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The abundance of both flower-visiting insects and flowering plants in semi-natural grasslands in temperate zones has declined as a result of overbrowsing by deer. The construction of deer fences is an effective method for biodiversity conservation because these fences prevent the invasion of deer. However, few studies have elucidated the biodiversity conservation effects of deer fences in semi-natural grasslands. Here we investigated the effects of the construction of deer fences on the diversity of butterflies, bumblebees, and flowering plants on the Kirigamine Plateau, Nagano Prefecture, Japan, which is covered by semi-natural grassland. The number of species of flowering plants inside the deer fences was higher than that outside the deer fences. The numbers of individuals and species of flower-visiting butterflies and bumblebees also tended to be higher inside the deer fences than outside the deer fences. On the other hand, there tended to be no difference in the number of individuals and species of non-flower-visiting butterflies inside and outside the deer fences. The diversity of flowering plants, butterflies, and bumblebees within the fenced areas was not substantially affected by the size of the fenced-off area. Our findings suggested that the construction of deer fences can contribute to the conservation of both flower-visiting insects and flowering plants in semi-natural grassland.

The use of genetically closely related populations as reintroduction sources is crucial in restoration programmes for endangered species because genetically distant populations may cause genetic disturbances. Aporia hippia (Lepidoptera; Pieridae) is an endangered subalpine grassland butterfly in Japan and its distribution area is restricted to the Asama, Yatsugatake and Akaishi Mountains in central Honshu Island. In the Yatsugatake Mountains, its population is probably already extinct, and reintroduction from the other sites is now under consideration. Here, we estimated the genetic diversity and spatial genetic structure of A. hippia in Japan to identify candidate source populations for reintroduction in extinct populations via multiplexed inter-simple sequence repeat genotyping by sequencing (MIG-seq) and mitochondrial DNA sequencing methods. The MIG-seq method indicated the presence of very few genetic differences among the populations. The mitochondrial DNA sequencing method identified two haplotypes: haplotype A in the Asama, Yatsugatake and northern Akaishi Mountains, and haplotype B in the central and southern Akaishi Mountains. The two haplotypes exhibited only a one base pair substitution between them.Implications for insect conservation: Based on these results, we suggest the existence of two conservation units: the first group consisting of populations in the Asama, Yatsugatake, and northern Akaishi Mountains, and the second group consisting of those in the central and southern Akaishi Mountains. According to this genetic proximity, however, all populations of A. hippia in Japan can also be defined as one conservation unit group, given the risk of inbreeding depression or difficulty of adaptation in different environments.

Aims Increased nitrification risks accelerating soil acidification under land-use change from tropical forest to cropland or plantation, but acidity might be neutralized by net mineralization of soil organic matter (SOM) that has accumulated under the former fallow vegetation. We aim to analyze key drivers of soil acidification and acid neutralization under different crops and fallow vegetation. Methods We compared 30 year changes in soil C stocks, pH, and exchangeable Al under different land-uses (primary dipterocarp forest, Macaranga forest, Imperata grassland, Imperata grassland converted to Acacia plantation, Imperata grassland converted to oil palm plantation) in Indonesia and identified the major drivers of acidification using proton budgets in soil. Results Nitrification is major driver of acidification in soil profiles under N-fixing Acacia or fertilized oil palm plantation. Protons generated by product removal and nitrification in oil palm plantation are neutralized partly by fertilizer and mineralization of the native SOM that has formerly accumulated under grassland. The remaining acidity results in accumulation of soil exchangeable Al. The SOM storage under short-term (< 10 yr) grass or long-term (> 10 yr) Macaranga forest increases without intensive acidification, while long-term Acacia plantation maximizes both SOM storage and acidification. Conclusion Magnitude of soil acidification is regulated largely by the balance between proton generation by nitrification of fertilized N and biologically-fixed N and proton consumption by net mineralization of the native SOM that has formerly accumulated under grass fallow. SOM accumulation under Imperata grassland or Macaranga forest could mitigate soil acidification in Acacia or oil palm plantation.

Objectives Most existing tools for measuring health literacy (HL) focus on reading comprehension and numeracy in English speakers. The aim of this study was to develop a generic HL measure for Japanese adults. Methods A questionnaire survey was conducted among participants in multiphasic health examinations at a Japanese healthcare facility. HL was measured using the 14-item health literacy scale (HLS-14) that was adapted from the HL scale specific to diabetic patients developed by Ishikawa and colleagues. The 14 items consist of five items for functional HL, five items for communicative HL, and four items for critical HL. The reliability and validity of the HLS-14 were assessed among 1,507 eligible respondents aged 30–69 years. Results Explanatory factor analysis produced a three-factor solution that was very similar to the original HL scale. Cronbach’s alpha indicated satisfactory internal consistency of the functional, communicative, and critical HL scores (0.83, 0.85, and 0.76, respectively). There were no floor or ceiling effects in each HL score. Confirmatory factor analysis revealed an acceptable fit of the three-factor model (comparative fit index = 0.912, normed fit index = 0.905, root mean square error of approximation = 0.082). When the two groups with a total HL score above and below the median (50), respectively, were compared, those who could obtain medication information satisfactorily and those who wanted to participate in making medication decisions were more frequently observed in the group with the higher score. Conclusions The HLS-14 demonstrated adequate reliability and validity as a generic HL measure for Japanese adults. This scale can be utilized for measuring functional, communicative, and critical HL in the clinical and public health contexts.

Long working hours and a lack of sleep have been suggested to negatively affect the safety of workers. Here, we examined the association between long working hours/sleep-related problems and near-misses/injuries in industrial settings using a nationally representative sample of workers in Japan. Based on the composition ratio of workers by industry, sex, and age in Japan, data from a web-based cross-sectional survey for 18,682 participant full-time workers (7,098 female and 11,584 male; mean age, 43.7 [standard deviation 11.1] years) were analyzed. Nearly 30% and 5% of participants reported any types of near-misses during the past six months and injuries during the past year, respectively. For all types of near-misses and some types of injuries, a significant difference in frequency distribution was observed by industry. After adjustment for demographic, job-, and life-related variables, participants who worked long hours (i.e., more than 51 hours per week) were more likely to report job-related near-misses/injuries than those who worked 35-40 hours per week. The presence of sleep-related problems was also significantly related to near-misses and injuries. However, while sleep-related problems were significantly associated with near-misses/injuries in all industries, the association between long working hours and near-misses/injuries differed by industry. Odds ratios for near-misses/injuries were strongly significant in the \"transport/postal services\" industry for those who worked more than 51 hours per week compared to those who worked 35-40 hours per week. Comprehensive protective measures for workers, including (1) reducing total hours of service/job-related fatigue, (2) maintaining sufficient sleep hours/good sleep, and (3) increasing awareness about the impact of overwork/long working hours and sleep-related problems on workers' safety among employers, workers, clients/customers, and the general public might be effective for preventing near-misses and injuries in industrial settings among workers, especially those who work long hours in the \"transport/postal services\" industry.

ObjectivesThe association between near-misses/minor injuries and moderate/severe injuries has yet to be investigated longitudinally. This study aimed to examine the longitudinal association between near-misses/minor injuries and moderate/severe injuries by the presence/absence of depressive symptoms using 1-year follow-up data obtained from a nationally representative sample of workers in Japan.MethodsOf the 18 231 eligible participants at time 1 (T1), 12 127 who responded to the 1-year follow-up survey at time 2 (T2) (response rate: 66.5%; 4370 females and 7757 males; mean age (SD), 45.3 (10.5) years) were included in the analysis. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed with the presence/absence of moderate/severe injuries at T2 as the dependent variable.ResultsIn total, 36.4% of participants reported depressive symptoms at T1. During the follow-up period, 1.6% of participants reported moderate/severe injuries in industrial settings. After adjusting for relevant variables, participants who reported near-misses (OR=1.7 (95% CI, 1.3 to 2.4)) and minor injuries (OR=2.5 (95% CI, 1.3 to 4.7)) at T1 were more likely to have moderate/severe injuries at T2 compared to those who reported no near-misses/minor injuries. However, this association was stronger in participants who did not have depressive symptoms at T1 than in those who had depressive symptoms.ConclusionsWhile the predictive value of near-misses/minor injuries for the occurrence of moderate/severe injuries by the presence/absence of depressive symptoms should be cautiously interpreted, our findings suggest that the development and utilisation of near-miss/minor injury reporting systems may help reduce the likelihood of moderate/severe injuries among workers, especially those without depressive symptoms.

Health literacy (HL) refers to the ability to obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services, and is thus needed to make appropriate health decisions. The Newest Vital Sign (NVS) is comprised of 6 questions about an ice cream nutrition label and assesses HL numeracy skills. We developed a Japanese version of the NVS (NVS-J) and evaluated the validity and reliability of the NVS-J in patients with chronic pain. The translation of the original NVS into Japanese was achieved as per the published guidelines. An observational study was subsequently performed to evaluate the validity and reliability of the NVS-J in 43 Japanese patients suffering from chronic pain. Factor analysis with promax rotation, using the Kaiser criterion (eigenvalues ≥1.0), and a scree plot revealed that the main component of the NVS-J consists of three determinative factors, and each factor consists of two NVS-J items. The criterion-related validity of the total NVS-J score was significantly correlated with the total score of Ishikawa et al.'s self-rated HL Questionnaire, the clinical global assessment of comprehensive HL level, cognitive function, and the Brinkman index. In addition, Cronbach's coefficient for the total score of the NVS-J was adequate (alpha = 0.72). This study demonstrated that the NVS-J has good validity and reliability. Further, the NVS-J consists of three determinative factors: \"basic numeracy ability,\" \"complex numeracy ability,\" and \"serious-minded ability.\" These three HL abilities comprise a 3-step hierarchical structure. Adequate HL should be promoted in chronic pain patients to enable coping, improve functioning, and increase activities of daily living (ADLs) and quality of life (QOL).

OBJECTIVE:This study aimed to clarify whether work-related adverse events in cases involving compensation for mental disorders and suicide differ by sex and industry using a database containing all relevant cases reported from 2010 to 2014 in Japan. METHODS:A total of 1362 eligible cases involving compensation for mental disorders (422 females and 940 males) were analyzed. RESULTS:Among males, 55.7% of cases were attributed to “long working hours.” In both sexes, the frequencies of cases attributed to “long working hours” and other events differed significantly by industry. Among cases involving compensation for suicide, 71.4% were attributed to “long working hours.” CONCLUSIONS:The frequency distribution of work-related adverse events differed significantly by sex and industry. These differences should be taken into consideration in the development of industry-specific preventive measures for occupational mental disorders.

IntroductionAlthough pancreatectomy with lymph node (LN) and nerve plexus dissection has usually been performed for pancreatic cancer, recent randomized controlled trials have questioned its survival benefits. However, superior mesenteric artery (SMA) LN dissection has still been included in standard treatment guidelines.MethodsA total of 94 patients who underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy for resectable pancreatic cancer without LN enlargement around the SMA on imaging were identified between 2008 and 2017. Disease-free survival (DFS), overall survival (OS), and complications were compared between those with LN and hemicircumferential nerve plexus dissection around the SMA (SMA ly+) and those without thorough LN and nerve plexus dissection around the SMA (SMA ly−) after adjusting for major prognostic factors.ResultsA total of 78 and 16 patients with SMA ly+ and SMA ly− were identified, respectively. Our data demonstrated no difference in DFS and OS rates between both groups (P = 0.18 and 0.83, respectively). Patients with SMA ly+ had significantly more complications, particularly severe diarrhea, compared to those with SMA ly− (P = 0.001).ConclusionLN and nerve plexus dissection around the SMA did not prolong survival and significantly increased the frequency of severe diarrhea, suggesting that performing in all cases carries less practical significance.