The effect of cross-cultural experience during school-age to ethnic identity development: Analysis of Japanese Adult Third Culture Kids

The experience of transferring from one culture to another during childhood can represent a crisis of identity for some individuals. "Third Culture Kids" are children who grew up outside their parents' culture during their developmental years, leading them to develop a third cultural perspective. Previous studies have reported that the experience of transferring to different culture is often accompanied by identity-related difficulties. Ethnic identity is an aspect of collective identity that plays a particularly important role among members of cultural minority groups. Stable ethnic identity can help members of cultural minorities form identities and maintain stable mental health. Family relationships also play an important role in identity. The current study had two main aims: (1) examining the relationships between ethnic identity, identity scale scores, general health questionnaire scores, and background factors, and (2) examining family relationships among people in Japan who experienced a cross-cultural transition during school age. The results revealed two important characteristics for adaptation and the development of identity: experiencing cross-cultural transition during early school age (6-12 years old) affect ethnic identity development as Japanese, and stable environment, including family relationships, and having a concept of ethnic identity from early childhood

The process of ethnic identity development of Japanese Third Culture Kids experienced cross-cultural transition during school-age

The experience of transferring from one culture to another during childhood can represent a crisis of identity for some individuals. "Third Culture Kids" are children who grew up outside their parents' culture during their developmental years, leading them to develop a third cultural perspective. Previous studies have reported that the experience of transferring to different culture is often accompanied by identity-related difficulties. Ethnic identity is an aspect of collective identity that plays a particularly important role among members of cultural minority groups. Stable ethnic identity can help members of cultural minorities form identities and maintain stable mental health. Family relationships also play an important role in identity. The main aim of the current study is to discuss the developmental process of ethnic identity among people in Japan who experienced a cross-cultural transition during school age. The results revealed two important characteristics for adaptation and the development of identity: a stable environment, including family relationships, and having a concept of ethnic identity from early childhood. The current findings suggested that cross-cultural experience may affect the order of developmental stages. Since cross-cultural experience involves a difference between the self and others, children in ethnic minorities may differentiate themselves from other children before adolescence while living in a host culture, and may identify with other third culture kids after returning to their home culture

Effect of group leader experience on individual level of self-concept

This research was done to see the relevance between leader experience and self-concept of group leader. The hypothesis was there should be similar experience between the leaders sharing the similar self-concept (classifying self-concept into individual self, relational self, and collective self). Participants were university students who have experienced group leader for a year. Interview and LSCS questionnaire was used for the experiment. As a result, the following pairs of experience and self-concept were related: object of leader feeling negative emotion and individual self, types of negative emotion leader felt and individual/ relational self, positive feedback and relational self, cognition of group characteristic and collective self. Lastly, essential experience factors for serving leaders were found in the research

LATS1/2 kinases trigger self-renewal of cancer stem cells in aggressive oral cancer

Cancer stem cells (CSCs), which play important roles in tumor initiation and progression, are resistant to many types of therapies. However, the regulatory mechanisms underlying CSC-specific properties, including self-renewal, are poorly understood. Here, we found that LATS1/2, the core Hippo pathway-kinases, were highly expressed in the oral squamous cell carcinoma line SAS, which exhibits high capacity of CSCs, and that depletion of these kinases prevented SAS cells from forming spheres under serum-free conditions. Detailed examination of the expression and activation of LATS kinases and related proteins over a time course of sphere formation revealed that LATS1/2 were more highly expressed and markedly activated before initiation of self-renewal. Moreover, TAZ, SNAIL, CHK1/2, and Aurora-A were expressed in hierarchical, oscillating patterns during sphere formation, suggesting that the process consists of four sequential steps. Our results indicate that LATS1/2 trigger self-renewal of CSCs by regulating the Hippo pathway, the EMT, and cell division

Pediatric eosinophilic gastroenteritis

Eosinophilic gastrointestinal disorders are chronic inflammatory diseases in which eosinophils highly infiltrate into gastrointestinal tissue, resulting in gastrointestinal dysfunction. Here, we report a case of pediatric eosinophilic gastroenteritis (EGE). A 7-year-old boy with multiple food allergies (cow milk, hen's egg, fish, shellfish, and chicken) was admitted to our hospital because of continuous abdominal pain and vomiting. His soy allergy had been diagnosed to have oral tolerance based on an oral food challenge at the age of 6 years. He was diagnosed with EGE based on biopsy findings showing eosinophilic infiltration (>20 eosinophils per high-power field) into the gastrointestinal mucosa. A diet eliminating soy, wheat, beef, pork, rice, and sesame in addition to the food that had already been eliminated and oral corticosteroids improved his symptoms and peripheral eosinophilia. A relapse of both abdominal pain and peripheral eosinophilia after the reintroduction of soy or pork identified them as foods causative of EGE. This report highlights the utility of elimination diets in improving EGE symptoms and the subsequent reintroduction of offending foods in identifying causative foods. Furthermore, EGE onset should be considered when introducing potentially allergic food in the management of food allergy

L-Ascorbate Biosynthesis Involves Carbon Skeleton Rearrangement in the Nematode Caenorhabditis elegans

Ascorbate (AsA) is required as a cofactor and is widely distributed in plants and animals. Recently, it has been suggested that the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans also synthesizes AsA. However, its biosynthetic pathway is still unknown. To further understand AsA biosynthesis in C. elegans, we analyzed the incorporation of the 13C atom into AsA using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) in worms fed with D-Glc (1-13C)-labeled Escherichia coli. GC-MS analysis revealed that AsA biosynthesis in C. elegans, similarly to that in mammalian systems, involves carbon skeleton rearrangement. The addition of L-gulono-1,4-lactone, an AsA precursor in the mammalian pathway, significantly increased AsA level in C. elegans, whereas the addition of L-galactono-1,4-lactone, an AsA precursor in the plant and Euglena pathway, did not affect AsA level. The suppression of E03H4.3 (an ortholog of gluconolactonase) or the deficiency of F54D5.12 (an ortholog of L-gulono-1,4-lactone oxidase) significantly decreased AsA level in C. elegans. Although N2- and AsA-deficient F54D5.12 knockout mutant worm (tm6671) morphologies and the ratio of collagen to non-collagen protein did not show any significant differences, the mutant worms exhibited increased malondialdehyde levels and reduced lifespan compared with the N2 worms. In conclusion, our findings indicate that the AsA biosynthetic pathway is similar in C. elegans and mammals

Extracellular and intraneuronal HMW-AbetaOs represent a molecular basis of memory loss in Alzheimer's disease model mouse

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Several lines of evidence indicate that memory loss represents a synaptic failure caused by soluble amyloid β (Aβ) oligomers. However, the pathological relevance of Aβ oligomers (AβOs) as the trigger of synaptic or neuronal degeneration, and the possible mechanism underlying the neurotoxic action of endogenous AβOs remain to be determined.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>To specifically target toxic AβOs <it>in vivo</it>, monoclonal antibodies (1A9 and 2C3) specific to them were generated using a novel design method. 1A9 and 2C3 specifically recognize soluble AβOs larger than 35-mers and pentamers on Blue native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, respectively. Biophysical and structural analysis by atomic force microscopy (AFM) revealed that neurotoxic 1A9 and 2C3 oligomeric conformers displayed non-fibrilar, relatively spherical structure. Of note, such AβOs were taken up by neuroblastoma (SH-SY5Y) cell, resulted in neuronal death. In humans, immunohistochemical analysis employing 1A9 or 2C3 revealed that 1A9 and 2C3 stain intraneuronal granules accumulated in the perikaryon of pyramidal neurons and some diffuse plaques. Fluoro Jade-B binding assay also revealed 1A9- or 2C3-stained neurons, indicating their impending degeneration. In a long-term low-dose prophylactic trial using active 1A9 or 2C3 antibody, we found that passive immunization protected a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease (AD) from memory deficits, synaptic degeneration, promotion of intraneuronal AβOs, and neuronal degeneration. Because the primary antitoxic action of 1A9 and 2C3 occurs outside neurons, our results suggest that extracellular AβOs initiate the AD toxic process and intraneuronal AβOs may worsen neuronal degeneration and memory loss.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Now, we have evidence that HMW-AβOs are among the earliest manifestation of the AD toxic process in mice and humans. We are certain that our studies move us closer to our goal of finding a therapeutic target and/or confirming the relevance of our therapeutic strategy.</p

コロナカ デモ ガクセイ ガ リンチ オ イメージデキル ロウネン カンゴガク ジッシュウ 2 ノ クフウ

2020年度の老年看護学実習Ⅱは、新型コロナウイルス感染症の蔓延のため、臨地で実習をすることはできなかった。そのため、コロナ禍でも学生が臨地をイメージできるように、実習目的・目標は大幅に変更せずに工夫を行った。工夫した点は大きく三つである。一つ目は実習施設と遠隔ツールを用いた実習をしたことである。事前に教員が施設の受け持ち高齢者の情報を得て、学生に提示し、紙面上の情報のみでなく高齢者と直接コミュニケーションをとり情報を得る機会を設け、ケアプランの一部を実施した。二つ目は遠隔ツールを通して実習指導者の参加と助言を得る機会を設定したことである。全ての施設ではないが、施設オリエンテーション、学生が立案したケアプラン、レクリエーション、最終カンファレンスと４日間接続して助言を受けた。三つ目は高齢者への援助方法を紹介した動画を作成したことである。高齢者への援助は、体調に応じながら本人の持っている力を活かすことや尊厳に配慮することを基本とする。そのため、臨地の実際の場面をイメージできるような援助動画を作成し学生に提供した。今後は高齢者への看護技術を体験できる演習も組み合わせる必要があると考えている