School scoliosis screening by Moiré topography - Overview for 33 years in Miyazaki Japan.

BACKGROUND: Since 1981, we have performed school scoliosis screening (SSS) using Moiré topography in Miyazaki, Japan and attained a certain result in detecting scoliosis. However, this screening system was discontinued due to cessation of repair and production of Moiré topographic equipment. The purpose of this study was to make clear both the results and the problems of SSS by Moiré topography on the basis of our past 33 years' experiences. METHODS: The subjects were 689,293 students (5th grade boys in 200,329, 5th grade girls in 191,919, 8th grade boys in 151,351, and 8th grade girls in 145,694) who were screened by Moiré topography between 1981 and 2013. The number of students received SSS, the positive rate of Moiré topography, the discovery rate of scoliosis greater than 20°, the reference rate to the second screening, and the positive predictive value of Moiré topography to detect scoliosis greater than 20° were investigated. RESULTS: The number of students received SSS achieved a peak in 1992. The positive rate of Moiré topography and the discovery rate of scoliosis were highest in 8th grade girls. The reference rates to the second screening were 49.8% in 5th grade students and 41.4% in 8th grade students. The positive predictive values were 2.1% in 5th grade students and 7.6% in 8th grade students. CONCLUSION: SSS by Moiré topography seemed to be effective in detecting scoliosis although both the positive predictive value and the reference rate to the second screening were low.

[ORAL AND SYSTEMIC SYMPTOMS IN CHILDREN WITH FRUIT ALLERGY].

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The principal aim of this study was to clarify the clinical profile of pediatric patients with fruit allergies. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: We assigned 265 pediatric patients with fruit allergies who were receiving outpatient treatment at Aichi Children's Health and Medical Center and 32 who underwent kiwi or banana oral food chal- lenge (OFC) test to an oral symptom group or a systemic symptom group and retrospectively examined their clinical profiles and prognosis from their medical records. RESULTS: The most common cause of fruit allergy was kiwi (139 patients, 21% of all patients). Watermelon had the highest oral symptom induction rate (97%), whereas banana had the highest systemic reaction induction rate (46%). In the oral symptom group, the prevalence of hay fever was 54% and 66% of patients showed aller- gic reaction to multiple fruits. In contrast, in the systemic symptom group, the prevalence of pollen allergies was 24% and 77% of patients showed allergic reaction to a single fruit only. The results revealed that 65% of patients allergic to bananas had infant-onset allergy and seven among 20 patients were confirmed acquisition of tolerability by the OFC test. CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that there is a difference in the clinical profile and disease type between patients with oral symptoms and those with primarily systemic symptoms. It is important to differentiate between these patients for accurate diet guidance, safety management, and prognosis estimation.

Stress control in optical thin films by sputtering and electron beam evaporation.

It is necessary to control the internal stress of optical thin films in order to address problems such as peeling and cracking. Internal stress differs among films prepared by different deposition methods. We investigated the internal stress of films prepared by sputtering, electron beam (EB) evaporation, and a combination deposition method that we developed. The internal stress was successfully controlled, showing a value between that of EB evaporation and sputtering.

Lattice distortion stabilizes the photoinduced metallic phase in the charge-ordered organic salts (BEDT-TTF)3X2 (X=ReO4, ClO4).

Photoinduced effects caused by intramolecular excitation were investigated by simultaneous optical and transport measurement in two charge-ordered organic salts, (BEDT-TTF)3X2 (X=ReO4, ClO4) [BEDT-TTF=bis(ethylenedithio)tetrathiafulvalene]. Although the two salts have the same molecular (average) charge and arrangement, they showed different photoinduced effects. A photoinduced insulator-to-metal phase transition with a metastable charge order-melting state was observed in the ReO4 salt where the charge ordered state is associated with the lattice distortion. On the other hand, no photoinduced insulator-to-metal phase transition was noted in the ClO4 salt where the charge ordered state is not accompanied by the lattice distortion. This comparative study suggested that the lattice distortion plays a key role in the stabilization of the photoinduced phase.

Bilayer mott system with cation···anion supramolecular interactions based on a nickel dithiolene anion radical: coexistence of ferro- and antiferromagnetic anion layers and large negative magnetoresistance.

A novel bilayer Mott system, (Et-4BrT)[Ni(dmit)2]2 (Et-4BrT = ethyl-4-bromothiazolium; dmit = 1,3-dithiole-2-thione-4,5-dithiolate), contains two nonequivalent Ni(dmit)2 anion layers, where both layers form Mott insulating states. Supramolecular Br(cation)···S(anion) and S(cation)···S(anion) interactions play a crucial role in constructing the bilayer structure. The ferro- and antiferromagnetic short-range-ordering layers coexist in the crystal, which achieves large negative magnetoresistance (Δρ/ρ0 ≈ -75% at 70 kOe) at 5 K under 1 GPa.

Nonlinear stress analysis of the supraspinatus tendon using three-dimensional finite element analysis.

PURPOSE: No studies have used stress analysis with finite element analysis (FEA) to determine the causes of and mechanisms underlying rotator cuff tears. Therefore, we performed a biomechanical evaluation of the changes in stress distribution on the rotator cuff using three-dimensional (3-D) FEA. METHODS: The 3-D FEA model of shoulder joint allowed for abduction angles of 0°, 45° and 90° from the plane of the scapula and included the anatomical insertion points of the three major rotator cuff tendons and the middle fibres of the deltoid muscle. Stress distribution of the supraspinatus tendon on 3-D FEA was validated by a comparison with cadaveric and two-dimensional finite element model. RESULTS: The principal stress peaked in the region approximately 1 cm proximal to the insertion of the supraspinatus tendon. Furthermore, the stress on the joint side increased at the anterior edge of the supraspinatus tendon at abduction angles of 45° and 90°. CONCLUSION: There are differences in stress changes between the joint side and bursal side of the supraspinatus tendon within the angles of abduction. The maximal tensile stress was observed on the articular side of the anterior edge of the supraspinatus tendon at 90° abduction. Our results indicate that the difference in tensile stress between the two layers results in delamination and causes partial-thickness tears. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Decision analysis, Level II.

Bilayer Mott system based on Ni(dmit)2 (dmit = 1,3-dithiole-2-thione-4,5-dithiolate) anion radicals: two isostructural salts exhibit contrasting magnetic behavior.

A new class of Ni(dmit)(2) anion radical salt (Et-2,5-DBrP)[Ni(dmit)(2)](2) (1) (Et-2,5-DBrP = ethyl-2,5-dibromopyridinium) was developed. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis indicates that this salt contains two crystallographically independent anion layers in the crystal with effective Br···S halogen bonds between the cation and the anion. The crystal and electronic structures, and electrical and magnetic measurements reveal that 1 is a novel bilayer Mott system, in which two different Mott-insulating anion layers coexist in one crystal. Selective halogen substitution of Br with I at the 2-position in the cation affords the isostructural bilayer salt (Et-2I-5BrP)[Ni(dmit)(2)](2) (2) (Et-2I-5BrP = ethyl-2-iodo-5-bromopyridinium), while substitution at the 5-position results in a structural change, yielding the monolayer salt (Et-2Br-5IP)[Ni(dmit)(2)](2) (3) (Et-2Br-5IP = ethyl-2-bromo-5-iodopyridinium). These results indicate that the halogen bond plays an important role to realize the bilayer system, and that the crystal structure is controlled by tuning the strength of the halogen bond. The low temperature magnetic properties of the two isostructural salts 1 and 2 are significantly different, because they are affected by fluctuated spins that do not participate in the formation of short-range antiferromagnetic domains. The bilayer salt generates the fluctuated spins more easily than conventional monolayer salts, and such fluctuated spins are expected to result in unique physical properties.

Hanging radiograph in idiopathic scoliosis patients: significance as a preoperative stress X-ray.

BACKGROUND: Before corrective surgery for idiopathic scoliosis, the stress X-rays are indispensable to collect information regarding the reducibility of deformity, deciding fusion levels, and categorizing curve types and so on. The hanging radiograph has not been conducted preoperatively so far as known. The objective of this study was to investigate retrospectively the significance of the hanging radiograph for prediction of the curve correction with surgical procedure by comparing with the side-bending and the traction radiographs. METHODS: The subjects enrolled in current study were 22 cases of idiopathic scoliosis who performed posterior instrumentation and fusion by ISOLA method between 2008 and 2014. They included 2 males and 20 females, with a mean age of 16 years and 8 months. The type of curves by Lenke classification were type 1 in 20 cases, type 2 in 1 case, and type 3 in 1 case. We investigated the correction rates of main thoracic curves in side-bending, traction, and hanging positions and compared them with that after surgery. In addition, correction indices were also calculated and compared among these stress X-rays. RESULTS: The correction rate after surgery was 65.9% that was statistically higher than those in side-bending (44.2%), traction (46.6%), and hanging (22.1%) positions. There were statistical correlations between the correction rates after surgery and in side-bending position (R=0.73) and those after surgery and in traction position (R=0.57). However, there was no statistical correlation between the correction rates after surgery and in hanging position (R=-0.01). With regard to the correction indices, that in hanging position (3.67) was statistically higher than those in side-bending (1.51) and traction (1.45) positions. CONCLUSIONS: The correction rates in side-bending and traction positions seem to be useful to estimate the amount of curve correction before surgery. Whereas, that in hanging position did not have any significance as preoperative evaluation.

Solvent accommodation effect on dispersibility of metal oxide nanoparticle with chemisorbed organic shell.

The dispersibility of nanoparticles in solvents remains difficult to predict and control. In this paper, the dispersibility of organically-modified nanoparticles in various solvents with different solvent properties and molecular sizes are investigated. The study indicates that solvent molecular size, in addition to the affinity between organic modifier and solvent molecules, affects the dispersibility of the nanoparticles. The experimental results imply that solvents with molecular size small enough can disperse nanoparticles more efficiently. In addition, based on the concept that solvent accommodation induces the enhancement of dispersibility, two approaches to improve nanoparticle dispersibility in desired solvents are proposed. One is the addition of a small amount of solvent with the right size and properties to both penetrate the modifier shell and to act as intermediate between the desired solvent and the organic modifier molecules. The other is dual-molecule modification to create additional space at modifier-shell surface for the penetration of the desired solvent molecules. The results of these approaches based on the concept of the solvent accommodation can enhance the dispersibility trends.

Experimental study of organic zero-gap conductor α-(BEDT-TTF)2I3.

A zero-gap state with a Dirac cone type energy dispersion was discovered in the organic conductor α-(BEDT-TTF)2I3 under high hydrostatic pressures. This is the first two-dimensional (2D) zero-gap state discovered in bulk crystals with a layered structure. In contrast to the case of graphene, the Dirac cone in this system is highly anisotropic. The present system, therefore, provides a new type of massless Dirac fermion system with anisotropic Fermi velocity. This system exhibits remarkable transport phenomena characteristic to electrons on the Dirac cone type energy structure. The carrier density, written as n∝T2, is a characteristic feature of the 2D zero-gap structure. On the other hand, the resistivity per layer (sheet resistance RS) is given as RS=h/e2 and is independent of temperature. The effect of a magnetic field on samples in the zero-gap system was examined. The difference between zero-gap conductors and conventional conductors is the appearance of a Landau level called the zero mode at the contact points when a magnetic field is applied normal to the conductive layer. Zero-mode Landau carriers give rise to strong negative out-of-plane magnetoresistance.

Slow dynamics of electrons at a metal-Mott insulator boundary in an organic system with disorder.

The Mott transition-a metal-insulator transition caused by repulsive Coulomb interactions between electrons-is a central issue in condensed matter physics because it is the mother earth of various attractive phenomena. Outstanding examples are high-Tc (critical temperature) cuprates and manganites exhibiting colossal magnetoresistance. Furthermore, spin liquid states, which are quantum-fluctuation-driven disordered ground states in antiferromagnets, have recently been found in magnetic systems very near the Mott transition. To date, intensive studies on the Mott transition have been conducted and appear to have established a nearly complete framework for understanding the Mott transition. We found an unknown type of Mott transition in an organic spin liquid material with a slightly disordered lattice. Around the Mott transition region of this material under pressure, nuclear magnetic resonance experiments capture the emergence of slow electronic fluctuations of the order of kilohertz or lower, which is not expected in the conventional Mott transition that appears as a clear first-order transition at low temperatures. We suggest that they are due to the unconventional metal-insulator fluctuations emerging around the disordered Mott transition in analogy to the slowly fluctuating spin phase, or Griffiths phase, realized in Ising spin systems with disordered lattices.

Comparative study of hands-on therapy with active exercises vs education with active exercises for the management of upper back pain.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to compare hands-on therapy, including heat, massage, and active exercises with postural education that emphasized increased self-efficacy and postural self-awareness along with education about the physiology of the disorder, and prescribed daily active exercises. SUBJECTS: Twenty-four randomly selected women, 12 custodians and 12 students, with neck and shoulder pain and stiffness. METHODS: All subjects received a medical examination and x-ray before the study to rule out any pre-existing neurologic deficits and an evaluation that included history taking and self-reporting of pain according to a numeric pain scale. Student participants received education and exercise instructions to be continued daily. The custodial workers received once-per-week hands-on treatment. RESULTS: Data were compared using a nonparametric analysis (Wilcoxon signed rank test) and showed evidence of statistically significant reductions in neck, shoulder, and back stiffness and shoulder muscle tension for most of the study subjects. CONCLUSION: Treatment of repetitive stress injuries that combines maintenance of daily active exercises prescribed and modeled by a professional therapist, which emphasize postural awareness to correct poor posture and provide a basic physiological understanding of the disorder, is as crucial to reducing upper back and neck pain and stiffness as hands-on therapy with active exercise provided in a clinical setting.

Efficacy of the Osaka Medical College (OMC) brace in the treatment of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis following Scoliosis Research Society brace studies criteria.

BACKGROUND: The efficacy of brace treatment for patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) remains controversial. To make comparisons among studies more valid and reliable, the Scoliosis Research Society (SRS) has standardized criteria for brace studies in patients with AIS. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of the Osaka Medical College (OMC) brace for AIS in accordance with the modified standardized criteria proposed by the SRS committee on bracing and non-operative management. METHODS: From 1999 through 2010, 31 consecutive patients with AIS who were newly prescribed the OMC brace and met the modified SRS criteria were studied. The study included 2 boys and 29 girls with a mean age of 12 years and 0 month. Patients were instructed to wear the brace for a minimum of 20 hours per day at the beginning of brace treatment. The mean duration of brace treatment was 4 years and 8 months. We examined the initial brace correction rate and the clinical outcomes of main curves evaluated by curve progression and surgical rate, and the compliance evaluated by the instruction adherence rate for all cases. The clinical course of the brace treatment was considered progression if ≥6° curvature increase occurred and improvement if ≥6° curvature decrease occurred according to SRS judgment criteria. RESULTS: The average initial brace correction rate was 46.8%. In 10 cases the curve progressed, 6 cases the curve improved, and 15 cases the curve remained unchanged (success rate: 67.7%). The mean instruction adherence rate, that was defined the percentage of the visits that patients declared they mostly followed our instruction to total visits, was 53.7%. The success rate was statistically higher in the patient group whose instruction adherence rate was greater than 50% (88.2%) as compared with in those 50% or less (42.8%). CONCLUSIONS: OMC brace treatment for AIS patients could alter the natural history and significantly decreased the progression of curves to the threshold for surgical intervention. Better instruction adherence of brace wear associated with greater success.

Predictive factors of Osaka Medical College (OMC) brace treatment in patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis.

BACKGROUND: Factors influencing clinical course of brace treatment apply to adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) patients remain unclear. By making clear them, we may select suitable patients for brace treatment and alleviate overtreatment. The purpose of this study was to explore predictive factors of Osaka Medical College (OMC) brace treatment for AIS patients in accordance with the modified standardized criteria proposed by the Scoliosis Research Society (SRS) committee on bracing and non-operative management. METHODS: From 1999 through 2010, 31 consecutive patients with AIS who were newly prescribed the OMC brace and met the modified SRS criteria were studied. The study included 2 boys and 29 girls with a mean age of 12 years and 0 month. We investigated the clinical course and evaluated the impacts of compliance, initial brace correction rate, curve flexibility, curve pattern, Cobb angle, chronological age, and Risser stage to clinical outcomes. The clinical course of the brace treatment was considered progression if ≥6° curvature increase occurred and improvement if ≥6° curvature decrease occurred according to SRS judgment criteria. RESULTS: The curve progressed in 10 cases, the curve improved in 6 cases, and the curve remained unchanged in 15 cases (success rate: 67.7%). The success rate was statistically higher in the patient group whose instruction adherence rate was greater than 50% as compared with in those 50% or less. Initial brace correction rate, curve flexibility, curve pattern, the magnitude of Cobb angle, chronological age, and Risser stage did not have any significant effect for clinical courses. However, success rate was insignificantly higher in the cases whose Cobb angle in brace was smaller than that in hanging position. CONCLUSIONS: OMC brace treatment could alter the natural history of AIS, however, that was significantly affected by compliance of brace wear.

A biomechanical study of lumbar spondylolysis based on a three-dimensional finite element method.

Biomechanical analyses under compression only, and for a combination of flexion, extension, rotation, and lateral bending were performed to evaluate the stress of the interarticular portion of the lumbar vertebra using a nonlinear three-dimensional finite element method. A detailed three-dimensional L4-L5 motion segment model was developed that took into consideration the material nonlinearities of ligaments and annular fibers and the contact nonlinearities of facet joints. For a more accurate examination, the separation of cortical bone and cancellous bone for both posterior and anterior elements were also considered. The stress in the pars interarticularis was weakest under compression alone, but stronger under compression with lateral bending loading, with flexion, with rotation, and with extension. Under each loading condition, the region of the stress concentration was consistent with the separated region of the spondylolysis observed in clinical situations. Since the stress in the pars interarticularis was high under extension and rotation in particular, those loadings were suggested to be relatively high risk factors leading to spondylolysis.

Anterior acetabular head index of the hip on false-profile views. New index of anterior acetabular cover.

The vertical-centre-anterior margin (VCA) angle quantifies the anterior cover of the femoral head. However, when the femoral head is deformed it may be difficult to identify its centre. We have therefore created a new index, the anterior acetabular head index (AAHI) which is measured on the false-profile radiograph. We measured the VCA and AAHI angles in 312 hips in which the centre-edge angle was >25 degrees. There were 250 patients, 86 men and 164 women, whose ages ranged from 20 to 65 years. The mean AAHI was 84.1% (81.7% in women and 88.5% in men). There was a correlation between the AAHI and VCA angles. Our data suggest that the AAHI is useful in the evaluation of anterior acetabular cover and that it is higher in men than in women.

Nonlinear photocurrent with a threshold of excitation density induced by the long-range electron-electron interaction in the charge-ordered molecular conductor (BEDT-TTF)3(ClO4)2.

We investigated a photoexcited state in the molecular conductor (BEDT-TTF)3(ClO4)2 (BEDT-TTF = bis(ethylenedithio)tetrathiafulvalene) with charge localization due to the electron-electron Coulomb interaction. Photocurrent induced by intramolecular excitation was observed in a charge-ordered insulating state. As a result, nonlinear photocurrent with a threshold of excitation light density was experimentally obtained. The threshold decreased as the temperature increased. This nonlinear photocurrent indicates a transition from an excitonic state to a free excited electronic state. The excitonic state below the threshold is formed by the long-range electron-electron Coulomb interaction. In the free excited electronic state above the threshold, high-density photoexcitation induces Coulomb screening, which results in exciton dissociation and a free electronic state.

Significance of hanging total spine x-ray to estimate the indicative correction angle by brace wearing in idiopathic scoliosis patients.

BACKGROUND: Although most idiopathic scoliosis patients subject to conservative treatment in daily clinical practice, there have been no ideal methods to evaluate the spinal flexibility for the patients who are scheduled the brace treatment. The purpose of this study was to investigate the value of hanging total spine x-ray to estimate the indicative correction angle by brace wearing in idiopathic scoliosis patients. METHODS: One hundred seventy-six consecutive patients with idiopathic scoliosis who were newly prescribed the Osaka Medical College (OMC) brace were studied. The study included 14 boys and 162 girls with a mean age of 13 years and 1 month. The type of curves consisted of 62 thoracic, 23 thoracolumbar, 22 lumbar, 42 double major, 14 double thoracic, and 13 triple curve pattern. We compared the Cobb angles on initial brace wearing (BA) and in hanging position (HA). Of those, 108 patients who had main thoracic curves were selected and evaluated the corrective ability of OMC brace. These subjects were divided into three groups according to the relation between BA and HA (BA < HA group, BA = HA group, and BA > HA group), and then, maturity was compared among them. RESULTS: The average Cobb angle in upright position (UA) of all cases was 31.0 ± 7.8°. The average BA and HA of all cases were 20.3 ± 9.5° and 21.1 ± 8.4°, respectively. The average chronological age was lowest in BA < HA group. And also, maturity in BA < HA group was the lowest among each of them. The rate of BA < HA cases were decreased as the Risser stage of the patients were progressed. CONCLUSIONS: The use of hanging total spine x-ray served as a useful tool to estimate the degree of correction possible curve within the OMC brace for main thoracic curve in idiopathic scoliosis. Maturity had some influence on the correlation between HA and BA. Namely, in immature patients, HA tended to be larger than BA. In contrast, in mature patients, HA had a tendency to be smaller than BA. With consideration for spinal flexibility based on maturity, in mature patients, larger BA than HA may be allowed. However, in immature patients, smaller BA than HA should be aimed.