Nagoya University of Arts

Vision transformers have recently shown strong global context modeling capabilities in camouflaged object detection. However, they suffer from two major limitations: less effective locality modeling and insufficient feature aggregation in decoders, which are not conducive to camou-flaged object detection that explores subtle cues from indistinguishable backgrounds. To address these issues, in this paper, we propose a novel transformer-based Feature Shrinkage Pyramid Network (FSPNet), which aims to hierarchically decode locality-enhanced neighboring transformer features through progressive shrinking for camou-flaged object detection. Specifically, we propose a non-local token enhancement module (NL-TEM) that employs the non-local mechanism to interact neighboring tokens and explore graph-based high-order relations within tokens to enhance local representations of transformers. Moreover, we design a feature shrinkage decoder (FSD) with adjacent interaction modules (AIM), which progressively aggregates adjacent transformer features through a layer-by-layer shrinkage pyramid to accumulate imperceptible but effective cues as much as possible for object information decoding. Extensive quantitative and qualitative experiments demonstrate that the proposed model significantly outperforms the existing 24 competitors on three challenging COD benchmark datasets under six widely-used evaluation metrics. Our code is publicly available at https://github.com/ZhouHuang23/FSPNet.

We study the effect of disorder on the intrinsic anomalous Hall conductivity in a magnetic two-dimensional electron gas with a Rashba-type spin-orbit interaction. We find that anomalous Hall conductivity vanishes unless the lifetime is spin-dependent, similar to the spin Hall conductivity in the nonmagnetic system. In addition, we find that the spin Hall conductivity does not vanish in the presence of magnetic scatterers.

There are many examples of probiotic effects of various lactic bacteria on enteropathogens. In this study, Lactobacillus strains (L. rhamnosus, L. gasseri, L. casei and L. plantarum) were tested in an in vitro model of enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) infection of a human colon epithelial cell line, C2BBe1. While the adhesion and colonization of EHEC was not affected by any of the lactobacillus strains tested, the internalization of EHEC into the cell line was markedly suppressed by L. rhamnosus, though not by others. Concerning the possible mechanisms, the viabilities of EHEC and host cell were not affected by the presence of L. rhamnosus. Simple competitions at certain receptors were unlikely because the suppressive effect on EHEC internalization was strictly dependent on viable L. rhamnosus and could not be observed with the conditioned medium or killed L. rhamnosus. The fact that L. rhamnosus showed outstanding potential for adhering to the colon epithelial cell line, compared with other strains, suggested that an avid interaction between L. rhamnosus and the host cell might be modulating intra-cellular events responsible for the internalization of EHEC.

Abstract A model intercomparison of the atmospheric dispersion of cesium‐137 ( 137 Cs) emitted after the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident in Japan was conducted to understand the behavior of atmospheric 137 Cs in greater detail. The same meteorological data with a fine spatiotemporal resolution and an emission inventory were applied to all models to exclude the differences among the models originating from differences in meteorological and emission data. The meteorological data were used for initial, boundary, and nudging data or offline meteorological field. Furthermore, a horizontal grid with the same resolution as that of the meteorological data was adopted for all models. This setup enabled us to focus on model variability originating from the processes included in each model, for example, physical processes. The multimodel ensemble captured 40% of the atmospheric 137 Cs events observed by measurements, and the figure of merit in space for the total deposition of 137 Cs exceeded 80. The lower score of the atmospheric 137 Cs than that of the deposition originated from the difference in timing between observed and simulated atmospheric 137 Cs. Our analyses indicated that meteorological data were most critical for reproducing the atmospheric 137 Cs events. The results further revealed that differences in 137 Cs concentrations among the models originated from deposition and diffusion processes when the meteorological field was simulated reasonably well. The models with small deposition fluxes produced higher scores for atmospheric 137 Cs, and those with strong diffusion succeeded in capturing the high 137 Cs concentrations observed; however, they also tended to overestimate the concentrations.

This paper compares two statistical methods for short-term wind power forecasting applied in a real wind farm located on complex terrain. The methods require as input past power measurements and meteorological forecasts of wind speed and direction (Numerical Weather Predictions or NWPs) interpolated at the site of the wind farm. Both methods include NWPs estimator models based on fuzzy logic and wind power forecasting models using neural networks combination.

Since age-related muscle strength loss cannot be explained solely by muscle atrophy, other determinants would also contribute to muscle strength in elderly. The present study aimed to clarify contribution of neuromuscular activation pattern to muscle strength in elderly group. From 88 elderlies (age: 61~ 83 years), multi-channel surface electromyography (EMG) of the vastus lateralis muscle was recorded with two-dimensional 64 electrodes during isometric submaximal ramp-up knee extension to assess neuromuscular activation pattern. Correlation analysis and stepwise regression analysis were performed between muscle strength and the parameters for signal amplitude and spatial distribution pattern, i.e., root mean square (RMS), correlation coefficient, and modified entropy of multi-channel surface EMG. There was a significant correlation between muscle strength and RMS ( r = 0.361, p = 0.001) in the elderly. Muscle thickness ( r = 0.519, p < 0.001), RMS ( r = 0.288, p = 0.001), and normalized RMS ( r = 0.177, p = 0.047) were selected as major determinants of muscle strength in stepwise regression analysis ( r = 0.664 in the selected model). These results suggest that inter-individual difference in muscle strength in elderly can be partly explained by surface EMG amplitude. We concluded that neuromuscular activation pattern is also major determinants of muscle strength on elderly in addition to indicator of muscle volume.

Development of drugs from natural products has been undergoing a gradual evoluation. Many plant derived compounds have excellent therapeutic potential against various human ailments. They are important sources especially for anticancer agents. A number of promising new agents are in clinical development based on their selective molecular targets in the field of oncology. D-pinitol is a naturally occurring compound derived from soy which has significant pharmacological activitites. Therefore we selected D-pinitol in order to evaluate apoptotic potential in the MCF-7 cell line. Human breast cancer cells were treated with different concentrations of D-pinitol and cytotoxicity was measured by MTT and LDH assays. The mechanism of apoptosis was studied with reference to expression of p53, Bcl-2, Bax and NF-kB proteins. The results revealed that D-pinitol significantly inhibited the proliferation of MCF-7 cells in a concentration-dependent manner, while upregulating the expression of p53, Bax and down regulating Bcl-2 and NF-kB. Thus the results obtained in this study clearly vindicated that D-pinitol induces apotosis in MCF-7 cells through regulation of proteins of pro- and anti-apoptotic cascades.

We aimed to identify gut microbial features in Parkinson's disease (PD) across countries by meta-analyzing our fecal shotgun sequencing dataset of 94 PD patients and 73 controls in Japan with five previously reported datasets from USA, Germany, China1, China2, and Taiwan. GC-MS and LC-MS/MS assays were established to quantify fecal short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and fecal polyamines, respectively. α-Diversity was increased in PD across six datasets. Taxonomic analysis showed that species Akkermansia muciniphila was increased in PD, while species Roseburia intestinalis and Faecalibacterium prausnitzii were decreased in PD. Pathway analysis showed that genes in the biosyntheses of riboflavin and biotin were markedly decreased in PD after adjusting for confounding factors. Five out of six categories in carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes) were decreased in PD. Metabolomic analysis of our fecal samples revealed that fecal SCFAs and polyamines were significantly decreased in PD. Genes in the riboflavin and biotin biosyntheses were positively correlated with the fecal concentrations of SCFAs and polyamines. Bacteria that accounted for the decreased riboflavin biosynthesis in Japan, the USA, and Germany were different from those in China1, China2, and Taiwan. Similarly, different bacteria accounted for decreased biotin biosynthesis in the two country groups. We postulate that decreased SCFAs and polyamines reduce the intestinal mucus layer, which subsequently facilitates the formation of abnormal α-synuclein fibrils in the intestinal neural plexus in PD, and also cause neuroinflammation in PD.

Several lines of evidence suggest that metabolic changes in the kynurenic acid (KYNA) pathway are related to the etiology of schizophrenia. The inhibitor of kynurenine 3-monooxygenase (KMO) is known to increase KYNA levels, and the KMO gene is located in the chromosome region associated with schizophrenia, 1q42-q44. Single-marker and haplotype analyses for 6-tag single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of KMO were performed (cases = 465, controls = 440). Significant association of rs2275163 with schizophrenia was observed by single-marker comparisons (P = 0.032) and haplotype analysis including this SNP (P = 0.0049). Significant association of rs2275163 and haplotype was not replicated using a second, independent set of samples (cases = 480, controls = 448) (P = 0.706 and P = 0.689, respectively). These results suggest that the KMO is unlikely to be related to the development of schizophrenia in Japanese.

Abstract Purpose Gait independence is one of the most important factors related to returning home from the hospital for patients treated in the intensive care unit (ICU), but the factors affecting gait independence have not been clarified. This study aimed to determine the factors affecting gait independence at hospital discharge using a standardized early mobilization protocol that was shared by participating hospitals. Materials and methods Patients who entered the ICU from January 2017 to March 2018 were screened. The exclusion criteria were mechanical ventilation &lt; 48 hours, age &lt; 18, loss of gait independence before hospitalization, being treated for neurological issues, unrecoverable disease, unavailability of continuous data, and death during ICU stay. Basic attributes, such as age, ICU length of stay, information on early mobilization while in the ICU, Medical Research Council (MRC) sum-score at ICU discharge, incidence of ICU-acquired weakness (ICU-AW) and delirium, and the degree of gait independence at hospital discharge, were collected. Gait independence was determined using a mobility scale of the Barthel Index, and the factors that impaired gait independence at hospital discharge were investigated using a Cox proportional hazard regression analysis. Results One hundred thirty-two patients were analyzed. In the univariate analysis, age, APACHE II score, duration of mechanical ventilation, ICU length of stay, incidence of delirium, and MRC sum-score at ICU discharge were extracted as significant. In the multivariate analysis, age ( p = 0.014), MRC sum-score &lt; 48 ( p = 0.021), and delirium at discharge from ICU ( p &lt; 0.0001) were extracted as significant variables. Conclusions We found that age and incidence of ICU-AW and delirium were significantly related to impaired gait independence at hospital discharge.

The prevalence of sarcopenia depends on the definition applied and the attributes of the target population. EWGSOP, International Working group on Sarcopenia1 and Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia (AWGS2 released papers for the purpose of establishing international consensus and minimizing the differences between the various definitions of sarcopenia, and the prevalence of sarcopenia provided with the EWGSOP's definition (1–29%) was used.1 Reports from Japan were included among the reports reviewed, and the prevalence of sarcopenia was estimated to be between 11 and 24%. The prevalence of sarcopenia in Asia was also reported to be relatively high. However, as a result of a subsequent large-scale survey targeting Japanese, the prevalence of sarcopenia was found to be between 7.5% (n = 4811)3 and 8.2% (n = 1099).4 As such, whether sarcopenia can be particularly prevalent in Asia remains unclear.3, 4 Based on the results of a systematic review of recent studies regarding the prevalence of sarcopenia, the prevalence of this condition when defined as a decrease in skeletal muscle mass (skeletal muscle index [SMI]) was between 6.0% and 59.8%, and was between 7.5% and 77.6% when defined as a decrease in gait speed and grip strength, as in the EWGSOP definition. Both results clearly show the broad range of figures provided to describe the prevalence of sarcopenia.5 In addition, the prevalence of sarcopenia depends largely on the characteristics of the individuals. Among senior citizens residing in care facilities, the prevalence can range between 14 and 33%,1 and when this population also includes a large proportion of individuals with disabilities or those hospitalized to recover or undergo rehabilitative care, the prevalence rate is estimated to be 78%.6 Based on the above, specifying the prevalence of sarcopenia is difficult, because determining the presence of this condition depends on the definition applied and the individual attributes of the individuals. However, when reviewing the results of large-scale studies involving 1000 or more participants, the prevalence rate is estimated to be between 6% and 12%,3, 7, 8 which is generally considered to be the typical prevalence of sarcopenia. The causes of sarcopenia are divided into two broad classifications: primary sarcopenia, which are age-related changes leading to sarcopenia, and secondary sarcopenia, which consists of factors other than aging that can lead to sarcopenia, such as inadequate physical activity, other underlying diseases or malnutrition (Table 1).9 Age-related background factors for primary sarcopenia include decreased numbers of muscle satellite cells and motor neurons, decreased hormone secretion (human growth hormone, testosterone, ghrelin etc.), increased production of inflammatory cytokines, diminished mitochondrial function, abnormal myokine production, and weight loss accompanying decreased appetite, among various others. The deterioration of the body's capacity to synthesize muscle proteins and their increased degradation as a result of these factors are speculated to be related to the sarcopenia disease state.10, 11 With regard to secondary sarcopenia arising from inadequate exercise, many studies have found that skeletal muscle mass can decrease as a result of a lack of physical activity, whereas muscle hypertrophy can occur as a result of physical training. Increased quantities of nitrogen and potassium in skeletal muscle tissue, as well as decreased skeletal muscle mass, were observed after being bedridden for 6–7 weeks. Muscle strength in the lower extremities particularly decreased markedly by approximately 20%.12 Underlying conditions leading to secondary sarcopenia include organ failure, inflammatory diseases, malignant cancers and endocrine disorders, among others.9 In addition, because patients are forced to rest due to disease onset rather than the disease itself, this reduced activity can lead to the development of sarcopenia. Nutrition-related causes of secondary sarcopenia include deficient protein and branched-chain amino acid intake, as well as deficient intake of foods containing large quantities of anti-oxidants, such as n-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, vitamins and carotenoids.10 The influence of aging on resting muscle protein synthesis and degradation is small13 and decreases in skeletal muscle mass occurring with age are thought to be the result of reductions in factors that stimulate protein synthesis as a result of inadequate exercise and malnutrition. Amino acid intake is effective for supporting muscle protein synthesis, but this effect is also dose-dependent, and in healthy adult men who do not exercise regularly, maintaining high concentrations of amino acids in the blood increases transport of amino acids to muscle cells; rapid stimulation of muscle protein synthesis and anabolic activity have been reported to result from increasing free amino acid concentration.14 This clinical question summarizes the relationships between prognoses and outcomes of patients with sarcopenia and major physical functions, falls and mortality. First, the presence of sarcopenia has been reported to result in a lower quality of life, frailty, higher risk of falls15, 16 and a higher risk of sustaining fractures after falling.17 An observational study found that sarcopenia increases the likelihood that patients will experience diminished physical functions, decreased gait speed or be hospitalized, as well as the overall risk of death.18 The relationship between the sarcopenia definition applied and patient prognosis was also studied. Although the risk of falls, impaired physical functions, hip fractures and all-cause mortality was higher regardless of the sarcopenia definition used, the potency of these risks varied substantially between definitions.19 Although a meta-analysis of 50 longitudinal studies found that muscle strength was correlated with impaired physical function, no significant relationship between skeletal muscle mass and physical function was observed.20 Based on the results of an observational study of an East Asian patient population, the risks of cardiovascular death and all-cause mortality were higher in patients with sarcopenia, particularly in those with sarcopenic obesity.21 Furthermore, an observational study carried out in South Korea found that patients with sarcopenic obesity were more likely to develop dyslipidemia than in non-obese patients with sarcopenia.22 Others have reported that sarcopenia is also an important prognostic factor with respect to severe cases of peripheral artery disease,23 and also that sarcopenia and cognitive decline are related.24 A survey of patients hospitalized at critical care hospitals showed that patients with sarcopenia have a higher risk of death.25 In addition, among older individuals undergoing emergency surgery, the risk of death was higher for those who had developed sarcopenia.26 Sarcopenia has been reported to be a predictor of complications or death in patients with liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma, as well as those following hepatectomy.27-30 The presence of sarcopenic obesity has also been reported to increase the risk of infections after cardiac surgery.31 Sarcopenia is also a predictor of mortality risk after immunotherapy for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma32 as well as mortality risk after surgery for breast33 and colorectal cancers.34, 35 As a result of a meta-analysis of 38 studies investigating the prognostic predictive capability of sarcopenia with respect to the development of solid cancers, survival prognosis was observed to increase in line with increases in skeletal muscle mass.36 Other reports have pointed out that skeletal muscle mass and intramuscular fat mass of the psoas muscles are important predictors of survival prognosis after surgery for pancreatic cancer.37, 38 Follow-up surveillance of dialysis patients revealed that reduced muscle strength was associated with protein-energy wasting, decreased physical activity, inflammation and mortality risk, and this association was stronger than the association observed with skeletal muscle mass.39 This clinical question provides a summary of the prevalence of sarcopenia and sarcopenic obesity in patients with non-wasting non-communicable diseases, particularly diabetes. Based on a cross-sectional study of Indian patients, loss of skeletal muscle mass in patients with type 2 diabetes diagnosed using the EWGSOP definition and the SMI standard value by the dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) method had a high odds ratio of 3.48 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.61–7.50) compared with the control group.40 An article from the Netherlands also reported that reduction in skeletal muscle mass and muscle strength was observed in patients with type 2 diabetes, even after adjusting for age, BMI, fasting blood glucose, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, branched-chain amino acids and protein intake.41 In the analysis of 14 528 participants during the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey carried out in the USA, the prevalence of sarcopenia was determined to be less than two standard deviations from the young adult mean SMI value estimated based on BIA, and the relationship with diabetes was investigated. As a result, sarcopenia was concluded to be involved in glucose metabolism independently of obesity, and that this trend was stronger among patients younger than 60 years, and that decreases in skeletal muscle mass might be a predictor for diabetes.42 In Japan, the relationship between metabolic syndrome and sarcopenia diagnosed based on the EWGSOP criteria was studied among 1971 community-dwelling older people (mean age 72.9 years). Among patients with metabolic syndrome, the prevalence of sarcopenia was higher in men aged between 65 and 74 years, (odds ratio 4.99, 95% CI 1.73–14.40), and a particularly strong association was found between visceral fat mass and sarcopenia.43 The relationships between sarcopenia, sarcopenic obesity and metabolic syndrome have been investigated using data obtained from people living in Taiwan (mean age 63.6 years) who were diagnosed with sarcopenia based on SMI estimated from BIA or sarcopenic obesity based on BMI. Compared with healthy individuals, the odds ratio for development of metabolic syndrome among patients with sarcopenic obesity and non-obese patients with sarcopenia was 11.59 (95% CI 6.72–19.98) and 1.98 (95% CI 1.25–3.16), respectively.44 Although only reduced skeletal muscle mass (corresponding to the EWGSOP consensus definition of pre-sarcopenia) has been reported to be indicative of the prevalence of sarcopenia among patients with wasting diseases, few studies reported on the evaluation of sarcopenia based on the EWGSOP or the AWGS criteria. Based on a British study examining the prevalence of sarcopenia among 622 patients with stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (mean age 70.4 years), sarcopenia was found as a comorbidity in 14.5% of patients when applying the EWGSOP criteria, and no sex-based differences in prevalence were observed.45 Based on two reports, the prevalence of sarcopenia among HIV-infected patients was calculated (applying the EWGSOP criteria) to be 5.0% (n = 80, mean age 54 years)46 and 24.2% (n = 33, mean age 59 years).47 Almost no reports have been published to date regarding EWGSOP or AWGS-defined sarcopenia in patients with malignant cancer, and muscle mass is frequently assessed by cross-sectional computed tomography imaging at the L3 vertebra proximal to the psoas muscle. The prevalence of reduced skeletal muscle mass (pre-sarcopenia) as determined by this method of assessing muscle mass has been reported to be 26–65% among patients with gastric/esophageal cancer,48-51 19–39% among colorectal cancer patients,52-54 11–66% among hepatocellular carcinoma patients,27-29, 55-61 21–63% among patients with pancreatic cancer,62-65 29–68% among patients with renal cancer,66-68 60–68% among patients with urothelial cancer,69, 70 approximately 74% among patients with non-small cell lung cancer71 and approximately 55% among diffuse patients with large B-cell lymphoma.32, 72 The mean age of participants in these studies was approximately 65 years. In addition, based on a recent meta-analysis, solid cancer cases complicated by reduced skeletal muscle mass are associated with poor prognosis (hazard ratio 1.44, 95% CI 1.32–1.56).36 The prevalence of sarcopenia in patients with predialysis stage CKD (G3–G5) has been reported to be 5.9% (n = 287, mean age 59.9 years)73 and 14% (n = 148, mean age approximately 66 years).74 Based on a survey of South Korean patients with reduced skeletal muscle mass (pre-sarcopenia), 4.3% (n = 6437) were healthy or in CKD stage 1, 6.3% (n = 4747) were in stage 2 and 15.4% (n = 441) were between stages 3–5. The proportion of patients with decreased skeletal muscle mass was found to increase as CKD progresses to higher stages.75 Based on the results of a survey carried out in the USA, the risk of pre-sarcopenia is 2.58-fold higher in G4 patients compared with patients without CKD.76 Meanwhile, although the prevalence of sarcopenia in patients in the dialysis stage of CKD has been reported to be between 12.7% and 33.7%,39, 77-80 differences in the mean age (49.4–77.5 years) and in the method and criteria for evaluating skeletal muscle mass and muscle strength must be noted. Many reports have described the relationship between osteoporosis and sarcopenia. Because sarcopenia and osteoporosis have numerous shared causal factors, such as decreased age-related sex hormones, decreased anabolic hormones, vitamin D deficiency and decreased mechanical load, these conditions are believed to be closely related and can frequently appear as comorbidities.81 Osteoporosis can be complicated by sarcopenia,4, 82 leading to gait disorders and loss of balancing capacity.82 Among patients with a history of falls, the prevalence of sarcopenia is high in both men and women (odds ratio men: 4.42; women: 2.34).83 Complication by sarcopenia in osteoporosis causes falls due to the decrease in muscle mass and muscle strength, leading to further loss of bone mineral density and bone strength, resulting in osteoporotic fragility fractures.84 Conversely, the presence of osteoporosis significantly increases a patient's risk of developing sarcopenia in the near future.4 In the European Male Ageing Study, DXA was carried out, and grip strength and gait speed were measured in 679 male participants aged between 40 and 79 years residing in the UK and Belgium. Bone mineral density and the presence of sarcopenia were also determined based on the EWGSOP criteria. As a result, the presence of sarcopenia was found to be associated with reduced bone mineral density and osteoporosis.85 Yoshimura et al. examined the relationship between osteoporosis (World Health Organization criteria) and sarcopenia (AWGS criteria) based on the results of a survey of bone mineral density in 1099 participants residing locally, and determined that the prevalence of osteoporosis was 24.9%. In addition, although 18.9% of these patients were determined to be complicated by sarcopenia, the prevalence of sarcopenia was 8.2%, and the complication by osteoporosis was reported in 57.3% of these patients.4 As a result of a survey of 2400 participants investigating the rate of complication by sarcopenia by the degree of bone mineral density carried out by Miyakoshi et al., the prevalence of sarcopenia in the lumbar spine bone mineral density groups (normal, osteopenic and osteoporotic) was 10.4%, 16.8% and 20.4%, respectively. In addition, the prevalence of sarcopenia in the femoral proximal bone mineral density groups (normal, osteopenic and osteoporotic) was 9.0%, 17.8% and 29.7%, respectively.86 Among individuals aged >60 years with normal bone mineral density, the prevalence of sarcopenia has been reported to be between 8.3% and 70%.84 Yoshimura et al. analyzed whether osteoporosis (World Health Organization criteria) is correlated with future onset of sarcopenia (AWGS criteria) based on data gathered during a bone mineral density survey of 1099 community-dwelling older people. As a result, the cumulative incidence rate of sarcopenia was determined to be 2.0% annually, and the prevalence of osteoporosis was found to be significantly correlated with the development of sarcopenia (odds ratio 2.99 [adjusted for confounding factors]).4 Based on a survey of 591 patients hospitalized for hip fractures, sarcopenia was present in 340 of 531 (64.0%) and 57 of 60 (95%) in female and male patients, respectively; the prevalence of sarcopenia was particularly high in men compared with women (odds ratio 10.54).87 The prevalence rates of sarcopenia in the hip fracture and the vertebral fracture groups were 47.3% and 48.5%, respectively, and were higher than 31.8% of patients in the control group.88 Sarcopenia prevalence was also higher among patients residing in care facilities, and the rate of complication by osteoporosis was also high.89 The presence of sarcopenia is associated with a higher risk of bone fractures in older men.90 The presence of rheumatoid arthritis has been reported to be associated with disease duration and decreases in grip strength.91 Because neurodegenerative diseases affect activities of daily living, the prevalence of sarcopenia among such patients is estimated to be high. However, no studies on the prevalence of sarcopenia as defined based on the EWGSOP or AWGS criteria have been published to date, and the actual prevalence rate is unclear. Based on a National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology study targeting 418 older individuals aged ≥60 years (mean age 77.3 years) receiving outpatient care for forgetfulness, sarcopenia as a comorbidity was reported in 8.6% (n = 35), 23.3% (n = 40) and 12.5% (n = 343) of older individuals with otherwise normal cognitive function, mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer disease, respectively.92 However, although the presence of sarcopenia was determined based on the AWGS criteria, the Timed Up and Go test score was used as a measure of physical function as an alternative for normal gait speed. In a separate study, 1570 older individuals residing in 24 English districts (mean age 71.9 years)93 were placed into groups based on test your memory (TYM) scores (normal cognitive function group: TYM >47 [<80 years], TYM >46 [≥80 years]; mild cognitive impairment group: TYM 33–46 [<80 years], TYM 33–45 [≥80 years]; severe cognitive impairment group: TYM <33) obtained, after which the prevalence of severe sarcopenia (EWGSOP criteria) among individuals in each group was calculated. Based on the results, severe sarcopenia was identified in 1.5% (n = 801), 2.8% (n = 636) and 7.5% (n = 133) of individuals with normal cognitive function, mild cognitive impairment and severe cognitive impairment, respectively. Based on the results of a study carried out by the European Parkinson Therapy Center in Italy targeting 364 older individuals (aged ≥65 years; mean age 71.9 years) with parkinsonism (excluding drug-induced symptoms) and Mini-Mental State Examination scores ≥24, sarcopenia (EWGSOP criteria) was identified as a comorbidity in 6.6% of participants, and the prevalence rate of sarcopenia was 6.0% among the 235 participants presenting with Parkinson's disease, and this rate was 7.8% in patients with parkinsonism (excluding Parkinson's disease).94 Although the risk of complication by sarcopenia increases in malnourished patients, several reports have discussed the roles of proteins, amino acids and anti-oxidants in the pathogenesis of this condition.95-98, 37 The prevalence and severity of sarcopenia are higher in cases of cachexia, a type of severe malnutrition,99 and various other reports have stated that complication by sarcopenia occurs readily in patients with physical frailty.16, 35, 98-101 Spinal cord injury, inactivity and diminished capacity for physical activity are often associated with sarcopenia.102-104 Malnutrition is observed in 88–90% in patients with disuse syndrome. Furthermore, disuse syndrome frequently occurs in conjunction with deficient physical activity. Sarcopenia is believed to be strongly by these Meanwhile, exercise has been reported to influence muscle mass, muscle strength and physical functions, and exercise have been reported to as for sarcopenia. can increase muscle mass and muscle strength with or without protein individuals are to exercise for a Complication by sarcopenia occurs in patients with disuse syndrome as a result of decreases in the mechanical capacity of the Based on the results of a survey evaluating sarcopenia (EWGSOP criteria) in patients residing in Italy who were hospitalized at critical care facilities, the mortality rate after was determined to be higher in the sarcopenic group based on a survival The prevalence of sarcopenia among older individuals aged years who emergency surgery between and was and both the of complication and the mortality rate were higher among those with sarcopenia.26 As such, such as or surgery, can be to result in the development of secondary sarcopenia. for the In the Sarcopenia clinical regarding the relationship between the and the involved in sarcopenic diseases and sarcopenic diseases, each of the of in the years based on the following criteria. of and or more by a the of and the obtained from the or more of from or or more of the of the a as a of or more a of or more from daily by more than for clinical study or more or more by to a provided by a and on to the and other of or more such as or to the studies provided by of the are for the of clinical as or or of sarcopenic diseases and related diseases, to and and to the healthy of the target and to quality of the of of was in with the on of of Japan on of The are as is to not include and in a Japan Japan International Japan and for of for the systematic for of for the systematic for of for the systematic for of for the systematic for of for the systematic for of for the systematic for of for the systematic for of for the systematic The is not for the or of supporting by the than be to the for the

We carried out a cross-sectional household survey among Sudanese refugees and Ugandan nationals in Arua district Uganda, and Sudanese non-refugees in Yei county Sudan. The objective was to document and compare, across population groups, violent events experienced or witnessed, both to document the frequency and nature of violent events and to assess the potential burden of psychological trauma. The extensive psychological trauma in this population has been reported elsewhere (Karaunakara et al. 2004 Karaunakara, U. K., Neuner, F., Schauer, M., Singh, K., Hill, K., Elbert, T. and Burnham, G. 2004. Traumatic events and symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder amongst Sudanese nationals, refugees and Ugandans in the West Nile. African Health Sciences, 4: 83–93. [Google Scholar]). Half or more of all groups had experienced or witnessed injury by a weapon or gun, beating/torture, harassment by armed personnel, robbery/extortion or imprisonment. Having ever experienced or witnessed confiscation of property was more common among both Sudanese groups than among Ugandans. Exposure to sexual violence was common among both men and women, particularly during times of migration. Almost all violent events were witnessed or experienced more commonly by refugees. Violent events continued for refugees after settlement in Uganda. Many of the violent events reported by Ugandans had occurred earlier, during Uganda's civil conflict. The protection offered refugees in Uganda, by the host government and United Nations, seemed of limited benefit, both now and in the past. In spite of recent peace accords for southern Sudan, many refugees are likely to remain in Uganda for some time. The potential for refugees and those remaining in Sudan to develop longer term psychological disorders from the high level of exposure to violent events is substantial.

Electrodermal activity during passive and active listening tasks of 18 children with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and 49 healthy school children was studied. The procedure included baseline recording, a passive listening task, instructions, and both simple and discriminative active-listening tasks. ADHD subjects tended to exhibit lower arousal as indicated by the decrease in amplitude of the skin conductance response. Present findings confirm classical observation that ADHD children have shorter attention spans.

Condition-based maintenance (CBM) is a new maintenance strategy for the reliable operation of aged power equipment. Although CBM has been applied for various equipment, the accuracy of condition information from sensors has not yet been sufficiently discussed. Specifications of reliable information are still not clear and CBM sensors have not widely been applied on actual power substations. The influence of condition information accuracy is treated in this paper. The authors describe results with a comparison of the CBM gas pressure sensor and the existing gas pressure sensor in reference to the problem with SF6 gas leakage detection. As result of the experiment, an SF6gas leakage of less than 0.1 per year might be detected by using the CBM gas pressure sensor. The authors conclude that a special sensitivity and long-term stability performance of the CBM gas pressure sensor are very important for the reliable operation of power substations under the CBM strategy.

Abstract: This study has focused on how assimilation and contrast correlate with the generating processes of various optical illusions. First of all, we defined the meanings of assimilation and contrast from two viewpoints, namely, phenomena and mechanisms. We then examined the characteristic appearances of the Delboeuf illusion as a typical size illusion caused by assimilation and contrast, by referring to major studies on this illusion in Japan. To confirm the different size‐judgment processes operating in size illusions of concentric circles, quadrilaterals, lines, and angles, we explored the magnitude of illusion, including peak and conversion from overestimation to underestimation. The consistent occurrences of peak and conversion indicated the antagonistic correlations of assimilation and contrast in the generation of these illusions. Manipulation of figural unification using solid and non‐solid segments had no effect on these illusions, which were constructed almost by their own specific contour‐patterns. Finally, we tried to incorporate assimilation and contrast into our proposition that the combination of three factors ( angle/direction , space/position , and assimilation/contrast ) explains the generation of many optical illusions.

AIMS: The objective of the present study was to investigate the differences in frontal lobe function between violent and nonviolent male adolescents with conduct disorder. METHODS: A total of 309 male adolescents who had been admitted to the Nagoya Juvenile Classification Home participated. The participants were divided into two groups, a violent group composed of individuals who had committed violence against others, and a nonviolent group. The subjects were given the Wisconsin card sorting test (Keio version: KWCST) and the Iowa Gambling task. The presence of violent cases was analyzed in terms of age, family history (crime, drug abuse/dependence, alcohol-related disorder, and psychiatric treatment), experience of being abused by their parents or by the persons who were responsible for raising them, as well as categories achieved (CA) of KWCST (< or =4, >4) and total selection of disadvantage cards of Iowa Gambling task (> or =50, <50). RESULTS: Multivariate logistic regression analyses indicated that a family history of drug abuse/dependence (odds ratio = 0.3, 95% confidence interval = 0.1-0.9) and a CA of the KWCST (odds ratio = 1.8, 95% confidence interval = 1.0-3.1) were significantly associated with violence. CONCLUSIONS: An impaired rate of CA of the KWCST was related to violence, whereas a family history of drug abuse/dependence was related to nonviolence in male adolescents with conduct disorder.

It has been considered that the villous stroma of complete hydatidiform moles (CHMs) is usually avascular. Vessels would normally form if embryogenesis had occurred. But judging by the structural maturity of molar villi, it was suspected that they must contain a considerable number of blood vessels and an attempt was made to demonstrate their presence. It has been shown previously that the vascular endothelial cell markers factor VIII related antigen (FVIII-RAg), Ulex europaeus 1 agglutinin (UEA-1) and CD31 were of no use in demonstrating the vessels in molar villi. A monoclonal antibody, QBEND/10, raised against the CD34 antigen in human endothelial cell membranes and hemopoietic progenitor cells, was selected to test its use as a marker of villous vascular endothelial cells in CHMs. On immunohistochemical analysis, numerous blood vessels were found using CD34 antibody in the stroma of CHMs, and the numbers corresponded to those found in normal villi of gestational age 8-12 weeks. Moreover, the luminal free surface of all vascular endothelial cells was so specifically delineated that it permitted the identification of vessels not apparent on hematoxylin- and eosin-stained sections; other stromal cells and trophoblast were not labeled.

During passive and active listening tasks baseline respiratory sinus arrhythmia and heart-rate responses were studied of 18 children with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and 49 healthy school children. The experimental procedure included baseline recording (no task), a passive listening task, instructions, and both simple and discriminative active-listening tasks. ADHD subjects showed less respiratory sinus arrhythmia than normal children but were similarly responsive to tone stimuli.

BACKGROUND: Several studies have suggested a relationship between cognitive impairment and recidivism, but most have adopted a retrospective design. AIM: The aim of this study was to test for any relationship between impaired executive function in adolescents with conduct disorder and subsequent recidivism up to 3 years later. METHOD: In this prospective cohort study, 221 male adolescents with conduct disorder, admitted to a juvenile justice assessment centre for the first time, were interviewed about their offence, age, onset of delinquency and family history. They completed the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (Keio version) (KWCST) and the Iowa gambling task. Scores were compared between those who subsequently re-offended and those who did not. RESULTS: Seventy-six (34%) participants re-offended. There was no direct difference between groups in executive function, but there were age differences both in executive function and in recidivism. Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that the variables, which were independently associated with recidivism, were younger age, change in the person who brought up the child, and fewer (≤4) categories achieved on the KWCST. Recidivists were about twice as likely as single offenders to have achieved four categories or less on the KWCST (odds ratio 2.2, 95% confidence interval 1.1-4.4). CONCLUSIONS: Impaired executive function appears to predispose to recidivism among young first-time male offenders with conduct disorder. Our findings also suggest that further precise assessments of environmental stress on developing neurocognitive function could clarify the background of antisocial behaviour. © 2016 The Authors. Criminal Behaviour and Mental Health Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Abstract The range of centres where parents and children come together has mushroomed in different parts of the world, as new social work practices address the emerging non‐material needs of parents in changing demographic contexts. In this paper, we explore the origins and modi operandi of these centres in B elgium, F rance, I taly and J apan. Analysis of previous studies and policy documents reveal diverse political rationales, including addressing declining birth rates, preventing psychosocial problems and social isolation of mothers and promoting social cohesion and equality of educational opportunities. Remarkably, despite the diverse cultural and socio‐political contexts and rationales, these centres also share very similar ways of functioning and provide an informal type of social support to parents with young children. As these recently emerged centres are seldom studied, further research is welcomed to explore parents' and professionals' perspectives.