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Biomedical subjects

I Tsuji

Publications and source records attributed to I Tsuji.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources
PubMed1994

The predictive power of self-rated health, activities of daily living, and ambulatory activity for cause-specific mortality among the elderly: a three-year follow-up in urban Japan.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the predictive power of self-rated health, activities of daily living (ADL), and ambulatory activity for different causes of death in a representative sample of older persons. DESIGN: Three-year prospective cohort study. SETTING: Sendai City, Japan. PARTICIPANTS: 2,552 persons 65 years and older at baseline in 1988. MEASUREMENTS: Independent variables (measured by self-report of participants) were age, sex, self-rated health, ADL, ambulatory activity level, and use of medical care. Dependent variables were mortalities from cancer, stroke, and heart disease. MAIN RESULTS: Self-rated health significantly predicted cancer mortality but not the other two causes of mortality. ADL disability was a significant predictor for stroke mortality, and limitation in ambulatory activity significantly increased the risk of heart disease mortality. The associations between ADL and stroke mortality as well as between ambulatory activity and heart disease mortality remained significant even after excluding those who reported having the index disease in 1988. CONCLUSION: The predictive powers of self-rated health, ADL function, and ambulatory activity varied significantly with the underlying causes of death among the elderly.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1994

[Changes in physical disability among Japanese elderly].

In order to investigate the natural course of physical disability among the elderly, the ability to perform activities of daily living (ADL) was examined on a probability sample (N = 3384) of residents aged 65 years and over in Sendai City, Japan, in 1988 and 1991. Information on ability to perform four ADL tasks-dressing, eating, using the toilet, and bathing-were collected by self-report. In 1988, 7.2% of the males and 7.9% of the females reported at least one ADL dependency. The prevalence of disability was the highest in bathing, followed by dressing, using the toilet, and the lowest in eating. The Cox proportional hazard models on three-year mortality indicated that those who were ADL dependent at baseline had 4.1 times the mortality risk of those who were ADL independent. Among those who were ADL independent in 1988 and who were alive in 1991, 5.0% of the males and 4.8% of the females became dependent in at least one ADL task in 1991. The incidence of disability was the highest in bathing, followed by dressing, using the toilet, and the lowest in eating. Among those who were ADL dependent in 1988 and who were alive in 1991, about one-third of them improved in ADL functioning. Improvement was more common among those who were younger in age. These results suggest that levels of ADL functioning is highly dynamic, and that physical disability is, to a certain extent, reversible among the elderly.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1993

Interaction between nicotinic cholinergic receptors and alpha-2 adrenergic systems in regulating growth hormone secretion in conscious rats.

The possible role and mechanism of central nicotinic cholinergic receptors in regulating growth hormone (GH) secretion were investigated in conscious, unrestrained male rats. The administration of galanin (GAL), a neuropeptide, GH-releasing hormone (GHRH) and UK 14304, an alpha-2 adrenergic agonist, caused increases in plasma GH levels. Pretreatment of the animals with hexamethonium significantly reduced GAL- and GHRH-induced GH secretion, but UK 14304-induced GH release was not affected. Neosurugatoxin, a nicotinic cholinergic neurotoxin, partially inhibited GAL-induced GH release. Pretreatment with neostigmine elevated basal plasma GH levels and partially inhibited GAL-induced GH secretion. However, GHRH- and UK 14304-induced GH release was additive to the effect of neostigmine. Yohimbine inhibited GH release induced by UK 14304, GAL and GHRH. Neostigmine-induced GH secretion was partially inhibited by yohimbine and phenoxybenzamine. These findings suggest that central nicotinic receptors have a stimulatory role in regulating GH secretion and that the nicotinic cholinergic system coupled with the alpha-2 adrenergic mechanism is involved in GH secretion induced by galanin in conscious rats.

Adrenergic alpha-Agonists↗
PubMed1991

The amino acid sequence of a Bowman-Birk type proteinase inhibitor from faba beans (Vicia faba L.).

The amino acid sequence of a Bowman-Birk type proteinase inhibitor (FBI) from seeds of faba bean (Vicia faba L.) was determined by analysis of peptide fragments generated by reduction and S-carboxymethylation of enzymatically modified inhibitors, which were obtained from native FBI by limited proteolysis with TPCK-trypsin or TLCK-chymotrypsin at pH 3.5. The established sequence showed that FBI is highly homologous with Vicia angustifolia inhibitor (VAI0 but lacks the portion corresponding to the C-terminal 9 amino acids of VAI. The trypsin reactive-site peptide bond in FBI was also indicated to be Lys(16)-Ser(17) and the chymotrypsin reactive-site peptide bond to be Tyr(42)-Ser(43) by limited proteolysis with TPCK-trypsin or TLCK-chymotrypsin and by sequence comparison with other Bowman-Birk type inhibitors.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1991

Cost-effectiveness analysis of screening for colorectal cancer in Japan.

To clarify the best cost-effective screening strategy for colorectal cancer in Japan, the cost-effectiveness ratio was compared among six currently performed procedures. The analysis was made using a simulation model to estimate long-term cost and effectiveness of the screening programs. In the screening by the immunological fecal occult blood test (FOBT), a comparison between the one- and two-day fecal collection methods indicated that the latter was more cost-effective than the former. A comparison was also made on the four workup methods: barium enema (BE) alone, a combination of BE and sigmoidoscopy (BE + SIG), total colonoscopy (TCF) alone, and a combination of BE and TCF (BE + TCF). The cost-effectiveness ratio was the lowest in the method using TCF alone, followed by those based on BE alone and BE + TCF, and the highest in the BE + SIG method. The superiority of TCF alone strategy was stable over a range of estimates such as the sensitivity of diagnostic tests, the probability of complications due to TCF, etc. It is concluded that a combination of the two-day FOBT and TCF yields the best cost-effectiveness.

Barium Sulfate↗
PubMed1991

Cost-effectiveness analysis of screening for gastric cancer in Japan.

Cost-effectiveness analysis of gastric cancer screening in Japan was performed, and the cost-effectiveness ratio was compared with that of colorectal cancer screening. The analytical model was the same as that adopted in our previous study on colorectal cancer screening (Tsuji et al. 1991). The results indicated that the cost per case-fatality prevented by colorectal cancer screening was 5.5 and 2.7 times more expensive for males and females, respectively, than that by gastric cancer screening. The age of the population influenced the cost-effectiveness of screening programs. The cost-effectiveness ratio in gastric cancer screening became negative among males older than the age of 65 years, suggesting that the total cost for prevention and control of deaths by gastric cancer in these age populations is saved by the screening program.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Receiver operating characteristic analysis on fasting plasma glucose, HbA1c, and fructosamine on diabetes screening.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the efficacy of HbA1c and fructosamine as alternatives to fasting plasma glucose (FPG) for diabetes screening. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was conducted on the above tests. Comparison among tests was based on the area under ROC curve of a test. World Health Organization criteria for classifying glucose tolerance status of the subjects was used. The study consisted of subjects (n = 583) who visited the clinic from September to October 1989 and all diabetic cases (n = 36) from November 1989 to March 1990, after excluding those less than 40 yr of age or with hypoglycemic therapies (469 were normal, 88 with impaired glucose tolerance ( IGT], and 62 with diabetes). RESULTS: Area under ROC curve of HbA1c was not different from that of FPG. Area under curve of fructosamine was significantly smaller than that of FPG. For all tests, overall efficacy of a test to detect IGT and diabetes was considerably diminished compared with detection of diabetes alone. CONCLUSIONS: The discriminating ability of HbA1c is almost the same as that of FPG, therefore HbA1c is a good alternative to FPG. Fructosamine is not suitable for diabetes screening.

Analysis of Variance↗
PubMed1991

Mass screening for colorectal cancer in Japan.

A mass screening program for colorectal cancer has been conducted in Japan for several years, and the nationwide statistics showed a total of 416,382 participants in 1988. This paper describes the present status of mass screening program for colorectal cancer in Japan and related issues as follows: annual trend of the number of examinees, age distribution of examinees, screening methods, diagnostic methods, evaluation of screening accuracy for fecal occult blood tests, and screening interval.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Enzyme immunosensors based on electropolymerized polytyramine modified electrodes.

Highly sensitive amperometric enzyme immunosensors for human immunoglobulin G (IgG) were prepared on the basis of electrogenerated polytyramine (PTy, tyramine = p-(2-aminoethyl)-phenol) modified electrodes. Properties of PTy films changed depending on electrolysis conditions. On the basis of the found properties of the films, an effective IgG sensor was prepared: a PTy film was formed first from an acid solution on a Pt electrode, and the surface was further covered with a PTy film from an alkaline methanol solution to give a PTy doubly coated electrode on which anti-IgG was then immobilized. This electrode provided a large surface area with little non-specific adsorption of proteins. By means of the competitive enzyme immunoassay technique using glucose oxidase (GOD) labeled IgG conjugates, IgG was determined in the concentration range of c. 10 pg/ml-1 mg/ml from the oxidation current of H2O2 generated by the enzyme (GOD) reaction using the above IgG sensor. Also, an anti-IgG immobilized electrode, prepared by using a Pt electrode singly covered with a PTy film from an alkaline methanol solution, acted as an effective IgG sensor with a detection limit for IgG of c. 100 pg/ml.

Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic↗
PubMed1988

Time course of tension development of knee extensor muscle on twitch, tetanic, and fast voluntary contraction in normal subjects.

Tension lag time (TLT), a latency from the onset of electromyographic activities of prime mover muscle to the rise of tension, of knee extensor muscle was measured at twitch, tetanic, and fast voluntary contraction in three normal subjects. Twitch and tetanic contractions were evoked by four different strengths of electrical stimuli, and the peak tensions attained at fast voluntary contraction were within the range of tensions evoked by electrical stimulation. In each mode of contraction, the relationship between TLT and peak tension (Fmax) was approximated by a hyperbolic function of Fmax (TLT-a) = b. TLT was influenced by three factors: (1) Fmax, the greater Fmax, the shorter TLT; (2) force detection level to point out timing of the rise of tension, the higher the level, the longer TLT was; and (3) the mode of contraction, shortest at the twitch, longest at the voluntary, and intermediate in the tetanic contraction.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Prolonged tension lag time of knee extensor muscle on twitch contraction in patients with spastic hemiparesis.

Tension lag time on electric stimulation (TLTe), i.e., latency from the stimulus to the rise of tension, and contraction time (CT) of the rectus femoris muscle on twitch contraction were measured on the affected and non-affected sides of eight patients with spastic hemiparesis due to stroke. Both TLTe and CT were significantly longer on the affected side than on the non-affected side, suggesting changes in contractile properties of the spastic muscle.

Aged↗
PubMed1988

Effect of reaction time condition on EMG activities of the biceps brachii muscle in elbow flexion and forearm supination.

Under simple- and choice-RT conditions, the biceps brachii muscle was examined in 8 healthy male subjects to determine how the temporal and spatial characteristics of elbow flexion and forearm supination differed at the initial phase of EMG activity and whether preparation or the presence of response uncertainty influenced the EMG outputs of the two movements. In the simple-RT condition, RT of supination was significantly faster than that of flexion but EMG activity of supination was less than that of flexion. In contrast, in the choice-RT condition, RT of flexion was significantly faster than that of supination but EMG activity of flexion was significantly reduced compared to supination. These findings indicate that advanced preparation or motor set facilitates the differentiation of RTs and EMG activities of the response movements and that response uncertainty causes a significant change in the temporal and spatial specificity of both elbow flexion and forearm supination.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

The altered time course of tension development during the initiation of fast movement in hemiplegic patients.

The time course of tension development produced by fast isometric contraction of the quadriceps femoris muscle for knee extension was examined on eight normal subjects and 14 patients with spastic hemiparesis due to stroke. Tension lag time (TLT), the latency from the onset of EMG activities to the rise of tension, and contraction time (FTmax), the period from the rise of tension to its maximum, were longer in the patients than in the normal subjects. The prolongation of FTmax correlated with the decreased rate of tension development. The results indicated that the temporal characteristics of tension development altered in the spastic paresis, reflecting functional changes in the muscle and motor neurons.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Effect of antispastic drugs on rapid force generation of spastic muscle.

The effect of antispastic drugs, dantrolene sodium and baclofen, on the initiation of rapid knee extension was examined in 8 normal subjects and 8 patients with spastic hemiparesis. Three biomechanical variables, the latency between EMG onset of the rectus femoris and rise of tension (TLT), that between the rise of tension and the maximum tension of knee extension (FTmax) and the maximum tension attained (Fmax), were measured before and after administration of one of the drugs. Dantrolene sodium increased TLT, but did not change FTmax or Fmax. The increase of TLT was remarkable in the normal subjects and the non-affected side, compared to the affected side of the patients. Baclofen did not modify TLT or FTmax, but decreased Fmax. The decrease of Fmax was definite in the normal subjects while it was negligible in the affected side of the patients. Clinical implications and pathophysiological mechanisms of these results were discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

Relationship of muscle strength for knee extension to walking capacity in patients with spastic hemiparesis.

Muscle strength for knee extension, both isokinetic and isometric, and walking capacity, maximum velocity and walking rate, were examined in 11 post-stroke hemiparetic patients. The degree of spasticity of the affected lower extremity was not related to the isokinetic and isometric torques, or to the walking capacity. Although both the isokinetic and isometric torques decreased on the affected side compared to the non-affected side, the rate of decrease was remarkable in isokinetic torque at fast velocities. The walking capacity was well correlated with isokinetic torque of the affected side at fast velocities but not isometric torques. These results suggest that reduction of muscle strength at rapid movements is an essential feature of spastic paresis and is primary cause of motor disabilities such as impaired locomotor function.

Adult↗