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Background There have been few reports on the efficacy and safety of oral propranolol at 3 mg/kg/day for infantile hemangioma ( IH) in Japanese patients. Methods A multicenter, open-label phase III study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy and safety of oral propranolol solution in Japanese infants aged 35-150 days with proliferating IH. Thirty-two patients were enrolled in the study, received propranolol solution for 24 weeks at 3 mg/kg/day, and completed the study. Results The success rate (complete or nearly complete resolution) at week 24 (primary endpoint) was 78% (95% CI: 60-91%). The improvement rate since the previous visit was 100% (32/32) after week 5. Overall, the IH surface area, maximum diameter, and color intensity all decreased over time. Consistency in assessment between the centralized and the investigator on-site assessments was observed in 26 patients. Of the 32 patients, 11 needed further treatment other than the study drug. The incidence of adverse events ( AE) and drug-related AE was 97% and 31%, respectively. AE that occurred in ≥two patients were either typical of propranolol use (such as blood pressure decrease) or common events in infants. AE that resulted in dose reduction were observed in two patients, but no serious AE or AE that led to study drug discontinuation were observed. Conclusion Oral propranolol solution at 3 mg/kg/day is effective and safe in Japanese IH patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to identify differences in motivation for joining disaster relief activities as a nurse in the future between Japanese and Korean nursing students. A descriptive 2-group comparative study design was used. The participants were 721 first- to fourth-year nursing students (Japanese, n = 324; Korean, n = 397). From June to September 2014, data were collected through a researcher-administered questionnaire and self-reported answers. The collected data were analyzed by descriptive statistics, the χ2 test, and the t test. No significant difference was found between Japanese and Korean students in motivation to join domestic relief activities should a disaster occur in the area in which they lived. Compared with Korean students, Japanese students strongly agreed that it is necessary to carry out relief work across borders when disasters occur in foreign countries ( p = .001). Meanwhile, Japanese students showed less motivation than Korean students to join relief activities in other domestic areas and foreign countries ( p = .020). The results of this study suggest that the motivation of Japanese students to join disaster relief activities as nurses in the future should a disaster occur in other domestic areas and foreign countries needs to be increased. The results also suggest that undergraduate students should be well prepared for disasters through disaster nursing education, including practical training, disaster drills, and simulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The study aimed to analyze the professional autonomy of Japanese nurses when caring for non-Japanese patients and to identify its contributing factors. Method: A descriptive cross-sectional design was used. Participants included 238 clinical nurses working at 27 hospitals in Japan. The Intercultural Sensitivity Scale (Chen and Starosta), and the Scale for Professional Autonomy in Nursing (Kikuchi and Harada) were used to measure intercultural sensitivity and professional autonomy. Stepwise multiple regression analysis was used to identify the most significant factors affecting professional autonomy. Results: Professional autonomy of Japanese nurses caring for non-Japanese patients was significantly lower than when caring for Japanese patients (142.84 vs. 172.85; p < .001). Contributing factors were intercultural sensitivity (p < .001), length of nurse experience (p < .05), and availability of interpretation service (p < .05). Conclusion: Incorporating transcultural nursing content into training programs in schools and hospitals could enhance professional autonomy of Japanese nurses by promoting intercultural sensitivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Although lobe-specific nodal spread of primary lung cancer has been recently described, segment-specific nodal spread remains unclear. We investigated the frequency of hailer and mediastinal lymph node involvement and survival in patients with tumors located in the superior segment ( SS) and basal segment ( BS) in the right lower lobe. Methods Two hundred and sixty-three patients with primary lung cancer originating in the right lower lobe underwent lobectomy with systematic mediastinal lymph node dissection. Patients were categorized into two groups: SS (n = 114) or BS (n = 149). Results Frequencies of metastasis to station 11s and 11i were significantly higher in the SS ( P < 0.0001) and BS groups ( P = 0.022), respectively. Both the SS and BS groups showed a high frequency of subcarinal mediastinal zone (station 7) metastasis (96.9% and 90.6%, respectively; P = 0.271). The frequencies of superior mediastinal zone (station 2 R and 4 R) metastasis were 37.5% in the SS and 35.8% in the BS group ( P = 0.878). In patients with pN2 disease, three-year disease-free survival was significantly shorter in the SS (22.6%) than the BS group (42.1%; P = 0.020). In the BS group, the independent predictive factors of a poor or good prognosis were metastasis to station 11i or skip metastasis, respectively; however, we did not detect an independent prognostic factor in the SS group. In the right lower lung lobe, there was no segment-specific nodal spread. Conclusion When segmentectomy is undertaken, mediastinal lymph node dissection should be performed in proportion to lobectomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives. Cathepsin V (CTSV) is a proteolytic enzyme potentially modulating angiogenic processes, collagen degradation and keratinocyte differentiation. We aimed to investigate the clinical association of serum CTSV levels and the mechanism by which CTSV expression is altered in SSc. Methods. Serum CTSV levels were determined by ELISA in 51 SSc and 18 healthy subjects. CTSV expression was evaluated by immunostaining in SSc and normal skin and by RT-real-time PCR in normal and SSc dermal fibroblasts, normal dermal fibroblasts treated with TGF-β1 or Fli1 siRNA and human dermal microvascular endothelial cells (ECs) treated with Fli1 siRNA. Results. Serum CTSV levels were significantly lower in dcSSc and lcSSc patients than in healthy controls. In early-stage dcSSc, serum CTSV levels were remarkably and uniformly decreased compared with healthy controls. The decrease in serum CTSV levels in mid- and late-stage dcSSc and in lcSSc was linked to the development of proliferative vasculopathy. CTSV expression was decreased in microvascular ECs, pericytes/vascular smooth muscle cells and keratinocytes of dcSSc and lcSSc skin and in dermal fibroblasts of dcSSc skin compared with control skin. Consistently, CTSV expression was decreased in cultured dermal fibroblasts from early-stage dcSSc. Furthermore, mRNA levels of the CTSV gene were significantly decreased in normal fibroblasts treated with TGF-β1 or Fli1 siRNA and in human dermal microvascular ECs treated with Fli1 siRNA. Conclusion. Loss of CTSV expression may contribute to the development of fibrosis, vasculopathy and the altered phenotype of keratinocytes in SSc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]