ベーネッシュ運動記載法を用いた歩行評価

本研究の目的は，ベーネシュ運動記載法を用いた成人片麻痺患者の歩行分析評価の妥当性と信頼性についての検討である．20例の脳卒中片麻痺患者の歩行を記載し，5つの歩行因子，及び四肢・体幹の要素の記号数を求め，分析した．その結果，歩行因子では位置・角度因子の記号数が他の因子の記号数に比べ有意に多く，四肢・体幹の要素では上肢と下肢の記号数に有意差はなかった．また，Brunnstrom stageが低いほど位置・角度因子や上肢，体幹の記号数が有意に多く，それを反映し記号総数も多かった．以上の結果からBMNの歩行評価の適応とその妥当性と信頼性が認められた．このように観察歩行評価としてのBMNは，有効な客観的臨床歩行評価の方法と認められる．We studied the validity and the reliablity, as well as the indications and limitations of Benesh Movement Notation gait assessment with adult hemiplegic patients. We described the use of BMN for analysis of the walking of 20 adult hemiplegic patients, and analyzed the number of BMN deviational signs which we divided into five classifications of walking factors, in addition to factor for limb and trunk. It was thereby found that: 1.The twenty subjects represented 366 deviational signs that we summarize the performance in terms of standing posture and walking. The Brunnstrom recovery stage (BS) was low with higher numbers of deviational signs, although a significant difference was not observed. 2.For walking factors, the numbers of deviational signs with position/angle factors were significantly higher than many the numbers of deviational signs associated with the other four factor classifications. 3.For walking factors, the numbers of deviation signs increased with low BS, and significant differences were idetified the position/angle and orthosis factor classificatione. The BMN methods consist mainly of the evaluation of gait deviations from visual assessment of position/angle factors and limb and trunk variables. Our results indicate that the BMN method can be used reliably. It should be possible to develop BMN systems with higher reliability levels so that observational gait assessments can be generally recognized as an objective clinical gait evaluation tool

Impact of Hands-on Experience of a Cadaver Dissection on the Professional Identity Formation of Health Sciences Students

[Background] In Japan, some nursing and health science universities that train nurses and/or clinical laboratory technicians have a curriculum in which students observe medical students performing a cadaver dissection. Observing a cadaver dissection is believed to affect the formation of a student’s professional identity. This study aimed to investigate the effects of observing a cadaver dissection on the professional identity of nursing and clinical laboratory science students to find an effective educational support system for developing professional identity. [Methods] Sophomores majoring in nursing science or clinical laboratory science were asked to complete a questionnaire with a professional identity scale before and after hands-on experience of a cadaver dissection performed by medical students. After their hands-on session was complete, they responded to a free-answer question about acquiring a professional identity. [Results] The professional identity score of nursing students significantly decreased after the hands-on experience of the cadaver dissection. No significant change in professional identity score was observed in the clinical laboratory science students. However, the effect size (r) was moderate. [Conclusion] Although professional identity formation fluctuates immediately after the experience of the hands-on experience of a cadaver dissection, the findings do suggest that these hands-on sessions will be effective for developing their professional identity if educational support is provided to help them utilize what they learned through reflection

Salmonella enterotoxin (Stn) regulates membrane composition and integrity

The mechanism of action of Salmonella enterotoxin (Stn) as a virulence factor in disease is controversial. Studies of Stn have indicated both positive and negative effects on Salmonella virulence. In this study, we attempted to evaluate Stn function and its effects on Salmonella virulence. To investigate Stn function, we first performed in vitro and in vivo analysis using mammalian cells and a murine ileal loop model. In these systems, we did not observe differences in virulence phenotypes between wild-type Salmonella and an stn gene-deleted mutant. We next characterized the phenotypes and molecular properties of the mutant strain under various in vitro conditions. The proteomic profiles of the total cell membrane protein fraction differed between wild type and mutant in that there was an absence of a protein in the mutant strain, which was identified as OmpA. By far-western blotting, OmpA was found to interact directly with Stn. To verify this result, the morphology of Salmonella was examined by transmission electron microscopy, with OmpA localization being analyzed by immunogold labeling. Compared with wild-type Salmonella, the mutant strain had a different pole structure and a thin periplasmic space; OmpA was not seen in the mutant. These results indicate that Stn, via regulation of OmpA membrane localization, functions in the maintenance of membrane composition and integrity

The Molecular Outflows in the rho Ophiuchi Main Cloud: Implications For Turbulence Generation

We present the results of CO (J=3-2) and CO (J=1-0) mapping observations toward the active cluster forming clump, L1688, in the rho Ophiuchi molecular cloud. From the CO (J=3-2) and CO (J=1-0) data cubes, we identify five outflows, whose driving sources are VLA 1623, EL 32, LFAM 26, EL 29, and IRS 44. Among the identified outflows, the most luminous outflow is the one from the prototypical Class 0 source, VLA 1623. We also discover that the EL 32 outflow located in the Oph B2 region has very extended blueshifted and redshifted lobes with wide opening angles. This outflow is most massive and have the largest momentum among the identified outflows in the CO (J=1-0) map. We estimate the total energy injection rate due to the molecular outflows identified by the present and previous studies to be about 0.2 L_solar, larger than or at least comparable to the turbulence dissipation rate [~(0.03 - 0.1) L_solar]. Therefore, we conclude that the protostellar outflows are likely to play a significant role in replenishing the supersonic turbulence in this clump.Comment: 37 pages, 9 figures, accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journa

Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress Contributes to Helicobacter Pylori VacA-Induced Apoptosis

Vacuolating cytotoxin A (VacA) is one of the important virulence factors produced by H. pylori. VacA induces apoptotic cell death, which is potentiated by ammonia. VacA also causes cell death by mitochondrial damage, via signaling pathways that are not fully defined. Our aim was to determine whether endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress is associated with VacA-induced mitochondrial dysfunction and apoptosis. We found that C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP), a key signaling protein of ER stress-induced apoptosis, was transcriptionally up-regulated following incubation of gastric epithelial cells with VacA. The effect of VacA on CHOP induction was significantly enhanced by co-incubation with ammonium chloride. Phosphorylation of eukaryotic initiation factor 2 (eIF2)-alpha, which is known to occur downstream of the ER stress sensor PKR-like ERlocalized eIF2-alpha kinase (PERK) and to regulate CHOP expression, was also observed following incubation with VacA in the presence of ammonium chloride. Knockdown of CHOP by siRNA resulted in inhibition of VacA-induced apoptosis. Further studies showed that silencing of the PERK gene with siRNA attenuated VacA-mediated phosphorylation of eIF2-alpha, CHOP induction, expression of BH3-only protein Bim and Bax activation, and cell death induced by VacA with ammonium chloride, indicating that ER stress may lead to mitochondrial dysfunction during VacA-induced toxicity. Activation of ER stress and up-regulation of BH3-only proteins were also observed in human H. pylori-infected gastric mucosa. Collectively, this study reveals a possible association between VacA-induced apoptosis in gastric epithelial cells, and activation of ER stress in H. pylori-positive gastric mucosa

Adherent Monomer-Misfolded SOD1

Background: Multiple cellular functions are compromised in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). In familial ALS (FALS) with Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD1) mutations, the mechanisms by which the mutation in SOD1 leads to such a wide range of abnormalities remains elusive. Methodology/Principal Findings: To investigate underlying cellular conditions caused by the SOD1 mutation, we explored mutant SOD1-interacting proteins in the spinal cord of symptomatic transgenic mice expressing a mutant SOD1, SOD1 Leu126delTT with a FLAG sequence (DF mice). This gene product is structurally unable to form a functional homodimer. Tissues were obtained from both DF mice and disease-free mice expressing wild-type with FLAG SOD1 (WF mice). Both FLAG-tagged SOD1 and cross-linking proteins were enriched and subjected to a shotgun proteomic analysis. We identified 34 proteins (or protein subunits) in DF preparations, while in WF preparations, interactions were detected with only 4 proteins. Conclusions/Significance: These results indicate that disease-causing mutant SOD1 likely leads to inadequate proteinprotein interactions. This could be an early and crucial process in the pathogenesis of FALS