A study was performed to evaluate the physical capacity of elite female volleyball players from Kyushu Bunka Gakuen Senior High School (Kyu. B. G.) . Twenty-four players were examined for body composition (underwater weighing), cardiorespiratory function (VO₂max and O₂debtmax by treadmill exercise test) and skinfold thickness, from 1988 to 1989.
These measurements were compared with those of 16 second-class players from Nagasaki Prefecture, and also with the results of other investigations.
The results were as follows :
1. The mean parameters for the Kyu. B. G, players were : age, 17.5 yr ; height, 168.3 cm ; weight, 59.8 kg ; percentage body fat (%Fat ), 17.9% ; lean body mass ( LBM), 49.0 kg ; LBM/ Ht, 29.1 kg/m ; sum of eight skinfold thicknesses, 109.1 mm ; VO₂max, 2.71 l/min, 45.7 ml/kg· min ; O₂debtmax, 5.69l, 94.8 ml/kg.
2. The average %Fat of the Kyu. B. G, players was significantly lower than that of the second-class players from Nagasaki Prefecture.
3. The average VO₂max (ml/kg·min) and O₂debtmax (l, ml/kg) of the Kyu. B. G, players were significantly higher than those of the second-class players.
4. The average %Fat and VO₂max (ml/kg·min) of the Kyu. B. G, players were similar to those of Japan League and All Japan volleyball players.
5. When the progress of physiological function due to training for 11 months was examined in five Kyu. B. G, players, the average VO₂max (ml/kg·min) showed a significant increase of approximately 8%.
These results indicated that the Kyu. B. G, players had a superior body composition, aerobic work capacity and anaerobic work capacity, equal to those of top volleyball players in Japan.

A study was performed to evaluate the physiological function of elite senior high school soccer players (Kunimi) . Forty-six players were evaluated for cardiorespiratory function (maximum oxygen uptake : Vo₂max, maximum oxygen debt : Max O₂ debt), body composition (underwater weighing) and skinfold thickness, all parameters being measured four times over a two-year period.
The following means were recorded : age, 17.8 yr ; height, 173.0 cm ; weight, 65.8 kg ; percentage body fat (%Fat), 10.0%; lean body mass (LBM kg), 59.2 kg ; LBM/Ht (kg/m), 34.2 ; sum of eight skinfold thicknesses, 63.5 mm ; Vo₂max, 60.0 ml/kg⋅min ; maximum ventilation (V_Emax, BTPS), 136.8l/min ; maximum oxygen debt ; 8.2l, 124.8 ml/kg.
Results for percentage body fat, Vo₂max (ml/kg⋅min) and Max O₂ debt (ml/kg) were compared with values found in other soccer players at various levels.
In summary, one of the most outstanding attributes of the Kunimi senior high school soccer players was a high level of both aerobic power and anaerobic power.

Interleukin 12 (IL-12), a heterodimeric cytokine, promotes an effective antitumor response against tumors of various histological types when delivered systemically as a protein or locally by gene transfer. We investigated parameters that influenced the effectiveness of IL-12 retroviral-mediated gene therapy of cancer in animals using the murine breast cancer line TS/A. Syngeneic fibroblasts (TIB80), stably transduced with a retrovirus expressing murine IL-12, were used for peritumoral injection. Injection of fibroblasts into established tumors resulted in complete regression of tumor in 40 % of animals in a dose dependent manner when treated on day 4, and 20 % when treated on day 8. Significant inhibition of growth of day 21 and day 40 tumors was observed following peritumoral injection of IL-12-expressing fibroblasts in a dose-dependent manner. Delivery of IL-12 by syngeneic fibroblasts at a tumor site is effective in eradicating established, weakly immunogenic TS/A tumors.
Animals ; Breast Neoplasms ; Fibroblasts ; Genetic Therapy* ; Interleukin-12* ; Retroviridae

[Background] Presenteeism, defined as the practice of sick workers who come to work, and whose work performance effectiveness has been reduced due to various signs and symptoms, causes a significant financial loss to companies. However, comprehensive and effective occupational health countermeasures have not yet been presented. Therefore, we report here the results of an interim analysis to determine whether an allowance for acupuncture treatment is beneficial for workers' presenteeism. [Methods] A four-week randomized intergroup comparative study was conducted on office workers who were aware of their presenteeism. Participants were allocated to either the control group, in which regular recommended presenteeism countermeasures for each workplace were implemented arbitrarily, or to the intervention group in which an allowance of up to 8,000 was given for acupuncture treatment, in addition to the usual arbitrary measures. The primary endpoint was the WHO-HPQ relative presenteeism score: a score lower than 1 indicates lower work performance; and it was analyzed with the "full analysis set" population.[Results] A total of 52 patients were assigned to the intervention group (n = 30) and the control group (n = 22). On average, the intervention group received acupuncture treatments 1.4 times for stiff neck and shoulders (67%), lower back pain (26%), depression (5%), and allergies (2%), and paid a total of 7,219; and 6,556 was paid as an expense allowance. As a result, the relative presenteeism score was 0.95 in the intervention group, compared to 0.91 in the control group, with a between-group difference of 0.04 (ES (r) = 0.22, P = 0.12).[Conclusions] With a total of up to 8,000 offered to office workers who were aware of their presenteeism, an acupuncture treatment allowance for a four-week period was provided 1.4 times on average. The results suggested that the treatment allowance would increase workers' performance efficiency by about 4% (equivalent to 19,691 per person) compared to those without it.