The effect of ingestion of a chilled carbohydrate and electrolyte solution on metabolic and hormonal responses and water-electrolyte balance was studied after two 5-km runs in hot outdoor conditions (Temp, 30.6-30.9°C ; humidity, 61.3-62.4%) . Eight healthy females (mean age 21.8 years) participated in : 1) a control experiment (Copt) with no fluid intake, 2) an experiment with 500 ml of tap water (WI), and 3) an experiment with 500 ml of sports beverage (SB) containing carbohydrate and electrolytes each of which were given after the 1st 5-km run, followed by a second 5-km run with an equivalent to 68.7-72.3% of VO₂max. In the Cont, decreases in %ΔPV and blood glucose (BS) and increases in serum osmolality (Sosm), free fatty acid (sFFA) and plasma hormone concentrations related to regulation of the water-electrolyte balance in the body persisted after the 2 nd run. The intake of the sports beverage prevented hypoglycemia and ketoacidosis, as shown by an increase in sFFA and positive results for qualitative analysis of ketone body in the urine, and quick recovery of plasma volume following an endurance run under a hot environment. This study suggests that fluid replacement with a sports beverage containing carbohydrate and electrolytes was superior to plain water or no fluid ingestion in terms of metabolic and hormonal responses and the recovery of plasma volume and elevated rectal temperature following an endurance run under hot conditions.

Since the introduction of vonoprazan, a potassium-competitive acid blocker (P-CAB), it has been demonstrated to reversibly inhibit gastric acid secretion by engaging in potassium-competitive ionic binding to H+/K+-ATPase. In contrast, proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) achieve H+/K+-ATPase inhibition through covalent binding to cysteine residues of the proton pump. Reported cases have indicated an emerging trend of P-CAB-related gastropathies, similar to those associated with PPIs, as well as unique gastropathies specific to P-CAB use, such as the identification of web-like mucus. Pathologically, parietal cell profusions, which show a positively correlated with hypergastrinemia, have a higher incidence in P-CAB users compared to PPI users. Thus, this review aims to summarize the endoscopic and pathological findings reported to date concerning P-CAB-related gastric mucosal lesions. Additionally, it seeks to discuss the differences between the PPIs and P-CABs in terms of the formation and frequency of associated gastropathies. This review highlights the evident differences in the mechanism of action and potency of acid inhibition between P-CABs and PPIs, notably contributing to differences in the formation and frequency of associated gastropathies. It emphasizes the necessity to distinguish between P-CAB-related and PPI-related gastropathies in the clinical setting.

The effects of exercise and dietary therapy on the prevention of diabetic nephropathy (DN) were compared. Thirty-two male OLETF rats were divided into four groups (Ex, Diet, Sed, Pre) . Fourteen LETO rats served as the normal controls. Therapy was conducted for 10 weeks from age 22 to 31 weeks. The Ex group was trained by voluntary exercise, and the Diet group had a restricted food intake resulting in the same BW as that of the Ex group. The Ex developed a significant increase in urinary albumin excretion compared to the Diet group, although significantly less than the Sed group. Blood pressure in the Ex group showed a tendency to be higher during therapy. BW and serum lipids were significantly reduced, and glucose intolerance was improved in both the Ex and Diet groups. There were no differences in the metabolic indices between the Ex and Diet groups. The Ex group showed a significantly heavier kidney weight and a tendency for enlargement of the glomerular area and volume. The protective effect of DN through improvement of the metabolic dis-order by exercise might be offset by exercise-induced renal loads. Control of exercise intensity and blood pressure appear to be important as well as the improvement of glucose intolerance and lipid metabolisms in exercise therapy to prevent an occurrence and development of DN.

We report 2 cases of successful treatment by percutaneous catheter drainage and irrigation for methycillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) prosthetic graft infection after abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair. Case 1 was a 71-year-old man in whom MRSA graft infection was diagnosed on the basis of high fever and CT-guided taps of the perigraft fluid 11 days after AAA repair, and a percutaneous catheter was inserted into the perigraft space by the CT-guided method. Case 2 was a 77-year-old man in whom MRSA graft infection was diagnosed because of high fever and purulent discharge from the wound of retroperitoneal drainage 5 days after AAA repair. A percutaneous catheter was placed into the retroperitoneal space via an extraperitoneal route. In both cases, intermittent irrigation by 0.5% Povidone-iodine solution and saline was performed as well as systemic and local antibiotic administration. The graft infection was well controlled and both patients were discharged after 4 months. Percutaneous catheter drainage and irrigation can be one of the choices for critically ill patients with graft infection after AAA repair.

We encountered 15 cases of surgical site infection (SSI) by Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) among 153 patients who underwent a cardiovascular operation in 2000. SSIs consisted of 5 mediastinal infections, 9 surface wound infections and 1 artificial graft infection after an abdominal aortic surgery. All infected cases had been operated on between June and December 2000. Eighty-three cases, which underwent cardiovascular operations during this period, were divided into SSI or no-SSI groups and their clinical data were analyzed. The data included age, gender, preoperative diabetes, urgency, preoperative usage of a device like Swan-Ganz catheter or IABP, preoperative albumin level, preoperative physical state by ASA score, National Nosocominal Infections Surveillance index, duration of operation, usage of a cardiopulmonary bypass, duration of bypass, type of operation, and number of distal anastomoses in CABG operations. Multivariate analysis showed gender (male), diabetes, and emergency operation as independent risk factors for the incidence of SSI by MRSA. One patient, who suffered a mediastinal infection after CABG, had confirmed as demonstrating the colonization of MRSA in sputum preoperatively. Microbiological screening of medical staff showed 2 of the 6 surgical doctors and 3 of the 25 ward nurses exhibited colonization with MRSA. DNA analysis of MRSA, harvested from 5 infected patients, indicated at least 2 strains of MRSA and 1 of the 2 strains was identical to the MRSA that was detected in a doctor. We applied prophylactic measures with reference to the guideline for prevention of surgical site infection announced by CDC in 1999, which included the following: routine work-up of MRSA-colonization, and treatment of all MRSA colonized patients and those undergoing emergency operations with Mupirocin. Preoperative patients were isolated from MRSA-infected or colonized patients. MRSA-colonized surgical personnel were treated with Mupirocin ointment. Cephazoline was administered shortly before and after the operation as a prophylactic antibiotic. Vancomycin was added to Cephazoline in patients with a history of MRSA-colonization or infection. Through hand washing before and after daily contact with patients was emphasised to all medical staff. SSI surveillance conducted by an infection control team was implemented. After the introduction of the prophylactic measurements, one MRSA-SSI was observed among 113 cases who underwent a cardiovascular operation between January and September 2001.

This study examined whether physical and cognitive function was independently associated with risk of Musculoskeletal Ambulation Disorder Symptom Complex (MADS) in community-dwelling older people. We examined 640 older people (315 men, 325 women; 65–89 years). We assessed physical performance by one-leg standing with eyes open, timed up and go (TUG), muscle strength, muscle power, and gait speed. Cognition was assessed using Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR), and Trail-Making Tests (TMT) A and B. We divided participants by physical function into “MADS” (one-leg standing < 15s or TUG ≥ 11s) and “non-MADS”, and identified cognitive impairment if MMSE was < 27 and CDR ≥ 0.5. We also grouped by sex and age (younger-old: 65–74 years and older-old: 75–89 years), and controlled for age, Body Mass Index, education and steps. Physical and cognitive function was significantly worse in the MADS groups. The younger-old men had poorer muscle strength, muscle power and TMT-A. The younger-old women had poorer muscle power, gait speed, MMSE and TMT-B. Older-old men had poorer muscle strength, and older-old women poorer gait speed (P < 0.05). The MADS groups also had significantly higher adjusted odds ratio (OR) for cognitive impairment (younger-old men: OR: 4.62; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.08–19.8; younger-old women: OR: 6.09; 95% CI: 1.03–35.9; P < 0.05). This study suggested that poorer physical and cognitive function was significantly associated with the risk of MADS, and these associations may be differ with sex and age.

PURPOSE: Although various strategies have been reported, there are no defined criteria for cosmetic evaluation methods after breast-conserving surgery (BCS). Since Asians tend to have smaller breasts, indistinct inframammary folds, and conspicuous scars, differences in the cosmetic results are expected. So we examined two subjective methods and one objective method to determine the differences, and elements necessary for a cosmetic evaluation after BCS. METHODS: Frontal photographs of 190 Japanese were evaluated using the Harris scale (Harris) and the evaluation method proposed by the Japanese Breast Cancer Society Sawai group (Sawai group) as the subjective methods, and the Breast Cancer Conservation Treatment cosmetic results (BCCT.core) as the objective method, respectively. In order to examine the necessary elements for developing a new ideal method, 100 out of 190 were selected and assessed separately by six raters using both the Harris and modified Sawai group methods in the observer assessment. The correlation between the two methods was examined using the Spearman rank-correlation coefficient. RESULTS: The results of the BCCT.core and the other two methods were clearly different. In the observer assessment, the consensuses of the six raters were evaluated as follows: 27, 27, 26, and 20 cases were evaluated as "excellent," "good," "fair," and "poor," respectively. For the Spearman rank-correlation coefficient, values higher than 0.7 indicated a strong correlation, as seen by the values of 0.909 for the breast shape and 0.345 for the scar. The breast shape accounted for the most significant part of the evaluation, and the scar had very little correlation. CONCLUSION: In this study, we recognized a clear difference between the subjective and objective evaluation methods, and identified the necessary elements for cosmetic evaluation. We would like to continue developing an ideal cosmetic evaluation that is similar to subjective one and is independent from raters.
Asian Continental Ancestry Group* ; Breast ; Breast Neoplasms ; Cicatrix ; Consensus ; Esthetics ; Humans ; Mastectomy, Segmental*

We introduce a method combining two oncoplastic techniques for breast-conserving reconstruction. The procedure is as follows: first, an extended glandular flap is made by undermining the breast from both the skin and the pectoralis fascia to the upper edge of the breast at the subclavicular area. After modeling the breast mound with the extended glandular flap, an inframammary adipofascial flap is made. The flap is reflected back to the breast area remodeled using the extended glandular flap. After reshaping the breast, the inframammary line is then re-shaped. This method is indicated for patients with breast cancer in the outer portion of the breast, who have small dense breasts, and have undergone a large excision of about 40% of their breast volume. We treated four patients, all of whom had either excellent or good cosmetic results with no fat necrosis.
Breast ; Breast Neoplasms ; Cosmetics ; Fascia ; Fat Necrosis ; Female ; Humans ; Mammaplasty ; Mastectomy, Segmental ; Skin

An abdominal advancement flap (AAF) is a flap that pulls the elevated abdominal skin up and creates the shape of the inferior portion of the breast by making a neo-inframammary fold. Seven patients underwent remodeling using an AAF or a method combining an AAF with other volume displacement techniques after partial mastectomy. The excision volume ranged from 15% to 35%. AAF with only mobilization of the gland flaps was performed in two cases, with lateral mammoplasty in one case, with the round block technique (RBT) in one case, with a modified RBT in one case, and with medial mammoplasty in two cases. Although one patient treated with a RBT had a partial blood-flow insufficiency of the nipple-areola complex, it improved with conservative treatment. The cosmetic results were found to be excellent in three cases, good in three, and fair in one case.
Breast ; Cosmetics ; Displacement (Psychology) ; Female ; Humans ; Mammaplasty ; Mastectomy, Segmental ; Skin ; Surgical Procedures, Operative