ABSTRACT
Background/Aims@#Immune checkpoint blockade has recently been reported to be effective in treating microsatellite instability (MSI)-high tumors. Therefore, sufficient sampling of histological specimens is necessary in cases of unresectable pancreatic cancer (UR-PC). This multicenter study investigated the efficacy of endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle biopsy (EUS-FNB) using a Franseen needle for MSI evaluation in patients with UR-PC. @*Methods@#A total of 89 patients with UR-PC who underwent endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) or EUS-FNB using 22-G needles at three hospitals in Japan (2018–2021) were enrolled. Fifty-six of these patients (FNB 23 and FNA 33) were followed up or evaluated for MSI. Patient characteristics, UR-PC data, and procedural outcomes were compared between patients who underwent EUS-FNB and those who underwent EUS-FNA. @*Results@#No significant difference in terms of sufficient tissue acquisition for histology was observed between patients who underwent EUS-FNB and those who underwent EUS-FNA. MSI evaluation was possible significantly more with tissue samples obtained using EUS-FNB than with tissue samples obtained using EUS-FNA (82.6% [19/23] vs. 45.5% [15/33], respectively; p<0.01). In the multivariate analysis, EUS-FNB was the only significant factor influencing the possibility of MSI evaluation. @*Conclusions@#EUS-FNB using a Franseen needle is desirable for ensuring sufficient tissue acquisition for MSI evaluation.
ABSTRACT
Objective: The measurement of compounded topical medications’ uniformity is an important component of quality assessment. This study was aimed to evaluate appropriate mixing time for external preparations using a planetary centrifugal mixer.Methods: In order to evaluate the product uniformity of mixtures of five different steroid cream (Antebate®, Myser®, Methaderm®, Lidomex®, and Locoid®) with three different heparinoid oil-based cream (Hirudoid®, “Nichi-Iko” cream and “Nipro” cream), steroid cream and heparinoid oil-based cream (5 g each) were added into a 13 mL container and mixed using the mixer (NanKo Rentaro NRE-120®, THINKY) at rotation speed of 800 rpm and revolution speed of 2,000 rpm. We sampled 0.1 g of the mixture from three spots (top, middle, and bottom portions) of the container then, measured the steroid content by HPLC method. The yield value points of each cream and heparinoid oil-based cream were also measured by spread meter.Results: Our results showed that when the coefficient of variation (CV) is less than 15.2 %, a mixing time of at least 120 s was required to achieve proper mixing to obtain the permissible limit of steroid cream and heparinoid oil-based cream. Also the greater difference of the yield value between steroid cream and heparinoid oil-based cream tended to be mixed easier.Conclusions: These results suggest that the spread ability of steroid cream and heparinoid oil-based cream affects the mixing efficiency of a planetary centrifugal mixer.
ABSTRACT
Introduction: The purpose of this study was to assess changes in attitudes and motivation of selected Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences (TUPLS) student pharmacists who participated in two-week Clinical Pharmacy Educational Programs (CPEPs) at two US schools of pharmacy.Method: Questionnaires were distributed to the fifth-year pharmacy students who had participated in two CPEPs groups at University of Southern California (USC) or University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) between August 2013-2016. Questionnaires contained items assessing attitudes and motivation toward English learning. Items were in the form of statements to which participants' responses were measured using a numerical rating scale (0-10; ranging from 0 = "I do not agree at all" to 10 = "I agree completely").Results: 128 responses were analyzed between both participants at USC and UCSF (The follow-up rate was 100%). After participation in CPEPs, the mean score (confidence interval) of ‘I like English' and ‘I feel comfortable talking with English speakers' significantly increased in both groups relative to the baseline (USC group vs. UCSF group, 0.6 (0.2-1.1) vs. 0.5 (0.1-0.9), 1.0 (0.6-1.5) vs. 1.3 (0.9-1.7), respectively). However, the mean increase in score of ‘English ability comes to be needed for me to make in my future careers' and ‘I hope to have opportunities for studying or working abroad in the future' in UCSF group was significantly greater than the baseline, which showed a mean score increase of 0.5 (0.2-0.9) and 0.7 (0.3-1.2), respectively.Conclusions: The current study suggests that CPEPs even two-weeks programs, may stimulate English learning motivation, especially integrative motivation for pharmacy student participants.
ABSTRACT
<b>Purpose</b>: Pharmacists should play a positive role in palliative care. The pharmacy curriculum should also contain content promoting an appropriate attitude toward death. Hence, this study aims to gather fundamental information that can be used to understand the various death attitudes held by pharmacy students. <b>Methods</b>: We targeted 159 sixth-year students of the School of Pharmacy, Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, in 2011. They studied "Up-to-date-Palliative-Care" (an elective subject). To investigate their overall perception of death, we used the Death Attitude Inventory (DAI), developed by Hirai and others (2000), and investigated their views of death on the basis of seven factors. We also classified students on the basis of type of death they had experienced, that is, the death of a household, relative, friend, or pet. We compared the scores obtained for each factor and conducted a logistic regression analysis. <b>Results and Conclusion</b>: We analyzed the data from 120 students (valid response rate: 75.5%). Students who had experienced the death of friend, had significantly higher scores on "Life Purpose" and "Death Concern" (<i>p</i><0.05). Students who had experienced the death of household etc., statistical positive correlation with "Death Concern" and statistical negative correlation with "Death Anxiety" were recognized.