Using the method specified in the WHO-MONICA Project, we monitored the incidence of myocardial infarction (MI) in the Saku district. When it comes to the trends over a period of 10 years from 1989, we did not observe significant changes, nor did we witness an increase in the incidence, which is ascribable to the aging of population. The average age of women with MI remained unchanged, whereas there were signs of a slight rise for men. Sudden death is more likely to occur in patients with the severest case of MI, so that community based studies in which the local public health center takes the lead are required to come to grips with the full particulars. In the meantime, there is the need for studies in which whether farm workers are involved is spotlighted, and it would be significant if the trends in MI mortality and morbidity in the farming populace were taken up as a research theme for our Association.

A training experiment was carried out to investigate the difference in training effects between power-up type and bulk-up type strength training exercises from the aspects of muscle histochemical properties and capillary supply. The subjects were eleven healthy males. The power-up type group (five males) performed knee extension exercise for 5 sets at 90% of 1 RM (one repetition maximum) with a 3-min rest between sets (repetition method) . The bulk-up type group (six males) performed the same exercise for 9 sets at 80-40% of 1RM with a 30-s or 3-min rest between sets (interval method, multi-poundage system) . Both programs were carried out twice a week for 8 weeks.
The main results were as follows ;
1. Percentages of fiber types showed no recognizable changes in either group.
2. Fiber area was significantly increased for all fiber types (Type I, Type IIA, Type JIB) in both groups. However, the rate of increase was greatest for type IIA fiber, followed by type JIB fiber and then type I fiber. Moreover, the rate of increase for all fiber types in the bulk-up group was higher than that in the power-up group.
3. Percentage of fiber area showed no recognizable changes for any fiber types in the powerup group. However, the percentage area of type II fibers, especially type IIB fiber, was significantly decreased in the bulk-up group.
4. CC (Type I), CC (Type IIA) and CC (Type IIB) (number of capillaries in contact with each fiber type) were significantly increased in both groups. However, in comparison with CC (Type I), CC (Type IIA · Type IIB) showed a higher rate of increase in the power-up group. On the other hand, in comparison with CC (Type IIA · Type JIB), CC (Type I) showed a higher rate of increase in the bulk-up group. Also, compared with the power-up group, the bulk-up group showed a signifi-cantly higher rate of increase of CC (Type I) .
5. C/Fiber area (Type I), C/Fiber area (Type IIA) and C/Fiber area (Type IIB) (number of capillaries supplying each fiber area) were decreased in both groups.
The above results show that power-up type exercise leads mainly to hypertrophy of type I, type IIA and type IIB fibers without any change in percentage fiber type or percentage fiber area, whereas bulk-up type exercise leads mainly to hypertrophy of each fiber type with decreases in percentage area of type II fibers, especially type JIB fiber. Also, power-up type exercise leads mainly to an increase in the number of capillaries around type II fibers, whereas bulk-up type exercise leads mainly to an increase in the number of capillaries around type I fiber. However, capillary development around all fiber types did not necessary coincide with muscle hypertrophy in either exercise.
The authors reported previously that power-up type exercise is effective mainly for improving muscular strength and anaerobic power, whereas bulk-up type exercise is effective mainly for induc. ing hypertrophy and anaerobic endurance. The results of this study may help to clarify these effects from the viewpoint of the adaptations of muscle fibers and the capillary supply.

For simplification of dealings in the central wholesale markets and reduction ofexpenditures in the marketing systems, the standards of shipment are provided for almost all agricultural products as general commodities. In addition to harvesting, the farmers must sort and pack the agricultural products in accordance with the standards of shipment. This has resulted in an increase in the farmers' workloads.
Therefore we investigated the workloads of strawberry-growing farmers during sorting and packing strawberries.
According to the sandard of shipment, strawberries are graded into three categories by quality, six categories by size and three categories by weight, and that combination is very complicated. The farmers spend much time sorting and packing strawberries. Particularly in February and March when strawberries of all sizes are shipped, sorting and packing occupy more than60% of all working hours. The smaller in size the strawberries become, the more time the farmers spend on sorting and packing a pack. We investigated the farmers' work postures, Critical Flicker Fusion Frequency (CFF) and heart rate during work. The results of the investigation showed that sortingand packing strawberries constituted hard physical and mental labour because of the complicated standards. Inquiries regarding awareness of the standards of shipment revealed that 84.3% of the strawberry growing farmers recognized the necessity of the standard of shipment. But 64% of them hoped to make the standards simpler. Simplication of the standards of shipment might reduce farmers' workloads and moreover give consumers benefit.

Environmental contaminations caused by the organochlorine pesticides (=OCPs) such as BHC and DDT, as well as PCB, are an important ecological problem relevant to their residue or accumulation in the human body.
In the present study, β-BHC, total DDT and PCB levels in the plasma of farmers in Japan, Korea and Nepal were analysed using the gaschromatograph with electron-capture detector, to know how the levels relate to the history of using those pesticides in each country.
The analysed blood samples are as follows:
1) 82 samples obtained from the farmers living in the four districts in Kyushu of Japan where the use of OCPs were forbidden about 10 years before the time of blood sampling.
2) 9 samples from the farmers living in Risen district near Seoul of Korea where OCPs were being used at the time of blood sampling.
3) 20 samples from the farmers living in Katmandu of Nepal where OCPs were being used at the time of blood sampling.
The obtained results were as follows:
1) Percentage of the samples showing the β-BHC level higher than 10 ppb was 48% for the Japanese, 0% for the Korean, and 0% for the Nepalese.
2) That of the samples showing the total DDT level higher than 15 ppb was 26%, 0% and 100% for the respective country in the above order.
3) That of the samples shnwing the PCB level higher than 5 ppb was 60%, 12% and 0% for the respective country.
Based on the results, relations between the OCPs or PCB level and the history of the use of OCPs or the eating habits in each country were discussed.

Many of the Japanese farmers engaging in strawberry cultivation in green houses complaint of low back pain, shoulder stiffness and others. These complaints are considered to be caused partly by the bowing postures when picking strawberries and partly by the traditional sitting _postures on tatami mats or floor of a living room when sorting and packing strawberries.
In the present study, an ergonomic improvement of the traditional work postures was intended by adopting a sitting work posture on a seat. Based on the data of an experimental study, we advised the farmers to adopt the sitting posture on a seat. Later on, a fact-finding survey was performed on them. The exchange of the traditional work postures for the sitting posture on a seat proved to decrease localized fatigue and to increase work efficiency. From the results of the survey and ergonomic considerations, the sitting work posture on a seat under the following ergonomic conditions was concluded to be valid:
1) A seat adjustable in height with a backrest and casters is recommended. The height should be adjusted to [(body height) ×1/4-1] cm above the floor.
2) A strawberry container (size: 40cm×60cm×10cm in the present study) is put on the table that consists of only a top board and legs. The container should have the inclination of 15°.
3) The height of the container brim of a farmer's side should be adjusted to [(body height) ×7/17-2] cm above the floor.
4) The horizontal distance between the container and the iliospinale anterius of the farmer's body should be about 20cm.
5) The seat and table should be used in a workshop with enough illumination, moderate temperature and flat floor.

Aim:To examine any relations of workload and outcomes of pharmacists’ home visiting service for medication management and guidance. Survey Target:Managing pharmacists and home-visiting pharmacists from community pharmacies of the Osaka Pharmaceutical Association’s Yao and Toyonaka branches as of March, 2012. Methods:Survey forms regarding drug management and guidance at patients’ homes were mailed, requesting mail or online response. Workload indexes were visit frequency and work time on site. The relation of workload and its outcomes was examined using univariate analysis regarding three items:change in unused medication amount;detection of side effects during visits;change in prescription. SPSS ver. 20 for Windows was used for statistical analysis. Results:90 of 201 pharmacies responded (collection rate 44.8%), and 110 home patients’ data were analyzed. 5-to-15-minute actual work time scored highest (57.4%), followed by less than 5 minutes and 15 to 30 minutes, both at 21.3%. Visit frequency of twice a month scored highest (70.4%), followed by once a week (19.4%), once a month (7.4%), and once in more than one month (2.8%). 5-minute or longer patient visits had a tendency of higher percentage of patients whose unused medication decreased after visits started than less-than-5-minute visits (P=0.072). “Once a week” visits had a tendency of higher percentage of pharmacists detecting side effects than less frequent visits (P=0.061) and changing in prescription (P=0.085). Conclusion:The results above implied the relationship between workload and outcomes incurred by pharmacists’ home visits for medication safety management and guidance.

In order to find some countermeasures to relieve the workload upon the lower back due to harvesting and sorting strawberries, prevalence of localized fatigue complaints and flexibility of spine of strawberry farmers were compared with eggplant farmers. Furthermore time study, global EMG and biomechanical analysis of body postures during harvesting strawberries and so forth were performed. Obtained results are as follows:
1) As for the localized fatigue complaints during the one month soon after harvesting season, prevalence of the lower back pain was 58.1% in men and 82.5% in women. As to the body part where fatigue feeling appears during harvesting strawberries, most of the farmers pointed out the lower back.
2) Flexibility of the spine was disturbed in some degree compared with the eggplant farmers.
3) The specific stooping posture with the left forearm supported by the left thigh just above the knee was sometimes observed and was suspected to relieve the load upon the lower back. This posture was proved to decrease the moment upon the lower back, to straighten the unnatural curvature of thoracolumbar spine, and relieve the muscle tension of legs.
4) Too short leisure season in the strawberry cultivation and too short sleeping hours due to long working hours during harvesting season were considered to accelarate the accumulative localized fatigue in the lower back.

Environmental contamination caused by the organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), such as BHC and DDT, as well as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), is an important problem because of their accumulation in human bodies due to their high lipophilic properties and high chemical stability. In this study, we have investigated the actual condition of the BHC, DDT and PCB levels in the plasma of farmers in the three districts of Japan and in China. At the time of the blood sampling, about 10years had passed since the use of OCPs was forbidden in Japan, whereas OCPs were being used in China.
The blood samples were collected from following 4 districts:(a) Northern Kyushu (N =67), (b) Tomishiro in Okinawa prefecture (N=24), (c) Yokote in Akita prefecture (N = 36) and (d) Harbin in China (N =21).
The results are as follows:
1) β-BHC was detected in all of the 148 plasma samples with the range of 0.9-48.4 ppb. Percentage of the samples with the β-BHC level higher than 20 ppb was 2%(3 samples) for the Japanese and 57%(12 samples) for the Chinese.
2) p, p'-DDT and p, p'-DDE were detected in all samples and total-DDT was ranged from 2.4 to 49.9 ppb. Percentage of the samples with the total-DDT level higher than 20 ppb was 43%(9 samples) for the Chinese and 8%(10 samples) for the Japanese. DDT level of Chinese was significantly higher than those of farmers in Northern Kyushu and Yokote.
3) PCBs were detected in all of the Japanese samples (n=127) with the range of 1.1-22.8 ppb. Whereas the PCB level of 15 samples of Chinese women was less than 1.0 ppb and that of other 4 samples of Chinese men was higher than 10 ppb.
From these results, regional difference in the residue of OCPs and PCBs in Japanese was discussed, besides the difference in that of OCPs beteween Japanese and Chinese was discussed in relation to the history of the use of OCPs.

Nowadays the agricultural production system in the farm area has remarkably been changed and this has influenced the farmers in many aspects of life.
We tried by epidemiologic cross-sectional survey to ascertain the health level of 6, 597 farmers, who are self-supporting and middle class in the sixty-seven different districts of Kumamoto Prefecture. It is noticeable that judging from the difference of districts, the health level of the farmers who have a big gricultural production is low, and judging from the difference of the class, that of the farmers who have other jobs besides agriculture is low, too In general, the health level of males is relatively higher than that of females, but the health level of males is higher than that of females, depending on the class difference.
Generally speaking, we noticed that the health level of female is very low, and at the same time the variation of the health level of females is more remarkable than that of males, depending on the quality of the district in which they live.
These resutls of these investigations should be utilized as the basic materials source for a prospective survey of changing farm village from now.