Use of Parathyroid Hormone and Rehabilitation Reduces Subsequent Vertebral Body Fractures after Balloon Kyphoplasty

Ueno Masaki,Toriumi Emi,Yoshii Aki,Tabata Yuki,Furudate Takeshi,Tajima Yusuke 대한척추외과학회 2022 Asian Spine Journal Vol.16 No.3

Study Design: Retrospective cohort study.Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy of our current prophylactic strategy by investigating the incidence of subsequent vertebral body fractures (SVBFs) following balloon kyphoplasty (BKP).Overview of Literature: Although extensive studies have investigated the risk factors for SVBFs after BKP, few have reported on postoperative therapies to prevent SVBFs and have evaluated their effectiveness.Methods: This study enrolled 273 patients who underwent an initial BKP. To treat osteoporosis, parathyroid hormone (PTH) administration was started 1–2 weeks before BKP and continued for at least 6 months postoperatively. Corsets were applied for 3 months after the procedure. Rehabilitative interventions, including hip range-of-motion training, muscle strengthening exercises, and motion/posture instruction, were started from the preoperative assessment time point and resumed 3 hours postoperatively. Corsets were used in all patients. Therefore, no grouping based on corset use was performed. PTH was used in 180 patients, and they were divided into the following two groups: PTH user group and PTH nonuser group. Rehabilitative interventions were provided to all patients for a median duration of 17 days. Patients who underwent rehabilitative intervention for <17 and ≥17 days were included in the short-term and long-term intervention groups, respectively. The incidences of SVBFs for these four groups were compared.Results: SVBF occurred in 29 patients (10.6%). The SVBF incidence among patients who were prescribed all three prophylactic measures was 6.2%. The PTH user group had a significantly lower incidence of distant vertebral body fractures as compared to the PTH nonuser group. The long-term rehabilitation group had a significantly lower incidence of SVBFs and adjacent vertebral body fractures within 50 postoperative days than the short-term group.Conclusions: A 17-day or longer rehabilitative intervention may lower the risk of early adjacent vertebral body fractures, and the use of PTH may reduce the risk of distant vertebral body fractures.

Suppression of Pressure Oscillation in Supersonic Parachute Model Using a Ring

Katsuyoshi Fukiba,Yuma Ueno,Yusuke Maru 한국항공우주학회 2024 International Journal of Aeronautical and Space Sc Vol.25 No.1

A method for suppressing the pressure oscillation of supersonic parachutes is proposed in this study. This method placed a ring with a triangular or circular cross section in front of the canopy of a parachute. A rigid metal canopy was used in supersonic wind tunnel tests. Hard piano wires with a diameter of 0.8 mm were used as suspension lines and a riser to connect a fore body and the canopy. In the wind tunnel test without a ring, pressure oscillation with the accompanying time variation of the shock wave structure was observed at Mach 3.0. A detached shock wave oscillated back and forth because it interfered with the boundary layer developed on the suspension lines. A large-amplitude pressure oscillation was observed with the pressure sensor placed at the center of the canopy. The large pressure oscillation was suppressed using a ring. The time variation of the shockwave structure suppressed. The amplitude of the pressure with the sensor reduced to 1/2 of that without a ring. We also found that the location and cross-sectional shape of the ring affects the flow around the canopy.

The aquatic macrophyte flora of a small pond revealing high species richness in the Aomori Prefecture, Japan

Kohtaroh Shutoh,Takashi Yamanouchi,Syou Kato,Hiroki Yamagishi,Yusuke Ueno,Shiori Hiramatsu,Jun Nishihiro,Takashi shiga 국립중앙과학관 2019 Journal of Asia-Pacific Biodiversity Vol.12 No.3

A small semiartificial pond, revealing high species richness with respect to the aquatic macrophytes, was studied in the Aomori Prefecture, Japan. The pond had been completely formed ca. 10 years previously after excavation into a wet bog. To identify and evaluate its aquatic macrophyte flora during 2017–2018, we listed the species of aquatic vascular plants and charophytes in the pond and compared this list with those from the natural Japanese lakes using a database of aquatic flora in Japan. Two species were identified by molecular analyses because they lacked any reproductive organs, which were necessary for identifying the species level. We found a total of 57 taxa of aquatic macrophytes including 15 Red List species in Japan or Aomori Prefecture. Comparing the flora list with those from the 66 natural Japanese lakes surveyed since 2001, the pond was ranked fourth in the order of diversity (based on species richness) and rarity (based on numbers of Red List species). Therefore, the pond is an important aquatic environment in terms of aquatic macrophyte conservation in Japan. Interestingly, for a pond with such high species diversity, it is relatively small (0.14 km2), semiartificial, and relatively recently formed.

Lack of Associations between Genetic Polymorphisms in GSTM1, GSTT1 and GSTP1 and Pancreatic Cancer Risk: A Multi-Institutional Case-Control Study in Japan

Yamada, Ikuhiro,Matsuyama, Masato,Ozaka, Masato,Inoue, Dai,Muramatsu, Yusuke,Ishii, Hiroshi,Junko, Ueda,Ueno, Makoto,Egawa, Naoto,Nakao, Haruhisa,Mori, Mitsuru,Matsuo, Keitaro,Nishiyama, Takeshi,Ohkaw Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2014 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.15 No.1

Background: We aimed to evaluate the role of genetic polymorphisms in tobacco carcinogen-metabolizing genes and their interactions with smoking in a hospital-based case-control study of Japanese subjects. Materials and Methods: We examine the associations of pancreatic cancer risk with genetic polymorphisms in GSTM1, GSTT1 and GSTP1, phase II enzymes that catalyze the conjugation of toxic and carcinogenic electrophilic molecules. The study population consisted of 360 patients and 400 control subjects, who were recruited from several medical facilities in Japan. Unconditional logistic regression methods were used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the associations between genotypes and pancreatic cancer risk. Results: Among the control subjects, the prevalence of the GSTM1-null genotype and the GSTT1-null genotype was approximately 56% and 48%, respectively. Cases and controls were comparable in terms of GSTM1 and GSTT1 genotype distributions. Neither of the deleted polymorphisms in GSTM1 and GSTT1 was associated with the risk of pancreatic cancer, with an age- and sex-adjusted OR of 0.99 (95%CI: 0.74-1.32) for the GSTM1-null genotype, and 0.98 (95%CI: 0.73-1.31) for the GSTT1-null genotype. The OR was 0.97 (95%CI: 0.64-1.47) for individuals with the GSTM1 and GSTT1-null genotypes compared with those with the GSTM1 and GSTT1- present genotypes. No synergistic effects of smoking or GST genotypes were observed. Conclusions: Our results indicate no overall association between the GSTM1 and GSTT1 deletion polymorphisms and pancreatic cancer risk in the Japanese subjects in our study.

The incidence and risk factors of venous thromboembolism in Japanese inpatients with inflammatory bowel disease: a retrospective cohort study

Katsuyoshi Ando,Mikihiro Fujiya,Yoshiki Nomura,Yuhei Inaba,Yuuya Sugiyama,Takuya Iwama,Masami Ijiri,Keitaro Takahashi,Kazuyuki Tanaka,Aki Sakatani,Nobuhiro Ueno,Shin Kashima,Kentaro Moriichi,Yusuke Mi 대한장연구학회 2018 Intestinal Research Vol.16 No.3

Background/Aims: Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a major extraintestinal manifestation in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), regarded as an independent risk factor for VTE according to reports from Western countries. However, the incidence and risk factors of VTE in Asian IBD patients are not fully understood. We aimed to reveal the incidence and risk factors of VTE in Japanese IBD inpatients. Methods: The incidence of VTE in inpatients with IBD (n=340), gastrointestinal cancers (n=557), and other gastrointestinal diseases (n=569) treated at our hospital from 2009 to 2013 was retrospectively investigated. The characteristics and laboratory data of IBD inpatients with and without VTE were compared in univariate and multivariate analyses. Clinical courses of VTE in IBD were surveyed. Results: VTE was detected in 7.1% of IBD inpatients, significantly higher than in gastrointestinal cancer inpatients (2.5%) and inpatients with other gastrointestinal diseases (0.88%). The incidence of VTE in ulcerative colitis (UC) patients (16.7%) was much higher than that in those with Crohn’s disease (3.6%). In the univariate analysis, the risk factors were an older age, central venous catheter, prednisolone, surgery, low serum albumin, high serum C-reactive protein and D-dimer. According to a multivariate analysis, >50 years of age and surgery were the only risk factors. The in-hospital mortality rate of IBD inpatients with VTE was 4.2%. Conclusions: The incidence of VTE with IBD, especially UC, was found to be high compared with other digestive disease, which was almost equivalent to that of Western countries. The efficacy of prophylaxis needs to be investigated in Asian IBD patients.