Atypical Sensory Processing Profiles and Their Associations With Motor Problems In Preschoolers With Developmental Coordination Disorder.

The aims of this study were to identify sensory processing profiles specific to preschoolers with DCD in a community sample and examine the association of sensory processing problems with motor coordination difficulties in these children. Sixty-three 5-year-old children with DCD and without other neurodevelopmental disorders and 106 age-matched typically developing children participated in this study. Sensory processing problems were assessed using the Sensory Profile. Our results demonstrated problems in wide sensory processing patterns (low registration, sensitivity and avoiding) and areas (auditory, vestibular, touch and oral) in children with DCD compared with typically developing children. Additionally, the association of problems in sensory processing patterns (sensitivity and avoiding) and areas (touch and auditory) with motor coordination difficulties were identified in children with DCD alone. Our findings indicate that sensory processing abnormalities may contribute to the pathophysiology of DCD, suggesting the importance of assessing sensory processing functions in children with DCD.

Secondary oxalosis induced by xylitol concurrent with lithium-induced nephrogenic diabetes insipidus: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Xylitol is an approved food additive that is widely used as a sweetener in many manufactured products. It is also used in pharmaceuticals. Secondary oxalosis resulting from high dietary oxalate has been reported. However, reported cases of oxalosis following xylitol infusion are rare. CASE PRESENTATION: A 39-year-old man with a 16-year history of organic psychiatric disorder was hospitalized for a laparoscopic cholecystectomy because of cholecystolithiasis. He had been treated with several antipsychotics and mood stabilizers, including lithium. The patient had polyuria (> 4000 mL/day) and his serum sodium levels ranged from 150 to 160 mmol/L. Urine osmolality was 141 mOsm/L, while serum arginine vasopressin level was 6.4 pg/mL. The patient was diagnosed with nephrogenic diabetes insipidus (NDI), and lithium was gradually discontinued. Postoperative urine volumes increased further to a maximum of 10,000 mL/day, and up to 10,000 mL/day of 5% xylitol was administered. The patient's consciousness level declined and serum creatinine increased to 4.74 mg/dL. This was followed by coma and metabolic acidosis. After continuous venous hemodiafiltration, serum sodium improved to the upper 140 mmol/L range and serum creatinine decreased to 1.25 mg/dL at discharge. However, polyuria and polydipsia of approximately 4000 mL/day persisted. Renal biopsy showed oxalate crystals and decreased expression of aquaporin-2 (AQP2) in the renal tubules. Urinary AQP2 was undetected. The patient was discharged on day 82 after admission. CONCLUSIONS: Our patient was diagnosed with lithium-induced NDI and secondary oxalosis induced by excess xylitol infusion. NDI became apparent perioperatively because of fasting, and an overdose of xylitol infusion led to cerebrorenal oxalosis. Our patient received a maximum xylitol dose of 500 g/day and a total dose of 2925 g. Patients receiving lithium therapy must be closely monitored during the perioperative period, and rehydration therapy using xylitol infusion should be avoided in such cases.

Collateral Health Effects of Loneliness Care in Japan.

Older patients with loneliness are connected to others through their social network ties and are, therefore, more likely to be influenced by their family environment. We define collateral care as involving the family members of patients suffering from loneliness. This research letter determines what physicians and nurses should be aware of in the families of older patients to manage their health care. A cross-sectional study in Japan was conducted on patients aged 65 years or older together with their accompanying family members, aged 18 years or older. Patient loneliness was assessed using the 3-item version of the UCLA (University of California, Los Angeles) Loneliness Scale (Japanese). The sample comprised 50 pairs of patients and their families. Family income inadequacy was significantly associated with patient loneliness (P = .021). Our data reveal the family's financial instability contributes to patients' loneliness. In addition to traditional forms of direct care, physicians and nurses need to be willing to manage the loneliness of older patients by attempting to provide collateral care, considering family circumstances.

Δ(9)-Tetrahydrocannabinol disrupts estrogen-signaling through up-regulation of estrogen receptor ß (ERß).

Δ(9)-Tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ(9)-THC) has been reported as possessing antiestrogenic activity, although the mechanisms underlying these effects are poorly delineated. In this study, we used the estrogen receptor α (ERα)-positive human breast cancer cell line, MCF-7, as an experimental model and showed that Δ(9)-THC exposures markedly suppresses 17ß-estradiol (E2)- induced MCF-7 cell proliferation. We demonstrate that these effects result from Δ(9)-THC's ability to inhibit E2-liganded ERα activation. Mechanistically, the data obtained from biochemical analyses revealed that (i) Δ(9)-THC up-regulates ERß, a repressor of ERα, inhibiting the expression of E2/ERα-regulated genes that promote cell growth and that (ii) Δ(9)-THC induction of ERß modulates E2/ERα signaling in the absence of direct interaction with the E2 ligand binding site. Therefore, the data presented support the concept that Δ(9)-THC's antiestrogenic activities are mediated by the ERß disruption of E2/ERα signaling.

Effect of Lycopene Intake on the Fasting Blood Glucose Level: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis.

Lycopene is a lipophilic unsaturated carotenoid exhibiting a strong singlet oxygen-quenching ability. Herein, we investigated the effect of lycopene intake on the fasting blood glucose (FBG) level by conducting a systematic review and meta-analyses. We searched 15 databases (from the earliest date to June 2022 for PubMed or to August or September 2018 for the other databases) and included human interventional studies that assessed the effects of oral lycopene intake on FBG levels of participants ≥ 18 years of age. Three authors independently selected applicable studies and then assessed the study quality. Data were pooled as standardized mean difference (SMD) and analyzed by the random-effects model. Heterogeneity was assessed by I2 statistics. A meta-analysis including 11 trial arms (n = 750) revealed a tendency towards a significant decrease in FBG level with not-important heterogeneity [SMD = -0.15 (95% CI: -0.31, 0.00), p = 0.05, I2 = 9%]. Subgroup meta-analysis including two studies (n = 152) in type 2 diabetes patients revealed significantly decreased FBG levels with not-important heterogeneity [SMD = -0.37 (95% CI: -0.69, -0.05), p = 0.02, I2 = 0%]. Most studies meeting the eligibility criteria had a moderate risk of bias. The funnel plot for FBG suggested an absence of publication bias. In conclusion, this systematic review and meta-analyses suggested that lycopene intake exerted an FBG-decreasing effect.

Impact of general practice / family medicine clerkships on Japanese medical students: Using text mining to analyze reflective writing.

BACKGROUND: In order for general practice / family medicine clerkships to be improved in undergraduate medical education, it is necessary to clarify the impacts of general practice / family medicine clerkships. Using text mining to analyze the reflective writing of medical students may be useful for further understanding the impacts of clinical clerkships on medical students. METHODS: The study involved 125 fifth-year Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine students in the academic year 2018-2019. The settings were three clinics and the study period was 5 days. The clerkships included outpatient and home visits. Students' reflective writing on their clerkship experience was collected on the final day. Text mining was used to extract the most frequent words (nouns) from the reflective writing. A co-occurrence network map was created to illustrate the relationships between the most frequent words. RESULTS: 124 students participated in the study. The total number of sentences extracted was 321 and the total number of words was 10,627. The top five frequently-occurring words were patient, home-visit, medical practice, medical care, and family. From the co-occurrence network map, a co-occurrence relationship was recognized between home-visit and family. CONCLUSION: Data suggest that medical students may learn the necessity of care for the family as well as the patient in a home-care setting.

Primary health care practitioners' perception of patient loneliness in Japanese older adults: A cross-sectional study.

Loneliness is a serious social issue in Japan. We aimed to examine the frequency and patient characteristics of Japanese family physicians and nurses overlooking or misjudging patient loneliness. This cross-sectional study involved 470 patients aged 50 years or older who visited two family medicine clinics in Fukushima Prefecture in August 2020. Statistical analysis was performed using the chi-squared test and logistic regression models. Patient loneliness was self-assessed using the University of California's Los Angeles Loneliness Scale. Family physicians and nurses assessed patient loneliness prior to the consultation by independently reviewing medical records for the previous 6 months. For family physicians, the proportion of misjudging loneliness, in which patients self-assessed as not lonely but were perceived to be lonely, was 20.2%. The proportion overlooking loneliness, in which patients self-assessed as lonely but were perceived not to be lonely, was 20.9%. Similarly for nurses, the proportions of misjudging and overlooking loneliness were 9.6% and 29.8%, respectively. The odds of a family physician overlooking loneliness was significantly higher for unmarried, divorced, or bereaved patients than for married (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 1.94; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.08-3.50), and for patients not participating in community activities compared with those participating (aOR: 2.10; 95% CI: 1.24-3.54). The odds of a nurse misjudging a patient as lonely was significantly higher for unmarried, divorced, or bereaved patients than for married (aOR: 3.02; 95% CI: 1.24-7.36) and for patients living alone compared with those cohabiting with someone (aOR: 3.61; 95% CI: 1.17-11.17). The odds of a nurse overlooking loneliness was significantly higher for patients who did not participate in community activities (aOR: 1.96; 95% CI: 1.26-3.06). These findings indicate that perceiving patient loneliness based on marital status, living arrangements, and involvement in community activities is difficult for family physicians and nurses in Japan.

Effects of broccoli sprout supplements enriched in glucoraphanin on liver functions in healthy middle-aged adults with high-normal serum hepatic biomarkers: A randomized controlled trial.

Sulforaphane (SFN), an isothiocyanate derived from glucoraphanin, has antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory effects that may be beneficial for improving liver function. However, few studies regarding the effects of glucoraphanin on the biological markers related to liver function, such as alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and gamma-glutamyltransferase (γ-GTP) in healthy individuals have been reported. This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled parallel- group trial was conducted from April 22 to December 25, 2021 and compared the effects of broccoli sprout supplements enriched in glucoraphanin (glucoraphanin supplements) (n = 35) with those of placebo supplements (n = 35). This trial was registered with the University Hospital Medical Information Network Clinical Trial Registry (UMIN-CTR; ID number UMIN000044005) https://center6.umin.ac.jp/cgi-open-bin/ctr_e/ctr_view. cgi?recptno=R000050252. Glucoraphanin significantly improved serum ALT levels at 24 weeks compared to placebo supplements. However, no significant difference in serum glutathione levels, one of the major antioxidants synthesized in the liver, was observed between the two groups. In conclusion, daily intake of the glucoraphanin supplements is beneficial for maintaining liver health in healthy, middle-aged adults with high-normal serum hepatic biomarkers, although further studies focusing on other antioxidant markers are needed to understand how glucoraphanin improves liver function.

Effects of lycopene intake on HDL-cholesterol and triglyceride levels: A systematic review with meta-analysis.

Lycopene is a lipophilic unsaturated carotenoid and has a very strong singlet oxygen-quenching ability. Increased serum or plasma lycopene levels have been reported to be associated with a lower risk of metabolic syndrome. We aimed to investigate the effects of lycopene intake on blood HDL-cholesterol (HCL-c) and triglyceride (TG) levels, which are metabolic syndrome biomarkers, by systematic review and meta-analyses of human interventional trials. We searched 15 databases and included studies that assessed the effects of oral lycopene intake on blood HDL-c and TG levels of participants ≥18 years of age. Three reviewers independently selected applicable studies, then assessed study qualities. Data were pooled as standardized mean difference (SMD) and analyzed by random-effects model. Heterogeneity was assessed by I2 statistics. Meta-analysis including 12 trial arms (n = 781) revealed a significantly increased HDL-c level in the lycopene group compared with that in the control group (SMD = 0.33 [95% CI: 0.12, 0.54], p = 0.002) and moderate heterogeneity (I2  = 45%). Most subgroup meta-analyses (restricted to study design, test food type, intake period, and participants' characteristics) showed similar results for HDL-c level. On the other hand, meta-analysis including 11 studies (n = 854) revealed no significant difference in TG level between the lycopene and control groups. Most studies which met eligibility criteria had moderate risk of bias. Funnel plots for HDL-c and TG suggested an absence of publication bias. In conclusion, this systematic review and meta-analyses suggested that lycopene intake significantly improved blood HDL-c levels but not TG levels.

Differences in etiological beliefs about schizophrenia among patients, family, and medical staff.

OBJECTIVES: To determine whether etiological beliefs are different among schizophrenia patients, their family, and medical staff. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was performed at five hospitals and one mental clinic and included 212 patients, 144 family members, and 347 medical staff other than psychiatrists. A questionnaire about the possible etiological causes of schizophrenia was used. RESULTS: There were significant differences in response scores among the three groups on using Angermeyer's and Goulding's classifications. Factor analyses revealed the following four subscales: Psychosocial, Biological, Environmental, and Cultural connotations. The structure varied among patients, family, and medical staff. CONCLUSION: The perspectives of schizophrenia etiology were different among patients, family, and medical staff.