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This article evaluates economy-wide material flows and stocks of four types of infrastructure in Japan: roadways, railways, buildings, and sewer networks during 1970-2005. As all materials consumed and amassed are in principle turned into waste after their life span terminates, evaluating the accumulation of material stock has gained importance for policy makers to direct attention towards upcoming waste generation, which will also emerge as an encumbrance for future generations. This study computes Gross Additions to Stock (GAS, the amount of materials added to the economy's stock each year) and Net Additions to Stock (NAS, the difference between added materials and stock depletion) with the aid of material flow and stock analysis, since these are key indicators of total material consumption. By defining an appropriate systemic boundary of each specific kind of infrastructure, an annual average GAS is directly estimated from data on improvement, maintenance, and new construction of specific infrastructure. Annual NAS is estimated as annual average change in total material accumulation in a specific year. Estimated results show that in 2005, the total stock was 12 billion tonnes, while GAS and NAS were 309 and 114 million tonnes respectively. Consequently, stock depletion is estimated for the whole study period. Once the use of these and other important indicators have been analysed, more practical and appropriate policy measures could be proposed for Japan to aim for a sustainable stock-type society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Angelica keiskei is a perennial plant, belonging to the Apiaceae family and originating from Japan. This plant has been reported to act as a diuretic, analeptic, antidiabetic, hypertensive, tumor, galactagogue, and laxative. The mechanism of action of A. keiskei is not known, but previous studies have suggested that it may act as an antioxidant. In this work, we used Drosophila melanogaster to evaluate the impact of A. keiskei on lifespan and healthspan and its potential anti-aging mechanism by conducting multiple assays on three fly strains: w1118, chico, and JIV. We observed that the extract extended lifespan and improved healthspan in a sex- and strain-dependent manner. A. keiskei extended lifespan and improved reproductive fitness in female flies and either had no effect or decreased survival and physical performance in males. The extract protected against the superoxide generator paraquat in both sexes. These sex-specific effects suggest that A. keiskei may act through age-specific pathways such as the insulin and insulin-like growth factor signaling (IIS) pathways. Upon examination, we found that the increased survival of A. keiskei-fed females was dependent on the presence of the insulin receptor substrate chico, supporting the role of IIS in the action of A. keiskei. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Notonecta montandoni is currently considered 'near threatened' according to the Red List of Japan. Aims/methods: This study aimed to elucidate the life history of N. montandoni using rearing and field surveys and to describe the life history and developmental period of each immature stage. Results: The complete developmental period at 19 °C was observed for 97–105 days (n = 5) as follows: egg, 18–22 days (n = 30); first instar nymph, 9–12 days (n = 30); second instar nymph, 9–11 days (n = 30); third instar nymph, 11–15 days (n = 24); fourth instar nymph, 15–20 days (n = 20); and fifth instar nymph, 31–33 days (n = 5). In the field, adults were collected from both ponds and streams, but nymphs were found only in ponds. Notonecta montandoni is present in waters that do not exceed 24 °C throughout the year and moves through multiple habitats. Discussion: The results suggest that N. montandoni mates and lays eggs in winter and completes its nymphal period from January to May; it is assumed that N. montandoni is univoltine, new adults that emerge may have a life span of only one season, and N. montandoni uses two habitats (ponds and streams) to complete its life cycle. Implications for insect conservation: Our results describe the life history and immature stages of N. montandoni and provide important information for in situ and ex situ conservation. These findings provide important implications (e.g., the need for multiple habitats to complete life histories and the importance of mitigating the impacts of temperature increases due to climate change) for developing conservation strategies and activities for N. montandoni. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Over the past millennia, life expectancy has drastically increased. While a mere 25 years during Bronze and Iron ages, life expectancy in many European countries and in Japan is currently above 80 years. Such an increase in life expectancy is a result of improved diet, life style, and medical care. Yet, increased life span and aging also represent the most important non‐modifiable risk factors for several pathologies including cardiovascular disease, neurodegenerative diseases, and cancer. In recent years, neutrophils have been implicated in all of these pathologies. Hence, this review provides an overview of how aging impacts neutrophil production and function and conversely how neutrophils drive aging‐associated pathologies. Finally, we provide a perspective on how processes of neutrophil‐driven pathologies in the context of aging can be targeted therapeutically. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hokkaido in northern Japan is a typical subpolar region and wine production using traditional cultivars can be done recently. However, there is an issue that the grapevines have short life spans in snowy central Hokkaido. This study investigates the effect of snow itself and its interaction with vineyard slope and grapevine stiffness on physical stress. In comparison of the flatness of the vineyard, the distortion of the basal trunk in the slope zone was greater than in the flat zones in the snowy mid-season. In comparison between cultivars, the distortion of the basal trunk in the flexible 'Kerner' was greater than in rigid 'Gewürztraminer', even in the flat zones. The magnitude of the distortion coincides with the mortality of grapevines. Although the changes in distortion showed a transition in just two winter durations, these results suggested a possibility that the snow cover might be linked to one of the physical damages of grapevines in vineyards in heavy snowy regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Once-to-twice weekly sampling at nocturnal high tide for a year enabled us to detail the seasonal population dynamics, production, and feeding of the chaetognath Aidanosagitta crassa in a eutrophic inlet of the Inland Sea of Japan. The population density fluctuated from 1.0 ind (or 0.0029 mg C) m-3 to 3,370 ind (or 14.69 mg C) m-3, with a small, protracted peak in winter and a large, sharp peak in summer. The population consisted of 3 subpopulations, each of which produced 6-7 generations, yielding a total of 19 generations. In most generations, the mortality was notably higher in the egg to small juvenile (body length: ca. 2 mm) stage and in the adult stage than in the large juvenile stage. Basic population parameters, e.g., time to first maturity (range: 32-71 d), minimum size for reproduction (4.0-8.9 mm), mean body length of mature adults (5.5-10.4 mm) and life span (34-96 d), were negatively correlated with temperature. The specific growth rates (0.07-0.22 d-1) were a positive function of temperature, yielding an annual population production rate of 91.49 mg C m-3 y-1. Only one third of A. crassa contained prey in the gut, and their feeding habit was completely carnivorous, with preference for progressively larger prey with their growth. Estimated carbon weight-specific feeding rates (0.01-0.81 d-1) sustained net growth with a mean gross growth efficiency of 45% in warm seasons (≥ca. 15°C). This highly intensive survey of the A. crassa population serves as a benchmark for intra- and interspecific comparisons of ecophysiological and population parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the life span of hydro and nuclear energy generations and the relationship between hydro and nuclear energy generations, environmental pollution, and economic growth were investigated for Japan covering the period of 1960–2018 by employing the Bathtub‐Weibull curve and Markov switching‐vector error correcting (MSVEC) method, respectively. According to the Bathtub‐Weibull curve analysis, a rising failure rate for nuclear energy was found, indicating that the life of nuclear energy has expired, but a decreasing failure rate for hydroelectric energy has been detected. Then two different MSVEC models were used. The MSVEC method, unlike traditional approaches, determines the relationship between variables under different regimes. The results of MSVEC methods indicate three important points. First, regime‐dependent asymmetry and regime changes are crucial for policy recommendations. Second, the shocks to hydropower and nuclear energy generations cause temporary deviations from the long‐run growth path in both regimes. Lastly, the increase in hydropower generation leads to a decrease in environmental pollution and an increase in GDP, and an increase in nuclear power generation increases pollution and growth in both regimes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lutjanid snappers belonging to the subfamilies Apsilinae and Etelinae are commercially valuable components of tropical deep‐water fisheries throughout much of the Indo‐Pacific region. Based on age assessment using sagittal otoliths, the age‐specific demographic characteristics of four deep‐water snappers, Etelis coruscans, Paracaesio caerulea, Pristipomoides filamentosus and Pristipomoides sieboldii, in the Okinawa Islands, southwestern Japan, were examined, and the results were discussed for fishery management. Age validation using edge‐type analysis demonstrated that opaque zones in all species were formed once per year and were considered valid annual growth increments. The von Bertalanffy growth equations were also determined for each species. These snappers are long‐lived (>50 years for E. coruscans and P. caerulea and >30 years for the two species of Pristipomoides) and relatively slow‐growing. The age of acquiring sexual maturity in females was relatively later in E. coruscans, P. caerulea and P. filamentosus than in P. sieboldii. The results revealed differences in the biological traits among these four species; E. coruscans and P. caerulea with long life spans and late maturation are particularly more vulnerable to fishing impact than the two Pristipomoides species. Therefore, further approaches to decrease and control fishing intensity, such as networking of marine‐protected areas and regulation to control the numbers of boats and/or the total allowable catch, are necessary for the management of the stock of these species, especially for E. coruscans and P. caerulea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The reproductive season and life span of the common estuarine polychaete Simplisetia erythraeensis (Annelida: Nereididae) was investigated by monthly sampling during the years 2015 and 2016 in two tidal flats at two different regions in southern Japan: Shigetomi in Kagoshima Bay, Kyusyu Island, a warm-temperate region and Ichi on Amami-Oshima Island, Ryukyu Islands, a maritime subtropical region. At both sites, one or two cohorts were distinguished simultaneously using monthly body-width histograms. Recruitment of new cohorts occurred from August in Kagoshima Bay and from July on Amami-Oshima Island. Ovigerous females were observed from March to August in the former area and from April to July in the latter area, with the highest female maturity rate (number of females with oocytes/total number of adults larger than the smallest mature size) in July in both areas. The maximum value of the mean oocyte size of each female increased with increasing female maturity rates. The density of each cohort decreased from May onward because of the death of adults after reproduction, which resulted in the complete disappearance of the cohort in early October. Our results showed that the life span of S. erythraeensis was one year, and the reproductive period occurred in summer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evaluating the predictive ability of mortality forecasts is important yet difficult. Death rates and mean lifespan are basic life table functions typically used to analyze to what extent the forecasts deviate from their realized values. Although these parameters are useful for specifying precisely how mortality has been forecasted, they cannot be used to assess whether the underlying mortality developments are plausible. We therefore propose that in addition to looking at average lifespan, we should examine whether the forecasted variability of the age at death is a plausible continuation of past trends. The validation of mortality forecasts for Italy, Japan, and Denmark demonstrates that their predictive performance can be evaluated more comprehensively by analyzing both the average lifespan and lifespan disparity-that is, by jointly analyzing the mean and the dispersion of mortality. Approaches that account for dynamic age shifts in survival improvements appear to perform better than others that enforce relatively invariant patterns. However, because forecasting approaches are designed to capture trends in average mortality, we argue that studying lifespan disparity may also help to improve the methodology and thus the predictive ability of mortality forecasts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the findings from the Radiation Effects Research Foundation's studies of the cohort of Japanese atomic bomb survivors, it has been reported that total-body irradiation at 0.5-1.0 Gy could be responsible for increased rates of mortality from broad-based categories of cardiovascular disease (CVD), i.e., stroke and heart disease. However, CVD consists of various subtypes that have potentially different radiation dose responses, as well as subtype-specific risks that have not been fully evaluated. Potential problems with changes in the coding rules for the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) and the underlying causes and trends in CVD mortality in Japan also need to be considered. The goal of this study was to clarify the radiation risk of subtype-specific heart disease over different time periods. Radiation dose response was examined for mortality from several heart disease subtypes in 86,600 members of the Life Span Study (LSS) cohort during 1950-2008. These subtypes included ischemic heart disease (IHD), valvular heart disease (VHD), hypertensive organ damage (HOD) and heart failure (HF). Individual radiation doses ranged between 0 and 4 Gy. In addition to analyses for the total period, we examined specific periods, 1950-1968, 1969-1980, 1981-1994 and 1995-2008, corresponding to major developments in medical technologies and ICD code revisions. We observed significant positive associations between radiation dose and mortality from heart disease overall in 1950-2008 [excess relative risk or ERR/Gy (95% CI) = 0.14 (0.06, 0.22)]. Subtype-specific ERRs also positively increased with dose: 0.45 (0.13, 0.85) for VHD, 0.36 (0.10, 0.68) for HOD and 0.21 (0.07, 0.37) for HF, respectively. No significant departure from linearity was shown for the dose-response model. Although there was no evidence for a threshold in a model function, the lowest dose ranges with a statistically significant dose response were 0-0.7 Gy for heart disease overall and VHD, 0-1.5 Gy for HOD and 0-0.4 Gy for HF. No significant association between radiation exposure and IHD was observed in any model, although a quadratic model fit the best. The risk of HOD and rheumatic VHD increased significantly in the earliest periods [ERR/Gy = 0.59 (0.07, 1.32) and 1.34 (0.24, 3.16), respectively]. The risk of nonrheumatic VHD increased with calendar time and was significant in the latest period [ERR/Gy = 0.75 (0.02, 1.92)]. The risk of IHD, especially for myocardial infarction, tended to be elevated in the most recent period after 2001, where cautious interpretation is needed due to the uncertain validity of death diagnosis. Radiation risks of heart disease mortality in the LSS appeared to vary substantially among subtypes, indicating possible differences in radiation-induced pathogenesis. Trends in CVD rates in Japan during the long observation period may also impact risk analyses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The human lifespan has traversed a long evolutionary and historical path, from short-lived primate ancestors to contemporary Japan, Sweden, and other longevity frontrunners. Analyzing this trajectory is crucial for understanding biological and sociocultural processes that determine the span of life. Here we reveal a fundamental regularity. Two straight lines describe the joint rise of life expectancy and lifespan equality: one for primates and the second one over the full range of human experience from average lifespans as low as 2 y during mortality crises to more than 87 y for Japanese women today. Across the primate order and across human populations, the lives of females tend to be longer and less variable than the lives of males, suggesting deep evolutionary roots to the male disadvantage. Our findings cast fresh light on primate evolution and human history, opening directions for research on inequality, sociality, and aging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of the study was to explore the survival trends of centenarians in Japan. A cohort of centenarians born between 1881 and 1900 was analysed based on national census data, and the average life expectancy at 100 years of age, risk of death and maximum age were estimated. An analysis of covariance and a Cox regression analysis were performed to explore the factors associated with life expectancy and risk of death. The death rates in centenarians tended to decrease with birth year, and the average life expectancy from the age of 100 slightly increased at a rate of 0.013 years (95% CI: 0.007–0.019) by birth year in men and 0.026 in women. Women had a longer life expectancy than men, with a difference of 0.174 years (95% CI: 0.071–0.277) at birth year 1881 and increasing by 0.013 years per year thereafter. The risk of death in both sexes decreased significantly by birth year over the course of the period analysed, and the risk of death in men was 1.16 (95% CI: 1.14–1.19) times that of women. In women, death rates at every age significantly decreased with birth year over the course of the period analysed until age 104. However, this trend did not hold true for ages 105 and older. The average life expectancy of centenarians at the age of 100 in Japan increased by birth year in the 1881–1900 birth cohort. In addition, Japanese centenarians had the lowest death rates among several countries. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

An interview with Masayo Takahashi, Laboratory for Retinal Regeneration's project leader, is presented. Topics include the involvement in an induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells operation, iPS' role in extending the average life span in good health in a nation, and the increase in foreign direct investment (FDI) in iPS cells and regenerative medicine in Japan.

We investigated mean leaf retention time in order to elucidate the factors affecting regional and local variations in stand-level leaf longevity in hinoki cypress ( Chamaecyparis obtusa) plantations. Our study sites consisted of six stands at a low elevation (320-370 m a.s.l.) and 12 stands at a high elevation (850-970 m a.s.l.) in southwestern Japan. We also used published data on leaf longevity in stands at various elevations to clarify the regional-scale variations in leaf longevity and their relationships to environmental factors. At the regional scale, leaf longevity increased with increasing elevation and with decreasing air temperature, growing season length, and Kira's warmth index across sites. Similar relationships were obtained for the variation in leaf mass. At the local scale, leaf longevity did not show a clear relationship with topographic position, soil water content, or soil C/N ratio. Contrary to our expectation, leaf longevity was negatively correlated with the leaf C/N ratio at both study sites, although the significance level was marginal. This indicates greater leaf longevity with better leaf nutrient status. Our results suggest that responses of leaf longevity in hinoki cypress stands to environmental factors would be more prominent at the regional scale than at the local scale, although large variation was detected at the local scale. Air temperature and growing season length appear to be the main drivers of the variation in leaf longevity at the regional scale, whereas the causal factors are unclear at the local scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The number of positron emission tomography (PET) machines has been increasing in regions of East-, Southeast-, and South-Asia as well as in Latin America including Mexico. This study was performed to assess the potential requirement of PET machines in 19 countries which already use PET in the aforementioned regions. Data on the number of PET machines and internationally available characteristics of the restrictive countries such as the land area, the total population, the gross national income (GNI), and the average life span of inhabitants were obtained from IAEA, UN, WB, and WHO. Correlation between the number of PET machines and the characteristics of each country was evaluated. The potentially required number of PET machines, which was obtained by adjusting the number of PET machines with statistically significant, correlative characteristics of each country, standardized on the state of Japan, were compared. The number of PET machines could be significantly correlated to the GNI of a country and the average life span of its inhabitants (P < 0.05). Based on Japan, most of the countries in the regions would require considerably more PET machines. With installation of the potentially required number of PET machines in each of the countries, the number of PET machine per 106 population would increase by 1.1- to 12-fold, in comparison with the current situation. With regards to the potentially required number of PET machines, most of the countries in these regions may require a considerable increase of PET machines. Nevertheless, some countries in the Asia seem to require outside assistance such as international support in order to introduce PET and enhance the efficacy of their health services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deep-sea snailfish Careproctus rhodomelas were collected from an active hydrothermal vent using a remotely operated vehicle (R.O.V. Hyper-dolphin) and a pressurized device (Deep-Aquarium). Careproctus rhodomelas exhibited a cystovarian-type ovary containing a small number of developing oocytes at different stages, suggesting that the fish is a batch-spawner that spawns large eggs ( c. 6·0 mm) several times within its life span. In vitro culture of the oocytes in the presence of human chorionic gonadotropin showed that oestradiol-17β production fluctuated with oocyte development, suggesting that the oocytes were at the vitellogenic stage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Because of substantial improvements in the health of its citizens during the thirty-five years from 1970 to 2005, Japan is noted among countries with the greatest average life spans. In this article, the author attempts to quantify the economic value of this longevity by estimating willingness-to-pay (WTP) with respect to the drop in mortality rates during that period using Murphy and Topel (2003, 2006). The results suggest that the economic value is as much as ¥165 trillion per year as of 2005 or about 30 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP). By changing the discount rate and utility function parameters, the author also attempts to show the values obtained for WTP. He provides an analysis of the impact of demographics on WTP, and in particular, shows how the population increase from 1970, with lower birthrates and an aging population, has increased WTP on an annualized basis by ¥30 trillion and ¥20 trillion, respectively. He also suggests that looking ahead to 2040, WTP will likely decrease to ¥60 trillion due to limited additional improvements in survival rates and a declining population. Health expenditures attributed to the decrease in mortality rates are expected to be below one-tenth of WTP, suggesting that the increase in health care expenditures up to now are justifiable given a cost-benefit analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the five most intriguing issues that affect the longevity of people. The author tackles the effect of human genes, lifestyle and occupation on how long a person lives. Moreover, he notes that people in Japan live the longest mainly because of their diet composed of Oolong green tea, wheat and buckwheat flour, and their food habits. Issues on the role of calorie restriction in longevity, as well as the contribution of diet, physical activity and health are also discussed.

Abstract: To investigate longitudinal changes in the survival rate of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in Wakayama Prefecture, Japan, we made a retrospective hospital-based study of 454 patients diagnosed with motor neuron disease (MND) at Wakayama Medical University (WMU) Hospital between 1966 and 2005. Of the 454 patients, 240 who were born and who lived in Wakayama Prefecture were diagnosed with definite or probable ALS during this period, according to the El Escorial criteria. The clinical data of the 240 patients, including sex, birth date, birthplace, address, age at onset, initial symptoms, date when respiratory support was applied (tracheostomy, noninvasive positive pressure ventilation, or mandatory artificial ventilation), and date of death were reviewed retrospectively. The age at onset of patients who developed initial symptoms before 1990 was 53.4±10.6 (mean±S.D.) and that in 1990 or thereafter was 64.8±10.3, respectively, showing a significant difference (p <0.0001). Clinical duration was determined from onset to either date of death or initiation of respiratory support in this study. Survival rate was compared using the Kaplan–Meier method according to age at onset, sex, initial symptoms and year of onset. Mean age at onset shifted towards older age according to a later year of onset, due to the overwhelming senility rate in Wakayama Prefecture. Older onset patients had a significantly poorer survival rate than younger onset patients when it was compared based on 10-year age groups (log rank, p <0.0001). Male patients had a poorer survival rate than female patients (p <0.0001). ALS patients with bulbar palsy onset showed shorter clinical durations than those with lower leg onset (p <0.0071, Breslow–Gehan–Wilcoxon test). Patients over 70 years old more frequently showed bulbar palsy onset compared to those younger than 69 (p =0.003). In a comparison of year of onset before and after 1990, ALS patients after 1990 had characteristics of older age onset and shorter clinical duration, and more frequently showed bulbar palsy onset compared with those before 1990. These findings indicated that younger onset patients with ALS decreased after 1990 in Wakayama Prefecture and this might partly explain the recent decline of ALS incidence in Wakayama Prefecture. The shift of the mean age at onset to older age might be due to exogenous factors, including changes in lifestyle, food, and drinking water in this area. Bulbar palsy onset and age at onset were expected as predictors of the survival rate. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: Past studies have measured and described the length of life with disability before death, but there has been no study of the relationship between modifiable lifestyle factors and duration of disability. Objective: To examine whether there are modifiable factors influencing the length of life with disability before death. Methods: The study was designed asa retrospective observation of the deceased who had earlier been enrolled in a prospective cohort study.During the follow-up period (1996–1999), we documented 781 deaths among those who were 70–79 years of age at the baseline survey in 1994 (n = 10,216). In 2000, we interviewed family members of the deceased about the duration of the subjects’ disability before death (n = 655). Results: The median duration of disability before death was approximately 6 months. Both higher Body Mass Index (BMI) and shorter time spent walking were significantly associated with an increased risk of long-term disability (more than 6 months). The odds ratios of long-term disability were 1.3 in those with BMI 20–25 and 2.1 in those with BMI >25, compared with BMI <20. The odds ratios of long-term disability were 1.3 in those walking for 0.5–0.9 h/day and 1.7 in those walking for <0.5 h/day, compared with those walking for >1.0 h/day. These relationships were unchanged after stratification for causes of death. Conclusion: Weight control and walking in later life may shorten the length of life with disability before death. Copyright © 2005 S. Karger AG, Basel [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The SHC1 gene encodes a signaling and transforming protein that has been implicated in the aging process in worms and mammals. In this study we examined 230 Japanese centenarians and 180 healthy younger controls and looked at the SHC1 locus as a candidate region that may be associated with longevity. We identified 12 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within a 10-kb region encompassing the entire SHC1 gene from the DNA of 30 centenarians and 24 healthy younger controls. Five SNPs, including three nonsynonymous sites, lay within coding elements, six were located within introns, and one was in the 3′ untranslated region. All of these SNPs were relatively rare, with a minor allele frequency of less than 5% in our subjects. A pairwise linkage disequilibrium analysis using the r2 statistic showed that two of the SNP pairs are in tight linkage disequilibrium at this locus. We investigated the possible association of SHC1 with longevity using association analyses with allelotypes and haplotypes but found that the SNPs identified in SHC1 had no impact on longevity for Japanese centenarians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Compared with other developed countries, the United Kingdom has exhibited less of an increase in life expectancy over the past 30 years. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Life expectancy in Japan rose at an unprecedented rate in the years following World War II. By around 1980, Japan had attained its current position of world leader in terms of average length of life. However, after catching and then surpassing other countries, the pace of mortality decline in Japan now appears to be converging toward international trends. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Investigates the effect of body size on neonate production potential of Moina macrocopa females derived from parthenogenetic and resting eggs in Japan. Food density in the culture medium; Estimation of neonate production; Life span of small- and large-size parthenogenetic specimens.

Background: With the increase of overall life expectancy in Japan, effective and beneficial lifestyle approaches and practices are crucial for individuals to have a long, productive and healthy life. Although previous studies suggest that exercise or sports, especially when performed with others, from midlife level have a positive impact on enhancing healthy life expectancy, there is paucity of information regarding these contexts and possible associations. The present study intends to clarify the relationship between engagement in exercise or sports among middle-aged persons and healthy life expectancy through an ecological study in all prefectures in Japan. Methods: We tabulated (1) the ratios of middle-aged individuals engaged in exercise or sports and (2) the different methods by which they are engaged in exercise or sports for each prefecture by using data from the 2005–2010 Longitudinal Survey of Middle-aged and Elderly Persons by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan. Weighted multiple linear regression analyses were performed by sex, using healthy life expectancy in 2010 of each prefecture calculated by Hashimoto (2013) as a criterion variable; indices of (1) and (2) of each year as explanatory variables; and age, living conditions, employment, and chronic diseases as adjusted variables. Results: For middle-aged males, the ratio of those engaged in exercise or sports in each year from 2005 to 2010 was positively correlated with healthy life expectancy; this relationship was found in the ratio of middle-aged engaging in exercise or sports "with families or friends". For females, such a relationship could only be found in the ratio of middle-aged females engaged in exercise or sports in 2008, and those engaging in exercise or sports "with families or friends" in 2006, 2008 and 2010. Conclusion: Prefectures with a higher ratio of middle-aged individuals engaging in exercise or sports, especially when done with families or friends, have longer healthy life expectancies. This was particularly evident for males. Thus, exercise or sports with families or friends in midlife seems to be more effective in promoting healthy life expectancy for males than females in Japan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In introduction to this round table debate, Yuriko Sakata Risch of Ninapharm presents the diet of Okinawa, an island that is exemplary of the exceptional Japanese longevity. The rural lifestyle and a high consumption of vegetables and proteins (pork and tofu) are a few of the particularities of diet of Okinawa's inhabitants. Yuri Hatanaka of MI Innovation Lab in Tokyo then discusses the Japanese approach to innovation in food and nutrition where a 'good' product exceeds consumer expectations, going on to present a number of innovative products. Yuriko Sataka Risch then gives a presentation of an innovative Ninapharm probiotic, Hyprolina, with a number of positive health effects. Eiji Yamashita of Fuji Chemical Co Ltd then descibes their seaweed-derived antioxidant product, astaxanthin, whose health effects are validated in numerous studies and include optimisation of fat metabolism and cosmetic effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Examines the effect of cadmium pollution on the lifespan and mortality of patients with itai-itai disease in Japan. Survival rate of the patients; Level of cadmium concentration in the bones of patients; Influence of cadmium-polluted areas on the mortality ratios of nephritis and nephroses.