The purpose of the present study is to investigate protein metabolism during rapid weight reduction. Six male boxing players put on a restricted diet of their own accord for two weeks. Body weight changes were observed and a biochemical analysis was made of their urine and blood. The initial body weight of 66.1±3.0kg (mean±SE) decreased to 63.6±3.2 kg after two weeks (P<0.01) . The changes in lean body mass (LBM) by weight reduction were not significant, but the LBM tended to decrease after two weeks. The mean caloric intake was 2, 791±728 kcal before the study and 1, 643±548 kcal after two weeks. The reduction of carbohydrate consumption is much more than that of fat and protein consumption. The 3-Me/Cr in urine increased significantly after two weeks (348.1 ± 37.0 μol/g to 508.1 f 45.6 μmol/g, P<0.01) and the increase of Urea-N/Cr in urine (8.4±0.5mg/mg creatinine to 13.7±1.3mg/mg creatinine, P<0.01) was also significant after two weeks. Urine volume decreased significantly after two weeks (P<0.01) . There was no significant difference in the blood components during the weight reduction period. These results might suggest that rapid weight reduction and massive decrease of carbohydrate intake accelerate protein catabolism.

To find the correlation between the inhibitory effects of hot-spring water on blood-pressure and its chemical composition, the effects of artificial spa bathing on lowering blood pressure were compared with those of hot-spring bathing on spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). Further, the induction of heat-shock proteins (HSP) in rat organs was quantitatively examined in order to clarify the mechanism of its action. Artificial spa (Na₂SO₄-Na₂HCO₃) bathing showed almost the same inhibitory effects on blood pressure as those of hot-spring bathing.
There was no significant difference in the catecholamine value in blood between both types of spa bathing, nor was there any difference from the values of the control group.
It was found that HSP molecules were induced in the brain, liver, and kidneys not only by hot-spring bathing but also by artificial spa bathing, with different inductive profiles from one organ to another.

A study was made on 15 healthy subjects to evaluate the efficacy of water immersion with commonly used raw materials on skin elasticity, viscoelasticity and hydration of stratum corneum.
Samples used in this study included 30, 60, 90g of sodium hydrogen carbonate and 60g of bath preparation containing 90% in weight of sodium hydrogen carbonate (Cool Bathcrin^®). These samples were dissolved into 200l of plain water kept at a temperature of 41°C. The duration of each bathing was 5min.
Skin elasticity (skin distensibility), skin viscoelasticity and hydration of stratum corneum improved in all types of water immersion including plain water immersion. The skin distensibility, viscoelasticity and hydration state showed a statistically significant increase after water immersion with sodium hydrogen carbonate as compared with those before water immersion. In the plain water immersion group, no significant differences were observed between the values before and after water immersion with the exception of skin hydration. However, a significantly higher rate of increase in skin hydration was observed in the groups of water immersion with sodium hydrogen carbonate as compared with the plain water immersion.
The above results show that alkaline salt, especially sodium hydrogen carbonate, improves skin distensibility, viscoelasticity, and hydration state. Furthermore, we recommend sodium hydrogen carbonate as one of the most useful components of bath preparation because it provides the suppleness, freshness, and smoothness of stratum corneum.

To examine risk factors for shoulder injuries with or without history of the injuries using the stratification analysis for collegiate rugby players. 71 elite rugby players from one university rugby club joined in the preseason medical screening related to their shoulder joints, including basic demographics, history of injuries, and physical findings at that time. Subsequently, the occurrence of shoulder injuries was recorded during four playing seasons. Analysis was stratified with or without history of the injuries; player without the past history of injury, 47 players; player with the past history of injury, 24 players. As a result of all players with the past history, 13 players sustained the shoulder injuries. Internal rotational range of motion [IR ROM] (OR, 1.5; 95%CI, 1.13-1.96; p=0.004), external rotational range of motion [ER ROM] (OR, 1.9; 95%CI, 1.21-2.87; p=0.005), horizontal flexion range of motion [HF ROM] (OR, 1.3; 95%CI, 1.03-1.64; p=0.025), IR muscle strength (OR, 0.4; 95%CI, 0.20-0.65; p=0.001) and rugby experience (OR, 1.2; 95%CI, 1.02-1.46; p=0.032) were associated with the shoulder injuries. On the other hand, 10 players sustained injuries of the players without the past history of injury. IR muscle strength (OR, 0.3; 95%CI, 0.11-0.72; p=0.008) and rugby experience (OR, 1.4; 95%CI, 1.11-1.66; p=0.003) were associated with the shoulder injuries. This study clearly showed that IR, ER, HF ROM, IR muscle strength and rugby experience were important initial risk factors for shoulder injuries. Moreover, IR muscle strength and rugby experience were important recurrence risk factors for shoulder injuries.

No abstract available.
Hodgkin Disease*

During the one-year period from April 1992 through March 1993, we measured 25, 498 blood samples by the use of a sequential multichannel autoanalyzer, which our hospital installed in August 1991. Of the total, 4, 707 samples were thoroughly examined under the microscope. They included those from the patients for which physicians indicated laboratory testing, those samples whose white cell counts were less than 3, 000/μlor more than 10, 000/μl, the cases in which the amount of hemoglobin was less than 10.0g/dl, and the samples which defied blood typing. The result was that three cases of myelodysplastic syndrome were detected, although the autoanalyzer failed to find any abnormalities in these three cases.
Laboratory technicians in hospital are so busy that they hardly have time enough for thoroughgoing examination of hemogram. Nevertheless, the recent experience has brought home to us the importance of a microscopic scrutiny, into hemogram and its application to diagnosis.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the injury patterns and risk factors of injuries among high school handball players in Japan. A total of 1299 (709 male and 590 female) subjects who played in the 2018 Japanese National High School Handball Championship participated in this study. The questionnaire on injury experience was distributed two weeks before the championship and was collected at the representation meeting the day before the championship. The main results were as follows: 1) The subjects (n=625, 48.1%) reported experiences of injuries in the previous year. Female had significantly more suffer injuries than male. 2) The main body parts of injuries were the ankle, knee, and finger in traumatic injuries and the lower leg, lumber spine/lower back, and knee in overuse injuries. The main types of injuries were sprain, ligamentous rupture, and fracture in traumatic injuries and stress fracture, other bone injuries, and lesion of meniscus or cartilage in overuse injuries. The main cause of injuries was “contact with another athlete”. 3) Age, female players, and back players were associated with increased the occurrences of injuries. Goalkeepers were associated with decreased the occurrences of injuries. These results indicated that a high prevalence of injuries in high school handball players, and it is important to take preventive measures based on age, gender, and player position.

Objective: DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1) is crucial to maintaining methylation during DNA replication and DNA repair. DNMT1 mutations have been identified in two neurological syndromes, including hereditary sensory and autonomic neuropathy type IE (HSAN IE) with dementia and hearing loss and autosomal dominant cerebellar ataxia, deafness and narcolepsy. It is likely that DNMT1 mutations lead to various symptoms of the central and peripheral nervous system. The aim of this study was to examine the clinical characteristics, especially the initial symptoms, in the cases of DNMT1 mutations. Methods: We investigated the clinical manifestation and examination findings of four cases of HSAN IE from one family with the DNMT1 mutation c.1531Y>C (p.Try511His). Results: All four cases exhibited sensory neuropathy, cerebellar ataxia, and hearing loss, all of which were demonstrated by the audiograms. The initial symptoms of the four cases included hearing loss (n=1), gait disturbance (n=1), and depressive mood (n=2). Depressive symptoms are reported in some cases with HSAN IE, however, there are currently no published reports that describe them as primary symptoms. The CSF orexin level was measured in three cases, revealing normal values in two cases and intermediate values in one case, in which the patient exhibited rapid eye movement (REM) sleep behavior disorder. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that in cases with HSAN IE or the DNMT1 mutation, psychiatric symptoms should be taken into account as one of the initial manifestations of the disease.