Terminological Usage Related to Dyspnea by Nursing Staff: A Cross-Sectional Questionnaire Survey.

In recent years, additional expressions such as 'sensation of breathing discomfort' and 'discomfort of dyspnea' are being used in daily nursing care in Japan. To better understand the current status of the use of these terms by nurses, and to ascertain what the term 'dyspnea' may not express, we designed an original questionnaire and conducted a study with all nurses at our hospital. The questionnaire included questions to determine if nurses used these terms, and in what context.

Roles of calcium/calmodulin-dependent kinase II in long-term memory formation in crickets.

Ca(2+)/calmodulin (CaM)-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) is a key molecule in many systems of learning and memory in vertebrates, but roles of CaMKII in invertebrates have not been characterized in detail. We have suggested that serial activation of NO/cGMP signaling, cyclic nucleotide-gated channel, Ca(2+)/CaM and cAMP signaling participates in long-term memory (LTM) formation in olfactory conditioning in crickets, and here we show participation of CaMKII in LTM formation and propose its site of action in the biochemical cascades. Crickets subjected to 3-trial conditioning to associate an odor with reward exhibited memory that lasts for a few days, which is characterized as protein synthesis-dependent LTM.

[Indications, efficacies and periopertive problems of thymectomy in non-thymomatous myasthenia gravis].

A recent evidence-based review failed to show conclusive benefits of thymectomy in non-thymomatous MG patients, and only recommended thymectomy as an option to increase the probability of remission or improvement. Furthermore, it is a matter of another controversy whether thymectomy is beneficial in ocular MG and also late-onset MG patients without thymoma. We reviewed the clinical course and outcomes of ocular MG and late-onset MG patients in a retrospective cross-sectional multi-center survey conducted in Japan.

The clinical significance of anti-heat shock cognate protein 71 antibody in myasthenia gravis.

Anti-heat shock cognate protein 71 antibody (HSC71 Ab) formation in the sera of myasthenia gravis (MG) patients was measured, and the correlation between HSC71 Ab titers, clinical features and therapy efficacies for MG patients were examined. Clinical evaluations were performed according to the MG Foundation of America (MGFA) clinical classification. Therapy efficacies were measured using the MG activities of daily living (MG-ADL) score.

Effects of thymectomy on late-onset myasthenia gravis without thymoma.

Objectives: This study aims to investigate whether thymectomy is beneficial for late-onset (>50 years) myasthenia gravis patients with no thymoma, particularly for those with mild generalized weakness.

Patients And Methods: A total of 34 patients were included in the study. The clinical course and long-term outcomes over 2 years were reviewed in 20 patients who underwent thymectomy and in 14 without thymectomy.

High-dose intravenous immunoglobulin for the treatment of MuSK antibody-positive seronegative myasthenia gravis.

We treated two patients with anti-muscle specific tyrosine kinase (MuSK)-antibody positive seronegative myasthenia gravis (MG) with high-dose intravenous gammaglobulin (IVIg) and evaluated their clinical courses. Both patients were Japanese women, MuSK-positive seronegative MG, and were unresponsive to conventional treatments, including thymectomy, steroids, and tacrolimus. The patients required frequent hospitalization for plasmapheresis.

Concomitant chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy and myasthenia gravis following cytomegalovirus infection.

We describe a patient who concomitantly developed chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) and myasthenia gravis (MG) following cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection. Whereas CIDP and MG presumably have different immunopathogeneses, a number of reports presented cases with CIDP and MG, some of which were concomitant cases. Several reports described association between CIDP or MG, and CMV infection, although the association is still a matter of controversy.

Treatment and outcome of myasthenia gravis: retrospective multi-center analysis of 470 Japanese patients, 1999-2000.

To clarify the current status of treatments and outcomes of patients with myasthenia gravis (MG) in Japan, a total of 470 patients (164 men and 306 women; mean age 41 years) were recruited from 19 Japanese tertiary medical centers in 1999-2000. Thymectomy was performed in 319 (68%) of the patients. Patients who received thymectomy were younger (p = 0.

Low-dose tacrolimus treatment in thymectomised and steroid-dependent myasthenia gravis.

Objectives: The effects of tacrolimus, a new immunosuppressive drug, which inhibits calcineurin pathway and also might enhance corticosteroid (CS) receptor-mediated gene expressions, on clinical outcome and biochemical data were evaluated in thymectomised and steroid-dependent myasthenia gravis (MG) patients.

Patients And Methods: We administrated low-dose tacrolimus (3 mg/day orally) to 17 steroid-dependent thymectomised MG patients. They were followed for 4 to 58 months, average 19.

Antenatal steroid treatment prevents severe hyperkalemia in very low-birthweight infants.

Background: Hyperkalemia is seen quite often in very low-birthweight (VLBW) infants and concentrations sometimes become high enough to cause cardiac arrhythmia. The purpose of the present study was to identify factors that increase serum concentrations of potassium in VLBW infants.

Methods: Retrospective comparative analysis was performed on 140 VLBW infants who had been admitted to the Toho University Perinatal Center between January 1993 and December 1999 and needed mechanical ventilation for respiratory distress.

Congenital spondylolysis of the axis with associated myelopathy. Case report.

Cervical spondylolysis is a rare clinical entity and occurs predominantly at the C-6 level. The authors describe a patient with congenital spondylolysis of the axis that caused myelopathy. The patient was a 57-year-old woman with long-standing gait disturbance.