A number of investigators have been concerned with the anthropometric as well as physical characteristics of sumo wrestlers during the past several decades. However, none have attempted to determine body density and percent body fat by the most accurate technique of hydrostatic or underwater weighings. Thus, a precise quantification of body density and percent body fat for the wrestlers has not yet been obtained. Ogawa et al. (1972) have predicted the body composition of sumo wrestlers from a formula which added the triceps and subscapular skinfold thicknesses. As the regression equation used in this instance was based on samples of normal young men, it may not have great predictive accuracy when used on the exceptional population of very stout athletes.
The purposes of this study were : (1) to assess the validity of percent body fat estimation by skinfold thickness measurement when compared to the hydrostatic weighing criterion method ; (2) to determine the interrelationships between anthropometric variables for use in the clear assessment of the physical characteristics of ‘Shindeshi’ sumo wrestlers ; and (3) to thereby develop a formula that would reliably predict percent body fat using skinfold thicknesses and/or anthropometric measurements in this exceptional population. The interrelationships between anthropometric and body composition variables were investigated using 35 Shindeshi sumo wrestlers, aged 15-20 years (X=16.5±1.5) .
The results of the present study can be summarized as follows.
1. The Shindeshi in the present study possessed physiques more developed than those tested in the past, as evidenced by Rohrer's and Ponderal Indices which were approximately 180 and 26.2, respectively. The development of body weight was particularly notable (i.e., over 100kg) .
2. Percent body fat for the Shindeshi was remarkably higher than that of a normal population of the same age, with approximately seventy percent of the Shindeshi possessing more than 20% body fat and less than 1.05000 body density.
3. Body density and height correlated negatively and insignificantly with almost all the variables. In contrast, correlations of body weight, circumferences, and all other variables were, in most cases, high and positive, with body weight correlating least with height. The skinfold measurement correlating best with % body fat was that taken at the thigh site (r=0.898) . The circumference measurements correlating best with % body fat were obtained at the thigh (r=0.888 and 0.831) and the abdomen (r=0 885) parts.
4. Of the six formulae for estimating % body fat, Sloan's correlated best with % body fat as determined by densitometry, and best approximated the mean value of 24.5%. However, all of the equations underestimated the measured % body fat of the Shindeshi.
5. When an exceptional population is being investigated, estimation of % body fat should be done with a population specific equation to ensure predictive accuracy. The following multiple regression equation (r=0.963) should, therefore, be utilized for estimation of % body fat in sumo wrestlers.
Y=0.2488x₁+0.6172x₂-14.3962 where x₁ and x₂ are abdomen circumference and skinfold thickness at thigh, respectively.

We retrospectively investigated the effects of acupuncture on refractory peripheral facial paralysis. Among patients with Bell's palsy or Ramsay Hunt syndrome (type II) who underwent acupuncture between August 1996 and June 2004, were 29 patients with a minimum electroneuronography (ENoG) percent response of 0%, and NET scale-out (14 patients with Bell's palsy, 15 with Ramsay Hunt syndrome). Demographically, they 21 males and 8 females, with a mean age of 44.3±12.8 years. Their disease duration, and paralysis score assessed using the 40-point method (Yanagihara's method) were 43.2±23.9 days and 10.2±2.7 points, respectively. To evaluate treatment response, we employed the paralysis score, and a sequela score assessed using a modification of the sequela evaluation method designed by Nishimoto and Murata et al. The paralysis score exceeded 36 points within 6 months after onset. Five patients (17.2%) without sequelae were regarded as having achieved complete recovery, and 24 (82.8%) as having achieved incomplete recovery. When the minimum ENoG is 0%, recovery within 6 months beyond onset is considered impossible. The results suggest, however, the efficacy of acupuncture.
seconds ; Paralysis ; Acupuncture ; Sequela ; month

[Object]Any reports on acupuncture for patients with POEMS syndrome, which almost manifests disturbance of peripheral nerve in all cases and is known as a very rare disease together with disturbance of multiple organs, are not yet found. The present paper is concerned with a case report that improvement of symptoms and progress of ADL were brought out by acupuncture.
[Case]A sixty year-old man who was diagnosed as POEMS syndrome and received rehabilitation therapy after treatment with autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation complained of difficulty in walking with numbness in the lower legs at rest time and with numbness and muscular tension in the same sections after walking. Therefore, acupuncture was practiced once or twice per week for the patient in order to raise the threshold of pain and to relax muscular tension in the lower extremities.
[Results]After acupuncture, the patient could lengthen the walking distance, had reduced numbness in the soles and relaxation of muscular tension in the lower legs at rest time, and improved numbness after walking.
[Discussion and Conclusion]Acupuncture for a patient with POEMS syndrome resulted in improved symptoms and progress of ADL without severe side effects. From the above results, acupuncture is considered to be a useful therapeutic method used together with present medical treatment.

Objective: To examine the usefulness of inquiries made by hospital pharmacists.
Methods: This study was conducted a survey about the actual condition of inquiries at 5 hospitals.
Results: The prescriptions subjected to inquiry accounted for 1.5% of the inpatient prescriptions and 0.3% of the injection prescriptions.  In cases of “Incomplete entry in the prescription” for the subcategory of “Question about safety,” drug costs without the impact of pharmaceutical inquiries were calculated on the assumption that the concerned drugs should have been generally prescribed.  Our results showed that the total savings in medical costs were 30,673 yen for the inpatient prescriptions and 159,212 yen for injection prescriptions, which suggested that pharmaceutical inquiries are effective for saving medical costs for either type of prescriptions.  In the case of patients in whom adverse drug reactions (ADRs) might have occurred without prescription changes, medical cost savings realized by preventing ADRs were estimated using the Diagnosis Procedure Combination/Per-Diem Payment System (DPC/PDPS).  Our results showed that the savings were 1,428,710 yen for inpatient prescriptions (6 patients), which indicated that a large amount of medical costs was saved.
Conclusions: Our results suggested that similar to pharmaceutical inquiries made by community pharmacists, those made by hospital pharmacists not only result in the proper delivery of drug therapy but also are useful in terms of medical economics.