Gait and posture assessments of a patient treated with deep brain stimulation in dystonia using three-dimensional motion analysis systems

Kinesiologic analysis of gait disorders, postural instabilities and abnormal movements is quite difficult to assess objectively by clinical observation, such as by specific scale and video recordings. In this study, we reported one of the aspects of the usefulness of three-dimensional motion analysis (Vicon Systems, Oxford, United Kingdom), which can measure inclusive data of movement disorders and substitute for conventional assessments. A 49-year-old man who had various dystonic symptoms, mainly on his left side of the body, responded well to deep brain stimulation (DBS). The examination quantified how the involuntary movements or other symptoms with dystonia changed before and after treatments

Sprout initiation and growth for three years after cutting in an abandoned secondary forest in Kyoto, Japan

Secondary forests in Japan have been abandoned and the ecosystem has degraded since the high economic growth period. We carried out cutting in January in three small areas of a long-abandoned secondary forest and investigated the sprout initiation and growth of woody plants for three years in order to reveal the early stage of sprout regeneration and to understand the sprouting ability and characteristics of each species for effective management. The percentage of sprouted stumps and the number of sprouting shoots was substantially maximized in autumn in the first year. These results suggest that autumn monitoring in the first year after cutting shows the maximum percentage of sprouted stumps and the maximum sprout number when cutting was conducted in the dormant season. With regards to species characteristics, Eurya japonica showed a low percentage of sprouted stumps in the lower plot, where the mean diameter at breast height for this species was smaller than in the other plots. The sprouting ability of E. japonica was deemed to be influenced by parent tree size. Ilex pedunculosa and Lyonia ovalifolia var. elliptica had high percentages of sprouted stumps and many sprouts. These species are useful for obtaining sprouting shoots (e.g., for firewood), but it is difficult to control their sprouting

Application of T-RFLP Analysis for Bacterial Community Structure of Colonies Grown on Agar Plates

As a prompt and efficient method for analysis of community structure of bacterial colonies grown on agar plants, we investigated the application of terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) analysis. To deduce the community structure of colonies grown on agar olants, analysis of a number of colonies is necessary. In this analytical method, many colonies were collectively subjected to T-RFLP analysis to estimate the community structure of colonies. To analyze dominant bacterial soecies in test soils, 100 colonies were sufficient. Using this analytical method, we investigated the influence of planting method for colony count (pour-plate method vs. spread-plate method) on the constitution of bacterial species grown on the medium. Difference in plamting method did not markedly change the bacterial species grown, but it did affect the constitution ratio of some bacterial species

Virological, Serological, and Clinical Features of an Outbreak of Acute Gastroenteritis Due to Recombinant Genogroup II Norovirus in an Infant Home

Norovirus (NV) is an important cause of acute nonbacterial gastroenteritis worldwide. Recently, several sporadic cases due to naturally occurring recombinant NVs have been reported. In January 2000, there was an outbreak of gastroenteritis in an infant home in Sapporo, Japan. Of 34 residents of the home that were less than 2 years old, 23 developed gastrointestinal symptoms and NV infection was confirmed by conventional reverse transcription-PCR to detect the RNA polymerase region of genogroup II NV. In this virus, the RNA polymerase region shared 86% nucleotide identity with Hawaii virus but only 77% with Mexico virus; however, its capsid region shared only 70% identity with Hawaii virus but 90% with Mexico virus. On the other hand, both regions shared a higher 96% nucleotide identity with Arg320 virus, which was found in Mendoza, Argentina, in 1995 and considered to be a recombinant of Hawaii and Mexico viruses. The findings indicate that the virus involved in the outbreak was similar and may have evolved from the Arg320 virus. Clinically the cases were more severe than those of previously reported sporadic or outbreak cases of NV infection

Direct Analysis of Thermophilic Bacteria in Sewage Sludge Compost

To analyze metabolically active thermophilic bacteria, a high-temperature direct viable count (HT-DVC) method was developed and applied to sewage sludge compost made by a hyperthermal composting method. When the HT-DVC method was conducted at 60 ℃ and 80 ℃, maximum numbers of 23.3×108 and 2.62×108 cells/(g of dry sample) of elongated cells (length >4 μm), respectively, were detected. These results indicate that the HT-DVC method can be used to enumerate even metabolically active extreme thermophiles. Strain TH, a Gram-negative, spore-forming, and extremely thermophilic bacterium, which showed growth at 55-78 ℃, was isolated from the sewage sludge compost. Strain TH is closely related to Caldaterra satsumae YMO81. The HT-DVC method could detect strain TH inoculated into sewage sludge compost with autoclaving, but could not selectively detect the strain inoculated into the compost without autoclaving

Role of Ca Resistance in Competitive Survival of Fluorescent Pseudomonads in Soil with High Salinity

The Ca[2+] strain HR2-6 of Pseudomonas putida was isolated from spinach root grown in greenhouse in high salinity soil. Since Ca ohten accumulates in greenhouse soils in Japan due to many years of Ca applications, the role of Ca[2+] resistance in the survival of the strain was investigated. To conduct the investigation, Ca[2+] -sensitive mutants were obtained with UV-irradiation. The Ca[2+], but woth 150mM and 200mM Ca[2+] added, the growth of the Ca[2+] -sensitive mutants were 7-and 56-fold lower than that of the wild type. In sterile spinach-greenhouse soil (a non-competitive environment), populations of the Ca[2+] -sensitive mutant and wild-type strain were similar, but in nonsterile greenhouse soil (a competitive environment), populations of the Ca[2+] -sensitive mutant were 112-fold lower than the wild type after 50days. These data suggest that Ca[2+] resistance can be an important factor in the survival of P. putida in soil that has an accumulation of Ca

Economic burden of the persistent morbidity of nodding syndrome on caregivers in affected households in Northern Uganda

Background Nodding syndrome (NS), is an unexplained form of epilepsy which leads to stunted growth, cognitive decline, and a characteristic nodding of the head. Current data about its impact on households in Uganda is scarce. Therefore, this study aims to assess the economic burden of the persistent morbidity of NS on caregivers in affected households in Northern Uganda. Methods A cross-sectional cost-of-care study was conducted from January 2019 to February 2019 in Lakwela village-Northern Uganda in 14 households, who are members of a community-based organization(CBO)established in the village with the support of a Japanese research team, (Uganda-Japan Nodding Syndrome Network).Data was collected through questionnaires. Both direct (medical and non-medical) and indirect (informal care) costs of caregiving were assessed. Indirect costs were valued using the human-capital method as loss of production. Results Direct costs constituted a higher proportion of costs for NS households, accounting for on average 7.7% of household expenditure. The annual weighted mean cost per NS patient was estimated at 27.6 USD (26.4 USD direct costs, 96.2% and 1.2 USD indirect cost, 3.8%). Average time spent on informal caregiving was 4.4 ±1.7 (standard deviation) hours/ week with an estimated annual informal caregiving cost of 24.85 USD and gross domestic product (GDP) loss of 412.40 USD. Conclusion Direct costs due to NS are still high among households in this study. More studies are needed to investigate measures that could help bring down these costs and equally reduce the day-to-day disruption of caregiver’s activities; consequently, improving the lives of these affected households and communities