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Xanthogranulomatous Pyelonephritis with Incomplete Double Ureter

Introduction. Xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis (XGP) is a type of chronic renal inflammation that usually occurs in immunocompromised middle-aged women with chronic urinary tract infection or ureteral obstruction induced by the formation of ureteral stones. XGP with an incomplete double ureter is extremely rare. Case Presentation. A 76-year-old woman was referred to our department to undergo further examination for a left renal tumor that was detected by ultrasonography. Dynamic contrast computed tomography (CT) revealed an enhanced tumor in the upper renal parenchyma. Laparoscopic radical nephrectomy was performed based on a preoperative diagnosis of renal cell carcinoma. Histological sections showed the aggregation of foam cells; thus, XGP was diagnosed. Conclusion. We herein report a rare case of XGP in the upper pole of the kidney, which might have been associated with an incomplete double ureter

Hot-Wire Investigations of Smoke Patterns Caused by a Spherical Roughness Element

The transition process from laminar to turbulent flow caused by a sphere placed on a flat plate has been investigated using smoke technique in detail by the author. These results are compared with those obtained in the present paper using hot-wire method. From the measurements of mean wind velocity, it is found that the smoke filaments appearing behind the sphere exhibit the central part of the longitudinal vortices in the case of low wind velocity and non-turbulent flow. As the turbulence wedge appears, there exists a longitudinal vortex close to the plate along the boundary of the wedge. In the case when clear periodic vortices appear, the wave forms of the velocity fluctuations are observed at various three dimensional positions of hot-wire relative to the vortices, taking simultaneously photographs of the smoke patterns and hot-wire position using movie camera. From the results of these observations, it is found that the longitudinal vortices act to transfer the fluid up and down and the equalization of wind velocity takes place in the wake of the sphere by the vortices which exist there

Regular Vigorous-Intensity Physical Activity and Walking Are Associated with Divergent but not Convergent Thinking in Japanese Young Adults

The beneficial effects of regular physical activity (PA) on cognitive functions have received much attention. Recent research suggests that regular PA may also enhance creative thinking, an indispensable cognitive factor for invention and innovation. However, at what intensity regular PA brings the most benefits to creative thinking remains uninvestigated. Furthermore, whether the levels of regular PA affect the acute PA effects on creative thinking is also unclear. In the present study, using a previous dataset that investigated the effects of an acute bout of aerobic exercise on creative thinking in healthy Japanese young adults (22.98 ± 1.95 years old) in the year 2020, we tested the association between different intensities of regular PA (i.e., vigorous, moderate, and walking) and creative thinking with the cross-sectional baseline data using multiple linear regression. We also investigated whether regular PA levels were associated with the acute aerobic exercise intervention effects on creative thinking. The results showed that cross-sectionally, the regular PAs were differentially associated with divergent but not convergent thinking. Specifically, whereas the amount of vigorous-intensity PA was positively associated with fluency and flexibility, the amount of walking was positively associated with novelty on the alternate uses test (AUT) measuring divergent thinking. Importantly, the explained variances of fluency, flexibility, and novelty were 20.3% (p = 0.040), 18.8% (p = 0.055), and 20.1% (p = 0.043), respectively. None of the regular PAs predicted convergent thinking (i.e., an insight problem-solving task), nor were they associated with the acute aerobic exercise intervention effects on divergent and convergent thinking. These findings suggest that engaging in regular vigorous-intensity PA and walking may be useful strategies to enhance different aspects of divergent thinking in daily life

Some Considerations on the Mechanism of Atmospheric Diffusion

From the observations of deformation of smoke lines in the atmosphere, we could conclude that the agents of diffusion are circular vortices existing in the atmosphere. As the data of the occurrence frequencies of vortices are not available at present, we could not obtain the diffusion formulae, so having compared our results with well known formulae of diffusion, we estimated the occurrence frequencies of vortices

Continuous intake of the Chaga mushroom (Inonotus obliquus) aqueous extract suppresses cancer progression and maintains body temperature in mice

Aims: Cancer is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide; therefore, effective measures for cancer prevention and treatment are in constant demand. The extracts of Inonotus obliquus (Chaga mushroom) demonstrate potent anti-tumor activities and have been used to treat cancer in several countries; however, the actual effect and underlying mechanisms are still unclear. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the effects of continuous intake of aqueous extract from I. obliquus on tumor suppression. Main methods: Anticancer activity of the I. obliquus extract was examined in mouse models of Lewis lung carcinoma growth and spontaneous metastasis after 3 weeks of continuous extract intake at the dose of 6 mg/kg/day, which corresponded to that ingested daily with Chaga infusion in Japan. Key findings: The extract of I. obliquus caused significant tumor suppressive effects in both models. Thus, in tumor-bearing mice, 60% tumor reduction was observed, while in metastatic mice, the number of nodules decreased by 25% compared to the control group. Moreover, I. obliquus extract-treated mice demonstrated the increase in tumor agglomeration and inhibition of vascularization. Interestingly, I. obliquus intake decreased body weight in middle-aged mice and increased body temperature in response to light-dark switching in mature adult mice. Furthermore, I. obliquus prevented temperature drop in mice after tumor implantation. Significance: Our findings suggest that the I. obliquus extract could be used as a natural remedy for cancer suppression by promoting energy metabolism

Some Considerations on the Mechanism of Atmospheric Diffusion

From the observations of deformation of smoke lines in the atmosphere, we could conclude that the agents of diffusion are circular vortices existing in the atmosphere. As the data of the occurrence frequencies of vortices are not available at present, we could not obtain the diffusion formulae, so having compared our results with well known formulae of diffusion, we estimated the occurrence frequencies of vortices