This study explored the factorial structure of the Parental Bonding Instrument (PBI) in the Japanese population. Several differences between the structure model in the current study and Parker et al.'s original model were identified. We also examined the adaptability of the inventory to children currently being raised by parents. We also developed a structural equation model that takes into account the impacts of the respondents' generation and gender and the caregivers' gender. The cultural, developmental, generational, and gender influences on the factorial structure of the PBI as well as the implications for clinical settings were discussed.

In order to examine the relationships between parenting styles and personality traits over generations, a cross-sectional questionnaire study was conducted for fathers and mothers of school-age children of grades 5-9. The parenting styles measured by the Parental Bonding Instrument (PBI) and the personality traits measured by the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI) were correlated within and between the consecutive generations (the grandparents and the parents for the PBI and the parents and the children for the TCI). A series of structural equation modeling showed that (1) while the parenting styles were transmitted directly from the grandparents to the parents, it was partly mediated by the fathers' Co-operativeness (C) but not so for the mothers, (2) while the personality traits were transmitted directly from the parents to the children, it was only the fathers' parenting styles that mediated C, and (3) the parents' parenting styles had independent effects upon the children's personality traits.

Mitophagy is the specific autophagic elimination system of mitochondria, which regulates cellular survival via the removal of damaged mitochondria. Recently, we revealed that folate-appended methyl-β-cyclodextrin (FA-M-β-CyD) provides selective antitumor activity in folate receptor-α (FR-α)-expressing cells by the induction of autophagy. In this study, to gain insight into the detailed mechanism of this antitumor activity, we focused on the induction of mitophagy by the treatment of FR-α-expressing tumor cells with FA-M-β-CyD. In contrast to methyl-β-cyclodextrin, FA-M-β-CyD entered KB cells, human epithelial cells from a fatal cervical carcinoma (FR-α (+)) through FR-α-mediated endocytosis. The transmembrane potential of isolated mitochondria after treatment with FA-M-β-CyD was significantly elevated. In addition, FA-M-β-CyD lowered adenosine triphosphate (ATP) production and promoted reactive oxygen species production in KB cells (FR-α (+)). Importantly, FA-M-β-CyD enhanced light chain 3 (LC3) conversion (LC3-I to LC3-II) in KB cells (FR-α (+)) and induced PTEN-induced putative kinase 1 (PINK1) protein expression, which is involved in the induction of mitophagy. Furthermore, FA-M-β-CyD had potent antitumor activity in BALB/c nu/nu mice xenografted with KB cells (FR-α (+)) without any significant side effects. Taken together, these findings demonstrate that the autophagic cell death elicited by FA-M-β-CyD could be associated with mitophagy induced by an impaired mitochondrial function.

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According to Beck's cognitive theory, individuals who endure negative self-schemas (dysfunctional attitudes) are more likely to present automatic thoughts consisting of negative schemata of oneself and one's world while experiencing depression. In order to examine the relationships between depression, automatic thought, and dysfunctional attitude, 329 Japanese university students were given a set of questionnaires, including the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), Automatic Thought Questionnaire-revised (ATQ-R), and Dysfunctional Attitude Scale (DAS). A structural equation model revealed that depression was predicted predominantly by automatic thought, which was in turn predicted by dysfunctional attitude. The male gender had a tendency to predict dysfunctional attitude. The link between a student's depression and dysfunctional attitude was mediated by automatic thought.

Autophagy, the major lysosomal pathway for recycling intracellular components including organelles, is emerging as a key process regulating tumorigenesis and cancer therapy. Most recently, we newly synthesized folate-appended methyl-β-cyclodextrin (FA-M-β-CyD), and demonstrated the potential of FA-M-β-CyD as a new antitumor drug. In this study, we investigated whether anticancer activity of FA-M-β-CyD in folate receptor-α (FR-α)-positive tumor cells is involved in autophagy. In contrast to methyl-β-cyclodextrin (M-β-CyD), FA-M-β-CyD entered KB cells (FR-α (+)) through CLIC/GEEC endocytosis. No significant depression in the DNA content was observed in KB cells after treatment with FA-M-β-CyD. Additionally, the transmembrane potential of mitochondria after treatment with FA-M-β-CyD was drastically elevated. Meanwhile, FA-M-β-CyD induced the formation of autophagic vacuoles, which were partially colocalized with mitochondria, in KB cells. Taken together, these results suggest that FR-α-expressing cell-selective cytotoxic activity of FA-M-β-CyD could be mediated by the regulation of autophagy, rather than the induction of apoptosis.

The link between marital adjustment and personality was investigated in 66 Japanese married couples using Locke and Wallace's Short Marital Adjustment Test (SMAT; Locke & Wallace, 1959) and the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ; Eysenck & Eysenck, 1975). Structural equation modeling suggests that the husband's neuroticism score is related to the wife's marital satisfaction as is the wife's dyadic consensus score, although to a lesser extent, while the wife's extraversion score is related to the husband's marital satisfaction. Spouses' marital satisfactions were correlated with each other. The study suggests that the personality traits of a partner can predict an individual's marital adjustment.