Analysis of perfluoroalkyl carboxylates and perfluoroalkyl sulfonates in environmental water by in-port arylation gas chromatography-electron impact ionization-mass spectrometry.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are persistent environmental pollutants that have been used for various purposes. Although PFAS can pollute the environment in a variety of areas related to the use, storage, and disposal of their products, there are insufficient data on the extent of PFAS pollution outside industrialized countries with their manufacturing facilities. Most of the analyses depend on high-cost liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

Local environment perceived in daily life and urban green and blue space visits: Uncovering key factors for different age groups to access ecosystem services.

Inequality in access to green and blue spaces is a major issue in the field of environmental justice. Various factors significantly influence visitations to these spaces, including residential, commuting, and shopping areas. However, studies have mainly focused on residential environments.

Diversity, composition and potential roles of sedimentary microbial communities in different coastal substrates around subtropical Okinawa Island, Japan.

Background: Marine benthic prokaryotic communities play crucial roles in material recycling within coastal environments, including coral reefs. Coastal sedimentary microbiomes are particularly important as potential reservoirs of symbiotic, beneficial, and pathogenic bacteria in coral reef environments, and therefore presumably play a core role in local ecosystem functioning. However, there is a lack of studies comparing different environments with multiple sites on the island scale, particularly studies focusing on prokaryotic communities, as previous investigations have focused mainly on a single site or on specific environmental conditions.

Insights into the Structural Basis of Amyloid Resistance Provided by Cryo-EM Structures of AApoAII Amyloid Fibrils.

Amyloid resistance is the inability or the reduced susceptibility of an organism to develop amyloidosis. In this study we have analysed the molecular basis of the resistance to systemic AApoAII amyloidosis, which arises from the formation of amyloid fibrils from apolipoprotein A-II (ApoA-II). The disease affects humans and animals, including SAMR1C mice that express the C allele of ApoA-II protein, whereas other mouse strains are resistant to development of amyloidosis due to the expression of other ApoA-II alleles, such as ApoA-IIF.

Maximin principle, emotional aversion, and integrative judgment in the NIMBY context, including social dilemma and moral dilemma: The roles of the amygdala, angular gyrus, and ventromedial prefrontal cortex.

Public facilities that have NIMBY (not in my backyard) structure involve both a social dilemma, in which individuals' decisions to prevent the worst outcomes for themselves undermine the public interest, and a moral dilemma focused on the majority versus the minority. This study examined the cognitive-neural processes in judging whether to prioritize the site residents or the citizenry as a whole within the context of NIMBY. Our ROIs were the right angular gyrus being related to concern about the worst possible outcomes for others and oneself, the amygdala associating with emotional aversion to prioritizing the majority, and the vmPFC, which integrates the aversion into "all things considered" judgments.

Challenges faced by nurses engaged in rheumatology care in Japan.

Objectives: This study aimed to identify the challenges faced by nurses engaged in rheumatology care in Japan.

Methods: We conducted a questionnaire survey of nurses in Japan in 2020 on challenges experienced in rheumatology care. The participants were nurses certified by the Japan Rheumatism Foundation.

Incidence and In-Hospital Mortality of Acute Myocardial Infarction: A Report from a Population-Based Registry in Japan.

Aim: To investigate the incidence and in-hospital mortality of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) by conforming to the Universal Definition of Myocardial Infarction (UDMI) in a population-based registry.

Methods: The Shiga Stroke and Heart Attack Registry is a multicenter, population-based registry in the Shiga Prefecture, designed to evaluate the incidence and prognosis of acute cerebro-cardiovascular diseases. We registered patients with AMI as defined by the UDMI, who developed AMI from January 2014 to December 2015 in the Shiga Prefecture.

Water balance in Japanese male kendo college athletes during training: a pilot study assessing seasonal differences with adjusted energy expenditure.

Background: Due to various factors, water balance may vary across seasons. These effects may be particularly prominent in athletes and dependent upon energy expenditure during training.

Methods: Japanese male kendo college athletes participated in this study during their training sessions.

How has the COVID-19 pandemic influenced nursing students' academic experience and career choices? A qualitative descriptive analysis.

COVID-19 control measures influenced education and training environments and profoundly impacted nursing students' career prospects and academic lives. This study intends to elucidate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on nursing students' academic experience and career choices. A qualitative descriptive study was conducted at a 4-year university in Japan, using semi-structured interviews with 14 nursing students.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of nursing students in Japan: a cross-sectional study.

Background: The effect of the prolonged coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic on the mental health of nursing students is unclear. This study assesses the prevalence of anxiety, depression, and insomnia among nursing students in Japan during the pandemic and determines the risk factors associated with such symptoms.

Methods: An online survey-based cross-sectional study was conducted from August 16 to October 16, 2021.

Socioeconomic inequalities in toothbrushing behaviours in young children: a children's lifestyle survey in a representative population of A city, Okinawa prefecture, Japan.

Purpose: We have less understanding of which socioeconomic status (SES) indicators may be reflective of latent socioeconomic inequalities in toothbrushing behaviours, especially finishing-toothbrushing by parents in young children. The aim of this study was to reveal the socioeconomic inequalities in children's toothbrushing and finishing-toothbrushing by parents and if it varies by SES indicators.

Methods: We used data from 'Survey on Children's Life' conducted by A city of Okinawa Prefecture, Japan.

Validity and Reliability of the Japanese Version of the Dyspnea-12 Questionnaire in Patients With Lung Cancer.

Context: The Dyspnea-12 questionnaire is a simple tool to assess dyspnea using qualitative descriptors that include both physical and emotional domains. However, the reliability and validity of the Japanese version in patients with lung cancer have not been assessed.

Objective: To determine the reliability and validity of the Japanese version of the Dyspnea-12 questionnaire in patients with lung cancer.

Daily steps and all-cause mortality: a meta-analysis of 15 international cohorts.

Background: Although 10 000 steps per day is widely promoted to have health benefits, there is little evidence to support this recommendation. We aimed to determine the association between number of steps per day and stepping rate with all-cause mortality.

Methods: In this meta-analysis, we identified studies investigating the effect of daily step count on all-cause mortality in adults (aged ≥18 years), via a previously published systematic review and expert knowledge of the field.

Inter-element miscibility driven stabilization of ordered pseudo-binary alloy.

An infinite number of crystal structures in a multicomponent alloy with a specific atomic ratio can be devised, although only thermodynamically-stable phases can be formed. Here, we experimentally show the first example of a layer-structured pseudo-binary alloy, theoretically called Z3-FePd. This Z3 structure is achieved by adding a small amount of In, which is immiscible with Fe but miscible with Pd and consists of an alternate L1 (CuAu-type)-PdFePd trilayer and Pd-In ordered alloy monolayer along the c axis.

Characteristics of Older People from a Poor Residential Environment in Okinawa, Japan: An Emergency Department-Based Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: Evidence for what diseases occur more commonly in older people from a poor residential environment (PRE) is limited.

Objective: We investigated characteristics, especially the underlying reason (disease) for visiting an emergency department (ED), of older people from a PRE in ED settings.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on people aged ≥65 years who presented to the EDs of 2 hospitals in Okinawa, Japan, between 2015 and 2019.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health of nursing students in Japan: protocol for a cross-sectional study.

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic is spreading globally with a high risk of mortality. It is also significantly affecting mental health. For nursing students, the impact of COVID-19 on mental health is predicted to be significant; however, sufficient data have not been obtained.

Cytologic features of oral squamous cell carcinoma in an Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops aduncus): Papanicolaou stain and immunocytochemistry using liquid-based cytology.

Although oral cytology using Papanicolaou stain is useful for the early detection of oral premalignant lesions and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) in people, little work has been conducted on this topic in veterinary medicine. This paper describes the features of oral cytology using Papanicolaou stain and immunocytochemistry on liquid-based cytology slides in a case of oral SCC in an Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops aduncus). In this case, dysplastic cells with koilocyte-like changes and SCC cells were identified using the Papanicolaou stain.

Determinants of crystal structure transformation of ionic nanocrystals in cation exchange reactions.

Changes in the crystal system of an ionic nanocrystal during a cation exchange reaction are unusual yet remain to be systematically investigated. In this study, chemical synthesis and computational modeling demonstrated that the height of hexagonal-prism roxbyite (CuS) nanocrystals with a distorted hexagonal close-packed sulfide anion (S) sublattice determines the final crystal phase of the cation-exchanged products with Co [wurtzite cobalt sulfide (CoS) with hexagonal close-packed S and/or cobalt pentlandite (CoS) with cubic close-packed S]. Thermodynamic instability of exposed planes drives reconstruction of anion frameworks under mild reaction conditions.

The moderating effect of place attachment on the relationship between economic status and well-being among the older adults in Japan.

IKIGAI is culturally defined as a subjective evaluation of well-being in Japan and is believed to be an important factor in achieving a better life. This study determined the association between economic status and well-being using IKIGAI and the moderating effect of place attachment on their association among 499 older adults people over 65 years of age in Japan. The result of hierarchical multiple regression analysis revealed that lower economic status significantly decreased well-being.

Seroprevalence of Antibodies Against Paracoccidioides Spp. in Captive Dolphins from Three Aquaria in Japan.

The skin disease paracoccidioidomycosis ceti occurs in several dolphin species globally. Infection by the unculturable fungi Paracoccidioides brasilensis or other Paracoccidioides spp. results in chronic cutaneous and granulomatous lesions.

Barriers to end-of-life discussion with advanced cancer patient as perceived by oncologists, certified/specialized nurses in cancer nursing and medical social workers.

Objective: The objectives of this study were to identify barriers to end-of-life discussion with advanced cancer patients and their families as perceived by oncologists, certified/specialized nurses in cancer nursing (hereafter, collectively referred to as 'nurses') and medical social workers, as well as to clarify their opinions about effective strategies to facilitate end-of-life discussion.

Methods: A questionnaire survey was distributed to 4354 medical professionals working at 402 designated regional cancer hospitals in Japan. Responses were obtained from 494 oncologists (valid response rate 30.