Joint mobilization (i. e. intracapsular passive exercise) is now attracting clinicians' attention as manipulative therapy for pain of intervertebral joint disorder.
In the present paper, introducing a part of a mobilization technique for the lumbar and sacroiliac joint and our mobilization evaluating method, we report a comparative study on the efficacy of acupuncture and mobilization therapy using our “lumbago evaluation chart”.
METHOD
Fifteen lumbago outpatients (6 males and 9 females with average age of 41.6±16.28 years) of our physiotherapy department, who showed no remarkable radiographic changes, were divided into three groups: Acupucnture alone, mobilization alone, and both acupuncture and mobilization were, performed for A, B, and C group respectively. Their responses were compared on the evaluation chart.
The patients were asked to rate the severity of pain and disability on a four grade basis. Five movements were chosen from A. D. L. and the results were rated as “easy”, “difficult” and “impossible”. The following were measured for lumbar flexibility: the distance between the finger-tip and the floor; the maximum backward bending of the upper body; S. L. R.; the distance between the S₁ and an upper point on the skin (10cm in an erect posture) at the maximal flexion the distance between the top of the iliac crest and an upper point (10cm in an erect posture) at the maximal lateral flexion.
Tenderness was measured with an algesiometer (maximum 10kg). CHILLS were rated on a three-grade basis. All the measured values were rated so that the maximum number of the total points in the evaluation chart was 100. Another chart (a mobilization test chart) was made, in which the severity of STIFFNESS and PAIN was rated on the following basis: None=0, Minimal=1, Severe=2, and the maximum total was 50.
RESULT
1) As for the score of “TENDERNESS and CHILLS”, C group was significantly different from both A and B group at 10% level by t-test. As for the total score, C group was significatly different from A and B group at the 0.5% level.
2) C group showed high rated improvement in the score of “PAIN”, “TENDERNESS”, and “STIFFNESS” after treatment.
3) Tenderness was often detected at VU₅₂ Zhishi and VU₄₀ Weizhong, and lumbar vertebrae stiffness was often seen in the lower part.
CONCLUSION
1) An evaluation chart for lumbago was developed to rate the symptoms.
2) Lumbago pationts without remarkable x-ray findings underwent acupuncture alone, mobilization alone, or both acupuncture and mobilization. The score of the evaluation chart has shown that combined use of acupuncture and mobilization is more effective than solitary use of each therapy in relieving pain.

AIMTo evaluate the occurrence and prevalence of microdeletions in the gamma chromosome of patients with azoospermia.

METHODSDNA from 29 men with idiopathic azoospermia was screened by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis with a set of gamma chromosome specific sequence-tagged sites (STSs) to determine microdeletions in the gamma chromosome.

RESULTSDeletions in the DAZ (deleted in azoospermia) loci sgamma254 and sgamma255 were found in three patients with idiopathic azoospermia, resulting in an estimated frequency of deletions of 10.7% in idiopathic azoospermia men.

CONCLUSIONWe conclude that PCR analysis is useful for the diagnosis of microdeletions in the Y chromosome, which is important when deciding the suitability of a patient for assisted reproductive technology such as testicular sperm extracion-intracytoplasmic sperm injection (TESE-ICSI).

Adult ; Base Sequence ; Chromosomes, Human, Y ; DNA Primers ; Euchromatin ; genetics ; Follicle Stimulating Hormone ; blood ; Heterochromatin ; genetics ; Humans ; Luteinizing Hormone ; blood ; Male ; Oligospermia ; blood ; etiology ; genetics ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Prolactin ; blood ; Sequence Deletion ; genetics ; Sequence Tagged Sites ; Testosterone ; blood

Introduction: We report a case of sudden loss of consciousness due to hypoglycemia in the terminal stage of cancer. Case: A 73-year-old man underwent craniotomy in 2016 and was diagnosed with solitary fibrous tumor. In 2022, his brain tumor recurred and he was admitted to our hospice. On the morning of the 120th day after transfer, the patient suddenly developed impaired consciousness. Blood tests showed hypoglycemia (33 mg/dL), and intravenous glucose injection improved his loss of consciousness, leading to a diagnosis of impaired consciousness due to hypoglycemia. After various examinations, hypoglycemia due to extrapancreatic tumor (non-islet cell tumor hypoglycemia: NICTH) was strongly suspected. Discussion: NICTH is considered to be caused by excessive secretion of an insulin-like substance (high molecular weight insulin-like growth factor (IGF-)II) from the tumor. In patients who are exposed to hypoglycemia for a long period of time, central nervous system symptoms such as impaired consciousness may suddenly develop without sympathetic symptoms. NICTH should be considered as a differential diagnosis in patients with delirium, impaired consciousness, or convulsive seizures and a large tumor, although it is not easy to prove the excessive secretion of high-molecular-weight IGF-II, especially in the terminal stage of cancer.