Feedback Type May Change the EMG Pattern and Kinematics During Robot Supported Upper Limb Reaching Task.

Haptic interfaces and virtual reality (VR) technology have been increasingly introduced in rehabilitation, facilitating the provision of various feedback and task conditions. However, correspondence between the feedback/task conditions and movement strategy during reaching tasks remains a question. To investigate movement strategy, we assessed velocity parameters and peak latency of electromyography.

Histology of metastatic colorectal cancer in a lymph node.

Background: A primary colorectal cancer (CRC) tumor can contain heterogeneous cancer cells. As clones of cells with different properties metastasize to lymph nodes (LNs), they could show different morphologies. Cancer histologies in LNs of CRC remains to be described.

Torque Estimation of Knee Flexion and Extension Movements From a Mechanomyogram of the Femoral Muscle.

A mechanomyogram is a visualization of the mechanical signal from the surface of a muscle when the muscle is contracted. The setup of the mechanomyography (MMG) measurement is simpler than the setup for surface electromyography (sEMG) measurement and is less affected by sweating. However, torque estimation based on a mechanomyogram involves significant noise, which is an important issue.

Movement strategy and EMG activities of the upper extremity at assisted reaching exercise with a 7 DOF collaborative robot.

Recovering of upper extremity functions is important for stroke patients to perform various tasks in daily life. For better rehabilitation outcomes and accurate measurement, robot assisted exercises have been developed. However, there are limited number of studies related to arm muscles activities corresponding to task complexity.

Haptic Coupling in Dyads Improves Motor Learning in a Simple Force Field.

In dyadic motor learning, pairs of people learn the same motion while their limbs are loosely coupled together using haptic devices. Such coupled learning has been shown to outperform solo learning (including robot-guided learning) for simple one-degree-of-freedom tasks. However, results from more complex tasks are limited and sometimes conflicting.

Hysteresis Compensation in Force/Torque Sensors Using Time Series Information.

The purpose of this study is to compensate for the hysteresis in a six-axis force sensor using signal processing, thereby achieving high-precision force sensing. Although mathematical models of hysteresis exist, many of these are one-axis models and the modeling is difficult if they are expanded to multiple axes. Therefore, this study attempts to resolve this problem through machine learning.

Visual Biofeedback of Force Information for Eccentric Training of Hemiplegic Patients.

Motor learning issues for hemiplegics not only include motor impairments such as spastic paralysis, but reportedly also an inability to appropriately recognize somatic sensations. In this regard, biofeedback of movement information through visual information and auditory information has been found effective as a method for drawing attention to appropriate somatic sensations. In this context, here, we propose a novel eccentric training system utilizing visual biofeedback of force information.

Robot-Assisted Eccentric Contraction Training of the Tibialis Anterior Muscle Based on Position and Force Sensing.

The purpose of this study was to determine the clinical effects of a training robot that induced eccentric tibialis anterior muscle contraction by controlling the strength and speed. The speed and the strength are controlled simultaneously by introducing robot training with two different feedbacks: velocity feedback in the robot controller and force bio-feedback based on force visualization. By performing quantitative eccentric contraction training, it is expected that the fall risk reduces owing to the improved muscle function.

Triangulating stapling vs functional end-to-end stapling for cervical esophagogastric anastomosis after esophagectomy for thoracic esophageal cancer: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Several studies have reported that the triangulating stapling method decreases the incidence of anastomotic stricture after esophagectomy. Our previous randomized controlled trial, however, could not confirm the superiority of the triangulating stapling (TS) method over the circular stapling (CS) method in terms of postoperative anastomotic stricture rate. Recently, the functional end-to-end stapling (FEES) method for cervical anastomosis after esophagectomy was developed, and lower anastomotic stricture rates with FEES have been reported than for our previously experienced anastomotic methods.

Control with Adjusted Pulse Frequency and Amplitude in Functional Electrical Stimulation.

In this paper, we describe the control of a body using functional electrical stimulation (FES) by adjusting pulse amplitude and frequency. FES is a technique used in the rehabilitation of spinal injury patients and application development for healthy people. However, control using the FES involves a delay time, resulting a high-frequency vibration (called chattering).

Conversion Surgery for Gastric Cancer with Peritoneal Metastasis Based on the Diagnosis of Second-Look Staging Laparoscopy.

Background: Patients with positive peritoneal cytology (CY1) or peritoneal dissemination (P1) have significantly poor prognosis. We performed pre-therapeutic staging laparoscopy (SL) to diagnose peritoneal metastasis for patients with advanced gastric cancer. When peritoneal metastasis disappears by chemotherapy for patients with CY1 or P1, we have intention to perform conversion surgery (CS).

Endoscopic treatment of esophageal fistulas after esophagectomy with injection of an alpha-cyanoacrylate monomer: a phase II study.

 Interventional endoscopic treatments including the application of glue are becoming more frequently used for the treatment of esophageal fistulas. However, there are no prospective studies of endoscopic treatment for esophageal fistulas. This prospective study aims to investigate the efficacy and safety of endoscopic injection of alpha-cyanoacrylate monomer for intractable esophageal fistulas.

Prevention of Internal Hernia During Robotic Total Gastrectomy for Gastric Cancer.

Background: Postoperative internal hernia (IH) is a potentially life-threatening acute protrusion of viscus through an iatrogenic mesenteric defect. In our retrospective study of 1943 consecutive gastric cancer (GC) patients who had undergone surgery, the incidence of IH after laparoscopic total gastrectomy (LTG) was 4.9%.

Usefulness of indocyanine green fluorescence imaging: A case of laparoscopic distal gastrectomy after distal pancreatectomy with splenectomy.

Safe preservation of the remnant stomach during distal gastrectomy in patients who have undergone distal pancreatectomy is important. During distal pancreatectomy, the splenic artery that supplies arterial blood to the cardiac part of stomach is resected. Previous reports suggested that blood flow to the remnant stomach may be insufficient when supplied by only the left inferior phrenic artery.

Internal Hernia After Laparoscopic Total Gastrectomy for Gastric Cancer.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to clarify internal hernia (IH) characteristics after laparoscopic gastrectomy.

Materials And Methods: This was a retrospective study of 1943 consecutive gastric cancer patients who underwent surgery at our institute between 2004 and 2015. Since 2013, our technique includes antecolic Roux-en-Y (RY) with closure of all mesenteric defects during laparoscopic total gastrectomy (LTG) as standard.

Inverse estimation of multiple muscle activations based on linear logistic regression.

This study deals with a technology to estimate the muscle activity from the movement data using a statistical model. A linear regression (LR) model and artificial neural networks (ANN) have been known as statistical models for such use. Although ANN has a high estimation capability, it is often in the clinical application that the lack of data amount leads to performance deterioration.

Rehabilitation for hemiplegia using an upper limb training system based on a force direction.

Hemiplegia patients have complete paralysis of half their body, and encounter many challenges in living an independent life. Rehabilitation of the lower body is more important than that of the upper body for independent living; thus, recovering upper body functions of their paralyzed side is not enough. Rehabilitation robots may be used to assist training without therapists.

Gait training assist system of a lower limb prosthetic visualizing muscle activation pattern using a color-depth sensor.

Some unilateral lower-limb amputees load the intact limb more than the prosthetic limb. This can cause chronic pains, fatigue, lumbago, and joint diseases, including knee osteoarthritis. To avoid and counteract these symptoms it is necessary to improve their asymmetric gait.

Circular stapling versus triangulating stapling for the cervical esophagogastric anastomosis after esophagectomy in patients with thoracic esophageal cancer: A prospective, randomized, controlled trial.

Background: Several studies have reported that the triangulating stapling method decreases the incidence of anastomotic stricture after esophagectomy, but no randomized, controlled trial has confirmed the efficacy of the triangulating stapling method for cervical esophagogastrostomy. We compared triangulating stapling and circular stapling for cervical esophagogastric anastomosis regarding the decrease in anastomotic stricture after esophagectomy for thoracic esophageal cancer.

Methods: Between August 2010 and April 2014, 100 patients enrolled in this randomized, controlled trial at the Wakayama Medical University Hospital were allocated randomly to either the circular stapling group (n = 49) or the triangulating stapling group (n = 51).

Exercise system for eccentric tibialis anterior contraction to improve ambulatory function.

This study has developed a device and system for the exercise of eccentric contraction of the tibialis anterior, with the objective of maintaining ambulatory function. A system was built that allows for exercises of appropriate load and speed, by providing the trainee with force data in the form of visual feedback. An experimental verification with two healthy participants shows small variation in the Myoelectric data during the repetitive exercise.

Prediction of the bioconcentration factor in common carp (Cyprinus carpio L.) using data from the dietary exposure bioaccumulation fish test.

An approach to predicting the bioconcentration factor (BCFpre ) from the predicted uptake rate constant (k1 pre ) and the depuration rate constant measured in the dietary exposure bioaccumulation fish test (k2 dietary ) [BCFpre  = k1 pre /k2 dietary ] is proposed in test guideline 305 of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development Guidelines for Testing of Chemicals. Data were collected on the BCFs of 197 test chemicals from Japan's Chemical Substances Control Law database. To demonstrate how the BCFpre compares with experimentally derived BCF under optimum conditions, 48 of 197 test chemicals, including a number of studies that could be considered problematic, were excluded from the analysis.

Comparison of biodegradation performance of OECD test guideline 301C with that of other ready biodegradability tests.

The Organisation for Economic Co-operatoin and development (OECD) Guidelines for the Testing of Chemicals list 7 types of tests for determining the ready biodegradability of chemical compounds (301A-F and 310). The present study compares the biodegradation performance of test guideline 301C, which is applied in Japan's Chemical Substances Control Law, with the performance of the other 6 ready biodegradability tests (RBTs) listed in the guidelines. Test guideline 301C specifies use of activated sludge precultured with synthetic sewage containing glucose and peptone (301C sludge) as a test inoculum; in the other RBTs, however, activated sludge from wastewater treatment plants (WWTP sludge) is frequently employed.