Breadand Effervescent Beverage Productions with Local Microbes for the Local Revitalization

Local microbes such as yeasts fungi and bacilli, were isolated and used to apply for the food processing (bread making) and the production of an effervescent beverage (fruits kvass) for promotion of the local revitalization. Our yeast isolates could contribute to make the breads that can sell in alocal bakery shop.  Furthermore, the same yeasts could be used for making the fruit kvass (a Russian effervescent beverage which was fermented by yeast) with local fruit products (lemon, dry grape, mandarin orange and apple that were produced in Hiroshima prefecture in Japan). Development of merchandise having the local brand, which was made with only products of Hiroshima prefecture was attempted. Results of these activities demonstrate that the search of local microbes can help to establish the regional brand product related to its local area. They also showed that the local microbes have the potential ability to lead the local revitalization and the local brand product

Synthesis and Antioxidant Activity of Silver Nanoparticles Using the Odontonema strictum Leaf Extract

The aqueous extract of the leaves of Odontonema strictum (OSM) is used in folk medicine for its antihypertensive properties, and it contains a wide range of secondary metabolites, mostly polyphenols such as verbascoside and isoverbascoside, which could play a major role in the preparation of silver nanoparticles. In this study, we aimed to prepare AgNPs for the first time using the OSM leaf extract (OSM-AgNPs) to investigate their free radical-scavenging potency against 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Dynamic light scattering (DLS), UV/Vis, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were used to characterize the OSM-AgNPs. With a size around 100 nm and a ζ-potential of −41.1 mV, OSM-AgNPs showed a good stability and a better colloidal property due to electrostatic repulsion and the dispersity. The strong absorption peak at 3 keV in the EDX spectra indicated that silver was the major constituent. Additionally, the existence of silver atoms was confirmed by the Ag 3d5/2 peak around 367 eV in the XPS spectra. IC50 values of 116 μg/mL and 4.4 μg/mL were obtained for the scavenging activities of DPPH and H2O2, respectively. The synthetic OSM-AgNPs can be further exploited as potential antioxidant agents

Cost-effectiveness of occupational therapy for older adults: a protocol for an updated systematic review

Introduction The ageing populations in developed countries are a global concern, with increasing numbers of older adults facing physical, cognitive and psychological challenges, resulting in reduced quality of life and higher healthcare costs. Healthcare expenditure worldwide has been on the rise, especially among older adults, emphasising the importance of enabling independent living while reducing healthcare costs. Occupational therapy holds promising outcomes in promoting functional independence and enhancing the quality of life for older adults, but research on its cost-effectiveness remains limited. This systematic review aims to evaluate the recent evidence on the cost-effectiveness of occupational therapy interventions for older adults from a pragmatic perspective.Methods and analysis This systematic review will cover full economic evaluations, including cost-effectiveness, cost-utility and cost–benefit analyses, by reviewing randomised and cluster randomised controlled trials. The participants will be aged over 65 years without disease or disability restrictions. Primary outcomes will be assessed using functional status and quality-of-life assessments. Studies published before July 2023 will be searched in PubMed, Web of Science and Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) databases, with no language restrictions.Ethics and dissemination Ethical approval is not required for this literature-based systematic review. The study’s findings will update the evaluation of occupational therapy’s cost-effectiveness in older adults and will be made public by publishing them in scholarly journals.PROSPERO registration number CRD42023453558

Aerobic exercise training-induced irisin secretion is associated with the reduction of arterial stiffness via nitric oxide production in adults with obesity

This study aimed to clarify whether muscle-derived irisin secretion induced by aerobic exercise training is involved in reduction of arterial stiffness via arterial nitric oxide (NO) productivity in obesity. In animal study, 16 Otsuka Long-Evans Tokushima Fatty (OLETF) rats with obesity were randomly divided into 2 groups: sedentary control (OLETF-CON) and 8-week aerobic treadmill training (OLETF-EX) groups. In human study, 15 subjects with obesity completed 8-week aerobic exercise training for 45 min at 60%–70% peak oxygen uptake intensity for 3 days/week. As a result of animal study, carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV) was decreased, and arterial phosphorylation levels of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), protein kinase B (Akt), and endothelial NO synthase (eNOS), circulating levels of nitrite/nitrate (NOx) and irisin, and muscle messenger RNA expression of fibronectin type III domain containing 5 (Fndc5) were increased in the OLETF-EX group compared with OLETF-CON group. In a human study, regular aerobic exercise reduced cfPWV and elevated circulating levels of NOx and irisin. Furthermore, change in circulating irisin levels by regular exercise was positively correlated with circulating NOx levels and was negatively correlated with cfPWV. Thus, aerobic exercise training-induced increase in irisin secretion may be related to reduction of arterial stiffness achieved by NO production via activated arterial AMPK–Akt–eNOS signaling pathway in obesity. Novelty Aerobic exercise training promoted irisin secretion with upregulation of muscle Fndc5 gene expression in rats with obesity. Irisin affected the activation of arterial AMPK–Akt–eNOS signaling by aerobic exercise training. Increased serum irisin level by aerobic exercise training was associated with reduction of arterial stiffness in obese adults.The accepted manuscript in pdf format is listed with the files at the bottom of this page. The presentation of the authors' names and (or) special characters in the title of the manuscript may differ slightly between what is listed on this page and what is listed in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript; that in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript is what was submitted by the author

Presence of ONE-specific IgM antibodies in the MFG-E8^−/− mice.

<p>(<b>A</b>) Formation of ONE via 4-hydroperoxy-2-nonenal during the peroxidation of ω6 polyunsaturated fatty acids. (<b>B</b>) Separation of MFG-E8^+/+mice sera by gel filtration. The serum was eluted with PBS at the flow rate of 0.5 ml/min at room temperature with monitoring of the absorbance at 280 nm. The column system was composed of Hi Prep 16/60 Sephacryl S-300. The total IgM was determined by a direct antigen ELISA using the anti-IgM antibodies. The anti-ONE IgM titers were determined by a direct antigen ELISA using the ONE-modified BSA as the absorbed antigens. (<b>C</b>) Glomerular immunoglobulin deposition in 60-week-old female MFG-E8^+/+ (WT) and MFG-E8^−/− (KO) mice. Kidney sections were stained with Alexa Fluor 488-conjugated antibody against mouse IgG or IgM. <i>HE</i>: Hematoxylin and Eosin. (<b>D</b>) Cross-reactivity of antibodies eluted from the kidneys of MFG-E8^+/+ (WT) and MFG-E8^−/− (KO) mice. The IgM titer of the antibodies was determined by a direct antigen ELISA using native BSA, ONE-treated BSA, and DNA as the absorbed antigens. In panels B and C, the results are representative of three separate experiments with similar results. In panel D, the results represent the means ± SD of three separate experiments performed in duplicate determinations. There were no statistically significant differences between WT and KO groups.</p

Enhanced production of IgM antibodies in the MFG-E8^−/− mice.

<p>(<b>A</b>) Immunoblot analysis of the MFG-E8^+/+ (WT) and MFG-E8^−/− (KO) mice sera using the anti-mouse whole IgG Ab that cross-reacts not only with IgG, but also with IgM. <i>Left panel</i>, SDS-PAGE analysis. <i>Right panel</i>, immunoblot analysis. CBB, Coomassie Brilliant Blue. (<b>B</b>) Identification of the immunoglobulin class. The MFG-E8^+/+ and MFG-E8^−/− mice sera were analyzed by SDS-PAGE followed by an immunoblot analysis using the antibodies against individual immunoglobulins. (<b>C</b>) ELISA analysis of serum IgG and IgM levels in the MFG-E8^−/− mice compared to those in the wild-type mice. In panels A and B, the results are representative of at least three experiments with similar results. In panel C, the results represent the means ± SD of three separate experiments performed in duplicate determinations. Asterisks indicate a significant difference between WT and KO groups: **, P<0.01; ***, P<0.001. Differences were analyzed by the unpaired two-tailed Student’s t test.</p