[Characteristics of elderly patients diagnosed with delusional disorders during the COVID-19 pandemic: A study in a memory clinic].

Aim: Since the declaration of an emergency following the spread of COVID-19, the number of elderly patients complaining of delusions has increased. Therefore, we investigated the characteristics of patients diagnosed with delusional disorders in our clinic.

Methods: A total of 1,884 patients ≥ 65 years old who visited the Center for Comprehensive Care on Memory Disorders at Kyorin University Hospital from January 2017 to December 2021 were included in the study.

[Changes in first-time patients in an outpatient memory clinic -The impact of the declaration of a state of emergency].

Aim: With the spread of the new coronavirus infection (COVID-19) and the resulting declaration of a state of emergency, many medical institutions refrained from providing medical care, and patients themselves refrained from visiting hospitals. We also stopped accepting new patients to our outpatient memory loss clinic. We examined whether or not there was any change in the patients who visited our clinic after the state of emergency was lifted.

Laccase-catalyzed oxidation of iodide and formation of organically bound iodine in soils.

Laccase oxidizes iodide to molecular iodine or hypoiodous acid, both of which are easily incorporated into natural soil organic matter. In this study, iodide sorption and laccase activity in 2 types of Japanese soil were determined under various experimental conditions to evaluate possible involvement of this enzyme in the sorption of iodide. Batch sorption experiment using radioactive iodide tracer ((125)I(-)) revealed that the sorption was significantly inhibited by autoclaving (121 °C, 40 min), heat treatment (80 and 100 °C, 10 min), γ-irradiation (30 kGy), N(2) gas flushing, and addition of reducing agents and general laccase inhibitors (KCN and NaN(3)).