The point test for evaluation of resistance to frostbite has been done in many fields; sports science, industrial hygiene, clinical medicine, research, etc. Shortening of the measurement time is necessary in fieldwork or mass test. While immersed the peripheral body parts in cold water, blood pressure response and change of blood circulation are important and meaningful.
In this experiments, the method of a point test was discussed in relation to blood pressure response, heat flow and shortening of the test time from the practical viewpoint for measurement of resistance to frostbite. Following results were obtained.
1) Even if immersed one finger in cold water, there was temporarily an increase in blood pressure. The indices of local cold resistance to frostbite in the group whose blood pressures increased to a higher degree with cold stress tended to be weaker than those of the other groups.
2) The change in heat flow as an index of peripheral blood circulation occurred faster and larger than that in skin temperature. It may be useful to measure heat flow for the people whose has weak local cold resistance such as raynaud phenomenon.
3) TTR and TFR in indices of a point test can be generally measured in 10 min after water immersion with the first occurrence of CIVD. Shortening of the test time was demanded in fieldwork or mass test. Correlation coefficient between MST and mean skin temperature after 15min (MST_5-15) was higher (r>0.92) . The regression equation was MST=1.042M_5-15+1.079. Therefore, even if the measurement time is 15 min, MST can be added for evaluation of resistance to frostbite in a point test.

Changes induced by physical training were examined by in vivo microdialysis monitoring of extracellular dopamine and its metabolites in the rat nucleus accumbens, and by an immunohistochemical staining for fos protein as an index of nerve cell excitation.
The exercise training consisted of running on a treadmill 5 days/week for 4 weeks, with gradually increasing the running speed from 10 to 20 m/min for 20 min. The control group performed forced treadmill running for 3 days.
The sulpiride-induced increase in both dopamine release and dopamine metabolism was significantly attenuated in the nucleus accumbens of training rats in comparison with the controls, which indicated that physical training induced subsensitive DA D₂ receptors in the central dopaminergic neurons.
Fos protein expression following 1 h running was weaker in neurons of the raphe dorsalis, the locus ceruleus and the amygdala of trained rats than in those of controls. The present findings suggest that both neurochemical response to various stimuli, and adaptation induced by physical training differ from those in untrained animals.

The purpose of this investigation was to determine the effects of daily walking on aerobic work capacity, vital age and other fitness components in middle-aged and elderly walkers. The subjects were thirty-six walkers (average 65.0±8.0 yr, 51-80 yr), whose training period averaged 13.5±9.0 yr. The walkers were significantly greater in maximal oxygen uptake (VO₂max), and oxygen uptake at the lactate threshold (VO₂LT), and were 6.5 yr younger in vital age (VA) than sedentary middle-aged and elderly. These findings suggest that middle-aged and elderly walkers have more favorable profile of aerobic work capacity and of health status when compared to sedentary persons.

A hot water extract of Flammulina velutipes Sing.(FEH-1) showed a markedly high antitumor effect against sarcoma 180 in ICR mice. FEH-1 (10mg/kg) was administered intraperitoneally for consecutive 21 days before and after the subcutaneous inoculation of sarcoma 180 (4.1X10⁶ cells) to the mice. Animals were sacrificed on the 24th day after the inoculation of sarcoma 180 and tumor weight was determined. The highest tumor inhibition ratio was 98.5%, when FEH-1 was administered at the dose of 10mg/kg.
Cytotoxicity of FEH-1 was denied by the following two tests:(1) after mixed-culture of Vx2 tumor cells with FEH-1 for 7 days in vitro, number of Vx2 cells was counted by dye-exclusion technique, and (2) after contact of Vx2 cells with FEH-1 for 1 hour, the cell mixture was inoculated subcutaneously to the rabbits. It was suggested that antitumor effect of FEH-1 was host-mediated.

Objectives: This study was performed to determine the effects of decreasing ambient temperature on peripheral blood flow and body temperature of males and females in a thermal neutral zone for references to the thermal standard of office workers. Methods: Peripheral blood flows of the hand and feet, and body temperatures and so on of male and female subjects were measured in a climatic chamber. Air temperature was maintained at 28.5°C at the beginning. After this, air temperature was decreased linearly to 21.0°C over a period of 60 minutes. Finally, air temperature was maintained at 21.0°C. Results: Blood flows and skin temperatures of male and female subjects became similar or showed no significant difference at beginning and the end of the experiment. Skin blood flow of the hand and skin temperatures of the hand and fingers decreased, and these values in females were lower than in males, when air temperature was decreased linearly in a thermal neutral zone. However, there were no remarkable differences between males and females in sublingual and mean skin temperatures during the experiment. Conclusion: Minimum air temperature at the thermal standard for offices in Japan is 17°C, which may be too low to be comfortable or neutral. Even in a neutral thermal condition, it is better that office workers are provided some protection such as a blanket or clothing, to protect peripheral body parts from cooling in winter, as there are individual differences in physiological thermal reactions.
Temperature ; Carbon ion ; seconds ; Integumentary system ; Hand

From March 1981 to March 1990, 61 patients with Stanford type B acute aortic dissection were initially treated by conservative therapy. Among these 61 patients, the dissected lumen became occluded due to thrombosis early after diagnosis in 25 patients (Group T) and remained patent in 36 patients (Group P). Twentythree patients in Group T (92%) and 22 patients in Group P (61%) were discharged without major complications related to acute aortic dissection. However, 2 patients in Group T (8%) and 14 patients in Group P (39%) required additional surgical therapy or died during hospitalization. The mean aortic diameter at the time of admission in Group T was smaller than that of Group P (38±3mm vs 43±7mm, p<0.05). During the observation period, there was a tendency for the diameter of the dissected aorta in Group T to decrease, but to increase in Group P. Long-term survival appeared to be better in Group T than in Group P, but there was no significant difference in the overall survival curve. Large aortic diameter at the time of admission and the presence of a true thoracic aortic aneurysm were major contributing factors influencing the prognosis. A long-term follow-up study showed that the dissected lumen reduced or disappeared in 14 of 23 patients in Group T (61%) but only 2 of 16 patients in Group P (12.5%). We concluded that the patients with small dissected aortas and thrombosed dissected lumens (Group T) can recuperate only with conservative therapy. However, patients with large dissected aortas and patent dissected lumen (Group P) may require surgical therapy even in Stanford type B aortic dissection.

An 84-year-old man with a thoracic aortic aneurysm underwent total arch replacement with selective antegrade cerebral perfusion. Immediately after the operation, respiratory distress and hypotension developed and Chest X-ray films and computed tomography showed bilateral lung edema. Echocardiography showed a small, underfilled left ventricle, but with preserved systolic function. We suspected transfusion-related acute lung injury (TRALI), and started sivelestat and steroid pulse therapy. His respiratory condition gradually improved, and he was discharged on postoperative day 78. The diagnosis of TRALI was confirmed by positive test results of an HLA class I antibody in the transfused fresh frozen plasma and T- and B-cells of the patient. TRALI should be considered as a cause of acute lung injury after surgery with blood transfusion.

A case of a 77-year-old man is reported, who developed late rupture of the knitted Darcon velour graft by blunt trauma 8 years after implantation for axillo-femoral bypass. Dacron fiber deterioration, which led the graft to fragility, might have played a main role in the clinical setting. This case clearly emphasizes that with its possibility to be deteriorated life-long care and follow up should be taken for the patients who undergo arterial reconstructive surgery using Dacron prostheses.

We performed surgery for atrial fibrillation and mitral valve disease on 3 patients along with atrial mapping. Macroreentrant circuits were found in 2 patients and the other patient showed a preexcitation ectopic focus in the left atrium. Right atrial excitation was chaotic in all three patients. Of the two patients with reentry circuits, one patient underwent biatrial incisions and the other patient had only a left atrial incision. In the patient with a preexcitation ectopic focus, we performed cryoablation of that focus and made a left atrial incision in order to prevent the reoccurrence of atrial fibrillation after surgery. Following surgery, one patient experienced transient atrial fibrillation, however, continuous atrial fibrillation was resolved by this procedure and all patients returned to a normal sinus rhythm.

OBJECTIVESThis study was performed to determine the effects of decreasing ambient temperature on peripheral blood flow and body temperature of males and females in a thermal neutral zone for references to the thermal standard of office workers.

METHODSPeripheral blood flows of the hand and feet, and body temperatures and so on of male and female subjects were measured in a climatic chamber. Air temperature was maintained at 28.5°C at the beginning. After this, air temperature was decreased linearly to 21.0°C over a period of 60 minutes. Finally, air temperature was maintained at 21.0°C.

RESULTSBlood flows and skin temperatures of male and female subjects became similar or showed no significant difference at beginning and the end of the experiment. Skin blood flow of the hand and skin temperatures of the hand and fingers decreased, and these values in females were lower than in males, when air temperature was decreased linearly in a thermal neutral zone. However, there were no remarkable differences between males and females in sublingual and mean skin temperatures during the experiment.

CONCLUSIONMinimum air temperature at the thermal standard for offices in Japan is 17°C, which may be too low to be comfortable or neutral. Even in a neutral thermal condition, it is better that office workers are provided some protection such as a blanket or clothing, to protect peripheral body parts from cooling in winter, as there are individual differences in physiological thermal reactions.