Belt Electrode-Skeletal Muscle Electrical Stimulation in Older Hemodialysis Patients with Reduced Physical Activity: A Randomized Controlled Pilot Study.

Background: Although patients receiving hemodialysis are more likely to develop metabolic disorders and muscle weakness at an earlier stage than healthy individuals, many older dialysis patients have difficulty establishing exercise habits to prevent these problems. Therefore, we evaluated the use of belt electrode-skeletal muscle electrical stimulation (B-SES), which can stimulate a wider area than conventional electrical muscle stimulation (EMS), to examine its application and safety in older hemodialysis patients as a means to improve lower extremity function without voluntary effort. Methods: This study was a randomized controlled trial (RCT) involving 20 older dialysis patients (>65 years old) with reduced physical activity.

Training with an Electric Exercise Bike versus a Conventional Exercise Bike during Hemodialysis for Patients with End-stage Renal Disease: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Objective: Hemodialysis (HD) patients have lower fitness levels than healthy subjects because of various structural, metabolic, and functional abnormalities secondary to uremic changes in skeletal muscles. Aerobic and resistance exercises are beneficial in improving not only physical function, including maximal oxygen uptake and muscle strength, but also anthropometrics, nutritional status, and hematologic indices. The use of electric ergometers that place light loads on patients has been implemented at many dialysis facilities in Japan.

Music Attenuated a Decrease in Parasympathetic Nervous System Activity after Exercise.

Music and exercise can both affect autonomic nervous system activity. However, the effects of the combination of music and exercise on autonomic activity are poorly understood. Additionally, it remains unknown whether music affects post-exercise orthostatic tolerance.

High-yield production of vanillin from ferulic acid by a coenzyme-independent decarboxylase/oxygenase two-stage process.

Vanillin is one of the world's most important flavor and fragrance compounds in foods and cosmetics. Recently, we demonstrated that vanillin could be produced from ferulic acid via 4-vinylguaiacol in a coenzyme-independent manner using the decarboxylase Fdc and the oxygenase Cso2. In this study, we investigated a new two-pot bioprocess for vanillin production using the whole-cell catalyst of Escherichia coli expressing Fdc in the first stage and that of E.

A coenzyme-independent decarboxylase/oxygenase cascade for the efficient synthesis of vanillin.

Vanillin is one of the most widely used flavor compounds in the world as well as a promising versatile building block. The biotechnological production of vanillin from plant-derived ferulic acid has attracted much attention as a new alternative to chemical synthesis. One limitation of the known metabolic pathway to vanillin is its requirement for expensive coenzymes.

Electrical stimulation of the abdomen preserves motor performance in the inactive elderly: a randomized controlled trial.

Abdominal muscle strength declines easily with the process of aging and/or disuse, and it is difficult to strengthen weak abdominal muscles in the inactive elderly. In the present study, we applied surface electrical stimulation (ES) to the abdomen of inactive elderly people to investigate its chronic effects. Twenty inactive elderly people (65-89 years) who spent most of the day in their bedroom participated in the study.

Functional Changes in the Care-needing Elderly after Surface Electrical Stimulation to the Abdomen.

Background: Strength of the trunk muscles is a key component of motor control, but it declines easily with the process of aging and/or disuse.

Objectives: To investigate the effects of surface electrical stimulation (ES) to the abdominal muscles and the motor performance for care-needing elderly.

Design: Controlled trial.