DEVELOPMENT OF MULTI-CONNECTED FLOATING BODY SYSTEM

ABSTRACT A multi-connected floating body system composed of many connected small-scale floating body units has a number of advantages with regard to construction and performance. To realize the multi-connected floating body system, a new type of mechanical connecting device was developed. It is composed of multi-degrees of freedom connecting mechanism and restricting mechanism to control a restricting condition between floating body units, and its effectiveness was confirmed by model basin test in waves. Next, friction and wear tests in the seawater environment led to the discovery of suitable materials for oscillatory sliding parts in multi-degrees of freedom connecting mechanism. Finally, a field test performed for two floating body units connected by use of the mechanical connecting device proved that the developed mechanical connecting device was of practical use

インターバルの異なるジャンプトレーニングがラットの骨に及ぼす影響

Effects of different interval jump training on bone mass and bone strength of lower limbs were investigated in female Fischer 344 rats. Rats aged 5 weeks were assigned at random to two jump training groups (n=10, each) or control (n=10). Rats of the training group were made to jump 20 times/day at 3- or 30-second intervals, 5 days/wk for 8 weeks. Following the experimental period, the femur and tibia of the 30-second interval group had significantly greater fat-free dry weights and fat-free dry weights per body weight than the 3-second interval group. There was also a significant difference between the two jump groups in one of the bone strength indexes. The present results suggest that the training with long-interval impacts is more effective for bone hypertrophy than that with short-interval impacts

Lesser omental hernia through a defect in the posterior layer of the lesser omentum

Abstract Background In previously reported cases of lesser omental hernia, a rare clinical presentation, the herniated intestinal tract was passing through both peritoneal layers of the lesser omentum to herniate into the peritoneal cavity or bursa omentalis. Here we present a very rare case of lesser omentum hernia, where the transverse colon entered through only the posterior layer of the lesser omentum to form a hernia between the anterior and posterior layers. Case presentation A 43-year-old man was admitted to the emergency department with acute abdominal pain. Plain abdominal computed tomography (CT) revealed a change in the caliber of the transverse colon between the stomach and pancreas, forming a closed loop on the cephaloventral side of the stomach. On contrast-enhanced CT images, vessels were observed in the contrast-enhanced lesser omentum surrounding the herniated intestine. The patient was diagnosed with a lesser omental hernia and underwent laparoscopic surgery. Intraoperatively, the transverse colon was covered by the anterior layer of the lesser omentum, and a defect was found in the posterior layer of the lesser omentum on the dorsal side of the stomach. A 2-cm incision was made in the posterior layer of the lesser omentum to widen the small defect. The herniated intestinal section was removed from the hernia sac, and the transverse colon was retained unresected. The postoperative course was uneventful. Conclusions As illustrated in this first case of a lesser omental hernia forming between the anterior and posterior layers, characteristic CT findings may play an active role in the diagnosis of this rare presentation

The Forward and Lateral Tilt Angle of the Neck and Trunk Measured by Three-Dimensional Gait and Motion Analysis as a Candidate for a Severity Index in Patients with Parkinson’s Disease

(1) Objective: To evaluate the usefulness of a three-dimensional motion-analysis system (AKIRA®) as a quantitative measure of motor symptoms in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD). (2) Method: This study included 48 patients with PD. We measured their motion during 2 m of walking using AKIRA®, we calculated the tilt angles of the neck and trunk, ankle height, and gait speed, then we compared these parameters with the MDS-UPDRS and the Hoehn and Yahr scale. Furthermore, we measured these AKIRA indicators before and after 1 year of observation. (3) Results: The forward tilt angle of the neck showed a strong correlation with the scores on parts II, III, and the total MDS-UPDRS, and the tilt angle of the trunk showed a moderate correlation with those measures. The lateral tilt angle of the trunk showed a moderate correlation with a freezing of the gait and a postural instability. Regarding changes over the course of 1 year (n = 34), the total scores on part III of the MDS-UPDRS and the forward tilt angle of the neck improved, while the lateral tilt angle of the trunk worsened. (4) Conclusion: Taken together, the forward and lateral tilt angles of the neck and trunk as measured by AKIRA® can be a candidate for quantitative severity index in patients with PD