To investigate the scientific grounds for the effect of raspberry ketone bathing that is claimed to increase energy consumption by stimulating metabolism, a bathing experiment was conducted in 10 normal healthy adults.
As a result, no appreciable difference was detected among tap water, CO₂-enriched water and raspberry water in respect to blood pressure, pulse rate and depth thermometer readings, which suggested that bathing in warm raspberry water was safe, producing no marked load on the cardiovascular system. Changes in the skin surface temperature indicated slow elevation of body temperature, from which bathing in warm raspberry water was considered to produce no marked load on the body even if bathing lasted relatively long as compared with bathing in warm tap water or CO₂-enriched warm water. From the skin tissue blood flow data, it seemed likely that the increase in blood flow caused by bathing in warm raspberry water was produced, not by vasodilatation as in CO₂-enriched warm water bathing, but by such mechanisms as acceleration of metabolism. Data on insulin suggested that bathing in warm raspberry water affected the carbohydrate metabolism as compared with that in warm tap water or CO₂-enriched warm water. Since there was no difference among warm water groups in changes in the adrenocortical hormone “cortisol”, raspberry ketone bathing was considered not to have specific activity. Data on NK cell activity showed that bathing in warm raspberry water produced no appreciable effect on the immune system. It was suggested that measurement of β-endorphin should be performed after adjustment of psychological environments.
The results of expiration air analysis also indicated that, while bathing in CO₂-enriched warm water was related to changes in the cardiovascular system, bathing in warm raspberry ketone water produced no appreciable load on the cardiovascular system but consumed energy through acceleration of metabolic activities.

The Salt Lake mineral was dissolved in the warm water to develop bath salt that contained the Salt Lake mineral with the element of seawater, and we made comparative study of the effects with the tap warm water for five healthy adults.
As a result, the warm water with the Salt Lake mineral increased in the changes of the surface skin temperature in the forehead, the deep thermometer in front of chest and the tissue blood flow of thigh skin compared to the tap warm water.
Therefore, the warm water with the Salt Lake mineral was suspected that the thermo effects was good compared to the tap warm water.
It seemed that it was possible to use it safely as bath salt, for it did not change the blood pressure, the heart rate, the oxygen uptake and carbon dioxide exhaust. Also, the abnormality of the skin was not additionally recognized.

We evaluated the effects of SCP bathing on the body by compared with those of a-EG, one of major component of SCP, bathing and the control bathing with tap water alone. Healthy adults were used as the subjects. The effects of bathing on blood pressure and pulse rate were not significantly different among the three bathings, indicating that effects of SCP and α-EG bathing on the lung and heart were similar to those of an ordinary bathing. The surface skin temperature at the forehead decreased more slowly in the subjects after taking a SCP bathing than the other two, suggesting that SCP has temperature holding effects. Also, the results of deep body temperature suggested that α-EG might be related to the heat absorbing effects of SCP bathing, which were significantly marked than those of the other two bathings. The present results regarding the changes in blood flow and deep body temperature during bathing suggest that SCP might produce an environment that allows more rapid heat transfer from bath water to the body and less releasing it from the body. Therefore, we concluded that some component other than α-ethylglucoside would be involved in the heat transfer and moisturizing during SCP bathing. Measurement of skin water content indicated that a region directly contacting with hot water was moisturized in a short time, but this condition quickly returned to the pre-bath condition. Whereas, for regions not contacting with bath water, the skin was much more moisturized by taking SCP bath than the other two bathings. Therefore, it was concluded that SCP is effective for enhancement of skin moisturizing.

Ginseng powder was dissolved in the warm water to develop bath salt that contained Ginseng powder (250mg: 1% Ginseng powder, 500mg: 2% Ginseng powder) and it made comparative study of the effects with the tap warm water for seven healthy adults (male 3, female 4, 20.7±0.8 years old). The Ginseng powder of 250mg and 500mg was made so that the bath salt of 25g may become 1% and 2%. The whole body immersion of 15 minutes was done to all subjects under the condition that 1% or 2% cannot be distinguished without tap water bathing.
As a result, the warm water with Ginseng powder increased in the changes of the deep thermometer in front of chest between immersion and after bathing, compared with the tap warm water. But there were not significant change of the surface skin temperature on the arm and the tissue blood flow on thigh skin.
Therefore, the warm water with Ginseng powder was suspected that the thermo effects and the retaining warmth were good compared with the tap warm water.
It seemed that it was possible to use it safely as bath salt for it did not change of the blood pressure, the heart rate, and abnormality of the skin without the case to whom the skin had temporarily flushed, was not additionally recognized.

A19-year-old man was admitted to the hospital because of severe congestive heart failure on 7 April 2000. In the previous year his case had been diagnosed as Churg-Strauss syndrome (allergic granulomatous angiitis, AGA) with bronchial asthma and mononeuritis multiplex. Echocardiography revealed the dilatation of the left ventricle (LVDd 74 mm) and impaired left ventricular systolic function (LVEF 20%). On the 21st hospital day, the irregularity of peripheral branches of left and right coronary arteries was detected by coronary arteriography. Right ventricular endomyocardial biopsy yielded little fibrosis and no infiltration of eosinophil. Although all the laboratory tests showed lower activity of AGA, steroid pulse therapy was tried and the use of steroids was tapered at intervals of two weeks. Left ventricular function was slowly improved (LVDd 60 mm, LVEF 36%). He was discharged on foot on the 71st hospital day.

A kainic acid microinjection into unilateral occipital cortex induced an experimental model of occipital lobe epilepsy in cats and rats. Elicited focal seizures in the occipital cortex promptly propagated to the bilateral cortices and also to the subcortical structures. Behavioral and EEG observations were well correlated to the human occipital lobe epilepsy. Metabolic study using 14C-deoxyglucose autoradiography in rats demonstrated a rapid propagation of the hypermetabolic area in the parietal, frontal, temporal and contralateral occipital cortices and also to the thalamus, basal ganglia, MRF and lateral geniculate body. The result shows that not only Meyer’s loop but also subcortical fasciculus between occipital lobe and other lobules may have an important role in the mechanism of seizure evolution and propagation of the occipital lobe epilepsy

We have established NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) in our hospital and have made efforts to improve the contents of medical treatment since 1976 in order to establish a regionalization of neonatal medical treatment.
Thus are main items of the improvement:
1. Completed the apparatuses and equipments needed in Intensive Care.
2. Promoted the communication with regional facilities of delivery so as to enable immature or stressed mature babies to be transported to our hospital at all hours.
3. Made Pediatrician attend all the deliveries with high risk factors and treat the asphyxiated newborn right after the delivery.
We have recorded the results of comparison of the death rate of immature babies at different birth weight treated in our hospital, and of the perinatal mortality in our Obstetric Department in the pie-improvement period of 5 years (1971-1975) and in the post-improvement period of 4 years (1976-1979) respectively.
The results are as follows:
1. A comparison of the death rate of immature babies at different birth weight.
In comparison of pre and post improvement, under 1, 000 g we haven't had enough cases to compare, besides most of the babies have died. However, at the weight between 1, 001-1, 500 g, the death rate has decreased from 39.4% down to 14.3%, at between 1, 501-2, 000g it has decreased from 11.4% down to 8.9%, and at between 2, 001-2, 500 g, from 6.9% to 1.1%.
2. A comparison of the perinatal mortality in our Obstetric Department.
The perinatal mortality has decreased from 18.5% down to 11.8% when we compare pre and post improvement. This result of the decrease depends on the decrease of fetal death at delivery and baby's death in the early neonatal period. Items of the causes of early neonatal death reveals that the deaths of immature babies and asphyxiated mature babies have decreased significantly.
From these results, we are fully realized the benefit of the regionalization of the neonatal medical treatment and I think we ought to promote such regionalization especially in rural area.

Investigation was made into the health care conditions in a rural district in Akita Prefecture. Topographically, the district is divided into two parts-one characterized by mountain and the other by flat terrain.
1. In remote, depopulated villages, per capita cost of public health is on the increase.
2. The number of health personell, particularly public health nurses, is not enough to carry on various health programs.
3. With the prospect of greater numbers of the aged in society, there is an urgent need for increased medical services along with the consolidation of primary health care. In order to meet the need, it is necessary to establish a regional community health system comprised of a hospital as a nucleus and neighborhood medical instituions such as clinics and health centers.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to investigate the utility of echo intensity and contrast enhancement in the differential diagnosis between intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm with an associated invasive carcinoma (IPMN-IC) and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) on ultrasonography. METHODS: This study included eight and 37 patients who had pathologically confirmed IPMN-IC and PDAC, respectively, and were enrolled for a comparative analysis of the sonographic features of the tumors. In the quantitative echo intensity evaluation, the two groups were compared with respect to the difference between the tumor intensity and the pancreatic intensity (TI-PI) and between the tumor intensity and the vascular intensity (TI-VI). In the quantitative contrast enhancement evaluation, the increase in echo intensity (ΔTI) and increase in echo intensity per unit of time (slope) were compared between the groups. The echo intensity and contrast enhancement were also compared between the two groups in patients with T3-T4 disease. In addition, the correlations of the histological type, tumor size, stromal type, and T factor with echogenicity and contrast enhancement were analyzed. RESULTS: IPMN-IC had significantly greater echo intensity and contrast enhancement than PDAC (TI-PI, P=0.004; TI-VI, P=0.001; ΔTI, P=0.012; slope, P=0.002). In T3-T4 disease, IPMN-IC also showed greater echo intensity and faster enhancement than PDAC. Echo intensity and contrast enhancement were correlated with histological type (TI-PI, P=0.003; TI-VI, P<0.001; ΔTI, P=0.007; slope, P<0.001). CONCLUSION: IPMN-IC and PDAC can be differentiated by the quantitative evaluation of echo intensity and contrast enhancement.
Adenocarcinoma* ; Carcinoma, Pancreatic Ductal ; Diagnosis, Differential* ; Evaluation Studies as Topic ; Humans ; Mucins* ; Pancreatic Ducts* ; Ultrasonography*

In Akita Prefecture, there are nine hospitals established by the Akita Prefectural Federation of Agricultural Cooperatives for Health and Welfare (Koseiren). Half of the stroke patients in the prefecture were treated in these Koseiren hospitals, and half of the mass screening projects for the prevention of cardio vascular diseases were undertaken by these hospitals. A retrospective cohort study was done using mass-screening data (age, sex, past history of diabetes mellitus, blood pressure, body mass index, smoking and drinking habits) of 175,033 cases stored at these hospitals from 1988 to 1999, and the prefecture-wide stroke data of 2,520 initial stroke events registered from 1988 to 2003. The number of stroke cases was broken down into 1,428 cases of cerebral infarction (57%, CI), 693 cases of cerebral hemorrhage (27%, CH) and 399 cases of subarachnoid hemorrhage (16%, SAH). The subjects were also divided into five age groups:30-49, 50-59, 60-69, 70-79 and 80-89. Blood pressure (BP) was classified into six categories according to the JNC 6 criteria. Risk factors were determined using the Cox analysis. The hazard ratio for CI and CH was increasing with advancing age. CI showed a higher hazard ratio in men than women (hazard ratio for men was 1.8). The hazard ratio was increasing as BP became higher in any of three stroke subtypes, and especially CH showed the strongest correlation with BP. Uncontrollable risk factors were very closely associated with the attack of CI. On the other hand, BP (controllable risk) was closely linked with the attack of CH. Our results showed the prevention of CI was not easy. Controlling BP may be the most effective strategy for preventing hemorrhagic stroke (CH and SAH).
Cerebrovascular accident ; Cephalic index ; Blood pressure determination ; hazard ; Risk Factors