A Case of Hypocalcaemia Due to Vitamin D Deficiency in ‘Hikikomori’ Syndrome

Objective: To describe hypocalcaemia due to vitamin D deficiency in ‘hikikomori’ syndrome. Materials and methods: A 37-year-old man with ‘hikikomori’ syndrome for a year was admitted with hypocalcaemia (serum ionic calcium 1.17 mmol/l). Serum 1,25(OH)2-vitamin D3 determined by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry was depressed at 12.1 pg/ml (29.0 pmol/l) and plasma intact PTH elevated at 324 ng/l. Administration of 1 μg/day 1α(OH)-vitamin D3 and 1 g/day calcium lactate for 1 week normalized calcium and PTH, and raised 1,25(OH)2-vitamin D3 to low normal levels. Conclusion: This is the first report of hypocalcaemia due to vitamin D deficiency in a patient with ‘hikikomori’ syndrome

The Ratio of Plasma Aldosterone Concentration to Potassium in Adrenocorticotropin Stimulation Test is a Possible New Index for Diagnosis of Aldosterone-producing Adenoma in Patients with Primary Aldosteronism

Article信州医学雑誌 63(3):145-156 (2015)journal articl

Ionising irradiation-induced inhibition of differentiation of C3H10T1/2 cells to the osteoblastic lineage.

[Purpose]:Previous studies using mouse osteoblast derived MC3T3-E1 and mouse myoblast derived C2C12 cells have not completely explained the mechanisms responsible for osteoradionecrosis. Thus, the aim of this study was to advance the in vitro experimental approaches for investigations of osteoradionecrosis. [Materials and methods]:The pluripotent stem cell line, mouse embryo derived C3H10T1/2, was treated with all-trans-retinoic acid after irradiation (1, 3 and 6 Gy), and cell growth, cell cycle distribution, apoptosis, and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity were assessed. [Results]:We demonstrated that ionising radiation inhibited the growth and decreased ALP activity in C3H10T1/2 cells. The decrease in cell growth was not due to apoptosis but was due to cell cycle delay. The decrease in ALP activity persisted in cells that were induced to an osteoblastic lineage 24 h after irradiation. [Conclusions]:Our results suggested that C3H10T1/2 cells are suitable for investigating the effects of ionising irradiation on osteoblast precursor cells

がん地域連携における役割分担に関するアンケート調査

It was suggested long ago that regional cooperation is necessary for cancer patients. Both doctors in base hospitals and community doctors understand the importance of such cooperation. Here we report the results of our widely distributed questionnaire designed to clarify the division of physicians' roles and to strengthen the relationships between base hospital and community doctors. The questionnaire asks whether community doctors can accept cancer patients and what types of medical treatment the doctors can provide for patients with esophageal cancer, lung cancer, breast cancer, and thyroid cancer. The doctors in 289 of 550 (53%) facilities completed and returned the questionnaire. About half of the community doctors responded that they can accept patients with any of the four cancers and can provide most types of the necessary medical examinations and treatments in their daily practices. Most of the community doctors indicated that they could not provide some anti-cancer drugs and supportive drug therapies for breast cancer patients. The development and implementation of a clinical pathway system could enable the participation of more community doctors and base hospital doctors. Although our findings are preliminary, they will contribute to a foundation for building better regional corporative relationships with community doctors who treat cancer patients

A sub-mW H.264 baseline-profile motion estimation processor core with a VLSI-oriented block partitioning strategy and SIMD/systolic-array architecture

金沢大学理工研究域電子情報学系We propose a sub-mW H.264 baseline-profile motion estimation processor for portable video applications. It features a VLSI-oriented block partitioning strategy and low-power SIMD/systolic-array datapath architecture, where the datapath can be switched between an SIMD and systolic array depending on processing flow. The processor supports all the seven kinds of block modes, and can handle three reference frames for a CIF (352 × 288) 30-fps to QCIF (176 × 144) 15-fps sequences with a quarter-pixel accuracy. It integrates 3.3 million transistors, and occupies 2.8×3.1 mm2 in a 130-nm CMOS technology. The proposed processor achieves a power of 800 μW in a QCIF 15-fps sequence with one reference picture. Copyright © 2006 The Institute of Electronics, Information and Communication Engineers

Incidence of Kawasaki disease before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: a retrospective cohort study in Japan

Background Epidemiological studies in Kawasaki disease (KD) have suggested infectious aetiology. During the COVID-19 pandemic, measures for mitigating SARS-CoV-2 transmission also suppress the circulation of other contagious microorganisms. The primary objective is to compare the number and incidence of KD before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan, and the secondary objective is to investigate temporal association between the KD epidemiology and activities of SARS-CoV-2 and other viral and bacterial infections.Methods A retrospective cohort study was conducted between 2016 and 2020 in Kobe, Japan. We collected information of hospitalised KD children in Kobe. Child population was identified through the resident registry system. Activity of COVID-19 and 11 other infectious diseases was derived from a public health monitoring system. Monthly change of KD incidence was analysed using a difference-in-difference regression model.Results Throughout the study period, 1027 KD children were identified. KD had begun to decline in April 2020, coinciding with the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. The number of KD cases (n=66) between April and December 2020 was 40% of the average in the same period in 2016–2019 (165/year). Annual KD incidence was 315, 300, 353, 347 and 188/100 000 children aged 0–4 years in 2016–2020, respectively. The difference-in-difference value of KD incidence was significantly reduced in the fourth quarter in 2020 (−15.8, 95% CI −28.0 to −3.5), compared with that in 2016–2019. Sentinel surveillance showed a marked decrease of all infectious diseases except exanthema subitum after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. There were 86 COVID-19 cases aged <10 years and no KD children associated with COVID-19.Conclusion This study showed that the number and incidence of KD was dramatically reduced during the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan. This change was temporally associated with decreased activities of various infectious diseases other than COVID-19, supporting the hypothesis of infection-triggered pathogenesis in KD

Interval walking training in type 2 diabetes: A pilot study to evaluate the applicability as exercise therapy.

There are few established easy-to-perform exercise protocols with evidence-based effects for individuals with type 2 diabetes (T2D). A unique exercise regimen, interval walking training (IWT), has been reported to be beneficial for improving metabolic function, physical fitness and muscle strength in adults of overall health. This pilot study aims to demonstrate descriptive statistics of IWT adherence and changes in various data before and after the intervention of IWT in adults with T2D, perform statistical hypothesis testing, and calculate effect sizes. We performed a single-arm interventional pilot study with IWT for 20 weeks. We enrolled 51 participants with T2D aged 20-80 years with glycohemoglobin (HbA1c) levels of 6.5-10.0% (48-86 mmol/mol) and a body mass index of 20-34 kg/m2, respectively. The target was 60 min/week of fast walking for 20 weeks. The participants visited the hospital and were examined at 4-week intervals during this period. Between the start of IWT and after 20 weeks, we measured and evaluated changes in glucose and lipid metabolism data, body composition, physical fitness, muscle strength, dietary calorie intake, and daily exercise calories. All included participants completed IWT, with 39% of them reaching the target length of fast walking over 1,200 minutes in 20 weeks. In the primary outcome, HbA1c levels, and in the secondary, lipid metabolism and body composition, no significant changes were observed except for high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) (from 1.4 mmol/L to 1.5 mmol/L, p = 0.0093, t-test). However, in the target achievement group, a significant increase in VO2 peak by 10% (from 1,682 mL/min to 1,827 mL/min, p = 0.037, t-test) was observed. Effect sizes were Cohen's d = 0.25 of HDL-C, -0.55 of triglyceride, and 0.24 of VO2 peak in the target achievement group, which were considered to be of small to medium clinical significance. These results could be solely attributed to IWT since there were no significant differences in dietary intake and daily life energy consumption before and after the study. IWT could be highly versatile and was suggested to have a positive effect on lipid metabolism and physical fitness. In future randomized controlled trial (RCT) studies, the detailed effects of IWT, focusing on these parameters, will be examined. Trial registration: This trial was registered with the Japanese University Hospital Medical Information Network Clinical Trials Registry (UMIN-CTR: Usefulness on interval walking training in patients with type 2 diabetes. 000037303)