Anti-Centromere Antibody Positivity in a Patient with Generalized Morphea.

We report the case of a 45-year-old female with generalized morphea (GM), who exhibited positivity for the anti-centromere antibody (Ab). She frequently developed multiple sclerotic skin lesions, whose histological findings were compatible with morphea. She demonstrated favorable responses to topical and oral steroids.

FVIIa-sTF and Thrombin Inhibitory Activities of Compounds Isolated from Microcystis aeruginosa K-139.

The rise of bleeding and bleeding complications caused by oral anticoagulant use are serious problems nowadays. Strategies that block the initiation step in blood coagulation involving activated factor VII-tissue factor (fVIIa-TF) have been considered. This study explores toxic K-139, from Lake Kasumigaura, Ibaraki, Japan, as a promising cyanobacterium for isolation of fVIIa-sTF inhibitors.

Shortening or Abolishing Shift Report as the Effect of ENR and EMR Implementation, and Its Side Effects.

We investigated the shortening or abolishing shift report as the effect of implementing electronic nursing and medical records and its side effects at 10 Japanese hospitals. The majority of staff nurses accepted this change, but both directors and staff nurses recognized the risk of insufficient collection and communication of patient information, difficulties of understanding the risks and matters of patients not under care and an increase in time to collect information from the computer before starting patient care. Directors should carefully evaluate and reduce the negative influences associated with changing or eliminating the traditional shift report.

Determination of FVIIa-sTF Inhibitors in Toxic Microcystis Cyanobacteria by LC-MS Technique.

The blood coagulation cascade involves the human coagulation factors thrombin and an activated factor VII (fVIIa). Thrombin and fVIIa are vitamin-K-dependent clotting factors associated with bleeding, bleeding complications and disorders. Thrombin and fVIIa cause excessive bleeding when treated with vitamin-K antagonists.