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Volume 203 (2004)
- Issue 4 Pages 233-
- Issue 3 Pages 145-
- Issue 2 Pages 69-
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Volume 203, Issue 1
May
Displaying 1-9 of 9 articles from this issue
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Regular Contributions
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Serkan Oncu, Selcen Oncu, Barcin Ozturk, Ibrahim Kurt, Serhan Sakarya2004 Volume 203 Issue 1 Pages 1-8
Published: 2004
Released on J-STAGE: June 29, 2004
JOURNAL FREE ACCESSAntibiotic lock (AL) technique for catheter related infection encompasses the filling of a catheter lumen with high concentrations of antibiotics for hours. The goal of AL therapy is to decontaminate the intraluminal surface of the catheter. However the duration of antibiotic therapy is not established. An in vitro model was designed to establish the time needed to eliminate intraluminal microbial colonization and to evaluate the efficacy of vancomycin in comparison with teicoplanin by using laboratory AL model. Human plasma was instilled into the catheters to allow deposition of fibrin and other products on the catheter wall. After 48 hours, the catheters were drained and inoculated with bacteria in tryptic soy broth. The catheters were then drained and filled with either (a) vancomycin saline solution (VSS) lock (b) teicoplanin saline solution (TSS) lock or (c) saline solution (SS) as the control and then incubated for 12 hours. After 12 hours incubation all the catheter were drained and filled with human plasma. Instillation of human plasma and AL was alternated every 12 hours to simulate clinical conditions. For each day three catheters, locked with VSS, TSS and SS were cultured for colony count. Microbial counts were expressed as total colony-forming units per longitudinal centimeters of catheter surface. A significant decrease in intraluminal catheter colonization started as early as day 1. At the end of 7th day catheters treated with VSS and TSS lock were completely sterile. The decrease of intraluminal colonization was similar in catheters treated with VSS and TSS lock. Also the decrease of intraluminal colonization were similar in catheter colonized with slime forming S. epidermidis and non-slime-forming S. epidermidis.View full abstractDownload PDF (271K) -
Seiko Wada, Shigeyuki Nakaji, Takashi Umeda, Ippei Takahashi, Takao Oy ...2004 Volume 203 Issue 1 Pages 9-16
Published: 2004
Released on J-STAGE: June 29, 2004
JOURNAL FREE ACCESSIn the past few decades, the number of bed-ridden elderly patients has been increasing. This group of patients is frequently fed with a liquid formula diet. The aim of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of a liquid formula diet containing dietary fiber (DF) for elderly bed-ridden patients. Eighteen elderly, bed-ridden patients were given L-3 Fiber®, a DF-containing liquid formula diet (DF-LFD), for 4 weeks, while a number of parameters were monitored, including serum levels of total cholesterol, triglyceride, total protein, creatinine, uric acid, glucose, sodium, potassium, and calcium, urine protein/sugar, and defecation frequency. Total protein, albumin and total cholesterol significantly increased following the administration of the DF-LFD, associated with an average increase in body weight of 1.94 kg (5.0%). Defecation frequency significantly increased one week after DF-LFD administration was started, but this effect was transient. Although a few patients complained of nausea, vomiting or abdominal pain, no severe side effects were seen. In conclusion, DF-LFD supplementation appears to be beneficial for elderly bed-ridden patients, and can increase nutritional-related parameters, such as body weight, total protein, albumin and total cholesterol, without severe side effects.View full abstractDownload PDF (336K) -
Takashi Ono, Miharu Miyamura, Yoshifumi Yasuda, Tomonori Ito, Toshikaz ...2004 Volume 203 Issue 1 Pages 17-29
Published: 2004
Released on J-STAGE: June 29, 2004
JOURNAL FREE ACCESSIn order to elucidate the beat-to-beat changes of the systolic time intervals (STI) during exercise, we proposed new techniques relating to an adaptive filter and detection algorithms for B- and X-points in the impedance cardiograph (ICG). Six male subjects underwent a ramp bicycle exercise up to maximum intensity during which an ECG, ICG and phonocardiogram (PCG) were continuously measured. Following the application of an adaptive filter, the scaled Fourier linear combiner (SFLC), to the first derivative (dZ/dt) of the base impedance (ΔZ) and PCG waveforms, the B- and X-points were automatically determined. For the B-point detection we used three criteria: the zero-crossing point (Bzero), the 15% response point (B15%) of the negative peak of the dZ/dt (dZ/dtmin) and a new algorithm (Bnew). The X-point was separately determined by using the ICG and PCG waveforms. It was found that the shape of the dZ/dt waveform directly affected the determination of the B- and X-points. The B-points determined using Bzero and B15% criteria were sometimes unstable caused by the location of a notch preceding the dZ/dtmin compared to the Bnew. The time difference between the X-points measured by the ICG and PCG was mostly within ± 20 milliseconds but statistically significant. Although a wide variation was seen in R-R intervals, the STI were more stable. The relationships between HR and STI from rest to maximal exercise showed a gentle curvilinear relationship. It is suggested that the STI can be obtained precisely on a beat-to-beat basis by using the adaptive filter and detection algorithms for the inflection points of the ICG even during maximum exercise.View full abstractDownload PDF (412K) -
Hiroshi Okazaki, Koichi Suzuki, Takanori Suzuki, Kohei Kurokawa, Kazut ...2004 Volume 203 Issue 1 Pages 31-36
Published: 2004
Released on J-STAGE: June 29, 2004
JOURNAL FREE ACCESSIn order to clarify the incidence of bladder cancer with and without prostate cancer, we investigated bladder cancer discovered incidentally by urethrocystoscopy at prostate biopsy. Between April 1997 and December 2003, 498 patients who were suspected prostate cancer were performed prostate biopsy and urethrocystoscopy simultaneously. We investigate possible invasion of prostate cancer into the urethra or bladder mucosa as well as bladder cancer, including other benign lesions of the bladder by urethrocystoscopy. Prostate cancer was confirmed in 175 (35.1%) of the 498 patients histologically, and bladder cancer was discovered incidentally in 12 patients (2.4 %). The incidence of bladder cancer in patients with prostate cancer of 2.3% (4/175) was not significantly different from that in patients without prostate cancer, which was 2.5% (8/323). Superficial and those with a size less than 1 cm were noted in 11 patients (92%) and 10 patients (83%) respectively. High incidence rate of bladder cancer with prostate cancer was reported previously, however, there was no study to compare the incidence rate of bladder cancer between cases with and without prostate cancer. The present study suggests that asymptomatic tiny bladder cancer may be present at an unexpectedly high incidence rate in elderly males.View full abstractDownload PDF (294K) -
Aya Kuwahara, Yoshikazu Nishino, Takayoshi Ohkubo, Ichiro Tsuji, Shige ...2004 Volume 203 Issue 1 Pages 37-45
Published: 2004
Released on J-STAGE: June 29, 2004
JOURNAL FREE ACCESSWe assessed the reliability and validity of the Multidimensional Health Locus of Control Scale (MHLC scale) in a rural Japanese community. The study subjects were 2388 men and 2454 women aged 40-79 years, who completed a questionnaire regarding socio-demographics, health-related behavior, such as smoking and drinking, and the MHLC. The Cronbach α of the MHLC scale, which is an indicator of the internal consistency of the scale, was within the range 0.62-0.76. Elderly subjects, women, and subjects with fewer years of education showed more “external” belief, which is generally consistent with previous reports from overseas. Subjects with adverse health behavior, such as smoking and excess drinking, also had more “external” belief. These results indicate that the MHLC scale has sufficient reliability and validity among the Japanese population. Use of the MHLC scale should help to provide a better understanding of health belief among Japanese, and development of health education programs to prevent lifestyle-related disease.View full abstractDownload PDF (393K) -
Shigetaka Shimizu, Mamoru Suzuki, Akio Tomoda, Sadao Arai, Haruhiko Ta ...2004 Volume 203 Issue 1 Pages 47-52
Published: 2004
Released on J-STAGE: June 29, 2004
JOURNAL FREE ACCESSWe studied the anti-microbial effects of phenoxazines produced by the reaction of o-aminophenol or its derivatives with bovine hemoglobin, on seven species of mycobacteria such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Mycobacterium marinum, Mycobacterium intracellulare, Mycobacterium scrofulaceum, Mycobacterium fortuitum, Mycobacterium kansasii and Mycobacterium smegmatis and some bacteria such as Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium, Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria monocytogeneses. These phenoxazines, including 2-amino-4,4α-dihydro-4α,7-dimethyl-3H-phenoxzine-3-one (Phx-1),3-amino-1,4α-dihydro-4α,8-dimethyl-2H-phenoxazine-2-one (Phx-2), and 2-aminophenoxazine-3-one (Phx-3), prevented the proliferation of four non-tuberculosis mycobacteria including M. scrofulaceum, M. kansasii, M. marinum, and M. intracellulare dose-dependently, though the inhibitory effects of these phenoxazines differed according to the species of mycobacteria. However these phenoxazines failed to prevent the proliferation of M. tuberculosis, M. fortuitum, and M. smegmatis, and the concerned bacteria other than mycobacteria. The present results may contribute to development of novel antibiotics against non-tuberculolsis mycobacteria.View full abstractDownload PDF (252K) -
Selma Yegane, Melek Revanli, Fatma Taneli2004 Volume 203 Issue 1 Pages 53-57
Published: 2004
Released on J-STAGE: June 29, 2004
JOURNAL FREE ACCESSβ2 microglobulin is one of the domains of the histocompatibility class I human leukocyte antigen (HLA) antigen. In hepatitis infection the presentation of the viral antigen on the hepatocyte in the presence of class I HLA antigens plays a significant role in the elimination of the virus. The aim of the study was to estimate the serum β2 microglobulin levels in cases of chronic hepatitis B infection. Serum β2 microglobulin levels were assessed in 65 cases with chronic hepatitis B infection including 29 pediatric and 36 adult patients as the study group and in 30 cases as seronegative control group. β2 microglobulin level was found significantly higher in chronic active Hepatitis B virus (HBV) patients compared to the asymptomatic HBV carriers and also in the chronic active HBV patients compared to control group. We are of the opinion that β2 microglobulin concentration is an indicator for monitoring chronic active HBV infections at the asymptomatic hepatitis B virus carrier patients, thus would lead to early initiation of Interferon (IFN) treatment and to monitor the effectiveness of the therapy.View full abstractDownload PDF (252K)
Case Report
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Mitsumasa Fukuchi, Koji Kumagai, Masahito Sakuma, Yutaka Kagaya, Jun W ...2004 Volume 203 Issue 1 Pages 59-63
Published: 2004
Released on J-STAGE: June 29, 2004
JOURNAL FREE ACCESSThromboembolic events are serious complications of atrial fibrillation (AF). We histologically investigated intraatrial thrombogenesis in a 52-year-old woman with mitral stenosis and chronic AF who had recurrent attacks of cerebral infarction despite continuous warfarin therapy. She underwent cardiac surgery for mitral valve replacement and maze procedure including left atrial thrombectomy. Macroscopic thrombi were found on the endocardium and their surfaces appeared rough and dark red in most areas. Histological examination showed that a single thrombus mass was composed of several tissue layers or blocks on the endocardium. Immunohistochemistry revealed stratum-like accumulations of small platelet aggregate/fibrin clot complexes in the superficial, fresh thrombus layers and multiple neovessel formation in the basal organized tissue layers. This case study suggests that intraatrial thrombi may develop in a stepwise fashion on the endocardium involving platelet aggregate/fibrin clot complex formation.View full abstractDownload PDF (340K)
Short Report
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Kazuki Kijima, Ayako Sasaki, Takao Niki, Kazuo Umetsu, Motoki Osawa, R ...2004 Volume 203 Issue 1 Pages 65-68
Published: 2004
Released on J-STAGE: June 29, 2004
JOURNAL FREE ACCESSSudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is a major cause of infant death, but its etiology is unknown. There are several independent risk factors for SIDS, and prone sleeping is a major risk factor. SIDS is probably based on a compromise in arousal response to breathing or blood pressure during sleep. Congenital central hypoventilation syndrome (CCHS or Ondine’s curse) is a disorder characterized by an idiopathic failure of the autonomic control of breathing and has been regarded as one of the compromised conditions in SIDS. Recently, mutations of the PHOX2B gene have been detected in half to two-thirds of CCHS patients. We therefore analyzed the PHOX2B gene in 23 cases of SIDS and did not find any mutations, except for three polymorphic nucleotidic substitutions. The mutation of PHOX2B is thus not likely associated with SIDS.View full abstractDownload PDF (208K)
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