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At least 829 records · Page 46Linked to original sources
PubMed2006

Network analysis of plasma and tissue amino acids and the generation of an amino index for potential diagnostic use.

BACKGROUND: Few studies exist on the use of metabolic profiling of amino acids to examine underlying physiologic and disease states. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to introduce a new method for studying relations among amino acids and to generate a diagnostic index, or amino index, based on amino acid concentrations. DESIGN: For network analysis, 35 Fischer-344 rats were randomly divided into 7 groups and fed diets containing 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 30%, 50%, or 70% protein. Amino acid concentrations in plasma and various organs were used to derive correlation coefficients that were then used to construct correlation networks. To build a diagnostic index for diabetic rats, the plasma amino acid concentrations of diabetic and normal rats were analyzed by using a novel algorithm developed to generate amino acid-based indexes. Plasma amino acid concentrations from human growth hormone transgenic rats and insulin-treated diabetic rats were used to evaluate the index obtained for diabetes. Dimethylnitrosamine-treated Sprague-Dawley rats were used to generate an index for hepatic fibrosis. RESULTS: The scatter plots of plasma amino acid concentrations showed distinct patterns in different organs that were due to the different protein contents of the diets. Network analysis showed that data-driven networks for blood and tissue could be obtained. We derived a diagnostic index for the discrimination of diabetic rats with both sensitivity and specificity >97% and another surrogate index for liver hydroxyproline with a correlation of r2= 0.85. CONCLUSIONS: Correlation-based network analysis may help to uncover specific physiologic conditions or states. A novel approach using amino acid molar ratios was shown to generate indexes that can be used to separate animal disease models and monitor the progression of a disease parameter. Some of the methods described here may be applicable to the clinical setting.

Algorithms↗
PubMed2001

Molecular indexing of human genomic DNA.

Molecular indexing sorts DNA fragments into subsets for inter-sample comparisons. Type IIS or interrupted palindrome restriction endonucleases, which result in single-stranded ends not including the original recognition sequence of the enzyme, are used to produce the fragments. The ends can then be any sequence but will always be specific for a given fragment. Fragments with particular ends are selected by ligation to a corresponding indexing adapter. We describe iterative indexing, a new process that after an initial round of indexing uses a Type IIS restriction endonuclease to expose additional sequence for further indexing. New plasmids, pINDnn, were produced for novel use as indexing adapters. Together, the plasmids index all 16 possible dinucleotides. Their large size can be increased by dimerisation in vitro and allows the isolation of indexed material by size separation. Fragments produced from human genomic DNA by Type II restriction endonucleases were sorted using six bases in total to a possible enrichment of 1920-fold. By comparison with the public human sequence databases, fidelity of indexing was shown to be high and was tolerant of repetitive sequences. Genome-wide comparisons on a candidate or non-candidate basis are made possible by this approach.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1990

Comparison and evaluation of a disease activity index for use in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

An algorithm (Stoke index) has been designed to give a global measure of disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis. This algorithm has been created as an easy to use flow diagram based on two objective laboratory measures (C-reactive protein and erythrocyte sedimentation rate), one subjective and two semi-objective clinical measures (morning stiffness, synovitis score and Ritchie articular index). Results of six clinical markers and seven laboratory markers of disease activity on a cohort of 371 rheumatoid patients have been used to evaluate the algorithm and compare it with a previously described index of disease activity (Mallya-Mace index). Principal component analysis validates its ability to measure disease activity. Sensitivity is described by the distribution of patients between the two index scores. Change in index score by patients over a 6-month period indicates reversibility. The Stoke index demonstrates greater sensitivity and reversibility than the Mallya-Mace index. These findings indicate that the algorithm described provides a useful index of global disease activity for use in the assessment of rheumatoid arthritis.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Evaluation of residual neuromuscular block using train-of-four and double burst stimulation at the index finger.

We examined the percentage of tactile detection of fade in response to train-of-four (TOF), double burst stimulation3,3 (DBS3,3), or DBS3,2 at the index finger compared with that at the thumb during continuous infusion of vecuronium. One hundred five adult patients were studied. At TOF ratios (T4/T1) of 0.41-0.70, fades in response to TOF were more frequently identified by tactile means at the index finger than at the thumb (58% vs 26%, P < 0.05). Similarly, at TOF ratios of 0.61-0.90, fades in response to DBS3,3 were more frequently detected at the index finger than at the thumb (55% vs 15%, P < 0.05), and at TOF ratios of 0.81-1.00, the percentage of detection of fade in response to DBS3,2 was higher at the index finger than at the thumb (72% vs 40%, P < 0.05). In addition, baseline displacement of the index finger or thumb during tactile assessment of fade in response to neurostimulation was measured videographically. The baseline displacement of the index finger was significantly less than that of the thumb (P < 0.05). In summary, the percentage of tactile detection of fade in response to neurostimulation at the index finger is higher than at the thumb, and the absence of fade in response to DBS3,3 at the index finger is a good indicator of adequate recovery from neuromuscular block. This is probably because of the smaller baseline displacement of the index finger.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Prognostic value of MIB-1 index and DNA ploidy in resectable ampulla of Vater carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the prognostic value of the proliferative factors, MIB-1 index, DNA ploidy, and S-phase fraction, and further to determine the independent prognostic factors in ampulla of Vater carcinoma after pancreaticoduodenectomy. SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA: Cell kinetics are important indicators of the biologic behavior of various human tumors, but only a few authors have reported the application of cell proliferative factors in ampulla of Vater carcinoma. METHODS: Patients undergoing pancreaticoduodenectomy for ampulla of Vater carcinoma were included. Proliferative factors, MIB-1 index, and DNA contents, measured by flow cytometry, were evaluated and compared with the conventional clinicopathologic factors. RESULTS: Ninety resectable ampulla of Vater carcinomas were included. By univariate analysis, MIB-1 index, DNA ploidy, S-phase fraction, stage, and lymph node status were significant prognostic factors. The 5-year survival rate was 40.7% for tumors with MIB-1 index < or =15% and 0% for those with MIB-1 index >15%. Diploid tumors had a significantly better prognosis than aneuploid. Outcomes of stage I and II tumors were more favorable than those of stage III and IV. After multivariate analysis, MIB-1 index, DNA ploidy, and stage remained as the independent prognostic factors. Among the three independent prognostic factors, MIB-1 index was the most powerful. CONCLUSIONS: Both MIB-1 index and DNA ploidy provide important prognostic value and potentially complement the conventional prognostic factors in resectable ampulla of Vater carcinoma. MIB-1 index is the most powerful independent prognostic factor.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Assessment of renal allograft pathology by scintigraphic and ultrasound index-markers.

The efficacies of two scintigraphic and two sonographic techniques and resultant index values, as markers of renal allograft pathology, were assessed. Index values of 183 combined scintigraphic and sonographic examinations in 47 graft recipients were compared to the pathological diagnosis of transplant biopsies and subsequent clinical outcome. All recipients were studied with baseline imaging techniques postoperatively, again when indicated by predefined clinical criteria, and prior to graft biopsy. The scintigraphic technique involved the calculation of indices of thrombotic activity and cortical graft perfusion. Ultrasound involved determination of the Doppler resistance index of Pourcelot and estimations of graft volume from real time images. A decreased cortical perfusion index was, overall, the most sensitive index of acute or chronic graft pathology, but it lacked specificity. Increased thrombotic and resistance indices were 96% and 86% sensitive for acute vascular rejection and were 82% and 76% specific. Jointly increased thrombotic and resistance indices improved the specificity for acute vascular rejection to 98%. An increase in graft volume of more than 50% over stable values was 100% sensitive and 92% specific for acute interstitial rejection, and 95% specific when paired with a normal thrombotic index. A marked increase in the thrombotic index was 100% sensitive for cyclosporine-induced thrombotic microangiopathy, but only 49% specific. The specificity of a markedly increased thrombotic index for thrombotic microangiopathy improved to 93% when the Doppler resistance index remained normal or was only marginally elevated. None of the scintigraphic or ultrasound indices were helpful for the diagnosis of acute tubular necrosis, chronic rejection, recurrent glomerulopathy, or graft infection.

Biopsy↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Cerebral blood flow index: dynamic perfusion MRI delivers a simple and good predictor for the outcome of acute-stage ischemic lesion.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the feasibility of utilizing cerebral blood flow (CBF) index images, calculated automatically and quickly from dynamic perfusion imaging (DPI), to identify acute cerebral ischemia. We attempted to investigate (1) whether the CBF index has a threshold for assessing tissue outcome, (2) whether CBF index images can predict the resulting infracted area, and if so, (3) whether the predictive capacity of the CBF index image is comparable to the regional CBF (rCBF) image delivered from singular value decomposition (SVD) deconvolution methods, which are regarded as most accurate in predicting the final infarct area. METHODS: Diffusion-weighted images (DWI) and DPI were obtained in 17 patients within 12 hours of stroke onset and follow-up magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). On 3 DPI-delivered images, namely relative regional cerebral blood volume (rrCBV), uncorrected mean transit time (MTTu) and CBF index images, univariate discriminant analysis was done to estimate cut-off values to discriminate between infarcted and noninfarcted areas. Subsequently, correlations between the initial lesion volume of 3 images together with rCBF images delivered with SVD methods and the final infarct volume on follow-up T2-weighted MRI taken at the 8th to 20th day were determined. RESULTS: Among the 3 images, only the CBF index image was able reveal the threshold of the ischemic region. Lesion volume of CBF index images against follow-up infarct volume had the highest correlation (r = 0.995) to a linear fit and the slope was closest to 1.0 (0.91) among the 3 and had identical accuracy to the regression coefficient of rCBF images. CONCLUSIONS: CBF index images can predict final infarct volume. Evaluating CBF index images together with DWI can guide the initial assessment in the acute stage of cerebral ischemia.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1998

The smoothness index: a new, reproducible and clinically relevant measure of the homogeneity of the blood pressure reduction with treatment for hypertension.

OBJECTIVE: To introduce a new method, the smoothness index, for assessing the homogeneity of 24 h blood pressure reduction by antihypertensive treatment and to compare it with the trough : peak ratio; and to assess the ability of both indices to predict a reduction in the left ventricular mass index induced by treatment. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In 174 patients with essential hypertension and left ventricular hypertrophy, enrolled in the Study on Ambulatory Monitoring of Pressure and Lisinopril Evaluation (SAMPLE), aged 20-65 years, we measured clinic blood pressure, 24 h ambulatory blood pressure and the left ventricular mass index (echocardiography) before and after treatment with lisinopril at 20 mg with the addition of 12.5 or 25 mg hydrochlorothiazide as needed to reach a sufficient blood pressure reduction. The following parameters were computed for systolic and diastolic ambulatory blood pressure: (1) hourly and 24 h blood pressure averages (+/- SD) at baseline and after 3 and 12 months of treatment; (2) hourly blood pressure changes from baseline after 3 and 12 months of treatment, and their average (+/- SD) over 24 h; (3) the trough : peak ratio after 3 and 12 months of treatment; and (4) the smoothness index after 3 and 12 months of treatment Similar calculations were also performed at the end of a final study month during which active treatment was withdrawn and placebo was substituted (n = 164). RESULTS: The smoothness index for systolic and diastolic ambulatory blood pressure computed after 3 months of treatment was more closely related to its corresponding values after 12 months of treatment than the trough : peak ratio values computed after the same time periods were (r = 0.68 versus 0.38 for systolic and 0.68 versus 0.42 for diastolic blood pressure, respectively). The smoothness index showed an inverse correlation with the 24 h standard deviation of systolic and diastolic blood pressure (r = -0.25 and -0.16, P < 0.01 and < 0.05, respectively, for 12 months of treatment), while the trough : peak ratio did not (r = -0.01 to -0.12, NS). A treatment-induced reduction in the left ventricular mass index was related to the smoothness index for systolic and diastolic blood pressure (r = -0.35 and -0.32, P< 0.001 with 12 months of treatment), but not to the corresponding trough : peak ratios. CONCLUSIONS: The smoothness index identifies the occurrence of a balanced 24 h blood pressure reduction with treatment and correlates with the favourable effects of treatment on left ventricular hypertrophy better than the commonly used trough : peak ratio.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Evaluation of reflux kidney using renal resistive index.

PURPOSE: We clarified the relationships of the renal resistive index, reflux and renal scarring. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The resistive index in the interlobar artery was measured using power Doppler ultrasonography in 22 patients with reflux (reflux group), 13 with postoperative or resolved reflux (previous reflux group) and 20 who served as controls. RESULTS: Resistive index values in 11 kidneys with mid or high grade reflux were significantly higher than in 22 with low grade reflux and in the 40 normal kidneys. The resistive index in the 11 kidneys with reflux and scarring was significantly higher than in the 22 with reflux and without scarring, and in the 40 normal kidneys. The resistive index in the 14 kidneys with previous reflux and scarring was significantly higher than in 12 with previous reflux and without scarring, and in the 40 normal kidneys. Receiver operating characteristics curve analysis in 25 kidneys with and 34 without scarring revealed that a discriminatory resistive index value of 0.71 was optimal for detecting renal scarring. When the resistive index cutoff value was 0.71, there was 76% sensitivity for diagnosing renal scarring, 91% specificity and 85% overall accuracy. CONCLUSIONS: Our results show the possibility that an increased resistive index in kidneys with reflux predicts renal scarring. The resistive index measured with power Doppler ultrasonography may be a noninvasive and useful alternative for screening and following renal scarring.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1998

A new casemix adjustment index for hospital mortality among patients with congestive heart failure.

OBJECTIVES: Comparative analysis of hospital outcomes requires reliable adjustment for casemix. Although congestive heart failure is one of the most common indications for hospitalization, congestive heart failure casemix adjustment has not been widely studied. The purposes of this study were (1) to describe and validate a new congestive heart failure-specific casemix adjustment index to predict in-hospital mortality and (2) to compare its performance to the Charlson comorbidity index. METHODS: Data from all 4,608 admissions to the Massachusetts General Hospital from January 1990 to July 1996 with a principal ICD-9-CM discharge diagnosis of congestive heart failure were evaluated. Massachusetts General Hospital patients were randomly divided in a derivation and a validation set. By logistic regression, odds ratios for in-hospital death were computed and weights were assigned to construct a new predictive index in the derivation set. The performance of the index was tested in an internal Massachusetts General Hospital validation set and in a non-Massachusetts General Hospital external validation set incorporating data from all 1995 New York state hospital discharges with a primary discharge diagnosis of congestive heart failure. RESULTS: Overall in-hospital mortality was 6.4%. Based on the new index, patients were assigned to six categories with incrementally increasing hospital mortality rates ranging from 0.5% to 31%. By logistic regression, "c" statistics of the congestive heart failure-specific index (0.83 and 0.78, derivation and validation set) were significantly superior to the Charlson index (0.66). Similar incrementally increasing hospital mortality rates were observed in the New York database with the congestive heart failure-specific index ("c" statistics 0.75). CONCLUSION: In an administrative database, this congestive heart failure-specific index may be a more adequate casemix adjustment tool to predict hospital mortality in patients hospitalized for congestive heart failure.

Aged↗
PubMed2001

Functional rating index: a new valid and reliable instrument to measure the magnitude of clinical change in spinal conditions.

STUDY DESIGN: A prospective cohort design was used to evaluate the Functional Rating Index in a multicentered setting with 139 participants. The Functional Rating Index is a self-reporting instrument consisting of 10 items, each with 5 possible responses that express graduating degrees of disability. OBJECTIVES: The goal of this study was to evaluate the psychometric qualities of the Functional Rating Index. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: The Functional Rating Index combines the concepts of the Oswestry Low Back Disability Questionnaire and the Neck Disability Index and seeks to improve on clinical utility (time required for administration). METHODS: One hundred thirty-nine subjects with spinal complaints participated in four different cohorts to study reliability, validity, responsiveness, and clinical utility. RESULTS: Reliability: Test-retest: Intraclass correlation coefficient was excellent (ICC3,k = 0.99); interitem correlation: Item efficiency was good, ranging between 0.54 and 0.82, with a moderate correlation among all items; Cronbach's alpha was excellent (0.92). VALIDITY: construct: The Functional Rating Index correlated with the Disability Rating Index (0.76), the Short Form-12 Physical Component Score (0.76), and the Short Form-12 Mental Component Score (0.36). Responsiveness: Overall, the size effect was 1.24, which is commendable. Clinical utility: Time required by the patient and staff averaged 78 seconds per administration, which is noteworthy. Effect of Sociodemographics: Total scores were not affected by education, gender, nor age, suggesting minimal external validity bias. CONCLUSIONS: The Functional Rating Index appears to be psychometrically sound with regard to reliability, validity, and responsiveness and is clearly superior to other instruments with regard to clinical utility. The Functional Rating Index is a promising useful instrument in the assessment of spinal conditions.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2002

Effect of changes in inspired oxygen tension on indexes of oxygenation in ventilated neonates.

OBJECTIVE: Several indexes are used to quantify the severity of hypoxemia, including the arterial to alveolar oxygen ratio (a/APO(2)), the alveolar-arterial difference P(a-a)o(2), the ratio Pao(2)/Fio(2), and the oxygenation index (OI = mean airway pressure x Pao(2)/Fio(2)). This study was carried out to test how stable these indexes are when small changes in Fio(2) are made in ventilated neonates. DESIGN: Open prospective clinical study. SETTING: Level III neonatal intensive care unit of a teaching hospital. PATIENTS: Forty studies were performed in 31 clinically stable ventilated neonates (median birth weight, 1450 g; median gestation, 30.6 wks), monitored by transcutaneous Pao(2)-oxygen saturation (Sao(2)). INTERVENTIONS: If hyper- or hypoxemia without derangements of Paco(2) or pH were detected in a blood sample taken from an indwelling arterial catheter, Fio(2) was changed (median change, 0.05; range, -0.3 to 0.25) and another arterial blood sample was obtained 26-83 mins (median, 42) after. The indexes were calculated in the two blood samples, and for each index the changes between baseline and the value after Fio(2) change were analyzed. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Median baseline P(a-a)o(2) was 211.7 torr, median a/APO(2) was 0.24, median Pao(2)/Fio(2) was 161 torr, and median OI was 6.14. After the Fio(2) change, the coefficients of variation (sd/mean) were calculated, and they were 27.5%, 23.8%, 24.5%, and 31.6% for P(a-a)o(2), a/APO(2), Pao(2)/Fio(2), and OI, respectively. Changes in the value of each index were correlated to changes in Fio(2), indicating a dependency on Fio(2). When data were analyzed as "high Fio(2)" (approximate Sao(2) 95%) vs. "low Fio(2)" (approximate Sao(2) 90%), differences were statistically significant for all indexes except for a/APO(2). CONCLUSIONS: All the indexes tested showed a dependency on the value of Fio(2): increasing Fio(2) spuriously made neonates appear less hypoxemic. The a/APO(2) appeared to perform better than other indexes in this study, with a lower variability and a lower oxygen dependency.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1996

Congenital onychodysplasia of the index fingers--Iso-Kikuchi syndrome. A case involving the second toenail.

We report a case of congenital onychodysplasia of the index fingers (Iso-Kikuchi syndrome) in a 2-year-old boy who had nail deformities on both index fingers and the left second toe. He had a micronychia of the left index fingernail, malalignment and abnormal lunula of the right index fingernail and micronychia and malalignment of the left second toenail. Congenital onychodysplasia of the index fingers (COIF) is a rare condition characterized by various forms of nail dysplasia commonly involving the index fingers, but not infrequently also the neighbouring fingers such as the middle fingers and thumbs. The five criteria characterizing COIF include the following: (i) congenital occurrence; (ii) unilateral or bilateral index finger involvement; (iii) variability in nail appearance; (iv)possible hereditary involvement; and (v) frequently associated bone abnormalities. The nails of COIF include the full spectrum of nail dysplasia, from an irregular lunula, malalignment, micronychia (hypoplastic and rudimental), polyonychia (split rudimental), and anonychia, specifically affecting the index fingers. Our patient represents various forms of nail dysplasia of the both index fingers and left second toe such as micronychia, malalignment and abnormal lunula. To our knowledge, the association with second toenail dysplasia in COIF has not previously been reported.

Child, Preschool↗
PubMed1995

Association between the apoptotic index and established prognostic parameters in endometrial adenocarcinoma.

The aim of this study was to determine if the apoptotic index can be readily determined for endometrial carcinoma in hysterectomy specimens and to establish if any association exists between the apoptotic index and tumour grade and stage. The apoptotic index, defined as the percentage of morphologically identified apoptotic cells and apoptotic bodies in 3000 tumour cells, was calculated for 15 adenocarcinomas of the endometrium. An association between apoptotic index and tumour grade and stage was sought. Two grade 3 adenocarcinomas of endometrium had a higher apoptotic index (5.15% to 6.43%) than 13 grade 1 and 2 lesions (1.18% to 3.8%) and formed a distinct group in this series. No association between apoptotic index and tumour stage was demonstrable. Apoptotic index can be readily estimated in routine hysterectomy specimens for endometrial adenocarcinoma. A high apoptotic index shows an association with features normally correlated with a poor clinical outcome although its value as an independent prognostic index has yet to be established.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1997

A validation study of three indexes of orthodontic treatment need in the United States.

The purpose of this study was to compare the reliability and validity of three occlusal indexes of orthodontic treatment need in predicting the opinion of treatment need of a panel of 18 orthodontists. A set of 160 study casts representing all types of malocclusion was used. The casts were scored with the following occlusal indexes: the Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need (IOTN), the Handicapping Labio-Lingual Deviations index (HLD), and the Handicapping Malocclusion Assessment Record (HMAR modified). The diagnostic accuracy or validity of each index was calculated using the mean opinion of the orthodontic raters as a "gold standard". Receiver Operating Characteristic curves were plotted for each index. The overall diagnostic accuracy, as determined by percent area under the curve, was similar for each index: IOTN 98.6%; HLD 96.1%; HMAR 96.6%. The score optimizing the sensitivity and specificity relationship for each index was as follows: IOTN (dental health component) 4; HLD 13; HMAR 12. These results indicate that the three occlusal indexes provided valuable information for determining orthodontic treatment need.

Esthetics, Dental↗
PubMed2003

The link between symptoms of office building occupants and in-office air pollution: the Indoor Air Pollution Index.

The lack of an effective indoor air quality (IAQ) metric causes communication concerns among building tenants (the public), building managers (decision-makers), and IAQ investigators (engineers). The Indoor Air Pollution Index (IAPI) is developed for office buildings to bridge this communication discord. The index, simple and easily understood, employs the range of pollutant concentrations and concentrations in the subject building to estimate a unitless single number, the IAPI, between 0 (lowest pollution level and best IAQ) and ten (highest pollution level and worst IAQ). The index provides a relative measure of indoor air pollution for office buildings and ranks office indoor air pollution relative to the index distribution of the US office building population. Furthermore, the index associates well with occupant symptoms, percentage of occupants with persistent symptoms. A tree-structured method is utilized in conjunction with the arithmetic mean as the aggregation function. The hierarchical structure of the method renders not only one index value, but also several sub-index values that are critical in the study of an office air environment. The use of the IAPI for IAQ management is illustrated with an example. The decomposition of the index leads to the ranking of sampled pollutants by their relative contribution to the index and the identification of dominant pollutant(s). This information can be applied to design an effective strategy for reducing in-office air pollution.

Air Pollution, Indoor↗
PubMed2004

Manipulabilities of the index finger and thumb in three tip-pinch postures.

Tip-pinch, in which the tips of the index finger and thumb pick up and hold a very fine object, plays an important role in the function of the hand. The objective of this study was to investigate how human subjects affect manipulabilities of the tips of the index finger and thumb within the flexion/extension plane of the finger in three different tip-pinch postures. The index finger and thumb of twenty male subjects, were modeled as linkages, based on measurement results obtained using two three-dimensional position measurement devices. The manipulabilities of the index finger and thumb were investigated in three tip-pinch postures, using three criteria indicating the form and posture of the manipulability ellipse of the linkage model. There were no significant differences (p > 0.05, ANOVA) in each criterion of each digit across the subjects, except for two criteria of the thumb. The manipulabilities of the index finger and thumb were separately similar across all subjects in tip-pinch postures. It was found that the manipulability for the cooperation of the index finger and thumb of all the subjects in tip-pinch depended on the posture of the index finger, but not on the posture of the thumb. In two-dimensional tip-pinch, it was possible that the index finger worked actively while the thumb worked passively to support the manipulation of the index finger.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Assessment of indoor climate in an apartment by use of a fungal index.

Indoor climate was assessed in an apartment in Isehara City, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, by use of a fungal index. The index represents the environmental (climate) capacity to allow fungal growth; it is determined by measuring the growth rate of a biosensor fungus, Eurotium herbariorum J-183. Differences in climate among various parts of the apartment (microclimate) and its changes could be clarified by using the index. The index in the entire apartment was high in summer, low in winter, and intermediate in spring and autumn. According to the part of the apartment, the index was high in water-associated areas and cool areas. This high fungal index in cool areas was caused by the air at the same absolute humidity showing an increase in the relative humidity with a decrease in temperature. Fungal contamination rapidly progressed in areas with a high fungal index in this apartment. A correlation was observed between the fungal index and fungal contamination. Therefore, areas susceptible to fungal contamination can be estimated by use of the fungal index.

Air Microbiology↗