Efficacy of a hybrid assistive limb in post-stroke hemiplegic patients: a preliminary report

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Robotic devices are expected to be widely used in various applications including support for the independent mobility of the elderly with muscle weakness and people with impaired motor function as well as support for nursing care that involves heavy laborious work. We evaluated the effects of a hybrid assistive limb robot suit on the gait of stroke patients undergoing rehabilitation.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The study group comprised 16 stroke patients with severe hemiplegia. All patients underwent gait training. Four patients required assistance, and 12 needed supervision while walking. The stride length, walking speed and physiological cost index on wearing the hybrid assistive limb suit and a knee-ankle-foot orthosis were compared.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The hybrid assistive limb suit increased the stride length and walking speed in 4 of 16 patients. The patients whose walking speed decreased on wearing the hybrid assistive limb suit either had not received sufficient gait training or had an established gait pattern with a knee-ankle-foot orthosis using a quad cane. The physiological cost index increased after wearing the hybrid assistive limb suit in 12 patients, but removal of the suit led to a decrease in the physiological cost index values to equivalent levels prior to the use of the suit.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Although the hybrid assistive limb suit is not useful for all hemiplegic patients, it may increase the walking speed and affect the walking ability. Further investigation would clarify its indication for the possibility of gait training.</p

EAVN Astrometry toward the Extreme Outer Galaxy: Kinematic distance with the proper motion of G034.84-00.95

We aim to reveal the structure and kinematics of the Outer-Scutum-Centaurus (OSC) arm located on the far side of the Milky Way through very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) astrometry using KaVA, which is composed of KVN (Korean VLBI Network) and VERA (VLBI Exploration of Radio Astrometry). We report the proper motion of a 22 GHz H$_{2}$O maser source, which is associated with the star-forming region G034.84$-$00.95, to be ($\mu_{\alpha} \rm{cos}\delta$, $\mu_{\delta}$) = ($-$1.61$\pm$0.18, $-$4.29$\pm$0.16) mas yr$^{-1}$ in equatorial coordinates (J2000). We estimate the 2D kinematic distance to the source to be 18.6$\pm$1.0 kpc, which is derived from the variance-weighted average of kinematic distances with LSR velocity and the Galactic-longitude component of the measured proper motion. Our result places the source in the OSC arm and implies that G034.84$-$00.95 is moving away from the Galactic plane with a vertical velocity of $-$38$\pm$16 km s$^{-1}$. Since the H I supershell GS033+06$-$49 is located at a kinematic distance roughly equal to that of G034.84$-$00.95, it is expected that gas circulation occurs between the outer Galactic disk around G034.84$-$00.95 with a Galactocentric distance of 12.8$^{+1.0}_{-0.9}$ kpc and halo. We evaluate possible origins of the fast vertical motion of G034.84$-$00.95, which are (1) supernova explosions and (2) cloud collisions with the Galactic disk. However, neither of the possibilities are matched with the results of VLBI astrometry as well as spatial distributions of H II regions and H I gas.Comment: Accepted for publication in PASJ. 14 figures; 8 table

Neothramycinによる膀胱癌の治療

表在性膀胱癌に対しanthramycin系に属する抗癌性抗生物質Neothramycin (NTM)を使用した.NTMの膀胱内注入療法で用いた投与量は以下のごとくである.初回にはNTM 10 mgを滅菌蒸留水20 mlに溶解させて膀胱内に注入し, 副作用がないため40 mgに増量した.投与間隔は2週に1回からはじめ, 1日2回の膀胱内注入を行なった.最近の2例に膀胱内注入療法に加えてNTM 20 mgの経静脈性全身投与の併用療法を試みた.成績は11例中著効4例, 50%以上の縮小を認めた有効6例で, 無効1例であった.副作用としては3症例に一過性の膀胱刺激症状を認めたNeothramycin (NTM), an anthramycin-group anticancer antibiotic, was used in the treatment of superficial carcinoma of the bladder. NTM was instilled into the bladder in the following dosages. Ten mg NTM in 20 ml of sterile distilled water was given first, and increased to 40 mg in 20 ml. This procedure was performed every second week to twice a day. Recently, in 2 patients, the treatment has been combined with 20 mg NTM intravenous administration. In 4 of the 11 patients (36%) the tumors disappeared completely, while in 6 patients (55%) there was partial disappearance of more than 50% and in one patient (9%) there was no effect. Three of the patients had irritable bladder symptom (temporarily). NTM was concluded to be effective for superficial carcinoma of the bladder