Renal Tubular Hypouricemia and Calcium Urolithiasis

The information concerning the relationship of hypouricemia with urinary tract stones is limited. We investigated the incidence and types of hypouricemia, and also studied its relationship to urinary tract stones. Hypouricemia was detected in 3 out of 1520 outpatients (0.20%). The loading tests using pyrazinamide, probenecid and benzbromarone showed that uric acid absorption was impaired before tubular secretion in two cases and incomplete postsecretory reabsorption in one case. Complication of urinary tract stone was found in two cases. The composition of the stones was mixed calcium oxalate and uric acid. Hypouricemia should be recognized as one of the causes of kidney stone formation

Evaluation and Management of Dietary Habits in Japanese Renal Stone Formers

To elucidate the relationship between the formation of kidney stones and diet, we carried out a dietary investigation in patients with urinary tract stones. Dietary intakes were estimated for 36 patients (24 men, 12 women) with calcium stones, and compared with the official dietary requirements for the Japanese. Total protein intake, animal protein intake and animal protein ratio were significantly higher for patients with stones in both men and women. Dietary salt intake was significantly higher for male patients and the total group. Dietary calcium and carbohydrate intakes were significantly lower for patients with stones in men and the total group, and tended to be lower for female patients. As a result of dietary guidance, the intakes of total protein, animal protein and salt were markedly reduced. The animal protein ratio was also lowered. Caloric intake and the dietary intakes of carbohydrate, fat and salt were reduced, too. However, the dietary calcium intake did not change. Chemical analysis of 24 hour-urine revealed that the excretion of urea nitrogen was reduced, which reflected the decrease in protein intake produced by the dietary regimen. The excretions of urate and oxalate also tended to decrease

Why do people oppose foreign acquisitions? Evidence from Japanese individual-level data

This study empirically examines the determinants of individuals’ attitudes about inward foreign direct investment (FDI) using responses from questionnaire surveys that were originally designed. Individuals’ preferences for inward FDI differ between greenfield investments and mergers and acquisitions (M&A), and people are more likely to have a negative attitude toward M&A than greenfield investments. People with a negative image of the so-called “vulture fund” for foreign capital tend to oppose inward FDI, and this is more pronounced for M&A than greenfield investments. Moreover, loss aversion and high time preference rates are strongly related to opposition to inward FDI, and people with such behavioral biases tend to refuse indigenous firms to be acquired by foreign capital, even if they agree to accept greenfield investment. These results indicate that people's preferences for inward FDI depend more on non-economic attributes than economic attributes. Our results also suggest that a lack of economic literacy is associated with unconscious biases against accepting inward FDI

Villous Tumor of the Urinary Bladder Resembling Low-grade Mucinous Neoplasm of the Appendix

AbstractMucinous neoplasms of the urinary tract are very rare. We present a 63-year-old-women who had a sessile papillary villous tumor in urinary bladder. Although transurethral resection of the bladder tumor (TURBT) was performed, the villous tumor repetitively recurred and gradually spread to the entire surface of bladder lumen. Histopathologic and immunohistochemical examination showed that the lesion was very similar to low-grade mucinous neoplasm arising in appendix vermiformis. There are no reports on appendiceal metaplasia of urinary bladder mucosa. In this case, we describe this unprecedented neoplasm as “villous tumor of the urinary bladder resembling low-grade mucinous neoplasm of the appendix.