The optimal height of the working table for fruits-sorting in apple orchards was studied from the viewpoint of energy metabolism using model experiment, and actual condition of theapple-sorting table was surveyed. Results:
1. Oxygen consumption per minute increased by the apple sorting work were measured about the seven kinds of table height (from 40 cm to 100 cm). Supposing that the height of the working table subtracted by (stature+height of footwear) is “x” and the oxygen consumption per minute increased by the work is “Y”, the relationship between these two values can be expressed as the following quadratic equation:
y=0.226x²-20.91x+677.1
Thus, it was found that the optimal height for apple sorting table was 46% of the stature including footwear height.
2. The height of the fruits-sorting table used in apple orchards was usually 30-40% of the stature including footwear height of the workers, and this was found to be too low. This seems to have been caused by easygoing and perfunctory attitude or practices to the fruits-sorting work, e. g. to use the wooden boxes for apple as the substitutes for the fruits-sorting table.
3. It is necessary to improve the table and to develop and propagate the better apple-sorting table from ergonomical viewpoint in order to reduce and eliminate the lumbago and fatigue among the workers engaging in the apple-sorting work.

A total of 950 urinary stone samples from residents in Aomori Prefecture were analyzed, and the results were examined in comparison with physiological elements in blood and urine. The concentrations of 20 metals in 310 out of the urinary stone samples were measured with the ICP emission spectrochemical analyzer and the role of each metal was analyzed.
The following results were obtained.
1. The frequency of calcium stones in Aomori was 83% and that of uric acid stones was 3.4%. The ratio of struvite stones was 11.4%, which was higher than the national average (7.4%).
2. Serum Cr and uric acid concentrations in the uric acid stone patients were significantly high. This suggested that the renal function in the patients might deteriorate. Uric Ca and P of the calcium stone patients were significantly high.
3. Metal concentrations varied wide in the same type of stones, and the metal contents in uric acid stones and cystine stones were less than those in calcium stones and struvite stones, while the concentrations of most metals in the phosphate stones were over 1.5 times as high as those in calcium oxalate stones.
4. The Ca content in struvite stones ranged from a few to 30% and difference of X-ray permeation was thought to be the cause.
5. The ratio metal concentration in stones and urine ranged from several hundred to several thousand, except for Mg concentration, which was as low as 80. Mg is considered to play an important role in stone formation.

The subjective symptoms, various blood components, radioallergosorbent test (RAST) and others were examined for the patients who developed nasal allergy each year during the time of artificial apple pollination (before artificial pollination, during the peak of pollination and one month after pollination) compared with those for a control group, and the following results were obtained.
1) The symptoms, the time of their appearance and the kind of symptoms were the same as those of the apple pollinosis.
2) The change in the pattern of the eosinophile count was the same as that of the subjective symptoms.
3) However, only 2 of the 11 patients had a RAST score of suspicious positive, and no difference was detected between these patients and the control group.
From these findings, the many cases of suspected apple pollen allergy were cosidered to have been sensitized by other pollen which have common antigenicity to apple pollen in addition to true apple pollinosis, or to be mistaken diagnosis of other pollen allerg.

The purpose of this study was the evaluation of the relationship between the degree of obesity (relative body weight ratio) and values of various components in blood. The degree of lean and obesity was defined as the ratio of actual body weight to standard body weight calculated by the method of katsura. Mean ± standard error and percent frequency of abnormal values of blood components were studied in 880 women with degree of lean and obesity from 80 to 170 % among the women in agricultural villages. The class mean in subjects with relative body weight ratio between 100 and 109 % was used as the standard class value for comparison with these values. The following results were obtained.
1, Red blood count, hemoglobin and hematocrit values were significantly increased as the degree of obesity reached 130-140 %, compared to the standard class value, along with a significant fall of % frequency.
2. Behavior of serum components with reference to the degree of obesity showed a marked component to component variation. The mean level of SGOT, SGPT, γ-GTP, TRIG, CHOL and UA rose along with the increase of the degree of obesity from the lean range via the standard body weight range to the obesity range. ALP, however, was high in the obese and lean ranges, and low in the standard body weight range. BUN showed a tendency in reverse. Electrolyte and creatinine values were not remarkably different between lean and obese persons.
3. Marked changes of the mean levels were seen along with obesity in SGOT, SGPT, γ-GTP, cholesterol and triglyceride. Many of these showed significant increase of the mean in subjects with degree of obesity between 120 and 129 % compared to the standard class value. In subjects with degree of obesity of 140-149 %, frequency of abnormal values were significantly elevated. These results would suggest on an epidemiological basis that detailed examinations of the functional abnormalities of organs and environment in vivo thorugh blood testing is necessary for health control in subjects with degree of obesity of more than 140 % by Katsura method.

Utility of heart rate (HR)-oxygen consumption (VO₂) method to estimate energy expenditure (EE) was studied for 5 main apple working days based on 24 hour HR recording and EE by this method partially was compared with RMR (relative metabolic rate) method currently used in Japan. Results were as follows:
1. Heart rate during the apple cultivating work were 90-110 beats per minute, that were ranked with moderate work classified by Rodahl.
2. The values of EE estimated by HR-VO₂ method in every apple working days were almost suited for that of previous reports by RMR method.
3. Comparing EE by HR-VO₂ and RMR method for an example in harvesting work, 2, 654 kcal in former was 376 kcal (16.5%) higher than latter. Correlation coefficient was 0.987 (p<0.001) between both method with EE estimated in every working contents.
4. The intense of activity in a working day from view point of daily activity index (1-EE/basal metabolism) followed the order of harvesting putting sack on≅pluking flower>thinning apple> pruning.
Consequently, estimation of EE by HR-VO₂ method was precisely reflected metabolic state in human by comparison in spite of some defects. After this it was expected to use the HR-VO₂ method instead of RMR method.

Life expectancy does not necessarily match quality of life (QOL). A cohort study involving a population of 10,107 in a certain city of Japan was conducted to evaluate active life expectancy (ALE), which has a direct relationship with QOL. The ALE that took functional recovery rates into account was 17.20 and 19.08 years for males and females respectively, at the age of 65. These values increased by 2.98 and 3.87 years for men and women, respectively, compared with when functional recovery rates were not considered. ALE may serve as an indicator for the objective evaluation of various public health services provided by local governments.
Life Expectancy ; seconds ; Cities ; Active brand of pseudoephedrine-triprolidine ; Old episode

OBJECTIVESNormal activity monitoring methods are mainly useful for relatively healthy and ablebodied people, but are not necessarily appropriate for elderly persons who may have difficulty in walking, or for the frail who may be bedridden. The purpose of this study was to examine 24-hour heart rate recording for the comparison of activity levels in daily life of elderly persons of different ambulatory abilities.

METHODSForty-two elderly females (mean, 82.1 years old) volunteered to participate in this study. The subjects were divided into four groups on the basis of their ambulatory status, and their 24-hour heart rate recordings were compared with their results of activity assessments.

RESULTSThe results of activity assessments showed a tendency to decrease as the ambulatory ability of the group decreased. The "total heart beats", calculated as the sum of all heart rates over 24 hours, were almost the same among the four groups, and therefore did not show a similar tendency. However, the "total excess-beats product (TEBP)" correlated with the results of activity assessments. TEBP was calculated as the sum of all differences in beats between each heart rate in 24 hours and the mean heart rate during sleeping at night. Therefore, TEBP may reflect a more active state than the bedridden state.

CONCLUSIONSThese results suggest that comparison of activity levels in daily life using 24-hour heart rate recording might be possible by the calculation of TEBP, and that this method might be useful for the comparison of the activity levels of elderly persons of diffent ambulatory abilities.

The aim of this study was to investigate the longitudinal effect of mobility and daily activity, in the form of exercise and everyday activities, on the bones of 102 elderly female nursing home residents who had physical disabilities as well as marked postmenopausal bone loss, using calcaneal ultrasound apparatus for bone evaluation.Of the 102 subjects initially measured, 74 (mean age, 83.5±6.55 years; range, 64-99 years) could be measured again approximately one year later. The osteo sono-assessment index (OSI) in this study was determined using an ultrasound bone evaluation device. This device measures the speed of sound (SOS) and transmission index (TI) as ultrasound passes through the calcaneus. The OSI is calculated by computer analysis (OSI=TI×SOS(2)). For mobility, the OSI decreased significantly by an average of 1.8% after 11.8 months in all of the residents who were using a wheelchair (n=41, p<0.01). In contrast, the OSI rose significantly by a mean of 1.9% in the ambulatory group (n=33, p<0.01).The OSI increased significantly in residents who exercised every day, were out of bed for at least seven hours per day, and walked on a regular basis, suggesting that exercise, mainly in the form of walking, may increase the calcaneal OSI.