No abstract available.

No abstract availalbe.
Heart Failure* ; Heart*

Sleep is an essential process maintaining the life cycle of the human. In parallel with physiological, cognitive, subjective, and behavioral changes that take place during the sleep, there are remarkable changes in the electroencephalogram (EEG) that reflect the underlying electro-physiological activity of the brain. However, analyzing EEG and relating the results to clinical observations is often very hard due to the complexity and a huge data amount. In this article, I introduce several linear and non-linear tools, developed to analyze a huge time series data in many scientific researches, and apply them to EEG to characterize various sleep states. In particular, the spectral analysis, detrended fluctuation analysis (DFA), and synchrony analysis are administered to EEG recorded during nocturnal polysomnography (NPSG) processes and daytime multiple sleep latency tests (MSLT). I report that 1) sleep stages could be differentiated by the spectral analysis and the DFA; 2) the gradual transition from Wake to Sleep during the sleep onset could be illustrated by the spectral analysis and the DFA; 3) electrophysiological properties of narcolepsy could be characterized by the DFA; 4) hypnic jerks (sleep starts) could be quantified by the synchrony analysis.
Brain ; Electroencephalography ; Humans ; Hypogonadism ; Life Cycle Stages ; Mitochondrial Diseases ; Narcolepsy ; Ophthalmoplegia ; Polysomnography ; Sleep Stages

No abstract available.
Genetics* ; Hyperaldosteronism*

OBJECTIVE: Among various methods developed to quantitatively explore electroencephalograms (EEG), we focused on a wavelet method that was known to yield robust results under nonstationary conditions. The aim of this study was thus to introduce the wavelet method and demonstrate its potential use in clinical sleep studies. METHOD: This study involved artificial EEG specifically designed to validate the wavelet method. The method was performed to obtain time-dependent spectral power and phase angles of the signal. Synchrony of multichannel EEG was analyzed by an order parameter of the instantaneous phase. The standard methods, such as Fourier transformation and coherence, were also performed and compared with the wavelet method. The method was further validated with clinical EEG and ERP samples available as pilot studies at academic sleep centers. RESULT: The time-frequency plot and phase synchrony level obtained by the wavelet method clearly showed dynamic changes in the EEG waveforms artificially fabricated. When applied to clinical samples, the method successfully detected changes in spectral power across the sleep onset period and identified differences between the target and background ERP. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that the wavelet method could be an alternative and/or complementary tool to the conventional Fourier method in quantifying and identifying EEG and ERP biomarkers robustly, especially when the signals were nonstationary in a short time scale (1-100 seconds).
Biomarkers ; Electroencephalography ; Fourier Analysis ; Pilot Projects

This study examined the relation between anger-coping types and hypertension in employed men aged 40-60 who consented to participate during the biannual physical checkup in the department of health management in 1988. The subjects analyzed were five hundred thirteen excluding those having hypertension history and/or current antihypertensive medications. Anger-coping types were constructed from the Harburg's model with two hypothetical anger-provoking situations involving wife and boss. Hypertensives were defined more than 140mmHg systolic blood pressure and/or 90mmHg diastolic blood pressure. Hypertensives were one hundred fifty two(29.6%) and those who suppressed their anger were 61.6%0 and 62.8% in wife and boss situations respectively. Items of anger, guilt, protest, and suppressed anger in wife situation showed odds ratios of 0.78-0.94 without statistical significance. But four items in boss situation showed odds ratios more than 1, especially anger-in types of anger item had 1.58 times the prevalence of hypertension of anger-out types(95% confidence intervals(CI) 1.06~2.35) and subjects who indicated that suppressed their anger had 1.55 times the prevalence of hypertension of those who expressed their anger(95% CI l.03~2.32). For anger suppressed vs. expressed types of total suppressed anger index, prevalence of hypertension was 1.31(95% CI 0.83~2.08). After adjusting for age, body mass index, smoking and drinking, the odds ratios were slightly increased in both situations except guilt items compared with univariate analysis. These results suggest that the relation between Harburg's anger-coping model and hypertension is replicated partially in this subjects.
Anger ; Blood Pressure ; Body Mass Index ; Drinking ; Guilt ; Humans ; Hypertension* ; Male ; Odds Ratio ; Prevalence ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Spouses

BACKGROUND: Methylmalonic aciduria can be caused by inherited defects in the methylmalonyl-CoA mutase enzyme, Inherited defects in the metabolism of vitamin Bl2 and acquired or inherited vitamin Bl2 deficiency. Quantitation of urinary methylmalonic acid (MMA) is very useful In diagnosis of methylmalonic acidemia and cobalamin deficiency. We evaluated a quantitation method of urinary MMA and determined reference values. METHODS: The method involved stable isotope dilution gas chromatographymass spectrometry (GC-MS) with (methyl 2H3)-MMA as the internal standard. We determined the detection limit, linearity and periodic variations of the assay. Urinary MMA levels were measured in 70 individuals of ages newborn to 58 years with no metabolic disorders. RESULTS: The lower limit of detection calculated from blank runs (mean+/-3SD) was 2.62nmo1/m1. One control urine tramp)e analyzed 23 times within 3 weeks game results of 7.83+/-1.09 (mean+/-SD, CV=13.8%) nmol/mL. The linearity at four different concentrations of MMA was acceptable (R2=0.9992). The concentration of urinary MMA in 70 individuals was 2.33+/-2.19 mmol/mol creatinine (mean+/-SD). Age related reference values which decreased with age were also reported (p=1.23x10-9). CONCLUSIONS: The described method is sensitive, specific and noninvasive, which is considered the gold standard method for measuring MMA. The method could be used as a screening test for cobalamin deficiency and inherited methyl malonic acidemia. On the basis of the narrow range of normal concentration, it is expected that the method would readily detect mild cobalamin deficiency.
Chromatography, Gas* ; Creatinine ; Diagnosis ; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry* ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Limit of Detection ; Mass Screening ; Metabolism ; Methylmalonic Acid* ; Methylmalonyl-CoA Mutase ; Reference Values ; Spectrum Analysis ; Vitamin B 12 ; Vitamins

No abstract available.
Jaw*

Major concerns in cleft palate repair are improved speech results and adequate maxillary growth. In these respects, Furlow's double reversing Z-plasty which requires minimal hard palatal dissection and redirects palatal muscles to produce an overlapping muscle sling is theoretically optimal method to close the cleft palate. However, it often requires backcut around the maxillary tubercle even dissection around the pedicle on oral mucosal Z-plasty flap. Raw surface heals secondarily but leads to scarring within the soft palate. In the current study, IIpatients all had incomplete cleft palate and were operated double reversing Z-palatoplasty using intraoperative rapid mucosal expansion (IRME), from November, 1996 till July, 1997. With the IRME, we reduced the incidence of backcut or dissection on the oral mucosal flap. Only three patients need small backcut incision and two of these were closed primarily with V-Y fashion. To examine the histologic changes and expansion rate with the IRME, same procedures were performed to palatal mucosa of three cats. Expanded mucosal size was increased to 33.3% and histologically, change of mucosal architecture was not found except capillary dilatation. As a result, intraoperative mucosal expansion offers sufficient mucosal size, reduce incidence of backcut, therefore minimizes palatal scar formation. Balanced maxillofacial growth and normal occlusion are expected with this procedure.
Animals ; Capillaries ; Cats ; Cicatrix ; Cleft Palate ; Dilatation ; Humans ; Incidence ; Mucous Membrane ; Palatal Muscles ; Palate, Soft

Despite the rapid development of assisted reproductive technologies (ART) in recent years, implantation rates after replacement of embryos into the uterine cavity remains low. Several techniques such as culture conditions based on formulations of human tubal fluid and various ART techniques as GIFT, ZIFT, TET have been adopted in recent years to improve embryo viability in vitro and implantation rates. Also, coculture of human IVF-derived embryos have been used in an effort to increase the number of viable embryos following IVF and to improve synchrony between the developing embryo and the uterine environment. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the use of coculture with autologous cumulus cells has a significant beneficial effect on the development of embryos in vitro and its relation to the pregnancy rates in 120 patients with previous failed IVF-ET from September, 1995 to January 1998. We obtained the results from which significant improvement in the quality of viable embryos were observed using a coculture system with autologous cumulus cells, but pregnancy rates in this group of patients did not differ from the rate in the standard IVF group during the same period. Our study shows that a simplified short-term coculture system with autologous cumulus cells may help rescue moderate quality embryos to cleave regularly.
Coculture Techniques* ; Cumulus Cells* ; Embryonic Structures* ; Humans ; Pregnancy Rate* ; Pregnancy* ; Reproductive Techniques, Assisted ; Zygote Intrafallopian Transfer