Factorial validity and internal consistency of a practitioners' checklist for therapists in rehabilitation.

AIMS: The current study aimed to assess the validity and internal consistency of a 20-item checklist to help provide rehabilitation based on effective and clear goal setting. METHODS: A questionnaire survey was conducted regarding rehabilitation practices followed by physical, occupational, and speech-language therapists over the past month. The questionnaire was based on a checklist covering the following four areas, each comprising five items: goal setting based on patient and family intent and therapist perspective including long-term and short-term goals; therapist's specialized analysis and focalization of problems using the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health to clarify work processes and behaviors that hinder high-priority activities; proposal of plans considering the evidence and environment, which clarifies options for resolution methods (plans) and evidence; and formulation and implementation of plans including patient and family intent, which determines plan frequency and implementation period. The checklist was prepared based on medical records and previous studies by two occupational therapists who had experience in providing hospital and home-visit rehabilitation. To test the factorial validity of the 20-item checklist, confirmatory factor analysis was performed, and Cronbach's α coefficients were calculated. RESULTS: The participants' mean age was 28 (25-75th percentile, range: 25-32) years. Of the 385 participants, 163 were home-visit rehabilitation therapists. Our model revealed a fair fit to data (χ2 statistic = 602.0) and standardized path coefficients ranged from 0.67 to 0.95. Path coefficients were at least 0.41 for all 20 items. Cronbach's α for goal setting, problem analysis, problem solving method proposals, and formulation and implementation of specific plans were 0.896, 0.890, 0.935, and 0.925, respectively. CONCLUSION: Based on the assessment of therapists' practice over 1 month using the developed checklist, the factorial validity and internal consistency of these checklist items were considered acceptable. Education based on these checklist items might support goal setting and planning and improve patient outcomes.

Switchable Chemoselectivity of Reactive Intermediates Formation and Their Direct Use in A Flow Microreactor.

A chemoselectivity switchable microflow reaction was developed to generate reactive and unstable intermediates. The switchable chemoselectivity of this reaction enables a selection for one of two different intermediates, an aryllithium or a benzyl lithium, at will from the same starting material. Starting from bromo-substituted styrenes, the aryllithium intermediates were converted to the substituted styrenes, whereas the benzyl lithium intermediates were engaged in an anionic polymerization. These chemoselectivity-switchable reactions can be integrated to produce polymers that cannot be formed during typical polymerization reactions.

Modification of valencene by bio- and chemical transformation.

Highly efficient production is discussed of nootkatone, the most important fragrant component of grapefruit and which possesses anti-obesity activity, from valencene, obtained from Valencia orange, by the green alga, Chlorella, and the fungi, Mucor, Botryospaeria and Botryodiplodia. The microorganisms introduce an oxygen atom at an allylic position to give secondary hydroxyl and keto groups. The presented methods are a cheap one step reaction, non-hazardous and very useful for the production of fragrant components from commercially available natural sesquiterpene hydrocarbons.

Isolation and structures of new cyclomyltaylane and ent-chamigrane-type sesquiterpenoids from the liverwort Reboulia hemishaerica and their biotransformation by the fungus Aspergillus niger.

Reboulia hemisphaerica, the thalloid liverwort, contained four new cyclomyltaylane- and two new ent-beta-chamigrane-type sesquiterpenoids of which the absolute stereostructures were established by a combination of two-dimensional NMR spectroscopy, X-ray crystallographic analysis, and the modified Mosher's method. Cyclomyltaylan-5alpha-ol and ent-beta-chamigren-1alpha-ol were biotransformed by the fungus Aspergillus niger to afford new oxygenated matabolites. Their structures were also elucidated in the same manner as described above.

Biotransformation of aristolane- and 2,3-secoaromadendrane-type sesquiterpenoids having a 1,1-dimethylcyclopropane ring by Chlorella fusca var. vacuolata, mucor species, and Aspergillus niger.

Biotransformation of the aristolane-type sesquiterpene hydrocarbon (+)-1(10)-aristolene (1) from the crude drug Nardostachys chinensis and of the 2,3-secoaromadendrane-type sesquiterpene lactone plagiochilide (2) from the liverwort Plagiochila fruticosa by three microorganisms, Chlorella fusca var. vacuolata, Mucor species, and Aspergillus niger was investigated. C. fusca var. vacuolata and Mucor sp. introduced oxygen function into the cyclohexane ring of aristolene while A. niger oxidized stereoselectively one methyl of the 1,1-dimethyl group on the cyclopropane ring of aristolanes and 2,3-secoaromadendrane to give C-12 primary alcohol and C-12 carboxylic acid. The possible metabolic pathway of the formation of new metabolites is discussed. The stereostructures of new metabolites were established by a combination of NMR spectroscopy including HMBC and NOESY, X-ray crystallographic analysis, and chemical reaction.

Biotransformation of citrus aromatics nootkatone and valencene by microorganisms.

Biotransformations of the sesquiterpene ketone nootkatone from the crude drug Alpiniae Fructus and grapefruit oil, and the sesquiterpene hydrocarbon valencene from Valencia orange oil were carried out with microorganisms such as Aspergillus niger, Botryosphaeria dothidea, and Fusarium culmorum to afford structurally interesting metabolites. Their stereostructures were established by a combination of high-resolution NMR spectral and X-ray crystallographic analysis and chemical reaction. Metabolic pathways of compounds and by A. niger are proposed.

Highly efficient production of nootkatone, the grapefruit aroma from valencene, by biotransformation.

Nootkatone, the most important and expensive aromatic of grapefruit, decreases the somatic fat ratio, and thus its demand is increasing in the cosmetic and fiber sectors. A sesquiterpene hydrocarbon, (+)-valencene, which is cheaply obtained from Valencia orange, was biotransformed by the green algae Chlorella species and fungi such as Mucor species, Botryosphaeria dothidea, and Botryodiplodia theobromae to afford nootkatone in high yield.