Sleep disorders are risk factors for hypertension. This adverse effect is especially affected in women. Nevertheless, the impact of sleep habits on the cardiovascular response remains unclear in young women. This study aimed to determine whether sleep habits could affect blood pressure regulation at rest and during exercise in young women. Twenty-two young women participated in this study. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), resting blood pressure (BP), and BP response to the 2-minute isometric handgrip exercise, which consists of 25% maximum force production using left hand, were measured. Beat-by-beat arterial BP changes during exercise was measured using the Finapres™ device, and it was averaged every 30 sec before and during exercise; BP reactivity was evaluated by the delta change from rest to exercise. The PSQI score was 5.2 ± 2.2. The resting systolic and diastolic BPs were 105 ± 7 mmHg and 62 ± 7 mmHg, respectively. BP reactivity to the exercise were Δ 4 ± 7 mmHg, Δ 4 ± 7 mmHg, Δ 6 ± 7 mmHg, and Δ 7 ± 9 mmHg, for each 30-sec interval. Poorer sleepers (PSQI > 4.5) showed a tendency toward lower resting systolic BP compared with better sleepers (PSQI < 4.5) (p = 0.069). Systolic BP reactivity to the last 30 sec of exercise was correlated with the PSQI score (r = 0.484, p = 0.022). In conclusion, sleep quality may affect the cardiovascular regulation at rest and during exercise in young women.

Background/Aims: Mechanical properties (MPs) and axial and radial force (AF and RF) may influence the efficacy and complications of self-expandable metallic stent (SEMS) placement. We measured the MPs of various SEMSs and examined their influence on the SEMS clinical ability. Methods: We evaluated the MPs of 29 types of 10-mm SEMSs. RF was measured using a conventional measurement device. AF was measured using the conventional and new methods, and the correlation between the methods was evaluated. Results: A high correlation in AFs was observed, as measured by the new and conventional manual methods. AF and RF scatterplots divided the SEMSs into three subgroups according to structure: hook-and-cross-type (low AF and RF), cross-type (high AF and low RF), and laser-cut-type (intermediate AF and high RF). The hook-and-cross-type had the largest axial force zero border (>20°), followed by the laser-cut and cross types. Conclusions MPs were related to stent structure. Hook-and-cross-type SEMSs had a low AF and high axial force zero border and were considered safest because they caused minimal stress on the biliary wall. However, the increase in RF must be overcome.

Methods: The study participants were 249 patients who underwent intradiscal condoliase injection for LDH at nine participating institutions, including 241 patients with initial LDH (group C) and eight with recurrent LDH (group R). Patient characteristics including age, sex, body mass index, disease duration, intervertebral LDH level, smoking history, and diabetes history were evaluated. Low back pain/leg pain Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) scores and the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) were used to evaluate clinical symptoms before treatment and at 6 months and 1 year after treatment. Results: Low back pain NRS scores (before treatment and at 6 months and 1 year after treatment, respectively) in group C (4.9 → 2.6 → 1.8) showed significant improvement until 1 year after treatment. Although a tendency for improvement was observed in group R (3.5 → 2.8 → 2.2), no significant difference was noted. Groups C (6.6 → 2.4 → 1.4) and R (7.0 → 3.1 → 3.2) showed significant improvement in the leg pain NRS scores after treatment. Group C (41.4 → 19.5 → 13.7) demonstrated significant improvement in the ODI up to 1 year after treatment; however, no significant difference was found in group R (35.7 → 31.7 → 26.4). Conclusions Although intradiscal condoliase injection is less effective for LDH recurrence than for initial cases, it is useful for improving leg pain and can be considered a minimally invasive and safe treatment method.

Methods: The study participants were 249 patients who underwent intradiscal condoliase injection for LDH at nine participating institutions, including 241 patients with initial LDH (group C) and eight with recurrent LDH (group R). Patient characteristics including age, sex, body mass index, disease duration, intervertebral LDH level, smoking history, and diabetes history were evaluated. Low back pain/leg pain Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) scores and the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) were used to evaluate clinical symptoms before treatment and at 6 months and 1 year after treatment. Results: Low back pain NRS scores (before treatment and at 6 months and 1 year after treatment, respectively) in group C (4.9 → 2.6 → 1.8) showed significant improvement until 1 year after treatment. Although a tendency for improvement was observed in group R (3.5 → 2.8 → 2.2), no significant difference was noted. Groups C (6.6 → 2.4 → 1.4) and R (7.0 → 3.1 → 3.2) showed significant improvement in the leg pain NRS scores after treatment. Group C (41.4 → 19.5 → 13.7) demonstrated significant improvement in the ODI up to 1 year after treatment; however, no significant difference was found in group R (35.7 → 31.7 → 26.4). Conclusions Although intradiscal condoliase injection is less effective for LDH recurrence than for initial cases, it is useful for improving leg pain and can be considered a minimally invasive and safe treatment method.

Methods: The study participants were 249 patients who underwent intradiscal condoliase injection for LDH at nine participating institutions, including 241 patients with initial LDH (group C) and eight with recurrent LDH (group R). Patient characteristics including age, sex, body mass index, disease duration, intervertebral LDH level, smoking history, and diabetes history were evaluated. Low back pain/leg pain Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) scores and the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) were used to evaluate clinical symptoms before treatment and at 6 months and 1 year after treatment. Results: Low back pain NRS scores (before treatment and at 6 months and 1 year after treatment, respectively) in group C (4.9 → 2.6 → 1.8) showed significant improvement until 1 year after treatment. Although a tendency for improvement was observed in group R (3.5 → 2.8 → 2.2), no significant difference was noted. Groups C (6.6 → 2.4 → 1.4) and R (7.0 → 3.1 → 3.2) showed significant improvement in the leg pain NRS scores after treatment. Group C (41.4 → 19.5 → 13.7) demonstrated significant improvement in the ODI up to 1 year after treatment; however, no significant difference was found in group R (35.7 → 31.7 → 26.4). Conclusions Although intradiscal condoliase injection is less effective for LDH recurrence than for initial cases, it is useful for improving leg pain and can be considered a minimally invasive and safe treatment method.

Methods: The study participants were 249 patients who underwent intradiscal condoliase injection for LDH at nine participating institutions, including 241 patients with initial LDH (group C) and eight with recurrent LDH (group R). Patient characteristics including age, sex, body mass index, disease duration, intervertebral LDH level, smoking history, and diabetes history were evaluated. Low back pain/leg pain Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) scores and the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) were used to evaluate clinical symptoms before treatment and at 6 months and 1 year after treatment. Results: Low back pain NRS scores (before treatment and at 6 months and 1 year after treatment, respectively) in group C (4.9 → 2.6 → 1.8) showed significant improvement until 1 year after treatment. Although a tendency for improvement was observed in group R (3.5 → 2.8 → 2.2), no significant difference was noted. Groups C (6.6 → 2.4 → 1.4) and R (7.0 → 3.1 → 3.2) showed significant improvement in the leg pain NRS scores after treatment. Group C (41.4 → 19.5 → 13.7) demonstrated significant improvement in the ODI up to 1 year after treatment; however, no significant difference was found in group R (35.7 → 31.7 → 26.4). Conclusions Although intradiscal condoliase injection is less effective for LDH recurrence than for initial cases, it is useful for improving leg pain and can be considered a minimally invasive and safe treatment method.

Objective: This report presents a case of supracondylar femur fracture with finite element analysis and discusses its causes and prevention.Patient and Methods: A 53-year-old man presented with right talar osteonecrosis after osteosynthesis for a talus fracture. A medial femoral condyle-free vascularized bone graft (size, 20 × 12 × 17 mm) from the contralateral femur was performed, including the posteromedial cortical corner. The patient suffered a donor-site supracondylar femoral fracture while standing up from a cross-legged sitting position on the bed on postoperative day 6. The fracture was treated with intramedullary nailing. We analyzed the effects of the location of the bone graft harvest in an intact model using the three-dimensional finite element method (FEM).Results: The talar necrosis and the femur fracture healed. The FEM result revealed that the longitudinal axial pressure had minimal effect on the femur; however, the stress around the bone defect increased with rotation, especially in the posteromedial bone defect model.Conclusion: Harvesting the bone graft should not include the posteromedial corner of the supracondylar femur. The patient should strictly limit the motion of torsional stress, such as standing from a cross-legged sitting position or pivoting turn.

In accordance with the new model-core-curriculum for medical education, the current status of education about the science of radiation health was surveyed in all medical schools in Japan. Among the four learning points related to the “Biological effects of radiation and radiation hazards” , about half of the schools covered issues on “radiation and human body” and the “effect of medical radiation exposure” in one, or less than one, 60-minutes class, but did not touch on “radiation risk communication” and “radiological disaster medicine” . A significant deviation of human resources was also observed between schools. Learning tools such as presentation files and video content were preferred as education support materials. Therefore, development and distribution of the learning tools, especially in “radiation risk communication” and “radiological disaster medicine” , may be a first step to promoting high-quality education on the science of radiation health risk in each school’s curriculum.