BackgroundChronic pain is recognized as a public health problem that affects the general population physically, psychologically, and socially. However, there is little knowledge about the associated factors of chronic pain, such as the influence of weather, family structure, daily exercise, and work status.ObjectivesThis survey had three aims: 1) to estimate the prevalence of chronic pain in Japan, 2) to analyze these associated factors, and 3) to evaluate the social burden due to chronic pain.MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional postal survey in a sample of 6000 adults aged ≥20 years. The response rate was 43.8%.ResultsThe mean age of the respondents was 57.7 years (range 20–99 years); 39.3% met the criteria for chronic pain (lasting ≥3 months). Approximately a quarter of the respondents reported that their chronic pain was adversely influenced by bad weather and also oncoming bad weather. Risk factors for chronic pain, as determined by a logistic regression model, included being an older female, being unemployed, living alone, and no daily exercise. Individuals with chronic pain showed significantly lower quality of life and significantly higher psychological distress scores than those without chronic pain. The mean annual duration of absence from work of working-age respondents was 9.6 days (range 1–365 days).ConclusionsOur findings revealed that high prevalence and severity of chronic pain, associated factors, and significant impact on quality of life in the adult Japanese population. A detailed understanding of factors associated with chronic pain is essential for establishing a management strategy for primary care.

Temporal decay characteristics of dislocation-related luminescence bands (D1–D4) were explored in strain-relieved epitaxial SiGe/Si(100). Close similarity of the decay profiles was observed not only between D1 and D2 bands but also between D3 and D4 bands. The decay transients of the D1 and D2 bands at low temperatures are characterized by long decay times, τ≳200 ns, whereas the D3 and D4 bands exhibit even sharper transients with τ<60 ns. Temperature dependence of ‘‘radiative’’ lifetimes implies a free-to-bound nature of the D1 and D2 bands, while a bound-to-bound character of the luminescence origins for the D3, D4 bands.

The hole mobility of a discotic liquid-crystalline triphenylene compound is enhanced by the gelation with hydrogen-bonded fibrous aggregates.

No abstract

No abstract