Synthesis of DLC films on metal substrate by Nanopulse Plasma CVD at Subatmospheric Pressure

Masaki Inoue,Hiroki Akasaka,Naoto Ohtake 한국표면공학회 2013 한국표면공학회 학술발표회 초록집 Vol.2013 No.11

Stabilization of Linear Time-Varying Descriptor Systems

Masaki Inoue,Teruyo Wada,Masao Ikeda,Eiho Uezato 제어로봇시스템학회 2008 제어로봇시스템학회 국제학술대회 논문집 Vol.2008 No.10

This paper considers stabilization of linear time-varying descriptor systems with continuous and bounded coefficient matrices. First, a necessary and sufficient condition for exponential stability is presented as solvability of a linear matrix differential inequality. Then, the stability condition is utilized to derive a feedback control law for stabilization of the descriptor system. The proposed feedback gain extracts the dynamic component of the descriptor variable. A numerical example is presented.

Psychiatric Consultations at an Emergency Department in a Metropolitan University Hospital in Northern Japan

Masaki Shiraishi,Takao Ishii,Yoshiyasu Kigawa,Masaya Tayama,Keisuke Inoue,Kenji Narita,Masaru Tateno,Chiaki Kawanishi 대한신경정신의학회 2018 PSYCHIATRY INVESTIGATION Vol.15 No.7

Many patients with mental disorders visit emergency departments (EDs). However, the majority of these patients do not receive psychiatric assessment. In the present study, we investigated the detailed proportion of patients with mental disorders visiting an urban ED in the largest northern city in Japan. A retrospective chart review study was performed at a University Hospital from January 2012 to December 2015. The reasons for psychiatric consultations made by ED staff, and the primary psychiatric diagnoses were investigated. Among all living patients, 20% of them received consultations. The most common reason for consultation was suicide attempt followed by agitation or insomnia. Of all diagnoses, organic mental disorder was the most frequent and the mean age was significantly higher than the other diagnostic groups. Our study indicated that the frequency of psychiatric consultation was high. This indicates the high demand for mental health services at the ED. A thorough psychiatric assessment can provide adequate psychiatric services to acute patients; thereby possibly preventing suicide attempters from later actually dying by suicide.

Up-Regulation of Pain Behavior and Glial Activity in the Spinal Cord after Compression and Application of Nucleus Pulposus onto the Sciatic Nerve in Rats

Masaki Norimoto,Yoshihiro Sakuma,Miyako Suzuki,Sumihisa Orita,Kazuyo Yamauchi,Gen Inoue,Yasuchika Aoki,Tetsuhiro Ishikawa,Masayuki Miyagi,Hiroto Kamoda,Gou Kubota,Yasuhiro Oikawa,Kazuhide Inage,Takesh 대한척추외과학회 2014 Asian Spine Journal Vol.8 No.5

Study Design: Experimental animal study. Purpose: To evaluate pain-related behavior and changes in glial activity in the spinal dorsal horn after combined sciatic nerve compression and nucleus pulposus (NP) application in rats. Overview of Literature: Mechanical compression and inflammation caused by prostaglandins and cytokines at disc herniation sites induce pain. Structural changes and pain-associated cytokines in the dorsal root ganglia and spinal dorsal horn contribute to prolonged pain. Glial cells in the spinal dorsal horn may also function in pain transmission. Methods: The sciatic nerve was compressed with NP for 2 seconds using forceps in the NP+nerve compression group; the shamoperated group received neither compression nor NP; and the control group received no operation. Mechanical hyperalgesia was measured for 3 weeks using von Frey filaments. Glial activity in the spinal dorsal horn was examined 7 days and 14 days postsurgery using anti-glial fibrillary acidic protein and anti-Ionized calcium binding adaptor molecule-1 antibodies to detect astrocytes and microglia, respectively. Results: Mechanical hyperalgesia was detected throughout the 14-day observation in the NP+nerve compression group, but not in control or sham-operated groups (p <0.05). Both astrocytes and microglia were significantly increased in the spinal dorsal horn of the NP+nerve compression group compared to control and sham groups on days 7 and 14 (p <0.05). Conclusions: Nerve compression with NP application produces pain-related behavior, and up-regulates astrocytes and microglia in the spinal dorsal horn, suggesting that these glia may be related to pain transmission.

Diffusion Tensor Imaging of the Spinal Canal in Quantitative Assessment of Patients with Lumbar Spinal Canal Stenosis

Norimoto Masaki,Eguchi Yawara,Kanamoto Hirohito,Oikawa Yasuhiro,Matsumoto Koji,Masuda Yoshitada,Furuya Takeo,Orita Sumihisa,Inage Kazuhide,Maki Satoshi,Shiga Yasuhiro,Kinoshita Hideyuki,Abe Koki,Inoue 대한척추외과학회 2021 Asian Spine Journal Vol.15 No.2

Study Design: Retrospective observational study. Purpose: Lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) has traditionally been evaluated morphologically, there is a paucity of literature on quantitative assessment of LSS. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether intraspinal diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) parameters such as apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) and fractional anisotropy (FA) are useful for assessing LSS. Overview of Literature: Quantitative assessment of LSS is challenging. Methods: Study participants comprised five healthy volunteers (mean age, 27.2 years) and 27 patients with LSS (mean age, 58.4 years) who were individually assessed using 3.0 Tesla magnetic resonance imaging. Intraspinal ADC and FA values of 10 intervertebral discs from healthy volunteers and 52 intervertebral discs from LSS patients were measured. Also, intraspinal canal area, Schizas classification (A: normal, B: mild stenosis, C: severe stenosis) and correlations with symptoms were investigated. Clinical symptoms were checked for the presence of low back pain (LBP), intermittent claudication (IMC), and bladder and bowel dysfunction (BBD). Results: Compared to healthy individuals, LSS patients had significantly lower ADC (p <0.05) and significantly higher FA values (p <0.01). In Schizas classification, stenosis worsened from A to C. ADC values decreased significantly while FA values increased significantly in that order (p <0.05). A positive correlation was found between intraspinal canal area and ADC values (r =0.63, p <0.01) and a negative correlation between intraspinal canal area and FA values (p =−0.61, p <0.01). No correlations were noted between LBP and ADC or FA values. On the other hand, ADC values were significantly lower (p <0.05) and FA values were significantly higher (p <0.05) in patients with IMC or BBD. Conclusions: Intraspinal DTI parameters such as ADC and FA values were associated with the Schizas classification, intraspinal canal area, and clinical symptoms, suggesting that ADC and FA may be useful for quantitative assessment of LSS.

The Impact of Adjuvant Radiotherapy on Clinical Performance Status in Patients With Grade II Spinal Cord Astrocytoma – A Nationwide Analysis by the Neurospinal Society of Japan

Ryo Kanematsu,Masaki Mizuno,Tomoo Inoue,Toshiyuki Takahashi,Toshiki Endo,Seiji Shigekawa,Jun Muto,Daisuke Umebayashi,Takafumi Mitsuhara,Kazutoshi Hida,Junya Hanakita 대한척추신경외과학회 2023 Neurospine Vol.20 No.3

Objective: The impact of adjuvant radiotherapy on overall survival (OS) and progressionfree survival (PFS) of patients with grade II spinal cord astrocytomas remains controversial. Additionally, the relationship between progression and clinical deterioration after radiotherapy has not been well investigated. Methods: This study included 53 patients with grade II intramedullary spinal cord astrocytomas treated by either subtotal, partial resection or open biopsy. Their clinical performance status was assessed immediately before operation and 1, 6, 12, 24, and 60 months after surgery by Karnofsky Performance Scale (KPS). Patients with and without adjuvant radiotherapy were compared. Results: The groups with and without radiation comprised 23 and 30 patients with a mean age of 50.3 ± 22.6 years (range, 2–88 years). The mean overall disease progression rate was 47.1% during a mean follow-up period of 48.4 ± 39.8 months (range, 2.5–144.5 months). In the radiation group, 11 patients (47.8%) presented with progressive disease, whereas 14 patients (46.7%) presented with progressive disease in the group without radiation. There were no significant differences in OS or PFS among patients with or without adjuvant radiotherapy. KPS in both groups, especially radiation group, gradually decreased after operation and deteriorated before the confirmation of disease progression. Conclusion: Adjuvant radiotherapy did not show effectiveness regarding PFS or OS in patients with grade II spinal cord astrocytoma according to classical classification based on pathohistological findings.

The Effect of Soybeans on the Anovulatory Cycle

Takafumi Kohama,Hiroto Kobayashi,Masaki Inoue 한국식품영양과학회 2005 Journal of medicinal food Vol.8 No.4

We treated 36 outpatients, suffering from secondary amenorrhea, who had no menstruation or no ovulation formore than 6 months before consulting our clinic. After polycystic ovary syndrome, hyperprolactinemia, and other ovarian dis-orders that require medical treatment had been ruled out through smear test examinations of the uterine cervix and uterinemyoma, ovarian tumor, and endometriosis had been checked for with ultrasonography and serum CA-125, the subjects beganto take 6 g/day of black soybean in micropowder form for 6 months (S group). We estimated the ovular improvement of the-ses patients, observing basal body temperature (BBT) and follicular development with ultrasonography during the menstrualcycle as the indexes for ovulation and compared them with 34 patients with no treatment (C group). In the S group, improvedovulation was seen in 12 patients, four patients became pregnant, and three patients had anovular menstruation within 3 monthsafter starting to take soybean powder. The periods of first ovulation were 66. 12 days. After ovulation started, all subjectshad regular menstruations and ovulation, with more than a 7-day high phase in BBT. On the other hand, in the C group, im-proved ovulation was seen in two patients, and two patients had anovular menstruation. In conclusion, black soybean has thepotential to improve the anovular menstrual cycle.

Current Trends in the Surgical Management of Intramedullary Tumors: A Multicenter Study of 1,033 Patients by the Neurospinal Society of Japan

Toshiki Endo,Tomoo Inoue,Masaki Mizuno,Ryu Kurokawa,Kiyoshi Ito,Shigeo Ueda,Toshihiro Takami,Kazutoshi Hida,Minoru Hoshimaru,Investigators of intramedullary spinal cord tumors in the Neurospinal Socie 대한척추신경외과학회 2022 Neurospine Vol.19 No.2

Objective: We performed a retrospective observational study to demonstrate the surgical risks and long-term prognoses of intramedullary tumors in Japan using a multicenter registry authorized by the Neurospinal Society of Japan. Methods: Data from 1,033 consecutive patients with intramedullary tumors, treated between 2009 and 2020, were collected from 58 centers. Patients with spinal lipomas or myxopapillary ependymomas were excluded. Patient characteristics, clinical presentations, imaging characteristics, treatments, and outcomes were analyzed. The modified McCormick scale was used to classify functional status. Survival was described using Kaplan-Meier curves, and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed. Results: The mean age of the patients was 48.4 years. Data of 361 ependymomas, 196 hemangioblastomas, 168 astrocytic tumors, 160 cavernous malformations, and the remaining 126 cases including subependymomas, metastases, schwannomas, capillary hemangiomas, and intravascular B-cell lymphomas were analyzed. Twenty-two patients were undiagnosed. The mean follow-up duration was 46.1 ± 38.5 months. Gross total tumor removal was achieved in 672 tumors (65.1%). On the modified McCormick scale, 234 patients (22.7%) had worse postoperative grades at the time of discharge. However, neurological status gradually improved. At 6 months postoperatively, 251 (27.5%), 500 (54.9%), and 160 patients (17.6%) had improved, unchanged, and worsened grades, respectively. Preoperative functional status, gross total tumor removal, and histopathological type were significantly associated with mortality and functional outcomes. Conclusion: Our findings demonstrate better postoperative functional outcomes in patients with fewer preoperative neurological deficits. Degree of resection, postoperative treatments, and prognoses are closely related to the histology of intramedullary tumors.

Evaluating Spinal Canal Lesions Using Apparent Diffusion Coefficient Maps with Diffusion-Weighted Imaging

Kanamoto Hirohito,Norimoto Masaki,Eguchi Yawara,Oikawa Yasuhiro,Orita Sumihisa,Inage Kazuhide,Abe Koki,Inoue Masahiro,Kinoshita Hideyuki,Umimura Tomotaka,Matsumoto Koji,Masuda Yoshitada,Furuya Takeo,K 대한척추외과학회 2020 Asian Spine Journal Vol.14 No.3

Study Design: Observational study.Purpose: To evaluate healthy volunteers and patients with spinal canal lesions using apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) maps with diffusion-weighted imaging.Overview of Literature: Decompression surgery for lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) is selected on the basis of subjective assessment and cross-sectional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). However, there is no objective standard for this procedure.Methods: We performed 3T MRI in 10 healthy volunteers and 13 patients with LSS. The ADC values in the spinal canal were evaluated at 46 vertebrae (L4/5 and L5/S1 for each participant), and the reduced and conventional fields of view were compared.Results: The ADC values were 2.72±0.12 at L4/5 in healthy volunteers, 2.76±0.19 at L5/S1 in healthy volunteers, 1.77±0.58 at L4/5 in patients with LSS, and 2.35±0.29 at L5/S1 in patients with LSS. The ADC value at L4/5 in patients with LSS was significantly lower than that at L5/S1 in patients with LSS and that at L4/5 and L5/S1 in healthy volunteers (<i>p</i> <0.05). With an ADC cutoff value of 2.46 to identify LSS, this approach provided an area under the curve of 0.81, sensitivity of 0.92, and specificity of 0.76 (<i>p</i> <0.05).Conclusions: Preoperative examination using ADC maps permits visualization and quantification of spinal canal lesions, thus proving the utility of ADC maps in the selection of decompression surgery for LSS.

Vortex Cavitation from Baffle Plate and Pump Vibration in a Double-Suction Volute Pump

Sato, Toshiyuki,Nagahara, Takahide,Tanaka, Kazuhiro,Fuchiwaki, Masaki,Shimizu, Fumio,Inoue, Akira Korean Society for Fluid machinery 2011 International journal of fluid machinery and syste Vol.4 No.1

This study highlights especially the mechanism of vortex cavitation occurrence from the end of the suction duct in a double-suction volute pump and pump oscillation which causes cavitation noise from the pump. In this study, full 3D numerical simulations have been performed using a commercial code inside the pump from the inlet of suction duct to the outlet of delivery duct. The numerical model is based on a combination of multiphase flow equations with the truncated version of the Rayleigh-Plesset model predicting the complicated growth and collapse process of cavity bubbles. The experimental investigations have also been performed on the cavitating flow with flow visualization to evaluate the numerical results.