Do social comparisons explain the association between income inequality and health?: Relative deprivation and perceived health among male and female Japanese individuals.

Relative deprivation has been hypothesized as one of the pathways accounting for the link between income inequality and health. We tested this hypothesis in a large national sample of men and women in Japan. Our survey included a probability sample of 22,871 men and 24,243 women aged 25-64, from whom information was gathered on demographic variables, household income, occupation or employment status, and self-rated health.

The effectiveness of early intervention and the factors related to child behavioural problems at age 2: a randomized controlled trial.

Background: The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of early home-based intervention as a community health service and evaluate the influence of both early maternal depression and mother-infant relationships on child behavioral problems at age 2 in a longitudinal setting.

Methods: A randomized controlled trial was conducted in this study. A total of 95 mother-infant pairs were assigned randomly to intervention (48) or control (47) groups.

There are gender differences in attitudes toward surrogacy when information on this technique is provided.

Objective: We analyzed the data of a nationwide opinion survey reported in a previous study and clarified the importance of socioeconomic status and individual belief on people's opinion regarding the pros and cons of gestational surrogacy. In this study, we analyzed the data of this nationwide opinion survey to identify the effect of providing information about assisted reproductive technology (ART) on the people's attitude towards not only gestational surrogacy but also other ART procedures.

Study Design: This was a cross-sectional study.

Factors explaining disability-free life expectancy in Japan: the proportion of older workers, self-reported health status, and the number of public health nurses.

Background: Disability-free life expectancy (DFLE) data for 47 prefectures in Japan were reported in 1999; however, few studies have identified the factors associated with the length of the DFLE. The objective of this study was to elucidate the primary factors that explain differences in DFLEs in Japan.

Methods: In our ecological study, 47 prefectures in Japan were used as units of analysis.

Analysis of national representative opinion surveys concerning gestational surrogacy in Japan.

Objective: Although gestational surrogacy offers several advantages, this procedure has given rise to some ethical and legal issues. We aimed to clarify the factors affecting the attitude of the Japanese toward gestational surrogacy.

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Amplification and overexpression of c-erbB-2, epidermal growth factor receptor, and c-met in biliary tract cancers.

Carcinomas of the biliary tract have a poor prognosis. It is important to understand the molecular genetic characteristics of these tumours in order to employ newer effective treatments and to improve patient prognosis. There is increasing evidence that overexpression of tyrosine kinase growth factor receptors such as ErbB-2, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), and Met may play important roles in the development of biliary tract carcinomas.

Protein overexpression and gene amplification of HER-2 and EGFR in colorectal cancers: an immunohistochemical and fluorescent in situ hybridization study.

Overexpression of HER-2 and the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) has been observed in many cancers, sometimes accompanied by gene amplification. To assess whether novel chemotherapies targeting these overexpressed proteins may be effective for the treatment of colorectal cancers, we examined the exact frequency of HER-2 and EGFR overexpression, the relationship between gene amplification and protein expression, and the heterogeneity of gene amplification within and between primary and metastatic tumors. We evaluated 244 colorectal cancers immunohistochemically.

Multigenerational family structure in Japanese society: impacts on stress and health behaviors among women and men.

Rapid population aging in Japan has led to rising demands for informal care giving. Traditionally, care giving for aging parents has fallen disproportionately on the shoulders of women living in multigenerational households. However, rising labor force participation by Japanese women, declining marriage and fertility rates, and women's changing expectations have combined to produce unprecedented strains on traditional multigenerational households where care giving to elders traditionally takes place.

[Relationships between infant lifestyle and adolescent obesity. The Enzan maternal-and-child health longitudinal study].

Objective: A longitudinal study was analyzed to clarify relationships between infant lifestyle, obesity, features of family life and adolescent obesity.

Subjects And Methods: Subjects in the present study were born between April 1987 and March 1991, in Enzan City, Yamanashi prefecture. Infant height and weight were measured and questionnaires were collected at medical check-ups at 1.

The association of fatty liver and diabetes risk.

We examined whether fatty liver, as diagnosed with abdominal ultrasonography, is an independent risk factor for diabetes mellitus during 10 years of follow-up. A total of 840 subjects (467 men and 373 women) were followed for the entire 10 years. The criteria for being non-diabetic were having no history of diabetes, having a fasting plasma glucose level of less than 110 mg/dl and a serum hemoglobin A1c level of 6.

Musculoskeletal disorders and skin disease among workers in a Japanese CD manufacturing plant.

We investigated the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) and skin disease within a Japanese compact disk (CD) manufacturing plant. For this study, a stratified cross-section of workers completed self-reported questionnaires distributed over a 6-month time period. Low back pain (LBP) was the most commonly reported category (affecting 20.

The relationship between gallbladder disease and smoking and drinking habits in middle-aged Japanese.

Background: Few studies have investigated the association between smoking and ultrasonographically diagnosed gallbladder (GB) disease, and their results were uncertain. This study was conducted to examine the association between smoking and drinking and GB diseases.

Methods: A total of 9,947 subjects (age, 30-69 years; 4,953 men and 4,994 women) voluntarily received a paid medical check-up at our center in Yamanashi Prefecture in Japan.

Polyglutamation of a novel antifolate, MX-68, is not necessary for its anti-arthritic effect.

N-[[4-[(2,4-diaminopteridin-6-yl)methyl]-3,4-dihydro-2H-1,4-benzothiazin-7-yl]-carbonyl]-L-homoglutamic acid (MX-68), a derivative of methotrexate, was chemically designed to resist polyglutamation and to have a high affinity for dihydrofolate reductase, in an attempt to reduce the side effects of methotrexate. We confirmed that MX-68 did not undergo polyglutamation and investigated the pharmacological activities of MX-68 compared with methotrexate. (1) In vitro: MX-68 inhibited the activity of dihydrofolate reductase to the same degree as methotrexate-tetraglutamate.