Space Charge Distribution of Surface Discharge in SF₆ Gas

Surface space-charge distributions produced by streamers in SF₆ are investigated using the probe method with a high speed temporal resolution. Probes which also act the role of a plane electrode, are used for measuring the space-charge field. The fields are measured oscilloscopically and converted into space-charge densities by a numerical calculation. This inverstigation has revealed the charge distribution before the disturbance caused by the well known “back-discharge”. This method is also applied for surface discharges in air, and its results are compared with that obtained in SF₆

Exertional evaluation for BT

Bronchial thermoplasty (BT) had been reported to improve the symptoms of severe asthma. However, the exertional responses of BT based on the mechanisms have not been elucidated. A 57-year-old man and a 60-year-old woman underwent BT due to intractable severe asthma. We evaluated the therapeutic effects of BT using cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET). After BT, the exercise time during CPET substantially prolonged reducing exertional dyspnea in the former (good), but not in the latter (poor). In the good responder, the high air remaining in the lung after expiration (i.e., inspiratory tidal volume minus expiratory tidal volume) during CPET decreased after BT. In contrast, in the poor responder, the high air remaining after expiration during exercise was not obtained before BT. Further investigations are necessary to confirm that the presence or absence of the exertional wasted ventilation on CPET may be informative to evaluate the therapeutic effects of BT

Morphine glucuronosyltransferase activity in human liver microsomes is inhibited by a variety of drugs that are co-administered with morphine.

金沢大学附属病院薬剤部Morphine is an analgesic drug used for the treatment of acute and chronic pain syndromes for cancer patients. Glucuronidation is a major pathway of the elimination of morphine in humans. Morphine is metabolized to 3-glucuronide (no analgesic effect) and 6-glucuronide (more potently analgesic than morphine) mainly by UGT2B7. In the present study, we investigated the inhibitory effects of a variety of drugs on the morphine glucuronosyltransferase activities in human liver microsomes. Twenty-one drugs including anticancer drugs, immunosuppressants, analgesics, anticonvulsants, antidepressants, antipsychotic drugs were selected in this study, because they are frequently co-administered with morphine. We found that 10 out of 21 drugs, tamoxifen, tacrolimus, diclofenac, carbamazepine, imipramine, clomipramine, amitriptyline, diazepam, lorazepam and oxazepam extensively inhibited the morphine 3- and 6-glucuronosyltransferase activities. Although some of the drugs are not substrates of UGT2B7, they would be potent inhibitors of UGT2B7. If patients receive morphine and these drugs simultaneously, the drug-drug interaction may change the levels of morphine and these glucuronides, resulting in altered analgesic efficacy and the risk of side effects. The results presented here will assist clinicians in choosing the proper drugs and/or dosages, and enable them to anticipate potential drug-drug interactions

Association of masticatory muscle activity with sleep arousal and other concomitant movements during sleep

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to verify the associations among sleep bruxism (SB), sleep arousal (SA) and concurrent body movements. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Subjects underwent a standard overnight polysomnography test and audio-video recordings. Sleep quality was evaluated according to the Rechtschaffen and Kales criteria, while SA was determined as per the American Sleep Disorders Association criteria. Analyses were performed by an external institution after masking of the subjects' information. SB was assessed based on the presence/absence of rhythmic masticatory muscle activity (RMMA) episodes, which were identified by using electromyography of the masseter muscle. The observed simultaneous movements included lower leg movement (LLM), swallowing, face scratching, head movement, body movement, eye blinking, coughing, licking, sighing, body scratching, lip sucking, somniloquy and yawning. The LLM was determined visually, as well as through an increase in the tibialis electromyogram signal. Other movements were visually assessed using audio-video recordings. The incidences of all the simultaneous movements were compared between RMMA with intercurrent SA (SAwRMMA; RMMA episode derived from a masseter electromyogram showing more than 10% of maximum voluntary contraction) and SA without RMMA (SAw/oRMMA). RESULTS: Fourteen subjects were included in this study (females/males: 4/10, mean age: 31.5 ± 5.7 years). Among these, LLM, swallowing, body movement, licking, body scratching and lip sucking were frequently observed in SAwRMMA episodes than in SAw/oRMMA episodes, significantly. However, the non-specific simultaneous movements were higher observed in SAw/oRMMA episodes than that in SAwRMMA. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that SB is concurrently activated with LLM in relation to arousal

The Effect of Touching a Dolphin on the EEG Slow Waves hi Children

Among animal-facilitated therapies, dolphin-facilitated therapy has been shown to beneficially affect human behavior, emotion and speech ability. We recently showed that touching a dolphin reduced the respiratory rate and state anxiety in healthy children. In this study, we collected electroencephalographic data (EEG), widely used for examining various brain functions, before and after touching dolphins. We examined the relationship between EEG power spectra and individual trait anxiety scores. The results showed that the appearance of slow waves in the frontal area increased significantly after touching a dolphin. Furthermore, the difference in slow wave activity was negatively, but significantly, correlated with trait anxiety in the frontal area. This negative correlation showed that slow wave power was greater in subjects with lower trait anxiety, indicating that touching a dolphin may be more effective for subjects with low trait anxiety than those with high trait anxiety. However, even though the increase in slow wave power was lower in subjects with high trait anxiety, touching a dolphin appeared to affect brain rhythms by increasing slow waves

Bronchial thermoplasty for severe asthma

Despite the relatively short follow-up period in our previous study, we had reported that increased cough reflex sensitivity (CRS) may predict the efficacy of bronchial thermoplasty (BT) for treating asthma. Herein, we examined whether CRS predicts the efficacy of BT 2 years after the final BT treatment. We also investigated the influence of BT on CRS. We reviewed 10 patients 2 years after their final BT treatment. CRS, asthma-related symptoms, asthma exacerbations, and cough-related quality of life were assessed at baseline and 2 years after BT. Five patients responded positively to BT (BT responders) and their asthma control improved. No significant difference in CRS at baseline was detected between the BT responders and nonresponders. In contrast, BT responders exhibited significant improvements in CRS 2 years after BT. CRS at baseline could not predict the BT efficacy after 2 years. This is the first report demonstrating BT desensitized CRS in consecutive case series