The Health Care Science Institute

To determine how Erbium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Er:YAG) laser irradiation affects the proliferation and transcriptional programs of MLO-Y4 osteocyte-like cells. Although Er:YAG lasers are widely used in periodontal hard tissue therapy, how they affect osteocytes remain elusive. MLO-Y4 cells were seeded before 72 h Er:YAG laser irradiation at energy fluences of 3.1, 6.0, and 8.9 J/cm2. Cell surface temperature and Hspa1a expression were measured to evaluate thermal effects. Cell proliferation and cytotoxicity were assessed by the Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) assays. RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) was performed 6 h after 6.0 J/cm2 laser irradiation versus nonirradiated controls. According to surface temperature and Hspa1a expression, no major thermal effects were observed at 6.0 J/cm2. The CCK-8 assay revealed significantly increased proliferative activity, although LDH levels were slightly but significantly increased at 6.0 J/cm2 laser irradiation. RNA-seq identified 337 differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Expression of mechanical stimulation-associated genes, including Epha2, Itga5, and Tcf7, was highly upregulated in the laser-irradiated cells. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analysis revealed upregulation of the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway in the laser-irradiated cells. Upregulated DEGs belonged to the "euchromatin" cellular component Gene Ontology term in the laser-irradiated cells. Gene set enrichment analysis showed enrichment of the Transforming Growth Factor Beta (TGF-β) signaling gene set and downregulation of mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTORC1) signaling gene set in the laser-irradiated cells. Er:YAG laser irradiation at 6.0 J/cm2 promotes MLO-Y4 osteocyte-like cell proliferation via altering gene expression, possibly by activating PI3K-Akt and TGF-β signaling while suppressing mTORC1 signaling.

This study examined the longitudinal influence of psychosocial safety climate (PSC) on self-endangering work behavior (SEWB), considering working time flexibility (fixed vs. flextime arrangement). A two-wave web-based longitudinal survey was conducted in Japan in November 2021 and May 2022. Responses from 826 full-time workers were analyzed. Fixed-effects model analyses were used to examine the within-person effect of PSC on SEWB and test the moderation effect of working time flexibility. The decrease in PSC was significantly associated with the increase in SEWB under the flextime arrangement, but not under the fixed-time arrangement, presenting the significant moderation effect of working time flexibility. The findings highlight the heightened vulnerability of flextime workers to SEWB in a deterioration of PSC, emphasizing the need for organizations to maintain a healthy organizational climate when implementing flextime.

The effect of the frequency of nighttime snacking during pregnancy on postpartum depression (PPD) remains unclear. This prospective cohort study aimed to explore the association between the frequency of nighttime snacking during pregnancy and the incidence of PPD. This study included 609 community-dwelling pregnant women who were recruited between July 2019 and July 2022. Data on the frequency of nighttime snacking and sociodemographic, economic, and lifestyle factors were obtained using self-administered questionnaires. Data on dietary intake were obtained using a validated brief self-administered diet history questionnaire. PPD was assessed using the Japanese version of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS). The incidence of PPD (EPDS score of ≥9) based on the frequency of nighttime snacking was analyzed using multiple logistic regression analysis. After adjusting for potential confounding factors, the odds ratio (OR) of PPD in participants who had a frequency of nighttime snacking 3 times/week or more compared with those who had a frequency of nighttime snacking less than 1 time/week was 2.59 (95% confidence interval, 1.14-5.86). Sensitivity analysis was repeated for the excluded participants with depressive symptoms during pregnancy, yielding similar results. The OR of PPD in those who indulged in nighttime snacking ≥3 times/week was the highest (2.81; 95% confidence interval, 1.13-6.96). The present study clarified the association between the frequency of nighttime snacking and PPD. Further studies with large and diverse samples are needed to overcome any potential selection bias.

Background: Disruptions in activity‐rest rhythms are common in terminal cancer patients, yet continuous monitoring of these changes is challenging. The effects of opioids and psychotropic drugs on sleep quality remain inadequately understood. Objectives: (i) To objectively evaluate temporal changes in diurnal (8:00 a.m.–8:00 p.m.) and nocturnal (8:00 p.m.–8:00 a.m.) activity‐rest rhythms over the final 2 weeks of life in terminal cancer patients using a nonwearable actigraph and (ii) to assess the adjusted impact of opioid and psychotropic drug use on these rhythms. Design: A longitudinal study. Settings/Participants: Twenty‐six terminal cancer patients in a Japanese palliative care unit. Measurements: A nonwearable actigraph was placed under the mattress to continuously monitor activity‐rest rhythms. Measured parameters included time in bed (TIB: minutes), total sleep time (TST), wake after sleep onset (WASO), sleep efficiency (SE: 0%–100%), activity score (0–960 counts/min; higher values indicate greater activity), and movement index (MI: percentage of time moving in bed; higher values suggest restlessness). Results: As death approached, diurnal TIB and SE increased, indicating reduced daytime activity. Nocturnal sleep metrics fluctuated irregularly, with an increase in MI, suggesting deteriorating sleep quality. Opioid users exhibited a higher MI and lower SE both day and night compared to nonusers. Psychotropic drug users showed a decreased nocturnal MI and improved SE. Conclusion: Terminal cancer patients experience decreased daytime activity and unstable nocturnal sleep as death nears. Opioid use correlates with inadequate rest, while psychotropic drugs may enhance nocturnal sleep quality. Continuous nonwearable monitoring offers valuable insights for optimizing end‐of‐life care.

Purpose:This study investigated the frequency with which nursing support for constipation is provided for patients with cancer during the prognostic months and weeks.Methods:An online cross-sectional survey was conducted anonymously among registered nurses in palliative care units across Japan. The frequencies of providing six types of nursing support (abdominal massage with essential oils, abdominal acupressure, auricular acupressure, self-management education, abdominal massage, and warm compresses) were surveyed.Results:Data were obtained from 539 nurses (response rate: 22.3%) from 162 facilities. The most frequently provided support was warm compression; the least frequently provided supports were auricular acupressure, abdominal massage with essential oils, and abdominal acupressure. In the prognostic weeks only, self-management education followed these support types.Conclusion:The investigation found that the six types of support were rarely implemented for relieving constipation in patients with cancer. Future research should investigate the factors hindering the provision of these supports.

This study aimed to determine the association between demographic factors, body size, and fruit and vegetable intake in the general population, focusing on individuals with both low and high skin carotenoid levels. This cross-sectional study was conducted during the 14th National Convention on the Promotion of Food and Nutrition Education (2019) in Yamanashi, Japan (a rural area) and the Open House 2019 at the National Institute of Biomedical Innovation, Health, and Nutrition in Tokyo, Japan (an urban area). Skin carotenoid measurements were conducted, and the participants were asked to fill out a self-administered questionnaire. The study population consisted of 492 Japanese individuals aged ≥16 years. The odds ratios (ORs) for low skin carotenoid levels were elevated in males, those who were overweight, and those who almost never consumed or consumed only one vegetable dish/day. Conversely, the ORs were lower in those living in Yamanashi, aged 30-39 and ≥70 years, and those who consumed fruit ≥1 time/week. For high skin carotenoid levels, the ORs were higher among those aged ≥70 years, living in Yamanashi, and those who consumed fruit ≥1 time/day or ≥5 vegetable dishes/day. Demographic factors, body size, and habitual fruit and vegetable intake may serve as indicators of skin carotenoid levels.

A lexical approach was employed to investigate the personality structure of Japanese personality-relevant descriptors. The vocabulary in this study comprised 463 words extracted from Japanese dictionaries using a broad word-selection strategy, identified as suitable for expressing personality based on a separate study involving respondents in their 20s. The analysis was based on self-ratings from 755 individuals aged 20 and older for 463 words, including 325 adjectives and adjectival verbs, 24 nouns, 97 verbs and compound words, and 17 adverbs. All surveys were conducted online. Ipsatized data was subjected to principal component analysis with equamax rotation, and the content of components was examined at each hierarchical level, ranging from one- to ten-component levels. The results supported the replicability of the personality structure models derived from multi-language analyses, such as Big Two, Big Three, Big Six, and Multi-language Seven. However, this support does not extend to the Big Five model. Its characteristic lies not in the emergence of unique and novel components exclusive to Japanese language but in the combinations of subcategories classified in previous studies at each hierarchical level when forming components.

The aim of the present study was to explore factors associated with (i) the inability to attend a follow-up assessment in the community-based participatory research (CBPR) framework; (ii) mortality; and (iii) institutionalization, across a 5-year period among older people with cognitive impairment identified via an epidemiological survey. The participants were 198 older people whose score on the Mini-Mental State Examination was below 24, and who were living in our CBPR region in the Tokyo metropolitan area. Baseline data included sociodemographic factors, health-related factors, social factors, and assessments by healthcare professionals. Over the following 5 years we observed what happened to the subjects within the CBPR framework. Bivariate and stepwise multiple logistic regression analyses were performed to explore the factors associated with the inability to attend a follow-up assessment, 5-year mortality, and institutionalization. Participants who did not attend a follow-up assessment tended to live alone. Being older (>80), living with others, frailty, and the need for rights protection and daily living support were associated with increased mortality. Long-term care insurance certification was strongly associated with institutionalization as a natural consequence of the health-care system. Having dementia and low access to doctors were also positively associated with institutionalization. Older people with cognitive impairment who are living alone are at higher risk of being overlooked by society. To move toward more inclusive communities, the following are recommended: (i) more interventions focusing on older people living alone; (ii) social interventions to detect daily life collapse or rights violations; and (iii) more support to help people with dementia continue living in the community.