Periannular abscess and mycotic aneurysm due to infective endocarditis are very difficult conditions to treat surgically. Beginning in 1983, we introduced a translocation technique on 9 such cases. In particular, 7 patients who underwent a new sutureless translocation technique all showed an uneventful course and were discharged. There was no hospital death, but four patients died in the late period (2 heart failure, 1 ventricular tachycardia and 1 thrombotic valve). The sutureless translocation method consists of insertion of a composite valve into the ascending aorta (a ring was detached from an intraluminal ringed graft and a prosthetic valve was sutured to it at that point) and coronary artery bypass grafting to the right and left coronary arteries. Our new technique was simple, required only a short aortic clamping time (mean 173.9min) and there was no significant bleeding. This new translocation technique provides a solution for the treatment of periannular abscess and mycotic aneurysm due to infective endocarditis.

An 11-year-old boy, who underwent a Rastelli operation using a 14mm artificial graft and left pulmonary artery (PA) plasty with an autologous pericardium patch 7 years previously, had severe recurrent left pulmonary stenosis. Reoperation was performed including right ventricular outflow tract reconstruction and left PA plasty. The PA at the most stenotic site was only 2mm in diameter; it was enlarged to 10mm by good exposure and an incision on the pulmonary intima. A bovine pericardium patch with a handmade ePTFE valve was sutured onto the autologous tissue not onto the pulmonary intima to avoid restenosis and in expectation of the growth of the pulmonary orifice. On postoperative 3-D CT, the left pulmonary artery was patent and 9mm in diameter. Pulmonary scintigraphy showed an improvement in the left pulmonary perfusion. This sutureless technique was useful in this case of severe pulmonary stenosis.

OBJECTIVE: This is the first research known to compare residents' attitudes about training in two countries. The objective was to examine and compare Japanese and US family medicine residents' attitudes about their residency training.
METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted at two Japanese sites and one US site in 1991, and repeated in 1995 at these sites, as well as two additional US sites. Family practice residents completed a self administered, Likert scale format questionnaire containing items on demographics, identity as a family physician, resident education, the doctor-patient relationship, personal life, economic and women's issues.
RESULTS: The response rates were Japan, 1991: 92% (12/13) ; US, 1991: 76% (13/17) ; Japan, 1995: 89% (34/38) ; and US, 1995: 91% (60/66) . Fewer Japanese residents reported feeling like an outsider, or discriminated against while on outside rotations. More US residents reported expectations for training were being met, and being satisfied with their education. More Japanese residents reported that outpatient training was inadequate. US residents responded more positively about the rewards of clinical decision making, patient management and the doctor-patient relationship. Japanese residents were less likely to report training as compromising their physical or mental health, or feeling overworked. Financial concerns were similar for both groups. Most female residents reported feeling that being a woman provider was an advantage.
CONCLUSIONS: Some aspects of family medicine training are transculturally similar, while others are influenced by the medical culture of the respective countries. Family medicine residents' perspectives on training may be valuable to educators planning curriculum development.

Purpose: To consider the relationship between undergraduate tests and the national examinations administered to undergraduate students, predict the outcome of national examinations, and determine the cutoff value for passing national examinations.Methods: We studied students who graduated in March 2016 from five rehabilitation colleges for physiotherapists and occupational therapists. We investigated the national examination results of physical therapists and occupational therapists, undergraduate tests such as admission tests, first year student final exams, second year student final exams, and three tests administered to third year students. Statistical analysis, Pearson's Correlation coefficient, and logistic regression analysis were used. The cutoff value was determined by recipient operation characteristic curve.Results: Each performance test and national examination showed a significant positive correlation with the Department of Physical Therapy (305, pass rate 83.6%), Department of Occupational Therapy (89, pass rate 100%) and the predictive examination for the Department of Physical Therapy. The first and third simulation tests were extracted (p<0.05), each cutoff value was 130.5 points and 169.5 points respective.Conclusion: We established a relationship between undergraduate tests and national examinations. We also clarified the predictive test for the physical therapist national examination and its cutoff value.

OBJECTIVESTo investigate the effect of snack eating on salivary cortisol and chromogranin A (CgA).

METHODSFrom 14∶00 to 18∶00, starting two hours after consumption of a midday meal, saliva samples were collected every 30 minutes from 15 healthy males, 7 of whom (snack group) ate a snack immediately after the sampling at 15∶00. Salivary cortisol and CgA levels were determined by ELISA. Samples were controlled according to salivary flow rates.

RESULTSFor the snack group, after snack consumption, salivary cortisol increased to exceed significance (p<0.05) at 15∶30 and rose even higher at 16∶00. In the control group, there was no such change. There was no significant change in salivary CgA in either the snack group or the control groups during the sampling period.

CONCLUSIONSThese findings suggest that no food should be consumed for at least 90 mins before saliva sampling for cortisol determination and that salivary CgA is probably not affected by snack eating.

Clinical training programs play an extremely important role in the new postgraduate clinical training system introduced in 2004 because facilities for clinical training now include various health-related institutions in addition to the university hospitals and special hospitals for clinical training used in the previous system. Although educational goals have been established by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, trainees may have difficulty achieving these goals, even under the guidance of staff at the various facilities. There are differences in the function and quality of health-related institutions in the community. For the practical and convenient application of educational goals, we have attempted develop a “model program” to supplement the objectives indicated by the learning goals with more specific objectives. These supplementary objectives can be modified by individual institutions. We hope that this “model program” contributes to the development of objectives for each institution and helps improve the quality of the postgraduate training system in Japan.

Objective：It is often difficult to provide effective functional training in patients with severe attention deficit caused by organic damage to the brain. Herein, we report a case of attention deficit in a patient with subarachnoid hemorrhage, which was successfully treated by virtual reality (VR)-guided rehabilitation.Methods：A 71-year-old woman was transferred to our hospital for rehabilitation after a subarachnoid hemorrhage. The patient suffered from severe attention deficit. She was unable to follow instructions from therapists and was unable to concentrate on rehabilitation tasks. We attempted VR-guided rehabilitation using mediVR KAGURA (mediVR, Toyonaka, Japan) in order to improve her attention deficit. The training was performed approximately 20 min every weekday, for 4 months in a 360-degree VR environment, with no background image initially. The difficulties in physical and cognitive tasks were adjusted by focusing on the size, range of appearance, and falling speed of each task object, so that even patients with severe attention deficit could respond to these tasks appropriately.Results：After the above-mentioned VR-guided training, the trail making test A, behavioral inattention test, and moss attention rating scale were improved from 300 s (could not complete the test) to 100 s, 119 to 133, and 55 to 98, respectively. In addition, in the clinical assessment for attention, the time required for visual obliteration tests was significantly shortened, and clinical symptoms associated with attention deficit were also improved clinically.Conclusion：VR-guided rehabilitation has the potential to be used as a new therapeutic approach to improve attention deficit.

Objective：It is often difficult to provide effective functional training in patients with severe attention deficit caused by organic damage to the brain. Herein, we report a case of attention deficit in a patient with subarachnoid hemorrhage, which was successfully treated by virtual reality (VR)-guided rehabilitation.Methods：A 71-year-old woman was transferred to our hospital for rehabilitation after a subarachnoid hemorrhage. The patient suffered from severe attention deficit. She was unable to follow instructions from therapists and was unable to concentrate on rehabilitation tasks. We attempted VR-guided rehabilitation using mediVR KAGURA (mediVR, Toyonaka, Japan) in order to improve her attention deficit. The training was performed approximately 20 min every weekday, for 4 months in a 360-degree VR environment, with no background image initially. The difficulties in physical and cognitive tasks were adjusted by focusing on the size, range of appearance, and falling speed of each task object, so that even patients with severe attention deficit could respond to these tasks appropriately.Results：After the above-mentioned VR-guided training, the trail making test A, behavioral inattention test, and moss attention rating scale were improved from 300 s (could not complete the test）to 100 s, 119 to 133, and 55 to 98, respectively. In addition, in the clinical assessment for attention, the time required for visual obliteration tests was significantly shortened, and clinical symptoms associated with attention deficit were also improved clinically.Conclusion：VR-guided rehabilitation has the potential to be used as a new therapeutic approach to improve attention deficit.