Development of a Visiting Nursing Practice Self-Evaluation Scale: Assessment of Skill for Caring for Individuals With Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia.

Behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) continue to be a concern for our rapidly progressing aging society. Visiting nurses play an important role in community service for individuals with BPSD. The aim of the current study was to develop a visiting nursing practice self-evaluation scale for nurses who care for individuals with BPSD.

Reconstruction of Starfish Eggs by Electric Cell Fusion: A New Method of Detect the Cytoplasmic Determinant for Archenteron Formation: (starfish/cell fusion/archenteron differentiation/determinant/egg polarity).

A method of detecting cytoplasm carrying the determinant for archenteron formation in starfish was established. Animal egg fragments (AEFs) which had been severed from the vegetal halves were fused electrically into pairs with fragments prepared from various regions of immature oocytes. It has been previously shown that the vegetal halves are exclusively endowed with the ability to form the archenteron; AEFs alone develop into so-called permanent blastulae.

The Determinant for Archenteron Formation in Starfish: Co-Culture of an Animal Egg Fragment-Derived Cell Cluster and a Selected Blastomere: (starfish/archenteron differentiation/polarity/blastomere coculture/determinant).

A method of detecting blastomeres that carrying the determinant for archenteron formation was established, based on the reported localization of the determinant in the vegetal cytoplasm (17, 24). The essence of the method was to co-culture a selected blastomere with an animal egg fragment-derived cell cluster, so as to generate one joined embryo. The presence of the determinant in the blastomere was assessed by the formation of the archenteron in the developed joined embryos.

Germ Cell Differentiation in Starfish: The Posterior Enterocoel as the Origin of Germ Cells in Asterina pectinifera: (starfish/germ cells/PGC/posterior enterocoel/haemal sinus).

The origin of germ cells of Asterina pectinifera was traced back to the posterior enterocoel (PE) of 2-day bipinnaria by two steps. First, the cellular cluster, composed of presumptive germ cells in the coelomic epithelium at brachiolaria stage, was confirmed to be the origin of the aboral haemal sinus located near the hydroporic canal (HC-AHS) by continuous observation of the formation process of HC-AHS. Second, the origin of the cluster was traced back to the PE of 2-day bipinnaria by comparison of the number of the presumptive germ cells in microsurgically PE-removed bipinnariae with that of non-operated control larvae.

Origin of Germ Cells and Early Differentiation of Gonads in the Starfish, Asterina pectinifera: (starfish/germ cells/PGC/gonad/haemal sinus).

The origin of the germ cells and the development of the genital system in the annually spawning starfish, Asterina pectinifera, were studied by light and electron microscopy. Characteristic germ cells were first characterized in gonads after spawning: the gonia are larger than somatic cells, have large nuclei (with electron-lucent nucleoplasm), and show mitochondrial aggregation associated with nuage (electron-dense bodies). In young starfish without gonads similar cells were detected in the haemal sinus, where they were termed primordial germ cells (PGCs).

Possible MIS Production by Follicle Cells in Spontaneous Oocyte Maturation of the Ascidian, Halocynthia roretzi: (oocyte maturation/ascidian/MIS/follicle cells/trypsin).

Outer and inner follicle cell-enclosed oocytes (oocyte complexes) of Halocynthia roretzi underwent germinal vesicle breakdown (GVBD) within 2 hr when transferred from ovaries to normal seawater of pH 8 (NSW). Extrusion of test cells (TC) into the perivitelline space and elevation of the chorion also occurred. This phenomenon was designated as spontaneous oocyte maturation.

Dynamics of Mitotic Apparatus Formation and Tubulin Content during Oocyte Maturation in Starfish: (tubulin/starfish/oocyte maturation/cytoskeleton/meiosis).

To follow the topo-temporal behavior of structures containing tubulin and the change in tubulin content during oocyte maturation, starfish oocytes were extracted with a medium containing detergent so that morphological observation and biochemical analysis could be conducted on the same residual oocyte preparation simultaneously. Before 1-methyladenine (1-MeAde) stimulation, "pre-meiotic asters" were observed on the germinal vesicle at the animal pole. 1-MeAde caused the appearance of distinct asters at the position of the aster precursor.

Oocyte Competence to Maturation-inducing Hormone. I. Breakdown of Germinal Vesicles of Small Oocytes in Starfish, Asterina pectinifera*: (starfish/oocyte maturation/1-MeAde competence/GVBD/MPF).

1-Methyladenine (1-MeAde) is the endogenous maturation-inducing substance (MIS) in starfish. However, small oocytes have no competence to 1-MeAde even at the concentration of 10 M. Furthermore, when they were injected with cytoplasm of fully-grown (large) and maturing (1-MeAde-treated) oocytes, known to contain maturation-promoting factor (MPF), they did not undergo germinal vesicle breakdown (GVBD).

Regulation of Sperm Motility in Starfish. I. Initiation of Movement: (starfish sperm/seminal plasma/sperm propulsion/sperm best frequency).

Starfish seminal plasma has such characteristics as higher concentration of potassium ions, higher osmolality, and lower pH compared with those of sea water. These factors independently inhibited the movement of spermatozoa. Sperm movement was recorded by taking photographs of the swimming paths under a dark field microscope.

Oocyte Maturation in Starfish: Sequential Changes of Oocyte Shape Induced by 1-Methyladenine Associated with Germinal Vesicle Breakdown: (oocyte maturation/starfish/1-methyladenine).

Observation of the early events of starfish oocyte maturation revealed a sequential change of the oocyte shape induced by 1-methyladenine (1-MeAde). The lengths of two diameters of the whole oocyte, one parallel to the egg axis (a-v diameter) and the other which is perpendicular to a-v diameter (e diameter) were measured by taking photographs successively. About 10 min after 1-MeAde administration, a sudden decrease of the a-v diameter (shortening of oocyte) occurred followed by a sudden increase (elongation of oocyte).

EFFECT OF LOCAL APPLICATION OF 1-METHYLADENINE ON THE SITE OF POLAR BODY FORMATION IN STARFISH OOCYTE.

Mechanism by which the site of polar body formation is determined in starfish oocytes was investigated in relation to the action of 1-methyladenine (1-MeAde). Local staining with Nile Blue of Asterina pectinifera oocytes revealed that there exists a prospective site of polar body formation (PSPBF) on the nearest surface to the position of germinal vesicle. The site of polar body formation was found to shift to some extent from PSPBF toward the area locally applied with 1-MeAde, suggesting that the actual site of polar body formation is not determined yet at the germinal vesicle stage.

METHIONINE-ACTIVATING ENZYME IN STARFISH FOLLICLE CELLS.

In starfish follicle cells 1-methyladenine is produced under the influence of a gonad-stimulating hormonal peptide (GSS). Since such production of the substance is enhanced by the addition of L-methionine or S-adenosylmethionine in vitro, the presence of methionine-activating enzyme in the follicle cells of the starfish, Asterina pectinifera, was investigated. To detect enzyme activity, the enzyme was partially purified from the supernatant of the follicle-cell homogenate by precipitation with ammonium sulfate followed by gel-filtration on a Sephadex G-150 column.

EFFECTS OF METHIONINE AND S-ADENOSYLMETHIONINE ON PRODUCTION OF 1-METHYLADENINE IN STARFISH FOLLICLE CELLS.

Incubation of follicle cells of the starfish (Asterias amurensis) with a gonad-stimulating hormonal peptide (GSS) leads to the production of 1-methyladenine. the trigger of oocyte maturation. Addition of L-methionine to the incubation medium promotes the production of 1-methyladenine.

INDUCTION OF SPAWNING AND OOCYTE MATURATION IN STARFISH BY 1-METHYL-ADENOSINE MONOPHOSPHATE.

l-Methyladenosine monophosphate (l-McAMP) induces ovulation and oocyte maturation when applied to isolated ovarian fragments of Asterina pectinifera. However, isolated oocytes fail to mature even in the presence of this substance. When ovarian or testis fragments are incubated with l-McAMP, the supernatant of the incubation mixture acquires the maturation-inducing activity.