Dietary collagen peptides alleviate exercise-induced muscle soreness in healthy middle-aged males: a randomized double-blinded crossover clinical trial.

Background: Post-exercise muscle soreness and fatigue can negatively affect exercise performance. Thus, it is desirable to attenuate muscle soreness and fatigue and promote recovery even for daily exercise habits aimed at maintaining or improving health.

Methods: This study investigated the effects of dietary collagen peptides (CPs) on post-exercise physical condition and fitness in healthy middle-aged adults unfamiliar with exercise.

Quantitative Assessment of Age-dependent Changes in Porphyrins from Fluorescence Images of Ultraviolet Photography by Image Processing.

Background: Skin is the first line of defense against harmful external environmental factors. Skin flora living on the skin surface impact skin health and skin disease. Bacteria, form part of the unique and complex skin micro-ecological system.

Oxygen use and survival in patients with advanced cancer and low oxygen saturation in home care: a preliminary retrospective cohort study.

Background: The role of oxygen therapy in end-of-life care for patients with advanced cancer is incompletely understood. We aimed to evaluate the association between oxygen use and survival in patients with advanced cancer and low oxygen saturation in home care.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study at a primary care practice in suburban Tokyo.

Abdominal pain and nausea in the diagnosis of streptococcal pharyngitis in boys.

Objectives: This study was designed to assess the accuracy of gastrointestinal symptoms, including abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting, in the diagnosis of Group A streptococcal (GAS) pharyngitis in children and to determine differences in diagnostic accuracy in boys versus girls.

Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study included 5,755 consecutive patients aged <15 years with fever in the electronic database at a primary care practice. Gastrointestinal symptoms were recorded in the database according to the International Classification of Primary Care codes, and the data were extracted electronically.

Efficacy of a leukotriene receptor antagonist for pediatric cedar pollen allergy complicated by asthma.

Leukotriene receptor antagonists (LTRAs) are identified as a monotherapy for asthma and allergic rhinitis; however, their use in children for treatment of these diseases has not been examined. Accordingly, the present study investigated the efficacy of pranlukast dry syrup for children with both pollinosis and asthma. The subjects were children receiving treatment for asthma who were also diagnosed with cedar pollen allergy.

Development of Wearable Sheet-Type Shear Force Sensor and Measurement System that is Insusceptible to Temperature and Pressure.

A sheet-type shear force sensor and a measurement system for the sensor were developed. The sensor has an original structure where a liquid electrolyte is filled in a space composed of two electrode-patterned polymer films and an elastic rubber ring. When a shear force is applied on the surface of the sensor, the two electrode-patterned films mutually move so that the distance between the internal electrodes of the sensor changes, resulting in current increase or decrease between the electrodes.

Ultrasound-guided subclavian venipuncture is more rapidly learned than the anatomic landmark technique in simulation training.

Purpose: Both ultrasound-guided subclavian venipuncture (US-SV) and landmark-guided subclavian venipuncture (LM-SV) are important in critical care, because the clinical utility of ultrasound guidance is still debated. Education of residents and medical students should include both techniques. The aim of this study is to compare learning these two techniques in a simulation environment.

[Research studies on independent verification of monitor units in radiation therapy].

To prevent the recurrence of irradiation accidents, monitor-unit (MU) verification that is independent of the MU values calculated using the radiation treatment planning system (RTPS) is required. In this study, we investigated whether independent verification of MU values is being conducted in medical settings and examined the types and methods used. Our results indicate that 93.

Investigation of errors by radiological technologists and evaluation of preventive measures: general and mobile X-ray examinations.

The first objective in this study was to identify the errors of incidents and accidents that occurred in general and mobile X-ray examinations. Based on the analysis of results, the second purpose in this study was to propose useful measures to prevent such errors. As much as 553 radiological technologists in the Gunma Prefecture were surveyed on their experience with errors related to general and mobile X-ray examinations.

Generating induced pluripotent stem cells from common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus) fetal liver cells using defined factors, including Lin28.

Although embryonic stem (ES) cell-like induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells have potential therapeutic applications in humans, they are also useful for creating genetically modified human disease models in nonhuman primates. In this study, we generated common marmoset iPS cells from fetal liver cells via the retrovirus-mediated introduction of six human transcription factors: Oct-3/4, Sox2, Klf4, c-Myc, Nanog, and Lin28. Four to five weeks after introduction, several colonies resembling marmoset ES cells were observed and picked for further expansion in ES cell medium.

Metastasectomy for renal cell carcinoma as a strategy to obtain complete remission.

We report a case of 67-year-old Japanese woman with two types of metastasectomy for metachronous metastases of renal cell carcinoma (RCC). The initial nephrectomy for left RCC was performed in April 1977. The pathological diagnosis was clear cell carcinoma grade1-2, pT1b.

Kawasaki disease patients with redness or crust formation at the Bacille Calmette-Guérin inoculation site.

Background: A specific diagnostic test for Kawasaki disease (KD) is currently unavailable. Redness or crust formation at the Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) inoculation site is listed as a positive sign in the diagnostic guidelines of KD. The purpose of this study was to investigate the epidemiologic features of KD patients with such changes at the BCG inoculation site and to evaluate the specificity of this sign in KD diagnosis.

[Difficult airway management due to obesity and lingual tonsillar hyperplasia].

We experienced anesthesia for a female patient of BMI 39.2 with unanticipated lingual tonsillar hyperplasia. At the induction of anesthesia, both mask ventilation and tracheal intubation were difficult due to the lingual tonsillar hyperplasia.

[Case of facial edema and tongue swelling after aortic surgery in the lateral position].

The facial edema and tongue swelling after oral surgery are not rare complications and many case reports were published, but they were limited after anesthesia for surgery of other parts. A 70-year-old woman who had underwent thoraco-abdominal aortic graft surgery showed severe facial edema and tongue swelling after the surgery in the right lateral position. The tongue was largely protruded outside of the mouse when entering ICU and was gradually improved.

[Investigation of the present management status of calibration source based on the law concerning prevention of radiation hazards due to radioisotopes].

An amendment concerning the enforcement of the law on the prevention of radiation hazards due to radioisotopes, etc., and the medical service law enforcement regulations were promulgated on June 1, 2005. This amendment concerned international basic safety standards and the sealing of radiation sources.

[Investigation of academic degrees sought by radiological technologists].

This study attempted to clarify whether medical radiological technologists of the Japanese Society of Radiological Technology in Gunma sought to obtain Bachelor degrees and Master of Science degrees. In September 2005, a postal questionnaire survey was conducted on a sample of 153 technologists, and 68.0% (104/153) of the questionnaires were returned.

[Hepatic infarction following prolonged prone position].

A 61-year-old woman with chronic renal failure was scheduled for posterior spinal fusion. The duration of surgery was over ten hours and the patient was placed on prone position almost whole period of surgery. Although the surgery was finished without any obvious complications, laboratory examinations revealed marked liver dysfunction the day after the surgery.

Syringe pump displacement alters line internal pressure and flow.

Purpose: It has been reported that the actual flow from a syringe pump changes due to vertical movement of the pump in vitro, but a direct study of the in vivo effects of fluid delivery irregularities caused by vertical pump displacement has not been performed. The aim of this study was to assess the influence of positional changes of the syringe pump on the internal pressure (IP) and flow from the circuit, and to examine blood pressure changes caused by pump movement in animals with or without hemorrhagic shock.

Methods: To simulate clinical conditions, we used a rabbit model.

[The first practical seminar of difficult airway management in the 51st annual meeting of Japan Society of Anesthesiologists].

Difficult Airway Management (DAM) is one of the most important skills for medical practice, especially for anesthesiologists. A seminar of DAM was held in the 51 st annual meeting of Japan Society of Anesthesiologists. It consisted of a 60-minute lecture about ASA difficult airway management algorithm, and a 120-minute hands-on training session using a mid-fidelity human simulator.

Efficacy of iodine-123-15-(p-iodophenyl)-3-R, S-methylpentadecanoic acid single photon emission computed tomography imaging in detecting myocardial ischemia in children with Kawasaki disease.

To evaluate its efficacy in detecting myocardial ischemia in children, iodine-123-labeled 15-(p-iodophenyl)-3-R, S-methylpentadecanoic acid (BMIPP) myocardial single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) imaging was performed in 16 pediatric patients with Kawasaki disease (KD, 11 male, 5 female; mean age and range: 13 years 8 months and 8 years 11 months to 17 years 7 months). Five children with chest pain and no cardiac disease were studied as controls (2 male, 3 female; mean age and range: 13 years 4 months and 9 years 4 months to 17 years 11 months). Selective coronary angiography was also performed in the 16 patients to evaluate the location of coronary stenosis and coronary aneurysms.

Increased serum granulocyte colony-stimulating factor correlates with coronary artery dilatation in Kawasaki disease.

Unlabelled: In acute-phase Kawasaki disease, neutrophils cause injury to the coronary arterial endothelium through the production of elastase. Previous research has demonstrated the modulation of neutrophil function and kinetics, such as development and maturation, by granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF). To examine the correlation between G-CSF and cardiac complications in Kawasaki disease, functional activity of serum G-CSF and cytokines was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in 30 patients with acute-phase Kawasaki disease aged 2 months to 5 years.

Combined tumor consisting of non-functioning adrenocortical adenoma and pheochromocytoma in the same gland.

A 59-year-old woman was admitted to East Tokyo Metropolitan Hospital for further examination of a left adrenal mass. Catecholamine levels in the plasma and urine were within normal limits. Neither (131)I-metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) nor norcholestenol iodomethyl ((131)I) had accumulated in the left adrenal gland.