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Kazuhiko Watanabe,1,2 Hisamitsu Omori,3 Ayumi Onoue,3 Kenichi Kubota,4 Minoru Yoshida,4 Takahiko Katoh1 1Department of Public Health, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan; 2Center for Research of the Aging Workforce, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Fukuoka, Japan; 3Department of Laboratory Sciences in Environmental Hygiene and Public Health, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan; 4Japanese Red Cross Kumamoto Health Care Center, Kumamoto, JapanCorrespondence: Hisamitsu Omori, Department of Laboratory Sciences in Environmental Hygiene and Public Health, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, 4-24-1 Kuhonji, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto, 862-0976, Japan, Tel/Fax +81-96-373-5462, Email omorih@gpo.kumamoto-u.ac.jpPurpose: This study aimed to reveal the association between the osteoporosis self-assessment tool for Asians (OSTA) and airflow limitation (AL) in post-menopausal Japanese women.Participants and Methods: This cross-sectional study included 1580 participants undergoing a comprehensive health examination using spirometry and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. The OSTA was calculated by subtracting the age in years from the body weight (BW) in kilograms, and the result was multiplied by 0.2. The OSTA risk level was defined as low (>-1), moderate (− 4 to − 1), or high (

Kazuhiko Watanabe,1 Ayumi Onoue,2 Hisamitsu Omori,2 Kenichi Kubota,3 Minoru Yoshida,3 Takahiko Katoh1 1Department of Public Health, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan; 2Department of Biomedical Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan; 3Japanese Red Cross Kumamoto Health Care Center, Kumamoto, JapanCorrespondence: Hisamitsu OmoriDepartment of Biomedical Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, 4-24-1 Kuhonji, Chuo-ku Kumamoto, 862-0976, JapanTel/Fax +81-96-373-5462Email omorih@gpo.kumamoto-u.ac.jpPurpose: This study aimed to reveal the association between airflow limitation (AL) and carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) according to smoking status in Japan.Subjects and Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed in 2809 subjects, who underwent a comprehensive health examination with pulmonary function tests and carotid ultrasonographic measurement. AL was defined as forced expiratory volume in 1 s/forced vital capacity of < 0.7. The subjects were divided into the following four groups: never smokers without AL, never smokers with AL, former/current smokers without AL, and former/current smokers with AL. Mean IMT, the maximum measurable IMT value in the left and right common carotid arteries (IMT-C max), and mean IMT-C max were measured by carotid ultrasonography. The carotid wall thickness as defined as follows: IMT ≥ 1.1 mm (IMT1.1), IMT-C max ≥ 1.2 mm (IMTc1.2), and IMT-C max > 1.5 mm (IMTc1.5), based on each measured region. The association between AL and the carotid wall thickness according to smoking status was assessed by logistic regression analysis.Results: The mean carotid IMT and mean IMT-C max were significantly higher in never smokers with AL and former/current smokers with or without AL than in never smokers without AL. In logistic regression models adjusted for sex, age, body mass index, hypertension, dyslipidemia, hyperglycemia, physical activity, and alcohol consumption, the risk of carotid wall thickness (IMT1.1 [odds ratio {OR}: 1.55; 95% confidence interval {CI}: 1.07– 2.24]; IMTc1.2 [OR: 1.52; 95% CI: 1.03– 2.24]; IMTc1.5 [OR: 1.99; 95% CI: 1.15– 3.46]) were significantly higher in former/current smokers with AL than in never smokers without AL.Conclusion: The present results suggest that greater IMT and risk of carotid wall thickness were associated with AL and smoking experience.Keywords: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cardiovascular disease, comorbidity, atherosclerosis, airflow limitation, carotid intima-media thickness

Ayumi Onoue,1 Hisamitsu Omori,1 Takahiko Katoh,2 Kenichi Kubota,3 Yoshio Nonami,3 Yasuhiro Ogata,3 Hiromasa Inoue4 1Department of Biomedical Laboratory Sciences, 2Department of Public Health, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, 3Japanese Red Cross Kumamoto Health Care Center, Kumamoto, 4Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima, Japan Background: The aim of this study was to reveal the association between airflow limitation (AL) severity and reduction with work productivity as well as use of sick leave among Japanese workers.Methods: This cross-sectional study included 1,378 workers who underwent a lung function test during a health checkup at the Japanese Red Cross Kumamoto Health Care Center. AL was defined as forced expiratory volume in 1 second/forced vital capacity of

Flexible macromolecule poly (tetrafluoroethylene) (PTFE) has shown its unique capacity for crystallization and molecular orientation, where it forms long extended-chain crystalline whiskers and well orients in its thin films. The study indicates that like laser ablation, synchrotron radiation (SR) can be used to directly etch materials without using any chemicals, offering a simple and versatile method for forming thin films.

A new 40-inch-diagonal color dc plasma display panel (cell pitch:0.65mm, 800x1340 cells) with both a resistor-in-cell structure and a phosphor screen on the side wall and bottom of the cell has been developed through the improvement on the large-area panel fabrication technologies. Stable HDTV picture have been experimentally reproduced on a compact display using the new panel and pulse memory drive circuits. The peak white luminance is 150 cd/[m.sup.2]. The lifetime of the 40-inch panel is expected to be over 30,000 hours, judging from the results obtained using a medium-sized panel under the same conditions.