Melanocortin Systems on Pigment Dispersion in Fish Chromatophores

α-Melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH) is responsible for pigment dispersion in the chromatophores of fish and other tetrapods such as amphibians and reptiles. Recently, we discovered that α-MSH did not always stimulate pigment dispersion because this hormonal peptide exerted no effects on the melanophores of flounders. We assumed that the reduction of α-MSH activity was related to the co-expression of different α-MSH receptor subtypes – termed melanocortin receptors (MCR) – a member of G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCR) – based on several reports demonstrating that GPCR forms heterodimers with various properties that are distinct from those of the corresponding monomers. In this review, we summarize the relationships between the pigment-dispersing activity of α-MSH-related peptides, molecular forms of α-MSH-related peptides, and mcr subtypes expressed in fish chromatophores

Time-series photometry of Earth flyby asteroid 2012 DA14

Context. The object 2012 DA14 is a near-Earth asteroid with a size of several tens of meters. It had approached closely the Earth on 15 February, 2013 UT, providing an opportunity for precise measurements of this tiny asteroid. Aims. The solar phase angle of 2012 DA14 had varied widely around its closest approach but was almost constant during the following night. We performed time-series photometric observations on those two nights to determine the rotational properties and phase effect. Methods. The observations were carried out using the 0.55-m telescope at Saitama University, Japan. The R-band images were obtained continuously over a 2 hr period at the closest approach and for about 5 hr on the next night. Results. The lightcurve data from the second night indicates a rotational period of 11.0 +1.8/-0.6 hr and a peak-to-peak amplitude of 1.59 +/- 0.02 mag. The brightness variation before and after the closest approach was separated into two components that are derived from the rotation and phase effect. We found that the phase curve slope of this asteroid is significantly shallower than those of other L-type asteroids. Conclusions. We suggest that 2012 DA14 is coated with a coarse surface that lacks fine regolith particles and/or a high albedo surface.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysic

Interprofessional education in Japanese university nursing programs : Current status and evaluation of its impact

This study was aimed to identify the current status and the evaluation of the impact of interprofessional education (IPE) on nursing education in Japanese universities. Two hundred Japanese universities with nursing programs were the target of this study. Backward Binary Logistic Regression Analysis (Pin = 0.14, Pout = 0.15) was performed to determine the relationship between subjective evaluations of IPE and 24 indices such as the founding year of the university and the department of nursing, and the participation or nonparticipation of departments and each profession. One hundred ten valid responses (55.0%) were collected. Among those responses, 58 universities implemented IPE (52.7%) and 52 did not have an IPE program at their institute (47.3%). These results indicated that the significance of IPE program on nursing education tended to be highly evaluated when students of the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, and Occupational Therapy participated in the program, whereas the significance of IPE tended to be considered low with the participation of students of the Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences. Regarding the treatment or support of their clients (i.e., patients), when the IPE participating students shared the areas of responsibility of their intended professions, the impact of IPE was more likely to have the high evaluation score. On the contrary, the tendency of the Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences (DSL&HS) indicated that the significance of IPE received low evaluations due to the low recognition by other professions for the contents of DSL&HS’s high expertise

A Novel Compound Heterozygous Mutation in the CYP4V2 Gene in a Japanese Patient with Bietti's Crystalline Corneoretinal Dystrophy

Purpose: To describe the clinical and genetic characteristics of a Japanese family in which one member exhibited Bietti's crystalline corneoretinal dystrophy (BCD). Methods: Using direct sequencing, mutation screening was performed in the CYP4V2 gene of both the patient with BCD and her daughter. Ophthalmic examinations were performed to determine the clinical features of both subjects. Results: The 64-year-old female patient had a bilateral visual acuity of 0.4. Slit lamp examination revealed bilateral crystalline-like deposits at the superior limbus of the cornea. Fundus examination revealed there was chorioretinal atrophy along with numerous glistening yellowish-white crystalline deposits that were scattered throughout the posterior pole and the mid-peripheral retina. Standard flash electroretinography showed an extinguished electroretinogram and Goldmann kinetic perimetry detected a relative scotoma. Genetic analysis revealed that the patient had a heterozygous mutation in the CYP4V2 gene (IVS6-8delTCATACAGGTCATCGCG/GC), which is the most commonly found mutation in Japanese patients with BCD. Furthermore, the patient was also shown to have a novel heterozygous point mutation in exon 9 of the CYP4V2 gene (c.1168C>T). In contrast, her daughter exhibited no clinical findings for BCD even though she carried the same heterozygous mutation in the CYP4V2 gene (c.1168C>T). Conclusion: A novel compound heterozygous mutation was found in the CYP4V2 gene of a patient with BCD. This previously unreported c.1168C>T mutation causes a missense mutation (p.R390C) in the CYP4V2 protein

PO-048 Effects of royal jelly administration on endurance training-induced mitochondrial adaptations in skeletal muscle

Objective In this study, we investigated effect of royal jelly (RJ), which is produced by honey bees to feed to developing larvae and contains various ingredients including protein, carbohydrate, lipids and minerals, on endurance training-induced adaptations in skeletal muscle in ICR mice. Methods Male mice received either RJ (1.0 mg/g body weight) or distilled water for 3 weeks. Mice in the training group performed treadmill running at 20 m/min for 60 min from 30 min after the administration five times a week. Results We found a significant positive main effects of RJ treatment on the weight of tibialis anterior (TA) muscle and gastrocnemius muscle. There was a significant positive main effect of endurance training on the maximum activities of citrate synthase and β-hydroxyacyl CoA dehydrogenase, which are mitochondrial enzymes, in TA and plantaris muscle (type IIb/IIx dominant), while no significant effect of RJ treatment was found. In soleus muscle (about 40% fiber consistent with type I), the maximum activities of citrate synthase and β-hydroxyacyl CoA dehydrogenase were significantly increased by endurance training in the RJ treated group, while no significant effect of endurance training was found in the control group. Conclusions Our results suggest that RJ treatment had positive effects on the induction of mitochondrial adaptation by endurance training in soleus muscle

The Promotion of Social Inclusion by Adopting of the Private Finance Initiative on a Correctional Institution

This study focuses on two questionnaire surveys that were conducted about the adoption of the Private Finance Initiative (PFI prison) method in Japan as a new correctional system. For study 1, a Web questionnaire was administered to residents of within a 30 km zone of Tokyo as well as those in Yamaguchi Prefecture to determine familiarity and resistance to the PFI prison systems. For study 2, a questionnaire survey was administered to residents of a neighborhood near a PFI prison in Mine city. The results showed that the attitudes toward the PFI prison were more positive in this area. Furthermore, contact with the correctional systems promoted residents’ acceptance of prisoners and former prisoners. Finally, we discuss social and institutional support and contact with social systems to promote social inclusion

酢酸摂取と運動が脂肪代謝と運動耐久性に及ぼす影響

Previously, we found that acetic acid had effects on lipid metabolism in skeletal muscles and has functions that work against obesity and obesity-linked type 2 diabetes through the activation of AMPactivated protein kinase (AMPK). During exercise, AMPK is activated in skeletal muscle according to exercise intensity and it increases fatty acid oxidation. The purpose of this study was to investigate the interactive effects of chronic intake of acetic acid and exercise training on lipid metabolism and endurance performance. Six-week-old SD rats were randomly assigned to four groups: water-injected (rest-water), acetic acid-injected (rest-ace), exercise-trained after injection of water (water-ex), and exercise-trained after injection of acetic acid (ace-ex) for 4 weeks. Body weight (BW) in rest-ace and ace-ex groups was significantly lower than rest-water group. Exercise-training groups showed an increase of exercise capacity, by the addition of intake of acetic acid, lipid oxidation was promoted during exercise tolerance test. Skeletal muscle of rats treated with acetic acid and exercise training led to higher expressions of cytochrome c (cycs), and tended to stimulate expressions of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor coactivator 1-α (PGC1-α ) and MHC1 genes than those of rest-water group. Those results indicate that treatments both of exercise training and intake of acetic acid contribute to enhancement of lipid metabolism and improvement of exercise capacity.これまで我々は、酢酸の摂取が骨格筋内のAMP活性化プロテインキナーゼ（AMPK）の活性化を介して脂質代謝と肥満、肥満に関連した2型糖尿病の予防に効果があることを示唆してきた。AMPKは運動によって骨格筋で活性化し、脂肪酸酸化を促進する。この研究は、4週間の継続的な酢酸摂取と運動トレーニングが運動中の脂肪代謝と運動耐久性に及ぼす影響について調べることを目的とした。　6週齢のSD系雄ラットを安静期に水を摂取するrest-water群、酢酸を摂取するrest-ace群、運動前に水を摂取するwater-ex群、運動前に酢酸を摂取するace-ex群に無作為に分け実験を行った。酢酸を継続的に摂取すると水摂取に比較して腹腔内脂肪量の減少と体重増加の抑制がみられた。また継続的な酢酸摂取および運動トレーニングにより、耐久性運動下でのグルコース利用の抑制および脂肪酸酸化の促進が見られた。酢酸摂取および運動トレーニング群の腓腹筋では、MHCIおよびcytochrome c等の遅筋線維マーカー遺伝子が増加していた。継続的な酢酸摂取と運動トレーニングにより、脂肪代謝と運動耐久性の向上が示唆された