The single-joint Hybrid Assistive Limb (HAL-SJ) robot is an exoskeleton-type suit developed for the neurorehabilitation of upper limb function. Several studies have addressed the usefulness of the robot; however, the appropriate patient selection remains unclear. In this study, we evaluated the effectiveness of the HAL-SJ exoskeleton in improving upper limb function in the subacute phase after a stroke, as a function of the severity of arm paralysis. Our analysis was based on a retrospective review of 35 patients, treated using the HAL-SJ exoskeleton in the subacute phase after their stroke, between October 2014 and December 2018. The severity of upper limb impairment was quantified using the Brunnstrom recovery stage (BRS) as follows severe, BRS score 1-2, n = 10; moderate, BRS 3-4, n = 12; and mild, BRS 5-6, n = 13. The primary endpoint was the improvement in upper limb function, from baseline to post-intervention, measured using the Fugl-Meyer assessment upper limb motor score (ΔFMA-UE; range 0-66). The ΔFMA-UE score was significant for all three severity groups (P less then 0.05). The magnitude of improvement was greater in the moderate group than in the mild group (P less then 0.05).  https://www.selleckchem.com/products/nf-kb-activator-1.html  The greatest improvement was attained for patients with a moderate level of upper limb impairment at baseline. Our findings support the feasibility of the HAL-SJ to improve upper limb function in the subacute phase after a stroke with appropriate patient selection. This study is the first report showing the effect of robot-assisted rehabilitation using the HAL-SJ, according to the severity of paralysis in acute stroke patients with upper extremity motor deficits.The effect of post-cardiac arrest care in children with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) has not been adequately established, and the long-term outcome after pediatric OHCA has not been sufficiently investigated. We describe here detailed in-hospital characteristics, actual management, and survival, including neurological status, 90 days after OHCA occurrence in children with OHCA transported to critical care medical centers (CCMCs).We analyzed the database of the Comprehensive Registry of Intensive Care for OHCA Survival (CRITICAL) study, which is a multicenter, prospective observational data registry designed to accumulate both pre- and in-hospital data on OHCA treatments. We enrolled all consecutive pediatric patients aged less then 18 years who had an OHCA and for whom resuscitation was attempted and who were transported to CCMCs between 2012 and 2016.A total of 263 pediatric patients with OHCA were enrolled. The average age of the patients was 6.3 years, 38.0% were aged less then 1 year, and 60.8% were male. After hospital arrival, 4.9% of these pediatric patients received defibrillation; 1.9%, extracorporeal life support; 6.5%, target temperature management; and 88.2% adrenaline administration. The proportions of patients with 90-day survival and a pediatric cerebral performance category (PCPC) score of 1 or 2 were 6.1% and 1.9%, respectively. The proportion of patients with a PCPC score of 1 or 2 at 90 days after OHCA occurrence did not significantly improve during the study period.The proportion of pediatric patients with a 90-day PCPC score of 1 or 2 transported to CCMCs was extremely low, and no significant improvements were observed during the study period.Prediction of short-term mortality in elderly patients with heart failure (HF) would be useful for clinicians when discussing HF management or palliative care.A prospective multicenter cohort study was conducted between July 2014 and July 2018. A total of 504 consecutive elderly patients (age ≥ 75 years) with HF (mean age 85 years, 50% women) were enrolled. We used a multiple logistic regression analysis with stepwise variable selection to select predictive variables and to determine weighted point scores. After analysis, the following variables predicted short-term mortality and comprised the risk score previous HF admission (3 points), New York Heart Association III or IV (2 points), body mass index less then 17.7 kg/m2 (4 points), serum albumin less then 3.5 g/dL (9 points), and left ventricular ejection fraction less then 50% (2 points). The c-statistic was 0.820. We compared mortality in low-risk (0-6 points, n = 188), intermediate-risk (7-13 points, n = 241), and high-risk (14-20 points, n = 75) groups. A total of 43 (8.5%) patients died within 6 months after discharge. Mortality was significantly higher in groups with higher scores (low-risk group, 0.5%; intermediate-risk group, 9.1%; high-risk group, 26.7%; P less then 0.001).We developed a predictive model for 6-month mortality in elderly patients with HF. This risk score could be useful when discussing advanced HF therapies, palliative care, or hospice referral with patients.We report here a 70-year-old female patient with a history of breast cancer who presented with dyspnea that had lasted for 2 weeks following a long-distance trip by bus. She was at first suspected of having a pulmonary embolism given the typical presentation, elevated D-dimer level, and enlargement of the right-side heart. However, her systemic condition deteriorated despite the initiation of anti-coagulation therapy. Given the absence of a major thrombus in the pulmonary major arteries but multiple low perfusion lesions in the periphery of the lungs, refractoriness to conventional therapy, an increase in tumor markers, and anaplastic cells demonstrated by aspiration cytology from the pulmonary artery, we diagnosed her as pulmonary tumor thrombotic microangiopathy (PTTM). She died on day 23 due to respiratory failure despite administration of inotropes and prostaglandin I2. The patient had an obvious history of malignancy, but we should emphasize that PTTM can develop even in patients with early-stage or completely cured malignancies. Although an early and definite diagnosis of PTTM is currently challenging, an optimal diagnostic and therapeutic strategy is warranted.The mechanisms of urgently presenting acute heart failure (AHF) are not clear. We evaluated the serum catecholamine values of AHF patients immediately after admission. A total of 1,475 AHF patients were screened, and 484 who were admitted from their homes and in whom serum catecholamine could be evaluated immediately after admission were analyzed. The patients were divided into three groups according to the time interval from the onset of symptoms to admission (OA) 0.21 ng/mL) (OR 2.091, 95% CI 1.161-3.767). In conclusion, urgently presented AHF might be induced by an endogenous catecholamine surge, which causes an excessive rise in blood pressure leading to increased after-overload and volume-shift lung congestion.