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This study compared parenting across four non-Western cultures to test cross-cultural commonality and specificity principles in three aspects: measurement properties, parenting normativeness, and their associations with child outcomes. Both mothers and fathers (N = 1509 dyads) with preschool-aged children (M = 5.00 years; 48% girls) from urban areas of four countries (Malaysia, N = 372; China, N = 441; Turkey, N = 402; and Japan, N = 294) reported on four parenting constructs (authoritative, authoritarian, group harmony socialization, and intrusive control) and their sub-dimensions using modified culturally relevant measures. Teachers reported on children's internalizing, externalizing, and prosocial behaviors. The commonality principle was supported by two sets of findings: (1) full measurement invariance was established for most parenting constructs and sub-dimensions, except that intrusive control only reached partial scalar invariance, and (2) no variations were found in associations between parenting and any child outcomes across cultures or parent gender at the construct level for all four parenting constructs and at the sub-dimensional level for authoritarian and intrusive control sub-dimensions. The specificity principle was supported by the other two sets of findings: (1) cross-cultural differences in parenting normativeness did not follow the pattern of economic development but yielded culture-specific patterns, and (2) at the sub-dimensional level, the authoritative parenting and group harmony socialization sub-dimensions were differently associated with child outcomes across cultures and/or parent gender. The findings suggested that examining specific dimensions rather than broad parenting constructs is necessary to reflect cultural specificities and nuances. Our study provided a culturally-invariant instrument and a three-step guide for future parenting research to examine cross-cultural commonalities/specificities.

Cultural comparisons suggest that an understanding of other minds may develop sooner in independent versus interdependent settings, and vice versa for inhibitory control. From a western lens, this pattern might be considered paradoxical, since there is a robust positive relationship between theory of mind (ToM) and inhibitory control in western samples. In independent cultures, an emphasis on one's own mind offers a clear route to 'simulate' other minds, and inhibitory control may be required to set aside one's own perspective to represent the perspective of others. However, in interdependent cultures, social norms are considered the key catalyst for behaviour, and metacognitive reflection and/or suppression of one's own perspective may not be necessary. The cross-cultural generalizability of the western developmental route to ToM is therefore questionable. The current study used an age-matched cross-sectional sample to contrast 56 Japanese and 56 Scottish 3-6-year-old's metacognition, ToM and inhibitory control skills. We replicated the expected cultural patterns for ToM (Scotland > Japan) and inhibitory control (Japan > Scotland). Supporting western developmental enrichment theories, we find that inhibitory control and metacognition predict theory of mind competence in Scotland. However, these variables cannot be used to predict Japanese ToM. This confirms that individualistic mechanisms do not capture the developmental mechanism underlying ToM in Japan, highlighting a bias in our understanding of ToM development.

Cultivating children's creativity and imagination is fundamental to preparing them for an increasingly complex and uncertain future. Engaging in creative learning enables children to think independently and critically, work cooperatively, and take risks while actively engaged in meaningful projects. While current trends in education, such as maker movements and computer science education, are dramatically expanding children's opportunities for engagement in creative learning, comparatively few empirical studies explore how creative learning can be integrated into elementary school curricula. In this paper, we investigated five key design strategies for integrating creative learning in school curricula through computer programming activities. The five design strategies, drawn from design meetings with in-service teachers and two pilot studies, comprise (1) prepare an object-to-think-with for specific curricular ideas, (2) find a context that provokes a leap of ideas within a disciplinary framework, (3) facilitate tinkering through disciplinary inquiry, (4) pair students and establishing developer and researcher roles, and (5) provide feedback to connect computer programming projects to disciplinary ideas. Implementing these strategies with mixed-method analysis indicated positive support for the efficacy of these design strategies. We also provide insights into difficulties with integrating creative learning into school curricula.

Japan launched the Long-term Care Insurance program in 2000, and ratified the United Nations' Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2014. Japan has been taking significant steps to support their elderly population and individuals with disabilities. However, information is lacking on the understanding and opinions of either of these groups among Japanese college students, many of whom will have significant impact on the development of relevant programs in the future. The purpose of this study is to explore perceptions of the elderly, individuals with a physical disability, and individuals with a mental disability. Three focus groups were held with a total of 20 college students throughout June and July 2015 in Japan. Lack of formal and human resources are issues for the elderly and people with physical disabilities. It is important to increase awareness of struggles related to physical and mental disabilities. Images of physical and mental disabilities in society and media need to be improved. Future studies need to expand in the following areas: 1) to examine the issues of lack of formal and human resources and its impact on the elderly, families and society; 2) to develop programs to increase awareness of the issues of disabilities and evaluate the effectiveness of the programs; and 3) to examine the impact of media on perceptions of people with a disability.

The aim of this study was to test the relationship of theory of mind (ToM) and maternal emotional expressiveness with children's aggressive behaviours (i.e., relational aggression, physical aggression). ToM is vital to relational aggression, which involves harming others through purposeful manipulation and damaging peer relationships. However, little is known about how ToM and family emotional environment are interactively associated with aggressive behaviours. Fifty-one Japanese children, aged 4 and 5 years, completed measures of ToM and receptive vocabulary. Mothers reported their emotional expressiveness towards their children and classroom teachers rated each child's aggressive behaviours. The results revealed that when boys have mature ToM and their mothers show high negative emotional expressiveness, they exhibit higher relational aggression in their peer relationships. Such interaction effect was not found for girls. The findings suggest that boys with mature ToM are likely to learn to use ToM for antisocial purposes via negative family emotional environments.

Because internationalization in higher education has recently received significant attention within the context of globalization, universities in Japan have begun to develop study-abroad programs to support their students in gaining international experience. This article explores those university policies designed to support the internationalization of higher education through mandatory study-abroad programs. An analysis is conducted of the educational policies of these universities based on a review of their admission, curriculum, and degree-awarding policies. The findings are as follows: First, it is unclear how study-abroad programs provide students with opportunities to attain knowledge and skills. Second, universities that face the same challenge to cultivate global citizenship through study abroad should review their educational content to determine whether students are achieving the goals set in their policies. Universities should realize the importance of study abroad in terms of providing opportunities through which students can achieve their education goals.

In this study, a massive open online course (MOOC) titled "Studying at Japanese Universities" was designed. The purpose of the course was to encourage international students to study in Japan. Accordingly, it is intended to build an online community to afford international students to encourage and support each other and realise their student lives in Japan. This paper outlined how the course was designed and further reported the results of the early outcomes of how the students received the course. The results indicated that the course reaches the target age group while also attracting a diverse audience. It is further been specified that students can communicate with others who have common interests. Furthermore, students share their thoughts and concerns about their plans to study in Japan and receive mutual support from the online community. Those who are interested in producing MOOCs as an educational environment for global outreach should find the results of the study beneficial.

Importance: A response shift (RS) is a phenomenon in which there is an individual perceptual gap between pre and post assessments. RS effects were not considered in the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM) development process. Objective: To detect the effects of RS on the COPM. Design: Convergent mixed-methods research. Setting: Subacute rehabilitation hospital in Japan. Participants: Nineteen adult patients with a range of neurological and musculoskeletal conditions recruited from a subacute rehabilitation hospital. Outcomes and Measures: In the qualitative analysis, patients' perceptions regarding occupation identified by the COPM were compared between the initial assessment (Time 1 [T1]) and a reassessment (Time 2 [T2]). In the quantitative study, patients were asked to re-rate the occupations in which the RS had occurred, giving feedback on their perceptions at T1 (T2′). The difference between T2 and T2′ was calculated to clarify the magnitude of the RS. Results: Of the 19 patients, 18 had an RS in at least one occupation. The RS effects were classified into five categories: Replacing, Adding, Reducing, Unspecified, and Embodiment. Ninety occupations were extracted from all the patients, and 46 (51.1%) were affected by RS. The percentages of occupations for which the change in score due to RS exceeded the minimal clinically important difference (±2 points) was 26.1% (12 of 46) for COPM–Performance scores and 30.4% (14 of 46) for COPM–Satisfaction scores. Conclusions and Relevance: Diverse RS effects have been identified in the COPM, which also affect score interpretation. Plain-Language Summary: The Canadian Occupational Performance Measure has a potential measurement bias that is due to a response shift in which there is an individual perceptual gap between pre and post assessments. The results of this study reveal a need to establish more accurate measurement methods to reduce the impact of response shifts on COPM scores. The results of this study highlight the need to establish more accurate measurement methods to reduce the impact of response shifts on scores from the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated sensitivity to teacher and peer criticism among 89 Japanese 6-year-olds and examined the connection between sensitivity to criticism and first-order and second-order theory of mind separately. Participants completed a common test battery that included tasks assessing sensitivity to criticism (teacher or peer condition), the Picture Vocabulary Test--Revised, and theory of mind tasks. The results showed that the children with better understanding of second-order mental states rated their ability negatively after teacher criticism, but they were motivated to keep trying. This phenomenon was found under only the teacher condition, and peer criticism did not significantly affect children's response, irrespective of theory-of-mind level. Cognitive and social factors that may have contributed to the children's responses to criticism are discussed.

We conducted 3 studies to explore cultural differences in global versus local processing and their developmental trajectories. In Study 1 ("N" = 363), we found that Japanese college students were less globally oriented in their processing than American or Argentine participants. We replicated this effect in Study 2 ("N" = 1,843) using a nationally representative sample of Japanese and American adults ages 20 to 69, and found further that adults in both cultures became more globally oriented with age. In Study 3 ("N" = 133), we investigated the developmental course of the cultural difference using Japanese and American children, and found it was evident by 4 years of age. Cultural variations in global versus local processing emerge by early childhood, and remain throughout adulthood. At the same time, both Japanese and Americans become increasingly global processors with age.

This study investigated the effectiveness of video self-modeling (VSM) for eliminating the public undressing of two elementary-aged students with developmental disabilities during urination. A multiple-probe design across participants revealed that the degree of exposed body parts decreased immediately after introduction of VSM. However, exposure of buttocks was not eliminated for one student until a component of hero modelling was added to the VSM. The mechanism of eliminating public undressing by use of VSM and video self and hero modeling is discussed within a framework of motivating operation.

Background: Physical activity is beneficial for adolescent health. The physical activity patterns of Japanese adolescents are relatively unknown. Therefore, this study aimed to describe the current patterns of physical activity and to identify sex and grade differences among them. Methods: The participants comprised 714 Japanese adolescents aged 12 to 15 years old (boys N=372, girls N=342) from a public junior high school in Okayama, Japan. Physical activity at school, outside of school after hours, and during lunch recess as well as the total leisure time in a usual week was assessed with a 5-item questionnaire. To assess the differences in the physical activity patterns by sex and grade, independent t tests and analysis of variance (ANOVA) were conducted, respectively. Results: Boys spent significantly more time in physical activity both inside and outside of school settings than girls (p less than 0.05). Higher grade students were significantly less active than lower grade students (p less than 0.05). Furthermore, the physical activity patterns across the grades differed between settings (at school, outside of school during the after-school period, lunchtime recess, and at home). Conclusion: To increase physical activity levels among Japanese adolescents, implementation of after-school programs or environmental modifications developed within the school setting could be effective strategies. (Contains 4 tables.)

Background: Thrombosis is a common critical complication relating to radiofrequency catheter ablation and cryoablation. There is a possibility that high‐temperature stimulation during radiofrequency ablation or low‐temperature stimulation during cryoablation may affect the coagulability of blood. In this study, we aimed to determine the impacts of transient temperature stimulations on the coagulability of whole blood and to clarify if edoxaban suppressed the hypercoagulability. Methods: Citrated blood samples were drawn from 41 healthy subjects. Some blood samples were mixed with tissue factor (TF) and several concentrations of edoxaban (50, 100, and 200 ng/mL). Blood samples were exposed to several temperature stimulations for 1 min: heat stimulation (50°C) or cryostimulation (−20°C), and compared with control (37°C). Repeated cryostimulations or sequential cryo‐ and heat stimulation were also applied. Coagulability of whole blood was measured using a dielectric blood coagulometry. As an index of coagulability, the end of acceleration time (EAT) was used. Results: Both heat‐ and cryostimulations significantly shortened the EAT compared to the control, indicating that hypercoagulability was induced by temperature stimulations. Application of TF enhanced and extended the hypercoagulability after the temperature stimulations. Sequential application of cryo‐ followed by heat stimulation further enhanced the hypercoagulability of blood. Application of edoxaban increased the EAT in a concentration‐dependent manner in control condition. Edoxaban at 100 or 200 ng/mL completely suppressed the shortening of EAT evoked by these temperature stimulations. Conclusion: Transient temperature stimulations evoked hypercoagulability regardless of cryo‐ or heat stimulation. Edoxaban with 100 ng/mL or more eliminated this temperature‐stimulated hypercoagulability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: As the population ages worldwide, including in Japan, there is a growing expectation for older adults to remain active participants in society. The act of sharing one's experiences and knowledge with younger generations through social engagement not only enriches the lives of older individuals, but also holds significant value for our society. In this study, we examined both positive and negative perceptions of older adults and investigated the correlation between these perceptions and generativity among older citizens. Additionally, we evaluated the impact of life satisfaction on these factors. Methods: We conducted a survey of 100 older adults in Japan (mean age, 71.68 years) and utilized multiple regression analyses, using positive and negative perceptions of older adults, life satisfaction, and demographic factors as independent variables. The sub-categories of generativity--namely, generative action, concern, and accomplishment--were used as dependent variables. Results: Participants who held a more positive perception of older adults demonstrated a higher level of generative actions and concerns. Additionally, participants who reported higher levels of life satisfaction also exhibited more generative actions, concerns, and accomplishments. Conversely, those who held a more negative perception of older adults were found to have higher levels of generative actions. Conclusion: Enhancing positive perceptions of older adults among them can boost the subcategories of generativity. This study, which was conducted from an exploratory perspective, has several limitations, including a potential sampling bias. A more comprehensive examination of the relationship between perceptions of older adults and generativity is anticipated in future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Five studies document the validity of a new 8-item scale designed to measure "positivity," defined as the tendency to view life and experiences with a positive outlook. In the first study (N = 372), the psychometric properties of Positivity Scale (P Scale) were examined in accordance with classical test theory using a large number of college participants. In Study 2, the unidimensionality of the P Scale was corroborated with confirmatory factor analysis in 2 independent samples (N[subscript 1] = 322; N[subscript 2] = 457). In Study 3, P Scale invariance across sexes and its relations with self-esteem, life satisfaction, optimism, positive negative affect, depression, and the Big Five provided further evidence of the internal and construct validity of the new measure in a large community sample (N = 3,589). In Study 4, test-retest reliability of the P Scale was found in a sample of college students (N = 262) who were readministered the scale after 5 weeks. In Study 5, measurement invariance and construct validity of P Scale were further supported across samples in different countries and cultures, including Italy (N = 689), the United States (N = 1,187), Japan (N = 281), and Spain (N = 302). Psychometric findings across diverse cultural context attest to the robustness of the P Scale and to positivity as a basic disposition. (Contains 6 tables and 5 footnotes.)

Genome editing technology has attracted attention as a rapid breeding technology for agricultural crops, and its development and use in a variety of crops has been studied. For tomato breeding, research on the development and use of genome editing technology has been vigorously conducted. Under such circumstances, clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/CRISPR associated proteins 9 (CRISPR/Cas9) technology, a genome editing technology, was utilised to develop a tomato that accumulates high levels of ɣ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), a functional component in human health. In 2021, Japan was the first country in the world to market this tomato, making it the world's first case of social implementation of CRISPR crops. This review summarises the current status of genome editing research to improve fruit quality, tolerance to abiotic stresses, and tolerance to biotic stresses as important breeding traits in tomato and discusses the challenges and solutions for the establishment of genome editing technology as a rapid breeding technology for tomato. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Little is known about how health care providers should conduct advance care planning to identify the values of East Asian patients who have serious illnesses. This study aims to explore whether and how patients from an East Asian culture and with advanced cancer express their values and priorities when nurses utilize the lifeline interview method to enable patients to reflect on their life trajectories and if it can bridge advance care planning discussions. Data obtained from individual, semistructured interviews of 11 patients with advanced lung cancer were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Seven main themes were identified: (1) treatment and essential elements to maintaining everyday life, (2) beliefs regarding and support for being "myself", (3) emotional ups and downs in response to physical condition, (4) competency to cope, (5) what I want to do "now" to achieve my goals, (6) goals that bring hope for life, and (7) wishes and preferences for end-of-life decision-making. Results suggest that the lifeline interview method is an excellent means for nurses and other health care professionals to elicit patients' values and priorities. Moreover, it bridges advance care planning discussions to reflect on what matters to patients in future palliative care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Japan, hepatitis E virus (HEV) causes hepatitis in humans through the consumption of raw or undercooked meat, including game meat. In the present study, nationwide surveillance of HEV infection among a total of 5,557 wild animals, including 15 species, was conducted in Japan. The prevalence of anti-HEV antibodies in wild boar was 12.4%, with higher positive rates in big boars (over 50 kg, 18.4%) than in small individuals (less than 30 kg, 5.3%). Furthermore, HEV RNA was more frequently detected in piglets than in older boars. Interestingly, the detection of HEV among wildlife by ELISA and RT-PCR suggested that HEV infection in Sika deer was a very rare event, and that there was no HEV infection among wild animals except for wild boar, Sika deer and Japanese monkeys. In conclusion, wild boar, especially piglets, are at high risk of HEV infection, while other wild animals showed less risk or no risk of HEV transmission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective Periodontal disease increases the risk of an adverse outcome of pregnancy including preterm birth and low birth weight, and it is very important to maintain the oral health of pregnant women. This study aimed to clarify the current state of oral hygiene behavior and subjective periodontal disease symptoms among pregnant women in the second trimester during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods This was a cross-sectional quantitative descriptive study. We recruited pregnant women in their second trimester who are literate in Japanese and visited a prenatal clinic in a hospital between June 2020 and May 2021. Data were collected based on the online survey and medical record information. The survey included questions about the patient characteristics (age, a pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI), parity, history of smoking, educational level, an employment and a work from home in their second trimester, an annual income, and a family type), the number of meals per day, changes in oral care during the pandemic, the number of times they brushed their teeth per day, dental consultation, and subjective periodontal disease symptoms. Results A total of 113 responses were received. The percentage of pregnant women who were working was 77 (68.1%), of which 73 (94.8%) worked at an office. Moreover, 75 (66.3%) of pregnant women had four or more meals a day, and 38 (33.6%) had improved oral care practice than before the pandemic, of which 33 (86.8%) were noted to gargle with water or mouthwash after getting home, at work, or after brushing their teeth. The average number of teeth brushing per day was 2.9±0.8, but only 11 (9.7%) brushed their teeth after eating a snack. Furthermore, 64 (56.6%) had a dental examination by in their second trimester, of which 34 (53.1%) had subjective periodontal disease symptoms even after dental examination. Conclusions Given the prevalence and transmissibility of COVID-19, pregnant women who were in their second trimester performed oral care to prevent infection. On the other hand, it was also found that some of them did not brush their teeth after eating a snack. The fact that dental consultation rate remained high amid the COVID-19 pandemic leaves hope for the improvement of the consultation rate even after the resolution of the pandemic. Additionally, we suggested that regular dental examinations were important during pregnancy, since there were pregnant women who had subjective symptoms of periodontal disease even if they had undergone dental examination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kabuto Mountain virus (KAMV), the new member of the genus Uukuvirus, was isolated from the tick Haemaphysalis flava in 2018 in Japan. To date, there is no information on KAMV infection in human and animals. Therefore, serological surveillance of the infection among humans and wild mammals was conducted by virus-neutralization (VN) test and indirect immunofluorescence assay (IFA). Sera of 24 humans, 59 monkeys, 171 wild boars, 233 Sika deer, 7 bears, and 27 nutria in Yamaguchi Prefecture were analyzed by VN test. The positive ratio of humans, monkeys, wild boars, and Sika deer were 20.8%, 3.4%, 33.9% and 4.7%, respectively. No positive samples were detected in bears and nutria. The correlation coefficients between VN test and IFA in human, monkey, wild boar, and Sika deer sera were 0.5745, 0.7198, 0.9967 and 0.9525, respectively. In addition, KAMV was detected in one pool of Haemaphysalis formosensis ticks in Wakayama Prefecture. These results indicated that KAMV or KAMV-like virus is circulating among many wildlife and ticks, and that this virus incidentally infects humans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global networking and e-learning courses are an effective strategy for sharing educational content and there is potential scope to use e-learning technology in dental education. Therefore, this study aimed to explicate the challenges encountered in international e-learning use and decipher optimum solutions for disseminating course/systems on an international scale. An e-learning course with four computer-assisted simulation materials developed among international faculties was provided to dental undergraduates at dental schools in Japan and Vietnam in 2020. A post-questionnaire survey plus pre- and post-tests were conducted to obtain learners' feedback and assess the success of the course's implementation. Altogether, 41 students participated, with a response rate of 78.8%. The mean post-test score was significantly higher than that of the pre-test (p < 0.001). Students from both groups felt that e-learning was beneficial, useful for their future, and should be continued. This study showed that e-learning/course provision could be achieved at an international level by using a common online system, which is beneficial for students to gain a wider perspective and global dental education. Learners indicated that they learned without any major problems in learning operations. This type of educational material creation and course implementation is extremely important in global networking and dental education in the present era; and communication and cooperation between the faculties was important for course provision. More countries should be included in future studies to ensure that it has global application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urbanization represents a significant population trend, and a longer life expectancy increases the number of older people living in cities. Aging can intensify urbanization and urban design challenges. Parks or public open spaces are settings within the neighborhood that can support older people to live an active lifestyle. This study examined associations between the number of and distance to parks and physical activity levels and sedentary behavior patterns among a sample of 276 older adults in Japan. Physical activity levels and sedentary behavior patterns were objectively measured using accelerometer devices. Park measures, including distance to the nearest and second nearest park and the count of parks within network-based buffers of 800 m and 1600 m from home, were calculated using a geographic information system (GIS) software. We found that the number of parks within a 1600 m buffer from participants' homes was associated with more breaks in sedentary behavior. This finding suggests that proximity to parks may be important to increase breaks in sedentary behavior among older adults. We found no significant associations between the selected park characteristics and physical activity. Our research adds to the evidence from the less-explored Asian context among older adults, for whom strategies to support an active lifestyle are necessary to promote healthy aging. • Further evidence on the association of park accessibility and sedentary patterns. • Highly dense environments can impact the availability of free outdoor spaces. • Higher number of parks can contribute to breaking up prolonged sitting. • Park proximity was not associated with Japanese older adults' physical activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lack of sufficient physical activity in youth is a worldwide concern. School-based extracurricular sports activities (SBECSA) are considered a central opportunity to increase youth physical activity. However, the factors that influence students' participation in SBECSA are not well established. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to clarify the factors perceived to influence the motivation of Japanese students to participate in SBECSA. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 23 junior high and high school students who participated in SBECSA. The KJ method was used to qualitatively analyse the transcribed interview data. Internal/intrapersonal factors included: attraction of sports; sense of responsibility and continuity; spirit of challenge; sense of advancement and physical condition. External factors included: team climate; encouragement and support; attributes of peers; policy and content of coaching; content of practice; events in school life and weather. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated the effect of using a fall risk screening tool in an electronic medical record system by using data for 25 039 patients in 24 general wards of a single institution. The probability of the occurrence of falls decreased after the tool was implemented, but using the tool did not reduce the actual occurrence of falls. This indicates that we must improve not only the assessment of the risk of falls but also the interventions to prevent falls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Official drug prices have been set by the government and revised every other year in Japan. However, most drug prices are revised based on the price divergence rate of official and delivery prices every other year. This paper overviews how the drug price revision process works and reveals factors associated with price cutting, based on the price divergence rate. Methods: Drugs approved as new molecular entities from 2005 to 2014 were selected for price cutting analysis, based on the price divergence rate. Logistic regression assessed the determinants of whether drugs were targeted for price cutting in 2016. Additionally, generic drugs approved from 2009 to 2013 and their off-patent drugs were also analyzed by multiple linear regression analysis to reveal determinants related to price divergence rates. Results: From the targeted on-patent drugs, 90% were targeted for price revision based on the price divergence rate. Of these drugs, 23% were targeted for price cutting. Drugs whose characteristics are larger sales, lower cost/patient, being followers, and being longer in the market were more likely to be targeted for price cutting. The number of generic manufacturers is directly proportional to the price cutting of both generic and off-patent branded drugs. Conclusions: As drug price revision policy is under reconstruction in Japan, the characteristics of drugs targeted for price cutting shown in this study should be considered for establishing drug price revision policies that reflect market conditions adequately. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the spring of 2015, two stallions reared in Farms A and B in Hokkaido in Japan showed symptoms of equine coital exanthema. Equine herpesvirus 3 (EHV-3) was isolated from penis swab samples of both stallions, and the isolates from each stallion in Farms A and B were designated as SS-1 and YS-1 strains, respectively. BamHI restriction profiles of SS-1 and Japanese reference strain Iwate-1 were indistinguishable, but the BamHI-A fragment of YS-1 was larger than those of SS-1 and Iwate-1 by 1.9 kbp because of the lack of two BamHI sites. Nucleotide sequence analyses of glycoprotein G (gG), gB, gC and VP13/14 coding regions revealed that SS-1 and YS-1 had 99.77% to 100% identities to each other. These results suggested that the origins of SS-1 and YS-1 were different. For a sero-epidemiological survey, serum neutralizing tests using SS-1 against 319 sera of horses from eight farms in Hokkaido were conducted. Six of the eight farms were EHV-3 antibody-positive, and positive rates ranged from 2.6% to 17.6%. To determine the infection time of four EHV-3 antibody-positive horses, a retrospective study was conducted. Infection time of the four horses was in the breeding season, and re-infection or reactivation of latently infected EHV-3 might have occurred in one horse. However, these four horses had never shown any clinical symptoms. The results suggested that several EHV-3 strains are distributed in Japan and that infection is maintained widely in horses without clinical symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Age-adjusted cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevalence rates are significantly lower in Japan than in the United States. Objective Our aim was to compare CVD risk in participants in Fukuoka and Framingham. Methods We measured glucose, insulin, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), small dense LDL-C, and triglycerides in men and women from Fukuoka ( n = 1108), and age (median, 53 years) and gender-matched subjects from Framingham ( n = 1101). Blood pressure, body mass index, use of medications, and history of CVD were also assessed. Results CVD prevalence rates were more than 6-fold higher in Framingham men and women than their Fukuoka counterparts ( P < .001). Median body mass index, LDL-C, insulin levels, and insulin resistance assessment in Fukuoka men and women were significantly ( P < .01) lower than in Framingham; however, diabetes prevalence in Fukuoka men was significantly ( P < .01) higher than in Framingham men, whereas female rates were similar, as were levels of systolic blood pressure. High-density lipoprotein cholesterol and surprisingly small dense LDL-C levels were significantly ( P < .001) higher in Fukuoka than in Framingham. Standard risk factors do not account for the large differences in CVD prevalence rates between the 2 populations, and population differences in insulin resistance may explain some of these differences. Conclusions Our data are consistent with the concept that the CVD prevalence rate in a Japanese population is much lower than those observed in the United States, and that these differences cannot be explained by standard CVD risk factors, but may relate to marked population differences in insulin resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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• Perceived built attributes were associated with depressive symptoms. • These associations differed between women and men. • Perceptions of neighbourhood walkability are important for depression. There has been considerable interest in the effect of the built environment design on depressive symptoms. However, there are still few empirical studies on this topic, and there is a dearth of evidence among middle-aged adults. The present study examined the associations of urban design attributes with depressive symptoms among a sample of middle-aged adults in Japan. Cross-sectional data from a random sample of residents (40–64 years old) in two cities in Japan were examined. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Centre for Epidemiological Studies Depression (CES-D) questionnaire. Two types of perceived and objective attributes of the built environment were measured. Covariate-adjusted multivariable linear and binary logistic models were used to estimate associations between perceived and objective built environment attributes and depressive symptoms. Among women, higher perceived access to public transport and total perceived walkability was associated with a decrease in depressive symptoms. Furthermore, there was a significant association between higher safety from traffic and lower odds of having mild depressive symptoms (CES-D ≥ 16) in women. Among men, higher safety from crime was associated with a decrease in depressive symptoms and with lower odds of having mild depressive symptoms. Total perceived walkability was also associated with lower odds of having mild depressive symptoms in men. None of the objective built environment attributes were associated with depressive symptoms in women or men. Our findings provide empirical evidence that improving perceptions of neighbourhood walkability and, in particular, enhancing access to public transport and safety from crime and traffic are important for improving depressive symptoms among middle-aged men and women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In obstetric and gynecologic practices, synchronous telehealth services via chat message, voice calls, and video calls have been increasingly equipped to improve patients' health care accessibility and clinical outcomes. Nevertheless, differences in clinical outcomes between communication tools remain unknown, especially in terms of safety.Objective: This study compared the occurrence of emergency visits and hospitalization after telehealth services through different communication tools, including chat messages, voice calls, and video calls.Methods: We collected data on obstetric and gynecologic concerns of women who consulted specialized doctors and midwives through a telehealth consulting service in Japan (Sanfujin-ka Online) between January 1, 2019, and December 31, 2020. The outcomes were emergency visits or hospitalizations at night after the consultation. Chi-square test and multivariate logistic regression analysis were performed to compare the clinical outcomes between the groups who received telehealth services via chat message, voice calls, and video calls.Results: This study included 3635 participants. The mean age of the participants was 31.4 (SD 5.7) years, and the largest age group (n=2154, 59.3%) was 30-39 years. The numbers (or proportions) of those who received telehealth services via chat message, voice calls, and video calls were 1584 (43.5%), 1947 (53.6%), and 104 (2.9%), respectively. The overall incidence of the outcome was 0.7% (26/3635), including 10 (0.3%) cases of chat message, 16 (0.5%) cases of voice calls, and no video calls. There were no emergency visits that happened due to inappropriate advice. No significant difference in the proportions of the outcomes was observed between the communication tools (P=.55). The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed no significant differences in the outcome between those who used chat message and those who used voice calls (odds ratio 1.63, 95% CI 0.73-3.65).Conclusions: The communication tools of telehealth services in obstetrics and gynecology did not show a significant difference in terms of emergency visits or hospitalizations after using the service. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study on astasia and pyrexia related to Borrelia Garinii infection that occurred in two dogs in Hokkaido, Japan. It provides information on Borrelia Garinii infection and discusses the symptoms experienced by the two dogs and results of the polymerase chain reaction and sequence analysis.

To better understand how popular brands use social media and also address the relationship between culture and brand communications in the era of social networks, this study content analysed the use of Facebook and Twitter by the top 100 US and Japanese brands. The top 100 US brands investigated in this study seemed to be way more active and assertive when compared with the top 100 Japanese brands. The results showed that Japanese brands in general ask fewer questions, post less frequently, do not address their fans directly, do not initiate conversations, reveal less amount of info on brand profiles and do not allow fans to post on their walls. Based on the findings, the relationship between local culture and social media practices was further elaborated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Personality scales based on the five-factor model, especially the Big-Five Scale of personality trait adjectives (Wada, 1996), are commonly used in Japan. In this study a short form of the Big-Five Scale was constructed. To avoid changes in the capacity dimension caused by the decrease in the number of items, item selection was conducted after Item Response Theory (IRT) scales were constructed for all the items. In Study 1 data was collected from 2 099 participants. A Generalized Partial Credit Model was applied to the IRT model, and items were selected using the slope and location parameters for each item. Cronbach's alpha showed that the short form, as well as the five sub-scales, had sufficient reliability as a personality test. In Study 2, we determined correlations with the NEO-FFI and tested the concurrent validity of the short form. The results indicate that the short form of Big-Five Scale demonstrates sufficient reliability and validity despite the reduced number of items. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses a study that was aimed at assessing the factorial structures of the Canine Behavioral Assessment and Research Questionnaire (C-BARQ) in Japan. It notes that demographic information on dogs in the U.S. and Japan was compared to introduce to Japan this standardized system for evaluating the behavioral traits of dogs. It says such demographic differences as breed and neuter status were found, based on data from questionnaires completed by 11,410 and 734 dog owners respectively in the U.S. and Japan. According to the results, the questionnaire can function effectively as a basic behavioral evaluation system for dogs in Japan.

The article evaluates the suppressive effects of 16 traditional food items selected from Okinawa, Japan on 12-0-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate-induced lectin-like ox-low density lipoprotein receptor-1 messenger RNA expression in THP-1 human monocyte-like cells usinf differentiated Caco-2 cells as a model of the human small intestine. According to the authors, zerumbone is a potential phytochemical for regulating atherosclerosis with reasonable action mechanisms.

The workplace spatial environment has been identified as one of the correlates of workers' active and sedentary behaviours. This study examined the associations of perceived workplace layout design with workers' active and sedentary behaviour in office workers in Japan. Participants in this study (n = 2,265) were recruited from a nationwide online survey conducted in 2019. They completed a questionnaire that assessed work-related physical activity and sedentary time. Self-reported workplace layout measures including local connectivity, overall connectivity, visibility of co-workers, and proximity of co-workers were calculated using the Office Environment and Sitting Scale questionnaire. A two-stage regression model was used for modelling physical activity and sedentary time. After adjusting all covariates, participation in work-related physical activity was positively associated with local and overall connectivity (OR = 1.64, 95% CI 1.28, 2.12, and OR = 1.37 95% CI 1.07, 1.74, respectively) in open-plan offices. However, the visibility and proximity of co-workers were positively associated with any work-related sedentary time in shared and open-plan offices. There was also a positive association between participation in work-related physical activity and local connectivity in shared offices (OR = 1.88, 95% CI 1.30, 2.72). For those participants reporting participation in work-related physical activity, there was a significant positive association between work-related physical activity and local connectivity in open-plan offices (b = 11.28 min/day, 95% CI 2.04, 20.51). Our findings provided evidence on the relevance of workplace layout design to participation and the duration of workers' active and sedentary time in the context of Japan, a country with the world's most extended working hours among adults. • Perceived workplace layout design may influence active and sedentary behaviours. • Associations between workplace layout and activity differ by workplace type. • Space syntax can be applied in designing workplaces to promote active behaviour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soft ticks, Argas vespertilionis, were collected from feces of bats in Japan. Cytopathic effect (CPE) was observed after inoculating the homogenates of ticks to Vero cells. Sequencing of RNA extracted from the cell supernatant was performed by next generation sequencer. The contigs had identity to segments of Bunyaviruses, Issyk-Kul virus. The identities of segment L, M and S were only 77, 76 and 79% to Issyk-Kul virus, respectively. Therefore, we named this novel virus Soft tick bunyavirus (STBV). In the phylogenetic tree, segment L of STBV was closely related to a cluster consisting of the genus Nairovirus of the family Bunyaviridae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Objective walkability was associated with lower activities with neighbors. • Space syntax walkability was negatively associated with social capital scores. • Walkable built environment may not necessarily be supportive of social capital. A rapidly growing body of literature has explored associations between urban design attributes, which are conducive to walking, and social capital. The current study aimed to build on the limitations of previous research. Specifically, this study estimated the associations between traditional and novel walkable built environment metrics and social capital among a sample of adults in Japan. Data (n = 1010) from a randomly selected cross-section of residents (40–69 years old) from two areas in Japan were included. Social capital was assessed by questionnaires. Several objective and perceived walkable built environment attributes were calculated. Covariate-adjusted multivariable linear regression models were used to estimate associations between neighborhood built attributes and the three social capital scores. Street connectivity was negatively associated with activities with neighbors (b = -0.21, 95% CI -0.31, -0.11). Perceived population density was negatively associated with all three social capital scores, including social cohesion, activities with neighbors, and social participation (b = -0.21, 95% CI -0.30, -0.11, b = -0.15, 95% CI -0.24, -0.06, and b = -0.16, 95% CI -0.29, -0.02, respectively). Traditional walkability and Walk Score® were negatively associated with activities with neighbors (b = -0.04, 95% CI -0.07, -0.00 and b = -0.09, 95% CI -0.15, -0.04, respectively). No significant associations were observed between perceived walkability and social capital scores. Space syntax walkability was negatively associated with social cohesion and activities with neighbors (b = -0.12, 95% CI -0.23, -0.01 and b = -0.11, 95% CI -0.21, -0.01, respectively). This study provided unique findings demonstrating that walkable built environments may not necessarily support social capital in ultrahigh-density Asian cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]