The purpose of this study is to develop the non-invesive method for three dimensional analysis of knee extensor and knee flexor muscle groups of the thigh part in human subjects. Our system consisted of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to get cross-sectional images of muscle and a computer graphics system which reconstructs three dimensional image of each muscle. The subjects chosen for this study were four healthy male adults, aged from 21 to 30 years. MRI scan was carried out from head of the femur to the upper border of the patella along thigh. Three dimensional (3D) muscular image was reconstructed based on the data from MRI. Referring to the anatomic feature, contour information of knee extensor muscles (KEM) and knee flexor muscles (KFM) was identified on MRI and those muscles were reconstructed to 3 D images using the computer graphics system. This system also provided information on the quantitative volume and cross-sectional area (CSA) of each muscle.
The structure of each muscle of KEM and KFM was displayed by a wireframe model or a surface model on the CRT. It was revealed that 3D muscular images of the surface model using coloring and shadowing were highly effective to understand their shapes and relative location of muscles. CSA and volume of KEM were 86.84±8.38cm²and 2044.25±168.28cm³ and those of KFM were 38.48±5.90cm² and 751.95±50.56cm³ respectively.
These results indicate that not only the anatomical information but also the volume and maximum CSAs of KEM and KFM can be measured quantitatively by this method using three dimensional analysis.

Effects of sit-up exercise in the healthy adults to the point of exhaustion on the respiratory-circulatory functions and oxygen consumption were studied in thirtyone males and thirtysix females whose age varied between twenty and thirtyf our years old. The subjects were classified into two groups, the superior and the inferior, according to the number of sit-ups to reach the exhaustion point. Collected vallues were compared between the pre-exercise and the post-exercise records. The results were as follows ;
1) No sex differences in the inferior group were found in the degree of increase in systolic pressure, heart rate and respiratory rate.
2) In the superior group, no sex difference was found in the degree of increase in respiration rate, but male subjects were greater than female subjects in the degree of increase in both systolic pressure and heart rate.
3) In males, when the superior subjects were compared with the inferior subjects, the former were greater than the latter in the degree of increase in both systolic pressure and heart rate, but in females no differences were found.
4) In males the more the degree of increase in blood pressure, the more the degree of increase in heart rate. In contrast with males, in females there were no relation between them were observed.
5) It was recognized that relative metabolic rate varied in values from 4.7-13.5 and there was a tendency among the inferior subjects to have a large relative metabolic rate.

The awareness of many residents on generic drugs has increased recently, which is also reflected in their increased consumption. Enlightenment activities for citizens have become an important tool to further promote the use of generic drugs. We performed a questionnaire survey and assessed residents’ consciousness after a lecture on generic drug usage in a people’s forum. We received responses from 105 of the recruited 127 participants. Most questionnaire respondents were from the age group of 70 years and comprised about half of the sample. The respondents having undefined will to the question about use of generic drugs was the most frequent. Only a few participants answered that they hoped getting generic drugs from a pharmacy or hospital. The concerns and future requests for generic drugs were the cost of medicine, validity, safety, and quality. The middle group by which the participants were classified into a positive group, a middle group and a negative group among question on usage and request of generic drugs, in its percentage each age groups, was most. Many respondents answered that generic drug use “should be spread” after the lecture. However, it was identified that the communication between doctor, pharmacist, and the patient on generic drug use is insufficient in the open question. Enlightenment activities for citizens will become necessary because half of the respondents expressed negative opinions on the use of generic drugs.

10 male and 8 female skillful tester on physical fitness measurements were attended. They were measured one another the body girth and blood pressure of themselves. The result obtained on the same person by the different tester were not always coincident. The following issues were obtained.
(1) Mean value of individual error finding on the systolic pressure was about 4mmHg, on the diastolic pressure was about 6mmHg. Mean value of the difference between the maximum and minimum value of the systolic pressure reported on the same person was 15.4mmHg in male group. That of the diastolic value was 21.4mmHg in male group. For the female group, that of the systolic pressure was 17.0mmHg, that of the diastolic pressure was 23.0mmHg.
(2) Mean value of individual error (as under, be showed by“error”) obtained on the chest girth was 1.43cm in male group, 1.05cm in female group. Mean value of the difference between the maximum and minimum value (as under, be showed by“breadth”) was 5.99cm in male, 4.08cm in female.
(3) “Error”observed on the overarm extended girth was 0.73cm in male, 0.79 cm in female, “breadth”was 2.96cm in male, 2.99cm in female.
(4) “Error”finding on the overarm flexed girth was 0.60cm for both sex, “breadth”was 2.81cm in male, 2.43cm in female.
(5) For the forearm girth, “Error”was 0.40cm in male. 0.24cm in female, “breadth”was 1.81cm in male, was 1.35cm in female.
(6) For the thigh girth, “Error”was 0.90cm in male, 0.69cm in female, “breadth”was 3.91cm in male, 2.93cm in female.
(7) On the calf girth measurement, in male and female group, “Error”was 0.44 and 0.40cm, “breadth”was 1.51 and 1.48cm respectively.
From above mentioned findings, we considered that“Error”is possible to regard as unavoidable error, “breadth”might be probable error.

Effects of 20km running uppn taking a low-carbohydrate, high-fat and protein diet on the changes in blood pressure, heart rate, body weight, skinf old thickness, blood components and urinary recordings in five healthy young men were investigated and the changes in these items which occured by taurine inducement were studied by double blind test method. The results were as follows:
1) As to the degree of decrease in body weight in 20km running, the case in taurine administration (T. A.) was more than in placebo administration (P. A.) .
2) As to the degree of increase in systolic pressure upon 20km running, T. A. was less than P. A. 3) The rate of creatine kinase isozyme (CK-MB) against creatine kinase (CK), which increased after 20km running in P. A., was possible to reduce by T. A.
4) T. A. was less than P.A. in the rate of increase in lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) on 20km running.
5) In P. A., triglyceride increased after 20km running, but in T. A., it decreased.
6) T. A, much influenced the rate of individual fatty acid composition on 20km running
7) T. A, was more than P. A. in the secretion of adrenaline on 20km running.
8) No changes were observed in other blood components and urinary kallikrein.

The present study was performed to investigate the effect of long distance walking upon physical functions for healthy male subjects. The first experiment was carried out in 1977, the second, in 1978, and the third, in 1979 in each autum season. At the first experiment, subjects began walking upon having breakfast, then ate and drank noting during first 30km, and took some foods during another 26km. Twelve hours and fifty minutes of time was spent for 56km walking including 15, 60, and 30 minutes rest periods in between. In the second experiment, subjects ate nothing after dinner of the previous evening and 35km walking took 6 hours during which some rest periods were taken for blood sampling. The third was 80km walking for two days. Subjects walked 40km in 8 hours in the first day and on the following day they walked 40km in ten hours and twenty minutes. They took foods and rest freely.
From the view points of the changes in blood and urinary recordings obtained from those three experiments, the influences of long distance walking on the body indicate as follows ;
1) In case of long distance walking while nothing to eat and drink, the rate of serum saturated fatty acids composition decreased and unsaturated fatty acids increased.
2) In a fasting state, blood glucose gradually decreased, LDH activity increased and blood lactate, GOT and GPT activity presented no significant changes on long distance walking.
3) It was shown that the longer distance to walk, the lesser tendency in blood triglyceride even though subjects take a carbohydrate rich diet while walking.
4) In fasting state, less than 35km walking without foods, the stress to the body seemed not to be critical.
5) More than 40km walking in a day, even though taking meals, would result a significantly severe stress for body.
6) As long as usual meals are taken, 80km walking for two days continuously, 40km in each day, would not result in such a physical stress over the following days.

BACKGROUND: The burden of dementia is growing rapidly and has become a medical and social problem in Japan. Prospective cohort studies have been considered an effective methodology to clarify the risk factors and the etiology of dementia. We aimed to perform a large-scale dementia cohort study to elucidate environmental and genetic risk factors for dementia, as well as their interaction. METHODS: The Japan Prospective Studies Collaboration for Aging and Dementia (JPSC-AD) is a multisite, population-based prospective cohort study of dementia, which was designed to enroll approximately 10,000 community-dwelling residents aged 65 years or older from 8 sites in Japan and to follow them up prospectively for at least 5 years. Baseline exposure data, including lifestyles, medical information, diets, physical activities, blood pressure, cognitive function, blood test, brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and DNA samples, were collected with a pre-specified protocol and standardized measurement methods. The primary outcome was the development of dementia and its subtypes. The diagnosis of dementia was adjudicated by an endpoint adjudication committee using standard criteria and clinical information according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 3rd Revised Edition. For brain MRI, three-dimensional acquisition of T1-weighted images was performed. Individual participant data were pooled for data analyses. RESULTS: The baseline survey was conducted from 2016 to 2018. The follow-up surveys are ongoing. A total of 11,410 individuals aged 65 years or older participated in the study. The mean age was 74.4 years, and 41.9% were male. The prevalence of dementia at baseline was 8.5% in overall participants. However, it was 16.4% among three sites where additional home visit and/or nursing home visit surveys were performed. Approximately two-thirds of dementia cases at baseline were Alzheimer's disease. CONCLUSIONS The prospective cohort data from the JPSC-AD will provide valuable insights regarding the risk factors and etiology of dementia as well as for the development of predictive models and diagnostic markers for the future onset of dementia. The findings of this study will improve our understanding of dementia and provide helpful information to establish effective preventive strategies for dementia in Japan.
Aged ; Alzheimer Disease/genetics* ; Dementia/genetics* ; Environment ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Japan/epidemiology* ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prevalence ; Prospective Studies ; Risk Factors