Effect of nutritional status on occurrence of pneumonia after traumatic cervical spinal cord injury.

Pneumonia after cervical spinal cord injury (CSCI) is a common and serious complication; however, its nutrition-related etiology has not yet been elucidated. This study aimed to elucidate the effects of nutritional factors on pneumonia after CSCI. Patients with acute traumatic CSCI who were admitted within 3 days after injury and followed up for at least 3 months were retrospectively examined.

Impact of the width and shape of the sliding board on design evaluation.

This study aimed to investigate how width affects the design evaluation of sliding boards with a new shape. Ten caregivers at a senior facility evaluated five types of boards every two weeks. The new shape board received high ratings as the width increased, with a SUS (System Usability Scale) score of 68.

Short- and long-term reproducibility of peripheral superficial vein depth and diameter measurements using ultrasound imaging.

Background: Ultrasound imaging is used for diagnosis, treatment, and blood vessel visualization during venous catheter placement. However, various physiological factors (e.g.

Combined Effect of Walking and Forest Environment on Salivary Cortisol Concentration.

We investigated the effects of walking in a forest environment on salivary cortisol concentrations. Seventy-four young male participants walked for 15 min in forested and urban environments, and saliva was collected before and after walking. Our previous study reported salivary cortisol concentrations after walking only.

Physiological and Psychological Effects of Forest and Urban Sounds Using High-Resolution Sound Sources.

Exposure to natural sounds is known to induce feelings of relaxation; however, only few studies have provided scientific evidence on its physiological effects. This study examined prefrontal cortex and autonomic nervous activities in response to forest sound. A total of 29 female university students (mean age 22.

Forest Walking Affects Autonomic Nervous Activity: A Population-Based Study.

The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of walking in forest environments on autonomic nervous activity with special reference to its distribution characteristics. Heart rate variability (HRV) of 485 male participants while walking for ~15 min in a forest and an urban area was analyzed. The experimental sites were 57 forests and 57 urban areas across Japan.

Diurnal Changes in Distribution Characteristics of Salivary Cortisol and Immunoglobulin A Concentrations.

Salivary cortisol and secretory immunoglobulin A (S-IgA) are important biomarkers for environmental and public health research. The present study investigated the diurnal variations of these salivary biomarkers, with a focus on the change of distribution characteristics (i.e.

Population-Based Study on the Effect of a Forest Environment on Salivary Cortisol Concentration.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of a forest environment on salivary cortisol concentration, particularly on the characteristics of its distribution. The participants were 348 young male subjects. The experimental sites were 34 forests and 34 urban areas across Japan.

[Adult-onset neuronal intranuclear inclusion disease presented transient global amnesia-a case report].

A 65-year-old man had a transient amnesia for about 3 hours. Similar symptoms appeared three years ago. He did not manifest dementia, cerebellar ataxia and involuntary movements.

Analysis of Individual Variations in Autonomic Responses to Urban and Forest Environments.

Autonomic responses to urban and forest environments were studied in 625 young male subjects. The experimental sites were 57 forests and 57 urban areas across Japan. The subjects viewed the landscape (forest or urban environment) for a period of 15 min while sitting on a chair.

Acute ischemic stroke associated with nephrotic syndrome: Incidence and significance - Retrospective cohort study.

We report 10 cases with arterial ischemic stroke (AIS) with nephrotic syndrome (NS), and clarified its incidence and clinical characteristics. The patients having albumin less than 3.0 g/dl and serum cholesterol greater than 250 mg/dl at the same time were retrospectively screened from 11,161 cases of stroke.

[A Clinical and Radiological Comparison of Adult- and Childhood-onset Tuberous Sclerosis Complex].

In this study, we assessed 11 patients who were definitively diagnosed with tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) based on the accepted clinical diagnostic criteria (Roach, 1998). We compared the clinical and radiological findings of six adult-onset TSC cases (group A) and five child-onset TSC cases (group B). The prevalence rates of generalized tonic-clonic convulsions at onset, mental retardation, facial angiofibroma, and epilepsy were lower in group A than in B group.

Seasonality in physical activity and walking of healthy older adults.

Background: An increasing number of older adults require improvements in their quality of life. Physical activities, particularly walking ability, are of primary importance for older adults. The influence of season on physical activity has not been sufficiently studied among older adults.

Distribution characteristics of salivary cortisol measurements in a healthy young male population.

Background: Salivary cortisol has been used in various fields of science as a non-invasive biomarker of stress levels. This study offers the normative reference values of cortisol measurement for healthy young males.

Findings: Salivary cortisol levels were measured in 267 healthy young males (age: 21.

Passive ankle movement increases cerebral blood oxygenation in the elderly: an experimental study.

Background: Ankle exercise has been proven to be an effective intervention to increase venous velocity. However, the efficacy of ankle exercise for improving cerebral circulation has not been determined. We hypothesized that ankle exercise in the supine position would be able to increase oxyhemoglobin levels measured at the forehead.

Combined effects of age and gender on gait symmetry and regularity assessed by autocorrelation of trunk acceleration.

Background: The gait of a healthy person is believed to be more regular and symmetrical than those of an individual with a disease. Thus, symmetry and regularity are important indicators of human gait.

Methods: The effects of age and gender on gait symmetry and regularity were investigated in 87 Japanese participants by measuring trunk accelerometry during a 7-m walk.

Effect of measurement duration on accuracy of pulse-counting.

In this study, the relation between the measurement duration and accuracy of pulse-counting was quantitatively examined with special reference to low-frequency fluctuations in heart rate variability. The interbeat intervals of 70 healthy male subjects were measured in standing, sitting and supine positions. Pulse rates for various durations were calculated by objective-scoring simulation based on the heartbeat recordings of the subjects.

Normative references of heart rate variability and salivary alpha-amylase in a healthy young male population.

Background: This study aimed to present normative reference values of heart rate variability and salivary alpha-amylase in a healthy young male population with a particular focus on their distribution and reproducibility.

Methods: The short-term heart rate variability of 417 young healthy Japanese men was studied. Furthermore, salivary alpha-amylase was measured in 430 men.

Does paced breathing improve the reproducibility of heart rate variability measurements?

The effects of paced breathing (PB) on the reproducibility of heart rate variability (HRV) measurements were examined in 55 male subjects (age range: 20-54 years). Spectral components of HRV were measured under a combination of two respiratory conditions (spontaneous and 4s PB) and two postures (standing and supine). The procedures were repeated 3 weeks after the first measurement.

Inter- and intra-individual variations of heart rate variability in Japanese males.

Spectral components of heart rate variability (HRV) were repeatedly measured (4-8 measurements; mean: 6 measurements) in 75 healthy Japanese male subjects (age range: 20-61) under two postural conditions (standing and supine). Low-frequency (LF) and high-frequency (HF) components and mean heart rate (HR) were analyzed with special reference to individual variations, which were classified into two types: inter- (interV) and intra-individual variations (intraV). The percent contributions and coefficients of variations were calculated for both interV and intraV.