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The purpose of this study is to investigate the relation between the radiological findings of the cervical spine and the muscle strength of the neck. Radiographs of the cervical spine were taken and studied in 345 1st grade American football players, consisting of 324 collegiate players, 21 high school players, and 87 high school rugby football players. All subjects were classified into 3 groups depending upon the radiological findings ; normal with anterior bowing (N) , and two groups of abnormal alignment, characterized by the disappearance of anterior bowing (DAB) or formation of posterior bowing (PB) , based on the findings in plain radiographs of the lateral view of the cervical spine in the neutral position. Flexion (F) and Extension (E) of neck muscle strength were measured using Micro FET. F/neck diameter (F/ND), E/ND. F/body weight (F/BW) . E/BW and the percentage of F/E (%F/E) were analyzed statistically. E, E/ND and %F/E were significantly related to the radiological findings of the cervical spine. E was 284.1 N in DAB. 266.2 N in PB and 277.2 N in N. The E/ND data was 7.5 N/cm. 7.1 N/cm and 7.3 N/cm in N. The %F/E was 90.6% in DAB, 95.4% in PB and 88.9% in N, respectively. We conclude from this study that the relative decrease in the neck extension muscle strength was low, compared with that of flexion in the PB gr. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of low frequency electrical acupunctural stimulation on the perception of induced dental pain were compared in two cultural settings. Twenty Japanese and 20 American subjects (consisting of 10 Caucasians and 10 second or third generation Japanese) were tested in two functionally identical laboratories, one at Tottori University in Yonago, Japan and the other at the University of Washington. Each subject underwent a control and an acupuncture session on separate days wtih subjects counterbalanced for carry-over order effects. Sensory decision theory (SDT) analysis demonstrated a significant reduction in perceptual capability and an increased bias against reporting stimuli as painful following the acupuncture as treatment which was performed bilaterally at traditional facial points. No significant differences between groups in alteration of perceptual capability, bias or pain threshold were demonstrated, indicating that the cultural and racial differences studied did not influence responses to acupuncture in a laboratory setting.

Prognosis of 600 consecutive patients with hepatocellular carcinoma was analyzed in relation to treatment. They were divided into three stages based on four parameters of advanced disease: ascites, tumor greater than 50% of the two-dimensional size of the liver, serum albumin below 3 gm per dl, and serum bilirubin above 3 mg per dl. Stage I had none of these signs; Stage II one or two signs, and Stage III three or all signs. Of 600 patients, 98 had resection, 333 had nonsurgical treatment (158 treated by intraarterial chemotherapy, 94 systemic chemotherapy, 77 transcatheter embolization, and 4 others) and 169 no treatment. The median survival of untreated patients was only 1.6 months from diagnosis, and no untreated Stage III patient lived more than 3 months; there was a median survival of 0.7 month. Surgically treated patients lived significantly longer than nonsurgical patients of comparable stages; median survival was 19.6 months in the former and 2.8 months in the latter. Whereas Stage I patients did fairly well without treatment, chemotherapy significantly prolonged survival of patients of Stages II and III. These results suggest that early diagnosis and hepatic resection improve prognosis in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma in the areas where this cancer frequently emerges unicentrically. In view of the generally poor prognosis, liver transplantation is recommended when resection is not possible or indicated, and before extrahepatic metastasis occurs.