Tumor Occupation in the Spinal Canal and Clinical Symptoms of Cauda Equina Schwannoma: An Analysis of 22 Cases

Kengo Fujii,Masataka Sakane,Tetsuya Abe,Tsukasa Nakagawa,Shinsuke Sakai,Masaki Tatsumura,Toru Funayama,Masashi Yamazaki 대한척추외과학회 2016 Asian Spine Journal Vol.10 No.6

Study Design: Retrospective, radiological study. Purpose: To determine the relationship between clinical symptoms and the extent of tumor occupation of the spinal canal by cauda equina schwannoma. Overview of Literature: Little is known about the relationship between the size of tumors of the cauda equina and the manifestation of clinical symptoms. We analyzed this relationship by estimating the percentage of tumor occupation (PTO) in the spinal canal in cauda equina schwannomas and by correlating this parameter with the presence and severity of clinical symptoms. Methods: Twenty-two patients (9 men and 13 women; age, 19–79 years; mean age, 55.3 years) who were radiologically diagnosed with schwannomas of the cauda equina between April 2004 and July 2014 were retrospectively analyzed. PTO was measured in axial and sagittal magnetic resonance imaging slices in which the cross-sectional area of the tumor was the largest. Data regarding clinical symptoms and results of physical examinations were collected from patient medical records. PTO differences between symptompositive and -negative groups were analyzed for each variable. Results: In the 4 cases in which tumor presence was not related to clinical symptoms, PTO was 5%–10% (mean, 9%) in axial slices and 23%–31% (mean, 30%) in sagittal slices. In the 18 cases in which symptoms were associated with the tumor, PTO was 11%–86% (mean, 50%) in axial slices and 43%–88% (mean, 71%) in sagittal slices. PTO in axial slices was significantly higher in the presence of Déjèrine symptoms and/or muscle weakness, a positive straight leg raise test, and a positive Kemp sign. Conclusions: PTO >20% in axial slices and >40% in sagittal slices can be an indication of symptomatic cauda equina schwannoma.

The Stock Listing and Business Value Estimation of Japan Post Holdings

Hideki, Fujii,Masashi, Watanabe,Natsuko, Yokoyama 한국국제회계학회 2014 국제회계연구 Vol.0 No.57

2012년 4월 27일 우정서비스 민영화와 관련 법의 부분적인 개정에 따라, 일본의 우정 그룹은 주식상장 계획을 발표했다. 이 계획의 주요한 핵심은, 정부가 100% 지배하고 있고 우정 그룹의 홀딩기업인 일본 우정 홀딩스(JPH)가 2015년 봄을 목표로 그 주식의 공매를 시작하는 것이고 주식의 판매대금은 2011년의 동일본 지진의 피해지역의 복구 기금으로 충당하는 것이다. 이 연구는 공시된 재무정보를 이용하여 JPH의 기업가치를 평가할 것이다. 이는 미래의 우정서비스의 개혁의 전제이며 특히 주식상장의 주요 쟁점이기도 하다. 따라서 본 연구에서는 잔여이익모델을 이용하여 민감도분석을 실행하였다. 본 연구의 결과는 PBR>1과 자본코스트가 4% 또는 5% 보다 작은 조건에서 JPH의 기업가치는 5.06조 에서 8.61조 엔(49.2십억에서 83.8십억 미국달러) 또는 5.81조에서 7.59조 엔(56.2십억 73.8십억 미국달러)의 범위에서 평가되었다. Following the enactment of the “Act for Partial Revision of the Postal Service Privatization Act and Others” on April 27, 2012, the Japan Post Group announced a stock listing plan. The main point of this plan is that Japan Post Holdings (JPH), a 100% government-owned holding company of the group, will start selling its shares, with a target period of autumn 2015 and that the proceeds from the sale of shares are supposed to be devoted to funding reconstruction in the area damaged by the Great East Japan Earthquake 2011. This paper seeks to estimate, based on published financial information, the business value of JPH, which is an important premise for the debate regarding future postal service reforms, and, the issue of the stock listing in particular. For this purpose, we use what is called the “residual income model,” in which the research takes on the nature of a sensitivity analysis. Our research results reveal that the business value of JPH can be estimated to be in the range of 5.06 to 8.61 trillion yen (49.2 to 83.8 billion US dollar), or 5.81 to 7.59 trillion yen (56.2 to 73.8 billion US dollar), and that to achieve a PBR > 1, capital cost must be less than 5% or 4%.

Usefulness of Colored 3D Imaging of Respiratory Impedance in Asthma

Toshihiro Shirai,Kazutaka Mori,Masashi Mikamo,Yuichiro Shishido,Takefumi Akita,Satoru Morita,Kazuhiro Asada,Masato Fujii,Takafumi Suda,Kingo Chida 대한천식알레르기학회 2013 Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Research Vol.5 No.5

Purpose: Recently, the clinical application of the forced oscillation technique (FOT) has progressed with the spread of commercially available FOT devices, including the impulse oscillation system and MostGraph. We investigated the usefulness of color 3D imaging of respiratory impedance in asthma using MostGraph. Methods: Whole-breath and within-breath respiratory system resistance (Rrs) and reactance (Xrs) were measured in 78 patients with asthma. Color 3D images were classified into three patterns: the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)-like pattern (high values of Rrs and Xrs with a marked respiratory cycle and frequency dependence), the asthma pattern (moderately high Rrs over the entire frequency and a respiratory cycle with slight Xrs changes), and a normal-like pattern (low Rrs and Xrs with few within-breath changes). The classification was performed by three researchers, who were unaware of the clinical information, and the clinical characteristics were compared among the three groups. Results: Color 3D imaging provided a COPD-like pattern in 25 patients, an asthma pattern in 39 patients, and a normal-like pattern in 14 patients. Patients with the COPD-like pattern were predominantly female with a higher body mass index, lower forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) and forced vital capacity (FVC), and higher Rrs and Xrs values (whole-breath and within-breath variation). Those with the normal pattern had higher FEV1 and FVC, and a lower single-breath nitrogen washout slope. There were no differences in asthma control or exhaled nitric oxide levels among the three groups. Conclusions: These results suggest that color 3D imaging of respiratory impedance may show asthma phenotypes.

Effects of combined therapy of alendronate and low-intensity pulsed ultrasound on metaphyseal bone repair after osteotomy in the proximal tibia of glucocorticoid-induced osteopenia rats

Tetsuya Kawano,Naohisa Miyakoshi,Yuji Kasukawa,Michio Hongo,Hiroyuki Tsuchie,Chie Sato,Masashi Fujii,Masazumi Suzuki,Manabu Akagawa,Yuichi Ono,Yusuke Yuasa,Itsuki Nagahata,Yoichi Shimada 대한골다공증학회 2017 Osteoporosis and Sarcopenia Vol.3 No.4

Objectives: Glucocorticoid (GC) treatment inhibits activation of runt-related transcription factor 2 (Runx2), which is essential for osteoblast differentiation from stem cells. As a result, GC treatment results in bone loss, GC-induced osteoporosis (GIO), elevated fracture risk, and delayed bone healing. Bisphosphonates such as alendronate (ALN) are recommended for treating or preventing GIO, and lowintensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) facilitates fracture healing and maturation of regenerated bone. Combined therapy with ALN and LIPUS may stimulate cancellous bone healing in GIO rats. Here, we examined the effect of ALN and LIPUS on cancellous bone osteotomy repair in the proximal tibia of GIO rats. Methods: Prednisolone (10 mg/kg body weight/day) was administered for 4 weeks to induce GIO in 6- month-old female Sprague-Dawley rats. Tibial osteotomy was then performed and daily subcutaneous injection of ALN (1-mg/kg body weight) was subsequently administered alone or in combination with LIPUS (20 min/day) for 2 or 4 weeks. Results: ALN significantly increased bone mineral density (BMD) at 2 and 4 weeks, and ALN þ LIPUS significantly increased BMD at 4 weeks. Bone union rates were significantly increased after 2 and 4 weeks ALN and ALN þ LIPUS treatment. Lastly, ALN and ALN þ LIPUS significantly increased the proportion of Runx2 positive cells at 4 weeks. Conclusions: ALN monotherapy and combined ALN and LUPUS treatment augmented BMD and stimulated cancellous bone repair with increased Runx2 expression at the osteotomy site in GIO rats. However, the combined treatment had no additional effect on cancellous bone healing compared to ALN monotherapy. © 2017 The Korean Society of Osteoporosis. Publishing services by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

Effects of teriparatide on bone in autochthonous transgenic model mice for diabetes mellitus (Akita mice)

Kentaro Ohuchi,Naohisa Miyakoshi,Yuji Kasukawa,Toyohito Segawa,Hayato Kinoshita,Chie Sato,Masashi Fujii,Yoichi Shimada 대한골다공증학회 2019 Osteoporosis and Sarcopenia Vol.5 No.4

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effects of teriparatide (TPTD) on bone mineral density (BMD), bone strength, and bone quality in Akita mouse models of diabetes mellitus. Methods: Twelve-week-old female Akita mice and control mice (C57/BL/6NCrSlc) were divided into 4 groups: control mice treated with vehicle (n ¼ 7) or TPTD (n ¼ 6); and Akita mice treated with vehicle (n ¼ 6) or TPTD (n ¼ 7). TPTD or vehicle was administered subcutaneously 3 times a week for 8 weeks. Blood glucose, serum sclerostin, total tibial BMD, femoral shaft bone strength, and bone quality using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy imaging were evaluated. Results: No significant differences in serum sclerostin levels were evident among these groups after 8 weeks of treatment. TPTD significantly increased BMD in control mice (þ12.7%, P ¼ 0.02) and Akita mice (þ29.2%, P ¼ 0.001) compared with vehicle. Maximum load and stiffness were significantly higher in Akita mice treated with TPTD than in Akita mice treated with vehicle (þ56.6%, P ¼ 0.03 and þ 90.5%, P ¼ 0.02, respectively). On Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy imaging, the mineral/matrix ratio was significantly lower in Akita mice treated with vehicle than in control mice (12.2%, P ¼ 0.02), and TPTD treatment significantly increased the mineral/matrix ratio (P ¼ 0.003). Conclusions: TPTD thus improved BMD and bone strength in both control mice and Akita mice, with improvements in the mineral/matrix ratio among Akita mice.