The purpose of this study is to determine the progress of whole body sweating rate (SR) in the initial stage of moderate work in two hot environments, and to relate the SR to the body temperature attained.
Four healthy males, 28 to 31 years of age, performed leg exercise of 40% VO₂max with a Monark bicycle ergometer set up on a platform scale (Potter bed balance) . All the experiments were carried out in a climatic chamber at ambient temperature (Ta) of 30°C or 40°C (relative humidity, 45%) in winter season following body heating for 30 min at a room temperature of 30°C. Skin sweating was monitored by the bed balance with automatic weight change indicator throughout the experimental period. Rectal (Tre) and 7 skin temperatures were measured every minute by a thermistor and thermocouples, respectively. Oxygen consumption was determined before and during the work by the Douglas bag method. Heart rate was recorded by electrocardiography throughout the experiment.
At Ta 40°C, the SR increased as soon as the work started, whereas at Ta 30°C it took a few minutes. The mean SR during the work at Ta 40°C was significantly higher than that at Ta 30°C. The level of mean skin temperature (Tsk) was higher at Ta 40°C (35°C) than Ta 30°C (33°C), and Tre was approximately 37.3°C at Ta 30°C and 40°C. The changes in the Tre and Tsk were similar in two different conditions. The negative correlations were found between the SR and the Tsk during the work. The regression line was significantly different at Ta 30°C and 40°C. The Tsk decreased in proportion to increase of the SR. Moreover, there was a good correlation between the SR and heart rate during the work in both environments. Heat production stood at the same level in two different thermal conditions.
The present study suggests that the body core temperature in working men is maintained at least constant level, since the evaporation in the initial stage of the work is largely stimulated, and the reduction of skin temperature may be caused by other factors than the evaporation.

Background/Purpose: The purpose of this study is to clarify the effectiveness of interventions for breast cancer patients with psychological distress by a clinical psychologist on the basis of the contents of the interventions and counseling. Methods: The participants were 20 inpatient and outpatient women aged from 33 to 73 years who had been diagnosed with breast cancer. The interventions were conducted on the basis of patients' complaints about anxiety and/or depression or by a medical doctor's request. The interventions employed unstructured, one-on-one interviews. Each interview usually lasted no more than 60 minutes. Results: The 20 cases were classified into the following categories: (1) 15 general (nonpsychiatric) cases, consisting of (1-1) 9 cases at the cancer-notification and progressive-therapeutic stages and (1-2) 6 cases at the progressive-relapse stage; and (2) 5 specific (psychiatric) cases, consisting of (2-1) 3 cases at the cancer-notification and progressive-therapeutic stages and (2-2) 2 cases at the progressive-relapsestage. As for the general cases, interventions were found to be effective in all 9 cases at the cancer-notification and progressive-therapeutic stages but in only 2 of 6 cases at the progressive-relapse stage. In specific cases, effective interventions were found at the cancer-notification, the progressive-therapeutic, and the progressive-relapsestages. Conclusion: This study suggested that interventions for breast cancer patients by a clinical psychologist are effective. The psychological interventions had two roles: to assess the patients properly and to interview the patients as purposefully as a medical team member would.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the benefits of sports participation in the prevention of pressure sores. A questionnaire was mailed to 668 men and woman with spinal cord injury. The questionnaire was designed to clarify the effects of physical activity and lifestyle on the development of pressure sores. Usable questionnaires were received from 466 persons, representing a response rate of 70%. Thirty-eight percent were quadriplegic and 62% paraplegic, with incomplete injuries accounting for 26% of the combined group. About half of the 466 subjects reported the development of pressure sores in their wheelchair life. Only 34% of the active subjects, participated in sports regularly, reported the development of pressure sores in their wheelchair life. On the other hand, 49% of the inactive subjects who did not participate in wheelchair sports reported the development of pressure sores. When the development of pressure sores before sports participation was compared with that after commencement of sports participation, there was no significant difference in the development of pressure sores between these periods. It was concluded that although quadriplegics and paraplegics without pressure sores had a greater tendency to participate in sports activity, there were no clear positive benefits of sports involvement on the prevention of pressure sores.

To investigate the effect of teeth clenching on isokinetic knee extension at various velocities, isokinetic muscle strength during knee extension was measured in association with teeth clenching at 30, 60, 150, 300 and 450 degrees per second (deg/s) using the Cybex 6000 isokinetic dynamometer. The volunteer subjects were 9 healthy males (26.2±0.97 years) . The peak torque per body weight and average power per body weight were statistically analyzed. Our results demonstrated that the peak torque per body weight with teeth clenching at 30, 60 and 150 deg/s significantly increased by 7.0%, 7.4% and 4.9%, respectively (p<0.05), but no significant differences were found at 300 and 450 deg/s. While the average power per body weight with teeth clenching at 30, 60 and 150 deg/s significantly increased by 6.5%, 6.1% and 6.9%, respectively (p<0.05), no sig-nificant differences were found at 300 and 450 deg/s. A significant negative correlation was shown between the isokinetic angular velocity and the difference in peak torque per body weight derived from with and without teeth clenching (r=-0.699; p<0.05) . These findings suggested that the effect of teeth clenching on isokinetic muscle strength of knee extension was dependent on the angular velocity, and at lower angular velocities teeth clenching had the effect of increasing the isokinetic muscle strength during knee extension.

We purified a novel angiotensin-I converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor from fish sauce Ishiru prepared from squid, and identified it as the tripeptide Leu-Ala-Arg (LAR). IC₅₀ of this ACE inhibitor was 2.5 μM, demonstrating high potency among peptides previously purified from fish sauces. Moreover, LAR acted as an antihypertensive peptide, reducing systolic blood pressure in spontaneously hypertensive rats.

Congenital heart disease of partial anomalous pulmonary venous drainage of entire left lung without other cardiac anomaly was very rare. 21-year-old man, who was pointed out heart disease 6 months ago, was diagnosed as partial anomalous pulmonary venous drainage of entire left lung without other cardiac anomaly by cardiac catheterization and angiography. The patient underwent surgery through the left forth intercostal incision without cardiopulmonary bypass. The end-to-side anastomosis was made between the vertical vein and the left atrial appendage following ligation of the vertical vein near the innominate vein. Surgical treatment was satisfactory in the postoperative angiography which was shown widely patent anastomosis. He was discharged with uneventful postoperative course and returned to full activity.

We report two cases of patch reconstruction for distal arch aneurysms. Supportive measures during operation included selective cerebral perfusion for brain protection and cardioplegic arrest for heart protection. During operation the whole body except for the heart was cooled down to 25°C, and only the heart was perfused at 36°C and kept beating. Both aneurysms were saccular, and after the resection of the aneurysm the defect of the aortic wall was reconstructed with woven double velour patches. The relationship between the pressure and the flow during coronary perfusion is not clear, but we thought the above measures should be taken when operating on distal arch aneurysm.

A 70-year-old man was found to have aortic regurgitation and underwent aortic valve replacement. About 10 minutes after disconnection from the cardiopulmonary bypass, cardiac arrest occurred suddenly and the bypass was immediately resumed. At this point, a Stanford type A aortic dissection was detected by transesophageal echocardiography, and the orifice of the left coronary artery was considered to be occluded by invasion of a hematoma. Although ascending aortic replacement with a prosthesis was performed under hypothermic circulatory arrest with selective cerebral perfusion, the heart did not resume vigorous beating. Therefore, saphenous vain graftings to the left anterior descending artery and the right coronary artery were performed. Finally, the patient could be weaned from the cardiopulmonary bypass. On postoperative digital subtraction angiography, neither occlusion nor stenosis in both coronary arteries was observed. We conclude that it would be considered to perform coronary artery bypass graftings in this particular condition.

A 61 y. o. male was admitted as a diagnosis of Stanford type A dissecting aortic aneurysm 6 day after the occurrence. An urgent operation was performed next day and the ascending aorta was replaced. Oral intake was initiated after uneventful postoperative 6 day-period. However, paralytic ileus became obvious associated with spiked fever over 38°C. Second trial after the suspension of oral intake also failed in the same result and turned out sepsis caused by Enterococcus faecium. The angiogram revealed the intact celiac axis and superior mesenteric artery (SMA), and the remarkably narrowed true lumen of the aorta. Although the clinical symptom was not typical, we thought that the ileus was induced by abdominal angina. At 78th postoperative day the fenestration of the abdominal aorta and the bypass grafting with saphenous vein between SMA and the abdominal aorta were performed. The symptom and sign of ileus subsided after the operation.

A 76-year-old man developed dysphagia and esophageal stenosis was diagnosed. A computed tomographic scan of the chest demonstrated a large aneurysm of the distal aortic arch. The patient had undergone left thoracoplasty 45 years previously for the treatment of lung tuberculosis, then the aortic arch with the aneurysm was displaced backward because of the narrowed upper thoracic cavity and the esophagus was sandwiched between the aortic arch and the spine. The patient was thought to be in danger of developing an aortoesophageal fistula, so an emergency operation was performed in spite of his age and general condition. He was successfully treated with graft replacement including reconstruction of three arch vessels and his severe dysphagia improved.