Purpose: The aim of the present study was to make an ankle destabilization device and investigate the effect of exercise with this device on peroneal muscles.Methods: Seventeen healthy subjects were instructed to undergo step movement exercise with the lower extremity 150 times on the spot using the ankle destabilization device. Before and after stepping, the reaction time and mean frequency of the peroneus longus and the peroneus brevis muscles were compared. While stepping with the device, muscular activity of the peroneus longus and the peroneus brevis was compared under both stable and instable conditions.Result: The results showed that peroneal reaction time didn't change after stepping with the device; but the frequency of peroneal muscle activity increased after stepping. While stepping, muscular activity of the peroneal muscles increased in an instable condition.Conclusion: The results suggested that stepping exercise with the device could be beneficial for peroneal muscles.

In 2012, the external prescription rate was 66.1% of the national average. A dispensing doctor is recognized by the escape clauses of Article 22 of the Medical Law, Article 21 of the Dentist Medical Law, and Article 19 of the Pharmacists Act. In this study, the medicine inventories of dispensing doctors and pharmacies were compared. The medicine supplies of 7 dispensing doctors and 11 pharmacies in Saitama were classified according to the medicinal effects. We also investigated the conditions in which high-risk medicines, poisons, or drugs were stored. The average number of medicines in the medicine inventory of a dispensing doctor was 262.3 (range : 99, 439), whereas the average number of medicines in the medicine inventory of a pharmacy was 1179.7 (minimum, 275 ; maximum, 1980). Further, among these medicines, there were an average of 41.0 high-risk medicines (minimum, 18 ; maximum, 76) in the inventory of a dispensing doctor and an average of 176.7 high-risk medicines (minimum, 5 ; maximum, 299) in the inventory of a pharmacy. In addition, poisons (average, 0.3) and narcotics (average, 0.9) were found to be stored by dispensing doctors. The study results revealed that pharmacies as well as dispensing doctors stored high-risk medicines. The dispensing doctor may be indirectly associated with critical medical accidents to need cross-check by pharmacist exceedingly high-risk medicine. Thus, for patients to use medicines appropriately and for them to be reassured of the safety of medicines, only professionals such as pharmacists, rather than doctors, should dispense medicines.

To identify indications for acupuncture treatment, we examined certain evidence-based medicine (EBM) practices by acupuncture/moxibustion clinicians who are novices in this field and identified problems and solutions from the perspective of an acupuncture/moxibustion clinician.
We collected cases of lumbago, shoulder disorders and strokes from the literature, and critically assessed these reports. We also investigated Cochrane Library's acupuncture/moxibustion reviews and evaluated the quality of domestic studies using randomized controlled trials and controlled clinical trials (RCT/CCT). Simultaneously, one of the authors evaluated her own clinical reports in light of EBM.
As a result, acupuncture/moxibustion treatments showed promise for treating lumbago and shoulder disorders, but the higher the quality of studies, the lower the effect of treatment after stroke. According to research by the Cochrane Library (as of issue 1, 2003), the effects of acupuncture/moxibustion was measured only for cases of idiopathic headache but those for other disorders were measured more severely. In Japan, RCT started as early as the 1960 s, but the studies were sluggish and high quality studies were not produced until the late 1990 s.
We presented problems of RCT assessment score, the gap between RCT designs and actual clinical scenes, and the difficulty of masking at the bed-side. To contribute to the accumulation of more evidence-based data, it would be desirable for clinicians to acquire EBM methods, consider clinical problems and collaborate positively with investigators in the field.

This study aimed to examine the effects of an 8-week physical activity program, which mainly comprised home-based bench-stepping exercise training at the intensity of lactate threshold (LT), on mental health (MH), health-related quality of life (HRQOL), and physical fitness in Japanese returnees from China. Thirty Japanese returnees (63 ± 9 y) participated in the exercise program. Another six subjects were enrolled as the control group. The subjects performed 212 ± 57 min of training, and their daily step counts were increased. Aerobic capacity (LT: 4.5 ± 0.8 vs. 5.5 ± 1.1 METs), lower limb strength (30-s chair stand test [CS-30]: 19.1 ± 5.5 vs. 21.3 ± 5.1 times), and sit-and-reach flexibility (sitting-posture body anteflexion: 36.1 ± 9.4 vs. 39.0 ± 8.4 cm) were significantly increased after the intervention compared with before the intervention. Furthermore, MH, as assessed by the total score of the GHQ-28 (3.4 ± 4.4 vs. 0.3 ± 0.8 points), and the mental component score (MCS) of HRQOL, as evaluated by the SF-36v2 (55.1 ± 11.4 vs. 58.5 ± 10.0), were significantly changed in a positive manner. However, a two-way repeated measures ANOVA (group × period) showed significant interactions for LT and MCS (p<0.05), and a tendency for interactions of CS-30 (p=0.063) and the total score of the GHQ-28 (p=0.098). These results indicate that this bench-stepping exercise program could become a useful health support program for improving physical fitness, as well as MH and HRQOL, in Japanese returnees.

Object: A multicenter survey was conducted to investigate the status of use of supplements and related problems in patients with diabetes mellitus.
Methods: A questionnaire was mailed to institutions where members of the Drug Information Section, Tokyo Hospital Pharmacists Association, worked, and hospitalized patients with diabetes mellitus were surveyed with a questionnaire.
Results: The response rate of the questionnaire was 85%, and 22 patients reported taking supplements.  The most common motivation to purchase supplements was a recommendation from an acquaintance, followed by a recommendation from a family member and TV. Only 9.1% of the patients consulted healthcare professionals when purchasing supplements.  The patients who did not follow the dosage and administration instructions and those who were not aware of precautions regarding proper use accounted for 31.8% and 63.6%, respectively.  The proportion of patients who did not inform their physicians about the use of supplements was 65.2%, and 4.5% reported some health damage (rash).
Conclusion: Our results revealed that supplements were used without careful consideration and were not administered properly, suggesting that scientific evaluation of efficacy and safety was warranted in future studies.  It is important for pharmacists to actively collect information on patient use of supplements and share the information within the medical team.

We demonstrate an aberrant ramification pattern of the renal and testicular vessels. On both sides, the anterior and posterior renal veins emerged from the renal. On the right side, the anterior renal vein collected the right testicular vein and drained into the inferior vena cava, while the posterior one directly drained into the inferior vena cava. Two retrocaval testicular arteries originated from the aorta. On the left side, the perinephric vein drained from the abdominal wall and adrenal gland and joined the anterior renal vein. The anterior renal vein also collected the testicular, suprarenal, and inferior phrenic veins. The posterior one received the other testicular vein and the first three lumbar veins. These renal veins converged, passed anteriorly to the aorta, and drained into the inferior vena cava. Knowledge of the varied anatomy of these vessels will contribute to safe surgical approach to the kidneys.

We demonstrate an aberrant ramification pattern of the renal and testicular vessels. On both sides, the anterior and posterior renal veins emerged from the renal. On the right side, the anterior renal vein collected the right testicular vein and drained into the inferior vena cava, while the posterior one directly drained into the inferior vena cava. Two retrocaval testicular arteries originated from the aorta. On the left side, the perinephric vein drained from the abdominal wall and adrenal gland and joined the anterior renal vein. The anterior renal vein also collected the testicular, suprarenal, and inferior phrenic veins. The posterior one received the other testicular vein and the first three lumbar veins. These renal veins converged, passed anteriorly to the aorta, and drained into the inferior vena cava. Knowledge of the varied anatomy of these vessels will contribute to safe surgical approach to the kidneys.

We demonstrate an aberrant ramification pattern of the renal and testicular vessels. On both sides, the anterior and posterior renal veins emerged from the renal. On the right side, the anterior renal vein collected the right testicular vein and drained into the inferior vena cava, while the posterior one directly drained into the inferior vena cava. Two retrocaval testicular arteries originated from the aorta. On the left side, the perinephric vein drained from the abdominal wall and adrenal gland and joined the anterior renal vein. The anterior renal vein also collected the testicular, suprarenal, and inferior phrenic veins. The posterior one received the other testicular vein and the first three lumbar veins. These renal veins converged, passed anteriorly to the aorta, and drained into the inferior vena cava. Knowledge of the varied anatomy of these vessels will contribute to safe surgical approach to the kidneys.

We demonstrate an aberrant ramification pattern of the renal and testicular vessels. On both sides, the anterior and posterior renal veins emerged from the renal. On the right side, the anterior renal vein collected the right testicular vein and drained into the inferior vena cava, while the posterior one directly drained into the inferior vena cava. Two retrocaval testicular arteries originated from the aorta. On the left side, the perinephric vein drained from the abdominal wall and adrenal gland and joined the anterior renal vein. The anterior renal vein also collected the testicular, suprarenal, and inferior phrenic veins. The posterior one received the other testicular vein and the first three lumbar veins. These renal veins converged, passed anteriorly to the aorta, and drained into the inferior vena cava. Knowledge of the varied anatomy of these vessels will contribute to safe surgical approach to the kidneys.