The purpose of this report is to examine the frustration experienced by repeating physiotherapy students, and the long-term effects. The subjects were all physiotherapy students who graduated from the School of Allied Medical Sciences, H University, in the fifteen years from 1983 to 1998. The former students were given a questionnaire which sought information about the followings: feelings experienced at the time of repeating the academic year, readjustment to student life, current opinions of the experience of repeating, and self-evaluation of clinical, research, and teaching skills and human relationships in their present job. Twenty-one out of 29 subjects responded, and the respondents had practiced as physiotherapists on average for 10.1 years (± 4.1 years).
The most common feelings experienced at the time of repeating were a sense of their own laziness and a feeling that they had let down their family, but some expressed the view that they were unsatisfied with their teacher and clinical supervisor. The factors which helped them to readjust to college life fell into two categories; the intervention of people surrounding them, (encouragement from their classmates, friends, teachers, and family), and self-motivation as they began to study again. Almost all had a positive view of the experience of repeating, feeling that it had made them study harder than before, and that it had made them more sensitive to the feelings of others (patients, family etc.). In their present job, they evaluated themselves more highly on interpersonal skills and clinical skills than on research/teaching abilities.

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The purpose of this study was to determine whether supplemental oxygen can improve exercise capacity in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients without exercise-induced hypoxemia. Ten stable COPD patients with resting PaO₂ more than 55 mmHg and exercise O₂ saturation not less than 88% were included in the study. The patients underwent constant load exercise tests without oxygen and receiving oxygen (4 L/min) in different days. Endurance time, breathlessness, leg fatigue, and the maximum heart rate were evaluated. As results, no improvements in all these variables were observed when oxygen was given. We conclude that supplemental oxygen does not improve exercise capacity in nonhypoxemic COPD patients.

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The purpose of this study was to show the dynamic change in muscle activity of the individual muscles during throwing, whereas previous studies showed an integrated average muscle activity in each throwing phase. Electromyographic signals (EMGs) were recorded with fine wire electrodes from the supraspinatus, the teres minor, and the subscapuralis of a university baseball pitcher. EMG from the infraspinatus was recorded using active surface electrodes. Root mean square values of EMGs Were calculated as a percentage of the maximal voluntary contraction (nRMS). The acceleration of shoulder joint was calculated from digital video images. The coefficient of variation (CV), which indicates a variable in each muscle among ten times repeated throws, showed different characteristics depending on the muscles. There was a statistically significant difference in the time at which the maximum values in averaged nRMS (nRMSavg) appeared in each muscle. The present results on the nRMS showed a dynamic behavior in rapid process of time. The correlation coefficients (CCs) between two muscles were different depending on the muscle pairs. The strongest correlation was observed between the infraspinatus and the teres minor through throwing motion. It was recognized that our improved technique of electromyogram recording was valuable for recording of sequential dynamic alterations of individual muscle activity during a ballistic movement like a throwing. The present results suggest that the analysis using variables of CV, observation of dynamic behavior manner changing with time in the nRMS, and CCs may be able to detect an individual difference in characteristics of muscle activity.

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The population undergoing radical operation for esophageal cancer is aging, and perioperative physical therapy (PPT) used as a preventive measure for lung complications is becoming increasingly important. Causes of lung complications have been analyzed from various perspectives, but only a few studies focused on factors that can influence the prevention of lung complications by PPT. Additionally, only a small number of studies compared causes of lung complications between elderly and non-elderly patients. In this study, we assessed whether causes of lung complications differ between elderly and non-elderly patients who undergo radical operation for esophageal cancer. Based on the factors that cannot influence the prevention of lung complications by PPT (surgical techniques and progress of tumor), 28 elderly patients and the 28 matching non-elderly patients undergoing radical operation for esophageal cancer were selected. To determine the causes of lung complications. multivariate analysis was performed on the factors that can influence the prevention of lung complications by PPT (preoperative respiratory function, number of days on a respirator, and BMI) and the presence of clinical history, which is a characteristic of the elderly. The results indicated that a decrease in %VC was the cause in the non-elderly group, but no causes were found in the elderly group. The results suggest that preoperative expansion and maintenance of breathing capacity may be important in the non-elderly group, and that in the elderly group the causes of lung complications may vary due to decreased organ functions and capacities with aging, as well as manifestation of Individual differences.

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The influence on walking ability of partial body weight supported treadmill training was examined for a 69-year-old man with progressive supranuclear palsy. When training intervention began, minimal assistance was necessary for locomotion (FIM locomotion / wheel chair subscore: 4). The training protocol allowed support of ≦ 30% of body weight, and training was conducted for 3-5 min. Treadmill speed was set as high as the patient could walk without falling, and was gradually increased over subsequent training sessions. After 8 training sessions, walking speed and step length were improved, but the tendency to fall backwards, locomotive ability, and frequency of falls were unchanged. Partial body weight supported treadmill training thus seems to enhance coordinative stepping movements of the lower limbs during walking within the short term, with a minimal effect on balance. To improve locomotive ability for activities of daily life, balance training may be necessary, in addition to partial body weight supported treadmill training.

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