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Capacitive and resistive electric transfer (CRET) therapy can improve flexibility and increase muscle activity and may be useful as a warm-up technique. This study examined the effects of short-time CRET on jump performance. Thirty healthy men (age range, 20–40 years) were randomly divided into passive (n = 15) and active (n = 15) warm-up groups. The participants and statisticians were blinded to the participant allocation. The passive warm-up group underwent 4 min of CRET therapy on their posterior lower legs. The active warm-up group performed stretching and jogging for 4 min. Calf muscle temperature and rebound jump (RJ) index were measured before and after the intervention. The mean (± standard deviation) muscle temperature increased by 2.0 ± 0.5°C and 1.4 ± 0.6°C in the passive and active warm-up groups, respectively (p < 0.05). RJ index increased significantly in both groups (p < 0.05). Therefore, passive warm-up using CRET may help avoid energy loss while increasing the muscle temperature in a short time when compared with traditional active warm-up techniques. Capacitive and resistive electric transfer (CRET) is a device with deep thermal effect. CRET therapy can improve flexibility and increase muscle activity and may be useful as a warm-up technique. This study examined the effects of short-time CRET on jump performance. Thirty healthy men (age range, 20–40 years) were randomly divided into passive (n=15) and active (n=15) warm-up groups. The passive warm-up group underwent 4min of CRET therapy on their calf. The active warm-up group performed stretching and jogging for 4min. Calf muscle temperature and jump performance were measured before and after the intervention. The mean (± standard deviation) muscle temperature increased by 2.0±0.5°C and 1.4±0.6°C in the passive and active warm-up groups, respectively (p<0.05). Jump performance increased significantly in both groups (p<0.05). Therefore, passive warm-up using CRET may help avoid energy loss while increasing the muscle temperature in a short time when compared with traditional active warm-up techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The natural history of venous malformation (VM) and Klippel-Trenaunay Syndrome (KTS) has not been quantitatively studied. To obtain benchmarks to guide designing clinical trials to assess safety and efficacy of novel drug candidates, the clinical course of the patients was followed for 6 months. Methods and Results: This is a multicenter prospective observational study evaluating the change rate in lesion volume from baseline with magnetic resonance images, as the primary endpoint. In addition, disease severities, performance status (PS), pain visual analog scale (VAS) score, quality of life (QoL), infections, and coagulation markers were also evaluated. Thirty-four patients (VM = 17, KTS = 17, 1-53 of age; median 15.9 years) with measurable lesion volume were analyzed. There was no statistically significant difference in the lesion volume between baseline and day 180, and the mean change rate (standard deviation) was 1.06 (0.28). There were no baseline characteristics that affected the change in lesion volume over 6 months. However, there were patients who showed more than 20% volume change and it was suggested that the lesion volume was largely impacted by local infection. There were no statistically significant changes in pain VAS score, severity, PS, QoL score, D-dimer, and platelet count over 6 months within all patients analyzed. Conclusion: The results showed the representative natural course of VM and KTS for a 6-month period with objective change of lesion volume and other factors, suggesting that it is scientifically reasonable to conduct a Phase 2 proof-of-concept study without a placebo arm, using the results of this study as the control. Clinical Trial Registration: NCT04285723, NCT04589650.

Background: Focusing on the relationship between frail older people and gait speed is vital to minimize the need for long-term care or increased support. The relationship between gait speed, respiratory muscle strength, and dynamic balance, is not well understood in older people requiring long-term care or support. Therefore, this study aimed to provide new insights into the relationship between gait speed, respiratory muscle strength, and dynamic balance in community-dwelling older people who required long-term care or support and used a daycare center., Methods: This was a cross-sectional study of 49 community-dwelling older people (21 men, 28 women) aged ≥65 years who were certified as requiring long-term care or support under the Japanese system. The participants' maximal inspiratory pressure (PImax), maximal expiratory pressure (PEmax), walking speed (maximal and normal walking speed), and maximal double-step length test (MDST) results were recorded. The measurement data were evaluated using Pearson's correlation coefficient and multiple regression analysis., Results: Pearson's correlation coefficient revealed correlations between PImax and the following: maximal walking speed ( r  = 0.606, p  < 0.001), normal walking speed ( r  = 0.487, p  < 0.001), and MDST ( r  = 0.435, p  = 0.002). Correlations were also observed between PEmax and the following: maximal walking speed ( r  = 0.522, p  < 0.001), normal walking speed ( r  = 0.467, p  < 0.001), and MDST ( r  = 0.314, p  = 0.028). Moreover, a correlation was found between MDST and both maximal walking speed and ( r  = 0.684, p  < 0.001) and normal walking speed ( r  = 0.649, p  < 0.001). The effect size was 0.379. Multiple regression analysis using a forced entry method with maximal walking speed as the dependent variable showed that maximal walking speed was significantly associated with MDST ( p  < 0.001) and PEmax ( p  = 0.036), with an effect size of 0.272. The model's adjusted coefficient of determination was 0.593 ( p  < 0.001). Multiple regression analysis using a forced entry method with normal walking speed as the dependent variable showed that normal walking speed was significantly associated with MDST ( p  < 0.001) and PEmax ( p  = 0.021), with an effect size of 0.272. The model's adjusted coefficient of determination was 0.497 ( p  < 0.001). Multiple regression analysis using a forced entry method with MDST as the dependent variable showed that MDST was significantly associated with PImax ( p  < 0.025), with an effect size of 0.243. The model's adjusted coefficient of determination was 0.148 ( p  = 0.017)., Conclusions: Respiratory muscle strength and dynamic balance were related to walking speed in older people requiring long-term care or support., Competing Interests: The authors declare there are no competing interests., (©2023 Jiroumaru et al.)

[Purpose] We compared differences in the association between respiratory muscle strength and static and dynamic balance in sarcopenia and non-sarcopenia groups, for fall risk assessment. [Participants and Methods] The study included 37 participants aged ≥65 years, who were certified to receive long-term care. Inspiratory and expiratory muscle strength, hand grip strength, Timed Up and Go Test scores, and one-leg standing task scores were recorded. Pearson's correlation coefficients and multiple regression analysis were used for data analysis. [Results] Only the expiratory muscle and hand grip strength were correlated in the sarcopenia group. Expiratory and inspiratory muscle strength was correlated with both one-leg standing task scores and hand grip strength, and inspiratory muscle strength was correlated with the Timed Up and Go Test scores in the non-sarcopenia group. Multiple regression analysis revealed that expiratory muscle strength was an explanatory variable for the one-leg standing task and inspiratory muscle strength for the Timed Up and Go Test in the non-sarcopenia group. [Conclusion] Combined evaluation of expiratory muscle strength and the Timed Up and Go Test scores may be useful to assess the fall risk., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest to declare., (2023©by the Society of Physical Therapy Science. Published by IPEC Inc.)

Purpose: To evaluate the feasibility of an empirical mathematical model (EMM) to fit dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI) data of hand and wrist synovitis and whether parameters of EMM are significantly correlated with clinical disease activity in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA)., Methods: Thirty-one consecutive patients with RA prospectively underwent Institutional Review Board (IRB)-approved DCE-MRI scans with temporal resolution of 20 s using a 1.5T system. ROIs were placed where the highest signal increase was observed and the kinetic curves were analyzed using an EMM: ΔS(t) = A(1 - e -α t ) e -βt , where ΔS is relative enhancement, t is time from when the signal increase was first observed, starting from baseline (ΔS = 0), A is the upper limit of signal intensity, α (s -1 ) is the rate of signal increase, and β (s -1 ) is the rate of signal decrease during washout. The initial slope of the kinetic curve (Aα), the initial area under the curve (AUC30), the time at which the kinetic curve reached its peak (T peak ) and the signal enhancement ratio (SER) defined as the change in signal intensity between the initial and delayed time points (t = 60 and 300 s, respectively) were calculated. RA magnetic resonance imaging scores (RAMRIS) with and without contrast media were evaluated. These parameters or scores were compared with the Disease Activity Score (DAS) 28-erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR)., Results: A showed a significant correlation with DAS28-ESR (r = 0.58; P = 0.0005). β, AUC30 and T peak were also significantly correlated with DAS28-ESR with a lesser degree (r = 0.49; P = 0.0051, r = 0.50; P = 0.0038 and r = -0.51; P = 0.0028, respectively), whereas α, Aα, SER and RAMRIS were not., Conclusion: EMM could fit the DCE-MRI data of hand and wrist synovitis. AUC30 obtained from the uptake phase of the kinetic curve as well as A, β and T peak obtained throughout the kinetic curve might be effective to predict the clinical disease activity.

The objective was to prepare guidelines to perform the current optimum treatment by organizing effective and efficient treatments of hemangiomas and vascular malformations, confirming the safety and systematizing treatment, employing evidence-based medicine techniques and aimed at improvement of the outcomes. Clinical questions (CQ) were decided based on the important clinical issues. For document retrieval, key words for published work searches were set for each CQ, and work published from 1980 to the end of September 2014 was searched in PubMed, Cochrane Library and Japana Centra Revuo Medicina databases. The strengths of evidence and recommendations acquired by systematic reviews were determined following the Medical Information Network Distribution System technique. A total of 33 CQ were used to compile recommendations and the subjects included efficacy of resection, sclerotherapy/embolization, drug therapy, laser therapy, radiotherapy and other conservative treatment, differences in appropriate treatment due to the location of lesions and among symptoms, appropriate timing of treatment and tests, and pathological diagnosis deciding the diagnosis. Thus, the Japanese Clinical Practice Guidelines for Vascular Anomalies 2017 have been prepared as the evidence-based guidelines for the management of vascular anomalies., (This article has been co-published with the permission of The Journal of Dermatology, Pediatrics International and Japanese Journal of Radiology. All rights reserved. © 2020 The Authors. The articles are identical except for minor stylistic and spelling differences in keeping with each journal’s style. Either citation can be used when citing this article.)

Purpose To determine the degree of preoperative fatty degeneration within muscles, postoperative longitudinal changes in fatty degeneration, and differences in fatty degeneration between patients with full-thickness supraspinatus tears who do and those who do not experience a retear after surgery. Materials and Methods This prospective study had institutional review board approval and was conducted in accordance with the Committee for Human Research. Informed consent was obtained. Fifty patients with full-thickness supraspinatus tears (18 men, 32 women; mean age, 67.0 years ± 8.0; age range, 41-91 years) were recruited. The degrees of preoperative and postoperative fatty degeneration were quantified by using a two-point Dixon magnetic resonance (MR) imaging sequence; two radiologists measured the mean signal intensity on in-phase [S(In)] and fat [S(Fat)] images. Estimates of fatty degeneration were calculated with "fat fraction" values by using the formula S(Fat)/S(In) within the supraspinatus, infraspinatus, and subscapularis muscles at baseline preoperative and at postoperative 1-year follow-up MR imaging. Preoperative fat fractions in the failed-repair group and the intact-repair group were compared by using the Mann-Whitney U test. Results The preoperative fat fractions in the supraspinatus muscle were significantly higher in the failed-repair group than in the intact-repair group (37.0% vs 19.5%, P < .001). Fatty degeneration of the supraspinatus muscle tended to progress at 1 year postoperatively in only the failed-repair group. Conclusion MR imaging quantification of preoperative fat fractions by using a two-point Dixon sequence within the rotator cuff muscles may be a viable method for predicting postoperative retear. (©) RSNA, 2016.

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to evaluate magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings of the shoulder and hip joint in patients with polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR)., Methods: MR images of a total of 25 PMR patients (23 shoulders and 6 hips), 43 rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients (22 shoulders and 22 hips), and 50 control patients (25 shoulders and 25 hips) were examined. The following MRI findings were evaluated: In the shoulder, thickness and abnormalities of the supraspinatus tendon, effusion around the glenohumeral joint, subacromial-subdeltoid bursa, and the biceps tendon; In the hip, effusion around the acetabulofemoral joint, iliopsoas bursa, and trochanteric bursa. Periarticular soft-tissue edema and bone findings were also analyzed., Results: The supraspinatus tendon was significantly thicker in PMR patients than in RA patients and control patients (p < 0.05). Severe rotator cuff tendinopathy was frequently observed in PMR patients (p = 0.002). The scores for the amount of effusions (joint, bursa, and tendon sheath in the shoulder and bursa in the hip) were much higher in PMR patients (p < 0.05). Periarticular soft tissue edema was detected more frequently in PMR patients than in RA patients and control patients (p < 0.05)., Conclusions: Thick supraspinatus tendon, severe rotator cuff tendinopathy, effusion around the joints, and periarticular soft tissue edema can be good indicators for the diagnosis of PMR.

The biochemical properties of carotenoids from 2 species of freshwater bivalve, namely, Unio douglasiae nipponensis and Anodonta lauta, and 2 species of freshwater snail, namely, Cipangopaludina chinensis laeta and Semisulcospira libertina, were investigated. Diatoxanthin and fucoxanthin were identified as major carotenoids in both bivalves. In contrast, lutein and zeaxanthin were found to be the major carotenoids in C. chinensis laeta. In addition, a series of keto carotenoids was also identified in S. libertina.