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.

Hemodynamic effects of KRN2391 (potassium channel opener) in halothane-anesthetized dogs

The cardiovascular responses to an infusion of KRN2391, a potassium channel opener, was studied in halothane-anesthetized dogs. Intravenous administration of KRN2391 at 1.0 and 5.0 μg·kg⁻¹·min⁻¹ for 60 min produced dose-dependent decreases in mean arterial pressure (MAP) and systemic vascular resistance (SVR) associated with dose-dependent increases in the cardiac index (CI) and stroke volume index (SVI) but was not accompanied by an increase in heart rate (HR). The maximum decrease in MAP during the infusion of KRN2391 at 1.0 and 5.0 μg·kg⁻¹·min⁻¹ was −13±7% (P<0.01) and −37±10% (P<0.01), respectively. The maximum reduction in SVR after 1.0 and 5.0 μg·kg⁻¹·min⁻¹ was −20±11% (P<0.01) and −60±16% (P<0.01), respectively. A KRN2391 infusion of 1.0 and 5.0 μg·kg⁻¹·min⁻¹ increased Cl a maximum of 11±13% (P<0.05) and 65±33% (P<0.01), respectively. KRN2391 1.0 μg·kg⁻¹·min⁻¹ showed a tendency to increase SVI but this change was not significant, KRN2391 5.0 μg·kg⁻¹·min⁻¹, however, produced a significant increase in SVI. The present results demonstrate that the decrease in MAP and the increases in CI and SVI caused by KRN2391 are due to a reduction in the afterload. Therefore, we conclude that these cardiovascular profiles of KRN2391 may be benificial in perioperative uses including the control of systemic blood pressure and the treatment of hypertension during halothane anesthesia in clinical practice.     

Chemo-endocrine therapy in patients with stage D2 prostate cancer

There have only been a few studies of chemo-endocrine therapy compared with endocrine therapy alone in newly diagnosed prostate cancer patients. We assessed the effects of these two therapies by comparing long-term survival rates. One hundred and twenty-nine patients were entered in this study between November 1977 and March 1992. Seventy-seven patients were treated with endocrine therapy alone. Other 52 patients received chemo-endocrine therapy, which included orchiectomy and/or diethylstilbestrol diphosphate (DES-DP) plus Cisplatin, with or without other cytotoxic agents. All patients had bone metastasis at the beginning of the study. There was a significant difference in survival between patients who received endocrine therapy and chemo-endocrine therapy (P = 0.0078). That is, survival rate was superior for the chemoendocrine therapy patients throughout the entire follow-up period. These data suggest that early chemo-endocrine therapy containing Cisplatin, with or without maintenance chemotherapy, is a potentially effective treatment for newly diagnosed metastatic prostate cancer and is worth further investigation via a randomized trial.     

Effect of temporary school closure due to COVID-19 on musculoskeletal function in elementary school children

Objective: In 2020, coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) became the cause of a pandemic. In response, the Japan Sports Agency issued warnings about secondary damage to health, such as the threat to physical and mental well-being due to the lack of exercise in this situation. In this study, we report on cross-sectional and longitudinal examinations of standing trunk flexion to evaluate how temporary long-term school closures affected musculoskeletal function in elementary school students.Patients and Methods: All children in one public elementary school in T-city during the school years 2019 and 2020 were included in this study. A digital forward flexion meter was used to measure standing trunk flexion.Results: In this study, 284 (284/289: 98.3%) and 266 (266/274: 97.1%) children in school years 2020 and 2019, respectively, were found to have valid data for cross-sectional analysis. The standing trunk flexion did not show significant differences between grades or sexes. In the longitudinal analysis, the results of the comparison of standing trunk flexion in children for two consecutive years revealed significant differences only between grades 3 and 4 (P<0.05) and between girls in grades 3 and 4 (P<0.01), but no significant differences in other grades or among boys or girls were observed.Conclusion: Initially, we expected that there would be a difference in the results of functional assessment using standing trunk flexion depending on the period of absence from school. However, the results of this study showed no significant changes in standing trunk flexion. Moreover, since children’s musculoskeletal functions may be affected by various factors during the COVID-19 pandemic, they should be carefully monitored in the future.     

Angiographic and angioscopic observations of the arterial luminal changes induced by vasospasm

Angiography and angioscopy were used to examine arterial luminal changes induced by experimental vasospasm. The right common carotid artery of the dog was perfused with Krebs-Henseleit solution at a constant pressure, 3,4-diaminopyridine (DAP), a selective potassium channel blocker was applied on the adventitia, and the luminal changes were observed with angiography and angioscopy. Angiographically vasospasm (defined as a reduction in the internal diameter to less than 50% of the control value) was always induced by the topical application of 5 X 10(-1) mol/L DAP. The internal diameter decreased to 25% +/- 7% (mean +/- standard error, n = 6) 15 minutes after the application. The vasospasms propagated 2.7 +/- 0.6 and 1.1 +/- 0.3 cm downstream and upstream, respectively. Angioscopy showed that the lumen narrowed gradually and concentrically. Perfusion of the artery during vasospasm for 15 minutes with a backflow of blood from the contralateral artery resulted in thrombosis at the spastic segment. The results indicate that carotid vasospasm can be constantly induced by DAP, thrombosis occurs in the spastic artery, and angioscopy is useful for serial observation of the luminal changes induced by vasospasm.     

Delineating developmental and metabolic pathways in vivo by expression profiling using the RIKEN set of 18,816 full-length enriched mouse cDNA arrays

We have systematically characterized gene expression patterns in 49 adult and embryonic mouse tissues by using cDNA microarrays with 18,816 mouse cDNAs. Cluster analysis defined sets of genes that were expressed ubiquitously or in similar groups of tissues such as digestive organs and muscle. Clustering of expression profiles was observed in embryonic brain, postnatal cerebellum, and adult olfactory bulb, reflecting similarities in neurogenesis and remodeling. Finally, clustering genes coding for known enzymes into 78 metabolic pathways revealed a surprising coordination of expression within each pathway among different tissues. On the other hand, a more detailed examination of glycolysis revealed tissue-specific differences in profiles of key regulatory enzymes. Thus, by surveying global gene expression by using microarrays with a large number of elements, we provide insights into the commonality and diversity of pathways responsible for the development and maintenance of the mammalian body plan.     

A comparative study of degree of colorectal distention with manual air insufflation or automated CO2 insufflation at CT colonography as a preoperative examination

Objectives

The purpose of this study was to compare the degree of colorectal distention between manual insufflation using room air and automatic insufflation using carbon dioxide for computed tomography colonography performed as a preoperative examination for patients with colon cancer.

Materials and methods

Participants comprised 200 patients who underwent computed tomography colonography immediately after colonoscopy from October 2011–2012. The first 100 patients were examined using manual insufflation, and the remaining 100 patients were examined using automated insufflation. Two radiologists independently assessed colorectal distention using a 4-point scale in six segments: cecum, ascending colon, transverse colon, descending colon, sigmoid colon, and rectum. Mean scores of the two radiologists were used to analyze whether any differences existed between techniques in terms of the degree of distention per segment.

Results

Mean distention values for the colonic lumen were better using the automated technique than with the manual technique in both positions (p < 0.05). In segments, distention was significantly better using the automated technique than using the manual technique in the sigmoid and descending colon for prone patients, and in all segments for supine patients.

Conclusions

Automated carbon dioxide insufflation offered significantly improved colorectal distention scores compared to manual room air insufflation.