Back Extensor Strengthening Exercise and Backpack Wearing Treatment for Camptocormia in Parkinson's Disease: A Retrospective Pilot Study

Objective To investigate the effect of a conservative treatment regime in Parkinson's disease patients with camptocormia. Methods Nine patients with Parkinson's disease were included in a retrospective pilot study of the value of back extensor strengthening exercise. Six inpatients received a 30-minute treatment, twice daily for 5 weeks, being treated on average for 34 days; while three outpatients visited the clinic and were educated for home exercise and backpack wearing treatment. Outpatients should be scheduled to visit the outpatient department to check physical status every 2–4 weeks for an average of 3 months. Results All patients except one showed statistically significant improvements in activities of daily living (ADL) and motor symptoms, as measured by flexion angle at standing posture, Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) II and III, and modified Hoehn-Yahr staging. Conclusion Conservative treatment is effective in postural correction of camptocormia in Parkinson's disease, as well as improvement in ADL and motor symptoms

Low-velocity anisotropic Dirac fermions on the side surface of topological insulators

We report anisotropic Dirac-cone surface bands on a side-surface geometry of the topological insulator Bi$_2$Se$_3$ revealed by first-principles density-functional calculations. We find that the electron velocity in the side-surface Dirac cone is anisotropically reduced from that in the (111)-surface Dirac cone, and the velocity is not in parallel with the wave vector {\bf k} except for {\bf k} in high-symmetry directions. The size of the electron spin depends on the direction of {\bf k} due to anisotropic variation of the noncollinearity of the electron state. Low-energy effective Hamiltonian is proposed for side-surface Dirac fermions, and its implications are presented including refractive transport phenomena occurring at the edges of tological insulators where different surfaces meet.Comment: 4 pages, 2 columns, 4 figure

IT Investment Portfolio for Mobile Office

The adoption of mobile office is a topic that has been researched for many years due to rapid growth in the use of wireless communication and portable devices. Yet within the vast territory of studies of the IT investment portfolio for mobile office there remains a large piece of uncharted terrain. The aim of this article is to empirically examine the IT investment portfolio framework, with an emphasis on mobile office environment. Using theoretical framework of IT investment portfolio, our hypotheses concerned the effect of IT investment portfolio on the performance of mobile business service moderated by mobile savvy. To measure mobile office performance and mobile savvy, we conducted the survey with a total of 127 participants

The Correlation Between Electrodiagnostic Results and Ultrasonographic Findings in the Severity of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome in Females

Objective: To determine which ultrasonographic measurement can be used as an indicator reflecting the severity of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), by comparing electrodiagnostic results with ultrasonographic measurements in females. Many previous studies have tried to reveal that the ultrasonography (US) can possibility be used for diagnosis and severity of CTS. However, the criteria are different by gender. Thus far, there have been many efforts towards providing patients with a CTS diagnosis and severity prediction using US, but studies’ results are still unclear due to lack of data on gender differences. Methods: We collected data from 54 female patients. We classified the severity of CTS according to electrodiagnostic results. Ultrasonographic measurements included proximal and distal cross-sectional areas of the median nerve and carpal tunnel. Results: The severity by electrodiagnostic results statistically correlated to the proximal cross-sectional area (CSA) of the median nerve and carpal tunnel. However, there was no relationship between the proximal and distal nerve/tunnel indexes and the severity by electrodiagnostic results. Conclusion: In female patients with CTS, the proximal CSAs of the median nerve and carpal tunnel increase. They correlate with the severity by electrodiagnostic findings. The CSA of the proximal median nerve could be particularly used as a predictor of the severity of CTS in female patients. However, the nerve/tunnel index is constant, irrespective of the severity of CTS

The Physico-Chemical and Microbiological Water Quality of the Artificial Lake Keumgang

This study was performed to investigate the changing encironment of Keum River after the construction of the floodgate at the mouth of Keum River. Samples were taken from the surface wateres at 3 stations near the floodgate of the artificial lake Keumgang to measure the physico-chemikcal and microbiological water qualities from May, 2001 to April, 2002. The results were as follows; water temperature ranged from 2 to 28℃, and pH values caried from 7.5 to 9.1 respectively. The dissolced oxygen contents and COD of each station varied from 7.13 to 14.10 mg l⁻¹ and from 5.2 to 9.4 mg l⁻¹resoectively. And total nitrogen and total phosphate values varied from 0.99 to 3.15 mg l⁻¹, and from 0.01 to 0.12 mg l⁻¹ during survey periods,which meant the sampling stations have set in eutrophic level The population density of heterotrophic bacteria ranged from 0.4±0.1 x 103 cfu ml⁻¹ to 3.5±0.6 x 10³cfu ml⁻¹ for during survey periods. The population densities of physiological groups of aerobic bacteria ranged from 2.0±1.0 x 10² to 1.7±0.2 x 10³ cfu ml⁻¹ for amylolytic bacteria, from 0.3±0.1 x 10² to 1.3±+0.5 x 10³ cfu ml⁻¹ for proteolytix bacteria, from 0.2±0.1 x 10³ to 4.9±1.3 x 10³ cfu ml⁻¹ for lipolytic bacteria, and from 0.2±0.1 x 10² to 2.7±0.7 x 10³ cfu ml⁻¹ for cellulolytic bacteria during survey periods, respectively. Among the measured numbers of physiological groups of bacteria, lipolytic bacteria showed the highest population density. Howecer, the numbers of amylolytic, pyoteolytic, and cellulolylic bacteria showed the similar tendency.Article信州大学山地水環境教育研究センター研究報告 2: 57-61(2004)departmental bulletin pape

Successful Catheter Ablation of Atrial Tachycardia Originating from the Non-coronary Aortic Sinus

We report a rare case of atrial tachycardia originating from the non-coronary aortic sinus. After failed radiofrequency (RF) energy applications at right His-bundle region, the complete elimination of atrial tachycardia was achieved with an RF energy application in the non-coronary aortic sinus. With the review of other papers, this report emphasizes the importance of mapping in the non-coronary aortic sinus in focal atrial tachycardia near the atrioventricular node or near the Hisbundle

Use of a Tunneling Technique to Achieve a Lower Defibrillation Threshold during Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator Implantation via the Right Subclavian Vein

A 56-yr-old man with aborted sudden cardiac death underwent implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) implantation. While the ICD was being implanted, a left subclavian venogram failed to visualize the left subclavian vein, which was attributed to likely prolonged indwelling of the left subclavian sheath for venous access. Accordingly, the right subclavian vein was punctured and the ICD lead was diverted from the right side area to the active Can in the left pectoral area by tunneling over the sternum for high defibrillation threshold. The approach used in this case may be considered in patients who had difficult left subclavicular venous access and it may be prudent to save the left subclavian vein for ICD implantation in patients with fatal tachyarrhythmia

Successful Catheter Ablation of Focal Automatic Left Ventricular Tachycardia Presented with Tachycardia-Mediated Cardiomyopathy

Non-reentrant focal tachycardias occur spontaneously, facilitated by catecholamine infusion, but they cannot be initiated or terminated with programmed stimulation. These tachycardias exhibit early activation before the QRS, however, do not typically show the mid-diastolic potential that is crucial for reentrant tachycardia maintenance. Electrophysiological studies are useful for distinguishing focal from macro-reentrant ventricular tachycardia. We report herein a case of patient without a history of structural heart disease who presented with a focal Purkinje ventricular tachycardia and heart failure. The focal Purkinje ventricular tachycardia was eliminated by radiofrequency catheter ablation. All of the patien's symptoms were improved after ablation

A seemingly unrelated regression model of the impact of COVID-19 risk perception on urban leisure place choices

Due to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic and various restrictions, peoples’ leisure activity patterns significantly change. Thus, it is necessary to understand how people’s travel and leisure behaviors have changed during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, there is still a lack of empirical evidence on how individuals’ COVID-19 risk perception influences their leisure destination choice behavior. This empirical study aims to confirm the relationship between risk perception of COVID-19 and choice of leisure destination and to explore any differences between them related to demographic characteristics. A total of 537 valid samples were used for SUR model analysis by conducting an online survey targeting citizens of the Seoul metropolitan area, Korea. Our findings show that the risk perception of COVID-19 has a significant effect on the choice of leisure places. In particular, the risk perception of COVID-19 has a positive effect on the choice of natural places, disinfected areas, and socially distanced spaces while negatively influencing the choice of crowded leisure places. In addition, age and gender are more effective factors than other control variables in COVID-19 risk perception and leisure destination choices. Furthermore, this study also provides several implications for urban leisure place planners and service providers to respond to the changing leisure activity patterns caused by COVID-19