There has been great social and administrative progress in services for the multiply severely handicapped in Japan. The present state of the handicapped in terms of their main diseases(ethiological classification), and their activities in daily life(ADL)is described. This description is based on the data on outpatients accumulated by the National Welfare Association of Severely Handicapped children in their research on 56 facilities in Japan in 1985. An example of medical and educational rehabilitation conducted at one facility is also described.

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In Japan, at present the number of severely crippled and bedridden patients who have to completely taken care of in daily life is tending to increase for several reasons, one of the most important being the fact that the proportion of aged persons in the population is growing. Providing care for these persons is becoming an extremely serious social problem for bedridden patients and also for their families. As one solution to this problem, we developed an enviromental control system for bedridden patients. The system is composed of input units, a small mobile unit, an automated storage cabinet, manipulator system, various enviromental control devices and a Central control unit. Various improvements in the basic components of the system are presented, as well as the development of some additional new components.

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Firstly, in order to confirm the rationale of Portmann's operation, i. e. epidural shunting leads the pressure of the endolymphatic sac to the mastoid cavity where the pressure is one atmospheric pressure, a new microtransducer with transistors was applied to measure the intra-sac pressure during the operation of Meniere's patients. The values obtained from 10 patients ranged from 13mmH2O to 34mmH2O, averaging 19mmH2O. Secondary, the application of a pressure microtransducer for direct measure ment of middle ear pressure is currently being developed in our labora tory by Kawabata, my colleague. Thirdly, we developed a new device, a “ Encorders ”, i. e. a rolling photosensor, connected to a micro-computor and a printer. Three parameters, i. e. axis rotation, wipering action and sliding side to side are yielded online by this device. After cold irrigation(30°C)to the ear, almost all normal subjects showed laterotorsion toward the slow phase of caloric nystagmus, but, only one third showed laterotorsion toward the slow phase of “ Heisswasser-Nystagmus ”(Barany). The patients with bilateral dead labyrinth, however, showed no laterotorsion after irrigation with 30 °C, 44 °C and ice water. These studies were carried out under the technological supervision by Dr. Funakubo and Dr. Dohi.

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The skeletal muscle fiber, highly developed motile system, is well known for its smooth and powerful contractility. Only one milliliter of muscle fiber can lift several hundreds grams of load at a speed of several centimeter per second. Even if we use the most advanced technology, such a splendid actuator has not been made artificially. Usually the biomimetics only mimics its fuctional appearance, not utilizing the underlying principle of the function. When we want to get a new actuator of real mimicking a skeletal muscle, it is necessary to understand the nature of muscle contraction from fundamental point of view. Recently we proposed a new theory of muscle contraction, termed “ Electrostatic linear motor model ”, which can explain almost all phenomena of muscle contraction consistently. In this paper we will discuss the possibility of the realization of a new actuator based on this principle.

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The electric field mediated cell fusion(electro cell fusion)was performed for the production of murine immunoglobulin-secreting hybridomas. In order to standardize the cell fusion condition in this system, the comparative study with the polyethylene glycol(PEG)method was persued in terms of the efficiency of hybridoma colony formation. The high yield of hybridoma colonies was obtained under the following electro cell fusion condition. Fusion medium; 0.25M glucose Alignment; amplitude 130, 20 sec Compression; amplitude 195, 3 sec Fusion; amplitude 880, 20 usec Cycle; 4times The resulting incidence of hybridoma cells showed the same value as given by the PEG-method. In addition to this cell fusion efficiency, some advantages of cell fusion technique such as time-saving and the possible application of a small

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Ultraviolet absorbing compounds in human urine were analyzed by means of high-performance liquid chromatography using the column of octadecylsilica(TSK-gel ODS-120A, Toyo Soda). The sample was eluted with a linear gradient of 0.1 M potassium dihydrogen phosphate(pH, 2.12)to 0.1 M potassium dihydrogen phosphate-acetonitrile(1:1)at O-60 min and O.1 M potassium dihydrogen phosphate-acetonitrile(1:1)at 60-80 min and monitored with the absorption at 254 nm. Reproducible chromatograms were obtained and 55 well-resoluted peaks were numbered. A number of urine samples collected from healthy females with and without the administration of diuretics were analyzed, The correlation coefficients between every pair of peaks among the numbered peaks were calculated to examine the daily variations, the individual difference and the effects of diuretics on the UV-absorbing components. From the cross correlation matrix thus obtained, a few peaks which correlated closely with the peak of creatinine were identified. The results showed the feasibility of the HPLC analysis of urine concerning the diagnostic purposes.

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Micro determination of sterigmatocystin(Stg)and 5-methoxysterigmatocystin(5-methoxystg)in animal tissue and organs by a method using high-performance liquid chromatography(HPLC)with electrochemical detector was described. Electrochemical detectors consisted of one and twc working electrodes were compared. In the former an optimum potential of the working electrode was 1.34V for Stg and 1.16-1.34V for 5-methoxystg, and in the latter when a potential of first working electrode was set at O.9V an optimum potential of the second working electrode was 1.0-1.34V. As a preferable potential for voltammetric detection should be set at less than 1.OV, it is demonstrated that an electrochemical detector consisted of two working electrodes is better than that of one working electrode. The detection system is useful to analyze Stg and 5-methoxy stg in animal tisses.

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