The swabbing and tape-stripping methods have traditionally been used for collecting skin microbiome samples for skin bacterial analysis, although no reports have compared the outcome of these methods for collecting skin bacteria. Our purpose was to show the differences in microbial composition between samples collected using the swabbing and tape-stripping methods, by both the next generation sequencing and culture studies. The skin microbiome was collected by both methods, and the samples were processed for a sequence-based microbiome analysis and culture study. The next-generation sequencing results showed that skin bacteria collected using the tape-stripping method were comparable to those collected using the swabbing method. In the culture study, the tape-stripping method collected a greater number and wider variety of viable skin bacteria than the swabbing method. These results suggest that the tape-stripping method is comparable to the swabbing method for collecting viable skin bacteria, without losing fidelity to the composition of skin microbiome.

In mammals, increased Notch signaling is held partly responsible for a lack of neurogenesis after a spinal injury. However, this is difficult to test in an essentially nonregenerating system. We show that in adult zebrafish, which exhibit lesion-induced neurogenesis, e.g., of motor neurons, the Notch pathway is also reactivated. Although apparently compatible with neuronal regeneration in zebrafish, forced activity of the pathway significantly decreased progenitor proliferation and motor neuron generation. Conversely, pharmacological inhibition of the pathway increased proliferation and motor neuron numbers. This demonstrates that Notch is a negative signal for regenerative neurogenesis, and, importantly, that spinal motor neuron regeneration can be augmented in an adult vertebrate by inhibiting Notch signaling.

Background: Preventing recurrent pressure injuries (RPIs) is one of the important challenges faced in healthcare, but the risk factors of RPIs have not been fully revealed. This study aims to explore factors associated with RPIs, by focusing on skin physiology and its microbiome as local factors crucial for the health of healed tissue after pressure injury healing. Methods: This prospective observational study was conducted in a long-term care facility in Japan with patients whose PIs had healed within 1 month. Skin physiology was evaluated by stratum corneum (SC) hydration, pH, and transepidermal water loss. Skin bacteria was collected by tape stripping, followed by 16S ribosomal RNA-based metagenomics analysis. These parameters were evaluated every two weeks over a period of six weeks. Results: A total of 30 patients were included in this study, and 8 patients (26.7%) had an RPI within 6 weeks. In this study, significantly lower SC hydration and a higher rate of Staphylococcus species on the healed site were found in the RPI group. Discussion: A high rate of RPIs (about one in four) points out the necessity of a further care strategy on the healed PIs. Lower skin hydration and/or the increase in Staphylococcus bacteria may have a potential to be used as a biomarker for the prediction of RPIs, or may be an intervention point for the prevention of RPIs by, for example, skin cleansing with moisturizing care.

With the increase in the older populations, the number of bedridden older patients is becoming a matter of concern. Skin microbiome and skin physiological functions are known to change according to lifestyle and community; however, such changes in case of movement-and cleaning-restricted bedridden older patients have not yet been revealed. To address this issue, we analyzed skin microbiome and skin physiological functions, including pH, hydration, sebum level, and transepidermal water loss (TEWL), of bedridden older patients, compared with those of ambulatory older and young individuals. For this analysis, we enrolled 19 healthy young and 18 ambulatory older individuals from the community and 31 bedridden older patients from a single, long-term care hospital in Japan. The area of interest was set to the sacral (lower back) skin, where pressure injuries (PIs) and subsequent infection frequently occurs in bedridden older patients. We observed a higher number of gut-related bacteria, fewer commensals, higher skin pH, and lower TEWL on the sacral skin of bedridden older patients than on that of young or ambulatory older individuals. In addition, we observed that 4 of the 31 bedridden older patients developed PIs during the research period; a higher abundance of pathogenic skin bacteria were also observed inside the PI wounds. These findings imply distinct skin microbiome and skin physiological functions in bedridden older patients in comparison with healthy individuals and may suggest the need for more stringent cleaning of the skin of bedridden older patients in light of the closeness of skin and wound microbiome.

We detected an increase in oxidative stress levels and a decrease in the density of dermal collagen at the same site on the thigh, abdomen, and upper arm of Japanese overweight males. These findings suggest the fragility of the dermis of Japanese overweight males, which might have been caused by the accumulation of subcutaneous adipose tissue.