Effect of pulmonary training for community-dwelling frail older adults with chronic stroke: A randomized controlled pilot trial.

Background: Decreased pulmonary function and poor deglutition are a major risk factor for poststroke aspiration pneumonia. We analyzed the benefits of pulmonary training on pulmonary function, deglutition, and quality of life (QOL) in community-dwelling, frail elderly people with chronic stroke. Method: This study was designed as an open, randomized, controlled pilot trial. The participants, who were frail older adults with a history of stroke, were randomized to 2 rehabilitation groups: intervention group (n = 15) and control (n = 15). All participants (65-94 years) attended twelve 20-min sessions twice a week for 6 weeks of either standard rehabilitation (control group) or standard rehabilitation with pulmonary training including home pulmonary exercise (intervention group). The main outcome measures were pulmonary function (%MIP), deglutition (DRACE), and QOL (SF8ï½¥PCS), while secondary outcomes were muscle strength (grip and abdominal), thorax flexibility, 6-min walk distance, and activities in daily living. All outcomes were measured both prior to training and after the 12 sessions. Results: The intervention group showed significant improvement in %MIP (95% CI, 2.9-31.6; p < 0.01), DRACE (95% CI, -4.1-0.1; p < 0.01), and SF8ï½¥PCS (95% CI, 2.5-7.2; p < 0.01) compared with controls. There were no cognitive function decline and higher brain dysfunction. Conclusions: These results suggest that the addition of pulmonary training including home pulmonary exercise to a standard rehabilitation program could improve pulmonary function, deglutition, and QOL in frail elderly people with chronic stroke.

Factors related to physical and mental components of quality of life in the community-dwelling frail older persons.

[Purpose] The aim of this study was to investigate factors associated with changes in both the physical and mental components of quality of life (QOL) in of community-dwelling frail older persons in long-term care and to clarify which aspects are important to maintaining physical and mental components of QOL. [Participants and Methods] In this 1 year follow-up cohort study, participants were older persons from a single day care rehabilitation center in Japan. The Medical Outcome Study 8-Item Short-Form Health Survey (MOS-SF8), which gives both physical component summary (PCS) and mental component summary (MCS) scores, was used as the main QOL assessment. Participants were divided according to their level of QOL maintenance according to changes in PCS and MCS scores over the study period, and the variables were compared between the groups. [Results] PCS domain was significantly associated with forced vital capacity and the MCS domain was significantly associated with the Geriatric Depression Scale and Dysphagia Risk Assessment for the Community-Dwelling Elderly Test. [Conclusion] Depression, reduced pulmonary function, and reduced deglutition ability were independently related to low QOL. Assessment of these factors could be beneficial for maintaining the physical and mental components of QOL in community-dwelling frail older persons in long-term care.

Effect of respiratory rehabilitation for frail older patients with musculoskeletal disorders: a randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of respiratory rehabilitation on respiratory function, swallowing in community-dwelling frail older patients with musculoskeletal disorders. DESIGN: Randomized open-label controlled trial. SETTING: Day-care facility in a rehabilitation hospital in Japan. SUBJECTS: A total of 63 participants with musculoskeletal disorders (intervention group: n = 31; control group: n = 32) completed the randomized controlled trial. INTERVENTIONS: All participants received 12 20-min sessions twice a week for 6 weeks of either typical rehabilitation (control) or typical rehabilitation with respiratory rehabilitation (intervention). MAIN MEASURES: Outcome measures were assessed prior to rehabilitation and after 12 sessions. The measures included: respiratory function, swallowing function, exercise tolerance, 6-min walk distance, thorax flexibility, muscle strength (grip and abdominal), activities of daily living, and quality of life. RESULTS: Participants in the intervention group showed significantly greater improvement in respiratory function (95% confidence interval (CI), 3.8-6.6; p = 0.01), swallowing function (95% CI -1.8-0.6; p = 0.01), and quality of life (SF8 Physical Summary Score) (95% CI 2.4-7.1; p = 0.01) compared with those in the control group. CONCLUSION: Addition of respiratory rehabilitation to a typical rehabilitation programme could improve not only respiratory and swallowing function, but also quality of life, in frail older patients.

Age-dependent spatial distribution of bromodeoxyuridine-immunoreactive cells in the main olfactory bulb.

The subventricular zone (SVZ) generates an immense number of neurons, which migrate to the main olfactory bulb (MOB) and differentiate into granule cells and periglomerular cells in the MOB, even during adulthood. Pheromonal signals, which are mainly received by the vomeronasal organ, provide specific information concerning the reproductive state in a variety of mammal. Vomeronasal sensory neurons project to the accessory olfactory bulb (AOB) located on the dorso-caudal surface of the MOB. In the present study, bromodeoxyuridine-immunoreactive (BrdU-ir) structures in the sagittal section of the MOB including the AOB of young and old male rats were studied to explore the roles of newly generated cells at the region near the rostral end of AOB in the MOB. The density of BrdU-ir cells in the granule cell layer of the MOB of young rats was higher than that of old rats. In young rats, the density of BrdU-ir cells at the region near the rostral end of the AOB was higher than that at the region distant from the AOB. In old rats, the density of BrdU-ir cells at the near region was lower than that at the distant region. The density of BrdU-ir cells at the region near the AOB in the MOB in old rats may be concerned with age-dependent changes in ability of discrimination and memory of general odors and odors related to the reproduction.

Changes in Fos expression in the accessory olfactory bulb of sexually experienced male rats after exposure to female urinary pheromones.

We studied Fos-immunoreactive (Fos-ir) structures in the accessory olfactory bulb (AOB) of rats after the vomeronasal organ was exposed to urine. Exposure of the vomeronasal organ of male Wistar rats to oestrous and dioestrous female Wistar urine led to the appearance of many Fos-ir cells in the rostral region of the periglomerular cell (PGC) layer, but induced few Fos-ir cells in the caudal region. These results suggest that the regionalization of Fos-ir cells after exposure to female urine is remarkable in the PGC layer of the AOB. Sexually experienced male rats have been shown to prefer oestrous to dioestrous female urine, while sexually inexperienced males do not exhibit these preferences. In the present study, we compared the expression of Fos-ir cells in the AOB of sexually experienced and sexually inexperienced male rats following exposure to oestrous and dioestrous urine. In the localized region (lateral and rostral sectors) of the PGC layer, many more Fos-ir cells were expressed in the sexually experienced rats than in the inexperienced rats. These results suggest that sexual experience in males enhances the transmission of reproductively salient information concerning potential oestrous status to a specific PGC region of the AOB.

Effect of active hydroxyl groups on the interfacial bond strength of titanium with segmented polyurethane through gamma-mercapto propyl trimethoxysilane.

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of active hydroxyl groups on a titanium (Ti) surface on the bond strength between Ti and segmented polyurethane (SPU) composite through gamma-mercapto propyl trimethoxysilane (gamma-MPS). Active hydroxyl groups on Ti surface oxide were controlled by immersion in hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) with different lengths of immersion time, and the resulting concentrations of active hydroxyl groups were evaluated using a zinc-complex substitution technique. For the H2O2-treated Ti, it was characterized using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and scanning electron spectroscopy. For the bond strength of Ti/ gamma-MPS/SPU interface, it was determined using a shear bond test. Results showed that the bond strength increased with increase in the concentration of active hydroxyl groups. In terms of durability after immersion in water at 310 K for 30 days, it was found that bond strength was improved with increase in active hydroxyl groups. Based on the results obtained, active hydroxyl groups on the surface oxide film were clearly one of the causes governing the interfacial bond strength.

Effect of UV irradiation on the shear bond strength of titanium with segmented polyurethane through gamma-mercapto propyl trimethoxysilane.

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of UV irradiation on shear bond strength between a titanium (Ti) and a segmented polyurethane (SPU) composite through gamma-mercapto propyl trimethoxysilane (gamma-MPS). To this end, the shear bond strength of Ti/SPU interface of Ti-SPU composite under varying conditions of ultraviolet ray (UV) irradiation was evaluated by a shear bond test. The glass transition temperatures of SPU with and without UV irradiation were also determined using differential scanning calorimetry. It was found that the shear bond strength of Ti/SPU interface increased with UV irradiation. However, excessive UV irradiation decreased the shear bond strength of Ti/SPU interface. Glass transition temperature was found to increase during 40-60 seconds of UV irradiation. In terms of durability after immersion in water at 37 degrees C for 30 days, shear bond strength was found to improve with UV irradiation. In conclusion, UV irradiation to a Ti-SPU composite was clearly one of the means to improve the shear bond strength of Ti/SPU interface.

Structure and strength at the bonding interface of a titanium-segmented polyurethane composite through 3-(trimethoxysilyl) propyl methacrylate for artificial organs.

The objective of this study was to investigate the structure and strength at the bonding interface of a titanium (Ti)-segmented polyurethane (SPU) composite through (3-trimethoxysilyl) propyl methacrylate (gamma-MPS) for artificial organs. The effects of the thickness of the gamma-MPS layer on the shear bonding strength between Ti and SPU were investigated. Ti disks were immersed in various concentrations of gamma-MPS solutions for several immersion times. The depth profiles of elements and the thickness of the gamma-MPS layer were determined by glow discharge optical emission spectroscopy and ellipsometry, respectively. The bonding stress at the Ti/gamma-MPS/SPU interface was evaluated with a shear bonding test. Furthermore, the fractured surface of a Ti-SPU composite was observed by optical microscopy and characterized using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Consequently, the thickness of the gamma-MPS layer was controlled by the concentration of the gamma-MPS solution and immersion time. The shear bonding stress at the interface increased with the increase of the thickness of the gamma-MPS layer. Therefore, the control of the thickness of the gamma-MPS layer is significant to increase the shear bonding stress at the Ti/gamma-MPS/SPU interface. These results are significant to create composites for artificial organs consisting of other metals and polymers.

Nucleophilic substitution of alkylchlorodihydro[60]fullerenes: thermodynamic stabilities of alkylated C60 cation intermediates.

Thermodynamic stabilities of alkylated C60 cations (RC60+) were determined based on the activation free energies of SN1 solvolysis of the title compounds, indicating that these cations have stabilities comparable to that of the tert-butyl cation.