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Introduction: Walking has the potential to promote health across the life span, but age-specific features of the neighborhood environment (NE), especially in rural communities, linked with walking have not been adequately characterized. This study examines the relationships between NE and utilitarian walking among older vs. younger adults living in US rural towns.Methods: Data for this cross-sectional study came from telephone interviews in 2011–2012 with 2,140 randomly sampled younger (18–64 years, n = 1,398) and older (65+ years, n = 742) adults, collecting personal and NE perception variables. NE around each participant's home was also measured objectively using geographic information system techniques. Separate mixed-effects logistic regression models were estimated for the two age groups, predicting the odds of utilitarian walking at least once a week.Results: Perceived presence of crosswalks and pedestrian signals was significantly related to utilitarian walking in both age groups. Among older adults, unattended dogs, lighting at night, and religious institutions were positively while steep slope was negatively associated with their walking. For younger adults, traffic speed (negative, –), public transportation (positive, +), malls (–), cultural/recreational destinations (+), schools (+), and resource production land uses such as farms and mines (–) were significant correlates of utilitarian walking.Conclusion: Different characteristics of NE are associated with utilitarian walking among younger vs. older adults in US rural towns. Optimal modifications of NE to promote walking may need to reflect these age differences.

The extent of spontaneous recovery in patients with a spinal cord injury (SCI) has not been thoroughly investigated. It is essentially not known whether SCI animals exhibit full recovery from both motor and sensory deficits as well. Here, we developed an appropriate condition to produce a mild SCI in mice. Mice given a mild contusion SCI showed transient low performances in the Basso Mouse Scale for locomotion (BMS), rotarod and beam walking tests after the SCI, which was followed by complete restoration in a short time. The SCI mice also showed functional full recovery from low sensitivity to light touch using dynamic touch test. Nevertheless, the fully-recovered SCI mice still exhibited significant loss of myelin in the spinal cord. These results suggest a high potential of adaptation of motor and sensory systems in mice and might provide insight into the prognoses of SCI patients.

We report a 64-year-old female case of intractable adult-onset Still’s disease (AOSD). Initial high-dose steroid therapy combined with cyclosporin A was ineffective against macrophage-activation syndrome (MAS), which was accompanied by the systemic type of AOSD. Treatment for MAS with intravenous cyclophosphamide resulted in remission of AOSD and a reduction in the high doses of steroids. Efficacy of biologics against MAS in AOSD is unclear. Cyclophosphamide, a conventional cytotoxic agent, should be considered as one of the therapeutic options for refractory types of AOSD with MAS.