurance and workflow transparency, a mutual peer review system was established, and discussions within each team were open to the public. Public comments were collected once after the initial formulation of a clinical question (CQ) and twice during the review of the final draft. Recommendations were determined to have been adopted after obtaining support from a two-thirds (> 66.6%) majority vote of each of the 19 committee members. A total of 87 CQs were selected among 19 clinical areas, including pediatric topics and several other important areas not covered in the first edition of the Japanese guidelines (J-SSCG 2012). The approval rate obtained through committee voting, in addition to ratings of the strengths of the recommendation, and its supporting evidence were also added to each recommendation statement. We conducted meta-analyses for 29 CQs. Thirty-seven CQs contained recommendations in the form of an expert consensus due to insufficient evidence. No recommendations were provided for five CQs. Based on the evidence gathered, we were able to formulate Japanese-specific clinical practice guidelines that are tailored to the Japanese context in a highly transparent manner. These guidelines can easily be used not only by specialists, but also by non-specialists, general clinicians, nurses, pharmacists, clinical engineers, and other healthcare professionals.

How to Reason with Economic Concepts: Cognitive Process of Japanese Undergraduate Students Solving Test Items

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Asano, Tadayoshi; Yamaoka, Michio

2015-01-01

The authors administered a Japanese version of the Test of Understanding in College Economics, the fourth edition (TUCE-4) to assess the economic literacy of Japanese undergraduate students in 2006 and 2009. These two test results were combined to investigate students' cognitive process or reasoning with specific economic concepts and principles…

Prostate cancer in native Japanese and Japanese-American men: effects of dietary differences on prostatic tissue.

PubMed

Marks, Leonard S; Kojima, Munekado; Demarzo, Angelo; Heber, David; Bostwick, David G; Qian, Junqi; Dorey, Frederick J; Veltri, Robert W; Mohler, James L; Partin, Alan W

2004-10-01

To investigate the relationship between diet and prostate cancer (CaP) among native Japanese (NJ) and second-generation or third-generation Japanese-American (J-A) men--focusing on the effects of animal fat and soy on prostatic tissues. The subjects were 50 Japanese men undergoing radical prostatectomy, 25 NJ living in Nagoya, Japan and 25 U.S.-born J-A men, living in Los Angeles, California. A priori, the NJ men were believed to be a low-fat, high-soy group and the J-A men, a high-fat, low-soy group. The studies included postoperative measurements of diet (Block questionnaire), body fat (bioimpedance), blood, urine, and prostatic biomarkers in malignant and adjacent normal tissue, using a tissue microarray made from the original paraffin blocks. The NJ and J-A men were similar in age (65 to 70 years old; P <0.05), prostate-specific antigen level (7.1 to 8.6 ng/mL), prostate volume (35 to 38 cm3), and Gleason score (5.6 to 6.6), but their body composition differed. J-A men had more body fat (24% versus 19%), higher serum triglyceride levels (245 versus 106 mg/dL), lower estradiol levels (27 versus 31 ng/mL), and much lower urinary soy-metabolite levels (1:3) than NJ men (P <0.02). In both NJ and J-A groups, expression of numerous tissue biomarkers separated normal from CaP tissue, including markers for apoptosis (Bcl-2, caspase-3), growth factor receptors (epidermal growth factor receptor), racemase, 5-lipoxygenase, kinase inhibition (p27), and cell proliferation (Ki-67; all P <0.02). Furthermore, within both normal and CaP tissues, caspase-3 and 5-lipoxygenase were expressed more in NJ than in J-A men (P <0.01). Nuclear morphometry showed that the chromatin in each of the four groups (normal versus CaP, NJ versus J-A) was different (area under the curve 85% to 94%, P <0.01), despite fundamental genetic homogeneity. NJ and J-A men, products of similar genetics but differing environments, were shown to have differences in body composition that could influence CaP evolution. The CaP specimens from the NJ and J-A men were histologically similar, but tissue biomarker expression, especially of lipoxygenase and the caspase family, suggested differing mechanisms of carcinogenesis. Differences in nuclear morphometry suggested the additional possibility of gene-nutrient interactions.

Psychometric Characteristics of the Teen Addiction Severity Index-Two (T-ASI-2)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brodey, Benjamin B.; McMullin, Darcy; Kaminer, Yifrah; Winters, Ken C.; Mosshart, Edward; Rosen, Craig S.; Brodey, Inger S.

2008-01-01

The Teen Addiction Severity Index-Two (T-ASI-2) was developed as an extension of the T-ASI to assess the severity of substance abuse and related problems among adolescents (N = 371) 12-19 years of age. The T-ASI-2 consists of 18 domains that assess current use of alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, and other drugs, as well as mental health service…

Psychometric properties of the 25-item National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire (NEI VFQ-25), Japanese version.

PubMed

Suzukamo, Yoshimi; Oshika, Tetsuro; Yuzawa, Mitsuko; Tokuda, Yoshihiro; Tomidokoro, Atsuo; Oki, Kotaro; Mangione, Carol M; Green, Joseph; Fukuhara, Shunichi

2005-10-26

The importance of evaluating the outcomes of health care from the standpoint of the patient is now widely recognized. The purpose of this study is to develop and test a Japanese version of the National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire (NEI VFQ-25). A Japanese version was developed with a previously standardized method. The questionnaire and optional items were completed by 245 patients with cataracts, glaucoma, or age-related macular degeneration, by 110 others before and after cataract surgery, and by a reference group (n = 31). We computed rates of missing data, measured reproducibility and internal consistency reliability, and tested for convergent and discriminant validity, concurrent validity, known-groups validity, factor structure, and responsiveness to change. Based on information from the participants, some items were changed to 2-step items (asking if an activity was done, and if it was done, then asking how difficult it was). The near-vision and distance-vision subscales each had 1 item that was endorsed by very few participants, so these items were replaced with items that were optional in the English version. For example, more than 60% of participants did not drive, so the driving question was excluded. Reliability and validity were adequate for all subscales except driving, ocular pain, color vision, and peripheral vision. With cataract surgery, most scores improved by at least 20 points. With minor modifications from the English version, the Japanese NEI VFQ-25 can give reliable, valid, responsive data on vision-related quality of life, for group-level comparisons or for tracking therapeutic outcomes.

NASDA President Communicates With Japanese Crew Member Aboard the STS-47 Spacelab-J Mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1992-01-01

The science laboratory, Spacelab-J (SL-J), flown aboard the STS-47 flight was a joint venture between NASA and the National Space Development Agency of Japan (NASDA) utilizing a manned Spacelab module. The mission conducted 24 materials science and 20 life science experiments, of which 35 were sponsored by NASDA, 7 by NASA, and two collaborative efforts. Materials science investigations covered such fields as biotechnology, electronic materials, fluid dynamics and transport phenomena, glasses and ceramics, metals and alloys, and acceleration measurements. Life sciences included experiments on human health, cell separation and biology, developmental biology, animal and human physiology and behavior, space radiation, and biological rhythms. Test subjects included the crew, Japanese koi fish (carp), cultured animal and plant cells, chicken embryos, fruit flies, fungi and plant seeds, and frogs and frog eggs. From the Huntsville Operations Support Center (HOSC) Spacelab Payload Operations Control Center (SL POCC), NASDA President, Mr. Yamano, speaks to Payload Specialist Mamoru Mohri, a Japanese crew member aboard the STS-47 Spacelab J mission.

Defining Distinct Negative Beliefs about Uncertainty: Validating the Factor Structure of the Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sexton, Kathryn A.; Dugas, Michel J.

2009-01-01

This study examined the factor structure of the English version of the Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale (IUS; French version: M. H. Freeston, J. Rheaume, H. Letarte, M. J. Dugas, & R. Ladouceur, 1994; English version: K. Buhr & M. J. Dugas, 2002) using a substantially larger sample than has been used in previous studies. Nonclinical…

Fundamentals of Friction: Macroscopic and Microscopic Processes. Proceedings of the NATO Advanced Study Institute on Fundamentals of Friction Held In Germany on July 29 - August 9, 1991

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-08-09

processes Prof T E Fischer, Stevens Institute of Technology, Hoboken, USA. Friction of granular materials Dr M J Adams, Unilever Research, Wirral, England...Army Research Office, ERO US National Science Foundation US Office of Naval Research, ERO Unilever Research and Engineering Division Mobil Research and...Development Corporation Exxon Research and Engineering Company . We are especially grateful to the ASI Administrator, Mr M G de St V Atkins, who was

Reliability and validity of the PedsQL™ Multidimensional Fatigue Scale in Japan.

PubMed

Kobayashi, Kyoko; Okano, Yoshiyuki; Hohashi, Naohiro

2011-09-01

To examine the reliability and validity of the Japanese-language version of the PedsQL™ Multidimensional Fatigue Scale and to investigate the agreement between child self-reported fatigue and parent proxy-reported fatigue. The Japanese-language version of the PedsQL™ Multidimensional Fatigue Scale was administered to 652 preschoolers and schoolchildren aged 5-12 and their parents, and to 91 parents of preschool children aged 1-4. Internal consistency reliability was 0.62-0.87 for children and 0.81-0.93 for parents. Known-group validity was examined between a group of healthy samples (n = 530) and chronic condition sample (n = 102); the chronically ill group reported a significantly higher perceived fatigue problem. Correlations between child self- and parent proxy reports ranged from poor to fair. In subgroups identified by cluster analysis based on child self-reported scores, the greatest agreement between child and parent reports was seen in the good HRQOL group, while the least occurred in the poor HRQOL group. The parents overestimated their child's fatigue more when the child's HRQOL was low. The Japanese-language version of the PedsQL™ Multidimensional Fatigue Scale demonstrated good reliability and validity and could be useful in evaluating Japanese children in school and health care settings.

Rivaroxaban vs. warfarin in Japanese patients with atrial fibrillation – the J-ROCKET AF study –.

PubMed

Hori, Masatsugu; Matsumoto, Masayasu; Tanahashi, Norio; Momomura, Shin-ichi; Uchiyama, Shinichiro; Goto, Shinya; Izumi, Tohru; Koretsune, Yukihiro; Kajikawa, Mariko; Kato, Masaharu; Ueda, Hitoshi; Iwamoto, Kazuya; Tajiri, Masahiro

2012-01-01

The global ROCKET AF study evaluated once-daily rivaroxaban vs. warfarin for stroke and systemic embolism prevention in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). A separate trial, J-ROCKET AF, compared the safety of a Japan-specific rivaroxaban dose with warfarin administered according to Japanese guidelines in Japanese patients with AF. J-ROCKET AF was a prospective, randomized, double-blind, phase III trial. Patients (n=1,280) with non-valvular AF at increased risk for stroke were randomized to receive 15 mg once-daily rivaroxaban or warfarin dose-adjusted according to Japanese guidelines. The primary objective was to determine non-inferiority of rivaroxaban against warfarin for the principal safety outcome of major and non-major clinically relevant bleeding, in the on-treatment safety population. The primary efficacy endpoint was the composite of stroke and systemic embolism. Non-inferiority of rivaroxaban to warfarin was confirmed; the rate of the principal safety outcome was 18.04% per year in rivaroxaban-treated patients and 16.42% per year in warfarin-treated patients (hazard ratio [HR] 1.11; 95% confidence interval 0.87-1.42; P<0.001 [non-inferiority]). Intracranial hemorrhage rates were 0.8% with rivaroxaban and 1.6% with warfarin. There was a strong trend for a reduction in the rate of stroke/systemic embolism with rivaroxaban vs. warfarin (HR, 0.49; P=0.050). J-ROCKET AF demonstrated the safety of a Japan-specific rivaroxaban dose and supports bridging the global ROCKET AF results into Japanese clinical practice.

Clinical characteristics of patients with tinnitus evaluated with the Tinnitus Sample Case History Questionnaire in Japan: A case series

PubMed Central

Kojima, Takashi; Kanzaki, Sho; Oishi, Naoki; Ogawa, Kaoru

2017-01-01

Background The Tinnitus Sample Case History Questionnaire was determined as a standardized questionnaire for obtaining patient case histories and for characterizing patients into subgroups at the Tinnitus Research Initiative in 2006. In this study, we developed a Japanese version of this questionnaire for evaluating the clinical characteristics of patients with tinnitus. The Japanese version of the questionnaire will be available for evaluating treatments for tinnitus and for comparing data on tinnitus in research centers. Aims/Objectives To evaluate the clinical characteristics of patients with tinnitus in Japan using a newly developed Japanese version of Tinnitus Sample Case History Questionnaire. Study design This was a prospective study based on patient records. Setting University hospitals, general hospitals, and clinics. Subjects and methods We collected patient data using a Japanese translated version of the Tinnitus Sample Case History Questionnaire. In total, 584 patients who visited our institutions in Japan between August 2012 and March 2014 were included (280 males and 304 females; age 13–92 years; mean age, 60.8). We examined patients after dividing them into two groups according to the presence or absence of hyperacusis. The collected results were compared with those from the Tinnitus Research Initiative database. Results Compared with the TRI database, there were significantly more elderly female patients and fewer patients with trauma-associated tinnitus. There was a statistically lower ratio of patients with hyperacusis. We found that patients with tinnitus in addition to hyperacusis had greater tinnitus severity and exhibited higher rates of various complications. Conclusion The Japanese version of the Tinnitus Sample Case History Questionnaire developed in this study can be a useful tool for evaluating patients with tinnitus in Japan. The results of this multicenter study reflect the characteristics of patients with tinnitus who require medical care in Japan. Our data provides a preliminary basis for an international comparison of tinnitus epidemiology. PMID:28841656

Development of the Japanese version of an information aid to provide accurate information on prognosis to patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer receiving chemotherapy: a pilot study.

PubMed

Nakano, Kikuo; Kitahara, Yoshihiro; Mito, Mineyo; Seno, Misato; Sunada, Shoji

2018-02-27

Without explicit prognostic information, patients may overestimate their life expectancy and make poor choices at the end of life. We sought to design the Japanese version of an information aid (IA) to provide accurate information on prognosis to patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and to assess the effects of the IA on hope, psychosocial status, and perception of curability. We developed the Japanese version of an IA, which provided information on survival and cure rates as well as numerical survival estimates for patients with metastatic NSCLC receiving first-line chemotherapy. We then assessed the pre- and post-intervention effects of the IA on hope, anxiety, and perception of curability and treatment benefits. A total of 20 (95%) of 21 patients (65% male; median age, 72 years) completed the IA pilot test. Based on the results, scores on the Distress and Impact Thermometer screening tool for adjustment disorders and major depression tended to decrease (from 4.5 to 2.5; P = 0.204), whereas no significant changes were seen in scores for anxiety on the Japanese version of the Support Team Assessment Schedule or in scores on the Hearth Hope Index (from 41.9 to 41.5; p = 0.204). The majority of the patients (16/20, 80%) had high expectations regarding the curative effects of chemotherapy. The Japanese version of the IA appeared to help patients with NSCLC maintain hope, and did not increase their anxiety when they were given explicit prognostic information; however, the IA did not appear to help such patients understand the goal of chemotherapy. Further research is needed to test the findings in a larger sample and measure the outcomes of explicit prognostic information on hope, psychological status, and perception of curability.

Clinical characteristics of patients with tinnitus evaluated with the Tinnitus Sample Case History Questionnaire in Japan: A case series.

PubMed

Kojima, Takashi; Kanzaki, Sho; Oishi, Naoki; Ogawa, Kaoru

2017-01-01

The Tinnitus Sample Case History Questionnaire was determined as a standardized questionnaire for obtaining patient case histories and for characterizing patients into subgroups at the Tinnitus Research Initiative in 2006. In this study, we developed a Japanese version of this questionnaire for evaluating the clinical characteristics of patients with tinnitus. The Japanese version of the questionnaire will be available for evaluating treatments for tinnitus and for comparing data on tinnitus in research centers. To evaluate the clinical characteristics of patients with tinnitus in Japan using a newly developed Japanese version of Tinnitus Sample Case History Questionnaire. This was a prospective study based on patient records. University hospitals, general hospitals, and clinics. We collected patient data using a Japanese translated version of the Tinnitus Sample Case History Questionnaire. In total, 584 patients who visited our institutions in Japan between August 2012 and March 2014 were included (280 males and 304 females; age 13-92 years; mean age, 60.8). We examined patients after dividing them into two groups according to the presence or absence of hyperacusis. The collected results were compared with those from the Tinnitus Research Initiative database. Compared with the TRI database, there were significantly more elderly female patients and fewer patients with trauma-associated tinnitus. There was a statistically lower ratio of patients with hyperacusis. We found that patients with tinnitus in addition to hyperacusis had greater tinnitus severity and exhibited higher rates of various complications. The Japanese version of the Tinnitus Sample Case History Questionnaire developed in this study can be a useful tool for evaluating patients with tinnitus in Japan. The results of this multicenter study reflect the characteristics of patients with tinnitus who require medical care in Japan. Our data provides a preliminary basis for an international comparison of tinnitus epidemiology.

Why Japanese workers show low work engagement: An item response theory analysis of the Utrecht Work Engagement scale.

PubMed

Shimazu, Akihito; Schaufeli, Wilmar B; Miyanaka, Daisuke; Iwata, Noboru

2010-11-05

With the globalization of occupational health psychology, more and more researchers are interested in applying employee well-being like work engagement (i.e., a positive, fulfilling, work-related state of mind that is characterized by vigor, dedication, and absorption) to diverse populations. Accurate measurement contributes to our further understanding and to the generalizability of the concept of work engagement across different cultures. The present study investigated the measurement accuracy of the Japanese and the original Dutch versions of the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (9-item version, UWES-9) and the comparability of this scale between both countries. Item Response Theory (IRT) was applied to the data from Japan (N = 2,339) and the Netherlands (N = 13,406). Reliability of the scale was evaluated at various levels of the latent trait (i.e., work engagement) based the test information function (TIF) and the standard error of measurement (SEM). The Japanese version had difficulty in differentiating respondents with extremely low work engagement, whereas the original Dutch version had difficulty in differentiating respondents with high work engagement. The measurement accuracy of both versions was not similar. Suppression of positive affect among Japanese people and self-enhancement (the general sensitivity to positive self-relevant information) among Dutch people may have caused decreased measurement accuracy. Hence, we should be cautious when interpreting low engagement scores among Japanese as well as high engagement scores among western employees.

Why Japanese workers show low work engagement: An item response theory analysis of the Utrecht Work Engagement scale

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

With the globalization of occupational health psychology, more and more researchers are interested in applying employee well-being like work engagement (i.e., a positive, fulfilling, work-related state of mind that is characterized by vigor, dedication, and absorption) to diverse populations. Accurate measurement contributes to our further understanding and to the generalizability of the concept of work engagement across different cultures. The present study investigated the measurement accuracy of the Japanese and the original Dutch versions of the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (9-item version, UWES-9) and the comparability of this scale between both countries. Item Response Theory (IRT) was applied to the data from Japan (N = 2,339) and the Netherlands (N = 13,406). Reliability of the scale was evaluated at various levels of the latent trait (i.e., work engagement) based the test information function (TIF) and the standard error of measurement (SEM). The Japanese version had difficulty in differentiating respondents with extremely low work engagement, whereas the original Dutch version had difficulty in differentiating respondents with high work engagement. The measurement accuracy of both versions was not similar. Suppression of positive affect among Japanese people and self-enhancement (the general sensitivity to positive self-relevant information) among Dutch people may have caused decreased measurement accuracy. Hence, we should be cautious when interpreting low engagement scores among Japanese as well as high engagement scores among western employees. PMID:21054839

Legendre modified moments for Euler's constant

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prévost, Marc

2008-10-01

Polynomial moments are often used for the computation of Gauss quadrature to stabilize the numerical calculation of the orthogonal polynomials, see [W. Gautschi, Computational aspects of orthogonal polynomials, in: P. Nevai (Ed.), Orthogonal Polynomials-Theory and Practice, NATO ASI Series, Series C: Mathematical and Physical Sciences, vol. 294. Kluwer, Dordrecht, 1990, pp. 181-216 [6]; W. Gautschi, On the sensitivity of orthogonal polynomials to perturbations in the moments, Numer. Math. 48(4) (1986) 369-382 [5]; W. Gautschi, On generating orthogonal polynomials, SIAM J. Sci. Statist. Comput. 3(3) (1982) 289-317 [4

Astragaloside IV attenuates experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis of mice by counteracting oxidative stress at multiple levels.

PubMed

He, Yixin; Du, Min; Gao, Yan; Liu, Hongshuai; Wang, Hongwei; Wu, Xiaojun; Wang, Zhengtao

2013-01-01

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic autoimmune neuroinflammatory disease found mostly in young adults in the western world. Oxidative stress induced neuronal apoptosis plays an important role in the pathogenesis of MS. In current study, astragaloside IV (ASI), a natural saponin molecule isolated from Astragalus membranceus, given at 20 mg/kg daily attenuated the severity of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) in mice significantly. Further studies disclosed that ASI treatment inhibited the increase of ROS and pro-inflammatory cytokine levels, down-regulation of SOD and GSH-Px activities, and elevation of iNOS, p53 and phosphorylated tau in central nervous system (CNS) as well as the leakage of BBB of EAE mice. Meanwhile, the decreased ratio of Bcl-2/Bax was reversed by ASI. Moreover, ASI regulated T-cell differentiation and infiltration into CNS. In neuroblast SH-SY5Y cells, ASI dose-dependently reduced cellular ROS level and phosphorylation of tau in response to hydrogen peroxide challenge by modulation of Bcl-2/Bax ratio. ASI also inhibited activation of microglia both in vivo and in vitro. iNOS up-regulation induced by IFNγ stimulation was abolished by ASI dose-dependently in BV-2 cells. In summary, ASI prevented the severity of EAE progression possibly by counterbalancing oxidative stress and its effects via reduction of cellular ROS level, enhancement of antioxidant defense system, increase of anti-apoptotic and anti-inflammatory pathways, as well as modulation of T-cell differentiation and infiltration into CNS. The study suggested ASI may be effective for clinical therapy/prevention of MS.

Changes in mood status and neurotic levels during a 20-day bed rest

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ishizaki, Yuko; Ishizaki, Tatsuro; Fukuoka, Hideoki; Kim, Chang-Sun; Fujita, Masayo; Maegawa, Yuko; Fujioka, Hiroshi; Katsura, Taisaku; Suzuki, Yoji; Gunji, Atsuaki

2002-04-01

This study evaluated changes of mood status and depressive and neurotic levels in nine young male subjects during a 20-day 6° head-down tilting bed rest and examined whether exercise training modified these changes. Participants were asked to complete psychometrical inventories on before, during, and after the bed rest experiment. Depressive and neurotic levels were enhanced during bed rest period according to the Japanese version of Zung's Self-rating Depression Scale and the Japanese version of the General Health Questionnaire. Mood state "vigor" was impaired and "confusion" was increased during bed rest and recumbent control periods compared to pre-bed rest and ambulatory control periods according to the Japanese version of Profiles of Mood State, whereas the mood "tension-anxiety", "depression-dejection", "anger-hostility" and "fatigue" were relatively stable during experiment. Isometric exercise training did not modify these results. Microgravity, along with confinement to bed and isolation from familiar environments, induced impairment of mental status.

Development and validation of the Japanese version of the Decisional Conflict Scale to investigate the value of pharmacists' information: a before and after study.

PubMed

Kawaguchi, Takashi; Azuma, Kanako; Yamaguchi, Takuhiro; Soeda, Hiroshi; Sekine, Yusuke; Koinuma, Masayoshi; Takeuchi, Hironori; Akashi, Takao; Unezaki, Sakae

2013-04-17

The information provided in patient-centered care and shared decision-making influences patients' concerns and adherence to treatment. In the decision-making process, patients experience decisional conflict. The Decisional Conflict Scale (DCS) is a 16-item, self-administered questionnaire consisting of 5 subscales developed to assess patients' decisional conflict. This study aimed to develop the Japanese version of the DCS and to clarify the influence of the information provided by pharmacists' on decisional conflict among patients with cancer. We developed the Japanese version of the DCS by using the forward-backward translation method. One hundred patients who were recommended a new chemotherapy regimen were recruited. The psychometric properties of the Japanese DCS, including internal consistency, convergent validity, discriminant validity, and construct validity, were examined. We assessed the decisional conflict of patients before and after the pharmacists' provision of information. Ninety-four patients, predominately female, with an average age of 58.1 years were sampled. The scores on the 5 subscales of the DCS showed high internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.84-0.96). Multi-trait scaling analysis and cluster analysis showed strong validity. The mean total DCS score decreased significantly from 40.2 to 31.7 after patients received information from the pharmacists (p < 0.001, paired t-test). Scores on all 5 subscales, namely, uncertainty, informed, values clarity, support, and effective decision, also significantly improved (p < 0.001 for all categories, paired t-test). The psychometric properties of the Japanese version of the DCS are considered appropriate for it to be administered to patients with cancer. Pharmacists' provision of information was able to decrease decisional conflict among patients with cancer who were recommended a new chemotherapy regimen.

Lifestyle characteristics assessment of Japanese in Pittsburgh, USA.

PubMed

Hirooka, Nobutaka; Takedai, Teiichi; D'Amico, Frank

2012-04-01

Lifestyle-related chronic diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular disease are the greatest public health concerns. Evidence shows Japanese immigrants to a westernized environment have higher incidence of lifestyle-related diseases. However, little is known about lifestyle characteristics related to chronic diseases for Japanese in a westernized environment. This study is examining the gap in lifestyle by comparing the lifestyle prevalence for Japanese in the US with the Japanese National Data (the National Health and Nutrition Survey in Japan, J-NHANS) as well as the Japan National Health Promotion in the twenty-first Century (HJ21) goals. Japanese adults were surveyed in Pittsburgh, USA, regarding their lifestyle (e.g., diet, exercise, smoking, stress, alcohol, and oral hygiene). The prevalence was compared with J-NHANS and HJ21 goals. Ninety-three responded (response rate; 97.9%). Japanese men (n = 38) and women (n = 55) in Pittsburgh smoke less than Japanese in Japan (P < 0.001 for both genders). Japanese in Pittsburgh perform less physical activity in daily life and have lower prevalence of walking more than 1 h per day (P < 0.001 for both genders). Japanese women in Pittsburgh have significantly higher prevalence of stress than in Japan (P = 0.004). Japanese men in Pittsburgh do not reach HJ21 goal in weight management, BMI, use of medicine or alcohol to sleep, and sleep quality. Japanese women in Pittsburgh do not reach HJ21 goal in weight management and sleep quality. In conclusion, healthy lifestyle promotion including exercise and physical activity intervention for Japanese living in a westernized environment is warranted.

Japanese and North American Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative studies: Harmonization for international trials.

PubMed

Iwatsubo, Takeshi; Iwata, Atsushi; Suzuki, Kazushi; Ihara, Ryoko; Arai, Hiroyuki; Ishii, Kenji; Senda, Michio; Ito, Kengo; Ikeuchi, Takeshi; Kuwano, Ryozo; Matsuda, Hiroshi; Sun, Chung-Kai; Beckett, Laurel A; Petersen, Ronald C; Weiner, Michael W; Aisen, Paul S; Donohue, Michael C

2018-05-08

We conducted Japanese Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (J-ADNI) and compared the basic characteristics and progression profiles with those of ADNI in North America. A total of 537 Japanese subjects with normal cognition, late amnestic mild cognitive impairment (LMCI), or mild Alzheimer's disease (AD) were enrolled using the same criteria as ADNI. Rates of changes in representative cognitive or functional measures were compared for amyloid positron emission tomography- or cerebrospinal fluid amyloid β(1-42)-positive LMCI and mild AD between J-ADNI and ADNI. Amyloid positivity rates were significantly higher in normal cognition of ADNI but at similar levels in LMCI and mild AD between J-ADNI and ADNI. Profiles of decline in cognitive or functional measures in amyloid-positive LMCI in J-ADNI (n = 75) and ADNI (n = 269) were remarkably similar, whereas those in mild AD were milder in J-ADNI (n = 73) compared with ADNI (n = 230). These results support the feasibility of bridging of clinical trials in the prodromal stage of AD between Asia and western countries. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Immigrants' experiences of maternity care in Japan.

PubMed

Igarashi, Yukari; Horiuchi, Shigeko; Porter, Sarah E

2013-08-01

Language and cultural differences can negatively impact immigrant women's birth experience. However, little is known about their experiences in Japan's highly homogenous culture. This cross-sectional study used survey data from a purposive sampling of immigrant women from 16 hospitals in several Japanese prefectures. Meeting the criteria and recruited to this study were 804 participants consisting of 236 immigrant women: Chinese (n = 83), Brazilian (n = 62), Filipino (n = 43), South Korean (n = 29) and from variety of English speaking nations (n = 19) and 568 Japanese women. The questionnaire was prepared in six languages: Japanese (kana syllables), Chinese, English, Korean, Portuguese, and Tagalog (Filipino). Associations among quality of maternity care, Japanese literacy level, loneliness and care satisfaction were explored using analysis of variance and multiple linear regression. The valid and reliable instruments used were Quality of Care for Pregnancy, Delivery and Postpartum Questionnaire, Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Medicine Japanese version, the revised UCLA Loneliness Scale-Japanese version and Care satisfaction. Care was evaluated across prenatal, labor and delivery and post-partum periods. Immigrant women scored higher than Japanese women for both positive and negative aspects. When loneliness was strongly felt, care satisfaction was lower. Some competence of Japanese literacy was more likely to obstruct positive communication with healthcare providers, and was associated with loneliness. Immigrant women rated overall care as satisfactory. Japanese literacy decreased communication with healthcare providers, and was associated with loneliness presumably because some literacy unreasonably increased health care providers' expectations of a higher level of communication.

Association of aortic stiffness to brain natriuretic peptide in children before and after device closure of patent ductus arteriosus

PubMed Central

Mahfouz, Ragab A.; Alzaiat, Ahmad; Gad, Marwa

2014-01-01

Objectives We evaluated the influence of device closure for patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) on the aortic stiffness index (ASI) and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) and their association with cardiac function. Patients and methods ASI and echocardiography assessment before and after treatment (16 ± 9 months) in 48 children with PDA (mean age 10 ± 4.5) and 52 control children (mean age 9.7 ± 4.6). BNP level was measured pre-closure for all children, and was measured six months after closure only for children with PDA. Results ASI was higher in PDA patients than in controls (P < 0.001). ASI correlated with age (P < 0.05), LVEF% (P < 0.01), E/E′ (<0.03), pulmonary artery pressure (P < 0.001), and BNP (P < 0.001). ASI and BNP significantly decreased after closure (P < 0.001). ASI and BNP were independent predictors for post-closure systolic dysfunction (P < 0.001and <0.005, respectively). Receiver operating curve (ROC) analysis showed that ASI ⩾ 13.5, BNP level ⩾75 pg/ml and basal mean pulmonary artery pressure (PAP) ⩾ 23 were powerful predictors for post-closure systolic function. Conclusion ASI is significantly associated with BNP and basal PAP in children with PDA. After device closure, aortic distensibility improved significantly and was associated with significant improvement in both systolic and diastolic functions. ASI can be used for monitoring the course of patients with PDA, and may give opportunities for early intervention. PMID:25544819

Monoamines differentially modulate neuropeptide release from distinct sites within a single neuron pair.

PubMed

Clark, Tobias; Hapiak, Vera; Oakes, Mitchell; Mills, Holly; Komuniecki, Richard

2018-01-01

Monoamines and neuropeptides often modulate the same behavior, but monoaminergic-peptidergic crosstalk remains poorly understood. In Caenorhabditis elegans, the adrenergic-like ligands, tyramine (TA) and octopamine (OA) require distinct subsets of neuropeptides in the two ASI sensory neurons to inhibit nociception. TA selectively increases the release of ASI neuropeptides encoded by nlp-14 or nlp-18 from either synaptic/perisynaptic regions of ASI axons or the ASI soma, respectively, and OA selectively increases the release of ASI neuropeptides encoded by nlp-9 asymmetrically, from only the synaptic/perisynaptic region of the right ASI axon. The predicted amino acid preprosequences of genes encoding either TA- or OA-dependent neuropeptides differed markedly. However, these distinct preprosequences were not sufficient to confer monoamine-specificity and additional N-terminal peptide-encoding sequence was required. Collectively, our results demonstrate that TA and OA specifically and differentially modulate the release of distinct subsets of neuropeptides from different subcellular sites within the ASIs, highlighting the complexity of monoaminergic/peptidergic modulation, even in animals with a relatively simple nervous system.

Validating the Japanese translation of the Force and Motion Conceptual Evaluation and comparing performance levels of American and Japanese students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ishimoto, Michi; Thornton, Ronald K.; Sokoloff, David R.

2014-12-01

This study assesses the Japanese translation of the Force and Motion Conceptual Evaluation (FMCE). Researchers are often interested in comparing the conceptual ideas of students with different cultural backgrounds. The FMCE has been useful in identifying the concepts of English-speaking students from different backgrounds. To identify effectively the conceptual ideas of Japanese students and to compare them to those of their English-speaking counterparts, more work is required. Because of differences between the Japanese and English languages, and between the Japanese and American educational systems, it is important to assess the Japanese translation of the FMCE, a conceptual evaluation originally developed in English for American students. To assess its appropriateness, we examined the performance of a large sample of students on the translated version of the FMCE and then compared the results to those of English-speaking students. The data comprise the pretest results of 1095 students, most of whom were first-year students at a midlevel engineering school between 2003 and 2012. Basic statistics and the classical test theory indices of the translated FMCE indicate that its reliability and discrimination are appropriate to assess Japanese students' concepts about force and motion. In general, the preconcepts of Japanese students assessed with the Japanese translation of the FMCE are quite similar to those of American students assessed with the FMCE, thereby supporting the validity of the translated version. However, our findings do show (1) that only a small percentage of Japanese students grasped Newtonian concepts and (2) that the percentage of Japanese students who used two different concept models together to answer some questions seems to be higher than that of American students.

Auditory Modeling for Noisy Speech Recognition.

DTIC Science & Technology

2000-01-01

multiple platforms including PCs, workstations, and DSPs. A prototype version of the SOS process was tested on the Japanese Hiragana language with good...judgment among linguists. American English has 48 phonetic sounds in the ARPABET representation. Hiragana , the Japanese phonetic language, has only 20... Japanese Hiragana ," H.L. Pfister, FL 95, 1995. "State Recognition for Noisy Dynamic Systems," H.L. Pfister, Tech 2005, Chicago, 1995. "Experiences

MedEx/J: A One-Scan Simple and Fast NLP Tool for Japanese Clinical Texts.

PubMed

Aramaki, Eiji; Yano, Ken; Wakamiya, Shoko

2017-01-01

Because of recent replacement of physical documents with electronic medical records (EMR), the importance of information processing in the medical field has increased. In light of this trend, we have been developing MedEx/J, which retrieves important Japanese language information from medical reports. MedEx/J executes two tasks simultaneously: (1) term extraction, and (2) positive and negative event classification. We designate this approach as a one-scan approach, providing simplicity of systems and reasonable accuracy. MedEx/J performance on the two tasks is described herein: (1) term extraction (Fβ = 1 = 0.87) and (2) positive-negative classification (Fβ = 1 = 0.63). This paper also presents discussion and explains remaining issues in the medical natural language processing field.

Astragaloside IV improves lipid metabolism in obese mice by alleviation of leptin resistance and regulation of thermogenic network.

PubMed

Wu, Hui; Gao, Yan; Shi, Hai-Lian; Qin, Li-Yue; Huang, Fei; Lan, Yun-Yi; Zhang, Bei-Bei; Hu, Zhi-Bi; Wu, Xiao-Jun

2016-07-22

Obesity is a worldwide threat to public health in modern society, which may result from leptin resistance and disorder of thermogenesis. The present study investigated whether astragaloside IV (ASI) could prevent obesity in high-fat diet (HFD)-fed and db/db mice. In HFD-fed mice, ASI prevented body weight gain, lowered serum triglyceride and total cholesterol levels, mitigated liver lipid accumulation, reduced fat tissues and decreased the enlargement of adipose cells. In metabolic chambers, ASI lessened appetite of the mice, decreased their respiratory exchange ratio and elevated VCO2 and VO2 without altering circadian motor activity. Moreover, ASI modulated thermogenesis associated gene expressions in liver and brawn fat tissues, as well as leptin resistance evidenced by altered expressions of leptin, leptin receptor (ObR) or appetite associated genes. In SH-SY5Y cells, ASI enhanced leptin signaling transduction. However, in db/db mice, ASI did not change body weight gain and appetite associated genes. But it decreased serum triglyceride and total cholesterol levels as well as liver triglyceride. Meanwhile, it significantly modulated gene expressions of PPARα, PGC1-α, UCP2, ACC, SCD1, LPL, AP2, CD36 and SREBP-1c. Collectively, our study suggested that ASI could efficiently improve lipid metabolism in obese mice probably through enhancing leptin sensitivity and modulating thermogenic network.

Assessing psychological violence and harassment at work: reliability and validity of the Japanese version of the Inventory of Violence and Psychological Harassment (IVAPT) comparing NAQ-R and LIPT.

PubMed

Moreno, Manuel Pando; Beltrán, Carolina Aranda; Tsuno, Kanami; Inoue, Akiomi; Kawakami, Norito

2013-01-01

The objective of this study was to examine reliability and validity of the Japanese version of the Inventory of Violence and Psychological Harassment (IVAPT) (Pando, 2006), a 22-item measure of psychological harassment at work and presence and intensity of psychological violence widely used in Latin American countries. The IVAPT was translated into Japanese, and the translation was amended through a small pretest and a back-translation and finalized. A total of 1,810 out of 4,072 civil servants completed a questionnaire including the IVAPT. Cronbach's alpha of the scale was 0.97 for psychological violence and 0.94 for psychological harassment at work. An exploratory factor analysis showed that the first factor explained 64.5% of the total variance. Data did not well fit to previously reported one- or three-factor structures. Psychological violence and harassment at work were more frequent among older respondents. Intensity of psychological violence was well concordant with other scales of workplace bullying, i.e., Leymann Inventory of Psychological Terrorization (LIPT) and Negative Acts Questionnaire-Revised (NAQ-R), and psychological harassment at work was well concordant with the NAQ-R. The Japanese version of the IVAPT showed high internal consistency reliability. While the first factor explained a large proportion of the variance, the IVAPT seems to have a unique factor structure in the Japanese sample. Concurrent validity of the IVAPT was supported by the comparison with the other scales.

Machiavellianism in Japan: A Longitudinal Study.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dien, Dora Shu-Fang; Fujisawa, Hitoshi

1979-01-01

Middle class Japanese children whose willingness to cheat in a game had been observed at age four were administered a version of a Machiavellianism scale seven years later. Developmental changes in Machiavellianism, sex differences, and belief behavior congruency were considered in the Japanese cultural context. (Author/GC)

The reliability and validity of the Japanese version of the Appraisal of Diabetes Scale for type 2 diabetes patients.

PubMed

Hara, Yoriko; Koyama, Satoshi; Morinaga, Toru; Ito, Hisao; Kohno, Shusuke; Hirai, Hiroyuki; Kikuchi, Toshio; Tsuda, Toru; Ichino, Isao; Takei, Satoko; Yamada, Kentaro; Tsuboi, Koji; Breugelmans, Raoul; Ishihara, Yoko

2011-01-01

An appropriate questionnaire for measurement of the psychological burden of self-management or behavior modification in type-2 diabetes patients has yet to be developed in Japan. This study was conducted to test the reliability and validity of the Japanese version of the Appraisal of Diabetes Scale (ADS). the study enrolled 346 Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes: 200 men and 146 women who were 63.2 ± 10.1 and 62.2 ± 11.9 years of age and had HbA1c levels of 6.9 ± 1.2% and 7.3 ± 1.9%, respectively. the questionnaire was divided into three components: "Psychological impact of diabetes", "Sense of self-control", and "Efforts for symptom management". Cronbach's alpha was 0.746-0.628. Significant correlations were observed between "Sense of self-control" and self-managed dietary and exercise behaviors and HbA1c levels; between "Psychological impact of diabetes" and various treatments, symptoms causing anxiety, and HbA1c levels; and between "Efforts for symptom management" and dietary and nutritional behaviors. The questionnaire showed better evidence of internal consistency, test-retest reliability and validity. our results suggested that the Japanese version of ADS may be a useful tool for the quick assessment of common anxieties and motivation toward treatment in patients with type 2 diabetes. 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Quality of life in patients with Japanese cedar pollinosis: using the SF-8 health status questionnaire (Japanese version)].

PubMed

Fujii, Tsukasa; Ogino, Satoshi; Arimoto, Hiroe; Irifune, Morihiro; Iwata, Nobuko; Ookawachi, Ichiro; Kikumori, Hiroshi; Seo, Ritsu; Takeda, Mariko; Tamaki, Akiko; Baba, Kenji; Nose, Michihiro

2006-10-01

The number of patients with Japanese cedar pollinosis (JCP) is increasing, and now, has extended up to about 15% of the Japanese. It is reported that the QOL is an important outcome in the JCP treatment. This study aimed to evaluate the QOL in patients with JCP by means of the SF-8 Health Survey (Japanese Version), a new, even shorter generic health survey. 411 patients with JCP who visited 10 ENT clinics in Osaka from March 14 to March 26 (peak pollen season) were questioned, and 204 patients without any treatments in this season were engaged in this study as subjects. In this study, the QOL scores were evaluated using the SF-8. This is an 8-item version of the SF-36 that yields a comparable 8-dimension health profile and comparable estimates of summary scores for the physical and mental components of health. The QOL score depressed in the patients with JCP compared with healthy subjects (Japanese national norms). Both Mental Component Score (MCS) and Physical Component Score (PCS) scores decreased more in females than in males. In females, MCS were significantly lower than national norms. The older the patients were, the lower PCS scores were showed. The severity of nasal symptoms influenced the PCS scores. These results showed the tendency similar to the early studies using SF-36 questionnaire. The sensitivity of SF-8 in the individual is not better than that of other specific QOL questionnaires, but SF-8 can be answered in a short time compared with other questionnaires including SF-36. We suggested that SF-8 become a useful questionnaire in the future.

Astragaloside IV improves lipid metabolism in obese mice by alleviation of leptin resistance and regulation of thermogenic network

PubMed Central

Wu, Hui; Gao, Yan; Shi, Hai-Lian; Qin, Li-Yue; Huang, Fei; Lan, Yun-Yi; Zhang, Bei-Bei; Hu, Zhi-Bi; Wu, Xiao-Jun

2016-01-01

Obesity is a worldwide threat to public health in modern society, which may result from leptin resistance and disorder of thermogenesis. The present study investigated whether astragaloside IV (ASI) could prevent obesity in high-fat diet (HFD)-fed and db/db mice. In HFD-fed mice, ASI prevented body weight gain, lowered serum triglyceride and total cholesterol levels, mitigated liver lipid accumulation, reduced fat tissues and decreased the enlargement of adipose cells. In metabolic chambers, ASI lessened appetite of the mice, decreased their respiratory exchange ratio and elevated VCO2 and VO2 without altering circadian motor activity. Moreover, ASI modulated thermogenesis associated gene expressions in liver and brawn fat tissues, as well as leptin resistance evidenced by altered expressions of leptin, leptin receptor (ObR) or appetite associated genes. In SH-SY5Y cells, ASI enhanced leptin signaling transduction. However, in db/db mice, ASI did not change body weight gain and appetite associated genes. But it decreased serum triglyceride and total cholesterol levels as well as liver triglyceride. Meanwhile, it significantly modulated gene expressions of PPARα, PGC1-α, UCP2, ACC, SCD1, LPL, AP2, CD36 and SREBP-1c. Collectively, our study suggested that ASI could efficiently improve lipid metabolism in obese mice probably through enhancing leptin sensitivity and modulating thermogenic network. PMID:27444146

Cognitive function in middle-aged and older adults participating in synchronized swimming-exercise.

PubMed

Maeshima, Etsuko; Okumura, Yuka; Tatsumi, Juri; Tomokane, Sayaka; Ikeshima, Akiko

2017-01-01

[Purpose] The purpose of the present study was to examine cognitive function in middle-aged and older adults regularly engaging in synchronized swimming-exercise. [Subjects and Methods] Twenty-three female synchronized swimmers ranging in age from 49 to 85 years were recruited for the present study. The duration of synchronized swimming experience ranged from 1 to 39 years. The control group consisted of 36 age- and gender-matched community-dwelling middle-aged and older adults (age range: 49 to 77 years). Cognitive function was evaluated using the Japanese version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA-J) and compared between the synchronized swimmers and control participants. [Results] No significant differences in mean total MoCA-J scores were observed between the synchronized swimmers and control participants (23.2 ± 3.1 and 22.2 ± 3.6, respectively). Twenty-nine subjects in the control group and 17 in the synchronized swimming group scored below 26 on the MoCA-J, indicative of mild cognitive impairment. Significant differences in delayed recall-but not in visuospatial/executive function, naming, attention, language, abstraction, or orientation-were also observed between the two groups. [Conclusion] The results of the present study suggest that synchronized swimming has beneficial effects on cognitive function, particularly with regard to recent memory.

A Preliminary Exercise Study of Japanese Version of High-intensity Interval Aerobic Training (J-HIAT)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matsuo, Tomoaki; Seino, Satoshi; Ohkawara, Kazunori; Tanaka, Kiyoji; Yamada, Shin; Ohshima, Hiroshi; Mukai, Chiaki

In a microgravity environment, the volume load on the left ventricle is reduced and the cardiac function deteriorates.Consequently, maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max) decreases during spaceflight. Reduced cardiac function can lead to serious health problems such as cardiac atrophy, diastolic dysfunction, and orthostatic hypotension. An exercise using a bicycle ergometer during spaceflight may help to increase the volume load on the left ventricle. On the other hand, many astronauts also experience weight loss during spaceflight because energy imbalances can occur. Some researchers indicate that excessive exercise may promote the energy deficit and have a negative impact on long-term spaceflight. Therefore, we have been devising an original bicyle erogometer protocol better suited to astronauts experiencing long-term spaceflight.One of our candidate protocols is the 3 × 3 protocol named J-HIAT, i.e., three times 3-min intervals with a 2-min active recovery period between intervals. In response to our preliminary experiments, we concluded that J-HIAT would be a potential protocol to control the increase of energy consumption and to have a significant impact on VO2max and the cardiac function. To further verify this method, we are working on full-scale experiments. In future, we will show the results of these experiments.

Effect of aromatherapy on patients with Alzheimer's disease.

PubMed

Jimbo, Daiki; Kimura, Yuki; Taniguchi, Miyako; Inoue, Masashi; Urakami, Katsuya

2009-12-01

Recently, the importance of non-pharmacological therapies for dementia has come to the fore. In the present study, we examined the curative effects of aromatherapy in dementia in 28 elderly people, 17 of whom had Alzheimer's disease (AD). After a control period of 28 days, aromatherapy was performed over the following 28 days, with a wash out period of another 28 days. Aromatherapy consisted of the use of rosemary and lemon essential oils in the morning, and lavender and orange in the evening. To determine the effects of aromatherapy, patients were evaluated using the Japanese version of the Gottfries, Brane, Steen scale (GBSS-J), Functional Assessment Staging of Alzheimer's disease (FAST), a revised version of Hasegawa's Dementia Scale (HDS-R), and the Touch Panel-type Dementia Assessment Scale (TDAS) four times: before the control period, after the control period, after aromatherapy, and after the washout period. All patients showed significant improvement in personal orientation related to cognitive function on both the GBSS-J and TDAS after therapy. In particular, patients with AD showed significant improvement in total TDAS scores. Result of routine laboratory tests showed no significant changes, suggesting that there were no side-effects associated with the use of aromatherapy. Results from Zarit's score showed no significant changes, suggesting that caregivers had no effect on the improved patient scores seen in the other tests. In conclusion, we found aromatherapy an efficacious non-pharmacological therapy for dementia. Aromatherapy may have some potential for improving cognitive function, especially in AD patients.

Characteristics of communication among Japanese children with autism spectrum disorder: A cluster analysis using the Children's Communication Checklist-2.

PubMed

Tanaka, Sanae; Oi, Manabu; Fujino, Hiroshi; Kikuchi, Mitsuru; Yoshimura, Yuko; Miura, Yui; Tsujii, Masatsugu; Ohoka, Harue

2017-01-01

Some overlap has been suggested among the subtypes of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in children. The Japanese version of the Children's Communication Checklist-2 (CCC-2) is a useful measure for identifying profiles in relation to communication impairments in children with ASD. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the CCC-2 could identify subtypes in relation to communication impairments in Japanese children with ASD. The study participants were 113 children with ASD but without intellectual disabilities aged 3-12 years. Parents were given the Japanese version of the CCC-2 and asked to rate their children, who were then classified into two groups based on statistical analysis. Significant differences were found between clusters in mean CCC-2 subscales. These results suggest that one subtype was associated with low language competence and strong characteristics of autism, while the other was associated with relatively high language competence and milder characteristics of autism.

Assessing Thinking Skills in Astro 101: Do We Make an Impact?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bruning, D.

2005-12-01

Most instructors agree that a major goal of "Astronomy 101" is to develop thinking skills in our students (Partridge and Greenstein, AER 2, 46, 2003). Much educational research in astronomy has initially concentrated on "best practices" for improving student learning (development of "think-pair-share", lecture tutorials, peer tutoring, etc.). Little has been done to date to assess our efforts to improve student thinking skills and students' desire to think more deeply about the cognitively rich ideas offered in the typical astronomy class. This study surveys several astronomy and physics courses to determine whether general analytical thinking skills increase because of the science course and whether students' attitudes toward cognition improve. Cacioppo, Petty and Kao's "Need for Cognition" scale is used for the latter assessment (J. Personality Assessment 48, 306, 1984). A shortened version of Whimbey and Lochhead's ASI skills instrument is used to assess analytical skills ("Problem Solving and Comprehension," 1986). Preliminary results suggest that students need for cognition does not change in general, although there may be a correlation between increasing need for cognition and improvement in grades through the semester. There is a suggestion that need for cognition is slightly predictive of course performance, but a greater correlation exists between the post-course survey and grades. Gains in general analytical skills have been seen in initial surveys, but correlations with course performance appear elusive.

Impacts of Japanese Colonialism on State and Economic Development in Korea and Taiwan, and Its Implications for Democracy

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-06-01

Ibid., 262–263. 7 John Lonsdale, review of African Perspectives on Colonialism, by A. Adu Boahen, The Journal of African History 91, 3 (1988): 556. 8...81 T . J. Pempel. “Bureaucracy in Japan.” Political Science and Politics, 25, 1(March 1992), 19. 82 Joel Migdal. “The...Bureaucracy and Economic Development in Japan.” Asian Survey, 5, 11, (November 1965), 531. 93 T . J. Pempel and Michio Muramatsu. “The Japanese

Potential Influence of Arctic Sea Ice to the Inter-annual Variations of East Asian Spring Precipitation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Xinxin; Wu, Zhiwei; Li, Yanjie

2016-04-01

Arctic sea ice (ASI) and its potential climatic impacts have received increasing attention during the past decades, yet the relevant mechanisms are far from being understood, particularly on how anomalous ASI affects climate in midlatitudes. The spring precipitation takes up as much as 30% of the annual total and has significant influences to agriculture in East Asia. Here, observed evidence and numerical experiment results manifest that the ASI variability in the Norwegian Sea and the Barents Sea in preceding winter is intimately connected with interannual variations of the East Asian spring precipitation (EAP). The former can explain about 14% of the total variances of the latter. The ASI anomalies persist from winter through the ensuing spring and excite downstream tele-connections of a distinct Rossby wave train prevailing over the Eurasian continent. For the reduced ASI, such a wave train pattern is usually associated with an anomalous low pressure center over Mongolian Plateau, which accelerates the East Asian subtropical westerly jet. The intensified subtropical westerly jet, concurrent with lower-level convergence and upper-level divergence, enhances the local convection and consequently favors rich spring precipitation over East Asia. For the excessive ASI, the situation tends to be opposite. Given that seasonal prediction of the EAP remains a challenging issue, the winter ASI variability may provide another potential predictability source besides El Niño-Southern Oscillation.

Ascites Index - a novel technique to evaluate ascites in ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome: a concept-proof study.

PubMed

Szkodziak, Piotr Robert; Czuczwar, Piotr; Wrona, Wojciech; Paszkowski, Tomasz; Szkodziak, Filip; Woźniak, Sławomir

2018-01-01

Controlled ovarian hyperstimulation is an important step in infertility treatment. In some cases, however, ovar-ian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) can occur. In its severe forms, ascites is likely to develop, associated with dyspnea. The aim of this study was to explore the usefulness of Ascites Index (AsI), a new tool for quantitative determination of ascites in patients with OHSS, to obtain data for planning further trials. Twelve patients with OHSS and ascites were included in the study. All patients were admitted to the hospital because of abdominal pain and dyspnea due to increasing ascites. Ultrasound measurements of ascites extent were performed in four external quadrants of the abdomen. Pockets of free fluid were measured. The obtained values were totaled, forming the Ascites Index (AsI), similarly to the amniotic fluid index. Because of dyspnea, paracentesis was performed in all cases. Median AsI at which patients reported dyspnea was 29.0 cm (range 21.6-38.6 cm). At AsI values less than 21.6 cm, no dyspnea was observed in any of the 12 studied patients. To avoid complications, 2000 mL of ascitic fluid was collected in each patient. After paracentesis, range of AsI decreased to 12.1-14.5 cm. The proposed AsI seems to be a promising tool for estimating and monitoring the ascites extent in OHSS. It can be estimated using basic ultrasound equipment. AsI requires further studies for standardization and transferability to other causes of ascites.

Psychometric properties of the Japanese version of short forms of the Pain Catastrophizing Scale in participants with musculoskeletal pain: A cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Nishigami, Tomohiko; Mibu, Akira; Tanaka, Katsuyoshi; Yamashita, Yuh; Watanabe, Akihisa; Tanabe, Akihito

2017-03-01

The Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS) is a commonly used as measure of pain catastrophizing. The scale comprises 13 items related to magnification, rumination, and helplessness. To facilitate quick screening and to reduce participant's burden, the four-item and six-item short forms of the English version of the PCS were developed. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of a Japanese version of the short forms of PCS using a contemporary approach called Rasch analysis. A total of 216 patients with musculoskeletal disorders were recruited in this study. Participants completed study measures, which included the pain intensity, the Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS), and the Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia (TSK). Furthermore, the four-item (items 3, 6, 8, and 11) and six-item (items 4, 5, 6, 10, 11, and 13) short forms of the Japanese version of PCS were measured. We used Rasch analysis to analyze the psychometric properties of the original, four-item, and six-item short forms of PCS. Rasch analysis showed that both short forms of PCS had acceptable internal consistency, unidimensionality, and no notable DIF and were functional on the category rating scale. However, four-item short form of PCS had two misfit items. Six-item short form of PCS has acceptable psychometric properties and is suitable for use in participants with musculoskeletal pain. Thus, six-item can be used as brief instruments to evaluate pain catastrophizing. Copyright © 2016 The Japanese Orthopaedic Association. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Onboard photo: Japanese Payload Specialist Dr. Mamoru Mohri at work in Spacelab-J module

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1992-01-01

Space Shuttle Endeavour (STS-47) onboard photo of Japanese Payload Specialist Dr. Mamoru Mohri participating in Comparative Measurement of Visual Stability in Earth Cosmic Space experiment to learn more about Space Adaptation Syndrome (SAS).

Aerosol Correction for Improving OMPS/LP Ozone Retrieval

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chen, Zhong; Bhartia, Pawan K.; Loughman, Robert

2015-01-01

The Ozone Mapping and Profiler Suite Limb Profiler (OMPS-LP) on board the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (SNPP) satellite was launched on Oct. 28, 2011. Limb profilers measures the radiance scattered from the Earth's atmospheric in limb viewing mode from 290 to 1000 nm and infer ozone profiles from tropopause to 60 km. The recently released OMPS-LP Version 2 data product contains the first publicly released ozone profiles retrievals, and these are now available for the entire OMPS mission, which extends from April, 2012. The Version 2 data product retrievals incorporate several important improvements to the algorithm. One of the primary changes is to turn off the aerosol retrieval module. The aerosol profiles retrieved inside the ozone code was not helping the ozone retrieval and was adding noise and other artifacts. Aerosols including polar stratospheric cloud (PSC) and polar mesospheric clouds (PMC) have a detectable effect on OMPS-LP data. Our results show that ignoring the aerosol contribution would produce an ozone density bias of up to 10 percent in the region of maximum aerosol extinction. Therefore, aerosol correction is needed to improve the quality of the retrieved ozone concentration profile. We provide Aerosol Scattering Index (ASI) for detecting aerosols-PMC-PSC, defined as ln(Im-Ic) normalized at 45km, where Im is the measured radiance and Ic is the calculated radiance assuming no aerosols. Since ASI varies with wavelengths, latitude and altitude, we can start by assuming no aerosol profiles in calculating the ASIs and then use the aerosol profile to see if it significantly reduces the residuals. We also discuss the effect of aerosol size distribution on the ozone profile retrieval process. Finally, we present an aerosol-PMC-PSC correction scheme.

Cultural adaptation: translatability assessment and linguistic validation of the patient-reported outcome instrument for irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea.

PubMed

Delgado-Herrera, Leticia; Lasch, Kathryn; Popielnicki, Ana; Nishida, Akito; Arbuckle, Rob; Banderas, Benjamin; Zentner, Susan; Gagainis, Ingrid; Zeiher, Bernhardt

2016-01-01

Following a 2009 US Food and Drug Administration guidance, a new patient-reported outcome (PRO) instrument was developed to support end points in multinational clinical trials assessing irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea (IBS-D) symptom severity. Our objective was to assess the translatability of the IBS-D PRO instrument into ten languages, and subsequently perform a cultural adaptation/linguistic validation of the questionnaire into Japanese and US Spanish. Translatability assessments of the US English version of the IBS-D PRO were performed by experienced PRO translators who were native speakers of each target language and currently residing in target-language countries. Languages were Chinese (People's Republic of China), Dutch (the Netherlands), French (Belgium), German (Germany), Japanese (Japan), Polish (Poland), Portuguese (Brazil), Russian (Russia), Spanish (Mexico), and Spanish (US). The project team assessed the instrument to identify potential linguistic and/or cultural adaptation issues. After the issues identified were resolved, the instrument was translated into Spanish (US) and Japanese through a process of two forward translations, one reconciled translation, and one backward translation. The project team reviewed the translated versions before the instruments were evaluated by cognitive debriefing interviews with samples of five Spanish (US) and five Japanese IBS-D patients. Linguistic and cultural adaptation concerns identified during the translatability assessment required minor revisions, mainly the presentation of dates/times and word structure. During the cognitive debriefing interviews, two of five Spanish respondents misunderstood the term "bowel movement" to mean only diarrhea in the Spanish version. Consequently, the term was changed from "movimiento intestinal" to "evacuaciones". None of the Japanese respondents identified issues with the Japanese version. The translatability of the IBS-D PRO instrument into ten target languages was confirmed, with only minor changes made to the translations of the instrument. The translation and linguistic validation into Spanish (US) and Japanese provide evidence that this instrument can be used in multinational trials and clinical settings.

Cathepsin B expression in prostate cancer of native Japanese and Japanese-American patients: an immunohistochemical study.

PubMed

Sinha, Akhouri A; Morgan, Jenifer L; Betre, Konjit; Wilson, Michael J; Le, Chap; Marks, Leonard S

2008-01-01

Japanese-American (J-A) men who have immigrated to the U.S.A. and acquired the Western lifestyle usually have more invasive prostate cancer (PCa) than native Japanese (NJ) living in Japan. The specific reasons for these differences remain unknown. The objective of this study was to examine immunostainings of cathepsin B (CB) and its endogenous inhibitor stefin A (SA) in tissue microarray (TMA) and radical prostatectomy (RP) tissue sections in the hope of obtaining insights into the invasiveness of PCa in Japanese patients. TMA and RP sections were evaluated in 50 men (25 NJ and 25 J-A) for CB and SA reaction products. The CB and SA immunostainings were imaged directly from microscope slides to a computer using a high performance charge coupled device (CCD) digital camera, quantified using Metamorph software, analyzed using the two-sample t-test, and confirmed by multiple regression analysis. The CB and SA proteins were localized in the carcinomatous glands and isolated cancer cells in the TMA and RP sections. The Gleason scores and pre-surgery serum total prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels did not differ significantly in the NJ and J-A patients (p = 0.14, p = 0.16, respectively). The Chi-square analysis of clinical stage versus place of birth showed that the NJ patients had significantly more T2a and T2b clinical stages than the J-A patients who had more advanced T2c and T3a stages (p = 0.003). The CB and SA immunostainings and their ratios in Gleason score 6 tumors did not show any difference, but the CB:SA ratios in score > or = 7 tumors approached significance levels. The overall matching of specimens according to the Gleason grade/score, pre-RP serum total PSA levels, clinical stage and age prior to evaluation of immunostainings greatly minimizes subjectivity associated with the evaluation of markers in this ethnic sub-population of PCa patients. CB and SA immunostaining is similar in Japanese patients who have organ-confined and moderately-differentiated PCa. Analysis of the reaction product data provides indirect evidence that invasiveness of PCa is similar in the two Japanese patient populations.

Ataque de nervios: relationship to anxiety sensitivity and dissociation predisposition.

PubMed

Hinton, Devon E; Chong, Roberto; Pollack, Mark H; Barlow, David H; McNally, Richard J

2008-01-01

We investigated the relative importance of "fear of arousal symptoms" (i.e., anxiety sensitivity) and "dissociation tendency" in generating ataque de nervios. Puerto Rican patients attending an outpatient psychiatric clinic were assessed for ataque de nervios frequency in the previous month, and they completed the Anxiety Sensitivity Index (ASI) and the Dissociation Experiences Scale (DES). ASI scores were especially high in the ataque-positive group (M=41.6, SD=12.8) as compared with the ataque-negative group (M=27.2, SD=11.7), t(2, 68)=4.6, P<.001. Among the whole sample (N=70), in a logistic regression analysis, the ASI significantly predicted (odds ratio=2.6) the presence of ataque de nervios, but the DES did not. In a linear regression analysis, ataque severity was significantly predicted by both the ASI (beta=.46) and the DES (beta=.29). The theoretical and clinical implications of the strong relationship of the ASI to ataque severity are discussed.

Ionic ASi{sub 2}N{sub 3} (A=Li, Na, K and Rb) stabilized by the covalent Si–N bonding: First-principles calculations

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zhang, Huijun; Ren, Jiadong, E-mail: jdren@ysu.edu.cn; Wu, Lailei

The structural, elastic and electronic properties of LiSi{sub 2}N{sub 3} and its substitutions by Na, K and Rb were investigated through first-principles computations. The expansion of lattice parameters of ASi{sub 2}N{sub 3} from Li, Na, K to Rb is found to be determined by the bond angle of Si–N1–Si, which suggests a possible way to improve the lithium ionic conductivity by substitutions. ASi{sub 2}N{sub 3} (A=Li, Na, K and Rb) shows the similar elastic behaviors, while the electronic band gap gradually decreases from 5.1 to 3.4 eV from LiSi{sub 2}N{sub 3} to RbSi{sub 2}N{sub 3}. Interestingly, the analysis of electronicmore » structure, crystal orbital Hamiltonian populations and Bader charges shows that the covalence of Si–N bonding is critical for the stability of ASi{sub 2}N{sub 3} phase. Among ASi{sub 2}N{sub 3} phases, there is a relatively high ionicity in NaSi{sub 2}N{sub 3}; the Si–N bond strength in [Si{sub 2}N{sub 3}]{sup −} net for KSi{sub 2}N{sub 3} and RbSi{sub 2}N{sub 3} is comparable to LiSi{sub 2}N{sub 3}, but stronger than NaSi{sub 2}N{sub 3}. - Graphic abstract: Universal trend of structural and electronic properties in alkaline metal silicon nitrides, ASi{sub 2}N{sub 3}, A=Li, Na, K and Rb. - Highlights: • Trend in structure, electronic and mechanical properties of ASi{sub 2}N{sub 3} (A=Li-Rb) were predicted. • Lattice expansion of ASi{sub 2}N{sub 3} induced by the bond angle of Si–N1–Si was found. • Calculated band gap decreases from 5.1 to 3.4 eV from LiSi{sub 2}N{sub 3} to RbSi{sub 2}N{sub 3}. • Covalent Si–N bonding is critical for the stability of ASi{sub 2}N{sub 3}.« less

Monoamines differentially modulate neuropeptide release from distinct sites within a single neuron pair

PubMed Central

Oakes, Mitchell; Mills, Holly; Komuniecki, Richard

2018-01-01

Monoamines and neuropeptides often modulate the same behavior, but monoaminergic-peptidergic crosstalk remains poorly understood. In Caenorhabditis elegans, the adrenergic-like ligands, tyramine (TA) and octopamine (OA) require distinct subsets of neuropeptides in the two ASI sensory neurons to inhibit nociception. TA selectively increases the release of ASI neuropeptides encoded by nlp-14 or nlp-18 from either synaptic/perisynaptic regions of ASI axons or the ASI soma, respectively, and OA selectively increases the release of ASI neuropeptides encoded by nlp-9 asymmetrically, from only the synaptic/perisynaptic region of the right ASI axon. The predicted amino acid preprosequences of genes encoding either TA- or OA-dependent neuropeptides differed markedly. However, these distinct preprosequences were not sufficient to confer monoamine-specificity and additional N-terminal peptide-encoding sequence was required. Collectively, our results demonstrate that TA and OA specifically and differentially modulate the release of distinct subsets of neuropeptides from different subcellular sites within the ASIs, highlighting the complexity of monoaminergic/peptidergic modulation, even in animals with a relatively simple nervous system. PMID:29723289

Factor structure of the Japanese version of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale in the postpartum period.

PubMed

Kubota, Chika; Okada, Takashi; Aleksic, Branko; Nakamura, Yukako; Kunimoto, Shohko; Morikawa, Mako; Shiino, Tomoko; Tamaji, Ai; Ohoka, Harue; Banno, Naomi; Morita, Tokiko; Murase, Satomi; Goto, Setsuko; Kanai, Atsuko; Masuda, Tomoko; Ando, Masahiko; Ozaki, Norio

2014-01-01

The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) is a widely used screening tool for postpartum depression (PPD). Although the reliability and validity of EPDS in Japanese has been confirmed and the prevalence of PPD is found to be about the same as Western countries, the factor structure of the Japanese version of EPDS has not been elucidated yet. 690 Japanese mothers completed all items of the EPDS at 1 month postpartum. We divided them randomly into two sample sets. The first sample set (n = 345) was used for exploratory factor analysis, and the second sample set was used (n = 345) for confirmatory factor analysis. The result of exploratory factor analysis indicated a three-factor model consisting of anxiety, depression and anhedonia. The results of confirmatory factor analysis suggested that the anxiety and anhedonia factors existed for EPDS in a sample of Japanese women at 1 month postpartum. The depression factor varies by the models of acceptable fit. We examined EPDS scores. As a result, "anxiety" and "anhedonia" exist for EPDS among postpartum women in Japan as already reported in Western countries. Cross-cultural research is needed for future research.

Japanese version of the Family Dermatology Life Quality Index: Translation and validation.

PubMed

Higaki, Yuko; Tanaka, Masaru; Futei, Yuko; Kamo, Toshiko; Basra, Mohammad Khurshid Azam; Finlay, Andrew Yule

2017-08-01

Skin conditions affect the quality of life (QoL) of patients and their family. To assess family members' QoL, a questionnaire uniquely designed for family members is necessary. We translated the Family Dermatology Life Quality Index (FDLQI), originally created and validated by Basra et al., into Japanese, and evaluated its reliability and validity. For psychometric evaluations, 150 dermatology patients and their family members were included. The Japanese version of the FDLQI showed high test-retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.95) and internal consistency reliability (Cronbach's alpha = 0.86). FDLQI scores significantly correlated with DLQI scores (r = 0.58, P < 0.01, Spearman's rho) and global question (GQ) which measured the patient's skin condition on a visual analog scale (r = 0.36, P < 0.01). Family members of patients with inflammatory skin diseases showed higher FDLQI scores than those with isolated lesions, but the difference was not statistically significant (P = 0.062, Mann-Whitney U-test). Responsiveness to change was demonstrated in a group in which the patient's skin condition was assessed as improved (n = 37, r = 0.46, P < 0.01) but not in that in which it became worse. The difference of the change between the two groups was statistically significant (P < 0.01). Additionally, the change in FDLQI scores and GQ were significantly correlated (r = 0.40, P < 0.01). Exploratory factor analysis suggested essential unidimensionality of the instrument. We showed acceptable validity and responsiveness of this Japanese version of FDLQI. Further clinical epidemiological studies are required to confirm this. © 2017 Japanese Dermatological Association.

Association of physical activity with the visuospatial/executive functions of the montreal cognitive assessment in patients with vascular cognitive impairment.

PubMed

Ihara, Masafumi; Okamoto, Yoko; Hase, Yoshiki; Takahashi, Ryosuke

2013-10-01

The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) is more suitable than the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) for the detection of vascular cognitive impairment. In this study, we performed a correlation analysis of MoCA/MMSE scores with daily physical activity in patients with subcortical ischemic white matter changes. Ten patients (average 75.9 ± 9.1 years old) with extensive leukoaraiosis detected on magnetic resonance imaging underwent cognitive testing, including the MMSE and the Japanese version of the MoCA (MoCA-J). Physical activity was monitored with the Kenz Lifecorder EX device (Suzuken, Nagoya, Japan) to assess daily physical activity in terms of caloric expenditure, motor activity, number of steps, and walking distance for 6 months. Correlations of individual physical activity with total and subscale scores of MMSE/MoCA-J or 6-month interval change of MoCA-J scores were assessed. The total or subscale scores of the MMSE did not correlate with any parameters of physical activity. However, the mean number of steps and walking distance significantly correlated with the total MoCA-J scores (r = .67 and .64, respectively) and its visuospatial/executive subscores (r = .66 and .66, respectively). The mean interval change of MoCA-J was + .6; those who improved number of steps (n = 4; 80.5 ± 3.0 years of age) had significantly preserved MoCA-J scores compared to those who did not (n = 6; 73.0 ± 11.6 years of age; +2.0 versus - .3; P = .016). These results suggest that MoCA is useful to detect a biologically determined specific relationship between physical activity and executive function. In addition, physical exercise, such as walking, may help enhance cognitive function in patients with vascular cognitive impairment of subcortical origin. Copyright © 2013 National Stroke Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Influence of family and school-level factors on age of sexual initiation.

PubMed

White, Candace N; Warner, Lynn A

2015-02-01

This study examined the association of individual, family, and school-level characteristics with age of sexual initiation (ASI) and focused specifically on school context as a moderator of known predictors of ASI. Data are from Waves I and IV of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (N = 10,596). Predictors include grade point average, physical development, attitudes about sex, likelihood of higher education, alcohol use, delinquency, family structure, parents' education level, childhood abuse, maternal approval of sex, parental monitoring, and parent-child relationship quality. School-level predictors are averages of adolescents' attitudes about sex and likelihood of higher education and parents' education. Hierarchical linear models run separately by sex were used to predict ASI. When school-level attitudes about sex are more favorable, both boys and girls report younger ASI, and school mean parental education attainment moderates the influence of individual adolescents' attitudes about sex on ASI. More of the predictors are significant for girls than boys, whereas perception of maternal and peer approval of sexual activity are the most salient predictors of younger ASI for boys. Results highlight the importance of school context for understanding adolescents' motivations for early ASI. Findings support the need for school-wide prevention interventions that engage adolescents, peers, and parents in addressing attitudes about early sex. Copyright © 2015 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Anxiety sensitivity and its importance in psychiatric disorders.

PubMed

Mantar, Atıl; Yemez, Beyazıt; Alkın, Tunç

2011-01-01

Anxiety sensitivity refers to the extent of beliefs that anxiety symptoms or arousal can have harmful consequences. There is growing evidence for anxiety sensitivity as a risk factor for anxiety disorders. Anxiety sensitivity is elevated in panic disorder as well as other anxiety disorders. It is thought to contribute to the maintenance and severity of anxiety symptoms. Studies have shown that anxiety sensitivity more specifically predicts the future occurrence of panic attacks. The Anxiety Sensitivity Index (ASI), which measures the construct of anxiety sensitivity, has three subscales, namely, the ASI-Physical subscale, ASI-Social subscale and ASI-Mental Incapacitation Concerns subscale. The dimension reflecting "fear of physical sensations" of anxiety sensitivity is the most predictive one of panic attacks and panic disorder. Research on the ASI has demonstrated that persons diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and social anxiety disorder all had ASI scores higher than normal controls. Depression was speculated to hold a positive correlation to high anxiety sensitivity scores. The relationships between anxiety sensitivity, alcohol and substance use disorders are still unknown. There is evidence that anxiety sensitivity is related with "drinking used as a way of coping". Since anxiety sensitivity is a cognitive construct, it should be taken into consideration when evaluating patients with anxiety and psychotherapeutic formulations.

Increasing Cultural Sensitivity of the Addiction Severity Index (ASI): An Example with Native Americans in North Dakota. Special Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carise, Deni; McLellan, A. Thomas

The Addiction Severity Index (ASI), used throughout the United States and other countries, is the most widely used assessment tool in the addictions field. It is a semi-structured assessment instrument designed for use with clients for substance abuse treatment. The ASI gathers information in seven important areas of a patient's life: medical,…

Relational coordination among home healthcare professions and goal attainment in nursing care.

PubMed

Sakai, Mahiro; Naruse, Takashi; Nagata, Satoko

2016-07-01

To examine whether interprofessional coordination is related to goal attainment in home visit nursing care. Self-administered questionnaire surveys were administered to home visit nursing agencies in Chiba Prefecture, Japan, from July to December 2014. Nurses evaluated their interprofessional coordination with professional groups (nursing colleague and managers, home doctors, care managers, home care workers, visiting therapists, day service and day care professionals, visiting bath professionals, and short stay professionals) using the Japanese version of the Relational Coordination Scale (RCS-J). Goal attainment across all clients during the most recent 3 months was measured with a rating scale ranging from incompletely attained (0) to completely attained (10). Data were analyzed with multivariate logistic regression analysis. A total of 83 nurses in 14 agencies responded, and data from 74 nurses were analyzed. The mean RCS-J and goal attainment scores were 3.59 (standard deviation = 0.47) and 6.51 (1.40), respectively. The RCS-J scores of the low and high goal attainment groups were 3.41 (0.46) and 3.73 (0.42), respectively. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that RCS-J scores were positively associated with goal attainment (odds ratio, 5.71; 95% confidence interval, 1.65-19.79). The finding of this study suggest that well-coordinated professionals may fulfill client needs better than poorly coordinated professionals do. Future research is needed to determine whether similar results are obtained in individual clients using a well-validated goal attainment scale. © 2016 Japan Academy of Nursing Science.

Transport phenomena in porous media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bear, Jacob; Corapcioglu, M. Yavuz

The Advanced Study Institute on Fundamentals of Transport Phenomena in Porous Media, held July 14-23, 1985 in Newark, Del. and directed by Jacob Bear (Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa) and M. Yavuz Corapcioglu (City College of New York), under the auspices of NATO, was a sequel to the NATO Advanced Study Institute (ASI) held in 1982 (proceedings published as Fundamentals of Transport Phenomena in Porous Media, J. Bear, and M.Y. Corapcioglu (Ed.), Martinus Nijhoff, Dordrecht, the Netherlands, 1984). The meeting was attended by 106 participants and lecturers from 21 countries.As in the first NATO/ASI, the objective of this meeting—which was a combination of a conference of experts and a teaching institute— was to present and discuss selected topics of transport in porous media. In selecting topics and lecturers, an attempt was made to bridge the gap that sometimes exists between research and practice. An effort was also made to demonstrate the unified approach to the transport of mass of a fluid phase, components of a fluid phase, momentum, and heat in a porous medium domain. The void space may be occupied by a single fluid phase or by a number of such phases; each fluid may constitute a multicomponent system; the solid matrix may be deformable; and the whole process of transport in the system may take place under nonisothermal conditions, with or without phase changes. Such phenomena are encountered in a variety of disciplines, e.g., petroleum engineering, civil engineering (in connection with groundwater flow and contamination), soil mechanics, and chemical engineering. One of the goals of the 1985 NATO/ASI, as in the 1982 institute, was to bring together experts from all these disciplines and enhance communication among them.

Graduate Student Blues: The Situation in Japan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pallos, Henrik; Yamada, Naoto; Okawa, Masako

2005-01-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of emotional disturbance among Japanese graduate students and the underlying factors of their emotional disturbance. We conducted a cross sectional survey using the Japanese version of the 30-item General Health Questionnaire at 31 graduate schools from 12 university campuses in and around…

Technicians at General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc., (GA-ASI) facility at Adelanto, Calif., ca

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2002-01-01

Technicians at General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc., (GA-ASI) facility at Adelanto, Calif., carefully thread control lines through a bulkhead during engine installation on NASA's Altair aircraft. General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc., is developing the Altair version of its Predator B unmanned reconnaissance aircraft under NASA's Environmental Research Aircraft and Sensor Technology (ERAST) project. NASA plans to use the Altair as a technology demonstrator to validate a variety of command and control technologies for UAVs, as well as demonstrate the capability to perform a variety of Earth science missions. The Altair is designed to carry an 700-lb. payload of scientific instruments and imaging equipment for as long as 32 hours at up to 52,000 feet altitude. Eleven-foot extensions have been added to each wing, giving the Altair an overall wingspan of 86 feet with an aspect ratio of 23. It is powered by a 700-hp. rear-mounted TPE-331-10 turboprop engine, driving a three-blade propeller. Altair is scheduled to begin flight tests in the fourth quarter of 2002, and be acquired by NASA following successful completion of basic airworthiness tests in early 2003 for evaluation of over-the-horizon control, detect, see and avoid and other technologies required to allow UAVs to operate safely with other aircraft in the national airspace.

Detailed analysis of the supermarket task included on the Japanese version of the Rapid Dementia Screening Test.

PubMed

Moriyama, Yasushi; Yoshino, Aihide; Muramatsu, Taro; Mimura, Masaru

2017-05-01

The supermarket task, which is included in the Japanese version of the Rapid Dementia Screening Test, requires the quick (1 min) generation of words for things that can be bought in a supermarket. Cluster size and switches are investigated during this task. We investigated how the severity of dementia related to cluster size and switches on the supermarket task in patients with Alzheimer's disease. We administered the Japanese version of the Rapid Dementia Screening Test to 250 patients with very mild to severe Alzheimer's disease and to 49 healthy volunteers. Patients had Mini-Mental State Examination scores from 12 to 26 and Clinical Dementia Rating scale scores from 0.5 to 3. Patients were divided into four groups based on their Clinical Dementia Rating score (0.5, 1, 2, 3). We performed statistical analyses between the four groups and control subjects based on cluster size and switch scores on the supermarket task. The score for cluster size and switches deteriorated according to the severity of dementia. Moreover, for subjects with a Clinical Dementia Rating score of 0.5, cluster size was impaired, but switches were intact. Our findings indicate that the scores for cluster size and switches on the supermarket task may be useful for detecting the severity of symptoms of dementia in patients with Alzheimer's disease. © 2016 The Authors. Psychogeriatrics © 2016 Japanese Psychogeriatric Society.

Proposed noncryogenic, nondrag-free test of the equivalence principle in space

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nobili, A. M.; Bramanti, D.; Catastini, G.; Polacco, E.; Genta, G.; Brusa, E.; Mitrofanov, V. P.; Bernard, A.; Touboul, P.; Cook, A. J.; Hough, J.; Roxburgh, I. W.; Polnarev, A.; Flury, W.; Barlier, F.; Marchal, C.

1998-04-01

Ever since Galileo scientists have known that all bodies fall with the same acceleration regardless of their mass and composition. Known as the Universality of Free Fall, this is the most direct experimental evidence of the Weak Equivalence Principle, a founding pillar of General Relativity according to which the gravitational (passive) mass mg and the inertial mass mi are always in the same positive ratio in all test bodies. A space experiment offers two main advantages: a signal about a factor of a thousand bigger than on Earth and the absence of weight. A new space mission named GALILEO GALILEI (GG) has been proposed (Nobili et al., 1995 [J. Astronautical Sciences, 43, 219]; GALILEO GALILEI (GG), PRE PHASE A REPORT, ASI (Agenzia Spaziale Italiana), September 1996) aimed at testing the weak Equivalence Principle (EP) to 1 part in 10 17 in a rapidly spinning (5 Hz) drag-free spacecraft at room temperature, the most recent ground experiments having reached the level of 10 -12 (Adelberger et al., 1990 [PhRvD, 42, 3267]; Su et al., 1994 [PhRvD, 50, 3614]). Here we present a nondrag-free version of GG which could reach a sensitivity of 1 part in 10 16. The main feature of GG is that, similarly to the most recent ground experiments, the expected (low frequency) signal is modulated at higher frequency by spinning the system, in this case by rotating the test bodies (in the shape of hollow cylinders) around their symmetry axes, the signal being in the perpendicular plane. They are mechanically suspended inside the spacecraft and have very low frequencies of natural oscillation (due to the weakness of the springs that can be used because of weightlessness) so as to allow self-centering of the axes; vibrational noise around the spin/signal frequency is attenuated by means of mechanical suspensions. The signal of an EP violation would appear at the spin frequency as a relative ( differential) displacement of the test masses perpendicularly to the spin axis, and be detected by capacitance sensors; thermal stability across the test masses and for the required integration time is obtained passively thanks to both the fast spin and the cylindrical symmetry. In the nondrag-free version the entire effect of atmospheric drag is retained, but a very accurate balancing of the test bodies must be ensured (through a coupled suspension) so as to reach a high level of Common Mode Rejection and reduce the differential effects of drag below the target sensitivity. In so doing the complexities of a drag-free spacecraft are avoided by putting more stringent requirements on the experiment. The spacecraft must have a high area-to-mass ratio in order to reduce the effects of nongravitational forces; it is therefore a natural choice to have three pairs of test masses (in three experimental chambers) rather than one as by Nobili et al. (1995) [J. Astronautical Sciences, 43, 219] and the mission called GALILEO GALILEI [PRE PHASE A REPORT, ASI (Agenzia Spaziale Italiana), September 1996]. The GG setup is specifically designed for space; however, a significant EP test on the ground is possible — because the signal is in the transverse plane — by exploiting the horizontal component of the gravitational and the centrifugal field of the Earth. This ground test is underway.

The Formal Pragmatics of Non-at-Issue Intensification in English and Japanese

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taniguchi, Ai

2017-01-01

This dissertation concerns the formal pragmatics of constructions in English and Japanese that are perceptively intensificative in their discourse function in some way. In particular I examine polarity emphasis (verum focus), exclamatives, and acts of notification and surprise in language using a compositional version of Farkas and Bruce (2010)'s…

A Nationwide Random Sampling Survey of Potential Complicated Grief in Japan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mizuno, Yasunao; Kishimoto, Junji; Asukai, Nozomu

2012-01-01

To investigate the prevalence of significant loss, potential complicated grief (CG), and its contributing factors, we conducted a nationwide random sampling survey of Japanese adults aged 18 or older (N = 1,343) using a self-rating Japanese-language version of the Complicated Grief Brief Screen. Among them, 37.0% experienced their most significant…

[Cross-cultural validated adaptation of dysfunctional voiding symptom score (DVSS) to Japanese language and cognitive linguistics in questionnaire for pediatric patients].

PubMed

Imamura, Masaaki; Usui, Tomoko; Johnin, Kazuyoshi; Yoshimura, Koji; Farhat, Walid; Kanematsu, Akihiro; Ogawa, Osamu

2014-07-01

Validated questionnaire for evaluation of pediatric lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) is of a great need. We performed cross-cultural validated adaptation of Dysfunctional Voiding Symptom Score (DVSS) to Japanese language, and assessed whether children understand and respond to questionnaire correctly, using cognitive linguistic approach. We translated DVSS into two Japanese versions according to a standard validation methodology: translation, synthesis, back-translation, expert review, and pre-testing. One version was written in adult language for parents, and the other was written in child language for children. Pre-testing was done with 5 to 15-year-old patients visiting us, having normal intelligence. A specialist in cognitive linguistics observed the response by children and parents to DVSS as an interviewer. When a child could not understand a question without adding or paraphrasing the question by the parents, it was defined as 'misidentification'. We performed pretesting with 2 trial versions of DVSS before having the final version. The pre-testing for the first trial version was done for 32 patients (male to female ratio was 19 : 13). The pre-testing for the second trial version was done for 11 patients (male to female ratio was 8 : 3). In DVSS in child language, misidentification was consistently observed for representation of time or frequency. We completed the formal validated translation by amending the problems raised in the pre-testing. The cross-cultural validated adaptation of DVSS to child and adult Japanese was completed. Since temporal perception is not fully developed in children, caution should be taken for using the terms related with time or frequency in the questionnaires for children.

Advancement of the Subjective Vitality Scale: examination of alternative measurement models for Japanese and Singaporeans.

PubMed

Kawabata, M; Yamazaki, F; Guo, D W; Chatzisarantis, N L D

2017-12-01

The Subjective Vitality Scale (SVS: Ryan & Frederick, 1997) is a 7-item self-report instrument to measure one's level of vitality and has been widely used in psychological studies. However, there have been discrepancies in which version of the SVS (7- or 6-item version) employed between as well as within researchers. Moreover, Item 5 seems not be a good indicator of vitality from a content validity perspective. Therefore, the present study aimed to evaluate the validity and reliability of the SVS for Japanese and Singaporeans rigorously by comparing 3 measurement models (5-, 6-, and 7-item models). To this end, the scale was first translated from English to Japanese and then the Japanese and English versions of the scale were administered to Japanese (n = 268) and Singaporean undergraduate students (n = 289), respectively. The factorial and concurrent validity of the three models were examined independently on each of the samples. Furthermore, the covariance stability of the vitality responses was assessed over a 4-week time period for another independent Japanese sample (n = 140). The findings from this study indicated that from methodological and content validity perspectives, the 5-item model is considered most preferable for both language versions of the SVS. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

[Development of a Japanese version of a short form of the Profile of Emotional Competence].

PubMed

Nozaki, Yuki; Koyasu, Masuo

2015-06-01

Emotional competence refers to individual differences in the ability to appropriately identity, understand, express, regulate, and utilize one's own emotions and those of others. This study developed a Japanese version of a short form of the Profile of Emotional Competence, a measure that allows the comprehensive assessment of intra- and interpersonal emotional competence with shorter items, and investigated its reliability and validity. In Study 1, we selected items for a short version and compared it with the full scale in terms of scores, internal consistency, and validity. In Study 2, we examined the short form's test-retest reliability. Results supported the original two-factor model and the measure had adequate reliability and validity. We discuss the construct validity and practical applicability of the short form of the Profile of Emotional Competence.

Optimized Varian aSi portal dosimetry: development of datasets for collective use.

PubMed

Van Esch, Ann; Huyskens, Dominique P; Hirschi, Lukas; Baltes, Christof

2013-11-04

Although much literature has been devoted to portal dosimetry with the Varian amorphous silicon (aSi) portal imager, the majority of the described methods are not routinely adopted because implementation procedures are cumbersome and not within easy reach of most radiotherapy centers. To make improved portal dosimetry solutions more generally available, we have investigated the possibility of converting optimized configurations into ready-to-use standardized datasets. Firstly, for all commonly used photon energies (6, 10, 15, 18, and 20 MV), basic beam data acquired on 20 aSi panels were used to assess the interpanel reproducibility. Secondly, a standardized portal dose image prediction (PDIP) algorithm configuration was created for every energy, using a three-step process to optimize the aSi dose response function and profile correction files for the dosimetric calibration of the imager panel. An approximate correction of the backscatter of the Exact arm was also incorporated. Thirdly, a set of validation fields was assembled to assess the accuracy of the standardized configuration. Variations in the basic beam data measured on different aSi panels very rarely exceeded 2% (2 mm) and are of the same order of magnitude as variations between different Clinacs when measuring in reference conditions in water. All studied aSi panels can hence be regarded as nearly identical. Standardized datasets were successfully created and implemented. The test package proved useful in highlighting possible problems and illustrating remaining limitations, but also in demonstrating the good overall results (95% pass rate for 3%,3 mm) that can be obtained. The dosimetric behavior of all tested aSi panels was found to be nearly identical for all tested energies. The approach of using standardized datasets was then successfully tested through the creation and evaluation of PDIP preconfigured datasets that can be used within the Varian portal dosimetry solution.

Evaluation of the Japanese Version of the Developmental Coordination Disorder Questionnaire as a Screening Tool for Clumsiness of Japanese Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nakai, Akio; Miyachi, Taishi; Okada, Ryo; Tani, Iori; Nakajima, Shunji; Onishi, Masafumi; Fujita, Chikako; Tsujii, Masatsugu

2011-01-01

Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) is characterized by clumsiness and coordination difficulties. DCD interferes with academic performance and participation in physical activities and psychosocial functions, such as self-esteem, cognition, or emotion, from childhood through adolescence to adulthood. DCD is a common pediatric condition and…

Experimental evidence for use of aluminum in zircon as a new tracer to distinguish peraluminous and metaluminous melts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Y.; Trail, D.

2017-12-01

Aluminum (Al) is the third most abundant rock-forming element in Earth's crust. It also substitutes into the zircon lattice as trace impurity. For zircons that lack parent rock information, e.g. Hadean zircon (>4.0 Ga), Al in zircon could be a potentially useful tool to investigate the formation and evolution of the parental magma. Aluminum saturation index (ASI; molar ratio of Al2O3/(CaO+Na2O+K2O)) is widely used to distinguish peraluminous rocks (ASI>1) from metaluminous rocks (ASI<1). We grew zircons in piston cylinder from granitic melts, with different ASI values but same temperature, pressure and water content. Synthetic zircons with variable sizes, as large as 20 µm, were observed under SEM and analyzed using LA-ICP-MS. Our analyses reveal that the Al content of zircons that crystalized from a peraluminous melt (ASI=1.25) is, on average, one magnitude higher than crystals from peralkaline melt (ASI=0.5), e.g., 100s of ppm, vs. 10s of ppm. This indicates that aluminum solubility in zircon is related to the ASI value of parental melt. This experimental result agrees with studies of natural zircons, where Al contents of peraluminous zircons ( 10 ppm) are an order of magnitude higher than zircons from metaluminous rocks ( 1.3 ppm) (Trail et al., 2017). We suggest that melts with ASI>1 can result in an elevated alumina activity, which leads to zircons with elevated Al contents. The notably higher Al concentration in experimental zircons (10s to 100s ppm), compared with natural zircons (1 to 10 ppm), could be explained by the much higher crystallization temperature, e.g., >1100°C vs. <900°C. Both field and experimental studies support the notion that a relationship exists between the Al content in zircon and the melt ASI value. This conclusion has several meaningful applications: 1) it may be used to infer source rock characteristics of Hadean zircons, and to shed light on the formation and evolution of the earliest crust; 2) it may provide additional constraints for detrital zircon provenance; 3) it may help explore the compositional evolution of magma differentiation.

Health-related quality of life in Japanese men with localized prostate cancer: assessment with the SF-8.

PubMed

Sugimoto, Mikio; Takegami, Misa; Suzukamo, Yoshimi; Fukuhara, Shunichi; Kakehi, Yoshiyuki

2008-06-01

To evaluate health related quality of life (HRQOL) using the Medical Outcomes Study 8-items Short Form Health Survey (SF-8) questionnaire in Japanese patients with early prostate cancer. A cross-sectional analysis was done in 457 patients with prostate cancer treated with radical prostatectomy, external beam radiotherapy, brachytherapy, androgen deprivation therapy, and watchful waiting or a combination these therapies. General HRQOL was measured using the Japanese version of the SF-8 questionnaire and disease-specific HRQOL was assessed using the Japanese version of the Extended Prostate Cancer Index Composite. The external beam radiotherapy group reported significantly lower values for the physical health component summary score (PCS) in comparison to the radical prostatectomy and brachytherapy groups (P < 0.05). In the analysis of both the PCS and the mental health component summary score (MCS) over time after treatment, higher scores with time were found in the radical prostatectomy group. No significant change over time after androgen deprivation therapy in the PCS was found. In contrast, the MCS was found to deteriorate in the early period, showing a significant increase over time. SF-8 in combination with the Extended Prostate Cancer Index Composite has shown to be a helpful tool in the HRQOL assessment of Japanese patients treated for localized prostate cancer.

Comparison of Opioid Prescribing Patterns in the United States and Japan: Primary Care Physicians' Attitudes and Perceptions.

PubMed

Onishi, Eriko; Kobayashi, Tadashi; Dexter, Eve; Marino, Miguel; Maeno, Tetsuhiro; Deyo, Richard A

2017-01-01

Far fewer opioids are prescribed in Japan than in the United States. We conducted an online physician survey assessing attitudes and perceptions that might influence prescribing. A Japanese version was distributed to members of the Japan Primary Care Association and an English version to members of the American Academy of Family Physicians practicing in Oregon. We received 461 Japanese responses and 198 from the United States, though overall response rates were low (Japan: 10.1%, United States: 18.5%). Japanese respondents reported far less opioid prescribing than US respondents, especially for acute pain (acute pain: 49.4% vs 97.0%; chronic pain: 63.7% vs 90.9%; P < .001 for both). Almost half of respondents from both countries indicated that patient expectations and satisfaction were important factors that influence prescribing. US respondents were significantly more likely to identify medical indication and legal expectation as reasons to prescribe opioids for acute pain. Most US respondents (95.4%) thought opioids were used too often, versus 6.6% of Japanese respondents. Lower opioid use was reported in Japan, especially for acute pain, which may help minimize long-term use. Patient expectations and satisfaction seem to influence opioid prescribing in both countries. The United States could learn from Japanese regulatory and cultural perspectives. © Copyright 2017 by the American Board of Family Medicine.

Robo-Sensei's NLP-Based Error Detection and Feedback Generation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nagata, Noriko

2009-01-01

This paper presents a new version of Robo-Sensei's NLP (Natural Language Processing) system which updates the version currently available as the software package "ROBO-SENSEI: Personal Japanese Tutor" (Nagata, 2004). Robo-Sensei's NLP system includes a lexicon, a morphological generator, a word segmentor, a morphological parser, a syntactic…

Factors that allow elderly individuals to stay at home with their families using the Japanese long-term care insurance system.

PubMed

Oyama, Yumiko; Tamiya, Nanako; Kashiwagi, Masayo; Sato, Mikiya; Ohwaki, Kazuhiro; Yano, Eiji

2013-07-01

This study examined the factors that allow elderly individuals to stay at home continuously by considering the roles of the family caregiver, the use of services and characteristics of the elderly individual. We analyzed 432 elderly individuals living at home with family. The outcome was that participants remained at home continuously over a 24-month period. The participants were stratified into two care-needs levels, and then multiple logistic regression analyses were carried out to examine relationships between staying at home and the Japanese version of the Zarit Burden Interview (J-ZBI), public Long-term Care Insurance (LTCI) service use, family caregivers' characteristics and elderly peoples' characteristics. Low scores on the J-ZBI were related to outcome in both care-needs subgroups (low care-needs subgroup: OR 2.11; 95% CI 1.31-3.43, high care-needs subgroup: OR 5.03; 95% CI 1.04-31.1). Regarding LTCI services, the use of home-visit nursing (HN) service was related to staying at home continuously in the high care-needs group (OR 37.39; 95% CI 3.31-879.1). Alleviation of caregiver' burden was essential for continuous stay at home of elderly people regardless of care-needs levels. Also, the HN service was founded as the relevant LTCI service factor for staying at home continuously. The HN service use might affect the outcome when we consider the causal relationship. Therefore, the policy for the promotion of HN service use will be important to achieve the ultimate goal of LTCI, which is to allow elderly people to live in their communities for as long as possible. © 2012 Japan Geriatrics Society.

Roma-BZCAT: a multifrequency catalogue of blazars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Massaro, E.; Giommi, P.; Leto, C.; Marchegiani, P.; Maselli, A.; Perri, M.; Piranomonte, S.; Sclavi, S.

2009-02-01

We present a new catalogue of blazars based on multifrequency surveys and on an extensive review of the literature. Blazars are classified as BL Lacertae objects, as flat spectrum radio quasars or as blazars of uncertain/transitional type. Each object is identified by a root name, coded as BZB, BZQ and BZU for these three subclasses respectively, and by its coordinates. This catalogue is being built as a tool useful for the identification of the extragalactic sources that will be detected by present and future experiments for X and gamma-ray astronomy, like Swift, AGILE, Fermi-GLAST and Simbol-X. An electronic version is available from the ASI Science Data Center web site at http://www.asdc.asi.it/bzcat.

Screening for Malnutrition in Community Dwelling Older Japanese: Preliminary Development and Evaluation of the Japanese Nutritional Risk Screening Tool (NRST).

PubMed

Htun, N C; Ishikawa-Takata, K; Kuroda, A; Tanaka, T; Kikutani, T; Obuchi, S P; Hirano, H; Iijima, K

2016-02-01

Early and effective screening for age-related malnutrition is an essential part of providing optimal nutritional care to older populations. This study was performed to evaluate the adaptation of the original SCREEN II questionnaire (Seniors in the Community: Risk Evaluation for Eating and Nutrition, version II) for use in Japan by examining its measurement properties and ability to predict nutritional risk and sarcopenia in community-dwelling older Japanese people. The ultimate objective of this preliminary validation study is to develop a license granted full Japanese version of the SCREEN II. The measurement properties and predictive validity of the NRST were examined in this cross-sectional study of 1921 community-dwelling older Japanese people. Assessments included medical history, and anthropometric and serum albumin measurements. Questions on dietary habits that corresponded to the original SCREEN II were applied to Nutritional Risk Screening Tool (NRST) scoring system. Nutritional risk was assessed by the Geriatric Nutrition Risk Index (GNRI) and the short form of the Mini-Nutritional Assessment (MNA-SF). Sarcopenia was diagnosed according to the criteria of the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People. The nutritional risk prevalences determined by the GNRI and MNA-SF were 5.6% and 34.7%, respectively. The prevalence of sarcopenia was 13.3%. Mean NRST scores were significantly lower in the nutritionally at-risk than in the well-nourished groups. Concurrent validity analysis showed significant correlations between NRST scores and both nutritional risk parameters (GNRI or MNA-SF) and sarcopenia. The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUC) of NRST for the prediction of nutritional risk were 0.635 and 0.584 as assessed by GNRI and MNA-SF, respectively. AUCs for the prediction of sarcopenia were 0.602 (NRST), 0.655 (age-integrated NRST), and 0.676 (age and BMI-integrated NRST). These results indicate that the NRST is a promising screening tool for the prediction of malnutrition and sarcopenia in community-dwelling older Japanese people. Further development of a full Japanese version of the SCREEN II is indicated.

Cultural adaptation: translatability assessment and linguistic validation of the patient-reported outcome instrument for irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea

PubMed Central

Delgado-Herrera, Leticia; Lasch, Kathryn; Popielnicki, Ana; Nishida, Akito; Arbuckle, Rob; Banderas, Benjamin; Zentner, Susan; Gagainis, Ingrid; Zeiher, Bernhardt

2016-01-01

Background and objective Following a 2009 US Food and Drug Administration guidance, a new patient-reported outcome (PRO) instrument was developed to support end points in multinational clinical trials assessing irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea (IBS-D) symptom severity. Our objective was to assess the translatability of the IBS-D PRO instrument into ten languages, and subsequently perform a cultural adaptation/linguistic validation of the questionnaire into Japanese and US Spanish. Materials and methods Translatability assessments of the US English version of the IBS-D PRO were performed by experienced PRO translators who were native speakers of each target language and currently residing in target-language countries. Languages were Chinese (People’s Republic of China), Dutch (the Netherlands), French (Belgium), German (Germany), Japanese (Japan), Polish (Poland), Portuguese (Brazil), Russian (Russia), Spanish (Mexico), and Spanish (US). The project team assessed the instrument to identify potential linguistic and/or cultural adaptation issues. After the issues identified were resolved, the instrument was translated into Spanish (US) and Japanese through a process of two forward translations, one reconciled translation, and one backward translation. The project team reviewed the translated versions before the instruments were evaluated by cognitive debriefing interviews with samples of five Spanish (US) and five Japanese IBS-D patients. Results Linguistic and cultural adaptation concerns identified during the translatability assessment required minor revisions, mainly the presentation of dates/times and word structure. During the cognitive debriefing interviews, two of five Spanish respondents misunderstood the term “bowel movement” to mean only diarrhea in the Spanish version. Consequently, the term was changed from “movimiento intestinal” to “evacuaciones”. None of the Japanese respondents identified issues with the Japanese version. Conclusion The translatability of the IBS-D PRO instrument into ten target languages was confirmed, with only minor changes made to the translations of the instrument. The translation and linguistic validation into Spanish (US) and Japanese provide evidence that this instrument can be used in multinational trials and clinical settings. PMID:27382346

Tethered Satellite System (TSS)-1R survey photography

NASA Image and Video Library

1996-03-18

STS075-325-014 (25 Feb. 1996) --- The frayed end of the tether portion of the Tethered Satellite System (TSS) is seen at the end of the supportive boom. On February 25, 1996, the crew deployed the TSS, which later broke free. The seven member crew was launched aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia on February 22, 1996, and landed on March 9, 1996. Crewmembers were Andrew M. Allen, mission commander; Scott J. Horowitz, pilot; Franklin R. Chang-Diaz, payload commander; and Maurizio Cheli, European Space Agency (ESA); Jeffrey A. Hoffman and Claude Nicollier (ESA), all mission specialists; along with payload specialist Umberto Guidoni of the Italian Space Agency (ASI).

View of the TSS-1R after the tether broke

NASA Image and Video Library

1996-04-03

STS075-360-021 (22 Feb.- 9 March 1996) --- The loose tether forms a faint diagonal line in this scene recorded on a later fly-by. On Feb. 25, 1996, the crew deployed the Tethered Satellite System (TSS), which later broke free. The seven member crew was launched aboard the space shuttle Columbia on Feb. 22, 1996, and landed on March 9, 1996. Crew members were Andrew M. Allen, mission commander; Scott J. Horowitz, pilot; Franklin R. Chang-Diaz, payload commander; and Maurizio Cheli, European Space Agency (ESA); Jeffrey A. Hoffman and Claude Nicollier, ESA, all mission specialists; along with payload specialist Umberto Guidoni of the Italian Space Agency (ASI).

Anxiety sensitivity and self-reported reasons for drug use.

PubMed

Stewart, S H; Karp, J; Pihl, R O; Peterson, R A

1997-01-01

Two studies examined the relationships between anxiety sensitivity (AS), drug use, and reasons for drug use. In Study 1, 229 university students (57% F) completed the Anxiety Sensitivity Index (ASI) and a drug use survey, assessing use of a variety of drugs within the last month, and coping reasons for drug use. Consistent with a modified tension-reduction hypothesis, ASI scores were positively correlated with the number of both anxiety- and depression-related reasons for drug use endorsed. In Study 2, 219 university students (74% F) completed the ASI and a drug use survey, assessing use of several drugs (e.g., alcohol, cigarettes, caffeine, and marijuana/hashish) within the last year, and primary reasons (coping, affiliative, or enhancement) for the use of each drug. Marijuana/hashish users reported lower ASI scores than non-users supporting a negative relation between AS and the use of cannabis. ASI scores were positively correlated with the use of alcohol primarily to cope, and negatively correlated with the use of alcohol primarily to affiliate, among both gender groups, and ASI scores were positively correlated with the use of nicotine primarily to cope among the females. Implications of these findings for understanding risk for abuse of stress-response-dampening drugs by high AS individuals are discussed.

Feasibility and effectiveness of a cognitive remediation programme with original computerised cognitive training and group intervention for schizophrenia: a multicentre randomised trial.

PubMed

Matsuda, Yasuhiro; Morimoto, Tsubasa; Furukawa, Shunichi; Sato, Sayaka; Hatsuse, Norifumi; Iwata, Kazuhiko; Kimura, Mieko; Kishimoto, Toshifumi; Ikebuchi, Emi

2018-04-01

Devising new methods to improve neurocognitive impairment through cognitive remediation is an important research goal. We developed an original computer programme termed the Japanese Cognitive Rehabilitation Programme for Schizophrenia (JCORES) that provides cognitive practice across a broad range of abilities. The current study examined for the first time whether a cognitive remediation programme, including both computerised cognitive training using JCORES and group intervention such as enhancing meta-cognition and teaching strategies, is more effective than treatment as usual for improving neurocognitive and social functioning. Sixty-two outpatients with schizophrenia were randomised to either a cognitive remediation group or a control group. Participants engaged in two computerised cognitive training sessions and one group meeting per week for 12 weeks. The average number of total sessions attended (computerised cognitive practice + group intervention) was 32.3 (89.7%). The cognitive remediation group showed significantly more improvements in verbal memory, composite score of the Brief Assessment of Cognition in Schizophrenia, Japanese version (BACS-J), and general psychopathology on the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) than the control group. These findings demonstrate that a cognitive remediation programme is feasible in Japan and is a more effective way to improve neurocognitive functioning and psychiatric symptoms.

The property of the Japanese version of the Recovery Knowledge Inventory (RKI) among mental health service providers: a cross sectional study.

PubMed

Chiba, Rie; Umeda, Maki; Goto, Kyohei; Miyamoto, Yuki; Yamaguchi, Sosei; Kawakami, Norito

2017-01-01

The Recovery Knowledge Inventory (RKI) is one of the influential scales to assess knowledge and attitude toward recovery-oriented practices among mental health service providers. In the present study, we aimed to develop a Japanese version of RKI and examine the validity and reliability. We translated RKI into Japanese by reference to the guidelines for translating and adapting psychometric scales. A cross-sectional questionnaire survey was conducted with mental health service providers. Of a total of 475 eligible professionals, we used data from the 299 participants without missing value for the analyses (valid response rate = 62.9%). The questionnaire included Japanese RKI, Recovery Attitudes Questionnaire, The positive attitudes scale, and Japanese-language version of the Social Distance Scale. To examine the factorial validity of RKI, explanatory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis was employed. Convergent validity was assessed by calculating Pearson's correlation coefficients between the total RKI score and the scores for the other three scales. We also calculated Cronbach's α coefficients for the total score and for each domain of RKI to assess internal consistency reliability. The participants' mean age was 40.4 years and 30.4% were men. 20-item RKI did not provide any adequate or interpretable factor solutions at any number of factors by EFAs. Thus four items (#1, 4, 5, and 13) were subsequently eliminated in stages, then 16-item RKI was employed as a consequence for further analyses. EFA with four factor structures yielded marginally interpretable constitution. Each factor represented the knowledge regarding psychiatric symptoms and recovery; knowledge about the recovery process; the understanding of what is important for recovery; and the understanding of the challenges and responsibility in recovery, respectively. Subsequent CFA suggested good fit to the data. Good convergent validity and understandable internal consistency reliability were also observed. The Japanese 16-item RKI revealed reasonable factorial validity, good convergent validity, and understandable internal consistency reliability among mental health professionals. Japanese cultural settings seemed to influence the four-factor structure in the present study. It can be used for future study in Japan, while future large-scale research is required to ensure robust verification.

View of Southern Cross, Alpha and Beta Centauri

NASA Image and Video Library

1996-03-18

STS075-351-022 (22 Feb.- 9 March 1996) --- The space shuttle Columbia's vertical stabilizer appears to point to the four stars of the Southern Cross. The scene was captured with a 35mm camera just prior to a sunrise. The seven member crew was launched aboard the space shuttle Columbia on Feb. 22, 1996, and landed on March 9, 1996. Crew members were Andrew M. Allen, mission commander; Scott J. Horowitz, pilot; Franklin R. Chang-Diaz, payload commander; and Maurizio Cheli, European Space Agency (ESA); Jeffrey A. Hoffman and Claude Nicollier, ESA, all mission specialists; along with payload specialist Umberto Guidoni of the Italian Space Agency (ASI).

Adjacent segment infection after surgical treatment of spondylodiscitis.

PubMed

Siam, Ahmed Ezzat; El Saghir, Hesham; Boehm, Heinrich

2016-03-01

This is the first case series to describe adjacent segment infection (ASI) after surgical treatment of spondylodiscitis (SD). Patients with SD, spondylitis who were surgically treated between 1994 and 2012 were included. Out of 1187 cases, 23 (1.94 %) returned to our institution (Zentralklinik Bad Berka) with ASI: 10 males, 13 females, with a mean age of 65.1 years and a mean follow-up of 69 months. ASI most commonly involved L3-4 (seven patients), T12-L1 (five) and L2-3 (four). The mean interval between operations of primary infection and ASI was 36.9 months. All cases needed surgical intervention, debridement, reconstruction and fusion with longer instrumentation, with culture and sensitivity-based postoperative antimicrobial therapy. At last follow-up, six patients (26.1 %) were mobilized in a wheelchair with a varying degree of paraplegia (three had pre-existing paralysis). Three patients died within 2 months after the ASI operation (13 %). Excellent outcomes were achieved in five patients, and good in eight. Adjacent segment infection after surgical treatment of spondylodiscitis is a rare complication (1.94 %). It is associated with multimorbidity and shows a high mortality rate and a high neurological affection rate. Possible explanations are: haematomas of repeated micro-fractures around screw loosening, haematogenous spread, direct inoculation or a combination of these factors. ASI may also lead to proximal junctional kyphosis, as found in this series. We suggest early surgical intervention with anterior debridement, reconstruction and fusion with posterior instrumentation, followed by antimicrobial therapy for 12 weeks. Level IV retrospective uncontrolled case series.

Is Clinical Assessment of Addiction Severity of Individuals with Substance Use Disorder, Using the Addiction Severity Index, A Predictor of Future Inpatient Mental Health Hospitalization? A Nine-Year Registry Study.

PubMed

Padyab, Mojgan; Armelius, Bengt-Åke; Armelius, Kerstin; Nyström, Siv; Blom, Björn; Grönlund, Ann-Sofie; Lundgren, Lena

2018-04-23

In Sweden, the Addiction Severity Index (ASI) is the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare's recommended substance use disorder assessment tool and used routinely for patient intakes. Our study of 213 individuals assessed for substance use disorder with the ASI used nine years of the National Patient Register and examined whether clinical social workers' assessments of addiction severity at baseline were associated with later hospitalizations for mental health disorder (MHD). ASI composite scores and interviewer severity rating were used to measure clients' problems in seven areas (mental health, family and social relationships, employment, alcohol, drug use, health, and legal) at baseline. A stepwise regression method was used to assess the relative importance of ASI composite scores, MHD hospitalization two years prior to baseline, age, and gender for MHD hospitalization seven years post-baseline. Almost two-thirds of the individuals (63%) were hospitalized at least once for MHD in the seven years post-baseline. At the multivariable level, MHD hospitalization prior to baseline was the strongest predictor of future MHD hospitalization, followed by ASI composite scores for drug use, employment, mental health and, last, male gender. A key finding is that higher ASI composite scores for drug use and mental health are predictors of future need for MHD treatment. Future studies will replicate this effort with a national population of individuals with substance use disorder.

Validation and Utility of the Social Emotional Health Survey-Secondary for Japanese Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ito, Ayako; Smith, Douglas C.; You, Sukkyung; Shimoda, Yoshiyuki; Furlong, Michael J.

2015-01-01

The article explores the use of the Social and Emotional Health Survey-Secondary version (SEHS-S) with a sample of 975 Japanese students in Grades 7-9 attending schools located northwest of Tokyo. A confirmatory factor analysis using half the sample confirmed the four-factor structure of the SEHS-S, and further analyses verified its second-order…

Quantitative Aspects of Communicative Impairment Ascertained in a Large National Survey of Japanese Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oi, Manabu; Fujino, Hiroshi; Tsukidate, Naotake; Kamio, Yoko; Yoshimura, Yuko; Kikuchi, Mitsuru; Hasegawa, Chiaki; Gondou, Keiko; Matsui, Tomoko

2017-01-01

The Japanese version of the Children's Communication Checklist-2 (CCC-2) was rated by caregivers in a large national population sample of 22,871 children aged 3-15 years. The General Communication Composite (GCC) of the CCC-2 exhibited a distribution with a single-factor structure. The GCC distribution between autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and…

Changes in quality of life (WHOQOL-BREF) and addiction severity index (ASI) among participants in opioid substitution treatment (OST) in low and middle income countries: an international systematic review.

PubMed

Feelemyer, Jonathan P; Jarlais, Don C Des; Arasteh, Kamyar; Phillips, Benjamin W; Hagan, Holly

2014-01-01

Opioid substitution treatment (OST) can increase quality of life (WHOQOL-BREF) and reduce addiction severity index (ASI) scores among participants over time. OST program participants have noted that improvement in quality of life is one of the most important variables to their reduction in drug use. However, there is little systematic understanding of WHOQOL-BREF and ASI domain changes among OST participants in low and middle-income countries (LMIC). Utilizing PRISMA guidelines we conducted a systematic literature search to identify OST program studies documenting changes in WHOQOL-BREF or ASI domains for participants in buprenorphine or methadone programs in LMIC. Standardized mean differences for baseline and follow-up domain scores were compared along with relationships between domain scores, OST dosage, and length of follow-up. There were 13 OST program studies with 1801 participants from five countries eligible for inclusion in the review. Overall, statistically significant changes were noted in all four WHOQOL-BREF domain and four of the seven ASI domain scores (drug, psychological, legal, and family) documented in studies. Dosage of pharmacologic medication and length of follow-up did not affect changes in domain scores. WHOQOL-BREF and ASI domain scoring is a useful tool in measuring overall quality of life and levels of addiction among OST participants. Coupled with measurements of blood-borne infection, drug use, relapse, and overdose, WHOQOL-BREF and ASI represent equally important tools for evaluating the effects of OST over time and should be further developed as integrated tools in the evaluation of participants in LMIC. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Construction of a short form of the healthy eating behaviour inventory for the Japanese population.

PubMed

Shimazaki, Takashi; Iio, Misa; Lee, Ying-Hua; Suzuki, Akiko; Konuma, Kayo; Teshima, Yoko; Takenaka, Koji

2016-09-01

The present study constructed a short form of the Healthy Eating Behavior Inventory suitable for use in the Japanese culture (HEBI-J) and confirmed the scale's preliminary reliability and validity. In Study 1, Japanese adults (N=75) completed a free-response questionnaire about healthy eating behaviours. Thematic analysis was used to identify three factors-balance, pattern, and restriction-associated with healthy eating behaviours and 12 items related to these healthy eating behaviours. In Study 2, Japanese office workers (N=784) completed two questionnaires regarding 12 items of healthy eating behaviours and the dietary stages of change. Confirmatory factor analysis demonstrated that the three-factor model was appropriate (GFI=.94, AGFI=.90, CFI=.90, RMSEA=.08, SRMR=.53). Reliability was confirmed by alpha coefficients and the Spearman-Brown formula. Concurrent validity was confirmed by the relationship between the healthy eating stages. This study demonstrated the preliminary reliability and validity of the HEBI-J. Copyright © 2015 Asia Oceania Association for the Study of Obesity. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Ballistic Missile Defense Deployment in Japan: Regional Reaction and the Future Stability of East Asia

DTIC Science & Technology

2004-01-01

cited in Paine, The Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895, 242. 9 Paine, 210. 10 J. Creelman , “The Massacre at Port Arthur,” The world (New York), 20 Dec...Manchuria during the Second Sino-Japanese War. The rape of Korea by the Japanese during this period was complete in physical , cultural...past. POST WORLD WAR II OCCUPATION The defeat of Japan in 1945 was total not only in terms of physical destruction of the country’s capacity

Before words: reading western astronomical texts in early nineteenth-century Japan.

PubMed

Frumer, Yulia

2016-04-01

In 1803, the most prominent Japanese astronomer of his time, Takahashi Yoshitoki, received a newly imported Dutch translation of J. J. Lalande's 'Astronomie'. He could not read Dutch, yet he dedicated almost a year to a close examination of this massive work, taking notes and contemplating his own astronomical practices. How did he read a book he could not read? Following the clues Yoshitoki left in his notes, we discover that he found meanings not only in words, but also in what are often taken for granted or considered to be auxiliary tools for data manipulation, such as symbols, units, tables, and diagrams. His rendering of these non-verbal textual elements into a familiar format was crucial for Yoshitoki's reading, and constituted the initial step in the process of integrating Lalande's astronomy into Japanese astronomical practices, and the subsequent translation of the text into Japanese.

Topical ocular treatment with monoclonal antibody Fab fragments targeting Japanese cedar pollen Cry j 1 inhibits Japanese cedar pollen-induced allergic conjunctivitis in mice.

PubMed

Mizutani, Nobuaki; Nabe, Takeshi; Yoshino, Shin

2017-03-05

Fab fragments (Fabs) of antibodies having the ability only to bind to specific allergens lack effector functions due to the absence of the Fc portion. In the present study, we examined whether IgG1 monoclonal antibody (mAb) Fabs targeting Japanese cedar pollen (JCP) Cry j 1 were able to regulate JCP-induced allergic conjunctivitis in mice. BALB/c mice actively sensitized with JCP were repeatedly challenged by topical administration of JCP eye drops. Fabs prepared by the digestion of anti-JCP IgG1 mAbs (P1-3 and P1-8) with papain were applied to the eye 15min before the JCP challenges followed by measurement of the clinical conjunctivitis score. In the in vitro experiments, P1-3 and P1-8 showed specific binding to JCP Cry j 1. Furthermore, intact P1-3 binding to Cry j 1 was inhibited by P1-3 Fabs, but not P1-8 Fabs; additionally, P1-8 Fabs, but not P1-3 Fabs, suppressed the intact P1-8 binding, suggesting that the epitopes of Cry j 1 recognized by P1-3 and P1-8 were different. Topical ocular treatment with P1-3 Fabs or P1-8 Fabs was followed by marked suppression of JCP-induced conjunctivitis (P<0.01). In histological evaluation, P1-8 Fabs showed a reduction in eosinophil infiltration in the conjunctiva (P<0.01). These results demonstrated that topical ocular treatment with IgG1 mAb Fabs to Cry j 1 was effective in suppressing JCP-induced allergic conjunctivitis in mice. Furthermore, it suggests the possibility that some epitopes recognized by Fabs could be used as a tool to regulate allergic conjunctivitis. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Relationship between maternal mindfulness and anxiety 1 month after childbirth.

PubMed

Yamamoto, Natsuki; Naruse, Takashi; Sakai, Mahiro; Nagata, Satoko

2017-10-01

To investigate the relationship between maternal mindfulness and maternal anxiety 1 month after childbirth. A cross-sectional design was used, featuring anonymous questionnaires that were completed between July and December 2014 at two Japanese hospitals. The participants (n = 151) completed the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (Japanese version) and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory Form X (Japanese version). The data analysis was carried out by using a hierarchical multiple regression. The state and trait anxiety scores showed significant relationships with mindfulness, the mother's age, and the perceived difference between the expectations of motherhood before childbirth and the reality of post-partum daily life. Furthermore, the amount of average sleep time in the past week (including naps) showed a negative association with the state anxiety score, whereas the marital relationship showed a positive association with trait anxiety. Finally, at 1 month post-partum, the mothers with greater mindfulness scores showed lower anxiety. Improvements in mindfulness could help mothers to reduce their post-partum anxiety. © 2016 Japan Academy of Nursing Science.

Erratum: The MACHO Project: 45 Candidate Microlensing Events from the First Year Galactic Bulge Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alcock, C.; Allsman, R. A.; Alves, D.; Axelrod, T. S.; Bennett, D. P.; Cook, K. H.; Freeman, K. C.; Griest, K.; Guern, J.; Lehner, M. J.; Marshall, S. L.; Park, H.-S.; Perlmutter, S.; Peterson, B. A.; Pratt, M. R.; Quinn, P. J.; Rodgers, A. W.; Stubbs, C. W.; Sutherland, W.

1998-06-01

In the paper ``The MACHO Project: 45 Candidate Microlensing Events from the First-Year Galactic Bulge Data'' by C. Alcock, R. A. Allsman, D. Alves, T. S. Axelrod, D. P. Bennett, K. H. Cook, K. C. Freeman, K. Griest, J. Guern, M. J. Lehner, S. L. Marshall, H.-S. Park, S. Perlmutter, B. A. Peterson, M. R. Pratt, P. J. Quinn, A. W. Rodgers, C. W. Stubbs, and W. Sutherland (ApJ, 479, 119 [1997]), an incorrect version of Table 1 was inadvertently sent to the Journal with the revised version of the paper. The incorrect table used a different event numbering scheme from the correct table, rendering much of the paper incomprehensible. The correct version of Table 1 is available in the preprint version of the paper (astro-ph/9512146) and is also printed below.

The Space Shuttle Columbia clears the tower to begin the mission. The liftoff occurred on schedule

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1996-01-01

STS-75 LAUNCH VIEW --- The Space Shuttle Columbia clears the tower to begin the mission. The liftoff occurred on schedule at 3:18:00 p.m. (EST), February 22, 1996. Visible at left is the White Room on the orbiter access arm through which the flight crew had entered the orbiter. Onboard Columbia for the scheduled two-week mission were astronauts Andrew M. Allen, commander; Scott J. Horowitz, pilot; Franklin R. Chang-Diaz, payload commander; and astronauts Maurizio Cheli, Jeffrey A. Hoffman and Claude Nicollier, along with payload specialist Umberto Guidioni. Cheli and Nicollier represent the European Space Agency (ESA), while Guidioni represents the Italian Space Agency (ASI).

Efficacy and safety of memantine in patients with moderate-to-severe Alzheimer's disease: results of a pooled analysis of two randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials in Japan

PubMed Central

Nakamura, Yu; Kitamura, Shin; Homma, Akira; Shiosakai, Kazuhito; Matsui, Daiju

2014-01-01

Background: With the increase in the aging population, there is a pressing need to provide effective treatment options for individuals with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Memantine is an N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonist used to treat AD in > 80 countries worldwide, and studies in the USA and Europe have shown it to be effective in improving language deficits; however, there are currently no data on language improvements in Japanese patients treated with memantine. Objectives: To clarify the efficacy and safety of memantine in Japanese outpatients with moderate to severe AD, using a pooled analysis of two multicenter randomized placebo-controlled trials, a phase 2 dose-finding study and a phase 3 study. Results: The final analysis comprised 633 patients (318 receiving memantine and 315 placebo). Memantine produced better outcomes in terms of Severe Impairment Battery-Japanese version, Clinician's Interview-Based Impression of Change plus-Japanese version, Behavioral Pathology in AD Rating Scale, and language scores, versus placebo. The overall incidence of adverse events and adverse reactions was similar between groups. Conclusion: In this pooled analysis of Japanese patients, memantine achieved better outcomes than placebo in terms of cognition, including attention, praxis, visuospatial ability and language, and behavioral and psychological symptoms, including activity disturbances and aggressiveness. PMID:24673497

Reliability and validity of the Japanese version of the Organizational Justice Questionnaire.

PubMed

Inoue, Akiomi; Kawakami, Norito; Tsutsumi, Akizumi; Shimazu, Akihito; Tsuchiya, Masao; Ishizaki, Masao; Tabata, Masaji; Akiyama, Miki; Kitazume, Akiko; Kuroda, Mitsuyo; Kivimäki, Mika

2009-01-01

Previous European studies reporting low procedural justice and low interactional justice were associated with increased health problems have used a modified version of the Moorman's Organizational Justice Questionnaire (OJQ, Elovainio et al., 2002) to assess organizational justice. We translated the modified OJQ into the Japanese language and examined the internal consistency reliability, and factor-based and construct validity of this measure. A back-translation procedure confirmed that the translation was appropriate, pending a minor revision. A total of 185 men and 58 women at a manufacturing factory in Japan were surveyed using a mailed questionnaire including the OJQ and other job stressors. Cronbach alpha coefficients of the two OJQ subscales were high (0.85-0.94) for both sexes. The hypothesized two factors (i.e., procedural justice and interactional justice) were extracted by the factor analysis for men; for women, procedural justice was further split into two separate dimensions supporting a three- rather than two-factor structure. Convergent validity was supported by expected correlations of the OJQ with job control, supervisor support, effort-reward imbalance, and job future ambiguity in particular among the men. The present study shows that the Japanese version of the OJQ has acceptable levels of reliability and validity at least for male employees.

Speaking one more language in early life has only minor effects on cognition in Taiwanese with low education level: the Taishan Project.

PubMed

Liu, Yi-Chien; Liu, Yen-Ying; Yip, Ping-Keung; Meguro, Mitsue; Meguro, Kenichi

2017-07-01

Increasing evidence shows that bilingualism or multilingualism may have beneficial effects on preventing dementia. We performed a cross-sectional, community-based study in Taiwan. Some elders (older than 70 years) in Taiwan can speak Japanese because of the formal Japanese education they received before World War II, when Taiwan was under Japanese rule. After the war, Mandarin Chinese was adopted as the official language of Taiwan. We assessed whether constantly using three languages had an effect on dementia prevalence and cognitive function. We defined multilingualism as the ability to fluently speak Taiwanese (T), Japanese (J), and Mandarin Chinese (C) in daily life. We evaluated the Mini-Mental State Examination and AD8 questionnaire results of 514 community-dwelling people older than 70 years in Taishan, Taiwan. Seventy-three of the subjects (14.2%) were multilingual (T, J, C) and 441 (85.8%) were bilingual (T, C). No difference was noted in dementia prevalence between multilingual (6.8%) and bilingual (7.4%) populations, but multilinguals were older than bilinguals (mean age: 79.9 vs 77.3 years). Multilinguals had higher Mini-Mental State Examination scores than bilinguals (mean: 24.6 vs. 22.7). However, after the subjects were stratified into low and high education level groups, the Mini-Mental State Examination difference was found to be significant in only the low education level group. Dementia prevalence did not significantly differ between the multilingual (T, J, C) and bilingual (T, C) groups. However, given that the average age of the multilingual group was approximately 2 years older than that of the bilingual group, there may have been minor effects in the multilingual group. © 2017 Japanese Psychogeriatric Society.

The covariance of air quality conditions in six cities in Southern Germany - The role of meteorology.

PubMed

Dimitriou, Konstantinos; Kassomenos, Pavlos

2017-01-01

This paper analyzed air quality in six cities in Southern Germany (Ulm, Augsburg, Konstanz, Freiburg, Stuttgart and Munich), in conjunction with the prevailing synoptic conditions. Air quality was estimated through the calculation of a daily Air Stress Index (ASI) constituted by five independent components, each one expressing the contribution of one of the five main pollutants (PM 10 , O 3 , SO 2 , NO 2 and CO) to the total air stress. As it was deduced from ASI components, PM 10 from combustion sources and photochemically produced tropospheric O 3 are the most hazardous pollutants at the studied sites, throughout cold and warm periods respectively, yet PM 10 contribute substantially to the overall air stress during both seasons. The influence of anticyclonic high pressure systems, leading to atmospheric stagnation, was associated with increased ASI values, mainly due to the entrapment of PM 10 . Moderate air stress was generally estimated in all cities however a cleaner atmosphere was detected principally in Freiburg when North Europe was dominated by low pressure systems. Daily events of notably escalated ASI values were further analyzed with backward air mass trajectories. Throughout cold period, ASI episodes were commonly related to eastern airflows carrying exogenous PM 10 originated from eastern continental Europe. During warm period, ASI episodes were connected to the arrival of regionally circulated air parcels reflecting lack of dispersion and accumulation of pollutants in accordance with the synoptic analysis. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Validity and Reliability of a General Nutrition Knowledge Questionnaire for Japanese Adults.

PubMed

Matsumoto, Mai; Tanaka, Rie; Ikemoto, Shinji

2017-01-01

Nutrition knowledge is necessary for individuals to adopt appropriate dietary habits, and needs to be evaluated before nutrition education is provided. However, there is no tool to assess general nutrition knowledge of adults in Japan. Our aims were to determine the validity and reliability of a general nutrition knowledge questionnaire for Japanese adults. We developed the pilot version of the Japanese general nutrition knowledge questionnaire (JGNKQ) and administered the pilot study to assess content validity and internal reliability to 1,182 Japanese adults aged 18-64 y. The JGNKQ was further modified based on the pilot study and the final version consisted of 5 sections and 147 items. The JGNKQ was administered to female undergraduate Japanese students in their senior year twice in 2015 to assess construct validity and test-retest reliability. Ninety-six students majoring in nutrition and 44 students in other majors who studied at the same university completed the first questionnaire. Seventy-five students completed the questionnaire twice. The responses from the first questionnaire and both questionnaires were used to assess construct validity and test-retest reliability, respectively. The students in nutrition major had significantly higher scores than the students in other majors on all sections of the questionnaire (p=0.000); therefore, the questionnaire had good construct validity. The test-retest reliability correlation coefficient value of overall and each section except "The use of dietary information to make dietary choices" were 0.75, 0.67, 0.67, 0.68 and 0.61, respectively. We suggest that the JGNKQ is an effective tool to assess the nutrition knowledge level of Japanese adults.

Veterans Affairs facility performance on Washington Circle indicators and casemix-adjusted effectiveness.

PubMed

Harris, Alex H S; Humphreys, Keith; Finney, John W

2007-12-01

Self-administered Addiction Severity Index (ASI) data were collected on 5,723 patients who received substance abuse treatment in 1 of 110 programs located at 73 Veterans Affairs facilities. The associations between each of three Washington Circle (WC) performance indicator scores (identification, initiation, and engagement) and their casemix-adjusted facility-level improvement in ASI drug and alcohol composites 7 months after intake were estimated. Higher initiation rates were not associated with facility-level improvement in ASI alcohol composite scores but were modestly associated with greater improvements in ASI drug composite scores. Identification and engagement rates were unrelated to 7-month outcomes. WC indicators focused on the early stages of treatment may tap necessary but insufficient processes for patients with substance use disorder to achieve good posttreatment outcomes. Ideally, the WC indicators would be supplemented with other measures of treatment quality.

Technicians at General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc., (GA-ASI) facility at Adelanto, Calif., ca

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2002-01-01

Technicians at General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc., (GA-ASI) facility at Adelanto, Calif., carefully install a turboprop engine to the rear fuselage of NASA's Altair aircraft during final assembly operations. General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc., is developing the Altair version of its Predator B unmanned reconnaissance aircraft under NASA's Environmental Research Aircraft and Sensor Technology (ERAST) project. NASA plans to use the Altair as a technology demonstrator to validate a variety of command and control technologies for UAVs, as well as demonstrate the capability to perform a variety of Earth science missions. The Altair is designed to carry an 700-lb. payload of scientific instruments and imaging equipment for as long as 32 hours at up to 52,000 feet altitude. Eleven-foot extensions have been added to each wing, giving the Altair an overall wingspan of 86 feet with an aspect ratio of 23. It is powered by a 700-hp. rear-mounted TPE-331-10 turboprop engine, driving a three-blade propeller. Altair is scheduled to begin flight tests in the fourth quarter of 2002, and be acquired by NASA following successful completion of basic airworthiness tests in early 2003 for evaluation of over-the-horizon control, detect, see and avoid and other technologies required to allow UAVs to operate safely with other aircraft in the national airspace.

Semicrystalline Ferroelectric Fluoropolymers and Process for Preparing Same

DTIC Science & Technology

2000-12-05

Furukawa, and N. Seo, Japanese Journal of Applied Physics, 29, 675, 1990], crystallization under high pressure [T. Yuki, S. Ito, T. Koda , and S. Ikeda...8217 Macromoiecules, 21, 2463 (1988), and 23, 3. B. Daudin, and M. Dubus, J. Appl. Phys., 62,994(1987). 4. T. Yuki, S. Ito, T. Koda , and S. Ikeda, Jpn. J. Appl...Fimilrawa and N. Sen. Jpn. J. Appl. Phvs., 29, 675 (1990). 21. T. Yuki, S. Ito, T. Koda , and S. Ikeda, Jpn. J. Appl. Phvs., 37, 5372 (1998). 22. S. Ikeda

The psychometric properties of the WHOQOL-BREF in Japanese couples

PubMed Central

Sun, Yi; Sugawara, Masumi; Matsumoto, Satoko; Sakai, Atsushi; Takaoka, Junko; Goto, Noriko

2015-01-01

This study investigated the psychometric properties of the Japanese version of the WHOQOL-BREF among 10,693 community-based married Japanese men and women (4376 couples) who were either expecting or raising a child. Analyses of item-response distributions, internal consistency, criterion validity, and discriminant validity indicated that the scale had acceptable reliability and performed well in preliminary tests of validity. Furthermore, dyadic confirmatory factor analysis revealed that the theoretical factor structure was valid and similar across partners, suggesting that men and women define and value quality of life in a similar way. PMID:28070365

Mild cognitive impairment in older adults with pre-dialysis patients with chronic kidney disease: Prevalence and association with physical function.

PubMed

Otobe, Yuhei; Hiraki, Koji; Hotta, Chiharu; Nishizawa, Hajime; Izawa, Kazuhiro P; Taki, Yasuhiro; Imai, Naohiko; Sakurada, Tsutomu; Shibagaki, Yugo

2017-09-26

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a risk factor for declining cognitive and physical function. However, the prevalence of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and its relationship with physical function is not clear. Therefore, our aim was to evaluate the prevalence of MCI and the relationship between MCI and physical function among older adults with pre-dialysis CKD. We conducted a cross-sectional study of 120 patients, aged ≥ 65 years (mean age, 77.3 years), with pre-dialysis CKD but without probable dementia (Mini Mental State Examination < 24). MCI was evaluated using the Japanese version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA-J). For analysis, patients were classified into two cognitive function groups: normal (MoCA-J ≥26) and MCI (MoCA-J <26). Physical, clinical, and biochemical parameters were compared between the groups. Logistic and linear regression analyses were used to evaluate the specific association between cognitive and physical function. Seventy-five patients (62.5%) patients belonged to the MCI group. Significant differences between the two groups were identified for gait speed, balance, age, and haemoglobin concentration. After adjustment for covariates, only gait speed was significantly associated with MCI (odds ratio, 0.06; 95% confidence interval, 0.009-0,411). The prevalence of MCI among older adults with pre-dialysis CKD was as high as 62.5%. The association between MCI and reduced gait speed supports the possible interaction between physical and cognitive functions and the need for early screening. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Japanese version of cutaneous body image scale: translation and validation.

PubMed

Higaki, Yuko; Watanabe, Ikuko; Masaki, Tomoko; Kamo, Toshiko; Kawashima, Makoto; Satoh, Toshihiko; Saitoh, Shiroh; Nohara, Michiko; Gupta, Madhulika A

2009-09-01

Cutaneous body image, defined as the individual's mental perception of the appearance of their skin, hair and nails, is an important psychodermatological element in skin diseases. To measure individuals' cutaneous body image, a practical and accurate instrument is necessary. In this study, we translated the Cutaneous Body Image Scale (CBIS), a 7-item instrument originally created by Gupta et al. in 2004, into Japanese using a forward- and back-translation method and evaluated the reliability and validity of the instrument by psychometric tests. A total of 298 healthy adults (64 men and 234 women, aged 28.9 +/- 9.9 years) and 165 dermatology patients (56.7% eczema/dermatitis, 9.8% acne, 7.5% alopecia, 6.9% psoriasis, 19.1% skin tumor/fleck/other) (30 men and 135 women, aged 37.9 +/- 15.2 years) responded to the Japanese version of the CBIS. The internal-consistency reliability of the instrument was high (Cronbach's alpha, healthy adults 0.88, patients 0.84). The CBIS measure demonstrates good test-retest reliability (healthy adults gamma = 0.92, P < 0.0001; patients gamma = 0.79, P < 0.001). Compared to the healthy adults (4.11 +/- 1.80), the CBIS scores among dermatology patients (3.18 +/- 1.69, P = 0.000) were significantly low. The CBIS scores showed moderate correlation with the "emotions" and "global" scores of Skindex-16 in healthy adults (gamma = -0.397 and -0.373, respectively) and in patients (gamma = -0.431 and -0.38, respectively). A stepwise multiple regression analysis revealed that an emotional aspect of skin-condition related quality of life was the best predictor of cutaneous body image in both healthy adults and patients (beta = -0.31 and -0.41, respectively) followed by "body dissatisfaction" (beta = -0.17, and -0.23, respectively). Adjusted R(2) was 0.246 in healthy adults and 0.264 in patients. These were consistent with the results from the original the CBIS. These results suggest that the Japanese version of the CBIS is a reliable and valid instrument to measure the cutaneous body image of Japanese adults and also dermatology patients.

GLCF: Shuttle Radar Topography Mission

Science.gov Websites

Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA), NASA, the Italian Space Agency (ASI) and the German Aerospace Center * Gallery Quick Links *SRTM at NASA *SRTM at USGS *SRTM at NGA *SRTM at DLR *SRTM at ASI *UTM Projection e

The elusive role of the SPRY2 domain in RyR1

PubMed Central

Willemse, Hermia; Mirza, Shamaruh; Gallant, Esther M; Board, Philip G

2011-01-01

The second of three SPRY domains (SPRY2, S1085-V1208) located in the skeletal muscle ryanodine receptor (RyR1) is contained within regions of RyR1 that influence EC coupling and bind to imperatoxin A, a toxin probe of RyR1 channel gating. We examined the binding of the F loop (P1107-A1121) in SPRY2 to the ASI/basic region in RyR1 (T3471-G3500, containing both alternatively spliced (ASI) residues and neighboring basic amino acids). We then investigated the possible influence of this interaction on excitation contraction (EC) coupling. A peptide with the F loop sequence and an antibody to the SPRY2 domain each enhanced RyR1 activity at low concentrations and inhibited at higher concentrations. A peptide containing the ASI/basic sequence bound to SPRY2 and binding decreased ∼10-fold following mutation or structural disruption of the basic residues. Binding was abolished by mutation of three critical acidic F loop residues. Together these results suggest that the ASI/basic and SPRY2 domains interact in an F loop regulatory module. Although a region that includes the SPRY2 domain influences EC coupling, as does the ASI/basic region, Ca2+ release during ligand- and depolarization-induced RyR1 activation were not altered by mutation of the three critical F loop residues following expression of mutant RyR1 in RyR1-null myotubes. Therefore the electrostatic regulatory interaction between the SPRY2 F loop residues (that bind to imperatoxin A) and the ASI/basic residues of RyR1 does not influence bi-directional DHPR-RyR1 signaling during skeletal EC coupling, possibly because the interaction is interrupted by the influence of factors present in intact muscle cells. PMID:21239886

KSC01pp0820

NASA Image and Video Library

2001-04-19

NASA Administrator Daniel S. Goldin and Italian Space Agency (ASI) President Sergio DeJulio sign a Framework for Cooperation to build the Habitation Module for the International Space Station. Seated at the table (left to right) are The Honorable Lamberto Dini, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Italy; DeJulio; Goldin; and John Schumacher, assistant administrator, External Relations, NASA. The Framework is a potential bilateral cooperative agreement that could result in ASI development of a U.S. Habitation Module for the International Space Station. This agreement allows the U.S. to explore an alternative approach to achieve full crew habitation for the ISS. A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between NASA and ASI will be required to formally document NASA and ASI’s respective responsibilities in a legally binding document. The Framework signed today would form the basis for a potential MOU which NASA and ASI would sign after completion of the program assessment and subsequent negotiations. The ceremony took place at the IMAX Theater, Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex

KSC01pp0823

NASA Image and Video Library

2001-04-19

At a signing ceremony between the Italian Space Agency (ASI) and NASA for a Framework for Cooperation to build the Habitation Module for the International Space Station, Italian astronauts with the European Space Agency pose with NASA Administrator Daniel S. Goldin. On the left is Roberto Vittori and on the right is Paolo A. Nespoli. The Framework is a potential bilateral cooperative agreement that could result in ASI development of a U.S. Habitation Module for the International Space Station. This agreement allows the U.S. to explore an alternative approach to achieve full crew habitation for the ISS. A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between NASA and ASI will be required to formally document NASA and ASI’s respective responsibilities in a legally binding document. The Framework signed today would form the basis for a potential MOU which NASA and ASI would sign after completion of the program assessment and subsequent negotiations. The ceremony took place at the IMAX Theater, Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex

Validation of the Japanese version of the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL) Cancer Module.

PubMed

Tsuji, Naoko; Kakee, Naoko; Ishida, Yasushi; Asami, Keiko; Tabuchi, Ken; Nakadate, Hisaya; Iwai, Tsuyako; Maeda, Miho; Okamura, Jun; Kazama, Takuro; Terao, Yoko; Ohyama, Wataru; Yuza, Yuki; Kaneko, Takashi; Manabe, Atsushi; Kobayashi, Kyoko; Kamibeppu, Kiyoko; Matsushima, Eisuke

2011-04-10

The PedsQL 3.0 Cancer Module is a widely used instrument to measure pediatric cancer specific health-related quality of life (HRQOL) for children aged 2 to 18 years. We developed the Japanese version of the PedsQL Cancer Module and investigated its reliability and validity among Japanese children and their parents. Participants were 212 children with cancer and 253 of their parents. Reliability was determined by internal consistency using Cronbach's coefficient alpha and test-retest reliability using intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC). Validity was assessed through factor validity, convergent and discriminant validity, concurrent validity, and clinical validity. Factor validity was examined by exploratory factor analysis. Convergent and discriminant validity were examined by multitrait scaling analysis. Concurrent validity was assessed using Spearman's correlation coefficients between the Cancer Module and Generic Core Scales, and the comparison of the scores of child self-reports with those of other self-rating depression scales for children. Clinical validity was assessed by comparing the on- and off- treatment scores using Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney U tests. Cronbach's coefficient alpha was over 0.70 for the total scale and over 0.60 for each subscale by age except for the 'pain and hurt' subscale for children aged 5 to 7 years. For test-retest reliability, the ICC exceeded 0.70 for the total scale for each age. Exploratory factor analysis demonstrated sufficient factorial validity. Multitrait scaling analysis showed high success rates. Strong correlations were found between the reports by children and their parents, and the scores of the Cancer Module and the Generic Core Scales except for 'treatment anxiety' subscales for child reports. The Depression Self-Rating Scale for Children (DSRS-C) scores were significantly correlated with emotional domains and the total score of the cancer module. Children who had been off treatment over 12 months demonstrated significantly higher scores than those on treatment. The results demonstrate the reliability and validity of the Japanese version of the PedsQL Cancer Module among Japanese children.

A remote camera at Launch Pad 39B, at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC), recorded this profile view of

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1996-01-01

STS-75 LAUNCH VIEW --- A remote camera at Launch Pad 39B, at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC), recorded this profile view of the Space Shuttle Columbia as it cleared the tower to begin the mission. The liftoff occurred on schedule at 3:18:00 p.m. (EST), February 22, 1996. Onboard Columbia for the scheduled two-week mission were astronauts Andrew M. Allen, commander; Scott J. Horowitz, pilot; Franklin R. Chang-Diaz, payload commander; and astronauts Maurizio Cheli, Jeffrey A. Hoffman and Claude Nicollier, along with payload specialist Umberto Guidioni. Cheli and Nicollier represent the European Space Agency (ESA), while Guidioni represents the Italian Space Agency (ASI).

Assessment of workplace bullying and harassment: reliability and validity of a Japanese version of the negative acts questionnaire.

PubMed

Takaki, Jiro; Tsutsumi, Akizumi; Fujii, Yasuhito; Taniguchi, Toshiyo; Hirokawa, Kumi; Hibino, Yuri; Lemmer, Richard J; Nashiwa, Hitomi; Wang, Da-Hong; Ogino, Keiki

2010-01-01

Interest in workplace bullying and harassment has been increasing in Japan. At present, the Negative Acts Questionnaire (NAQ) is one of the most frequently used questionnaires for assessing these issues. The purpose of this study was to develop a Japanese version of the NAQ. We translated the original version of the NAQ using a back-translation method. Participants in this study were recruited from 737 workers at a manufacturing company in Japan. Data were obtained from questionnaires completed by 517 respondents (response rate: 70.1%). We used a cross-validation approach. A three-factor model was obtained from exploratory factor analyses. The confirmatory factor analysis for this model revealed values of 0.94, 0.91, 0.95, and 0.054 for the goodness-of-fit index, the adjusted goodness-of-fit index, the comparative fit index, and the root mean square error of approximation, respectively. Pearson's correlation coefficients for the NAQ scores with the Job Content Questionnaire (JCQ) support scores and the Effort-Reward Imbalance Questionnaire scores for respect and job security were significant (p<0.001) and the direction of these associations were consistent with our expectations, with the exceptions of the correlations between the NAQ sexual harassment score and the JCQ support scores. Cronbach's alpha coefficients for the scores on the entire NAQ scale and on three subscales (person-related bullying, work-related bullying, and sexual harassment) were 0.90, 0.84, 0.60, and 0.60, respectively. A Japanese version of the NAQ was developed and it appears to have acceptable levels of internal consistency reliability and factor- and construct-validity.

Evaluating the Effectiveness of an Antimicrobial Stewardship Program on Reducing the Incidence Rate of Healthcare-Associated Clostridium difficile Infection: A Non-Randomized, Stepped Wedge, Single-Site, Observational Study.

PubMed

DiDiodato, Giulio; McArthur, Leslie

2016-01-01

The incidence rate of healthcare-associated Clostridium difficile infection (HA-CDI) is estimated at 1 in 100 patients. Antibiotic exposure is the most consistently reported risk factor for HA-CDI. Strategies to reduce the risk of HA-CDI have focused on reducing antibiotic utilization. Prospective audit and feedback is a commonly used antimicrobial stewardship intervention (ASi). The impact of this ASi on risk of HA-CDI is equivocal. This study examines the effectiveness of a prospective audit and feedback ASi on reducing the risk of HA-CDI. Single-site, 339 bed community-hospital in Barrie, Ontario, Canada. Primary outcome is HA-CDI incidence rate. Daily prospective and audit ASi is the exposure variable. ASi implemented across 6 wards in a non-randomized, stepped wedge design. Criteria for ASi; any intravenous antibiotic use for ≥ 48 hrs, any oral fluoroquinolone or oral second generation cephalosporin use for ≥ 48 hrs, or any antimicrobial use for ≥ 5 days. HA-CDI cases and model covariates were aggregated by ward, year and month starting September 2008 and ending February 2016. Multi-level mixed effect negative binomial regression analysis was used to model the primary outcome, with intercept and slope coefficients for ward-level random effects estimated. Other covariates tested for inclusion in the final model were derived from previously published risk factors. Deviance residuals were used to assess the model's goodness-of-fit. The dataset included 486 observation periods, of which 350 were control periods and 136 were intervention periods. After accounting for all other model covariates, the estimated overall ASi incidence rate ratio (IRR) was 0.48 (95% 0.30, 0.79). The ASi effect was independent of antimicrobial utilization. The ASi did not seem to reduce the risk of Clostridium difficile infection on the surgery wards (IRR 0.87, 95% CI 0.45, 1.69) compared to the medicine wards (IRR 0.42, 95% CI 0.28, 0.63). The ward-level burden of Clostridium difficile as measured by the ward's previous month's total CDI cases (CDI Lag) and the ward's current month's community-associated CDI cases (CA-CDI) was significantly associated with an increased risk of HA-CDI, with the estimated CDI Lag IRR of 1.21 (95% 1.15, 1.28) and the estimated CA-CDI IRR of 1.10 (95% CI 1.01, 1.20). The ward-level random intercept and slope coefficients were not significant. The final model demonstrated good fit. In this study, a daily prospective audit and feedback ASi resulted in a significant reduction in the risk of HA-CDI on the medicine wards, however, this effect was independent of an overall reduction in antibiotic utilization. In addition, the ward-level burden of Clostridium difficile was shown to significantly increase the risk of HA-CDI, reinforcing the importance of the environment as a source of HA-CDI.

Artificial neural network retrained to detect myocardial ischemia using a Japanese multicenter database.

PubMed

Nakajima, Kenichi; Okuda, Koichi; Watanabe, Satoru; Matsuo, Shinro; Kinuya, Seigo; Toth, Karin; Edenbrandt, Lars

2018-03-07

An artificial neural network (ANN) has been applied to detect myocardial perfusion defects and ischemia. The present study compares the diagnostic accuracy of a more recent ANN version (1.1) with the initial version 1.0. We examined 106 patients (age, 77 ± 10 years) with coronary angiographic findings, comprising multi-vessel disease (≥ 50% stenosis) (52%) or old myocardial infarction (27%), or who had undergone coronary revascularization (30%). The ANN versions 1.0 and 1.1 were trained in Sweden (n = 1051) and Japan (n = 1001), respectively, using 99m Tc-methoxyisobutylisonitrile myocardial perfusion images. The ANN probabilities (from 0.0 to 1.0) of stress defects and ischemia were calculated in candidate regions of abnormalities. The diagnostic accuracy was compared using receiver-operating characteristics (ROC) analysis and the calculated area under the ROC curve (AUC) using expert interpretation as the gold standard. Although the AUC for stress defects was 0.95 and 0.93 (p = 0.27) for versions 1.1 and 1.0, respectively, that for detecting ischemia was significantly improved in version 1.1 (p = 0.0055): AUC 0.96 for version 1.1 (sensitivity 87%, specificity 96%) vs. 0.89 for version 1.0 (sensitivity 78%, specificity 97%). The improvement in the AUC shown by version 1.1 was also significant for patients with neither coronary revascularization nor old myocardial infarction (p = 0.0093): AUC = 0.98 for version 1.1 (sensitivity 88%, specificity 100%) and 0.88 for version 1.0 (sensitivity 76%, specificity 100%). Intermediate ANN probability between 0.1 and 0.7 was more often calculated by version 1.1 compared with version 1.0, which contributed to the improved diagnostic accuracy. The diagnostic accuracy of the new version was also improved in patients with either single-vessel disease or no stenosis (n = 47; AUC, 0.81 vs. 0.66 vs. p = 0.0060) when coronary stenosis was used as a gold standard. The diagnostic ability of the ANN version 1.1 was improved by retraining using the Japanese database, particularly for identifying ischemia.

Anxiety and Depression Screening for Youth in a Primary Care Population

PubMed Central

Katon, Wayne; Joan, Russo; Richardson, Laura; McCauley, Elizabeth; Lozano, Paula

2008-01-01

Objective Prior studies have shown a low rate of accurate identification by primary care physicians of mental health disorders in youth. This study tested the psychometric properties of two brief mental health screening questionnaires, the Mood and Feelings Questionnaire – Short Form (MFQ-SF) and Childhood Anxiety Sensitivity Index (ASI), in a large sample of youth. Methods In a sample of 1375 youth age 11 to 17 (779 with asthma, 596 randomly selected controls) enrolled in an HMO, the psychometric properties (optimum cutoffs on Receiver Operating Curve (ROC) curves, sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values) of two brief anxiety and depression screens were examined versus a “gold standard” structured psychiatric interview. Results Both the MFQ-SF and ASI performed well on ROC analysis for screening youth for one or more DSM-IV anxiety or depressive disorders. The MFQ-SF performed better on ROC analysis than the ASI for youth with major depression (area under the curve of 0.84 vs 0.77). For screening youth with anxiety disorders ROC curves showed that both the MFQ-SF and ASI only performed in the fair range (area under the curve of 0.76). Conclusion The MFQ-SF and ASI are two relatively brief questionnaires that performed well for screening youth for one or more DSM-IV anxiety or depressive disorders. The MFQ-SF performed better than the ASI for screening youth with major depression. Use of these instruments could increase the accuracy of identification of mental health disorders in youth by primary care physicians. PMID:18501865

DCASR (Defense Contract Administration Services Region) Dallas Total Quality Management Implementation Plan

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-07-01

Competitive Success e. What is Total Quality Kaoru Ishikawa Control? The Japanese Way f. Managerial Break Through J. M. Juran g. The Deming Route to...Berger and Thomas H. Hart p. Juran’s Quality Control J. M. Juran Handbook, Fourth Edition q. Guide to Quality Control Kaoru Ishikawa r. Quality Assurance

Impact of donepezil hydrochloride on the care burden of family caregivers of patients with Alzheimer's disease.

PubMed

Hashimoto, Mamoru; Yatabe, Yusuke; Kaneda, Keiichiro; Honda, Kazuki; Ikeda, Manabu

2009-12-01

To evaluate the impact of donepezil hydrochloride on the care burden on family members of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). At present, donepezil is the only drug approved for the treatment of AD in Japan. Although the care burden on primary caregivers of AD patients comprises both physical and psychological burdens and donepezil is recognized to improve cognitive dysfunction and associated symptoms, there are few data on the effects of the drug on the care burden. Of the uninstitutionalized AD patients who visited a dementia clinic between June 2008 and May 2009 with their primary family caregivers, 416 subjects who satisfied the enrollment criteria were registered for the study. All participants provided informed consent. Assessment included changes in scores on the Japanese version of the Zarit Caregiver Burden Interview (J-ZBI) and the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), as well as the presence of behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD). Caregivers answered the questionnaires at baseline and after 12 weeks treatment with donepezil (starting dose 3 mg, p.o., once daily, followed by 5 mg after 1 or 2 weeks). There were significant changes in mean scores on the J-ZBI (-1.9 +/- 9.5; P < 0.01) and MMSE (+0.9 +/- 2.9; P < 0.01) from baseline to Week 12, without significant correlation between these two scores. In patients with BPSD, there was a significant decrease in J-ZBI scores over the 12 weeks (P = 0.013); in contrast, in patients without BPSD, the decrease in the J-ZBI score did not reach statistical significance (P = 0.418). The results indicate that donepezil improves cognitive function and some of the BPSD. As a possible consequence of improvements in BPSD, donepezil may also reduce caregivers' burden.

Activities During Spacelab-J Mission at Payload Operations and Control Center

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1992-01-01

The group of Japanese researchers of the Spacelab-J (SL-J) were thumbs-up in the Payload Operations Control Center (POCC) at the Marshall Space Flight Center after the successful launch of Space Shuttle Orbiter Endeavour that carried their experiments. The SL-J was a joint mission of NASA and the National Space Development Agency of Japan (NASDA) utilizing a marned Spacelab module. The mission conducted microgravity investigations in materials and life sciences. Materials science investigations covered such fields as biotechnology, electronic materials, fluid dynamics and transport phenomena, glasses and ceramics, metals and alloys, and acceleration measurements. Life sciences included experiments on human health, cell separation and biology, developmental biology, animal and human physiology and behavior, space radiation, and biological rhythms. Test subjects included the crew, Japanese koi fish (carp), cultured animal and plant cells, chicken embryos, fruit flies, fungi and plant seeds, frogs, and frog eggs. The POCC was the air/ground communications channel between the astronauts and ground control teams during the Spacelab missions. The Spacelab science operations were a cooperative effort between the science astronaut crew in orbit and their colleagues in the POCC. Spacelab-J was launched aboard the Space Shuttle Orbiter Endeavour on September 12, 1992.

Alterations in echocardiographic and electrocardiographic features in Japanese professional soccer players: comparison to African-Caucasian ethnicities.

PubMed

Kervio, Gaëlle; Pelliccia, Antonio; Nagashima, Junzo; Wilson, Mathew G; Gauthier, Jean; Murayama, Masahiro; Uzan, Laurent; Ville, Nathalie; Carré, François

2013-10-01

Scarce data are available regarding the electrocardiographic (ECG) and echocardiographic changes in athletes of Asian origin. We investigate the ECG and echocardiographic patterns in Japanese (J) compared with African-Caribbean (AC) and Caucasian (C) athletes. A total of 282 professional soccer players (68 J, 96 AC and 118 C) matched for age, gender, sport and level of achievement was examined. ECGs were without alterations in 62% of J (versus 69% of C, p = non significant and 44% of AC, p < 0.001). The most common alterations in J were sinus bradycardia (69%), incomplete right bundle branch block (RBBB; 43%), early repolarization (18%), isolated increase in R/S-wave (10%), Q-waves (9%). Remarkably, no J athlete showed deeply T-wave inversion, in contrast to 6% of AC (p < 0.05). Occasionally, J showed J-point upward/domed ST-elevation with inverted/biphasic T-wave (6% versus 16.5% in AC, p < 0.01). J demonstrated larger left ventricular (LV) cavity compared with AC and C players (55.2 ± 3.3 versus 52.2 ± 3.8 and 53.9 ± 3.7 mm, respectively, p < 0.01), with an important subset ( > 4%) presenting a markedly enlarged cavity (>60 mm), in the presence of normal systolic/diastolic function and no segmental abnormalities. Therefore, J showed a more eccentric remodelling compared with AC and C (relative wall thickness: 0.31 ± 0.05, 0.38 ± 0.06 and 0.36 ± 0.06, respectively, p < 0.01). J players show the most eccentric LV remodelling compared with C and AC players. In association, certain training-related ECG patterns, i.e. sinus bradycardia and isolated increase in R/S-wave voltage, are present in a larger proportion of J players than previously described in C players. Conversely, no J athlete showed deeply T-wave inversion, as commonly found in AC and occasionally in C.

Constructing the Japanese version of the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Student Survey: Confirmatory factor analysis.

PubMed

Tsubakita, Takashi; Shimazaki, Kazuyo

2016-01-01

To examine the factorial validity of the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Student Survey, using a sample of 2061 Japanese university students majoring in the medical and natural sciences (67.9% male, 31.8% female; Mage  = 19.6 years, standard deviation = 1.5). The back-translated scale used unreversed items to assess inefficacy. The inventory's descriptive properties and Cronbach's alphas were calculated using SPSS software. The present authors compared fit indices of the null, one factor, and default three factor models via confirmatory factor analysis with maximum-likelihood estimation using AMOS software, version 21.0. Intercorrelations between exhaustion, cynicism, and inefficacy were relatively higher than in prior studies. Cronbach's alphas were 0.76, 0.85, and 0.78, respectively. Although fit indices of the hypothesized three factor model did not meet the respective criteria, the model demonstrated better fit than did the null and one factor models. The present authors added four paths between error variables within items, but the modified model did not show satisfactory fit. Subsequent analysis revealed that a bi-factor model fit the data better than did the hypothesized or modified three factor models. The Japanese version of the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Student Survey needs minor changes to improve the fit of its three factor model, but the scale as a whole can be used to adequately assess overall academic burnout in Japanese university students. Although the scale was back-translated, two items measuring exhaustion whose expressions overlapped should be modified, and all items measuring inefficacy should be reversed in order to statistically clarify the factorial difference between the scale's three factors. © 2015 The Authors. Japan Journal of Nursing Science © 2015 Japan Academy of Nursing Science.

[Effect of concreteness of target words on verbal working memory: an evaluation using Japanese version of reading span test].

PubMed

Kondo, H; Osaka, N

2000-04-01

Effects of concreteness and representation mode (kanji/hiragana) of target words on working memory during reading was tested using Japanese version of reading span test (RST), developed by Osaka and Osaka (1994). Concreteness and familiarity of target words and difficulty of sentences were carefully controlled. The words with high concreteness resulted in significantly higher RST scores, which suggests the high efficiency of working memory in processing these words. The results suggest that high concrete noun-words associated with visual clues consume less working memory capacity during reading. The effect of representation mode is different between subjects with high-RST and low-RST scores. Characteristic of the high concrete words that may be responsible for the effectiveness of processing are discussed.

The ASI Science Data Center

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gendre, B.; Giommi, P.

2010-12-01

The ASI Science Data Center (ASDC, www.asdc.asi.it), a facility of the Italian Space Agency (ASI) is a multi-mission science operations, data processing and data archiving center that provides support to several scientific space missions. At the moment the ASDC has significant responsibilities for a number of high-energy astronomy/astroparticle satellites (e.g. Swift, AGILE, Fermi, NuSTAR and AMS) and supports at different level other missions like, Herschel and Planck. The ASDC was established in 2000 based on the experience built with the management of the BeppoSAX Science Data Center. It is located at the ESA site of ESRIN in Frascati, near Rome (Italy).

Language-specific strategy for programming hearing aids - A double-blind randomized controlled crossover study.

PubMed

Matsumoto, Nozomu; Suzuki, Nobuyoshi; Iwasaki, Satoshi; Ishikawa, Kazuha; Tsukiji, Hiroki; Higashino, Yoshie; Tabuki, Tomoko; Nakagawa, Takashi

2018-08-01

Voice-aligned compression (VAC) is a method used in Oticon's hearing aids to provide more comfortable hearing without sacrificing speech discrimination. The complex, non-linear compression curve for the VAC strategy is designed based on the frequency profile of certain spoken Western languages. We hypothesized that hearing aids could be further customized for Japanese-speaking users by modifying the compression curve using the frequency profile of spoken Japanese. A double-blind randomized controlled crossover study was performed to determine whether or not Oticon's modified amplification strategy (VAC-J) provides subjectively preferable hearing aids for Japanese-speaking hearing aid users compared to the same company's original amplification strategy (VAC). The participants were randomized to two groups. The VAC-first group received a pair of hearing aids programmed using the VAC strategy and wore them for three weeks, and then received a pair of hearing aids programmed using VAC-J strategy and wore them for three weeks. The VAC-J-first group underwent the same study, but they received hearing aids in the reverse sequence. A Speech, Spatial and Qualities (SSQ) questionnaire was administered before beginning to use the hearing aids, at the end of using the first pair of hearing aids, and at the end of using the second pair of hearing aids. Twenty-five participants that met the inclusion/exclusion criteria from January 1 to October 31, 2016, were randomized to two groups. Twenty-two participants completed the study. There were no statistically significant differences in the increment of SSQ scores between the participants when using the VAC- or the VAC-J-programmed hearing aids. However, participants preferred the VAC-J strategy to the VAC strategy at the end of the study, and this difference was statistically significant. Japanese-speaking hearing aid users preferred using hearing aids that were fitted with the VAC-J strategy. Our results show that the VAC strategy can be adjusted to the frequency profile of different languages and that participants expressed their subjective preference more clearly than was reflected in the SSQ scores. A similar language-specific strategy may improve user's satisfaction while using hearing devices, and this concept may be extended to implantable hearing devices. R000023191. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effect of silicon on reducing cadmium toxicity in durum wheat (Triticum turgidum L. cv. Claudio W.) grown in a soil with aged contamination.

PubMed

Rizwan, Muhammad; Meunier, Jean-Dominique; Miche, Hélène; Keller, Catherine

2012-03-30

Agricultural soil contamination and subsequently crops still require alternative solutions to reduce associated environmental risks. The effects of silica application on alleviating cadmium (Cd) phytotoxicity in wheat plants were investigated in a 71-day pot experiment conducted with a historically contaminated agricultural soil. We used amorphous silica (ASi) that had been extracted from a diatomite mine for Si distribution at 0, 1, 10 and 15 ton ASi ha(-1). ASi applications increased plant biomass and plant Si concentrations, reduced the available Cd in the soil and the Cd translocation to shoots, while Cd was more efficiently sequestrated in roots. But ASi is limiting for Si uptake by plants. We conclude that significant plant-available Si in soil contributes to decreased Cd concentrations in wheat shoots and could be implemented in a general scheme aiming at controlling Cd concentrations in wheat. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Validity of the Addiction Severity Index (adapted version) in a Costa Rican population group.

PubMed

Sandí Esquivel, L E; Avila Corrales, K

1990-01-01

Until recently, no adapted and validated instrument was available for assessing the alcohol and drug problems of individuals in Costa Rica. This article reports the results of a study performed by Costa Rica's Institute on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence in order to test an adapted version of one such instrument, the Addiction Severity Index (ASI), in a Costa Rican setting. The instrument was used to interview 100 male subjects 18 to 64 years old (51 with diagnosed alcohol or drug problems and 49 controls). In general, the subjects with previously diagnosed alcohol or drug problems were assigned substantially higher scores. More specifically, statistical analysis indicated highly significant correlations (p less than 0.001) between the type of subject (test subject or control) and the likelihood that noteworthy problems would be found in the areas of alcohol use, family/social relations, work/finances, and psychological status. Overall, the study demonstrated that the instrument was capable of distinguishing between the affected and unaffected populations, and also of gauging the severity of the problems involved and the patients' treatment needs.

J-SSOD 4 Mission

NASA Image and Video Library

2015-09-17

ISS045E014236 (09/17/2015) – A Japanese Small Satellite is deployed from outside the Japanese Experiment Module on Sept. 17, 2015. Two satellites were sent into Earth orbit by the Small Satellite Orbital Deployer. The first satellite is designed to observe the Ultraviolet (UV) spectrum during the Orionid meteor shower in October. The second satellite, sponsored by the University of Brasilia and the Brazilian government, focuses on meteorological data collection.

Examining the ethnoracial invariance of a bifactor model of anxiety sensitivity and the incremental validity of the physical domain-specific factor in a primary-care patient sample.

PubMed

Fergus, Thomas A; Kelley, Lance P; Griggs, Jackson O

2017-10-01

There is growing support for a bifactor conceptualization of the Anxiety Sensitivity Index-3 (ASI-3; Taylor et al., 2007), consisting of a General factor and 3 domain-specific factors (i.e., Physical, Cognitive, Social). Earlier studies supporting a bifactor model of the ASI-3 used samples that consisted of predominantly White respondents. In addition, extant research has yet to support the incremental validity of the Physical domain-specific factor while controlling for the General factor. The present study is an examination of a bifactor model of the ASI-3 and the measurement invariance of that model among an ethnoracially diverse sample of primary-care patients (N = 533). Results from multiple-group confirmatory factor analysis supported the configural and metric/scalar invariance of the bifactor model of the ASI-3 across self-identifying Black, Latino, and White respondents. The Physical domain-specific factor accounted for unique variance in an index of health anxiety beyond the General factor. These results provide support for the generalizability of a bifactor model of the ASI-3 across 3 ethnoracial groups, as well as indication of the incremental explanatory power of the Physical domain-specific factor. Study implications are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Wartime Personnel Assessment Model (WARPAM) (Version 1.0). Programmer’s Manual

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-01-31

UUCUM. YES YES WIESLAM NO TIME a No OUTPUT TO j R N8 REMAI PR.U ILE POrN SUBROUTINE MOVES TO NuIaA NEXT TIME PERIOD. BRANCH OR END PROCESSING FIGURE 10...8217CST’)I &.AND.(TYP.NE.’CSB’))GOTO 1.5 j j +1 I VARHLD(J1I) - TP VARHLD(J,2) - CATBRG VARHLD(J,3) - SEXI 210 VARHLD(J,4) - TYPI VARHLD(J,5) - REQT

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wessol, D.E.; Wheeler, F.J.; Babcock, R.S.

Several improvements have been developed for the BNCT radiation treatment planning environment (BNCT-Rtpe) during 1994. These improvements have been incorporated into Version 1.0 of BNCT-Rtpe which is currently installed at the INEL, BNL, Japanese Research Center (JRC), and Finland`s Technical Research Center. Platforms supported by this software include Hewlett-Packard (HP), SUN, International Business Machines (IBM), and Silicon Graphics Incorporated (SGI). A draft version of the BNCT-Rtpe user manual is available. Version 1.1 of BNCT-Rtpe is scheduled for release in March 1995. It is anticipated that Version 2.x of BNCT-Rtpe, which includes the nonproprietary NURBS library and data structures, will bemore » released in September 1995.« less

[Family typology and deterioration related to opioids use, in a methadone treatment patients group].

PubMed

Garrido Fernández, M; Torrado Val, E; Marcos Sierra, J A

2010-01-01

In this article the familiar functioning of subjects addict to opioids included in a maintenance programme with methadone will be analyzed, trying to identify whether belonging to one type of family (family typology) or another, according to Olson's Familiar Functioning Model, is related to the level of deterioration or severity of addiction of the different areas associated to consumption . The sample is composed by 69 subjects (N=69) users of the Servicio de Atención a las Drogodependencias (SAD) in Centro de Servicios Sociales Comunitarios del Ayuntamiento de Alcalá de Guadaíra (Seville). In order to evaluate the functioning and the family typology of these subjects the Escala de Cohesión y Adaptación Familiar--CAF-1--Spanish version of FACES III was used. In order to evaluate the level of deterioration, the Spanish version of the 5th edition of the personal, clinical semistructured interview Addiction Severity Index--ASI4--was applied. The results indicate that the subjects included in balanced families present more addiction severity in two dimensions of the ASI: Alcohol and Employment/Support and are, moreover, the ones that take greater doses of methadone.

Snapshots of Authentic Scientific Inquiry and Teacher Preparation: Undergraduate STEM Courses, Preservice and Inservice Teachers' Experiences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

French, Debbie Ann

2016-01-01

In this dissertation, the researcher describes authentic scientific inquiry (ASI) within three stages of teacher preparation and development: a1) undergraduate STEM courses, b2) preservice secondary science education methods courses, and c3) inservice teacher professional development (PD). Incorporating (ASI)--pedagogy closely modeling the…

From English to Chinese, Japanese, and Russian: extending research visibility with language translations of a conference slide presentation.

PubMed

Hoffecker, Lilian; Abbey, Dana

2017-01-01

The research demonstrates that a conference slide presentation translated into non-English languages reaches significantly larger and different audiences than an English presentation alone. The slides of a presentation from the Medical Library Association annual meeting were translated from English to Chinese, Japanese, and Russian and posted along with the English version to SlideShare, an open slide-hosting website. View counts, traffic sources, and geographic origins of the traffic for each language version were tracked over a twenty-two-month period. Total view counts for all 4 language versions amounted to 3,357 views, with the Chinese version accounting for 71% of the total views. The trends in view counts over time for the Japanese, Russian, and English versions were similar, with high interest at the beginning and a rapid drop and low level of viewing activity thereafter. The pattern of view counts for the Chinese version departed considerably from the other language versions, with very low activity at the beginning but a sharp rise 10 months later. This increase in activity was related to access to the presentations via a Taiwanese website that embedded the SlideShare website code. Language translation can be a difficult and time-consuming task. However, translation of a conference slide presentation with limited text is an achievable activity and engages an international audience for information that is often not noticed or lost. Although English is by far the primary language of science and other disciplines, it is not necessarily the first or preferred language of global researchers. By offering appropriate language versions, the authors of presentations can expand the reach of their work.

Mission Specialists Dan Barry and Koichi Wakata play Japanese game "GO"

NASA Image and Video Library

1996-02-06

STS072-315-034 (11-20 Jan. 1996) --- During off-duty time aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour, astronauts Daniel T. Barry (left) and Koichi Wakata join on the middeck for an in-space version of a Japanese game called "Go". Because of microgravity, the usual rock-like pieces that are moved about on the board by each player had to give way to tiny stick-on pieces. Wakata represents Japan's National Space Development Agency (NASDA).

Right-Sizing Intervention: The Philippines, El Salvador, and the Future of American Foreign Internal Defense

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-06-01

version of the title Hukbong Bayan Laban sa Hapon, or “People’s Anti- Japanese Army.” The Hukbalahap originated as a resistance movement during the... Japanese occupation, but continued to fight against the government, primarily over land-tenancy issues that will be detailed in chapter four. 5 Like...The Uses and Limits of Small Scale Military Interventions, 23. 25 This critique even has an analogue in fiction and cinema . See The Quiet

CASE STUDY: DIELDRIN ATTACK IN DALYAN LAGOON

EPA Science Inventory

During the first two weeks of December 2005, NATO sponsored an Advanced Study Institute (ASI) in Istanbul, Turkey. Part of this ASI involved a case study of a terrorist attack, where a chemical was assumed to be dumped into Sulunger Lake in Turkey. This chapter documents the re...

KSC01pp0822

NASA Image and Video Library

2001-04-19

At a signing ceremony between the Italian Space Agency (ASI) and NASA for a Framework for Cooperation to build the Habitation Module for the International Space Station, NASA Administrator Daniel S. Goldin speaks to attendees. Seated at the table next to Goldin are The Honorable Lamberto Dini, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Italy (far left), Italian Space Agency President Sergio DeJulio, and John Schumacher, assistant administrator, NASA External Relations. The Framework is a potential bilateral cooperative agreement that could result in ASI development of a U.S. Habitation Module for the International Space Station. This agreement allows the U.S. to explore an alternative approach to achieve full crew habitation for the ISS. A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between NASA and ASI will be required to formally document NASA and ASI’s respective responsibilities in a legally binding document. The Framework signed today would form the basis for a potential MOU which NASA and ASI would sign after completion of the program assessment and subsequent negotiations.The ceremony took place at the IMAX Theater, Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex

Randomized Prospective Double-Blind Studies to Evaluate the Cognitive Effects of Inositol-Stabilized Arginine Silicate in Healthy Physically Active Adults

PubMed Central

Kalman, Douglas; Harvey, Philip D.; Perez Ojalvo, Sara; Komorowski, James

2016-01-01

Inositol-stabilized arginine silicate (ASI; Nitrosigine®) has been validated to increase levels of arginine, silicon and nitric oxide production. To evaluate potential enhancement of mental focus and clarity, ASI (1500 mg/day) was tested in two double-blind placebo-controlled crossover (DBPC-X) studies using the Trail Making Test (TMT, Parts A and B). In the two studies, healthy males took ASI for 14 and 3 days, respectively. In the first study, after 14 days of dosing, TMT B time decreased significantly from baseline (28% improvement, p = 0.045). In the second study evaluating shorter-term effects, TMT B time decreased significantly compared to placebo (33% improvement, p = 0.024) in a 10-min period. After 3 days of dosing, TMT B time significantly decreased from baseline scores (35% improvement, p < 0.001). These findings show that ASI significantly improved the ability to perform complex cognitive tests requiring mental flexibility, processing speed and executive functioning. PMID:27869715

Benefit-cost analysis of addiction treatment: methodological guidelines and empirical application using the DATCAP and ASI.

PubMed

French, Michael T; Salomé, Helena J; Sindelar, Jody L; McLellan, A Thomas

2002-04-01

To provide detailed methodological guidelines for using the Drug Abuse Treatment Cost Analysis Program (DATCAP) and Addiction Severity Index (ASI) in a benefit-cost analysis of addiction treatment. A representative benefit-cost analysis of three outpatient programs was conducted to demonstrate the feasibility and value of the methodological guidelines. Procedures are outlined for using resource use and cost data collected with the DATCAP. Techniques are described for converting outcome measures from the ASI to economic (dollar) benefits of treatment. Finally, principles are advanced for conducting a benefit-cost analysis and a sensitivity analysis of the estimates. The DATCAP was administered at three outpatient drug-free programs in Philadelphia, PA, for 2 consecutive fiscal years (1996 and 1997). The ASI was administered to a sample of 178 treatment clients at treatment entry and at 7-months postadmission. The DATCAP and ASI appear to have significant potential for contributing to an economic evaluation of addiction treatment. The benefit-cost analysis and subsequent sensitivity analysis all showed that total economic benefit was greater than total economic cost at the three outpatient programs, but this representative application is meant to stimulate future economic research rather than justifying treatment per se. This study used previously validated, research-proven instruments and methods to perform a practical benefit-cost analysis of real-world treatment programs. The study demonstrates one way to combine economic and clinical data and offers a methodological foundation for future economic evaluations of addiction treatment.

Information Protection

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-07-01

changes for title page and front matter Version 1.1 (April 1987) slight cosmetic changes Version 1.0 (September 1986) original version iv SEI-CM-5-1.2...ramifications. The subject/object matrix is introduced as a method for understanding Fenton73 protection systems, and it is noteworthy that this Fenton , J

[Effect of Acanthopanax senticosus injection on the activities of human tumor necrosis factor and natural killer cell in blood in the patients with lung cancer].

PubMed

Huang, De-Bin; Ran, Rui-Zhi; Yu, Zhao-Fen

2005-04-01

To study the effect of Acanthopanax senticosus injection (ASI) on the activities of human tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and natural killer cell (NKC) in the patients with lung cancer and the underlying mechanism. 73 cases with lung cancer were randomly divided into two groups, namely, the treatment group (n = 39) and observation group (n = 34); 61 cases with or without other diseases were respectively divided into control A (n = 30) and B (n = 31) groups. The patients in treatment group were injected with ASI for 21 days. The activities of human TNF and NKC and the levels of IgG, IgA and IgM were detected respectively. After injection with ASI the activity of TNF-alpha in treatment group was comparable with that in the two control groups and was significant lower that that in observation group. The activity of TNF-beta and the levels of IgA, IgG and IgM were significantly higher than those in observation group and two control groups (P < 0.01). The activity of NKC was also remarkably higher than observation and two control groups. ASI can regulate the cellular immunity and factor, indicating that ASI can be used as an assistant drug to regulate the function of cellular immunity in the patients with lung cancer.

Crack-cocaine users have less family cohesion than alcohol users.

PubMed

Marchi, Nino C; Scherer, Juliana N; Pachado, Mayra P; Guimarães, Luciano S; Siegmund, Gerson; de Castro, Melina N; Halpern, Silvia; Benzano, Daniela; Formigoni, Maria L; Cruz, Marcelo; Pechansky, Flavio; Kessler, Felix H

2017-01-01

Many studies correlate characteristics of family functioning and the development of drug addiction. This study sought to evaluate and compare the family environment styles of two groups of psychoactive substance users: 1) alcohol-only users and 2) crack-cocaine users. Three hundred and sixty-four users of alcohol, crack-cocaine, and other drugs, recruited from research centers in four Brazilian capitals participated in this study. Subjects were evaluated through the Family Environment Scale and the Addiction Severity Index, 6th version (ASI-6). ASI-6 t-scores were compared by analysis of variance (ANOVA) and post-hoc tests. A final model was obtained using a logistic regression analysis. All analyses were adjusted for partner, age, and psychiatric t-score. We found a significant difference between groups in the cohesion subscale (p = 0.044). The post-hoc test revealed a difference of 1.06 points (95%CI 0.11-2.01) between groups 1 (6.45±0.28) and 2 (5.38±0.20). No significant between-group differences were observed in the other subscales. However, categorical analyses of variables regarding family dynamic showed that crack users more often reported that sometimes people in their family hit each other (30.4% vs. 13.2%, p = 0.007) and that people in their family frequently compared each other regarding work and/or school achievement (57.2% vs. 42.6%, p = 0.041). These results suggest that families of crack-cocaine users are less cohesive than families of alcohol users. This type of family environment may affect treatment outcome, and should thus be adequately approached.

Differences Between Japanese and U.S. Children's Performance on "Zoo U": A Game-Based Social Skills Assessment.

PubMed

Craig, Ashley B; DeRosier, Melissa E; Watanabe, Yayoi

2015-08-01

The purpose of this study was to test whether and how performance on a digital game-based social skills assessment tool, "Zoo U" (3C Institute, Durham, NC), differed for children in the United States and Japan across six core social skills. "Zoo U" was administered to 497 third and fourth grade children from the United States and Japan (46 percent Japanese) by teachers and researchers, respectively. U.S. children received the original version of "Zoo U," and Japanese children received a fully translated Japanese version of the program. Scoring of each of the six social skills is built into the "Zoo U" software, with specific scoring algorithms for each grade level that provide both a continuous scale score and cutoffs for three distinct performance categories: high, average, and low. A multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was conducted to assess differences by cultural group on each of the six continuous social skill scores, controlling for gender and grade level. Results revealed significant differences on four of the six skills in expected directions. Chi-squared and odds ratios analyses were then conducted on the assignment of children into each of the performance categories by cultural group, revealing additional nuance to the cultural differences identified in the MANOVA consistent with existing literature. We were able to replicate known cultural differences between U.S. and Japanese children with a simple direct translation of a Web-based social skills assessment game, "Zoo U." Our results provide preliminary support for the potential of game-based assessment methods to provide efficient and valid social skill assessments to children around the world.

Developmental change in cognitive organization underlying stroop tasks of Japanese orthographies.

PubMed

Toma, C; Toshima, T

1989-01-01

Cognitive processes underlying Stroop interference tasks of two Japanese orthographies, hiragana (a phonetic orthography) and kanji (a logographic orthography) were studied from the developmental point of view. Four age groups (first, second, third graders, and university students) were employed as subjects. Significant interference was yielded both in the hiragana and in the kanji version. Performance time on interference task decreased with age. For elementary school children, the error frequency on the interference task was higher than that on the task of naming patch colors or on the task of reading words printed in black ink, but the error frequencies did not differ among tasks for university students. In the interference task more word reading errors were yielded in the kanji version than in the hiragana version during and after third grade. The findings suggested that (1) the recognition system of hiragana and of kanji becomes qualitatively different during and after third grade, (2) the integrative system, which organizes cognitive processes underlying Stroop task, develops with age, and (3) efficiency of the organization increases with age.

Reading comprehension of health checkup reports and health literacy in Japanese people.

PubMed

Suka, Machi; Odajima, Takeshi; Okamoto, Masako; Sumitani, Masahiko; Nakayama, Takeo; Sugimori, Hiroki

2014-07-01

To determine the reading comprehension of health checkup reports in the context of health literacy (HL) in Japanese people. A web-based survey was conducted among 424 Japanese adults aged 35-59 years. Participants were asked to read specifically designed health checkup reports and then answer a series of questions to examine whether they accomplished the fundamental purposes of health checkup reports (recognition of the problems, recognition of the risk of illness, recognition of the need for preventive action, and motivation for preventive action). HL was simultaneously measured using the 14-item health literacy scale (HLS-14), the 11-item Lipkus scale (Lipkus-J), and the Newest Vital Sign (NVS-J). About 70 % of the study subjects misread the normal/abnormal classification for at least one items. Those with lower HLS-14 scores were significantly less likely to recognize the problems, the risk of illness, and the need for preventive action for the examinee, and also less likely to express their willingness to take preventive action in compliance with the doctor's advice after having received the health checkup report. Compared with the HLS-14 scores, the Lipkus-J and NVS-J scores showed hardly any association with the reading comprehension of health checkup reports. All examinees do not always have an adequate level of HL. HL may be the major determinant of reading comprehension of health checkup reports. For more effective health checkups, health promotion service providers should become aware of the existence of examinees with inadequate HL and address the problem of misreading health checkup results.

Around Marshall

NASA Image and Video Library

1992-09-18

The science laboratory, Spacelab-J (SL-J), flown aboard the STS-47 flight was a joint venture between NASA and the National Space Development Agency of Japan (NASDA) utilizing a manned Spacelab module. The mission conducted 24 materials science and 20 life science experiments, of which 35 were sponsored by NASDA, 7 by NASA, and two collaborative efforts. Materials science investigations covered such fields as biotechnology, electronic materials, fluid dynamics and transport phenomena, glasses and ceramics, metals and alloys, and acceleration measurements. Life sciences included experiments on human health, cell separation and biology, developmental biology, animal and human physiology and behavior, space radiation, and biological rhythms. Test subjects included the crew, Japanese koi fish (carp), cultured animal and plant cells, chicken embryos, fruit flies, fungi and plant seeds, and frogs and frog eggs. From the Huntsville Operations Support Center (HOSC) Spacelab Payload Operations Control Center (SL POCC), NASDA President, Mr. Yamano, speaks to Payload Specialist Mamoru Mohri, a Japanese crew member aboard the STS-47 Spacelab J mission.

The relationship between coping with stress and employment in patients receiving maintenance hemodialysis.

PubMed

Takaki, Jiro; Yano, Eiji

2006-07-01

The goal of this study was to assess the relationship between emotion- and task-oriented coping (EOC/TOC) with stress and employment in patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis. Individuals aged 18 to 64 yr who had uremia and had been undergoing hemodialysis regularly for at least three months were evaluated according to sociodemographic and clinical factors. Work status was defined using the most recent International Labour Organization definitions. Patients were requested to complete the following questionnaires: the Japanese version of the Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations, the Short Form-36 Health Survey, an item on itchiness, the Self-Efficacy on Health-Related Behavior Scale, the Japanese version of the Health Locus of Control Scale, the Social Support Scale, and the Japanese version of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. A total of 317 individuals participated in this study. Among men, age, physical functioning, EOC, and depression differed significantly (p<0.05) depending on employment. Among women, marital status, household composition, EOC, depression, and anxiety differed significantly (p<0.05) depending on employment. TOC was not significantly associated with employment in either sex. Multiple logistic regression analyses, including possible confounders, indicated that when EOC increased by 10 points, the associated adjusted odds ratio of an unemployed or economically inactive status changed by 1.48 (95% confidence interval, 1.04-2.11; p=0.030) in men and by 1.88 (95% confidence interval, 1.02-3.46; p=0.042) in women. These results suggest that EOC is associated with employment in patients receiving maintenance hemodialysis.

Validation Test Report for the Coupled Ocean/Atmosphere Mesoscale Prediction System (COAMPS) Version 5.0

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-09-27

Boston, MA., pp. 655-672. Dorman, C.E., S. Carniel, L. Cavaleri, M. Sclavo, J. Chiggiato , J. Doyle, T. Haack, J. Pullen, B. Grbec, I. Vilibic, I...A. Guarnieri, J. Chiggiato , S. Carniel, A. Russo, M. Tudor, F. Lenartz, and L.Vandenbulcke, (2009). Improved ocean prediction skill and reduced

Policy Studies Series: Japanese Technology Policy: What’s the Secret?

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-02-01

producers, while subsidies , tax incentives and loan programs provide incentives for Japanese industry to invest in and develop technology. These practices...Education [J Science and Technology Agency 0 MITI 234 12 Defense Agency o Ministry of Agric ., For. & Fish - Ministry of HeallhuWelfare 0 Min. of Posts and...34 The primary task of consortia is information exchange and coordination of a research agenda, not actual joint research. They are most effective in

Complete nucleotide sequence and genome structure of a Japanese isolate of hibiscus latent Fort Pierce virus, a unique tobamovirus that contains an internal poly(A) region in its 3' end.

PubMed

Yoshida, Tetsuya; Kitazawa, Yugo; Komatsu, Ken; Neriya, Yutaro; Ishikawa, Kazuya; Fujita, Naoko; Hashimoto, Masayoshi; Maejima, Kensaku; Yamaji, Yasuyuki; Namba, Shigetou

2014-11-01

In this study, we detected a Japanese isolate of hibiscus latent Fort Pierce virus (HLFPV-J), a member of the genus Tobamovirus, in a hibiscus plant in Japan and determined the complete sequence and organization of its genome. HLFPV-J has four open reading frames (ORFs), each of which shares more than 98 % nucleotide sequence identity with those of other HLFPV isolates. Moreover, HLFPV-J contains a unique internal poly(A) region of variable length, ranging from 44 to 78 nucleotides, in its 3'-untranslated region (UTR), as is the case with hibiscus latent Singapore virus (HLSV), another hibiscus-infecting tobamovirus. The length of the HLFPV-J genome was 6431 nucleotides, including the shortest internal poly(A) region. The sequence identities of ORFs 1, 2, 3 and 4 of HLFPV-J to other tobamoviruses were 46.6-68.7, 49.9-70.8, 31.0-70.8 and 39.4-70.1 %, respectively, at the nucleotide level and 39.8-75.0, 43.6-77.8, 19.2-70.4 and 31.2-74.2 %, respectively, at the amino acid level. The 5'- and 3'-UTRs of HLFPV-J showed 24.3-58.6 and 13.0-79.8 % identity, respectively, to other tobamoviruses. In particular, when compared to other tobamoviruses, each ORF and UTR of HLFPV-J showed the highest sequence identity to those of HLSV. Phylogenetic analysis showed that HLFPV-J, other HLFPV isolates and HLSV constitute a malvaceous-plant-infecting tobamovirus cluster. These results indicate that the genomic structure of HLFPV-J has unique features similar to those of HLSV. To our knowledge, this is the first report of the complete genome sequence of HLFPV.

The Japanese Criminal Thinking Inventory: Development, Reliability, and Initial Validation of a New Scale for Assessing Criminal Thinking in a Japanese Offender Population.

PubMed

Kishi, Kaori; Takeda, Fumi; Nagata, Yuko; Suzuki, Junko; Monma, Takafumi; Asanuma, Tohru

2015-11-01

Using a sample of 116 Japanese men who had been placed under parole/probationary supervision or released from prison, the present study examined standardization, reliability, and validation of the Japanese Criminal Thinking Inventory (JCTI) that was based on the short form of the Psychological Inventory of Criminal Thinking Styles (PICTS), a self-rating instrument designed to evaluate cognitive patterns specific to criminal conduct. An exploratory factor analysis revealed that four dimensions adequately captured the structure of the JCTI, and the resultant 17-item JCTI demonstrated high internal consistency. Compared with the Japanese version of the Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire (BAQ), the JCTI showed a favorable pattern of criterion-related validity. Prior criminal environment and drug abuse as the most recent offense also significantly correlated with the JCTI total score. Overall, the JCTI possesses an important implication for offender rehabilitation as it identifies relevant cognitive targets and assesses offender progress. © The Author(s) 2014.

Spacelab

NASA Image and Video Library

1992-09-12

The group of Japanese researchers of the Spacelab-J (SL-J) were thumbs-up in the Payload Operations Control Center (POCC) at the Marshall Space Flight Center after the successful launch of Space Shuttle Orbiter Endeavour that carried their experiments. The SL-J was a joint mission of NASA and the National Space Development Agency of Japan (NASDA) utilizing a marned Spacelab module. The mission conducted microgravity investigations in materials and life sciences. Materials science investigations covered such fields as biotechnology, electronic materials, fluid dynamics and transport phenomena, glasses and ceramics, metals and alloys, and acceleration measurements. Life sciences included experiments on human health, cell separation and biology, developmental biology, animal and human physiology and behavior, space radiation, and biological rhythms. Test subjects included the crew, Japanese koi fish (carp), cultured animal and plant cells, chicken embryos, fruit flies, fungi and plant seeds, frogs, and frog eggs. The POCC was the air/ground communications channel between the astronauts and ground control teams during the Spacelab missions. The Spacelab science operations were a cooperative effort between the science astronaut crew in orbit and their colleagues in the POCC. Spacelab-J was launched aboard the Space Shuttle Orbiter Endeavour on September 12, 1992.

Gender differences of suicide in Japan, 1947-2010.

PubMed

Liu, Y; Zhang, Y; Cho, Y T; Obayashi, Y; Arai, A; Tamashiro, H

2013-10-01

The effects of socio-economic factors on suicide were gender-dependent. Japanese suicide mortality gender ratio (male: female) had gradually increased during the twentieth century. With the data covering 1947-2010 collected from Japanese official websites, we conducted non-parametric rank test, curve estimations, spearman ranking correlation and quantile regression in succession with Stata version 12.0. The suicide mortality rate in male with a "U" shape had been always higher than that in female with a "J" shape. The male suicide mortality peaked around in 1955 (38.5 per 100,000 populations), dropped quickly afterwards until the 1970s; it increased in the 1980s with another peak in 2003 (33.2 per 100,000 populations). For female, an overall decreasing trend was seen with a peak during the 1950s (23.5 per 100,000 populations in 1958). It dropped gradually afterwards with small variations in 1970s and 80s, and was stabilized after 1995 (9.3 per 100,000 populations). The unemployment rate could be used as a single positive predictor of suicide mortality for men (p<0.01), while the total fertility rate (TFR) (p<0.01) and divorce rate (p<0.01) were significantly associated positively and negatively with women's suicide, respectively. The impact of mental disorders was not analyzed and age-specific analysis was not conducted. The findings of these gender differences in, and the associated factors with, suicide in Japan, warranted further studies including delineation of the implications of differential economic pressure between genders, as well as child-rearing pressure and marriage satisfaction. © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Analysis of microRNA profile of Anopheles sinensis by deep sequencing and bioinformatic approaches.

PubMed

Feng, Xinyu; Zhou, Xiaojian; Zhou, Shuisen; Wang, Jingwen; Hu, Wei

2018-03-12

microRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs widely identified in many mosquitoes. They are reported to play important roles in development, differentiation and innate immunity. However, miRNAs in Anopheles sinensis, one of the Chinese malaria mosquitoes, remain largely unknown. We investigated the global miRNA expression profile of An. sinensis using Illumina Hiseq 2000 sequencing. Meanwhile, we applied a bioinformatic approach to identify potential miRNAs in An. sinensis. The identified miRNA profiles were compared and analyzed by two approaches. The selected miRNAs from the sequencing result and the bioinformatic approach were confirmed with qRT-PCR. Moreover, target prediction, GO annotation and pathway analysis were carried out to understand the role of miRNAs in An. sinensis. We identified 49 conserved miRNAs and 12 novel miRNAs by next-generation high-throughput sequencing technology. In contrast, 43 miRNAs were predicted by the bioinformatic approach, of which two were assigned as novel. Comparative analysis of miRNA profiles by two approaches showed that 21 miRNAs were shared between them. Twelve novel miRNAs did not match any known miRNAs of any organism, indicating that they are possibly species-specific. Forty miRNAs were found in many mosquito species, indicating that these miRNAs are evolutionally conserved and may have critical roles in the process of life. Both the selected known and novel miRNAs (asi-miR-281, asi-miR-184, asi-miR-14, asi-miR-nov5, asi-miR-nov4, asi-miR-9383, and asi-miR-2a) could be detected by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) in the sequenced sample, and the expression patterns of these miRNAs measured by qRT-PCR were in concordance with the original miRNA sequencing data. The predicted targets for the known and the novel miRNAs covered many important biological roles and pathways indicating the diversity of miRNA functions. We also found 21 conserved miRNAs and eight counterparts of target immune pathway genes in An. sinensis based on the analysis of An. gambiae. Our results provide the first lead to the elucidation of the miRNA profile in An. sinensis. Unveiling the roles of mosquito miRNAs will undoubtedly lead to a better understanding of mosquito biology and mosquito-pathogen interactions. This work lays the foundation for the further functional study of An. sinensis miRNAs and will facilitate their application in vector control.

Anxiety sensitivity correlates with two indices of right anterior insula structure in specific animal phobia.

PubMed

Rosso, Isabelle M; Makris, Nikos; Britton, Jennifer C; Price, Lauren M; Gold, Andrea L; Zai, David; Bruyere, John; Deckersbach, Thilo; Killgore, William D S; Rauch, Scott L

2010-12-01

Anxiety sensitivity (AS) is a dispositional trait involving fear of anxiety-related symptoms. Functional imaging research suggests that the activity of the anterior insular cortex, particularly the right insula, may both mediate AS and play a role in the pathophysiology of phobias. However, no imaging studies have examined whether AS relates to insula morphology. We examined whether AS was significantly correlated with right anterior insula volume and thickness among adults with specific animal phobia (SAP) and healthy comparison (HC) subjects. Nineteen adults with SAP and 20 demographically group-matched HC subjects underwent magnetic resonance imaging at 3 Tesla. Subjects also completed the Anxiety Sensitivity Index (ASI). Regression and correlation analyses examined ASI scores in relation to anterior and posterior insular cortex volume and thickness within and across subject groups. SAP subjects had significantly higher ASI scores than HC, but did not differ in terms of insula volumes or thickness. ASI scores predicted right anterior insula thickness in SAP but not HC subjects, and right anterior insula volume in the sample as a whole. Correlations of ASI scores with the anterior and posterior insula volume and thickness were not significant in either group. These findings suggest that the right anterior insular cortex size is a neural substrate of AS within specific phobia, rather than an independent diagnostic marker of the disorder. Future investigations should examine whether heightened AS represents a shared intermediate phenotype across anxiety disorders, manifesting functionally as increased insular reactivity and clinically as a fear of anxiety symptoms. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Rationale and design of the Japanese heart failure outpatients disease management and cardiac evaluation (J-HOMECARE).

PubMed

Tsuchihashi-Makaya, Miyuki; Matsuo, Hisashi; Kakinoki, Shigeo; Takechi, Shigeru; Tsutsui, Hiroyuki

2011-09-01

Although many studies have demonstrated the efficacy of disease management programs on mortality, morbidity, quality of life (QOL), and medical cost in patients with heart failure (HF), no study has focused on psychological status as an outcome of disease management. In addition, very little information is available on the effectiveness of disease management programs in other areas than the USA and Europe. The Japanese Heart Failure Outpatients Disease Management and Cardiac Evaluation (J-HOMECARE) is a randomized controlled trial in which 156 patients hospitalized with HF will be randomized into usual care or a home-based disease management arm receiving comprehensive advice and counseling by visiting nurses during the initial 2 months and telephone follow-up for the following 4 months after discharge. This study evaluates depression and anxiety (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale), mortality, readmission due to HF, and QOL (Short Form-8). Data are collected during index hospitalization and then 2, 6, and 12 months after discharge. This study started in December 2007, and the final results are expected in 2011. The J-HOMECARE will provide important information on the efficacy of disease management for psychological status as well as the effective components of disease management for patients with HF. (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT01284400). Copyright © 2011 Japanese College of Cardiology. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Voltage control of magnetic monopoles in artificial spin ice

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chavez, Andres C.; Barra, Anthony; Carman, Gregory P.

2018-06-01

Current research on artificial spin ice (ASI) systems has revealed unique hysteretic memory effects and mobile quasi-particle monopoles controlled by externally applied magnetic fields. Here, we numerically demonstrate a strain-mediated multiferroic approach to locally control the ASI monopoles. The magnetization of individual lattice elements is controlled by applying voltage pulses to the piezoelectric layer resulting in strain-induced magnetic precession timed for 180° reorientation. The model demonstrates localized voltage control to move the magnetic monopoles across lattice sites, in CoFeB, Ni, and FeGa based ASI’s. The switching is achieved at frequencies near ferromagnetic resonance and requires energies below 620 aJ. The results demonstrate that ASI monopoles can be efficiently and locally controlled with a strain-mediated multiferroic approach.

The Addiction Severity Index: reliability and validity in a Dutch alcoholic population.

PubMed

DeJong, C A; Willems, J C; Schippers, G M; Hendriks, V M

1995-04-01

The Addiction Severity Index (ASI) was evaluated for its psychometric qualities in a Dutch alcoholic population admitted to an addiction treatment center in The Netherlands. Its factorial structure in this population was found to be consistent with the established six factor structure of the ASI. Reliability analysis revealed that the homogeneity of the subscales was acceptable with the exception of the Alcohol Scale. The six subscales were not highly intercorrelated. The results of this study indicate that the ASI is a useful instrument for the assessment of several problems associated with alcoholism. However, the Alcohol Scale appears to be limited as a diagnostic and research instrument in the field of inpatient treatment of alcohol dependence in The Netherlands.

Validation of spatially resolved all sky imager derived DNI nowcasts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuhn, Pascal; Wilbert, Stefan; Schüler, David; Prahl, Christoph; Haase, Thomas; Ramirez, Lourdes; Zarzalejo, Luis; Meyer, Angela; Vuilleumier, Laurent; Blanc, Philippe; Dubrana, Jean; Kazantzidis, Andreas; Schroedter-Homscheidt, Marion; Hirsch, Tobias; Pitz-Paal, Robert

2017-06-01

Mainly due to clouds, Direct Normal Irradiance (DNI) displays short-term local variabilities affecting the efficiency of concentrating solar power (CSP) plants. To enable efficient plant operation, DNI nowcasts in high spatial and temporal resolutions for 15 to 30 minutes ahead are required. Ground-based All Sky Imagers (ASI) can be used to detect, track and predict 3D positions of clouds possibly shading the plant. The accuracy and reliability of these ASI-derived DNI nowcasts must be known to allow its application in solar power plants. Within the framework of the European project DNICast, an ASI-based nowcasting system was developed and implemented at the Plataforma Solar de Almería (PSA). Its validation methodology and validation results are presented in this work. The nowcasting system outperforms persistence forecasts for volatile irradiance situations.

METABOLISM OF BENZ(J)ACEANTHRYLENE (CHOLANTHRYLENE) AND BENZ(L)ACEANTHRYLENE BY INDUCED RAT LIVER S9 (JOURNAL VERSION)

EPA Science Inventory

The metabolites of benz(j)aceanthrylene (B(j)A) and benz(l)aceanthrylene (B(l)A) produced by incubation with liver S9 proteins from rats induced with Aroclor-1254 and phenobarbital have been studied. Aroclor-1254 and phenobarbital induced rat liver S9 each metabolized B(j)A to tr...

Erratum: The MACHO Project: Microlensing Optical Depth toward the Galactic Bulge from Difference Image Analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alcock, C.; Allsman, R. A.; Alves, D. R.; Axelrod, T. S.; Becker, A. C.; Bennett, D. P.; Cook, K. H.; Drake, A. J.; Freeman, K. C.; Geha, M.; Griest, K.; Lehner, M. J.; Marshall, S. L.; Minniti, D.; Nelson, C. A.; Peterson, B. A.; Popowski, P.; Pratt, M. R.; Quinn, P. J.; Stubbs, C. W.; Sutherland, W.; Tomaney, A. B.; Vandehei, T.; Welch, D. L.

2001-08-01

In the paper ``The MACHO Project: Microlensing Optical Depth toward the Galactic Bulge from Difference Image Analysis'' by C. Alcock, R. A. Allsman, D. R. Alves, T. S. Axelrod, A. C. Becker, D. P. Bennett, K. H. Cook, A. J. Drake, K. C. Freeman, M. Geha, K. Griest, M. J. Lehner, S. L. Marshall, D. Minniti, C. A. Nelson, B. A. Peterson, P. Popowski, M. R. Pratt, P. J. Quinn, C. W. Stubbs, W. Sutherland, A. B. Tomaney, T. Vandehei, and D. L. Welch (ApJ, 541, 734 [2000]) an incorrect version of Table 3 was published. A second copy of Table 2 was given as Table 3. The correct version of Table 3 is available in the preprint version of the paper (astro-ph/0002510) and is printed below. This correction does not affect any of the results in the paper.

[A VALIDATION STUDY OF THE IMPROVED PRODUCT FOR MEASURING JAPANESE CYPRESS POLLEN-SPECIFIC IgE (THERMO SCIENTIFIC™ ImmunoCAP™ ImmunoCAP JAPANESE CYPRESS POLLEN-SPECIFIC IgE)].

PubMed

Yonekura, Syuji; Okamoto, Yoshitaka; Nakayama, Satoshi

Japanese cypress pollen is a major causative allergen of seasonal allergic rhinitis in Japan. Although ImmunoCAP-specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) reagent Japanese cypress pollen has been widely used as a diagnostic aid, its sensitivity requires enhancement. This study evaluated an improved version of this reagent. Serum samples from 61 subjects who underwent Japanese cypress pollen exposure testing in an environmental challenge chamber in Chiba University were assessed using the conventional ImmunoCAPspecific IgE Japanese cypress pollen product and the improved product. In addition, specific IgE for Cha o 1 and Cha o 2, the primary allergen components of Japanese cypress pollen, was evaluated and their reactivity to specific IgE was compared between the conventional and improved products. The antibody titer of the improved product was approximately 1.8-fold that of the conventional product. In addition, higher correlations with Cha o 1 and Cha o 2 were observed for the improved product than for the conventional product. The clinical sensitivity (≥class 2) in 56 exposure test-positive subjects was better for the improved product (80.4%) than for the conventional product (71.4%). An improvement of the ImmunoCAP-specific IgE reagent Japanese cypress pollen resulted in enhanced Japanese cypress pollen-specific IgE sensitivity. The primary reason for this appeared to be an improved Cha o 1- and Cha o 2-specific IgE detectability.

Aluminum enrichment in silicate melts by fractional crystallization: some mineralogic and petrographic constraints.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Zen, E.

1986-01-01

The degree of Al saturation of an igneous rock may be given by its aluminium saturation index (ASI), defined as the molar ratio Al2O3/(CaO+K2O+Na2O). One suggested origin for mildly peraluminous granites (ASI 1-1.1) is fractional crystallization of subaluminous magmas (ASI 1. For hornblende to effectively cause a melt to evolve into a peraluminous composition, it must be able to coexist with peraluminous magmas; e.g. at = or <5 kbar hornblende can coexist with strongly peraluminous melts (ASI approx 1.5). Potentials and problems of using coarse-grained granitic rocks to prove courses of magmatic evolution are illustrated by a suite of samples from the Grayling Lake pluton, SW Montana. Such rocks generally contain a large cumulate component and should not be used as a primary test for the occurrence or efficacy of a fractionation process that might lead to peraluminous melts. The process is unlikely to give rise to peraluminous plutons of batholithic dimensions. A differential equation is presented which allows the direct use of mineral chemistry and modal abundance to predict the path of incremental evolution of a given magma.-R.A.H.

Mental Health Status, Drug Treatment Use, and Needle Sharing among Injection Drug Users

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lundgren, Lena M.; Amodeo, Maryann; Chassler, Deborah

2005-01-01

This study examined the relationship among mental health symptoms, drug treatment use, and needle sharing in a sample of 507 injection drug users (IDUs). Mental health symptoms were measured through the ASI psychiatric scale. A logistic regression model identified that some of the ASI items were associated with needle sharing in an opposing…

Prevalence of Restless Legs Syndrome in Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

PubMed

Takahara, Ikuko; Takeshima, Fuminao; Ichikawa, Tatsuki; Matsuzaki, Toshihisa; Shibata, Hidetaka; Miuma, Satoshi; Akazawa, Yuko; Miyaaki, Hisamitsu; Taura, Naota; Nakao, Kazuhiko

2017-03-01

There has been increased interest in sleep disorders in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Studies in North America and Europe reported that the prevalence of restless legs syndrome (RLS) is much higher in patients with Crohn's disease (CD) than in the general population. The aim of this study was to reveal the prevalence and clinical features of RLS in Japanese patients with IBD and investigate the influence of RLS on sleep quality and quality of life (QOL). The study included 80 outpatients with IBD who visited Nagasaki University Hospital between December 2012 and July 2014. All patients completed the international RLS study group rating scale, a validated measure of the presence of RLS. Sleep quality was assessed using the Japanese version of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and health-related QOL was assessed using the Japanese version of the 36-item short form healthy profile (SF-36) version 2. The prevalence of RLS in patients with IBD was 20%, including rates of 21.7% in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) and 17.6% in patients with CD. Among patients with CD, the proportion of women and serum level of CRP were higher in the RLS group than in the non-RLS group. Among those with UC, there were no differences in clinical characteristics between the RLS and non-RLS groups. Patients in the RLS group slept significantly less well than those in the non-RLS group (PSQI > 5; 62.5 vs. 34.4%, P < 0.05). No significant relationships were observed between QOL indices and the presence of RLS (SF-36 physical score, 46.8 vs. 50.1; mental score, 43.8 vs. 45.7; role/social score, 48.1 vs. 49.2). RLS occurs frequently in Japanese patients with UC as well as CD. RLS affects sleep quality but not QOL, and it should be considered one of the causes of sleep disturbance in patients with IBD.

Stress and coping styles are associated with severe fatigue in medical students.

PubMed

Tanaka, Masaaki; Fukuda, Sanae; Mizuno, Kei; Kuratsune, Hirohiko; Watanabe, Yasuyoshi

2009-01-01

Fatigue is a common complaint among medical students and researchers consider it to be related to poor academic outcomes. The authors' goal in the present study was to determine whether stress and coping strategies were associated with fatigue in medical students. The study group consisted of 73 second-year healthy students attending the Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine. Participants completed a questionnaire about fatigue (Japanese version of Chalder Fatigue Scale), stress, stress coping (Japanese version of the Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations), overwork, and nocturnal sleeping hours. On univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses adjusted for age and gender, stress was positively associated with fatigue. In addition, after adjustment for age, gender, and emotion- and task-oriented stress coping activities, avoidance-oriented stress coping activity was associated with fatigue. The results suggest that stress and the coping style are correlated with fatigue in medical students.

Concentrated Protein Body Product Derived from Rice Endosperm as an Oral Tolerogen for Allergen-Specific Immunotherapy—A New Mucosal Vaccine Formulation against Japanese Cedar Pollen Allergy

PubMed Central

Wakasa, Yuhya; Takagi, Hidenori; Watanabe, Nobumasa; Kitamura, Noriko; Fujiwara, Yoshihiro; Ogo, Yuko; Hayashi, Shimpei; Yang, Lijun; Ohta, Masaru; Thet Tin, Wai Wai; Sekikawa, Kenji; Takano, Makoto; Ozawa, Kenjirou; Hiroi, Takachika; Takaiwa, Fumio

2015-01-01

The endoplasmic reticulum-derived type-I protein body (PB-I) from rice endosperm cells is an ideal candidate formulation for the oral delivery of bioencapsulated peptides as tolerogens for allergen-specific immunotherapy. In the present study, PBs containing the deconstructed Japanese cedar pollen allergens Cryptomeria japonica 1 (Cry j 1) and Cry j 2 were concentrated by treatment with thermostable α-amylase at 90°C to remove the starch from milled rice powder, which resulted in a 12.5-fold reduction of dry weight compared to the starting material. The modified Cry j 1 and Cry j 2 antigens in this concentrated PB product were more resistant to enzymatic digestion than those in the milled seed powder despite the absence of intact cell wall and starch, and remained stable for at least 10 months at room temperature without detectable loss or degradation. The high resistance of these allergens could be attributed to changes in protein physicochemical properties induced by the high temperature concentration process, as suggested by the decreased solubility of the antigens and seed proteins in PBs in step-wise-extraction experiments. Confocal microscopy showed that the morphology of antigen-containing PB-Is was preserved in the concentrated PB product. The concentrated PB product induced specific immune tolerance against Cry j 1 and Cry j 2 in mice when orally administered, supporting its potential use as a novel oral tolerogen formulation. PMID:25774686

Assessment of Reference Height Models on Quality of Tandem-X dem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mirzaee, S.; Motagh, M.; Arefi, H.

2015-12-01

The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of various Global Digital Elevation Models (GDEMs) in producing high-resolution topography model using TanDEM-X (TDX) Coregistered Single Look Slant Range Complex (CoSSC) images. We selected an image acquired on Jun 12th, 2012 over Doroud region in Lorestan, west of Iran and used 4 external digital elevation models in our processing including DLR/ASI X-SAR DEM (SRTM-X, 30m resolution), ASTER GDEM Version 2 (ASTER-GDEMV2, 30m resolution), NASA SRTM Version 4 (SRTM-V4, 90m resolution), and a local photogrammetry-based DEM prepared by National Cartographic Center (NCC DEM, 10m resolution) of Iran. InSAR procedure for DEM generation was repeated four times with each of the four external height references. The quality of each external DEM was initially assessed using ICESat filtered points. Then, the quality of, each TDX-based DEM was assessed using the more precise external DEM selected in the previous step. Results showed that both local (NCC) DEM and SRTM X-band performed the best (RMSE< 9m) for TDX-DEM generation. In contrast, ASTER GDEM v2 and SRTM C-band v4 showed poorer quality.

A parental report of children's anxiety symptoms in Japan.

PubMed

Ishikawa, Shin-ichi; Shimotsu, Saki; Ono, Tetsuya; Sasagawa, Satoko; Kondo-Ikemura, Kiyomi; Sakano, Yuji; Spence, Susan H

2014-06-01

Using parental reports, the current study investigated anxiety symptoms among Japanese children as part of the process of developing the Japanese version of the Spence Children's Anxiety Scale for Parents (SCAS-P). The participants were 677 parents and children aged 9-12 years. Confirmatory factor analysis on 568 parents and children supported that the SCAS-P had a 6-factor structure. The scale showed satisfactory internal consistency and good convergent validity. A MANOVA indicated no significant gender or age differences except for the obsessive-compulsive disorder subscale. Among Japanese children, the most prevalent symptoms within the parental report were items related to fear of the dark and of insects/spiders. Finally, we observed very low correlations between parental and child reports of anxiety symptoms; the relationships between child and parental reports were rather poor among Japanese children. We briefly discuss the utility of the SCAS-P as a screening instrument assessing parental reports of anxiety symptoms.

Culturally sensitive and universal measure of resilience for Japanese populations: Tachikawa Resilience Scale in comparison with Resilience Scale 14-item version.

PubMed

Nishi, Daisuke; Uehara, Ritei; Yoshikawa, Eisho; Sato, Goro; Ito, Masaya; Matsuoka, Yutaka

2013-04-01

Although scales specific to resilience are available and widely used, qualities of resilience could be culturally sensitive. This study aimed to develop a concise scale of resilience for Japanese populations, and compare its validity to that of the Resilience Scale 14-item version (RS-14), one of the most widely used scales for measuring resilience. The Tachikawa Resilience Scale (TRS) was developed on the basis of data obtained from unstructured interviews with Japanese motor vehicle accident survivors without psychiatric disorder. The reliability and validity of the TRS and RS-14 were then examined in cross-sectional studies performed with 523 company workers and 140 psychiatric outpatients. The TRS and RS-14 were negatively correlated with depressive symptoms in company workers and psychiatric outpatients and with anxiety in psychiatric outpatients, and were positively correlated with social support in company workers. Internal consistency and test-retest reliability of the TRS were high. Construct validity of the TRS was equivalent to that of the RS-14 in company workers, and higher than that of the RS-14 in psychiatric outpatients. The reliability and validity of the TRS and RS-14 in Japanese company workers and patients with psychiatric disorders were acceptable. The validity of the TRS was equivalent to or better than that of the RS-14. Although the TRS cannot be regarded as an established scale due to a lack of theoretical rationale, the results of this study suggest that scales measuring resilience that cover cultural aspects might be more relevant in given populations. © 2013 The Authors. Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences © 2013 Japanese Society of Psychiatry and Neurology.

Effects of dietary supplementation of arginine-silicate-inositol complex on absorption and metabolism of calcium of laying hens

PubMed Central

Orhan, Cemal; Tuzcu, Mehmet; Hayirli, Armagan; Komorowski, James R.; Sahin, Nurhan

2018-01-01

The effects of supplementation of arginine-silicate-inositol complex (ASI; 49.5–8.2–25 g/kg, respectively) to laying hens were investigated with respect to eggshell quality, calcium (Ca) balance, and expression of duodenal proteins related to Ca metabolism (calbindin and tight junction proteins). A total of 360 laying hens, 25 weeks old, were divided into 3 groups consisting of 6 replicate of cages, 20 birds per cage. The groups were fed a basal diet and the basal diet supplemented with 500 or 1000 mg ASI complex per kilogram for 90 days. Data were analyzed by ANCOVA using data during the first week of the adaptation period as covariates. As the ASI complex supplementation level increased, there were increases in feed intake (P < 0.0001), egg production (P < 0.001), egg weight (P < 0.0001) and eggshell weight (P < 0.001) weight, and shell thickness (P < 0.001) and decreases in feed conversion ratio and cracked egg percentage (P < 0.0001 for both). Concentrations of serum osteocalcin (P < 0.0001), vitamin D (P < 0.0001), calcium (P < 0.001), phosphorus (P < 0.001), and alkaline phosphatase (P < 0.008) as well as amounts of calcium retention (P < 0.0001) and eggshell calcium deposition (P < 0.001), and Ca balance (P < 0.0001) increased, whereas amount of calcium excretion (P < 0.001) decreased linearly in a dose-dependent manner. The ASI complex supplementation increased expressions of calcium transporters (calbindin-D28k, N sodium-calcium exchanger, plasma membrane calcium ATPase, and vitamin D receptor) and tight junction proteins (zonula occludens-1 and occludin) in the duodenum in a linear fashion (P < 0.0001 for all). In conclusion, provision of dietary ASI complex to laying hens during the peak laying period improved eggshell quality through improving calcium utilization as reflected by upregulation of genes related to the calcium metabolism. Further studies are needed to elucidate the contribution of each of the ASI complex ingredients. PMID:29360830

Catalog of Resources for Education in Ada (Trade Name) and Software Engineering (CREASE). Version 5.0.

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-04-01

are eligible to participate in this course. This course is not offered for graduate credit. This course is taught by Timothy J. Fullam. For more...information on this course, contact Timothy J. Fullman at the above address and phone number. University of Alaska Southeast CREASE Version 5.0 13 CS 202...259 DATA STRUCTURES USING Ada University Offeror: Gallaudet University Department of Math/Computer Science Washington, DC 20002 (202) 651-5315 The

Nationwide Japanese Prostate Cancer Outcome Study of Permanent Iodine-125 Seed Implantation (J-POPS): first analysis on survival.

PubMed

Ito, Kazuto; Saito, Shiro; Yorozu, Atsunori; Kojima, Shinsuke; Kikuchi, Takashi; Higashide, Satoshi; Aoki, Manabu; Koga, Hirofumi; Satoh, Takefumi; Ohashi, Toshio; Nakamura, Katsumasa; Katayama, Norihisa; Tanaka, Nobumichi; Nakano, Masahiro; Shigematsu, Naoyuki; Dokiya, Takushi; Fukushima, Masanori

2018-06-22

Investigating oncological outcomes in patients registered in the Japanese Prostate Cancer Outcome Study of Permanent Iodine-125 Seed Implantation (J-POPS) in terms of biochemical relapse-free survival (bRFS) by the Phoenix and the newly developed J-POPS definitions, exploration of predictive factors for bRFS, and preliminary verification of pitfalls of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) failure definitions. Between July 2005 and June 2007, 2316 clinically localized patients underwent permanent seed implantation. The primary endpoint was bRFS. One of the secondary endpoints was overall survival (OS). The median age was 69 and performance status was 0 in 99.1% of participants. The median biologically effective dose (BED) was about 180 Gy 2 . During a median follow-up of 60.0 months, 8.4 and 5.9% had PSA failure by the Phoenix and the J-POPS definitions, respectively. The 5-year bRFSs based on the Phoenix and the J-POPS definitions were 89.1 and 91.6%, respectively. The 5-year OS was 97.3%. According to multivariate analyses, only age affected bRFS based on the Phoenix definition, whereas the risk group and BED independently affected bRFS based on the J-POPS definition. A spontaneous PSA decrease was seen in 91.1% of participants after PSA failure based on the Phoenix definition alone, but in only 22.2% after PSA failure based on the J-POPS definition alone. The world's largest registration study, J-POPS, consisted of patients with longevity, and a highly quality-controlled BED resulted in excellent bRFS and OS. The high likelihood of PSA bounce by the Phoenix definition should be taken into account, especially in younger patients. NCT00534196.

Development and validation of a new instrument for testing functional health literacy in Japanese adults.

PubMed

Nakagami, Katsuyuki; Yamauchi, Toyoaki; Noguchi, Hiroyuki; Maeda, Tohru; Nakagami, Tomoko

2014-06-01

This study aimed to develop a reliable and valid measure of functional health literacy in a Japanese clinical setting. Test development consisted of three phases: generation of an item pool, consultation with experts to assess content validity, and comparison with external criteria (the Japanese Health Knowledge Test) to assess criterion validity. A trial version of the test was administered to 535 Japanese outpatients. Internal consistency reliability, calculated by Cronbach's alpha, was 0.81, and concurrent validity was moderate. Receiver Operating Characteristics and Item Response Theory were used to classify patients as having adequate, marginal, or inadequate functional health literacy. Both inadequate and marginal functional health literacy were associated with older age, lower income, lower educational attainment, and poor health knowledge. The time required to complete the test was 10-15 min. This test should enable health workers to better identify patients with inadequate health literacy. © 2013 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

Development of the Japanese 15D instrument of health-related quality of life: verification of reliability and validity among elderly people.

PubMed

Okamoto, Nozomi; Hisashige, Akinori; Tanaka, Yuu; Kurumatani, Norio

2013-01-01

The 15D is a self-administered questionnaire for assessment of health-related quality of life, which contains 15 questions with 5 response options each. This study was conducted to evaluate the reliability and validity of the Japanese 15D. The subjects were 430 community-dwelling elderly people. Each item of the 15D was scored on a 5-point Likert scale, with level 1 being the best, score 1. Reliability was assessed by determination of the internal consistency and test-retest reliability. Criterion-based validity was assessed using the Japanese version of the Nottingham Health Profile (NHP) and Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology Index of Competence (TMIG index). Acceptability was assessed by inquiring about the time required to complete the questionnaire and the burden felt in responding to it. The answers of 423 individuals who responded to all items were analyzed. The median time required to complete the questionnaire was 5.0 minutes, and the proportion of subjects who indicated that the questionnaire was easy to complete was 98.3%. The Cronbach's alpha coefficients for all 15 items in the 2 surveys were 0.793 and 0.792, respectively. The intraclass correlation coefficients for the 15 items ranged from 0.44 to 0.72. In the relationship between the 15D and the NHP, the correlation coefficients between the corresponding domains were higher than those between non-corresponding domains. The prevalence of disability in higher-level functional capacity was higher in the "level 2 to 5" group than in the "level 1" group. The Japanese version of the 15D showed sufficient internal consistency and moderate repeatability. Because of the short time required to complete the Japanese 15D and the significant relationships between the scores on the 15D and the NHP, and between the 15D and higher-level functional capacity, the acceptability and validity of the Japanese 15D were considered to be sufficient.

A multiplet table for Mn I (Adelman, Svatek, Van Winkler, Warren 1989): Documentation for the machine-readable version

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Warren, Wayne H., Jr.; Adelman, Saul J.

1989-01-01

The machine-readable version of the multiplet table, as it is currently being distributed from the Astronomical Data Center, is described. The computerized version of the table contains data on excitation potentials, J values, multiplet terms, intensities of the transitions, and multiplet numbers. Files ordered by multiplet and by wavelength are included in the distributed version.

Association between severity of illicit drug dependence and quality of life in a psychosocial care center in BRAZIL: cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Campêlo, Selva Rios; Barbosa, Maria Alves; Dias, Danilo Rocha; Caixeta, Camila Cardoso; Leles, Cláudio Rodrigues; Porto, Celmo Celeno

2017-11-17

Quality of life must be one of the main purposes for the treatment of drug users, requiring a better understanding of the association between the quality of life and the severity of dependency. This study aimed to investigate the correlation between severity of substance use in various areas of human functioning and quality of life of illicit drug users in a psychosocial care center for alcohol and drugs. This cross-sectional study included 60 participants - illicit drug users - treated at a psychosocial care center for alcohol and drugs. Participants were evaluated with the short version of World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL-Bref) instrument to measure the quality of life, the 6th version of Addiction Severity Index (ASI-6) to assess the severity of dependence in several areas and the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) to identify the presence of psychiatric disorders. Pearson and Spearman correlation tests and linear regression were applied to verify the association between the severity of dependence and the quality of life, and Student's t-test to compare the mean quality of life between individuals with and without psychiatric comorbidities. Negative correlation was found between the severity of dependence on the drugs dimensions: alcohol, psychiatric, medical, legal, family/social support and family/social problems of ASI-6, and the quality of life domains measured by the WHOQOL-Bref. The evidence was strongest in the psychiatric and medical dimensions. There was a significant difference in the quality of life mean among participants presenting or not presenting psychiatric comorbidities, for the psychological domain in anxiety disorders, and for the physical and psychological domains in mood disorders. The quality of life decreased as the severity of dependence increased, with different results in the various areas of the participant's life. This result emphasizes the need for training the professional team which works in the substance use disorders area for more comprehensive diagnostic evaluations and more appropriate therapeutic interventions for each area. The associations were more evident in the medical and psychiatric fields, indicating the need for greater attention to be paid in relation to medical and psychiatric comorbidities.

Post-hoc analysis showing better clinical response with the loading dose of certolizumab pegol in Japanese patients with active rheumatoid arthritis.

PubMed

Takeuchi, Tsutomu; Yamamoto, Kazuhiko; Yamanaka, Hisashi; Ishiguro, Naoki; Tanaka, Yoshiya; Eguchi, Katsumi; Watanabe, Akira; Origasa, Hideki; Kobayashi, Mariko; Shoji, Toshiharu; Togo, Osamu; Miyasaka, Nobuyuki; Koike, Takao

2016-07-01

To compare the efficacy and safety of certolizumab pegol (CZP) with and without loading dose (LD) in a post-hoc analysis of two Japanese clinical studies. Data from the double-blind trials (DBT) J-RAPID and HIKARI, and their open-label extension (OLE) studies, were used. Patients randomized to CZP 200 mg every 2 weeks (Q2W) groups starting with LD (400 mg Weeks 0/2/4; LD group; J-RAPID: n = 82, HIKARI: n = 116) and patients randomized to placebo groups who subsequently started CZP Q2W without LD in the OLEs (No-LD group; J-RAPID: n = 61, HIKARI: n = 99) were analyzed. Efficacy and pharmacokinetics were assessed during 24 weeks. Adverse events were reported from all studies. In both trials, the LD groups showed more rapid initial ACR20/50/70 kinetics, and maintained higher ACR50/70 responses until 24 weeks, compared with the No-LD groups. Anti-CZP antibody development was less frequent in the LD groups (J-RAPID: 1.2% versus 4.9%; HIKARI: 17.2% versus 27.3%). Similar safety profiles were reported between LD and No-LD groups (any AEs: 281.8 versus 315.7 [J-RAPID], 282.6 versus 321.3 [HIKARI] [incidence rate/100 patient-years]). Despite limitations, including comparing DBT and OLE studies, these results suggest that a CZP LD improves clinical response in active rheumatoid arthritis without altering the safety profile.

Factor Structure and Psychometric Properties of the Anxiety Sensitivity Index in a Sample of Croatian Adults

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jurin, Tanja; Jokic-Begic, Natasa; Korajlija, Anita Lauri

2012-01-01

Anxiety sensitivity (AS) refers to a person's tendency to fear anxiety-related symptoms due to the belief that these symptoms may have harmful consequences. The most widely used operationalization of AS in adults is the Anxiety Sensitivity Index (ASI). The factor structure, gender stability, and psychometric properties of the ASI in a sample of…

Model-based dose selection for phase III rivaroxaban study in Japanese patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation.

PubMed

Tanigawa, Takahiko; Kaneko, Masato; Hashizume, Kensei; Kajikawa, Mariko; Ueda, Hitoshi; Tajiri, Masahiro; Paolini, John F; Mueck, Wolfgang

2013-01-01

The global ROCKET AF phase III trial evaluated rivaroxaban 20 mg once daily (o.d.) for stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation (AF). Based on rivaroxaban pharmacokinetics in Japanese subjects and lower anticoagulation preferences in Japan, particularly in elderly patients, the optimal dose regimen for Japanese AF patients was considered. The aim of this analysis was dose selection for Japanese patients from a pharmacokinetic aspect by comparison of simulated exposure in Japanese patients with those in Caucasian patients. As a result of population pharmacokinetics-pharmacodynamics analyses, a one-compartment pharmacokinetic model with first-order absorption and direct link pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic models optimally described the plasma concentration and pharmacodynamic models (Factor Xa activity, prothrombin time, activated partial thromboplastin time, and HepTest), which were also consistent with previous works. Steady-state simulations indicated 15 mg rivaroxaban o.d. doses in Japanese patients with AF would yield exposures comparable to the 20 mg o.d. dose in Caucasian patients with AF. In conclusion, in the context of the lower anticoagulation targets in Japanese practice, the population pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic modeling supports 15 mg o.d. as the principal rivaroxaban dose in J-ROCKET AF.

The ceremonial transfer of Leonardo, the first MPLM, from ASI to NASA

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1998-01-01

Participants pose for a photo at the Space Station Processing Facility ceremony transferring the 'Leonardo' Multipurpose Logistics Module (MPLM) from the Italian Space Agency, Agenzia Spaziale Italiana (ASI), to NASA. From left, they are astronaut Jim Voss, European Space Agency astronauts Umberto Guidoni of Italy and Christer Fuglesang of Sweden, NASA International Space Station Program Manager Randy Brinkley, NASA Administrator Daniel S. Goldin, ASI President Sergio De Julio and Stephen Francois, director, International Space Station Launch Site Support at KSC. The MPLM, a reusable logistics carrier, will be the primary delivery system used to resupply and return International Space Station cargo requiring a pressurized environment. Leonardo is the first of three MPLM carriers for the International Space Station. It is scheduled to be launched on Space Shuttle Mission STS-100, targeted for April 2000.

Factors Affecting the Baseline and Post-Treatment Scores on the Hopkins Verbal Learning Test-Revised Japanese Version before and after Whole-Brain Radiation Therapy

PubMed Central

Saito, Hirotake; Tanaka, Kensuke; Kanemoto, Ayae; Nakano, Toshimichi; Abe, Eisuke; Aoyama, Hidefumi

2016-01-01

Our objectives were to (1) investigate the feasibility of the use of the Japanese version of the Hopkins Verbal Learning Test-Revised (HVLT-R); (2) identify the clinical factors influencing the HVLT-R scores of patients undergoing whole-brain radiation therapy (WBRT); and (3) compare the neurocognitive function (NCF) after WBRT in different dose fractionation schedules. We administered the HVLT-R (Japanese version) before (baseline) and at four and eight months after WBRT in 45 patients who received either therapeutic (35Gy-in-14, n = 16; 30Gy-in-10, n = 18) or prophylactic (25Gy-in-10, n = 11) WBRT. Sixteen patients dropped out before the eight-month examination, due mostly to death from cancer. The Karnofsky Performance Status (KPS) 80–100 group had significantly higher baseline total recall (TR) scores (p = 0.0053), delayed recall (DR) scores (p = 0.012), and delayed recognition (DRecog) scores (p = 0.0078). The patients aged ≤65 years also had significantly higher TR scores (p = 0.030) and DRecog scores (p = 0.031). The patients who underwent two examinations (worse-prognosis group) had significantly decreased DR scores four months after WBRT compared to the baseline (p = 0.0073), and they were significantly more likely to have declined individual TR scores (p = 0.0017) and DR scores (p = 0.035) at four months. The eight-month HVLT-R scores did not significantly decline regardless of the WBRT dose fractionation. The baseline NCF was determined by age and KPS, and the early decline in NCF is characteristic of the worse-prognosis group. PMID:27827891

Associations between intimate partner violence (IPV) during pregnancy, mother-to-infant bonding failure, and postnatal depressive symptoms.

PubMed

Kita, Sachiko; Haruna, Megumi; Matsuzaki, Masayo; Kamibeppu, Kiyoko

2016-08-01

This study examined the associations between intimate partner violence (IPV) during pregnancy, mother-to-infant bonding failure, and postnatal depressive symptoms at 1 month postnatal. This study also examined if these relationships would be mediated by antenatal depressive symptoms. This study was a prospective cohort study that investigated effects between the third trimester of pregnancy and 1 month after childbirth. The Japanese version of the Index of Spouse Abuse (ISA), the Japanese version of the Mother-Infant Bonding Scale (MIBS), and the Japanese version of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) were used to measure IPV during pregnancy, bonding failure with infants, and depressive symptoms during pregnancy and the postnatal period respectively. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to find the associations between those four variables. The final path model of the SEM showed good fit with the data. IPV during pregnancy was associated with mother-to-infant bonding failure at 1 month postnatal, whereas IPV during pregnancy was not significantly associated with postnatal depressive symptoms at 1 month postnatal. In addition, this study demonstrated that the associations between IPV during pregnancy, mother-to-infant bonding failure, and postnatal depressive symptoms at 1 month postnatal were mediated by antenatal depressive symptoms. The results of this study indicated the need for interventions for IPV and psychological health care for abused pregnant women to prevent antenatal depressive symptoms in prenatal health settings. Those interventions by perinatal health professionals would help to prevent bonding failure with infants and postnatal depressive symptoms after childbirth.

Development of the Portuguese version of the modified Japanese Orthopaedic Association Score: cross-cultural adaptation, reliability, validity and responsiveness.

PubMed

Augusto, Mateus Tomaz; Diniz, Juliete Melo; Rolemberg Dantas, Fernando Luiz; Fernandes de Oliveira, Matheus; Rotta, José Marcus; Botelho, Ricardo Vieira

2018-06-01

Spondylotic cervical myelopathy (SCM) is a common cause of spinal-related disability in the elderly. The assessment of this disability is a challenging task and depends on the subjective evaluation of the investigator. As a widespread used scale, the modified scale of the Japanese Association of Orthopedics (mJOA) should be translated and culturally adapted in the Brazilian Portuguese language (mJOA-Br) to provide its clinical and research use. This study aims to do translation, transcultural adaptation and validation of the mJOA, into Brazilian Portuguese language. Following the transcultural adaptation model described by Guillemin et al., the scale as translated into Brazilian Portuguese and back-translated to English. Afterwards, questionnaires were applied in consecutive patients with SCM and compared to a control group (without SCM). The final scale was compared to the Brazilian version of Neck Disability Index for validation. Sixty patients were submitted to the translated version of mJOA. There was strong correlation between mJOA-Br scores and NDI scores to evaluate SCM symptoms (R=-0.75). mJOA-Br was considered a valid and reliable tool to evaluate SCM patients. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

[Cognitive function screening of community-dwelling elderly by Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status in Japanese (TICS-J)].

PubMed

Konagaya, Yoko; Watanabe, Tomoyuki; Takata, Kazuko; Ohta, Toshiki

2008-09-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether the Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status in Japanese (TICS-J) is accepted among community-dwelling elderly, to examine the correlations among gender, age or the duration of education and the TICS-J, as well as to grasp the subjects with probable cognitive impairment. A total of 12,059 community-dwelling elderly were invited to join the cognitive screening by the TICS-J, among which 3,482 responded, of these we were actually able to measure 2,620 and found out the educational back ground of the 2,431. They counted 1,186 men (age 72.3+/-5.7 (mean+/-SD) years old, duration of education 11.4+/-2.9 years) and 1,245 women (72.4+/-5.8, 10.3+/-2.2). The TICS-J was administered according to the TICS manual. The TICS-J consisted of orientation concerning name, time and place, counting backward from 20 to 1, remembering a word list, 7 serial subtractions, naming of verbal descriptions, repetition, recent memory, praxis and opposites. The subjects were divided into two groups by the duration of education (less than 11 years, or 11 years or more), or four groups by age (65-69, 70-74, 75-79 and 80 years old or more). There were no significant differences of total TICS-J scores between men and women, 34.3+/-3.5 and 34.4+/-3.6, respectively. The mean total score of the high education group (35.3+/-3.0) was significantly higher than that of the low education group (33.3+/-3.8). Moreover, the averages of the total scores decreased according to age increase. The number of the subjects who showed the total TICS-J scores below the cut-off point of 33 was 564 (23.2%). There was no difference between men and women with the average total score of the TICS-J, however, there were correlations between ages and extent of education and their average total scores. The TICS-J is useful to assess the cognitive function of the community-dwelling elderly.

Applicability of the Proposed Japanese Model for the Classification of Gastric Cancer Location: The "PROTRADIST" Retrospective Study.

PubMed

Marano, Luigi; Petrillo, Marianna; Pezzella, Modestino; Patriti, Alberto; Braccio, Bartolomeo; Esposito, Giuseppe; Grassia, Michele; Romano, Angela; Torelli, Francesco; De Luca, Raffaele; Fabozzi, Alessio; Falco, Giuseppe; Di Martino, Natale

2017-06-01

The extension of lymphadenectomy for surgical treatment of gastric cancer remains discordant among European and Japanese surgeons. Kinami et al. (Kinami S, Fujimura T, Ojima E, et al. PTD classification: proposal for a new classification of gastric cancer location based on physiological lymphatic flow. Int. J. Clin. Oncol. 2008;13:320-329) proposed a new experimental classification, the "Proximal zone, Transitional zone, Distal zone" (PTD) classification, based on the physiological lymphatic flow of gastric cancer site. The aim of the present retrospective study is to assess the applicability of PTD Japanese model in gastric cancer patients of our Western surgical department. Two groups of patients with histologically documented adenocarcinoma of the stomach were retrospectively obtained: In the first group were categorized 89 patients with T1a-T1b tumor invasion; and in the second group were 157 patients with T2-T3 category. The data collected were then categorized according to the PTD classification. In the T1a-T1b group there were no lymph node metastases within the r-GA or r-GEA compartments for tumors located in the P portion, and similarly there were no lymphatic metastases within the l-GEA or p-GA compartments for tumors located in the D portion. On the contrary, in the T2-T3 group the lymph node metastases presented a diffused spreading with no statistical significance between the two classification models. Our results show that the PTD classification based on physiological lymphatic flow of the gastric cancer site is a more physiological and clinical version than the Upper, Medium And Lower classification. It represents a valuable and applicable model of cancer location that could be a guide to a tailored surgical approach in Italian patients with neoplasm confined to submucosa. Nevertheless, in order to confirm our findings, larger and prospective studies are needed.

Snapshots of Authentic Scientific Inquiry and Teacher Preparation: Undergraduate STEM Courses, Preservice and Inservice Teachers' Experiences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

French, Debbie Ann

In this dissertation, the researcher describes authentic scientific inquiry (ASI) within three stages of teacher preparation and development: a1) undergraduate STEM courses, b2) preservice secondary science education methods courses, and c3) inservice teacher professional development (PD). Incorporating (ASI)-- pedagogy closely modeling the research practices of scientists--is at the forefront of national science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) initiatives and the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). In the first of three research articles, 42 students participated in an introductory astronomy course which employed inquiry-based pedagogy. The researcher administered the Test Of Astronomy STandards (TOAST) pre/post instruction. In the second article, 56 preservice secondary science teachers completed ideal lesson plan scenarios before and after 80 hours of methods instruction. The researcher scored the scenarios using a rubrirubric developedc according to the NGSS Science and Engineering Practices, and analyzed the components from the scenarios. The third article surveyed 63 inservice STEM teachers with prior research and industry experience. The researcher highlights teacher ASI perspectives. Overall, teachers incorporated opportunities for K-20 students to use scientific instrumentation and technology to collect and analyze data, work collaboratively, and develop evidence-based conclusions. Few teachers provided opportunities for students to ask scientific questions or disseminate results, suggesting the need that teachers (at all levels) need scaffolded instruction in these areas. The researcher argues that while ASI and STEM PDs are effective for teachers, developing similar interest, on-going communities of practice may provide support for teacher to implement the ASI practices in their classrooms.

Association between the perspective of adult inpatients with digestive cancer regarding the nursing service and their quality of recovery on postoperative day 3.

PubMed

Sasaki, Kumiko; Tamakoshi, Koji

2018-02-01

Although qualitative research that focuses on inpatients' experience immediately after surgery has continued to elucidate the efficacy of the nursing service for postoperative recovery, there has been little quantitative research. Our aim was to quantitatively clarify the association between inpatients' perception of the nursing service and the quality of postoperative recovery. Seventy-one digestive cancer patients who underwent surgery were recruited. Participants completed two self-administered questionnaires, including the Japanese version of the 40-item postoperative Quality of Recovery scale (QoR-40J) and the Nursing Service Quality Scale for Japan (NURSERV-J) which has 22 items and five dimensions (tangibles, reliability, responsiveness, assurance, and empathy) on postoperative day 3. There were significant positive associations between the global scores of the NURSERV-J and the QoR-40J. The global score of the QoR-40J was compared between patients who gave full marks for each dimension of the NURSERV-J (the entirely satisfied group) and those who did not (the not entirely satisfied group). The entirely satisfied groups regarding tangibles, reliability and responsiveness had a significantly higher global score for the QoR-40J than the respective not entirely satisfied groups. Adjusted for age, gender, operative procedure, and duration of surgery, the entirely satisfied groups regarding tangibles and responsiveness had a significant higher global score for the QoR-40J than the respective not entirely satisfied groups. Patients who perceived that they had received a nursing service of high quality were likely to attain a high quality of postoperative recovery. Nursing services related to tangibles, reliability, and responsiveness especially contributed to postoperative recovery.

Efficient Biotransformation of Astragaloside IV to Cycloastragenol by Bacillus sp. LG-502.

PubMed

Wang, Liming; Chen, Yan

2017-12-01

Cycloastragenol (CA), an exclusive telomerase activator, was derived from the Astragali Radix which is widely distributed in Turkey. Until now, there is no report to produce CA with effective and environment-friendly methods. Biotransformation is considered to be a promising technology. Thus, the present study was aimed to establish a biotransformation technology that could efficiently produce CA. In this paper, a microorganism, LG-502, was used to successfully transform astragaloside IV (ASI) to CA by analysis of thin layer chromatography (TLC) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA indicated that this strain belongs to Bacillus sp. Three metabolites were separated during the fermentation and characterized to be cyclogaleginoside B, CA, and 20R, 24S-epoxy-6α, 16β, 25-trihydroxy-9, 19-cycloartan-3-one based on NMR and MS spectroscopic analyses. The conversion rate of ASI and yield rate of CA were achieved as high as 89 and 84%, respectively, under optimized conditions. Enzymatic analysis showed that the glycosidases were mainly located inside the bacterial body, and the activities of glucosidases were much higher than the xylosidases under the experimental conditions. This study provides a feasible, effective, and eco-friendly way to prepare CA from ASI, which might greatly contribute to the applications of ASI.

ELITE S2 - A Facility for Quantitative Human Movement Analysis on Board the ISS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Neri, Gianluca; Mascetti, Gabriele; Zolesi, Valfredo

2014-11-01

This paper describes the activities for utilization and control of ELITE S2 on board the International Space Station (ISS). ELITE S2 is a payload of the Italian Space Agency (ASI) for quantitative human movement analysis in weightlessness. Within the frame of a bilateral agreement with NASA, ASI has funded a number of facilities, enabling different scientific experiments on board the ISS. ELITE S2 has been developed by the ASI contractor Kayser Italia, delivered to the Kennedy Space Center in 2006 for pre-flight processing, launched in 2007 by the Space Shuttle Endeavour (STS-118), integrated in the U.S. lab and used during the Increments 16/17 (2008) and 33/34 (2012/2013). The ELITE S2 flight segment comprises equipment mounted into an Express Rack and a number of stowed items to be deployed for experiment performance (video cameras and accessories). The ground segment consists in a User Support Operations Center (based at Kayser Italia) enabling real-time payload control and a number of User Home Bases (located at the ASI and PIs premises), for the scientific assessment of the experiment performance. Two scientific protocols on reaching and cognitive processing have been successfully performed in eight sessions involving three ISS crewmembers: IMAGINE 2 and MOVE.

Factor structure and construct validity of the Anxiety Sensitivity Index among island Puerto Ricans.

PubMed

Cintrón, Jennifer A; Carter, Michele M; Suchday, Sonia; Sbrocco, Tracy; Gray, James

2005-01-01

The factor structure and convergent and discriminant validity of the Anxiety Sensitivity Index (ASI) were examined among a sample of 275 island Puerto Ricans. Results from a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) comparing our data to factor solutions commonly reported as representative of European American and Spanish populations indicated a poor fit. A subsequent exploratory factor analysis (EFA) indicated that a two-factor solution (Factor 1, Anxiety Sensitivity; Factor 2, Emotional Concerns) provided the best fit. Correlations between the ASI and anxiety measures were moderately high providing evidence of convergent validity, while correlations between the ASI and BDI were significantly lower providing evidence of discriminant validity. Scores on all measures were positively correlated with acculturation, suggesting that those who ascribe to more traditional Hispanic culture report elevated anxiety.

Anxiety sensitivity correlates with two indices of right anterior insula structure in specific animal phobia

PubMed Central

Rosso, Isabelle M.; Makris, Nikos; Britton, Jennifer C.; Price, Lauren M.; Gold, Andrea L.; Zai, David; Bruyere, John; Deckersbach, Thilo; Killgore, William D. S.; Rauch, Scott L.

2010-01-01

Background Anxiety sensitivity (AS) is a dispositional trait involving fear of anxiety-related symptoms. Functional imaging research suggests that activity of the anterior insular cortex, particularly the right insula, may both mediate AS and play a role in the pathophysiology of phobias. However, no imaging studies have examined whether AS relates to insula morphology. We examined whether AS was significantly correlated with right anterior insula volume and thickness among adults with specific animal phobia (SAP) and healthy comparison (HC) subjects. Methods Nineteen adults with SAP and 20 demographically group-matched HC subjects underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at 3 Tesla. Subjects also completed the Anxiety Sensitivity Index (ASI). Regression and correlation analyses examined ASI scores in relation to anterior and posterior insular cortex volume and thickness within and across subject groups. Results SAP subjects had significantly higher ASI scores than HC, but did not differ in terms of insula volumes or thickness. ASI scores predicted right anterior insula thickness in SAP but not HC subjects, and right anterior insula volume in the sample as a whole. Correlations of ASI scores with left anterior and posterior insula volume and thickness were not significant in either group. Conclusions These findings suggest that right anterior insular cortex size is a neural substrate of AS within specific phobia, rather than an independent diagnostic marker of the disorder. Future investigations should examine whether heightened AS represents a shared intermediate phenotype across anxiety disorders, manifesting functionally as increased insular reactivity and clinically as a fear of anxiety symptoms. PMID:21132846

Leg extension power is a pre-disaster modifiable risk factor for post-traumatic stress disorder among survivors of the Great East Japan Earthquake: a retrospective cohort study.

PubMed

Momma, Haruki; Niu, Kaijun; Kobayashi, Yoritoshi; Huang, Cong; Otomo, Atsushi; Chujo, Masahiko; Tadaura, Hiroko; Nagatomi, Ryoichi

2014-01-01

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a common psychological problem following natural disasters. Although pre-disaster risk factors are important for early detection and proactive support, the examination of such has been limited to sociodemographic factors, which were largely unaffected by the disasters. We examined the association between pre-disaster physical functioning and lifestyle and PTSD symptoms five months after the earthquake in the Great East Japan Earthquake survivors who were participating in a pre-existing cohort study. We designed a retrospective cohort study of a cooperative association in Sendai from August 2010 to August 2011. In 2010, lifestyle, physical condition, and sociodemographic factors were examined by self-reported questionnaires completed by 522 employees of this organization. We also measured the leg extension power of all the participants. PTSD symptoms were evaluated by the Japanese version of the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R-J) following the earthquake of 2011. In multivariate linear regression analysis, leg extension power (β = -0.128, P = 0.025), daily drinking (β  = 0.203, P = 0.006), and depressive symptoms (β  = 0.139, P = 0.008) were associated with total score of the IES-R-J among men. Moreover, for the IES-R-J subscale, leg extension power was also negatively associated with Intrusion (β = -0.114, P = 0.045) and Hyperarousal (β = -0.163, P = 0.004) after adjusting for all other significant variables. For women, hypertension (β  = 0.226, P = 0.032) and depressive symptoms (β  = 0.205, P = 0.046) were associated with the total score of the IES-R-J. Leg extension power is a potentially modifiable pre-disaster risk factor among men for attenuating the severity of PTSD symptoms associated with great disasters such as the Great East Japan Earthquake among men.

Silicon Wafer Advanced Packaging (SWAP). Multichip Module (MCM) Foundry Study. Version 2

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-04-08

Next Layer Dielectric Spacing - Additional Metal Thickness Impact on Dielectric Uniformity/Adhiesion. The first step in .!Ie EPerimental design would be... design CAM - computer aided manufacturing CAE - computer aided engineering CALCE - computer aided life cycle engineering center CARMA - computer aided...expansion 5 j- CVD - chemical vapor deposition J . ..- j DA - design automation J , DEC - Digital Equipment Corporation --- DFT - design for testability

Social support and substitute voice acquisition on psychological adjustment among patients after laryngectomy.

PubMed

Kotake, Kumiko; Suzukamo, Yoshimi; Kai, Ichiro; Iwanaga, Kazuyo; Takahashi, Aya

2017-03-01

The objective is to clarify whether social support and acquisition of alternative voice enhance the psychological adjustment of laryngectomized patients and which part of the psychological adjustment structure would be influenced by social support. We contacted 1445 patients enrolled in a patient association using mail surveys and 679 patients agreed to participate in the study. The survey items included age, sex, occupation, post-surgery duration, communication method, psychological adjustment (by the Nottingham Adjustment Scale Japanese Laryngectomy Version: NAS-J-L), and the formal support (by Hospital Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire-25: HPSQ-25). Social support and communication methods were added to the three-tier structural model of psychological adjustment shown in our previous study, and a covariance structure analysis was conducted. Formal/informal supports and acquisition of alternative voice influence only the "recognition of oneself as voluntary agent", the first tier of the three-tier structure of psychological adjustment. The results suggest that social support and acquisition of alternative voice may enhance the recognition of oneself as voluntary agent and promote the psychological adjustment.

Inpatient Addiction Consultation for Hospitalized Patients Increases Post-Discharge Abstinence and Reduces Addiction Severity.

PubMed

Wakeman, Sarah E; Metlay, Joshua P; Chang, Yuchiao; Herman, Grace E; Rigotti, Nancy A

2017-08-01

Alcohol and drug use results in substantial morbidity, mortality, and cost. Individuals with alcohol and drug use disorders are overrepresented in general medical settings. Hospital-based interventions offer an opportunity to engage with a vulnerable population that may not otherwise seek treatment. To determine whether inpatient addiction consultation improves substance use outcomes 1 month after discharge. Prospective quasi-experimental evaluation comparing 30-day post-discharge outcomes between participants who were and were not seen by an addiction consult team during hospitalization at an urban academic hospital. Three hundred ninety-nine hospitalized adults who screened as high risk for having an alcohol or drug use disorder or who were clinically identified by the primary nurse as having a substance use disorder. Addiction consultation from a multidisciplinary specialty team offering pharmacotherapy initiation, motivational counseling, treatment planning, and direct linkage to ongoing addiction treatment. Addiction Severity Index (ASI) composite score for alcohol and drug use and self-reported abstinence at 30 days post-discharge. Secondary outcomes included 90-day substance use measures and self-reported hospital and ED utilization. Among 265 participants with 30-day follow-up, a greater reduction in the ASI composite score for drug or alcohol use was seen in the intervention group than in the control group (mean ASI-alcohol decreased by 0.24 vs. 0.08, p < 0.001; mean ASI-drug decreased by 0.05 vs. 0.02, p = 0.003.) There was also a greater increase in the number of days of abstinence in the intervention group versus the control group (+12.7 days vs. +5.6, p < 0.001). The differences in ASI-alcohol, ASI-drug, and days abstinent all remained statistically significant after controlling for age, gender, employment status, smoking status, and baseline addiction severity (p = 0.018, 0.018, and 0.02, respectively). In a sensitivity analysis, assuming that patients who were lost to follow-up had no change from baseline severity, the differences remained statistically significant. In a non-randomized cohort of medical inpatients, addiction consultation reduced addiction severity for alcohol and drug use and increased the number of days of abstinence in the first month after hospital discharge.

Ada Adoption Handbook: A Program Manager’s Guide, Version 2.0

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-10-01

specifically Ada oriented: "* Compilation order tool: A capability that, when given a set of Ada units, determines the com- pilation order. "* Automatic...July 1992. 146. Knapper. R. J., Linn, C. J.. & Salasin, J. Guidelines for Tailoring DOD-S TD-2167A for SOS Software Development. IDA Paper P- 2018

Post-traumatic stress disorder and job stress among firefighters of urban Japan.

PubMed

Saijo, Yasuaki; Ueno, Takeji; Hashimoto, Yoshihiro

2012-02-01

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a common condition among Japanese firefighters. The purpose of this study was to clarify the relationship of PTSD scores to job stress, social support, and depressive stress among Japanese firefighters. A total of 1,667 Japanese firefighters working for the local government completed a questionnaire that was used to gather information pertaining to age, gender, job type, job class, marital status, and smoking and drinking habits. Questionnaires from the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), the Japanese version of the U.S. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Generic Job Stress Questionnaire, and the IES-R were also used. After adjustment for age and gender, subjects in the PTSD-positive group had significantly higher scores for inter-group conflict, role ambiguity, and CES-D, as well as significantly lower scores for social support from their supervisors compared to those in the PTSD-negative group. High inter-group conflict and role ambiguity, as well as low social support from supervisors and the presence of depressive symptoms, may influence the development of PTSD among Japanese firefighters.

Differences in Neuroticism Between Patients with Glaucoma Who Have Discontinued Visits to Ophthalmologists and Those Who Make Regular Visits: Implications for Adherence to Topical Glaucoma Medications.

PubMed

Nakano, Tadashi; Kodaka, Fumitoshi; Tsuneoka, Hiroshi

2016-12-01

Neuroticism is a personality trait often described in individuals with glaucoma (GLC), but is not necessarily representative of the total population of patients. There is a population of patients with GLC who are invisible to clinical ophthalmologists; in other words, those who once have been diagnosed with GLC, but spontaneously stop visiting an ophthalmologist. Little is known about their neuroticism personality trait. In the present study, the authors compared the level of neuroticism between patients no longer visiting an ophthalmologist and those who continue visit them regularly. Patients were assigned to two groups according to the duration of their last visit to an ophthalmologist: the Discontinued group included those patients who had not visited an ophthalmologist for the last 6 months, and the Regular Visitor group included those patients who continued to make regular visits to an ophthalmologist. The Japanese version of Ten Items Personality Inventory (TIPI-J), a questionnaire specifically used to assess the Big Five personality traits (extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism, and openness), was completed by patients through a dedicated website. Three-hundred and seventy-three patients with GLC were recruited. The neuroticism score from the TIPI-J in the Discontinued group was significantly lower than that in the Regular Visitor group (7.63 ± 2.23 vs. 8.23 ± 2.21, respectively; P = 0.01). No significant difference was found in the other TIPI-J sub-item scores between the Discontinued and the Regular Visitor groups. In this study, the authors showed that neuroticism trait in patients with GLC who have discontinued visiting their ophthalmologists was lower than that in patients who regularly visited them, on the basis of the Big Five personality traits as measured by the TIPT-J. Santen Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.

The effect of prosthetic rehabilitation and simple dietary counseling on food intake and oral health related quality of life among the edentulous individuals: A randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Amagai, Noriko; Komagamine, Yuriko; Kanazawa, Manabu; Iwaki, Maiko; Jo, Ayami; Suzuki, Hiroyuki; Minakuchi, Shunsuke

2017-10-01

To investigate the combined effect of complete denture renewal and simple dietary advice. A randomized controlled trial was performed with edentulous patients who required new complete dentures. All participants received complete denture treatment. In addition, the intervention group received dietary advice in a pamphlet form, while the control group received advice pertaining to the care and maintenance of the dentures. The advice was given by dentists for each group. The participants' food intake was assessed at baseline and 3 months after intervention using a diet history questionnaire and an oral health related quality of life assessment measured using the Japanese version of the Oral Health Impact Profile for edentulous people (OHIP-EDENT-J). Among 70 participants who were randomized, 62 participants finished all parts of this trial. At baseline, there was no significant difference in the food intake between the two groups. At the 3-month assessment, the intervention group showed significantly greater intake of chicken (P=0.013), fish with bones (P=0.012), and carrots and pumpkins (P=0.025) compared to the control group. However, at baseline and at the 3-month assessment, there was no significant difference in the OHIP-EDENT-J scores between the groups, but the OHIP-EDENT-J scores significantly improved for both groups at the 3-month assessment. There were more significant improved dimensions of OHIP-EDENT-J in the intervention group than in the control group at the 3-month assessment. Simple dietary advice combined with complete denture treatment could improve food intake of edentulous patients. The present study suggests that brief dietary advice provided by dentists can improve food intake of edentulous elderly. This simply diet advice is much easier compared to customized forms, might enable normal dentists provide patients it. The result of this study broadens possibility of nutritional counseling in daily clinical practice. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The emerging ST8 methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus clone in the community in Japan: associated infections, genetic diversity, and comparative genomics.

PubMed

Iwao, Yasuhisa; Ishii, Rumiko; Tomita, Yusuke; Shibuya, Yasuhiro; Takano, Tomomi; Hung, Wei-chun; Higuchi, Wataru; Isobe, Hirokazu; Nishiyama, Akihito; Yano, Mio; Matsumoto, Tetsuya; Ogata, Kikuyo; Okubo, Takeshi; Khokhlova, Olga; Ho, Pak-leung; Yamamoto, Tatsuo

2015-07-01

Community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) has become a major concern worldwide. In the United States, ST8 CA-MRSA with SCCmecIVa (USA300) has been predominant, affecting the entire United States. In this study, we investigated Japanese ST8 CA-MRSA with new SCCmecIV1 (designated ST8 CA-MRSA/J), which has emerged in Japan since 2003. Regarding community spread and infections, ST8 CA-MRSA/J spread in 16.2-34.4% as a major genotype in the community in Japan, and was associated with skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs), colitis, and invasive infections (sepsis, epidural abscesses, and necrotizing pneumonia), including influenza prodrome cases and athlete infections, similar to USA300. It spread to even public transport and Hong Kong through a Japanese family. Regarding genetic diversity, ST8 CA-MRSA/J included ST and spa variants and was classified into at least three pulsed-field gel electrophoresis types, ST8 Jα to γ. Of those, ST8 Jβ was associated with severe invasive infections. As for genomics, ST8 CA-MRSA/J showed high similarities to USA300, but with marked diversity in accessory genes; e.g., ST8 CA-MRSA/J possessed enhanced cytolytic peptide genes of CA-MRSA, but lacked the Panton-Valentine leukocidin phage and arginine catabolic mobile element, unlike USA300. The unique features of ST8 CA-MRSA/J included a novel mosaic SaPI (designated SaPIj50) carrying the toxic shock syndrome toxin-1 gene with high expression; the evolution included salvage (through recombination) of hospital-acquired MRSA virulence. The data suggest that ST8 CA-MRSA/J has become a successful native clone in Japan, in association with not only SSTIs but also severe invasive infections (posing a threat), requiring attention.

A new pathological scoring system by the Japanese classification to predict renal outcome in diabetic nephropathy.

PubMed

Hoshino, Junichi; Furuichi, Kengo; Yamanouchi, Masayuki; Mise, Koki; Sekine, Akinari; Kawada, Masahiro; Sumida, Keiichi; Hiramatsu, Rikako; Hasegawa, Eiko; Hayami, Noriko; Suwabe, Tatsuya; Sawa, Naoki; Hara, Shigeko; Fujii, Takeshi; Ohashi, Kenichi; Kitagawa, Kiyoki; Toyama, Tadashi; Shimizu, Miho; Takaichi, Kenmei; Ubara, Yoshifumi; Wada, Takashi

2018-01-01

The impact of the newly proposed pathological classification by the Japan Renal Pathology Society (JRPS) on renal outcome is unclear. So we evaluated that impact and created a new pathological scoring to predict outcome using this classification. A multicenter cohort of 493 biopsy-proven Japanese patients with diabetic nephropathy (DN) were analyzed. The association between each pathological factor-Tervaert' and JRPS classifications-and renal outcome (dialysis initiation or 50% eGFR decline) was estimated by adjusted Cox regression. The overall pathological risk score (J-score) was calculated, whereupon its predictive ability for 10-year risk of renal outcome was evaluated. The J-scores of diffuse lesion classes 2 or 3, GBM doubling class 3, presence of mesangiolysis, polar vasculosis, and arteriolar hyalinosis were, respectively, 1, 2, 4, 1, and 2. The scores of IFTA classes 1, 2, and 3 were, respectively, 3, 4, and 4, and those of interstitial inflammation classes 1, 2, and 3 were 5, 5, and 4 (J-score range, 0-19). Renal survival curves, when dividing into four J-score grades (0-5, 6-10, 11-15, and 16-19), were significantly different from each other (p<0.01, log-rank test). After adjusting clinical factors, the J-score was a significant predictor of renal outcome. Ability to predict 10-year renal outcome was improved when the J-score was added to the basic model: c-statistics from 0.661 to 0.685; category-free net reclassification improvement, 0.154 (-0.040, 0.349, p = 0.12); and integrated discrimination improvement, 0.015 (0.003, 0.028, p = 0.02). Mesangiolysis, polar vasculosis, and doubling of GBM-features of the JRPS system-were significantly associated with renal outcome. Prediction of DN patients' renal outcome was better with the J-score than without it.

Development of a short form of the Japanese version of the Interpersonal Relationship Inventory.

PubMed

Sumi, Katsunori

2009-10-01

The Interpersonal Relationship Inventory (Tilden, Nelson, & May, 1990a) is a 39-item self-report measure to assess three aspects (support, reciprocity, and conflict) of perceived social relationships. In this research, short forms of the Japanese version (Sumi, 2003) of the inventory were developed on the basis of data from two sources. For the item selection, data from 340 Japanese college students (148 women, 192 men; M age = 21.6 yr., SD = 1.6) who completed the original full form of the inventory were used to create three internally consistent short forms. The reliability and construct validity of the short forms were examined upon administering them to among 513 college students (226 women, 287 men; M age =19.9 yr., SD = 1.4). All the subscales of the short forms had acceptable internal consistency (alphas = .70-.90) and test-retest reliability (rs = .72-.81). Confirmatory factor analysis of each short form supported the fact that each form had a three-factor structure. Scores on the subscales shared acceptable overlapping variance with the corresponding subscale scores of the original full form, and these scores were weakly but significantly correlated with the scores for satisfaction with social support, loneliness, and perceived stress. All the short forms had acceptable reliability and construct validity.

Characteristics of and interventions for fever in Japan.

PubMed

Ikematsu, Y

2004-12-01

As part of a larger multinational validation study of the International Classification for Nursing Practice (ICNP) alpha version, a survey was conducted in Japan to determine characteristics of 'fever' and interventions to treat febrile patients. Three hundred and fifty-six acute and critical care Japanese nurses participated in this study. The major and minor characteristics of 'fever' perceived by Japanese nurses and interventions used by the nurses in managing febrile patients were identified using the Diagnostic Content Validity (DCV) model. Two characteristics, 'increased body temperature' and 'chills' were selected as major characteristics from the standardized list of the ICNP alpha version validation study. Nine characteristics among the standardized list of characteristics were rated as minor characteristics, and six of the ICNP characteristics were rejected. 'Shivering' and 'infectious lab data' were added with a level of representativeness similar to a major characteristic by nine of the nurses. A variety of interventions to treat fever were reported. The most frequently reported intervention was cooling, followed by warming and medication. Nine dimensions were derived from all reported interventions. As well as perceived characteristics of fever, these interventions may have aspects unique to Japanese nursing practice and to the acute and critical care settings. These results can be compared to those of other populations in future studies.

The emerging ST8 methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus clone in the community in Japan: associated infections, genetic diversity, and comparative genomics.

PubMed

Iwao, Yasuhisa; Ishii, Rumiko; Tomita, Yusuke; Shibuya, Yasuhiro; Takano, Tomomi; Hung, Wei-Chun; Higuchi, Wataru; Isobe, Hirokazu; Nishiyama, Akihito; Yano, Mio; Matsumoto, Tetsuya; Ogata, Kikuyo; Okubo, Takeshi; Khokhlova, Olga; Ho, Pak-Leung; Yamamoto, Tatsuo

2012-04-01

Community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) has become a major concern worldwide. In the United States, ST8 CA-MRSA with SCCmecIVa (USA300) has been predominant, affecting the entire United States. In this study, we investigated Japanese ST8 CA-MRSA with new SCCmecIVl (designated ST8 CA-MRSA/J), which has emerged in Japan since 2003. Regarding community spread and infections, ST8 CA-MRSA/J spread in 16.2-34.4% as a major genotype in the community in Japan, and was associated with skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs), colitis, and invasive infections (sepsis, epidural abscesses, and necrotizing pneumonia), including influenza prodrome cases and athlete infections, similar to USA300. It spread to even public transport and Hong Kong through a Japanese family. Regarding genetic diversity, ST8 CA-MRSA/J included ST and spa variants and was classified into at least three pulsed-field gel electrophoresis types, ST8 Jα to γ. Of those, ST8 Jβ was associated with severe invasive infections. As for genomics, ST8 CA-MRSA/J showed high similarities to USA300, but with marked diversity in accessory genes; e.g., ST8 CA-MRSA/J possessed enhanced cytolytic peptide genes of CA-MRSA, but lacked the Panton-Valentine leukocidin phage and arginine catabolic mobile element, unlike USA300. The unique features of ST8 CA-MRSA/J included a novel mosaic SaPI (designated SaPIj50) carrying the toxic shock syndrome toxin-1 gene with high expression; the evolution included salvage (through recombination) of hospital-acquired MRSA virulence. The data suggest that ST8 CA-MRSA/J has become a successful native clone in Japan, in association with not only SSTIs but also severe invasive infections (posing a threat), requiring attention.

Genetics Home Reference: ornithine translocase deficiency

MedlinePlus

... Diagnosis of Japanese patients with HHH syndrome by molecular genetic analysis: a common mutation, R179X. J Hum Genet. ... M, Fariello G, Dionisi-Vici C. Clinical and molecular findings in hyperornithinemia-hyperammonemia-homocitrullinuria ... Bulletins Genetics Home Reference Celebrates Its ...

The INAF contribution to the ASI Space Debris program: observational activities.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pupillo, G.; Salerno, E.; Bartolini, M.; Di Martino, M.; Mattana, A.; Montebugnoli, S.; Portelli, C.; Pluchino, S.; Schillirò, F.; Konovalenko, A.; Nabatov, A.; Nechaeva, M.

Space debris are man made objects orbiting around Earth that pose a serious hazard for both present and future human activities in space. Since 2007 the Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica (INAF) carried out a number of radar campaigns in the framework of the ASI ``Space Debris'' program. The observations were performed by using bi- and multi-static radars, composed of the INAF 32-m Italian radiotelescopes located at Medicina and Noto (used as receivers) and the 70-m parabolic antenna at Evpatoria (Ukraine) used as transmitter. The 32 m Ventspils antenna in Latvia also participated in the last campaign at the end of June 2010. Several kinds of objects in various orbital regions (radar calibrators, rocket upper stages, debris of different sizes) were observed and successfully detected. Some unknown objects were also discovered in LEO during the beam-park sessions. In this paper we describe some results of the INAF-ASI space debris research activity.

Validation of the GerdQ questionnaire for the management of gastro-oesophageal reflux disease in Japan

PubMed Central

Matsuzaki, Juntaro; Okada, Sawako; Hirata, Kenro; Fukuhara, Seiichiro; Hibi, Toshifumi

2013-01-01

Background The GerdQ scoring system may be a useful tool for managing gastro-oesophageal reflux disease. However, GerdQ has not been fully validated in Asian countries. Objective To validate the Japanese version of GerdQ and to compare this version to the Carlsson-Dent questionnaire (CDQ) in both general and hospital-based populations. Methods The questionnaires, including the Japanese versions of GerdQ and CDQ, and questions designed to collect demographic information, were sent to a general population via the web, and to a hospital-based population via conventional mail. The optimal cutoff GerdQ score and the differences in the characteristics between GerdQ and CDQ were assessed. Results The answers from 863 web-responders and 303 conventional-mail responders were analysed. When a GerdQ cutoff score was set at 8, GerdQ significantly predicted the presence of reflux oesophagitis. Although the GerdQ scores were correlated with the CDQ scores, the concordance rates were poor. Multivariate analysis results indicated that, the additional use of over-the-counter medications was associated with GerdQ score ≥ 8, but not with CDQ score ≥ 6. Conclusions The GerdQ cutoff score of 8 was appropriate for the Japanese population. Compared with CDQ, GerdQ was more useful for evaluating treatment efficacy and detecting patients’ unmet medical needs. PMID:24917957

Efficacy of oral immunotherapy with a rice-based edible vaccine containing hypoallergenic Japanese cedar pollen allergens for treatment of established allergic conjunctivitis in mice.

PubMed

Fukuda, Ken; Ishida, Waka; Harada, Yosuke; Wakasa, Yuhya; Takagi, Hidenori; Takaiwa, Fumio; Fukushima, Atsuki

2018-01-01

We have previously shown that prophylactic oral administration of transgenic rice seeds expressing hypoallergenic modified antigens suppressed the development of allergic conjunctivitis induced by Japanese cedar pollen. We have now investigated the efficacy of oral immunotherapy with such transgenic rice for established allergic conjunctivitis in mice. BALB/c mice were sensitized with two intraperitoneal injections of Japanese cedar pollen in alum, challenged with pollen in eyedrops, and then fed for 16 days with transgenic rice seeds expressing modified Japanese cedar pollen allergens Cry j 1 and Cry j 2 or with nontransgenic rice seeds as a control. They were then challenged twice with pollen in eyedrops, with clinical signs being evaluated at 15 min after the first challenge and the eyes, blood, spleen, and lymph nodes being isolated at 24 h after the second challenge. The number of eosinophils in the conjunctiva and the clinical score for conjunctivitis were both significantly lower in mice fed the transgenic rice than in those fed nontransgenic rice. Oral vaccination with transgenic rice seeds also resulted in a significant increase in the production of IFN-γ by splenocytes, whereas it had no effect on the number of CD4 + CD25 + Foxp3 + regulatory T cells in the spleen or submandibular or mesenteric lymph nodes. Oral administration of transgenic rice seeds expressing hypoallergenic allergens ameliorated allergic conjunctivitis in the established setting. Such a rice-based edible vaccine is potentially both safe and effective for oral immunotherapy in individuals with allergic conjunctivitis. Copyright © 2017 Japanese Society of Allergology. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Study design of J-ELD AF: A multicenter prospective cohort study to investigate the efficacy and safety of apixaban in Japanese elderly patients.

PubMed

Akao, Masaharu; Yamashita, Takeshi; Okumura, Ken

2016-12-01

Apixaban, one of the non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants, was reported to be effective and safe in stroke prevention in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) based on the global randomized clinical trial, but data are limited on the efficacy and safety of apixaban in Japanese elderly patients. The J-ELD AF Registry is a large-scale, contemporary observational study, continuously and prospectively registering elderly Japanese patients with AF aged 75 years or older who are currently taking apixaban or the elderly who are to receive apixaban in daily clinical practice, and accumulating the outcomes during one-year follow-up period. In addition to standard baseline characteristics, prothrombin time and anti-Xa activity will be measured to investigate the biomarker characteristics. The primary efficacy endpoints will be stroke and systemic embolism, and the primary safety endpoint will be major bleeding requiring hospitalization. The secondary endpoints in this study will be all-cause death, cardiovascular death, acute myocardial infarction, and the composite of stroke/systemic embolism, cardiovascular death, and acute myocardial infarction. As a primary analysis, the primary/secondary endpoints in the enrolled patients will be totalized for the entire group, and the incidence of events will be described by age, CHADS 2 score, HAS-BLED score, and apixaban dose (5 or 2.5mg bid). The factors that independently predict the incidence of the primary/secondary endpoints will be searched for by Cox regression. The relationship between the biomarkers and the primary/secondary endpoints will also be examined in an explorative manner. This study will provide important information on the efficacy and safety of apixaban in elderly Japanese patients aged 75 years or older, and those of low-dose administration of apixaban (2.5mg bid) for which many of the Japanese elderly are indicated. Copyright © 2016 Japanese College of Cardiology. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Kaleidoscope of Cultures and the Arts.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Drago, Marganne

This workshop presentation offers an introduction to and suggestions for a multicultural approach to teaching through music experiences. Experiences presented include: (1) "Funga Alafia," a welcome song from Liberia; (2) "Under the Spreading Chestnut Tree," an American traditional game song; (3) a Japanese version of…

Breeding resistance to butternut canker disease

Treesearch

James McKenna; Keith Woeste; Michael Ostry

2012-01-01

Butternut (Juglans cinerea L.) is being killed throughout its native range by an exotic fungus Ophiognomonia clavigignenti-juglandacearum (Ocj). In recent years, many disease-free trees have been determined to be complex hybrids with an admixture of Japanese walnut (J. ailantifolia)....

SoRa first flight. Summer 2009

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pirrotta, S.; Flamini, E.

The SoRa (Sounding Radar) experiment was successfully launched from Longyearbyen (Svalbard, Norway) during the summer 2009 campaign managed by the Italian/Norwegian "Nobile Amundsen / Stratospheric Balloon Centre" (NA/SBC). SoRa is part of the Italian Space Agency (ASI) programs for Long Duration Balloon Flights. Carried by the biggest balloon (800.000 m3) ever launched in polar regions, SoRa main experiment and its three piggyback payloads (DUSTER, ISA and SIDERALE) performed a nominal flight of almost 4 days over the North Sea and Greenland, until the separation, landing and recovery in Baffin Island (Canada). Despite the final destructive event that compromise the scientific main goal of SoRa, the 2009 ASI balloon campaign can be considered an important milestone, because of the obtained scientific and technical results but also for the lesson learned by the science, engineering and managerial teams looking at the future ASI scientific balloon-born activities.

Prospective impact of panic disorder and panic-anxiety on asthma control, health service use, and quality of life in adult patients with asthma over a 4-year follow-up.

PubMed

Favreau, Helene; Bacon, Simon L; Labrecque, Manon; Lavoie, Kim L

2014-02-01

Background Panic disorder (PD) is a common anxiety disorder among asthmatic patients with overlapping symptoms (e.g., hyperventilation). However, the longitudinal impact of PD on asthma control remains poorly understood. This study assessed the impact of PD and panic-anxiety on asthma control over a 4.3-year follow-up in 643 adult asthmatic patients. Methods Consecutive patients presenting to a tertiary asthma clinic underwent a sociodemographic, medical history, and psychiatric (Primary Care Evaluation of Mental Disorders) interview and completed questionnaires including the Anxiety Sensitivity Index (ASI) to assess panic-anxiety. At follow-up, patients completed the Asthma Control (ACQ) and Asthma Quality of Life (AQLQ) questionnaires and reported emergency department visits and hospitalizations during the follow-up. Results Baseline frequency of PD was 10% (n = 65). In fully adjusted models, analyses revealed that PD and ASI scores predicted worse follow-up ACQ total scores (β = 0.292, p = .037; β = 0.012, p = .003) but not AQLQ total scores. ASI scores also predicted greater nocturnal and waking symptoms, activity limitations, and bronchodilator use on the ACQ (β = 0.012-0.018, p < .05) as well as lower symptom (β = -0.012, p = .006) and emotional distress (β = -0.014, p = .002) subscale scores on the AQLQ. Neither PD nor ASI scores were associated with hospitalizations, although ASI scores (but not PD) were associated with an increased risk of emergency department visits (relative risk = 1.023, 95% confidence interval = 1.001-1.044). Conclusions PD and anxiety sensitivity are prospectively associated with poorer asthma control and may be important targets for treatment.

Association of eHealth literacy with colorectal cancer knowledge and screening practice among internet users in Japan.

PubMed

Mitsutake, Seigo; Shibata, Ai; Ishii, Kaori; Oka, Koichiro

2012-11-13

In rapidly developing Internet-user societies, eHealth literacy has become important in promoting wellness. Although previous studies have observed that poor health literacy is associated with less knowledge and screening practice of colorectal cancer (CRC), little is known about whether eHealth literacy is associated with these variables. The present study examined associations between eHealth literacy, knowledge of CRC, and CRC screening practices. Data were analyzed for 2970 Japanese adults (men, 49.9%; mean age±SD, 39.7±10.9 years) who responded to an Internet-based cross-sectional survey. Knowledge of the definition of CRC, its risk factors and screening practice, previous experience of CRC screening, score on the Japanese version of the eHEALS (J-eHEALS), sociodemographic attributes (sex, age, marital status, educational attainment, and household income level), and frequency of Internet usage were obtained. Sociodemographic attributes and frequency of Internet usage were used as control variables in the multiple regression and logistic regression models. eHealth literacy was positively associated with CRC knowledge (β=.116, <.001), when the covariables of both eHealth literacy and CRC knowledge were used in the multiple regression model. Moreover, after controlling for sociodemographic factors, which were significantly associated with eHealth literacy and CRC screening practice, an increase of 1 point in the eHEALS score signified that participants were 1.03 times (95% CI=1.01-1.05) more likely to undergo CRC screening. Internet users with high eHealth literacy are more likely to have knowledge and previous screening practice related to CRC compared to those with low eHealth literacy.

Post-hoc analysis showing better clinical response with the loading dose of certolizumab pegol in Japanese patients with active rheumatoid arthritis

PubMed Central

Takeuchi, Tsutomu; Yamamoto, Kazuhiko; Yamanaka, Hisashi; Ishiguro, Naoki; Tanaka, Yoshiya; Eguchi, Katsumi; Watanabe, Akira; Origasa, Hideki; Kobayashi, Mariko; Shoji, Toshiharu; Togo, Osamu; Miyasaka, Nobuyuki; Koike, Takao

2016-01-01

Abstract Objectives: To compare the efficacy and safety of certolizumab pegol (CZP) with and without loading dose (LD) in a post-hoc analysis of two Japanese clinical studies. Methods: Data from the double-blind trials (DBT) J-RAPID and HIKARI, and their open-label extension (OLE) studies, were used. Patients randomized to CZP 200 mg every 2 weeks (Q2W) groups starting with LD (400 mg Weeks 0/2/4; LD group; J-RAPID: n = 82, HIKARI: n = 116) and patients randomized to placebo groups who subsequently started CZP Q2W without LD in the OLEs (No-LD group; J-RAPID: n = 61, HIKARI: n = 99) were analyzed. Efficacy and pharmacokinetics were assessed during 24 weeks. Adverse events were reported from all studies. Results: In both trials, the LD groups showed more rapid initial ACR20/50/70 kinetics, and maintained higher ACR50/70 responses until 24 weeks, compared with the No-LD groups. Anti-CZP antibody development was less frequent in the LD groups (J-RAPID: 1.2% versus 4.9%; HIKARI: 17.2% versus 27.3%). Similar safety profiles were reported between LD and No-LD groups (any AEs: 281.8 versus 315.7 [J-RAPID], 282.6 versus 321.3 [HIKARI] [incidence rate/100 patient-years]). Conclusions: Despite limitations, including comparing DBT and OLE studies, these results suggest that a CZP LD improves clinical response in active rheumatoid arthritis without altering the safety profile. PMID:26472043

Association of eHealth Literacy With Colorectal Cancer Knowledge and Screening Practice Among Internet Users in Japan

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background In rapidly developing Internet-user societies, eHealth literacy has become important in promoting wellness. Although previous studies have observed that poor health literacy is associated with less knowledge and screening practice of colorectal cancer (CRC), little is known about whether eHealth literacy is associated with these variables. Objective The present study examined associations between eHealth literacy, knowledge of CRC, and CRC screening practices. Methods Data were analyzed for 2970 Japanese adults (men, 49.9%; mean age ± SD, 39.7 ± 10.9 years) who responded to an Internet-based cross-sectional survey. Knowledge of the definition of CRC, its risk factors and screening practice, previous experience of CRC screening, score on the Japanese version of the eHEALS (J-eHEALS), sociodemographic attributes (sex, age, marital status, educational attainment, and household income level), and frequency of Internet usage were obtained. Sociodemographic attributes and frequency of Internet usage were used as control variables in the multiple regression and logistic regression models. Results eHealth literacy was positively associated with CRC knowledge (β = .116, < .001), when the covariables of both eHealth literacy and CRC knowledge were used in the multiple regression model. Moreover, after controlling for sociodemographic factors, which were significantly associated with eHealth literacy and CRC screening practice, an increase of 1 point in the eHEALS score signified that participants were 1.03 times (95% CI = 1.01–1.05) more likely to undergo CRC screening. Conclusions Internet users with high eHealth literacy are more likely to have knowledge and previous screening practice related to CRC compared to those with low eHealth literacy. PMID:23149453

Updating sea spray aerosol emissions in the Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) model version 5.0.2

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The uploaded data consists of the BRACE Na aerosol observations paired with CMAQ model output, the updated model's parameterization of sea salt aerosol emission size distribution, and the model's parameterization of the sea salt emission factor as a function of sea surface temperature. This dataset is associated with the following publication:Gantt , B., J. Kelly , and J. Bash. Updating sea spray aerosol emissions in the Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) model version 5.0.2. Geoscientific Model Development. Copernicus Publications, Katlenburg-Lindau, GERMANY, 8: 3733-3746, (2015).

Assessing health-related quality of life in Japanese children with a chronic condition: validation of the DISABKIDS chronic generic module.

PubMed

Sasaki, Hatoko; Kakee, Naoko; Morisaki, Naho; Mori, Rintaro; Ravens-Sieberer, Ulrike; Bullinger, Monika

2018-05-02

This study examined the reliability and validity of the Japanese versions of the DISABKIDS-37 generic modules, a tool for assessing the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of children and adolescents with a chronic condition. The study was conducted using a sample of 123 children/adolescents with a chronic medical condition, aged 8-18 years, and their parents. Focus interviews were performed to ensure content validity after translation. The classical psychometric tests were used to assess reliability and scale intercorrelations. The factor structure was examined with confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Convergent validity was assessed by the correlation between the total score and the sub-scales of DISABKIDS-37 as well as the total score of KIDSCREEN-10. Both the children/adolescent and parent versions of the score showed good to high internal consistency, and the test-retest reliability correlations were r = 0.91 or above. The CFA revealed that the modified models for all domains were better fit than the original 37 item scale model for both self-report and proxy-report. Moderate to high positive correlations were found for the associations within DISABKIDS-37 sub-scales and between the subscales and total score, except for the treatment sub-scale, which correlated weakly with the remaining sub-scales. The total score of the child-reported version of KIDSCREEN-10 correlated significantly and positively with the total score and all the sub-scales of the child-reported version of DISABKIDS-37 except the Treatment sub-scale in adolescents. The modified models of Japanese version of DISABKIDS generic module were psychometrically robust enough to assess the HRQOL of children with a chronic condition.

Increased prefrontal hemodynamic change after atomoxetine administration in pediatric attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder as measured by near-infrared spectroscopy.

PubMed

Ota, Toyosaku; Iida, Junzo; Nakanishi, Yoko; Sawada, Satomi; Matsuura, Hiroki; Yamamuro, Kazuhiko; Ueda, Shotaro; Uratani, Mitsuhiro; Kishimoto, Naoko; Negoro, Hideki; Kishimoto, Toshifumi

2015-03-01

Atomoxetine, approved in Japan for the treatment of pediatric attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in April 2009, is a nonstimulant that is thought to act presynaptically via the inhibition of norepinephrine reuptake. Near-infrared spectroscopy is a non-invasive optical tool that can be used to study oxygenation and hemodynamic changes in the cerebral cortex. The present study examined the effects of a clinical dose of atomoxetine on changes in prefrontal hemodynamic activity in children with ADHD, as measured by near-infrared spectroscopy using the Stroop Color-Word Task. Ten children with ADHD participated in the present study. We used 24-channel near-infrared spectroscopy to measure the relative concentrations of oxyhemoglobin in the frontal lobes of participants in the drug-naïve condition and those who had received atomoxetine for 8 weeks. Measurements were conducted every 0.1 s during the Stroop Color-Word Task. We used the ADHD Rating Scale-IV-Japanese version (Home Version) to evaluate ADHD symptoms. We found a significant decrease in ADHD Rating Scale-IV-Japanese version scores, from 30.7 to 22.6 (P=0.003). During the Stroop Color-Word Task, we found significantly higher levels of oxyhemoglobin changes in the prefrontal cortex of participants in the atomoxetine condition compared with those in the drug-naïve condition. This increase in oxyhemoglobin changes might indicate an intensified prefrontal hemodynamic response induced by atomoxetine. Near-infrared spectroscopy is a sensitive tool for measuring the pharmacological effects of atomoxetine in children with ADHD. © 2014 The Authors. Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences © 2014 Japanese Society of Psychiatry and Neurology.

The Short Inventory of Problems – Revised (SIP-R): Psychometric properties within a large, diverse sample of substance use disorder treatment seekers

PubMed Central

Kiluk, Brian D.; Dreifuss, Jessica A.; Weiss, Roger D.; Morgenstern, Jon; Carroll, Kathleen M.

2012-01-01

Assessment of the adverse consequences of substance use serves an important function in both clinical and research settings, yet there is no universally agreed upon measure of consequences relevant to multiple types of substance use disorders. One of the most commonly used measures, the Short Inventory of Problems (SIP), has been adapted and evaluated in several specific populations, but evidence of its reliability and validity across broader samples of persons with substance use disorders is needed. This study evaluated the psychometric properties of a revised version of the SIP (SIP-R) in a large combined sample of alcohol and drug use disorder treatment-seekers, with participants pooled from two national, multisite randomized clinical trials. A total of 886 participants across 10 outpatient treatment facilities completed a common assessment battery that included the SIP-R, Addiction Severity Index (ASI), University of Rhode Island Change Assessment (URICA), HIV Risk Behavior Scale (HRBS), and a substance use calendar. Results supported the SIP-R’s internal reliability (α=.95). Confirmatory factor analysis demonstrated that the hypothesized 5-factor model with one higher-order factor produced the best fit. Convergent validity was evident through the SIP-R’s correlation with several composite scores from the ASI and the URICA, and analyses supported its conceptual distinction from quantity indices of drug/alcohol use. The SIP-R also demonstrated an ability to predict treatment retention, with higher scores associated with poorer retention. These results provide support for the SIP-R’s psychometric properties as a measure of consequences across a broad sample of treatment-seeking drug and alcohol users. PMID:22642856

The impact of effort-reward imbalance on quality of life among Japanese working men.

PubMed

Watanabe, Mayumi; Tanaka, Katsutoshi; Aratake, Yutaka; Kato, Noritada; Sakata, Yumi

2008-07-01

Health-related quality of life (HRQL) is an important measure of health outcome in working and healthy populations. Here, we investigated the impact of effort-reward imbalance (ERI), a representative work-stress model, on HRQL of Japanese working men. The study targeted 1,096 employees from a manufacturing plant in Japan. To assess HRQL and ERI, participants were surveyed using the Japanese version of the Short-Form 8 Health Survey (SF-8) and effort-reward imbalance model. Of the 1,096 employees, 1,057 provided valid responses to the questionnaire. For physical summary scores, the adjusted effort-reward imbalance odds ratios of middle vs. bottom and top vs. bottom tertiles were 0.24 (95% confidence interval, 0.08-0.70) and 0.09 (95% confidence interval, 0.03-0.28), respectively. For mental summary scores, ratios were 0.21 (95% confidence interval, 0.07-0.63) and 0.07 (95% confidence interval, 0.02-0.25), respectively. These findings demonstrate that effort-reward imbalance is independently associated with HRQL among Japanese employees.

Time-Dependent Changes in Psychosocial Distress in Japanese Patients with Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators.

PubMed

Saito, Nao; Taru, Chiemi; Miyawaki, Ikuko

2016-12-02

This prospective study clarified changes in the mood states of Japanese patients with implantable cardioverter defibrillators as well as factors related to the mood states. Using a longitudinal repeated-measure design, 29 patients with implantable cardioverter defibrillators completed the Profile of Mood States-Short Form Japanese Version questionnaire before discharge and 1, 4, 7, and 13 months after implantation. One month after discharge, the mood states of the patients with implantable cardioverter defibrillators improved. From 7 to 13 months after discharge, moods deteriorated; 13 months after discharge, moods were equivalent to those at the time of discharge. No relationship with defibrillation experience was detected in this study, but employment, age, sex, and lack of experience of syncopal attack were factors related to poor mood states for patients with implantable cardioverter defibrillators. Therefore, Japanese patients with implantable cardioverter defibrillators with any factor deteriorating their mood state should be monitored so that their mood state does not deteriorate again between six months and one year after implantation.

Protein quality control at the inner nuclear membrane

PubMed Central

Khmelinskii, Anton; Blaszczak, Ewa; Pantazopoulou, Marina; Fischer, Bernd; Omnus, Deike J.; Le Dez, Gaëlle; Brossard, Audrey; Gunnarsson, Alexander; Barry, Joseph D.; Meurer, Matthias; Kirrmaier, Daniel; Boone, Charles; Huber, Wolfgang; Rabut, Gwenaël; Ljungdahl, Per O.; Knop, Michael

2015-01-01

The nuclear envelope is a double membrane that separates the nucleus from the cytoplasm. The inner nuclear membrane (INM) functions in essential nuclear processes including chromatin organization and regulation of gene expression1. The outer nuclear membrane is continuous with the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and is the site of membrane protein synthesis. Protein homeostasis in this compartment is ensured by ER-associated protein degradation (ERAD) pathways that in yeast involve the integral membrane E3 ubiquitin ligases Hrd1 and Doa10 operating with the E2 ubiquitin-conjugating enzymes Ubc6 and Ubc72,3. However, little is known regarding protein quality control at the INM. Here we describe a protein degradation pathway at the INM mediated by the Asi complex consisting of the RING domain proteins Asi1 and Asi34. We report that the As complex functions together with the ubiquitin conjugating enzymes Ubc6andUbc7to degrade soluble and integral membrane proteins. Genetic evidence suggest that the Asi ubiquitin ligase defines a pathway distinct from but complementary to ERAD. Using unbiased screening with a novel genome-wide yeast library based on a tandem fluorescent protein timer (tFT)5, we identify more than 50 substrates of the Asi, Hrd1 and Doa10 E3 ubiquity ligases. We show that the Asi ubiquitin ligase is involved in degradation of mislocalised integral membrane proteins, thus acting to maintain and safeguard the identity of the INM. PMID:25519137

Repeated addiction treatment use in Sweden: a National Register Database study.

PubMed

Grahn, Robert; Chassler, Deborah; Lundgren, Lena

2014-11-01

Sweden has a free, universal addiction treatment system, yet few studies exist examining utilization of treatment in this country. This study identified predisposing, enabling, and need factors associated with history of number of voluntary addiction treatment episodes for a national sample of 12,009 individuals assessed for an alcohol and/or drug use disorder in Sweden. On average, people reported 4.3 prior treatment episodes. Linear regression methods identified that predisposing factors such as older age and being male were associated with more voluntary addiction treatment episodes compared to younger and female clients; a higher Addiction Severity Index (ASI) employment score (an enabling factor) was associated with more voluntary addiction treatment episodes; and need factors including a history of inpatient mental health treatment, a higher ASI psychiatric score, a higher ASI alcohol score, higher levels of illicit drug use, more compulsory addiction treatment episodes, a lower ASI legal score, and a history of criminal justice involvement were all associated with more voluntary addiction treatment episodes compared to their counterparts.. There were no differences in the number of treatment episodes by education or immigrant status. (1) Need is a key factor associated with more treatment use. (2) Further studies are needed to identify gender differences in access/use of treatment. (3) Given multiple treatment histories, Swedish addiction treatment policy should reflect a chronic care model rather than an acute care model.

Smoothing Motion Estimates for Radar Motion Compensation.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Doerry, Armin W.

2017-07-01

Simple motion models for complex motion environments are often not adequate for keeping radar data coherent. Eve n perfect motion samples appli ed to imperfect models may lead to interim calculations e xhibiting errors that lead to degraded processing results. Herein we discuss a specific i ssue involving calculating motion for groups of pulses, with measurements only available at pulse-group boundaries. - 4 - Acknowledgements This report was funded by General A tomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) Mission Systems under Cooperative Re search and Development Agre ement (CRADA) SC08/01749 between Sandia National Laboratories and GA-ASI. General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc.more » (GA-ASI), an affilia te of privately-held General Atomics, is a leading manufacturer of Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) systems, radars, and electro-optic and rel ated mission systems, includin g the Predator(r)/Gray Eagle(r)-series and Lynx(r) Multi-mode Radar.« less

German Society for Immunology and Australasian Society for Immunology joint Workshop 3(rd) -4(th) December 2015 - Meeting report.

PubMed

Kurts, Christian; Gottschalk, Catherine; Bedoui, Sammy; Heinzel, Susanne; Godfrey, Dale; Enders, Anselm

2016-02-01

The German Society for Immunology (DGfI) and the Australasian Society for Immunology (ASI) hosted the first DGfI-ASI joint workshop from December 3-4, 2015 in Canberra, Australia. A delegation of 15 distinguished German immunologists discussed the workshop topic "immune regulation in infections and immune mediated diseases" with the aim to establish new German-Australasian collaborations, discuss new concepts in the field of immune regulation and build a scientific network to create more utilizable resources for excellent (trans-border) immunological research. The workshop was associated with the 45(th) Annual Scientific Meeting of the ASI held from Nov 29-Dec 3, 2015, opening up even more opportunities for finding new collaboration partners. A return meeting will be linked to the annual DGfI meeting that will take place in 2017 in Erlangen. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Association of fatigue with emotional-eating behavior and the response to mental stress in food intake in a young adult population.

PubMed

Yoshikawa, Takahiro; Tanaka, Masaaki; Ishii, Akira; Watanabe, Yasuyoshi

2014-01-01

Fatigue is a common complaint among young adults. We investigated whether eating behaviors are associated with fatigue in this population. The participants consisted of 117 healthy students attending Osaka City University. They completed questionnaires assessing fatigue and eating behaviors. To identify the factors associated with the prevalence of fatigue, multivariate logistic regression analysis adjusted for gender was performed. The Emotional Eating subscale score of the Japanese version of Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire Revised 21-item and stress response in food intake (large decrease vs. no change) were positively associated with the prevalence of fatigue assessed by the Japanese version of the Chalder Fatigue Scale. The finding suggests that emotional eating and decrease in amount of food intake under mental stress were associated with fatigue in healthy young adults. Our findings may help to clarify the mechanisms underlying fatigue-eating coupling as well as the etiology of diseases related to abnormal eating behavior.

A Bowl of Rice Too Far: The Burma Campaign of the Japanese Fifteen Army

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-05-26

subordinates. ― Sun Tzu , The Art of War “In the rain, with no place to sit, we took short spells of sleep standing on our feet. The bodies of our comrades...concepts from an Eastern military theorist. Sun Tzu , the ancient Chinese general, shares the common cultural background of Taoism with the Japanese. 39...T. Ames, “Introduction,” Sun - Tzu The Art of Warfare (New York: Ballantine Books, 1993), 3-4. 40 Sun Tzu , The Art of Warfare, 73-74, 93. 41 Edward J

Adult perceptions of phonotactic violations in Japanese

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fais, Laurel; Kajikawa, Sachiyo; Werker, Janet; Amano, Shigeaki

2004-05-01

Adult Japanese speakers ``hear'' epenthetic vowels in productions of Japanese-like words that violate the canonical CVCVCV form by containing internal consonant clusters (CVCCV) [Dupoux et al., J. Exp. Psychol. 25, 1568-1578 (1999)]. Given this finding, this research examined how Japanese adults rated the goodness of Japanese-like words produced without a vowel in the final syllable (CVC), and words produced without vowels in the penultimate and final syllables (CVCC). Furthermore, in some of these contexts, voiceless vowels may appear in fluent, casual Japanese productions, especially in the Kanto dialect, and in some, such voiceless vowels may not appear. Results indicate that both Kanto and Kinki speakers rated CVC productions for contexts in which voiceless vowels are not allowed as the worst; they rated CVC and CVCC contexts in which voiceless vowel productions are allowed as better. In these latter contexts, the CVC words, which result from the loss of one, final, vowel, are judged to be better than the CVCC words, which result from the loss of two (final and penultimate) vowels. These results mirror the relative seriousness of the phonotactic violations and indicate listeners have tacit knowledge of these regularities in their language.

Automated evaluation of matrix elements between contracted wavefunctions: A Mathematica version of the FRODO program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Angeli, C.; Cimiraglia, R.

2013-02-01

A symbolic program performing the Formal Reduction of Density Operators (FRODO), formerly developed in the MuPAD computer algebra system with the purpose of evaluating the matrix elements of the electronic Hamiltonian between internally contracted functions in a complete active space (CAS) scheme, has been rewritten in Mathematica. New version : A program summaryProgram title: FRODO Catalogue identifier: ADV Y _v2_0 Program summary URL:http://cpc.cs.qub.ac.uk/summaries/ADVY_v2_0.html Program obtainable from: CPC Program Library, Queen's University, Belfast, N. Ireland Licensing provisions: Standard CPC licence, http://cpc.cs.qub.ac.uk/licence/licence.html No. of lines in distributed program, including test data, etc.: 3878 No. of bytes in distributed program, including test data, etc.: 170729 Distribution format: tar.gz Programming language: Mathematica Computer: Any computer on which the Mathematica computer algebra system can be installed Operating system: Linux Classification: 5 Catalogue identifier of previous version: ADV Y _v1_0 Journal reference of previous version: Comput. Phys. Comm. 171(2005)63 Does the new version supersede the previous version?: No Nature of problem. In order to improve on the CAS-SCF wavefunction one can resort to multireference perturbation theory or configuration interaction based on internally contracted functions (ICFs) which are obtained by application of the excitation operators to the reference CAS-SCF wavefunction. The previous formulation of such matrix elements in the MuPAD computer algebra system, has been rewritten using Mathematica. Solution method: The method adopted consists in successively eliminating all occurrences of inactive orbital indices (core and virtual) from the products of excitation operators which appear in the definition of the ICFs and in the electronic Hamiltonian expressed in the second quantization formalism. Reasons for new version: Some years ago we published in this journal a couple of papers [1, 2] hereafter to be referred to as papers I and II, respectively dedicated to the automated evaluation of the matrix elements of the molecular electronic Hamiltonian between internally contracted functions [3] (ICFs). In paper II the program FRODO (after Formal Reduction Of Density Operators) was presented with the purpose of providing working formulas for each occurrence of the ICFs. The original FRODO program was written in the MuPAD computer algebra system [4] and was actively used in our group for the generation of the matrix elements to be employed in the third-order n-electron valence state perturbation theory (NEVPT) [5-8] as well as in the internally contracted configuration interaction (IC-CI) [9]. We present a new version of the program FRODO written in the Mathematica system [10]. The reason for the rewriting of the program lies in the fact that, on the one hand, MuPAD does not seem to be any longer available as a stand-alone system and, on the other hand, Mathematica, due to its ubiquitousness, appears to be increasingly the computer algebra system most widely used nowadays. Restrictions: The program is limited to no more than doubly excited ICFs. Running time: The examples described in the Readme file take a few seconds to run. References: [1] C. Angeli, R. Cimiraglia, Comp. Phys. Comm. 166 (2005) 53. [2] C. Angeli, R. Cimiraglia, Comp. Phys. Comm. 171 (2005) 63. [3] H.-J. Werner, P. J. Knowles, Adv. Chem. Phys. 89 (1988) 5803. [4] B. Fuchssteiner, W. Oevel: http://www.mupad.de Mupad research group, university of Paderborn. Mupad version 2.5.3 for Linux. [5] C. Angeli, R. Cimiraglia, S. Evangelisti, T. Leininger, J.-P. Malrieu, J. Chem. Phys. 114 (2001) 10252. [6] C. Angeli, R. Cimiraglia, J.-P. Malrieu, J. Chem. Phys. 117 (2002) 9138. [7] C. Angeli, B. Bories, A. Cavallini, R. Cimiraglia, J. Chem. Phys. 124 (2006) 054108. [8] C. Angeli, M. Pastore, R. Cimiraglia, Theor. Chem. Acc. 117 (2007) 743. [9] C. Angeli, R. Cimiraglia, Mol. Phys. in press, DOI:10.1080/00268976.2012.689872 [10] http://www.wolfram.com/Mathematica. Mathematica version 8 for Linux.

CAESAR: Commissioned Assignments Executive Support for the US Army.

DTIC Science & Technology

1986-03-27

travel between jobs ? b. Detailed Narrative The documented source code of CAESAR can be found in Appendix B. An explanatory listing of variables used is...Compute Match Preference PREFFORM SSI index a, b a,b Match Match Leave ADSPEC SC2 and Travel a, b Time ab a , b ~~N4 4. ORB Mac Matyh ,. ac ASI ASI SReport...sufficient time between assignments for the officer to 44 take 30 days leave and travel . While this is not a manda- tory consideration, it is common to

USAF Summer Research Program - 1995 Summer Faculty Research Program Final Reports, Volume 5A, Wright Laboratory

DTIC Science & Technology

1995-12-01

Certification. Oliver Wight Publications, Inc. Essex Junction. 1993. Ishikawa , Kaoru . (Translation by David J. Lu) What is Total Quality Control? The Japanese...approximation to the eight-harness satin weave (8H SW) is made, following the mosaic model ( Ishikawa and Chou, 1983) which treats woven composites as cross...K. W. and Bailey, J. E. (1978) Journal of Material Science, Vol. 13, pp. 195. Ishikawa , T. and Chou, T. W. (1983) One-dimensional micromechanical

Cross-cultural validity of a dietary questionnaire for studies of dental caries risk in Japanese

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Diet is a major modifiable contributing factor in the etiology of dental caries. The purpose of this paper is to examine the reliability and cross-cultural validity of the Japanese version of the Food Frequency Questionnaire to assess dietary intake in relation to dental caries risk in Japanese. Methods The 38-item Food Frequency Questionnaire, in which Japanese food items were added to increase content validity, was translated into Japanese, and administered to two samples. The first sample comprised 355 pregnant women with mean age of 29.2 ± 4.2 years for the internal consistency and criterion validity analyses. Factor analysis (principal components with Varimax rotation) was used to determine dimensionality. The dietary cariogenicity score was calculated from the Food Frequency Questionnaire and used for the analyses. Salivary mutans streptococci level was used as a semi-quantitative assessment of dental caries risk and measured by Dentocult SM. Dentocult SM scores were compared with the dietary cariogenicity score computed from the Food Frequency Questionnaire to examine criterion validity, and assessed by Spearman’s correlation coefficient (rs) and Kruskal-Wallis test. Test-retest reliability of the Food Frequency Questionnaire was assessed with a second sample of 25 adults with mean age of 34.0 ± 3.0 years by using the intraclass correlation coefficient analysis. Results The Japanese language version of the Food Frequency Questionnaire showed high test-retest reliability (ICC = 0.70) and good criterion validity assessed by relationship with salivary mutans streptococci levels (rs = 0.22; p < 0.001). Factor analysis revealed four subscales that construct the questionnaire (solid sugars, solid and starchy sugars, liquid and semisolid sugars, sticky and slowly dissolving sugars). Internal consistency were low to acceptable (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.67 for the total scale, 0.46-0.61 for each subscale). Mean dietary cariogenicity scores were 50.8 ± 19.5 in the first sample, 47.4 ± 14.1, and 40.6 ± 11.3 for the first and second administrations in the second sample. The distribution of Dentocult SM score was 6.8% (score = 0), 34.4% (score = 1), 39.4% (score = 2), and 19.4% (score = 3). Participants with higher scores were more likely to have higher dietary cariogenicity scores (p < 0.001; Kruskal-Wallis test). Conclusions These results provide the preliminary evidence for the reliability and validity of the Japanese language Food Frequency Questionnaire. PMID:24383547

Perspective view looking from the east to the east northeast ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

Perspective view looking from the east to the east northeast facade, with Swiss Chalet in background, to replicate the view shown in MD-1109-J-18 - National Park Seminary, Japanese Pagoda, 2805 Linden Lane, Silver Spring, Montgomery County, MD

Cross-cultural validity of a dietary questionnaire for studies of dental caries risk in Japanese.

PubMed

Shinga-Ishihara, Chikako; Nakai, Yukie; Milgrom, Peter; Murakami, Kaori; Matsumoto-Nakano, Michiyo

2014-01-02

Diet is a major modifiable contributing factor in the etiology of dental caries. The purpose of this paper is to examine the reliability and cross-cultural validity of the Japanese version of the Food Frequency Questionnaire to assess dietary intake in relation to dental caries risk in Japanese. The 38-item Food Frequency Questionnaire, in which Japanese food items were added to increase content validity, was translated into Japanese, and administered to two samples. The first sample comprised 355 pregnant women with mean age of 29.2 ± 4.2 years for the internal consistency and criterion validity analyses. Factor analysis (principal components with Varimax rotation) was used to determine dimensionality. The dietary cariogenicity score was calculated from the Food Frequency Questionnaire and used for the analyses. Salivary mutans streptococci level was used as a semi-quantitative assessment of dental caries risk and measured by Dentocult SM. Dentocult SM scores were compared with the dietary cariogenicity score computed from the Food Frequency Questionnaire to examine criterion validity, and assessed by Spearman's correlation coefficient (rs) and Kruskal-Wallis test. Test-retest reliability of the Food Frequency Questionnaire was assessed with a second sample of 25 adults with mean age of 34.0 ± 3.0 years by using the intraclass correlation coefficient analysis. The Japanese language version of the Food Frequency Questionnaire showed high test-retest reliability (ICC = 0.70) and good criterion validity assessed by relationship with salivary mutans streptococci levels (rs = 0.22; p < 0.001). Factor analysis revealed four subscales that construct the questionnaire (solid sugars, solid and starchy sugars, liquid and semisolid sugars, sticky and slowly dissolving sugars). Internal consistency were low to acceptable (Cronbach's alpha = 0.67 for the total scale, 0.46-0.61 for each subscale). Mean dietary cariogenicity scores were 50.8 ± 19.5 in the first sample, 47.4 ± 14.1, and 40.6 ± 11.3 for the first and second administrations in the second sample. The distribution of Dentocult SM score was 6.8% (score = 0), 34.4% (score = 1), 39.4% (score = 2), and 19.4% (score = 3). Participants with higher scores were more likely to have higher dietary cariogenicity scores (p < 0.001; Kruskal-Wallis test). These results provide the preliminary evidence for the reliability and validity of the Japanese language Food Frequency Questionnaire.

Development and Flight of the NASA-Ames Research Center Payload on Spacelab-J

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schmidt, Gregory K.; Ball, Sally M.; Stolarik, Thomas M.; Eodice, Michael T.

1993-01-01

Spacelab-J was an international Spacelab mission with numerous innovative Japanese and American materials and life science experiments. Two of the Spacelab-J experiments were designed over a period of more than a decade by a team from NASA-Ames Research Center. The Frog Embryology Experiment investigated and is helping to resolve a century-long quandary on the effects of gravity on amphibian development. The Autogenic Feedback Training Experiment, flown on Spacelab-J as part of a multi-mission investigation, studied the effects of Autogenic Feedback Therapy on limiting the effects of Space Motion Sickness on astronauts. Both experiments employed the use of a wide variety of specially designed hardware to achieve the experiment objectives. This paper reviews the development of both experiments, from the initial announcement of opportunity in 1978, through selection on Spacelab-J and subsequent hardware and science procedures development, culminating in the highly successful Spacelab-J flight in September 1992.

Hemispheric lateralization in an analysis of speech sounds. Left hemisphere dominance replicated in Japanese subjects.

PubMed

Koyama, S; Gunji, A; Yabe, H; Oiwa, S; Akahane-Yamada, R; Kakigi, R; Näätänen, R

2000-09-01

Evoked magnetic responses to speech sounds [R. Näätänen, A. Lehtokoski, M. Lennes, M. Cheour, M. Huotilainen, A. Iivonen, M. Vainio, P. Alku, R.J. Ilmoniemi, A. Luuk, J. Allik, J. Sinkkonen and K. Alho, Language-specific phoneme representations revealed by electric and magnetic brain responses. Nature, 385 (1997) 432-434.] were recorded from 13 Japanese subjects (right-handed). Infrequently presented vowels ([o]) among repetitive vowels ([e]) elicited the magnetic counterpart of mismatch negativity, MMNm (Bilateral, nine subjects; Left hemisphere alone, three subjects; Right hemisphere alone, one subject). The estimated source of the MMNm was stronger in the left than in the right auditory cortex. The sources were located posteriorly in the left than in the right auditory cortex. These findings are consistent with the results obtained in Finnish [R. Näätänen, A. Lehtokoski, M. Lennes, M. Cheour, M. Huotilainen, A. Iivonen, M.Vainio, P.Alku, R.J. Ilmoniemi, A. Luuk, J. Allik, J. Sinkkonen and K. Alho, Language-specific phoneme representations revealed by electric and magnetic brain responses. Nature, 385 (1997) 432-434.][T. Rinne, K. Alho, P. Alku, M. Holi, J. Sinkkonen, J. Virtanen, O. Bertrand and R. Näätänen, Analysis of speech sounds is left-hemisphere predominant at 100-150 ms after sound onset. Neuroreport, 10 (1999) 1113-1117.] and English [K. Alho, J.F. Connolly, M. Cheour, A. Lehtokoski, M. Huotilainen, J. Virtanen, R. Aulanko and R.J. Ilmoniemi, Hemispheric lateralization in preattentive processing of speech sounds. Neurosci. Lett., 258 (1998) 9-12.] subjects. Instead of the P1m observed in Finnish [M. Tervaniemi, A. Kujala, K. Alho, J. Virtanen, R.J. Ilmoniemi and R. Näätänen, Functional specialization of the human auditory cortex in processing phonetic and musical sounds: A magnetoencephalographic (MEG) study. Neuroimage, 9 (1999) 330-336.] and English [K. Alho, J. F. Connolly, M. Cheour, A. Lehtokoski, M. Huotilainen, J. Virtanen, R. Aulanko and R.J. Ilmoniemi, Hemispheric lateralization in preattentive processing of speech sounds. Neurosci. Lett., 258 (1998) 9-12.] subjects, prior to the MMNm, M60, was elicited by both rare and frequent sounds. Both MMNm and M60 sources were posteriorly located in the left than the right hemisphere.

KSC01pp0821

NASA Image and Video Library

2001-04-19

After signing a Framework for Cooperation to build the Habitation Module for the International Space Station, Italian Space Agency President Sergio DeJulio (standing, left) shakes hands with NASA Administrator Daniel S. Goldin (right). Also at the signing are The Honorable Lamberto Dini, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Italy (far left) and John Schumacher, assistant administrator, NASA External Relations. The Framework is a potential bilateral cooperative agreement that could result in ASI development of a U.S. Habitation Module for the International Space Station. This agreement allows the U.S. to explore an alternative approach to achieve full crew habitation for the ISS. A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between NASA and ASI will be required to formally document NASA and ASI’s respective responsibilities in a legally binding document. The Framework signed today would form the basis for a potential MOU which NASA and ASI would sign after completion of the program assessment and subsequent negotiations.The ceremony took place at the IMAX Theater, Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex

A community intervention trial of multimodal suicide prevention program in Japan: a novel multimodal community intervention program to prevent suicide and suicide attempt in Japan, NOCOMIT-J.

PubMed

Ono, Yutaka; Awata, Shuichi; Iida, Hideharu; Ishida, Yasushi; Ishizuka, Naoki; Iwasa, Hiroto; Kamei, Yuichi; Motohashi, Yutaka; Nakagawa, Atsuo; Nakamura, Jun; Nishi, Nobuyuki; Otsuka, Kotaro; Oyama, Hirofumi; Sakai, Akio; Sakai, Hironori; Suzuki, Yuriko; Tajima, Miyuki; Tanaka, Eriko; Uda, Hidenori; Yonemoto, Naohiro; Yotsumoto, Toshihiko; Watanabe, Naoki

2008-09-15

To respond to the rapid surge in the incidence of suicide in Japan, which appears to be an ongoing trend, the Japanese Multimodal Intervention Trials for Suicide Prevention (J-MISP) have launched a multimodal community-based suicide prevention program, NOCOMIT-J. The primary aim of this study is to examine whether NOCOMIT-J is effective in reducing suicidal behavior in the community. This study is a community intervention trial involving seven intervention regions with accompanying control regions, all with populations of statistically sufficient size. The program focuses on building social support networks in the public health system for suicide prevention and mental health promotion, intending to reinforce human relationships in the community. The intervention program components includes a primary prevention measures of awareness campaign for the public and key personnel, secondary prevention measures for screening of, and assisting, high-risk individuals, after-care for individuals bereaved by suicide, and other measures. The intervention started in July 2006, and will continue for 3.5 years. Participants are Japanese and foreign residents living in the intervention and control regions (a total of population of 2,120,000 individuals). The present study is designed to evaluate the effectiveness of the community-based suicide prevention program in the seven participating areas. UMIN Clinical Trials Registry (UMIN-CTR) UMIN000000460.

Scissors Duct

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-06-26

Stennis Space Center engineers are preparing to conduct water tests on an updated version of the scissors duct component of the J-2X engine. Measuring about 2 feet long and about 8 inches in diameter, the duct on the J-2X predecessor, the J-2, connected its fuel turbo pumps to the flight vehicle's upper stage run tanks. According to NASA's J-2X project manager at SSC, Gary Benton, the water tests should establish the limits of the duct's ability to withstand vibration.

Census Report: Volume VI, 1987 through 1992. Sanitized Version.

DTIC Science & Technology

1994-08-01

0599BLANKNSHIP, THOMAS J 0837 BLE.ASDALE, PETER A 0483 BLEVINS, BEVERLY R 0599 BLISS, GERALD H III 0533* BLOORE, ERNEST W 0908 BLUM, JACQUELI J 0972...BLISS, GERALD H III 0533* BLOORE, ERNEST W 0908 BLUM, JACQUELI J 0972 BOATWRIGHT, DEEDIE A 0638 BODDICKER, MATHIAS C II 0687 BODIN, ANTHONY A 0971...ROYCE R 0599 JACOBSON, JOHN R 0640 JACOBSON, ROGER LEIF 0918 JACQUES , DARIO J 0599 JAKSICH, RODNEY T 0599 JAKUSZ, DAVID 0599 JAMES, RICHARD H 0687

Pegaso: Long durations balloons from polar regions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Romeo, G. R.; di Stefano, G. D. S.; di Felice, F. D. F.; Masi, S. M.; Cardillo, A. C.; Musso, I. M.; Ibba, R. I.; Palangio, P. P.; Caprara, F. C.; Peterzen, S. P.; Pegaso Group

Launched from the Mario Zuccelli Station Baia Terra Nova in Antarctica during the 2005 06 austral summer the PEGASO-D payload lifted into the stratospheric anticyclone over the southern polar region This effort marks the first Long Duration Scientific payload to be launched from this location and is the fourth such payload launched in the polar regions Performing in the framework of the NOBILE AMUNDSEN collaborative LDB development between ASI-ARR The Italian Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology INGV with the sponsorship of the Italian Antarctic Program PNRA and the Italian Space Agency ASI designed and built the Ultra-Light system together with three Universities in Italy The Pegaso program has been created to investigate the Earth magnetic field and provide a precursor series of small payload launches for the bigger LDB program such as OLIMPO BOOMERanG and BArSPOrt through this collaboration between ASI and ARR The Italian scientific community aware of the big advantages that LDB balloons can offer to their experiments proposed to extend the LDB program to Southern polar regions besides performing launches from the newly initiated Nobile Amundsen Stratospheric Balloon Center in Svalbard Norway Three PEGASO Polar Explorer for Geomagnetics And other Scientific Observations payloads have been launched from the Svalbard No in collaboration with Andoya Rocket Range ASI and ISTAR Operations and logistics during the past two northern summers These stratospheric altitude m 35000 small 10kmc balloons have floated in the stratosphere between 14 to

Early development of synchrony in cortical activations in the human.

PubMed

Koolen, N; Dereymaeker, A; Räsänen, O; Jansen, K; Vervisch, J; Matic, V; Naulaers, G; De Vos, M; Van Huffel, S; Vanhatalo, S

2016-05-13

Early intermittent cortical activity is thought to play a crucial role in the growth of neuronal network development, and large scale brain networks are known to provide the basis for higher brain functions. Yet, the early development of the large scale synchrony in cortical activations is unknown. Here, we tested the hypothesis that the early intermittent cortical activations seen in the human scalp EEG show a clear developmental course during the last trimester of pregnancy, the period of intensive growth of cortico-cortical connections. We recorded scalp EEG from altogether 22 premature infants at post-menstrual age between 30 and 44 weeks, and the early cortical synchrony was quantified using recently introduced activation synchrony index (ASI). The developmental correlations of ASI were computed for individual EEG signals as well as anatomically and mathematically defined spatial subgroups. We report two main findings. First, we observed a robust and statistically significant increase in ASI in all cortical areas. Second, there were significant spatial gradients in the synchrony in fronto-occipital and left-to-right directions. These findings provide evidence that early cortical activity is increasingly synchronized across the neocortex. The ASI-based metrics introduced in our work allow direct translational comparison to in vivo animal models, as well as hold promise for implementation as a functional developmental biomarker in future research on human neonates. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

International collaborative research on infectious diseases by Japanese universities and institutes in Asia and Africa, with a special emphasis on J-GRID.

PubMed

Shinoda, Sumio; Imamura, Daisuke; Mizuno, Tamaki; Miyoshi, Shin-Ichi; Ramamurthy, Thandavrayan

2015-01-01

In developed countries including Japan, malignant tumor (cancer), heart disease and cerebral apoplexy are major causes of death, but infectious diseases are still responsible for a high number of deaths in developing countries, especially among children aged less than 5 years. World Health Statistics published by WHO reports a high percentage of mortality from infectious diseases in children, and many of these diseases may be subject to transmission across borders and could possibly invade Japan. 　Given this situation, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) of Japan initiated Phase I of the Program of Founding Research Centers for Emerging and Reemerging Infectious Disease, which ran from FY 2005 to 2009, and involved 8 Japanese universities and 2 research centers. The program was established for the following purposes: 1) creation of a domestic research structure to promote the accumulation of fundamental knowledge about infectious diseases, 2) establishment of 13 overseas research collaboration centers in 8 countries at high risk of emerging and reemerging infections and at which Japanese researchers are stationed and conduct research in partnership with overseas instructors, 3) development of a network among domestic and overseas research centers, and 4) development of human resources. 　The program was controlled under MEXT and managed by the RIKEN Center of Research Network for Infectious Diseases (Riken CRNID). Phase II of the program was set up as the Japan Initiative for Global Research Network on Infectious Diseases (J-GRID), and has been running in FY 2010-2014. 　Phase III will start in April 2015, and will be organized by the newly established Japanese governmental organization "Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED)", the so-called Japanese style NIH. 　The Collaborative Research Center of Okayama University for Infectious Diseases in India (CRCOUI) was started up in 2007 at the National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Disease, Kolkata, India. Major projects of CRCOUI are concerned with diarrheal diseases such as, 1) active surveillance of diarrheal patients, 2) development of dysentery vaccines, 3) viable but nonculturable (VBNC) Vibrio cholerae, and 4) pathogenic mechanisms of various diarrhogenic microorganisms. 　This review article outlines project of J-GRID and CRCOUI which the authors carried out collaboratively with NICED staff members.

The CALorimetric Electron Telescope (CALET) Launch and Early On-Orbit Performance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guzik, T. Gregory; Calet Collaboration

2016-03-01

The CALET space experiment, has been developed by collaborators in Japan, Italy and the United States, will study electrons to 20 TeV, gamma rays above 10 GeV and nuclei with Z =1 to 40 up to 1,000 TeV during a five-year mission on the International Space Station. The instrument consists of a particle charge identification module, a thin imaging calorimeter (3 r.l. in total) with tungsten plates interleaving scintillating fiber planes, and a thick calorimeter (27 r.l.) composed of lead tungstate logs. CALET has the depth, imaging capabilities and energy resolution for excellent separation between hadrons, electrons and gamma rays. The instrument was launched into orbit on August 19, 2015 and on August 25, 2015 was mounted as an attached payload on the International Space Station (ISS) Japanese Experiment Module - Exposed Facility (JEM-EF). The experiment has successfully completed on-orbit checkout and has now been transitioned to normal science operations. This presentation summarizes the instrument design, science goals and early on-orbit performance. This effort is supported by NASA in the United States, by JAXA in Japan, and ASI in Italy.

Influences of peers' and family members' body shapes on perception of body image and desire for thinness in Japanese female students.

PubMed

Mase, Tomoki; Ohara, Kumiko; Miyawaki, Chiemi; Kouda, Katsuyasu; Nakamura, Harunobu

2015-01-01

The present study investigated the influence of peers' and family members' body shapes on the perception of body image and desire for thinness in Japanese female students. The study included 342 female, Japanese university students between the ages of 18 years and 22 years. They completed an anonymous questionnaire, which included questions related to anthropometry and body perception. Eating behavior was assessed by the Japanese version of the Eating Attitude Test-26. Many students overestimated their body shape (81.2% of underweight students and 74.6% of normal students) and had a desire for thinness (41.0% of underweight students, 88.2% of normal students, and 100% of overweight students). One of the main reasons for the overestimation of their body shape was comparison with others. Participants who were interested in a friend's body shape were almost three times more likely to have a desire for thinness than those who were not interested in a female friend's body shape (odds ratio: 3.06, P=0.014). The results indicate a possibility that a female Japanese student's young female friends' body shapes, influences her desire for thinness or her perception of her own body shape.

Delay-Throughput Performance Evaluator for Distributed Systems. TDMA and Token Ring Schemes (Version 1)

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-09-01

H,O-Z) logical ofa (20,3) ,zf real*8 tofa (20,3),ca(20,3),ya(20,.3),wofa(20,3) integer oa(20,3),sa(20,3),seeda(20,3) common /ba/ofa,sattofaica,oa,seeda...if (zf) oa(nq,j) - oa(nq,j)+1 goto 1 end if tofa (nq,j) = temp s2 - dmod(sp*seeda(nq,j),B) wofa(nq,j) = max(0.000001,s2/B*ya(nq,j)) seeda(nq,j) - s2...3) *,asc(2) ,plensc(2) ,BWTc(2) ,Tpric(2,8) ,aac(2,8) ,plenac(2,8) *tofs (20), tofa (20, 3) ,wofs(20),wofa (20, 3) integer tails(20),taila(20,3),ss(20

Manprint Handbook for Nondevelopmental Item (NDI) Acquisition

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-03-01

SUPPORTABILITY SOLDIES WILL AC AJIL SU1PPORT GEItS KILL AC TO PERrORM ALL NAIN- uLE1 10 PE~rORM AE- PENANCE ?ASXS TO $ TAX - pul"RD SUPP*rt tO DANA UNOER...system performance wilt have to be ,on (Skill decay rate )? answvered and evaluated based on Army r rn~jinformation. Whot new skills wll be re*#ird...to soldier--New ASI or MOS--Require increased recruiting difficulties. Training MEPSCAT rating of Very Heavy, impact of new L40S or ASI. AWIlPMENT

Soil disturbance by airbags

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1997-01-01

Disturbance of the drift at the Pathfinder landing site reveals a shallow subsurface that is slightly darker but has similar spectral properties. The top set of images, in true color, shows the soils disturbed by the last bounce of the lander on its airbags before coming to rest and the marks created by retraction of the airbags. In the bottom set of images color differences have been enhanced. The mast at center is the Atmospheric Structure Instrument/Meteorology Package (ASI/MET). The ASI/MET is an engineering subsytem that acquired atmospheric data during Pathfinder's descent, and will continue to get more data through the entire landed mission. A shadow of the ASI/MET appears on a rock at left.

Mars Pathfinder was developed and managed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. JPL is an operating division of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The Imager for Mars Pathfinder (IMP) was developed by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory under contract to JPL. Peter Smith is the Principal Investigator.

Processes and procedures for a worldwide biological samples distribution; product assurance and logistic activities to support the mice drawer system tissue sharing event

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Benassai, Mario; Cotronei, Vittorio

The Mice Drawer System (MDS) is a scientific payload developed by the Italian Space Agency (ASI), it hosted 6 mice on the International Space Station (ISS) and re-entered on ground on November 28, 2009 with the STS 129 at KSC. Linked to the MDS experiment, a Tissue Sharing Program (TSP), was developed in order to make available to 16 Payload Investigators (PI) (located in USA, Canada, EU -Italy, Belgium and Germany -and Japan) the biological samples coming from the mice. ALTEC SpA (a PPP owned by ASI, TAS-I and local institutions) was responsible to support the logistics aspects of the MDS samples for the first MDS mission, in the frame of Italian Space Agency (ASI) OSMA program (OSteoporosis and Muscle Atrophy). The TSP resulted in a complex scenario, as ASI, progressively, extended the original OSMA Team also to researchers from other ASI programs and from other Agencies (ESA, NASA, JAXA). The science coordination was performed by the University of Genova (UNIGE). ALTEC has managed all the logistic process with the support of a specialized freight forwarder agent during the whole shipping operation phases. ALTEC formalized all the steps from the handover of samples by the dissection Team to the packaging and shipping process in a dedicated procedure. ALTEC approached all the work in a structured way, performing: A study of the aspects connected to international shipments of biological samples. A coopera-tive work with UNIGE/ASI /PIs to identify all the needs of the various researchers and their compatibility. A complete revision and integration of shipment requirements (addresses, tem-peratures, samples, materials and so on). A complete definition of the final shipment scenario in terms of boxes, content, refrigerant and requirements. A formal approach to identification and selection of the most suited and specialized Freight Forwarder. A clear identification of all the processes from sample dissection by PI Team, sample processing, freezing, tube preparation, labeling, packaging, shipment and inspection at receiving sites, by introducing and using Forms and Procedures. A clear identification of Roles, by introducing a Board composed of NASA, ASI, PIs and ALTEC to drive and certify the critical points. Support to Team also for acces-sory aspects like badging or other kind of shipments. Support to meetings and teleconferences to cooperate in definition of mission scenario, that resulted also in the need of splitting the teams for KSC and Dryden. Support to dry run tests and meetings to tune the procedures and activities to the most refined detail. Support at both landing sites, with final shipment from KSC to all the final destination. Support data collection about status of the various incoming inspections at receiving sites. All the above mentioned activities will be detailed in the paper.

Sociolinguistically Informed Natural Language Processing: Automating Irony Detection

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-04-13

version of the corpus is available at: https://github.com/bwallace/ACL-2014-irony. The present version comprises 3,020 anno - tated comments scraped...opinion, pages 53–56. ACM, 2009. [2] J Cohen. A coefficient of agreement for nominal scales. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 20:37–46, 1960

One Generation Reproductive Toxicity Test in Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) Exposed Orally to 3-nitro-1,2,4-triazol-5-one (NTO), February-August 2015

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-08-14

blocks are stored in building E-5158. C -2 Personnel Management: Dr. Mark S. Johnson, Ph.D., Director, Toxicology; Mr. Arthur J . O’Neill, Chief...CLASSIFICATION OF: a. REPORT b. ABSTRACT c . THIS PAGE 17. LIMITATION OF ABSTRACT 18. NUMBER OF PAGES 19a. NAME OF RESPONSIBLE...Quinn, Michael, J , Jr. Johnson, Mark, S Army Public Health Center Toxicology Portfolio (MCHB-PH-TEV) 5158 Blackhawk Road, Aberdeen Proving Ground

Relationship between depressive symptoms and perceived individual level occupational stress among Japanese schoolteachers.

PubMed

Nakada, Akihiro; Iwasaki, Shinichi; Kanchika, Masaru; Nakao, Takehisa; Deguchi, Yasuhiko; Konishi, Akihito; Ishimoto, Hideyuki; Inoue, Koki

2016-10-08

Japanese teachers are mentally and physically burdened with various work stressors. This cross-sectional study examined the relationship between depressive symptoms and perceived individual level occupational stress including role problems among Japanese schoolteachers. This study included 1,006 teachers working in public schools in a Japanese city. The Japanese version of Zung's Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS) was used to evaluate depressive symptoms, and the Generic Job Stress Questionnaire was used to evaluate occupational stress and three measures of social support. Subjects with SDS scores of more than 50 were categorized into the "depressive group." We examined the relationship between depressive symptoms and perceived individual level occupational stress using multiple logistic regression analyses. A total of 202 (20.1%) teachers belonged to the depressive group. We found that high role ambiguity, high role conflict, high quantitative workload, and low social support from family or friends were significantly related to depressive symptoms. To moderate role ambiguity and role conflict experienced by teachers, it is necessary to clarify the priority order of teachers' work. Furthermore, it is necessary to reduce workload by focusing on the content of teachers' work and the setting of education itself. Focusing on these elements will reduce teachers' depressive symptoms.

CALET on the ISS: a high energy astroparticle physics experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marrocchesi, Pier Simone; CALET Collaboration

2016-05-01

CALET is a space mission of the Japanese Aerospace Agency (JAXA) in collaboration with the Italian Space Agency (ASI) and NASA. The CALET instrument (CALorimetric Electron Telescope) is planned for a long exposure on the JEM-EF, an external platform of the Japanese Experiment Module KIBO, aboard the International Space Station (ISS). The main science objectives include high precision measurements of the inclusive electron (+positron) spectrum below 1 TeV and the exploration of the energy region above 1 TeV, where the shape of the high end of the spectrum might reveal the presence of nearby sources of acceleration. With an excellent energy resolution and low background contamination CALET will search for possible spectral signatures of dark matter with both electrons and gamma rays. It will also measure the high energy spectra and relative abundance of cosmic nuclei from proton to iron and detect trans-iron elements up to Z ~ 40. With a large exposure and high energy resolution, CALET will be able to verify and complement the observations of CREAM, PAMELA and AMS-02 on a possible deviation from a pure power-law of proton and He spectra in the region of a few hundred GeV and to extend the study to the multi-TeV region. CALET will also contribute to clarify the present experimental picture on the energy dependence of the boron/carbon ratio, below and above 1 TeV/n, thereby providing valuable information on cosmic-ray propagation in the galaxy. Gamma-ray transients will be studied with a dedicated Gamma-ray Burst Monitor (GBM).

Evaluating the Impact of the Number of Satellite Altimeters Used in an Assimilative Ocean Prediction System

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-10-20

standard deviation. The y axis indicates the scaled MB, MB95 MB 1 N N j51 (O j O)2 2 4 3 5 1/2 , (12) or the biweight version, MBbw9 5 MBbw hhO j iibw...RMSEbw9unbiased 5 RMSEbwunbiased hhO j iibw . (15) To investigate the impact of outliers, results from both the Gaussian statistics [Eqs. (12) and

The once-daily human glucagon-like peptide-1 analog, liraglutide, improves β-cell function in Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes.

PubMed

Seino, Yutaka; Rasmussen, Mads Frederik; Clauson, Per; Kaku, Kohei

2012-08-20

Aims/Introduction:  β-cell function was evaluated by homeostasis model assessment of β-cell function (HOMA-B) index, proinsulin:insulin and proinsulin:C-peptide ratios in adult, Japanese type 2 diabetes patients receiving liraglutide.   Data from two randomized, controlled clinical trials (A and B) including 664 Japanese type 2 diabetes patients (mean values: glycated hemoglobin [HbA1c] 8.61-9.32%; body mass index [BMI] 24.4-25.3 kg/m(2)) were analyzed. In two 24-week trials, patients received liraglutide 0.9 mg (n = 268) or glibenclamide 2.5 mg (n = 132; trial A), or liraglutide 0.6, 0.9 mg (n = 176) or placebo (n = 88) added to previous sulfonylurea therapy (trial B).   Liraglutide was associated with improved glycemic control vs sulfonylurea monotherapy or placebo. In liraglutide-treated groups in trials A and B, area under the curve (AUC) insulin 0-3 h was improved (P < 0.001 for all) and the AUCinsulin 0-3 h:AUCglucose 0-3 h ratio was increased (estimated treatment difference [liraglutide-comparator] 0.058 [0.036, 0.079]). HOMA-B significantly increased with liraglutide relative to comparator in trial B (P < 0.05), but not in trial A. The reduction in fasting proinsulin:insulin ratio was 50% greater than in comparator groups.   In Japanese type 2 diabetes patients, liraglutide was associated with effective glycemic control, restoration of prandial insulin response and indications of improved β-cell function. This trial was registered with Clinicaltrials.gov (trial A: no. NCT00393718/JapicCTI-060328 and trial B: no. NCT00395746/JapicCTI-060324). (J Diabetes Invest, doi: 10.1111/j.2040-1124.2012.00193.x, 2012).

Space Weather Now-Casting for Area-Denied Locations: Testing All-Sky-Imaging Applications at Geomagnetic Conjugate Points.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baumgardner, J. L.; Mendillo, M.; Martinis, C. R.; Hickey, D. A.; Wroten, J.

2017-12-01

We explore the concept of using an all-sky-imager (ASI) in one hemisphere to provide now-casting of ionospheric perturbations in the opposite hemisphere. The specific example deals with low-latitude plasma instabilities known as equatorial spread-F (ESF) that depend on geomagnetic field controlled electrodynamics. ASI observations of 630.0 nm airglow from 300 km exhibit regions of low emission ("airglow depletions") that correlate highly with ESF patterns of radiowave disruptions, e.g., from GPS satellites. For both oceanographic and geopolitical reasons, there are vast regions of the globe that cannot be used for ground-based now-casting of local ESF effects. For such area-denied locations, it is possible for observations of airglow depletions from the opposite hemisphere to be used to specify both local and conjugate location environmental impacts. We use fifteen months of ASI observations from the El Leoncito Observatory (Argentina) to predict simultaneous conditions at its trans-equatorial geomagnetic conjugate point in Villa de Leyva (Colombia)—validated by independent ASI observations at that location. We find the success rate of conjugate point now-casting to be greater than 95% for large-scale ESF occurrence patterns. For a different pair of stations at higher magnetic latitudes, three years of observations from the Arecibo Observatory (Puerto Rico) were used to make ESF now-casting at its conjugate point in Mercedes (Argentina) with a 85% success rate.

Spectroscopic AC Susceptibility Imaging (sASI) of Magnetic Nanoparticles

PubMed Central

Ficko, Bradley W.; Nadar, Priyanka M.; Diamond, Solomon G.

2014-01-01

This study demonstrates a method for alternating current (AC) susceptibility imaging (ASI) of magnetic nanoparticles (mNPs) using low cost instrumentation. The ASI method uses AC magnetic susceptibility measurement to create tomographic images using an array of drive coils, compensation coils and fluxgate magnetometers. Using a spectroscopic approach in conjunction with ASI, a series of tomographic images can be created for each frequency measurement and is termed sASI. The advantage of sASI is that mNPs can be simultaneously characterized and imaged in a biological medium. System calibration was performed by fitting the in-phase and out-of-phase susceptibility measurements of an mNP sample with a hydrodynamic diameter of 100 nm to a Brownian relaxation model (R2 = 0.96). Samples of mNPs with core diameters of 10 and 40 nm and a sample of 100 nm hydrodynamic diameter were prepared in 0.5 ml tubes. Three mNP samples were arranged in a randomized array and then scanned using sASI with six frequencies between 425 and 925 Hz. The sASI scans showed the location and quantity of the mNP samples (R2 = 0.97). Biological compatibility of the sASI method was demonstrated by scanning mNPs that were injected into a pork sausage. The mNP response in the biological medium was found to correlate with a calibration sample (R2 = 0.97, p <0.001). These results demonstrate the concept of ASI and advantages of sASI. PMID:25477704

Does an advantageous occupational position make women happier in contemporary Japan? Findings from the Japanese Study of Health, Occupation, and Psychosocial Factors Related Equity (J-HOPE).

PubMed

Umeda, Maki; McMunn, Anne; Cable, Noriko; Hashimoto, Hideki; Kawakami, Norito; Marmot, Michael

2015-12-01

Occupational position is one of the determinants of psychological health, but this association may differ for men and women depending on the social context. In contemporary Japanese society, occupational gender segregation persists despite increased numbers of women participating in the labour market, which may contribute to gender specific patterns in the prevalence of poor psychological health. The present study examined gender specific associations between occupational position and psychological health in Japan, and the potential mediating effects of job control and effort-reward imbalance in these associations. We used data obtained from 7123 men and 2222 women, aged between 18 and 65 years, who participated in an occupational cohort study, the Japanese Study of Health, Occupation, and Psychosocial Factors Related Equity (J-HOPE), between 2011 and 2012. We used logistic regression to examine the association between occupational position and poor psychological health, adjusted for age, working hours, household income and education, as well as psychosocial work characteristics (job control and effort-reward imbalance). The prevalence of poor psychological health increased from manual/service occupations (23%) to professionals/managers (38%) among women, while it did not vary by occupational position among men. In women, the significant association between occupational position and psychological health was not explained by job control, but was attenuated by effort-reward imbalance. Our findings suggest that Japanese women in more advantaged occupational positions are likely to be at a greater risk for poor psychological health due to higher levels of effort-reward imbalance at work.

Screening butternut and butternut hybrids for resistance to butternut canker

Treesearch

J.R. McKenna; M.E. Ostry; K. Woeste

2011-01-01

Butternut (Juglans cinerea) is being killed throughout its native range by the fungus Sirococcus clavigignenti-juglandacearum (Scj). In recent years, many disease-free trees have been determined to be complex hybrids with an admixture of Japanese walnut (J. ailantifolia). We challenged 5-year-...

Family functioning of child-rearing Japanese families on family-accompanied work assignments in Hong Kong.

PubMed

Hohashi, Naohiro; Honda, Junko

2011-11-01

Although the number of employees on overseas assignments accompanied by their families has increased steadily, little is known about the effects of this experience on family functioning. Japanese families on family-accompanied assignments living in Hong Kong were compared with families living in Japan (consisting of 135 and 248 paired partners, respectively). Applying an ecological framework, family functioning was examined using the Feetham Family Functioning Survey-Japanese (FFFS-J). Japanese wives living in Hong Kong rated family functioning lower, particularly in the area of "relationship between family and family members." Between paired marital partners living in Hong Kong, the level of satisfaction in the area of "relationship between family and society" was significantly lower for wives than for husbands. This study provides application of the family ecological framework in families in a multicultural environment and identifies potential areas for family assessment and intervention that may of interest to health care professionals who care for families living away from their home countries.

STS-65 Japanese Payload Specialist Mukai at CCT side hatch during training

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1993-01-01

STS-65 Japanese Payload Specialist Chiaki Mukai takes a break from training at the Johnson Space Center (JSC). Wearing a training version of the orange launch and entry suit (LES), Mukai stands at the crew compartment trainer (CCT) side hatch in the Mockup and Integration Laboratory (MAIL) Bldg 9NE. Note the crew escape system (CES) pole device extending out the side hatch which would accommodate crewmembers in bailout from a troubled spacecraft. Mukai represents the National Space Development Agency (NASDA) of Japan and will serve as a payload specialist aboard Columbia, Orbiter Vehicle (OV) 102, during the STS-65 International Microgravity Laboratory 2 (IML-2) mission.

Manual on the proper use of lutetium-177-labeled somatostatin analogue (Lu-177-DOTA-TATE) injectable in radionuclide therapy (2nd ed.).

PubMed

Hosono, Makoto; Ikebuchi, Hideharu; Nakamura, Yoshihide; Nakamura, Nobutaka; Yamada, Takahiro; Yanagida, Sachiko; Kitaoka, Asami; Kojima, Kiyotaka; Sugano, Hiroyasu; Kinuya, Seigo; Inoue, Tomio; Hatazawa, Jun

2018-04-01

Here we present the guideline for the treatment of neuroendocrine tumors using Lu-177-DOTA-TATE on the basis of radiation safety aspects in Japan. This guideline was prepared by a study supported by Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare, and approved by Japanese Society of Nuclear Medicine. Lu-177-DOTA-TATE treatment in Japan should be carried out according to this guideline. Although this guideline is applied in Japan, the issues for radiation protection shown in this guideline are considered internationally useful as well. Only the original Japanese version is the formal document.

Guidelines for Software Engineering Education Version 1.0

DTIC Science & Technology

1999-11-01

Turbo Pascal and Software Design. Sudbury, Massachusetts: Jones and Bartlett, 1997. " Deitel, Harvey M. & Deitel, Paul J. C++: How to Program . Upper...Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 1997. " Deitel, Harvey M. & Deitel, Paul J. Java: How to Program . Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall

Association between summer temperature and body weight in Japanese adolescents and children: An ecological analysis.

PubMed

Yokoya, Masana; Higuchi, Yukito

2016-11-01

Several experimental studies reported evidence of a negative energy balance at higher temperatures. However, corresponding weight loss has not been noted in clinical practice. This study investigated the geographical association between outdoor temperature and body weight in Japanese adolescents and children. An ecological analysis was conducted using prefecture-level data on the mean body weight of Japanese adolescents and children over a 25-year period and Japanese mesh (regional) climatic data on the mean annual temperature, mean daily maximum temperature in August, and mean daily minimum temperature in January were also analyzed. Correlation analysis uncovered a stronger association between weight and the mean daily maximum temperature in August than with other climatic variables. Moreover, multiple regression analysis indicated that height and the mean daily maximum temperature in August were statistically significant predictors of weight. This suggests that geographical differences in weight in Japanese adolescents and children can be explained by the complementary relationship between height-associated weight gain and weight loss caused by summer heat. Summer temperatures may reduce the proportion of children who are overweight and contribute to geographical differences in body weight in Japanese adolescents and children. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 28:789-795, 2016. © 2016Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Wakata in the JPM

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-11-15

View of Koichi Wakata,Expedition 38 Flight Engineer (FE),in the Japanese Experiment Module (JEM) Pressurized Module (JPM). JEM Small Satellite Orbital Deployer (J-SSOD) installed on the Multi-Purpose Experiment Platform (MPEP),is visible. Photo was taken during Expedition 38. Image was released by astronaut on Twitter.

Development of a Short Version of the New Brief Job Stress Questionnaire

PubMed Central

INOUE, Akiomi; KAWAKAMI, Norito; SHIMOMITSU, Teruichi; TSUTSUMI, Akizumi; HARATANI, Takashi; YOSHIKAWA, Toru; SHIMAZU, Akihito; ODAGIRI, Yuko

2014-01-01

This study was aimed to investigate the test-retest reliability and validity of a short version of the New Brief Job Stress Questionnaire (New BJSQ) whose scales have one item selected from a standard version. Based on the results from an anonymous web-based questionnaire of occupational health staffs and personnel/labor staffs, we selected higher-priority scales from the standard version. After selecting one item with highest item-total correlation coefficient from each scale, a 23-item questionnaire was developed. A nationally representative survey was administered to Japanese employees (n=1,633) to examine test-retest reliability and validity. Most scales (or items) showed modest but adequate levels of test-retest reliability (r>0.50). Furthermore, job demands and job resources scales (or items) were associated with mental and physical stress reactions while job resources scales (or items) were also associated with positive outcomes. These findings provided a piece of evidence that the short version of the New BJSQ is reliable and valid. PMID:24975108

Multiple functional units in the preattentive segmentation of speech in Japanese: evidence from word illusions.

PubMed

Nakamura, Miyoko; Kolinsky, Régine

2014-12-01

We explored the functional units of speech segmentation in Japanese using dichotic presentation and a detection task requiring no intentional sublexical analysis. Indeed, illusory perception of a target word might result from preattentive migration of phonemes, morae, or syllables from one ear to the other. In Experiment I, Japanese listeners detected targets presented in hiragana and/or kanji. Phoneme migrations did occur, suggesting that orthography-independent sublexical constituents play some role in segmentation. However, syllable and especially mora migrations were more numerous. This pattern of results was not observed in French speakers (Experiment 2), suggesting that it reflects native segmentation in Japanese. To control for the intervention of kanji representations (many words are written in kanji, and one kanji often corresponds to one syllable), in Experiment 3, Japanese listeners were presented with target loanwords that can be written only in katakana. Again, phoneme migrations occurred, while the first mora and syllable led to similar rates of illusory percepts. No migration occurred for the second, "special" mora (/J/ or/N/), probably because this constitutes the latter part of a heavy syllable. Overall, these findings suggest that multiple units, such as morae, syllables, and even phonemes, function independently of orthographic knowledge in Japanese preattentive speech segmentation.

STS-65 Japanese Payload Specialist Mukai at CCT side hatch during training

NASA Image and Video Library

1993-11-22

STS-65 Japanese Payload Specialist Chiaki Mukai takes a break from training at the Johnson Space Center (JSC). Wearing a training version of the orange launch and entry suit (LES), Mukai stands at the crew compartment trainer (CCT) side hatch in the Mockup and Integration Laboratory (MAIL) Bldg 9NE. Note the crew escape system (CES) pole device extending out the side hatch which would accommodate crewmembers in bailout from a troubled spacecraft. Mukai represents the National Space Development Agency (NASDA) of Japan and will serve as a payload specialist aboard Columbia, Orbiter Vehicle (OV) 102, during the STS-65 International Microgravity Laboratory 2 (IML-2) mission.

Epi info - present and future.

PubMed

Su, Y; Yoon, S S

2003-01-01

Epi Info is a suite of public domain computer programs for public health professionals developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Epi Info is used for rapid questionnaire design, data entry and validation, data analysis including mapping and graphing, and creation of reports. Epi Info was originally created in 1985 using Turbo Pascal. In 1998, the last version of Epi Info for DOS, version 6, was released. Epi Info for DOS is currently supported by CDC but is no longer updated. The current version, Epi Info 2002, is Windows-based software developed using Microsoft Visual Basic. Approximately 300,000 downloads of Epi Info software occurred in 2002 from approximately 130 countries. These numbers make Epi Info probably one of the most widely distributed and used public domain programs in the world. The DOS version of Epi Info was translated into 13 languages, and efforts are underway to translate the Windows version into other major languages. Versions already exist for Spanish, French, Portuguese, Chinese, Japanese, and Arabic.

Focus on Rashomon.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Richie, Donald S., Ed.

This Film Focus series is a collection of reviews, essays, and commentaries on the Japanese film Rashomon. The plot consists of an attack, a rape, and a robbery, all of which probably occurred during the Middle Ages. Each character relates his own version of what happened, or might have happened, revealing the outward and inner driving forces,…

An assessment of adherence to basic ecological principles by payments for ecosystem service projects.

PubMed

Prager, C M; Varga, A; Olmsted, P; Ingram, J C; Cattau, M; Freund, C; Wynn-Grant, R; Naeem, S

2016-08-01

Programs and projects employing payments for ecosystem service (PES) interventions achieve their objectives by linking buyers and sellers of ecosystem services. Although PES projects are popular conservation and development interventions, little is known about their adherence to basic ecological principles. We conducted a quantitative assessment of the degree to which a global set of PES projects adhered to four ecological principles that are basic scientific considerations for any project focused on ecosystem management: collection of baseline data, identification of threats to an ecosystem service, monitoring, and attention to ecosystem dynamics or the formation of an adaptive management plan. We evaluated 118 PES projects in three markets-biodiversity, carbon, and water-compiled using websites of major conservation organizations; ecology, economic, and climate-change databases; and three scholarly databases (ISI Web of Knowledge, Web of Science, and Google Scholar). To assess adherence to ecological principles, we constructed two scientific indices (one additive [ASI] and one multiplicative [MSI]) based on our four ecological criteria and analyzed index scores by relevant project characteristics (e.g., sector, buyer, seller). Carbon-sector projects had higher ASI values (P < 0.05) than water-sector projects and marginally higher ASI scores (P < 0.1) than biodiversity-sector projects, demonstrating their greater adherence to ecological principles. Projects financed by public-private partnerships had significantly higher ASI values than projects financed by governments (P < 0.05) and marginally higher ASI values than those funded by private entities (P < 0.1). We did not detect differences in adherence to ecological principles based on the inclusion of cobenefits, the spatial extent of a project, or the size of a project's budget. These findings suggest, at this critical phase in the rapid growth of PES projects, that fundamental ecological principles should be considered more carefully in PES project design and implementation in an effort to ensure PES project viability and sustainability. © 2015 Society for Conservation Biology.

Coefficient alpha and interculture test selection.

PubMed

Thurber, Steven; Kishi, Yasuhiro

2014-04-01

The internal consistency reliability of a measure can be a focal point in an evaluation of the potential adequacy of an instrument for adaptation to another cultural setting. Cronbach's alpha (α) coefficient is often used as the statistical index for such a determination. However, alpha presumes a tau-equivalent test and may constitute an inaccurate population estimate for multidimensional tests. These notions are expanded and examined with a Japanese version of a questionnaire on nursing attitudes toward suicidal patients, originally constructed in Sweden using the English language. The English measure was reported to have acceptable internal consistency (α) albeit the dimensionality of the questionnaire was not addressed. The Japanese scale was found to lack tau-equivalence. An alternative to alpha, "composite reliability," was computed and found to be below acceptable standards in magnitude and precision. Implications for research application of the Japanese instrument are discussed. © The Author(s) 2012.

Development of a short version of the new brief job stress questionnaire.

PubMed

Inoue, Akiomi; Kawakami, Norito; Shimomitsu, Teruichi; Tsutsumi, Akizumi; Haratani, Takashi; Yoshikawa, Toru; Shimazu, Akihito; Odagiri, Yuko

2014-01-01

This study was aimed to investigate the test-retest reliability and validity of a short version of the New Brief Job Stress Questionnaire (New BJSQ) whose scales have one item selected from a standard version. Based on the results from an anonymous web-based questionnaire of occupational health staffs and personnel/labor staffs, we selected higher-priority scales from the standard version. After selecting one item with highest item-total correlation coefficient from each scale, a 23-item questionnaire was developed. A nationally representative survey was administered to Japanese employees (n=1,633) to examine test-retest reliability and validity. Most scales (or items) showed modest but adequate levels of test-retest reliability (r>0.50). Furthermore, job demands and job resources scales (or items) were associated with mental and physical stress reactions while job resources scales (or items) were also associated with positive outcomes. These findings provided a piece of evidence that the short version of the New BJSQ is reliable and valid.

Operating Policies for Non- stationary Two-Echelon Inventory Systems for Reparable Items.

DTIC Science & Technology

1986-05-01

resupply policy. Even under an HCP, we might want to change the resupply policy at management igtervention times to reflect what we predict will happen...management is concerned with the worst performance predicted during the horizon. Regardless of the average performance over the horizon, management may not...locations in DCi(tm-ll tm ) and INi(tm-l tm) . Case 3 a: ASi(tm I ) > ASi(tm); INi(tm- lstm ) empty. Disposals must be made to lover the asset positions

Journal Writing: Pedagogical Perspectives. [SFC Monograph #3.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Casanave, Christine Pearson, Ed.

Articles on the use of student journals in high school and college English-as-a-Second-Language instruction, specifically in the Japanese context, include: "Journal Writing and the Damaged Language Learner" (Alan J. McCormick); "Interested?" (Sven G. M. Puetter); "Tradition and the Student Journal" (George Deaux);…

Operations Events Census Report: Volume III, 1975-1980. Sanitized Version.

DTIC Science & Technology

1985-04-01

DNA REPORT 6330F-3-SAN OPERATIONS EVENTS CENSUS REPORT Volume III 1975 through 1980 , SANITIZED VERSION CAUTIN: T~ DOCUM~ CTAJ INFOZRM ON PR TED UNDER...1975 through 1980 , SANITIZED VERSION 12. PERSONAL AUTHOR(S) William J. Brady, Karen K. Horton, and Bernard F. Eubank 13a. TYPE OF REPORT 13b. TIME...underground testing exposures from 1975 through 1980 . Personnel are listed alphabetically by year with their total gamma exposure for that year. 20

A multi-state collaborative effort to conserve butternut Ex Situ

Treesearch

M.V. Coggeshall; S.M. Hoban; A. Flickinger; T.J. Hall; P. O’Connor; B. Schultz; S.A. Anagnostakis; J. Romero-Severson

2017-01-01

Butternut (Juglans cinerea), a native riparian forest tree, has suffered significant decline throughout most of its range due to a fatal fungal disease, butternut canker (caused by Sirococcus clavigignenti-juglandacearum). It has also been subject to natural hybridization pressures from Japanese walnut (J. ailantifolia), first...

A Curvilinear Version of a Quasi-3D Nearshore Circulation Model

DTIC Science & Technology

2002-01-01

Warsi, 1998), in comparison to the Cartesian component method (see, for example, Häuser et al., 1985, 1986; Raghunath et al., 1987; Borthwick and Barber...1999. Three-dimensional dispersion of momentum in wave-induced nearshore currents. Eur. J. Mech., 83–101. Raghunath , R., Sengupta, S., Häuser, J., 1987

Analysis of Asymmetry by a Slide-Vector.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zielman, Berrie; Heiser, Willem J.

1993-01-01

An algorithm based on the majorization theory of J. de Leeuw and W. J. Heiser is presented for fitting the slide-vector model. It views the model as a constrained version of the unfolding model. A three-way variant is proposed, and two examples from market structure analysis are presented. (SLD)

LORETA current source density for duration mismatch negativity and neuropsychological assessment in early schizophrenia.

PubMed

Miyanishi, Tomohiro; Sumiyoshi, Tomiki; Higuchi, Yuko; Seo, Tomonori; Suzuki, Michio

2013-01-01

Patients with schizophrenia elicit cognitive decline from the early phase of the illness. Mismatch negativity (MMN) has been shown to be associated with cognitive function. We investigated the current source density of duration mismatch negativity (dMMN), by using low-resolution brain electromagnetic tomography (LORETA), and neuropsychological performance in subjects with early schizophrenia. Data were obtained from 20 patients meeting DSM-IV criteria for schizophrenia or schizophreniform disorder, and 20 healthy control (HC) subjects. An auditory odd-ball paradigm was used to measure dMMN. Neuropsychological performance was evaluated by the brief assessment of cognition in schizophrenia Japanese version (BACS-J). Patients showed smaller dMMN amplitudes than those in the HC subjects. LORETA current density for dMMN was significantly lower in patients compared to HC subjects, especially in the temporal lobes. dMMN current density in the frontal lobe was positively correlated with working memory performance in patients. This is the first study to identify brain regions showing smaller dMMN current density in early schizophrenia. Further, poor working memory was associated with decreased dMMN current density in patients. These results are likely to help understand the neural basis for cognitive impairment of schizophrenia.

Evaluating the Impact of the Number of Satellite Altimeters Used in an Assimilative Ocean Prediction System

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-01-01

indicates the scaled MB, MB95 MB 1 N N j51 (O j O)2 2 4 3 5 1/2 , (12) or the biweight version, MBbw9 5 MBbw hhO j iibw , (13) and the x axis denotes...RMSEbwunbiased hhO j iibw . (15) To investigate the impact of outliers, results from both the Gaussian statistics [Eqs. (12) and (14)] and the non- parametric

Folate intake and depressive symptoms in Japanese workers considering SES and job stress factors: J-HOPE study.

PubMed

Miyaki, Koichi; Song, Yixuan; Htun, Nay Chi; Tsutsumi, Akizumi; Hashimoto, Hideki; Kawakami, Norito; Takahashi, Masaya; Shimazu, Akihito; Inoue, Akiomi; Kurioka, Sumiko; Shimbo, Takuro

2012-04-20

Recently socioeconomic status (SES) and job stress index received more attention to affect mental health. Folate intake has been implicated to have negative association with depression. However, few studies were published for the evidence association together with the consideration of SES and job stress factors. The current study is a part of the Japanese study of Health, Occupation and Psychosocial factors related Equity (J-HOPE study) that focused on the association of social stratification and health and our objective was to clarify the association between folate intake and depressive symptoms in Japanese general workers. Subjects were 2266 workers in a Japanese nationwide company. SES and job stress factors were assessed by self-administered questionnaire. Folate intake was estimated by a validated, brief, self-administered diet history questionnaire. Depressive symptoms were measured by Kessler's K6 questionnaire. "Individuals with depressive symptoms" was defined as K6≥9 (in K6 score of 0-24 scoring system). Multiple logistic regression and linear regression model were used to evaluate the association between folate and depressive symptoms. Several SES factors (proportion of management positions, years of continuous employment, and annual household income) and folate intake were found to be significantly lower in the subjects with depressive symptom (SES factors: p < 0.001; folate intake: P = 0.001). There was an inverse, independent linear association between K6 score and folate intake after adjusting for age, sex, job stress scores (job strains, worksite supports), and SES factors (p = 0.010). The impact of folate intake on the prevalence of depressive symptom by a multiple logistic model was (ORs[95% CI]: 0.813 [0.664-0.994]; P =0.044). Our cross-sectional study suggested an inverse, independent relation of energy-adjusted folate intake with depression score and prevalence of depressive symptoms in Japanese workers, together with the consideration of SES and job stress factors.

LORETA Current Source Density for Duration Mismatch Negativity and Neuropsychological Assessment in Early Schizophrenia

PubMed Central

Miyanishi, Tomohiro; Sumiyoshi, Tomiki; Higuchi, Yuko; Seo, Tomonori; Suzuki, Michio

2013-01-01

Introduction Patients with schizophrenia elicit cognitive decline from the early phase of the illness. Mismatch negativity (MMN) has been shown to be associated with cognitive function. We investigated the current source density of duration mismatch negativity (dMMN), by using low-resolution brain electromagnetic tomography (LORETA), and neuropsychological performance in subjects with early schizophrenia. Methods Data were obtained from 20 patients meeting DSM-IV criteria for schizophrenia or schizophreniform disorder, and 20 healthy control (HC) subjects. An auditory odd-ball paradigm was used to measure dMMN. Neuropsychological performance was evaluated by the brief assessment of cognition in schizophrenia Japanese version (BACS-J). Results Patients showed smaller dMMN amplitudes than those in the HC subjects. LORETA current density for dMMN was significantly lower in patients compared to HC subjects, especially in the temporal lobes. dMMN current density in the frontal lobe was positively correlated with working memory performance in patients. Conclusions This is the first study to identify brain regions showing smaller dMMN current density in early schizophrenia. Further, poor working memory was associated with decreased dMMN current density in patients. These results are likely to help understand the neural basis for cognitive impairment of schizophrenia. PMID:23577204

Incremental predictive validity of the Addiction Severity Index psychiatric composite score in a consecutive cohort of patients in residential treatment for drug use disorders.

PubMed

Thylstrup, Birgitte; Bloomfield, Kim; Hesse, Morten

2018-01-01

The Addiction Severity Index (ASI) is a widely used assessment instrument for substance abuse treatment that includes scales reflecting current status in seven potential problem areas, including psychiatric severity. The aim of this study was to assess the ability of the psychiatric composite score to predict suicide and psychiatric care after residential treatment for drug use disorders after adjusting for history of psychiatric care. All patients treated for drug use disorders in residential treatment centers in Denmark during the years 2000-2010 with complete ASI data were followed through national registers of psychiatric care and causes of death (N=5825). Competing risks regression analyses were used to assess the incremental predictive validity of the psychiatric composite score, controlling for previous psychiatric care, length of intake, and other ASI composite scores, up to 12years after discharge. A total of 1769 patients received psychiatric care after being discharged from residential treatment (30.3%), and 27 (0.5%) committed suicide. After adjusting for all covariates, psychiatric composite score was associated with a higher risk of receiving psychiatric care after residential treatment (subhazard ratio [SHR]=3.44, p<0.001), and of committing suicide (SHR=11.45, p<0.001). The ASI psychiatric composite score has significant predictive validity and promises to be useful in identifying patients with drug use disorders who could benefit from additional mental health treatment. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Panic disorder and perceived parental rearing behavior investigated by the Japanese version of the EMBU scale.

PubMed

Someya, T; Kitamura, H; Uehara, T; Sakado, K; Kaiya, H; Tang, S W; Takahashi, S

2000-01-01

Although recent studies have found dysfunctional parental rearing behaviour is associated with certain aspects of psychopathology of panic disorder (PD), the results are not in complete agreement. By using a translated Japanese version of the EMBU (Egna Minnen Beträffande Uppfostran), we investigated the parental rearing behavior perceived by 103 normal subjects, 71 PD patients with agoraphobia, and 32 PD patients without agoraphobia. The PD patients scored both parents as more rejecting and overprotective than did the controls. However, subgroup analysis showed that the patients with agoraphobia reported significantly more rejection from both parents and less emotional warmth from mothers, while the patients without agoraphobia, by contrast, reported more overprotection from both parents and more favouring subject from fathers than did the controls. Interestingly, these results were consistent with those documented in the Western literature, which reported "affectionless control" as a parenting style in PD, and, furthermore, indicated a cross-cultural similarity of parental rearing factor. In addition, it was suggested that a lack of care might be associated with the development of agoraphobia in Japan.

Validation study of the Japanese version of the Obsessive-Compulsive Drinking Scale.

PubMed

Tatsuzawa, Yasutaka; Yoshimasu, Haruo; Moriyama, Yasushi; Furusawa, Teruyuki; Yoshino, Aihide

2002-02-01

The Obsessive-Compulsive Drinking Scale (OCDS) is a self-rating questionnaire that measures cognitive and behavioral aspects of craving for alcohol. The OCDS consists of two subscales: the obsessive thoughts of drinking subscale (OS) and the compulsive drinking subscale (CS). This study aims to validate the Japanese version of the OCDS. First, internal consistency and discriminant validity were evaluated. Second, a prospective longitudinal 3-month outcome study of 67 patients with alcohol dependence who participated in a relapse prevention program was designed to assess the concurrent and predictive validity of the OCDS. The OCDS demonstrated high internal consistency. The OS had high discriminant validity, while the CS did not. Twenty-three patients (34.3%) dropped out of treatment. These patients had significantly higher OS scores than those who completed the program. At 3 months, the relapse group had significantly higher OCDS scores than the no relapse group. Also, the OCDS score was higher in subjects who had early-onset alcohol dependence than late-onset dependence. The OCDS is useful for evaluating cognitive aspect of craving and predicts dropout and relapse.

2012 Military Family Life Project (MFLP): Tabulations of Responses

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-10-31

problems ................................................................................. 254 j. Loneliness ...Survey Comparability On occasion, the paper and Web versions of the survey differ. These differences result from the technological advantages and...are unnecessary in the Web version due to “smart skip” technology . For example, in Q42 of the paper version, respondents are asked whether they feel

A I-V analysis of irradiated Gallium Arsenide solar cells

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Heulenberg, A.; Maurer, R. H.; Kinnison, J. D.

1991-01-01

A computer program was used to analyze the illuminated I-V characteristics of four sets of gallium arsenide (GaAs) solar cells irradiated with 1-MeV electrons and 10-MeV protons. It was concluded that junction regions (J sub r) dominate nearly all GaAs cells tested, except for irradiated Mitsubishi cells, which appear to have a different doping profile. Irradiation maintains or increases the dominance by J sub r. Proton irradiation increases J sub r more than does electron irradiation. The U.S. cells were optimized for beginning of life (BOL) and the Japanese for end of life (EOL). I-V analysis indicates ways of improving both the BOL and EOL performance of GaAs solar cells.

U.S. EPA, Pesticide Product Label, FERTI-LOME GYPSY MOTH, JAPANESE BEETLE AND PINE MOTH KILLER, 06/08/1984

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

2011-04-14

,'1 •.• 1I11!~: ~ . jqi, ,'III ~~1\\, J.., I! ~"'.h \\1·,." in t (1 II i I ,'( t r ... -: Il t: .11 III', I"",', 1.11 i ,., .'1" I. '\\', IY' r " \\I .... tll I,', ,' It-, "I"'!.'lel' ',."1 b .1 II,. ...

A randomized controlled trial of the different impression methods for the complete denture fabrication: Patient reported outcomes.

PubMed

Jo, Ayami; Kanazawa, Manabu; Sato, Yusuke; Iwaki, Maiko; Akiba, Norihisa; Minakuchi, Shunsuke

2015-08-01

To compare the effect of conventional complete dentures (CD) fabricated using two different impression methods on patient-reported outcomes in a randomized controlled trial (RCT). A cross-over RCT was performed with edentulous patients, required maxillomandibular CDs. Mandibular CDs were fabricated using two different methods. The conventional method used a custom tray border moulded with impression compound and a silicone. The simplified used a stock tray and an alginate. Participants were randomly divided into two groups. The C-S group had the conventional method used first, followed by the simplified. The S-C group was in the reverse order. Adjustment was performed four times. A wash out period was set for 1 month. The primary outcome was general patient satisfaction, measured using visual analogue scales, and the secondary outcome was oral health-related quality of life, measured using the Japanese version of the Oral Health Impact Profile for edentulous (OHIP-EDENT-J) questionnaire scores. Twenty-four participants completed the trial. With regard to general patient satisfaction, the conventional method was significantly more acceptable than the simplified. No significant differences were observed between the two methods in the OHIP-EDENT-J scores. This study showed CDs fabricated with a conventional method were significantly more highly rated for general patient satisfaction than a simplified. CDs, fabricated with the conventional method that included a preliminary impression made using alginate in a stock tray and subsequently a final impression made using silicone in a border moulded custom tray resulted in higher general patient satisfaction. UMIN000009875. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Type 1 diabetes epidemic in Finland is triggered by zinc-containing amorphous silica nanoparticles.

PubMed

Junnila, S K

2015-04-01

Type 1 diabetes (T1D), an autoimmune disease, breaks out in some of the children who has genetic susceptibility to T1D. Besides genetic susceptibility some environmental factor(s) are required to trigger the disease. The incidence of T1D in Finland is highest in the world, so we must seek an environmental factor, that is typical for Finland and can declare many aspects of T1D epidemiology and biology. In the literature most popular trigger has been enterovirus infections. It is difficult however to find why enteroviruses would be in this role in Finland in contrary to neighbouring countries e.g. Sweden. Colloidal amorphous silica (ASi) is typical for Finnish environment in consequency of the geohistory of Finland, great part of Finland is an ancient lake and sea bottom. ASi concentrations in natural waters are high in April-June and in November, only traces can be found in the rest of months. Pure colloidal ASi is not a strong trigger for T1D, but ASi particle which has surface adsorbed tetrahedrally coordinated zinc (ASiZn) is probably the trigger which has kept it's secret up to date. Zn functions as address label which conducts the ASiZn particle to the beta cell, whose content of zinc is highest in the body. ASi particle adheres to membrane proteins distorting their tertiary structure revealing new epitopes. If the fetus has not met these epitopes at proper time during intrauterine development, the consequence is that the negative selection of lymphocytes in the thymus and bone marrow and fetal liver is not perfect. When a child later in postnatal life becomes predisposed to ASiZn particles the immune system reacts to these as to nonself proteins. As a consequence the insulin producing beta cells are destroyed. Many observations from diabetes research support the hypothesis, some to mentioned. 1. Three common autoantigens (ZnT8, ICA512/IA-2, GAD65) are membrane proteins whose function zinc regulates. 2. Geographical variation in Finland is convergent with surface water manganese concentrations. Manganese is the principal Zn scavenger and high manganese in water reduces ASiZn particle formation and the incidence of T1D. 3. The incidence of T1D depends of drinking water pH. The highest incidence can be found within water pH 6.2-6.9. Zn coordination changes from octahedral (unphysiologic) to tetrahedral (physiologic) at pH 6.56. In the text are presented five more supporting observations e.g. the similarity between the soils in Sardinia and Finland in respect to ASi. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Relationship between depressive symptoms and perceived individual level occupational stress among Japanese schoolteachers

PubMed Central

NAKADA, Akihiro; IWASAKI, Shinichi; KANCHIKA, Masaru; NAKAO, Takehisa; DEGUCHI, Yasuhiko; KONISHI, Akihito; ISHIMOTO, Hideyuki; INOUE, Koki

2016-01-01

Japanese teachers are mentally and physically burdened with various work stressors. This cross-sectional study examined the relationship between depressive symptoms and perceived individual level occupational stress including role problems among Japanese schoolteachers. This study included 1,006 teachers working in public schools in a Japanese city. The Japanese version of Zung’s Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS) was used to evaluate depressive symptoms, and the Generic Job Stress Questionnaire was used to evaluate occupational stress and three measures of social support. Subjects with SDS scores of more than 50 were categorized into the “depressive group.” We examined the relationship between depressive symptoms and perceived individual level occupational stress using multiple logistic regression analyses. A total of 202 (20.1%) teachers belonged to the depressive group. We found that high role ambiguity, high role conflict, high quantitative workload, and low social support from family or friends were significantly related to depressive symptoms. To moderate role ambiguity and role conflict experienced by teachers, it is necessary to clarify the priority order of teachers’ work. Furthermore, it is necessary to reduce workload by focusing on the content of teachers’ work and the setting of education itself. Focusing on these elements will reduce teachers’ depressive symptoms. PMID:27021060

Amyloodinum ocellatum in Dicentrarchus labrax: Study of infection in salt water and freshwater aquaponics.

PubMed

Nozzi, Valentina; Strofaldi, Silvia; Piquer, Isabel Forner; Di Crescenzo, Davide; Olivotto, Ike; Carnevali, Oliana

2016-10-01

This investigation is aimed to improve the knowledge on the physiological alterations occurring at morphological and molecular level in European sea bass naturally infected by A. ocellatum and reared at different salinities. European sea bass juveniles (Dicentrarchus labrax) weighing 20 ± 0.5 g were divided in three aquaponics systems: CTRL, reared at 20 ppt salinity; AFI, reared in freshwater (0 ppt) and infected with the dinoflagellate Amyloodinium ocellatum; ASI, reared at 20 ppt salinity and infected with A. ocellatum. Beta vulgaris plants were introduced in each of the aquaponic systems. Temperature was increased 1 °C every second day from 18 to 25 °C during the experiment. At the end of the trial, liver, brain, intestine and gills were sampled for molecular and histological analyses. A. ocellatum affected D. labrax growth (insulin-like growth factor I, IGF-I) and appetite (Neuropeptide Y, NPY) signals in ASI. Immune system was activated in ASI by the presence of parasites by producing higher levels of Interleukin-1 (IL-1) and Tumor Necrosis Factor α (TNFα). Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (PPAR α), codifying for a protein involved in lipid metabolism, was upregulated in ASI because of the necessity to produce energy to maintain homeostasis. On the contrary, A. ocellatum did not cause signs of infection in AFI as confirmed by gene expression and histological analysis, that were similar to CTRL. However, in freshwater reared fish, a modification of lipid metabolism was observed through a reduction in PPARα gene expression and hepatic lipid content. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Establishment and evaluation of the Japanese edition of the Weekly Epidemiological Record (WER) website by the Faculty of Health Sciences of Kobe University School of Medicine.

PubMed

Sakaguchi, Hiroko; Usami, Makoto; Ando, Hiroshi; Ohata, Atsushi

2007-11-01

To report on the establishment of the Japanese version website of the Weekly Epidemiological Record (WER) by the faculty and to evaluate its accessibility and the educational outcome: all articles from the WER since 2000 have been translated into Japanese by graduate students with teachers' guidance, verified by the committee members, and delivered to the website. The server log files and retrieval keywords were analyzed using Analog 6.0. An on-line questionnaire survey of visitors to the website was performed. Opinion sheets reported by the students for translation were evaluated as the educational outcome. Over 6 years, there were 820,571 requests to the website and, the number of requests increased with disease outbreaks. According to domain analysis, most requests were during daytime on weekdays, and the website was utilized by users in educational institutions and the Japanese government and by overseas visitors. Among respondents to the questionnaire, 47% were laypersons and 69% found the website easy to understand. SARS and HIV/AIDS were the terms most frequently used for retrieval. The students recognized the importance of the World Health Organization (WHO) and had broadened their perspective on international health. The website is useful for Japanese. The translating process was effective for international health education.

Development and evaluation of an electromagnetic hypersensitivity questionnaire for Japanese people

PubMed Central

Tokiya, Mikiko; Mizuki, Masami; Miyata, Mikio; Kanatani, Kumiko T.; Takagi, Airi; Tsurikisawa, Naomi; Kame, Setsuko; Katoh, Takahiko; Tsujiuchi, Takuya; Kumano, Hiroaki

2016-01-01

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the validity and reliability of a Japanese version of an electromagnetic hypersensitivity (EHS) questionnaire, originally developed by Eltiti et al. in the United Kingdom. Using this Japanese EHS questionnaire, surveys were conducted on 1306 controls and 127 self‐selected EHS subjects in Japan. Principal component analysis of controls revealed eight principal symptom groups, namely, nervous, skin‐related, head‐related, auditory and vestibular, musculoskeletal, allergy‐related, sensory, and heart/chest‐related. The reliability of the Japanese EHS questionnaire was confirmed by high to moderate intraclass correlation coefficients in a test–retest analysis, and high Cronbach's α coefficients (0.853–0.953) from each subscale. A comparison of scores of each subscale between self‐selected EHS subjects and age‐ and sex‐matched controls using bivariate logistic regression analysis, Mann–Whitney U‐ and χ 2 tests, verified the validity of the questionnaire. This study demonstrated that the Japanese EHS questionnaire is reliable and valid, and can be used for surveillance of EHS individuals in Japan. Furthermore, based on multiple logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic analyses, we propose specific preliminary criteria for screening EHS individuals in Japan. Bioelectromagnetics. 37:353–372, 2016. © 2016 The Authors. Bioelectromagnetics Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. PMID:27324106

Sexual life of Japanese patients with erectile dysfunction taking phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors: an Internet survey using the Psychological and Interpersonal Relationship Scales-Short Form questionnaire.

PubMed

Tsujimura, Akira; Kiuchi, Hiroshi; Soda, Tetsuji; Takezawa, Kentaro; Okuda, Hidenobu; Fukuhara, Shinichiro; Takao, Tetsuya; Nonomura, Norio; Miyagawa, Yasushi

2014-08-01

To investigate details of sexual function of erectile dysfunction in Japanese patients taking phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors. A Japanese version of the Psychological and Interpersonal Relationship Scales-Short Form was used to carry out a nationwide survey using the Internet. A total of 556 erectile dysfunction patients (age 30-70 years) who had been prescribed a phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitor and had attempted sexual intercourse within the past 6 months were included in this survey. Scores were compared in relation to the phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors most frequently taken within the past 6 months. In the subdomains of self-confidence and spontaneity of the Psychological and Interpersonal Relationship Scales-Short Form, scores for vardenafil and tadalafil were significantly higher than those for sildenafil. In the subdomain of time concern of the Psychological and Interpersonal Relationship Scales-Short Form, the score for tadalafil was significantly lower than that for others. Our findings support the hypothesis that Japanese patients with erectile dysfunction have high sexual self-confidence, spontaneity and low time concerns when taking tadalafil. These characteristics of tadalafil could be associated with high patient satisfaction and high preference. © 2014 The Japanese Urological Association.

The Construct Validity of Scores on a Japanese Version of the Perceptual Component of the Style Analysis Survey

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Isemonger, Ian; Watanabe, Kaoru

2007-01-01

This study examines the psychometrics of the perceptual component of the Style Analysis Survey (SAS) [Oxford, R.L., 1993a. "Style Analysis Survey (SAS)." University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL]. The study is conducted in the context of questions over another perceptual learning-styles instrument, the "Perceptual Learning Styles Preferences…

Teaching "Empire of the Sun."

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Riet, Fred H. van

1990-01-01

A Dutch teacher presents reading, film viewing, and writing activities for "Empire of the Sun," J. G. Ballard's autobiographical account of life as a boy in Shanghai and in a Japanese internment camp during World War II (the subject of Steven Spielberg's film of the same name). Includes objectives, procedures, and several literature,…

Japanese dietary pattern consistently relates to low depressive symptoms and it is modified by job strain and worksite supports.

PubMed

Suzuki, Tomoko; Miyaki, Koichi; Tsutsumi, Akizumi; Hashimoto, Hideki; Kawakami, Norito; Takahashi, Masaya; Shimazu, Akihito; Inoue, Akiomi; Kurioka, Sumiko; Kakehashi, Masayuki; Sasaki, Yasuharu; Shimbo, Takuro

2013-09-05

This study examined the association between traditional Japanese dietary pattern and depressive symptoms in Japanese workers, employing large-scale samples, considering socioeconomic status (SES) and job stress factors. A cross-sectional study of 2266 Japanese employees aged 21-65 years from all areas of Japan was conducted as part of the Japanese Study of Health, Occupation and Psychosocial factors related Equity (J-HOPE). Habitual diet was assessed by FFQ (BDHQ). The depression degree and job stress factors (job demand, job control, and worksite support) were measured by K6 and Job Content Questionnaire. Participants with high scores for the balanced Japanese dietary pattern were significantly less likely to show probable mood/anxiety disorders (K6≥9) with multivariate adjustment including SES and job stress factors (odds ratio=0.66 [0.51-0.86], trend P=0.002). Other dietary patterns were not associated with depressive symptoms. Even after stratification by job stress factors, the Japanese dietary pattern was consistently protective against depressive symptoms. Furthermore, a highly significant difference between the first and third tertiles of the dietary pattern was observed in participants with active strain (high demand and high control) with low worksite supports (8.5 vs. 5.2, P=0.011). Female participant sample was relatively small. Japanese dietary pattern consistently related to low depressive symptoms in this large-scale cohort of Japanese workers, even after adjusting for SES and job stress factors. The protective impact is especially strong for workers with active strain and low support. Making better use of traditional dietary patterns may facilitate reducing social disparities in mental health. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Influences of peers’ and family members’ body shapes on perception of body image and desire for thinness in Japanese female students

PubMed Central

Mase, Tomoki; Ohara, Kumiko; Miyawaki, Chiemi; Kouda, Katsuyasu; Nakamura, Harunobu

2015-01-01

Purpose The present study investigated the influence of peers’ and family members’ body shapes on the perception of body image and desire for thinness in Japanese female students. Methods The study included 342 female, Japanese university students between the ages of 18 years and 22 years. They completed an anonymous questionnaire, which included questions related to anthropometry and body perception. Eating behavior was assessed by the Japanese version of the Eating Attitude Test-26. Results Many students overestimated their body shape (81.2% of underweight students and 74.6% of normal students) and had a desire for thinness (41.0% of underweight students, 88.2% of normal students, and 100% of overweight students). One of the main reasons for the overestimation of their body shape was comparison with others. Participants who were interested in a friend’s body shape were almost three times more likely to have a desire for thinness than those who were not interested in a female friend’s body shape (odds ratio: 3.06, P=0.014). Conclusion The results indicate a possibility that a female Japanese student’s young female friends’ body shapes, influences her desire for thinness or her perception of her own body shape. PMID:26203283

Performance on the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-III in Japanese patients with schizophrenia.

PubMed

Fujino, Haruo; Sumiyoshi, Chika; Sumiyoshi, Tomiki; Yasuda, Yuka; Yamamori, Hidenaga; Ohi, Kazutaka; Fujimoto, Michiko; Umeda-Yano, Satomi; Higuchi, Arisa; Hibi, Yumiko; Matsuura, Yukako; Hashimoto, Ryota; Takeda, Masatoshi; Imura, Osamu

2014-07-01

Patients with schizophrenia have been reported to perform worse than non-schizophrenic populations on neuropsychological tests, which may be affected by cultural factors. The aim of this study was to examine the performance of a sizable number of patients with schizophrenia on the Japanese version of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-III (WAIS-III) compared with healthy controls. Performance on the WAIS-III was evaluated in 157 Japanese patients with schizophrenia and in 264 healthy control subjects. All IQ scores and four indices from the WAIS-III were impaired for patients with schizophrenia compared with healthy controls. Processing Speed was markedly disturbed, approximately 2 SD below that of the healthy control group. Among the 13 subtests, Comprehension (z = -1.70, d = 1.55), Digit Symbol Coding (z = -1.84, d = 1.88), and Symbol Search (z = -1.85, d = 1.77) were profoundly impaired relative to the healthy controls. These results indicate that the pattern and degree of impairment, as evaluated by the WAIS-III, in Japanese patients are similar to those previously reported in English-speaking patients and that the deficits of some neuropsychological domains relevant to functional outcomes are universally characteristic of schizophrenia. © 2014 The Authors. Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences © 2014 Japanese Society of Psychiatry and Neurology.

Disorders in Planning and Strategy Application in Frontal Lobe Lesion Patients

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gouveia, Paula Adriana Rodrigues; Brucki, Sonia Maria Dozzi; Malheiros, Suzana Maria Fleury; Bueno, Orlando Francisco Amodeo

2007-01-01

The aim of this study was to investigate deficits in planning ability using an adapted version of the Modified Six Elements Test, from the Behavioral Assessment of the Dysexecutive Syndrome--BADS [Wilson, B. A., Alderman, N., Burgess, P. W., Emslie, H., & Evans, J. J. (1996). "Behavioural Assessment of the Dysexecutive Syndrome…

Alcohol consumption and prevalence of erectile dysfunction in Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: Baseline data from the Dogo Study.

PubMed

Furukawa, Shinya; Sakai, Takenori; Niiya, Tetsuji; Miyaoka, Hiroaki; Miyake, Teruki; Yamamoto, Shin; Maruyama, Koutatsu; Ueda, Teruhisa; Tanaka, Keiko; Senba, Hidenori; Todo, Yasuhiko; Torisu, Masamoto; Minami, Hisaka; Onji, Morikazu; Tanigawa, Takeshi; Matsuura, Bunzo; Hiasa, Yoichi; Miyake, Yoshihiro

2016-09-01

Diabetes mellitus and heavy alcohol consumption are both associated with vascular disease, a category that includes erectile dysfunction (ED). However, the association between alcohol consumption and ED among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus remains unclear. The aim of the present multicenter cross-sectional study was to investigate the relationship between drinking frequency, weekly alcohol consumption, daily alcohol consumption, and ED among Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Study subjects were 340 male Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, aged 19-70 years, who had undergone blood tests at our institutions. A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect information on the variables under study. ED was defined as present when a subject had a Sexual Health Inventory for Men score <8. Adjustment was made for age, body mass index, duration of type 2 diabetes mellitus, current smoking, hypertension, dyslipidemia, glycated hemoglobin, stroke, coronary artery disease, diabetic retinopathy, diabetic nephropathy, and diabetic neuropathy. The prevalence of ED was 43.2% (147/340). The frequency of alcohol consumption and weekly alcohol consumption were independently inversely associated with ED (p for trend p = 0.001 and 0.004, respectively). The relationship between daily alcohol consumption and ED was an inverted J-shaped curve: alcohol consumption of less than 60 g, but not 60 g or more, per day was independently related to a lower prevalence of ED (p for quadratic trend = 0.003). In Japanese men with type 2 diabetes mellitus, an inverted J-shaped relationship between daily alcohol consumption and ED was observed, while frequency of alcohol consumption and weekly alcohol consumption were significantly inversely associated with ED. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Unit Cohesion and the Surface Navy: Does Cohesion Affect Performance

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-12-01

v. 68, 1968. Neter, J., Wasserman, W., and Kutner, M. H., Applied Linear Regression Models, 2d ed., Boston, MA: Irwin, 1989. Rand Corporation R-2607...Neter, J., Wasserman, W., and Kutner, M. H., Applied Linear Regression Models, 2d ed., Boston, MA: Irwin, 1989. SAS User’s Guide: Basics, Version 5 ed

Trusted Network Interpretation of the Trusted Computer System Evaluation Criteria. Version 1.

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-07-01

for Secure Computer Systema, MTR-3153, The MITRE Corporation, Bedford, MA, June 1975. 1 See, for example, M. D. Abrams and H. J. Podell , Tutorial...References References Abrams, M. D. and H. J. Podell , Tutorial: Computer and Network Security, IEEE Com- puter Society Press, 1987. Addendum to the

Initial evaluation of the Celesteion large-bore PET/CT scanner in accordance with the NEMA NU2-2012 standard and the Japanese guideline for oncology FDG PET/CT data acquisition protocol version 2.0.

PubMed

Kaneta, Tomohiro; Ogawa, Matsuyoshi; Motomura, Nobutoku; Iizuka, Hitoshi; Arisawa, Tetsu; Hino-Shishikura, Ayako; Yoshida, Keisuke; Inoue, Tomio

2017-10-11

The goal of this study was to evaluate the performance of the Celesteion positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) scanner, which is characterized by a large-bore and time-of-flight (TOF) function, in accordance with the NEMA NU-2 2012 standard and version 2.0 of the Japanese guideline for oncology fluorodeoxyglucose PET/CT data acquisition protocol. Spatial resolution, sensitivity, count rate characteristic, scatter fraction, energy resolution, TOF timing resolution, and image quality were evaluated according to the NEMA NU-2 2012 standard. Phantom experiments were performed using 18 F-solution and an IEC body phantom of the type described in the NEMA NU-2 2012 standard. The minimum scanning time required for the detection of a 10-mm hot sphere with a 4:1 target-to-background ratio, the phantom noise equivalent count (NEC phantom ), % background variability (N 10mm ), % contrast (Q H,10mm ), and recovery coefficient (RC) were calculated according to the Japanese guideline. The measured spatial resolution ranged from 4.5- to 5-mm full width at half maximum (FWHM). The sensitivity and scatter fraction were 3.8 cps/kBq and 37.3%, respectively. The peak noise-equivalent count rate was 70 kcps in the presence of 29.6 kBq mL -1 in the phantom. The system energy resolution was 12.4% and the TOF timing resolution was 411 ps at FWHM. Minimum scanning times of 2, 7, 6, and 2 min per bed position, respectively, are recommended for visual score, noise-equivalent count (NEC) phantom , N 10mm , and the Q H,10mm to N 10mm ratio (QNR) by the Japanese guideline. The RC of a 10-mm-diameter sphere was 0.49, which exceeded the minimum recommended value. The Celesteion large-bore PET/CT system had low sensitivity and NEC, but good spatial and time resolution when compared to other PET/CT scanners. The QNR met the recommended values of the Japanese guideline even at 2 min. The Celesteion is therefore thought to provide acceptable image quality with 2 min/bed position acquisition, which is the most common scan protocol in Japan.

Complementary and alternative medicine use by visitors to rural Japanese family medicine clinics: results from the international complementary and alternative medicine survey.

PubMed

Shumer, Gregory; Warber, Sara; Motohara, Satoko; Yajima, Ayaka; Plegue, Melissa; Bialko, Matthew; Iida, Tomoko; Sano, Kiyoshi; Amenomori, Masaki; Tsuda, Tsukasa; Fetters, Michael D

2014-09-25

There is growing interest in the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) throughout the world, however previous research done in Japan has focused primarily on CAM use in major cities. The purpose of this study was to develop and distribute a Japanese version of the International Complementary and Alternative Medicine Questionnaire (I-CAM-Q) to assess the use of CAM among people who visit rural Japanese family medicine clinics. Using a Japanese version of the International Complementary and Alternative Medicine Questionnaire (I-CAM-Q), a cross-sectional survey was conducted in three rural family medicine clinics. All patients and those accompanying patients who met inclusion criteria were eligible to participate. Data were entered into SPSS Statistics and analyzed for use by age, gender, and location. Of the 519 respondents who participated in the project, 415 participants reported CAM use in the past 12 months (80.0%). When prayer is excluded, the prevalence of CAM use drops to 77.3% in the past year, or 403 respondents. The most common forms of CAM used by respondents were pain relief pads (n = 170, 32.8%), herbal medicines/supplements (n = 167, 32.2%), and massage by self or family (n = 166, 32.0%). Female respondents, individuals with higher levels of education, and those with poorer overall health status were more likely to use CAM than respondents without these characteristics. Only 22.8% of CAM therapies used were reported to physicians by survey participants. These data indicate that CAM use in rural Japan is common. The results are consistent with previous studies that show that Japanese individuals are more interested in forms of CAM such as pain relief pads and massage, than in mind-body forms of CAM like relaxation and meditation. Due to the high utilization of certain CAM practices, and given that most CAM users do not disclose their CAM use to their doctors, we conclude that physicians in rural Japan would benefit by asking about CAM use during patient interviews, and by familiarizing themselves with the potential benefits and risks of commonly used CAM modalities.

PAN AIR - A Computer Program for Predicting Subsonic or Supersonic Linear Potential Flows about Arbitrary Configurations Using a Higher Order Panel Method. Volume I. Theory Document (Version 1.0)

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-04-15

superinclined panel J.12-12 J.20 Transformation to (s,t) variables and region of integration J.12-13 J.21 Numbering of edges of ’n Hh J.12-13 J.22 A region... JB . 4.12d((C-x) 2+(n-y)2+(ý-z)2)i) (8.4.12) we have • (P) ij 0 (8.4.13) if i+j is even, and i+j > 0. Let us now consider the velocity OD Pij I1 4...came from, since we did not arrive at A through a rigorous procedure. Recall that we claim that AT I [CO] r [Co] o n’o I~~ I, )T-- hh )1T (E.3.16a

A Test Reliability Analysis of an Abbreviated Version of the Pupil Control Ideology Form.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gaffney, Patrick V.

A reliability analysis was conducted of an abbreviated, 10-item version of the Pupil Control Ideology Form (PCI), using the Cronbach's alpha technique (L. J. Cronbach, 1951) and the computation of the standard error of measurement. The PCI measures a teacher's orientation toward pupil control. Subjects were 168 preservice teachers from one private…

General Electromagnetic Model for the Analysis of Complex Systems (GEMACS) Computer Code Documentation (Version 3). Volume 3, Part 4.

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-09-01

6ENFRAL. ELECTROMAGNETIC MODEL FOR THE ANALYSIS OF COMPLEX SYSTEMS **%(GEMA CS) Computer Code Documentation ii( Version 3 ). A the BDM Corporation Dr...ANALYSIS FnlTcnclRpr F COMPLEX SYSTEM (GmCS) February 81 - July 83- I TR CODE DOCUMENTATION (Version 3 ) 6.PROMN N.REPORT NUMBER 5. CONTRACT ORGAT97...the ti and t2 directions on the source patch. 3 . METHOD: The electric field at a segment observation point due to the source patch j is given by 1-- lnA

Census Report: Volume V, 1986. Sanitized Version.

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-04-01

ALBERT N. 0916 o6 ORG ! KNAPP, CLARE A. 0916 KNAUER, JAMES P. 0638 KNIGHT, RAYMOND J., JR. 0837 KNIGHT, SUSAN S. 0809 KNOPP, LARRY C. 0599 KNOTTS ...0599 NOWAK, CHERYL LYNN 0918 NUDD, EDWARD J. 0890 NUDD, EDWARD JAMES 0890 NUNAN, SCOTT C. 0927 NUNGESSER, GEORGE R. 0837 NUTTER, HOWARD E. 0837...ERIC J. 0599 PARKER, RICHARD LEE 0638 PARKER, SYLVIA E. 0916 PARKS, CHERYL A. 0837 PARSONS, STEELE V. i0599 PARTON, EDGAR L. 0682 PASSELL, SETH D. 0923

Differential associations between components of anxiety sensitivity and smoking-related characteristics.

PubMed

Guillot, Casey R; Zvolensky, Michael J; Leventhal, Adam M

2015-01-01

Anxiety sensitivity (AS)-the tendency to fear anxiety-related experiences-is a risk factor for anxiety disorders and may contribute to smoking motivation and maintenance. Few studies have examined the relations between conceptually distinct components of AS and smoking behavior. The purpose of the current study was to examine the associations between AS components-physical concerns, mental concerns, and social concerns-and an array of smoking-related characteristics. In a cross-sectional design, we administered the Anxiety Sensitivity Index (ASI) and self-report measures of tobacco dependence, smoking abstinence behavior, and smoking outcome and abstinence expectancies to 314 smokers (≥ 10 cigarettes/day, 32% female, M age=44 years). The ASI Mental Concerns subscale was most clearly associated with greater difficulty maintaining abstinence and stronger expectations of smoking-related negative reinforcement and withdrawal (βs=.21-.31, ps ≤ .005); the ASI Social Concerns was most clearly associated with stronger positive reinforcement smoking expectancies (β=.20, p=.0009); and ASI Physical Concerns subscale was most clearly associated with stronger tobacco withdrawal symptoms experienced in prior quit attempts (β=.20, p=.002). Based on these findings of patterns of associations with smoking-related characteristics across distinct components of AS, we speculate that (1) mindfulness training may be useful for treating tobacco addiction in smokers high in AS mental concerns, and (2) smokers high in AS physical and social concerns may benefit from smoking cessation treatment that incorporates interoceptive exposure and cognitive-behavioral therapy for social anxiety, respectively. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Ambivalent sexism: a tool for understanding and improving gender relations in organizations.

PubMed

Zakrisson, Ingrid; Anderzén, Marie; Lenell, Fredrik; Sandelin, Håkan

2012-02-01

This study tested predictions regarding ambivalent sexism, previously studied cross-culturally, here "within-culturally", between groups from different organizational settings. Based on three samples (334 adults in general, 744 industrial employees, and 189 high school students), completing a Swedish version of the Ambivalent Sexism Inventory (ASI), the results revealed that men scored higher on hostile and benevolent sexism than women, and high school students scored higher than both adult samples on both forms of sexism. The results generally confirmed the predictions; the gender gap in benevolent sexism decreased as a function of increasing levels of general sexism and the correlation between hostile and benevolent sexism decreased with higher levels of general sexism. In fact, the groups scoring highest on general sexism displayed significant negative correlations indicating a polarized ideology of women among these groups. Implications, both theoretical and practical, derived from these results are discussed. © 2011 The Authors. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology © 2011 The Scandinavian Psychological Associations.

Measurements of Aitken Visual Binary Stars: 2017 Report

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sérot, J.

2018-07-01

This paper is a continuation of that published in [1]. It presents the measurements of 136 visual binary stars discovered by R.G. Aitken and listed in the WDS catalog. These measurements were obtained between January and December 2017 with an 11" reflector telescope and two types of cameras : an ASI 290MM CMOS-based camera and a Raptor Kite EM-CCD. Binaries with a secondary component up to magnitude 15 and separation between 0.4 and 5 arcsec have been measured. The selection also includes pairs exhibiting a large difference in magnitude between components (up to ?m=6). Measurements were mostly obtained using the auto-correlation technique described in [1] but also, and this is a innovative aspect of the paper, using the so-called bispectrum reduction technique supported by the latest version of the SpeckelToolBox software. As for [1], a significant part of the observed pairs had not been observed in the previous decades and show significant movements compared to their last measurement.

An accelerated calendar and cycle life study of Li-ion cells.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bloom, I.; Cole, B. W.; Sohn, J. J.

2001-10-15

The accelerated calendar and cycle life of lithium-ion cells was studied. Useful cell life was strongly affected by temperature, time, state-of-charge (SOC) and change in state-of-charge ({Delta}SOC). In calendar life experiments, useful cell life was strongly affected by temperature and time. Temperature accelerated cell performance degradation. The rates of area specific impedance (ASI) increase and power fade followed simple laws based on a power of time and Arrhenius kinetics. The data have been modeled using these two concepts and the calculated data agree well with the experimental values. The calendar life ASI increase and power fade data follow (time){sup 1/2}more » kinetics. This behavior may be due to solid electrolyte interface layer growth. From the cycle life experiments, the ASI increase data follow (time){sup 1/2} kinetics also, but there is an apparent change in overall power fade mechanism when going from 3 to 6% {Delta}SOC. Here, the power of time drops to below 1/2, which indicates that the power fade mechanism is more complex than layer growth.« less

Media exposure and dimensions of anxiety sensitivity: differential associations with PTSD symptom clusters.

PubMed

Collimore, Kelsey C; McCabe, Randi E; Carleton, R Nicholas; Asmundson, Gordon J G

2008-08-01

The present investigation examined the impact of anxiety sensitivity (AS) and media exposure on posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. Reactions from 143 undergraduate students in Hamilton, Ontario were assessed in the Fall of 2003 to gather information on anxiety, media coverage, and PTSD symptoms related to exposure to a remote traumatic event (September 11th). Regression analyses revealed that the Anxiety Sensitivity Index (ASI; [Peterson, R. A., & Reiss, S. (1992). Anxiety Sensitivity Index manual, 2nd ed. Worthington, Ohio: International Diagnostic Systems]) and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory trait form (STAI-T; [Spielberger, C. D., Gorsuch, R. L., & Lushene, R. E. (1970). State-trait anxiety inventory. Palo Alto, California: Consulting Psychologists Press]) total scores were significant predictors of PTSD symptoms in general. The ASI total score was also a significant predictor of hyperarousal and avoidance symptoms. Subsequent analyses further demonstrated differential relationships based on subscales and symptom clusters. Specifically, media exposure and trait anxiety predicted hyperarousal and re-experiencing symptoms, whereas the ASI fear of somatic sensations subscale significantly predicted avoidance and overall PTSD symptoms. Implications and directions for future research are discussed.

Gender differences in addiction severity.

PubMed

Díaz-Mesa, Eva M; García-Portilla, Paz; Fernández-Artamendi, Sergio; Sáiz, Pilar A; Bobes Bascarán, Teresa; Casares, María José; Fonseca, Eduardo; Al-Halabí, Susana; Bobes, Julio

2016-06-14

Gender has been associated with substance use disorders (SUD). However, there are few studies that have evaluated gender differences in a global and a standardized way, and with a large sample of patients with SUD. Our goal is to analyze the role of gender in addiction severity throughout multiple life domains, using the Addiction Severity Index-6 (ASI-6). A naturalistic, multicenter and prospective study was conducted. A total of 221 patients with SUD (80.1% men) were interviewed with the ASI-6. Our results indicate that the Recent Summary Scores (RSSs) of men and women are similar, with the exception of Psychiatric and Partner- Problems, where women showed higher severity (p = .017 and p = .013, respectively). Statistically significant gender differences were found in certain aspects of the ASI-6 domains: men have more problems of physical health, legal issues, and alcohol and other substance use; and woman score higher in problems of mental health, social network, subjective evaluations of SUD consequences, and treatment needs. These results should be taken into account to improve the identification, prevention, and treatment of SUD.

Reconstructing Indian population history.

PubMed

Reich, David; Thangaraj, Kumarasamy; Patterson, Nick; Price, Alkes L; Singh, Lalji

2009-09-24

India has been underrepresented in genome-wide surveys of human variation. We analyse 25 diverse groups in India to provide strong evidence for two ancient populations, genetically divergent, that are ancestral to most Indians today. One, the 'Ancestral North Indians' (ANI), is genetically close to Middle Easterners, Central Asians, and Europeans, whereas the other, the 'Ancestral South Indians' (ASI), is as distinct from ANI and East Asians as they are from each other. By introducing methods that can estimate ancestry without accurate ancestral populations, we show that ANI ancestry ranges from 39-71% in most Indian groups, and is higher in traditionally upper caste and Indo-European speakers. Groups with only ASI ancestry may no longer exist in mainland India. However, the indigenous Andaman Islanders are unique in being ASI-related groups without ANI ancestry. Allele frequency differences between groups in India are larger than in Europe, reflecting strong founder effects whose signatures have been maintained for thousands of years owing to endogamy. We therefore predict that there will be an excess of recessive diseases in India, which should be possible to screen and map genetically.

"Autistic" Traits in Non-Autistic Japanese Populations: Relationships with Personality Traits and Cognitive Ability

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kunihira, Yura; Senju, Atsushi; Dairoku, Hitoshi; Wakabayashi, Akio; Hasegawa, Toshikazu

2006-01-01

We explored the relationships between "autistic" traits as measured by the AQ (Autism-Spectrum Quotient; Baron-Cohen et al., J. Autism Develop. Disord. (2001b) 31 5) and various personality traits or cognitive ability, which usually coincide with autistic symptoms, for general populations. Results showed the AQ was associated with…

An algorithm for emulsion stability simulations: account of flocculation, coalescence, surfactant adsorption and the process of Ostwald ripening.

PubMed

Urbina-Villalba, German

2009-03-01

The first algorithm for Emulsion Stability Simulations (ESS) was presented at the V Conferencia Iberoamericana sobre Equilibrio de Fases y Diseño de Procesos [Luis, J.; García-Sucre, M.; Urbina-Villalba, G. Brownian Dynamics Simulation of Emulsion Stability In: Equifase 99. Libro de Actas, 1(st) Ed., Tojo J., Arce, A., Eds.; Solucion's: Vigo, Spain, 1999; Volume 2, pp. 364-369]. The former version of the program consisted on a minor modification of the Brownian Dynamics algorithm to account for the coalescence of drops. The present version of the program contains elaborate routines for time-dependent surfactant adsorption, average diffusion constants, and Ostwald ripening.

Differences in reported linguistic thermal sensation between Bangla and Japanese speakers.

PubMed

Khatun, Aklima; Hasib, Md Abdul; Nagano, Hisaho; Taimura, Akihiro

2017-06-05

Thermal sensation is a fundamental variable used to determine thermal comfort and is most frequently evaluated through the use of subjective reports in the field of environmental physiology. However, there has been little study of the relationship between the semantics of the words used to describe thermal sensation and the climatic background. The present study investigates the linguistic differences in thermal reports from native speakers of Bangla and Japanese. A total of 1141 university students (932 in Bangladesh and 209 in Japan) responded to a questionnaire survey consisting of 20 questions. Group differences between Bangladeshi and Japanese respondents were then tested with a chi-square test in a crosstab analysis using SPSS (version 21). For the Bangla-speaking respondents, the closest feeling of thermal comfort was "neutral" (66.6%) followed by "slightly cool" (10.2%), "slightly cold" (6.0%), "slightly hot" (4.1%), and "cold" (3.8%). For the Japanese respondents, the closest feeling of thermal comfort was "cool" (38.3%) followed by "slightly cool" (20.4%), "neutral" (14.6%), "slightly warm" (13.1%), and "warm" (10.7%). Of the Bangladeshi respondents, 37.7% reported that they were sensitive to cold weather and 18.1% reported that they were sensitive to hot weather. Of the Japanese respondents, 20.6% reported that they were sensitive to cold weather and 29.2% reported that they were sensitive to hot weather. Of the Bangladeshi respondents, 51.4% chose "higher than 29 °C" as hot weather and 38.7% of the Japanese respondents chose "higher than 32 °C" as hot weather. In the case of cold weather, 43.1% of the Bangladeshi respondents selected "lower than 15 °C" as cold weather and 53.4% of the Japanese respondents selected "lower than 10 °C" as cold weather. Most of the Bangla-speaking respondents chose "neutral" as the most comfortable temperature, and most of the Japanese respondents chose "cool." Most of the Bangladeshi respondents reported that they were sensitive to "cold temperatures," but most of the Japanese respondents reported that they were sensitive to "hot temperatures."

Neurobehaviors of Japanese Newborns in Relation to the Characteristics of Early Mother-Infant Interaction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Loo, Kek Khee; Ohgi, Shohei; Howard, Judy; Tyler, Rachelle; Hirose, Taiko

2005-01-01

The authors examined the relationship between newborn neurobehavioral profiles and the characteristics of early mother-infant interaction in Nagasaki, Japan. The authors administered the Brazelton Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale (NBAS; T. B. Brazelton & J. K. Nugent, 1995) in the newborn period and the Nursing Child Assessment Teaching…

Infant-Directed Speech Supports Phonetic Category Learning in English and Japanese

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Werker, Janet F.; Pons, Ferran; Dietrich, Christiane; Kajikawa, Sachiyo; Fais, Laurel; Amano, Shigeaki

2007-01-01

Across the first year of life, infants show decreased sensitivity to phonetic differences not used in the native language [Werker, J. F., & Tees, R. C. (1984). Cross-language speech perception: evidence for perceptual reorganization during the first year of life. "Infant Behaviour and Development," 7, 49-63]. In an artificial language learning…

A Brazilian Portuguese cross-cultural adaptation of the modified JOA scale for myelopathy.

PubMed

Pratali, Raphael R; Smith, Justin S; Motta, Rodrigo L N; Martins, Samuel M; Motta, Marcel M; Rocha, Ricardo D; Herrero, Carlos Fernando P S

2017-02-01

To develop a version of the modified Japanese Orthopaedic Association (mJOA) scale that had been translated into Portuguese and cross-culturally adapted for the Brazilian population. The well-established process of forward-backward translation was employed along with cross-cultural adaptation. Three bilingual translators (English and native Portuguese) performed the forward translation of the mJOA scale from English to Portuguese based on iterative discussions used to reach a consensus translation. The translated version of the mJOA scale was then back-translated into English by a native English-speaking translator unaware of the concepts involved with the mJOA scale. The original mJOA scale and the back-translated version were compared by a native North American neurosurgeon, and as they were considered equivalent, the final version of the mJOA scale that had been translated into Portuguese and cross-culturally adapted was defined. To facilitate global and cross-cultural comparisons of the severity of cervical myelopathy, this study presents a version of the mJOA scale that was translated into Portuguese and cross-culturally adapted for the Brazilian population.

Introduction to Financial Management for Foreign Military Staff Officers

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-06-01

House: New York, 1986. 5. Ishikawa , Kaoru . What is Total Quality Control? The Japanese Way. Prentice-Hall: Englewood Cliffs, NJ., 1985. 6. Juran, J. M...the key to process improvement is the infinite human potential of an organization’s people." 5 [ Ishikawa , 85) 6. Processes, not people, are the root

Assessment of addiction severity among ritual users of ayahuasca.

PubMed

Fábregas, Josep Maria; González, Débora; Fondevila, Sabela; Cutchet, Marta; Fernández, Xavier; Barbosa, Paulo César Ribeiro; Alcázar-Córcoles, Miguel Ángel; Barbanoj, Manel J; Riba, Jordi; Bouso, José Carlos

2010-10-01

Ayahuasca is a psychoactive beverage used for magico-religious purposes in the Amazon. Recently, Brazilian syncretic churches have helped spread the ritual use of ayahuasca abroad. This trend has raised concerns that regular use of this N,N-dimethyltryptamine-containing tea may lead to the medical and psychosocial problems typically associated with drugs of abuse. Here we assess potential drug abuse-related problems in regular ayahuasca users. Addiction severity was assessed using the Addiction Severity Index (ASI), and history of alcohol and illicit drug use was recorded. In Study 1, jungle-based ayahuasca users (n=56) were compared vs. rural controls (n=56). In Study 2, urban-based ayahuasca users (n=71) were compared vs. urban controls (n=59). Follow-up studies were conducted 1 year later. In both studies, ayahuasca users showed significantly lower scores than controls on the ASI Alcohol Use, and Psychiatric Status subscales. The jungle-based ayahuasca users showed a significantly higher frequency of previous illicit drug use but this had ceased at the time of examination, except for cannabis. At follow-up, abstinence from illicit drug use was maintained in both groups except for cannabis in Study 1. However, differences on ASI scores were still significant in the jungle-based group but not in the urban group. Despite continuing ayahuasca use, a time-dependent worsening was only observed in one subscale (Family/Social relationships) in Study 2. Overall, the ritual use of ayahuasca, as assessed with the ASI in currently active users, does not appear to be associated with the deleterious psychosocial effects typically caused by other drugs of abuse. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Mitigation of Volcanic Risk: The COSMO-SkyMed Contribution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sacco, Patrizia; Daraio, Maria Girolamo; Battagliere, Maria Libera; Coletta, Alessandro

2015-05-01

The Italian Space Agency (ASI) promotes Earth Observation (EO) applications related to themes such as the prediction, monitoring, management and mitigation of natural and anthropogenic hazards. The approach generally followed is the development and demonstration of prototype services, using currently available data from space missions, in particular the COSMO-SkyMed (Constellation of Small Satellites for Mediterranean basin observation) mission, which represents the largest Italian investment in Space System for EO and thanks to which Italy plays a key role worldwide. Projects funded by ASI provide the convergence of various national industry expertise, research and institutional reference users. In this context a significant example is represented by the ASI Pilot Projects, recently concluded, dealing with various thematic, such as volcanoes. In this paper a special focus will be addressed to the volcanic risk management and the contribution provided in this field by COSMO-SkyMed satellite constellation during the last years. A comprehensive overview of the various national and international projects using COSMO-SkyMed data for the volcanic risk mitigation will be given, highlighting the Italian contribution provided worldwide in this operational framework.

Measuring the impact of an interprofessional multimedia learning resource on Japanese nurses and nursing students using the Theory of Planned Behavior Medication Safety Questionnaire.

PubMed

Omura, Mieko; Levett-Jones, Tracy; Stone, Teresa Elizabeth; Maguire, Jane; Lapkin, Samuel

2015-12-01

Interprofessional communication and teamwork are essential for medication safety; however, limited educational opportunities for health professionals and students to develop these skills exist in Japan. This study evaluated the impact of an interprofessional multimedia learning resource on registered nurses' and nursing students' intention to practice in a manner promoting medication safety. Using a quasi-experimental design, Japanese registered nurses and nursing students (n = 203) were allocated to an experimental (n = 109) or control group (n = 94). Behavioral intentions of medication safety and the predictor variables of attitudes, perceived behavioral control, and subjective norms were measured using a Japanese version of the Theory of Planned Behavior Medication Safety Questionnaire. Registered nurses in the experimental group demonstrated a greater intention to collaborate and practice in a manner that enhanced medication safety, evidenced by higher scores than the control group on all predictor variables. The results demonstrate the potential for interprofessional multimedia learning resources to positively impact the behaviors of Japanese registered nurses in relation to safe medication practices. Further research in other contexts and with other cohorts is warranted. © 2015 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

Collective Atomic Scattering and Motional Effects in a Dense Coherent Medium (Open Access Publisher’s Version)

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-03-17

the atoms and dg,g0 is the Kronecker Delta. The driving laser’s linear polarization state x is along ŷ or ẑ, with wavevector k along x̂, Rabi ...r̂ h i þ i P j;a Da½b̂ayj b̂aj ; r̂ þ P j;m a;b f abjm 2b̂ a j r̂b̂ by m b̂ayj b̂bm; r̂ n o ; ð3Þ where Oj¼Oxeikrj is the Rabi frequecy of the

Construct Validity of the California Verbal Learning Test--Children's Version (CVLT-C) after Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mottram, Lisa; Donders, Jacobus

2005-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine the latent structure of the California Verbal Learning Test--Children's Version (CVLT-C; D. Delis, J. Kramer, E.Kaplan, & B. Ober, 1994) in a sample of 175 children with traumatic brain injury (TBI). Maximum-likelihood confirmatory factor analyses were performed to test 6 competing hypothetical models…

Comparison of high-functioning atypical autism and childhood autism by Childhood Autism Rating Scale-Tokyo version.

PubMed

Kanai, Chieko; Koyama, Tomonori; Kato, Seika; Miyamoto, Yuki; Osada, Hirokazu; Kurita, Hiroshi

2004-04-01

To assess autistic symptom differences between high-functioning atypical autism (atypical symptomatology) (HAA; IQ >/= 70) and childhood autism (HCA), 53 HAA children (mean: 6.0 +/- 0.5 years) were compared with 21 HCA children (mean: 8.2 +/- 1.1 years) on the Childhood Autism Rating Scale-Tokyo version (CARS-TV). Because IQ on the Japanese version of the Stanford-Binet and CARS-TV total scores differed significantly between HAA and HCA, analysis of covariance was conducted with IQ and CARS-TV total scores controlled for. In two items of CARS-TV (relationship with people and general impressions) the HAA children were significantly less abnormal than the HCA children. Affect tended to be significantly milder in HAA than HCA. Anxiety reaction was significantly more abnormal in HAA than HCA. These findings may be useful to distinguish between HAA and HCA.

"Death with dignity" in the Japanese context.

PubMed

Shimoda, Motomu

2005-01-01

In Japan, "death with dignity" is a widely known term that is distinguished from "euthanasia." It is generally defined as "the act of letting a terminally ill or a patient in a persistent vegetative state die by withdrawing life-sustaining treatment on request in the form of a living will." Most Japanese people consider death with dignity a desirable way of terminating one's life and it is therefore acceptable as a "natural death" or "humane death." Originally, death with dignity was regarded as a passive intervention, but since the 1990s, its connotations have changed in western countries; people claim that voluntary active euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide should be legalized as death with dignity or the "right to die." In this paper, I examine the points and problems of this new type of death with dignity and propose an alternative version of death with dignity especially for the Japanese context, i.e. the end-of-life care process in support of terminal living with dignity.

Agreement between parents and teachers on behavioral/emotional problems in Japanese school children using the child behavior checklist.

PubMed

Satake, Hiroyuki; Yoshida, Keiko; Yamashita, Hiroshi; Kinukawa, Naoko; Takagishi, Tatsuya

2003-01-01

We investigated the agreement between Japanese parents' and teachers' ratings concerning their children's behavioral/emotional problems. Mothers (n = 276) and teachers (n = 19) assessed each child (n = 316; 6 to 12 years old ) using Japanese parent and teacher version of the Child Behavior Checklist. Parent-teacher agreement were examined through three indices; mean scores, correlations and D scores (generalized distance between item profile). Mean scores rated by parents were significantly higher than those by teachers. The differences of parents' ratings according to sex of the child or parents' occupational level, and those of teachers' ratings according to sex of the child were consistent with previous Western studies. Parent-teacher correlations were in the low to middle range (0.16-0.36). We obtained significant sets of independent variables accounting for the variance of D scores, but the effect size of these variables was small. These results indicated that, as seen in Western studies, Japanese parents and teachers would also assess their child's problems differently and the child's demographics affect their evaluation. For further research, parent and teacher characteristics which may influence on their perspective of the child's problems could be examined.

The Glasgow Sensory Questionnaire: Validation of a French Language Version and Refinement of Sensory Profiles of People with High Autism-Spectrum Quotient

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sapey-Triomphe, Laurie-Anne; Moulin, Annie; Sonié, Sandrine; Schmitz, Christina

2018-01-01

Sensory sensitivity peculiarities represent an important characteristic of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). We first validated a French language version of the Glasgow Sensory Questionnaire (GSQ) (Robertson and Simmons in "J Autism Dev Disord" 43(4):775-784, 2013). The GSQ score was strongly positively correlated with the Autism-Spectrum…