Oil Gelation Ability of a Rice Bran Wax and Botanical High-Melting-Point Alcohol Mixture.

Due to its availability and relatively high melting point, rice bran wax can be used in foods and cosmetics as an oil solidifying agent. The addition of high-melting-point alcohols to the wax to optimize its performance was investigated. Such alcohols were prepared by the hydrolyzation of rice bran wax or carnauba wax. These alcohols had melting points of ～80°C, higher than that of rice bran wax, and consisted of hydrocarbons with alkyl chain lengths ranging from C24 to C34, much longer than the alkyl chains found in commercially available higher alcohols. Oil gel made with only rice bran wax as a solidifying agent has lower hardness than the conventional hydrocarbon wax gel, too low for practical usage in stick cosmetics such as lipsticks and lip creams. Blending high-melting-point alcohols with rice bran wax at 10-20% led to marked increase in gel hardness, equivalent to the gel hardness of the hydrocarbon wax. This effect on rice bran wax was not observed in commercially available higher alcohols and esters with lower melting points. Based upon the change in microstructure observed with SEM, the improved gel hardness of the rice bran wax upon addition of high-melting-point alcohols was probably induced by the disappearance of spherical clusters, originally presented in the gel, resulting in close to uniform morphology.

Prevalence and retention status of new graduate nurses with special support needs in Japan.

Early resignation of new graduate nurses is a global concern. Tendencies of developmental disorders or special support needs may contribute to the early resignation. A national mail survey about new graduate nurses with special support needs was conducted in Japan in 2013. A modified battery developed for a national survey of school children with special educational needs was used. The questionnaire was completed by the nurse managers of the participating hospitals who supervised the nurses. Among the 500 hospitals invited to participate in the survey, 141 hospitals responded. Sixty-six nurses were identified as having special support needs among the 2,761 nurses who were newly employed at 128 hospitals with 300 or more beds, which comprises 2.39% of the total. The most prevalent need was "social interaction/restricted interest" followed by "inattentiveness." Of these, 40.9% of the nurses left their initial hospital jobs within one year. The need for an individualized support program specific to nurses' needs is implied. Further research studies are warranted to prospectively identify nurses with special support needs and explore their experiences as working nurses.

Behavioral traits of the nursing students with special educational needs in Japan.

Nursing students with tendencies toward developmental disorders or special educational needs could face difficulties while studying nursing. The study examined the behavioral traits of nursing students with special educational needs who graduated in Japan in March 2011. Nurse educators from 341 programs provided information concerning students who had been identified as difficult to teach while enrolled in nursing programs. Behavioral traits were examined in students with special educational needs (n = 139) and those who did not have special needs but were identified as difficult to teach by the nurse educators (n = 84). The most prevalent behaviors in students with special needs were "making excessive excuses" in unstressful situations and "lapsing into silence" under stressful circumstances. The number of students with special needs who were prone to "blaming others" and "disappearing" was higher relative to that of students without special needs under unstressful circumstances. Under stressful circumstances, "blaming others," "disappearing," and "staying at home" were reported more frequently for students with special needs than they were for students without special needs. Nurse educators should pay attention to these behaviors in students facing difficulties while studying nursing.

Nursing students with special educational needs in Japan.

AIM: To reveal the prevalence of nursing students with special educational needs in Japan. METHOD: A mail survey of 833 nursing programs was conducted. Nurse educators were asked to report on their program's profiles and the number of extremely difficult students who belonged to the March 2011 class of graduates. They were also asked to fill a modified questionnaire developed by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology about each extremely difficult student. RESULTS: Among the 14,325 students enrolled the class of 2011, 146 students (1.02%) were identified as having one or more special educational needs for "listening," "speaking," "reading," "writing," "math," "reasoning," "inattentiveness," "hyperactivity/impulsivity," or "social interaction/restricted interests." The most prevalent need was "social interaction/restricted interests," followed by "listening" and "inattentiveness." These students had the most difficulty participating in "nursing care for patients during clinical practicum." CONCLUSION: The proportion of nursing students with special educational needs is small but may have a large impact on the clinical practicum. Evaluation and support systems at multiple levels, including entrance examinations, course placement, and special educational programs, are warranted.