自発的ドック受診者群と企業健診受診者群の脳MRIにおけるT2高信号域個数の比較

he purpose of this study was to evaluate the difference in T2-elongated spots (T2ES) between self-referred and third party-referred subjects.The brain MRI studies of 814 healthy adults were assessed. The subjects were categorized into two groups. Group A included 312 self-referred subjects ranging in age from 49 to 65 years (mean age, 56.5 years). Group B included 502 third party-referred subjects same ranging in age (mean age, 54.3 years). All subjects were asked to complete an interview sheet dealing with current and past diseases. To compare the two groups, an ‘Age-related Grading System\u27 was created.Grade 4 was defined as including patients who had 10 to 14 more T2ESs than their age minus 49; 20.027771275620f Group B and 13.51111400240f Group A (P<0.05) were classified as Grade 4. Diabetes mellitus was present in 15.016010062550f Group A and 9.615734071165f Group B (P<0.05). Hyperlipidemia was present in 18.015710062563f Group A and 9.015035020146f Group B (P<0.01).Although diabetes mellitus and hyperlipidemia were more common in Group A, these diseases were considered to be well controlled. It would appear that the patients in Group A were more health conscious than those in Group B

Association between coefficients of variation of the R-R intervals on electrocardiograms and post-challenge hyperglycemia in patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes

The aim of the present study was to examine whether there is a relationship between autonomic function and post-challenge hyperglycemia in patients with type 2 diabetes. Subjects included 122 Japanese patients newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Autonomic nerve function was assessed using coefficients of variation of the R-R intervals on electrocardiograms (CVRR). Unlike anthropometry, insulin secretion and insulin resistance, age (r =)0.209, P < 0.021) and post-challenge plasma glucose at 120 min (PG120; r =)0.219, P < 0.015) were the only variables significantly correlated with CVRR. Age was not significantly correlated with PG120. In multiple regression analyses, CVRR Z-score, but not age, was significantly correlated with PG120. The present results suggest that autonomic function affects post-challenge blood glucose levels independently of age. © 2011 Asian Association for the Study of Diabetes and Blackwell Publishing Asia Pty Ltd

The ASTRO-H X-ray Observatory

The joint JAXA/NASA ASTRO-H mission is the sixth in a series of highly successful X-ray missions initiated by the Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS). ASTRO-H will investigate the physics of the high-energy universe via a suite of four instruments, covering a very wide energy range, from 0.3 keV to 600 keV. These instruments include a high-resolution, high-throughput spectrometer sensitive over 0.3-2 keV with high spectral resolution of Delta E < 7 eV, enabled by a micro-calorimeter array located in the focal plane of thin-foil X-ray optics; hard X-ray imaging spectrometers covering 5-80 keV, located in the focal plane of multilayer-coated, focusing hard X-ray mirrors; a wide-field imaging spectrometer sensitive over 0.4-12 keV, with an X-ray CCD camera in the focal plane of a soft X-ray telescope; and a non-focusing Compton-camera type soft gamma-ray detector, sensitive in the 40-600 keV band. The simultaneous broad bandpass, coupled with high spectral resolution, will enable the pursuit of a wide variety of important science themes.Comment: 22 pages, 17 figures, Proceedings of the SPIE Astronomical Instrumentation "Space Telescopes and Instrumentation 2012: Ultraviolet to Gamma Ray

The Quiescent Intracluster Medium in the Core of the Perseus Cluster

Clusters of galaxies are the most massive gravitationally-bound objects in the Universe and are still forming. They are thus important probes of cosmological parameters and a host of astrophysical processes. Knowledge of the dynamics of the pervasive hot gas, which dominates in mass over stars in a cluster, is a crucial missing ingredient. It can enable new insights into mechanical energy injection by the central supermassive black hole and the use of hydrostatic equilibrium for the determination of cluster masses. X-rays from the core of the Perseus cluster are emitted by the 50 million K diffuse hot plasma filling its gravitational potential well. The Active Galactic Nucleus of the central galaxy NGC1275 is pumping jetted energy into the surrounding intracluster medium, creating buoyant bubbles filled with relativistic plasma. These likely induce motions in the intracluster medium and heat the inner gas preventing runaway radiative cooling; a process known as Active Galactic Nucleus Feedback. Here we report on Hitomi X-ray observations of the Perseus cluster core, which reveal a remarkably quiescent atmosphere where the gas has a line-of-sight velocity dispersion of 164+/-10 km/s in a region 30-60 kpc from the central nucleus. A gradient in the line-of-sight velocity of 150+/-70 km/s is found across the 60 kpc image of the cluster core. Turbulent pressure support in the gas is 4% or less of the thermodynamic pressure, with large scale shear at most doubling that estimate. We infer that total cluster masses determined from hydrostatic equilibrium in the central regions need little correction for turbulent pressure.Comment: 31 pages, 11 Figs, published in Nature July

Pitavastatin suppresses diethylnitrosamine-induced liver preneoplasms in male C57BL/KsJ-db/db obese mice

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Obesity and related metabolic abnormalities, including inflammation and lipid accumulation in the liver, play a role in liver carcinogenesis. Adipocytokine imbalances, such as decreased serum adiponectin levels, are also involved in obesity-related liver tumorigenesis. In the present study, we examined the effects of pitavastatin - a drug used for the treatment of hyperlipidemia - on the development of diethylnitrosamine (DEN)-induced liver preneoplastic lesions in C57BL/KsJ-<it>db/db </it>(<it>db/db</it>) obese mice.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Male <it>db/db </it>mice were administered tap water containing 40 ppm DEN for 2 weeks and were subsequently fed a diet containing 1 ppm or 10 ppm pitavastatin for 14 weeks.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>At sacrifice, feeding with 10 ppm pitavastatin significantly inhibited the development of hepatic premalignant lesions, foci of cellular alteration, as compared to that in the untreated group by inducing apoptosis, but inhibiting cell proliferation. Pitavastatin improved liver steatosis and activated the AMPK-α protein in the liver. It also decreased free fatty acid and aminotransferases levels, while increasing adiponectin levels in the serum. The serum levels of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and the expression of <it>TNF-α </it>and <it>interleukin-6 </it>mRNAs in the liver were decreased by pitavastatin treatment, suggesting attenuation of the chronic inflammation induced by excess fat deposition.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Pitavastatin is effective in inhibiting the early phase of obesity-related liver tumorigenesis and, therefore, may be useful in the chemoprevention of liver cancer in obese individuals.</p