Intra-rater Reliability and Criterion-related Validity of using an Accelerometer to Measure the Impact Force and Knee Joint Sway during Single-leg Drop Landing

学位記番号：保博甲12

HIP AND LUMBOSACRAL JOINT CENTRE LOCATIONS IN ASIAN POPULATION: BIASES BY EXISTING REGRESSIONS AND DEVELOPMENT OF NEW METHODS

Accurate prediction of the lumbosacral and hip joint centres (LSJC, HJC) is crucial for the analysis of lumbo-pelvic-hip dynamics in various movements. Here we show that pre-existing regressions proposed by European research groups produce biased estimates of the LSJC and HJC in Japanese males and females (n = 23, 24), and that the biases in LSJC depend on sex. When compared to locations directly measured by MRI, the pre-existing regressions estimated the LSJC to be more posterior in males and more inferior and posterior in females, and the HJC to be more medial for both sexes. We suggest the importance of considering racial and sexual differences in morphology. We propose new regressions for Asians and validate them using leave-one-out cross-validation. Our regression can be a powerful solution for accurate motion analysis in Asians

Treatment resistance of rheumatoid arthritis relates to infection of periodontal pathogenic bacteria: a case-control cross-sectional study

Recent studies have shown that periodontitis is associated with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and periodontal bacteria, such as Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans (Aa) and Porphyromonas gingivalis (Pg) are involved in the pathogenesis of RA via citrullinated proteins. Smoking has also been shown to be involved in the pathogenesis of RA; however, the extent of this involvement is still poorly understood. In addition, RA and polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) are sometimes difficult to differentiate; however, the relationship between PMR and the factors from smoking and periodontal bacteria is unclear. The aim of this study was to clarify the relationship between periodontal pathogenic bacterial infections and smoking in patients with RA or PMR. This case-control study included 142 patients with untreated RA or PMR. This study evaluated the serum antibody titers against periodontal pathogenic bacterial antigens and an anti-citrullinated peptide antibody (ACPA). In patients with RA, the relationship between antibody titers and disease activity of RA and response after 3 months of treatment was also investigated. Additionally, the effects of smoking were evaluated. Although there was no significant difference in serum antibody titer against periodontal pathogenic bacteria between the ACPA-positive RA group and the ACPA-negative PMR group, we found an association between the elevated antibody titer against Pg and the degree of ACPA value, especially between negative group and high-value positive group (>= 100 U/mL). The antibody titers against Aa and Pg did not differ depending on disease activity score 28 (DAS28) at baseline; however, patients with high antibody titers had poor RA therapeutic response as judged by DAS28 after 3 months. We could not find any association between smoking and any of these parameters. Periodontal pathogenic bacteria, especially Pg, are associated with elevated ACPA levels. Our findings suggest that Pg and Aa infections interfere with the therapeutic response of RA

Transmission of Tactile Roughness through Master-slave Systems

Abstract-In this study, a tactile-roughness transmission system applicable to master-slave systems with a communication time delay is developed. The master-side system constructs a local model of target objects placed in the slave-side environment. Tactile feedbacks presented to an operator at the master side are produced by combining the physical properties of target objects in the local model and the kinetic information of the operator. The time delay between the operator's motion and the tactile feedback is cancelled because the stimuli are synchronized with the exploratory motions. The proposed system is applied to the transmission of tactileroughness. The tactile stimuli presented to the operator are vibratory stimuli whose amplitude and frequency are controlled. These stimuli are locally synthesized by combining the surface wavelength of target objects and the operator's hand velocity. Using the developed tactile-roughness transmission system, an experiment for transmitting the perceived roughness of grating scales was conducted. As a result, the roughness perceived by the operators was found to highly correlate with the roughness of the scales in the slave-side environment with a coefficient of 0.83

Changes in the deep vasculature assessed using anterior segment OCT angiography following trabecular meshwork targeted minimally invasive glaucoma surgery

The effect of trabecular meshwork (TM)-targeted minimally invasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS) on the vasculature assessed using anterior segment (AS)-optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) has not been established. In this prospective, longitudinal study, we investigated changes in the deep vasculature following TM-targeted MIGS using AS-OCTA for open-angle glaucoma in 31 patients. AS-OCTA images of the sclera and conjunctiva at the nasal corneal limbus were acquired preoperatively and 3 months postoperatively, and the vessel densities (VDs) of the superficial (conjunctival) and deep (intrascleral) layers were calculated. The VDs before and after MIGS were compared, and the factors associated with the change in VD following MIGS were analyzed. The mean deep VD decreased from 11.98 ± 6.80% at baseline to 10.42 ± 5.02% postoperatively (P = 0.044), but superficial VD did not change (P = 0.73). The multivariate stepwise regression analysis revealed that deep VD reduction was directly associated with IOP reduction (P < 0.001) and preoperative IOP (P = 0.007) and inversely associated with preoperative deep VD (P < 0.001). The deep VD reduction following MIGS was significant in the successful group (21 eyes) (P = 0.032) but not in the unsuccessful group (10 eyes) (P = 0.49). The deep VDs assessed using AS-OCTA decreased following TM-targeted MIGS, especially in the eyes with good surgical outcomes

Hardness Perception Based on Dynamic Stiffness in Tapping

A human can judge the hardness of an object based on the damped natural vibration caused by tapping the surface of the object using a fingertip. In this study, we investigated the influence of the dynamic characteristics of vibrations on the hardness perceived by tapping. Subjectively reported hardness values were related to the dynamic stiffness of several objects. The dynamic stiffness, which characterizes the impulsive response of an object, was acquired across the 40–1,000 Hz frequency range for cuboids of 14 types of materials by administering a hammering test. We performed two psychophysical experiments—a ranking task and a magnitude-estimation tasks—wherein participants rated the perceived hardness of each block by tapping it with a finger. We found that the perceptual effect of dynamic stiffness depends on the frequency. Its effect displayed a peak around 300 Hz and decreased or disappeared at higher frequencies, at which human perceptual capabilities are limited. The acquired results help design hardness experienced by products

Wearable dummy to simulate equinovarus for training of physical therapists

Abstract: It is indispensable for physical therapists in training to experience various symptoms during their period of education; however, such chances are limited in educational institutions. We developed a prototype of a wearable dummyrobot system to simulate equinovarus, which is a typical disorder of the foot caused by stroke, to enhance the training of physical therapists (PTs). This wearable dummy system makes it possible to simulate joint disorders, while allowing the trainees to learn about the complex joint movements of humans, such as those observed in human feet. The dummy system deforms the foot of a healthy wearer using a wire mechanism so that the resultant foot posture and resistance force required for therapeutic operations resemble those of typical equinovarus patients. The resistance forces felt by the trainees can be tuned by changing the endpoint of the wire. From sensory evaluations involving PTs, it was concluded that with potential future improvements, the dummy simulator will become an effective training tool to aid physical therapy students

Prediction of trabecular meshwork-targeted micro-invasive glaucoma surgery outcomes using anterior segment OCT angiography

前眼部OCTAを用いた線維柱帯切開術効果予測 --房水主流出路の可視化による緑内障手術予後予測の可能性--. 京都大学プレスリリース. 2021-09-09.We performed a prospective, longitudinal study to investigate the association between the preoperative intrascleral vasculature assessed using anterior segment (AS)-optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) and surgical outcomes of trabecular meshwork-targeted micro- or minimally invasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS). We included 37 patients with primary open-angle glaucoma. Preoperative AS-OCTA images of the sclero-conjunctiva of the nasal corneal limbus were acquired in the superficial (conjunctival) and deep (intrascleral) layers. The vessel densities (VDs) of each layer were measured separately in the entire area, limbal side, and fornix area. Surgical success was determined by postoperative intraocular pressure (IOP) and IOP reduction. Twenty-three and 14 eyes were classified as having successful and unsuccessful outcomes, respectively. The deep VDs of the entire area and fornix area were significantly lower in the successful group (P = 0.031 and P = 0.009). The success rate was significantly higher for eyes with a lower deep VD than for eyes with a higher deep VD. A greater IOP reduction was significantly associated with lower deep VD in the fornix area (P = 0.022) and higher preoperative IOP (P < 0.001). These results indicate that intrascleral vasculature assessed using preoperative AS-OCTA was negatively correlated with surgical success and IOP reduction resulting from trabecular meshwork-targeted MIGS. AS-OCTA images might help predict MIGS outcomes