Objective: This study examined the relationships among lower limb skeletal muscle characteristics, walking function, and daily physical activity in community-dwelling, independently living older women. This serves as a fundamental study for the prevention and early detection of sarcopenia, using ultrasonography-based muscle mass and quality assessment.Patients and Methods: The participants were 53 community-dwelling women aged 66–89 years, who were independent in activities of daily living (ADL). Age, physical characteristics (height, weight, body fat percentage, skeletal muscle mass, and skeletal muscle index [SMI]), walking function, physical activity level, fall occurrence in the past month, and gastrocnemius muscle parameters (muscle thickness, fascial thickness, and muscle echo intensity) were assessed. Correlation analyses were conducted and intra-examiner reliability was confirmed using the intraclass correlation coefficient.Results: The participants’ median age was 77.0 years, height was 150.3 cm, weight was 51.0 kg, body fat percentage was 30.6%, and SMI was 6.5 kg/m2. Overall, 11.3% of participants had an SMI below the sarcopenia threshold. The gastrocnemius muscle parameters showed the strongest correlations; muscle thickness had weak positive correlations with SMI, walking function, and physical activity, but negative correlations with age and total movement time. Fascial thickness correlated positively with weight and body fat percentage but negatively with walking function. Muscle echo intensity was positively correlated with age and negatively correlated with SMI, walking speed, step count, and housework time.Conclusion: Although all the participants lived independently, 11.3% had an SMI below the sarcopenia threshold, highlighting the need for early prevention. Gastrocnemius muscle parameters were significantly associated with age, physical characteristics, walking function, and activity level. Reduced physical activity may contribute to muscle degeneration and impaired walking even in independent individuals. Combining muscle echo intensity and fascial thickness may enhance muscle quality assessment, aiding in the prevention and early detection of sarcopenia.

Objective: Lymphedema developing in the lower extremities following gynecological cancer surgery (LE-GCS) produces various kinds of sufferings, including impacts on quality of life (QOL) and body image. This research will serve as a basic resource for the care of patients with this type of lymphedema (LE).Patients and Methods: A qualitative discursive research method: Thirteen patients suffering from LE-GCS were interviewed in a semi-organized manner. Analysis involved extracting and codifying from transcripts and expressions related to the suffering of LE. Next, these codes were arranged into categories and subcategories under the supervision of qualitative researchers. Furthermore, this study was conducted with the approval of the Research Ethics Review Specialist Committee, which targets individuals affiliated with the public university corporation of Shiga Prefectural University.Results: Based on the interviews with 13 patients aged 47–79 (median age 62), two core categories were created: 1). Suffering of LE Developing in Lower Extremities (570 codes, seven categories, 23 subcategories); and 2). Supports that Allow Patients to Face Suffering of LE (254 codes, four categories, 14 subcategories).Conclusion: Patients with LE-GCS live with the fear that LE exacerbation will produce adverse life changes, and this may exceed the fear of cancer itself. The aggravation of their condition results in immense pain as well as reduced mobility, change in appearance, and loss of self-worth. The symptoms fluctuate, and may lead to chronic misery, which does not manifest, but occasionally flares-up because of both, worsening physical disability as well as ordinary events. Additionally, every patient subjectively described the strength they found within themselves to face the suffering. They cited the support of family and friends, existence of compassionate therapists and doctors, acquisition of knowledge, and self-care.

In this study, we aim to clarify the impact of drug abuse prevention education and the experiences of people who have stayed in countries that are tolerate marijuana use for recreational purposes on their beliefs regarding the relaxation of the Cannabis Control Law. On May 12-13th, 2022, a web-based questionnaire survey was presented to Japanese nationals aged 18-41 years who had spent at least 5 days in a marijuana-tolerant country. Univariate and multiple logistic regression analyses were conducted with “Views on the Relaxation of the Cannabis Control Law” as the objective variable. A total of 160 respondents (45.6% male) responded, of whom 33.8% supported relaxing the law for the consumption of recreational cannabis in the form of food, drink, or smoke. Additionally, 27.5% of the respondents had encountered recreational cannabis through some channel during their stay. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed a significant positive association between idea of supporting the relaxation of the law and the tolerance of the image of the physical and mental effects of recreational cannabis and the social effects of its distribution. Neither knowledge of marijuana and drug abuse nor the experience of being encouraged to use it during their stay were significantly associated. The study suggested that in order to deter marijuana use during stays in such countries, it is necessary not only to improve knowledge, but also to foster imagination and the ability to think and predict the physical and social effects of its use.

Monitoring of the safety profile for the approved medical products consists of routine pharmacovigilance activities for all drugs and additional pharmacovigilance activities for product-specific concerns. Signal management is an important part of routine pharmacovigilance activities, so EMA and FDA have published the guidelines for signal management in various documents. The AMED Risk Management Plan （RMP） research group, which started its activities in 2018 to enhance risk management plan in Japan, reviewed the guidelines and related articles and then put together the principles of signal management. The guidelines in EU and US describes the signal detection and evaluation methods including points to consider when conducting them, responsibilities of each action, and the procedures that the regulatory authorities disclose the outcome of their activities, in addition to the principles and procedures of signal management. Through the guidelines, they establish transparency for public including pharmaceutical industry. Our group first created the Japanese definitions of signal-related terms. Based on them, we created high-level concept for a series of activities from signal detection to risk identification and discussed the future vision of signal management in Japan.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the validity and reliability of the Seattle Angina Questionnaire, Japanese version (SAQ-J) as a disease-specific health outcome scale in patients with coronary artery disease. METHODS: Patients with coronary artery disease were recruited from a university hospital in Tokyo. The patients completed self-administered questionnaires, and medical information was obtained from the subjects' medical records. Face validity, concurrent validity evaluated using Short Form 36 (SF-36), known group differences, internal consistency, and test-retest reliability were statistically analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 354 patients gave informed consent, and 331 of them responded (93.5%). The concurrent validity was mostly supported by the pattern of association between SAQ-J and SF-36. The patients without chest symptoms showed significantly higher SAQ-J scores than did the patients with chest symptoms in 4 domains. Cronbach's alpha ranged from .51 to .96, meaning that internal consistency was confirmed to a certain extent. The intraclass correlation coefficient of most domains was higher than the recommended value of 0.70. The weighted kappa ranged from .24 to .57, and it was greater than .4 for 14 of the 19 items. CONCLUSIONS: The SAQ-J could be a valid and reliable disease-specific scale in some part for measuring health outcomes in patients with coronary artery disease, and requires cautious use.
Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Coronary Artery Disease ; Coronary Vessels ; Humans ; Informed Consent ; Medical Records ; Reproducibility of Results ; Thorax ; Tokyo ; Surveys and Questionnaires

Purpose
  The purpose of this study is to clarify the impressions that elderly people requiring care have when exposed to a “rooftop forest-like field.”
Methods
Experimental sites : (1) The rooftop forest-like area: It covers an area of 122 m² on the 3rd story rooftop of a health service facility. It has 140 cm undulations, and a murmuring stream 7 m long and 58 cm deep flowing through the center. Fifty-one species of trees and 33 species of weeds, herbs, and grasses have been planted. Nearby is a mountain from which some birds come to the area. This mountain formed the background to this landscape. (2) The outdoor parking area: Control area was an area of 170 m² next to the same facility. Cars were prevented from entering during the study.
Subjects:The subjects were 30 females aged from 71 to 95 (mean ± SD: 81.7 ± 5.6). They were residents of the facility or attended to the facility for day care. They were divided into two groups, A and B, consisting of 15 females each. The groups were matched for age and cerebral vascular disorders (CVD). No patients with dementia were included. Experimental design : On the first day of The experiment, group A was sent to the rooftop forest-like area, and group B was sent to the open-air parking area. On the second day, each group went to the other area to eliminate the order effect. The subjective impression was measured using the semantic differential (SD) method. Patients sat still in a wheelchair and watched the scenery for 7 minutes and then answered the questionnaire.
Results and Discussion
  The rooftop forest-like field was perceived as a “beautiful,” “refreshing,” “orderly,” “enjoyable,” “comfortable” “secure,” “healthy,” “calm,” “soothing,” “friendly,” “quiet,” and a “holy” area. It was similar to the impression made by natural coniferous forests or natural rice fields. More than 80% of subjects expressed subjective relaxed state, as “most enjoyable,” “most comfortable,” and “most secure” as their impressions of the rooftop forest-like area. The impression of rooftop forest like area was characterized by high scores for both space and sensory factors using the SD method. Compared with previous reports, this forest-like area may have a relaxing effect on elderly people requiring care which is subjectively perceived.
Conclusion
  It was demonstrated that the rooftop forest-like field was perceived as a “comfortable”, “healthy”, and “relaxing” space by elderly people requiring care.