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To study the effect of ultrafiltration on the radiocarbon ages of relatively poorly preserved bones in Japan, we analyzed the 14C dates of high-molecular-weight (HMW) gelatin samples and compared them with those of other extracted organic fractions, unfiltered gelatin samples extracted from NaOH-treated or NaOH-untreated collagen, and XAD-purified hydrolysates of animal fossil bones (~4600 BP; gelatin yield of 2-4%) from the Awazu underwater archaeological site, Shiga, Japan. NaOH-treated, unfiltered gelatins and XAD-purified hydrolysates showed statistically similar 14C ages to those of HMW gelatins. The 14C ages of the HMW gelatins were the oldest and similar to those of wood collected from the same layer as the bones, and the NaOH-treated, unfiltered gelatins gave 14C ages within the acceptable margins of error; therefore, ultrafiltration was effective for accurate 14C dating, while NaOH-treated gelatin without ultrafiltration was also sufficient to obtain accurate 14C dates on the animal bones. The 14C ages of human skeletons (Ø750 BP; gelatin yield of 2-11%) from 5 individuals excavated from an archaeological site in Yuigahama, Kamakura, Japan, showed statistically the same 14C ages as NaOHtreated, unfiltered gelatins and HMW gelatins within the margins of error, although HMW gelatins were likely to give slightly older ages than unfiltered gelatin with a yield of less than Ø3%. These results indicate that unfiltered gelatins extracted from fossil bones of gelatin yield more than Ø3% can produce accurate 14C ages without the need for ultrafiltration. Ten bone fragments from 3 humans showed the same 14C ages for each individual, suggesting that any bone part from an individual can be used to obtain a representative age. The 14C ages of tooth enamels of 2 individuals were 35 and 70 yr older than their bone ages. Death dates obtained from these age gaps agreed with those determined by morphology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: No comprehensive analysis of the pulmonary sequelae of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Japan based on respiratory function tests and chest computed tomography (CT) has been reported. We evaluated post-COVID-19 conditions, especially focusing on pulmonary sequelae assessed by pulmonary function tests and chest CT., Methods: For this prospective cohort study, we enrolled 1069 patients who presented pneumonia at the time of admission in 55 hospitals from February 2020 to September 2021. Disease severity was classified as moderateⅠ, moderate II, and severe, defined primarily according to the degree of respiratory failure. The data on post-COVID-19 conditions over 12 months, pulmonary function, and chest CT findings at 3 months were evaluated in this study. Additionally, the impact of COVID-19 severity on pulmonary sequelae, such as impaired diffusion capacity, restrictive pattern, and CT abnormalities, was also evaluated., Results: The most frequently reported post-COVID-19 conditions at 3 months after COVID-19 were muscle weakness, dyspnea, and fatigue (48.4%, 29.0%, and 24.7%, respectively). The frequency of symptoms gradually decreased over subsequent months. In pulmonary function tests at 3 months, the incidence of impaired diffusion capacity and restrictive pattern increased depending on disease severity. There also were differences in the presence of chest CT abnormalities at the 3 months, which was markedly correlated with the severity., Conclusion: We reported a comprehensive analysis of post-COVID-19 condition, pulmonary function, and chest CT abnormalities in Japanese patients with COVID-19. The findings of this study will serve as valuable reference data for future post-COVID-19 condition research in Japan., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing interest The authors have no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Objective: This study tests the hypothesis that industrial development and urbanization negatively impacted the living circumstances and health of inhabitants., Materials: The materials used in this study included 881 human skeletons aged 15 years and older from the Medieval (1185-1573), Edo (1603-1867), and Meiji (1868-1912) periods. The Meiji period corresponds to the period when the industrial revolution spread in Japan., Methods: Age at death and sex were estimated for each skeleton, and demographic profiles of the Medieval, Edo, and Meiji periods were compared., Results: The rate of young deaths was higher in the Meiji period than in preceding periods, and urban inhabitants had a higher proportion of young deaths than rural inhabitants in the Edo period., Conclusions: The results suggest that industrial development and urbanization led to a decline in human health., Limitations: The results produced through Bayesian methods are likely tentative, because they vary according to the priors and reference sample., Significance: Paleodemographic approaches are a useful method to elucidate the impact of industrialization and urbanization on health., Suggestions for Further Research: Decline of health associated with industrialization should be examined combining paleopathological and paleodemographic methods., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

This study aimed to investigate risk factors for sarcopenia in community-dwelling older adults visiting regional medical institutions. We retrospectively analyzed medical records of 552 participants (mean age: 74.6 ± 6.7 years, males 31.3%) who underwent body composition evaluation between March 2017 and December 2018 at one of 24 medical institutions belonging to the Kadoma City Medical Association in Japan. We collected the participant's characteristics and laboratory data. Sarcopenia was diagnosed according to the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia 2019. Sarcopenia, including severe sarcopenia, was detected in 22.3% of all participants, 17.3% of men, and 24.5% of women; rates increased with age. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed age (odds ratio [OR]: 2.12; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.20-3.75), obesity (OR: 0.15; 95% CI 0.07-0.32), hypertension (OR: 0.44; 95% CI 0.25-0.76), certification of long term care (OR: 3.32; 95% CI 1.41-7.81), number of daily conversations (OR: 0.44; 95% CI 0.25-0.77), and malnutrition (OR: 2.42; 95% CI 1.04-5.60) as independent predictors of sarcopenia. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis demonstrated that the cut-off for daily conversations defining sarcopenia was 4.8 persons. The prevalence of sarcopenia in this study was 22.3%. Besides traditional risk factors for sarcopenia, the number of daily conversations was an independent factor.

The Kurokawa river flowing through the Aso Caldera in Southwest Japan is influenced by groundwater containing high concentration of dissolved metals (Fe 2+ and Mn 2+ ) and is associated with orange deposits in the upstream and thick black crusts on the wall of artificial waterway tunnel with several km lengths in the midstream regions. X-ray fluorescence analysis revealed that the orange deposits contained up to 34.4% Fe and black crusts comprised up to 25.4% and 10.6% Mn and Fe, respectively. Although naturally occurring Mn-oxides and crusts are considered biogenic in pH-neutral freshwater environments, the whole microbial community in Mn crust and their contribution to Mn crust formation in these environments remain unclear. High-throughput molecular sequencing for bacteria and eukaryotes including fungi revealed black Mn crusts had a high abundance of Sphingomonas, Hyphomicrobium, Bacillus, Pseudomonas, and Mortierella, previously reported genera including several species with Mn-oxidizing activity in Mn crusts or nodules of other marine and freshwater environments. In addition, one bacterial isolate and one fungal isolate with Mn-oxidizing activity were obtained from black Mn crust. These results suggest that multiple Mn-oxidizing bacteria including Pseudomonas and fungi are involved in Mn crust formation on the wall of dark waterway tunnel in the oligotrophic environment of the Kurokawa river., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2020 Institut Pasteur. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: A change in how children were treated and valued occurred in premodern Japan, as popularized ideas of an inheritance-based family system led to more careful and affectionate child-rearing practices by lower social-status groups. A number of books were written, advising that breastfeeding should last approximately 3 years. The objective of this study is to reconstruct and compare breastfeeding and weaning practices before and after the transition, to illuminate the impact of documented changes in child-rearing practices on subadults' lived experience., Materials and Methods: Carbon and nitrogen stable isotopic data were obtained from 40 subadult skeletons excavated from the Sakai Kango Toshi 871 (SKT871) site (late 17th-19th century, Osaka, Japan). Isotopic results from SKT871 were compared with previously reported results from the Hitotsubashi site (AD 1657-1683, Tokyo, Japan). Hitotsubashi and SKT871 represent urban populations of lower status before and after the transition of societal perception of subadults., Results: The most probable age at the end of weaning reconstructed in SKT871 was 1.9 years (1.4-2.7 years with a 95% credible interval) and was lower than that in Hitotsubashi (2.1-4.1 years with a 95% credible interval)., Discussion: The age at the end of weaning became younger after the transition of societal perception toward subadults, and this younger weaning age is inconsistent with written recommendations for the duration of weaning in premodern Japan. It is possible that an increased need for inheritors under the inheritance-based family system led to earlier weaning and shorter inter-birth intervals, but authorities recommended an ideal practice of a longer breastfeeding period., (© 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Objective: To test the hypothesis that the "Little Ice Age" (LIA) (in Japan, ˜1440 - 1730 CE) co-occurred with unique age-at-death patterns., Materials: 810 adult human skeletons from the early Medieval Period (EMP) of Japan, which are contemporaneous with the Medieval Warm Period (10th - mid 13th century AD), and the late Medieval Period (LMP) and Edo Period, which are contemporary with the LIA., Methods: Age at death and sex was determined for each skeleton and demographic profiles of the Yayoi Period (5th century BC - 3rd century AD), EMP, LMP, and Edo site samples were compared. Paleopathological data from previously published reports were evaluated., Results: The EMP had the highest mortality among young adults. Longevity increased in the samples (LMP and Edo) contemporaneous with the LIA., Conclusions: EMP early age-at-death was the result of poor community health, violent death, and frequent large-scale natural catastrophes. The LMP and Edo Period samples have an older age-at-death pattern and higher frequency of stress markers, argued to be a consequence of a colder climate., Significance: This study is the first to synthesize paleodemographic and paleopathological data on a large scale to assess the possible effects of the Little Ice Age in Japan., Limitations: Varying skeletal preservation and focus on adult skeletons reduces the ability to evaluate health throughout the life span., Suggestions for Further Research: Analysis of nonadult remains and multiple health indicators will likely shed more light on the effects of the Little Ice Age in Japan., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: The morphology of pigmented skin lesions (PSLs) is predominantly a result of varying concentrations and distributions of pigmented molecules such as melanin and hemoglobin. Based on these differences and the fact that their information is contained in cutaneous spectra, a hyperspectral imager (HSI) for pigmented melanoma and a single discrimination index derived from the resultant hyperspectral data are proposed., Objective: To develop and evaluate a new discrimination index for melanomas, compared to the previous index., Methods: A HSI, which is convenient for both patients and clinicians, was newly developed and used in a clinical trial conducted in 2 centers with 80 patients with primary lesions and 17 volunteers between March 2011 and December 2013. There were 24 melanomas and 110 other PSLs. A previously proposed discrimination index was used without modifications. A new index, which emphasized the essential features of melanoma, was proposed, and its performance was examined. For each index, a threshold value was set to minimize the average value of the false positive and false negative fractions. The performances of both indices were compared., Results: The sensitivity and specificity of the old index were 75% and 97%, respectively, while those of the new index were 96% and 87%., Conclusion: The new index had a higher sensitivity and adequate specificity, indicating that it is more useful than the old index., (© 2014 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Purpose: To study the relationship between retinal microcirculation and serum adiponectin, an important adipocytokine secreted by adipocytes, concentrations in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus., Methods: Using a laser Doppler velocimetry system, we simultaneously measured the retinal blood flow (RBF) values and retinal vessel diameter and blood velocity in 64 consecutive Japanese patients (mean age ± SD, 59.8 ± 10.4 years) with type 2 diabetes with no or mild nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy. We compared the values with the RBF and serum adiponectin concentrations in these patients. The patients were divided into two groups based on sex (33 males, 31 females)., Results: The plasma adiponectin concentrations were correlated positively with the retinal vessel diameter (r = 0.480; P = 0.005), retinal blood velocity (r = 0.399; P = 0.02), and RBF (r = 0.518; P = 0.002) and correlated negatively with the retinal arterial vascular resistance (r = -0.598; P = 0.0002) in males, but not females, with type 2 diabetes with early-stage diabetic retinopathy. Multiple regression analysis showed that the plasma adiponectin level was independently and positively correlated with RBF and negatively correlated with retinal arterial vascular resistance., Conclusions: Our results indicated that a high concentration of serum adiponectin may be associated with increased RBF, probably via the increased blood velocity and dilated vessel diameter in males with type 2 diabetes with early-phase diabetic retinopathy.

Little is understood about the age-related changes in the petrous part of the temporal bone in fetal life. The purposes of this study were to examine documented skeletal remains of Japanese fetuses, to measure the length of the petrous part, and to develop diagnostic standards for fetal age-at-death estimation that could be applied to poorly preserved skeletons. The results indicated that it is possible to use a regression equation to estimate age at death directly from the length of the petrous part of the temporal bone. The application of the present method to a different population led to a fetal age-at-death estimation with an error of less than 1 month. We also used the Bayesian estimation, which yielded posterior probabilities of age, conditional on being of a particular length of the petrous part. The reference table of estimated gestational age may provide an easy-to-use indicator of the fetal age at death. In conclusion, measurement of the petrous part of the temporal bone may offer a new methodological basis for forensic and bioarchaeological diagnoses of fetuses., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

A longer breastfeeding duration provides various positive effects in subadult health because of abundant immunological factors and nutrients in human breast milk, and decreases the natural fertility of a population through lactational amenorrhea. In this study, we measured stable carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios in the bone collagen of three adults and 45 subadults from the Yuigahama-minami site (from 12th to 14th century) in Kamakura, the early medieval capital of Japan. Marine foods, C3 -based terrestrial foods, and freshwater fish are the primarily protein sources for adults. The changes in the nitrogen isotope ratios of subadults suggest that the relative dietary protein contribution from breast milk started to decrease from 1.1 years of age and ended at 3.8 years. The age at the end of weaning in the Yuigahama-minami population was greater than that in the typical non-industrial populations, a premodern population in the Edo period Japan, and medieval populations in the UK. Skeletons of townspeople from medieval Kamakura indicate severe nutritional stress (e.g., enamel hypoplasia and cribra orbitalia), yet this longer duration of breastfeeding did not compensate adverse effects for nutritional deficiency. The longer breastfeeding period may have been a consequence of complementary food shortage and bad health of subadults. Kamakura experienced urbanization and population increase in the early medieval period. The younger age-at-death distribution and high nutritional stresses in the Yuigahama-minami population and later weaning, which is closely associated with longer inter-birth interval for mothers, suggests that Kamakura developed and increased its population by immigration during urbanization., (© 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

The aim of this study is to determine which indicator of chronic kidney disease most closely correlates with 10-year Framingham coronary heart disease (CHD) risk among serum creatinine, serum cystatin C (S-CysC), urine albumin-creatinine ratio (UACR), estimated creatinine-based GFRs (eGFRcre), and estimated CysC-based GFRs (eGFRcys) in patients with obesity and diabetes. Serum creatinine, S-CysC, UACR, and cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI) were examined in 468 outpatients with obesity and type 2 diabetes, free of severe renal dysfunction or previous history of cardiovascular disease, as a cross-sectional survey using baseline data from the multi-centered Japan Diabetes and Obesity Study. S-CysC and eGFRcys had significantly stronger correlations with the 10-year Framingham CHD risk than serum creatinine, eGFRcre, and UACR (creatinine, ρ = 0.318; S-CysC, ρ = 0.497; UACR, ρ = 0.174; eGFRcre, ρ = -0.291; eGFRcys, ρ = -0.521; P < 0.01 by Fisher's z-test). S-CysC and eGFRcys had significantly stronger correlations with CAVI than serum creatinine, eGFRcre, and UACR (creatinine, ρ = 0.198; S-CysC, ρ = 0.383; UACR, ρ = 0.183; eGFRcre, ρ = -0.302; eGFRcys, ρ = -0.444; P < 0.05 by Fisher's z-test). The receiver operating characteristic curves to distinguish the high-risk patients for CHD revealed significantly larger areas under the curve of S-CysC and eGFRcys than those of serum creatinine, UACR, and eGFRcre (serum creatinine, 0.64; S-CysC, 0.75; UACR, 0.56; eGFRcre, 0.63; eGFRcys, 0.76; P < 0.01). The data suggested that eGFRcys can be more predictive of the 10-year CHD risk than eGFRcre in Japanese patients with obesity and diabetes.

Yearly changes in radiocesium ((137)Cs) contamination, primarily due to the Fukushima accident of March 2011, were observed in the foliar parts of 10 common woody species in Japan (Chamaecyparis obtusa, Cedrus deodara, Pinus densiflora, Cryptomeria japonica, Phyllostachys pubescens, Cinnamomum camphora, Metasequoia glyptostroboides, Prunus × yedoensis, Acer buergerianum, and Aesculus hippocastanum). The samples were obtained from Abiko (approximately 200 km SSW of the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant) during each growing season between 2011 and 2013, and the foliar parts were examined based on their year of expansion and location in each trees. The radiocesium concentrations generally decreased with time; however, the concentrations and rates of decrease varied among species, age of foliar parts, and locations. The radiocesium concentrations in the 2012 current-year foliar parts were 29%-220% of those from 2011, while those from 2013 fell to between 14% and 42% of the 2011 values. The net decontamination in the foliage was higher in evergreen species than in deciduous species. The radiocesium concentrations in the upper foliar parts were higher than those in the lower parts particularly in C. japonica. In addition, the radiocesium concentrations were higher in the current-year foliar parts than in the 1-year-old foliar parts, particularly in 2013. Thus, the influence of the direct deposition of the fallout was reduced with time, and the translocation ability of radiocesium from old to new tissues became more influential. Similar to the behavior of potassium in trees, Cs redistribution probably occurred primarily due to internal nutrient translocation mechanisms., (Copyright © 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: The difference in preferences and trends of treatment in each country are important to plan an international interventional clinical study in eastern Asia. Accordingly, we compared the preferences and trends in treatment of diabetic retinopathy in Korea and Japan., Methods: We obtained answers to questionnaires (49 questions) from 91 ophthalmologists of the Korean Retina Society and 120 ophthalmologists of the Japanese Society of Ophthalmic Diabetology in June/July, 2012. Some of the questions were modified from The Preferences and Trends (PAT) survey of American Society of Retina Specialists., Results: The first choice for a patient with vision of 20/25, clinically significant diabetic macular edema and clear evidence of intraretinal fluid on spectral domain OCT were intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor agent (31%) in Korea and sub-Tenon steroid (22%) in Japan. The management for a patient with refractory neovascular glaucoma who has closed angle and persistent intraocular pressure elevation (>50 mmHg) were glaucoma drainage implant surgery (74%) in Korea and trabeculectomy (57%) in Japan., Conclusion: There were differences in preferences and trends of treatment for diabetic retinopathy between Korea and Japan. The differences need to be considered when planning international clinical studies.

The purposes of this study are to examine documented fetal skeletal remains of Japanese, to measure the basilar part of the occipital bone, and to develop diagnostic standards for estimating fetal age at death which can be applied to poorly preserved skeletons. The sample is composed of 272 Japanese individuals of the early to middle twentieth century, whose ages were recorded in months from gestations of 5 to 11 months. The measurement items used here are the length, breadth, and index of the basilar part. The regression equations of gestational age in months for one or two variables were calculated. The results indicated that it is possible to use the regression equations to estimate the age at death of fetuses directly from the basilar part measurements. Another indicator for estimating age at death from the basilar part is the ratio of the width to the length, which was here expressed as the index of the basilar part. The width exceeded the length at 7 months and the basilar part changed with age from an anteriorly posteriorly long shape to a bilaterally wide one. It is concluded that the basilar part is a good indicator for estimating the fetal age at death.

This paper presents calculated specific absorption rate (SAR) dosimetry in 4 and 8 week Japanese pregnant-woman models exposed to plane waves over the frequency range of 10 MHz-1.5 GHz. Two types of 2 mm spatial-resolution pregnant-woman models comprised a woman model, which is similar to the average-sized Japanese adult female in height and weight, with a cubic (4 week) embryo or spheroidal (8 week) one. The averaged SAR in the embryos exposed to vertically and horizontally polarized plane waves at four kinds of propagation directions are calculated from 10 MHz to 1.5 GHz. The results indicate that the maximum average SAR in the embryos exposed to plane waves is lower than 0.08 W kg(-1) when the incident power density is at the reference level of ICNIRP guideline for general public environment.

Since the diversification of the electromagnetic (EM) environment is spreading, it is essential to estimate the EM energy absorption rate [specific absorption rate (SAR)] of a pregnant woman's body and her fetus under various exposure situations. For example, if pregnant women work in jobs where they might wear business portable radios around their abdomens, they should also be concerned about this issue, because the fetuses are in their abdomens. In this paper, in order to evaluate the SAR in the pregnant woman and her fetus when wearing the wireless radio terminal on her abdomen, the SAR distribution in the fetus is calculated using the numerical model of the pregnant woman by exposed to near-field of a normal mode helical antenna (NHA) with a metallic case at 150 MHz. In addition, the SAR in the fetus will be evaluated under two fetal positions. It was found that the fetal SARs are greatly affected by the distance and penetration path from the antenna to the fetal surface. In addition, the fetal SARs are lower than the RF safety guidelines for occupational exposure.

The Yuigahama Chusei Shudan Bochi site (AD: twelfth to thirteenth centuries), located along the seashore of the southern end of Kamakura City in Japan, and has yielded a mass grave containing hundreds of human crania. The purpose of this study is to document cut marks on crania made by an edged weapon, paying specific attention to individuals who may exhibit scratch marks, and to understand the variability of weapon-related traumas in the medieval period in Japan. The observation leads to tentative findings regarding the identification and interpretation of weapon-related traumas of human skeletal remains. From macroscopic observation, the marks display the sharpness of cut surfaces which are characteristic of unhealed cut marks. Scanning electron microscopic observation of the marks also shows that they are V-shaped in cross-section, a morphological feature that is characteristic of cut marks. This study first demonstrates that the scratches on the crania have morphological features consistent with human-induced cut marks, and that the macroscopic and microscopic approaches provide important information for identifying anthropogenic cut marks on the human skeletal remains from an archaeological site in Japan.

The purpose of this study is to develop new standards to determine the sex of fragmentary human skeletal remains from archaeological sites in Japan. In order to accomplish this, we measured the long-bone circumferences of Japanese skeletons from the medieval period and provided metric diagnosis of sex using discriminant function analysis. We discuss whether the osteometric approach provides the criterion for sex assessment of human skeletal remains. The materials comprised human skeletal remains from the Yuigahama-minami site, Kamakura, Japan. The sample size used in this study was 68 males and 62 females excavated from individual burial graves. The accuracy of sex classification is more than 80% for discriminant functions with only one variable and reaches 90% for those with a combination of multiple variables. The multivariate functions provide better results than the univariate functions. Another improvement in sex diagnosis which this study contributes to is that new standards enabling reliable diagnosis with small numbers of variables are developed from well-preserved parts of the skeletons. This paper provides new standards, focusing on the diaphysial circumferences of limb bones from a medieval population, and will contribute to the advancement of medieval studies of skeletal remains from archaeological sites in Japan.

The development of high-resolution anatomical voxel models of children is difficult given, inter alia, the ethical limitations on subjecting children to medical imaging. We instead used an existing voxel model of a Japanese adult and three-dimensional deformation to develop three voxel models that match the average body proportions of Japanese children at 3, 5 and 7 years old. The adult model was deformed to match the proportions of a child by using the measured dimensions of various body parts of children at 3, 5 and 7 years old and a free-form deformation technique. The three developed models represent average-size Japanese children of the respective ages. They consist of cubic voxels (2 mm on each side) and are segmented into 51 tissues and organs. We calculated the whole-body-averaged specific absorption rates (WBA-SARs) and tissue-averaged SARs for the child models for exposures to plane waves from 30 MHz to 3 GHz; these results were then compared with those for scaled down adult models. We also determined the incident electric-field strength required to produce the exposure equivalent to the ICNIRP basic restriction for general public exposure, i.e., a WBA-SAR of 0.08 W kg(-1).

This paper provides an intercomparison of the HPA male and female models, NORMAN and NAOMI with the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT) male and female models, TARO and HANAKO. The calculations of the whole-body SAR in these four phantoms were performed at the HPA, at NICT and at the Nagoya Institute of Technology (NIT). These were for a plane wave with a vertically aligned electric field incident upon the front of the body from 30 MHz to 3 GHz for isolated conditions. As well as investigating the general differences through this frequency range, particular emphasis was placed on the assumptions of how dielectric properties are assigned to tissues (particularly skin and fat) and the consequence of using different algorithms for calculating SAR at the higher frequencies.

This is a demographic exploration of the city of Edo, which reveals the changes that accompanied its urbanization and analyzes the skeletal remains of 207 individuals from a specific site in Tokyo (Hitotsubashi), using several paleodemographic approaches. A comparison of the three methods employed herein suggests that the Bayesian and maximum likelihood estimation techniques provide more plausible mortality patterns than the direct method of age estimation because the direct method of age estimation relies on published age intervals for the auricular surface and that would account for the underestimation of old people relative to the other two methods. Analyses using these new approaches indicate a short life span tendency for the people of Hitotsubashi. Although we cannot rule out methodological problems of adult-age estimation, one plausible interpretation of that life expectancy is an inadequate food supply and a poor public health situation. This study suggests that, in Tokugawa Japan, urbanization might have imposed health risks, increasing the risk of mortality. Analysis of demographic data from Hitotsubashi has refined our understanding on the impact of urbanization on the Edo period, and presents new perspectives on paleodemography in Japan., ((c) 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.)

The purpose of this study is to obtain demographic data regarding the medieval population buried at the Yuigahama-minami site in Kamakura, Japan, and to detect a secular trend in the life expectancy of Japanese population over the last several thousand years. The Yuigahama-minami skeletal sample consists of 260 individuals, including 98 subadults (under 20 years old) and 162 adults. A Yuigahama-minami abridged life-table analysis yielded a life expectancy at birth (e0) of 24.0 years for both sexes, a life expectancy at age 15 years (e15) of 15.8 years for males, and an e15 of 18.0 years for females. The reliability of the estimated e0 was confirmed by analysis of the juvenility index. Demographic profiles comparing the Yuigahama-minami series with other skeletal series indicated that both the survivorship curve and life expectancy of the Yuigahama-minami sample are similar to those of the Mesolithic-Neolithic Jomon population, but are far lower than those of the early modern Edo population. These comparisons strongly suggest that life expectancy changed little over the thousands of years between the Mesolithic-Neolithic Jomon and medieval periods, but then improved remarkably during the few hundred years between the medieval period and early modern Edo period. The short-lived tendency of the Yuigahama-minami sample does not contradict the archaeological hypothesis of unsanitary living conditions in medieval Kamakura. This is the first investigation to address the demographic features of a medieval population in Japan, and will help refine our understanding of long-term trends in the demographic profiles of inhabitants of Japan., (2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.)

Some of main morphological differences among ancient and modern Japanese are seen in the regions of masticatory apparatus; for example, in temporal line, mandibular notch, angle of mandible, occlusion, and tooth wear. Here I review the secular trend in morphology of masticatory apparatus from the Pleistocene age to the early modern period.

With advances in computer performance, the use of high-resolution voxel models of the entire human body has become more frequent in numerical dosimetries of electromagnetic waves. Using magnetic resonance imaging, we have developed realistic high-resolution whole-body voxel models for Japanese adult males and females of average height and weight. The developed models consist of cubic voxels of 2 mm on each side; the models are segmented into 51 anatomic regions. The adult female model is the first of its kind in the world and both are the first Asian voxel models (representing average Japanese) that enable numerical evaluation of electromagnetic dosimetry at high frequencies of up to 3 GHz. In this paper, we will also describe the basic SAR characteristics of the developed models for the VHF/UHF bands, calculated using the finite-difference time-domain method.

Objective: Hypertriglyceridemia is often associated with impaired fasting glucose (IFG) and diabetes mellitus. But the contribution of hypertriglyceridemia to the development of IFG and diabetes mellitus remains unclear. We evaluated whether or not hypertriglyceridemia is a risk factor for the development of IFG and diabetes mellitus., Methods: From 1990 through 1999, 7, 222 Japanese with normoglycemia at baseline were followed. Fasting plasma glucose levels were measured. IFG and diabetes mellitus were defined by ADA criteria., Result: The multivariate-adjusted relative risks for the development of IFG were 1.38 for hypertriglyceridemia (p=0.001), 1.30 for obesity (p=0.003), 1.29 for hypertension (p=0.007), 1.26 for family history of diabetes (p=0.027), and 1.02 for age (p=0.035). The multivariate-adjusted relative risks for the development of diabetes mellitus were 1.003 for triglyceride level (p=0.013), 1.30 for level of body mass index (p=0.003), and 2.38 for family history of diabetes (p=0.001)., Conclusion: Hypertriglyceridemia is an independent risk factor for the development of IFG and diabetes mellitus in Japanese patients.

The Japan Collaborative Cohort Study for Evaluation of Cancer Risk Sponsored by Monbusho (JACC Study) included in its self-administered questionnaires some single-item questions concerning physical activity. We examined the validity of the questions among 1,730 Japanese adults and the reliability of the questions among 1,075 Japanese adults. The validity of the sports and physical exercise questions was estimated by comparing the self-administered questionnaire responses with the time spent on the activity and the energy expenditure index for the previous 12-month period, elicited by the interviewing method used in the Japan Lifestyle Monitoring Study with a minor modification. The Spearman's rank correlation coefficients ranged from 0.43 to 0.60, showing moderate correlations. On the other hand, test-retest reliability was estimated by comparing the responses from two separate surveys conducted roughly one year apart. Weighted kappa coefficients of sports and physical exercise questions, classified according to sex and age, ranged from 0.39 to 0.56, showing moderate reliability; and those of a question about walking ranged from 0.25 to 0.39, showing fair reliability. We suggest that measuring physical activity level with these single-item questions may be appropriate for establishing baseline data that reflects long-term physical activity in a large-scale cohort study targeting lifestyle-related diseases.