Study of Sharing Patient Information by Nurses Between Inpatient and Outpatient Wards in Japan

Studies in Health Technology and Informatics Volume 284Shortening hospital stays increases communication needs between nurses in inpatient and outpatient wards. Smooth information sharing is required to reduce the workload of nurses and improve the quality of patient care. However, electronic medical records (EMR) system does not have sufficient functions to support information sharing between wards, because EMR has been developed mainly for recording. This study led to three improvements; unified communication tool, common patient list linked to EMR, and outpatient nursing diagnosis

Formation of Flower-Like Crystals of Tris(8-hydroxyquinoline)aluminum from 8-Hydroxyquinoline on Anodic Porous Alumina

The treatment of anodic porous alumina (APA) plates in heated water containing 8-hydroxyquinoline (HQ) produces crystalline tris(8-hydroxyquinoline)aluminum (Alq3) microbelts about 5–10 μm wide and 5–20 μm long. These microbelts were found to aggregate to form flower-like structures on the surface. X-ray diffraction studies indicated that the Alq3 microbelts are composed of an α-phase having a meridional structure. The Alq3 microbelts exhibited green photoluminescence with a peak at around 520 nm. Scanning electron microscope images and energy dispersive X-ray spectra showed that this reaction is induced at the APA surface by the reaction between the HQ and amorphous Al2O3 species

Effects of detraining after blood flow-restricted low-load elastic band training on muscle size and arterial stiffness in older women

Background: We examined the effects of detraining after blood flow-restricted (BFR) low-load elastic band training on muscle size and arterial stiffness in older women.Findings: Fourteen women were divided into BFR training (BFR-T) or non-BFR training (CON-T). Each group participated in 12 weeks of arm curl and press down training using an elastic band either with (BFR-T) or without BFR (CON-T). Muscle cross-sectional area (CSA) and maximum voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) for upper arms and cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI) were evaluated before and after the 12-week training period and also after 12 weeks of detraining. CSA and MVIC were higher at post and detraining (CSA: 16.3% (p 0.05) for elbow extension; MVIC: 7.3 and 3.9% (both p > 0.05) for elbow flexion and 17.6 and 15.1% (both p < 0.01) for elbow extension) than at pre for the BFR-T, but not for the CON-T. There was no change in CAVI for the two groups.Conclusions: Increased muscle strength/size following 12 weeks of elastic band BFR-T was well maintained with a low risk of arterial stiffness after 12 weeks of detraining in older women

Atypical Lipomatous Tumor of the Tongue:Report of a Case

The term atypical lipomatous tumor (ALT) is synonymous with well-differentiated liposarcoma (WDL). This tumor occurs very rarely in the tongue. Thus, it is difficult to predict its prognosis. Although recurrence of ALT/WDL is thought to be unlikely after complete excision, long-term follow-up is necessary when considering the pathologic conditions of this tumor at other sites. Here, we report a case of an ALT of the tongue, with a review of the literature. A 68-year-old man was referred to our hospital because of a tumor on the left side of his tongue. Upon palpation, the tumor was 12mm in diameter, circumscribed, elastic and hard, well demarcated, movable, and painless. We diagnosed the lesion as a lipoma and extirpated the tumor under local anesthesia. Because the specimen was histopathologically diagnosed as an ALT, as a precaution, we excised an additional 5mm from the area surrounding the original tumor under general anesthesia. Three years after the operation, the tongue demonstrated good healing without paresthesia or dysfunction, and to date there has been no evidence of recurrence

Effects of pilocarpine and cevimeline on Ca2+ mobilization in rat parotid acini and ducts

Previous reports suggested that there is no significant difference in the binding affinity of pilocarpine and cevimeline on muscarinic receptors (1). However, in vivo studies from our laboratory suggested that pilocarpine-induced salivation from the parotid gland is greater than that induced by cevimeline in rats (2, 3). Therefore, in the present study, sialogogue-induced intracellular Ca2+ mobilization was investigated in isolated parotid gland cells in vitro. Pilocarpine and cevimeline increased the intracellular Ca2+ concentration of parotid gland acinar and duct cells over 1 μM in a dose-dependent manner. Pilocarpine-induced responses were higher than cevimeline-induced responses. Ca2+ responses to both agents were completely blocked by 1 μM 4-DAMP, an M3 muscarinic receptor antagonist. In the absence of extracellular Ca2+, both sialogogues induced transient Ca2+ increase in parotid gland acinar cells. These results suggest that the sialogogues stimulate some common routes via the Ca2+ signaling in parotid gland acinar cells. We also report a significant difference of Ca2+ responses in concentration between pilocarpine and cevimeline in parotid gland acinar cells. The different Ca2+ responses between the sialogogues would explain the different saliva volumes from the parotid gland between them that we have observed in previous in vivo studies (2, 3)

Ca2+ mobilization by nicotine through synaptic activation in rat parotid acini

Nicotine has been reported to increase the intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) in sublingual acini due to neurotransmitter release from nerve terminals associated with the cell preparation (1). However, it is unclear whether or not the same reaction exists in parotid cells. Therefore, we investigated effect of nicotine on Ca2+ mobilization in digested parotid acini from rats. After removing the parotid gland from Wistar rats, the tissues were minced and digested with collagenase. Then, the intracellular Ca2+ indicator fura-2 was added to the preparation, and the change in [Ca2+]i was monitored using fluorescent microscope. In many but not all parotid acini, K+ stimulation induced transient increases in [Ca2+]i. The K+-induced Ca2+ response in parotid acini was completely blocked by Cd2+-containing solution. These results suggest that the parotid cell preparation has nerve terminals. In all high-K+-sensitive parotid acini, over 3μM of nicotine increased [Ca2+]i, and the response was blocked by a Cd2+-containing solution and nicotinic receptor antagonists. All high-K+-insensitive acinar cells were resistant to the effect of nicotine on Ca2+ mobilization. These results suggest that nicotine induces increases in [Ca2+]i in parotid acini due to neurotransmitter release from associated nerve terminals

Sensitization of TRPV1 by EP(1 )and IP reveals peripheral nociceptive mechanism of prostaglandins

Prostaglandin E(2 )(PGE(2)) and prostaglandin I(2 )(PGI(2)) are major inflammatory mediators that play important roles in pain sensation and hyperalgesia. The role of their receptors (EP and IP, respectively) in inflammation has been well documented, although the EP receptor subtypes involved in this process and the underlying cellular mechanisms remain to be elucidated. The capsaicin receptor TRPV1 is a nonselective cation channel expressed in sensory neurons and activated by various noxious stimuli. TRPV1 has been reported to be critical for inflammatory pain mediated through PKA- and PKC-dependent pathways. PGE(2 )or PGI(2)increased or sensitized TRPV1 responses through EP(1 )or IP receptors, respectively predominantly in a PKC-dependent manner in both HEK293 cells expressing TRPV1 and mouse DRG neurons. In the presence of PGE(2 )or PGI(2), the temperature threshold for TRPV1 activation was reduced below 35°C, so that temperatures near body temperature are sufficient to activate TRPV1. A PKA-dependent pathway was also involved in the potentiation of TRPV1 through EP(4 )and IP receptors upon exposure to PGE(2 )and PGI(2), respectively. Both PGE(2)-induced thermal hyperalgesia and inflammatory nociceptive responses were diminished in TRPV1-deficient mice and EP(1)-deficient mice. IP receptor involvement was also demonstrated using TRPV1-deficient mice and IP-deficient mice. Thus, the potentiation or sensitization of TRPV1 activity through EP(1 )or IP activation might be one important mechanism underlying the peripheral nociceptive actions of PGE(2 )or PGI(2)

Coinfection of Invasive Pulmonary Aspergillosis and Pneumocystis Jiroveci Pneumonia in a Non-HIV Patient

Invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) and pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia (PCP) are life-threatening opportunistic infections that occur in immunocompromised hosts. Early diagnosis and treatment of these opportunistic infections is essential to the survival of immunocompromised patients. We report a 60-year-old man undergoing short-term steroid therapy after surgical resection of a brain tumor infected with combined invasive pulmonary aspergillosis and pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia diagnosed by bronchoscopy with bronchoalveolar lavage. Our case demonstrated that short-term systemic steroid therapy in non-HIV patients with underlying chronic lung conditions and malignancies was a risk factor for IPA and PCP, and for a combination of these infections