Anticardiolipin Antibodies Recognize β(2)-Glycoprotein I Structure Altered by Interacting with an Oxygen Modified Solid Phase Surface

Anticardiolipin antibodies (aCL) derived from the sera of individuals exhibiting the antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) directly bind to beta(2)-glycoprotein I (beta(2)-GPI), which is adsorbed to an oxidized polystyrene surface. Oxygen atoms were introduced on a polystyrene surface by irradiation with electron or gamma-ray radiation. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy revealed the irradiated surfaces were oxidized to generate C-O and C=O moieties. aCL derived from either APS patients or (NZW x BXSB)F-1 mice bound to beta(2)-GPI coated on the irradiated plates, depending on the radiation dose. Antibody binding to beta(2)-GPI on the irradiated plates was competitively inhibited by simultaneous addition of cardiolipin (CL)-coated latex beads mixed together with beta(2)-GPI but were unaffected by addition of excess beta(2)-GPI, CL micelles, or CL-coated latex beads alone. There was a high correlation between binding values of aCL in sera from 40 APS patients obtained by the anti-beta(2)-GPI enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using the irradiated plates and those by the beta(2)-GPI-dependent aCL ELISA. Therefore, aCL have specificity for an epitope on beta(2)-GPI. This epitope is expressed by a conformational change occurring when beta(2)-GPI interacts with an oxygen-substituted solid phase surface

Crystalline Silicate Feature of the Vega-like star HD145263

We have observed the 8-13 $\mu$m spectrum (R$\sim$250) of the Vega-like star candidate HD145263 using Subaru/COMICS. The spectrum of HD145263 shows the broad trapezoidal silicate feature with the shoulders at 9.3 $\mu$m and 11.44 $\mu$m, indicating the presence of crystalline silicate grains. This detection implies that crystalline silicate may also be commonly present around Vega-like stars. The 11.44 $\mu$m feature is slightly shifted to a longer wavelength compared to the usual 11.2-3 $\mu$m crystalline forsterite feature detected toward Herbig Ae/Be stars and T Tauri stars. Although the peak shift due to the effects of the grain size can not be ruled out, we suggest that Fe-bearing crystalline olivine explains the observed peak wavelength fairly well. Fe-bearing silicates are commonly found in meteorites and most interplanetary dust particles, which originate from planetesimal-like asteroids. According to studies of meteorites, Fe-bearing silicate must have been formed in asteroidal planetesimals, supporting the scenario that dust grains around Vega-like stars are of planetesimal origin, if the observed 11.44 $\mu$m peak is due to Fe-bearing silicates.Comment: accepted for Publication in ApJ

聖隷クリストファー大学看護基礎教育における高機能患者シミュレーターを用いたシミュレーション教育の経緯と展望

報告Reports　本報告では、聖隷クリストファー大学看護基礎教育におけるシミュレーション教育チームの発足や試行に至る経緯および今後の課題や展望を概観することを目的とする。　本学は米国サミュエルメリット大学と2013 年に大学間交流協定を締結して以来、学生や教員が毎年、研修に赴きシミュレーション教育について学んできた。　2016 年に看護学部の教員有志によるワーキンググループを発足し、高機能患者シミュレーターを導入した。試行によって、シミュレーション教育は、看護実践能力を向上し、学生自身が主体的に学びを深めていくアクティブラーニングが遂行できる手法であることが分かった。　今後、シミュレーション教育を遂行する上で、以下の課題と展望がある。１．学生の看護実践能力のさらなる向上、２．教員のファシリテーション力の向上、３．教育環境の充実、４．地域の拠点としてのシミュレーション教育、５．活動のための運営資金の獲得、６．ワーキンググループであるシミュレーション教育チームの役割の明確化である

聖隷クリストファー大学看護基礎教育におけるシミュレーション教育の実践

紀要委員会企画Special Articles　本報告では、聖隷クリストファー大学看護基礎教育におけるシミュレーション教育の実践環境の構築、各領域における実践、教育力向上の取り組み、そして課題も含め今後の展望を報告する。本学は米国サミュエルメリット大学と2013 年に大学間交流協定を締結して以来、学生や教員が毎年、研修に赴きシミュレーション教育について学んできた。2016年に看護学部の教員有志によるワーキンググループが結成し、2017 年度より看護学部諮問委員会としてシミュレーション教育委員会が発足した。本学では、看護学部を中心にアクティブラーニングを実践するひとつの手法としてシミュレーション教育を検討し環境構築、研修会など学習の機会の提供、シミュレーションルームの機材および備品管理、シミュレーション教育実施の支援、広報活動など推進してきた。今後、シミュレーション教育を遂行する上で、以下の課題と展望がある。1．教育環境のさらなる充実、2．人員の確保、3．地域の拠点としてのシミュレーション教育の推進、4．活動のための運営資金の獲得である

聖隷クリストファー大学看護基礎教育における2020年度シミュレーション教育の実践報告

紀要委員会企画Special Articles　本報告では、聖隷クリストファー大学看護基礎教育における2020 年度のシミュレーション教育委員会の活動報告および各領域における実践について、以下の内容をふまえ報告する。　①シミュレーション教育の実践環境の構築および学内研修、②コロナ禍における通信設備・運用のテクニカルサポート、③シミュレーション教育の実践（看護学部各領域におけるシミュレーション教育の実践内容）、④看護学部シミュレーション教育ホームページ、⑤本学看護学部のシミュレーション教育に関する国内外の学会発表の実績　今後もシミュレーション教育を推進するための本学の課題である、教育環境のさらなる充実、人員の確保、地域の拠点としてのシミュレーション教育の推進、活動のための運営資金の獲得を目指すべく、近隣施設との連携、研究推進とともに、教員の理解と同意を得ながらさらなる教育環境の整備や教育力の向上のため邁進していく

Cathepsin E Deficiency Impairs Autophagic Proteolysis in Macrophages

Cathepsin E is an endosomal aspartic proteinase that is predominantly expressed in immune-related cells. Recently, we showed that macrophages derived from cathepsin E-deficient (CatE-/-) mice display accumulation of lysosomal membrane proteins and abnormal membrane trafficking. In this study, we demonstrated that CatE-/- macrophages exhibit abnormalities in autophagy, a bulk degradation system for aggregated proteins and damaged organelles. CatE-/- macrophages showed increased accumulation of autophagy marker proteins such as LC3 and p62, and polyubiquitinated proteins. Cathepsin E deficiency also altered autophagy-related signaling pathways such as those mediated by the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), Akt, and extracellular signal-related kinase (ERK). Furthermore, immunofluorescence microscopy analyses showed that LC3-positive vesicles were merged with acidic compartments in wild-type macrophages, but not in CatE-/- macrophages, indicating inhibition of fusion of autophagosome with lysosomes in CatE-/- cells. Delayed degradation of LC3 protein was also observed under starvation-induced conditions. Since the autophagy system is involved in the degradation of damaged mitochondria, we examined the accumulation of damaged mitochondria in CatE-/- macrophages. Several mitochondrial abnormalities such as decreased intracellular ATP levels, depolarized mitochondrial membrane potential, and decreased mitochondrial oxygen consumption were observed. Such mitochondrial dysfunction likely led to the accompanying oxidative stress. In fact, CatE-/- macrophages showed increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and up-regulation of oxidized peroxiredoxin-6, but decreased antioxidant glutathione. These results indicate that cathepsin E deficiency causes autophagy impairment concomitantly with increased aberrant mitochondria as well as increased oxidative stress

Comparing intramuscular adipose tissue on T1-weighted and two-point Dixon images.

PURPOSE:The purpose of this study was to compare intramuscular adipose tissue content determined by two-point Dixon imaging and T1-weighted imaging, calculated using thresholding techniques. METHODS:In total, 19 nonobese younger adults (26.2 ± 4.9 years) and 13 older adults (72.2 ± 6.0 years) were recruited. Axial images of the mid-thigh were taken using T1-weighted and two-point Dixon sequences with a 3.0 T whole-body magnetic resonance device and used to measure intramuscular adipose tissue content of the vastus lateralis, adductor magnus, and long head of the biceps femoris. RESULTS:There was no significant difference in intramuscular adipose tissue content between T1-weighted and two-point Dixon imaging for the vastus lateralis (11.0 ± 4.4% and 12.2 ± 2.4%); however, intramuscular adipose tissue content determined by T1-weighted imaging was significantly higher than that of two-point Dixon imaging for the other muscles. Bland-Altman analysis showed a proportional bias for intramuscular adipose tissue calculations in all three muscles. CONCLUSION:The validity of intramuscular adipose tissue content measurements between T1-weighted and two-point Dixon imaging is muscle-specific. This study showed discrepancies of intramuscular adipose tissue content between T1-weighted and two-point Dixon imaging. ADVANCES IN KNOWLEDGE:This study's results suggest that care should be taken when selecting an imaging modality for intramuscular adipose tissue, especially for patients who would be suspected to have higher intramuscular adipose tissue values

The construction of an EST database for Bombyx mori and its application

To build a foundation for the complete genome analysis of Bombyx mori, we have constructed an EST database. Because gene expression patterns deeply depend on tissues as well as developmental stages, we analyzed many cDNA libraries prepared from various tissues and different developmental stages to cover the entire set of Bombyx genes. So far, the Bombyx EST database contains 35,000 ESTs from 36 cDNA libraries, which are grouped into approximately 11,000 nonredundant ESTs with the average length of 1.25 kb. The comparison with FlyBase suggests that the present EST database, SilkBase, covers >55% of all genes of Bombyx. The fraction of library-specific ESTs in each cDNA library indicates that we have not yet reached saturation, showing the validity of our strategy for constructing an EST database to cover all genes. To tackle the coming saturation problem, we have checked two methods, subtraction and normalization, to increase coverage and decrease the number of housekeeping genes, resulting in a 5-11% increase of library-specific ESTs. The identification of a number of genes and comprehensive cloning of gene families have already emerged from the SilkBase search. Direct links of SilkBase with FlyBase and WormBase provide ready identification of candidate Lepidoptera-specific genes