The effect of aerobic exercise on interoception and cognitive function in healthy university students: a non-randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Interoception refers to the body's physiological responses that occur in response to emotions. This phenomenon influences decision-making, an important cognitive ability that affects the maintenance of an exercise routine. However, it is controversial whether interoception is a reliable measure of an individual's traits or their response to emotion. Given this evidence, we hypothesized that performing an exercise with positive feelings could improve interoception and that the rational decision-making capabilities acquired by improved interoception would, in turn, help in maintaining an exercise routine. Persistent aerobic exercise is essential for improving cognitive and musculoskeletal function in the long term. Therefore, we aimed to investigate changes in interoception during moderate-intensity aerobic exercise at a level that might potentially improve cognitive function. METHODS: We devided 48 healthy university students into an exercise group (n = 37) and a control group (n = 11). The control group did not perform any exercises, while the exercise group performed bench step exercises at an intensity of 50% of heart rate reserve for 30 min a day, three times a week, for three months. We assessed their cognitive function by measuring their auditory information/working memory processing speed using a paced auditory serial addition task (PASAT) and evaluated their interoceptive accuracy (IA) using a heartbeat tracking task at baseline and 1, 2, and 3 months after the start of the exercise intervention. RESULTS: There was a significant positive correlation between IA and PASAT scores at baseline. However, exercise did not lead to a significant increase in PASAT scores of the exercise group as compared with the control group. IA scores increased at 2 and 3 months after the start of exercise only in the exercise group. CONCLUSIONS: This preliminary study showed an improvement in interoception after persistent moderate-intensity aerobic exercise. We believe that exercise-induced improvement of interoception may facilitate exercise maintenance through improved cognitive function. Statistical analysis did not explain the non-uniformity of sample sizes, therefore, future studies should have larger sample sizes with equal subjects in each group to allow for better comparability and generalizability. TRIAL REGISTRATION: UMIN, UMIN000042891. 04/01/2021, retrospectively registered.

Unique Mortality Profile in Japanese Patients with COPD: An Analysis from the Hokkaido COPD Cohort Study.

Purpose: Causes of death may be unique and different in Japanese patients with COPD because they are generally older, thinner, experience fewer exacerbations, and live longer than those in other countries. We investigated the detailed mortality profile in the Hokkaido COPD cohort study, which completed a 10-year follow-up with a very low dropout rate. Patients and Methods: We prospectively examined the 10-year natural history in 279 Japanese patients with COPD (GOLD 1, 26%; GOLD 2, 45%; GOLD 3, 24%; and GOLD 4, 5%). The majority of patients were male, and the average age at baseline was 69 years old. About 95% of all patients had accurate mortality data. The risk factors for mortality were also analyzed. Results: During the 10 years, 112 patients (40%) died. Their median survival time was 6.1 years (interquartile range: 4.7-7.9 years), and age at death was 79 ± 6 years old (mean ± SD). Respiratory diseases, including pneumonia, were the leading causes of death in 45 (40%), followed by lung cancer in 24 (21%), other cancers in 18 (16%), and cardiovascular diseases in 12 (11%). In particular, lung cancer-related death was equally distributed across all COPD stages, with a higher proportion of lung cancer in the relatively younger generation (<64 years old). Older age at baseline, lower BMI, and severer emphysema were significant risk factors for all-cause mortality. Conclusion: The unique mortality profile observed in this study should be considered when designing strategies for the management of patients with COPD in any geographic region.

Annual change in FEV1 in elderly 10-year survivors with established chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Long-term decline in lung function is generally considered to be progressive in individuals with established chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), despite the presence of intersubject variation. We hypothesized that the annualized rate of decline in forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) would not be constant among different time periods in the natural history of established COPD. We compared the annual change rates in FEV1 during the first 5 years and the last 5 years, estimated separately using a linear mixed-effects model in 10-year survivors (n = 110). The subjects were classified into three FEV1 decline groups, based on the 25th and 75th percentile values in each time period. The rates of FEV1 changes, calculated from the first 5 years and the last 5 years, did not correlate with each other among 10-year survivors; the subjects of each FEV1 decline group during the first 5 years did not consistently remain in the same FEV1 decline group during the last 5 years. Smoking status and exacerbation frequency were not associated with decline in FEV1. In conclusion, the disease activity, which is often expressed as annualized change in FEV1, might be changeable either way over years in patients with established COPD.

Multiple cavities with halo sign in a case of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis during therapy for drug-induced hypersensitivity syndrome.

A 67-year-old female with rheumatoid arthritis and asthma-chronic obstructive pulmonary disease overlap syndrome was admitted for drug-induced hypersensitivity syndrome (DIHS) caused by salazosulfapyridine. Human herpes virus 6 (HHV-6) variant B was strongly positive on peripheral blood. Multiple cavities with ground grass opacities rapidly emerged predominantly in the upper and middle lobes. She was diagnosed with invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA), and was treated successfully with antifungal agents. Therapeutic systemic corticosteroids, emphysematous change in the lungs, and the worsening of the patient's general condition due to DIHS were considered major contributing factor leading to IPA. HHV-6 reactivation could have an effect on clinical course of IPA. Cavities with halo sign would provide an early clue to IPA in non-neutropenic and immunosuppressive patients.

[A liquid chromatographic method for quantifying unbound micafungin in human plasma and the relationship between the concentrations of unbound and total micafungin in plasma].

This report describes a modified method for the quantitative determination of unbound micafungin (MCFG) in human plasma that is unrelated to chemical methods currently in use, and the relationship between the concentration of unbound and total MCFG in plasma of the patients. The mobile phase consisted of 50 mM phosphate buffer:tetrahydrofuran (65:35, v/v). Samples were fractionated on a C-18 column. The fluorescence detection wavelengths of excitation and emission were set at 273 nm and 464 nm, respectively. The retention times of MCFG and 1-hydroxy-2-naphtoeic acid (internal standard: IS) were 10.5 min and 7.3 min, respectively. For each concentration of MCFG/IS, the peak height ratio on a 5-point calibration curve was linear from 0.004 to 0.08 µg/mL (r=0.999, p<0.001). In addition, the concentrations of unbound and total MCFG were measured in the plasma of 11 patients treated with MCFG for fungal infection. In total, 99 samples were collected. The concentration of unbound and total MCFG in plasma correlated with one another (r=0.896, p<0.001). These concentrations were not affected by serum albumin, total bilirubin, blood urea nitrogen, or creatinine clearance. There were small differences of [fu (unbound MCFG/total MCFG)×100%] in the every term after start of treatment of MCFG. Further, there was no difference in the unbound and total concentration of MCFG in plasma between the effective group and the ascertained effectiveness group. The concentration of MCFG in plasma could be used as an indicator of clinical effect as a substitute for the concentration of unbound MCFG in plasma.

Clinical and microbiological differences between Mycobacterium abscessus and Mycobacterium massiliense lung diseases.

In recent years, many novel nontuberculous mycobacterial species have been discovered through genetic analysis. Mycobacterium massiliense and M. bolletii have recently been identified as species separate from M. abscessus. However, little is known regarding their clinical and microbiological differences in Japan. We performed a molecular identification of stored M. abscessus clinical isolates for further identification. We compared clinical characteristics, radiological findings, microbiological findings, and treatment outcomes among patients with M. abscessus and M. massiliense lung diseases. An analysis of 102 previous isolates of M. abscessus identified 72 (71%) M. abscessus, 27 (26%) M. massiliense, and 3 (3%) M. bolletii isolates. Clinical and radiological findings were indistinguishable between the M. abscessus and M. massiliense groups. Forty-two (58%) patients with M. abscessus and 20 (74%) patients with M. massiliense infections received antimicrobial treatment. Both the M. abscessus and M. massiliense groups showed a high level of resistance to all antimicrobials, except for clarithromycin, kanamycin, and amikacin. However, resistance to clarithromycin was more frequently observed in the M. abscessus than in the M. massiliense group (16% and 4%, respectively; P = 0.145). Moreover, the level of resistance to imipenem was significantly lower in M. abscessus isolates than in M. massiliense isolates (19% and 48%, respectively; P = 0.007). The proportions of radiological improvement, sputum smear conversion to negativity, and negative culture conversion during the follow-up period were higher in patients with M. massiliense infections than in those with M. abscessus infections. Patients with M. massiliense infections responded more favorably to antimicrobial therapy than those with M. abscessus infections.

Annual change in pulmonary function and clinical phenotype in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

RATIONALE: Although the rate of annual decline in FEV1 is one of the most important outcome measures in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), little is known about intersubject variability based on clinical phenotypes. OBJECTIVES: To examine the intersubject variability in a 5-year observational cohort study, particularly focusing on emphysema severity. METHODS: A total of 279 eligible patients with COPD (stages I-IV: 26, 45, 24, and 5%) participated. We conducted a detailed assessment of pulmonary function and computed tomography (CT) at baseline, and performed spirometry every 6 months before and after inhalation of bronchodilator. Smoking status, exacerbation, and pharmacotherapy were carefully monitored. Emphysema severity was evaluated by CT and annual measurements of carbon monoxide transfer coefficient. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Using mixed effects model analysis, the annual decline in post-bronchodilator FEV1 was -32±24 (SD) ml/yr (n=261). We classified the subjects of less than the 25th percentile as Rapid decliners, the 25th to 75th percentile as Slow decliners, and greater than the 75th percentile as Sustainers (-63±2, -31±1, and -2±1 [SE] ml/yr). Emphysema severity, but not %FEV1, showed significant differences among the three groups. Multiple logistic regression analysis demonstrated that the Rapid decliners were independently associated with emphysema severity assessed either by CT or carbon monoxide transfer coefficient. The Sustainers displayed less emphysema and higher levels of circulating eosinophils. CONCLUSIONS: Emphysema severity is independently associated with a rapid annual decline in FEV1 in COPD. Sustainers and Rapid decliners warrant specific attention in clinical practice.

Mycobacterium shinjukuense sp. nov., a slowly growing, non-chromogenic species isolated from human clinical specimens.

Seven isolates of a slowly growing, non-chromogenic Mycobacterium species were obtained from sputum and bronchial lavage fluid samples from elderly patients in different regions of Japan. These isolates were distinguished from related non-tuberculous species by colony morphology, positive results for Tween hydrolysis, catalase at 68 °C, nitrate reductase and pyrazinamidase and negative results for semi-quantitative catalase, urease and arylsulfatase. The mycolic acid pattern obtained by HPLC revealed a single cluster of late-eluting mycolic acids similar to but different from those of Mycobacterium malmoense ATCC 29571(T). The 16S rRNA gene, 16S-23S internal transcribed spacer (ITS), rpoB and hsp65 sequences were unique in comparison with those of other mycobacteria. Comparison of 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that the isolates were most closely related to Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv(T) (21 base differences in 1508 bp; 98.6 % 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity). A representative strain, GTC 2738(T), showed 91.9 % rpoB sequence similarity with Mycobacterium marinum strain M, 95 % hsp65 sequence similarity with Mycobacterium kansasii CIP 104589(T) and 81.1 % 16S-23S ITS sequence similarity with Mycobacterium gordonae ATCC 14470(T). Phylogenetic analysis of concatenated sequences of the 16S rRNA, rpoB and hsp65 genes showed that strain GTC 2738(T) was located on a distinct clade adjacent to M. tuberculosis, M. ulcerans and M. marinum, with bootstrap values of 81 %. DNA-DNA hybridization demonstrated less than 70 % reassociation with type strains of genetically related species and supported the novel species status of the isolates. On the basis of this evidence, a novel species with the name Mycobacterium shinjukuense sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain, isolated from a sputum sample, is strain GTC 2738(T)( = JCM 14233(T) = CCUG 53584(T)).

[A case of thoracic empyema caused by Actinomyces species nova].

A 50-year-old man was referred and admitted to our hospital because of pneumonia and pleuritis. The patient had attempted suicide by inhaling automobile exhaust 3 years ago. Carbon monoxide intoxication had caused persistent disturbance of consciousness and quadriplegia. He had been tracheostomised and under nutrition by percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy. On admission the presence of left pleural fluid with thickening of the pleura was shown on computed tomography. Thoracocentesis produced suppurative fluid with Actinomyces species nova identified by the 16S rRNA method. The patient was successfully treated with antibiotics and drainage of suppurative fluid.

[Association between clustered strain of M. tuberculosis and infectiousness index of tuberculosis cases in a population-based IS6110-RFLP analysis].

OBJECTIVE: Isolates of M. tuberculosis were analyzed for their DNA fingerprints to facilitate understanding of ongoing transmission of tuberculosis in Sapporo (population 1.87 million), Japan, where the incidence rate of tuberculosis was 15.0 per 100,000 in 2004. SUBJECT: Out of all tuberculosis patients registered in the city from November 1998 to December 2003, isolates from culture-positive respiratory tuberculosis cases for whom written informed consent had been obtained, were analyzed by restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP). The study included 345 cases (249 men and 96 women) whose isolates were available for DNA patterns. METHOD: Using standard IS6110-RFLP typing, cases whose isolates shared identical fingerprints were considered to belong to the same cluster. Proportions of clustered cases were evaluated according to their clinical and socio-economical characteristics. RESULTS: Out of 345 cases, 207 (60.0%) were classified into 59 clusters, and 15% of clustered cases having definite epidemiological links. Multiple logistic regression analysis in men showed that age and infectiousness were significantly related to clustering. The adjusted odds ratios (OR) [95% confidence intervals (CI)] were 0.17 [0.03-0.79] for 30-59 years, 0.15 [0.03-0.69] for 60 years or over and 2.35 [1.17-4.70] for those cases assigned as the highest level of transmission of tuberculosis from the infectiousness index of cases. For women the final model showed the adjusted OR [95% CI] were 0.52 [0.22-1.22] for those with previous history of tuberculosis and 0.33 [0.06-1.85] for diabetics. In male cases with a previous history of tuberculosis, most highly infectious cases were significantly associated with clustering (OR [95% CI], 4.53 [1.16-17.68]). CONCLUSION: The results suggest that highly infectious male tuberculosis cases with endogenous reactivation have contributed to recent transmission of tuberculosis in the studied area.

[New criteria for discharge from ward in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis using mycobacteria growth indicator tube].

OBJECTIVES: To find a new method to predict the result of the egg based Ogawa medium using the Mycobacterium Growth Indicator Tube (MGIT) system and to evaluate the usefulness of a new discharge criterion that uses the new prediction method for smear positive pulmonary tuberculosis patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We compared mycobacterial growth of sputum specimens weekly between the Mycobacterium Growth Indicator Tube (MGIT) and the egg based Ogawa solid media, using a total of 3952 sputum specimens of patients with pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) who underwent chemotherapy in our hospital from September 2001 to March 2006 to find relationship between the results of the two culture methods and to utilize the findings to new discharge criteria of pulmonary TB patients. And we compared the duration of hospitalization between two patients' group: one group using the new discharge criterion, the other the old one. RESULTS: We found that if a specimen shows negative culture on the MGIT system within the first two weeks, the same specimen shows negative or scant growth on the Ogawa media in the 8th week. Introducing this fact as a part of new criteria for hospital discharge of patients with pulmonary tuberculosis, the median duration of hospitalization in our hospital was shortened from 121 days to 71 days and no patient showed treatment failure. DISCUSSION: We have used the result of sputum culture on Ogawa medium as a standard when we judge infectivity of patients with pulmonary tuberculosis in Japan, but it was one of the reasons why Japanese pulmonary tuberculosis patients stay long in TB hospital. Using our finding, we can predict the results of Ogawa system six weeks earlier, when a specimen shows negative culture on the MGIT system in the first 2 weeks. After we introduced this fact into new criteria for hospital discharge of patients with pulmonary tuberculosis, the median duration of hospitalization in our hospital was shortened and no patient shows treatment failure until now. We highly recommend the usefulness of the MGIT system (especially when a specimen shows negative growth in the first two weeks) as a reliable method of predicting infectivity of patients with pulmonary tuberculosis and propose that the new TB discharge criterion should be widely confirmed and used in other hospitals.

Retrograde radiographic development in pulmonary sarcoidosis.

A 48-year-old man with dyspnea, cough, and fever was found to have a diffuse ground-glass pulmonary lesion without lymphadenopathy on chest X-ray. The lesion shifted to the peripheral lung zones 2 months later when transbronchial biopsy demonstrated noncaseating granulomas with Langhans type giant cells. After 6 more months, prominent bilateral hilar lymphadenopathy and highly elevated serum angiotensin-converting enzyme confirmed the diagnosis of pulmonary sarcoidosis. Such a course is quite rare in that it goes the opposite way of the conventional staging system.

[The proposal of an index of dynamic property of the airway].

We propose (-deltaG(rs)/deltat)/G(rs) obtained from Astograph as an index of dynamic property of the airway. G(rs) represents respiratory conductance. Fluid mechanics suggests that (- deltaG(aw)/deltat)/G(aw) is related to a coefficient of airway contraction or dilatation. G(aw) represents airway conductance. R(rs) (=1/G(rs)) is approximately equal to R(aw) (=1/G(aw)) + Constant. R(rs) and R(aw) represent respiratory and airway resistance, respectively. As R(rs) is thought to be closely correlated to R(aw), G(rs) should be correlated to G(aw). Thus, if G(rs) is used as a substitute for G(aw), (-deltaG(rs)/deltat)/G(rs) should also be related to a coefficient of airway contraction or dilatation. We found that asthmatics had significantly higher (-deltaG(rs)/deltat)/G(rs) than normal subjects. That is, the airway smooth muscles of the asthmatics are more contractive than those of normal subjects.

Role of contrast-enhanced dynamic CT in the diagnosis of active tuberculoma.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: To assess the role of contrast-enhanced dynamic CT in the diagnosis of active tuberculoma. SETTING: Hospitals with an isolated ward for tuberculosis. METHODS: Fifty-five subjects with newly diagnosed active tuberculoma and 24 subjects with inactive tuberculoma were examined and evaluated retrospectively. Six subjects with active tuberculomas and seven subjects with inactive tuberculomas were confirmed by histologic and microbiologic evaluation of resected specimens, whereas the remainder of the subjects with tuberculoma were confirmed clinically. The subjects were receiving iopamidol, 370 mg/mL IV, at a rate of 3.0 mL/s on contrast-enhanced dynamic CT. The time-attenuation curve was obtained and adapted to a gamma function. The peak height (PH), maximum attenuation subtracted by the background attenuation, relative flow (RF), and mean regional flow were used for comparison. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: In the surgically confirmed group, the PH and RF values of six subjects with active tuberculomas were significantly higher than those of the seven subjects with inactive tuberculoma (p < 0.05). Similarly, in the subjects with noninvasive diagnoses, the PH and RF values of 49 subjects with active tuberculoma were significantly higher than those of the subjects with inactive tuberculoma (mean +/- SD PH, 43.4 +/- 4.1 Hounsfield units [HU] vs 11.6 +/- 2.7 HU, p < 0.0001; RF, 0.012 +/- 0.001/s vs 0.006 +/- 0.001/s, p < 0.05). When the cutoff value was defined as mean +/- 2 SD, the sensitivity and specificity of the diagnosis for active tuberculoma were 77.1% and 96.4% in PH, and 68.5% and 88.8% in RF, respectively. CONCLUSION: Contrast-enhanced dynamic CT is a potentially valuable tool for the diagnosis of active tuberculoma.