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Background: This study was a prospective, randomized, open, blinded-endpoint trial with the aim of examining whether gait training with a gait-assistance robot (GAR) improves gait disturbances in subacute non-ambulatory hemiplegic stroke patients more than overground conventional gait training. The GAR adopts a robot arm control system with full weight bearing and foot pressure visual biofeedback., Methods: Twenty-six hemiplegic patients were randomly assigned to either the GAR-assisted gait training (GAGT) group or the overground conventional gait training (OCGT) group. Both groups underwent 60 min of standard physical therapy and 20 min of GAGT or OCGT 5 days a week for 4 weeks. The primary outcome measure was the Functional Ambulation Classification (FAC). The secondary outcome measures were the peak torque of the extensor muscles in the lower extremities and a 10-m walking test. The lower extremity function was evaluated using the Fugl-Meyer Assessment, and activities of daily living were assessed using the Functional Independence Measure., Results: The GAGT group demonstrated significantly greater improvements in FAC and peak torque on the unaffected side (p=0.02) than the OCGT group. Additionally, gait speed tended to be faster (p=0.07) in the GAGT group., Conclusions: GAGT combined with standard physical therapy in subacute non-ambulatory hemiplegic patients led to significant improvements in gait and peak torque on the unaffected side compared to OCGT., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

To develop a soft meat product for a dysphagia diet, high-pressure technology was applied. Pressure-heat-treated ground pork meat (PH) was prepared from ground pork mixed with water (ground meat: water, 1:0.5 or 1:1) and salt (1.5%). PH-gels were made from these meat homogenates by treatment at 400 MPa for 20 min, followed by heat treatment. Heat-treated pork meat homogenates (H) were also prepared. The hardness and adhesiveness of the 1:1PH-gel was lower than those of the 1:1H-gel. The PH-gel scored higher in sensory evaluations of elasticity, smoothness and ease of swallowing. Scanning electron micrographs indicated that the superior textural property of the 1:1PH-gel was caused by a network of myosin filaments. Videofluoroscopic examination of swallowing revealed that the 1:1PH-gel was easy to swallow and left little residue in the oropharynx. These results proved the utility of pressurization in creating a dysphagia meat diet., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Sonolysis and photolysis often exhibit synergistic effects in the degradation of organic molecules. An assay of fish oocyte maturation provides an appropriate experimental system to investigate the hormonal activities of chemical agents. Oocyte maturation in fish is triggered by maturation-inducing hormone (MIH), which acts on receptors on the oocyte surface. A synthetic estrogen, diethylstilbestrol (DES), possesses inducing activity of fish oocyte maturation, and a widely used biocide, pentachlorophenol (PCP), exhibits a potent inhibitory effect on fish oocyte maturation. In this study, the effects of the combined treatment by sonolysis with photolysis (sonophotocatalysis) to diminish the hormonal activity of DES and the maturation preventing activity of PCP was examined. By sonophotocatalysis, hormonal activity of DES was completely lost within 30 min and the inhibiting activity of PCP was lost within 120 min. These results demonstrated that sonophotocatalysis is effective for diminishing the endocrine-disrupting activity of chemical agents.

The purpose of this study was to examine for gender-related differences in activities of daily living (ADL) and lifestyle of elderly persons living at home, and to support our hypothesis that the gender-related difference in lifestyle of stroke patients derives from their lifestyle prior to the stroke. Participants were randomly sampled elderly persons living at home. Questionnaire sheets including subject profile, Self-Rating Barthel Index (disability index), and Self-Rating Frenchay Activities Index (activity index) were mailed and collected, and the data were analyzed with the t-test and General Linear Model (factorial model with interaction). A total of 752 subjects were recruited, and their average age was 67.1 years. No significant gender-related differences were evident in the disability index including self-care and mobility domains (t-test, P > 0.05). In contrast gender-related differences in the activity index were significant (t-test, P < 0.05) for three factors; gender, age group, and living conditions, and in a covariate disability index (GLM, P < 0.05). Because randomly selected elderly persons in this study exhibited a prominent gender-related difference in lifestyle, we believe the lifestyle difference in stroke patients that we have previously described derives primarily from their premorbid attitude to daily life.

We report a case of a woman with primary progressive aphasia (PPA) who presented with conduction aphasia. A 60-year-old, right-handed, Japanese female suffering from progressive aphasia had difficulty in repeating words and phrases. She displayed phonemic paraphasias but had preserved comprehension and had no cognitive or behavior disorder for more than 6 years after the onset of the condition. She was able to continue to work successfully and to perform all her normal daily activities. T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging revealed minute dilatation of the left inferior horn and sulci in the left hemisphere, and positron emission tomography revealed mild hypometabolism in the left supramarginal gyrus and its surrounding areas. Therefore, she was diagnosed as suffering from PPA presenting as conduction aphasia. We believe that the progressive conduction aphasia of the patient belongs to one of the fluent forms of PPA, and the ability to continue normal work along with the clinical portrayal of preserved memory and cognition skills may be features of a form of PPA presenting as conduction aphasia.

Quantitative morphologic studies on the motor axons in endplates of extensor digitorum longus muscle (EDL M) and soleus muscle, and on the myelinated fibers of the nerve to EDL M and other lower limb nerves were made on rats showing progressive weakness, intoxicated with acrylamide for 4 weeks (test), using silver staining. Terminal sproutings were significantly greater in frequencies in test compared with control in both muscles. In addition, morphologic changes in test consisted of a significant increase in the number of axon terminal branches and in the frequency of swellings of the preterminal, terminal, and ultraterminal axons and in an increase of myelinated fibers showing axonal degeneration in the nerve to EDL M. Such findings were in contrast with the previous report that cumulative doses of acrylamide inhibit sprouting of motor axons in endplates.