RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE SHEAR ELASTIC MODULUS AND PASSIVE FORCE IN POSTERIOR SHOULDER CAPSULES: A CADAVERIC STUDY

Although shear wave elastography (SWE) has been used to indirectly measure passive force in muscle tissues, it is unknown whether SWE can be utilized to evaluate passive force in capsule tissues. This study investigated the relationship between the shear elastic modulus and passive force in posterior shoulder capsules using SWE. Four middle and four inferior posterior shoulder capsules were dissected from four fresh-frozen cadavers. Passive force (0-400 g in 25-g increments) was applied to each capsule, and elasticity was measured simultaneously using SWE. The relationship between elasticity and passive capsule force was highly linear for all tested capsules (coefficients of determination range: 0.853-0.963). SWE is a valid and useful method of evaluating indirectly and noninvasively the passive force of the posterior shoulder capsules

Complementary and alternative medicine use by visitors to rural Japanese family medicine clinics: results from the international complementary and alternative medicine survey

Abstract Background There is growing interest in the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) throughout the world, however previous research done in Japan has focused primarily on CAM use in major cities. The purpose of this study was to develop and distribute a Japanese version of the International Complementary and Alternative Medicine Questionnaire (I-CAM-Q) to assess the use of CAM among people who visit rural Japanese family medicine clinics. Methods Using a Japanese version of the International Complementary and Alternative Medicine Questionnaire (I-CAM-Q), a cross-sectional survey was conducted in three rural family medicine clinics. All patients and those accompanying patients who met inclusion criteria were eligible to participate. Data were entered into SPSS Statistics and analyzed for use by age, gender, and location. Results Of the 519 respondents who participated in the project, 415 participants reported CAM use in the past 12 months (80.0%). When prayer is excluded, the prevalence of CAM use drops to 77.3% in the past year, or 403 respondents. The most common forms of CAM used by respondents were pain relief pads (n = 170, 32.8%), herbal medicines/supplements (n = 167, 32.2%), and massage by self or family (n = 166, 32.0%). Female respondents, individuals with higher levels of education, and those with poorer overall health status were more likely to use CAM than respondents without these characteristics. Only 22.8% of CAM therapies used were reported to physicians by survey participants. Conclusions These data indicate that CAM use in rural Japan is common. The results are consistent with previous studies that show that Japanese individuals are more interested in forms of CAM such as pain relief pads and massage, than in mind-body forms of CAM like relaxation and meditation. Due to the high utilization of certain CAM practices, and given that most CAM users do not disclose their CAM use to their doctors, we conclude that physicians in rural Japan would benefit by asking about CAM use during patient interviews, and by familiarizing themselves with the potential benefits and risks of commonly used CAM modalities.http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/109545/1/12906_2013_Article_1938.pd

LPS-CXCL10 Predicts Responses to Bortezomib in Myeloma Patients

To identify predictive biomarkers for clinical responses to bortezomib treatment, 0.06 mL of each whole blood without any cell separation procedures was stimulated ex vivo using five agents, and eight mRNAs were quantified. In six centers, heparinized peripheral blood was prospectively obtained from 80 previously treated or untreated, symptomatic multiple myeloma (MM) patients with measurable levels of M-proteins. The blood sample was procured prior to treatment as well as 2-3 days and 1-3 weeks after the first dose of bortezomib, which was intravenously administered biweekly or weekly, during the first cycle. Six stimulant-mRNA combinations; that is, lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), LPS-CXCL chemokine 10 (CXCL10), LPS-CCL chemokine 4 (CCL4), phytohemagglutinin-CCL4, zymosan A (ZA)-GMCSF and ZA-CCL4 showed significantly higher induction in the complete and very good partial response group than in the stable and progressive disease group, as determined by both parametric (t-test) and non-parametric (unpaired Mann-Whitney test) tests. Moreover, LPS-induced CXCL10 mRNA expression was significantly suppressed 2-3 days after the first dose of bortezomib in all patients, as determined by both parametric (t-test) and non-parametric (paired Wilcoxon test) tests, whereas the complete and very good partial response group showed sustained suppression 1-3 weeks after the first dose. Thus, pretreatment LPS-CXCL10 mRNA and/or the six combinations may serve as potential biomarkers for the response to bortezomib treatment in MM patients

The Gravitation of the Moon Plays Pivotal Roles in the Occurrence of the Acute Myocardial Infarction

Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is a social burden. However, being able to predict AMI could lead to prevention. A previous study showed only the relation between the lunar phase and the occurrence of AMI, but the period it takes for the moon to orbit around the earth and the period of the lunar phase differ. This study investigated the effect of the gravitation of the moon on AMI. Data was comprised of 1369 consecutive patients with first AMI at 5 hospitals from October, 1984 to December, 1997. The universal gravitation of the moon was calculated and compared to the earth onset time of AMI. Universal gravitation of the moon was derived by G*m/d2 (G: universal gravitation constant, m: the mass of the moon, d: the distance between the center of the moon and the center of the earth). The relationship between m/d2 and the cases of AMI was determined. There was an increase in cases, when there is a distance of more than 399864 km from the center of the earth to the center of the moon. The gravitation of more than 399864 km was determined to be weaker gravitation. It is confirmed that the number of AMI patients significantly increases at weaker gravitation periods in this multicenter trial. In conclusion, these results suggest that the gravitation of the moon may have an influence on the occurrence of AMI