Influence of Years of Experience on Clinical Competence of Novice Physical and Occupational Therapists in Japan

Purpose: To increase the clinical competence of novice physical and occupational therapists, an accurate assessment of their clinical competence is necessary. However, no previous study has objectively analyzed the changes in novice therapists’ clinical competence in Japan. Hence, this study investigated and evaluated the changes in the clinical competence of such therapists using an objective analysis. Method: The study included 34 novice therapists with 1–3 years of experience in clinical practice. Participants were divided into groups according to their years of experience. The clinical competence of the novice therapists was evaluated twice using a clinical competency evaluation scale. For comparison among the 3 groups, the scores of the first evaluation were used. For comparison within each experience-year, the scores from both evaluations were used. Results: A comparison of the 3 groups showed that therapists with 3 years of clinical experience had significantly higher clinical competence than therapists with 1 year of clinical experience. Between the first and second evaluations, all therapists with 1 year of clinical experience demonstrated increased scores, whereas scores decreased by approximately 50% for therapists with 2–3 years of clinical experience. Conclusion: These findings suggest that it is necessary to increase educational opportunities for therapists with 2−3 years of clinical experience and re-examine the content of their education and training

Evaluation of the relationship between joint torque and angular velocity using a modified leg extension machine

OBJECTIVE: When performing knee extension using a leg extension machine, the lower limb is pushed back in the direction in which knee flexion occurs in response to the freefall of the weight after maximal knee extension. Therefore, eccentric contractions of the knee extensors are needed, which may lead to cumulative fatigue of the extensors, consequently reducing the reliability of the knee extensor torque values. This study aimed to determine the relationship between joint torque and angular velocity in one repetition maximum (1RM) measurement for knee extension using a leg extension machine with and without a modification to prevent counter-rotation. METHODS: Twenty-one healthy adult men (mean age: 27.7±5.4 years) participated in the study. A leg extension machine was modified to prevent counter-rotation due to the freefall of weights. The subjects performed knee extension using the modified leg extension machine, and the joint torque and angular velocity were calculated using two-dimensional analysis. A regression equation between these two factors was created to estimate the maximal isometric torque. RESULTS: Both the joint torque and angular velocity tended to increase after modification of the leg extension machine, although these differences were not significant. Similarly, there were no significant post-modification changes in the estimated maximal isometric torque. CONCLUSIONS: Our results showed that the joint torque, angular velocity, and estimated maximal isometric torque remained unchanged after machine modification; thus, the modified leg extension machine may make it possible to produce the knee extensor torque more safely in 1RM measurement

NEAT1 is Required for the Expression of the Liver Cancer Stem Cell Marker CD44

CD44, a cancer stem cell (CSC) marker, is required for maintaining CSC properties in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Nuclear enriched abundant transcript 1 (NEAT1), a long noncoding RNA (lncRNA), is an oncogenic driver in HCC. In the present study, we investigated the significance of the NEAT1 gene in association with CD44 expression in liver CSCs of human HCC cell lines. The CSC properties were evaluated by spheroid culture, CSC marker expression, and sensitivity to anti-cancer drugs. The expression of both NEAT1 variant 1 (NEAT1v1) and variant 2 (NEAT1v2) as well as CD44 was significantly increased in the spheroid culture, compared with that in monolayer culture. Overexpression of Neat1v1, but not Neat1v2, enhanced the CSC properties, while knockout of the NEAT1 gene suppressed them. CD44 expression was increased by the overexpression of Neat1v1 and abrogated by NEAT1 knockout. The overexpression of NEAT1v1 restored the CSC properties and CD44 expression in NEAT1-knockout cells. NEAT1v1 expression in HCC tissues was correlated with poor prognosis and CD44 expression. These results suggest that NEAT1v1 is required for CD44 expression. To our surprise, NEAT1v1 also restored the CSC properties even in CD44-deficient cells, suggesting that NEAT1v1 maintains the properties of CSCs in a CD44-independent manner

Trends in Head and Neck Cancer Mortality from 1999 to 2019 in Japan : An Observational Analysis

The number of cases of head and neck cancer (HNC) and related deaths has recently increased worldwide. To the best of our knowledge, few studies have examined crude or age-adjusted HNC mortality rates in Japan. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the trends in crude and age-adjusted mortality rates for HNC per million individuals in Japan from 1999 to 2019. In Japan, the number of HNC-related deaths increased 1.48-fold. Age-adjusted mortality rates for HNC were four times higher in men than in women, and the rates for both men and women decreased over the 21-year period. This study clarifies the changes in age-adjusted mortality rates of HNC in Japan over time and will aid in developing targeted screening and prevention programs for HNC.Globally, the numbers of head and neck cancer (HNC) cases and related deaths have recently increased. In Japan, few studies have examined crude or age-adjusted HNC mortality rates. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the trends in crude and age-adjusted mortality rates for HNC per million individuals in Japan from 1999 to 2019. Data on HNC-associated deaths were extracted from the national death certificate database using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (n = 156,742). HNC mortality trends were analysed using joinpoint regression models to estimate annual percentage change (APC) and average APC (AAPC). Among men, no significant change was observed in the age-adjusted death rate trend from 1999 to 2014; however, a marked decrease was observed from 2014 to 2019. No changing point was observed in women. Age-adjusted mortality rates continuously decreased over the 21-year period, with an AAPC of −0.7% in men and −0.6% in women. In conclusion, the overall trend in age-adjusted rates of HNC-associated deaths decreased, particularly among men, in the past 5 years. These results will contribute to the formulation of medical policies to develop targeted screening and prevention programmes for HNC in Japan and determine the direction of treatment strategies

Identification of prophylactic drugs for oxaliplatin-induced peripheral neuropathy using big data

Background: Drug repositioning is a cost-effective method to identify novel disease indications for approved drugs; it requires a shorter developmental period than conventional drug discovery methods. We aimed to identify prophylactic drugs for oxaliplatin-induced peripheral neuropathy by drug repositioning using data from large-scale medical information and life science information databases. Methods: Herein, we analyzed the reported data between 2007 and 2017 retrieved from the FDA’s database of spontaneous adverse event reports (FAERS) and the LINCS database provided by the National Institute of Health. The efficacy of the drug candidates for oxaliplatin-induced peripheral neuropathy obtained from the database analysis was examined using a rat model of peripheral neuropathy. Additionally, we compared the incidence of peripheral neuropathy in patients who received oxaliplatin at the Tokushima University Hospital, Japan. The effects of statins on the animal model were examined in six-week-old male Sprague–Dawley rats and seven or eight-week-old male BALB/C mice. Retrospective medical chart review included clinical data from Tokushima University Hospital from April 2009 to March 2018. Results: Simvastatin, indicated for dyslipidemia, significantly reduced the severity of peripheral neuropathy and oxaliplatin-induced hyperalgesia. In the nerve tissue of model rats, the mRNA expression of Gstm1 increased with statin administration. A retrospective medical chart review using clinical data revealed that the incidence of peripheral neuropathy decreased with statin use. Conclusion and relevance: Thus, drug repositioning using data from large-scale basic and clinical databases enables the discovery of new indications for approved drugs with a high probability of success

Studies on Histological Grading of Malignancy of Carcinoma of The Uterine Cervix

Prognosis of carcinoma is variable and can not be predected from the initial clinical finding. In some cases it recovers permanently while in others it has recurrence, although the clinical findings themselves are quite the same at the beginning of the treatment. In some cases it prognosis rapidly to death in a very short period of time while in others it takes rather a mild course. Thus it is likely that there is a difference in degree of malignancy of carcinoma of the cervix. Regarding the histological grading of malignancy of cervical carcinoma much has been written up to the present, but it is not clear whether or not this grading will correspond with clinical prognosis. Under such circumstances it is note worthy that professor IMAI of the Department of Patholology, University of Kyushu, suggested a new classification of carcinoma in 1949. The present paper deals with the results of the studies on malignancy of carcinoma of the cevix carried out on the basis of that classifcation

Effects of online frame-of-reference training on assessment accuracy in the objective structured clinical examination for physical therapy students

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