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Introduction Climate change is the biggest global health threat of the 21st century (1) because it adversely affects lifestyle through food shortages, extreme weather conditions, sea-level rise, and reduced productivity. [...], BACKGROUND: Planetary and human health are highly intertwined; our current food system is associated with high greenhouse gas emissions (GHGE) and burden of disease. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the associations of diet-related GHGE with all-cause and cause-specific mortality in Japan. METHODS: This study included 58,031 Japanese adults (35,078 women and 22,953 men) 40-79 y of age who participated in the Japan Collaborative Cohort Study during the period 1988-1990. Diet-related GHGE was calculated from dietary intake estimated by a validated food frequency questionnaire and previously developed GHGE tables of each food and beverage. Participants were classified into quintiles of diet-related GHGE per kg food/d. Hazard ratios (HRs) of all-cause and cause-specific mortality were calculated using the Cox proportional hazard and restricted cubic spline models. RESULTS: The average diet-related GHGE was 1,522 g-[CO.sub.2]-eq/kg food/d. Over a period of 19.3 y (955,819 person-years) of median follow-up, 11,508 deaths were documented. After adjusting for lifestyle and medical history, in comparison with the fourth quintiles of diet-related GHGE, the first and fifth quintiles were associated with a higher risk of all-cause mortality: multivariable HR of all-cause mortality was 1.11 [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.05, 1.18] and 1.09 (95% CI: 1.03, 1.17) for the lowest and highest GHGE, respectively; those of cardiovascular disease mortality were 1.23 (95% CI: 1.10, 1.38) and 1.22 (95% CI: 1.08, 1.37), respectively. The diet-related GHGE range with the lowest HR of all-cause mortality was 1,400-1,600 g-[CO.sub.2]eq/kg food/d (p for nonlinearity DISCUSSION: Diet-related GHGE was associated with all-cause and cardiovascular disease mortality in a U-shaped fashion. This finding could be useful for creating a policy for sustainable shifts in dietary habits that will benefit the population and environmental health. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP14935

Background: The association between obesity and cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains unclear, particularly for those with established CVD risk factors. We analyzed follow-up data from the Aichi Workers’ Cohort Study. We studied the association between the degree of obesity and risk of CVD and its subtypes specifically among individuals with hypertension, hyper-low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterolemia, or diabetes. Methods: Pooled data of 8972 adults (7076 men and 1896 women) who were recruited between 2002 and 2008 were used in the current analysis. We used multivariable Cox proportional hazard model to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the associations between the degree of obesity assessed with body mass index (BMI) and the risk of CVD and its subtypes, i.e., coronary heart disease (CHD) and stroke. Results: During a median of 12 years, there were 197 CVDs (80 CHDs and 117 strokes). BMI ≥ 27.5 compared to 21.0–22.9 kg/m2 was positively and significantly associated with the risks of CVD, CHD, and total stroke. Hypertension, hyper-LDL-cholesterolemia, and diabetes mediated 15.9%, 5.8%, and 8.7% of obesity-CVD associations, respectively, and 28.3% by their combination. In the stratified analyses by the presence of risk factors, BMI ≥ 25.0 (overweight/obesity) compared to BMI < 25 kg/m2 was associated with a higher risk of CVD in those with and without hypertension, but only with hyper-LDL-cholesterolemia, and without diabetes. Conclusions: Overweight/obesity was associated with the risk of CVD and its subtypes. About 30% of the risk was explained by hypertension, hyper-LDL-cholesterolemia, and diabetes, of which hypertension accounted for approximately the half of the explained risk. However, overweight/obesity increased the risk of CVD even in those without hypertension. These findings highlight the importance of controlling and preventing overweight/obesity regardless of chronic disease status.

Background: Disasters such as earthquakes, terrorism, and pandemics have triggered post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and discrimination against the affected individuals has been linked to the development of PTSD. However, there is limited evidence regarding the association between discrimination against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients and probable PTSD in Japan. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study utilizing a web-based questionnaire targeting individuals who had contracted the severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in Sapporo City. A total of 4,247 individuals with laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection spanning from February 2020 to February 2022 completed the questionnaire (response rate: 15.9%). Probable PTSD was measured using the three-item Posttraumatic Diagnostic Scale. The stratified exact logistic regression was applied to calculate the odds ratios (ORs) of probable PTSD for COVID-19-related discrimination with adjusted factors. Results: This study included 3,626 patients who had a history of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Among them, 321 patients (8.9%) experienced COVID-19-related discrimination. The prevalence of probable PTSD was 19.6% (63/321) among the patients who experienced COVID-19-related discrimination, and 4.6% (152/3,305) among those who had not encountered such discrimination. The adjusted OR of COVID-19-related discrimination for probable PTSD was 4.68 (95% confidence interval [CI], 3.36–6.53). The population attributable fraction of probable PTSD attributable to COVID-19-related discrimination among COVID-19 patients was estimated to be 23.4% (95% CI, 21.5–25.3%). Conclusion: The comprehensive epidemiological survey of COVID-19 patients in Japan showed that COVID-19-related discrimination was associated with a higher prevalence of probable PTSD. Mitigating discrimination could be helpful to attenuate PTSD in future pandemics.

Background: The term “nonrestorative sleep (NRS)” refers to an unrefreshed feeling at wake-up and is a domain of poor sleep quality. Previous research has demonstrated that NRS is linked to a number of diseases and adverse health outcomes, but less is known regarding the link between NRS and diabetes, particularly in Japanese. Methods: We studied 3,665 middle-aged male participants of the Aichi Workers’ Cohort Study who were followed-up from 2002 through 2019. Cox proportional hazards models estimated hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of incident type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in relation to NRS adjusted for potential confounding variables. Results: During a median follow-up of 14.6 years, 421 type 2 diabetes cases were identified. Participants with NRS had a higher crude incidence rate of T2DM (11.2/1,000 person-years), compared to participants without NRS (9.3/1,000 person-years). In the fully adjusted model, individuals who reported having NRS had a significantly higher risk of developing T2DM (HR1.36; 95% CI, 1.10–1.67). The association was observed only in participants under 50 years old (HR 1.82; 95% CI, 1.36–2.43), not in the older (50 years or older) participants (P for interaction = 0.025). In contrast, stratified analyses by the presence of shift work, obesity, or sleep duration showed similar associations in all the strata. Conclusion: NRS was associated with higher risk of T2DM in middle-aged Japanese male workers independent of a variety of lifestyle factors and other sleep problems.

OBJECTIVE: This study examined the longitudinal association of perceived stress, ikigai, and having someone one can count on in middle age with the advanced-level functional competency in older age, which is crucial for the maintenance of independent life among older adults. The issue is especially relevant in super-aged countries like contemporary Japan, where more and more older people live in a household consisting only of older people. METHODS: Data were collected in 2019 from a total of 1692 retirees of the Aichi Workers Cohort Study participants in which baseline survey including psychological factors was conducted during their employment in 2002. Japan Science and Technology Agency Index of Competence (JST-IC) was used to measure the advanced-level functional competency. Multivariable-adjusted odds ratios (ORs) were obtained for having low JST-IC in later life by the degrees of psychological factors reported in the middle age adjusting for the presence of depressive mood in 2019. RESULTS: Those who were not sure about ikigai (OR: 2.02, 95 % CI: 1.33 to 3.08) and who have no one to count on (OR: 2.19, 95 % CI: 1.52 to 3.16) in the middle age were significantly associated with low JST-IC after retirement. Having much stress was significantly inversely associated with a low JST-IC (OR: 0.69, 95 % CI: 0.50 to 0.97). CONCLUSION: Having ikigai and someone reliable, and stress during middle age might play a role in preventing impaired advanced-level functional competency. Improved ikigai and increased social interaction and support might improve functional competency. Further research might explore avenues for improving ikigai.

Background: We prospectively examined the associations of total fat and fatty acid intake with type 2 diabetes (T2D) among Japanese adults. Methods: This study was conducted using data from the Japan Collaborative Cohort Study for Evaluation of Cancer Risk (JACC). A validated food frequency questionnaire evaluated the intake of total fat and fatty acids. Diabetes was assessed using self-reported data. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to calculate the odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of incident T2D across quintiles of total fat and fatty acid intake after adjusting for potential confounders. Results: A total of 19,088 non-diabetic participants (age range, 40–79 years) enrolled in the JACC between 1988 and 1990 were included in this study. During the 5-year study period, 494 the participants developed T2D. The OR of T2D for the highest versus lowest quintiles was 0.58 (95% CI, 0.37–0.90) for total fat, 0.78 (95% CI, 0.51–1.20) for saturated fatty acid (SFA), 0.55 (95% CI, 0.35–0.86) for monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA), 0.61 (95% CI, 0.39–0.96) for polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), 0.64 (95% CI, 0.42–0.99) for n-3 PUFA, and 0.70 (95% CI, 0.45–1.09) for n-6 PUFA. Total fat and fatty acid (except SFA and n-6 PUFA) intake were inversely associated with T2D in men. Total fat and fatty acid intake were not associated with T2D in women. Conclusion: Higher intakes of total fats, MUFA, PUFA, and n-3 PUFA were inversely associated with T2D among Japanese men.

OBJECTIVES This study investigated conventional cardiovascular and lifestyle risk factors affecting mortality from chronic kidney disease as the underlying cause in the general Japanese population. METHODS We conducted an 18.8-year follow-up study of 44,792 men and 61,522 women aged 40-79 from the Japan Collaborative Cohort Study for Evaluation of Cancer Risk between 1986 and 1990. Cox proportional hazard models were used to analyze the association between risk factors and mortality from chronic kidney disease. RESULTS During the follow-up period, 373 participants (185 men and 188 women) died from chronic kidney disease. A body mass index of ≥27.0 kg/m2 (hazard ratio [HR], 2.00; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.19 to 3.36 for men and HR, 1.91; 95% CI, 1.19 to 3.07 for women, compared with 23.0-24.9 kg/m2), a history of hypertension (HR, 2.32; 95% CI, 1.67 to 3.22 for men and HR, 2.01; 95% CI, 1.44 to 2.81 for women) and a history of diabetes mellitus (HR, 5.21; 95% CI, 3.68 to 7.37 for men and HR, 7.10; 95% CI, 4.93 to 10.24 for women) were associated with an increased risk of mortality from chronic kidney disease in both genders. In men, smoking was also associated with an increased risk (HR, 1.91; 95% CI, 1.25 to 2.90), while current drinking (HR, 0.58; 95% CI, 0.34 to 0.98 for

Background: For therapeutic efficacy, molnupiravir and nirmatrelvir-ritonavir must be started to treat patients within 5 days of disease onset to treat patients with novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). However, some patients spend more than 5 days from disease onset before reporting to the Public Health Office. This study aimed to clarify the characteristics of patients with reporting delay. Methods: This study included data from 12,399 patients with COVID-19 who reported to the Public Health Office from March 3rd, 2021 to June 30th, 2021. Patients were stratified into “linked” (n = 7,814) and “unlinked” (n = 4,585) cases depending on whether they were linked to other patients. A long reporting delay was defined as the difference between the onset and reporting dates of 5 days or more. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed using log-binomial regression to identify factors related to long reporting delay, and prevalence ratios with corresponding 95% confidence intervals were calculated. Results: The proportion of long reporting delay was 24.4% (1,904/7,814) and 29.3% (1,344/4,585) in linked and unlinked cases, respectively. Risks of long reporting delay among linked cases were living alone and onset on the day with a higher 7-day daily average confirmed cases or onset on weekends; whereas, risks for unlinked cases were age over 65 years, without occupation, and living alone. Conclusion: Our results suggest the necessity to establish a Public Health Office system that is less susceptible to the rapid increase in the number of patients, promotes educational activities for people with fewer social connections, and improves access to health care.

Aim: This study investigated the association between participation in social activities and incident dementia among physically and socially independent older adults with or without diseases (hypertension and/or diabetes mellitus) in a Japanese age-specific cohort (the NISSIN Project). Methods: We conducted a prospective cohort study of 1,856 Japanese individuals (953 men and 903 women) aged 64/65 years. Information on medical status, demographics, and lifestyle characteristics was collected using a baseline questionnaire and health checkup (2000–2005). Incident dementia were confirmed among these received long-term care certifications using the nationally standardized dementia scale proposed by the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare. A competing risk model was used to calculate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) for dementia incidence. We treated the censored cases of death as competing events. Results: During a median of 16.0 years of follow-up, incident dementia occurred in 332 participants. The presence of diseases and nonparticipation in social activities were associated with a significantly higher risk of incident dementia (HR 1.65; 95 % CI 1.21–2.26) after adjusting for potential confounders compared with participants without diseases and those who participated in social activities. Conclusions: In this age-specific cohort study, participants with diseases and those who did not participate in social activities were more likely to have incident dementia than those without diseases and those who participated in social activities. For older people with hypertension and/or diabetes mellitus, engaging in social activities could be a beneficial strategy for reducing the risk of developing dementia.

Objectives: This study investigated the association between depressive symptoms and the instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) decline among physically and socially independent older people according to being employed or participating in social activities in a Japanese age-specific cohort. Methods: We performed a prospective cohort study including 1,508 (716 men and 792 women) aged 64/65. Depressive symptoms were assessed at baseline (2000–2005). The change in IADL status was ascertained in the secondary survey when the participants reached 70 years of age. Multivariable odds ratios (ORs) and confidence intervals (CIs) of depressive symptoms for IADL decline were calculated using a logistic regression model adjusted for enroll year, sex, employment status, marital status, education, smoking status, alcohol consumption status, body mass index, walking status, daily sleep duration, and medical histories of cancer, cardio-cerebrovascular diseases, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus. We also formally tested for potential interaction effects by employment and participation in social activities. Results: The OR of the presence of depressive symptoms and not employed was 3.25 (95% CI 1.57–6.75), compared to participants without depressive symptoms and employed, after adjusting for potential confounders. Compared to participants without depressive symptoms and with a high frequency of participation in social activities, participants with depressive symptoms and a low frequency of participation in social activities were associated with IADL decline (OR 2.45; 95% CI 1.23–4.90). However, we observed no evidence of an interaction effect by employment and participation in social activities. Conclusions: This age-specific cohort study revealed that being employed or participating in social activities may prevent IADL decline among depressed older adults.

Abstract Background Evidence suggests a possible link between diabetes and gastric cancer risk, but the findings remain inconclusive, with limited studies in the Asian population. We aimed to assess the impact of diabetes and diabetes duration on the development of gastric cancer overall, by anatomical and histological subtypes. Methods A pooled analysis was conducted using 12 prospective studies included in the Asia Cohort Consortium. Among 558 981 participants (median age 52), after a median follow‐up of 14.9 years and 10.5 years, 8556 incident primary gastric cancers and 8058 gastric cancer deaths occurred, respectively. Cox proportional hazard regression models were used to estimate study‐specific hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) and pooled using random‐effects meta‐analyses. Results Diabetes was associated with an increased incidence of overall gastric cancer (HR 1.15, 95% CI 1.06–1.25). The risk association did not differ significantly by sex (women vs men: HR 1.31, 95% CI 1.07–1.60 vs 1.12, 1.01–1.23), anatomical subsites (noncardia vs cardia: 1.14, 1.02–1.28 vs 1.17, 0.77–1.78) and histological subtypes (intestinal vs diffuse: 1.22, 1.02–1.46 vs 1.00, 0.62–1.61). Gastric cancer risk increased significantly during the first decade following diabetes diagnosis (HR 4.70, 95% CI 3.77–5.86), and decreased with time (nonlinear p

Background: The neurological prognosis of asphyxia is poor and the effect of advanced airway management (AAM) in the prehospital setting remains unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the association between AAM with adrenaline injection and prognosis in adult patients with asystole asphyxia out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). Methods: This study assessed all-Japan Utstein cohort registry data between January 1, 2013 and December 31, 2019. We used propensity score matching analyses before logistic regression analysis to evaluate the effect of AAM on favorable neurological outcome. Results: There were 879,057 OHCA cases, including 70,299 cases of asphyxia OHCAs. We extracted the data of 13,642 cases provided with adrenaline injection by emergency medical service. We divided 7,945 asphyxia OHCA cases in asystole into 5,592 and 2,353 with and without AAM, respectively. After 1:1 propensity score matching, 2,338 asphyxia OHCA cases with AAM were matched with 2,338 cases without AAM. Favorable neurological outcome was not significantly different between the AAM and no AAM groups (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 1.1; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.5–2.5). However, the return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) (adjusted OR 1.7; 95% CI, 1.5–1.9) and 1-month survival (adjusted OR 1.5; 95% CI, 1.1–1.9) were improved in the AAM group. Conclusion: AAM with adrenaline injection for patients with asphyxia OHCA in asystole was associated with improved ROSC and 1-month survival rate but showed no differences in neurologically favorable outcome. Further prospective studies may comprehensively evaluate the effect of AAM for patients with asphyxia.

The relationship between participation in extracurricular school club activities in adolescence and subsequent depressive state experiences in adulthood, after joining the workforce, is unclear. The present study aimed to explore this relationship in new recruits of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF). In April 2013, 925 recruits of the JGSDF, all of whom were male and aged 18–27 years, were enrolled. Club activity status during high school was categorized as follows: participated in sports club, participated in nonsport club, or no club participation. Depressive symptoms were assessed with the 20-item version of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), at the baseline survey and a second survey conducted 2 months later, in June 2013. Analysis of covariance was used for association between club activity status and changes in CES-D scores. After a 2-month period, results showed a significantly higher average of CES-D score changes for participants in nonsport club activities (β = 3.90, 95% confidence interval = 2.22–6.71) or those with no club activities (β = 2.24, 95% confidence interval = 0.20–2.94), compared to those who participated in a sports club. These findings were adjusted for age, baseline CES-D score, regular exercise, smoking status, alcohol consumption, sleep duration, and breakfast habits. Recruits without a history of sports club participation may be at higher risk of developing depressive symptoms than those who participated in a sports club. Our results may be useful for the early detection of people who are susceptible to depression engaged in occupations such as the JDSF.

Background: Although cigarette smoking is an established risk factor for bladder cancer, assessment of smoking impact on bladder cancer in Asian populations has been hindered by few cohort studies conducted in Asian populations. Therefore, we investigated the risk of bladder cancer associated with smoking status, cumulative smoking intensity, and smoking cessation in Japan. Methods: We analyzed data for 157,295 men and 183,202 women in 10 population-based cohort studies in Japan. The risk associated with smoking behaviors was estimated using Cox regression models within each study, and pooled hazard ratios (HRs) and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the incidence of bladder cancer were calculated. Results: During 4,729,073 person-years of follow-up, 936 men and 325 women developed bladder cancer. In men, former smokers (HR 1.47; 95% CI, 1.18–1.82) and current smokers (HR 1.96; 95% CI, 1.62–2.38) had higher risk than never smokers. In women, current smokers had higher risk than never smokers (HR 2.35; 95% CI, 1.67–3.32). HRs in men linearly increased with increasing pack-years. Risk decreased with increasing years of smoking cessation in men, with a significant dose-response trend. Former smokers with a duration of more than 10 years after smoking cessation had no significantly increased risk compared with never smokers (HR 1.26; 95% CI, 0.97–1.63). Conclusion: Data from a pooled analysis of 10 population-based cohort studies in Japan clearly show an association between cigarette smoking and bladder cancer risk. The risk of smokers may approximate that of never smokers following cessation for many years.

Background: Little is known about the impacts of sleep duration and daytime napping on the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Methods: In this study, 20,318 participants (7,597 men, 12,721 women) aged 40–79 years without a history of T2DM, stroke, coronary heart disease, or cancer at baseline (1988–1990), completed the baseline survey and the 5-year follow-up questionnaires, which included average sleep duration, napping habits, and self-reports of physician-diagnosed diabetes. The multivariable odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using a logistic regression model. Results: During the 5-year follow-up, 531 new cases of T2DM (266 men and 265 women) were documented. Sleep duration ≥10 hours was associated with higher risk of T2DM compared to sleep duration of 7 hours (OR 1.99; 95% CI, 1.28–3.08). The excess risk was observed for both sexes and primarily found among the non-overweight; the multivariable ORs of sleeping ≥10 hours compared to 7 hours were 2.05 (95% CI, 1.26–3.35) for the non-overweight (BMI

Background: Limited reports from prospective human studies investigated the possible role of vitamin K in the development of lung cancer although vitamin K’s anticarcinogenic activities were verified from several in vitro and in vivo studies. We investigated the associations between total vitamin K intake from food and the development of lung cancer based on this large prospective cohort study. Methods: A validated food frequency questionnaire was used to examine vitamin K intake among 42,166 (16,341 men and 25,825 women) at the Japan Collaborative Cohort Study’s baseline (1988–1990). Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of incident lung cancer were calculated using the Cox proportional hazard regression method based on vitamin K consumption quartiles. Results: 430 cases (308 males and 122 women) of lung cancer were documented during a total of 564,127 person-years of follow-up (median follow-up, 14.6 years). Vitamin K consumption was shown to be inversely related to lung cancer risk; the multivariable hazard ratio [HR] for the highest versus lowest quartiles was 0.67 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.46–0.96; P for trend = 0.010). This relationship appears to be stronger in males (HR 0.62; 95% CI, 0.40–0.96; P for trend = 0.016) than in females (HR 0.82; 95% CI, 0.42–1.61; P for trend = 0.39) (P for interaction = 0.012), and in ever smokers (HR 0.57; 95% CI, 0.36–0.91; P for trend = 0.006) than in never smokers (HR 0.79; 95% CI, 0.40–1.55; P for trend = 0.37) (P for interaction = 0.30). The individuals’ age, body mass index, or alcohol consumption status had no effect on the observed connection. Conclusion: Vitamin K consumption reduces the risk of lung cancer. More research is needed to clarify the molecular processes behind this connection.

Introduction Fat plays an important role in brain function; 60% of the brain’s dry weight is fat. Among fats, omega-3 fatty acids, which are long-chain fatty acids, have been reported to reduce depressive symptoms. On the other hand, there are few studies on short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), and those that do exist are mostly animal studies, with only a few human studies (about 100 cases). This is the first study to examine the association between fecal short-chain fatty acids and depressive symptoms on a large scale in the general population. Objectives We examined the association of fecal SCFAs with depressive symptoms. In addition, we analyzed the associations stratified by age and examined differences in the associations. Methods This study was conducted using data from the Dynamics of Lifestyle and Neighborhood Community on Health Study (DOSANCO Health Study). The target population was all residents of the city of Suttu, Hokkaido, Japan, excluding residents of special nursing homes (n=2638). 579 individuals (22% of the target population) aged 18 years and older who were able to measure fecal SCFA participated in this study with written informed consent. Approval was obtained from the Ethics Committee of Hokkaido University School of Medicine (15-002 and 15-045). Fecal SCFA was measured by high-performance liquid chromatography. We examined the association of fecal concentrations of SCFA subtypes (i.e., acetate, butyrate, and propionate) and total SCFA concentrations (mg/g wet weight as a continuous variable) with total Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) scores using multiple regression analysis. We adjusted for age, sex, habitual exercise, total energy intake, and total dietary fiber intake. We performed additional multiple regression analyses with stratification by age group (18-59 years and 60 years or older). Two-tailed tests were used for all analyses with a significance level of P < 0.05. Results The mean age (standard deviation) of the study participants (n=534) was 58.3 (16.0) years. Among them, 48% were 18-59 years old and 54% were female. Fecal propionate concentration was significantly associated with total PHQ-9 score (beta=0.62, p

One effective measure to achieve carbon neutrality is to shift away from coal. Wet torrefied biomass (WTB) can be the promising solid biofuels to replace coal, when high moisture content biomass is used as feedstock. To utilize WTB for industrial use, WTB with predetermined energy properties such as higher heating value (HHV) and solid mass yield (SMY) has to be produced to meet the requirement in coal-fired power plants and industrial boilers. In this study, the analytical approach to estimate SMY and HHV of WTB for given wet torrefaction (WT) process parameters, temperature and residence time is investigated for Japanese cedar and rice straw. The Van Krevelen diagram shows that dehydration is considered as a main reaction of WTB, which is the same result as the previous studies on dry torrefied biomass (DTB). HHVs of WTB as well as DTB are well correlated with its SMY, and the experimental correlations of HHV are proposed as a function of SMY. The difference in HHV of rice straw between WTB and DTB and the difference in HHV between Japanese cedar and rice straw are closely related to the difference in ash content and the ash removal effect in WT process. The WT reaction based on volatile release is modeled as the single reaction with only one reaction rate constant of volatiles evolved. It is found that the solid-state reaction function codes F12 and D1 are the most suitable for Japanese cedar and rice straw, and kinetic parameters in WT process are determined. The estimation method of SMY and HHV is proposed based on the WT kinetic model and the HHV experimental correlation. It is found that the WT temperature and residence time to produce WTB with predetermined SMY and HHV can be provided by the proposed estimation method within an accuracy of about 10%.

Several months after the COVID-19 pandemic began, patients coined the term long COVID to describe the fluctuated, progressive, persistent, and multiphasic symptoms caused by SARS-CoV-2 infection (1). This patient-derived notion [...]

ABSTRACTSleep is essential for our health. Short sleep is known to increase disease risks via imbalance of intestinal microbiota, dysbiosis. However, mechanisms by which short sleep induces dysbiosis remain unknown. Small intestinal Paneth cell regulates the intestinal microbiota by secreting antimicrobial peptides including α-defensin, human defensin 5 (HD5). Disruption of circadian rhythm mediating sleep-wake cycle induces Paneth cell failure. We aim to clarify effects of short sleep on HD5 secretion and the intestinal microbiota. Fecal samples and self-reported sleep time were obtained from 35 healthy middle-aged Japanese (41 to 60-year-old). Shorter sleep time was associated with lower fecal HD5 concentration (r = 0.354, p = 0.037), lower centered log ratio (CLR)-transformed abundance of short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) producers in the intestinal microbiota such as [Ruminococcus] gnavus group (r = 0.504, p = 0.002) and Butyricicoccus (r = 0.484, p = 0.003), and lower fecal SCFA concentration. Furthermore, fecal HD5 positively correlated with the abundance of these genera and SCFA concentration. These findings suggest that short sleep relates to disturbance of the intestinal microbiota via decreased HD5 secretion.