Vibratory tactile display for textures

We have developed a tactile display that produces vibratory stimulus to a fingertip in contact with a vibrating tactor matrix. The display depicts tactile surface textures while the user is exploring a virtual object surface. A piezoelectric actuator drives the individual tactor in accordance with both the finger movement and the surface texture being traced. Spatiotemporal display control schemes were examined for presenting the fundamental surface texture elements. The temporal duration of vibratory stimulus was experimentally optimized to simulate the adaptation process of cutaneous sensation. The selected duration time for presenting a single line edge agreed with the time threshold of tactile sensation. Then spatial stimulus disposition schemes were discussed for representation of other edge shapes. As an alternative means not relying on amplitude control, a method of augmented duration at the edge was investigated. Spatial resolution of the display was measured for the lines presented both in perpendicular and parallel to a finger axis. Discrimination of texture density was also measured on random dot textures

Heat-not-burn cigarettes induce fulminant acute eosinophilic pneumonia requiring extracorporeal membrane oxygenation

Background Although the cause of acute eosinophilic pneumonia (AEP) has not yet been fully clarified, cigarette smoking is reported to be a risk factor for developing AEP. The heat-not-burn cigarette (HNBC) was developed to reduce the adverse effects of smoke on the user's surroundings. However, the health risks associated with HNBCs have not yet been clarified. We report a successfully treated case of fatal AEP presumably induced by HNBC use. Presentation of case A 16-year-old man commenced HNBC smoking two weeks before admission and subsequently suffered from shortness of breath that gradually worsened. The patient was transferred to emergency department and immediately intubated because of respiratory failure. Computed tomography showed mosaic ground-glass shadows on the distal side of both lungs with a PaO2/FIO2 ratio of 76. The patient required veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) for severe respiratory failure. He was diagnosed with AEP by clinical course and detection of eosinophils in sputum; thus, methylprednisolone was administrated. The patient was weaned off ECMO four days after initiation and extubated the day after. He fully recovered without sequelae. Conclusion As far as we know, our patient is the first case of AEP induced by HNBC use successfully treated with ECMO. Emergency physicians must be aware that HNBCs can induce fatal AEP

Changes in sagittal spinal alignment and comparison of deep trunk muscles contraction rate in low back pain of male high school soccer players

In spinal alignment, the posture cannot be maintained only by the bones and ligaments, and trunk rigidity is maintained by the presence of the surrounding trunk muscles. However, there are no reports of spinal alignment and trunk muscles in male high school soccer players. Purpose：In this study, we focused on spinal alignment and deep trunk muscles, to clarify the mechanism of low back pain （LBP） in male high school soccer players. Methods : The participants were 90 male high school soccer players. The presence of LBP was evaluated using a questionnaire. We assigned the participants into two groups : the non-LBP group （n = 58） and the LBP group （n = 32）.Results：Comparing the upright position with spinal alignment, a correlation was found between thoracic kyphotic angle （TKA） and lumbar lordosis angle （LLA） and between LLA and sacral inclination angle （SIA） in the non-LBP group. Conversely, in the LBP group, a correlation was found only between LLA and SIA, and no correlation was found between TKA and LLA. With regard to spinal alignment using the amount of change in the forward and backward bending positions, a correlation was found between LLA and SIA in the non-LBP group. By contrast, in the LBP group, a correlation was found between TKA and LLA, but no correlation was found between LLA and SIA. In addition, compared with the deep trunk muscles, the lumbar multifidus （LM） muscle contraction rate was lower in the LBP group than in the non-LBP group. Conclusion：This study suggests that changes in spinal alignment and decreased LM contraction rate may be involved in LBP in male high school soccer players

ROLE OF FURANOCOUMARIN DERIVATIVES ON GRAPEFRUIT JUICE-MEDIATED INHIBITION OF HUMAN CYP3A ACTIVITY

This paper is available online at http://www.dmd.org ABSTRACT: With juices of grapefruit and related fruits, possible relationships between contents of six different furanocoumarins and extents of inhibition of microsomal CYP3A activity have been studied in vitro. Microsomal CYP3A-mediated testosterone 6␤-hydroxylation was inhibited by the addition of a fruit juice (2.5%, v/v) from eight different grapefruit sources, two sweeties, three pomelos, and one sour orange, whereas no clear inhibition was observed with two sweet orange juices. The inhibitory component in grapefruit juice resides mainly in the precipitate rather than in the supernatant after centrifugation. Higher amounts of (R)-6,7-dihydroxybergamottin (DHB) were distributed in the supernatant, whereas GF-I-1, GF-I-2, GF-I-4, and the newly isolated GF-I-5 and GF-I-6 were detected predominantly in the precipitate. Mixing of five representative furanocoumarins at their detectable levels in grapefruit juice reproduced roughly the inhibitory potencies of grapefruit juice, but omission of any of the components resulted in decreased potencies. These results suggested that all the major furanocoumarins contributed to the CYP3A inhibitory properties of grapefruit juice. Furthermore, all six furanocoumarins showed stronger CYP3A inhibitory potencies after preincubation in the presence of NADPH, suggesting that both competitive and mechanism-based inhibition occur in a grapefruit juices-drug interaction