Reliability and Validity Analyses of the Practical Assessment of Dysphagia Test in Stroke.

To investigate the validity and reliability of the Practical Assessment of Dysphagia (PAD) test as a quantitative and organ-specific test for stroke patients. In this study, PAD test data from 109 patients with stroke were used. The internal consistency of the PAD was analyzed using Cronbach's α value. Inter- and intra-rater reliabilities of the PAD were analyzed using Kappa coefficient. Concurrent validity was evaluated based on the correlation between PAD and the videofluoroscopic swallowing study (VFSS). The diagnostic accuracy of the PAD test in patients with stroke was measured using the area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Intra- and inter-rater reliabilities (Intra-class Correlation Coefficient (ICC) = 0.98 and 0.99, respectively) were significant (p < 0.001) for the total PAD score. The functional dysphagia scale (FDS) score and penetration-aspiration score (PAS) correlated significantly with PAD (p < 0.001). The results of the ROC curve analysis with various cut-off points showed that the PAD test had high sensitivity and specificity. The PAD has high reliability and validity. Therefore, it is a useful screening test for dysphagia in patients with stroke.

Correlation between 10-meter walking speed and exercise capacity in patients with surgical resection for lung cancer.

Surgical resection for lung cancer adversely impacts exercise capacity. The 6-minute walk test (6MinWT) and cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET) are commonly used to assess exercise capacity. However, these tests are difficult to use clinically because they must be performed by a trained technician using specialized equipment according to a prescribed method. This study aims to analyze correlations between walking speed in a 10-meter walk test and exercise capacity measured by the 6MinWT or CPET in patients with lung resection for lung cancer. A total of 50 patients who were diagnosed with lung cancer and underwent lung resection were included in the analysis. The 6MinWT and CPET were performed to measure exercise capacity, and the 10-meter walk test was used to evaluate the short-duration walking speed. The population was divided into 2 groups -low and high exercise capacity - based on threshold values (6MinWT, 500 m; CPET, 20 mL·kg-1·min-1); we analyzed the correlation according to the level of exercise capacity. In the correlation analysis between the 10-meter walking speed and exercise capacity, the 10-meter walking speed showed a strong correlation (R = 0.70, P < .001) with the 6MinWT and a moderate correlation (R = 0.47, P < .001) with the CPET, respectively. The low exercise capacity group showed a significant correlation (6MinWT, ρ = 0.70; CPET, ρ = 0.54) between the 10-meter walking speed and exercise capacity, while the high exercise capacity group did not. In patients who underwent lung resection for lung cancer, the 10-meter walking speed was significantly correlated with exercise capacity, especially in subjects with low exercise capacity that require pulmonary rehabilitation.

Effect of locally administered Syk siRNA on allergen-induced arthritis and asthma.

New approaches for the treatment of inflammatory disorders such as rheumatic arthritis (RA) and inflammatory lung disease (asthma) are needed because a significant population of patients do not experience sustained relief with currently available therapies. The tyrosine kinase Syk plays a crucial role in inflammatory signaling pathways and has gained much attention as a potential target for treatment of inflammatory disorders. We have shown that our Syk siRNA injected directly into limb joints of arthritic mice, diminishes joint swelling and reduces levels of Syk kinase and inflammatory cytokines in joint tissue. Further, our Syk siRNA, administered via nasal instillation, inhibits recruitment of inflammatory cells to the bronchoalveolar fluid of allergen-sensitized mice. We propose that targeting Syk via localized application of Syk siRNA provides an opportunity for specific knockdown of Syk kinase with minimal potential for systemic effects.

Curved Hammett plot in alkaline hydrolysis of O-aryl thionobenzoates: change in rate-determining step versus ground-state stabilization.

Second-order rate constants have been measured for alkaline hydrolysis of O-aryl thionobenzoates (X-C(6)H(4)-CS-OC(6)H(4)-Y) in 80 mol % H(2)O-20 mol % DMSO at 25.0 +/- 0.1 degrees C. The Hammett plot for the reaction of O-4-nitrophenyl X-substituted thionobenzoates (X-C(6)H(4)-CS-OC(6)H(4)-NO(2), 1a-e) exhibits a downward curvature. However, a possible traditional explanation in terms of a change in the rate-determining step (RDS) has been considered but rejected. The proposed explanation involves stabilization of the ground-state (GS) through-resonance interaction between the electron-donating substituent X and the thionocarbonyl functionality on the basis of the linear Yukawa-Tsuno plot obtained for the same reaction. The Brønsted-type plot for the reaction of O-aryl thionobenzoates (C(6)H(5)-CS-OC(6)H(4)-Y, 2a-i) is linear but exhibits many scattered points with a small beta(lg) (-0.35). The Hammett plot for the same reaction shows rather poor correlation with sigma(-) constants but much better correlation with sigma(o) constants. The alkaline hydrolysis of O-aryl thionobenzoates (1a-e and 2a-i) has been proposed to proceed through an addition intermediate in which bond formation is the RDS.

The effect of medium on rate and mechanism: aminolysis of O-4-nitrophenyl thionobenzoate in MeCN and H2O.

Pseudo-first-order rate constants (kobs) have been measured spectrophotometrically for reactions of O-4-nitrophenyl thionobenzoate (1) with a series of alicyclic secondary amines in MeCN and H2O at 25.0 +/- 0.1 degrees C. The plot of kobs vs amine concentration exhibits an upward curvature in all cases, indicating that the reactions proceed through two tetrahedral intermediates (a zwitterionic T(+/-) and its deprotonated anionic T-) regardless of the amine basicity and the nature of the reaction medium. However, all the amines investigated have been found to be much less reactive in MeCN than in H2O, although the amines are more basic in the former medium by 7-9 pKa units.