Screening for musculoskeletal problems in children using a questionnaire

Background

On April 1, 2016, the Ministerial ordinance was enforced, and musculoskeletal examination of the extremities was made mandatory. From 2008, the University of us started musculoskeletal direct examination. To expand the examination, from 2016, we started to use the marksheet-type questionnaire. This study aimed to report the results of a musculoskeletal examination and investigate the association between musculoskeletal examination and age/gender and reports the reliability of the collected questionnaire data.

Effects of simultaneous increases in dietary phosphorus and magnesium concentrations on nephrocalcinosis and kidney function in female rats.

The effects of simultaneous increases in dietary phosphorus (P) and magnesium (Mg) concentrations while maintaining a constant P:Mg ratio on nephrocalcinosis and kidney function in female rats was investigated. Female Wistar rats were fed a control diet (3.12 g P, 0.51 g Mg per kg diet) or a diet having either 3 times the control P and Mg concentrations (3-fold diet; 9.25 g P and 1.42 g Mg per kg diet) or 5 times the control concentrations (5-fold diet; 14.97 g P and 2.37 g Mg per kg diet) for 21 d. The three experimental diets all had same P:Mg molar ratios (control diet; 4.81, 3-fold diet; 5.11, 5-fold diet; 4.96). The 3-fold diet had no significant influence on kidney calcium (Ca), Mg or P concentrations. However, kidney Ca, Mg and P concentrations were significantly higher in rats fed the 5-fold diet than in rats fed the control or 3-fold diets. No significant differences in creatinine clearance were observed among the three groups. Urinary albumin and beta 2-microglobulin excretion were higher in rats fed the 5-fold diet than in rats fed the control or 3-fold diets, while the 3-fold diet had no significant influence on the urinary albumin and beta 2-microglobulin excretion. These results suggest that absolute concentrations of dietary P and Mg are important factors with regard to the development of nephrocalcinosis and diminished kidney function.     

Quadro-pulse stimulation is more effective than paired-pulse stimulation for plasticity induction of the human motor cortex

OBJECTIVE: Repetitive paired-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) at I-wave periodicity has been shown to induce a motor-evoked potential (MEP) facilitation. We hypothesized that a greater enhancement of motor cortical excitability is provoked by increasing the number of pulses per train beyond those by paired-pulse stimulation (PPS). METHODS: We explored motor cortical excitability changes induced by repetitive application of trains of four monophasic magnetic pulses (quadro-pulse stimulation: QPS) at 1.5-ms intervals, repeated every 5s over the motor cortex projecting to the hand muscles. The aftereffects of QPS were evaluated with MEPs to a single-pulse TMS, motor threshold (MT), and responses to brain-stem stimulation. These effects were compared to those after PPS. To evaluate the QPS safety, we also studied the spread of excitation and after discharge using surface electromyograms (EMGs) of hand and arm muscles. RESULTS: Sizes of MEPs from the hand muscle were enhanced for longer than 75min after QPS; they reverted to the baseline at 90min. Responses to brain-stem stimulation from the hand muscle and cortical MEPs from the forearm muscle were unchanged after QPS over the hand motor area. MT was unaffected by QPS. No spreads of excitation were detected after QPS. The appearance rate of after discharges during QPS was not different from that during sham stimulation. CONCLUSIONS: Results show that QPS can safely induce long-lasting, topographically specific enhancement of motor cortical excitability. SIGNIFICANCE: QPS is more effective than PPS for inducing motor cortical plasticity.     

A case of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia that worsened preexisting cerebral infarction]

A 75-year-old man was admitted to our hospital with dysesthesia of the right lip, dysphagia and gait disturbance. He presented with right Wallenberg syndrome and brain MR image showed a fresh infarction in the right lateral medulla. Therapy with heparin and ozagrel sodium was started. For a time his symptom improved a little, but after 8 days he developed re-infarction, thrombocytopenia and DIC, while being treated with heparin for cerebral infarction. Heparin was discontinued, and these symptoms improved quickly. The clinical course and the positive anti-platelet factor 4-heparin complex antibody suggested that these symptoms were caused by heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT). HIT should be included as a differential diagnosis for progression of ischemic stroke under heparin therapy.     

In vivo activity on murine tumors of a novel antitumor compound,N-β-dimethylaminoethyl 9-carboxy-5-hydroxy-10-methoxybenzo[a]phenazine-6-carboxamide sodium salt (NC-190)

Summary A novel antitumor compound, N--dimethylaminoethyl 9-carboxy-5-hydroxy-10-methoxybenzo[a]-phenazine-6-carboxamide sodium salt (NC-190) was evaluated for its antitumor activity in experimental murine tumor systems. In the initial studies with P388 leukemia (i.p.-i.p.), NC-190 led to an increase of >200% in life span (ILS), and 75% of the mice were alive on day 30, when the optimal dose (50 mg/kg, days 1–5) was given. Additionally, the compound had significant activities against i.p. inoculated mouse L1210 leukemia, B16 melanoma, M5076 reticulum cell sarcoma, sarcoma 180, mouse hepatoma MH134, and rat Yoshida sarcoma and Yoshida ascites hepatoma AH130. The optimal dose resulted in a >280% ILS with a 30-day survival of 50% in mice with L1210 leukemia (100 mg/kg, days 1–5), a 156% ILS in mice with B16 melanoma (50 mg/kg, days 1–5), a 98% ILS with a 90-day survival of 25% in mice with M5076 reticulum cell sarcoma (25 mg/kg, days 1, 5, 9, and 13), a >300% ILS with a 60-day survival of 50% in mice with sarcoma 180 (50 mg/kg, days 3–10), a 148% ILS with a 60-day survival of 25% in mice with MH134 (25 mg/kg, days 1–5), a 129% ILS with a 60-day survival of 12.5% in rats with Yoshida sarcoma (12.5 mg/kg, day 3–10), and a >161% ILS with a 60-day survival of 50% in rats with AH130 (6.3 mg/kg, days 3–10). In the experiments with s.c. inoculated tumors, NC-190 not only inhibited tumor growth, but also increased the life span of mice with Lewis lung carcinoma or B16 melanoma. The 60-day survivors accounted for 60% and 30% in mice with Lewis lung carcinoma and B16 melanoma, respectively. The compound significantly inhibited the spontaneous lung metastasis of Lewis lung carcinoma by more than 90% when eight daily i.v. injections were given. NC-190 was active by the i.p., s.c., and i.v. routes. Five consecutive daily i.p. doses (days 1–5) were more effective than a single dose (day 1), two doses (days 1 and 5), or three doses (days 1, 5, and 9). NC-190 warrants further study as a potential antineoplastic agent against human neoplasms, as it has a broad spectrum of antitumor activity and inhibits metastasis.Abbreviations ILS increase in life span - MST median survival time - MMC mitomycin C - ADM adriamycin - CPA cyclophosphamide - 5-FU 5-fluorouracil     

Variation of the conserved neutralizing epitope in influenza B virus victoria group isolates in Japan

For almost 20 years, the neutralizing-epitope site specific for influenza B virus Victoria group isolates was conserved at the "tip" of the hemagglutinin molecule; however, it was not detected in half of the isolates from the 2002-2003 epidemic in Japan. Amino acid substitutions (D164E or N165K) were observed at the "tip", and the epitope was altered. The viral antigenicities were affected, and human antibodies did not substantially inhibit the hemagglutination in the hemagglutination inhibition tests. It is suspected that such variants will be important in future epidemics.     

Transformation of Trichoderma viride using the Neurospora crassa pyr4 gene and its use in the expression of a Taka-amylase A gene from Aspergillus oryzae

Summary A pyrG mutant of Trichoderma viride, a very efficient cellulase producer, was isolated from among 5-fluoroorotic acid-resistant mutants. The mutation was complemented with the pyr4 gene of Neurospora crassa and used as a selection marker for the transformation of T. viride. A plasmid vector, pDJB1-Taa, carrying both the pyr4 gene and a gene encoding Taka-amylase A from Aspergillus oryzae, was constructed and introduced into protoplasts of T. viride pyrG^-. The transformation frequency was 1–10 transformants (3 on average) per g DNA. One transformant showed highly elevated -amylase production (about 17 times higher than the recipient level) and the integration of more than one copy of the Taka-amylase gene.     

Synthesis of antitumor-active conjugates of adriamycin or daunomycin with the copolymer of divinyl ether and maleic anhydride

Polymeric conjugates of adriamycin (ADR) ( 2 ) or daunomycin (DM) ( 3 ) were synthesized by reaction of the drugs with the copolymer of divinyl ether and maleic anyhdride (DIVEMA) ( 1 ). The content of ADR moieties in the DIVEMA conjugate ( 4 ) could be varied depending on the reaction conditions up to 35,8 wt.-%. Considering the low toxicity and the high possibility of renal excretion, DIVEMA with M?_w of 7000 and M?_w/M?_n = 1,6 was used for the conjugation. The rate of drug release from the conjugate was determined under physiological conditions by reversed phase HPLC. Within 14 days only 15% of the attached ADR was released from conjugate 4 . The antitumor activity of the conjugates was tested in vitro and in vivo against mouse P388 leukemia. Conjugate 4 proved to be 28 times less active than ADR in vitro, which could be explained from the slow drug-release. On the contrary 50% of the leukemic mice treated by 4 survived more than 60 days, whereas no mice given ADR alone or the admixture of ADR and DIVEMA survived 30 days. An antitumor activity of the polymeric conjugate better than that of the free drug was also observed in vivo with DM. Such a polymeric effect can be attributed either to the change in body distribution, the difference in pharmacokinetics, or the slow drugrelease.