Masashi Tsunoda

Bio: Masashi Tsunoda is an academic researcher from Kitasato University. The author has contributed to research in topics: Occupational safety and health & Homovanillic acid. The author has an hindex of 13, co-authored 51 publications receiving 430 citations. Previous affiliations of Masashi Tsunoda include Fukushima Medical University.

Altered metabolism of dopamine in the midbrain of mice treated with tributyltin chloride via subacute oral exposure.

Abstract: Tributyltin (TBT) compounds have been detected in fish and shellfish. One of the targets of TBT compounds is the central nervous system. Alterations in the levels of neurotransmitters and their metabolites, and ratios of the levels of neurotransmitters to those of their metabolites have been used as indexes of neurotoxicity. We evaluated the neurotoxicity of TBT compounds in mice following subacute oral exposure by determining the levels of neurotransmitters and their metabolites in discrete brain regions. Male BALB/c mice were exposed to 0, 1, 5, 25, or 125 ppm TBT chloride in their feed for one month. Following the treatment period, their brains were removed and dissected into the cerebrum, cerebellum, medulla oblongata, midbrain, corpus striatum and hypothalamus. The levels of norepinephrine, dopamine (DA), dihydoxyphenylacetic acid, homovanillic acid (HVA), serotonin, and 5-hydroxyindolacetic acid were determined in different brain regions by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The mean body weight of mice treated with 125 ppm TBT was significantly lower than that of the control from day 5 to day 16 during the treatment period. The HVA/DA ratio in the midbrain of the 125 ppm-treated group was significantly higher than those of other treatment groups, and tended to be higher than that of the control. TBT may affect DA metabolism in the brain, especially in the midbrain.

Recommendation of Occupational Exposure Limits (2013-2014) : The Japan Society for Occupational Health

Abstract: The Japan Society for Occupational Health (JSOH) recommends the Occupational Exposure Limits (OELs) as reference values for preventing adverse health effects on workers caused by occupational exposure to chemical substances, continuous or intermittent noise, impulsive or impact noise, heat stress, cold stress, whole-body vibration, hand-arm vibration and time-varying electric, magnetic and electromagnetic fields and ultraviolet and ionizing radiation.

A pilot study testing the dimensions of safety climate among Japanese nurses.

Abstract: To investigate the dimensions of safety climate among Japanese nurses, an anonymous self-administered questionnaire survey was conducted. The subjects involved in the survey included 293 full-time nurses (registered nurses and licensed practical nurses) working in a public hospital, excluding directors of nursing. A total of 221 of the 293 nurses answered the questionnaires. Among 221 questionnaires, the questionnaires, which had missing values in the question items used in this study, were excluded from the analyses. Consequently, a total of 201 questionnaires were analyzed. The average age of the subjects was 34.7 yr. As a result of exploratory factor analysis, 5 factors were extracted as follows: intellectual development regarding medical safety among nurses, accumulated fatigue, nursing conditions, supervisors' attitudes, and communication with physicians. All the values of Cronback's coefficient alpha among these 5 factors were between 0.804 and 0.892. As a result of the confirmatory factor analysis of the 5 factors, the value of the GFI (Goodness of Fit Index) was 0.868. The value of the CFI (Comparative Fit Index) was 0.943. The value of the RMSEA (Root Mean Square Error of Approximation) was 0.062. The results of this study will contribute to the investigation of the dimensions of a nurses' safety climate scale in the future. The associations between the dimensions of the safety climate and the motivation to work toward improving patients' safety among Japanese nurses will need to be examined, as will those between the dimensions of the safety climate and actual clinical mistakes.

Associations of Health Behaviors on Depressive Symptoms among Employed Men in Japan

Abstract: The associations between health behaviors and depressive symptoms have been demonstrated in many studies. However, job strain has also been associated with health behaviors. The aim of this study was to analyze whether health behaviors such as physical activity, sleeping, smoking and alcohol intake are associated with depressive symptoms after adjusting for job strain. Workers were recruited from nine companies and factories located in east and central areas of Japan. The Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression (CES-D) Scale was used to assess depressive symptoms. Psychological demand and control (decision-latitude) at work were measured with the Job Content Questionnaire. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to determine the independent contribution of each health behavior to depressive symptoms. Among the total participants, 3,748 (22.7%) had depressive symptoms, which was defined as scoring 16 or higher on the CES-D scale. Using the multiple logistic regression analysis, depressive symptoms were significantly associated with physical activity less than once a week (adjusted relative risk [ARR] = 1.18, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.14 to 1.25) and daily hours of sleep of 6 h or less (ARR, 1.25; 95% CI, 1.14 to 1.35). Smoking and frequency of alcohol intake were not significantly associated with depressive symptoms. This study suggests some health behaviors such as physical activity or daily hours of sleep are associated with depressive symptoms after adjusting for job strain.

The Human Side of Enterprise.

Abstract: \"What are your assumptions (implicit as well as explicit) about the most effective way to manage people?\" So began Douglas McGregor in this 1960 management classic. It was a seemingly simple question he asked, yet it led to a fundamental revolution in management. Today, with the rise of the global economy, the information revolution, and the growth of knowledge-driven work, McGregor's simple but provocative question continues to resonate-perhaps more powerfully than ever before. Heralded as one of the most important pieces of management literature ever written, a touchstone for scholars and a handbook for practitioners, The Human Side of Enterprise continues to receive the highest accolades nearly half a century after its initial publication. Influencing such major management gurus such as Peter Drucker and Warren Bennis, McGregor's revolutionary Theory Y-which contends that individuals are self-motivated and self-directed-and Theory X-in which employees must be commanded and controlled-has been widely taught in business schools, industrial relations schools, psychology departments, and professional development seminars for over four decades. In this special annotated edition of the worldwide management classic, Joel Cutcher-Gershenfeld, Senior Research Scientist in MIT's Sloan School of Management and Engineering Systems Division, shows us how today's leaders have successfully incorporated McGregor's methods into modern management styles and practices. The added quotes and commentary bring the content right into today's debates and business models. Now more than ever, the timeless wisdom of Douglas McGregor can light the path towards a management style that nurtures leadership capability, creates effective teams, ensures internal alignment, achieves high performance, and cultivates an authentic, value-driven workplace--lessons we all need to learn as we make our way in this brave new world of the 21st century.

Safety at work: a meta-analytic investigation of the link between job demands, job resources, burnout, engagement, and safety outcomes

Abstract: In this article, we develop and meta-analytically test the relationship between job demands and resources and burnout, engagement, and safety outcomes in the workplace. In a meta-analysis of 203 independent samples (N = 186,440), we found support for a health impairment process and for a motivational process as mechanisms through which job demands and resources relate to safety outcomes. In particular, we found that job demands such as risks and hazards and complexity impair employees' health and positively relate to burnout. Likewise, we found support for job resources such as knowledge, autonomy, and a supportive environment motivating employees and positively relating to engagement. Job demands were found to hinder an employee with a negative relationship to engagement, whereas job resources were found to negatively relate to burnout. Finally, we found that burnout was negatively related to working safely but that engagement motivated employees and was positively related to working safely. Across industries, risks and hazards was the most consistent job demand and a supportive environment was the most consistent job resource in terms of explaining variance in burnout, engagement, and safety outcomes. The type of job demand that explained the most variance differed by industry, whereas a supportive environment remained consistent in explaining the most variance in all industries.

Health Behaviors of Cancer Survivors: Examining Opportunities for Cancer Control Intervention

Abstract: Purpose A population-based investigation was conducted to examine the prevalence of health behaviors (smoking, alcohol use, physical activity, and cancer screening) of cancer survivors by age, time since diagnosis, and cancer site. Understanding health behaviors of survivors is imperative, as many survivors are living longer and are at risk for cancer recurrence, second cancers, and complications from treatment. Methods Using the National Health Interview Survey, this study examined the prevalence of smoking and alcohol use as well as whether cancer survivors (n = 7,384) are meeting current recommendations for physical activity and cancer screening compared with noncancer controls (n = 121,347). Results Cancer survivors are similar to controls with respect to smoking status and alcohol consumption after adjusting for group differences. However, younger survivors (18 to 40 years) are at greater risk for continued smoking than controls. Survivors are 9% more likely to meet physical activity recommendations ...

Chemical diversity of microbial volatiles and their potential for plant growth and productivity

Abstract: Microbial volatile organic compounds (MVOCs) are produced by a wide array of microorganisms ranging from bacteria to fungi. A growing body of evidence indicates that MVOCs are ecofriendly and can be exploited as a cost-effective sustainable strategy for use in agricultural practice as agents that enhance plant growth, productivity and disease resistance. As naturally occurring chemicals, MVOCs have potential as possible alternatives to harmful pesticides, fungicides and bactericides as well as genetic modification. Recent studies performed under open field conditions demonstrate that efficiently adopting MVOCs may contribute to sustainable crop protection and production. We review here the chemical diversity of MVOCs and their potential physiological effects on crops and analyze potential and actual limitations for MVOC use as a sustainable strategy for improving productivity and reducing pesticide use.

Biogenic volatile emissions from the soil

Abstract: Volatile compounds are usually associated with an appearance/presence in the atmosphere. Recent advances, however, indicated that the soil is a huge reservoir and source of biogenic volatile organic compounds (bVOCs), which are formed from decomposing litter and dead organic material or are synthesized by underground living organism or organs and tissues of plants. This review summarizes the scarce available data on the exchange of VOCs between soil and atmosphere and the features of the soil and particle structure allowing diffusion of volatiles in the soil, which is the prerequisite for biological VOC-based interactions. In fact, soil may function either as a sink or as a source of bVOCs. Soil VOC emissions to the atmosphere are often 1-2 (0-3) orders of magnitude lower than those from aboveground vegetation. Microorganisms and the plant root system are the major sources for bVOCs. The current methodology to detect belowground volatiles is described as well as the metabolic capabilities resulting in the wealth of microbial and root VOC emissions. Furthermore, VOC profiles are discussed as non-destructive fingerprints for the detection of organisms. In the last chapter, belowground volatile-based bi- and multi-trophic interactions between microorganisms, plants and invertebrates in the soil are discussed.