Validation of the questionnaire for medical checkup of old-old (QMCOO) score cutoff to diagnose frailty.

Background: Frailty is a state of increased vulnerability to poor resolution of homeostasis following a stress. Early diagnosis and intervention of frailty are essential to prevent its adverse outcomes. However, simple diagnostic criteria have not been established.

Effectiveness of the Questionnaire for Medical Checkup of Old-Old (QMCOO) to diagnose frailty in community-dwelling older adults.

Aim: Although frailty could be reversible by early diagnosis and interventions, it lacks definite diagnostic criteria. The Kihon Checklist is a 25-item questionnaire that diagnoses frailty with a cutoff score of 7/8. The Questionnaire for Medical Checkup of Old-Old (QMCOO) was recently established and used for medical checkups among Japanese older adults, but no method or cutoff score for diagnosing frailty has been established.

Estimation of beef marbling in the Longissimus muscle with computer image analysis of ultrasonic pictures of the Iliocostalis muscle area.

This study investigated an objective method for estimating beef marbling using ultrasonic images of the Iliocostalis muscle and the Lomgissimus muscle area sections. Thirty-one Japanese Black cattle steers were used in this study. The end of the left side shoulder blade bone was scanned using an ultrasonic device.

Development of 3,4-dihydro-2H-benzo[1,4]oxazine derivatives as dual thromboxane A2 receptor antagonists and prostacyclin receptor agonists.

We discovered a novel series of 3,4-dihydro-2H-benzo[1,4]oxazin-8-yloxyacetic acid derivatives as potent dual-acting agents to block the TXA2 receptor and to activate the PGI2 receptor. We report the synthesis, structure-activity relationship, and in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo pharmacology of this series of compounds. 4-[2-(1,1-Diphenylethylsulfanyl)ethyl]-3,4-dihydro-2H-benzo[1,4]oxazin-8-yloxyacetic acid N-methyl-D-glucamine salt (7) is a promising candidate for a novel treatment in the anti-thrombotic and the cardiovascular fields avoiding hypotensive side effects.

Development of dual-acting benzofurans for thromboxane A2 receptor antagonist and prostacyclin receptor agonist: synthesis, structure-activity relationship, and evaluation of benzofuran derivatives.

Prostacyclin (PGI(2)) is an unstable, powerful endogenous inhibitor of platelet aggregation, and thromboxane A(2) (TXA(2)) is an unstable endogenous arachidonic acid metabolite that plays a pivotal role in platelet aggregation and vasoconstriction. The balance between TXA(2) and PGI(2) greatly affects maintenance of the homeostasis of the circulatory system. A novel series of benzofuran-7-yloxyacetic acid derivatives was discovered as potent dual-acting agents to block the thromboxane A(2) receptor and to activate the prostacyclin receptor.