Developmental Support for Sick Children through Play in Japan’s ECEC System: A Comparison with Hospital Play Specialists

Early childhood education and care (ECEC) workers and hospital play specialists (HPSs) share a role in supporting the development of sick children through play while respecting their autonomy. On the other hand, in supporting children’s play, managing their anxiety, and making environmental arrangements for them, ECEC workers and HPSs play different roles. When supporting the development of sick children, the former should respect their autonomy and make the most of the characteristics of ECEC as a measure to comprehensively support their participation in play, including it in their daily lives. ECEC workers are also expected to contribute to the further development of comprehensive support by promoting collaboration and cooperation with various professionals, including HPSs

Severe Skin Permeability Barrier Dysfunction in Knockout Mice Deficient in a Fatty Acid omega-Hydroxylase Crucial to Acylceramide Production

The skin permeability barrier is indispensable for maintaining water inside the body and preventing the invasion of pathogens and allergens; abnormalities lead to skin disorders such as atopic dermatitis and ichthyosis. Acylceramide is an essential lipid for skin barrier formation, and CYP4F22 is a fatty acid omega-hydroxylase involved in its synthesis. Mutations in CYP4F22 cause autosomal recessive congenital ichthyosis, although the symptoms vary among mutation sites and types. Here, we generated knockout mice deficient in Cyp4f39, the mouse ortholog of human CYP4F22, to investigate the effects of completely abrogating the function of the fatty acid omega-hydroxylase involved in acylceramide production on skin barrier formation. Cyp4f39 knockout mice died within 8 hours of birth. Large increases in transepidermal water loss and penetration of a dye from outside the body were observed, indicating severe skin barrier dysfunction. Histologic analyses of the epidermis revealed impairment of lipid lamella formation, accumulation of corneodesmosomes in the stratum corneum, and persistence of periderm. In addition, lipid analyses by mass spectrometry showed almost complete loss of acylceramide and its precursor omega-hydroxy ceramide. In conclusion, our findings provide clues to the molecular mechanisms of skin barrier abnormalities and the pathogenesis of ichthyosis caused by Cyp4f39 and CYP4F22 by association

Evidence of low-energy singlet excited states in the spin-1/2 polyhedral clusters {Mo72V30} and {W72V30} with strongly frustrated kagome networks

Kihara T, Nojiri H, Narumi Y, et al. Evidence of low-energy singlet excited states in the spin-1/2 polyhedral clusters {Mo72V30} and {W72V30} with strongly frustrated kagome networks. PHYSICAL REVIEW B. 2019;99(6): 064430.Magnetization, specific heat, and electron spin resonance (ESR) measurements are carried out to clarify the low-energy excitations for the S = 1/2 polyhedral clusters {Mo72V30} and {W72V30}. The clusters provide unique model systems of a kagome network on a quasisphere. The linear field variation of magnetization at low temperatures indicates that the ground state is singlet for both clusters. The temperature and the magnetic field dependence of specific heat shows a distinct difference between the two clusters with differing structural symmetries. In {W72V30} with I-h symmetry, the existence of several tens of low-energy singlet excited states below the lowest triplet excited state is revealed. The specific heat of the slightly distorted {Mo72V30} with D-5h symmetry leads to a drastic decrease of the singlet contribution, which is consistent with the partial lifting of the frustration and the decrease of degenerated low-energy states. The singlet excitation existence is confirmed further by the temperature dependence of the ESR spectra. Comprehensive experimental studies have demonstrated unique low-energy excitations of the spherical kagome networks and their sensitivity to the cluster symmetry

Electron-Transfer Activity in a Cyanide-Bridged Fe42 Nanomagnet

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Magnetic structures and quadratic magnetoelectric effect in LiNiPO4 beyond 30 T

Neutron diffraction with static and pulsed magnetic fields is used to directly probe the magnetic structures in LiNiPO4 up to 25 T and 42 T, respectively. By combining these results with magnetometry and electric polarization measurements under pulsed fields, the magnetic and magnetoelectric phases are investigated up to 56 T applied along the easy c axis. In addition to the already known transitions at lower fields, three new ones are reported at 37.6, 39.4, and 54 T. Ordering vectors are identified with Q(VI) = (0, 1/3, 0) in the interval 37.6 - 39.4 T and Q(VII) = (0, 0, 0) in the interval 39.4 - 54 T. A quadratic magnetoelectric effect is discovered in the Q(VII) = (0, 0, 0) phase and the field dependence of the induced electric polarization is described using a simple mean-field model. The observed magnetic structure and magnetoelectric tensor elements point to a change in the lattice symmetry in this phase. We speculate on the possible physical mechanism responsible for the magnetoelectric effect in LiNiPO4