Biomedical subjects

A Seo

Publications and source records attributed to A Seo.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed1998

[An experience with St. Jude medical prosthetic 19A-HP which resulted in restricted opening at an early stage after operation].

St. Jude medical hemodynamic plus series is positively used for aortic valve replacement (AVR) of small orifice because it can increase the orifice area by 26% compared with conventional prosthetic valves of the same size. We performed AVR with SJM 19A-HP on a patient having aortic stenosis with regurgitation using horizontal mattress suturing technique. The aortic orifice size was 18.9 mm at the preoperative measurement. The course after the operation was uneventful until 9 days after the operation when cinefluoroscopy revealed symmetrical restriction of opening of valve leaflets. We are now monitoring the clinical course at the patient has not developed any symptoms though the LV-Ao pressures gradient is 60 mmHg by Doppler echocardiography. As the restriction of valve leaflet opening was symmetrical, it is not likely that an excess of the ligature or remnant caused the restriction; structural problems of St. Jude medical prosthesis appear to be a more reasonable explanation. Since the orifice ring of this prosthesis is not reinforced, longitudinal forces applied to the hinge may alter the shape of the ring, thus restricting the movement of valve leaflets. In the present case, forced insertion of 19A-HP instead of more desirable 17-HP is considered to have caused longitudinal forces acting on the hinge.

Aged↗

PubMed1998

[Operation for left renal cell carcinoma complicated with acute pulmonary tumor embolism and cocurrent removal of tumor].

The prognosis of pulmonary tumor embolism is said to be poor and only a limited number of patients with this disease have survived. The patient was a 64-year-old male suffering from left renal cell carcinoma complicated with tumor extending from the left renal vein to the inferior vena cava. The patient underwent an operation for left renal cell carcinoma during which he developed tumor embolus to the pulmonary artery. The occurrence of the acute embolism was promptly detected and the removal of tumor was performed under cardiopulmonary bypass. The patient made good postoperative progress.

Acute Disease↗

PubMed1997

Trunk rotation monitor using angular velocity sensors.

To monitor the low back risk imposed by asymmetric postures at workplaces, a method using angular velocity sensors was studied. According to a simple model analysis, trunk rotation could be calculated from the angular velocities measured at both the waist and shoulder and from the inclination of each angular velocity sensor. We thus developed a new detector consisting of an angular velocity sensor (ENC-05D, Murata, Japan) for detecting angular velocity and an acceleration sensor (ADXL05, Analog Devices, USA) for measuring inclination. The precision of the angular velocity sensor was high as the correlation coefficient between the output of the sensor and the true value was 0.9996. When the detectors were affixed to a subject and compared with data measured by a Vicon System 370 (Oxford Metrics, UK), the correlation coefficients between the two methods were 0.949 and 0.815 during model tasks of box transfer and box lifting, respectively. In a model of lifting boxes at different rates, the mean and standard deviation increased according to the task speed. This method was shown to be of practical use for monitoring trunk rotation.

Biomechanical Phenomena↗

PubMed1997

Swell-preventing effect of intermittent exercise on lower leg during standing work.

This study investigated the effectiveness of several possible exercises for performance during standing work in order to prevent lower leg swelling and relieve subjective complaints. Volume changes in the lower leg were measured using bioelectrical impedance plethysmography in 13 healthy male subjects aged 23-36 years. Subjective complaints of leg pain, leg dullness and whole body fatigue were also recorded. Measurements were performed at two-minute intervals during a one-hour period of standing with insertions of one-minute of exercise every 10 min. The exercises were knee-bending, foot-stepping, walking, and heel-raising. The change rates of impedance over one hour were 2.2%, 4.0%, 4.6%, and 6.3%, respectively, indicating that leg volume was increased under all exercise conditions. Among exercises, the swell-preventing effect of knee-bending was strongest, and that of heel-raising was weakest. Heel-raising also yielded the highest number of subjective complaints. Knee-bending, which uses the thigh and calf muscles simultaneously, was considered the most effective for suppressing lower-leg swelling and minimizing subjective complaints.

Adult↗

PubMed1997

[Replacement of the aortic root with woven and knitted Dacron composite graft].

Some of the patients with annuloaortic ectasia or Stanford type A require aortic root replacement. If conventional Bentall procedure is employed in such cases, aortic root will become a cylindrical shape totally lacking sinus of Valsalva because the procedure utilizes a straight tube. The sinuses of Valsalva support an important role in opening and closing the valvar leaflets, and opening of the coronary arteries, together with the interleaflet triangles and the sinutubular junction. In this study, we performed aortic root replacement with composite graft which consisted of two types of graft including 30 mm Knitted Dacron Graft (Gelsoft) with different dilation rates and 30 mm Woven Dacron Graft (Hemashield) as well as bioprosthesis (27 mm Carpentier-Edwards), in order to reconstruct sinus of Valsalva. Post-operative angiography revealed an excellent diastolic coronary flow, as evidenced by proximal Knitted graft of 37 mm in diameter, distal Woven graft of 30.3 mm in diameter and Doppler flow DSVR (Diastolic/Systolic Velocity Ration) of 2.2 measured at the left coronary orifice. Since it is difficult to obtain homograft at present, this procedure would be worth trying during aortic root replacement.

Aged↗

PubMed1996

Vasospastic angina in a patient with Fabry's disease who showed normal coronary angiographic findings.

It has been reported that coronary diseases in patients with Fabry's disease are induced by deposits in endothelial cells and coronary smooth muscle cells. Most of those are ischemia due to stenosis. This report describes a case of patient with Fabry's disease who showed severe vasospasms without coronary artery stenosis during acetylcholine loaded coronary angiography. In this case, a myocardial biopsy revealed that the deposits in the endothelial cells of the myocardial capillaries were lamellated appearance. Recently, it is reported that endothelial cell damage could be an important cause of coronary vasospasm. This case suggests that the some sort of functional disorder was induced by glyco-sphingolipid deposits in the coronary endothelial cells, and that this might have led to coronary artery spasms without the organic stenosis of coronary arteries.

Adult↗

PubMed1996

[Analysis of participation rates of atomic bomb survivors in health examinations].

Participation rates of atomic bomb survivors in health examinations were analyzed with a multiple logistic regression model. Rates were obtained for each stratum by sex, age group and residential ward. The effect of residential wards was considered in relation to the social indices of the wards. The effects of sex, age group and residential ward on participation rates were as follows: (1) Females had higher participation rates than males in the working age group (40-64). No sex differences were seen after age 65. (2) The participation rates had a peak around age 70 and were exceptionally high also in the youngest age group (40-44). (3) Participation rates were higher in suburban wards than in central wards. The participation rates had a negative correlation with urban characteristics while they had a positive correlation with suburban characteristics. In particular they had significant negative correlation to the number of clinics and positive correlation with voter participation rates in elections. These results suggest the need for a new type of urban health examination and reflection of the general attitude of the residents to the government.

Adult↗

PubMed1995

Load on the low back of teachers in nursery schools.

In order to evaluate the load on the low back of teachers in nursery schools, basic activity, working posture, child-lifting, and desk-lifting were analyzed for eight nursery teachers using video recording. The trunk inclination angle (TIA) was also measured continuously during full workshifts for 20 nursery teachers using an inclination monitor. The nursery teachers in the 0-1 (year) age class more often adopted low working postures, "sitting on the floor" and "kneeling," while teachers in the 4-5 age class more frequently adopted high working postures, "standing" and "sitting on a chair." The mean of TIA among all subjects was 20 degrees. The time spent at a TIA of more than 20 degrees represented 43% of the workshift. The mean and time distribution of TIA did not differ between the age classes. The frequency of trunk-lifting from severe bending forward (TIA > 45 degrees) was 86 times/hour on average. The frequency of trunk-lifting was highest in the 0-1 age class. The number of times of child-lifting was 46 in the 0-1 age class, while it was 1 in the 4-5 age class.

Back↗

PubMed1995

Bioelectrical impedance measuring method for standing load evaluation.

A bioelectrical impedance method was used to evaluate the workload in standing jobs. This method is designed to indirectly evaluate swelling of the lower leg by measuring the change in the rate of impedance of the lower leg. In this paper, we studied the relationship between the methods used for swelling evaluation, and studied the measuring conditions of the impedance method by using bioelectrical models. Furthermore, impedance in ten male subjects in three types of standing conditions was measured to check the validity of the model analysis. The results are as follows: 1) The result of theoretical analysis showed that the change in impedance caused by leg swelling is equal to the value obtained by the leg volume measuring method, and twice as great as the value obtained by the leg circumference measuring method. The rate of change in impedance at low frequency is about 4 times greater than that at high frequency. The low frequency impedance measuring method is therefore much more sensitive than the other methods. 2) The results of experimental studies showed that the impedance in the lower legs was reduced as the function of time when quietly standing for 30 mins. The change in the rate of impedance was 6.86 +/- 4.54% (mean +/- SD). This rate is 3-5 times greater than the data reported by other researchers who used volume measurement or impedance measurement at high frequency. This difference fits the results of model analysis, and proved the validity of model analysis and the usefulness of the impedance method as an index of the standing load.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗

PubMed1994

Therapeutic efficacy of lanoconazole, a new imidazole antimycotic agent, for experimental cutaneous candidiasis in guinea pigs.

The therapeutic efficacy of 1% cream and 1% solution of lanoconazole, a new imidazole antimycotic agent, in the model of cutaneous candidiasis in prednisolone-treated guinea pigs was evaluated in comparison with that of comparable formulations of bifonazole. Each preparation was topically applied once a day for 3 consecutive days, starting on the fifth day postinfection, and quantitative culture study wsa conducted on the ninth day postinfection. Both formulations of lanoconazole were much more highly effective in terms of eradication of fungi than the bifonazole formulations.

Administration, Topical↗

PubMed1994

A simple apparatus using inclinometer for monitoring working postures.

A new apparatus was developed for evaluating a load on the low back caused by working postures by measuring upper body inclination. This apparatus consists of an inclinometer and a portable unit. The inclinometer that uses a magnetic resistance sensor is attached to the upper body of the subject. The portable unit, controlled by a one-chip CPU, is enclosed in a cloth case and carried by the subject on his waist belt. The inclination is measured at a certain interval and recorded in the memory of the portable unit. All the recorded data are later transferred to a host computer and then analyzed. According to the theoretical analysis by using a simple mathematical model, upper body inclination changes according to the height of work places, and one cm difference in height causes more than one degree of upper body inclination. A model work of material handling was carried out to collect sample data. Two male subjects lifted ten boxes onto a platform from a stand in several heights. Both stooped and squat lifting methods were used as the lifting protocol. The mean and standard deviation (SD) of the upper body inclination during work decreased according to the lift distance only in stooped lifting. As a practical application, working postures during the task of changing diapers for handicapped people were analyzed with out apparatus. A female subject changed diapers eight times at different height of beds. The mean value of inclination decreased according to the height of the beds.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗

PubMed1993

Statistical analysis and prediction on incidence of infectious diseases based on trend and seasonality.

We proposed a prediction methodology for the incidence of infectious diseases using incidence data on measles and influenza for forty years in Japan. We also proposed a diagram that makes it possible to convey information on infectious disease incidence more attractively to a wider audience. This can be a useful tool for health promotion in the community. The obtained results are as follows: 1. It was advantageous to use data transformed by logarithm in statistical analysis of infectious disease incidence. 2. The incidences of measles and influenza exhibited strong seasonality. Measles was most frequent in June and influenza in February. 3. Long-term trends were extracted from the derived data obtained by eliminating seasonal effects from the original data. For measles, a decline was accelerated by the introduction of vaccination program in 1978. Influenza also showed a decline for these thirty years. 4. The observed incidence data were quite well predicted by only the trend and the seasonality. The squares of multiple regression coefficients of measles and influenza were 0.84 and 0.58, respectively. The analysis of the residuals suggested there was a possibility of improvement in prediction. 5. The improvement in prediction was attained by incorporating an autoregressive component of the residuals. As a result, the squares of multiple correlation coefficients of measles and influenza increased to 0.97 and to 0.79, respectively. 6. We finally proposed the TS-decomposition diagram to facilitate practical use of incidence data. In this diagram, current incidence data and predicted values for the near future are plotted on the plane where the trend and the seasonality are superimposed.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Forecasting↗

PubMed1993

[Analysis of measuring conditions of surface electromyogram using mathematical model].

To study the measuring conditions of surface electromyogram for work analysis in the field of industrial health, the effect of electrode fixation, electrode distance and electrode-muscle distance were studied using a mathematical model. The results were as follows; 1) The output waveforms of two electrode fixed models, i.e., parallel-fixed model (two electrodes were fixed in parallel to the direction of the muscle fibers) and transverse-fixed model (two electrodes were fixed in transverse to the direction of the muscle fibers) were compared. The maximum output and rectified integrated output of the parallel-fixed model were 2.59 times and 1.2-1.5 times larger than those of transverse-fixed model, respectively. The high output area of the parallel-fixed model was only one round area, but the areas of transverse-fixed model were four round areas which were wider than the area of the parallel-fixed model. The rectified integrated output of the parallel-fixed model was more affected by the location of neuro-muscular junction than that of transverse-fixed model when the electrodes were fixed near the neuro-muscular junction. 2) The rectified integrated output increased by electrode distance, and the changing rate of the rectified integrated output by electrode distance was particularly large when the electrode distance was shorter than 2 cm.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Electromyography↗

PubMed1993

[Electromyogram measuring method for low back load evaluation of handling weight and forward bending posture].

In order to establish a measuring method of electromyogram (EMG) to evaluate the low back load by handling weight and forward bending angle. EMG at Th5-6, Th8-9, Th11-12, L1-2 and L3-4 were measured in ten male subjects. The handling weight was changed at 0, 10, 20 and 30 kg, and the forward bending angle was changed at 0, 30, 60 and 90 degree. The following results were obtained: 1) EMG increased according to the handling weight at all forward bending angles. The increasing rate of EMG at Th5-6 was larger than that at L1-2 or L3-4. Thus, EMG at higher position such as Th5-6 was found to be appropriate to evaluate handling weight-load. 2) The effect of forward bending angle was different by handling weight. EMG at L1-2 and L3-4 increased according to forward bending angle when the handling weight was 0 kg or 10 kg and when the forward bending angle was not greater than 60 degree. However, when the handling weight was 20 kg or 30 kg, EMG and forward bending angle did not show a simple proportional relationship. Thus, EMG at L1-2 or L3-4 could be used to evaluate posture load when the handling weight was light and the bending angle was not so large. However, it was difficult to use EMG to evaluate posture load when the forward bending angle was large or the handling weight was heavy.

Adult↗

PubMed1993

Sarcoidosis accompanied by pancreatic impairment.

A 64-year-old male complained of weight loss and slight fever. Bilateral hilar lymphadenopathy and hepato-splenomegaly were observed. Serum ACE level was high, and liver function was impaired. Laparoscopy demonstrated small white nodules on the liver surface. A definite diagnosis of sarcoidosis was made by histological study of the specimen by liver biopsy and noncaseating epithelioid cell granulomas composed of giant cells and epithelioid cells were revealed. Various pancreatic enzymes were increased on admission, suggesting pancreatic impairment due to sarcoidosis. Corticosteroid therapy improved liver and pancreatic functions and decreased splenomegaly. He has been followed up for 4 years and 5 months.

Humans↗

PubMed1993

Development of a system for analyzing working postures.

In order to assist in the analysis of working postures which might cause lumbago in the field of industrial health, a system was developed for the synchronous recording and analyzing of postures, work content and physiological data. The system is composed of a portable unit for recording 3 channels of goniometers, 1 channel of inclinometer and 1 channel of surface electromyogram, a video camera for recording work content, a host computer and some peripheral devices for analyzing the data from the portable unit and video camera. In this system, postures are automatically classified from data on joint angles and upper body inclination angle by using a discriminant function. The joint angles are measured by the goniometers using rubber optical fibers. The angle of upper body inclination is obtained by the inclinometer using a magnetic resistance sensor. In addition to the work content and video images, the postures and the electromyogram can be analyzed and confirmed by simultaneous display of the data on the host computer screen. Based on the trial use of this system in a work model of manual baggage handling, it was proved useful for evaluating in detail the workload caused by working postures.

Electromyography↗

PubMed1993

[Current and future perspectives of medical information network systems for community health using personal computers and IC cards].

Recent developments in computer and communication technology were studied in relation to medical information network systems, using computers and IC cards, to solve problems in community health. Trial use of personal computer network systems among physicians and IC card systems for personal health data management are already in existence in some parts of Japan. These trials were studied and analyzed based on a questionnaire survey of physicians and patients. Results of the study produced some useful points that should be considered when introducing these systems. These included: 1) details on expectations and specifications for these systems by physicians and patients, 2) easy access to valuable information is a key point for active network systems among physicians, 3) plausibility of improvement of communication between physicians and patients by using these systems, 4) recognition that an important problem concerns patient information privacy and must be considered before introducing these systems. A study of practical merits of these systems and methodology for realization indicates that participation by active and attractive providers of information can be expected to stimulate frequent use of the network system. The cost of introducing these systems can be partially borne by eliminating the large investment now allocated for processing requests for reimbursement of medical services. Investigation into the introduction of medical information systems provides a good opportunity to elucidate problems in the present medical systems.

Computer Communication Networks↗

PubMed1992

Determination of profiles of non-collagenous proteins from rat bones by sodium dodecyl sulfate high-performance liquid chromatography.

Sodium dodecyl sulfate-high-performance liquid chromatographic (SDS-HPLC) techniques for screening profiles of bone non-collagenous proteins (NCP) are described and compared with sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) techniques. NCPs were obtained from long bones of neonatal and mature rats by sequential extraction with 4 M guanidine hydrochloride (GdnHCl) and 0.25 M EDTA followed by desalting. Desalted extracts were subjected to SDS-PAGE and SDS-HPLC. The results of the two analyses were comparable. There were differences in NCP profiles between mature rats and pups and between the GdnHCl and EDTA extracts. The methods described can be used for qualitative comparison of treatments and as a basis for further study.

Animals↗