第14回千葉カルシウム代謝研究会

(A) The DNA distribution of cells treated with bicyclol-AKT cDNA-, bicyclol-AKT cDNA+, bicyclol + AKT cDNA- and bicyclol + AKT cDNA+. The cDNA was transfected as mentioned in Methods. Then the cells were treated with bicyclol for 24 h (B) The DNA distribution of cells treated with bicyclol or/and LY294002 for 24 h. (C) The DNA distribution of cells treated with bicyclol or/and PD98059 for 24 h. (TIF 809 kb

Investigation of in vitro and in vivo skin permeability using laser scanning microscopy

Understanding the skin permeability, especially, live human skin permeability is important for several reasons. Firstly, transdermal (through skin) drug delivery is proclaimed as a key delivery mechanism of the future. It offers a targeted drug delivery to the ailment (e.g. muscular pain), with the potential for lower dosages and increased patient compliance. Secondly, skin is the largest organ of an organism serving to protect it from environmental assault. Therefore, thorough understanding of the skin permeability to molecules, macromolecules, and nanoparticles will serve to optimise targeted drug delivery strategies, and minimise potentially hazardous environmental impact. -- In this thesis, these important tasks were addressed by applying emerging optical imaging techniques, e.g. Fluorescence Confocal Scanning Microscopy (FCSM) and Fluorescence Multiphoton Microscopy (FMM), to study of the skin permeability, its kinetics and penetration pathways, with a particular focus on in vivo imaging. These microscopes are especially suitable for imaging of a thick and heterogeneous tissue such as skin. They provide real-time imaging of distribution of endogenous (intrinsic to tissue) and exogenous (externally introduced) fluorophores, as well as luminescent nanoparticles within superficial skin layers in vivo and in vitro on the subcellular scale. Thus, both three-dimensional skin architecture and exogenous fluorophores/nanoparticles can be simultaneously visualised. Of critical importance is to answer a question, whether molecules and nanoparticles under study are absorbed sub-dermally, passing stratum corneum, the topmost layer of the skin? -- As a result of multidisciplinary collaborative team investigations, particularly useful nanoparticle transdermal models have been identified and employed: surface-modified quantum dots (CdSe/ZnS) and metal oxide wide bandgap nanostructures, such as zinc oxide (ZnO-nano) and titanium dioxide (TiO₂-nano) nanoparticles. It appeared that ZnO-nano exhibited remarkable in skin in FMM imaging context. It is explained by its enhanced optical non-linear and serendipitous spectral properties. -- Due to the widespread use of ZnO-nano in skin care products, this work may find useful applications in vivo non-invasive imaging of nanoparticle transdermal penetration. The overall outcome from the optical and electron microscopy imaging studies was that, in human in vivo, nanoparticles stayed in stratum corneum and accumulated into skin folds and/or hair follicle roots of human skin, with a remarkable exception of skin treated with chemical enhancers. The current body of evidence, including contributions of this study, suggests that the form of sunscreen-based nanoparticles studied here is unlikely to result in safety concerns. -- In order to demonstrate an approach for investigation of the permeation pathways and kinetics of low-molecular weight drugs and toxins, permeation of organic dye Rhodamine B (Rh:B) via intercellular (through lipid) and intracellular pathways (through corneocytes) was investigated, using FMM and its derivative, fluorescence recovery after photo-bleaching (FRAP) techniques. As a result of this study, the diffusion coefficient of this exogenous fluorophore has been determined, which turned out to be in a good agreement with the tabulated value

Supplemental - Transfer of the Index Finger Extensor Digitorum Communis Tendon to the Extensor Pollicis Longus Tendon: A Case Report

Supplemental for Transfer of the Index Finger Extensor Digitorum Communis Tendon to the Extensor Pollicis Longus Tendon: A Case Report by Xin Zhao and Jin Li in Plastic Surgery Case Studies</p

Table_1_Evaluating a pedagogical approach to promoting academic integrity in higher education: An online induction program.XLSX

Academic integrity is at the heart of excellent education. However, resources explaining the concept tend to be definition-driven, while using complex language and sometimes even an austere tone designed to discourage students from breaches. This study aims to design and evaluate an online module at a UK University across 2 years, designed to improve students’ understanding of concepts of academic integrity and practice. The module includes a range of interactive resources (e.g., gamified quizzes and e-booklets) and was made available to a large cohort of postgraduate students (448). The study adopts a mixed-methods approach composed of three sequential phases involving first collecting students’ views on existing academic integrity resources (7 students participating in a focus group and 39 competing a questionnaire), then developing a range of new ones based on students’ feedback to form the content of the module, and finally gathering students’ evaluation on the newly created resources (sample size: 361 students). Results illustrate a clear improvement in relation to the accessibility, usefulness and understandability of new resources. Results also highlight a remarkable increase in student confidence levels regarding academic integrity. Students also considered the new module as more appealing and informative. This manuscript offers a good example of a pedagogical approach aimed at promoting academic integrity in an innovative and engaging fashion.</p

Additional file 1: Table S1. of Identification and classification of known and putative antimicrobial compounds produced by a wide variety of Bacillales species

Accession numbers of whole genome sequences (reported in Genbank) of Bacillales analyzed in this study. (XLSX 23 kb) (XLSX 23 kb

Evaluation of Allergic Cross-Reactivity Among Fishes by Microfluidic Chips and MALDI-TOF MS

Fish is one of the most common foods that cause allergic reactions. The study of cross-reactivity among fishes using mass spectrometry (MS) is still limited. We developed a strategy using microfluidic chips coupled with matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) to evaluate cross-reactivity among fishes. The protocol employed commercial magnetic beads functionalized with anti-human IgE antibodies to carry out the IgEs immunomagnetic separation in blood samples, followed by the capture of allergens from seafood protein extracts in a single-straight microfluidic channel. After elution, the captured allergens were digested and identified by MALDI-TOF MS and high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry and validated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). An investigation of the reproducibility revealed that the protocol can sense well the allergens in a food matrix. Seven fish species were analyzed to evaluate the allergic cross-reactivity among fishes. The commercial ELISA test gave consistent results with the presently developed strategy when the same allergenicity test was performed. Parvalbumins were detected from five of the seven analyzed fishes. The sequence alignment of parvalbumins revealed that the similarity of parvalbumins identified from the analyzed fishes is larger than 64%. Boiling may reduce the allergenicity of fish, as demonstrated by a marginal diminish in the parvalbumin content of crucian carp (Carassius carassius) muscle when boiling with water. The method can potentially be used to predict allergic cross-reactivity among fish species, provide advice and guidance to individuals with a history of seafood allergy, and ensure food safety in the food allergy community

Data_Sheet_1_From online to offline education in the post-pandemic era: Challenges encountered by international students at British universities.docx

BackgroundAfter 2 years of anti-pandemic struggles, universities in the United Kingdom have started to witness a reverse transition, a shift from online to offline education. This includes encouraging students to begin face-to-face programmes and allowing flexibility for remote learners, but later requiring all students to return to campus by a certain date.ObjectivesThis paper aims to explore the challenges and impacts brought about by this new transition and provide recommendations for universities to enhance student experience for future adversity.MethodThis qualitative study conducted semi-structured interviews with 24 international students from a British university to explore their experiences during the transition. The results were analysed using thematic analysis.ResultsOur data revealed both internal and external challenges to students during the online-to-offline shift, which lead to a general resistance to said shift. Specifically, policy challenges (e.g., policy conflicts) imposed the most significant impacts on international students, resulting in psychological anxiety, financial losses, and negative learning experiences. The reduction of digital tools and learning materials during the shift also presented challenges to students who developed a reliance on digital resources while learning remotely. Other challenges have also been identified, including academic barriers and social engagement issues.ConclusionBy highlighting these challenges, this paper has practical implications for university policy decisions and provides recommendations for supporting students’ transition back to traditional offline learning.</p

Additional file 2: Table S2. of Identification and classification of known and putative antimicrobial compounds produced by a wide variety of Bacillales species

Characteristics of ribosomally synthesized antimicrobial peptides of Bacillales. (DOCX 201 kb

Effect on Kinetics by Deuterium in the 1,5-Hydrogen Shift of a Cisoid-Locked 1,3(<i>Z</i>)-Pentadiene, 2-Methyl-10-methylenebicyclo[4.4.0]dec-1-ene: Evidence for Tunneling?

Prompted by extensive theoretical interest in the role of tunneling in the intramolecular 1,5-hydrogen shift in 1,3(Z)-pentadienes and the large uncertainty in the published values of the theoretically relevant kinetic deuterium-isotope effect and its dependence on temperature, we have examined a degenerate bicyclic version, 2-methyl-10-methylenebicyclo[4.4.0]dec-1-ene, which is locked into the rearrangement-competent cisoid conformation, in the hope of obtaining more precise and accurate values. From rate constants determined over a range of 33 °C from 167.7 to 201.6 °C, Arrhenius parameters, Ea = 32.8 ± 0.4 kcal mol-1 and log A = 11.1 ± 0.2, were obtained. An average kinetic isotope effect of 4.2 ± 0.5 obtained from all values for kH/kD and k-H/k-D may be compared with a value of 5.0 ± 0.3, recalculated from data in the pioneering publication of Roth and König. From a highly problematic extrapolation of the temperature dependence, a value of kH/kD of 16.6 (standard error between 6.5 and 43) is calculated for the kinetic isotope effect at 25 °C (Roth and König:  12.2). With curvature in Arrhenius plots being one of the three types of experimental evidence considered indicative of tunneling, the kinetic study of the previously published rearrangement of 1-phenyl-5-p-tolyl-1,3(Z)-pentadiene has been extended over a period of 339 days to a range of 108 °C (77−185 °C) without discerning any deviation from a straight-line Arrhenius plot:  Ea = 28.7 ± 0.5 (kcal mol-1) and log A = 9.41 ± 0.30

Additional file 3: Table S3. of Identification and classification of known and putative antimicrobial compounds produced by a wide variety of Bacillales species

Characteristics of NRPs, PKs and NRPS/PKS hybrid synthesized antimicrobials of Bacillales. (DOCX 854 kb