Refraction, beam splitting and dispersion of GHz surface acoustic waves by a phononic crystal.

We exploit a time-resolved ultrafast optical technique to study the propagation of point-excited surface acoustic waves on a microscopic two-dimensional phononic crystal in the form of a square lattice of holes in a silicon substrate. Constant-frequency images and the dispersion relation are extracted, and the latter measured in detail in the region around the phononic band gap. Mode conversion and refraction at the interface between the phononic crystal and surrounding non-structured silicon substrate is studied at constant frequencies.

Ethnic Differences in Western and Asian Sacroiliac Joint Anatomy for Surgical Planning of Minimally Invasive Sacroiliac Joint Fusion.

Pain originating in the sacroiliac joint (SIJ) is a contributor to chronic lower back pain. Studies on minimally invasive SIJ fusion for chronic pain have been performed in Western populations. Given the shorter stature of Asian populations compared with Western populations, questions can be raised regarding the suitability of the procedure in Asian patients.

Three-Year Clinical Outcomes after Minimally Invasive Sacroiliac Joint Arthrodesis Using Triangular Implants in Japan: A Pilot Study of Five Cases.

Introduction: Sacroiliac joint (SIJ) arthrodesis using a minimally invasive technique, particularly the triangular implant system, is performed in patients with SIJ dysfunction in the United States and Europe. We report three-year clinical outcomes of the first minimally invasive SIJ arthrodesis procedures using the implants performed in Japan.

Methods: Five patients (one man and four women; age: 56.

Nanostructured LiMnO with LiPO Integrated at the Atomic Scale for High-Energy Electrode Materials with Reversible Anionic Redox.

Nanostructured LiMnO integrated with LiPO was successfully synthesized by the mechanical milling route and examined as a new series of positive electrode materials for rechargeable lithium batteries. Although uniform mixing at the atomic scale between LiMnO and LiPO was not anticipated because of the noncompatibility of crystal structures for both phases, our study reveals that phosphorus ions with excess lithium ions dissolve into nanosize crystalline LiMnO as first evidenced by elemental mapping using STEM-EELS combined with total X-ray scattering, solid-state NMR spectroscopy, and a theoretical study. The integrated phase features a low-crystallinity metastable phase with a unique nanostructure; the phosphorus ion located at the tetrahedral site shares faces with adjacent lithium ions at slightly distorted octahedral sites.

Sarcopenia is associated with worse recovery of physical function and dysphagia and a lower rate of home discharge in Japanese hospitalized adults undergoing convalescent rehabilitation.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of sarcopenia on functional outcomes, including activities of daily living (ADLs); dysphagia status; and the rate of home discharge, among hospitalized adults receiving convalescent rehabilitation.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted with 898 patients newly admitted to in-hospital convalescent rehabilitation wards at a single rehabilitation hospital in Japan. Baseline sarcopenia was diagnosed using muscle mass index and handgrip strength according to the criteria of the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People, with the cutoff values of the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia.

Extent of Spin Contamination Errors in DFT/Plane-wave Calculation of Surfaces: A Case of Au Atom Aggregation on a MgO Surface.

The aggregation of Au atoms onto a Au dimer (Au₂) on a MgO (001) surface was calculated by restricted (spin-un-polarized) and unrestricted (spin-polarized) density functional theory calculations with a plane-wave basis and the approximate spin projection (AP) method. The unrestricted calculations included spin contamination errors of 0.0⁻0.

Hospital dental hygienist intervention improves activities of daily living, home discharge and mortality in post-acute rehabilitation.

Aim: To examine the effects of oral management provided by dental hygienists (DH) on patient outcomes in post-acute rehabilitation.

Methods: We carried out a retrospective cohort study with 1056 patients newly admitted to a post-rehabilitation hospital in Japan. DH care was defined as two or more consecutive instances of oral management provided by a ward DH during hospitalization.

Theoretical study of correlations between the coordination structures and catalytic activities in polymer-stabilized au nanocluster catalysts.

Au nanoclusters (Au NCs) stabilized by poly(N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone) and poly(allylamine), abbreviated to Au:PVP and Au:PAA, catalyze the aerobic oxidation of p-hydroxybenzyl alcohols, but the catalytic activity of Au:PVP is much higher than that of Au:PAA. To elucidate the correlations between the catalytic activities and coordination structures of the stabilizing polymer, the substrate accessibility on Au NCs was estimated by density functional theory (DFT) and molecular dynamics (MD) calculations. For MD simulations, we applied a systematic method to optimize the temperature parameters in temperature replica exchange molecular dynamics (T-REMD), and the coordination structures were comprehensively classified by multivariate analysis.

Effects of branched-chain amino acids and vitamin D supplementation on physical function, muscle mass and strength, and nutritional status in sarcopenic older adults undergoing hospital-based rehabilitation: A multicenter randomized controlled trial.

Aim: To investigate the effects of branched-chain amino acids and vitamin D supplementation on physical function, muscle strength, muscle mass, and nutritional status in sarcopenic older adults undergoing hospital-based rehabilitation.

Methods: We carried out an 8-week, multicenter, randomized, controlled, blinded outcome, two-cohort parallel group intervention trial of sarcopenic older adults undergoing in-hospital rehabilitation. The eligibility criteria included older adults (aged ≥65 years) with low muscle strength (handgrip strength) and low muscle mass (calf circumference) according to the cut-off values for older Asians.

Systemic Inflammation in the Recovery Stage of Stroke: Its Association with Sarcopenia and Poor Functional Rehabilitation Outcomes.

Objective: The aim of our study was to investigate how systemic inflammation relates to sarcopenia and its impact on functional outcomes in the recovery stages of stroke.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study was performed in consecutive patients admitted to convalescent rehabilitation wards following stroke. Patients with acute or chronic high-grade inflammatory diseases were excluded.

A Diagnostic Scoring System for Sacroiliac Joint Pain Originating from the Posterior Ligament.

Objective: Sacroiliac joint (SIJ) pain originating from the posterior ligament manifests in not only the buttocks but also the groin and lower extremities and thus may be difficult to discern from pain secondary to other lumbar disorders. We aimed to develop a simple clinical diagnostic tool to help physicians distinguish between patients with SIJ pain originating from the posterior ligament and those with lumbar disc herniation (LDH) or lumbar spinal canal stenosis (LSS).

Design: Prospective case-control study.

Advances in Gold Catalysis and Understanding the Catalytic Mechanism.

When gold is deposited as nanoparticles (NPs) with mean diameters of 2-5 nm or clusters with mean diameters below 2 nm onto a variety of supports such as metal oxides, carbons, polymers, etc., the supported Au NPs exhibit unique catalytic properties, while bulk Au is almost inert as a catalyst. A lot of research works indicate that the key factors of the catalysis by supported Au NPs are the selection of the supports, the control of the Au NP size, the shape of the Au NPs, and the strong junction between Au NPs and the supports, because the perimeter zone around Au NPs acts as the active site for many reactions.

An open-label, long-term study examining the safety and tolerability of pregabalin in Japanese patients with central neuropathic pain.

Purpose: Studies of pregabalin for the treatment of central neuropathic pain have been limited to double-blind trials of 4-17 weeks in duration. The purpose of this study was to assess the long-term safety and tolerability of pregabalin in Japanese patients with central neuropathic pain. The efficacy of pregabalin was also assessed as a secondary measure.

Percutaneous drainage combined with hyperbaric oxygen therapy for pyogenic spondylitis with iliopsoas abscess.

Study Design: A retrospective study.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate outcomes in patients with pyogenic spondylitis accompanied by iliopsoas abscess who were treated by percutaneous drainage combined with hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) therapy.

Overview Of Literature: To the best of our knowledge, there have been no previous reports of the use of percutaneous drainage combined with HBO therapy for the treatment of this condition.

The diagnostic value of single-photon emission computed tomography/computed tomography for severe sacroiliac joint dysfunction.

Purpose: We aimed to evaluate the value of single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT)/computed tomography (CT) for the diagnosis of sacroiliac joint (SIJ) dysfunction.

Methods: SPECT/CT was performed in 32 patients with severe SIJ dysfunction, who did not respond to 1-year conservative treatment and had a score of >4 points on a 10-cm visual analog scale. We investigated the relationship between the presence of severe SIJ dysfunction and tracer accumulation, as confirmed by SPECT/CT.

Distractive flexion injuries of the subaxial cervical spine treated with a posterior procedure using cervical pedicle screws or a combined anterior and posterior procedure.

The purpose of this study was to compare the clinical and radiographic outcomes of patients with distractive flexion (DF) injuries of the subaxial cervical spine who had undergone a posterior procedure using cervical pedicle screw (CPS) fixation with those who had undergone a combined anterior and posterior procedure. Recommendations for the surgical treatment of DF injuries of the subaxial cervical spine remain controversial. There are few clinical reports of posterior CPS fixation for DF injuries.

The use of antibiotic-impregnated fibrin sealant for the prevention of surgical site infection associated with spinal instrumentation.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine if the use of antibiotic-impregnated fibrin sealant (AFS) was effective in preventing surgical site infections (SSI) associated with spinal instrumentation.

Methods: In a preliminary study, five pieces of vancomycin-impregnated fibrin sealant, five nuts that were not treated with the sealant, and five nuts that were treated with the sealant were subjected to agar diffusion testing. In a clinical study, the rates of deep SSI were compared between 188 patients who underwent procedures involving spinal instrumentation without AFS (group 1) and 196 patients who underwent procedures involving spinal instrumentation with AFS (group 2).

Subdural spread of injected local anesthetic in a selective transforaminal cervical nerve root block: a case report.

Introduction: Although uncommon, selective cervical nerve root blocks can have serious complications. The most serious complications that have been reported include cerebral infarction, spinal cord infarction, transient quadriplegia and death.

Case Presentation: A 40-year-old Japanese woman with a history of severe right-sided cervical radicular pain was scheduled to undergo a right-sided C6 selective cervical nerve root block using a transforaminal approach under fluoroscopic guidance.

Facet arthrography in an unusual presentation of a lumbar hemorrhagic synovial cyst.

An 84-year-old man experienced right buttock pain that radiated gradually to his right lower extremity over a few months before admission. MRI revealed a space occupying intraspinal lesion that was close to the right-sided L4-L5 facet joint and an extraspinal lesion posterior to the right-sided L5 lamina. The lesions appeared as hyperintense areas on T1 weighted images and heterogeneous areas on T2 weighted images.

Facet arthrography of a cervical synovial cyst.

A rare case is presented of a synovial cyst located at the level of C3-C4 that caused cervical myelopathy and that was preoperatively diagnosed by facet arthrography. A woman in her late seventies experienced muscle weakness and numbness in her right upper extremity and gait disturbance. MRI revealed an extradural lesion located dorsolaterally on the right side of the spinal cord at the level of C3-C4.

Cervical pedicle screw insertion using a gutter entry point at the transitional area between the lateral mass and lamina.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to describe a free-hand pedicle screw insertion technique and to evaluate the accuracy of pedicle screw placement and validity of pedicle screw fixation in patients with subaxial cervical spine injuries.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 32 consecutive patients with subaxial cervical spine injuries who underwent posterior cervical fixation using our cervical pedicle screw (CPS) insertion technique. We also assessed the clinical and radiological outcomes and the accuracy of pedicle screw placement.

Combined posterior and delayed staged mini-open anterior short-segment fusion for thoracolumbar burst fractures.

Study Design: A prospective study.

Objectives: To assess the outcome of patients with a single thoracolumbar burst fracture treated with circumferential short-segment fusion consisting of posterior reduction, short-segment fusion, and delayed staged mini-open anterior short-segment fusion.

Summary Of Background Data: The surgical treatment of thoracolumbar burst fractures remains controversial.

Traumatic lumbosacral dislocation treated with posterior lumbar interbody fusion using intersomatic cages.

A 35-year-old man was struck by a car on his right side and presented with paraparesis of both lower extremities. Radiographic examination revealed multiple transverse process fractures and anterior displacement of L5 on S1. Computed tomography revealed a bilateral anterior facet dislocation of the fifth lumbar vertebra on the sacrum.

An atypical extrahepatic metastasis of the distal phalanx from hepatocellular carcinoma.

A 49-year-old woman presented with severe swelling and pain of the left little finger, which had exacerbated rapidly, in October 2006. The patient had a history of hepatocellular carcinoma and metastatic lung cancer. She had undergone partial hepatectomy for the hepatocellular carcinoma in September 2001 and pulmonary resection for metastatic lung cancer in November 2005.