Mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells are useful tools for investigating differentiation into neurons and glial cells in vitro. In order to induce ES cells to differentiate into neural cells, many researchers have investigated the efficiency of induction. Embryoid body (EB) formation and retinoic acid are potent differentiation inducers known to be a trigger at the early stage of development. Basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) is one of the important transcription factors, which is essential for premature neural formation. In NeuroD2 and Mash1-transfected cells, neural formation was observed at day 6 after the plating of embryoid bodies in culture. Nestin was detected in NeuroD2- and Mash1-transfected cells at day 10, and strong signal was detected in Mash1 transfectants by RT-PCR analysis. Map2 and Nurr1 were also detected strongly at the early stage in transfected cells compared with the wild type control, especially in the Mash1 transfectant. In immunocytochemical analysis, Tuj1-positive neurons were detected at high frequency in Mash1 transfectants and some cells were stained by tyrosine hydrogenase (TH), a marker of dopaminergic neurons. These results demonstrate that bHLH has a potential activity at an early stage for ES cells and can induce effective and rapid neural differentiation in vitro.
Cytokines such as angiogenin (ANG) and interleukin (IL-8) have been shown to be related to depressive symptoms and inflammatory diseases like coronary heart disease. They may thus be used as stress biomarkers to identify and prevent health problems. To investigate the relationship between cytokines and nurses' job-related stress, levels of urinary ANG and IL-8 were measured in healthy female hospital nurses in Japan. The level of job-related stress of the subjects was evaluated using the Nursing Stress Scale (NSS), with the participants being classified into high- or low-stress groups for each subscale according to their scores. The participants' subjective psychological states were assessed using the Profile of Mood States--Short Form Japanese version (POMS-SFJ). Urinary ANG, IL-8, and cortisol levels and subjective psychological states for two groups were compared for each NSS subscale. The fatigue and depression scores of POMS-SFJ subscales in the present study were higher than those of the general healthy Japanese population. Based on the mean score of the combined participants, nurses were experiencing the highest stress related to the pressure of having responsibility for patients' life support care (PPLC). Nurses reporting high levels of stress related to PPLC and conflict with physicians had high levels of urinary ANG. Urinary ANG levels may thus be associated with high levels of job stress.
Because the incidence of tuberculosis (TB) is still high in developing countries, an inexpensive and rapid diagnostic test for this infection is needed. To develop a screening test for TB, MPB64 antigen was produced by recombinant technology and purified with a polyhistidine tag. Next, serum and urine samples from patients with TB and uninfected individuals were examined by the dot-blot assay method using this purified antigen. Serum samples from patients with TB reacted more strongly with MPB64 antigen than did those from uninfected individuals. In addition, serum samples from TB patients with active infection reacted more strongly with the antigen than did samples from patients with inactive TB. When urine samples were assessed using this assay, similar results were obtained. Correlations between the data obtained from serum and urine samples were analyzed for all subjects, including uninfected individuals, and a strong positive correlation between the results of serum and urine tests (n = 36, r = 0.672) was found. The sensitivity and specificity of this assay for serum samples was 85.7 % and 85.0 %, and for urine samples 75.0 % and 85.0 %, respectively. These results suggest that dot-blot assay with MPB64 antigen could be a useful screening test for active TB. Because urine samples can be obtained more easily than serum samples and because urine is less contagious, urine testing should probably be employed for screening purposes.Key words diagnostic test, dot-blot assay, tuberculosis.According to the World Health Organization, about two billion people, approximately one third of the world's population, are infected with M. tuberculosis. In 2011, around 8.8 million new cases of TB and 1.1 million deaths from this disease were reported (1). This is the greatest number of deaths caused by any single pathogen. From subSaharan Africa to Asia, the annual incidence of TB now exceeds 300 per 100,000. In Japan, the number of new cases of TB and its incidence has been increasing since 1997. In 2007, the number of new TB patients reached 25,311, with the total incidence rising to 19.8, which is higher than in many other developed countries (1). In Japan, a high percentage of infected elderly patients develop active TB and, in urban areas, the percentage of immigrants from Southeast Asian countries with TB is not negligible.The diagnosis of pulmonary TB is based on the presence of respiratory symptoms (cough, sputum, and hemoptysis) and systemic symptoms (fever, malaise, and weight 740
The purpose of this study was to examine the self-care activities of mothers who live in remote locations without childbearing facilities during gestation and childbirth so as to provide healthcare guidance in accordance with their established self-care activities. Methods We conducted a focus group interview and qualitative descriptive analysis with nine mothers, who live on remote islands without childbearing facilities, within one year of delivery. In the study, multigravidas (women who have been pregnant before) provided responses based on their experience of raising children. Results Mothers living on remote islands without childbearing facilities reported that they gathered information from the Internet or consulted experienced individuals during their pregnancies and practiced self-care for their bodies and fetuses with their families' assistance. They visited the hospital in response to changes in their physical condition, carefully observed bleeding, and ate meals in accordance with their cultural traditions. During the postpartum recovery period, they undertook traditional self-care, with a focus on responding to abnormal symptoms, taking home remedies at an early stage in response to changes in their physical condition, hospital visits, and investigating breast abnormalities. The cultural traditions reported include not doing needlework or working with water after childbirth, and drinking fish juice to increase breast milk output. Conclusion Mothers living on remote islands without childbearing facilities did not handle their own labor; however, as a result of a strong desire to avoid unnecessary travel and living in locations without resident obstetricians, they skillfully detected abnormal symptoms and responded on their own. In order for women to undergo pregnancy and postpartum periods safely on remote islands without childbearing facilities, they must be able to sense changes themselves, and should be provided with accurate information from doctors, public health nurses, and other healthcare professionals. In the future, the healthcare industry must be aware of these trends and should have an increased responsibility in providing relevant information to mothers in remote locations.
Building experience in midwife-led care at freestanding midwifery units is needed to enhance assessment, technical, and care competencies specific to midwives. This study aimed to develop a self-assessment scale for midwifery practice competency based on the characteristics of midwife-led care practices in freestanding midwifery units. This study was conducted at 65 childbirth facilities in Japan between September 2017 and March 2018. The items on the scale were developed based on a literature review, discussion at a professional meeting, and a preliminary survey conducted at two timepoints. The validity and reproducibility of the scale were evaluated based on item analysis, compositional concept validity, internal consistency, stability, and criterion-related validity using data from 401 midwives. The final version of the scale consisted of 40 items. Cronbach’s α for the overall scale was 0.982. The results for compositional concept validity, internal validity, and criterion-related validity demonstrated that this scale is capable of evaluating a midwife’s practice competencies in intrapartum care. Repeated self-assessment using this scale could improve the competencies of midwives from an early stage, maximize the roles of physicians and midwives, and create an environment that provides high-quality assistance to women.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.