Uninterrupted recordings of grip strength were measured in the male and female physical education students, university sports club members, middle-aged physical laborers and clerks, and young weight-lifters. The results were as follows ;
1) In the rate of supporting of uninterrupted measurements of grip strength, recordings among the males were greater than females. But, there were no differences between the recordings in the rate of supporting at morning and at evening.
2) In the university sports club members, the rate of supporting of Basketball club members were the most, Judo, the medium, Volleyball, Tennis, and others, the least.
3) Among the middle-aged subjects, the rate of supporting of uninterrupted measurements of grip strength indicate high in physical laborers and low in the clerks.
4) The rate of supporting of uninterrupted measurements of grip strength in youngweight-lifters was smaller than in well trained weight-lifters.
5) By the comparison between right and left recordings in the rate of supporting of uninterrupted measurements of grip strength, certain tendencies were observed in some sports, but, not greater than differences among some sports. Certain individual, however, indicate great differences between right and left recordings.
6) No significant correlations between maximum grip strength and rate of supporting of uninterrupted measurements were observed.

Before and after the physical fitness tests included 1000 meter endurable walking, aged males and females more than 61 to 80 years old were tested on the blood pressure, heart rate and blood components. The results were as follows.
1) The systolic and diastolic blood pressure were not varied so distinctly.
2) Heart rates were increased in all groups.
3) Serum cholesterol, GOT and GPT were not influenced.
4) Fatty acid, especially unsaturated one, was increased remarkably.
5) Fatty acid increasing observed on excellent performer of the endurable walking was higher than that of poor performer.
6) Increasing ratio of the fatty acid which was found on the subjects with abnormal ECG was higher than that of the subjects with normal ECG.
As above mentioned facts, the test of serum fatty acid seemed very important item to the aged people from the view point of security of the exercise.

The purpose of this study was to develop the "Itamikei", a small machine which records the subjective level of pain between 0-10. In addition to testing it's ease of operation and usefulness in the clinical practice environment. The "Itamikei" is 23 cm x 6 cm x 2 cm. It weighs 160 grams. It has 11 buttons, relating to the 0-10 Numeric Rating Scale (NRS). Each time a button is pushed the level of pain is recorded, along with the time and date. Later, this data can be transferred to computer displayed graphically showing the patient's subjective level of pain. This research was a case study for using the "Itamikei". One in-patient at the university hospital who had cancer pain was asked to use the "Itamikei" for 14 days. A graph was printed out and given to both the patient and the medical staff.
The results suggest the following:
1. Using the 0-10 NRS the patient could easily express her level of pain.
2. Because the "Itamikei" was easy to operate, the patient found no difficulty in entering her level of pain.
3. In graph form the daily transition in pain levels can be easily analyzed, and a program for managing pain can be prepare.

Objective: The Pain Level Memory Device (PLMD) is an instrument which patients can use to record their subjective level of pain. The usefulness of the PLMD on both medical staffs in managing cancer pain and the independence of patients were examined in this study. Method: Ten participants, inpatients at Nagoya University Hospital prescribed opioid drugs for cancer pain, were selected and asked to input any change in their pain level into the PLMD for a 14 day period between February and April 2005. A graph of the resulting data was printed and given to both the patient and medical staffs. And a questionnaire evaluating their experience with the PLMD was developed and administered to both. Relationships between the frequency of use of the PLMD and item-scores on the questionnaire were investigated. Results: The median number of inputs into the PLMD was 4.5 (range: 0.5-11) per day. High usage of the PLMD and each high score for the questionnaire items "The PLMD helped assessment of pain (p<.05)" and "The patients satisfaction with pain control improved (p<.05)" were strongly correlated. Spearman's rank correlation coefficient showed a relationship between the median number of inputs and the questionnaire items, "I used the PLMD whenever I intended to (r=.80, p<.01)", ""I saw graphs (r=.78, p<.01)", "I discussed graphs with my doctor (r=.70, p<.05)", "I felt that I participated in my pain management (r=.82, p<.01)", and "I would recommend the PLMD to other patients (r=.80, p<.01)". Conclusion: These results suggested that the PLMD could assist medical staff in the control of cancer pain and support the independence of patients.

The present study was performed to investigate the effects of 120 km walking, 40 km a day for 3 successive days on the condition that taking rest and foods freely, upon physical functions for healthy male and female subjects. All measurements were enforced at postabsorptive state early in the morning for the 10 successive days including the days of walking. Blood pressure, heart rate, and body weight were measured every morning. Blood samplings enforced, too. Urine collections were enforced from first day to 7 th day. The results obtained were as follows;
1) There were no changes in heart rate, blood pressure, and body weight, which were measured early in the morning, before and after 120 km walking.
2) Serum GOT and GPT activities had little changes, while serum LDH, α-HBDH, and CK activities increased gradually after walking.
3) Serum CK-MB activities, which indicate myocardial injury, increased after walking, on the contrary CK-MB/CK ratio decreased. It was suggested that effects of 120km walking to myocardium were rather than slight ones.
4) In spite of the same sorce in which serum CK-MB and LDH-1 were resulted, both did'nt exhibit same patterns in serum.
5) Serum lipids decreased gradually after walking.
6) Urinary excretion of creatinine and uric acid increased after 120km walking especially.
7) If it is allowed to take sufficient foods and rest, 120km walking, 40km a day for 3 successive days, would not result in such a physical stress over the following days.

The present study was performed to investigate the effect of long distance walking upon physical functions for healthy male subjects. The first experiment was carried out in 1977, the second, in 1978, and the third, in 1979 in each autum season. At the first experiment, subjects began walking upon having breakfast, then ate and drank noting during first 30km, and took some foods during another 26km. Twelve hours and fifty minutes of time was spent for 56km walking including 15, 60, and 30 minutes rest periods in between. In the second experiment, subjects ate nothing after dinner of the previous evening and 35km walking took 6 hours during which some rest periods were taken for blood sampling. The third was 80km walking for two days. Subjects walked 40km in 8 hours in the first day and on the following day they walked 40km in ten hours and twenty minutes. They took foods and rest freely.
From the view points of the changes in blood and urinary recordings obtained from those three experiments, the influences of long distance walking on the body indicate as follows ;
1) In case of long distance walking while nothing to eat and drink, the rate of serum saturated fatty acids composition decreased and unsaturated fatty acids increased.
2) In a fasting state, blood glucose gradually decreased, LDH activity increased and blood lactate, GOT and GPT activity presented no significant changes on long distance walking.
3) It was shown that the longer distance to walk, the lesser tendency in blood triglyceride even though subjects take a carbohydrate rich diet while walking.
4) In fasting state, less than 35km walking without foods, the stress to the body seemed not to be critical.
5) More than 40km walking in a day, even though taking meals, would result a significantly severe stress for body.
6) As long as usual meals are taken, 80km walking for two days continuously, 40km in each day, would not result in such a physical stress over the following days.

Medical students at Kurume University begin practical training in clinical skills in their fourth year. At that time, students use the skills laboratory to improve their clinical skills. Medical education resources in the skills laboratory include simulators for emergency resuscitation and heart diseases, wireless stethoscopes, and videotapes. All students use the skills laboratory for 2 months, and its usefulness was evaluated with questionnaires after practical training. More than 50 % of students approved of their practice in the skills laboratory. However, some students were unsatisfied because they were unable to make effective use of the simulators. In the future, an improved skills laboratory will be necessary to improve practical training in the clinical skills for medical students.

We analyzed the scores of objective structured clinical examinations (OSCEs) and written examinations administered to fourth-year medical students after practical training in clinical skills and to fifth-year medical students after clinical training and scores of graduation examinations taken by sixth-year medical students. Correlations were analyzed among the scores of 96 students who had taken all 3 examinations during a 3-year period. Mean scores on examinations in the fourth, fifth, and sixth years were compared between sixth-year students who did or did not graduate and between graduating students who did or did not pass the national examination for medical practitioners in Japan. Significant correlations in the scores were found between 1) OSCEs and written examinations for fourth-year students versus those for the fifth-year students; 2) OSCE and written examinations for fourth-year students versus graduation examination scores for the sixth-year students; and 3) OSCE and written examinations for fifth-year students versus graduation examination scores for sixth-year students. In addition, the mean scores in the fourth and fifth years were significantly higher for sixth-year students who graduated and passed the national examination than for students who did not graduate or who graduated but failed the national examination. These results suggest that the practical training in clinical skills given to fourth-year students and the clinical training given to fifth-year students strongly affect the overall evaluation of the ability of sixth-year students and success on the national examination.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of magnetic resonance (MR) imaging in differentiating between cutaneous basal cell carcinoma (cBCC) and cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) in the head and neck region.MATERIALS AND METHODS: Among patients with cutaneous head and neck cancers, 14 with primary cBCCs and 15 with primary cSCCs with a histologic tumor height of ≥ 4 mm underwent MR examinations; the findings were then examined for correlations.RESULTS: cBCCs (71%) occurred more frequently on the nose than cSCCs (13%) (p < 0.01). The maximum diameter (23.5 ± 7.2 mm vs. 12.7 ± 4.5 mm; p < 0.01) and diameter-to-height ratio (2.8 ± 0.9 vs. 1.7 ± 0.4; p < 0.01) were significantly greater in cSCCs than in cBCCs. Superficial ulcer formation (67% vs. 21%; p < 0.05), protrusion into the subcutaneous tissue (60% vs. 21%; p < 0.05), ill-demarcated deep tumor margins (60% vs. 7%; p < 0.01), and peritumoral fat stranding (93% vs. 7%; p < 0.01) were more frequently observed in cSCCs than in cBCCs. Intratumoral T2-hyperintense foci (57% vs. 13%; p < 0.05) were more frequently observed in cBCCs than in cSCCs.CONCLUSION: cBCCs predominantly occurred on the nose with intratumoral T2-hyperintense foci, whereas cSCCs predominantly exhibited a flattened configuration, superficial ulcer formation, protrusion into the subcutaneous tissue, ill-demarcated deep tumor margin, and peritumoral fat stranding.
Carcinoma, Basal Cell ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; Epithelial Cells ; Head ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Neck ; Nose ; Skin Neoplasms ; Subcutaneous Tissue ; Ulcer