Psycho-physiological Studies for Attendance of the Persons with Wheelchairs (Second Report)

本報では，介助の実際を市街地において行った時の介助者―障害者間の生理心理的負担に ついて検討し，前報に引き続き安全で心地よい車いす介助のあり方を検討することを目的と する。 協力者は，前報同様，障害者４名，健常者10名である。 前報で示した形状の異なる車いすＡ，Ｂを用いた健常者同士（介助者及び介助協力者）の 介助と実際の障害者における介助で，大阪府立大学キャンパスの外周およそ3.5 km を車い すで押してもらった。 介助者，介助協力者及び障害者には，携帯用心拍記録装置を装着させ，介助中の心拍数を 記録した。また，介助前後には，STAI テストを測定した。 介助者の平均心拍数は，いずれの介助協力者の場合でも，車椅子Ａに比べて車椅子Ｂの方 が，高い値を示した。また介助時の心拍数，及び介助時間は，車椅子の形状及び介助協力者 によって，異なる結果を示した。介助前後の状態不安は，介助前に比べて介助後の方が低か った。 介助協力者の心拍数は，車椅子Ａ，Ｂ共に，いずれの協力者においても，介助中の心拍の 変動幅は少なく示された。しかし，協力者によっては，心拍数平均値からみて車椅子Ａより Ｂの方が低値を示した者や，逆に高値を示す者がおり，車椅子の機能や形状によって，介助 協力者の生理反応も異なることが示された。各介助協力者の状態不安は，車椅子Ａ，Ｂ共に 介助協力者間で異なる傾向を示した。 障害者を対象とした車椅子介助時における平均心拍数は，介助経験者に比べ未経験者の方 が有意(p0.05) に高かった。また，障害者の平均心拍数についても，未経験者介助時の方 が有意(p0.05) に高かった。 障害者を介助した時の介助者の状態不安は，介助経験者および未経験者共にいずれも介助 前に比べ介助後に減少し，介助経験による差は認められなかった。障害者の状態不安は，介 助未経験者による介助では介助後に増加し，介助経験者では，減少した。 以上のことから，身体障害者に対する介助経験の差が，介助者と身体障害者のいずれにも 生理心理的影響を及ぼすことが明らかとなった。今後の課題として，車椅子を押す簡単と思 われる介助についても，介助を受ける身体障害者の立場に立った視点での介助経験者の育成 が急務と考えられる。departmental bulletin pape

Studies on children’s lifestyle circumstances and health (First report)

In this first report we aimed to clarify the factors of life environments which affect children’s health. Our subjects were the guardians of 93 elder (6 years-old) male and female preschoolers of K nursery school in Tokyo met. (abbreviated as KNS) and Y nursery school in Yamaguchi pref. (abbreviated as YNS). Questionnaires regarding the life environments of the preschoolers covered 29 items concerning fundamental life habits including their wake-up time, bedtime, and sleeping period, dietary habits, activity habits, and circumstances of playing. In both preschools more than 80％ of preschoolers live with parents, and the number of preschoolers living with only their mothers was less than 15％, therefore no significant difference of family constitution was observed between YNS and KNS. The average wake-up time of preschoolers attending YNS was significantly earlier (p＜0.01) than that of KNS. The average bedtime of KNS was significantly later (p＜0.001) than that of YNS. The average sleeping period of YNS was significantly longer (p＜0.001) than that of KNS. The means of going to school showed much difference between the two schools. The percentage taken by car was greater in YNS than KNS, while the percentages of being taken by bicycle or walking were greater in KNS than YNS. All means of transportation to school had significant difference of rates (p＜0.05) between YNS and KNS. Results of this study clarified that the preschool located in the city area is characterized by life habits such as short sleeping period, late wake-up time and bedtime, and the preschool located in the mountain area is characterized by longer sleeping period, early wake-up time and bedtime. However, the location of playing spaces did not show significant difference, probably because of the social backgrounds including TV games rather than environmental factors. Considering the health of preschoolers, emphasis on physical activities by playing outside and ensuring sufficient sleep are important factorsdepartmental bulletin pape

A Study on Assessment of Physical Activity in Workers

In this study, we calculated physical activity scores, according to the time spent and energy expenditure in daily life. The subjects were 290 volunteers who were 53 students of the University, and 237 workers. Examinations were made twice at an interval of about 6 months in a test-retest examination. Physical activity scores were calculated from the life activity index of the "Japanese Nutritive Requirement". The amount of energy expenditure was calculated from the time spent, and base metabolism during activity of each subject. The physical activity scores obtained in the test and retest examinations showed a high correlation (r=0.86), confirming our recently developed questionnaire's ability to yield reproducible results. Our results show no sex difference in energy expenditure and Japanese Nutritive Requirement. Therefore, the method of calculation of energy expended per day (according to physical activity score) is highly objective and great deal of confidence can be placed in it

Mutation site-specific differences in arrhythmic risk and sensitivity to sympathetic stimulation in the LQT1 form of congenital long QT syndrome Multicenter study in Japan

AbstractObjectivesWe sought to compare the arrhythmic risk and sensitivity to sympathetic stimulation of mutations located in transmembrane regions and C-terminal regions of the KCNQ1channel in the LQT1 form of congenital long QT syndrome (LQTS).BackgroundThe LQT1 syndrome is frequently manifested with variable expressivity and incomplete penetrance and is much more sensitive to sympathetic stimulation than the other forms.MethodsSixty-six LQT1 patients (27 families) with a total of 19 transmembrane mutations and 29 patients (10 families) with 8 C-terminal mutations were enrolled from five Japanese institutes.ResultsPatients with transmembrane mutations were more frequently affected based on electrocardiographic (ECG) diagnostic criteria (82% vs. 24%, p < 0.0001) and had more frequent LQTS-related cardiac events (all cardiac events: 55% vs. 21%, p = 0.002; syncope: 55% vs. 21%, p = 0.002; aborted cardiac arrest or unexpected sudden cardiac death: 15% vs. 0%, p = 0.03) than those with C-terminal mutations. Patients with transmembrane mutations had a greater risk of first cardiac events occurring at an earlier age, with a hazard ratio of 3.4 (p = 0.006) and with an 8% increase in risk per 10-ms increase in corrected Q-Tend. The baseline ECG parameters, including Q-Tend, Q-Tpeak, and Tpeak-end intervals, were significantly greater in patients with transmembrane mutations than in those with C-terminal mutations (p < 0.005). Moreover, the corrected Q-Tend and Tpeak-end were more prominently increased with exercise in patients with transmembrane mutations (p < 0.005).ConclusionsIn this multicenter Japanese population, LQT1 patients with transmembrane mutations are at higher risk of congenital LQTS-related cardiac events and have greater sensitivity to sympathetic stimulation, as compared with patients with C-terminal mutations

Effects of drug discontinuation after short-term daily alendronate administration on osteoblasts and osteocytes in mice

In order to determine whether osteoclastic bone resorption is restarted after withdrawn of bisphosphonates, we conducted histological examinations on murine osteoclasts, osteoblasts and osteocytes after discontinuation of a daily regimen of alendronate (ALN) with a dosage of 1 mg/kg/day for 10 days. After drug discontinuation, metaphyseal trabecular number and bone volume remained unaltered for the first 4 days. Osteoclast number did not increase, while the number of apoptotic osteoclasts was elevated. On the other hand, tissue non-specific alkaline phosphatase-immunoreactive area was markedly reduced after ALN discontinuation. In addition, osteocytes showed an atrophic profile with empty lacunar areas during and after ALN treatment. Interestingly, as early as 36 h after a single ALN injection, osteocytes show signs of atrophy despite the presence of active osteoblasts. Structured illumination microscopy system showed shortening of osteocytic cytoplasmic processes after drug cessation, suggesting a possible morphological and functional disconnection between osteocytes and osteoblasts. Taken together, it appears that osteoclastic bone resorption is not resumed after ALN discontinuation; also, osteoblasts and osteocytes hardly seem to recover once they are inactivated and atrophied by ALN. In summary, it seems that one must pay more attention to the responses of osteoblasts and osteocytes, rather focusing on the resuming of osteoclastic bone resorption after the ALN discontinuation