DIEP Flap Weights in Immediate 1-stage and 2-stage Breast Reconstruction: Considering Chest Wall Deformity.

Background: There are advantages and disadvantages to both immediate 1-stage and 2-stage autologous-breast reconstruction. The 2-stage procedure may suffer from a hitherto overlooked difficulty: the tissue expander may induce chest wall depression that may require using a heavier-than-expected flap to generate symmetrical breasts. We conducted a retrospective observational study to assess this phenomenon.

Anatomical Analysis of the Superior Gluteal Artery in 100 Women for Superior Gluteal Artery Perforator Flap Breast Reconstruction.

Background: The superior gluteal artery (SGA) perforator (SGAP) flap is used more rarely for breast reconstruction with autologous tissue than other flaps because the SGA is often narrow, and the SGAP can be short. However, it provides ample fat, including in lean women. To improve its safety and utility, the preoperative SGA course in women who underwent autologous breast reconstruction was determined with three-dimensional computed tomography angiography.

Combination Therapy for a Severe Axillary Keloid with Abscesses: A Case Report.

Keloids are laterally growing fibroproliferative skin disorders. Severe keloids spread widely, sometimes over joints, thus significantly limiting motor function. They are associated with recurrent, very painful draining infections.

Population-based survey regarding factors contributing to expectation for death at home.

Background: In 2015 in Japan 12.7% of people die at home. Since the government has no policy to increase the number of hospital beds, at-home deaths should inevitably increase in the near future.

Antioxidant and anti-adipogenic activities of acorn shells.

Antioxidant and anti-adipogenic activities of water extract (WE) and methanol extract (ME) of acorn shells (AS), from Carruth. grown in Korea, were investigated. At a concentration of 50 μg/mL, the WE had a scavenging activity of 53.

Anti-oxidant and anti-adipogenic effects of acorn ( CARR.) shell extracts via regulation of wnt signaling in 3T3-L1 cells.

Acorn ( CARR.) is a nut from the Fagaceae family that has been used in traditional medicine for many years. However, shells from acorns are regarded as a by-product and are mostly discarded.

Periodic structures and diurnal variation in blood pressure and heart rate in relation to microgravity on space station MIR.

Four Russian crew members were studied on space station MIR, and blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR) data were continuously collected. BP and HR data were collected on earth 1 day before orbital flight to the space station, then at weeks 8, 16 and 24 during space flight, and again 1 or 2 days after returning to earth. Time serial data for BP and HR were analyzed by spectral analysis with the MemCalc system (Suwa Trust, Sapporo, Japan).

Blood pressure variability during 120-day head-down bed rest in humans.

Influence of physical inactivity and microgravity to periodic structure of blood pressure was studied. Six healthy males were kept under head-down bed rest (HDBR) for 120 days. Blood pressure and heart rate (HR) were recorded by a portable sphygmomanometer and a Holter electrocardiogram, respectively.

Patients' attitude toward consultations by a physician without a white coat in Japan.

Object: To know how Japanese patients perceive their physicians without a white coat during consultations.

Subjects And Methods: The patients who visited a university clinic were divided into two groups: those seen by a physician in a white coat (the white-coat group) and those seen by a physician in private clothes (the private-clothes group). Questionnaires were distributed to the patients, which asked the tension and satisfaction of consultations as well as their preference for physician's attire.

Production of interleukin-3 by murine central nervous system neurons.

We examined expression and production of interleukin-3 (IL-3) mRNA and IL-3 protein in mouse primary cultured neurons and glia by the reverse transcription and polymerase chain reaction and a bioassay using an IL-3-dependent cell line. IL-3 mRNA was demonstrated mainly in hippocampal neurons but not in glia, while a small but definite production of bioactive IL-3 was detected in septal and hippocampal neuronal cultures. Thus, endogenous IL-3 might be produced by certain neurons in situ.

[Changes in hemodynamics and catecholamines during single-level exercise at the anaerobic threshold and 120% of the anaerobic threshold in normal subjects].

Exercise training usually involves the sustained performance of exercise at a prescribed intensity. The effects of exercise performed at the anaerobic threshold (AT) have been widely studied. The effects of single-level exercise on catecholamines and cardiac function were assessed at the AT, and at 120% of the AT in eight healthy Japanese men (mean age 21.

Arterial pulse pressure and vasopressin release in humans during lower body negative pressure.

The hypothesis was tested that narrowing of arterial pulse pressure (PP) is a determinant of arginine vasopressin (AVP) release in humans. Six normal males completed a two-step lower body negative pressure (LBNP) protocol of -20 and -50 mmHg, respectively, for 10 min each. None of these subjects experienced presyncopal symptoms.

Carotid baroreflexes and plasma vasopressin in humans during head-up tilt.

To investigate the influence of carotid baroreflexes on plasma arginine vasopressin (AVP) in humans, eight healthy males underwent two sessions of passive head-up tilt to 60 degrees for 15 min each. During one of the sessions (sequence randomized), carotid baroreflexes were simultaneously stimulated by static neck suction of 23 +/- 1 mmHg during the whole period of head-up tilt. Only subjects who did not develop presyncopal symptoms during head-up tilt were included.

Plasma volume, fluid shifts, and renal responses in humans during 12 h of head-out water immersion.

Changes in plasma volume (PV) throughout 12 h of thermoneutral (34.5 degrees C) water immersion (WI) were evaluated in eight subjects by an improved Evans blue (EB) technique and by measurements of hematocrit (Hct), hemoglobin (Hb), and plasma protein concentrations (Pprot). Appropriate time control studies (n = 6) showed no measurable change in PV.

[Daily activity evaluated from total energy consumption in the chronic stage of myocardial infarction and limiting factors in elder patients].

In chronic case of myocardial infarction (OMI), alternation of a daily total energy consumption (DTEC) between in OMI and in the pre-infarction stage was investigated. The limiting factors of DTEC, including functional classification according to New York Heart Association (NYHA) subset, Forrester's hemodynamic subset (FS) in the stage of acute myocardial infarction (AMI), numbers of significant coronary arterial stenosis (NCAG), cardiac function at rest in OMI, for example; cardiac index (CI), pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCW), left ventricle end-diastolic pressure (EDP) and exercise tolerance in OMI, were considered. Subjects, consisting of 191 OMI cases, were classified into the younger group less than 59 years old (79 males and 10 females) and the older group greater than 60 years old (102 males and 23 females).

A case of epicardial cyst.

A rare case of epicardial cyst diagnosed at surgery was presented. A 64-year old woman was admitted for evaluation of a mediastinal mass shown by echocardiography to be adjacent to both ventricles. Computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies were performed.

Trophic effect of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor on central cholinergic neurons in vitro.

Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) elevated choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) activities of mouse septal neurons as well as of cholinergic hybridoma line cells SN6.10.2.

An acute state of a daily physical activity in the chronic stage of myocardial infarction and a proposal of an optimal exercise therapy.

An optimal target of exercise therapy for the chronic stage of myocardial infarction (OMI) was proposed by investigating a daily total energy consumption (DTEC) in 172 outpatients (142 males and 30 females) with OMI. DTEC was significantly lower in OMI than in the preinfarction state: 2005.8 +/- 487.

[Influence of aging on coronary arterial morphology, exercise tolerance and daily physical activity in the chronic stage of myocardial infarction].

Coronary angiographic (CAG) findings, exercise tolerance and daily physical activity were studied with reference to aging in 314 cases of the chronic myocardial infarction and in 199 cases of angina pectoris. Exercise tolerance was evaluated by a symptom-limited treadmill test and the daily physical activity by the functional classification of the New York Heart Association (NYHA) based on questionnaires filled out by the patients. Although the single to multivessel disease ratio decreased with age, there was no significant trend in diffuse or segmental character of stenosis with age.

Variant angina due to deficiency of intracellular magnesium.

A 51-year-old man was diagnosed as having variant angina by documentation of typical ST elevation during anginal attack and also by showing coronary arterial spasm (#2 and #12) during hyperventilation on coronary arteriography. Large quantities of calcium blocking agents and nitrates could not improve his symptoms. Lack of intracellular magnesium was suspected from a daily excretion of urine magnesium (5.

Interleukin 3 as a trophic factor for central cholinergic neurons in vitro and in vivo.

We have found that interleukin 3 (IL-3), a growth factor for hematopoietic cells, is a novel trophic factor for mouse and rat central cholinergic neurons. It enhanced neurite outgrowth and elevated choline acetyltransferase activity. The effect seems to be specific for cholinergic neurons, since somatostatin release and glutamic acid decarboxylase and 2',3'-cyclic nucleotide 3'-phosphodiesterase activities were not significantly influenced by IL-3.

Developmental and differential expression of beta amyloid protein precursor mRNAs in mouse brain.

S1 nuclease analysis was used to determine the levels and patterns of three beta amyloid protein precursor (BPP) mRNAs in mouse developmental brain and in primary neuronal and glial cultures. BPP695 mRNA lacking the Kunitz proteinase inhibitor (KPI) domain was detected exclusively in neuronal cultures and increased considerably in late embryonic and early postnatal periods. On the other hand, BPP751 and 770 mRNAs with KPI domain were detected predominantly in astrocyte- and microglia-enriched cultures and increased slightly only in embryonic stages.

Detection of fatty tissue in the myocardium by using computerized tomography in a patient with arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia.

A case with arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia involving the left ventricle as well as the right ventricle was presented. Right ventricular endomyocardial biopsy and computerized tomography were useful in detecting fatty tissue in the myocardium. This case deserves to be reported in reference to detecting fatty tissue in arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia by using computerized tomography.

[Psychological background as a risk factor of variant angina].

In this study, the role of psychological make-up was assessed as a risk factor in the etiology of vasospasm in variant angina (VA) using the Cornell Medical Index (CMI). Study subjects consisted of 15 patients with VA; 32 with effort angina or old myocardial infarction having no vasospasm (EA + OMI); and 34 healthy men. For a neurosis discriminative diagram, the areas I and II were judged as normal and the areas III and IV were judged compatible with a neurotic disorder.