Support team and its effects on house remodeling for aged and handicapped persons

地域で生活する高齢者･障害者にとって,住宅環境の整備は必須の要件である｡津山市では在宅生活を支援する立場にある保健婦やホームヘルパー,作業療法士等保健･福祉関係者と,建築関係者が共同で支援チームをつくり住宅改造に関わってきた｡本研究では,この支援チームが関わった事例と直接関わらないで当事者と業者のみで改造を実施した事例を比較し,支援チームが関わることの効果をみた｡調査方法は,各事例の家庭を訪問して面接聞き取り調査を行った｡調査内容は調査票を用いて改造箇所,生活空間,介護量,外出の状況について尋ねた｡改造前後の変化を比較して,支援チームの効果について以下のことが明らかになった｡ 1.支援チームの関与による浴室の改造は,入浴が可能となり生活空間が広がるなど改善が認められた｡ 2.離床を目的にした玄関･廊下･居室の改造は,外出などの日常生活行動を広げ,本人のQOLを高めることに役立つ｡以上より住宅の改造が,介護者の介護負担を必ずしも直接軽減するとは限らないが,高齢者･障害者の介護の質に変化を与えることが示唆された。The maintenance and improvement of housing environments are essential for aged and handicapped persons living in a local communities. The support team consists of public health nurses, home helpers, occupational therapists and architects took part in giving an advices for house remodeling in Tsuyama City. We compared the effectiveness of the participation of the team before and after remodeling of housing environment. An interview was conducted at each cases for places of remodeling, living spaces, quantity of care and ease of going. The results are as follows ; 1. The remodeling of bathrooms, participating support team improved the living spaces to be able to take bath. 2. The remodeling of entrances and corridors for leaving beds, improved the living space and the QOL of care recipients. The results suggest that the remodeling of houses dose not always lighten care burdens for caring, but changes the quality of care for aged and handicapped persons

Intracerebroventricular injection of adiponectin regulates locomotor activity in rats

Enhancing exercise motivation is the best way to prevent obesity and diabetes. In this study, we examined whether adiponectin affects locomotion activity in Wister and Spontaneously-Running Tokushima-Shikoku (SPORTS) rats using two types of behavioral assays : home cage and wheel running activity. SPORTS rats were established from an original line from Wister strain that had shown high level of wheel running activity in our laboratory. Injection of adiponectin into the lateral ventricle of Wister rats and SPORTS rats decreased home cage activity, but no change was observed in the food intake and oxygen consumption. This result indicates the possibility that adiponectin can reduce non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT) and physical activity via the central nervous system. In contrast, injection of adiponectin did not change wheel running activity in SPORTS rats. We produced hypothalamus-destructed model rat using monosodium glutamate (MSG) to elucidate the regulation site of adiponectin. Injection of adiponectin into MSG-treated SPORTS rats did not change amount of home cage activity and food intake, suggesting that adiponectin action on home cage activity was in the hypothalamic area. These results suggest that adiponectin regulates locomotion activity through mediobasal hypothalamus

Background Study for Operation Development : Case Kuljetus Eklöf Oy

The thesis was done for Kuljetus Eklöf Oy (and its daughter company, the Hungary based Transport Eklöf Kft), to find out whether an implemented quality management system would increase the competitiveness of the company. Further research was carried out in the field of human resources, focusing on motivation of workers and education of professional truck drivers, and how those research areas can be connected to provide quality work that meets customers’ requirements. During the research processes both quantitative and qualitative methods have been used. The research was based on literature review in the fields of total quality management and human resources; surveys carried out among main customers to find out their expectations towards the company and surveys for drivers of the company to see their opinion about quality and motivation. The author was a participant observer throughout the whole writing process. The results of the thesis include explanations on the requirements, advantages and disadvantages of implementing quality management system, leadership, motivation, employee performance, rewarding and development, labour turnover and driver shortage. After research process has been done suggestions were given for operation improvements to overcome problems a company might face in the competitive transportation business, from quality and human resources point of view

Nintedanib can be used safely and effectively for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis with predicted forced vital capacity <= 50%: A multi-center retrospective analysis

Background Nintedanib is a multi-kinase inhibitor approved for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF); however, its efficacy and safety for patients with IPF and restricted pulmonary function remain unclear. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine the efficacy and safety of nintedanib for patients with IPF and forced vital capacity (FVC) ≤ 50%. Methods This was a multi-center retrospective study performed by the Okayama Respiratory Disease Study Group. Patients were allocated into FVC ≤ 50% and FVC > 50% groups based on their predicted FVC. The primary endpoints were FVC changes from baseline after 6 and 12 months. Results 45 patients were eligible for the study. 18 patients had FVC ≤ 50%, and 27 patients had FVC > 50%. Overall, 31 and 19 patients underwent pulmonary function tests at 6 and 12 months after initiating nintedanib, respectively. FVC changes from baseline at 6 and 12 months after initiating nintedanib were comparable between the two groups. Adverse events were seen in all patients, and the rates of patients who discontinued nintedanib were also comparable (38.9% vs. 37.0%, p = 1.000). Multiple regression analysis showed that age and forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1)/FVC were negatively correlated with changes in FVC at 6 months after initiating nintedanib. Conclusions Our data suggest that nintedanib can be a useful agent for IPF patients, including those with a low FVC, and that age and FEV1/FVC are predictive markers for changes in FVC following nintedanib treatment

グレリンの脳室内投与はラットにおいて回転カゴ運動を減少させる

There is an increasing interest in elucidating the molecular mechanisms by which voluntary exercise is regulated. In this study, we examined how the central nervous system regulates exercise. We used SPORTS rats, which were established in our laboratory as a highly voluntary murine exercise model. SPORTS rats showed lower levels of serum ghrelin compared with those of the parental line of Wistar rats. Intrac-erebroventricular and intraperitoneal injection of ghrelin decreased wheel-running activity in SPORTS rats. In addition, daily injection of the ghrelin inhibitor JMV3002 into the lateral ventricles of Wistar rats increased wheel-running activity. Co-administration of obestatin inhibited ghrelin-induced increases in food intake but did not inhibit ghrelin-induced suppression of voluntary exercise in rats. Growth hormone secretagogue receptor (GHSR) in the hypothalamus and hippocampus of SPORTS rats was not difference that in control rats. We created an arcuate nucleus destruction model by administering monosodium glutamate (MSG) to neonatal SPORTS rats. Injection of ghrelin into MSG-treated rats decreased voluntary exercise but did not increase food intake, suggesting that wheel-running activity is not controlled by the arcuate nucleus neurons that regulate feeding. These results provide new insights into the mechanism by which ghrelin regulates voluntary activity independent of arcuate nucleus neurons

HTLV-1陽性妊産婦の看護に関する研究の文献検討

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Development of preparative and analytical methods of the hop bitter acid oxide fraction and chemical properties of its components

<div><p>The bitter acids in hops (<i>Humulus lupulus</i> L.) and beer, such as α-, β-, and iso-α-acids, are known to affect beer quality and display various physiological effects. However, these compounds readily oxidize, and the effect of the oxides on the properties of beer or their potential health benefits are not well understood. In this study, we developed a simple preparative method for the bitter acid oxide fraction derived from hops and designated the constituents as matured hop bitter acids (MHBA). HPLC-PDA-ESI/HRMS and MS² revealed that MHBA are primarily composed of α-acid-derived oxides, which possess a common β-tricarbonyl moiety in their structures similar to α-, β-, and iso-α-acids. We also developed a quantitative analytical method of whole MHBA by HPLC, which showed high precision and reproducibility. Using our newly developed method, the concentration of whole MHBA in several commercial beers was evaluated. Our results will promote the study of bitter acid oxides.</p></div

Structural Elucidation of Humulone Autoxidation Products and Analysis of Their Occurrence in Stored Hops

The transformation of α-acids [in hops (<i>Humulus lupulus</i> L.)] to iso-α-acids (in beer) during the brewing process is well known, but the occurrence and structure of the oxidized α-acids during hop storage are not well documented. Because an understanding of these oxidized compounds is essential to optimize the effects of oxidized hops on the quality of beer, we investigated the autoxidation products of humulone (a representative congener of α-acids) using a simplified autoxidation model. Among the oxidation products, tricyclooxyisohumulones A (<b>1</b>) and B (<b>2</b>), tricycloperoxyisohumulone A (<b>3</b>), deisopropyltricycloisohumulone (<b>4</b>), and the hemiacetal <b>5</b> of tricycloperoxyhumulone A (<b>5</b>′) were isolated, and their structures were elucidated for the first time. The occurrence of compounds <b>1</b>–<b>4</b> in stored hops was verified using LC/MS/MS analysis. We also monitored the levels of compounds <b>1</b>–<b>4</b> during hop storage using LC/MS/MS analysis