We examined whether Japanese culture has become more individualistic by investigating how the practice of naming babies has changed over time. Cultural psychology has revealed substantial cultural variation in human psychology and behavior, emphasizing the mutual construction of socio-cultural environment and mind. However, much of the past research did not account for the fact that culture is changing. Indeed, archival data on behavior (e.g., divorce rates) suggest a rise in individualism in the U.S. and Japan. In addition to archival data, cultural products (which express an individual’s psyche and behavior outside the head; e.g., advertising) can also reveal cultural change. However, little research has investigated the changes in individualism in East Asia using cultural products. To reveal the dynamic aspects of culture, it is important to present temporal data across cultures. In this study, we examined baby names as a cultural product. If Japanese culture has become more individualistic, parents would be expected to give their children unique names. Using two databases, we calculated the rate of popular baby names between 2004 and 2013. Both databases released the rankings of popular names and their rates within the sample. As Japanese names are generally comprised of both written Chinese characters and their pronunciations, we analyzed these two separately. We found that the rate of popular Chinese characters increased, whereas the rate of popular pronunciations decreased. However, only the rate of popular pronunciations was associated with a previously validated collectivism index. Moreover, we examined the pronunciation variation of common combinations of Chinese characters and the written form variation of common pronunciations. We found that the variation of written forms decreased, whereas the variation of pronunciations increased over time. Taken together, these results showed that parents are giving their children unique names by pairing common Chinese characters with uncommon pronunciations, which indicates an increase in individualism in Japan.
Objectives. Large vessel vasculitis (LVV) is characterised by a high relapse rate. Because accurate assessment of the LVV disease status can be difficult, an accurate prognostic marker for initial risk stratification is required. We conducted a comprehensive longitudinal investigation of next-generation RNA-sequencing data for patients with LVV to explore useful biomarkers associated with clinical characteristics. Methods. Key molecular pathways relevant to LVV pathogenesis were identified by examining the whole blood RNA from patients with LVV and healthy controls (HCs). The data were examined by pathway analysis and weighted gene correlation network analysis (WGCNA) to identify functional gene sets that were differentially expressed between LVV patients and HCs, and associated with clinical features. We then compared the expression of the selected genes during week 0, week 6, remission and relapse. Results. The whole-transcriptome gene expression data for 108 samples obtained from LVV patients (n = 27) and HCs (n = 12) were compared. The pathway analysis and WGCNA revealed that molecular pathway related to interleukin (IL)-1 was significantly upregulated in LVV patients compared with HCs, which correlated with the positron emission tomography vascular activity score, a disease-extent score based on the distribution of affected arteries. Further analysis revealed that the expression levels of genes in the IL-1 signalling pathway remained high after conventional treatment and were associated with disease relapse. Conclusion. Upregulation of the IL-1 signalling pathway was a characteristic of LVV patients and was associated with the extent of disease and a poor prognosis.
Key Clinical Message The images show the path of pancreatic pleural effusion from the pancreatic pseudocyst in a patient with alcoholic pancreatitis who presented with black pleural effusion, however, without symptoms. Pancreatic pseudocyst rupture rarely causes pleural effusion; however, it should be considered in patients with chronic pancreatitis with black pleural effusion.
Background: Patients with anti-melanoma differentiation-associated gene 5 (MDA5) antibody-positive dermatomyositis (DM) are frequently accompanied by rapidly progressive-interstitial lung disease (RP-ILD). They are often refractory to intensive immunosuppressive therapy and have poor prognosis. Case presentation: A 73-year-old woman presented with fever, cold symptoms, and skin eruption for a month. She also exhibited muscle weakness on upper extremities slightly. The titer of anti-MDA5 antibody was extremely high, and computed tomography showed ground glass opacity and reticular shadows in the lungs. She was diagnosed as anti-MDA5 antibody-positive classical DM-associated RP-ILD and treated with intensive immunosuppressive therapy. However, the titer of anti-MDA5 antibody did not decrease satisfactorily, and plasma exchange was alternatively initiated. The titer decreased remarkably, and she obtained disease remission. Similarly, a 63-year-old woman presented with stiffness of the neck and hands, fever and cough. She was also diagnosed as anti-MDA5 antibody-positive classical DM-associated RP-ILD, because she had skin eruptions, slight muscle weakness, an elevation in anti-MDA5 antibody, and RP-ILD. She was unresponsive to intensive immunosuppressive therapy, but plasma exchange successfully improved the titer of anti-MDA5 antibody, the symptoms, and the findings of computed tomography. Conclusions: Although anti-MDA5 antibody-positive DM-associated RP-ILD has a high mortality rate, this report suggests the usefulness of plasma exchange to improve the prognosis.
The number of patients with methotrexate-associated lymphoproliferative disorder (MTX-LPD) is increasing. We describe a case of MTX-LPD of the stomach. After treatment with methotrexate for rheumatoid arthritis, the patient developed left cervical lymphadenopathy and an ulcerative lesion in the stomach, which was presumed to be a mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma. However, we suspected MTX-LPD, based on the clinical course and the positivity of in situ hybridization for the detection of the Epstein-Barr encoding region. After the cessation of MTX, the left cervical lymphadenopathy and the gastric lesion disappeared. This is first report of gastric MTX-LPD that was presumed to be MALT lymphoma.
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