Influences of muscle mass loss and exercise habits and personality traits on lower limb motor function among university students.

Secondary sarcopenia, a risk factor even for young people, has attracted attention because of the deterioration of physical activity and nutritional status due to lifestyle change among university students. However, studies on the factors affecting motor function and their involvement are lacking. This cross-sectional study aimed to examine the influences of muscle mass loss and exercise and sleep habits on lower limb motor function, as well as the involvement of personality traits, in 101 university students. Approximately 6% of the participants had low skeletal muscle mass index, similar to previous reports, and that only exercise habits in high school were responsible for muscle mass loss (direct effect = - 0.493; p < 0.05), wherease low skeletal muscle mass (direct effect = - 0.539; p < 0.01) and current exercise habits (direct effect = 0.410; p < 0.01) were responsible for lower limb motor function. Additionaly, only the personality trait of high intellectual curiosity was involved in the establishment of exercise habits in high school, but no other personality traits showed a significant effect. In the prevention of secondary sarcopenia, encouraging sustained exercise habits while considering the influence of different personality traits is expected to prevent the decline in muscle mass and motor function.

Factors influencing junior high school students' perceptions of attending school in Japan.

BACKGROUND: School attendance is a crucial determinant of academic success. Our previous research has identified factors that influence elementary school students' perceptions of attending school, but whether these factors apply to older students remains unclear. We investigated the extent to which the factors identified in the previous research apply to junior high school students and their attitudes toward attending school. METHODS: We hypothesized that students' "perceptions of attending school" was directly influenced by their perceptions of "relationships with friends and teachers," "current circumstances," "subjective health status," and "having people to share experiences and thoughts with." We developed an original questionnaire with 19 items and analyzed data collected from 6245 junior high school students in Japan, using a structural equation model. RESULTS: The final model demonstrated a good fit. Students' "positive perceptions of attending school" was directly and positively influenced by their "positive perceptions of relationships with friends and teachers" and directly and negatively influenced by their "perceptions of poorer subjective health status". Other latent variables directly and positively influenced the perceptions of attending school, but not strongly. Students' perceptions of "relationships with friends and teachers," "current circumstances," and "having people to share experiences and thoughts with" correlated positively with each other. These three latent variables also correlated negatively with "poorer subjective health status." CONCLUSIONS: The role of positive relationships with friends and teachers in shaping students' perceptions of school attendance, coupled with the negative impact of poorer subjective health status, underscores the need for educators to adopt approaches that specifically address these areas. It is crucial to provide support to students in cultivating positive relationships, fostering positive perceptions of school, and offering resources to those who are encountering mental or physical health challenges. Implementing the evidence-based questionnaire developed in this study is recommended to enhance student support and well-being.

Influence of upper limb activity on the step count and accuracy of sleep time of a wristband-type physical activity tracker.

BACKGROUND: A wristband-type consumer physical activity tracker (PAT) is commonly used in rehabilitation to assess an individual's physical activity. However, under the free-living setting, the wristband-type PAT tends to overestimate step counts when compared with the research-standard criterion. Also, daily rhythm characteristics, such as sleep time, are difficult to monitor accurately based solely on self-reporting. PURPOSE: To identify the conditions measured as step counts by a wristband-type consumer PAT when using the upper limbs in daily living, and the measurement accuracy of the sleeping time estimated from the wristband-type PAT. METHODS: Forty participants (20 females, mean age 32.65 ± 9.52 years) were enrolled in two experiments in this study. In Experiment 1, we measured the influence of upper limbs activity (movement speed and distance) on step counts of wristband-type and waist holder-type PAT in two upper limb tasks. In Experiment 2, we verified the measurement accuracy of two sleep times by wristband-type PAT using a self-reported survey for 3 days. RESULTS: The results of Experiment 1 revealed that the step counts using wristband-type PAT were influenced by upper limbs activity depending on movement distance (F (1, 19) = 31.705, p < 0.001) but not speed (F (1, 19) = 2.669, p < 0.117). Whereas, there was no relationship between step counts and upper limb activity in waist holder-type PAT. The results of Experiment 2 showed that the sleep times of wristband-type and self-report had a strong correlation (coefficient value = 0.93, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: This PAT is useful for capturing changes in the amount of physical activity and the daily rhythm within the individual. It can be expected to be used for rehabilitation support centered on upper limb activity and daily rhythm.

Quantum kinetic equation for the Wigner function and reduction to the Boltzmann transport equation under discrete impurities.

We derive a quantum kinetic equation under discrete impurities for the Wigner function from the quantum Liouville equation. To attain this goal, the electrostatic Coulomb potential is separated into the long- and short-range parts, and the self-consistent coupling with Poisson's equation is explicitly taken into account within the analytical framework. It is shown that the collision integral associated with impurity scattering as well as the usual drift term is derived on an equal footing. As a result, we find that the conventional treatment of impurity scattering under the Wigner function scheme is inconsistent in the sense that the collision integral is introduced in an ad hoc way and, thus, the short-range part of the impurity potential is double-counted. The Boltzmann transport equation (BTE) is then derived without imposing the assumption of random impurity configurations over the substrate. The derived BTE would be applicable to describe the discrete nature of impurities such as potential fluctuations.

Determinants of school attendance in elementary school students in Japan: a structural equation model.

BACKGROUND: Managing school nonattendance is a priority worldwide. Frequent school nonattendance in early school years has immediate and long-term negative effects. Although strategies to address nonattendance are being developed and implemented, the number of students with school nonattendance issues is increasing. In this study, we explored students' feelings and perceptions about attending school and the potential determinants of a positive attitude towards attending school. METHODS: We hypothesized that a positive perception towards attending school was influenced by relationships, perceptions of current circumstances, subjective health, and having someone to share experiences and thoughts with. For examining the hypothesized model, an original questionnaire with 14 items was developed, including perceptions towards school attendance (an item), relationships with friends and school teachers (5 items), current circumstances (4 items), subjective health (3 items), and the individuals available to share experiences and thoughts with (1 item). In total, 6860 children submitted the questionnaire (85.3% response rate) and 6841 responses were included to examine the model. Children were 10 or 11 years old, and selected from 111 state-run schools in 8 randomly selected school districts. RESULTS: The final model demonstrated good fit and showed that the latent variable of relationships with friends and school teachers directly impacted on how children felt about attending school. The latent variable of subjective health also directly impacted on how children felt about attending school but not strongly. Other latent variables were not significant. CONCLUSIONS: The importance of positive relationships with friends and teachers in overcoming school nonattendance has been emphasized in previous studies. This study has provided evidence that these relationships impacted children's positive perception about attending school in a large sample of students aged 10-11 years. The latent variable of subjective health may require more items to capture mental health.

Acute Gastric Volvulus Successfully Treated by Endoscopic Reduction in a 6-Year-Old Girl and a Review of the Japanese Literature.

A previously healthy 6-year-old girl suddenly developed severe abdominal pain and nausea. She was diagnosed with acute gastric volvulus, and a nasogastric tube was inserted to decompress the stomach. The volvulus did not reduce spontaneously; therefore, we performed endoscopic reduction on day 3 and were able to treat her successfully. We reviewed the Japanese literature on endoscopic reduction for gastric volvulus in children. Fifteen cases have been reported since 1994. There are no reports of perforation during the procedure. Patients whose general condition is stable and who have no severe anatomic anomalies are good candidates for endoscopic reduction.

Physics of Discrete Impurities under the Frameworkof Device Simulations for Nanostructure Devices.

Localized impurities doped in the semiconductor substrate of nanostructure devices play anessential role in understanding and resolving transport and variability issues in device characteristics.Modeling discrete impurities under the framework of device simulations is, therefore, an urgent needfor reliable prediction of device performance via device simulations. In the present paper, we discussthe details of the physics associated with localized impurities in nanostructure devices, which areinherent, yet nontrivial, to any device simulation schemes: The physical interpretation and the roleof electrostatic Coulomb potential in device simulations are clarified. We then show that a naiveintroduction of localized impurities into the Poisson equation leads to a logical inconsistency withinthe framework of the drift-diffusion simulations. We describe a systematic methodology for how totreat the Coulomb potential consistently with both the Poisson and current-continuity (transport)equations. The methodology is extended to the case of nanostructure devices so that the effects of theinterface between different materials are taken into account.

Examination of the Factors Influencing Achievement Motive in Community-dwelling Elderly People.

OBJECTIVE: Elderly people's success in attaining rehabilitation goals may be heavily dependent on their achievement motive, but research has not identified the factors that impact on achievement motive or suggested any effective interventions to enhance it. This study demonstrated the effects of personality traits, theories of intelligence, and other factors on achievement motive among community-dwelling elderly people. METHODS: The dataset consisted of questionnaire responses from 281 elderly people in day-service or day-care centers. A hypothetical model, based on previous research, proposed that achievement motive would be affected by personality traits, theory of intelligence, and other factors (such as drinking and smoking habits, going out for activities, marital status, and hobbies); that personality traits would have some effect on the theory of intelligence and other factors; and that the theory of intelligence would affect personal factors. The hypothetical model was analyzed using a structural equation modeling approach. RESULTS: The model was modified by removing statistically insignificant paths to achievement motive. The modified model exhibited an excellent fit and showed that achievement motive was affected by personality traits, going out for activities, and marital status (although, surprisingly, single people had stronger achievement motive). The model had an adjusted R2 of 0.593 (P < 0.001) for achievement motive. CONCLUSION: The results indicated that three of the Big Five personality traits (extraversion, conscientiousness, and openness to experience) tend to enhance elderly people's motivation to achieve their goals; moreover, going out more frequently and being single were also associated with achievement motive.

An analysis of structural relationship among achievement motive on social participation, purpose in life, and role expectations among community dwelling elderly attending day services.

Background. Achievement motive is defined as the intention to achieve one's goals. Achievement motive is assumed to promote clients to choices and actions toward their valuable goal, so it is an important consideration in rehabilitation. Purpose. The purpose of this study is to demonstrate the structural relationship among achievement motive on purpose in life, social participation, and role expectation of community-dwelling elderly people. Methods. Participants were community-dwelling elderly people in day-service centers. A total of 281 participants (male: 127, female: 154) answered the self-administered questionnaire in cross-sectional research. The questionnaire was comprised of demographic data and scales that evaluated achievement motive, social participation, purpose in life, and role expectation. We studied the structural relationship established by our hypothesized model via a structural equation modeling approach. Results. We checked the standardized path coefficients and the modification indices; the modified model's statistics were a good fit: CFI = 0.984, TLI = 0.983, RMSEA = 0.050, 90% CI [0.044-0.055]. Achievement motive had a significantly direct effect on purpose in life (direct effect = 0.445, p value < 0.001), a significantly indirect effect on purpose in life via social participation or role expectation (indirect effect = 0.170, p value < 0.001) and a total effect on purpose in life (total effect = 0.615). Discussion. This result suggests that enhancing the intention to achieve one's goals enables participants to feel a spirit of challenge with a purpose and a sense of fulfillment in their daily lives.

Problems during and after pregnancy in female patients with biliary atresia.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Advances in the management for biliary atresia (BA) have improved the prognosis and has greatly increased the number of long-term survivors. Even the long-term survivors, however, still face some problems. This retrospective review was performed to assess pregnancy-associated issues in long-term survivors after surgery for BA. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Of 55 patients with BA surviving for 16 years or more without liver transplantation, 9 patients have experienced pregnancy and delivery. Clinical courses, the outcome of pregnancy and delivery, and current statuses were retrospectively evaluated from their clinical records. RESULTS: The study revealed 14 pregnancies and 11 deliveries. Before pregnancy, no patient showed visible jaundice, but 6 patients had some complications such as episodes of cholangitis and portal hypertension. Two of the patients had both conditions and 2 others developed visible jaundice after pregnancy. One intrauterine fetal death occurred. CONCLUSIONS: Our retrospective review suggests that the previously mentioned conditions can be risk factor for cholangitis and gastrointestinal bleeding during or after pregnancy but are not considered to be contraindications for pregnancy and delivery. Complications can occur with pregnancy even during the normal course. Thus, careful observation is recommended.

Long-term outcome in type I biliary atresia.

PURPOSE: This retrospective study reviews the long-term outcome of type I biliary atresia (BA). METHODS: Three hundred twenty-three patients with BA, including 50 with type I, underwent corrective surgery. The surgical results, role of cholangiograms during the corrective surgery, late complications, and current statuses were evaluated. RESULTS: The overall survival rate of the nontransplant type I patients was better than that of the type II/III patients (52% vs 33%, P = .0009). Cholangiograms of 32 patients were classified into 3 types: cloudy (48%), treelike (13%), and mixed (39%). Of 26 patients who underwent corrective surgery in 1972 or later, 7 (50%), 7 (78%), and 3 (100%) patients of the cloudy type, mixed type, and treelike type, respectively, have survived without liver transplantation (LTx). Of 18 type I patients who survived more than 20 years without LTx, 7 developed severe late complications. Two of them eventually required LTx after 20 years old. CONCLUSIONS: Use of cholangiograms during corrective surgery might have a long-term prognostic value. The overall survival rate of type I BA was better than that of type II/III. The incidence of late complications was, however, considerably high in the type I survivors. All patients required careful long-term follow-up.

Primary tracheal schwannoma (neurilemoma) in a 9-year-old girl.

The authors report a case of primary tracheal schwannoma (neurilemoma) causing symptoms of airway obstruction in a 9-year-old girl. Computerized tomography scan showed a polypoid intratracheal mass obstructing 73% of the lumen. Partial tracheal resection with primary anastomosis was performed. Histologic analysis showed a benign neurogenic tumor of Schwann cell origin.

Cholangitis as a late complication in long-term survivors after surgery for biliary atresia.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: A retrospective review was performed to assess the utility of diagnostic imaging (DI), efficacy of treatment, and outcome of late cholangitis in long-term survivors after surgery for biliary atresia. METHODS: Sixty-one patients surviving without liver transplantation (LTx) for more than 20 years were divided into 2 groups depending on whether cholangitis developed after age 20. Clinical factors including the type of obstruction, the age at the initial operation, and the early complication with cholangitis were compared between the 2 groups. DI such as computed tomography scan and magnetic resonance imaging, clinical courses after treatment of cholangitis, and current status of the patients were also evaluated. RESULTS: Thirteen patients had cholangitis after age 20. There was no statistical difference in the clinical factors studied between the 2 groups. Abnormal DI findings including dilatation of intrahepatic bile ducts and hepatic fibrosis were seen in 10 patients with late cholangitis. One patient died, and 2 ultimately underwent LTx. The remaining 10 patients including 4 with normal or near-normal liver function have survived without LTx. CONCLUSIONS: Although the majority of the patients had potential predisposing factors for cholangitis such as dilatation of intrahepatic bile ducts, a few patients unexpectedly had cholangitis without such abnormal findings after an excellent, long-term postoperative course.

Kinetics of quasiballistic transport in nanoscale semiconductor structures: is the ballistic limit attainable at room temperature?

Electron transport in nanoscale semiconductor structures is theoretically investigated to answer the question of whether or not the ballistic limit is really attainable under room temperature operation. The semiclassical Boltzmann transport equation is solved analytically under the relaxation time approximation for n(+)-n-n(+) test structures. We demonstrate that the solution of the Boltzmann transport equation exhibits a boundary layer structure near the potential barrier and thus the scatterings in the active region cannot be neglected even in nanoscale structures, as far as they are operated at room temperature under high applied voltages.

Long-term efficacy of partial splenic embolization in children.

PURPOSE: To elucidate the role of partial splenic embolization (PSE) procedures, long-term outcome was assessed in terms of the recurrence of thrombocytopenia. METHODS: A retrospective study was performed after 41 PSE procedures in 36 patients for hypersplenism owing to portal hypertension. The underlying disease was biliary atresia in 32 patients, extrahepatic portal obstruction in 3, and idiopathic cirrhosis in 1. RESULTS: The average volume embolized was 70.1%. The patients were followed up from 20 days to 182 months (average, 70.8 months). Five patients subsequently died, and 6 underwent liver transplantation. The causes of death or the reasons for liver transplantation were not related to hypersplenism. Eleven patients (30.6%) had recurrence of thrombocytopenia (<100,000/mm3). There was no significant difference in the volume embolized or platelet count before PSE between the patients with and without recurrence of thrombocytopenia. The peak value of platelet count after PSE was significantly lower in the patients with recurrence of thrombocytopenia (P =.0091). In 17 of 24 survivors without liver transplantation, platelet counts remained normal throughout the follow-up period. CONCLUSIONS: PSE is a safe and effective procedure. Hematologic indices improved in all 36 patients after PSE, and its long-term efficacy was shown in 70% of the survivors.

Clinical significance of 99mTc-DTPA-galactosyl human serum albumin liver scintigraphy in follow-up patients with biliary atresia.

PURPOSE: Technetium 99m DTPA-galactosyl human serum albumin (GSA) liver scintigraphy was performed in follow-up patients with biliary atresia, and its clinical significance was investigated. METHODS: Between 1994 and 2001, GSA liver scintigraphy was performed 153 times in 57 follow-up patients. HH15, LHL15, and H/L15 (HH15/LHL15) were obtained. Patients were divided into 3 groups according to the clinical status (good, n = 17; fair, n = 24; poor, n = 16). The correlation between these parameters and liver function tests was examined. Twenty-six patients of the 57 underwent 3 serial GSA scintigraphies and also were divided into 3 groups (good, n = 13; fair, n = 8; poor, n = 5). (3rd/1st)H/L15 (3rd H/L15/1st H/L15) was obtained and compared. RESULTS: H/L15 had a correlation with serum albumin and serum cholinesterase. H/L15 was statistically different among 3 groups (good, 0.97 +/- 0.15; fair, 0.94 +/- 0.09; poor, 1.12 +/- 0.21; P <.05). Although most patients in the good (10 patients; 76.9%) and fair (7 patients; 87.5%) groups showed (3rd/1st)H/L15 of less than 1.1, 3 patients (60%) in the poor group showed (3rd/1st)H/L15 of more than 1.1. (3rd/1st)H/L15 in the poor group was significantly higher than those in good and fair groups (P <.05). CONCLUSIONS: Technetium 99m-GSA liver scintigraphy is useful to assess the functional hepatic reserve in follow-up patients with biliary atresia. Serial assessment with GSA scintigraphy can provide the trend of the patient's liver condition and can estimate the prognosis of the liver.

The functional roles of porcine CD80 molecule and its ability to stimulate and regulate human anti-pig cellular response.

BACKGROUND: The pig is currently considered to be the most likely candidate for a xenogenic-organ source. Anti-pig human T-cell response via co-stimulatory molecules has been studied with great interest. The soluble form of porcine CD80 has recently been cloned and characterized, but the sequence of the transmembrane form has not been determined. The purpose of this study was to investigate the functional interaction between porcine CD80 and human T cells using the full-length clone of porcine CD80. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Specific complementary DNA (cDNA) clones encoding porcine CD80 were isolated and sequenced using rapid amplification of cDNA ends-polymerase chain reaction. Polymerase chain reaction-amplified cDNA coding for the open reading frame of the porcine CD80 transmembrane form was subcloned into an expression vector and then transfected into Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. CHO cells transfected with porcine CD80 (CHO-pCD80) were co-cultured with human CD4+ T cells and then interleukin-2 secretion was measured and transferred pCD80 expression in these human T cells was detected by flow cytometry. RESULTS: We cloned and determined the complete nucleotide sequence for the transmembrane form of porcine CD80. Results from our T-cell co-stimulatory assay showed significant interleukin-2 production when co-stimulated with CHO-pCD80. Human naïve CD4+ T cells acquired xenogenic pCD80 molecules in the process of T-cell activation. CONCLUSIONS: Findings from this study seem to suggest that pCD80 has the functional ability to regulate human anti-pig cellular response. In addition, genetic manipulation of porcine co-stimulatory molecules offers a potentially new therapeutic strategy to prevent xenogeneic rejection across species.

[Gastroesophageal reflux in neurologically impaired children].

We present here the indication, procedure and results of surgical treatment of gastroesophageal reflux (GER) for neurologically impaired children. We decide its indication based on clinical symptoms and findings of upper GI series, esophageal pH monitoring and GI fiberscopy, respecting the QOL of the patient and family. Laparoscopic fundoplication has become the first choice in surgical treatment of GER because of its good results. However, an anti-reflux procedure is not effective in patients with intractable aspiration. A laryngotracheal separation procedure should be applied for these cases.