Farming cultivates a community-level shared culture through collective activities: Examining contextual effects with multilevel analyses.

It has been suggested that the well-known cultural differences in interdependence across cultures are linked to economic activities, such as farming. However, the underlying processes of how such psychological tendencies are shared among people in a society has not been sufficiently investigated. This article addresses the multilevel processes of how psychological characteristics are shared among people. We focus on collective activities that go beyond the individual's personal economic activities. Multilevel analyses on a large-scale survey (residents of Japanese communities, N = 7,295) of 408 communities, along with a follow-up survey (N = 1,714) of 86 communities, suggested that "concern for reputation" (one aspect of interdependence) was more prevalent in farming communities than in nonfarming communities, not only for farmers, but also for nonfarmers. Furthermore, multilevel mediational analyses suggested that, (a) the proportion of farmers in a community was positively associated with participation in collective activities (e.g., maintenance of community infrastructure) by both farmers and nonfarmers, and (b) this is in turn associated with increased levels of concern for reputation at the community level. Community-level longitudinal analyses revealed that collective activities promoted residents' concern for reputation about two years later. These findings support our "collective activity" hypothesis, and demonstrate that interdependence can be constructed through social interaction via community activities. Fishing was associated with high levels of self-esteem and risk avoidance, and these effects were found only at the individual level. We conclude that economic activities affect social interaction, which in turn affects the multilevel processes of cultural emergence. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Recent Trends in WRN Gene Mutation Patterns in Individuals with Werner Syndrome.

OBJECTIVES: To determine recent trends in mutation patterns in the WRN gene, which cause Werner syndrome (WS), a rare, inheritable progeroid syndrome in Japan. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort. SETTING: Longitudinal survey of WS and literature search for case reports. PARTICIPANTS: Individuals whose genetic testing their facilities had requested between 2009 and October 2016 (N = 67). MEASUREMENTS: A nationwide epidemiological study was conducted from 2009 to 2011 to improve understanding of the pathology of WS and develop therapeutic guidelines. Since 2009, Chiba University Hospital consecutively evaluated the WRN gene in 67 individuals throughout Japan who had requested genetic testing. A literature search was also conducted for case reports on Japanese WS reported since 1997. RESULTS: A definitive diagnosis of WS was confirmed genetically in 50 of 67 participants. Through the literature search, 16 individuals diagnosed genetically with WS were identified. Of these 66 individuals with WS, 42 were homozygous for a WRN mutation, and 21 were compound heterozygotes. One novel mutant allele was identified in an individual with the compound heterozygous genotype. The proportion of compound heterozygotes (31.8%) was significantly greater than reported previously (14.2%), indicating that the incidence of consanguineous marriage of parents has decreased. CONCLUSION: The increased frequency of individuals with WS with the compound heterozygous genotype is a recent trend in Japan. A long-term follow-up study on WRN homozygotes and compound heterozygotes will allow the relationship between WRN genotype and clinical severity of WS to be evaluated in the future.

WRN Mutation Update: Mutation Spectrum, Patient Registries, and Translational Prospects.

Werner syndrome (WS) is a rare autosomal recessive disorder characterized by a constellation of adult onset phenotypes consistent with an acceleration of intrinsic biological aging. It is caused by pathogenic variants in the WRN gene, which encodes a multifunctional nuclear protein with exonuclease and helicase activities. WRN protein is thought to be involved in optimization of various aspects of DNA metabolism, including DNA repair, recombination, replication, and transcription. In this update, we summarize a total of 83 different WRN mutations, including eight previously unpublished mutations identified by the International Registry of Werner Syndrome (Seattle, WA) and the Japanese Werner Consortium (Chiba, Japan), as well as 75 mutations already reported in the literature. The Seattle International Registry recruits patients from all over the world to investigate genetic causes of a wide variety of progeroid syndromes in order to contribute to the knowledge of basic mechanisms of human aging. Given the unusually high prevalence of WS patients and heterozygous carriers in Japan, the major goal of the Japanese Consortium is to develop effective therapies and to establish management guidelines for WS patients in Japan and elsewhere. This review will also discuss potential translational approaches to this disorder, including those currently under investigation.

Cadmium and other metal levels in autopsy samples from a cadmium-polluted area and non-polluted control areas in Japan.

This study was initiated to examine accumulation of cadmium (Cd) and other metals in kidney and liver in autopsy samples and to compare the levels between those in an area with heavy Cd exposure and those in no-polluted areas in Japan. Data on Cd and other metals in kidney (cortex and medulla) and liver in 95 cases (87 women and eight men; the exposed) in a Cd-polluted area and 43 cases (21 women and 22 men; the controls) in non-polluted areas were cited from 15 previous publications to be summarized together with six unpublished cases. Cd levels in kidney cortex and medulla were significantly lower in the exposed (31.5 and 23.8 µg/g wet tissue as GM, respectively) than in the controls (82.7 and 36.4 µg/g, respectively), whereas Cd levels in liver was higher in the exposed (60.2 µg/g) than in the controls (8.1 µg/g). Exposed women had lower Cd in the cortex (29.9 µg/g) and medulla (22.7 µg/g) than exposed men (55.4 and 38.1 µg/g, respectively) as well as in cortex of control women (92.9 µg/g). Comparison with worldwide data other than Japan for non-exposed populations [19.1, 9.3, and 1.3 µg/g in cortex, medulla, and liver, respectively, as the inverse variance-weighted averages (IVWA) of GM values for each of 22 reports] suggests that the levels for the non-exposed Japanese (123.3, 33.5, and 3.9 µg/g as IVWA) tended to be higher than the levels in other countries, possibly reflecting high dietary Cd intake in the past.

Metal concentrations in the liver and kidney of aquatic mammals and penguins.

We determined the hepatic and renal concentrations of Cd, Pb, Zn, Cu, and Fe in (1) marine mammals (three bottle-nosed dolphins, six California sea lions, and one sea otter), (2) freshwater and brackish-water mammals (one Oriental short-clawed otter and four European river otters), and (3) sea birds (three rock-hopper penguins, two king penguins, three Humboldt penguins, four Macaroni penguins, and four Magellanic penguins), all of which were kept in a zoo and an aquarium in Japan. We investigated the species-specificity of Cd accumulation in these aquatic animals. We also presented the basic data on metal concentrations. The concentrations of Cd in liver and kidney tended to be higher in marine mammals than in freshwater mammals. Many penguins, sea birds, showed high Cd concentrations. These results suggest that the habits of these animal species may be involved in accumulation of Cd. Pb concentrations were below the detection limit or low in both liver and kidney [not detected (ND) = 0.132 microg/g and ND = 0.183 microg/g, respectively]. The hepatic concentrations of Zn and Cu were high in young animals. In penguins, a positive correlation was found between the Zn and Cd concentrations in the liver and kidney and between the Cu and Cd concentrations in the liver. Individual variation was large in Fe concentration (48-3746 microg/g in the liver and 51-980 microg/g in the kidney).

Effects of cadmiumin vitro on contractile and relaxant responses of isolated rat aortas.

OBJECTIVE: Cadmium is known to affect the vascular tone of isolated blood vesselsin vitro and the arterial pressure of ratsin vivo. However, the mechanisms of cadmium actions on the vascular system have not been clarified. To elucidate the actions of cadmium on vascular tonus, effects of cadmium on vasocontractile and vasorelaxant responsesin vitro were investigated using aortic strips isolated from rats. METHODS: Aortic strips isolated from male Wistar rats were incubated with CdCl(2) (10µM) for 24 hr, washed with fresh CdCl(2)-free medium, and then used for measurement of isometric tension and Western blot analysis of eNOS (endothelial nitric oxide synthase) and iNOS (inducible nitric oxide synthase). RESULTS: In the aortas pretreated with cadmiumin vitro, the contractile response to phenylephrine was significantly higher than that in the control aortic strips pretreated with a vehicle. The sodium nitroprusside-induced relaxing response was significantly higher in the aortic strips pretreated with cadmium for 24 hr, compared with that in the control pretreated with a vehicle. The isoproterenol-induced relaxing response was also significantly higher in the cadmium-accumulated aortic strips.In vitro cadmium treatment slightly but not significantly increased the acetylcholine-induced relaxation of the aortic strips. Cadmium treatment induced expression of iNOS and significantly increased expression of eNOS in the aortic strips, while it did not affect expression of ß-actin. CONCLUSIONS: Cadmium treatmentin vitro augmented the α1 adrenoceptor-mediated contractile response, even though eNOS and iNOS were upregulated by cadmium treatment. NO-induced and ß-adrenoceptor-mediated relaxing responses were also augmented by cadmium treatment. These results suggest that both vasocontractile and vasorelaxing responses are augmented in cadmium-accumulated aortas.

[Effect of painting work on alcoholic liver dysfunction].

The effect of painting on alcoholic liver dysfunction was investigated. The subjects were male workers engaged in small-scale enterprises under contract to with heavy industries. Painting involved metal cleaning and painting, and the air concentrations of organic solvents were frequently high. The study population consisted of 1,157 male workers over 40 yr of age. Of them, 85 were painters engaged for a mean duration of 20.9 +/- 9.8 yr. There was no significant difference in GOT and GPT between painters who did not drink and non-painters who did not drink, but GOT and GPT were significantly higher in painters drinking several days a week than in non-painters. A past history of hepatitis affected GOT, GPT and gamma-GTP. Painting, daily alcohol consumption, drinking frequency and body mass index affected gamma-GTP. A questionnaire survey of hepatitis was also conducted in 206 male workers (age range 18-67 yr). Of them, 134 were painters (mean duration of painting, 16.8 +/- 10.4 yr). This questionnaire survey showed that 13 painters (9.6% of the painters) and two non-painters (2.6% of the non-painters) had a history of hepatitis. Of the 13 painters, five painters had a history of hepatitis C and four had a history of alcoholic hepatitis. All of these 13 painters had the habit of drinking. This study indicated that painting had little effect on the liver function in painters not drinking, but increased alcoholic liver dysfunction in painters with the drinking habit.

No relationship exists between itai-itai disease and TA repeat polymorphisms of the estrogen receptor alpha gene.

Itai-itai (ouch-ouch) disease is a syndrome accompanied by bone mineral disorders that may be related to oral cadmium exposure. Itai-itai predominantly affects postmenopausal women with a history of multiple childbirth. In a previous study we have examined the genotype distributions of PvuII and XbaI restriction fragment length polymorphisms of the estrogen receptor alpha (ER alpha) gene in patients with itai-itai disease and compared them with those of controls. However, no significant differences were shown between the genotype distributions of the patients and controls. In the present study, we determined the TA repeat polymorphisms of the patients and controls. The distributions of the patients were: HH 25.0%, HL 50.0%, and LL 25.0%; where HH includes two alleles with a high number of TA repeats (TA> or =16), HL includes one high number allele and one low number allele (TA< or =15), and LL includes two alleles with a low number of TA repeats. These patients' distributions were not significantly different from those of the controls. Although our sample number was limited, we concluded that a polymorphism variant of the ER alpha gene is not a predisposing factor for itai-itai disease.

Concentrations of cadmium, zinc, copper, iron, and metallothionein in liver and kidney of nonhuman primates.

To evaluate the species specificity of Cd accumulation and the relationship of Cd with other essential metals and metallothionein (MT), the concentrations of Cd, Zn, Cu, and Fe in the liver and kidney and the MT concentrations in the soluble fractions of the liver and kidney were determined in Cd-uncontaminated nonhuman primates (11 species, 26 individuals) kept in a zoo and two wild-caught Japanese macaques. The compositions of metal-binding proteins in the soluble fractions were also investigated by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The hepatic Cd concentration was 0.03-14.0 microg/g and the renal Cd concentration was 0.35-99.0 microg/g, both varying greatly and being higher in nonhuman primates, which were more closely related to man. The hepatic Zn concentration was 24.0-176 microg/g and the renal Zn concentration was 13.5-138 microg/g, showing 7- to 10-fold differences, and a correlation (r=0.558, p<0.01) was found between renal Zn and renal Cd concentrations. It was proved that in the liver, MT is more closely correlated with Zn (r=0.795, p<0.001) than with Cd (r=0.492, p<0.01) and that in the kidney MT is correlated with both Cd (r=0.784, p<0.001) and Zn (r=0.742, p<0.001). HPLC analysis of metals bound to MT-like protein in chimpanzees, de Brazza's monkeys, and Bolivian squirrel monkeys showed that more than 90% of Cd in both the liver and kidney, approx 40% of Zn in liver and 28-69% of Zn in kidney were bound to MT-like protein. The higher percentage Zn was bound to high-molecular protein.