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Purpose: To investigate quality of life (QOL) and associated factors in centenarians, we conducted a visitation interview survey for all male and one half of the female centenarians living in Japan, and studied QOL, lifestyle and health status., Methods: All the male centenarians and a randomly-sampled half of the female centenarians living in Japan were included in the study based on the National Census. Finally, 556 male and 1341 female centenarians participated in the present visitation interview survey and were studied using a structured questionnaire. QOL was assessed from 3 aspects; activities of daily life (ADL), cognitive function (CF) and mental health (MH)., Results: Individuals having superior ADL accounted for 30.9% of the male and 13.6% of the female centenarians, those with superior CF were 58.1% and 35.6%, respectively, and those with superior MH were 39.2% and 26.8%, providing evidence that superior QOL was more dominant in males than in females. There were no effects of residential areas (north, east, middle, west, southwest and south of Japan) on the prevalence of ADL, CF and MH. Multiple logistic regression analyses conducted independently, for ADL, CF and MH as dependent valuables revealed that habitual exercise, less decline in visual ability and preservation of masticating ability were associated with better results for these 3 aspects of male centenarians' QOL, and that habitual exercise, less decline in visual ability, spontaneous awakening in the morning, good appetite and having cohabitating family members were associated with superior QOL in the females, suggesting that more factors are operating in the latter., Conclusions: Several lifestyle factors were found to be associated with preservation of QOL in centenarians in Japan. These results should facilitate establishing a public health and welfare policy for the most senior citizens, a group that has been increasing in Japan.

The purpose of the study was to evaluate the influence of hyperoxia and hypercapnia on respiration and metabolism during a steady-state exercise. Thirteen healthy subjects were examined during bicycle-ergometer rides at approximately 50% VO2max under four different breathing gas conditions: 1) room air (control); 2) 40% oxygen; 3) 3% carbon dioxide; 4) 40% oxygen and 3% carbon dioxide. Hyperoxia, with or without hypercapnia, decreased respiratory ventilation and carbon dioxide elimination significantly. On the other hand, oxygen uptake in hyperoxia was not significantly different from that of normoxia. Hypercapnia increased respiratory ventilation more than 30% compared to normocapnia, but it did not change oxygen uptake and carbon dioxide elimination significantly.

A randomized prospective study was done to evaluate the two treatments for pressure sores infected with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in elderly patients: Gentian violet plus dibutyryl cAMP (GVcAMP, n = 8) and povidone-iodine plus sugar (IS, n = 11). Age, underlying diseases, and nutritional status did not differ between the two groups. Specimens were obtained biweekly from the pressure sores and were cultured. The percentage of culture dishes with no methicillin-resistant S. aureus was 93% for the patients given GVcAMP, but only 74% for those given IS (p < 0.01). By the 14th week after the start of treatment, the mean area of the pressure sores in the GVcAMP group had decreased to 45% of the area at the start of treatment. In the IS group, the decrease was smaller to 56% of the area before treatment. No local or systemic adverse effects occurred in either group. GVcAMP is useful to treat pressure sores infected with methicillin-resistant S. aureus.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the safety of Self-Contained-Self-Rescuers (SCSRs) under a heavy work load. Three units, two chemical-oxygen (KO2) types and one compressed-oxygen type, were evaluated by a breathing and metabolic simulator and by a human subject. The metabolic rate in the simulator tests was equivalent to light work; the human subject tests were at a heavy work load. With regard to the main physiological stressors imposed by SCSRs, it was found that the inhalation temperature under heavy work conditions was able to be estimated from the data of the light work condition; the breathing resistance had roughly the same relationship under both light and heavy work conditions. On the other hand, for the inhaled carbon dioxide, there was no correlation between the two conditions. It was found that some SCSRs experienced a rapid increase in inhaled carbon dioxide when the metabolic rate of the user exceeded the absorbent capacity of the units. In those cases, the user could not continue walking nor breathing through the unit. To ensure the safety of the user, we propose that the certification standards be changed to include evaluation of carbon dioxide absorbent capacity under heavy work load.

We have conducted the health check of 3,554 compressed air workers and 1,821 divers, and also examined the incidence and severity of aseptic bone necrosis by using Roentgen pictures. We could classify 4,859 of 5,375 persons into four groups (A-D), based on our classification. We could also classify 4,205 of 5,375 persons that had had a bone X ray examination on the basis of the criteria described by Ota and Matsunaga (A-C). 4,859 persons belonged to four groups: class A (persons who can work, no limitations): 4,099 (84.4%), class B (persons who can work under conditions below 1.0 kg/cm2): 357 (7.3%), class C (persons who had better quit work under hyperbaric conditions, though they are not prohibited by regulations): 183 (3.8%), class D (persons who must be prohibited from working in a hyperbaric environment by laws of the Ministry of Labor): 88 (1.8%). About 90% of compressed air workers and divers (classes A and B) were permitted to work under hyperbaric conditions. Most of those belonging to classes C and D suffered from hypertension, cardiovascular disease and liver dysfunction. The incidence of aseptic bone necrosis was 11.1% (465 out of 4,205 persons). Eight persons (2.2%) belonged to criteria A which means poor prognosis. They were classified into class D. There is no differences between compressed air workers and divers in the incidence of aseptic bone necrosis.

Practical saturation diving was firstly performed at high altitude in Japan in 1987. Its work was to change the screen which had covered the pipeline of a hydroelectric dam located 850 meters above sea level, the same operation had been conducted in 1992 and in 1993, 2 times each year (Total = 5 operations) after the work. The saturation dives have lasted from six to eight days on 4 occasions and 13 days (Total duration = 4075 minutes) on 1 occasion, since the initial pressurization until the end of the last decompression. In each operation, there had always been involved 3 divers. They have been compressed to an equivalent depth of 45-73m in the deck decompression chamber (DDC), briefed for work and transferred to the submersible decompression chamber (SDC), which was then submersed to 53-78m of depth. Wearing heated suit and breathing Heliox (both at the same temperature as the inside of the SDC), the divers have been locked out to perform their tasks, all monitored and supervised by the use of a remotely operated vehicle (ROV). The works have run uneventful and successfully until the end. The water temperature had been higher than the expected, i.e. 9-13 degrees C in all occasions. The inside conditions of the chamber had been the following: partial pressure of nitrogen was from 0.78 ATA; partial pressure of oxygen was from 0.35 to 0.40 ATA; partial pressure of carbon dioxide was less than 0.005 ATA; the inside temperature of the SDC was from 26 to 30 degrees C.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)