X-Ray Fluoroscopy-Based Kinematic Analysis of Quadrupedal Locomotion in Slow and Fast Fatigue-Resistant Motor Neuron-Deleted Mice.

Introduction/aims: VAChT-Cre is a transgenic mouse line targeting slow-twitch fatigue-resistant and fast-twitch fatigue-resistant motor neurons that innervate oxidative type I and type IIa muscle fibers. To ablate these neurons, VAChT-Cre mice were crossbred with NSE-DTA mice, leading to the expression of diphtheria toxin A after Cre-mediated excision. The resulting VAChT-Cre;NSE-DTA mice exhibited motor deficits, abnormal locomotion, muscular atrophy, and tremor, making them a useful model for studying motor neuron physiology and pathology.

Development of a Lightweight Flexible Construction Work Assist Suit Using Pneumatic Rubber Artificial Muscles.

We developed an assist suit with lightweight, flexible artificial muscles of pneumatic rubber for reducing muscle load in the lumbar region. We designed two assist forces to control the artificial muscles with pulse width modulation based on the measured EMG of the spinal column muscle and estimated the torque of the hip joint. The experimental results confirmed the developed work assist suit could unload muscle activity during bending and stretching exercises.

Influence of clinical and genetic factors on warfarin dose requirements among Japanese patients.

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of clinical and genetic factors on warfarin dose requirements in the Japanese population.

Methods: We enrolled 125 patients on stable warfarin anticoagulant therapy with an international normalized ratio maintained between 1.5 and 3.

Low-intensity anticoagulation for stroke prevention in elderly patients with atrial fibrillation: efficacy and safety in actual clinical practice.

Low-intensity warfarin (INR 1.5 to 2.5) was started in 63 patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and they were prospectively followed for 2.

Predictors of controlled ambulatory blood pressure in treated hypertensive patients with uncontrolled office blood pressure.

Although some treated hypertensive patients have controlled 24-h ambulatory blood pressure (ABP) despite their uncontrolled office blood pressure (BP), the factors relating to the control of 24-h ABP remain unknown. We conducted a study to assess 24-h ABP and its association with other cardiovascular risk factors, including echocardiographic left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), in elderly hypertensive patients (n =41) with uncontrolled office BP (>140/90 mmHg) during long-term medication. Although a majority of the patients had isolated elevation of office systolic BP (SBP), there was no significant relationship between office SBP and 24-h SBP, and about half of the patients had controlled 24-h ABP (125+/-8/69+/-6 mmHg).

Factors relating to inadequate control of blood pressure in hypertensive outpatients.

Adequate control of blood pressure (BP) is important for preventing hypertensive complications, but it has been reported that many patients remain uncontrolled despite regular care. We studied the factors contributing to inadequate control of BP. A cohort of hypertensive patients (n = 395) was queried in regard to their quality of life (QOL) and drug compliance, and the characteristics of responders (n = 256) were obtained from their clinical records.

Stroke prevention in patients with atrial fibrillation.

We evaluated the antithrombotic therapy and eligibility for anticoagulation before stroke in 30 patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) admitted to a district hospital in Kochi, Japan from 1992 to 1998. The mean age was 77+/-10 years old. Subtypes of ischemic stroke were classified as possibly cardioembolic in 26 (87%) patients and lacunar in four (13%).