General Internal Medicine

Fletcher, Robet H.,Fletcher, Suzanne W. MediMedia Korea 1995 JAMA-Korea Vol.10 No.11

Total Parenteral Nutrition : Part Ⅰ: Concepts, indications and Appropriate Delivery

Fletcher, J.P. Medical Publications Korea 1989 Medical Progress Vol.11 No.2

The Daily Variance in Impedance at Acupuncture Points

Fletcher Kovich 대한침구의학회 2018 대한침구의학회지 Vol.35 No.4

Background: Low electrical impedance at acupoints is a familiar concept, and it has also been found that this increases with poor organ function. Kovich hypothesizes that organ states are communicated to their related acupoints in real time, and this experiment set out to test this. Methods: The electrical impedance at 4 digestion-related acupuncture points (acupoints) was recorded over a 14-hour period and a food diary was recorded. The readings were taken in 23 sessions, between which the participant continued his usual daily routine. Results: The impedance at all the monitored acupoints varied considerably throughout the day, and the peaks were aligned with periods of high stomach activity. Conclusion: Variations in stomach function produced corresponding variations in the impedance at key stomach-related acupoints. However, the experiment was limited in that samples were only taken at around 30-minute intervals, and further investigations are needed to explore this phenomenon in more detail.

A New Definition of an Acupuncture Meridian

Fletcher Kovich 사단법인약침학회 2019 Journal of Acupuncture & Meridian Studies Vol.12 No.1

This article provides a new definition of an acupuncture meridian. It suggests that a meridian consists of a distal tract of tissue that is affected by organ function. In the 1960s, Kim discovered the primo vascular system and regarded the superficial primo vessels as equating to the meridians. Instead, this article suggests that the superficial primo vessels merely underlie the meridians, in that they enable their creation, which is why some meridians are said to occur along the paths of superficial primo vessels. But the meridians themselves do not have a dedicated anatomical structure; instead they are merely tracts of tissue whose normal function is impeded when the related abdominal organ is stressed. It is hypothesized that the organ information is communicated in electrical waves that may travel through the connective tissue sheaths of the superficial primo vessels. Hence, the primo vessels serve as an inadvertent transport for this information, but the organ information is independent of the physiological purpose of the primo vascular system, as are the resultant meridians.

The Stomach’s Communication with Its Related Acupoints, and the “Intelligent Tissue” Hypothesis

Fletcher Kovich 대한침구의학회 2019 대한침구의학회지 Vol.36 No.1

Background: The intelligent tissue hypothesis holds that an organ’s states (be it normal function or stressed states) are reflected in real time at its related acupuncture points (acupoints), causing physical, real-time changes in the local tissue. The experiment was devised to test this. Methods: The patient drank chilled water while the impedance at 6 stomach-related acupoints was monitored in real time (sample rate of 1 kHz). Any changes in the local tissue at the acupoints ought to be reflected in changes in the impedance. Results: The impedance at every test acupoint showed a response to the chilled water being ingested. Also, the duodenal pacesetter and the stomach’s slow waves were clearly visible in the impedance pattern at all the acupoints. Conclusion: Hence, many separate details of the stomach’s function were reflected at these acupoints. The duodenal features were consistent with the traditional indications for these acupoints, which are noted to be able to treat intestinal conditions. Therefore, the results were consistent with the hypothesis and also provided a possible explanation for how the use of these acupoints is able to treat intestinal conditions.

The Lungs’ Real-time States are Reflected in the Tissue at its Related Acupuncture Points

Fletcher Kovich 대한침구의학회 2019 대한침구의학회지 Vol.36 No.2

Background: The intelligent tissue hypothesis on how acupuncture works, states that real-time organ states are reflected in the tissue at an organ’s related acupuncture points (acupoints). Any such changes in the tissue would produce corresponding changes in the impedance at those locations. Methods: To test this hypothesis in relation to the lungs, the impedance at key lung-related acupoints was monitored in real time while the patient breathed normally, then breathed deeply, then quickly, then held his breath. Results: When breathing deeply this produced a notable decrease in the impedance at 1 acupoint, while breathing quickly produced a decrease at another acupoint, suggesting that these different functions taxed different aspects of the lungs, which was then reflected at different acupoints. The impedance at all the acupoints also contained low-amplitude waves that reflected the base rate of the respiration pacesetter, and the amplitude of these waves also varied to reflect different real-time states in the lungs. Conclusion: These real-time impedance patterns suggested that corresponding physical patterns were present in the tissue at these acupoints, and these physical patterns mirrored the real-time variations in function strength of the related organ (the lungs). These results were consistent with the hypothesis.

Stabilization of single-electron pumps by high magnetic fields

Fletcher, J. D.,Kataoka, M.,Giblin, S. P.,Park, Sunghun,Sim, H.-S.,See, P.,Ritchie, D. A.,Griffiths, J. P.,Jones, G. A. C.,Beere, H. E.,Janssen, T. J. B. M. American Physical Society 2012 Physical review. B, Condensed matter and materials Vol.86 No.15

Three-Dimensional Microstructural Modelling of Wear, Crack Initiation and Growth in Rail Steel

Fletcher, D.I.,Franklin, F.J.,Garnham, J.E.,Muyupa, E.,Papaelias, M.,Davis, C.L.,Kapoor, A.,Widiyarta, M.,Vasic, G. The Korean Society for Railway 2008 International Journal of Railway Vol.1 No.3

Rolling-sliding, cyclic contact of wheel and rail progressively alters the microstructure of the contacting steels, eventually leading to micro-scale crack initiation, wear and macro-scale crack growth in the railhead. Relating the microstructural changes to subsequent wear and cracking is being accomplished through modelling at three spatial scales: (i) bulk material (ii) multi-grain and (iii) sub-grain. The models incorporate detailed information from metallurgical examinations of used rails and tested rail material. The initial 2-dimensional models representing the rail material are being further developed into 3-dimensional models. Modelling is taking account of thermal effects, and traffic patterns to which the rails are exposed.

Diastolic Heart Failure : which Drugs?

Fletcher, Peter J. Medical Publications Korea 1995 Medical Progress Vol.17 No.4

MASSIVE BLACK HOLE EVOLUTION IN RADIO-LOUD ACTIVE GALACTIC NUCLEI

FLETCHER ANDRE B. The Korean Astronomical Society 2003 Journal of The Korean Astronomical Society Vol.36 No.3

Active galactic nuclei (AGNs) are distant, powerful sources of radiation over the entire electromagnetic spectrum, from radio waves to gamma-rays. There is much evidence that they are driven by gravitational accretion of stars, dust, and gas, onto central massive black holes (MBHs) imprisoning anywhere from $\~$1 to $\~$10,000 million solar masses; such objects may naturally form in the centers of galaxies during their normal dynamical evolution. A small fraction of AGNs, of the radio-loud type (RLAGNs), are somehow able to generate powerful synchrotron-emitting structures (cores, jets, lobes) with sizes ranging from pc to Mpc. A brief summary of AGN observations and theories is given, with an emphasis on RLAGNs. Preliminary results from the imaging of 10000 extragalactic radio sources observed in the MITVLA snapshot survey, and from a new analytic theory of the time-variable power output from Kerr black hole magnetospheres, are presented. To better understand the complex physical processes within the central engines of AGNs, it is important to confront the observations with theories, from the viewpoint of analyzing the time-variable behaviours of AGNs - which have been recorded over both 'short' human ($10^0-10^9\;s$) and 'long' cosmic ($10^{13} - 10^{17}\;s$) timescales. Some key ingredients of a basic mathematical formalism are outlined, which may help in building detailed Monte-Carlo models of evolving AGN populations; such numerical calculations should be potentially important tools for useful interpretation of the large amounts of statistical data now publicly available for both AGNs and RLAGNs.