押しスイッチの高さと身体肢位との関係

　In occupational therapy, we are often involved in designing housing reforms that are comfortable for impaired people. Moreover, occupational therapists should evaluate the disability of each subject to determine a suitable height for the switch operation for the impaired. However, due to some circumstances the switch is not always in the appropriate location. It is necessary to clarify the height of the switch so that it can be easily operated while in various postures. Therefore, we focused on the pushing motion of the wall switch placed at heights of 60cm, 80cm, and 100cm, and aimed to find a suitable height for the switch in the standing and sitting positions by measuring the load on the legs, the muscle activity and the force on the switch. As a result, the lowest weight ratio was found at 100cm in the sitting position during the load shift on the left/right foot before the switch operation. The lowest percentage of maximum voluntary contraction (%MVC) was found at 100cm from the deltoid muscle (Del.), right and left erector spinae (Rt-ES, Lt-ES) in the standing position. Rt-ES and Lt-ES had the same tendency in the sitting position. The smallest force applied on the switch was found at 100cm in the standing position (p＜0.05) and the sitting position had the same tendency. There was no significant difference or relevance in the relationship between the time to start the muscle activity and the time to start the switch operation. For both sitting and standing positions, the muscle activity and the shift ratio of the foot load were small when the switch was at the height of 100cm, and the force applied to the switch was also small. Therefore, the appropriate height for the switch is at 100cm in both sitting and standing positions. 作業療法では障害者が使いやすい住宅の改修に関わることが多い。そして障害の状態に 応じた操作スイッチの高さの設定は作業療法士が対象者個人の状態を評価し設定しなけれ ばならない。しかし、スイッチの位置は適切な位置にあるとは限らず、各姿勢で容易に操 作できるスイッチの高さを明らかにする必要がある。そこで我々は、壁面にあるスイッチ を押す動作に着目し、スイッチの高さを60cm、80cm、100cmに設定し、下肢荷重、筋活動 （橈側手根屈筋（FCR）、三角筋（Del.）、左右脊柱起立筋（Rt-ES, Lt-ES））、スイッチにかか る力を測定し、座位と立位における適切なスイッチ高さを示すことを目的とした。その結 果、スイッチ操作開始までの左右足の移動で座位と立位で100cmが最も低い体重比であっ た（p＜0.05）。筋活動（％MVC）は立位ではDel., Rt-ES, Lt-ESにおいて100cmが最も少な かった（p＜0.05）。座位でもRt-ESとLt-ESに同じ傾向がみられた。スイッチに係る力は立 位では100cmが最も小さな力だった（p＜0.05）。座位でも同じ傾向がみられた。筋活動開始 時間とスイッチ操作開始時間の関係は有意差と交互作用は認められなかった。高さ100cm のスイッチの位置は座位でも立位でも足部荷重の変化が少なく、脊柱への筋の負担も少な かった。そして小さな力でスイッチを押せる高さであった。さらにスイッチ操作開始まで の時間に対しては、姿勢とスイッチの高さに影響は認められなかった。これらのことから 座位でも立位でも対応できる適切なスイッチの高さは100cmであることが示唆された。[原著

Altitudinal gradients of ant species diversity (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Mount Talang, West Sumatra, Indonesia

The present study adds a novel perspective on Sumatran ant fauna by providing the information on its diversity across an altitudinal gradient in Mount Talang, a mountain in West Sumatra Province. A standardized sampling method of Quadra Protocol was applied at three altitudes (1,500, 2,000 and 2,500 m elevation). A total of 408 ant individuals collected in the study were identified to belong to 27 species in 19 genera of nine tribes and five subfamilies. Myrmicinae was the subfamily with the largest number of species collected (14 species), followed by Formicinae (six species), Dolichoderinae, and Ponerinae (three species in each), and a single species of an army ant from subfamily Dorylinae. The number of ant species decreases with altitude inclination; 19 species were recorded at 1,500 m elevation, ten at 2,000 m, and only three at 2,500 m

Morphologic change of Yoshida sarcoma cells and coelothelioma cells after exposing to the cell toxin from X-ray-irradiated animal

The unsaturated fatty acid fraction extracted from the liver of rabbit irradiated with X-rays exerts a strong cytotoxic effect on human coelothelioma cells and Yoshida sarcoma cells both in vitro and in vivo. The cell damage seems to initiate at the nucleus, finally leading to the complete cytolysis. The inhibiting effect of this substance on the mitosis of Yoshida sarcoma cells can be observed, especially marked from prophase up to metaphase giving almost the same results obtained after X-ray irradiation. From these results and the observations reported by several authors on the cell damage by X-ray irradiation, weshould call special attention to the fact that the essential mechanism of X-ray irradiation can be attributed to the cell toxin produced after the irradiation.</p

The BH3-Only SNARE BNip1 Mediates Photoreceptor Apoptosis in Response to Vesicular Fusion Defects

SummaryIntracellular vesicular transport is important for photoreceptor function and maintenance. However, the mechanism underlying photoreceptor degeneration in response to vesicular transport defects is unknown. Here, we report that photoreceptors undergo apoptosis in a zebrafish β-soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attachment protein (β-SNAP) mutant. β-SNAP cooperates with N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor to recycle the SNAP receptor (SNARE), a key component of the membrane fusion machinery, by disassembling the cis-SNARE complex generated in the vesicular fusion process. We found that photoreceptor apoptosis in the β-SNAP mutant was dependent on the BH3-only protein BNip1. BNip1 functions as a component of the syntaxin-18 SNARE complex and regulates retrograde transport from the Golgi to the endoplasmic reticulum. Failure to disassemble the syntaxin-18 cis-SNARE complex caused BNip1-dependent apoptosis. These data suggest that the syntaxin-18 cis-SNARE complex functions as an alarm factor that monitors vesicular fusion competence and that BNip1 transforms vesicular fusion defects into photoreceptor apoptosis

Coupled spin-charge-phonon fluctuation in the all-in/all-out antiferromagnet Cd2Os2O7

We report on a spin-charge fluctuation in the all-in/all-out pyrochlore magnet Cd2Os2O7, where the spin fluctuation is driven by the conduction of thermally excited electrons/holes and associated fluctuation of Os valence. The fluctuation exhibits an activation energy significantly greater than the spin-charge excitation gap and a peculiar frequency range of 10(6)-10(10) s(-1). These features are attributed to the hopping motion of carriers as small polarons in the insulating phase, where the polaron state is presumably induced by the magnetoelastic coupling via the strong spin-orbit interaction. Such a coupled spin-charge-phonon fluctuation manifests as a part of the metal-insulator transition that is extended over a wide temperature range due to the modest electron correlation comparable with other interactions characteristic for 5d-subshell systems

Asbestos-Induced Cellular and Molecular Alteration of Immunocompetent Cells and Their Relationship with Chronic Inflammation and Carcinogenesis

Asbestos causes lung fibrosis known as asbestosis as well as cancers such as malignant mesothelioma and lung cancer. Asbestos is a mineral silicate containing iron, magnesium, and calcium with a core of SiO2. The immunological effect of silica, SiO2, involves the dysregulation of autoimmunity because of the complications of autoimmune diseases found in silicosis. Asbestos can therefore cause alteration of immunocompetent cells to result in a decline of tumor immunity. Additionally, due to its physical characteristics, asbestos fibers remain in the lung, regional lymph nodes, and the pleural cavity, particularly at the opening sites of lymphatic vessels. Asbestos can induce chronic inflammation in these areas due to the production of reactive oxygen/nitrogen species. As a consequence, immunocompetent cells can have their cellular and molecular features altered by chronic and recurrent encounters with asbestos fibers, and there may be modification by the surrounding inflammation, all of which eventually lead to decreased tumor immunity. In this paper, the brief results of our investigation regarding reduction of tumor immunity of immunocompetent cells exposed to asbestos in vitro are discussed, as are our findings concerned with an investigation of chronic inflammation and analyses of peripheral blood samples derived from patients with pleural plaque and mesothelioma that have been exposed to asbestos

Motion Simulator for an Underwater Glider for Long-term Virtual Mooring Including Real Devices in a Loop

We present an outline of a motion simulator for the prototype underwater glider “Tsukuyomi”. The project goal is the development of an underwater glider for long-term virtual mooring. When developing control software and debugging it, a motion simulator of the glider is necessary to confirm the software reliability and to improve the development efficiency. The main part of the motion simulator is installed in a PC and communicates with the Tsukuyomi central computer via LAN. It receives the glider status and simulates the dynamic motion of the glider. Then it returns the simulated result including updated depth, pitching and heading to the main controller. Consequently, it provides a virtual environment in which the glider operates.Date of Conference: 23-27 September 201

Morphologic studies of bone marrow cells exposed to the phospholipid fraction from the liver of irradiated animal, an experiment in vitro

With the purpose of revealing the biological effects of the X-ray irradiation the authors extracted phospholipids from the liver of irradiated animals and proved that this substance has the action to inhibit the growth of the bone marrow cells, the motility of pseudo-eosinophilis and the erythropoiesis in tissue culture, suggesting that the injury will mainly be induced by the toxic substances produced by irradiation.</p

Experimental Investigation of the Cs Behavior in the Cesiated H- Ion Source During High Power Long Beam Operation

The behavior of the Cesium (Cs) in the Cs-seeded negative ion sources has been investigated experimentally under the beam accelerations of up to 0.5 MeV. The pulse length was extended to 100 s to catch the precise variations of the Cs D2 emission, discharge power, negative ion current and temperatures in the ion source. The variations of the negative ions were estimated by the beam current and the heat loads in the accelerator. This experiment shows that the buildup of temperature in the chamber walls lead to the evaporation of deposited Cs to enter the plasma region and influence the H- ion production. The H- ion beams were sustained stably by reducing the temperature rise of the chamber wall below 50 ℃. A stable long pulse beam could be achieved through the temperature control of the surfaces inside the source chamber walls