Genetics of chilling response at early growth stage in rice: a recessive gene for tolerance and importance of acclimation.

Low-temperature adaptation in rice is mediated by the ability of a genotype to tolerate chilling temperatures. A genetic locus on chromosome 11 was analysed for chilling tolerance at the plumule stage in rice. The tolerant allele of A58, a landrace in Japan, was inherited as a recessive gene (), whereas the susceptible alleles from wild rice () and modern variety () were the dominant genes.

Using patient storytelling to improve medical students' empathy in Japan: a pre-post study.

Background: Empathy for patients is now internationally accepted as one of the competencies of physicians for patient-centered medical practice and an essential component of medical education. Recently, "patient storytelling" has attracted attention in empathy education for medical students to understand patients' experiences, feelings, and perspectives. This study aimed to quantitatively evaluate how patient storytelling enhanced undergraduate medical students' empathy in Japan to the extent that they sustained it for six months.

Readability assessment of vaccine information: A systematic review for addressing vaccine hesitancy.

Objective: Vaccine hesitancy is a problem attracting growing attention and concern. Communication can be an effective tool to counteract vaccine hesitancy and promote optimal vaccine uptake. Readability has been recognized as one of the more important aspects of health communication for achieving good health literacy.

Factors related to self-care drug treatment and medication adherence of elderly people in Japan.

Objectives: The number of home-dwelling elderly people who need drug treatment is increasing with the aging of the population. Elderly people are often suffering from various chronic diseases requiring treatment with multiple drugs, which makes self-care at home difficult. This study focused on medication adherence and aimed to identify the current state of self-care for drug treatment in home-dwelling elderly people and the factors that relate to self-care and medication.

Examining Long-Term Effects of Human Papillomavirus Vaccine Recommendation Messages: A 4-Month Follow-Up Survey of a Randomized Controlled Study in Japan.

We previously conducted a randomized controlled study to examine persuasive messages recommending HPV vaccination to mothers with daughters in Japan. That study showed that the three types of intervention message used (statistical information only, a patient's narrative in addition to statistical information, and a mother's narrative in addition to statistical information) all significantly improved mothers' intention to have their daughter(s) receive the HPV vaccine, in comparison with mothers who received no messaging. The present study is a follow-up survey to assess the long-term effect of the intervention.

Development of a Japanese version of the Advance Care Planning Engagement Survey: Examination of its reliability and validity.

Objectives: The importance of supporting advance care planning (ACP) by healthcare professionals is recognized worldwide, and assessing the outcomes, such as people's understanding and readiness for ACP, using an appropriate instrument is essential. We, therefore, developed a Japanese version of the Advance Care Planning Engagement Survey (ACP Engagement Survey; 15 items, 9 items, and 4 items), an international scale for assessing the progress of the ACP, and examined its validity and reliability.

Methods: The ACP Engagement Survey was translated into Japanese, back-translated, and culturally adapted, and the final version was reviewed by the author of the original version.

Dual-process theories to counter the anti-vaccination movement.

Vaccine hesitancy is a problem attracting growing attention and concern. In this paper, we discuss why anti-vaccination messages are influential and which pro-vaccine messages can be effective to address vaccine hesitancy from the perspective of dual-process theories of cognitive functioning. The functioning of the human brain can be characterized by two different types of cognitive functioning: intuitive System 1, which is evolutionarily old, fast, and automatic; and analytical System 2, which is evolutionarily recent, slow, and deliberative.

Online Japanese-Language Information on Lifestyle Factors Associated With Reduced Fertility: Content Analysis.

Background: Approximately one-third of Japanese couples currently worry or previously worried about infertility. To develop strategies for the primary prevention of infertility as a population approach, it is important for the general population to be knowledgeable about fertility and infertility. The internet may contribute to the dissemination of information regarding infertility and fertility.

Influence of high versus low readability level of written health information on self-efficacy: A randomized controlled study of the processing fluency effect.

We investigated the relationship of processing fluency of written information about exercise to participants' perceived interest, safety, self-efficacy, outcome expectation, and behavioral intention regarding the exercise. We randomly assigned 400 men and women aged 40-69 years to control or intervention conditions. Perceived self-efficacy of performing the exercise in the intervention group (i.

The association between health literacy levels and patient-reported outcomes in Japanese type 2 diabetic patients.

Objectives: The aim of this study is to empirically examine a full pathway model of health literacy, and health and well-being outcomes among patients with type 2 diabetes.

Methods: A three-wave longitudinal survey was administered to 148 patients with diabetes. Covariance structure analysis was conducted to create a path diagram, with health literacy and burden of medical expenses included as independent variables and with psychosocial factors, behaviors, and health and well-being outcomes included as dependent variables.

Reliability and validity of a 12-item medication adherence scale for patients with chronic disease in Japan.

Background: To improve and support medication adherence among patients with chronic diseases, especially for long-term medication, it is important to consider both their relationship with healthcare providers and their lifestyle. We tested the reliability and validity of a modified 12-item Medication Adherence Scale.

Methods: We revised a 14-item measure of medication adherence, created in 2009, to a more concise and clear 12-item version, and we verified the reliability and validity of the 12-item scale.

A Succinate Ether Derivative of Tocotrienol Enhances Dickkopf-1 Gene Expression through Epigenetic Alterations in Malignant Mesothelioma Cells.

Background: Wnt signaling plays an essential role in tumor cell growth, including the development of malignant mesothelioma (MM). Epigenetic silencing of negative Wnt regulators leading to constitutive Wnt signaling has been observed in various cancers and warrants further attention. We have reported that a succinate ether derivative of α-tocotrienol (T3E) has potent cytotoxic effects in MM cells.

Factors associated with deaths in 'Elderly Housing with Care Services' in Japan: a cross-sectional study.

Background: Although the Japanese government has expanded its 'Elderly Housing with Care Services' (EHCS) to ensure sufficient places of death for the elderly, resident deaths have occurred in less than 30% of the facilities. Our purpose was to identify the factors associated with residents' deaths in the EHCS, especially within the areas that are expected to have a large increase in the number of deaths.

Methods: Our cross-sectional study involved all EHCS (N = 412) in Japan's Tokyo, Kanagawa prefecture and used self-administered questionnaire data that the EHCS directors completed.

COMPARISON OF COSMIC-RAY ENVIRONMENTS ON EARTH, MOON, MARS AND IN SPACECRAFT USING PHITS.

Estimation of cosmic-ray doses is of great importance not only in aircrew and astronaut dosimetry but also in evaluation of background radiation exposure to public. We therefore calculated the cosmic-ray doses on Earth, Moon and Mars as well as inside spacecraft, using Particle and Heavy Ion Transport code System PHITS. The same cosmic-ray models and dose conversion coefficients were employed in the calculation to properly compare between the simulation results for different environments.

Cytotoxicity Induced by a Redox-silent Analog of Tocotrienol in Human Mesothelioma H2452 Cell Line via Suppression of Cap-dependent Protein Translation.

De novo synthesis of proteins is regulated by cap-dependent protein translation. Aberrant activation of the translation is a hallmark of many cancer types including malignant mesothelioma (MM). We previously reported that a redox-silent analog of α-tocotrienol, 6-O-carboxypropyl-α-tocotrienol (T3E) induces potent cytotoxicity against human MM cells.