Impact of pulmonary rehabilitation on postoperative complications in patients with lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

BackgroundGiven the extent of the surgical indications for pulmonary lobectomy in breathless patients, preoperative care and evaluation of pulmonary function are increasingly necessary. The aim of this study was to assess the contribution of preoperative pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) for reducing the incidence of postoperative pulmonary complications in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). MethodsThe records of 116 patients with COPD, including 51 patients who received PR, were retrospectively analyzed. Pulmonary function testing, including slow vital capacity (VC) and forced expiratory volume in onesecond (FEV1), was obtained preoperatively, after PR, and at one and sixmonths postoperatively. The recovery rate of postoperative pulmonary function was standardized for functional loss associated with the different resected lung volumes. Propensity score analysis generated matched pairs of 31 patients divided into PR and non-PR groups. ResultsThe PR period was 18.712.7days in COPD patients. Preoperative pulmonary function was significantly improved after PR (VC 5.3%, FEV1 5.5%; P<0.05). The FEV1 recovery rate onemonth after surgery was significantly better in the PR (101.6%; P<0.001) than in the non-PR group (93.9%). In logistic regression analysis, predicted postoperative FEV1, predicted postoperative %FEV1, and PR were independent factors related to postoperative pulmonary complications after pulmonary lobectomy (odds ratio 18.9, 16.1, and 13.9, respectively; P<0.05). Conclusions PR improved the recovery rate of pulmonary function after lobectomy in the early period, and may decrease postoperative pulmonary complications

Properties of Composite Electrodes for All-solid-state Fluoride-ion Secondary Batteries Processed by High-pressure Torsion

All-solid-state fluoride-ion batteries (FIBs) using metal/metal fluorides are expected to be the next generation of storage batteries because they exhibit high volumetric energy densities by utilizing multielectron reactions, compared to the current lithium-ion batteries. However, method of fabricating a composite electrode for all-solid-state fluoride-ion batteries has not yet been established. A fabrication method for a composite electrode that disperses the active material and solid electrolyte is required. To approach this problem, in this study, we employed a high-pressure torsion (HPT) method, in which an active material, solid electrolyte, and conductive agent can be mixed with size reduction, as a new process and prepared Cu (active material)/PbSnF₄ (solid electrolyte)/acetylene black (conductive agent) cathode composites. The crystalline sizes of Cu and PbSnF₄ were significantly reduced. The apparent grain boundary resistance was also reduced owing to the more homogeneous distribution in the cathode composites after HPT processing. These structural and morphological changes led to high electrochemical performances, compared to a cathode composite without HPT

Association of Habitual Physical Activity Measured by an Accelerometer with High-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Levels in Maintenance Hemodialysis Patients

After confirming the relationship between high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels and mortality in hemodialysis patients for study 1, we investigated the effect of physical activity on their HDL-C levels for study 2. In study 1, 266 hemodialysis patients were monitored prospectively for five years, and Cox proportional hazard regression confirmed the contribution of HDL-C to mortality. In study 2, 116 patients were recruited after excluding those with severe comorbidities or requiring assistance from another person to walk. Baseline characteristics, such as demographic factors, physical constitution, primary kidney disease, comorbid conditions, smoking habits, drug use, and laboratory parameters, were collected from patient hospital records. An accelerometer measured physical activity as the number of steps per day over five consecutive days, and multiple regression evaluated the association between physical activity and HDL-C levels. Seventy-seven patients died during the follow-up period. In study 1, we confirmed that HDL-C level was a significant predictor of mortality (P=0.03). After adjusting for patient characteristics in study 2, physical activity was independently associated with HDL-C levels (adjusted R2=0.255; P=0.005). In conclusion, physical inactivity was strongly associated with decreased HDL-C levels in hemodialysis patients

Reference values for the locomotive syndrome risk test quantifying mobility of 8681 adults aged 20–89 years: A cross-sectional nationwide study in Japan

Background The locomotive syndrome risk test was developed to quantify the decrease in mobility among adults, which could eventually lead to disability. The purpose of this study was to establish reference values for the locomotive syndrome risk test for adults and investigate the influence of age and sex. Methods We analyzed 8681 independent community dwellers (3607 men, 5074 women). Data pertaining to locomotive syndrome risk test (the two-step test, the stand-up test, and the 25-question geriatric locomotive function scale [GLFS-25]) scores were collected from seven administrative areas of Japan. Results The reference values of the three test scores were generated and all three test scores gradually decreased among young-to-middle-aged individuals and rapidly decreased in individuals aged over 60 years. The stand-up test score began decreasing significantly from the age of 30 years. The trajectories of decrease in the two-step test score with age was slightly different between men and women especially among the middle-aged individuals. The two physical test scores were more sensitive to aging than the self-reported test score. Conclusion The reference values generated in this study could be employed to determine whether an individual has mobility comparable to independent community dwellers of the same age and sex

Dynamic Trunk Stability During Sitting in Young and Elderly Individuals

Objective : It is difficult to precisely define trunk balance in standing position because postural sway is controlled by the lower limbs. Therefore, we safely determined trunk balance in sitting position using a new device. Materials & Methods : Twenty-eight healthy elderly volunteers and Twenty-eight healthy young volunteers were participated. Postural sway was measured while seated using a new balance device. The device inclines the seat to the right and left 0.6 Hz. A force plate underneath a seat slanted to a maximum of 3° tracks the location of the center of pressure. We evaluated locus length (LNG), locus length/second (LNG/TIME), enveloped area (ENV-AREA), root mean square area (RMS-AREA) and locus length per unit area (LNG/AREA). Result : Values for LNG, LNG/TIME, ENV-AREA, and RMS-AREA were significantly worse for the elderly, compared with the young group (p<0.01). However, LNG/AREA did not significantly differ between the two groups (p=0.0136). Conclusion : LNG/AREA did not significantly differ between young and elderly participants witch suggest that our device could precisely measure trunk balance without any influence of the lower extremities. Trunk balance can be safely examined in elderly people with a new device

Behavioral and Electrophysiological Experiments Suggest That the Antennular Outer Flagellum Is the Site of Pheromone Reception in the Male Helmet Crab Telmessus cheiragonus

Volume: 208Start Page: 12End Page: 1