Objective : To study the effect of repetitive facilitation exercises (RFE) on motor functional recovery in stroke patients with hemiplegia. Subjects and Methods : Fifty-two stroke patients in the recovery stage were divided randomly to receive RFE (RFE group) or conventional therapy (CT group) for 17 weeks. Motor functional recovery and activities of daily living (ADL) were evaluated using Ueda's motor paresis grading system and functional independence measure (FIM), respectively. ADL evaluations were done blindly. Results : The baseline characteristics of the RFE and CT groups did not significantly differ. After the intervention, the RFE group showed not significantly larger improvements than the CT group in Ueda's grades for the upper limb, hand, and lower limb. But isolated joint movement from synergy was observed more frequently in the RFE group than in the CT group (p<0.05). Furthermore, improvement in FIM in the RFE group was greater than that in the CT group, especially in both the total and motor FIM of subjects who underwent lower limb RFE (p<0.05), and in the subscore for self-care in subjects receiving RFE to their fingers (p=0.075). Conclusion : There is a possibility that RFE might promote the functional recovery of the hemiplegic upper limb, hand, and lower limb to a greater extent than CT.

We examined the effect of the liaison critical pathway for stroke among the inpatients in an acute hospital (AH) from 2007 to 2008. The average length of hospital stay in the AH was reduced by 5.7 days compared with 2006 by means of the critical pathway. Among 155 patients who had been transferred from the AH to a convalescent rehabilitation ward (CRW), 148 were discharged from the CRW. Ninety-seven patients returned home and 44 patients were transferred from the CRW to a nursing home type unit or an institution. One patient died in the CRW, six were returned to the AH. From among the clinical factors, that included sex, age, modified Rankin Scale (mRS), total, motor and cognitive scores of Functional independence measure (FIM) at discharge from the AH, total FIM scores and FIM gain at discharge from the CRW, mRS at discharge from the AH and total FIM scores at discharge from the CRW exerted an influence on outcome. Patients living with their spouses and / or children before the onset of stroke were more inclined to return home.

[Follow-up studies were made of 35 patient who underwent laminoplasty for cervical spondylotic myelopathy for 22 monthoon averages]
The conditions of 35 patients were observed consecutively after laminoplasty.
The mean JOA scores were improved from 8.7 to 12.5. Postoperative JOA scores correlated with preoperarive JOA scores (r=0.60, p<0.01) and ages at the time of the operation (r=-0.45, p<0.01). The period from the onset of the disease to the operation and the vertebral canal diameters didnot [No significant correlation who found between- and-] influence the operative results of the operation.

The aim of this study was to clarify the worldwide residual levels of organochloride compounds, such as BHC and DDT, which were reportedly concentrated in animal tissues by biological food chains. As a part of the investigation of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs), we had a chance to measure the level of these compounds in Hungarian canned foods.Seven kinds of canned foods were purchased at a market in Budapest, Hungary, and the concentrations of eighteen organochloride compounds (α-BHC; β-BHC; γ-BHC; δ-BHC; p,p'-DDT; p,p'-DDE; p,p'-DDD; o,p'-DDT; heptachlor; heptachlor-epoxide; aldrin; dieldrin; endrin; oxychlordane; trans-chlordane; cischlordane; trans-nonachlor; and cis-nonachlor) were measured.Other than DDT and its metabolites, none of the EDCs were detected (levels <0.4 ppb). DDT and its metabolites, however, were detected in fish, meat and chicken liver pate. One of the DDT metabolites was detected quite frequently: p,p'-DDE was detected at a level of 1.8 ppb in fish soup concentrate, 2.3 ppb in Hungarian luncheon meat, 0.5 ppb in special luncheon meat, and 0.6 ppb in chicken liver pate.Of eighteen organochloride compounds examined, only DDT and its metabolites were detected in fish, animal meat, and animal liver. It is suggested that the DDT contamination in fish and meat is worldwide even after the ban of its use.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Left-sided diverticulitis is increasing in Japan, and many studies report that left-sided diverticulitis is more likely to be severe. Therefore, it is important to identify the features and risk factors for left-sided diverticulitis. We hypothesized that left-sided diverticulitis in Japan is related to obesity and conducted a study of the features and risk factors for this disorder in Japan. METHODS: Right-sided diverticulitis and left-sided diverticulitis patients (total of 215) were compared with respect to background, particularly obesity-related factors to identify risk factors for diverticulitis. RESULTS: There were 166 (77.2%) right-sided diverticulitis patients and 49 (22.8%) left-sided diverticulitis patients. The proportions of obese patients (body mass index > or =25 kg/m2, p=0.0349), viscerally obese patients (visceral fat area > or =100 cm2, p=0.0019), patients of mean age (p=0.0003), and elderly patients (age > or =65 years, p=0.0177) were significantly higher in the left-sided-diverticulitis group than in the right-sided-diverticulitis group. The proportion of viscerally obese patients was significantly higher in the left-sided-diverticulitis group than in the left-sided-diverticulosis group (p=0.0390). CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that obesity, particularly visceral obesity, was a risk factor for left-sided diverticulitis in Japan.
Aged ; Diverticulitis ; Humans ; Japan ; Obesity ; Obesity, Abdominal ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors