The Contributions of Knee Extension Strength and Hand Grip Strength to Factors Relevant to Physical Frailty: The Tanno-Sobetsu Study.

Sarcopenia is the core factor of frailty. This study specifically focused on lower limb muscle strength and examined muscle indices that indicate the risk of frailty or pre-frailty in older adults. The study included 327 community-dwelling individuals aged ≥65 years (43.

Static stretching of the ankle prevents cold hypersensitivity associated with limb immobilization in model mice.

Background: Limb immobilization is considered to contribute to limb pain including hyperalgesia. Approximately 50% of patients with such chronic limb pain complain that their abnormal pain worsens after exposure to cold. However, there have been few studies on the relationship between limb immobilization and cold hypersensitivity.

Current research of idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus: Pathogenesis, diagnosis and treatment.

Idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH) is caused by impaired cerebrospinal fluid absorption in the elderly; it is a surgically treatable form of dementia. Gait disturbance, dementia, and urinary incontinence are the triad of signs for iNPH. In addition to these clinical findings, imaging studies show characteristic ventricular enlargement.

Exploring Indicators of Subcutaneous Tissue Fluid Accumulation in Breast Cancer-Related Lymphedema Patients Using Fractal Analysis with Virtual Volume.

Breast cancer treatment sometimes causes a chronic swelling of the arm called breast cancer-related lymphedema (BCRL). Its progression is believed to be irreversible and is accompanied by tissue fibrosis and lipidosis, so preventing lymphedema from progressing by appropriate intervention at the site of fluid accumulation at an early stage is crucial. The tissue structure can be evaluated in real time by ultrasonography, and this study aims at assessing the ability of fractal analysis using virtual volume in detecting fluid accumulation within BCRL subcutaneous tissue via ultrasound imaging.

A case report of an alcoholic with delirium tremens diagnosed with hypopharyngeal cancer: Psychiatrists played important roles in the smooth diagnosis and treatments.

Background: Alcohol use increases the risk of developing several types of cancer. Of these, hypopharyngeal cancer has one of the worst prognoses. Moreover, treating an alcoholic patient with hypopharyngeal cancer is often difficult.

Toe Grip strength declines earlier than hand grip strength and knee extension strength in community-dwelling older men: a cross sectional study.

Background: The aim of this study is to examine the age-related changes in the toe grip strength and its differences from hand grip strength and knee extension strength using cross-sectional data.

Methods: Of participants aged 65 years over who underwent health checkups for lifestyle-related diseases in 2018, 307 men and women met the criteria. Toe grip strength, hand grip strength, and knee extension strength were also measured as optional tests.

Associations of fall history and fear of falling with multidimensional cognitive function in independent community-dwelling older adults: findings from ORANGE study.

Background: Falls and fear of falling (FoF) inhibit healthy longevity and have been suggested to be associated with cognitive function. However, the domains of cognitive function that are associated with them remain controversial. It is speculated that clarifying this will help in the assessment of health status and interventions in the community.

Plasma Tsukushi Concentration Is Associated with High Levels of Insulin and FGF21 and Low Level of Total Cholesterol in a General Population without Medication.

Tsukushi (TSK) is a member of the small leucine-rich proteoglycan family that controls developmental processes and organogenesis. TSK was also identified as a new hepatokine, which is mainly expressed in the liver, and is secreted by hepatocytes, to regulate energy and glycolipid metabolism in response to nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. However, the role of plasma TSK, especially its role in the general population, has not been fully addressed.

Circulating level of fatty acid-binding protein 4 is an independent predictor of metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease in middle-aged and elderly individuals.

Aims/introduction: Metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD), defined as hepatosteatosis with type 2 diabetes mellitus, overweight/obesity or metabolic dysregulation, has been proposed as a new feature of chronic liver disease. Fatty acid-binding protein 4 (FABP4) is expressed in adipose tissue, and secreted FABP4 is associated with the development of insulin resistance and atherosclerosis. However, the relationship between MAFLD and FABP4 has not been fully addressed.

Circulating PCSK7 Level is Independently Associated with Obesity, Triglycerides Level and Fatty Liver Index in a General Population without Medication.

Aim: Dyslipidemia and altered iron metabolism are typical features of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 7 (PCSK7), a transmembrane-anchored endonuclease, is associated with triglycerides level and processing of transferrin receptor 1. However, the significance of circulating PCSK7 has not been fully addressed, though prosegment PCSK7 is secreted from cells.

Independent Association of Fatty Liver Index With Left Ventricular Diastolic Dysfunction in Subjects Without Medication.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease has been reported to be potentially linked to cardiovascular disease. Fatty liver index (FLI) is a noninvasive and simple predictor of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. However, little is known about the relationship between FLI and cardiac function, especially in a general population.

Distinct Regulation of U-ACE2 and P-ACE2 (Urinary and Plasma Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2) in a Japanese General Population.

[Figure: see text].

Independent association of plasma xanthine oxidoreductase activity with hypertension in nondiabetic subjects not using medication.

Xanthine oxidoreductase (XOR), a rate-limiting and catalyzing enzyme of uric acid formation in purine metabolism, is involved in reactive oxygen species generation. Plasma XOR activity has been shown to be a novel metabolic biomarker related to obesity, liver dysfunction, hyperuricemia, dyslipidemia, and insulin resistance. However, the association between plasma XOR activity and hypertension has not been fully elucidated.

[Investigation of Preferences in Working Environment of Students for Maintaining Uniform Geographical Distribution of Radiological Technologists].

Purpose: This study was designed to assess working environment preferences of students in the Department of Radiological Technology using conjoint analysis for establishing an efficient medical system.

Method: We carried a questionnaire survey on working environment preferences for 196 students in the Department of Radiological Technology in Japan. We defined eight characteristics for virtual medical facilities as follows: presence of colleagues who can be consulted, employment status, number of night shift per month, academic meeting participation, number of hospital beds, possession of nuclear medicine imaging systems and radiation therapy systems, location of medical facilities, and change rate in annual income.

Radiation exposure dose outside the irradiation field due to differences in pediatric head computed tomography scanning methods.

The use of pediatric computed tomography (CT), a valuable imaging tool, has been increasing rapidly. The present study examined radiation exposure in non-irradiated fields of CT scans in pediatric patients using a 7-year-old child phantom. Radio-photoluminescence glass dosimeters were placed in the insertion ports of the phantom corresponding to the organs.

Elevated circulating FABP4 concentration predicts cardiovascular death in a general population: a 12-year prospective study.

Fatty acid-binding protein 4 (FABP4) is secreted from adipose tissue and acts as an adipokine, and an elevated circulating FABP4 level is associated with metabolic disorders and atherosclerosis. However, little is known about the causal link between circulating FABP4 level and mortality in a general population. We investigated the relationship between FABP4 concentration and mortality including cardiovascular death during a 12-year period in subjects of the Tanno-Sobetsu Study, a population-based cohort (n = 721, male/female: 302/419).

Peer Support Formation and the Promotion of Recovery Among People Using Psychiatric Day Care in Japan.

The present study aimed to clarify the process of peer support formation and the promotion of recovery in people using psychiatric day care. From January to March 2014, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 18 participants with mental illness living in the community in Japan. The qualitative data were analyzed using a modified grounded theory approach.

Perceived declining physical and cognitive fitness during the COVID-19 state of emergency among community-dwelling Japanese old-old adults.

Aim: Perceived health status, including physical and cognitive fitness, will be negatively associated with future health conditions among old-old adults. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has caused sudden changes in lifestyle. Thus, this study examined the associations of participation in an exercise class before the COVID-19 pandemic and the exercise habits and disruption to the rhythms of daily life during the COVID-19 state of emergency with perceived declining physical and cognitive fitness among community-dwelling old-old adults.

Soft tissue injury in the limbs increased regional bone turnover.

Background: Pathological conditions after skeletal tissue injury such as trauma and surgical intervention are often accompanied with regional osteoporotic changes, which are recognized to be mainly caused by limb immobility after injury. However, the mechanisms for the progression of regional osteoporotic changes related to the injury remains unknown. Previous studies reported that the pathophysiological conditions related to tissue injury include the acidic micro-environment formation and increased ATP levels.

Delayed tendon healing after injury in tetranectin-deficient mice.

Background: Tetranectin, a plasminogen-binding protein, is present in human serum and has a role in tissue remodeling. The wound healing process is established and follows a similar cascade in tendon tissue as in other tissues. In this study, we investigated whether tetranectin has a role in regulating tissue formation of injured tendon.

The Correlation Between Fluid Distribution and Swelling or Subjective Symptoms of the Trunk in Lymphedema Patients: A Preliminary Observational Study.

Manual lymph drainage (MLD) is one of the common treatments for breast cancer-related lymphedema (BCRL). Although the primary goal of MLD is to drain the excessive fluid accumulated in the affected upper limb and trunk to an area of the body that drains usually, the use of MLD is decided based on swelling and subjective symptoms, without assessing whether there is fluid accumulated in the affected region. The purpose of this study was to examine truncal fluid distribution in a sample of BCRL patients and investigate any correlation between such fluid distribution and swelling or subjective symptoms.

Evaluation of magnetic resonance angiography as a possible alternative to rotational angiography or computed tomography angiography for assessing cerebrovascular computational fluid dynamics.

The aim of this study was to conduct a flow experiment using a cerebrovascular phantom and investigate whether magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) could replace three-dimensional rotational angiography (RA) and computed tomography angiography (CTA) to construct vascular models for computational fluid dynamics (CFD). We performed MRA and 3D cine phase-contrast (PC) MR imaging with a silicone cerebrovascular phantom of an internal carotid artery-posterior communicating artery aneurysm with blood-mimicking fluid, and controlled flow with a flowmeter. We also obtained RA and CTA data for the phantom.