Spontaneous Resolution of Left Ventricular Outflow Tract Obstruction in the Course of Newly-Developed Mitral Valve Prolapse in a Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Patient

A 63-year-old man was diagnosed with hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy. Echocardiography revealed asymmetrical left ventricular hypertrophy, systolic anterior movement (SAM) of mitral leaflets causing an outflow tract pressure gradient of 52 mmHg, and moderate mitral regurgitation (MR) directed posteriorly in the left atrium.Four years later,when the patient was admitted for mild congestive heart failure, SAM and left ventricular outflow obstruction were absent, and prolapse of the posterior mitral leaflet was causing anteriorly-directed severe MR. Rupture of the chordae tendineae was responsible for the mitral prolapse and for the abolition of the outflow obstruction. Shinshu Med J 59 : 259 ―263, 2011Article信州医学雑誌 59(4): 259-263(2011)departmental bulletin pape

Extending the Operating Distance of Inductive Proximity Sensor Using Magnetoplated Wire

Inductive proximity sensors are noncontact sensing devices used to detect the approach of a target by an increase in coil resistance due to eddy current loss. Extending the operating distance of these sensors is demanded. In this paper, we propose the use of a magnetoplated wire (MPW) as a sensing coil. The MPW is a copper wire, whose circumference is plated with a magnetic thin film. We analyze the impedance of a proximity sensor using a copper wire (COW) and MPW coils by a finite element method. The use of the MPW results in a decrease in AC resistance due to the proximity effect, an increase in inductance, and the generation of a higher flux than when the COW is used. Therefore, it is possible to increase the quality factor Q of the MPW coil. As a result, the operating distances of the MPW and COW coils are 5.0 and 3.8 mm, respectively. The operating distance of the MPW coil is 1.3-fold that of the COW coil.ArticleIEEE TRANSACTIONS ON MAGNETICS. 45(10):4463-4466 (2009)journal articl

Three-dimensional reconstruction of the membrane skeleton at the plasma membrane interface by electron tomography

Three-dimensional images of the undercoat structure on the cytoplasmic surface of the upper cell membrane of normal rat kidney fibroblast (NRK) cells and fetal rat skin keratinocytes were reconstructed by electron tomography, with 0.85-nm–thick consecutive sections made ∼100 nm from the cytoplasmic surface using rapidly frozen, deeply etched, platinum-replicated plasma membranes. The membrane skeleton (MSK) primarily consists of actin filaments and associated proteins. The MSK covers the entire cytoplasmic surface and is closely linked to clathrin-coated pits and caveolae. The actin filaments that are closely apposed to the cytoplasmic surface of the plasma membrane (within 10.2 nm) are likely to form the boundaries of the membrane compartments responsible for the temporary confinement of membrane molecules, thus partitioning the plasma membrane with regard to their lateral diffusion. The distribution of the MSK mesh size as determined by electron tomography and that of the compartment size as determined from high speed single-particle tracking of phospholipid diffusion agree well in both cell types, supporting the MSK fence and MSK-anchored protein picket models

Early-term birth and hypoglycaemia

Background : The effect of early-term birth on the development of hypoglycaemia in large-for gestational-age (LGA) neonates is yet to be clarified. This study aimed to clarify the association between hypoglycaemia and early-term birth in LGA neonates. Methods : This single-centre retrospective cohort study evaluated LGA neonates born at term at Tsurugi Municipal Handa Hospital, Japan. Blood glucose levels were measured immediately and at 1, 2, and 4 hours after birth. The association between early-term birth and hypoglycaemia was evaluated using logistic regression analysis. The prevalence of severe hypoglycaemia and hypoglycaemia according to its timing of development was analysed using Fisher’s exact test. Results : In total, 295 neonates were included. Among them, 113 neonates (38.3%) were born at early term and 91 infants (30.8%) had hypoglycaemia. Logistic regression analysis showed a significant association between early-term birth and hypoglycaemia (adjusted odds ratio [95% confidence interval] : 2.691 [1.597 to 4.535]). However, there was no significant between-group difference among those with severe hypoglycaemia. Conclusions : Among LGA neonates, early-term birth is positively associated with neonatal hypoglycaemia. This indicates that among LGA neonates, those born at early term require more careful observation for hypoglycaemia than do those born at later term

Searching for the Frequency of Cardiac Transthyretin Amyloidosis among Elderly Heart Failure Patients Noninvasively Using 99mTc-labeled Pyrophosphate Scintigraphy

Article信州医学雑誌 69(1): 37-44(2021)journal articl

ISWT Predicts Survival on PD

Objective: The incremental shuttle walking test (ISWT) is an important marker of aerobic capacity in patients on peritoneal dialysis (PD). This study aimed to evaluate its predictive value for PD-related outcomes. Methods: This single-center cohort study recruited outpatients on maintenance PD from our hospital between March 2017 and March 2018. Exercise capacity was assessed using measurement of ISWT and handgrip and quadriceps strength. Patients were divided into 2 groups according to the median of exercise capacity and prospectively followed up until cessation of PD, death, or the study end (October 2019). The primary end point of this study was technique survival rate, and secondary outcomes were rates of peritonitis-free survival and PD-related hospitalization-free survival. Results: Among the 50 participants, age and PD vintage were [median (IQR)] 62.5 (58.3–70) and 3.5 (1.3–6.5) years, respectively. At the end of the study, 3 of the 28 participants (11%) in the long-ISWT group and 13 of the 22 participants (59%) in the short-ISWT group were transferred to hemodialysis. The short-ISWT group showed lower technique survival rate (p < 0.001), peritonitis-free survival rate (p = 0.01), and PD-related hospitalization-free survival rate (p < 0.01) than the long-ISWT group, whereas those survival rates did not differ when participants were divided by handgrip or quadriceps strength. Multivariate analysis revealed lower ISWT to be independently associated with technique failure (p = 0.002). Conclusion: The ISWT is an important predictor of technique survival for patients on PD. Monitoring and enhancing ISWT as a marker of aerobic capacity might improve PD-related outcomes

Super-long single-molecule tracking reveals dynamic-anchorage-induced integrin function

Single-fluorescent-molecule imaging tracking (SMT) is becoming an important tool to study living cells. However, photobleaching and photoblinking (hereafter referred to as photobleaching/photoblinking) of the probe molecules strongly hamper SMT studies of living cells, making it difficult to observe in vivo molecular events and to evaluate their lifetimes (e.g., off rates). The methods used to suppress photobleaching/photoblinking in vitro are difficult to apply to living cells because of their toxicities. Here using 13 organic fluorophores we found that, by combining low concentrations of dissolved oxygen with a reducing-plus-oxidizing system, photobleaching/photoblinking could be strongly suppressed with only minor effects on cells, which enabled SMT for as long as 12,000 frames (~7 min at video rate, as compared to the general 10-s-order durations) with ~22-nm single-molecule localization precisions. SMT of integrins revealed that they underwent temporary (<80-s) immobilizations within the focal adhesion region, which were responsible for the mechanical linkage of the actin cytoskeleton to the extracellular matrix

ジドウ ヨウゴ シセツ ショクイン ノ ヨウイクカン ト ストレス ニ カンスル チョウサ ケンキュウ : ジドウ ヨウゴ ショクイン ノ ヨウイク シャクド カイハツ オ トオシテ

本研究の目的は，児童養護施設職員の養育に対する認知的側面である「養育観」とストレスの関連を明らかにすることであった。そこで，A県の１０施設１３２名の直接処遇職員を対象に，予備調査を経て作成した児童養護施設職員の養育観尺度およびストレッサー尺度を用いて分析を行った。養育観の因子構造は２因子が抽出され，第１因子「養育に対する肯定的印象」，第２因子「養育に対する否定的印象」であった。養育観尺度とストレッサー尺度の下位尺度の統計学的分析の結果，男女差が確認された。男性職員の養育観はいずれもストレッサーに影響を及ばさない一方で，女性職員は彼女らの養育観がストレッサー認知に複数の影響をもたらすことが示唆された。The purposes of this study were to develop a child rearing value scale for caretakers in child nursing homes, and to clarify relationship between the value and stress. The items of the value scale were developed based on the results of a pilot study, and two questionnaires assessing stress and value were conducted. A total of 132 valid responses at 10 institutions were analyzed to examine the structure of factors associated with child rearing value, and two factors were extracted, FactorsⅠ “positive impression of child rearing”, and FactorsⅡ “negative impression of child rearing”. Findings from this study suggest that the relationship between the value and stress was different depending on sex. In comparison with male caretakers, in those of females the value influenced the level of stress in various ways