A study was conducted to investigate the relationship between energy systems and running performance, especially during the last spurt in an 800-m race. The subjects were separated into good 800-m runners (group A n=5: best record, 1′54″3±1.4) and a second group of slower 800-m runners (group B n=4: best record, 2′02″1±1.3) . Each group executed two types of running test (600m test and 800m test) . To simulate an 800-m race, the running speed up to 600m was set by means of a lamp pace maker system. The last spurt was running 200m at maximal voluntary running speed. Plasma lactate, plasma ammonia, serum glucose and blood pH were assayed at rest, after warming up, and 6 and 10min after the running test.
The following results were obtained:
1) The last spurt time of group A was significantly faster than that of group B (p<0.01) . 2) In group A, plasma lactate and plasma ammonia concentrations increased significantly during the last spurt (p<0.05) . In group B, however, plasma lactate and plasma ammonia concentrations before the last spurt (600m test values) were very close to the values after the last spurt (800m test values), 3) Last spurt times were significantly related to changes in plasma lactate concentration (r=-0.870, p<0.01) and O² debt (r=-0.799, p<0.01) during the last spurt.
These results suggest that running performance during the last spurt in an 800-m race depends on anaerobic energy ability, as reflected by plasma lactate, plasma ammonia and O² debt before the last spurt.

High blood pressure (hypertension) is implicated in the development of atherosclerosis. Blood vessels are constantly subjected to stretch due to blood pressure and changes in stretch usually instigate adaptive vascular remodeling, including abnormal growth and proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) as well as extracellular matrix (ECM). In this experiment, we used bovine aortic endothelial cells and smooth muscle cells (EC-SMC) co-cultured ePTFE vascular grafts subjected to normal atmospheric pressure (as a control), and 100 mmHg hydrostatic pressure for 7 d. The increase of cell layer thickness was observed. When measured, the cell layer thickness increased by 116.2%. The increase of collagen (Type IV) synthesis was also observed in the immunohistochemistry assay. When stained with toluidine blue, the cells showed metachromatic phenomenon.
Animals ; Blood Vessel Prosthesis ; Cattle ; Cell Culture Techniques ; methods ; Cell Proliferation ; Cells, Cultured ; Collagen Type IV ; metabolism ; Hydrostatic Pressure ; Mechanotransduction, Cellular ; physiology ; Muscle, Smooth, Vascular ; cytology ; physiology ; Polytetrafluoroethylene ; chemistry ; Tissue Engineering ; methods ; Transplants

　　Safe introduction of laparoscopic partial liver resection (LPLR) requires the selection of appropriate cases not exceeding the surgeon's skills as well as standardization of surgical procedures. After introduction at our institution, 60 LPLR procedures were performed between April 2010 and May 2016. To identify indices for case selection, short-term perioperative parameters were analyzed, including operative time, blood loss, postoperative complications, and postoperative hospital stay. Operative time was significantly shorter in the last 30 cases compared with the first 30 cases (182.5 min vs. 253 min; p＝0.023) and in 16 cases involving the left lobe (S2-4) compared with 44 cases involving the right lobe (S1, S5-8; 148.5 min vs. 246 min; p＝0.004). Blood loss was significantly less (0 mL vs. 50 mL; p＝0.028) and operative time was significantly shorter (185 min vs. 250 min; p＝0.048) in 27 cases with tumor diameter ＜2.5 cm compared with 33 cases with tumor diameter ≥ 2.5 cm. Operative time tended to be longer in 9 cases of multiple-site resection compared with 51 cases of single-site resection (207 min vs. 260 min; p＝0.085). BMI, pathology, and hepatitis virus status showed no significant difference in perioperative short-term results. For the introduction of LPLR, it may be preferable to select cases located in the left lobe with a tumor diameter ＜2.5 cm and to accumulate a certain amount of experience in similar cases first.