Relationship between rest-activity rhythms and cardiorespiratory fitness in middle-aged workers: a cross-sectional study with non-parametric analysis using accelerometers worn on the thigh.

BACKGROUND: Rest-activity rhythms are directly related to health risks, but there are limited objective methods to assess them. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between rest-activity rhythms and cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) in middle-aged workers. METHODS: Peak oxygen uptake was measured on a treadmill to assess CRF in 254 middle-aged workers who were divided into low, medium, and high-CRF groups based on tertiles. Participants were asked to wear an accelerometer (activPAL) on their thighs for 1 week, and the logarithmically transformed acceleration data were used for the analysis of a 24-hour rest-activity rhythm. Sex, age, body mass index, occupation, smoking status, and alcohol consumption were used as covariates in Model 1, with Model 2 also including walking count on non-workdays. Repeated measures analysis of variance was used to compare time course of rest-activity rhythms changes on workdays between groups, and post-hoc tests were conducted using Bonferroni's correlation. RESULTS: Higher CRF correlated with increased physical activity. In model 1, higher CRF showed improved interdaily stability, but the significant difference disappeared in model 2 after adjusting for non-workday walking counts. A time-course group comparison showed that the high group had significantly higher activity levels than those of the low group from 6:00 to 8:59 and 17:00 to 17:59 and the medium group from 6:00 to 7:59 and 19:00 to 19:59. CONCLUSIONS: Workers who have better rest-activity rhythms and engage in higher levels of physical activity on workdays tend to have higher CRF levels. Regular daily routines, influenced by physical activity during holidays, can positively impact cardiopulmonary endurance.

Characteristics of long working hours and subsequent psychological and physical responses: JNIOSH cohort study.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to examine the prospective association among objectively measured average working hours (AWHs), frequency of long working hours (FLWHs; defined as ≥205 working hours/month (≥45 hours/week)) for 6 months, and workers' self-reported psychological and physical health. METHODS: The study included 15 143 workers from 5 Japanese companies. We collected monthly attendance records over 6 months before distributing a questionnaire survey on psychological/physical stress responses and work-related demographics. We then evaluated the associations of those attendance records with psychological/physical measures using analysis of covariance adjusted for sex, age, employment, job type, working conditions, work site and experience of emergency state due to COVID-19. RESULTS: Irritability, anxiety and depression were significantly greater at ≥180 hours (≥45 hours/week), and fatigue and lack of vigour were greater at ≥205 hours than those of the normal working-hour group (140-180 hours/month [35-45 hours/week]). Psychological indices increased significantly with FLWH, with ≥3 times for irritability, depression and fatigue; ≥2 times for lack of vigour; and ≥1 time for anxiety when compared with no long working hours. No significant associations were observed between AWH or FLWH and physical stress responses. CONCLUSIONS: Longer AWH was associated with higher levels of psychological stress responses. The effects of FLWH in the past 6 months varied among the psychological stress responses and did not occur for physical complaints. Under circumstances requiring long hours, workers' mental health should be protected through minimising the frequency of long work hours.

Estimation methods to detect changes in cardiorespiratory fitness due to exercise training and subsequent detraining.

PURPOSE: To determine whether estimated maximal oxygen consumption ([Formula: see text]) can detect cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) changes by behavioral modifications. This study compared changes in measured [Formula: see text]O2max (m[Formula: see text]O2max) through exercise intervention with e[Formula: see text]O2max using a multiple regression model (MRM) and linear extrapolation method (LEM). METHODS: A cross-sectional analysis involving 173 adults was conducted to establish an MRM by including age, sex, body mass index, questionnaire score, heart rate (HR) from step test, and m[Formula: see text]O2max. Subsequently, 15 men participated in an intervention experiment comprising an 8-week, high-intensity interval training, followed by 8-week detraining, and completed anthropometric measurements, questionnaires, step tests, and m[Formula: see text]O2max tests. m[Formula: see text]O2max changes throughout the intervention were compared to e[Formula: see text]O2max changes calculated using the MRM and LEM. The LEM used the HR during the step test with constant values (predetermined [Formula: see text]O2), such as the Chester step test. RESULTS: Inclusion of the step test HR in a questionnaire-based MRM improved the estimation power, although the MRM underestimated higher m[Formula: see text]O2max values. In the intervention, m[Formula: see text]O2max increased by 20.0 ± 14.1% (P < 0.01) and subsequently decreased by 9.5 ± 6.6% (P < 0.01) after exercise training and detraining, respectively. Significant method × time interactions were observed between m[Formula: see text]O2max and e[Formula: see text]O2max in the MRM but not in the LEM, i.e., an apparent systematic error (underestimation of high values) of the MRM was absent in the LEM, although the correlation between m[Formula: see text]O2max and e[Formula: see text]O2max using the LEM was moderate. CONCLUSION: e[Formula: see text]O2max, particularly using the MRM with HR as an explanatory factor, is not an appropriate method for detecting CRF changes along with behavioral modifications. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: Registered number, UMIN000041031; Registered date, 2020/07/08; URL, https://center6.umin.ac.jp/cgi-open-bin/ctr_e/ctr_view.cgi?recptno=R000046855.

Prospective changes in sleep problems in response to the daily rest period among Japanese daytime workers: A longitudinal web survey.

The daily rest period (DRP) is the daily inter-work interval and can include a sleep opportunity, leisure time, and other non-work time. A longer DRP may allow workers to increase time in bed (TIB) and adjust sleep timing, and that may reduce sleep problems such as short sleep duration, sleep debt, social jetlag, and poor sleep quality. The present study examined the longitudinal association between the DRP and these sleep problems among Japanese daytime workers. The DRP, TIB on workdays, sleep quality (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index [PSQI]), sleep debt and social jetlag were measured in November 2016 (n = 10,000) and February 2019 (n = 3,098). Of these, 955 permanent daytime workers were divided into five groups based on the change in the DRP duration: shortened ≥2 hr, shortened ≥1 hr, no change (<1 hr), extended ≥1 hr and extended ≥2 hr. Linear mixed-model analysis revealed significant interaction (group × time) effects on the TIB, PSQI score and sleep debt (all p < 0.001), but not on social jetlag (p = 0.476). Post hoc comparisons revealed that the TIB was decreased, and the sleep debt was increased in the shortened ≥2 hr group, whereas the TIB was increased and PSQI score was improved in the extended ≥2 hr group (all p < 0.01). These findings suggest that an extension of the DRP improves sleep quantity and quality but not sleep debt and social jetlag. Aside from extending the DRP, ensuring a sufficient sleep duration and adjusting sleep timing during the DRP may also be needed to prevent sleep problems.

Health problems associated with single, multiple, and the frequency of months of objectively measured long working hours: a cohort study by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, Japan.

PURPOSE: We aimed to examine the prospective associations of monthly working hours measured in a month, the 6-month averaged hours, and the frequency of long working hours (≥ 205 h/month) during the past 6 months with health indicators. METHODS: This study included 6,806 Japanese company workers (response rate = 86.6%). Data on the workers' monthly attendance during the second half of fiscal year 2016 and annual health checkups in fiscal years 2016 and 2017 were collected. We evaluated the association of the above three types of monthly working hours with subsequent health checkup data in fiscal year 2017. We adjusted for the corresponding data in fiscal year 2016. RESULTS: Multivariate logistic regression analyses revealed significant associations between monthly working hours and workers' systolic and diastolic blood pressure as well as aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL), and triglyceride levels. However, the associations were not consistent between months. The average monthly working hours were significantly associated with higher LDL levels for the 220-240 h/mo group (OR: 1.49, 95%CI: 1.07-2.08) and lower triglyceride levels for the < 140 h/mo group (OR: 0.15, 95%CI: 0.03-0.77), compared to the 140-180 h/mo group. The frequency of long working hours was significantly associated with higher LDL levels. CONCLUSIONS: Working hours over several months produced various associations with health indicators compared to those measured in a single month. Our present data suggest that the effects of average or frequency of long working hours during the past 6 months are likely to appear in LDL levels.

Daytime Workers with Longer Daily Rest Periods Have Smaller Sleep Debt and Social Jetlag: A Cross-Sectional Web Survey.

Objectives: The work interval duration between the end of one workday and the start of the following workday is referred to as the daily rest period (DRP). The present study examined whether DRP - a proxy for sleep opportunity between work shifts - is associated with indicators of sleep debt and social jetlag among daytime workers. Methods: We used a web-based survey to gather data on demographics, average DRP in the previous month, time in bed (TIB), bedtime, wake-up time, and sleep timing on workdays and non-workdays. The Japanese daytime workers (n = 3,914) were divided into seven DRP groups (hours) as follows: <11, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, and ≥16. Results: The two-way analyses of covariance (DRP group x day) for TIB, mid-sleep as sleep timing, bedtime, and wake-up time showed significant interactions (all p < .001). Specifically, TIB was significantly shorter, and mid-sleep and wake-up time were significantly earlier on workdays than on non-workdays, across all DRP groups (all p < .001). Additionally, the different values for TIB (sleep debt), sleep timing (social jetlag), bedtime, and wake-up time were calculated by subtracting workdays from non-workdays. The trend analysis showed that workers with longer DRP (sleep opportunity) had smaller differences in TIB, sleep timing, and wake-up time between workdays and non-workdays (all p < .001). Conclusions: Overall, daytime workers reported significant sleep debt and misalignment between work and free sleep-wake periods. However, workers with shorter DRPs (less sleep opportunity between shifts) reported significantly greater amounts of sleep debt and social jetlag than did workers with longer DRPs.

A favorable metabolic profile in metabolically healthy obesity is associated with physical activity level rather than abdominal fat volume in Japanese males.

[Purpose] To determine the potential factors for difference in metabolic profiles between metabolically healthy obesity and metabolically unhealthy obesity, we investigated the difference in abdominal fat volume, metabolic characteristics, and physical activity levels between metabolically healthy obesity and metabolically unhealthy obesity identified with cardiovascular disease risk factors in Japanese males. [Participants and Methods] Of 305 volunteers recruited, 130 obese males (age: 46.9 ± 8.9 years; body mass index: 29.6 ± 3.5 kg/m2) met the criteria for the study. They were divided into two groups; metabolically healthy obesity and metabolically unhealthy obesity according to cardiovascular disease risk factors including low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Abdominal fat volumes were measured using magnetic resonance imaging. Cardiovascular disease risk factors and metabolic characteristics were evaluated by blood pressure and blood parameters. Physical activity levels were measured using an accelerometer. [Results] Despite the fact that metabolically healthy obesity had a more favorable metabolic profile than the metabolically unhealthy obesity, no significant differences in visceral and subcutaneous fat volumes were found between the two groups. Moreover, the metabolically healthy obesity had a significantly greater physical activity expenditure and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity level than the metabolically unhealthy obesity. [Conclusion] A more favorable metabolic profile in metabolically healthy obesity may be associated with physical activity level rather than abdominal fat volumes in Japanese males.

Workers' physical activity data contribute to estimating maximal oxygen consumption: a questionnaire study to concurrently assess workers' sedentary behavior and cardiorespiratory fitness.

BACKGROUND: Sedentary behavior (SB) and cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) are important issues in occupational health. Developing a questionnaire to concurrently assess workers' SB and CRF could fundamentally improve epidemiological research. The Worker's Living Activity-time Questionnaire (WLAQ) was developed previously to assess workers' sitting time. WLAQ can be modified to evaluate workers' CRF if additional physical activity (PA) data such as PA frequency, duration, and intensity are collected. METHODS: A total of 198 working adults (93 women and 105 men; age, 30-60 years) completed anthropometric measurements, a treadmill exercise test for measuring maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max), and modified WLAQ (m-WLAQ, which included questions about PA data additional to the original questions). Multiple regression analyses were performed to develop prediction equations for VO2max. The generated models were cross-validated using the predicted residual error sum of squares method. Among the participants, the data of 97 participants who completed m-WLAQ twice after a 1-week interval were used to calculate intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) for the test-retest reliability analyses. RESULTS: Age (r = - 0.29), sex (r = 0.48), body mass index (BMI, r = - 0.20), total sitting time (r = - 0.15), and PA score (total points for PA data, r = 0.47) were significantly correlated with VO2max. The models that included age, sex, and BMI accounted for 43% of the variance in measured VO2max [standard error of the estimate (SEE) = 5.04 ml·kg- 1·min- 1]. These percentages increased to 59% when the PA score was included in the models (SEE = 4.29 ml·kg- 1·min- 1). Cross-validation analyses demonstrated good stability of the VO2max prediction models, while systematic underestimation and overestimation of VO2max were observed in individuals with high and low fitness, respectively. The ICC of the PA score was 0.87 (0.82-0.91), indicating excellent reliability. CONCLUSIONS: The PA score obtained using m-WLAQ, rather than sitting time, correlated well with measured VO2max. The equation model that included the PA score as well as age, sex, and BMI had a favorable validity for estimating VO2max. Thus, m-WLAQ can be a useful questionnaire to concurrently assess workers' SB and CRF, which makes it a reasonable resource for future epidemiological surveys on occupational health.

Estimating cardiorespiratory fitness from heart rates both during and after stepping exercise: a validated simple and safe procedure for step tests at worksites.

PURPOSE: Step test protocols are typically based on the heart rate (HR) measured either during exercise or during recovery. This study developed a new step test protocol to estimate maximal oxygen consumption ([Formula: see text]) based on HRs measured during and after exercise, assessed the criterion validity of the model, and evaluated the protocol's test-retest reliability. METHODS: The protocol estimates [Formula: see text] from HR measurements made once a minute during 3 min of step exercise and 2 min of recovery. The model was derived using a group of 118 working adults and cross-validated using a second group of 74 working adults. Furthermore, [Formula: see text] was measured using a conventional treadmill test. While multiple regression analyses were used to develop prediction equations for [Formula: see text], intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) were used to examine test-retest reliability. RESULTS: HRs during and after exercise significantly correlated with the measured [Formula: see text]. The highest correlation (r = - 0.61) was for an HR index that combined values of HRs during and after exercise. A model including age, sex, body mass index, and the HR index accounted for 60% of the variance in measured [Formula: see text] (standard error of the estimate, 4.05 mL kg-1 min-1 or 10.5%). Cross-validation analyses demonstrated good stability of the [Formula: see text] prediction models. The ICC for the HR index was 0.65 (0.53-0.74), indicating fair to good reliability. CONCLUSION: The HR index, based on a combination of HR measurements during and after stepping exercise, offers a validated [Formula: see text] estimation procedure suitable for use in the workplace.

Percentage-Method Improves Properties of Workers' Sitting- and Walking-Time Questionnaire.

BACKGROUND: Does asking for the percentage of time spent sitting during work (P-method) instead of asking for the absolute length of time spent sitting (T-method) improve properties of the workers' sitting- and walking-time questionnaire (WSWQ)? The purpose of this study was to investigate whether questioning technique influences test-retest reliability and criterion validity of the WSWQ. METHODS: Sixty-five Japanese workers completed each version of the WSWQ in random order. Both questionnaires assessed quantities of time spent sitting or walking (including standing) during work time, non-working time on a workday, and anytime on a non-workday. Participants wore the thigh-worn inclinometer (activPAL) as criterion measure. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) and Spearman's ρ were used for the analyses. RESULTS: For all three domains, values of reliability and validity with the P-method tended to be higher than with the T-method: ICC values ranged from 0.48-0.85 for the T-method and from 0.71-0.85 for the P-method; Spearman's ρ values ranged from 0.25-0.58 for the T-method and from 0.42-0.65 for the P-method. The validities with both methods on a workday (0.51-0.58 for the T-method and 0.56-0.65 for the P-method) were higher than validities on a non-workday (0.25-0.45 for the T-method and 0.42-0.60 for the P-method). In post-survey interviews, 48 participants (77%) chose the P-method as their preferred questioning style. CONCLUSIONS: The study revealed that the P-method WSWQ had better reliability, validity, and ease of answering than the T-method, suggesting that the P-method can improve properties of the WSWQ and consequently advance the quality of epidemiological surveys in this field.

Contrasting allelic distribution of CO/Hd1 homologues in Miscanthus sinensis from the East Asian mainland and the Japanese archipelago.

The genus Miscanthus is a perennial C4 grass native to eastern Asia and is a promising candidate bioenergy crop for cool temperate areas. Flowering time is a crucial factor governing regional and seasonal adaptation; in addition, it is also a key target trait for extending the vegetative phase to improve biomass potential. Homologues of CONSTANS (CO)/Heading date 1(Hd1) were cloned from Miscanthus sinensis and named MsiHd1. Sequences of MsiHd1 homologues were compared among 24 wild M. sinensis accessions from Japan, 14 from China, and three from South Korea. Two to five MsiHd1 alleles in each accession were identified, suggesting that MsiHd1 consists of at least three loci in the Miscanthus genome. Verifying the open reading frame in MsiHd1, they were classified as putative functional alleles without mutations or non-functional alleles caused by indels. The Neighbor-Joining tree indicated that one of the multiple MsiHd1 loci is a pseudogene locus without any functional alleles. The pseudogene locus was named MsiHd1b, and the other loci were considered to be part of the MsiHd1a multi-locus family. Interestingly, in most Japanese accessions 50% or more of the MsiHd1a alleles were non-functional, whereas accessions from the East Asian mainland harboured only functional alleles. Five novel miniature inverted transposable elements (MITEs) (MsiMITE1-MsiMITE5) were observed in MsiHd1a/b. MsiMITE1, detected in exon 1 of MsiHd1a, was only observed in Japanese accessions and its revertant alleles derived from retransposition were predominantly in Chinese accessions. These differences in MsiHd1a show that the dependency on functional MsiHd1a alleles is different between accessions from the East Asian mainland and Japan.

ADIPOQ polymorphisms are associated with insulin resistance in Japanese women.

Visceral fat accumulation contributes to the development of insulin resistance, leading to metabolic syndrome. Adiponectin provides a link between visceral fat accumulation and insulin resistance. In addition to environmental factors, genetic factors play important roles in visceral fat accumulation and circulating adiponectin levels. Genome-wide association studies (GWASs) have identified genetic variations in the adiponectin, C1Q and collagen domain containing (ADIPOQ) gene that are associated with adiponectin levels. In this study, we investigated whether ADIPOQ single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were associated with visceral fat accumulation and insulin resistance. We measured the visceral fat area (VFA) by computed tomography (CT) and examined the presence of the insulin resistance-related phenotype (fasting plasma glucose, fasting insulin, and homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance [HOMA-IR]) in a set of Japanese individuals (731 men and 864 women) who were genotyped for seven ADIPOQ SNPs reported by recent GWASs (namely, rs6810075, rs10937273, rs1648707, rs864265, rs182052, rs17366568, and rs6773957). SNPs associated with the phenotype (P < 0.05) were then evaluated by association analysis using a second set of the study participants (383 men and 510 women). None of the SNPs was associated with body mass index (BMI) or VFA in men or women. However, the adiponectin-decreasing alleles of rs10937273 and rs1648707 were significantly associated with HOMA-IR (P = 0.0030 and P = 0.00074, respectively) in women, independently of BMI. These SNPs were significantly associated with decreased adiponectin levels in women. Our results suggested that rs10937273 and rs1648707 may affect insulin sensitivity by regulating adiponectin production by adipose tissue in women.

Molecular evidence of the involvement of heat shock protein 90 in brassinosteroid signaling in Arabidopsis T87 cultured cells.

KEY MESSAGE: A closer association of HSP90s with brassinosteroid signaling is suggested by the brassinosteroid-triggered formation of an HSP90-containing macromolecular complex and the direct interaction between HSP90.3 and BES1. ABSTRACT: Heat shock protein 90 (HSP90) is a highly conserved molecular chaperone that is reportedly involved in the proper folding, stabilization, intracellular trafficking, maintenance and degradation of numerous proteins, as well as the facilitation of cellular signaling in various organisms including plants. Brassinosteroids (BRs), a class of unique steroidal hormones, play crucial roles in plant growth and development. The interaction between HSP90 proteins and BR action has been poorly understood. Here, we present molecular evidence suggesting that HSP90 proteins have a function(s) in BR signal transduction. First, blue native/sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis linked immunoblotting demonstrated that a bioactive BR, brassinolide (BL), promotes the formation of some HSP90-containing macromolecular complexes with molecular weight more than 480 kDa in Arabidopsis T87 cultured cells. Second, HSP90.3, one of seven Arabidopsis HSP90 family proteins, was observed to interact in vitro with BRI1-EMS-SUPPRESSOR 1 (BES1), a transcription factor acting in BR signaling. Geldanamycin, an inhibitor of ATPase activity in HSP90, not only diminished HSP90.3 interaction with BES1 in vitro, but also suppressed BL-induced down-regulation of two BR biosynthesis genes, CONSTITUTIVE PHOTHOMORPHOGENESIS AND DWARFISM and DWARF4 in vivo. The results suggest the involvement of the HSP90/BES1 heterocomplexes in BR signaling-mediated feedback control in BR contents. Together, our results provide important clues to elucidate HSP90s' functions in the BR signaling pathway in Arabidopsis.

Low-volume, high-intensity, aerobic interval exercise for sedentary adults: VO2max, cardiac mass, and heart rate recovery.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to compare the effects of low-volume, high-intensity aerobic interval training (HAIT) on maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max), left ventricular (LV) mass, and heart rate recovery (HRR) with high-volume, moderate-intensity continuous aerobic training (CAT) in sedentary adults. METHODS: Twenty-four healthy but sedentary male adults (aged 29.2 ± 7.2 years) participated in an 8-week, 3-day a week, supervised exercise intervention. They were randomly assigned to either HAIT (18 min, 180 kcal per exercise session) or CAT (45 min, 360 kcal). VO2max, LV mass (3T-MRI), and HRR at 1 min (HRR-1) and 2 min (HRR-2) after maximal exercise were measured pre- and post-intervention. RESULTS: Changes in VO2max during the 8-week intervention were significant (P < 0.01) in both groups (HAIT, 8.7 ± 3.2 ml kg(-1) min(-1), 22.4 ± 8.9%; CAT, 5.5 ± 2.8 ml kg(-1) min(-1), 14.7 ± 9.5%), while the VO2max improvement in HAIT was greater (P = 0.02) than in CAT. LV mass in HAIT increased (5.1 ± 8.4 g, 5.7 ± 9.1%, P = 0.05), but not in CAT (0.9 ± 7.8 g, 1.1 ± 8.4%, P = 0.71). While changes in HRR-1 were not significant in either group, change in HRR-2 for HAIT (9.5 ± 6.4 bpm, 19.0 ± 16.0%, P < 0.01) was greater (P = 0.03) than for CAT (1.6 ± 10.9 bpm, 3.9 ± 16.2%, P = 0.42). CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that HAIT has potential as a time-efficient training mode to improve cardiorespiratory capacity and autonomic nervous system function in sedentary adults.

NUDT3 rs206936 is associated with body mass index in obese Japanese women.

The predominant risk factor of metabolic syndrome is intra-abdominal fat accumulation, which is determined by waist circumference, waist-hip ratio measurements and visceral fat area (VFA); the latter can be accurately measured by performing computed tomography (CT). In addition to environmental factors, genetic factors play an important role in obesity and fat distribution. New genetic loci associated with body mass index (BMI) and adiposity have been identified by genome-wide association studies (GWASs). This study utilized CT to investigate whether single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that confer susceptibility to higher BMI are associated with VFA, subcutaneous fat area (SFA), and the ratio of VFA to SFA (V/S ratio). We measured the VFA and SFA of 1424 obese Japanese subjects (BMI ≥ 25 kg/m(2), 635 men and 789 women) who were genotyped for 13 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) reported by recent GWASs, namely, TNNI3K rs1514175, PTBP2 rs1555543, ADCY3 rs713586, IRS1 rs2943650, POC5 rs2112347, NUDT3 rs206936, LINGO2 rs10968576, STK33 rs4929949, MTIF3 rs4771122, SPRY2 rs534870, MAP2K5 rs2241423, QPCTL rs2287019, and ZC3H4 rs3810291. The G-allele of NUDT3 rs206936 was significantly associated with increased BMI (P = 5.3 × 10(-5)) and SFA (P = 0.00039) in the obese Japanese women. After adjustment with BMI, the association between rs206936 and SFA was not observed. This significant association was not observed in the men. The other SNPs analyzed were not significantly associated with BMI, VFA, SFA, or V/S ratio. Our results suggest that NUDT3 rs206936 is associated with BMI in Japanese women.

Association of sitting time and cardiorespiratory fitness with cardiovascular disease risk and healthcare costs among office workers.

Evidence of the impact of domain-specific sitting time (ST) and cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) on cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk is currently limited. This study aimed to examine the associations between CRF and domain-specific STs in relation to CVD risk and annual healthcare costs among office workers. This cross-sectional study included 1,749 workers from an insurance company. The Worker's Living Activity-time Questionnaire was used to measure the domain-specific STs, including occupational ST and non-working day ST. Additionally, estimated maximal oxygen uptake as the CRF data was calculated using a validated equation: 59.96 - 0.23 × age + 7.39 × sex - 0.79 × body mass index + 0.33 × physical activity score. The company provided medical checkup results for CVD risk factors and healthcare costs. Multiple logistic regression analyses were used to calculate the odds ratios (ORs) for CVD risk. Significantly lower ORs for CVD risk were seen only with high CRF levels, and it was also associated with low annual healthcare costs. There were no associations between domain-specific STs and annual healthcare costs. Further explorations of domain-specific STs, physical activity, and health risks are warranted, and guidelines should focus on increasing CRF to prevent CVD risk among office workers.

Mediating and Moderating Effects of Psychological Detachment on the Association Between Stressors and Depression: A Longitudinal Study of Japanese Workers.

OBJECTIVES: This study examines the mediating and moderating effects of psychological detachment (PD) based on the stressor-detachment model in the long term. METHODS: Two waves of Web-based surveys, 28 months apart, yielded 3556 responses from Japanese workers. Comparisons between models that included mediating and moderating effects of PD and reverse direction mediating effects (strain → PD → stressor) were made by structural equation modeling. Differences in depression as a strain between combinations of high and low stressors and PD were also examined. RESULTS: The best-fitting model was the moderation/reciprocal partial-mediation model. The effect of PD was significant in the group with stable or decreasing stressor. CONCLUSION: According to the worker's level of stressors, PD, and depression, targeted interventions may effectively prevent physical and mental health problems caused by chronic stress.

Association between type 2 diabetes genetic susceptibility loci and visceral and subcutaneous fat area as determined by computed tomography.

Visceral fat accumulation has an important role in the development of several metabolic disorders, such as type 2 diabetes, dyslipidemia and hypertension. New genetic loci that contribute to the development of type 2 diabetes have been identified by genome-wide association studies. To examine the association of type 2 diabetes susceptibility loci and visceral fat accumulation, we genotyped 1279 Japanese subjects (556 men and 723 women), who underwent computed tomography for measurements of visceral fat area (VFA) and subcutaneous fat area (SFA) for the following single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs): NOTCH2 rs10923931, THADA rs7578597, PPARG rs1801282, ADAMTS9 rs4607103, IGF2BP2 rs1470579, VEGFA rs9472138, JAZF1 rs864745, CDKN2A/CDKN2B rs564398 and rs10811661, HHEX rs1111875 and rs5015480, TCF7L2 rs7901695, KCNQ1 rs2237892, KCNJ11 rs5215 and rs5219, EXT2 rs1113132, rs11037909, and rs3740878, MTNR1B rs10830963, DCD rs1153188, TSPAN8/LGR5 rs7961581, and FTO rs8050136 and rs9939609. None of the above SNPs were significantly associated with VFA. The FTO rs8050136 and rs9939609 risk alleles exhibited significant associations with body mass index (BMI; P=0.00088 and P=0.0010, respectively) and SFA (P=0.00013 and P=0.00017, respectively). No other SNPs were significantly associated with BMI or SFA. Our results suggest that two SNPs in the FTO gene are associated with subcutaneous fat accumulation. The contributions of other SNPs are inconclusive because of a limitation of the sample power.

Genetic variations in the CYP17A1 and NT5C2 genes are associated with a reduction in visceral and subcutaneous fat areas in Japanese women.

Visceral fat accumulation has an important role in increasing the morbidity and mortality rates, by increasing the risk of developing several metabolic disorders, such as type 2 diabetes, dyslipidemia and hypertension. New genetic loci that are associated with increased systolic and diastolic blood pressures have been identified by genome-wide association studies in Caucasian populations. This study investigates whether single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that confer susceptibility to high blood pressure are also associated with visceral fat obesity. We genotyped 1279 Japanese subjects (556 men and 723 women) who underwent computed tomography for measuring the visceral fat area (VFA) and subcutaneous fat area (SFA) at the following SNPs: FGF5 rs16998073, CACNB2 rs11014166, C10orf107 rs1530440, CYP17A1 rs1004467, NT5C2 rs11191548, PLEKHA7 rs381815, ATP2B1 rs2681472 and rs2681492, ARID3B rs6495112, CSK rs1378942, PLCD3 rs12946454, and ZNF652 rs16948048. In an additive model, risk alleles of the CYP17A1 rs1004467 and NT5C2 rs11191548 were found to be significantly associated with reduced SFA (P=0.00011 and 0.0016, respectively). When the analysis was performed separately in men and women, significant associations of rs1004467 (additive model) and rs11191548 (recessive model) with reduced VFA (P=0.0018 and 0.0022, respectively) and SFA (P=0.00039 and 0.00059, respectively) were observed in women, but not in men. Our results suggest that polymorphisms in the CYP17A1 and NT5C2 genes influence a reduction in both visceral and subcutaneous fat mass in Japanese women.

Visceral adipose tissue volume estimated at imaging sites 5-6 cm above L4-L5 is optimal for predicting cardiovascular risk factors in obese Japanese men.

The association between visceral adipose tissue (VAT) with cardiovascular disease (CVD) has been clearly demonstrated. Although typical VAT area at 4th and 5th lumbar vertebrae (L4-L5) is used to approximate VAT volume, growing evidence has suggested that this measurement site may not be ideal. However, these findings for Asian people remain unclear. Thus, we searched for the better VAT measurement sites associated with CVD risk factors in obese, Japanese men. Eighty-two obese men were included in a cross-sectional study. Among these participants, 37 men completed the 12-week intervention (90 min and 3 d/week) were used for addressing longitudinal association between the VAT measurement sites and CVD risk factors. Consecutive MRI images (from 3 cm below L4-L5 to 20 cm above L4-L5) were used to explore the relationship between each VAT area and CVD risk factors (total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, triglycerides, glucose, insulin and blood pressure). The images located only 5-9 cm above L4-L5 had significant correlations with HDL cholesterol and triglycerides, but L4-L5 site did not in the cross-sectional analysis. In response to exercise, the image located 5 cm above L4-L5 showed the highest correlations with changes in total cholesterol (r = 0.46) and glucose (r = 0.36). Also, the image located 6 cm above L4-L5 showed highest correlations with changes in triglycerides (r = 0.37) and insulin (r = 0.37). Thus, the range of VAT images located 5-6 cm above L4-L5 may be optimal for identifying CVD risk factors compared to a typical site of L4-L5.