Both westernization of diet and lifestyle habits and chronic inactivity have accelerated the obese population in Japan. Obesity is defined as being a condition in which the excessive energy is stored in the body as fat. Irrespective of organs and tissues, excessive fat accumulation impairs their structure and function, that is, ectopic adiposis. These days, the rapid increase in the number of adult people with abnormal liver function associated with obesity is largely attributed to an increase in the incidence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), a chronic liver disease accompanying fat accumulation. In Japan, about 30% of obese people suffer from NAFLD. About 10% of NAFLD progresses to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). NASH is a progressive disease leading to liver cirrhosis. Any treatment with consensus other than diet restriction and exercise training is ineffective for the prevention of onset and progression of NAFLD. The important thing is a practice of suitable amounts of exercise, since it maintains muscle volume, increases the utilization of glucose, and attenuates insulin resistance, all of which may contribute to a decease in hepatic fat accumulation levels. It may be of great significance to practice exercise training for patients with chronic liver disease for improving the liver pathophysiology of NAFLD. In this review, first, the onset mechanism for NAFLD in obese subjects is summarized; second, beneficial effects of exercise on liver pathophysiology of NAFLD are reviewed based on the data from a weight reduction program consisting of dietary restriction plus aerobic exercise; and finally, medical support of obese patients with NAFLD in Tsukuba University Hospital are introduced.

Aneurysm of peripheral pulmonary artery was rarely reported. A 51-year-old man who was pointed out a coin lesion at the right hilus region on the chest X-ray film complained back chest pain. Selective pulmonary arteriography revealed the peripheral pulmonary aneurysm of saccular dilatation running into the middle lobe. Aneurysmectomy was performed successfully and the patient returned to social work. Pathologic specimen revealed partly necrosis of medial cell. Eleven surgical cases including this case were reported in Japan. A brief review of the literature was made.

Horseshoe kidney is an unusual abnormality occurring in 0.25% of the population. In surgery for AAA with horseshoe kidney, reconstruction of aberrant renal and preservation of renal isthmus is important. We report 3 cases of AAA with horseshoe kidney treated successfully without division of the isthmus.

Purpose: This study investigated the current state of critical hemorrhage during home palliative care for terminally ill cancer patients. Methods: We conducted a retrospective medical chart review of 7 cancer patients (1.4%) who received home palliative care from our clinic and died of critical hemorrhage at home from October 2007 to December 2014. Results: Four patients were male, the mean age was 70±11 years, and underlying diseases were different. None of the patients were accompanied by medical staff at the onset of bleeding. Six patients died at home and one patient was admitted to hospital for hemostasis. Six patients had a pre-hemorrhage episode more than 24 hours before critical hemorrhage occurred from the same site. One patient was administered a hemostatic agent, hemostasis was attempted in one, and one was given sedation. Six patients wanted to die at home, and did die at home. Discussion: If terminally ill cancer patients have critical hemorrhage at home, our options are limited. The results of this study suggest the importance of hemorrhage risk assessment and advance care planning.

Appropriate clinical communication between patients and physicians requires better cooperation based on patientphysician rapport and consensus development through information sharing.Developing appropriate clinical communication is also important for safer and more reliable clinical care. The aim of the present study was to illustrate an effective politeness strategy for appropriate clinical communication.
1) We conducted focus-group interviews and performed qualitative analysis on the basis of the results of interviews of both patients and physicians.We also performed an Internet survey and organized an Internet-based discussion ofthe politeness strategy and its effectiveness.
2) Patients may consider physicians' overuse of honorifics as feigned politeness, Both patients and physicians recognize that such overuse may work against the development of rapport-based cooperation.
3) Patients may expect physicians to use simpler honorifics, such as “-san.”However, by using honorifics physicians can show respect to patients and establish a more intimate relationship with patients through both positive and negative politeness strategies.
4) When physicians can better understand and use local dialects, the effects of positive politeness may reduce the psychological distance between patients and physicians, have a relaxing effect on patients, and improve clinical information gathering.
5) A positive politeness strategy, such as admiring and talking optimistically, may have different effects depending on the patient's condition or“face.”If successful, this strategy can contribute to the behavioral changes of patients.

Exercise therapy as well as diet therapy, is fundamental in the treatment of diabetes mellitus, however, its methods and effects of long term physical exercise therapy has not yet been clarified.
The present study has been designed to evaluate the effects of physical exercise therapy in diabetic patients with fasting hyperglycemia. Ten non-insulin dependent diabetic patients participated in a 6-month physical exercise program consisting of 30 min, of jogging performed 3 times per week (Exercise group) . The exercise intensity represented 40% of estimated Vo₂max.
The following results were obtained:
1. More significant improvement of glucose tolerance and plasma insulin response to glucose load was observed in exercise group as compared with the patients treated with mild caloric restriction alone (Diet group, N=15) .
2. The significant increase in plasma HDL-cholesterol and HDL-cholesterol/total cholesterol ratio was observed only in exercise group.
3. The reduction of body weight in exercise group was significantly greater than that in diet group.
4. The physical exercise also resulted in an improvement of cardiovascular adaptaion to exercise.
5. Improvement of symptoms in daily life activity was also found after physical exercise therapy. However, some medical troubles such as hypoglycemia, muscle pain and arthralgia were found during observation period.
In conclusion, physical exercise therapy is useful as an adjunct to diet to improve metabolic control in patients with diabetes mellitus. And for effective exercise therapy, exercise program must be individualized, and motivation is stimulated by team including physician, trainer, nurse and dietitian.

Four hundred and six soil samples collected from five schoolyards in Mai Trung Commune, Bac Giang Province, Northern Vietnam, from 2005 to 2007 were examined for helminth eggs using a sucrose centrifugal flotation method. The soils around latrines was found to be heavily contaminated with Ascaris sp. eggs. The contamination rate of Ascaris sp. eggs at each school and prevalence of ascariasis among the school children showed a positive correlation (P&It;0.05). This indicated that examination of soil from the area around latrines for Ascaris sp. eggs is a useful method to estimate the prevalence of ascariasis among school children.

Congenital heart disease of partial anomalous pulmonary venous drainage of entire left lung without other cardiac anomaly was very rare. 21-year-old man, who was pointed out heart disease 6 months ago, was diagnosed as partial anomalous pulmonary venous drainage of entire left lung without other cardiac anomaly by cardiac catheterization and angiography. The patient underwent surgery through the left forth intercostal incision without cardiopulmonary bypass. The end-to-side anastomosis was made between the vertical vein and the left atrial appendage following ligation of the vertical vein near the innominate vein. Surgical treatment was satisfactory in the postoperative angiography which was shown widely patent anastomosis. He was discharged with uneventful postoperative course and returned to full activity.

This study aimed to examine the effects of an 8-week physical activity program, which mainly comprised home-based bench-stepping exercise training at the intensity of lactate threshold (LT), on mental health (MH), health-related quality of life (HRQOL), and physical fitness in Japanese returnees from China. Thirty Japanese returnees (63 ± 9 y) participated in the exercise program. Another six subjects were enrolled as the control group. The subjects performed 212 ± 57 min of training, and their daily step counts were increased. Aerobic capacity (LT: 4.5 ± 0.8 vs. 5.5 ± 1.1 METs), lower limb strength (30-s chair stand test [CS-30]: 19.1 ± 5.5 vs. 21.3 ± 5.1 times), and sit-and-reach flexibility (sitting-posture body anteflexion: 36.1 ± 9.4 vs. 39.0 ± 8.4 cm) were significantly increased after the intervention compared with before the intervention. Furthermore, MH, as assessed by the total score of the GHQ-28 (3.4 ± 4.4 vs. 0.3 ± 0.8 points), and the mental component score (MCS) of HRQOL, as evaluated by the SF-36v2 (55.1 ± 11.4 vs. 58.5 ± 10.0), were significantly changed in a positive manner. However, a two-way repeated measures ANOVA (group × period) showed significant interactions for LT and MCS (p<0.05), and a tendency for interactions of CS-30 (p=0.063) and the total score of the GHQ-28 (p=0.098). These results indicate that this bench-stepping exercise program could become a useful health support program for improving physical fitness, as well as MH and HRQOL, in Japanese returnees.