Relationship between Internet use and out-of-home activities during the first wave of the COVID-19 outbreak in Japan.

Following the first wave of the COVID-19 outbreak, the Japanese government announced the declaration of a state of emergency in April 2020, which aimed to decrease contact between people and requested that residents refrain from outings. Even in the absence of penalties, outings decreased under the declaration. We are interested in how outings declined and studied the substitution relationship between Internet use and outings. A web-based survey was conducted to collect data on Internet use and outings in a retrospective manner. The period covered by our data is from mid-February to mid-May 2020. Multilevel analysis and binomial logistic regression analysis were performed to examine the relationship between Internet use and outings. The results clearly show that Internet use replaced outings. In particular, Internet use for socializing, exercise, and leisure/entertainment had a strong substitution relationship with outings. Internet use for socializing and leisure/entertainment was also associated with refraining from visiting restaurants. In contrast, there was a weak substitution relationship between Internet use for daily shopping and outings. Although telework tends to be an accepted focus of Internet use under the COVID-19 outbreak, it should not be overlooked that other uses of the Internet, such as for leisure/entertainment, also supported the decline in outings.

Relationships among changes in walking and sedentary behaviors, individual attributes, changes in work situation, and anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan.

Studies from many countries, including Japan, have reported decreased physical activity during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. However, the individual attributes as related to changes in physical activity during the pandemic in Japan have been scarcely investigated. The present study explored the relationships among individual attributes including demographic, socioeconomic, and geographic characteristics, work situation changes, perception of anxiety, and changes in walking and sedentary behaviors, during the pandemic in Japan. To obtain data indicating individual circumstances during the first wave of the pandemic in Japan, we conducted a nationwide online survey from May 19 to May 23, 2020 (n = 1,200). To observe changes in walking behavior objectively and retrospectively, we collected data on the number of daily steps as measured by the iPhone's Health application. Path analysis was employed to examine relationships between individual attributes and changes in walking and sedentary behaviors. Decreased physical activity, especially, decreased walking behavior among younger individuals and those living in highest-density neighborhoods were identified. There was increased sedentary behavior among females. Moreover, individuals with higher socioeconomic status (SES) tended to become inactive due to work-from-home/standby-at-home and individuals with lower SES tended to become inactive due to decreased amount of work. Decreased walking behavior and increased sedentary behavior were associated with a perception of strong anxiety related to the pandemic. Our findings would be helpful in considering measures to counteract health risks during the pandemic by taking into account individual backgrounds.

On verbal/nonverbal modality dependence of left and right inferior prefrontal activation during performance of flanker interference task.

One of the most prevailing views on the functional localization of human cognition is the hemispheric specialization, wherein the left and right hemispheres are implicated primarily in verbal and nonverbal functions, respectively. Cognitive control is known to involve the lateral prefrontal cortex. However, it remains unclear whether the hemispheric specialization in the lateral prefrontal cortex can be observed in cognitive control per se, independent of sensory aspects of stimulus materials. In this functional magnetic resonance imaging study, we tested whether the verbal/nonverbal hemispheric specialization applies to the lateral prefrontal activation by investigating interference suppression, the ability to filter out irrelevant information in the environment. The flanker task was employed using a compound stimulus that contained a target and a flanker. The flanked stimulus was either a color word flanked by a colored patch or a colored patch flanked by a color word, which allowed us to manipulate the modality of the presented flanker stimulus from which interference originates, keeping the total stimulus modality balanced. The inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) showed prominent Modality-by-Hemisphere interaction in interference suppression, the left IFG being activated when a word flanker (plus a patch target) was presented and the right IFG being activated when a patch flanker (plus a word target) was presented. These results suggest that the verbal/nonverbal hemispheric specialization in the IFG can be explained by cognitive control processes per se, independent of sensory aspects of presented materials.

Mapping of a disease susceptibility locus in chromosome 6p in Japanese patients with ulcerative colitis.

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a multifactorial disorder with both genetic and environmental factors. HLA-B*52 and DRB1*1502 are reported to be strongly associated with UC in Japan. However, the actual susceptible gene has not been identified yet. In this study, to map precisely the susceptible locus for UC, we performed association mapping in the chromosome 6p using 24 microsatellite markers distributed over 16 Mb. A total of 183 patients with UC and 186 healthy controls (HC) were included in this study. In all, 15 markers around the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) region showed statistical significance in the genotypic differentiation test concerned with the allelic distribution between the UC and HC. Especially, the markers between the centromeric region of HLA class I and the telomeric region of class III showed remarkably low P-values and the allele239 of C2-4-4 in class I marker showed the strongest association (Pc=2.9 x 10(-9): OR=3.74, 95% CI=2.50-5.60). Furthermore, we found strong linkage disequilibrium (LD) between the allele239 of C2-4-4 and HLA-B*52 in haplotype analysis. These results provide evidence that, in Japanese, important determinants of disease susceptibility to UC may exist in HLA, especially between the centromeric region of class I and the telomeric region of class III, under the strong LD with HLA-B*52.

Bacterial distribution and phylogenetic diversity in the Changjiang estuary before the construction of the Three Gorges Dam.

The bacterial community structure in the Changjiang estuary was studied for comparison with future changes, related to the construction of the Three Gorges Dam. Population densities of bacteria in the surface water at station C1 estimated by CFU on marine agar plates and by DAPI direct count, were 2.8 x 10(4) ml(-1) and 4.2 x 10(5) ml(-1), respectively. Physicochemical properties of water, such as temperature and salinity, suggested that station C1 was affected by freshwater from the Changjiang River. Cluster analysis of the PCR-RFLP patterns obtained from 9 samples showed that the bacterial community structure at station C1 was different from the structure at the other stations. Bacterial diversity in the surface water at station C1 was studied based on the genotypes of the 250 clones of 16S rRNA, and on the phenotypes generated on Biolog GN plates for 70 isolates. Sequences of bacteria from two common marine groups, alpha- and gamma-Proteobacteria, were frequently observed. Some other divisions, including the beta-Proteobacteria, C/F/B group, low G+C gram positive, high G+C gram positive, chloroplasts, and relatives of Verrucomicrobia were also observed. The putative dominant species based on both genotype and phenotype analyses were close relatives of Alteromonas macleodii or Roseobacter spp. These results reflected the nutrient-rich environment at station C1.

Alternating paroxysmal hemiballism-hemichorea in bilateral internal carotid artery stenosis.

A 72-year-old man presented with paroxysmal and transient involuntary movements, or "limb shaking". The attacks occurred alternately from one side of the body to the other and ceased spontaneously. Surface EMG study showed synchronous grouping discharges in multiple limb muscles, being compatible with hemiballism-hemichorea. Cerebral angiography demonstrated marked stenosis of the bilateral internal carotid arteries. Bilateral carotid endarterectomy led to complete disappearance of the involuntary movements. Alternating paroxysmal hemiballismhemichorea might be a transient ischemic attack, and alternating striatal dysfunction induced by cerebral hemodynamic or microembolic ischemia probably plays a central role in the occurrence of such involuntary movements.

Linear hyperintensity objects on magnetic resonance imaging related to hypertension.

Linear hyperintensity lesions, which are sometimes recognized in the cerebral white matter on T(2)-weighted magnetic resonance (MR) images, have never been studied from the clinical viewpoint. We refer to these lesions as linear hyperintensity objects (LHOs) and have investigated them quantitatively. Twenty-six consecutive patients underwent routine 1.5-Tesla MR imaging. LHOs were found in 24 patients. We measured the width and number of LHOs at the upper corona radiata level on T(2)-weighted images (repetition time: 4,500.0 ms, echo time: 96.0 ms) using a scale loupe. The diameters were significantly correlated with the stages of hypertension (WHO classification). The LHOs may associated with the dilated perivascular spaces of cortical medullary arteries and may become an indicator for hypertensive small vessel disease.

Unilateral spatial neglect in AD: significance of line bisection performance.

BACKGROUND: Unilateral spatial neglect has been rarely reported in patients with AD, although they often have right and left asymmetry of temporoparietal dysfunction. OBJECTIVE: To investigate if patients with AD would show unilateral spatial neglect in the line bisection test, and to reveal the relationship between their neglect and the area of cerebral dysfunction. METHOD: Thirty-two patients with mild to moderate AD and 32 age-matched healthy control subjects underwent an extensive line bisection test. SPECT was also obtained for the patients. RESULTS: Rightward bisection errors exceeded the normal range in 25% of patients with AD. They exhibited greater rightward errors for the longer lines in the left hemispace than in the right hemispace, and with the right hand than with the left hand; this corresponds to the characteristics of neglect seen after right hemisphere lesions. All patients who bisected 200 mm lines with errors over 10 mm showed disproportionate lowering of performance IQ and asymmetric right hemisphere hypoperfusion, especially in the temporoparietal region. Seventy-five percent of the patients performed normally in the center presentation but erred slightly toward the body midline in the right and left hemispaces. CONCLUSION: Left unilateral spatial neglect in mild to moderate AD may be rather common if tested with the line bisection test. Rightward errors over 10 mm suggest right temporoparietal dysfunction. In AD, three or more bisections of 200 mm lines in the center presentation are recommended for detection of neglect. Patients with AD but without neglect may have difficulty in shifting attention into the peripheral sector of the egocentric space.

Activity of midbrain reticular formation and neocortex during the progression of human non-rapid eye movement sleep.

To clarify the neural correlates and brain activity during the progression of human non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep, we examined the absolute regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) during light and deep NREM sleep and during wakefulness in normal humans using positron emission tomography with H(2)(15)O. Relative changes in rCBF during light and deep NREM sleep in comparison to the rCBF during wakefulness were also analyzed. During light NREM sleep, the rCBF in the midbrain, in contrast to that in the pons and thalamic nuclei, did not decrease when compared to that during wakefulness, whereas rCBF decreased in the left medial frontal gyrus, left inferior frontal gyrus, and left inferior parietal gyrus of the neocortex. During deep NREM sleep, the rCBF in the midbrain tegmentum decreased, and there was a marked and bilateral decrease in the rCBF in all neocortical regions except for the perirolandic areas and the occipital lobe. There have been three groups of brain structures, each representing one type of deactivation during the progression of NREM sleep. The activity of the midbrain reticular formation is maintained during light NREM sleep and therefore represents a key distinguishing characteristic between light and deep NREM sleep. Selective deactivation of heteromodal association cortices, including those related to language, occurs with increasingly deep NREM sleep, which supports the recent theory that sleep is not a global, but it is a local process of the brain.

Relationship between age-dependent changes of bovine neutrophil functions and their intracellular Ca2+ concentrations.

Neutrophil functions and intracellular Ca2+ concentrations ([Ca2+]i) were evaluated in 15 Holstein cattle divided into the following 3 groups: 5 neonatal calves less than 1 week old (group 1), 5 young calves 2 to 4 weeks old (group 2) and 5 cows 2 to 3 years old (group 3). The ability of neutrophils to phagocytose Candida albicans (C. albicans) was significantly higher (p < 0.05) in neonatal and young calves than in cows, whereas the phagocytosis by neutrophils of bovine IgG-coated yeasts (IgG-yeasts) was significantly lower (p < 0.05) in neonatal and young calves than that in cows. The killing activity by neutrophils of C. albicans in neonatal and young calves was significantly lower (p < 0.05) than that in cows. Luminol dependent chemiluminescent (LDCL) responses stimulated with opsonized zymosan (OPZ), heat-aggregated IgG (H-agg.IgG) and phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) were apparently lower in neonatal and young calves than in cows. No clearly different expressions of complement receptor type 3 (CR3) on neutrophils were observed among the 3 groups of cattle, although the values due to the binding of FITC-anti-bovine IgG to neutrophils in neonatal and young calves were lower than those in group 3. The OPZ-induced [Ca2+]i of neutrophils in neonatal and young calves were significantly higher (p < 0.05) than those in cows, but they were lower in neonatal and young calves when stimulated with H-agg.IgG. These results indicate that CR3- and FcR-mediated phagocytic and killing activities of neutrophils in neonatal and young calves are different from those in cows. These phenomena may be associated with age-dependent changes in [Ca2+]i.

Clinical application of spontaneous red blood cell labeling with Tc-99m sodium pertechnetate.

Red blood cells (RBC) may be labeled with Tc-99m after Tc-99m sodium pertechnetate is injected in the presence of a reducing agent, such as stannous chloride. Thus, spontaneous RBC labeling with Tc-99m is expected to be seen in patients with a high plasma concentration of tin. Spontaneous RBC labeling with Tc-99m was obtained in a 73-year-old woman who was clinically diagnosed with tin intoxication and proved to have a high concentration of plasma tin. The RBC labeling rate was calculated as 96% with blood sampling. Spontaneous RBC labeling with Tc-99m is a very simple method for proving a high plasma tin concentration and is adaptable to clinical diagnosis.

Accelerated brain infarction in hypertension complicated by hereditary heterozygous protein C deficiency.

BACKGROUND: Protein C deficiency leads to reduced inhibition of coagulation and an increased likelihood of thrombosis. It is widely accepted that the most common syndromes associated with protein C deficiency are venous thrombosis and pulmonary thromboembolism, whereas arterial thrombosis is rare. Here we describe two patients with hypertension and hereditary heterozygous protein C deficiency who developed multiple lacunar infarcts. CASE DESCRIPTIONS: Patient 1 was a 46-year-old man with a history of hypertension who developed a right upper quadrantanopia and gradually progressive intellectual and behavioral deterioration. Patient 2 was a 61-year-old man with history of hypertension and two episodes of right-sided motor weakness who developed left sixth and seventh cranial-nerve palsies and reduced pinprick sensation in the right extremities. In both patients, magnetic resonance imaging revealed multiple small lesions in the pons as well as the bilateral basal ganglia, thalamus, corona radiata, and other subcortical structures, which are consistent with lacunar infarcts. Protein C activity and antigen levels were reduced to approximately one half of normal in these two patients, as well as in some of their family members who had no other serological or coagulation abnormalities. A diagnosis of heterozygous protein C deficiency type 1 was thus established. CONCLUSIONS: Although it remains uncertain whether protein C deficiency itself increases the risk of cerebral artery thrombosis, it may predispose a patient to develop multiple brain infarctions in association with hypertension.

A case-control study of stomach cancer and its genesis in relation to alcohol consumption, smoking, and familial cancer history.

A case-control study of stomach cancer and its genesis has been conducted in relation to alcohol consumption, cigarette smoking, and familial cancer history. Two hundred and ninety-four cancer cases, discovered by mass screening and histologically verified after endoscopic examination, have been compared with 588 randomly selected controls, who received the same early detection program and were verified as being free of the disease. No statistically significant association was observed between the development of stomach cancer and alcohol consumption or familial cancer history. However, the development of stomach cancer was found to have a positive correlation with smoking (relative risk for those who smoke less than 19 cigarettes/day, 3.56: 95% confidence interval, 2.39 to 5.31; relative risk for those who smoke more than 20 cigarettes/day, 2.58: 95% confidence interval, 1.60 to 4.17). The results of this study suggest that cigarette smoking appears to have a more harmful effect on the development of stomach cancer than either alcohol consumption or a familial history of cancer. The high relative risk of smoking revealed by this study implies that further research on the effects of smoking in the development of stomach cancer would be desirable.