Exploring the factors associated with difficulties in extracting tablets or capsules from press-through-package sheets.

Exploring factors related to difficulties in extracting tablets or capsules from press-through-packages is essential for optimizing the dosage form. To achieve this, the involvement of patient insight is important. In the present study, the preferences of patients regarding drugs that are difficult to extract from their packaging were collected using an electronic medication notebook ('harmo®') based on dispensing data.

Factor Analysis of Patients Who Find Tablets or Capsules Difficult to Swallow Due to Their Large Size: Using the Personal Health Record Infrastructure of Electronic Medication Notebooks.

Background: Understanding patient preference regarding taking tablet or capsule formulations plays a pivotal role in treatment efficacy and adherence. Therefore, these preferences should be taken into account when designing formulations and prescriptions.

Objective: This study investigates the factors affecting patient preference in patients who have difficulties swallowing large tablets or capsules and aims to identify appropriate sizes for tablets and capsules.

Modulation of the balance between stem cell proliferation and consumption by ERECTA-family genes.

Stem cells in the vegetative shoot apical meristem proliferate to produce more stem cells (self-renewal) and are simultaneously consumed to form leaf promordia. Therefore, to keep a stable number of stem cells, regulation of the balance between their proliferation and consumption is important. Recently we reported that stem cell population is increased in mutant plants lacking the entire ERECTA (ER) receptor kinase family.

ERECTA-family receptor kinases regulate stem cell homeostasis via buffering its cytokinin responsiveness in the shoot apical meristem.

Shoot apical meristems (SAMs), which are maintained at the tips of stems, are indeterminate structures and sources of stem cells from which all aerial organs are ultimately derived. Although mechanisms that regulate the homeostasis of the stem cells have been extensively investigated, identification of further unknown regulators should provide better understanding of the regulation. Here, we report that members of the Arabidopsis ERECTA (ER) receptor kinase family redundantly play a significant role in the regulation of stem cell homeostasis.

Effects of exercise intensity on circulating leukocyte subpopulations.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to examine the relation between exercise intensity and immune function.

Methods: Ten healthy young males underwent a constant work rate exercise of three levels, 90%, 80% and 70% ventilatory threshold (VT) work rate, for 20 min on a bicycle ergometer. These work rates were calculated for each individual based on his VT work rate obtained by the incremental exercise tests.