Green tea consumption and cerebral white matter lesions in community-dwelling older adults without dementia.

This study investigated the association between green tea or coffee consumption with cerebral white matter lesions and hippocampal and total brain volumes among 8766 community-dwelling participants recruited from the Japan Prospective Studies Collaboration for Aging and Dementia between 2016 and 2018. A Food Frequency Questionnaire was used to assess green tea and coffee consumption, whereas brain magnetic resonance imaging was performed to assess cerebral white matter lesions, hippocampal volume, and total brain volume. Multivariable-adjusted analysis revealed significant correlations between fewer cerebral white matter lesions and higher green tea consumption, whereas no significant differences were found between green tea consumption and hippocampal or total brain volume.

Neural substrates underlying distinct dual cognitive syndromes in Parkinson's disease.

Background: A dual-syndrome hypothesis, which states the cognitive impairments in Parkinson's disease (PD) are attributable to frontostriatal dopaminergic dysregulation and cortical disturbance-each associated with attention/executive and memory/visuospatial dysfunction, respectively-has been widely accepted. This multisystem contribution also underlies highly heterogeneous progression rate to dementia.

Methods: Nondemented PD patients who underwent [I]N-ω-fluoropropyl-2β-carbomethoxy-3β-(4-iodophenyl) nortropane ([I]FP-CIT) SPECT and neuropsychological examinations were enrolled.

Relationship between anemia and occupational fall injuries in female part-time employees: an observational study of large supermarket stores in Japan.

Objectives: Occupational fall injuries have recently increased markedly in Japan, together with an increase in later-middle-aged females in the labor market. However, the association between anemia, which is prevalent among Japanese females, and falls is unclear. Here, we investigated the association between anemia and occupational fall injuries.

Delineating three distinct spatiotemporal patterns of brain atrophy in Parkinson's disease.

The clinical manifestation of Parkinson's disease exhibits significant heterogeneity in the prevalence of non-motor symptoms and the rate of progression of motor symptoms, suggesting that Parkinson's disease can be classified into distinct subtypes. In this study, we aimed to explore this heterogeneity by identifying a set of subtypes with distinct patterns of spatiotemporal trajectories of neurodegeneration. We applied Subtype and Stage Inference (SuStaIn), an unsupervised machine learning algorithm that combined disease progression modelling with clustering methods, to cortical and subcortical neurodegeneration visible on 3 T structural MRI of a large cross-sectional sample of 504 patients and 279 healthy controls.

Involvement of the basal forebrain and hippocampus in memory deficits in Parkinson's disease.

Introduction: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-determined atrophy of the nucleus basalis of Meynert (Ch4) predicts cognitive decline in Parkinson's disease (PD). However, interactions with other brain regions causing the decline remain unclear. This study aimed to describe how MRI-determined Ch4 atrophy leads to cognitive decline in patients with PD.

Home blood pressure measurement and hypertension control according to the length of antihypertensive treatment among employees.

This study aimed to investigate the association between the frequency of home blood pressure (HBP) measurement and hypertension control in a middle-aged working population. This study included 627 employees aged 40 years or older who underwent health check-ups for 2 consecutive years from 2019 to 2022 and had blood pressure (BP) ≥ 140/90 mmHg at the health check-up in the first year. The participants were stratified by the length of antihypertensive treatment (within 1 year, >1 year) using data in the first and second years, and were classified by the frequency of HBP measurement (<6 times/week, almost every day) using data in the second year.

Relationship Between Low Visual Acuity and Nonfatal Occupational Same-Level Falls in Japanese Female Employees: A Cohort Study.

Objective: The incidence of work-related falls on the same level is increasing, particularly among middle-aged and older female workers. Vision is an important risk factor of falls. We investigated whether objectively measured visual acuity was associated with the incidence of falls.

Rosai-Dorfman disease differentiated from a posterior mediastinal tumour: a case report.

Rosai-Dorfman disease presenting solely with intrathoracic lesions is exceptionally rare. Herein, we report the case of a 53-year-old man presenting with a posterior mediastinal tumour. Computed tomography revealed a 7-cm soft tissue shadow in the posterior mediastinum.

Frontoparietal-Striatal Network and Nucleus Basalis Modulation in Patients With Parkinson Disease and Gait Disturbance.

Background And Objectives: Neural computations underlying gait disorders in Parkinson disease (PD) are multifactorial and involve impaired expression of stereotactic locomotor patterns and compensatory recruitment of cognitive functions. This study aimed to clarify the network mechanisms of cognitive contribution to gait control and its breakdown in patients with PD.

Methods: Patients with PD were instructed to walk at a comfortable pace on a mat with pressure sensors.

Investigation of emission plane control in GaInN/GaN multiple-quantum shells for efficient nanowire-based LEDs.

Significant attention has been directed toward core-shell GaInN/GaN multiple-quantum shell (MQS) nanowires (NWs) in the context of high-efficiency micro light-emitting diodes (micro-LEDs). These independent three-dimensional NWs offer the advantage of reducing the impact of sidewall etching regions. Furthermore, the emitting plane on the sidewalls demonstrates either nonpolar or semipolar orientation, while the dislocation density is exceptionally low.

Case report: An N-of-1 study using amplitude modulated transcranial alternating current stimulation between Broca's area and the right homotopic area to improve post-stroke aphasia with increased inter-regional synchrony.

Over one-third of stroke survivors develop aphasia, and language dysfunction persists for the remainder of their lives. Brain language network changes in patients with aphasia. Recently, it has been reported that phase synchrony within a low beta-band (14-19 Hz) frequency between Broca's area and the homotopic region of the right hemisphere is positively correlated with language function in patients with subacute post-stroke aphasia, suggesting that synchrony is important for language recovery.

Water properties and quality of the largest rice production region in Japan and their influence on the reproduction of zebrafish.

The health of freshwater aquarium fish and their breeding success depend critically on the quality of tap water. In general, tap water in Japan is potable, although the properties of tap water vary among regions in Japan. The city of Niigata is located in the largest rice production region of Japan.

Prebiotic effect of poly-D-3-hydroxybutyrate prevents dyslipidemia in obese mice.

Obesity is a global health problem caused by genetic, environmental, and psychological factors and is associated with various health disorders. As such, there is a growing focus on the prevention of obesity and related diseases. The gut microbiota plays a crucial role in these diseases and has become a therapeutic target.

Three-dimensional micro-X-ray topography using focused sheet-shaped X-ray beam.

X-ray topography is a powerful method for analyzing crystal defects and strain in crystalline materials non-destructively. However, conventional X-ray topography uses simple X-ray diffraction images, which means depth information on defects and dislocations cannot be obtained. We have therefor developed a novel three-dimensional micro-X-ray topography technique (3D μ-XRT) that combines Bragg-case section topography with focused sheet-shaped X-rays.

Dimension dependence of current injection path in GaInN/GaN multi-quantum-shell (MQS) nanowire-based light-emitting diode arrays.

To light emitting diodes (LEDs), solving the common non-uniform current injection and efficiency degradation issues in (0001) plane micro-LED is essential. Herein, we investigated the light emission characteristics of various mesa sizes and different p-electrode areas toward the realization of coaxial GaInN/GaN multi-quantum-shell (MQS) nanowires (NWs)-based micro-LEDs. As the mesa area was reduced, the current leakage decreases, and further reduction of the area showed a possibility of realizing micro-LED with less current leakage.

Pilot evaluation of a single oral fecal microbiota transplantation for canine atopic dermatitis.

The gut microbiota has been suggested to be involved in the pathogenesis of canine atopic dermatitis (cAD). However, the gut microbiota has not been well characterized in dogs with atopic dermatitis (AD). In addition, the efficacy of fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) in dogs with AD remains unclear.

Denoising approach with deep learning-based reconstruction for neuromelanin-sensitive MRI: image quality and diagnostic performance.

Purpose: Neuromelanin-sensitive MRI (NM-MRI) has proven useful for diagnosing Parkinson's disease (PD) by showing reduced signals in the substantia nigra (SN) and locus coeruleus (LC), but requires a long scan time. The aim of this study was to assess the image quality and diagnostic performance of NM-MRI with a shortened scan time using a denoising approach with deep learning-based reconstruction (dDLR).

Materials And Methods: We enrolled 22 healthy volunteers, 22 non-PD patients and 22 patients with PD who underwent NM-MRI, and performed manual ROI-based analysis.

Belly dancer syndrome improved by withdrawal of droxidopa and amantadine.

A man hospitalized for cerebral infarction developed drug-induced belly dancer syndrome, which improved after withdrawal of droxidopa and amantadine. Drugs that modulate dopamine neurotransmission have been reported to be associated with this syndrome. When belly dancer syndrome is suspected, clinicians should consider drug-induced abdominal dyskinesia and medication withdrawal.

Altered functional connectivity associated with striatal dopamine depletion in Parkinson's disease.

We aimed to clarify whether dopamine depletion in the posterior dorsal striatum in early-stage Parkinson's disease (PD) alters synchronized activity in the cortico-basal ganglia motor circuit. In sum, 14 PD patients and 16 matched healthy controls (HC) underwent [11C]-2-β-carbomethoxy-3-β-(4-fluorophenyl) tropane positron emission tomography to identify striatal dopamine-depleted areas. The identified map was applied to functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to discover abnormalities in functional connectivity (FC) during motor-task and rest-state in PD patients in the drug-off state relative to HC.

Vacuoles related to tissue neuron-astrocyte ratio and infiltration of macrophages/monocytes contribute to hyperintense brain signals on diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging in sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.

Background: Radiological features in patients with sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (sCJD) are hyperintensity of the cerebral cortex and the basal ganglia displayed by diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DW-MRI). We performed a quantitative study on neuropathological and radiological findings.

Methods: Patient 1 received a definite diagnosis of MM1-type sCJD, while patient 2 received a definite diagnosis of MM1 + 2-type sCJD.

Case report: Backward gait training combined with gait-synchronized cerebellar transcranial alternating current stimulation in progressive supranuclear palsy.

Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) is characterized by recurrent falls caused by postural instability, and a backward gait is considered beneficial for postural instability. Furthermore, a recent approach for rehabilitation combined with gait-oriented synchronized stimulation using non-invasive transcranial patterned stimulation could be promising for balance function. Here, we present a case of PSP with backward gait training combined with gait-synchronized transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS).

Offering on-site mammography in workplaces improved screening rates: Cluster randomized controlled trial.

Objectives: Despite evidence of breast cancer screening efficacy, the screening rate has remained less than 50% in Japan. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of an environmental approach offering on-site mammography in workplaces.

Methods: Supermarket stores were randomly assigned into two groups, the intervention group (leaflet and mammography) and the control group (leaflet).