PITCH EXTRACTION USING AN APPROXIMATELY IDEAL LOW-PASS FILTER

T. Matsuoka,A. Sugama,E. Onodera,Y. Ishida 한국소음진동공학회 1994 한국소음진동공학회 국제학술대회논문집 Vol.1994 No.4

Evaluation of Interhandle Distance During Pushing and Pulling of a Four-Caster Cart for Upper Limb Exertion

Ohnishi, Akihiro,Takanokura, Masato,Sugama, Atsushi Occupational Safety and Health Research Institute 2016 Safety and health at work Vol.7 No.3

Background: This study examined the relationship between interhandle distances and upper limb exertion during simply pushing and pulling of a cart with four swivel wheels, defined by a roll box pallet (RBP) in a Japanese industrial standard. Methods: Six healthy young male participants were asked to push and pull an RBP at a distance of 5.2 m under six conditions corresponding to different interhandle distances (40 cm, 60 cm, and 80 cm) and weights (130 kg and 250 kg). The upper limb exertion was studied by shoulder abduction and flexion, and elbow flexion, as well as surface electromyogram (EMG) in shoulder extensor, and elbow flexor and extensor. Participants were required to provide subjective evaluations on operability after each trial. Results: Subjective operability indicated that a narrower interhandle distance had a better operability for pushing. Interhandle distance was also related to upper limb exertion especially for pushing. A narrow interhandle distance caused smaller shoulder adduction but larger elbow flexion. The normalized EMG data revealed that muscular activity became smaller with a narrow interhandle distance in shoulder extensor. During the pulling task, elbow flexion was smaller at a narrow interhandle distance, although subjective operability and normalized EMG were not significantly varied. Conclusion: A wider interhandle distance, such as 80 cm, was not suitable in the forwardbackward movement of the RBP. Therefore, this study concluded that an interhandle distance of 40 cm would be suitable for pushing and pulling an RBP to protect the workers' hands against the risk of injury by installing inner handles.

Conformance Tests of Several Open Networks and Related Noise Tests for Electronic Signals with High Frequency Bands

Iko MIYAZAWA,Tatsuaki NAGAO,Hideaki SUGAMA 제어로봇시스템학회 2009 제어로봇시스템학회 국제학술대회 논문집 Vol.2009 No.8

Recently, many kinds of industrial networks are being used in Process Automation and Factory Automation. In this paper, we will introduce two kinds of open networks, CC-Link and FL-net whose specifications have been established in Japan. CC-Link is a type of field networks, while FL-net is one of the industrial Ethernets. We will also mention the feature and their merits of these two networks such as common memory. Then, we will describe the conformance tests of the two networks enforced in the Kanagawa Industrial Technology Center. Finally, we will introduce an electromagnetic noise test method for electronic signals with high frequency bands in the cable broadcasting Local Area Networks in which Ethernet protocols are used in connection with real applications of Process Automation and Factory Automation.

Modulation of IL-18 Production in the Adrenal Cortex following Acute ACTH or Chronic Corticosterone Treatment

Kim, Yoon-Seong,Kim, Ho-Cheol,Sugama, Shuei,Volpe, Bruce,Baker, Harriet,Tinti, Cristina,Attardi, Barbara,Joh, Tong 경희대학교 동서의학연구소 2001 東西醫學硏究所 論文集 Vol.2000 No.-

Interleukin (IL)-18 is a proinflammatory cytokine and a stimulator of cell-mediated immune responses. We have previously reported that acute stress stimulates the production of IL-18 mRNA in the glucocorticoid (GC)-producing cells of the adrenal cortex. In order to investigate the mechanisms governing the expression of IL-18 in the adrenal cortex, the effects of acute ACTH or chronic corticosterone treatment on the level of IL-18 mRNA and protein were examined by in situ hybridization and Northern and Western blot assays. Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats received a subcutaneous injection of ACTH or subcutaneous implantation of slow-release corticosterone pellets followed by an injection of saline or ACTH. After 4 h, ACTH induced a 4-fold increase in IL-18 mRNA levels and elevated the content of pro-IL-18 peptide. Six days of chronic corticosterone treatment did not alter the basal levels of IL-18 mRNA and reduced those of pro-IL-18. Finally, ACTH treatment of animals under the corticosterone regimen induced a 2-fold increase in IL-18 mRNA and elevated the levels of the pro-IL-18 protein. The levels of the precursor, p45, and the active subunit p 10 peptides of the IL-18-processing enzyme, IL-1β-converting enzyme(ICE), showed no substantial differences in all the conditions tested. IL-1β was not detected under these experimental conditions. These data demonstrate that the production of IL-18 in the adrenal cortex is stimulated by ACTH treatment and is not inhibited by the direct action of corticosterone. In contrast to the anti-inflammatory action of GCs, IL-18 may have and immunostimulatory role during acute stress.

Evaluation of Interhandle Distance During Pushing and Pulling of a Four-Caster Cart for Upper Limb Exertion

Akihiro Ohnishi,Masato Takanokura,Atsushi Sugama 한국산업안전보건공단 산업안전보건연구원 2016 Safety and health at work Vol.7 No.3

Background: This study examined the relationship between interhandle distances and upper limb exertion during simply pushing and pulling of a cart with four swivel wheels, defined by a roll box pallet (RBP) in a Japanese industrial standard. Methods: Six healthy young male participants were asked to push and pull an RBP at a distance of 5.2 m under six conditions corresponding to different interhandle distances (40 cm, 60 cm, and 80 cm) and weights (130 kg and 250 kg). The upper limb exertion was studied by shoulder abduction and flexion, and elbow flexion, as well as surface electromyogram (EMG) in shoulder extensor, and elbow flexor and extensor. Participants were required to provide subjective evaluations on operability after each trial. Results: Subjective operability indicated that a narrower interhandle distance had a better operability for pushing. Interhandle distance was also related to upper limb exertion especially for pushing. A narrow interhandle distance caused smaller shoulder adduction but larger elbow flexion. The normalized EMG data revealed that muscular activity became smaller with a narrow interhandle distance in shoulder extensor. During the pulling task, elbow flexion was smaller at a narrow interhandle distance, although subjective operability and normalized EMG were not significantly varied. Conclusion: A wider interhandle distance, such as 80 cm, was not suitable in the forwardbackward movement of the RBP. Therefore, this study concluded that an interhandle distance of 40 cm would be suitable for pushing and pulling an RBP to protect the workers’ hands against the risk of injury by installing inner handles.

Axotomy-induced dopaminergic neurodegeneration is accompanied with c-Jun phosphorylation and activation transcription factor 3 expression

Song, Dae Y.,Yang, Young C.,Shin, Dong H.,Sugama, Shuei,Kim, Yoon S.,Lee, Bong H.,Joh, Tong H.,Cho, Byung P. Elsevier 2008 Experimental neurology Vol.209 No.1

<P><B>Abstract</B></P><P>Accumulating evidence has shown that both phosphorylated c-Jun (pc-Jun) and activating transcription factor 3 (ATF3) were upregulated in a variety of tissue injuries and proposed to play an important role in cell death/survival. To elucidate the significance and functional role of these immediate-early genes during neuronal damage in the central nervous system, we examined temporal and spatial profiles of pc-Jun and ATF3 in dopaminergic neurons of the substantia nigra (SN) following transection of the medial forebrain bundle (MFB) in adult rats. Morphological characteristics of pc-Jun-positive dopaminergic neurons as well as microglial reaction in response to the axotomy-induced neurodegeneration were also investigated. Following MFB transection, both c-Jun phosphorylation and ATF3 were found in the nuclei of tyrosine hydroxylase-immunoreactive (TH-ir) neurons of the ipsilateral SN, but not in those of the contralateral SN. In the ipsilateral SN, the number of pc-Jun- and ATF3-positive nuclei was increased by 5–7?days post-lesion, and then progressively decreased probably due to the loss of neurons. Retrograde tracing with FluoroGold (FG) in hemi-axotomized rat brain demonstrated that none of the intact, unaxotomized (FG-ir) neurons was pc-Jun-positive, indicating phosphorylation of c-Jun occurs only in axotomized neurons. Concomitant co-localization of pc-Jun and ATF3 in the same TH-ir neuron was also demonstrated by triple immunofluorescence labeling. Many TH-ir neurons that underwent various steps of consecutive neurodegenerative changes retained pc-Jun in the condensed or fragmented nuclei. Moreover, numerous activated microglia, identified by both phagocytic (ED1) and MHC II (OX6) markers, closely apposed to these neurons throughout the entire neurodegenerative process, suggesting that they are actively phagocytosing dying neurons. Taken together, these results support the idea that pc-Jun and its putative dimeric partner ATF3 may be closely participating in axotomy-induced neurodegeneration.</P>

A pivotal role of matrix metalloproteinase‐3 activity in dopaminergic neuronal degeneration via microglial activation

Kim, Yoon Seong,Choi, Dong Hee,Block, Michelle L.,Lorenzl, Stefan,Yang, Lichuan,Kim, Youn Jung,Sugama, Shuei,Cho, Byung Pil,Hwang, Onyou,Browne, Susan E.,Kim, Soo Yul,Hong, Jau‐,Shyong,Flint Bea Federation of American Society for Experimental Bi 2007 The FASEB Journal Vol.21 No.1

<P>Recent studies have demonstrated that activated microglia play an important role in dopamine (DA) neuronal degeneration in Parkinson disease (PD) by generating NADPH-oxidase (NADPHO)-derived superoxide. However, the molecular mechanisms that underlie microglial activation in DA cell death are still disputed. We report here that matrix metalloproteinase-3 (MMP-3) was newly induced and activated in stressed DA cells, and the active form of MMP-3 (actMMP-3) was released into the medium. The released actMMP-3, as well as catalytically active recombinant MMP-3 (cMMP-3) led to microglial activation and superoxide generation in microglia and enhanced DA cell death. cMMP-3 caused DA cell death in mesencephalic neuron-glia mixed culture of wild-type (WT) mice, but this was attenuated in the culture of NADPHO subunit null mice (gp91(phox-/-)), suggesting that NADPHO mediated the cMMP-3-induced microglial production of superoxide and DA cell death. Furthermore, in the N-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)-injected animal model of PD, nigrostriatal DA neuronal degeneration, microglial activation, and superoxide generation were largely attenuated in MMP-3-/- mice. These results indicate that actMMP-3 released from stressed DA neurons is responsible for microglial activation and generation of NADPHO-derived superoxide and eventually enhances nigrostriatal DA neuronal degeneration. Our results could lead to a novel therapeutic approach to PD.</P>

Prevalence of factors related to active reproductive health behavior: a cross-sectional study Indonesian adolescent

Tantut Susanto,Iis Rahmawati,Emi Wuri Wuryaningsih,Ruka Saito,Syahrul,Rumiko Kimura,Akiko Tsuda,Noriko Tabuchi,Junko Sugama 한국역학회 2016 Epidemiology and Health Vol.38 No.-

OBJECTIVES: Complex and diverse factors are related to reproductive health (RH) behavior among adolescents according to the social and cultural context of each countries. This study examined the prevalence of active RH and factors related to active RH behavior among Indonesian adolescents. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 1,040 of students who were selected through a multi-stage random sampling technique. A self-administered questionnaire was developed, including the World Health Organization Illustrative Questionnaire for Interview-Surveys with Young People, pubertal development scale, and sexual activity scale, modified in accordance to the Indonesian context. The data were analyzed using descriptive and comparative statistics, as well as logistic regression analyses. RESULTS: The prevalence of active RH behavior were more higher in boys (56.6%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 50.6% to 62.6%) than in girls (43.7%; 95% CI, 37.6% to 49.8%). Negative attitudes towards RH were a factor related to active RH behavior in both boys and girls. Smoking and kind relationship envisioned before marriage (pacaran [courtship] and nikah siri [non-registered marriage]) were factors related to active RH behavior in boys; whereas the absence of access to information on substance abuse was an additional factor in girls. Moreover, an interaction was found between access to information on development and smoking (boys) and attitudes on RH (girls) as independent variables associated with active RH behavior. CONCLUSIONS: Sex education for adolescents in Indonesia, particularly in the context of a health promotion program, should be developed based on prevalent social, cultural, and religious values to prevent active RH behavior. Such programs should focus on the kind of relationship envisioned before marriage and smoking for boys and access to information on subtance abuse for girls.