Isolation of Fluorescent Benzoxazines with Neuroprotective Activity from the Olive Weevil Pimelocerus perforatus.

The weevil Pimelocerus perforatus poses a serious pest problem for olive cultivation in Japan. Two new racemic fluorescent benzoxazines, designated as pimeforazine A ((±)-1) and pimeforazine B ((±)-2), were successfully isolated from P. perforatus. Their structures, including the absolute configurations of their resolved enantiomers, were determined using spectroscopic methods, single-crystal X-ray diffraction, and electronic circular dichroism calculations. The neuroprotective activity of the isolated compounds was evaluated against hydrogen peroxide-induced cellular damage in SH-SY5Y human neuroblastoma cells. Compounds (±)-1 and (±)-2 exhibited neuroprotective effects.

Factors related to a sense of security with medical and long-term care services among community-dwelling middle-aged and older adults in Japan.

AIM: The aim of this study was to identify factors related to a sense of security with regard to medical and long-term care services among middle-aged and older adults. These are for consideration of strategies for the establishment of a community-based integrated care system. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in 2400 men and women aged ≥40 years in two cities. Survey items included a scale for sense of security for medical and long-term care, experience of medical and long-term care services, and social and demographic factors. Data were analyzed using univariate and multiple regression analyses. RESULTS: In total, 945 respondents were included in the analysis. In multiple regression analysis, sense of security was significantly higher with ability to consult with medical professionals on medical and long-term care, availability of emotional and instrumental support, norm of reciprocity in the community, community attachment, economic comfort, higher age and male gender, and significantly lower with experience of bereavement at a hospital and depression. CONCLUSIONS: These findings stress the importance of facilitating consultation with medical professionals, support for caregivers of terminally ill patients, and mutual support in the community in a community-based integrated care system. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2022; 22: 568-574.

Factors Related to End-of-Life Care Discussions Among Community-Dwelling People in Japan.

CONTEXT: End-of-life discussions regarding healthcare preferences are important to ensure a dignified end of life. OBJECTIVES: This study clarifies the factors associated with such discussions among community-dwelling people in Japan. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional survey of 2400 randomly selected community-dwelling adults over the age of 40 in one urban and rural area each, in Japan. The survey investigated whether the respondents had engaged in discussions about their end-of-life care preferences. Logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine the physical, psychological, social, and demographic factors influencing end-of-life care discussions. RESULTS: Of the final sample comprising 1172 respondents, 41.0% had engaged in end-of-life discussions. Of these, 95.2% had engaged in these discussions with family members, 11.0% with friends and acquaintances, and 4.4% with medical or long-term care personnel. Factors associated with end-of-life discussion engagement included requiring outpatient visits, long-term care requirements, availability of emotional support services, experience of the death of a relative within the past five years, living with a spouse, and being unemployed. CONCLUSION: The results showed that roughly 41% of the surveyed community-dwelling respondents had engaged in end-of-life discussions. The findings suggest that providing emotional support to relieve anxiety regarding one's health and the awareness of death, and having the opportunity to interact with others to discuss end-of-life issues, promote the engagement in such discussions in Japan. This study suggests that it is necessary to create an environment that provides social support and engenders awareness of the importance of end-of-life discussions while the community-dwelling people are still healthy.

Measuring well-being in older adults: Identifying an appropriate single-item questionnaire.

AIM: As the older adult population increases globally, it is important for local governments to measure their health and well-being consistently to effectively support this group. Because definitions of subjective well-being - such as happiness, life satisfaction and subjective health - overlap, it is worth considering which single-item indicator local governments can rely on to measure individual well-being. This study, therefore, explored the correlation between three single-item questionnaires on happiness, life satisfaction and subjective health used in government surveys, and established psychometric scales of happiness, life satisfaction and quality of life, and analyzed which of the three single-item indicators most effectively captured the target well-being. METHODS: Randomly selected people aged ≥65 years in urban and rural areas (n = 1440) answered the questions on the Happiness Scale, the Satisfaction with Life Scale and the Quality of Life scale, and the three single-item questionnaires (happiness, life satisfaction and subjective health). We analyzed the data using correlation and multiple regression analyses. RESULTS: The results showed a high positive correlation between the scales and the single-item questionnaires. The single-item life satisfaction and subjective health questionnaires were significantly correlated with all the three scales. Although there was not much difference in the adjusted R2 values between putting three items jointly and separately, the value of single-item life satisfaction was the best and the subjective health was the second best. CONCLUSION: The results showed that the single-item life satisfaction and subjective health effectively captured the target well-being; these could be the appropriate indicators for a potential optimal index. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2021; 21: 1131-1137.