Life-threatening toxicity in a patient with UGT1A1*6 heterozygous polymorphism after irinotecan-based chemotherapy: a case report

Polymorphism of the UGT1A1 gene is known to play an important role in irinotecan pharmacokinetics and severe toxicity. A 71-year-old man with lung cancer (squamous cell carcinoma cT2aN3M0 stage IIIB) received irinotecan and cisplatin with concurrent thoracic radiotherapy. Although all treatments were discontinued after day 7, severe leukopenia, neutropenia, febrile neutropenia, thrombocytopenia, and diarrhea developed. His life was at risk, and his ECOG performance status (PS) fell to 4. He had UGT1A1*6 heterozygous and UGT1A1*28 wild-type gene polymorphisms. Considering its frequency in Asians, we should take care when using irinotecan to treat patients with UGT1A1*6 heterozygous polymorphism

Synchronization of Circadian Per2 Rhythms and HSF1-BMAL1:CLOCK Interaction in Mouse Fibroblasts after Short-Term Heat Shock Pulse

Circadian rhythms are the general physiological processes of adaptation to daily environmental changes, such as the temperature cycle. A change in temperature is a resetting cue for mammalian circadian oscillators, which are possibly regulated by the heat shock (HS) pathway. The HS response (HSR) is a universal process that provides protection against stressful conditions, which promote protein-denaturation. Heat shock factor 1 (HSF1) is essential for HSR. In the study presented here, we investigated whether a short-term HS pulse can reset circadian rhythms. Circadian Per2 rhythm and HSF1-mediated gene expression were monitored by a real-time bioluminescence assay for mPer2 promoter-driven luciferase and HS element (HSE; HSF1-binding site)-driven luciferase activity, respectively. By an optimal duration HS pulse (43°C for approximately 30 minutes), circadian Per2 rhythm was observed in the whole mouse fibroblast culture, probably indicating the synchronization of the phases of each cell. This rhythm was preceded by an acute elevation in mPer2 and HSF1-mediated gene expression. Mutations in the two predicted HSE sites adjacent (one of them proximally) to the E-box in the mPer2 promoter dramatically abolished circadian mPer2 rhythm. Circadian Per2 gene/protein expression was not observed in HSF1-deficient cells. These findings demonstrate that HSF1 is essential to the synchronization of circadian rhythms by the HS pulse. Importantly, the interaction between HSF1 and BMAL1:CLOCK heterodimer, a central circadian transcription factor, was observed after the HS pulse. These findings reveal that even a short-term HS pulse can reset circadian rhythms and cause the HSF1-BMAL1:CLOCK interaction, suggesting the pivotal role of crosstalk between the mammalian circadian and HSR systems

成人看護学における映像システムの活用状況と課題

報告Reports　2020 年の新型コロナウイルス感染症（以下、COVID-19）の世界的感染拡大により、生活のあらゆる場面における情報通信技術（Information and Communication Technology；以下、ICT）の重要性が飛躍的に高まり、看護基礎教育においては、ICT を生かした看護実践能力を育む新たな教育手法の開発とその知見の蓄積が喫緊の課題となった。　このような学修環境の変化を契機に、2020 年度より本学の成人看護学領域は、専用クラウド上の映像教材（以下、コンテンツ）に個人が所有する端末でアクセスすることで、それらコンテンツを自由に活用できる「映像システム」を取り入れた教育を開始した。　　映像システムは、2020 年度開講された全ての成人看護学関連科目において活用され、特にCOVID-19 の感染拡大状況により、その教育手法が大きく影響をうける実習においては、多様な形で用いられていた。今後は、映像システムの活用状況や教育効果に関する評価、さらに組織的な使用環境の整備などが課題である

成人看護学における看護過程演習の遠隔授業による展開

報告Reports　本学看護学部の成人看護学における3 年次春セメスター必修科目「成人看護援助論演習」では、主体的学修を基盤とする協働学修を取り入れた看護過程演習を実施している。2020 年度においては、新型コロナウイルス感染症（COVID-19）拡大により、面接授業が困難となり、遠隔授業による実施を迫られた。本稿では、短期間で修正した具体的な教育の実践内容およびその過程で生じた課題や対応策等について報告した。看護過程演習では、オンデマンド授業を主体に一部同時配信授業を取り入れ、学習管理システム（Learning Management System）を活用し、学生の提出課題へ教員が個別に対応しながら、学修過程を支援した。新型コロナウイルス感染症の収束の兆しが見えない中（2020 年12 月現在）、今後さらに情報通信技術を活用した学生への効果的・効率的な教育方法の在り方を検討していくことが課題である

A dehydrated space-weathered skin cloaking the hydrated interior of Ryugu

Without a protective atmosphere, space-exposed surfaces of airless Solar System bodies gradually experience an alteration in composition, structure and optical properties through a collective process called space weathering. The return of samples from near-Earth asteroid (162173) Ryugu by Hayabusa2 provides the first opportunity for laboratory study of space-weathering signatures on the most abundant type of inner solar system body: a C-type asteroid, composed of materials largely unchanged since the formation of the Solar System. Weathered Ryugu grains show areas of surface amorphization and partial melting of phyllosilicates, in which reduction from Fe3+ to Fe2+ and dehydration developed. Space weathering probably contributed to dehydration by dehydroxylation of Ryugu surface phyllosilicates that had already lost interlayer water molecules and to weakening of the 2.7 µm hydroxyl (–OH) band in reflectance spectra. For C-type asteroids in general, this indicates that a weak 2.7 µm band can signify space-weathering-induced surface dehydration, rather than bulk volatile loss