This study reports the efforts of acupuncturists to promote multidisciplinary cooperation in our laboratory. We conducted a questionnaire survey involving all employees of our laboratory in December 2013 to investigate problems regarding multidisciplinary cooperation, and identified a lack of information and problems concerning treatment plans and costs. After implementing measures to tackle these problems between January and November 2014, we conducted the questionnaire survey again. As the results, 79% of the employees responded that they had gained more information about acupuncture compared to the previous year, and 72% of them responded that treatment plans and costs were appropriate. Compared to the number of new patients who sought acupuncture treatment between January and November 2013 (n = 273), there was an increase of 40% in the same period of 2014 (n = 385). These results showed that employees' understanding of acupuncture and multidisciplinary cooperation were promoted.

In Japan, controlled devices for medical professionals have been often purchased by people other than acupuncturists or doctors, using the Internet sales system. Press Tack Needle (PYONEX^®) allows easy handling by combining a plastic part with an adhesive tape. Since it has been reported to be relatively safe with limited adverse events such as adhesive-related dermatitis or similarly mild disorders, it is widely used. We report a case that when the patient removed a PYONEX^® which applied by himself, the needle tip was broken and remained in his body. It might lead to an accident such as injury due to a broken needle left in the body. The patient had purchased the PYONEX^® on his own judgments, storing it for a long period of time, applied it to his body 10 months after its expiration date and kept it attached for approximately 3 weeks. Plastics are characterized by deterioration and can be damaged by environmental factors including ultraviolet rays, water, and shocks. In this paper as an urgent issue, we note that when using these products, in addition to paying attention to their expiration dates, precautions should be considered since deterioration may also progress due to prolonged attachment.

The purpose of this study was to elucidate the relationship between the energy expenditure and the level of physical performance in preschool-age children. Seventy-six boys (5-6 years of age) had motor performance tests (25 m run, soft-ball throw, standing-long-jump, Zig-Zag run, upright handstand jog time, sit-and-reach, one-leg-balance) . Twenty boys were divided into two groups. One consisted of ten boys as the superior group and the other ten boys as the inferior group in results of the motor performance tests.
Energy expenditure was calculated from oxygen intake measured by each child's HR-VO₂ regression equation in a treadmill running test and 24-hour heart rate measurement by monitoring recorder. Daily energy uptake was estimated from the weight and kind of food recorded by their parents.
Energy expenditure in kindergarten, at home and in one day for the superior group were found to be higher than those for the inferior group. Energy uptake in the superior group showed a significant-ly higher value than that in the inferior group. It can be concluded that the children of the superior group appeared to be more active, since test and monitoring measurements showed they had more energy expenditure and energy uptake.

1) The Medical (Dental) Education Eligibility Test was developed as the medical school admission test in Korea and was administered for the first time on August 29, 2004. The test evaluates reasoning abilities in language, natural sciences, and spatial relationships.
2) The language section assesses cognitive and communication abilities. The natural science section assesses cognitive ability on the basis of academic knowledge in the field, whereas the spatial relationships section evaluates aptitude expected of dentists in their clinical examinations.
3) Because entrance examinations have traditionally placed too much emphasis on academic knowledge and achievement, assessment of other kinds of aptitudes, such as ethics, cooperativeness, and communication skills, has recently become increasingly important. It remains to be seen how these aptitudes and interpersonal skills can be measured and scaled with admission tests.

A nationwide survey of Japanese teachers belonging to departments of medicine was conducted to investigate their opinions about: 1) expanding medical departments into medical schools and, 2) the required subjects and selection criteria for admitting students to the faculty of medicine. We found that responses to both questions depended largely on the specialty of the teachers. With regard to the medical school design, which will cause a dramatic change in medical education in Japan, 60% of the teachers were in favor of expanding departments into medical schools.

BACKGROUND: Oral food challenge (OFC) tests are conducted in both specialized institutions and general hospitals. We aimed to compare the severity of the conditions of the patients between these 2 types of institutions in order to consider the role of such institutions in society. OBJECTIVE: We evaluated the results of OFC tests for hen's egg, cow's milk, and wheat that were conducted in a specialized institution (Aichi Children's Health and Medical Center [ACHMC], n = 835) and in 4 general hospitals (n = 327) in Aichi prefecture, Japan. METHODS: The symptoms provoked were scored using the total score (TS) of the Anaphylaxis Scoring Aichi scoring system in combination with the total ingested protein dose (Pro) before the appearance of allergic symptoms. RESULTS: The total ingested dose of the challenge-positive patients in ACHMC was significantly less than that in the general hospitals (p < 0.01). The median TS of the provoked symptoms in ACHMC and the general hospitals did not differ to a statistically significant extent in the hen's egg or cow's milk challenges; however, the median TS in ACHMC was significantly lower than that in the general hospitals for the wheat challenge (p = 0.02). The median TS/Pro values in ACHMC were almost identical to the upper 25% of the TS/Pro values in the general hospitals, suggesting that the specialized institution usually managed more severe patients. CONCLUSION: The specialized institution performed OFC tests at a lower threshold dose, but provoked similar TSs to the general hospitals. This evaluation may help in optimizing the distribution of patients to general hospitals and specialized institutions.
Anaphylaxis ; Child Health ; Hospitals, General ; Hospitals, Special ; Humans ; Japan ; Milk ; Ovum ; Severity of Illness Index ; Triticum

Objective: In 2013, a cohort study aimed to clarify the positive and negative effects of introducing the human papillomavirus (HPV) testing for population-based cervical cancer screening has been launched in Japan. This study included four screenings during the subsequent 7-year follow-up period. We aim to describe the results of the first round of this study on cervical cancer screening here. Methods: This study began in September 2013 with recruitment completed in March 2016.Women aged 30–49 years were divided into 2 groups: those who received uterine cervical cytology alone in the first year (control group), or those who received a combination of cytology and HPV testing (intervention group), based on their age. After first screening, women with positive result of cytology or positive HPV test required referral. We summarized the results of the first round of cervical cancer screening. Results: Of the 25,074 women who were eligible for the study, 13,845 women (55.2%) were screened with cytology alone; 11,229 women (44.8%) received a combination of cytology and HPV testing. After screening, 407 women (2.9%) in the control group and 1,003 women (8.9%) in the intervention group required referral, respectively. Adding HPV testing increased referral rate significantly (p<0.001). Conclusion After first screening, introduction of HPV testing appears to contribute to significantly higher referral rates, suggesting that the number of colposcopies as a detailed examination may increase. These preliminary findings suggest that if HPV testing is introduced into screening, medical institutions need to be prepared for an increasing number of follow-up examinations.

Our institute performs retained acupuncture for cold-related symptoms using planar electric heaters. After placing retained acupuncture needles at 8 points on the lower back, the site is covered with a planar electric heater and heated for 20 minutes, with the 6-channel dial of the device set at 5, the second highest temperature. Using this method, we treat and examine patients with cold-related symptoms. If patients feel discomfort during the heating process, the procedure is continued when heat is used for treatment and immediately terminated in the case of examination. On examining related adverse events in 75 cases (224 sessions) within the 8-month period between March and October 2016, there was soreness/irritation of the skin surface in 5 (2.2%), itching in 3 (1.3%), and physical deconditioning in 1 (0.4%). However, all of these events were mild and temporary, supporting the safety of the method. As a future challenge, it may be necessary to expand this study to clinical research on traditional Chinese medicine and acupuncture/moxibustion.