This study aimed to assess the effect of short-interval intracortical inhibition (SICI) before a jump off a platform (pre-set) on drop jump (DJ); the purpose was to investigate the relationship between this activity and performance, and the different effects of SICI on agonist and antagonist muscles during pre-set for jump athletes. Jump athletes (Jumper group, n=13) and Other athletes (Other group, n=9) performed DJ from drop heights of 0.30, 0.45, and 0.60 m). DJ performance was evaluated with DJ-index which was calculated from contact time and jump height. SICI was calculated from motor evoked potentials (MEP) recorded using paired-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation for the medial gastrocnemius (MG) and tibialis anterior (TA) muscles in 7 jump athletes. Significantly higher DJ performance was observed for the Jumper group at all drop heights, and the Jumper group exhibited greater performance for the highest drop height than the Other groups. Significant decreases in SICI for MG were observed for the Jumper groups, and this decrease in inhibition was more prominent for the highest drop height during pre-set. Furthermore, the correlation between SICI for MG and DJ-index was stronger for increased drop heights, and a significantly positive correlation between these variables was observed at a height of 0.60 m. However, the SICI during the pre-set for TA exhibited no significant change under any of the conditions. The results of the present study suggest the importance of selective disinhibition of brain areas associated with the agonistic muscles during pre-set for higher DJ performance.

Taping is widely used by sports trainers to prevent injury and to protect affected sites post-injury. However, it is not clear whether taping affect the perception of somatosensory stimulation. We sought to clarify the effect of taping on somatosensory stimulation using somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs). We recorded SEPs following transcutaneous electrical stimulation of the right medial forearm in ten healthy volunteers. SEPs were recorded from 9 electrodes on the scalp under control, elastic-taping and white-taping conditions. Subjects relaxed on a comfortable reclining seat without taping in the control condition, while they were subjected to taping along the muscle of forearm with tension (elastic-taping) and without tension (white-taping) in the taping conditions. Results showed that the peak amplitude of N140 did not differ significantly among the three conditions but the peak amplitude of P250 was significantly lower in the elastic-taping condition than control and white-taping conditions. Elastic-taping with tension along the muscles changes various afferent inputs from muscle spindle or skin, and this may affect the perception of somatosensory stimulation.

Purpose: C-reactive protein to albumin ratio (CAR) has been utilized as a prognostic factor in various carcinomas. We investigated the relationship between preoperative, postoperative day (POD) 1, and POD 7 CARs and the prognosis of patients with colorectal cancer (CRC). Methods: Three hundred twenty patients with CRC who underwent laparoscopic radical resection between May 2011 and December 2016 were enrolled. Patients were selected into 2 groups, high CAR and low CAR (n=72/group), based on preoperative, POD 1, and POD 7 CARs. The relapse-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) were compared between groups using propensity score matching. Results: The high CAR group had a significantly worse RFS (P<0.001) and OS (P=0.002) at POD 7 than those in the low CAR group. However, in preoperative and POD 1 analysis, no differences were observed. Conclusion In patients with CRC, CAR of POD 7 was a significant prognostic factor.

A 71-year-old man presented to our hospital with sudden-onset epigastric pain. He reported a history of undergoing the following operations : aortic valve replacement for aortic regurgitation 11 years earlier and graft replacement of the ascending aorta for acute type A aortic dissection, 1 year earlier. His systolic blood pressure was 70 mmHg, and computed tomography revealed a pseudoaneurysm of the distal anastomosis of the ascending aorta with a connection to the right pulmonary artery. Cardiopulmonary bypass was established with cannulation of the right axillary artery and the right femoral vein, and systemic cooling was initiated before sternotomy. We identified an area showing 3 cm dehiscence at the distal aortic anastomosis after hypothermic circulatory arrest and selective cerebral perfusion. The ascending aorta was replaced as hemiarch replacement, and the defect in the right pulmonary artery was closed with bovine pericardium. The patient's postoperative course was uneventful, and he was transferred to a rehabilitation hospital on the 22nd postoperative day.

In hemodialysis, an adsorbent is used to remove phosphorus from the blood.Because phosphorus adsorbents contain iron, they may cause iron excess, and appropriate management is thus required.In recent years, the use of sucroferric oxyhydroxide (SO), which has become available, is said to be associated with lower iron absorption and is less likely to cause iron excess, as compared with conventional ferric citrate hydrate (FCH). However, in clinical trials of SO conducted in Japan, serum ferritin (Ft) and transferrin saturation (TSAT) tended to increase, and this may cause iron excess similar to FCH. Therefore, we report here on the phosphorus adsorption effect and the influence on iron-related benefit of SO.Among 12 patients, iron-related abnormalities were observed in 3 patients and adverse events such as diarrhea and nausea were observed in 7 patients.In 8 patients who continued taking SO for up to 24 weeks, serum phosphorus (P) decreased, Ft and TSAT increased, Hb, Fe, Ca did not change significantly, and the dose of erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESA) decreased. The rate of change of Ft was greater in 5 patients with iron deficiency than in 3 patients with non-ferrous deficiency. SO administration tended to decrease P and improve iron deficiency.In addition, there was a decrease in the dose of ESA, suggesting the possibility of contributing to pharmaceutical cost reduction.Conversely, in patients with iron deficiency, iron-related abnormalities were observed in 3 patients, and about half had adverse events with subjective symptoms 4 weeks after the start of treatment with SO.Therefore, the administration of SO takes into account the effects on iron-related values as well as FCH, it is thus considered important to adjust the dose of SO or ESA depending on the condition while monitoring clinical laboratory values and adverse events from the beginning of administration.