Physiological effects of dynamic work on a bicycle ergometer combined with different types of static contraction

Summary The effects on heart rate, oxygen uptake, and pulmonary ventilation of muscular exercises, including both dynamic contractions, either simple or combined, were studied in 4 male subjects, aged 21 to 23 years. The dynamic work consisted in cycling on an ergometric bicycle at three power levels: 40, 80, and 100 W. The static work consisted in pushing against, pulling and holding with the arms a 6, 9, 12, or 18 kg load. The physiological effects are expressed as cardiac cost (HR), oxygen cost (VO₂) and ventilation cost (V). The physiological cost of the combined work increases according to the cycling power and to the isometric load developed. A statistical analysis shows that the costs of combined work are not different from the sum of the costs of the static and dynamic contractions measured separately. Thus, the physiological responses to the combinations investigated are of an additive type.     

The fourth-generation centrifugal blood pump

 The NEDO Gyro permanently implantable (PI) centrifugal blood pump has been developed as a simple, durable, centrifugal blood pump without a complex magnetic suspension system. In vitro studies were performed using a Gyro PI pump with the transparent pump housing in a mock circuit. These studies revealed that the impeller transfers to a floating or a top contact condition, which was dependent on the revolutions per minute (RPM). This pump can be easily converted from a left ventricular assist device (LVAD) to a right ventricular assist device (RVAD) by simply adding a spacer between the pump and the actuator. In order to optimize the impeller suspension for the LVAD and RVAD, spacers of the proper thickness are inserted between both of the pumps and the actuators to regulate the magnetic force. Two Gyro PI pumps were implanted in a bovine model in a 3-month biventricular assist device (BVAD) animal study. This experiment was electively terminated 90 days after implantation. All of the parameters, including pump flow rate, power consumption, and plasma free hemoglobin, were in acceptable ranges. No thrombus formation was observed in either pump. Antithrombogenesis and effectiveness were demonstrated in this animal study. The NEDO Gyro PI pump is ready to move on to the 3-month preclinical system evaluation. Received: February 28, 2002 / Accepted: May 30, 2002 Acknowledgment The New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) under the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan financially supported this project. Correspondence to:S. Ichikawa     

Local thermal sensation and finger vasoconstriction in the locally heated hand

Summary The effects of local heating on finger blood flow (BF) and local thermal sensation (Sens _w ) were studied. Finger BFs in both hands were measured simultaneously; one hand was immersed in water the temperature (T _w ) of which was raised from 35° C to 43°C by steps of 2° C every 10 min, while the other hand was kept atT _w 35°C. FingerBF in the locally heated hand decreased atT _w 37 to 41°C, while fingerBF in the control hand did not alter. Sens_w, in the heated hand showed a dynamic response, initially increasing concomitantly with an increase inT _w , then gradually returning and adapting to a new level of Sens_w. The dynamic response of Sens_w, was not perceived during mental calculation even whenT _w was raised to 40°C, and the reduction in finger blood flow was not observed. These results suggest that finger vasoconstriction caused by local heating closely relates to the dynamic response characteristic of local thermal sensation atT _w above core temperature, and that the perception of local thermal sensation in the central nervous system is involved in the mechanism of this vasoconstrictor response.     

磁场对微循环的影响

为了探讨磁场对微循环的作用，利用直径０．７ｃｍ、表面磁感强度０．３Ｔ的磁片及磁感强度０．１Ｔ、转速２５００ｒ／ｍｉｎ的旋磁机分别作用于受试者左手无名指３０ｍｉｎ，并记录作用前后微循环改变。结果表明，动、静磁场均可使微血管清晰度、血流速及管径有明显改变，而对管袢数与红细胞聚集没有影响。这一结果提示，微血管扩张、血流速加快是磁场改善微循环的基础。     

Significance of skin temperature changes in surface electromyography

Summary Differing results have been reported concerning the direction and quantity of the electromyogram (EMG) amplitude response to changes in tissue temperature. The EMG signals from the soleus muscle of six healthy human subjects were therefore recorded during dynamic exercise (concentric contractions) at ambient temperatures of 30°C and 14°C. The mean skin temperature above the muscle investigated was 32.9° C and 21.7° C, respectively. The core temperature, estimated by rectal temperature, was unchanged. The cooling of the superficial tissues caused approximately a doubling of the EMG amplitude. For the probability level 0.9 in the amplitude probability distribution function, the average signal level increased from 73 V to 135 V (P=0.02). The average mean power frequency of the EMG signal was reduced from 142 Hz to 83 Hz (P=0.004). The amplitude increase was not due to shivering but other possible explanations are presented. As the changes in T _sk investigated were within the range which may occur normally during the working hours, it was concluded that T _sk should be carefully controlled in vocational EMG studies.     

广东2003年末SARS患者冠状病毒抗原抗体动态特征分析

目的分析SARS-IgG、SARS-IgM、核壳蛋白-IgG抗体和核壳蛋白抗原的变化特点并探讨其意义。方法采用酶联免疫方法对2003年末至2004年初新发4例SARS病人的系列血清进行上述4项的滴度检测。结果在病人较早期的血清中可以检测到核壳蛋白抗原，随着抗体水平的升高，抗原含量迅速下降。抗体E升下降快，在最高水平维持时间短，并且除第1例外，其余3例的抗体滴度均小于1：100，核壳蛋白抗体变化规律与总的IgG抗体一致，但滴度更低。结论抗体变化规律与前次流行不同，抗体水平变化快，应注意及时采集标本。抗原检测可作为一种实验室诊断依据。核壳蛋白抗体可考虑用于早期诊断。     

Mechanical Characterization of an In Vitro Device Designed to Quantitatively Injure Living Brain Tissue

Due to the nonlinear, viscoelastic material properties of brain, its mechanical response is dependent upon its total strain history. Therefore, a low strain rate, large strain will likely produce a tissue injury unique from that due to a high strain rate, moderate strain. Due to a lack of current understanding of specific in vivo physiological injury mechanisms, a priori assumptions cannot be made that a low strain rate injury induced by currently employed in vitro injury devices is representative of clinical, nonimpact, inertial head injuries. In the present study, an in vitro system capable of mechanically injuring cultured tissue at high strain rates was designed and characterized. The design of the device was based upon existing systems in which a clamped membrane, on which cells have been cultured, is deformed. However, the present system incorporates three substantial improvements: (1) noncontact measurement of the membrane deflection during injury; (2) precise and independent control over several characteristics of the deflection; and (3) generation of mechanical insults over a wide range of strains (up to 0.65) and strain rates (up to 15s^–1). Such a system will be valuable in the elucidation of the mechanisms of mechanical trauma and determination of injury tolerance criteria on a cellular level utilizing appropriate mechanical injury parameters.     

微机控制的韧带动态力学特性测试系统

本系统是为自动测试人体韧带或类似组织的动态力学特性试验而研制的。在试验时,受控的加载过程和数据采集过程同时进行。系统向韧带试件提供一个快速的匀速可控的拉伸载荷,模拟人体剧烈运动的实况,同时实时采集力和变形的数据。系统还提供对所采集数据的分析手段,从而得到力、变形、应力、应变、弹性模量和变形能等参数之间的关系,并可以图形和文字形式输出。系统亦可将各数据文件转换为其它应用软件包可接受的形式,以便利用标准商品软件包的数据和图象处理能力。系统采用菜单提示的人机对话方式进行监控。     

Haptic selective attention by foot and by hand

Nonvisual perceptions of a wielded object's spatial properties are based on the quantities expressing the object's mass distribution, quantities that are invariant during the wielding. The mechanoreceptors underlying the kind of haptic perception involved in wielding – referred to as effortful, kinesthetic, or dynamic touch – are those embedded in the muscles, tendons, and ligaments. The present experiment's focus was the selectivity of this muscle-based form of haptic perception. For an occluded rod grasped by the hand at some intermediate position along its length, participants can attend to and report selectively the rod's full length, its partial lengths (fore or aft of the hand), and the position of the grip. The present experiment evaluated whether participants could similarly attend selectively when wielding by foot. For a given rod attached to and wielded by foot or attached to (i.e. grasped) and wielded by hand, participants reported (by magnitude production) the rod's whole length or fractional length leftward of the point of attachment. On measures of mean perceived length, accuracy, and reliability, the degree of differentiation of partial from full extent achieved by means of the foot matched that achieved by means of the hand. Despite their neural, anatomical, and experiential differences, the lower and upper limbs seem to abide by the same principles of selective muscle-based perception and seem to express this perceptual function with equal facility.     

Correlation between ventricular flow field and valve closing sound of mechanical mitral prostheses

The Jyros (JR) valve and the newer On-X and MIRA valves, all installed antianatomically, were compared with the St. Jude Medical (SJM) valve in the mitral position to study the effects of valve design differences on the down-stream flow field and the associated valve closing sound. The dynamic particle image velocimetry method utilizing a high-speed video flow visualization technique was used to map the velocity field, and wavelet analysis of the sound was used to find the correlation between the ventricular flow field and the valve closing sound. Based on the experimental data, the following general conclusions can be made. In the velocity field directly below the mitral valve, where the distinct characteristic differences of the valve designs will be evident, twin symmetrical circulations were observed due to the divergent nature of the flow generated by the two inclined half-disks with the valve installed in the anti-anatomical orientation; the SJM, the On-X, and the MIRA valves generated a centrally downward circulation that opposed the valve leaflet closing movement, and resulted in relatively loud valve closing sounds.