No abstract available.
Endoscopic Mucosal Resection ; Gastroscopy ; Dissection

Spontaneous rupture of the thoracic aorta without trauma, aneurysm or dissection is a rare but fatal disease. We reported successful endovascular aortic repair of thoracic aortic spontaneous rupture in 3 patients. Generally, it is difficult to accurately identify the rupture site in the spontaneous rupture. However, by detailed planning based on the data of preoperative CT images, thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) can be successfully performed, like surgical repair of spontaneous rupture of the distal aortic arch or descending thoracic aorta. TEVAR should be considered as a first-line therapy, especially, in patients with advanced age or significant comorbidities.

We encountered a case of aortic valvuloplasty for aortic regurgitation due to congenital bicuspid valve. A 31-year-old man was found to have aortic regurgitation due to prolapse of a leaflet of the bicuspid valve by echocardiography. Under cardiopulmonary bypass, the right and left coronary cusps were conjoined and that conjoined cusp was larger than that of the opposing leaflet and had a longer free edge. A raphe was present in the conjoined leaflet. At first, we shortened the elongated free edge of the prolapsing leaflet by means of a triangular resection, and placed horizontal mattress sutures at each commissure. Furthermore, we performed subcommissular annuloplasty at each commissure, resulting in good coaptation of cusps. The patient survived and has shown an uneventful recovery. It is likely that this method of aortic valvuloplasty can be used for aortic regurgitation due to congenital bicuspid valve.

Physical performance measures, such as gait speed, one-legged stance and hand-grip strength, are known as assessment measures of motor function and predictors for adverse health outcomes, and widely used for assessing motor function in preventive programs for long-term care or screening of frail elderly. However, there is no standard assessment sheet for feedback of the results. In the present study, an assessment sheet on physical performance measures for community-dwelling older adults was developed. A pooled analysis of data from six cohort studies, including urban and rural areas was conducted as part of the Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology Longitudinal Interdisciplinary Study on Aging. The pooled analysis included cross-sectional data from 4683 nondisabled, community-dwelling adults aged 65 years or older. Quintiles were derived according to age and sex group for six physical performance measures, i.e., hand-grip strength, one-legged stance, and gait speed and step length at both usual and maximum paces. The assessment sheets, which indicated the physical performance level according to age and sex, were developed by fitting third order polynomial curves to the data. The reference values in the present assessment sheet were considered to be derived from better represented community-dwelling older adults by using more large-scale population-based cohort data than that in the previous study. The assessment sheet should be useful for feeding back results on physical performance measures to elderly individuals and help them better understand their own physical performance levels.

Mycoplasma spp. are contagious bacteria, and mycoplasmal mastitis is a serious productivity problem on dairy farms. Bovine mammary epithelial cells (bMECs) have an important role in the elimination of pathogens, but the effect of Mycoplasma bovis on bMECs has not been fully described. To elucidate the immune response against intramammary infection by M. bovis, we undertook microarray analysis to examine and profile mRNA expression in bMECs after stimulation with M. bovis. We also compared the effects of M. bovis, Staphylococcus aureus, and Escherichia coli on immune-related mRNA expression in bMECs. Transcriptome analysis indicated a significant decrease in the level of mRNA-encoding lysine-specific demethylase 4D, suggesting that the immune response is suppressed by a decrease in histone demethylase activity. Interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, tumor necrosis factor alpha, toll-like receptor (TLR) 2, and TLR4 mRNA expression levels were significantly increased in bMECs stimulated with heat-killed M. bovis, but the expression levels were lower than those following stimulation by heat-killed S. aureus or E. coli. Our results suggest that M. bovis weakly affects mRNA expression in bMECs compared to the effects of E. coli or S. aureus. Moreover, live M. bovis may induce suppression of the immune response in bMECs.
Agriculture ; Bacteria ; Cytokines ; Efficiency ; Epithelial Cells ; Escherichia coli ; Female ; Gene Expression Profiling ; Histones ; Immunity, Innate ; Interleukin-6 ; Interleukins ; Mastitis ; Microarray Analysis ; Mycoplasma bovis ; Mycoplasma ; RNA, Messenger ; Staphylococcus aureus ; Toll-Like Receptors ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha

BACKGROUND: Although long maternal working hours are reported to have a negative effect on children's dietary habits, few studies have investigated this issue in Japan. Healthy dietary habits in childhood are important because they may reduce the risk of future disease. Here, we examined the relationship between maternal employment status and children's dietary intake in 1693 pairs of Japanese primary school 5th and 6th graders and their mothers. METHODS: The survey was conducted using two questionnaires, a brief-type self-administered diet history questionnaire and a lifestyle questionnaire. The analysis also considered mothers' and children's nutrition knowledge, attitudes toward diet, and some aspects of family environment. RESULTS: Longer maternal working hours were associated with children's higher intake of white rice (g/1000kcal) (β 11.4, 95%CI [1.0, 21.9]; working ≥8h vs. not working), lower intake of confectioneries (g/1000kcal) (β -4.0 [-7.6, -0.4]), and higher body mass index (BMI) (kg/m CONCLUSIONS Longer maternal working hours were significantly associated with higher intake of white rice and lower intake of confectioneries, as well as higher BMI among children. Even when a mother works, however, it may be possible to improve her child's dietary intake by other means such as nutrition education for children or enhancement of food environment.
Adult ; Child ; Child Health/standards* ; Diet/standards* ; Diet Surveys ; Employment ; Female ; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice ; Humans ; Japan ; Life Style ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Mothers ; Nutritional Status ; Surveys and Questionnaires

BACKGROUND: Estimates of daily sodium (Na) and potassium (K) excretion were explicitly biased when using equations for adults. We aimed to develop equations to estimate them using overnight urine from Japanese children and adolescents. METHODS: The subjects comprised 70 students aged 10.49-15.76 years: validation group, n = 34; and verification group, n = 36. Each subject performed two operations of overnight spot urine (U RESULTS: In validation, we formulated Na excretion (mg d CONCLUSION We obtained validated equations to estimate daily Na and K excretion with accessible variables such as Na, K, and Cr concentrations of overnight urine, body height and weight, and age for children and adolescents. When using the obtained equations, caution should be paid to small but definite biases and measurement errors.
Adolescent ; Child ; Creatinine/urine* ; Female ; Humans ; Japan ; Male ; Potassium/urine* ; Sodium/urine*