Effects of Activity Participation of the Elderly on Quality of Life

Quality of life (QOL) and personality were examined in 2 groups of elderly subjects with and without activity participation (AP). A survey was conducted with 321 elderly subjects over 65 years of age using a 24-item questionnaire regarding personality and depressive inclination and the visual analogue scale-happiness to measure QOL. The AP group was involved in 5 types of activity: community center activity course, learning and lecture participation, club activity, elderly manpower service activity and other activities. The QOL of the AP group was significantly higher than the non-AP group as expected. The perceptual difference between the 2 groups obtained by the correspondence and cluster analyses was that although the elderly of the AP group were satisfied and not bored with their current life, this trend was not clear for the non-AP group. Among the 5 activity types, other activities, characterized as activities adhered to by participants over a long period, showed the highest QOL compared with the 4 other types. In conclusion, the AP of the elderly should be encouraged, and continuing AP might be an important factor in improving QOL of the elderly

Knowledge of Criteria for Brain Death and Attitudes towards Organ Donation and Transplantation of Nursing Professionals in Tottori Prefecture, Japan

The nursing professional population in Tottori Prefecture, Japan, was studied for their knowledge of criteria towards brain death and their attitudes towards organ donation and organ transplantation. An attempt was also made to clarify factors involved in issues concerning organ donation and organ transplantation. We distributed 2200 questionnaires to 9 hospitals, and obtained 1879 responses, of which 1683 were valid. The rate of nursing professionals holding donor cards to all respondents was 384/1683 (22.8%). The length of nursing service showed no difference in improvement of awareness of brain death. Longer length of service tended to produce a negative attitude in nurses towards donating their own organs in both brain death and cardiac death. Subjects who were willing to donate organs to others in cardiac death were also willing to do so in brain death. We provided some general suggestions for improving education about organ transplantation in Japan, such as commencing provisions for education regarding organ donation and organ transplantation in junior high school due to ethical issues. To more clearly identify the barriers against the improvement of the situation surrounding organ transplantation, research needs to be cumulated for nursing professionals

Gene panel analysis of 119 index patients with suspected periodic paralysis in Japan

IntroductionGenetic factors are recognized as the major reason for patients with periodic paralysis. The goal of this study was to determine the genetic causes of periodic paralysis in Japan.MethodsWe obtained a Japanese nationwide case series of 119 index patients (108 men and 11 women) clinically suspected of periodic paralysis, and a gene panel analysis, targeting CACNA1S, SCN4A, and KCNJ2 genes, was conducted.ResultsFrom 34 cases, 25 pathogenic/likely pathogenic/unknown significance variants were detected in CACNA1S (nine cases), SCN4A (19 cases), or KCNJ2 (six cases), generating a molecular diagnostic rate of 28.6%. In total, seven variants have yet been found linked to periodic paralysis previously. The diagnostic yield of patients with hypokalemic and hyperkalemic periodic paralyzes was 26.2 (17/65) and 32.7% (17/52), respectively. A considerably higher yield was procured from patients with than without positive family history (18/25 vs. 16/94), onset age ≤20 years (24/57 vs. 9/59), or recurrent paralytic attacks (31/94 vs. 3/25).DiscussionThe low molecular diagnostic rate and specific genetic proportion of the present study highlight the etiological complexity of patients with periodic paralysis in Japan

SH3BP2 Deficiency Ameliorates Murine Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Background: The adaptor protein Src homology 3 domain-binding protein 2 (SH3BP2) is widely expressed in immune cells. It controls intracellular signaling pathways. The present study was undertaken to investigate the role of SH3BP2 in a murine systemic lupus erythematosus model. Methods: For the lupus model, we used Faslpr/lpr mice. Clinical and immunological phenotypes were compared between Faslpr/lpr and SH3BP2-deficient Faslpr/lpr mice. Splenomegaly and renal involvement were assessed. Lymphocyte subsets in the spleen were analyzed by flow cytometry. To examine the role of SH3BP2 in specific cells, B cell-specific SH3BP2-deficient lupus mice were analyzed; T cells and bone marrow-derived dendritic cells and macrophages were analyzed in vitro. Results: SH3BP2 deficiency significantly reduced lupus-like phenotypes, presented as splenomegaly, renal involvement, elevated serum anti-dsDNA antibody, and increased splenic B220+CD4−CD8− T cells. Notably, SH3BP2 deficiency in B cells did not rescue the lupus-like phenotypes. Furthermore, SH3BP2 deficiency did not substantially affect the characteristics of T cells and macrophages in vitro. Interestingly, SH3BP2 deficiency suppressed the differentiation of dendritic cells in vitro and reduced the number of dendritic cells in the spleen of the lupus-prone mice. Conclusions: SH3BP2 deficiency ameliorated lupus-like manifestations. Modulating SH3BP2 expression could thus provide a novel therapeutic approach to autoimmune diseases

Project Report: Development of an Effective Support System for a Foreign Language Proficiency Training Program (in Languages Other than English) for Students Studying Abroad

This article reports the results of a three-year education project (from 2015 to 2017) conducted by the Faculty of Foreign Language Studies of the Institute of Liberal Arts and Science. This project aimed developed an effective education system inside and outside of classes for students preparing to study abroad or continuing learning after coming back from studying abroad. According to the analysis of the investigation into the students’ actual learning requirements, we consider the further possibilities of learning support provided by teachers