Motor flexibility to stabilize the toe position during obstacle crossing in older adults: an investigation using an uncontrolled manifold analysis.

Introduction: An age-related decrease in the ability to exploit the abundant degrees of freedom of the body, referred to as motor flexibility, leads to a heightened fall risk. The present study investigated motor flexibility to stabilize the toe position during obstacle crossing in older adults and its correlation with the magnitude of foot elevation. Methods: Twenty-six older adults (70.9 ± 7.4 years old) and 21 younger adults (25.4 ± 5.0 years old) walked and crossed an obstacle, during which the dominant limb was always the leading limb. An uncontrolled manifold (UCM) analysis was used to quantify the flexibility during obstacle crossing as the synergy index, with the vertical toe position being regarded as the performance variable and the segment angles of the lower limbs as the elemental variables. Results and discussion: The results showed that older participants had a significantly lower synergy index for the trailing limb before the moment of obstacle crossing than younger participants, suggesting reduced flexibility in part. The results also showed that, regardless of age, foot elevation was negatively correlated with the synergy index, suggesting that a so-called "conservative strategy" (i.e., a tendency to show extraordinarily high foot elevation to ensure collision avoidance) may be related to their reduced motor flexibility.

Changes in caregiving risk and motor function among older adults participating in community gatherings in Koshigaya city.

[Purpose] This study investigated the changes in caregiving risk and motor function among older adults participating in community gatherings ("Kayoinoba") in Koshigaya. [Participants and Methods] A total of 257 older participants who engaged in the Kayoinoba program for 6 months from its inception were included in the analysis. Caregiving risk and motor function were assessed twice-once at the beginning of the Kayoinoba (first assessment) and again 6 months later (second assessment). The Kihon Checklist was used to evaluate caregiving risk, and the timed up-and-go, one-leg standing, and 30-s chair-stand tests were done to evaluate motor functioning. Participants were divided into pre-frail and healthy groups, and the first and second assessments were compared. [Results] The Kihon Checklist score of the pre-frail group significantly improved from the first to the second assessment. The pre-frail group had lower composite scores for physical function, outdoor activities, and depression mood items based on the Kihon Checklist; the healthy group showed no such differences. Performance on the 30-s chair-stand test was significantly better in the second assessment than in the first assessment in both groups. [Conclusion] The findings of this study emphasize the benefits of participating in Kayoinoba among high-risk older adults and provide the knowledge for developing a healthier community-based symbiotic society.

Isolation of Aspergillus udagawae in Canaliculitis: A Case Report.

Aspergillus udagawae is a cryptic species of Aspergillus section Fumigati. Here, we report a case of canaliculitis with isolated A. udagawae. Fungal canaliculitis is a rare lacrimal disease, and its clinical features are poorly understood. The causative fungus was initially misclassified as Aspergillus thermomutatus by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) but was finally identified as A. udagawae by ß-tubulin genetic analysis. The patient showed rapid improvement and did not experience relapse after drainage alone, without antifungal therapy. A. udagawae has low virulence, which may be related to the minimally invasive nature of the infection.

Sputum Gram stain of hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae.

Hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae has virulence genes relevant to capsule overproduction, which could lead to the finding of thick transparent area ("halo") in Gram stain. In sputum Gram stain, observation of a large Gram-negative rod with a thick capsule may not only indicate that it is K. pneumoniae but also that it is a highly virulent strain.

Platypnea-Orthodeoxia: An Effective Diagnostic Tool for Hepatopulmonary Syndrome With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

Hepatopulmonary syndrome (HPS) shows progressive dyspnea resulting from intrapulmonary atrioventricular shunts in liver cirrhosis. The comorbidity of chronic lung disease often hampers the diagnosis of progressive dyspnea in patients with HPS. Therefore, a comprehensive approach to the determination of dyspnea is required. Here, this case report shows that a patient with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and alcoholic liver cirrhosis was diagnosed with HPS after admission due to worsening dyspnea. Although COPD exacerbation was initially suspected because of the long history of smoking, physical examinations, laboratory findings, and imaging data, dyspnea remained after recovery from worsening respiratory failure. HPS was suspected due to the absence of increased CO2 levels and the presence of platypnea-orthodeoxia. We diagnosed the intrapulmonary arteriovenous shunt with microbubble-contrast echocardiography and technetium-99m macroaggregated albumin scintigraphy. Therefore, this case highlighted that HPS rather than COPD was suspected of hypoxemia associated with repositioning for the differential diagnosis of dyspnea.

Relationship between adaptability during turning and the complexity of walking before turning in older adults.

In this study, the relationship between behavioral complexity (sample entropy, SEn) during steady walking and the quickness of subsequent turning performance in older adults. Herein, healthy older and younger adults (n = 12 each) were instructed to walk straight and then turn into an intersection surrounded by four pylons. This walking task was performed under two turning conditions: reactive and pre-planned turning, where the direction of turning was unknown until immediately before turning or was informed beforehand, respectively. For older adults, behavioral complexity was comparable under both conditions, but was higher under reactive than pre-planned turning condition for younger adults. This suggests that older adults cannot adapt their walking patterns in response to turning conditions. Correlation analysis showed that older adults with lower SEn had more difficulty in turning rapidly under reactive turning condition, indicating a relationship between the two variables. Thus, deterioration of the reactive turning performance in older adults is related to stereotyped movements during steady walking.

Skeletal muscle atrophy and short-term mortality in patients with acute exacerbation of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: an observational cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Skeletal muscle atrophy, a common complication of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), and its presence upon diagnosis can indicate a poor prognosis. Patients with IPF frequently experience acute exacerbations (AE), which is associated with a high mortality rate. However, the association between skeletal muscle atrophy and short-term mortality remains unknown. METHODS: We performed a retrospective, multicenter cohort study of patients admitted for AE-IPF in Japan. The cross-sectional areas of the erector spinae muscle (ESMCSA) and the pectoralis muscle (PMCSA) were analyzed via single-slice computed tomography (CT). The primary outcome was 90-day mortality. Survival probability was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method, and the log-rank test was used between the low and high groups of ESMCSA and PMCSA. We used multivariable Cox proportional-hazards models to evaluate the association between ESMCSA and PMCSA and prognosis. RESULTS: Of the 212 patients included, 94 (44%) died during the observation period. The low ESMCSA group (<25.6 cm2) had a significantly worse prognosis than that of the high ESMCSA group (≥25.6 cm2) (hazard ratio (HR) [95% confidence interval (CI)]: 1.52 [1.00-2.33], P = 0.049). Multivariable analyses showed that all-cause mortality was associated with low ESMCSA (model 1, adjusted HR [95% CI]: 1.59 [0.98-2.60]; model 2, 1.55 [0.95-2.56], and model 3, 1.67 [1.00-2.78], respectively). The adjusted HR of low PMCSA (<20.4 cm2) vs. high PMCSA (≥20.4 cm2) was 1.39 (95% CI: 0.88-2.20). CONCLUSIONS: Low ESMCSA on CT images is associated with a high 90-day mortality rate in patients with AE-IPF.

Early corticosteroid dose tapering in patients with acute exacerbation of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

BACKGROUND: Although corticosteroid therapy with dose tapering is the most commonly used treatment for acute exacerbation of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (AE-IPF), there is no consensus on the tapering regimen. This study aimed to investigate the association between early corticosteroid dose tapering and in-hospital mortality in patients with AE-IPF. METHODS: In this retrospective cohort study, we analyzed the data of a cohort from eight Japanese tertiary care hospitals and routinely collected administrative data from a cohort from 185 Japanese hospitals. Patients with AE-IPF were classified into the early and non-early tapering groups depending on whether the maintenance dose of corticosteroids was reduced within two weeks of admission. Propensity score analysis with inverse probability weighting (IPW) was performed to estimate the effect of early corticosteroid dose tapering. RESULTS: The multi-center cohort included 153 eligible patients, of whom 47 (31%) died, whereas the administrative cohort included 229 patients, of whom 51 (22%) died. Patients with early tapering tended to have a better prognosis than those without it (unadjusted hazard ratio [95% confidence interval] 0.41 [0.22-0.76] and 0.65 [0.36-1.18] in the multi-center and administrative cohorts, respectively). After IPW, the early tapering group had a better prognosis than the non-early tapering group (IPW-adjusted hazard ratio [95% confidence interval] 0.37 [0.14-0.99] and 0.27 [0.094-0.83] in the multi-center and administrative cohorts, respectively). CONCLUSION: Early corticosteroid dose tapering was associated with a favorable prognosis in patients with AE-IPF. Further studies are warranted to confirm the effects of early corticosteroid dose tapering in patients with AE-IPF.

Sjögren's Syndrome Complicated With Sarcoidosis With a Repetitive, Prolonged, Non-productive Cough.

Sjögren's syndrome and sarcoidosis are systemic immune-mediated diseases of unresolved pathogenesis, with dry cough being a symptom of both diseases. Due to the low pre-test probability of the diseases, they are not considered in the first differential diagnosis of prolonged non-productive cough. We report the case of a 33-year-old woman presenting with an intermittent, non-productive cough, diagnosed with Sjögren's syndrome coexisting with sarcoidosis.

Histological background of dedifferentiated solitary fibrous tumour.

AIMS: Dedifferentiation is a histological phenomenon characterised by abrupt transition of histology to a sarcomatous component with high-grade malignant potential in solitary fibrous tumour (SFT). The authors histologically reviewed SFT cases to reveal the histological background of dedifferentiated SFTs. METHODS: Clinicopathological and histopathological findings of 145 SFT cases were reviewed. Immunohistochemical staining and genetic analysis were also performed. RESULTS: The non-dedifferentiated components showed a cellular component in 45 of 145 (31%), high mitotic rate (≥4/10 high-powered field) in 12 of 145 (8.2%) tumours, necrosis in 7 of 145 (4.8%) tumours, multinodular growth pattern in 39 of 132 (29.5%) available tumours and intratumoural fibrous septa in 37 of 131 (28.2%). Immunohistochemically, the non-dedifferentiated components were positive for CD34 in 128 of 141 (90.7%), bcl-2 in 101 of 133 (75.9%), nuclear pattern of ß-catenin in 64 of 127 (50.3%) and p16 in 22 of 140 (15.7%). Loss of Rb protein expression was detected in 17 of 110 (15.4%) cases. Statistically, cellular component, multinodular structure, p16 overexpression and Rb protein loss were significantly associated with dedifferentiation. Moreover, cellular component and multinodular structure were significantly associated with p16 overexpression and Rb protein loss. All the non-deddifferentiated components showed wild type of p53 expression. The dedifferentiated components of all 10 dedifferentiated tumours presented positivity for p16 in 9 of 10 (90%) and mutational type of p53 in 5 of 10 (50%). Loss of Rb protein expression was detected in 6 of 10 (60%). CONCLUSIONS: The authors propose that cellular or multinodular transformation may be associated with dedifferentiation. They also suggest that cellular and multinodular transformation may be associated with p16 overexpression and Rb downregulation.

The Accuracy of Japanese Administrative Data in Identifying Acute Exacerbation of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to develop criteria for identifying patients with acute exacerbation of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (AE-IPF) from Japanese administrative data and validate the pre-existing criteria. METHODS: This retrospective, multi-center validation study was conducted at eight institutes in Japan to verify the diagnostic accuracy of the disease name for AE-IPF. We used the Japanese Diagnosis Procedure Combination data to identify patients with a disease name that could meet the diagnostic criteria for AE-IPF, who were admitted to the eight institutes from January 2016 to February 2019. As a reference standard, two respiratory physicians performed a chart review to determine whether the patients had a disease that met the diagnostic criteria for AE-IPF. Furthermore, two radiologists interpreted the chest computed tomography findings of cases considered AE-IPF and confirmed the diagnosis. We calculated the positive predictive value (PPV) for each disease name and its combination. RESULTS: We included 830 patients; among them, 216 were diagnosed with AE-IPF through the chart review. We combined the groups of disease names and yielded two criteria: the criteria with a high PPV (0.72 [95% confidence interval 0.62 to 0.81]) and that with a slightly less PPV (0.61 [0.53 to 0.68]) but more true positives. Pre-existing criteria showed a PPV of 0.40 (0.31 to 0.49). CONCLUSION: The criteria derived in this study for identifying AE-IPF from Japanese administrative data show a fair PPV. Although these criteria should be carefully interpreted according to the target population, our findings could be utilized in future database studies on AE-IPF.

Multiple cystic lesions after treatment for pulmonary cryptococcosis.

Pulmonary cryptococcosis presents various radiological manifestations depending on the immunological status of the host. The most common chest radiographic findings include single or multiple nodules. Herein, we present a rare case of pulmonary cryptococcosis in a patient with rheumatoid arthritis presenting as multiple cystic lesions that enlarged after treatment.

Pulmonary sarcoidosis presenting as a solitary nodule mimicking lung cancer.

Nodular sarcoidosis is a rare form of sarcoidosis. It is difficult to differentiate from malignancy based on radiological findings. Histological examination is important, and sarcoidosis should be considered as differential diagnosis of solitary lung nodule.

Efficacy of lorlatinib treatment in ALK rearrangement lung cancer with severe symptomatic central nervous system metastases and poor performance status.

Lorlatinib treatment should be positively considered even for patients with ALK-positive NSCLC with severe neurocognitive disturbance and poor performance status due to CNS metastases, including leptomeningeal carcinomatosis.

Cluster circulating tumor cells in surgical cases of lung cancer.

OBJECTIVES: A cancer lesion sheds tumor cells into the circulating blood as circulating tumor cells (CTCs). Since cluster CTCs have been considered as precursor lesions of metastasis, their clinical implication was investigated in this study according to the preoperative status of cluster CTC detection in surgical cases of clinically early-stage lung cancer. METHODS: Among 104 surgical patients of early-stage lung cancer, CTCs were extracted from the peripheral blood before surgery using a micro-pore size selection method (ScreenCell®) and diagnosed microscopically. Implications of detecting cluster CTC were assessed according to the prognosis and clinicopathological characteristics. RESULTS: The status of CTC detection was not detected in 77 cases (74.0%), single CTC only detection in 7 cases (6.7%), and cluster CTC detected in 20 cases (19.2%). Patients with cluster CTCs exhibited significantly lower recurrence-free survival and overall survival than did patients of other groups. In addition, in hazard ratio analysis, the hazard ratios were independent of other predictors of poor prognosis, and detection of cluster CTCs was associated with predictors of poor prognosis. CONCLUSION: Cluster CTCs were detected in cases where the original lung cancer lesion had clinical predictors of poor prognosis and were independent negative predictors of survival.

Utility of Dynamic Balance Measurements in Discriminating Community Ambulation Levels Among Individuals with Stroke: A Cross-sectional Study.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the association between dynamic balance measurements and community ambulation levels among individuals with chronic stroke. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was performed in 2-day care facilities for older adults located in urban areas. Forty-seven community-dwelling poststroke adults who could walk independently were participated. Community ambulation performance was assessed using the Functional Ambulation Classification of the Hospital at Sagunto (FACHS). Dynamic balance and mobility were measured with the Mini-Balance Evaluation Systems Test (Mini-BESTest), the Timed Up and Go (TUG) test, and 10 m maximum walking speed. RESULTS: Participants were classified into 3 groups according to FACHS scores: household (n = 15), neighborhood (n = 19), and community walkers (n = 13). Neighborhood and community walkers scored significantly higher on the Mini-BESTest and had a shorter TUG test time than household walkers. Community walkers had a significantly faster walking speed than household walkers, whereas neighborhood walkers did not have a faster walking speed than household walkers. Ordinal logistic regression analyses revealed the Mini-BESTest score (odds ratio [OR] 1.24; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.07-1.44) and the TUG test time (OR .91; 95% CI: .85-.98) were significantly associated with ambulation levels after adjusting for confounders. CONCLUSIONS: Dynamic balance measurement tools may have better responsiveness in detecting community ambulation levels among individuals with chronic stroke than walking speed.

Desaturation during the stair-climbing test for patients who will undergo pulmonary resection: an indicator of postoperative complications.

OBJECTIVE: It is widely accepted that exercise tolerance tests are applicable in perioperative risk assessment for patients who undergo pulmonary resection; however, the relevance of desaturation during the test is unclear. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the occurrence of desaturation during a stair-climbing test can be a predictor of postoperative complications among patients who will undergo pulmonary resection and are considered "normal risk" according to published guidelines. METHODS: Desaturation was defined as a depression of more than 4% points on a pulse oximeter during stair climbing. Among 186 consecutive patients who underwent pulmonary resection, 162 patients who could climb to the 6th floor were selected for the study (excluding 21 patients who could not stair-climb and 3 patients who could not climb from the first floor to the sixth floor). The relationship of desaturation with postoperative complication was investigated using parameters of cardio-pulmonary status associated with additional foci of oxygen supply duration, intensive care unit stay duration, and hospital stay duration. RESULTS: The occurrence ratio of postoperative complications > grade 3 (Clavien-Dindo classification) was 0.75% (1/133) among patients without desaturation and 17.2% (5/29) in patients with desaturation (difference: p = 0.0002). In addition, DS was an indicator of prolonged oxygen supply duration, intensive care unit stay duration, and hospital stay duration. CONCLUSION: The occurrence of desaturation during a stair-climbing test for patients who will undergo pulmonary resection can be a predictor of postoperative complications among patients who are classified as having normal risk.

Effect of Cardiac Expansion on Postsurgical Pulmonary Resection Recovery.

BACKGROUND/AIM: In patients undergoing lung resection, even when lung and ventricular function are normal, there may be a prolonged delay in postoperative recovery. The effect of left ventricular extension disorders on recovery after pulmonary resection was investigated. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The postoperative recovery of ninety patients with normal left ventricular ejection fraction and exercise tolerance who underwent anatomical pulmonary resection was evaluated according to the grade of left ventricular expansion (E/e'). RESULTS: Left ventricular extension was normal (≤8) in 53 cases, moderately restricted (8-12) in 36 cases and severely restricted (>12) in 9 cases. No significant difference was found in the postoperative complication rate. However, the severely restricted group had a significantly higher duration of oxygen administration, intensive care unit stay, and postoperative hospital stay, which were found to be independent predictors of ventricular expansion. CONCLUSION: Left ventricular expansion dysfunction had a negative effect on postoperative recovery.

Effects of noninvasive ventilation on the coordination between breathing and swallowing in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Purpose: As shown in our previous study, inspiration after swallowing (SW-I) increases during the bi-level positive airway pressure ventilation (BiPAP) in healthy subjects because swallowing-associated non-inspiratory flow (SNIF) triggers inspiratory support, while SW-I during continuous positive pressure ventilation (CPAP) is rare. In the present study, we evaluated the coordination between breathing and swallowing during spontaneous breathing, BiPAP, and CPAP in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Patients and methods: This study is a prospective intervention study at the Hoshigaoka Medical Center (November 01, 2015-April 30, 2018). We simultaneously recorded the respiratory flow, laryngeal motion, and swallowing sounds during saliva swallowing in patients with COPD. We estimated the respiratory phase after swallowing, frequency of SNIF, the duration of the respiratory pause during swallowing, and timing of swallowing in the respiratory cycle and compared these parameters among control, CPAP, and BiPAP conditions. Results: The expiration after swallowing (SW-E) frequency was associated with the occurrence of SNIF (p<0.01), pause duration ≤0.8 s (p<0.01), and timing of swallowing at the intermediate respiratory phase (50-80% of the respiratory cycle from the onset of inspiration) (p<0.01). In particular, the occurrence of SNIF most substantially affected the SW-E frequency. The SW-I frequencies under the control, CPAP, and BiPAP conditions were 35.0%, 3.0%, and 37.7%, respectively. The pause durations were shorter during CPAP and BiPAP than under the control condition (p<0.01). During CPAP, the occurrence rates of SW-E. Residual denotes the percentage difference between observed and expected values (residual =10.8: p<0.01) and SNIF (residual =9.1: p<0.01) were significantly increased, and timing of swallowing shifted toward the intermediate respiratory phase (residual=3.5: p<0.01). Conclusion: CPAP decreases the SW-I frequency, increases the SNIF occurrence, and normalizes the timing of swallowing, all of which suggest that CPAP alleviates the risk of aspiration in patients with COPD.