Along with clinical practice and education, research is among the most important activities for medical doctors. The same is true in cardiovascular surgery: Young cardiovascular surgeons are expected to improve their surgical techniques and prioritize their clinical practice. However, their perspective on the role of research in their field of expertise is unknown. Therefore, we conducted a survey of and discussion with young cardiovascular surgeons to clarify their thoughts and concerns about performing research. Here we review and report the survey and discussion results.

To examine the variation in the knee extension force and the integrated electromyogram from rectus femoris, medial vastus and lateral vastus muscles with the knee joint angle in growing children, measurements were conducted in 61 school boys aged from 7 to 12 years old. Anthropometric measurements were also done on the body height, the lower limb length, and so on. Results obtained were as follows.
1) Ratio of the lower limb length comparing with the body height increased with the grade.
2) Maximal force at each joint angle in each grade was shifted peak from 70°to 90°with the grade.
3) The pattern of the integrated surface electromyogram from rectus femoris, medial vastus or lateral vastus muscle at each joint angle was the same in all of the grade. The integrated electromyogram at the maximal voluntary contraction was maximal at 45°of the knee joint angle in the rectus femoris muscle, at 110°in the medial vastus and at 90°in the lateral vastus muscle.

The present study was done to elucidate the medical problems and physical fitness of under-weight elementary schoolboys. Eighty nine volunteers, ranging in age from 9 to 12 yrs, were divided into five groups based on the grade of obesity, expressed as % of the standard, taking into account height, age and sex.
The mean grade of obesity for under-weight boys was -12 %, and this group was defined as the experimental group (group I; n=15) . The group III, which contained 23 boys of grade 0 %, and the group V made of 13 boys of grade +33.5 % was defined as the normal control and obese control, respectively.
The measurement of blood pressure, EKG recording, and blood sampling were done in the state of fasting before and after exercise. The exercise was a step test of 5 min duration with a temp of 1 step per 2 seconds, jumping over a bench 25 cm high for 9 years old boys, and 33 cm high for boys of 10 to 12 years. The step test score (PFI) and recovery rate of heart rate (RR (HR) ) were calculated from the EKG. The test battery of physical fitness performance was also done on another experimental day.
The serum levels of total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), total protein (TP) and hemoglobin (Hgb) were lower in experimental group (EG) than in control groups (CG) . The cholesterol-HDL/TC ratio was conversely higher in EG than in CG. There were no significant differences in the other biochemical measurements between the five groups.
Any abnormal EKG was not recorded before and after exercise throughout the subjects. The frequency of hypertension (above the 135/80 mmHg) was 10.2 % at pre-exercise time. But, none of the boys in EG was found to be hypertensive.
The PFI and physical fitness performance test score showed no differences between EG and group III, however, the score of group V was inferior to that of EG and/or group III. The RR (HR) in EG and over-weight group was lower compared to that for the average-weight boys.
Almost all components in blood measured were elevated after exercise in all the groups. The finding of the highest interest of the exercise-induced elevations of blood constituent levels was an increase in WBC measured as an indicator of stress. The magnitude of increase in WBC (ΔWBC) was higher in EG and the over-weight group than in the average-weight group. In normal subjects, ΔWBC was generally proportional to the work intensity, which, in the present exercise, depended upon the stature and body weight, because the height of bench, tempo and duration of exercise were same for all groups. The work intensity in EG was presumed milder, becasue the mean stature was slightly taller and bodyweight was less heavy compared to those in control groups. But, the greater increase of WBC in EG was observed in spite of a lighter work intensity. According to the Selye's literature, the particular WBC reaction to exercise in the under-weight boys was interpreted as a over-reaction to stress in the state of malnutrition.
From some biochemical parametors, the leaner subjects were assumed to be in a slight malnutrition. And also a later recovery of HR and over-reaction to exercise stress were shown in the under-weight boys group.
It is emphasized that the malnutrition resulting from excessive effort for preventing obesity was unfavourable for children in the growing stage for their healthy growth and development.

In order to examine the personal space perception, measurements were conducted on both elbows in 14 men and 46 women. Each subject, with his (or her) eyes closed and with his upper arm fixed horizontally, was instructed to stop the vertical and horizontal swing motion of his lower arm at the point he considered to be the middle of the range of possible motion on the front and side of plane at his shoulder, and this was repeated ten times. In various conditions, similar measurements were also done to study factors affecting the personal space perception in 14 men.
Mean values of bisected angles in percentage against range of motion were deviated from the middle points in the direction of the elbow extension, although there were large differences between the individuals. The deviation was smallest in the vertical. side of plane, and was larger in the horizontal plane than that in the vertical plane. The deviation was not so much affected by the various conditions.
It was suggested that the gain of the personal space perception is higher in the elbow extension than in the elbow flexion and its difference is larger in the horizontal plane than in vertical plane of the human elbow joint.

The present study was performed to investigate the effect of long distance walking upon physical functions for healthy male subjects. The first experiment was carried out in 1977, the second, in 1978, and the third, in 1979 in each autum season. At the first experiment, subjects began walking upon having breakfast, then ate and drank noting during first 30km, and took some foods during another 26km. Twelve hours and fifty minutes of time was spent for 56km walking including 15, 60, and 30 minutes rest periods in between. In the second experiment, subjects ate nothing after dinner of the previous evening and 35km walking took 6 hours during which some rest periods were taken for blood sampling. The third was 80km walking for two days. Subjects walked 40km in 8 hours in the first day and on the following day they walked 40km in ten hours and twenty minutes. They took foods and rest freely.
From the view points of the changes in blood and urinary recordings obtained from those three experiments, the influences of long distance walking on the body indicate as follows ;
1) In case of long distance walking while nothing to eat and drink, the rate of serum saturated fatty acids composition decreased and unsaturated fatty acids increased.
2) In a fasting state, blood glucose gradually decreased, LDH activity increased and blood lactate, GOT and GPT activity presented no significant changes on long distance walking.
3) It was shown that the longer distance to walk, the lesser tendency in blood triglyceride even though subjects take a carbohydrate rich diet while walking.
4) In fasting state, less than 35km walking without foods, the stress to the body seemed not to be critical.
5) More than 40km walking in a day, even though taking meals, would result a significantly severe stress for body.
6) As long as usual meals are taken, 80km walking for two days continuously, 40km in each day, would not result in such a physical stress over the following days.

Triglyceride contents of liver, heart muscle and skeletal muscles (rectus femoris, tibiaris anterior, soleus, plantaris and extensir digitrum longus) were determined on 1, 3.5, 14, 18 and 21 months-old rats, and especially on 14 and 21 months-old rats composition of triglyceride fatty acids was analyzed and interrelation of these triglyceride contents with aging of rats was studied quantitively and qualitatively. Following results were obtained
1) Changs in liver and muscular triglyceride contents appeared on 14 months-old rats and were significant increase at 21 months-old rats.
2) Liver triglyceride content significantly decreased at 21 months-old rats (p<0.05) .
3) lrriglyceride contents of tibiaris anterior and extensor digitrum longus muscles were mostly unchangeable through the aging of rats.
4) But triglyceride contents of soleus, rectus femoris and plantaris muscles in 21 months-old rats significantly increased (p<0.05) and the individual difference was great.
5) In composition of triglyceride fatty acids, increase of C₁₈, C_18-1, C_18-2 and C_18-3 was observed in epididymal adipose tissue, soleus and rectus femoris muscle on 21 months-old rats, but in extensor digitrum longus and tibiaris anterior muscles.
From these results, changes of tissue triglyceride contents with aging of rats are different in each tissue and increase of triglyceride content is present with qualitative changes in composition of triglyceride fatty acids, increase of long chain and unsaturated fatty acids, and organic specificity, which is related to the functional changes with aging of rats is considered.

For adult rats fed on the following six kinds of diets for about 80 days, intermediate metabolic substrates in serum, liver and skeletal muscle were determined. The components of feeding diet are as follows:
1. STANDARD DIEF : 18% protein, 100 oil & 65% dextrin.
2. HIGH PROTEIN-HIGH FAT DIET: 29% protein, 25% oil & 39% dextrin.
3. LOW PROTEIN-LOW FAT DIET: 9% protein, 2% oil & 82% dextrin.
4. STANDARD DIET modified with choline chloride & vitamin B, C & E.
5. HIGH PROTEIN-HIGH FAT DIET modified with choline chloride & vitamin B, C & E.
6. LOW PROTEIN-LOW FAT DIET modified with choline chloride & vitamin B, C & E. (reference : 1, 2, 3 ; due to National Institute of Nutrition)
As the results increase of body weight was the least 3rd diet group, and by addition of choline chloride (above 4th, 5th & 6th diet groups) it were generally inhibited. Especially the latter phenomenon was remarkably observed in 6th diet group. Although intermediate metabolic substrates in skeletal muscle were no difference from their control levels, triglyceride and cholesterol of liver reduced also in 4th, 5th & 6th diet group, and FFA level of it increased on contrary. The triglycerides of interscapular brown fat and white fat of epididymis reduced in 4th, 5th & 6th diet groups. Furthermore, increase of triglyceride, FFA and cholesterol in serum observed in above 4th, 5th & 6th diet group, which will suggest that they might be removed from brown or white fat and choline chloride might play an important role of lipid-releasing effect from those tissues.