CRL at Ntcir2

We have developed systems of two types for NTCIR2. One is an enhenced version of the system we developed for NTCIR1 and IREX. It submitted retrieval results for JJ and CC tasks. A variety of parameters were tried with the system. It used such characteristics of newspapers as locational information in the CC tasks. The system got good results for both of the tasks. The other system is a portable system which avoids free parameters as much as possible. The system submitted retrieval results for JJ, JE, EE, EJ, and CC tasks. The system automatically determined the number of top documents and the weight of the original query used in automatic-feedback retrieval. It also determined relevant terms quite robustly. For EJ and JE tasks, it used document expansion to augment the initial queries. It achieved good results, except on the CC tasks.Comment: 11 pages. Computation and Language. This paper describes our results of information retrieval in the NTCIR2 contes

Prevalence and predictive factors of difficult-to-treat rheumatoid arthritis: the KURAMA cohort

Difficult-to-treat rheumatoid arthritis (D2T RA) is a multifactorial condition in which disease activity of RA persists despite consecutive treatment with biological or targeted synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (b/tsDMARDs). To evaluate the prevalence and predictive risk factors of D2T RA in our institution, a single-center, retrospective study was conducted. Medical records of RA patients, who visited our hospital from 2011 to 2020 and had a follow-up of more than 6 months, were retrospectively reviewed. D2T RA was defined as RA with a disease activity score of 28 - erythrocyte sedimentation rate (DAS28-ESR) of 3.2 or higher at the last visit, despite the use of at least two b/tsDMARDs. A logistic regression model was used to identify risk factors. A total of 672 patients were enrolled. The mean age at disease onset was 52.1 years and females were dominant (76.3%). After a mean follow-up of 46.6 months, patients with D2T RA accounted for 7.9% of overall patients. Multivariate analysis identified high rheumatoid factor (RF) levels (≥156.4 IU/mL, odds ratio [OR]: 1.95), DAS28-ESR (OR: 1.24), and coexisting pulmonary disease (OR: 2.03) as predictive risk factors of D2T RA. In conclusion, high RF levels, high DAS28-ESR, and coexisting pulmonary disease at baseline can predict the development of D2T RA

Urinary sodium-to-potassium ratio associates with hypertension and current disease activity in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND: Excessive salt intake is thought to exacerbate both development of hypertension and autoimmune diseases in animal models, but the clinical impact of excessive salt in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients is still unknown. We performed a cross-sectional study to clarify the associations between salt load index (urinary sodium-to-potassium ratio (Na/K ratio)), current disease activity, and hypertension in an RA population. METHODS: Three hundred thirty-six participants from our cohort database (KURAMA) were enrolled. We used the spot urine Na/K ratio as a simplified index of salt loading and used the 28-Joint RA Disease Activity Score (DAS28-ESR) as an indicator of current RA disease activity. Using these indicators, we evaluated statistical associations between urinary Na/K ratio, DAS28-ESR, and prevalence of hypertension. RESULTS: Urinary Na/K ratio was positively associated with measured systolic and diastolic blood pressure and also with prevalence of hypertension even after covariate adjustment (OR 1.34, p <  0.001). In addition, increased urinary Na/K ratio was significantly and positively correlated with DAS28-ESR in multiple regression analysis (estimate 0.12, p <  0.001), as was also the case in gender-separated and prednisolone-separated sub-analyses. CONCLUSION: Urinary Na/K ratio was independently associated with current disease activity as well as with prevalence of hypertension in RA patients. Thus, dietary modifications such as salt restriction and potassium supplementation should be investigated as a potential candidate for attenuating both disease activity and hypertension in RA patients

Comparison of cortical activation during subtraction in mental calculation and with a calculator

Several studies have shown that various types of cognitive processing exist and exert different effects on brain activity. However, when a subject performs the same task, whether the task involves processing or not, such as in mental calculation or with a calculator, the different influences on the brain remain unclear. The purpose of this study was to examine whether the influence of cortical activation when performing mental calculation and using a calculator have different effects on the brain. Fifteen healthy, right-handed participants (mean age, 26.3 ± 8.5 years; 12 men, 27.7 ± 9.0 years; 3 women, 20.6 ± 1.1 years) were recruited as subjects. We measured oxygenated hemoglobin (oxy-Hb) levels while subjects performed subtraction tasks by mental calculation or using a calculator (3 min each). Measurements were made at the frontal lobe and temporal lobe. In both lobes, oxy-Hb level was significantly increased during mental calculation. Locations showing significantly increased oxy-Hb in mental calculation were the prefrontal cortex in the frontal lobe and supramarginal gyrus in the temporal lobe. These results suggest that the brain responds differently to tasks in mental calculation and using a calculator. We hypothesized that using the electronic calculator needs fewer neural networks than performing mental calculation. In recent years, thanks to the development of machines, many tasks have been automated, making our lives easier and more convenient. Our results may provide one example that the developments of modern technology influence brain function.ArticleBiochemistry & Analytical Biochemistry.4(3):185(2015)journal articl

Difference between two Japanese health promotion programes on measures of health and wellness

We implemented and compared two 10-month health education programs in Minowa town and Matsumoto city, Nagano prefecture, Japan. The Matsumoto city cohort underwent a program of monthly classroom activities (CA group), whereas the Minowa town cohort were not only subjected to classroom activities but also performed 90-min strength and weight training once a week and were termed the classroom/training (CT) group. We measured anthropometric, blood pressure, physical fitness, blood chemistry, and brain function variables. All participants were provided pedometers and were encouraged to walk. Monthly seminars included education regarding yoga, exercise, blood pressure, nutrition, and other health-related topics. In total, 92 healthy participants were included in the CA group [age, 66.5 ± 5.4 years (mean ± standard error of mean); 30 males and 62 females] and 46 healthy participants were included in the CT group (mean age 62.7 ± 4.7 years; 22 males and 24 females). We observed significant differences between the average number of steps walked in the CA (7241.7 ± 113.6) and CT (8686.7 ± 167.2) groups. Both the groups both showed significant improvements in anthropometric, blood pressure, physical fitness, blood chemistry, and brain function tests; however, the CT group showed markedly greater improvement after the health education program than before participation. In conclusion, the CT program had added benefits over the CA program because of the higher average amount of walking (approximately 1,400 steps) and the inclusion of a weekly weight-training activity.ArticleINNOVATIVE JOURNAL OF MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCE.5(4):170-181(2015)journal articl