Novel Soft Meals Developed by 3D Printing

Recently, 3D printing is being applied to various fields. 3D printing of foods has been developed; however, there are many challenges. To overcome the challenges, we have started a new research group named “Yonezawa Itadakimasu Research Group,” to focus on the development of 3D printing applications for manufacturing food. We have developed Novel jelly foods that are shaped by 3D printed molds. Fused deposition modeling (FDM) 3D printer for food manufacturing makes the 3D printed molds. First step of making 3D printing mold is to print a cast. Then, food grade silicone is poured into the cast to make a mold. This type of 3D printed mold can be used widely, such as making sweets, restaurant menus, and care foods by changing the design depending on the use of application. Secondly, we started to develop 3D food printers. This type of challenge to develop future foods by 3D printing technology may have a major impact on the care food because the looks of foods are important and will be improved by 3D printing

Identification and characterization of a fluorescent flagellar protein from the brown alga Scytosiphon lomentaria (Scytosiphonales, Phaeophyceae): A flavoprotein homologous to Old Yellow Enzyme

The posterior flagellum of the zoospore of the brown alga Scytosiphon lomentaria exhibits bright green autofluorescence. To identify the fluorescent flagellar substance(s), we isolated flagella from zoospores and partially purified a flavoprotein by anion-exchange and gel-filtration chromatography. Spectrofluorometric and chromatographic analyses showed that the flavoprotein had an apparent molecular mass of 41 kDa and a non-covalently bound flavin mononucleotide as a chromophore. Based on partial amino acid sequences of the protein, a cDNA of the 41-kDa flavoprotein was cloned and sequenced. The deduced amino acid sequence of the cDNA was homologous to that of the Old Yellow Enzyme family distributed in proteobacteria, yeasts and vascular plants

Spatio-temporal marine conservation planning to support high-latitude coral range expansion under climate change

Aim: Increasing sea-surface temperatures (SST) have resulted in poleward range expansions of scleractinian corals and declines in their core ranges. These changes may provide management opportunities for the long-term persistence of corals, but spatial prioritization rarely considers and anticipates these changes. We developed a spatio-temporal conservation plan that accommodates future coral range expansions based on projections of future SST. Our spatial planning approach is particularly useful in places with limited information about species distributions. Our aims were to (1) identify areas that consistently remain important for conservation through time and (2) determine the differences between priorities for conservation that account for potential coral range expansions and those that ignore them. Location: Japan. Methods: We developed spatial planning approaches using predicted coral habitat distributions for current conditions, the near future and the distant future. Using the Marxan conservation planning software, we designed conservation plans for scenarios that incorporated different types of spatial and temporal connections. Spatial connections are physical connections between adjacent and nearby areas, whereas temporal connections connect planning areas throughout time. Results: We found that protecting areas important for current and future coral habitat distributions is possible by prioritizing places that are consistently important through time. A spatially and temporally cohesive plan was accomplished with only a 14% increase in the overall reserve system costs, compared with reserve systems ignoring future coral habitat distributions. The attributes of priority areas (e.g. locations, outside boundary length and size) were substantially different when we varied the types of connections. Main conclusions: This study demonstrated that areas with highest conservation priority now will not necessarily be optimal when planning for future change, such as coral range expansions. Furthermore, we showed that incorporating spatio-temporal connections into spatial prioritization achieves objectives of simultaneously conserving corals in the current climate and facilitating their expansions as SST rises

Systematic inclusion of mandatory interprofessional education in health professions curricula at Gunma University: a report of student self-assessment in a nine-year implementation

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The mandatory interprofessional education programme at Gunma University was initiated in 1999. This paper is a statistical evaluation of the programme from 1999 to 2007.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A questionnaire of 10 items to assess the achievement levels of the programme, which was developed independently of other assessment systems published previously, was distributed, as well as two or three open-ended questions to be answered at the end of each annual module. A multivariate analysis of variance model was used, and the factor analysis of the responses was performed with varimax rotation.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Over all, 1418 respondents of a possible 1629 students completed the survey, for a total response rate of 87.1%. Cronbach's alpha of 10 items was 0.793, revealing high internal consistency. Our original questionnaire was categorized into four subscales as follows: "Role and responsibilities", "Teamwork and collaboration", "Structure and function of training facilities", and "Professional identity". Students in the Department of Occupational Therapy reached a relatively lower level of achievement. In the replies to the open-ended questions, requests for the participation of the medical students were repeated throughout the evaluation period.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The present four subscales measure "understanding", and may take into account the development of interprofessional education programmes with clinical training in various facilities. The content and quality of clinical training subjects may be remarkably dependent on training facilities, suggesting the importance of full consultation mechanisms in the local network with the relevant educational institutes for medicine, health care and welfare.</p

Diagnostic criteria for acute-onset type 1 diabetes mellitus (2012): Report of the Committee of Japan Diabetes Society on the Research of Fulminant and Acute-onset Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus

Type 1 diabetes is a disease characterized by destruction of pancreatic β-cells, which leads to absolute deficiency of insulin secretion. Depending on the manner of onset and progression, it is classified as fulminant, acute-onset or slowly progressive type 1 diabetes. Here, we propose the diagnostic criteria for acute-onset type 1 diabetes mellitus. Among the patients who develop ketosis or diabetic ketoacidosis within 3 months after the onset of hyperglycemic symptoms and require insulin treatment continuously after the diagnosis of diabetes, those with anti-islet autoantibodies are diagnosed with \u27acute-onset type 1 diabetes mellitus (autoimmune)\u27. In contrast, those whose endogenous insulin secretion is exhausted (fasting serum C-peptide immunoreactivity <0.6 ng/mL) without verifiable anti-islet autoantibodies are diagnosed simply with \u27acute-onset type 1 diabetes mellitus\u27. Patients should be reevaluated after certain periods in case their statuses of anti-islet autoantibodies and/or endogenous insulin secretory capacity are unknown

Characterization of Oligopeptides in Solanum lycopersicum Xylem Exudates

The xylem is the main pathway for the transport of water and molecules from roots to shoots. To date, it has been reported that secreted oligopeptides mediate root-to-shoot signaling, and some long-distance mobile oligopeptides have been detected in xylem exudates. However, the conservation of a number of oligopeptides and the overall features of peptide fragments contained in xylem exudates are poorly understood. Here, we conducted a comprehensive analysis of small proteins and peptides in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) xylem exudates and characterized the identified peptide fragments. We found that putative secreted proteins were enriched in xylem exudates compared with all proteins in the tomato protein database. We identified seven oligopeptides that showed common features of bioactive oligopeptides, including homologs of CLV3/ESR-related (CLE), C-TERMINALLY ENCODED PEPTIDE (CEP), and CASPARIAN STRIP INTEGRITY FACTOR (CIF) peptides. Furthermore, five of the identified oligopeptides were homologs of the soybean xylem exudate-associated oligopeptides that we previously reported. Our results suggest that oligopeptides in xylem exudates are conserved across plant species and provide insights into not only root-to-shoot signaling but also the maintenance of the xylem conduit

Cloning of rel from Listeria monocytogenes as an Osmotolerance Involvement Gene

Transposon insertional mutants of Listeria monocytogenes were constructed to identify genes involved in osmotolerance, and one mutant that showed reduced growth under high osmotic pressure was obtained. The cloned gene from the transposon insertion site of the mutant, named rel, was 2,214 bp in length and had very high homology to relA of Bacillus subtilis, which encodes guanosine tetraphosphate (ppGpp) and guanosine pentaphosphate (pppGpp) [collectively designated (p)ppGpp] synthetase during stringent response. The mutant showed a deficiency in (p)ppGpp accumulation. In the parental strain, the amount of intracellular (p)ppGpp was not increased after an osmotic upshift but was slightly decreased compared with the level before the upward shift. The reduced osmotolerance of the mutant was restored to a level almost equal to that of the parent strain when the chromosomal region that included rel of L. monocytogenes was introduced into the mutant. After exposure to methyl glucoside, the rel mutant accumulated (p)ppGpp at a higher level than the basal level and partially restored the ability to grow in NaCl-supplemented brain heart infusion broth. The mutant was found to grow in chemically defined minimal medium supplemented with glycine betaine or carnitine, so-called compatible solutes, and 4% NaCl. Our results suggest that the appropriate intracellular concentration of (p)ppGpp is essential for full osmotolerance in L. monocytogenes and that its mechanism is different from that for the accumulation of compatible solutes