The role of native point defects and donor impurities in the electrical properties of ZnSb2O4: a hybrid density-functional study.

The ceramic material zinc antimony oxide ZnSb2O4 has promising electrical and magnetic properties, making it suitable for various applications such as electrochemical and energy storage. However, the effects of point defects and impurities on its electrical properties have never been revealed. Here, we employ hybrid density-functional calculations to investigate the energetics and electronic properties of native point defects and donor impurities in ZnSb2O4. The energetically favorable configurations of native point defects under selected growth conditions (O-rich and O-poor) are identified based on the calculated formation energies. The study finds no shallow donor and shallow acceptor defects with low formation energies. Still, the oxygen vacancy (VO) has the lowest formation energy among the donor-type defects under O-rich and O-poor conditions. However, it acts as a very deep acceptor, making it unlikely to provide free electron carriers to the conduction band. Moreover, electron carriers are likely to be compensated by the formation of zinc vacancies (VZn) and the zinc substituted for antimony (ZnSb), which behave as dominant acceptors. Our analysis of the charge neutrality conditions estimates that the Fermi level of undoped ZnSb2O4 would be pinned in a range that is 2.60 eV to 3.12 eV above the VBM for O-rich to O-poor growth conditions, respectively, suggesting that this material is semi-insulating. The possibility of enhancing free electron carriers by doping with Al, Ga, In, and F impurities is also investigated. Our results, however, indicate that high n-type conductivity is hindered by self-compensation in which the impurities additionally act as electron killers. Our results suggest that other impurity candidates and approaches may need to be considered to efficiently dope this material into n-type. Overall, this work paves the way for point defect engineering in this class of ternary oxides.

Sex-specific Relationship Between Stress Coping Strategies and All-cause Mortality: Japan Multi-Institutional Collaborative Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: Stress coping strategies are related to health outcomes. However, there is no clear evidence for sex differences between stress-coping strategies and mortality. We investigated the relationship between all-cause mortality and stress-coping strategies, focusing on sex differences among Japanese adults. METHODS: A total of 79,580 individuals aged 35-69 years participated in the Japan Multi-Institutional Collaborative Cohort Study between 2004 and 2014 and were followed up for mortality. The frequency of use of the five coping strategies was assessed using a questionnaire. Sex-specific, multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) for using each coping strategy ("sometimes," and "often/very often" use versus "very few" use) were computed for all-cause mortality. Furthermore, relationships were analyzed in specific follow-up periods when the proportion assumption was violated. RESULTS: During the follow-up (median: 8.5 years), 1,861 mortalities were recorded. In women, three coping strategies were related to lower total mortality. The HRs for "sometimes" were 0.81 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.67-0.97) for emotional expression, 0.79 (95% CI, 0.66-0.95) for emotional support-seeking, and 0.80 (95% CI, 0.66-0.98) for disengagement. Men who "sometimes" used emotional expression and sometimes or often used problem-solving and positive reappraisal had a 15-41% lower HRs for all-cause mortality. However, those relationships were dependent on the follow-up period. There was evidence that sex modified the relationships between emotional support-seeking and all-cause mortality (P for interaction = 0.03). CONCLUSION: In a large Japanese sample, selected coping strategies were associated with all-cause mortality. The relationship of emotional support-seeking was different between men and women.

GWAS of folate metabolism with gene-environment interaction analysis revealed the possible role of lifestyles in the control of blood folate metabolites in Japanese - the J-MICC Study.

BACKGROUND: The present genome-wide association study (GWAS) aimed to reveal the genetic loci associated with folate metabolites as well as to detect related gene-environment interactions in Japanese. METHODS: We conducted the GWAS of plasma homocysteine (Hcy), folic acid (FA), and vitamin B12 (VB12) levels in the Japan Multi-Institutional Collaborative Cohort (J-MICC) Study participants who joined from 2005 to 2012, and also estimated gene-environment interactions. In the replication phase, we used data from the Yakumo Study conducted in 2009. In the discovery phase, data of 2,263 participants from four independent study sites of the J-MICC Study were analyzed. In the replication phase, data of 573 participants from the Yakumo Study were analyzed. RESULTS: For Hcy, MTHFR locus on chr 1, NOX4 on chr 11, CHMP1A on chr 16, and DPEP1 on chr 16 reached genome-wide significance (P < 5×10-8). MTHFR also associated with FA, and FUT2 on chr 19 associated with VB12. We investigated gene-environment interactions in both studies and found significant interactions between MTHFR C677T and ever drinking, current drinking, and physical activity > 33% on Hcy (ß = 0.039, 0.038 and -0.054, P = 0.018, 0.021 and < 0.001, respectively) and the interaction of MTHFR C677T with ever drinking on FA (ß = 0.033, P = 0.048). CONCLUSIONS: The present GWAS revealed the folate metabolism-associated genetic loci and gene-environment interactions with drinking and physical activity in Japanese, suggesting the possibility of future personalized CVD prevention.

Evaluation of myostatin as a possible regulator and marker of skeletal muscle-cortical bone interaction in adults.

INTRODUCTION: Bone mass was recently reported to be related to skeletal muscle mass in humans, and a decrease in cortical bone is a risk factor for osteoporosis. Because circulating myostatin is a factor that primarily controls muscle metabolism, this study examined the role of myostatin in bone mass-skeletal muscle mass interactions. METHODS: The subjects were 375 middle-aged community residents with no history of osteoporosis or sarcopenia who participated in a health check-up. Cortical bone thickness and cancellous bone density were measured by ultrasonic bone densitometry in a health check-up survey. The subjects were divided into those with low cortical bone thickness (LCT) or low cancellous bone density (LBD) and those with normal values (NCT/NBD). Bone metabolism markers (TRACP-5b, etc.), skeletal muscle mass, serum myostatin levels, and lifestyle were then compared between the groups. RESULTS: The percentage of diabetic participants, TRACP-5b, and myostatin levels were significantly higher, and the frequency of physical activity, skeletal muscle mass, grip strength, and leg strength were significantly lower in the LCT group than in the NCT group. The odds ratio (OR) of high myostatin levels in the LCT group compared with the NCT group was significant (OR 2.17) even after adjusting for related factors. Between the low cancellous bone density (LBD) and normal cancellous bone density (NBD) groups, significant differences were observed in the same items as between the LCT and NCT groups, but no significant differences were observed in skeletal muscle mass and blood myostatin levels. The myostatin level was significantly negatively correlated with cortical bone thickness and skeletal muscle mass. CONCLUSIONS: A decrease in cortical bone thickness was associated with a decrease in skeletal muscle mass accompanied by an increase in the blood myostatin level. Blood myostatin may regulate the bone-skeletal muscle relationship and serve as a surrogate marker of bone metabolism, potentially linking muscle mass to bone structure.

A 10-year longitudinal study of deep white matter lesions on magnetic resonance imaging.

PURPOSE: Deep white matter lesions (DWMLs), T2 high-intensity areas in the subcortical white matter on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), are a clinical phenotype of cerebral small vessel disease. Factors such as age and hypertension have been reported to significantly contribute to the presence and severity of DWMLs in cross-sectional studies. We herein report a 10-year longitudinal study on DWMLs in elderly Japanese subjects to reveal the clinical variables contributing to the progression of DWMLs. METHODS: A total of 469 Japanese subjects were invited to participate in the study. Of the participants at baseline, 259 subjects completed the revisit MRI study 10 years later. In those 259 subjects, we evaluated the correlation between the progression of DWMLs and clinical variables, such as the gender, age, and overt vascular risk factors. To clarify the role of hypertension, 200 subjects with grade 1 DWMLs at baseline were categorized into three groups according to their status of hypertension and its treatment. RESULTS: Of the 200 subjects with grade 1 DWMLs, 47 subjects (23.5%) showed progression of DWMLs (progression group). In the progression group, the percentage of subjects with hypertension and the systolic blood pressure values were higher than in the non-progression group. In addition, subjects ≥ 60 years old at baseline tended to show deterioration of DWMLs in the group with hypertension without antihypertensive treatment. CONCLUSION: The results of this 10-year longitudinal study imply a positive correlation between long-standing hypertension and the progression of DWMLs.

Impact of PSCA Polymorphisms on the Risk of Duodenal Ulcer.

BACKGROUND: While duodenal ulcer (DU) and gastric cancer (GC) are both H. pylori infection-related diseases, individuals with DU are known to have lower risk for GC. Many epidemiological studies have identified the PSCA rs2294008 T-allele as a risk factor of GC, while others have found an association between the rs2294008 C-allele and risk of DU and gastric ulcer (GU). Following these initial reports, however, few studies have since validated these associations. Here, we aimed to validate the association between variations in PSCA and the risk of DU/GU and evaluate its interaction with environmental factors in a Japanese population. METHODS: Six PSCA SNPs were genotyped in 584 DU cases, 925 GU cases, and 8,105 controls from the Japan Multi-Institutional Collaborative Cohort (J-MICC). Unconditional logistic regression models were applied to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the association between the SNPs and risk of DU/GU. RESULTS: PSCA rs2294008 C-allele was associated with per allele OR of 1.34 (95% CI, 1.18-1.51; P = 2.28 × 10-6) for the risk of DU. This association was independent of age, sex, study site, smoking habit, drinking habit, and H. pylori status. On the other hand, we did not observe an association between the risk of GU and PSCA SNPs. CONCLUSIONS: Our study confirms an association between the PSCA rs2294008 C-allele and the risk of DU in a Japanese population.

Study Profile of the Japan Multi-institutional Collaborative Cohort (J-MICC) Study.

BACKGROUND: The Japan Multi-institutional Collaborative Cohort (J-MICC) study was launched in 2005 to examine gene-environment interactions in lifestyle-related diseases, including cancers, among the Japanese. This report describes the study design and baseline profile of the study participants. METHODS: The participants of the J-MICC Study were individuals aged 35 to 69 years enrolled from respondents to study announcements in specified regions, inhabitants attending health checkup examinations provided by local governments, visitors at health checkup centers, and first-visit patients at a cancer hospital in Japan. At the time of the baseline survey, from 2005 to 2014, we obtained comprehensive information regarding demographics, education, alcohol consumption, smoking, sleeping, exercise, food intake frequency, medication and supplement use, personal and family disease history, psychological stress, and female reproductive history and collected peripheral blood samples. RESULTS: The baseline survey included 92,610 adults (mean age: 55.2 [standard deviation, 9.4] years, 44.1% men) from 14 study regions in 12 prefectures. The participation rate was 33.5%, with participation ranging from 19.7% to 69.8% in different study regions. The largest number of participants was in the age groups of 65-69 years for men and 60-64 years for women. There were differences in body mass index, educational attainment, alcohol consumption, smoking, and sleep duration between men and women. CONCLUSIONS: The J-MICC Study collected lifestyle and clinical data and biospecimens from over 90,000 participants. This cohort is expected to be a valuable resource for the national and international scientific community in providing evidence to support longer healthy lives.

Validity of stress assessment using heart-rate variability in newborns.

BACKGROUND: The process of birth causes stress for neonates, but additional stressors for sick neonates are a matter of concern. As analysis of heart-rate variability (HRV), which reflects autonomic activity, has demonstrated that low-frequency (LF) activity reflects overall autonomic activity, high-frequency (HF) activity reflects parasympathetic activity, and the LF/HF ratio reflects sympathetic activity, HRV has been clinically applied as a non-invasive index of physical stress. In this study, we evaluated whether HRV is useful as a stress index for neonates by analyzing it in comparison with their salivary cortisol level. METHODS: We measured the salivary cortisol level and HRV in 12 healthy neonates and 37 neonates born during between 2014 and 2016 and admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit. These examinations were performed at birth and after approximately 1 week. The changes in parameters with time were examined. RESULTS: The LF and HF values in both groups exhibited significant negative correlations with the salivary cortisol level. In those admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit, the LF and HF values were correlated with gestational age and height. In the healthy neonates, a reduced salivary cortisol level and increase in the LF and HF values were observed approximately 1 week after birth compared with the values at birth, whereas the LF/HF ratio was not correlated with the salivary cortisol level and did not change over time. CONCLUSIONS: The LF and HF values were significantly correlated with the cortisol level, suggesting their usefulness as physiological indices of stress in clinical neonatal care.

Association between Helicobacter pylori infection and dental pulp reservoirs in Japanese adults.

BACKGROUND: Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) colonize the stomach and are considered an etiological agent of gastric cancer. The oral cavity is a transmission route to the stomach, but the exact site of colonization has not yet been explicated. Our study investigated the association between H. pylori infection and presence in oral samples. METHODS: Dental pulp, supragingival plaque, and saliva from 192 patients visiting the Dentistry's outpatient clinic were collected for testing. The H. pylori ureA gene was identified via Nested PCR. Urine anti-H. pylori antibody test was utilized to detect infection. RESULTS: Twenty-five subjects were found to be antibody-positive. PCR analysis of dental pulp revealed that 23 subjects possessed the ureA gene. Twenty-one subjects were positive for both antibodies and genes in dental pulp. PCR testing revealed that 2 subjects were positive in dental plaque but negative for saliva. The subjects positive for H. pylori in dental pulp expressed clinical signs of severe dental caries. CONCLUSIONS: H. pylori infected subjects expressed H. pylori in samples from the oral cavity. The main reservoir for infection within the oral cavity was determined to be dental pulp. Moreover, H. pylori are likely transmitted from dental caries to the root canal.

Development of Ferromagnetic Fluctuations in Heavily Overdoped (Bi,Pb)_{2}Sr_{2}CuO_{6+δ} Copper Oxides.

We demonstrate the presence of ferromagnetic (FM) fluctuations in the superconducting and nonsuperconducting heavily overdoped regimes of high-temperature superconducting copper oxides, using (Bi,Pb)_{2}Sr_{2}CuO_{6+δ} (Bi-2201) single crystals. Magnetization curves exhibit a tendency to be saturated in high magnetic fields at low temperatures in the heavily overdoped crystals, which is probably a precursor phenomenon of a FM transition at a lower temperature. Muon spin relaxation detects the enhancement of spin fluctuations at high temperatures below 200 K. Correspondingly, the ab-plane resistivity follows a 4/3 power law in a wide temperature range, which is characteristic of metals with two-dimensional FM fluctuations due to itinerant electrons. As the Wilson ratio evidences the enhancement of spin fluctuations with hole doping in the heavily overdoped regime, it is concluded that two-dimensional FM fluctuations reside in the heavily overdoped Bi-2201 cuprates, which is probably related to the decrease in the superconducting transition temperature in the heavily overdoped cuprates.

Japanese female Kendo practitioners are associated with high radial bone mineral density.

Osteopenia is a condition in which bone mineral density (BMD) is lower than normal. Exercise increases BMD in both the young and adults. This study aimed to compare the radial apparent BMD (aBMD) in Japanese females who are Kendo practitioners (KPs) and those with no regular exercise habits (no-REH). The analysis participants consisted of 45 KPs (mean age: 49.4 years old) and 110 no-REH (mean age: 48.8 years old). Radial aBMD was measured using an ultrasonic bone densitometry system. Radial aBMD in KPs was 196.1 ± 33.9 mg/cm3, and was 182.9 ± 45.3 mg/cm3 in no-REH participants. KPs had significantly higher BMD than no-REH participants. In KPs, left radial aBMD was 196.1 ± 33.9 mg/cm3, and right radial aBMD was 184.5 ± 37.7 mg/cm3. The left radius was also significantly higher than the right radius with respect to aBMD in KPs. After adjusting for age, body mass index, menstrual status, parous women and frequency of milk and dairy intake, the odds ratio (OR) of osteopenia associated with no-REH was 6.58 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.72-25.1) and the prevalence ratio (PR) of osteopenia associated with no-REH was 4.12 (95% CI: 1.23-13.7). Therefore, the Kendo practice may have a protective efficacy for osteopenia in women.

Serum albumin to globulin ratio is related to cognitive decline via reflection of homeostasis: a nested case-control study.

BACKGROUND: Recent research suggests that several pathogenetic factors, including aging, genetics, inflammation, dyslipidemia, diabetes, and infectious diseases, influence cognitive decline (CD) risk. However, no definitive candidate causes have been identified. The present study evaluated whether certain serum parameters predict CD. METHODS: A total of 151 participants were assessed for CD using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), and 34 participants were identified as showing CD. RESULTS: Among CD predictive risk factors, Helicobacter pylori seropositivity was significantly predictive of CD risk, more so than classical risk factors, including white matter lesions and arterial stiffness [adjusted odds ratio (OR) = 4.786, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.710-13.39]. A multivariate analysis indicated that the albumin to globulin (A/G) ratio was the only factor that significantly lowered CD risk (OR = 0.092, 95% CI = 0.010-0.887). A/G ratio also was positively correlated with MMSE scores and negatively correlated with disruption of homeostatic factors (i.e., non-high-density lipoprotein, hemoglobin A1c, and high-sensitive C-reactive protein). CONCLUSIONS: The current study results suggest that the A/G ratio is related to cognitive decline and may reflect homeostatic alterations.

Validity of self-reported number of teeth and oral health variables.

BACKGROUND: Oral condition and number of teeth were investigated by questionnaire in the Japan Multi-Institutional Collaborative Cohort (J-MICC Study). The aim of the present study was to assess the validity of the tooth number measure by comparing the self-reported number of teeth with the number of teeth determined at clinical dental examination. METHODS: A self-administered questionnaire and dental examination were performed by 1275 participants of a company medical examination who requested dental check-up and 377 subjects of the J-MICC study. The validity of the tooth number measure was assessed by comparing the self-reported number of teeth with that determined at clinical examination. Spearman's rank correlation coefficient was calculated to quantitatively evaluate the validity. RESULTS: In males, the mean clinically-examined and self-reported numbers of teeth were 26.5 and 24.8 teeth, respectively. In females, the mean clinically-examined and self-reported numbers of teeth were 26.4 and 25.5 teeth, respectively. There was a tendency toward underestimation of the number of natural teeth by self-reporting. A significant correlation was observed between the clinically-examined and self-reported numbers of teeth in total (ρ = 0.69) and both males (ρ = 0.70) and females (ρ = 0.67). CONCLUSIONS: The self-reported oral health variables were valid and reflected clinical status. Further revision of the question on the remaining tooth in the questionnaire improves the validity of self-reported number of teeth.

Serologically Determined Gastric Mucosal Condition Is a Predictive Factor for Osteoporosis in Japanese Men.

BACKGROUND: There are few reports about the influence of Helicobacter pylori infection and/or atrophic gastritis on bone conditions in Japan. AIMS: To assess whether the combination of serologically determined Helicobacter pylori infection and atrophic gastritis is available as a biomarker for bone conditions. METHODS: We studied 230 men in their 50s and 60s. Helicobacter pylori infection was determined using serum antibody to this bacterium. Atrophic gastritis was diagnosed on the basis of the serum pepsinogen I and II criteria. The characteristics of the participants' bone were measured at the radius using an ultrasonic bone densitometry system. The risks of low trabecular bone density, low elastic modulus of trabecular bone, and low cortical thickness among subjects who were positive for Helicobacter pylori infection and/or atrophic gastritis relative to those who were not were calculated. RESULTS: Helicobacter pylori infection significantly increased the risk of low trabecular bone density (odds ratio 1.83, 95 % confidence interval 1.04-3.21, P = 0.03). Atrophic gastritis significantly increased the risk of low trabecular bone density (2.22, 1.17-4.22, 0.01). Compared with anti-Helicobacter pylori antibody (-) and atrophic gastritis (-) subjects, anti-Helicobacter pylori antibody (+) and atrophic gastritis (+) subjects were a significant high-risk group for low trabecular bone density (2.65, 1.27-5.55, 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: A serological diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori infection and atrophic gastritis, which is utilized for risk assessment of gastric cancer, was suggested to be useful for risk assessment of osteoporosis.

Polymorphisms of genes involved in lipid metabolism and risk of chronic kidney disease in Japanese - cross-sectional data from the J-MICC study.

BACKGROUND: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is known to be one of the causes of cardiovascular disease and end-stage renal disease. Among the several treatable risk factors of CKD, that of dyslipidemia is relatively controversial. To clarify the association of polymorphisms in genes involved in lipid metabolism with the risk of CKD in the Japanese population, we used cross-sectional data from the Japan Multi-Institutional Collaborative Cohort (J-MICC) Study. METHODS: A total of 3,268 men and women, aged 35-69 years, were selected from J-MICC Study participants for inclusion in this study. Twenty-eight candidate single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were selected in 17 genes associated with the risk of lipid metabolism disorders, and genotyping of the subjects was conducted using the multiplex PCR-based invader assay. The prevalence of CKD was determined for stages 3-5 (defined as estimated glomerular filtration rate <60 ml/min/1.73 m2). RESULTS: Logistic regression analysis revealed that SNPs APOA5 T - 1131C (rs662799), APOA5 T1259C (rs2266788), TOMM40 A/G (rs157580), and CETP TaqIB (rs708272) were significantly associated with CKD risk in those individuals genotyped, with age- and sex-adjusted odds ratios (ORs) per minor allele (and 95% confidence intervals (CIs)) of OR 1.22 (95% CI: 1.06-1.39), 1.19 (1.03-1.37), 1.27 (1.12-1.45), and 0.81 (0.71-0.92), respectively. Analysis of the gene-environment interaction revealed that body mass index (BMI) was a significant effect modifier for APOA5 T - 1131C (rs662799) and a marginally significant effect modifier for APOA5 T/C (rs2266788), with the interaction between BMI ≥30 and individuals with at least one minor allele of each genotype of OR 10.43 (95% CI: 1.29-84.19) and 3.36 (0.87-13.01), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Four polymorphisms in APOA5, TOMM40, and CETP were shown to be significantly associated with CKD risk, and a significant interaction between the two APOA5 SNPs and BMI on CKD risk was also demonstrated. This suggests the future possibility of personalized risk estimation for this life-limiting disease.

Significant interaction between RETN -420 G/G genotype and lower BMI on decreased risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in Japanese--the J-MICC Study.

We examined the association of the RETN (resistin) -420 C>G polymorphism (rs1862513) with risk of diabetes mellitus (DM), considering lifestyle factors, in Japanese. Subjects were participants of J-MICC Study, where 2,651 participants aged 35-69 years provided their blood for genotyping and lifestyle data after informed consent. Odds ratio (OR) of DM for RETN-420 G/G genotype was estimated using unconditional logistic regression model. Statistically significant interaction on risk of DM was observed between RETN-420 G/G genotype and BMI<25 (OR for interaction = 0.12; P = 0.046), and when subjects with RETN-420 C/C+C/G and BMI ≥ 25 (n = 69 for DM and 544 for non-DM) were defined as the reference, the adjusted ORs for subjects with RETN-420 G/G genotype and BMI>25 (n = 10 for DM and 111 for non-DM), RETN-420 C/C+C/G and BMI<25 (n = 81 for DM and 1,605 for non-DM), and RETN-420 G/G and BMI<25 (n = 1 for DM and 230 for non-DM) were demonstrated to be 0.72 (95% confidence interval: 0.36-1.46), 0.40 (0.28-0.56) and 0.03 (0.005-0.25), respectively. The present study revealed the significant interaction of RETN-420 G/G genotype with lower BMI on the decreased risk of DM, but the direction was opposite to the reported ones in Japanese. We should be careful in interpretation of the present study results because of the limited sample sizes. Further investigation of this association as well as of the actual biological roles of RETN in the genesis of human metabolic disorders including DM will be required.

Personal factors associated with smoking among marginalized and disadvantaged youth in Japan. A strong relationship between smoking and convenience store use.

BACKGROUND: A national survey in Japan reported that the prevalence of smoking among high school students has sharply decreased in recent years. However, the survey only considered students who attended regular high schools (RHSs), and Japan offers part-time high schools (PHSs) that are often attended by academically and socioeconomically disadvantaged youth. PURPOSE: Therefore, we examined the smoking prevalence and smoking-related factors among PHS students. METHOD: A self-administered questionnaire-based survey was conducted at six PHSs. The subjects included 540 enrolled students aged 15 to 18 years. The questionnaire included items on smoking status, smokers in the family, frequency of convenience store use, lifestyle behaviors, and health awareness. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors that were significantly associated with smoking. RESULTS: A total of 45.6 % of students had smoking experience, and 29.3 % were smokers. For males and females, the smoking prevalence was about 3 and 7-12 times higher, respectively, than that reported in the national survey. The factors found to be significantly associated with smoking included having a smoker in the family, experience with drinking alcohol, and using convenience store daily (odds ratio [OR] = 12.5) or sometimes (OR = 3.63). There was a significant dose-response relationship between smoking and convenience store use. CONCLUSION: The smoking prevalence among PHS students was remarkably higher than that among RHS students. These findings suggest that marginalized and disadvantaged youth should be targeted for tobacco control, and intervention is needed to protect youth from tobacco sales and advertising at convenience stores.

Polymorphisms in genes encoding antioxidant enzymes (SOD2, CAT, GPx, TXNRD, SEPP1, SEP15 and SELS) and risk of chronic kidney disease in Japanese - cross-sectional data from the J-MICC study.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is well known as a strong risk factor for both of end-stage renal disease and cardiovascular disease. To clarify the association of polymorphisms in the genes encoding antioxidant enzymes (SOD2, CAT, GPx, TXNRD, SEPP1, SEP15 and SELS) with the risk of CKD in Japanese, we examined this association using the cross-sectional data of Japan Multi-Institutional Collaborative Cohort (J-MICC) Study. The subjects were 3,285 men and women, aged 35-69 years, selected from J-MICC Study participants for whom genotyping were conducted by multiplex polymerase chain reaction-based Invader assay. The prevalence of CKD was determined for CKD stages 3-5 (eGFR <60 ml/min/1.73 m(2)). When those with CAT C-262T C/C were defined as reference, those with CAT C-262T C/T demonstrated the OR for CKD of 0.67 (95% CI 0.43-1.06) with the marginally significant trend for decreased odds ratio with increasing numbers of T allele (p = 0.070). There were no significant associations between the other polymorphisms with CKD risk. The present study found a marginally significant trend of the decreased risk of CKD with increasing numbers of T allele of CAT, which may suggest the possibility of personalized risk estimation of this life-limiting disease in the near future.

[A case of miliary tuberculosis complicated by a tuberculous aneurysm of the thoracic aorta].

An 85-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital with the chief complaint of fever. Antibiotics were not effective and a chest computed tomography scan revealed a diffuse micronodular shadow and thoracic aortic aneurysm. Subsequently, a bronchoscopy sputum culture was positive for Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Two months after the initiation of chemotherapy, the thoracic aortic aneurysm enlarged despite the improvement in lung findings. Tuberculous aneurysms are quite rare, but can be critical and acute. Therefore, caution should be exercised when treating such patients.