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In Japan, which is entering the super-graying societies, it is an urgent task to achieve an extension of a “healthy life expectancy”. With the purpose of obtaining the fundamental references for realizing the health promotion of the elderly and the extension of a healthy life expectancy, we surveyed the physical capacities, quality of life (QOL), vital functions, and lifestyle of 26 elderly females (average age: 74.3 years) who lead independent lives in Marumori-machi, Miyagi Prefecture, and compared various parameters, especially considering whether or not they regularly exercised. As a result, it was found that the group having an exercise routine (14 persons) had a significantly higher speed gait, smaller number of steps, and a longer stride during maximum walking, compared with the group having no exercise protocol (12 persons). In addition, with regard to the QOL, the exercising group had milder “physical pain” and a higher “degree of mental health”. With regard to food ingestion, the exercising group ate meat more frequently, while the no-exercise group significantly ate instant food more often. Consequently, the survey indicated that the continuation of an exercise routine is useful for retaining the gait function of elderly people, and an exercise routine is also related to the QOL and dietary life.

It has been suggested that respiratory muscle dysfunction plays a major role in the development of acute ventilatory failure in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). In this study, we devised a respiratory muscle relaxation maneuver using wedge-shaped wooden plates, with which pressure was exerted on the intercostal and accessory respiratory muscles by hand, or by tapping with a wooden hammer, for 15-20 minutes twice a day. The muscle relaxation maneuver was performed in 5 moderate to severe pulmonary emphysema patients for 4 weeks and in 7 emphysema patients for 6 weeks, and the effects on pulmonary function were examined. After the therapy, inspiratory capacity (IC) and vital capacity (VC) in both the 4 weeks- and 6 weekstreated groups, and the forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1.0) in the 6 weeks-treated group were significantly increased, and CO2 retention had also improved. Daily peak expiratory flow (PEF) showed significant increases from 2 weeks after the initiation of the therapy. These results suggest that the respiratory muscle relaxation maneuver is effective for improving the pulmonary function of pulmonary emphysema patients.(Internal Medicine 35: 756-763, 1996)

The Cretaceous granitic province of the Kitakami mountainland, northeast Japan, are arranged zonally on the basis of the field occurrences, petrography and petrochemistry. The names of the zones and their rock bodies are as follows: An zone: Kuki, Taro, Oura etc. B zone: Hashigami, Tanohata, Miyako etc. C zone: Hiraniwa, Sakai-no-kami etc. D zone: Ichinohe, Himekami etc. As zone: Hirota, Kinka-san etc. E zone: Kurihashi, Goyo-san, Tono, Kesengawa, Hitokabe etc. F zone: Orikabe, Ojika etc. G zone: Tabashine, Rifu etc. The variation of rock facies is remarkable in the C, D, F and G zones and distinct in the An and As zones. Rock bodies belonging to above six zones are small in size. On the other hand, granitic bodies in the B and E zones are large in size and poor in rock variety. Petrochemically, Na2O contents are higher than K2O contents in the B and E zones and the great portion of the An, As, C and F zones. But, in contrast, K2O contents in the D zone are higher than Na2O contents. Total alkalies in the B zone are poor and those in the D zone are rich. Probably such three pairs as An and As, C and F, D and G belong to the same groups, respectively.

An endoribonuclease has been purified nearly to homogeneity from rat liver microsomes, and its mode of action and general properties were studied. The enzyme had an apparent molecular weight of 58 000, as estimated by both gel filtration and SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and produced oligonucleotides from poly(A), poly(U) and poly(C). No mononucleotide was obtained by the enzymatic hydrolysis of the above substrates. The enzyme made endonucleolytic cleavages which generated 5'-phosphate-terminated oligonucleotides. It was suggested that the existence of at least (Ado5'P)2 residues at both sides of the cleavage bond was necessary for the action of the endoribonuclease. Divalent cations (Mg2+ or Mn2+) were required for the enzymatic activity, while K+ inhibited the enzyme. Spermine stimulated the enzymatic activity in the presence of 1 mM Mg2+.