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The stacked GSO(Ce) spectrometer consists of three plastic scintillation detectors, three rectangular GSO(Ce) scintillators (43 x 43 x 43 [mm.sup.3]) and a large cylindrical GSO(Ce) ([Phi] 62 x 120 [mm.sup.3]). It has been developed to measure proton emission spectra up to 450 MeV. As a preliminary test, [Gamma]-rays from 137Cs and cosmic-rays were measured. We compare the results of the stacked GSO(Ce) spectrometer and those of the stacked NaI(Tl) spectrometer. The performances of the stacked GSO(Ce) spectrometer in intermediate energy region are discussed.

Compares the results generated from a preliminary measurement test of ...-rays from 137Cs and cosmic-rays of the stacked GSO(Ce) spectrometer and those of the stacked MaI(T1) spectrometer. Nature of the results generated; Features of the stacked GSO(Ce); performances of GSO9Ce) in intermediate energy region.

Objective: In baseball, there are many factors involved in the onset of throwing injuries. Previous studies have shown injuries types and frequency. However, it is unclear whether baseball players perform self-care and have knowledge about sports injuries prevention. The purpose of this study was to investigate the self-care activities such as stretching and attitudes toward sports injuries prevention in collegiate male baseball players. Methods: An internet-based questionnaire was sent to 294 collegiate students who belong to the baseball club in Japan. This survey asked self-care implementation situation, specific body parts and effective methods of sports injuries prevention. If there were no appropriate options, they were asked to input using text boxes. Results: Responses were obtained from 118 players, with a response rate of 40%. A total of 89 players (75%) performed selfcare for injury prevention and most targeted upper extremity: shoulder joint (34%), thoracic spine (16%) and forearm (16%). 98 players (83%) were interested in sports injuries prevention, of which 79 players (82%) had little knowledge on how to prevent sports injuries. Conclusion: In this study, a large number of collegiate baseball players performed self-care for shoulder joint. On the other hand, there were many players who had little knowledge for sports injuries prevention. Previous studies have indicated that not only shoulder joint but also thoracic mobility and forearm muscle flexibility were required to prevent throwing injuries. Therefore, it is necessary to increase the frequency of screening opportunities for injury prevention and therapists should suggest to baseball players how to implement self-care other than shoulder joint. Clinical implications: In order to reduce throwing injuries, therapists should increase opportunities to provide more information to baseball players about the significance and method of performing self-care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: American Football (AF) is a sport with intense physical contact, and there are many injuries. According to the surveys on injuries in collegiate AF in Japan, ligament injuries were the most frequent (37 - 39%). These studies were conducted in the Kanto or Kansai leagues, which have sufficient players. However, no surveys on injuries has been conducted in leagues with a small number of players, such as in the Chushikoku league. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the occurrence of injury in the Chushikoku Collegiate AF league. Methods: The survey period spanned 103 games played over 7 seasons. The survey subjects had described in the injury report of the Japan AF Association. The injury report was described when a "timeout for the injured" was called by the referee. The survey items included the player's position, injury type, injury location, the quarter (Q) during which the injury occurred, and the number of injuries per game. Results: The total number of injuries was 424. The number of injuries per games was 4.1 per game. The most frequent type of injury was bruising in 138 cases (32.5%). In addition, there were 114 cases (26.9%) of muscle cramps and 74 cases (17.5%) of ligament injuries. There were 189 cases among offensive players and 235 cases among defensive players. The timing of the injury was the 3Q in 127 cases and 4Q in 183 cases. Overall, 73.1% of injuries occurred late in the game. Conclusion: Previous studies reported the number of injuries for the Kanto Collegiate AF league to be 1.3 per game. In contrast, the number of injuries in Chushikoku league was 4.3 per game, and the prevalence of bruises and muscle cramps was overwhelmingly large. This high number could be due to several factors, such as few players per team (few opportunities for substitution), and the participation of students with lower skills. Clinical implications: The injury rates in the Chushikoku league tended to differ from those of other leagues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Purpose] This study aimed to elucidate the relationship between the Life-Space Assessment measure, which conceptualizes physical activity in terms of life-space, and indicators of empowerment, and physical function, in stable patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. [Participants and Methods] This was a cross-sectional study. The participants were 25 stable outpatients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (22 males, mean age 75.6 ± 6.1 years). Measurements included the Life-Space Assessment; the Empowerment Scale for the Elderly; respiratory function; grip strength; weight-adjusted knee extension strength; and a six-minute walk test. Pearson's correlation coefficient and a multivariate analysis were used to examine the relationship between the Life-Space Assessment and each indicator, with the significance level set at 5%. [Results] The Life-Space Assessment score (83.4 ± 23.7 points) correlated with the percentage forced vital capacity and the six-minute walk distance. However, the Life-Space Assessment demonstrated no association with the Empowerment Scale for the Elderly (38.3 ± 7.0 points). [Conclusion]The results of this study suggest that physical function correlates with scores on the Life-Space Assessment in patients with stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (2024©by the Society of Physical Therapy Science. Published by IPEC Inc.)

Background: T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia has distinct biological characteristics and a poorer prognosis than B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. This trial aimed to reduce the rate of radiation and haematopoietic stem-cell transplantation (HSCT) while improving outcomes by adding nelarabine, intensified L-asparaginase, and protracted intrathecal therapy in the Berlin-Frankfurt-Münster (BFM)-type treatment., Methods: In this nationwide, multicenter, phase 2 trial, we enrolled patients with newly diagnosed T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (age <25 years at diagnosis) conducted by Japan Children's Cancer Group and Japan Adult Leukemia Study Group. Patients were stratified into standard-risk, high-risk, and very-high-risk groups according to prednisolone response, CNS status, and end-of-consolidation minimal residual disease. We used the Associazione Italiana di Ematologia Oncologia Pediatrica (AIEOP)-BFM-ALL 2000-backbone chemotherapy. Nelarabine (650 mg/m 2 per day for 5 days) was given to high-risk and very high-risk patients. All patients received, until the measurement of end-of-consolidation minimal residual disease, an identical therapy schedule, which included the prednisolone pre-phase remission induction therapy with dexamethasone (10 mg/m 2 per day, for 3 weeks [for patients <10 years] or for 2 weeks including a 7-day off interval [for patients ≥10 years]) instead of prednisolone, and consolidation therapy added with Escherichia coli-derived L-asparaginase. On the basis of the stratification, patients received different intensities of treatment; L-asparaginase-intensified standard BFM-type therapy for standard risk and nelarabine-added high risk BFM-type therapy for high risk. In the very high-risk group, patients were randomly assigned (1:1) to group A (BFM-based block therapy) and group B (another block therapy, including high-dose dexamethasone) stratified by hospital, age (≥18 years or <18 years), and end-of-induction bone marrow blast percentage of M1 (<5%) or M2 (≥5%, <25%)+M3 (≥25%). Cranial radiotherapy was limited to patients with overt CNS disease at diagnosis (CNS3; >5 white blood cells per μL with blasts) and patients with no evidence of CNS disease received protracted triple intrathecal therapy. Only very high-risk patients were scheduled to receive HSCT. The primary endpoint was 3-year event-free survival for the entire cohort and the proportion of patients with disappearance of minimal residual disease between randomly assigned groups A and B in the very high-risk group. Secondary endpoints were overall survival, remission induction rate, and occurrence of adverse events. 3 years after the completion of patient accrual, a primary efficacy analysis was performed in the full analysis set and the per-protocol set. This study is registered with the Japan Registry of Clinical Trials, jRCTs041180145., Findings: Between Dec 1, 2011, and Nov 30, 2017, of 349 eligible patients (median age 9 years [IQR 6-13]), 238 (68%) were male, and 28 (8%) patients had CNS3 status. 168 (48%) patients were stratified as standard risk, 103 (30%) as high risk, 39 (11%) as very high risk, and 39 (11%) as no risk (patients who had off protocol treatment before risk assessment. The composite complete remission (complete remission plus complete remission in suppression) rate after remission induction therapy was 89% (298 of 335 patients). HSCT was performed in 35 (10%) of 333 patients. With a median follow-up of 5·2 years (IQR 3·6-6·7), 3-year event-free survival was 86·4% (95% CI 82·3-89·7%) and 3-year overall survival was 91·3% (87·7-93·8%). The proportion of minimal residual disease disappearance was 0·86 (12 of 14 patients; 95% CI 0·57-0·98) in group A and 0·50 (6 of 12 patients, 0·21-0·79) in group B. Grade 3 peripheral motor neuropathy was seen in 11 (3%) of 349 patients and sensory neuropathy was seen in 6 (2%) patients. The most common grade 3 or worse adverse event was febrile neutropenia (294 [84%] of 349 patients). Treatment-related death occurred in three patients due to sepsis, gastric perforation, or intracranial haemorrhage during remission induction., Interpretation: The ALL-T11 protocol produced encouraging outcomes with acceptable toxicities despite limited cranial radiotherapy and HSCT use., Funding: Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare of Japan, and Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development., Translation: For the Japanese translation of the abstract see Supplementary Materials section., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests AS has received payment or honoraria for lectures, presentations, speakers’ bureaus, manuscript writing, and educational events from Chugai Pharmaceutical. YH has received payment or honoraria for lectures, presentations, speakers’ bureaus, manuscript writing, and educational events from Kyowa Kirin, Novartis Pharma, and Nippon Shinyaku. CI has received patent royalty in Juno Therapeutics and CURED, consulting fees from CURED and, as a filing of a new patent is being planned in CURED, has a Stock option in CURED. MK received payment or honoraria for lectures, presentations, speakers’ bureaus, manuscript writing, and educational events from Amgen, Chugai Pharmaceutical, and Novartis Pharma, and received grants from from Otsuka Pharmaceutical. SSu has a contract from the Division of General Pediatrics and Emergency Medicine, Oita City, and also has leadership in Japan Children's Cancer Group and The Japanese Society of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology. HK has received payment or honoraria for lectures, presentations, speakers’ bureaus, manuscript writing, and educational events from Abbvie, Chugai Pharmaceutical, Astellas Pharma, and Novartis Pharma. IM has received grants from Ono Pharmaceutical, Janssen Pharmaceutical, Nippon Shinyaku, Kyowa Kirin, Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma, Shionogi & Co, Teijin Pharma, Boehringer Ingelheim, Sanofi, Chugai Pharmaceutical, Eisai, MSD, Asahi Kasei Pharma Corporation, Astellas Pharma, Takeda Pharmaceutical, Nihon Pharmaceutical, Daiichi Sankyo, AbbVie, Taiho Pharmaceutical, Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation, Nippon Kayaku, CSL Behring, Mundipharma, AYUMI Pharmaceutical Corporation, Eli Lilly Japan, Actelion Pharmaceuticals Japan, and Amgen BioPharma. IM has also received payment or honoraria for lectures, presentations, speakers’ bureaus, manuscript writing, and educational events from Bristol-Myers Squibb (Celgene), Novartis, Otsuka Pharmaceutical, Pfizer Japan, Janssen, Astellas Pharma, Takeda Pharmaceutical, and Daiichi Sankyo, and has received consulting fees from Otsuka Pharmaceutical. YM has received payment or honoraria for lectures, presentations, speakers’ bureaus, manuscript writing, and educational events from Novartis Pharma and Kyowa-Kirin. All other authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Skeletal muscle mass and muscle strength are positively correlated, but the relationship between grip strength and global muscle strength is controversial. This study aimed to clarify the changes in site-specific skeletal muscle mass by age group and determine the relationship between site-specific, age-related changes in skeletal muscle mass and physical function in community-dwelling elderly people in Japan. The participants were divided into age groups of five-year intervals (65-69 years, 70-74 years, 75-79 years, and ≥80 years) and were also categorized by sex. The skeletal muscle mass of the upper limbs, lower limbs, and trunk was measured using multifrequency bioelectrical impedance analyzers (InBody 430 (Biospace Co., Ltd., Seoul, Korea) and InBody 470 (InBody Japan Inc., Tokyo, Japan)). For physical function assessment, we measured grip strength, quadriceps strength, sit-up count, sit-and-reach distance, and standing time on one leg with eyes open and performed the timed up and go (TUG) test. The results showed that skeletal muscle mass decreased with age regardless of sex at all measured sites. Furthermore, a partial correlation analysis adjusted for age, physical constitution, and the presence/absence of exercise habits revealed that the highest correlation was between skeletal muscle mass in all sites and grip strength. Thus, monitoring grip strength may be used as a representative of systemic skeletal mass even in Japanese people., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2022, Iwase et al.)

In Asia, including Japan, dementia incidence peaks in older adults over ≥75 years; it is therefore important to detect mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and prevent its onset in this age group. Our study hypothesized that physical and psychological status would be associated with MCI incidence among community-dwelling people aged 75 years and older. The study population comprised 291 such individuals. Participants with a Mini-Mental State Examination score of 28 or more were considered non-MCI, and those with a score of less than 28 and greater than 24 were considered to have MCI. Several other measures were also evaluated, including information about their current medical visits due to diseases, depressive symptom severity, various physical functions (trunk function, 30 s chair-stand test, one-legged stance test, timed up and go test time, 5 m walking time, grip strength, knee-extension strength, and toe-grip strength), and body composition (body fat and skeletal muscle mass). Participants suspected of having MCI had significantly shorter educational histories, higher rates of medical visits due to hypertension, and poorer balance abilities. The results suggest that these indices can be considered screening indicators for detecting MCI in people aged 75 years and older, which may be useful for planning intervention programs for this population.

Preserved ratio impaired spirometry (PRISm) is associated with an increased mortality rate; however, its characteristics have not been clearly identified in Japan. This cross-sectional study of community-dwelling older adults compared physical function between people with PRISm and those with no respiratory issues, from 2014 to 2019. We collected demographic data through interviews and measured respiratory and physical functions. We included 668 older adults (male, 23.5%; mean age, 72.8 ± 5.6 years); the prevalence of PRISm was 12%, while the prevalence of obstruction was 6.9%. Propensity score matching was used to identify control subjects with normal spirometry (n = 80) while minimizing the effects of confounders during comparisons with the PRISm population (n = 80). Compared with community-dwelling older adults with normal lung capacity, older adults with PRISm had a lower forced vital capacity (%FVC; 68.7 ± 9.1% vs. 92.5 ± 12.7%, p < 0.001), lower core muscle endurance (sit-up test: 6.7 ± 5.8 vs. 8.7 ± 6.0, p = 0.032), and a longer one-leg stance duration (52.4 ± 41.1 s vs. 36.4 ± 34.1 s, p = 0.008). In multivariable logistic regression, %FVC and increased one-leg stance were independent predictors of PRISm status. The prevalence of PRISm among community-dwelling elderly Japanese exceeds that of obstructive lung disease and is associated with reduced %FVC and better performance on balance testing., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

Background: Myotonic dystrophy (dystrophia myotonica [DM]) is an autosomal-dominant inheritance, and myasthenia gravis (MG) is an autoimmune disease characterized by weakness of skeletal muscles. Cases of both DM and MG are extremely rare and distinguishing DM and MG symptoms is challenging., Case Presentation: We herein report a 49-year-old woman presenting with subacute dyspnea and muscle weakness. She had previously been diagnosed with DM 24 years earlier. Computed tomography (CT) revealed an anterior mediastinal 32-mm solid mass that was suspected of being thymoma. The clinical features and neurological examination findings confirmed the diagnosis of thymoma-associated MG coexisting with DM. Intensive treatment for MG, including surgery, resulted in an improvement in some of her neurological symptoms., Conclusions: The symptoms of DM usually progress slowly, so the sudden exacerbation of symptoms indicates the involvement of other factors. It is important to be aware of these associations, as an early diagnosis with proper treatment will result in a better outcome.

Background: Surgery is an effective treatment for desmoid fibromatosis, but it may be difficult, depending on the location or local spread of the tumor, and the decision to perform surgery must be made carefully. We herein report a case of desmoid fibromatosis of the chest wall in a young woman suspected of having invasion to the 1st, 2nd and 3rd ribs., Case Presentation: A 35-year-old woman had been aware of dry cough and right chest pain, so she was referred to our hospital. Chest computed tomography showed a localized pleural tumor mainly at the first rib. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a 75 × 65 × 27-mm tumor with a smooth surface, with partial contact from the first rib to third rib and partial extension to the 1st intercostal space. The tumor showed growth in the two months after the first visit, so resection was performed. The tumor was completely resected, and adjuvant radiation therapy (50 Gy) was performed for the small margin. The pathological diagnosis was desmoid fibromatosis. The postoperative course has been uneventful, without recurrence at 14 months after surgery., Conclusions: In chest wall tumors located ventral of the pulmonary apex, we suggest that a combination of the Grunenwald method and Masaoka anterior approach may be a useful option. In cases where margin is not enough, adjuvant radiation therapy should be considered.

This study's objective was to examine the characteristics of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) presenting with various exercise tolerance levels. A total of 235 patients with stable COPD were classified into 4 groups: (1) LoFlo + HiEx-patients with a six-minute walking distance (6MWD) ≥350 m and percentage of predicted forced expiratory volume in 1 s (%FEV 1.0 ) <50%; (2) HiFlo + HiEx-patients with a 6MWD ≥350 m and a %FEV 1.0 ≥50%; (3) LoFlo + LoEx-patients with a 6MWD < 350 m and %FEV 1.0 < 50%; and (4) HiFlo + LoEx-patients with a 6MWD <350 m and %FEV 1.0 ≥ 50%. Aspects of physical ability in the HiFlo + LoEx group were significantly lower than those in the HiFlo + HiEx group. The HiFlo + LoEx group was characterized by a history of hospitalization for respiratory illness within the past year, treatment with at-home oxygen therapy, and lacking daily exercise habits. Following three months of pulmonary rehabilitation, the LoFlo + HiEx group significantly improved in the modified Medical Research Council dyspnea score, maximum gait speed, and 6MWD, while the HiFlo + LoEx group significantly improved in the percentage of maximal expiratory pressure, maximum gait speed, 6MWD, incremental shuttle walking distance, and St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire score. The HiFlo + LoEx group had the greatest effect of three-month pulmonary rehabilitation compared to other groups.

Few studies have examined the effects of health literacy on people at risk of developing dementia; its effects on the pathogenesis of subjective cognitive decline (SCD) are particularly unclear. This study aimed to clarify the relationship between health literacy and SCD in a population of healthy community-dwelling older adults. SCD status was assessed using the Cognitive Function domain of the Kihon Checklist (KCL-CF). Health literacy, in turn, was evaluated using the Communicative and Critical Health Literacy (CCHL) scale. Global cognitive function and depressive symptoms were evaluated using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and a five-item version of the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-5), respectively. Participants who were suspected of having SCD were significantly older than their non-SCD peers, and scored significantly worse on the CCHL, MMSE, and GDS-5. In addition, SCD status was found to be associated with CCHL and GDS-5 scores, as well as age, according to a logistic regression analysis. These findings suggest that low health literacy is linked to SCD morbidity in healthy community-dwelling older adults and should prove useful in the planning of dementia prevention and intervention programs for this population.