PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

Toshio Kobayashi

Publications and source records attributed to Toshio Kobayashi.

27 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed2003

[Telemedicine support system in home care of patients with chronic respiratory failure: preliminary results].

We report the preliminary results of an advanced telemedicine system for the delivery of home care services. We have been trying out a system for a ternary telemedicine network for remote consultation in patients with chronic respiratory failure. The elements of this system are: the patients at home, the home doctor (and/or community hospital), and an institution with respiratory staff (Shinshu University), which were linked by ISDN lines. The system allows real-time visualization, at home, of the patients and their physiological data, which are transmitted simultaneously to both the community hospital and Shinshu University. Respiratory specialists can advise the home doctor on the treatment and follow-up evaluations of distant patients. We consider that the telemedicine network system has the potential to improve clinical outcomes and to provide home care services to patients with chronic health conditions.

Aged↗
PubMed2003

[The efficacy and problems with influenza vaccination among hospital workers].

PURPOSE: The purposes of this study were: (1) to assess the therapeutic and side effects of influenza vaccination during a winter season by comparison of vaccinated and non-vaccinated subjects; and (2) to survey their willingness to receive vaccination in the future based on their experience with the present vaccination. METHOD: The subjects were 185 vaccinated hospital workers and 450 unvaccinated city office workers. We explained to the first group the desirability of receiving vaccination for the purpose of preventing in-hospital infections and received informed consent before administering influenza vaccinations. There were five subjects who did not receive any vaccination due to strong side effects from previous vaccinations or who did not give consent. We then examined the therapeutic and side effects of the vaccination with the vaccinated subjects. A questionnaire was also filled out by both groups of subjects regarding their physical condition and whether they wished to receive vaccination in the future. In this study, the criterion for influenza was a fever of 38.5 degrees C or higher while common cold was concluded with a fever under 38.5 degrees C. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: The percentage of subjects who subsequently developed influenza symptoms was 13.2% for the vaccinated group whereas that for the unvaccinated group was 33.2%. The difference was significant (P < 0.01). There was no significant difference in the frequency of common cold symptoms between the two groups. According to the vaccinated group's self-report (through the questionnaire; n = 159), 16 subjects (10%) suffered some kind of side effects after the vaccination. In terms of their desire to receive vaccination the following year, in the vaccinated group, 25% of those who reported side effects wanted vaccination the following year whereas 86% of those who did not report side effects wanted vaccination. The difference was significant (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: The significantly lower percentage of vaccinated subjects with influenza symptoms may have been due to the vaccination effect. The prevalence of side effects (10%) was rather low. Although a relatively high percentage of the vaccinated subjects wished to receive vaccination in the following year, the breakdown indicated that only a small number of those with side effects wanted furture vaccination. Even among those with no side effect, there were some (9.1%) who did not desire vaccination in the future. Thus, there seems to be a need for further education regarding the importance of preventing influenza through vaccination.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Positive association of the endothelial nitric oxide synthase gene polymorphisms with high-altitude pulmonary edema.

BACKGROUND: A defect of nitric oxide (NO) synthesis in the lung of high-altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE) has been suggested to contribute to its exaggerated pulmonary hypertension. Several polymorphisms have been identified in the gene encoding endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), which is a key enzyme responsible for NO synthesis, some of which were reported to be associated with vascular disorders. METHODS AND RESULTS: We studied 41 HAPE-susceptible subjects (HAPE-s) and 51 healthy climbers (control group) in a Japanese population. We examined 2 polymorphisms of the eNOS gene, including the Glu298Asp variant and 27-base pair (bp) variable numbers of tandem repeats using polymerase chain reaction followed by restriction fragment length polymorphism. The Asp allelic frequency of the Glu298Asp variant was 25.6% in the HAPE-s and 9.8% in the controls, which was significantly different between the two groups (P=0.0044). The eNOS4a allelic frequency of 27-bp variable numbers of tandem repeats was 23.2% in the HAPE-s, significantly higher than that of 6.9% in the controls (P=0.0016). In HAPE-s group, 11 of 41 (26.8%) subjects possessed simultaneously both of the two significant alleles, but among the controls, none did, which showed a high statistical difference between the two groups (P=0.000059). CONCLUSIONS: Both polymorphisms of the eNOS gene were significantly associated with HAPE. A genetic background may underlie the impaired NO synthesis in the pulmonary circulation of HAPE-s. These polymorphisms could be genetic markers for predicting the susceptibility to HAPE.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2002

Effect of tacrolimus on endotoxin-induced lung injury in sheep.

Since tacrolimus (FK-506) is known to suppress the proliferation and generation of T cells and to inhibit the production of T cell derived cytokines, we examined the effect of FK-506 on endotoxin-induced lung injury. We administered FK-506 (0.1 mg/kg) intravenously before the infusion of endotoxin (1 microgram/kg) into conscious sheep. We measured pulmonary hemodynamics, lung fluid balance, circulating leukocyte count and arterial blood gas tensions. The increase in pulmonary arterial pressure was significantly attenuated by FK-506 during the late period (3-5 h after endotoxin). Arterial oxygen gas tension was significantly higher in the FK-506 treated sheep during this phase. However, no significant differences were observed in lung lymph balance and circulating leukocyte count between the endotoxin alone group and the FK-506 treated group. These findings suggest that FK-506 may improve gas exchange in acute lung injury although there is an increased pulmonary vascular leakage. It is probable that FK-506 may have a beneficial potential on endotoxin-induced lung injury in sheep.

Animals↗
PubMed2002

Interhemispheric differences of the correlation dimension in a human sleep electroencephalogram.

The interhemispheric differences of the correlation dimension (D2) in the sleep electroencephalogram (EEG) of eight healthy right-handed students was investigated. During slow wave sleep (SWS) the D2 of the central EEG and the temporal left hemisphere (LH) EEG were significantly higher than those in the right hemisphere (RH) EEG; but during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, the D2 of the central EEG and the occipital RH EEG were significantly higher. The D2 of EEG in the left temporal site during REM sleep were significantly higher than in the right during the first and third sleep cycles, but these were significantly lower during the fourth and fifth sleep cycles. During REM sleep, temporal brain activity may shift from the LH to the RH as morning approaches.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Simultaneous velocity and concentration measurements of a turbulent jet mixing flow.

A method for the simultaneous measurement of velocity and passive scalar concentration fields by means of particle image velocimetry (PIV) and planar laser induced florescence (PLIF) techniques is described here. An application of the combined PIV-PLIF system is demonstrated by performing simultaneous velocity and concentration measurements in the near field of a turbulent jet mixing flow. The distributions of the ensemble-averaged velocity and concentration, turbulent velocity fluctuation, concentration standard deviation, and the correlation terms between the fluctuating velocities and concentration in the near field of the turbulent jet flow are presented as the measurement results of the simultaneous PIV-PLIF system.

Fluorescent Dyes↗
PubMed2002

Biosimulation and visualization: effect of cerebrovascular geometry on hemodynamics.

Hemodynamics plays an important role in cardiovascular disorders, and the authors are applying numerical and experimental studies of cerebrovascular blood flow to the creation and rupture of cerebral aneurysms. In particular, this study aims to investigate the effects of cerebrovascular geometry on hemodynamics, such as flow pattern, wall shear stress distribution, and pressure. This report consists mainly of two parts: numerical study of blood flow in the artery extracted from computer tomography data, and numerical and experimental studies of a curved pipe model. The simulation was conducted by using a finite element method; the experiment was conducted by particle imaging velocimetry. Numerical and experimental results are compared and both show similar secondary flow behavior.

Blood Flow Velocity↗
PubMed2002

Effect of ethanol on human sleep EEG using correlation dimension analysis.

Our study was designed to investigate the influence of alcohol on sleep using the correlation dimension (D2) analysis. Polysomnography (PSG) was performed in 10 adult human males during a baseline night (BL-N) and an ethanol (0.8 g/kg body weight) night (Et-N). The mean D2 values during the Et-N and BL-N decreased significantly from wakefulness to stages 1, 2, and 3+4 of nonrapid eye movement (non-REM) sleep, and increased during REM sleep. The mean D2 of the sleep electroencephalogram (EEG) during stage 2 during the Et-N was significantly higher than during BL-N. In addition, the mean D2 values of the sleep EEG for the second, third and fourth sleep cycles during the Et-N were significantly higher than during the BL-N. These significant differences between BL-N and Et-N were not recognized by spectral and visual analyses. Our results suggest that D2 is a potentially useful parameter for quantitative analysis of the effect of ethanol on sleep EEGs throughout the entire night.

Adult↗