STUDY ON ANTI-MICROBIAL PROPERTIES OF Enicosanthum membranifolium SINCLAIR AND Enicosanthum cupulare (KING) AIRY-SHAW

 ABSTRACT n-Hexane and ethyl acetate fractions of methanol extracts of two species of Annonaceae, Enicosanthum membranifolium Sinclair and Enicosanthum cupulare (King) Airy-Shaw, were screened for antimicrobial activity against eighteen bacterial strains using agar dilution method. The ethyl acetate fraction of the two Annonaceae plants showed higher antimicrobial activities than the n-hexane fraction. The extracts of the plants tested were significantly more active against gram-positive with minimum inhibitory concentration (MICs) ranging from 0.0625 to 4 mg/mL than against gram negative bacteria (MICs >4 mg/mL). Keywords: Antibacterial activity; Enicosanthum membranifolium Sinclair; Enicosanthum cupulare (King) Airy-Sha

Reproducibility and Validity of Muscle Strength in Hip Abduction with Flexion While Seated in Older Adults Who Need Nursing Care

Objective: This study aimed to determine the usefulness of the strength of the muscles in hip abduction with flexion while seated (SMHAF-S) in older adults who need nursing care. To achieve this, we examined the reproducibility and validity of a method to measure the SMHAF-S in older adults who need nursing care using a hand-held dynamometer. Methods: This cross-sectional study enrolled 40 older women who needed nursing care in September 2021 and completed the SMHAF-S and underwent quadriceps muscle strength, grip strength, 10-s chair stand test for frail older adults (FCS-10), one-legged stance test (OLST), and timed-up-and-go (TUG) test. The reproducibility of the SMHAF-S was examined by determining the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). The validity of the relationship between the SMHAF-S and quadriceps muscle strength and other measurement items was examined by calculating Pearson’s correlation coefficients. Results: In this cohort (age 83.6±5.2 years), the reproducibility of the SMHAF-S was excellent (ICC 0.91). Significant correlations were found between the SMHAF-S and quadriceps muscle strength, grip strength, FCS-10, OLST, and TUG test results (pConclusion: The SMHAF-S is a highly reproducible measurement method that reflects lower limb muscle strength and whole-body muscle strength, balance, and walking ability in older adults who need nursing care

PAR3-aPKC regulates Tiam1 by modulating suppressive internal interactions

Tiam1 is one of the most extensively analyzed activators of the small GTPase Rac. However, fundamental aspects of its regulation are poorly understood. Here we demonstrate that Tiam1 is functionally suppressed by internal interactions and that the PAR complex participates in its full activation. The N-terminal region of Tiam1 binds to the protein-binding and catalytic domains to inhibit its localization and activation. Atypical PKCs phosphorylate Tiam1 to relieve its intramolecular interactions, and the subsequent stabilization of its interaction with PAR3 allows it to exert localized activity. By analyzing Tiam1 regulation by PAR3-aPKC within the context of PDGF signaling, we also show that PAR3 directly binds PDGF receptor β. Thus we provide the first evidence for the negative regulation of Tiam1 by internal interactions, elucidate the nature of Tiam1 regulation by the PAR complex, and reveal a novel role for the PAR complex in PDGF signaling

Tiam1 interaction with the PAR complex promotes talin-mediated Rac1 activation during polarized cell migration.

Migrating cells acquire front-rear polarity with a leading edge and a trailing tail for directional movement. The Rac exchange factor Tiam1 participates in polarized cell migration with the PAR complex of PAR3, PAR6, and atypical protein kinase C. However, it remains largely unknown how Tiam1 is regulated and contributes to the establishment of polarity in migrating cells. We show here that Tiam1 interacts directly with talin, which binds and activates integrins to mediate their signaling. Tiam1 accumulated at adhesions in a manner dependent on talin and the PAR complex. The interactions of talin with Tiam1 and the PAR complex were required for adhesion-induced Rac1 activation, cell spreading, and migration toward integrin substrates. Furthermore, Tiam1 acted with talin to regulate adhesion turnover. Thus, we propose that Tiam1, with the PAR complex, binds to integrins through talin and, together with the PAR complex, thereby regulates Rac1 activity and adhesion turnover for polarized migration

The Expression Level of HIV-1 Vif Is Optimized by Nucleotide Changes in the Genomic SA1D2prox Region during the Viral Adaptation Process

HIV-1 Vif plays an essential role in viral replication by antagonizing anti-viral cellular restriction factors, a family of APOBEC3 proteins. We have previously shown that naturally-occurring single-nucleotide mutations in the SA1D2prox region, which surrounds the splicing acceptor 1 and splicing donor 2 sites of the HIV-1 genome, dramatically alter the Vif expression level, resulting in variants with low or excessive Vif expression. In this study, we investigated how these HIV-1 variants with poor replication ability adapt and evolve under the pressure of APOBEC3 proteins. Adapted clones obtained through adaptation experiments exhibited an altered replication ability and Vif expression level compared to each parental clone. While various mutations were present throughout the viral genome, all replication-competent adapted clones with altered Vif expression levels were found to bear them within SA1D2prox, without exception. Indeed, the mutations identified within SA1D2prox were responsible for changes in the Vif expression levels and altered the splicing pattern. Moreover, for samples collected from HIV-1-infected patients, we showed that the nucleotide sequences of SA1D2prox can be chronologically changed and concomitantly affect the Vif expression levels. Taken together, these results demonstrated the importance of the SA1D2prox nucleotide sequence for modulating the Vif expression level during HIV-1 replication and adaptation

Japanese Stroop tasks for NIRS study

The Stroop task is sometimes used in psychiatric research to elicit prefrontal activity, which presumably reflects cognitive functioning. Although there are two Stroop tasks (Kana script and Kanji script) in Japan, it is unclear whether these tasks elicit the same hemoglobin changes. Moreover, it is unclear whether psychological conditions or characteristics influence hemoglobin changes in the Japanese Stroop task. The aim of this study was to clarify whether hemoglobin changes elicited by the two Japanese Stroop tasks accurately reflected cognitive functioning. Hemoglobin changes were measured with multi-channel near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) in 100 healthy Japanese participants performing two Japanese Stroop tasks. The Beck-Depression Inventory (BDI), State-Trait-Anxiety Inventory (STAI), and Maudsley Obsessive Compulsive Inventory (MOCI) were administered to participants to identify psychological conditions or personality characteristics. Compared with the Kanji task, the Kana task produced a greater Stroop effect and a larger increase in oxyhemoglobin (oxy- Hb) concentration. Moreover there were no significant correlations between oxy-Hb concentration and BDI, STAI-trait, STAI-state, or MOCI scores. Therefore we found that a participant’s psychological conditions or characteristics did not influence the hemodynamic changes during either task. These data suggest the Kana Stroop task is more useful than the Kanji Stroop task for NIRS studies in psychiatric research

ADF-F2 The Acquaintance Description Form-Final 2 ニホンバン サクセイ ノ ココロミ

本研究では友情の様々な関係形態を調査するために測定するものとして開発されたWright(1991)のTheAcquaintance Description Form-Final 2 の日本版を作成し、この尺度の適用可能性を検討した。239 名(男性132名・女性107名)の大学生を調査協力者として、質問紙調査を行った。因子分析の結果から、「ポジティブな友人関係」、「不安定な友人関係」、「強い絆の友人関係」の3 因子が抽出された。分散分析の結果、第一に「強い絆の友人関係」の因子得点において、より付き合いが長い群で得点が高くなることが示された。また、女性の方が男性よりポジティブな友人関係を持つ一方、男性は女性より不安定な友人関係を持っていた。さらに、「ポジティブな友人関係」および「強い絆の友人関係」は親密度の差異がその得点に影響を与えていることが明らかになった。We tried to develop the Japanese version of ADF-F2(the Acquaintance Description Form- Final 2; Wright , 1991)which was developed to assess the various aspects of friendship and examine if this scale would be available in Japanese students. 239 participants (132 male students and 107 female students) answered the questionnaire which consisted of ADF-F2 items and other questions. As a result of factor analysis, 3 factors were extracted which were named “positive friendship”, ”instable relationship” and “rigid tie relationship” respectively. Results of ANOVA, it was found, at first, that the longer the length of relationship was, the higher the factor score of ”rigid tie relationship” was. Second, female students had more positive relationship than male, and male students had more instable relationship than female. Moreover a degree of intimacy with target person influenced on the factor scores of “positive friendship” and “rigid tie relationship”

Refeeding Hypophosphatemia in Anorexia Nervosa

Objective: Refeeding in patients with anorexia nervosa (AN) is associated with a risk of refeeding syndrome (RS), which is a disruption in metabolism with a variety of features including hypophosphatemia. We evaluated the risk factors for refeeding hypophosphatemia (RH) during nutritional replenishment in Japanese patients with AN. Methods: We retrospectively examined clinical data for 99 female inpatients (mean age 30.9 ± 10.7 years, range: 9 to 56 years). Results: RH (phosphate <2.3 mg/dL) occurred within 4.8 ± 3.7 days of hospital admission and was still observed at 28 days after admission in 21 of the 99 cases (21.2%). Oral or intravenous phosphate was given to some patients to treat or prevent RH. Patients with RH had a significantly lower body mass index, were older, and had higher blood urea nitrogen than those without RH. Severe complications associated with RH were recorded in only one patient who showed convulsions and disturbed consciousness at day 3 when her serum phosphate level was 1.6 mg/dL. Conclusion: The significant risk factors for RH that we identified were lower BMI, older age, and higher blood urea nitrogen at admission. No significant difference in total energy intake was seen between the RH and no RH groups, suggesting that RH may not be entirely correlated with energy intake. Precisely predicting and preventing RH is difficult, even in patients with AN who are given phosphate for prophylaxis. Thus, serum phosphate levels should be monitored for at least 5-10 days after admission

Multi-channel near-infrared spectroscopy reveals reduced prefrontal activation in schizophrenia patients during performance of the kana Stroop task

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the activity of frontal lobe of patients with schizophrenia during performance of two Japanese versions of the Stroop task (kana and kanji) by measuring changes in the concentration of oxygenated hemoglobin (oxyHb) with near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). Fourteen schizophrenia patients and 14 age- and gender-matched healthy control subjects participated in the study after giving consent. The relative changes of concentrations of oxyHb were measured by NIRS during performance of the Stroop task. Significant Stroop effects, as measured by the number of correct responses, were observed with both the kana and the kanji versions. Analysis of NIRS data revealed that the schizophrenia patients showed reduced activation in the prefrontal cortex compared to healthy controls during performance of the kana Stroop task, and that both schizophrenia patients and healthy controls showed lack of activity in the prefrontal cortex during performance of the kanji Stroop task. The results of the present study suggest the possibility that the kana Stroop task cause a greater Stroop effect than the kanji Stroop task, and schizophrenia patients show decreased prefrontal vascular reactivity associated with the inhibition required during the performance of the kana Stroop task