[Successful steroid pulse therapy for COVID-19 associated respiratory failure initially mimicking bortezomib-induced lung injury].

From December 2019, a 71-year-old male underwent three cycles of a combination therapy of pomalidomide, bortezomib, and dexamethasone for relapsed multiple myeloma and a very good partial response was achieved. In March 2020, he developed a fever of 38.9°C and computed tomography revealed bilateral ground-glass opacities. Antibiotic therapy was ineffective. Bronchoscopy was performed and bortezomib-induced lung injury was initially suspected. Due to respiratory exacerbation, high-dose steroid therapy was administered, which resulted in a dramatic improvement of the patient's respiratory failure. Thereafter, reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction performed on a preserved bronchial lavage sample tested positive, and thus his diagnosis was corrected to COVID-19 pneumonia. It is difficult to discriminate COVID-19 pneumonia from drug-induced lung disease, as both disorders can present similar ground-glass opacities on computed tomography. Therefore, with this presented case, we summarize our experience with steroid therapy for COVID-19 associated respiratory distress at our institution.

Cardiac tamponade secondary to empyema.

A 70-year-old male presented with a 1-month history of malaise and fever. He was diagnosed with chronic empyema and went into shock by cardiac tamponade after treatment. This case shows that even chronic empyema can cause cardiac tamponade. It should be considered as differential diagnoses of shock after empyema treatment.

Effects of range of motion exercise of the metatarsophalangeal joint from 2-weeks after joint-preserving rheumatoid forefoot surgery.

Objectives: Joint-preserving rheumatoid forefoot surgery improves clinical outcomes, but postoperative range of motion (ROM) of the metatarsophalangeal (MTP) joint remains an issue. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of ROM exercise from the early period after lesser toe MTP joint-preserving surgery.Methods: A retrospective, observational study of 22 rheumatoid arthritis patients who underwent modified metatarsal shortening offset osteotomy was completed. Lesser toe scales were administered using the Japanese Society for Surgery of the Foot (JSSF) standard rating system, and the maximum distance of continuous walking was checked to evaluate clinical outcomes. Maximum passive ROM of the lesser toe MTP joints and the extension angle of the 2nd MTP joint at the terminal stance phase during gait were measured and evaluated.Results: Pain scores and ROM-related indices of the JSSF lesser toe scale improved significantly in the exercise group. The extension angle of the 2nd MTP joint at the terminal stance phase during gait was increased, and the maximum distance of continuous walking seemed longer.Conclusion: Passive/active ROM exercise from 2-weeks after surgery can improve a patient's activity and forefoot function through increasing ROM of the MTP joint at the terminal stance phase.

Analyzing the characteristics of rising from the bed in patients having undergone total hip arthroplasty immediately after surgery.

BACKGROUND: Immediately after patients undergo total hip arthroplasty (THA), they are often coached through the process of rising from the bed to prevent dislocation. However, motion analysis of this process, which can guide coaching methods, has not been conducted. The purpose of this study was to clarify whether there is a difference in hip joint angle, rise time, pain, and difficulty based on the method of rising from the bed in postoperative patients, immediately after THA. METHODS: Twenty patients who underwent THA were enrolled in this study. Seven days after surgery, 3-D motion analysis was performed while subjects rose from the bed using six different methods that include rising from the bed using either the affected or non-affected side either with or without assistance. Hip joint angle, rise time, pain, and difficulty were evaluated. RESULTS: In all six methods, the maximal hip joint angle of the affected side was in the safe range. The maximal hip adduction angle and adduction angle at maximum flexion of the affected side were significantly lower in patients who rose from the bed using their affected side than in those who rose using their non-affected side. There were no differences in maximal hip flexion angle, internal rotation angle, internal rotation angle at maximum flexion of the affected side, rise time, pain, or difficulty regardless of the direction of rising from the bed or the use of assistance. SIGNIFICANCE: Coaching patients to rise from the bed is better performed when using the most optimal method that takes into consideration the movement direction and patient's individuality.

Intermolecular distances of carboxylated TEMPO derivatives on TiO2 evaluated by spin-probe ESR.

Nearest-neighbor intermolecular distances of molecules adsorbed on the surface of nanocrystalline TiO(2) particles were evaluated by the electron spin resonance (ESR) technique with molecules having a nitroxide radical and a carboxyl group as a spin probe to clarify their aggregation behaviors on TiO(2) and the influence of coadsorbates.

Detection of water in organic solvents by photo-induced electron transfer method.

A new class of fluorescence sensor for detection of water in organic solvents based on photo-induced electron transfer (PET) of anthracene coupled with an amino acid has been designed and developed.

Synthesis and fluorescence and electrochemical properties of D-pi-A structural isomers of benzofuro[2,3-c]oxazolo[4,5-a]carbazole-type and benzofuro[2,3-c]oxazolo[5,4-a]carbazole-type fluorescent dyes.

Heteropolycyclic donor--acceptor (D--A) structural isomers of benzofuro[2,3-c]oxazolo[4,5-a]carbazole-type (2a-f) and benzofuro[2,3-c]oxazolo[5,4-a]carbazole-type fluorescent dyes (3a-f), which differ in the position of oxygen and nitrogen atoms of the oxazole ring, have been synthesized, and their photophysical and electrochemical properties have been investigated. The fluorescent dyes 2a-f exhibit much stronger intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) absorption and fluorescence bands than 3a-f. Both of the D-pi-A structural isomers showed bathochromic shifts of the fluorescence band and a decrease in the fluorescence quantum yields with increasing solvent polarity (i.e., positive fluorescence solvatochromism), and the bathochromic shifts for 3a-f were larger than those for 2a-f. The fluorescent dyes 2a-c and 3a-c, which have cyano and carboxyl groups, and carboxylic acid ester as electron-withdrawing substituents, exhibited significant fluorescence solvatochromic properties, compared to 2e, 2f, 3e and 3f without an electron-withdrawing substituent. The fluorescence solvatochromism of the fluorescent dyes were analyzed with the Lippert-Mataga correlation. Moreover, to elucidate the differences of photophysical properties among the fluorescent dyes, we have performed time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopic measurements, and a change of the electronic or molecular structures between the ground and excited states was evaluated by a comparison of the experimental radiative rate constant (k(r)) with the Strickler-Berg rate constant (kSB(r)). The electrochemical properties of 2a-f and 3a-f were determined by cyclic voltammetry, which demonstrated that these fluorescent dyes have similar HOMO energy levels, but different LUMO energy levels. Semi-empirical molecular orbital calculations (AM1 and INDO/S) have been carried out to elucidate the effects of the substituents and chromophore skeleton on photophysical properties of the two D-pi-A structural isomers. These studies indicated that the ICT characteristics in the excited state are different among the fluorescent dyes, which is a principal reason for the differences of the fluorescence solvatochromism and the substituent dependent fluorescence properties among the two D-pi-A structural isomers.