VDR is a regulator of hair follicle regression

Vitamin D receptor (VDR) is essential for hair follicle homeostasis as its deficiency induces hair loss, although the mechanism involved remains unknown. Our research shows that, in Vdr-knockout mice, the hair cycle is halted during the catagen stage, preceding alopecia. In addition, in Vdr-knockout hair follicles, epithelial strands that normally regress during the catagen phase persist as "surviving epithelial strands." Single-cell RNA sequencing analysis suggests that these surviving epithelial strands are formed by cells in the lower part of the hair follicle. These findings emphasize the importance of the regression phase in hair follicle regeneration and establish VDR as a regulator of the catagen stage

An Exploratory Trial of EPI-589 in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (EPIC-ALS) : Protocol for a Multicenter, Open-Labeled, 24-Week, Single-Group Study

Background: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disorder, with its currently approved drugs, including riluzole and edaravone, showing limited therapeutic effects. Therefore, safe and effective drugs are urgently necessary. EPI-589 is an orally available, small-molecule, novel redox-active agent characterized by highly potent protective effects against oxidative stress with high blood-brain barrier permeability. Given the apparent oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction involvement in the pathogenesis of ALS, EPI-589 may hold promise as a therapeutic agent. Objective: This protocol aims to describe the design and rationale for the EPI-589 Early Phase 2 Investigator-Initiated Clinical Trial for ALS (EPIC-ALS). Methods: EPIC-ALS is an explorative, open-labeled, single-arm trial that evaluates the safety and tolerability of EPI-589 in patients with ALS. This trial consists of 12-week run-in, 24-week treatment, and 4-week follow-up periods. Patients will receive 500 mg of EPI-589 3 times daily over the 24-week treatment period. Clinical assessments include the mean monthly change of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Functional Rating Scale–Revised total score. The biomarkers are selected to analyze the effect on oxidative stress and neuronal damage. The plasma biomarkers are 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), 3-nitrotyrosine (3-NT), neurofilament light chain (NfL), phosphorylated neurofilament heavy chain (pNfH), homocysteine, and creatinine. The cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers are 8-OHdG, 3-NT, NfL, pNfH, and ornithine. The magnetic resonance biomarkers are fractional anisotropy in the corticospinal tract and N-acetylaspartate in the primary motor area. Results: This trial began data collection in September 2021 and is expected to be completed in October 2023. Conclusions: This study can provide useful data to understand the characteristics of EPI-589

Simultaneous Imaging and Characterization of Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids, Carotenoids, and Microcrystalline Guanine in Single Aurantiochytrium limacinum Cells with Linear and Nonlinear Raman Microspectroscopy

Thraustochytrids are heterotrophic marine protists known for their high production capacity of various compounds with health benefits, such as polyunsaturated fatty acids and carotenoids. Although much effort has been focused on developing optimal cultivation methods for efficient microbial production, these high-value compounds and their interrelationships are not well understood at the single-cell level. Here we used spontaneous (linear) Raman and multiplex coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) micro-spectroscopy to visualize and characterize lipids (e.g., docosahexaenoic acid) and carotenoids (e.g., astaxanthin) accumulated in single living Aurantiochytrium limacinum cells. Spontaneous Raman imaging with the help of multivariate curve resolution−alternating least-squares enabled us to make unambiguous assignments of the molecular components we detected and derive their intracellular distributions separately. Near-IR excited CARS imaging yielded the Raman images at least an order of magnitude faster than spontaneous Raman imaging, with suppressed contributions of carotenoids. As the culture time increased from 2 to 5 days, the lipid amount increased by a factor of ∼7, whereas the carotenoid amount did not change significantly. Furthermore, we observed a highly localized component in A. limacinum cells. This component was found to be mixed crystals of guanine and other purine derivatives. The present study demonstrates the potential of the linear−nonlinear Raman hybrid approach that allows for accurate molecular identification and fast imaging in a label-free manner to link information derived from single cells with strategies for mass culture of useful thraustochytrids

ESTIMATION OF WIND SPEED FROM TRANSMISSION TOWER COLLAPSE BY TYPHOON FAXAI

2019年9月9日，令和元年台風15号は，千葉県を中心に東日本に大きな被害をもたらした。そのうちの一つが2基の送電鉄塔の倒壊被害である。本論文では，この被害が発生した際の風速を推定するために，数値流体解析によって送電鉄塔の倒壊現場周辺の流れ場に対する地形の影響を検討した。さらに得られた流れ場に基づいて風荷重を求め，送電鉄塔の静的構造解析を行った。その結果，風向角146.25°において，地形の影響によって局所的に風速が増加し，風速40m/sで79号鉄塔が倒壊し始めるという結果を得た。On September 9, 2019, Typhoon FAXAI left huge damage in eastern Japan, mainly in Chiba Prefecture. One of them was the collapse of two power transmission towers. In this paper, in order to estimate the wind speed when this damage occurs, the influence of the topography on the flow field around the collapse site of the transmission tower was investigated by numerical fluid analysis. Furthermore, the static structural analysis of the transmission tower was carried out by applying wind load based on the obtained flow field. As a result, at the wind direction angle of 146.25 degrees, local wind speed increased due to the topography, and the No. 79 tower began to collapse at a wind speed of about 40 m / s

Healthy lifestyles for male masters athletes from frailty and lifestyle points of view

Authors and collaborators have investigated the subjective health and life satisfaction of elderly male Masters’ athletes. Subjects were 97 cases with 63.9 years in average, who participated in Masters track and field competition event, and they are asked to answer the questionnaire concerning healthy lifestyle habits. It had the inquiries about subjective health, satisfaction of daily life, spending leisure time and others. Two groups were categorized as non-elderly and elderly people (n=46/51), and compared for the detail such as frailty. As a result, no significant difference was found between two age groups for several aspects including daily lifestyle situation

Effects of Practical Training in Food Service Management for University Students Aiming to Become Registered Dietitians : Impact on the Competency of Registered Dietitians

管理栄養士教育の到達度を評価するために作成されたコンピテンシー項目を用いて，給食経営管理実習前後におけるコンピテンシーの変化より，本学履修生52 名における給食経営管理実習による教育効果について検証した。管理栄養士のコンピテンシーのうち，共通コンピテンシーである「栄養・食品スキル」及び「栄養マネジメント能力」は実習実施前と比較して実習実施後に有意に増加した。給食経営管理実習の実施により，学生の栄養・食品に関するスキルや栄養マネジメント能力といった管理栄養士として必要な共通コンピテンシーが他のコンピテンシーに比べ高まることが示唆された。We examined the educational effects of practical training in food service management on students' competency levels using a competency questionnaire designed to evaluate educational achievements for registered dietitians. The training significantly enhanced common competencies required for registered dietitians such as “nutrition/food skills” and “nutrition management ability” compared to pre-training levels. The findings suggest that practical training in food service management is associated with an increase in the levels of common competencies that are required for registered dietitians such as students' nutrition and food skills and nutrition management ability

T-Cell Response and Antibody Production Induced by the COVID-19 Booster Vaccine in Japanese Chronic Kidney Disease Patients Treated with Hemodialysis

Humoral and cellular responses are critical in understanding immune responses to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccination. Here, we evaluated these responses in hemodialysis (HD) patients after the booster vaccination. SARS-CoV-2 immunoglobulin (IgG) levels, neutralizing antibody titers, and the T-SPOT®.COVID test (T-SPOT) were measured prior to, three weeks after, and three months after the booster administration. The HD group had significantly higher SARS-CoV-2 IgG levels and neutralizing antibody titers against the original strain at three weeks and three months after the booster vaccination compared to the control group, albeit the HD group had lower SARS-CoV-2 IgG levels and neutralizing antibody titers before the booster administration. Moreover, the HD group had significantly higher T-SPOT levels at all three time points compared to the control group. The HD group also had significantly higher local and systemic adverse reaction rates than the control group. By booster vaccination, HD patients could acquire more effective SARS-CoV-2-specific humoral and cellular immunity than the control group

A case of thyroid-like low-grade nasopharyngeal papillary adenocarcinoma of the posterior end of the nasal septum

Thyroid-like low grade nasopharyngeal papillary adenocarcinoma（TL-LGNPPA）は上咽頭に発生する稀な低悪性度腫瘍である。甲状腺乳頭癌の組織像に類似し，TTF-1が陽性，Thyroglobulinは陰性を示す。われわれは，鼻中隔後端に発生したTL-LGNPPA例を経験した。症例は30歳女性で，鼻中隔後端の腫瘤を偶然発見された。術前診断は外反性乳頭腫であり，摘出術を行った。術後の病理検査でTL-LGNPPAと診断した。断端は陰性であり追加治療は行わなかった。術後1年以上経過したが再発や転移は認めていない。Thyroid-like low-grade nasopharyngeal papillary adenocarcinoma （TL-LGNPPA） is a rare low-grade tumor that predominantly occurs in the nasopharynx. The tumor shows papillary thyroid carcinoma-like histopathology, positive for thyroid transcription factor-1 （TTF-1）, but negative for thyroglobulin. We report a case of TL-LGNPPA at the posterior end of the nasal septum. A 30-year-old woman was found by chance to have a tumor at the posterior end of the nasal septum. We preoperatively diagnosed the tumor as an exophytic papilloma and endoscopically resected the tumor. The tumor was diagnosed by postoperative histopathology as TL-LGNPPA. More than one year after surgery, there is no evidence of recurrence or metastasis