We performed a retrospective study of the effects of steroids and the factors that deteriorate renal function in 30 patients with primary focal segmental glomerular sclerosis. The mean observation periods from the onset of proteinuria and from the histological diagnosis by renal biopsy were 6.1 ± 5.0 years and 3.9 ± 3.01 respectively. 87% of the patients had been recerving steroid therapy with or without other drugs. In this study, the patients were divided into 3 groups by the initial dose of steroids. A multivariate analysis was performed on the laboratory findings of the 3 groups. In a short-term observation, there were no significant defferences among the groups. However, in a long-term observation (more than one year) it was clarified that the patients who had been given high doses of steroids tend to maintain their renal functoin. We also found that the patients responding to steroids showed a significantly better prognosis than steroid-resistant patients upon examination their nephrotic status and renal functoin.
This statistical analysis confirmed that the factors deteriorating the renal function are hypertension and hyperlipidemia.
In addition, it was revealed that hyperuricemia, is responsible for the renal dissease, failure?

Purpose:
We previously reported that using D-phenylalanine (D-PA) as a pre-medication increasingly enhanced acupuncture aneshesia effects occur. In order to investigate this effect clinically, we performed tooth extractions under acupuncture anesthesia using D-PA as a premed.
Method:
We divided the patients in the oral surgery department of our hospital for whom acupuncture-moxibustion was determined indicated, into 2 groups, a test group (9cases) to which D-PA (4.0g) was administered 30minutes prior to acupuncture anestesia, and an acupuncture anesthesia only group (about 31cases), and comparitively examined results.
The points used were: LI-4 on both sides in all cases, and indicated local points selected from among JOKAN, ST-7, GV-26, ST-2, LI-20, CV-24, ST-6, SI-18 and ST-5. Needles were inserted (in some cases a point surface electrode was used) and the acupuncture sensation aroused, following which low frequency current at 3-15Hz was administered.
The tooth extractions were begun about 30minutes later. The standard for determining results was a score of 1=absolutely no pain, 2=slight pain, 3=very painful, 4=a small amount of local anesthesia administered, as supplement, 5=attempt to use acupuncture anesthesia abandoned.
Results:
In the control group effective results (score 1 or 2) were obtained in about 30% of the cases while in the test group there was almost no need for supplementary local anesthesia and generally effective results were obtained in most cases.
Summary:
The results were more excellent in the group in which D-PA was used as a pre-med for tooth extractions with acupuncture anesthesia than in the group in which it was not used.

A study was performed to investigate the effect of ingestion of two different carbohydrates immediately after exhaustive exercise on muscle glycogen restoration in rats. The carbohydrate solu-tions used were 20% maltodextrin (osmolality: 270 mOsm/kg⋅H₂O) and 20% glucose (osmolality: 1370mOsm/kg·H₂O) . At both 30 and 60 min after oral ingestion, the osmolality in the gastric residue was significantly higher in the group given the glucose solution than in the group given the maltodextrin solution. The concentration of serum glucose at both 30 and 60 min after oral ingestion was significantly higher in the group given maltodextrin than in the group given glucose. Compared to the group given glucose, the group given maltodextrin had significantly higher muscle glycogen contents in M. plantaris and M. gastrocnemius at both 30 and 60 min after oral ingestion. Furthermore, the muscle glycogen contents in the group given maltodextrin returned to the levels in resting control rats 60 min after oral ingestion. Thus it is concluded that ingestion of maltodextrin solution immediately after exhaustive exercise might be effective for rapid restoration of muscle glycogen.

Purpose：We investigated the factors associated with medical device-related pressure ulcer (MDRPU) due to lower extremity orthosis in patients undergoing convalescent rehabilitation for stroke.Methods：This retrospective study included patients with stroke who wore ankle foot orthosis in the convalescent rehabilitation ward. We measured the following items at admission：Brunnstrom recovery stage, presence of sensory disturbance, exhibition of unilateral spatial neglect, functional independence measures at admission and discharge, and presence of MDRPU. In the statistical analysis, logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the significant factors associated with MDRPU.Results：Ninety-five participants were enrolled in this study (mean age：54.9 ± 11.6 years, Male：78.9%). In logistic regression analysis, Age (odds ratio＝1.05, 95% confidence interval＝1.01-1.10, p＜0.05) and the presence of sensory disturbance (odds ratio＝5.17, 95% confidence interval＝1.39-19.28, p＜0.05) at admission was extracted as the cause of MDRPU.Conclusion：Sensory disturbance at admission is associated with MDRPU in patients undergoing convalescent rehabilitation for stroke who wear ankle foot orthosis.