Impact Response Measurements of Rubber Dampers for Automotive Parts

Yusuke Uchida,Yusaku Fujii,J D R Valera 제어로봇시스템학회 2006 제어로봇시스템학회 국제학술대회 논문집 Vol.2006 No.10

Source apportionment of ambient PM2.5 in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Ngoc Tran,Yusuke Fujii,Md Firoz Khan,To Thi Hien,Tran Hoang Minh,Hiroshi Okochi,Norimichi Takenaka 한국대기환경학회 2024 Asian Journal of Atmospheric Environment (AJAE) Vol.18 No.1

The emission sources of fine particulate matter ( PM2.5) have not yet been fully identified in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), Vietnam, presenting difficulties to authorities in controlling air pollution efficiently. To address this issue, this study explores the source apportionment of PM2.5 by the positive matrix factorization (PMF) model and identifies potential regional sources through the weighted concentration-weighted trajectory (WCWT) model based on the field observation data of PM2.5 in HCMC. 24-h PM2.5 samples were collected in central HCMC for a year (September 2019–August 2020). Herein, inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy was used to analyze trace elements, in addition to identifying PM2.5 mass and other chemical species, such as water-soluble ions and carbonaceous species, reported in our former study. The PMF results showed that PM2.5 in HCMC was dominated by anthropogenic-rich sources comprising biomass burning, coal combustion, transportation, and crustal origins (36.4% of PM2.5 mass), followed by secondary ammonium sulfate (18.4%), sea salt (13.7%), road dust (9.6%), and coal and crude oil combustion (9.4%). WCWT results suggested that the geological sources of PM2.5 were mainly from local areas and scattered to the northeast/southwest of HCMC. In addition, the long-range transport of PM2.5 from surrounding countries was revealed during the assembly restriction and lockdown period in 2020.

Reliability Comparison between “Distal Radius and Ulna” and “Simplified Tanner–Whitehouse III” Assessments for Patients with Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis

Okuda Akinori,Shigematsu Hideki,Fujii Hiromasa,Iwata Eiichiro,Tanaka Masato,Morimoto Yasuhiko,Masuda Keisuke,Yamamoto Yusuke,Tanaka Yasuhito 대한척추외과학회 2020 Asian Spine Journal Vol.14 No.3

Study Design: This is a retrospective clinical study.Purpose: In this study, we aim to evaluate the reliability of the distal radius and ulna assessment (DRU) and simplified Tanner-Whitehouse III classification (sTW3) in Japanese patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS).Overview of Literature: The greatest curvature of a scoliotic spine occurs at peak-height velocity (PHV), which is the time during which an individual’s height increases at the maximum rate. Diagnosing and appropriately treating AIS before PHV is the most effective way in order to prevent unnecessary deterioration of the scoliosis curve. Although it is difficult to detect scoliosis before PHV, DRU and sTW3, which involve evaluations using a left-hand radiograph, have been reported to be effective.Methods: We retrospectively evaluated 54 hands of 40 girls with AIS who visited Nara Medical University Hospital from 2000 to 2015 using previously collected radiographs. The examiners included a spine surgeon and a pediatric orthopedic surgeon, each with over 10 years of experience. The reliability of the DRU and sTW3 was evaluated using the kappa coefficient.Results: The left-hand radiographs of 40 female patients with AIS (mean age, 13.9±1.7 years; N=54 hands) were evaluated by two blinded examiners using the sTW3 and DRU methods. The highest inter-observer and intra-observer reliabilities (kappa, 0.64 and 0.62, respectively) for radius evaluation were determined. Radius evaluation by the DRU showed the highest agreement rate and smallest error between the inter- and intra-observer examinations.Conclusions: The DRU was the most reliable assessment tool, and it has the potential to be useful for precisely determining the stage of skeletal maturity in outpatient clinics.

Endocuff-Assisted versus Cap-Assisted Colonoscopy Performed by Trainees: A Retrospective Study

Yutaka Okagawa,Tetsuya Sumiyoshi,Yusuke Tomita,Shutaro Oiwa,Fumihiro Ogata,Takashi Jin,Masahiro Yoshida,Ryoji Fujii,Takeyoshi Minagawa,Kohtaro Morita,Hideyuki Ihara,Michiaki Hirayama,Hitoshi Kondo 대한소화기내시경학회 2020 Clinical Endoscopy Vol.53 No.3

Background/Aims: The adenoma detection rate (ADR) of screening colonoscopies performed by trainees is often lower than thatof colonoscopies performed by experts. The effcacy of cap-assisted colonoscopy (CAC) in adenoma detection is well documented,especially that of CACs performed by trainees. Endocuff, a new endoscopic cap, is reportedly useful for adenoma detection; however,no trials have compared the effcacy of Endocuff-assisted colonoscopy (EAC) and CAC conducted by trainees. Therefore, the presentstudy retrospectively compared the effcacy between EAC and CAC in trainees. Methods: This was a single-center, retrospective study involving 305 patients who underwent either EAC or CAC performed by threetrainees between January and December 2018. We evaluated the ADR, mean number of adenomas detected per patient (MAP), cecalintubation rate, cecal intubation time, and occurrence of complications between the EAC and CAC groups. Results: The ADR was significantly higher in the EAC group than in the CAC group (54.3% vs. 37.3%, p=0.019), as was the MAP (1.36vs. 0.74, p=0.003). No significant differences were found between the groups with respect to the cecal intubation rate or cecal intubationtime. No major complications occurred in either group. Conclusions: Our results suggest that EAC exhibits increased ADR and MAP compared to CAC when performed by trainees.

Simultaneous Sampling of NO, NO2, HONO and HNO3 in the Atmosphere by a Filter-Pack Method

Norimichi Takenaka,Takumi Oda,Yusuke Fujii 한국대기환경학회 2022 Asian Journal of Atmospheric Environment (AJAE) Vol.16 No.2

A simultaneous sampling method for gaseous nitric oxide (NO), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), nitrous acid (HONO) and nitric acid (HNO3) was developed by a filter-pack sampling method to measure these concentrations at low cost in areas where monitoring stations are not available or at multiple locations. HONO and HNO3 gases were collected with a conventional filter-pack method. NO2 was collected with a guaiacolimpregnated filter at a flow rate of 0.3 dm3 min-1. NO was collected using guaiacol by oxidizing it to NO2 with potassium permanganate at a 0.3 dm3 min-1 flow rate. The optimum concentration of KMnO4 in the immersion solution for the impregnated filter was 0.16 mol dm-3 (in 0.51 mol dm-3 H2SO4). The concentrations of NO and NO2 measured by the filter-pack method were in good agreement with those measured by the chemiluminescence method. It was calculated that 60 ppb NO could be oxidized to NO2 with the KMnO4-impregnated filter for 183 hours at a 0.3 dm3 min-1 flow rate. This is enough time for sampling in a real environment. This method was applied to measure NO, NO2, HONO and HNO3 in the atmosphere at three points around Osaka, Japan.

Ischemic enteritis with intestinal stenosis

( Yorimitsu Koshikawa ),( Hiroshi Nakase ),( Minoru Matsuura ),( Takuya Yoshino ),( Yusuke Honzawa ),( Naoki Minami ),( Satoshi Yamada ),( Yumiko Yasuhara ),( Shigehiko Fujii ),( Toshihiro Kusaka ),( 대한장연구학회 2016 Intestinal Research Vol.14 No.1

A 75-year-old man was admitted to our hospital with sudden onset of vomiting and abdominal distension. The patient was taking medication for arrhythmia. Computed tomography showed stenosis of the ileum and a small bowel dilatation on the oral side from the region of stenosis. A transnasal ileus tube was placed. Enteroclysis using contrast medium revealed an approximately 6-cm afferent tubular stenosis 10 cm from the terminal ileum and thumbprinting in the proximal bowel. Transanal double-balloon enteroscopy showed a circumferential shallow ulcer with a smooth margin and edema of the surrounding mucosa. The stenosis was so extensive that we could not perform endoscopic balloon dilation therapy. During hospitalization, the patient’s nutritional status deteriorated. In response, we surgically resected the region of stenosis. Histologic examination revealed disappearance of the mucosal layer and transmural ulceration with marked fibrosis, especially in the submucosal layer. Hemosiderin staining revealed sideroferous cells in the submucosal layers. Based on the pathologic findings, the patient was diagnosed with ischemic enteritis. The patient’s postoperative course was uneventful. (Intest Res 2016;14:89-95)

Noninvasive Assessment of Advanced Fibrosis Based on Hepatic Volume in Patients with Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

( Tatsuya Hayashi ),( Satoshi Saitoh ),( Kei Fukuzawa ),( Yoshinori Tsuji ),( Junji Takahashi ),( Yusuke Kawamura ),( Norio Akuta ),( Masahiro Kobayashi ),( Kenji Ikeda ),( Takeshi Fujii ),( Tosiaki M 대한간학회 2017 Gut and Liver Vol.11 No.5

Background/Aims: Noninvasive liver fibrosis evaluation was performed in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). We used a quantitative method based on the he-patic volume acquired from gadoxetate disodium-enhanced (Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for diagnosing advanced fibrosis in patients with NAFLD. Methods: A total of 130 patients who were diagnosed with NAFLD and underwent Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MRI were retrospectively included. Histological data were available for 118 patients. Hepatic volumetric parameters, including the left hepatic lobe to right hepatic lobe volume ratio (L/R ratio), were measured. The usefulness of the L/R ratio for diag-nosing fibrosis ≥F3-4 and F4 was assessed using the area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) curve. Multiple regression analysis was performed to identify vari-ables (age, body mass index, serum fibrosis markers, and histological features) that were associated with the L/R ratio. Results: The L/R ratio demonstrated good performance in differentiating advanced fibrosis (AUROC, 0.80; 95% confi-dence interval, 0.72 to 0.88) from cirrhosis (AUROC, 0.87; 95% confidence interval, 0.75 to 0.99). Multiple regression analysis showed that only fibrosis was significantly associat-ed with the L/R ratio (coefficient, 0.121; p<0.0001). Conclu-sions: The L/R ratio, which is not influenced by pathologi-cal parameters other than fibrosis, is useful for diagnosing cirrhosis in patients with NAFLD. (Gut Liver 2017;11:674- 683)

Cultivable butyrate-producing bacteria of elderly Japanese diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease

Thi Thuy Tien Nguyen,Yuta Fujimura,Iyo Mimura,Yusuke Fujii,Ngoc Luong Nguyen,Kensuke Arakawa,Hidetoshi Morita 한국미생물학회 2018 The journal of microbiology Vol.56 No.10

The group of butyrate-producing bacteria within the human gut microbiome may be associated with positive effects on memory improvement, according to previous studies on dementia- associated diseases. Here, fecal samples of four elderly Japanese diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) were used to isolate butyrate-producing bacteria. 226 isolates were randomly picked, their 16S rRNA genes were sequenced, and assigned into sixty OTUs (operational taxonomic units) based on BLASTn results. Four isolates with less than 97% homology to known sequences were considered as unique OTUs of potentially butyrate-producing bacteria. In addition, 12 potential butyrate-producing isolates were selected from the remaining 56 OTUs based on scan-searching against the PubMed and the ScienceDirect databases. Those belonged to the phylum Bacteroidetes and to the clostridial clusters I, IV, XI, XV, XIVa within the phylum Firmicutes. 15 out of the 16 isolates were indeed able to produce butyrate in culture as determined by high-performance liquid chromatography with UV detection. Furthermore, encoding genes for butyrate formation in these bacteria were identified by sequencing of degenerately primed PCR products and included the genes for butyrate kinase (buk), butyryl-CoA: acetate CoAtransferase (but), CoA-transferase-related, and propionate CoA-transferase. The results showed that eight isolates possessed buk, while five isolates possessed but. The CoA-transfer- related gene was identified as butyryl-CoA:4-hydroxybutyrate CoA transferase (4-hbt) in four strains. No strains contained the propionate CoA-transferase gene. The biochemical and butyrate-producing pathways analyses of butyrate producers presented in this study may help to characterize the butyrate-producing bacterial community in the gut of AD patients.

Effects of combined therapy of alendronate and low-intensity pulsed ultrasound on metaphyseal bone repair after osteotomy in the proximal tibia of glucocorticoid-induced osteopenia rats

Tetsuya Kawano,Naohisa Miyakoshi,Yuji Kasukawa,Michio Hongo,Hiroyuki Tsuchie,Chie Sato,Masashi Fujii,Masazumi Suzuki,Manabu Akagawa,Yuichi Ono,Yusuke Yuasa,Itsuki Nagahata,Yoichi Shimada 대한골다공증학회 2017 Osteoporosis and Sarcopenia Vol.3 No.4

Objectives: Glucocorticoid (GC) treatment inhibits activation of runt-related transcription factor 2 (Runx2), which is essential for osteoblast differentiation from stem cells. As a result, GC treatment results in bone loss, GC-induced osteoporosis (GIO), elevated fracture risk, and delayed bone healing. Bisphosphonates such as alendronate (ALN) are recommended for treating or preventing GIO, and lowintensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) facilitates fracture healing and maturation of regenerated bone. Combined therapy with ALN and LIPUS may stimulate cancellous bone healing in GIO rats. Here, we examined the effect of ALN and LIPUS on cancellous bone osteotomy repair in the proximal tibia of GIO rats. Methods: Prednisolone (10 mg/kg body weight/day) was administered for 4 weeks to induce GIO in 6- month-old female Sprague-Dawley rats. Tibial osteotomy was then performed and daily subcutaneous injection of ALN (1-mg/kg body weight) was subsequently administered alone or in combination with LIPUS (20 min/day) for 2 or 4 weeks. Results: ALN significantly increased bone mineral density (BMD) at 2 and 4 weeks, and ALN þ LIPUS significantly increased BMD at 4 weeks. Bone union rates were significantly increased after 2 and 4 weeks ALN and ALN þ LIPUS treatment. Lastly, ALN and ALN þ LIPUS significantly increased the proportion of Runx2 positive cells at 4 weeks. Conclusions: ALN monotherapy and combined ALN and LUPUS treatment augmented BMD and stimulated cancellous bone repair with increased Runx2 expression at the osteotomy site in GIO rats. However, the combined treatment had no additional effect on cancellous bone healing compared to ALN monotherapy. © 2017 The Korean Society of Osteoporosis. Publishing services by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).