Students' Evaluation for the Network-Utilized Class in ""Virtual University"" Project

All of the 16 faculty members of the Department of Teaching Japanese as a Second Language (TJSL) joined in ""Virtual University"" (VU) project and developed 18 VOD (Video on Demand) materials named ""Invitation to TJSL Research"" about 30-40 minutes long each. They were applied in the ""Network Class"" using ""Quiz"" and ""Bulletin Board"" functions of WebCT to compare the conventional class. The students' evaluation showed that they almost equally favored both classes. The result suggests that the developed materials are effective and they are useful to discuss what to do and what could be problems for the future. The activities in the project and other problems related to VU matters are also discussed

Identification of prostatic secreted proteins in mice by mass spectrometric analysis and evaluation of lobe-specific and androgen-dependent mRNA expression

Rats and guinea pigs have frequently been used to study the development of the prostate and the mechanism of androgen action, but the mouse prostate has also become an attractive model for prostate research, because an enormous range of genetically altered mice is now available. However, the secretion of proteins in the mouse prostate has not yet been well investigated. In the present study, major secreted proteins from the ventral (VP), dorso-lateral (DLP) and anterior prostate (AP) of mice were identified by means of two-dimensional gel electrophoresis followed by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometric analysis. A quantitative RT-PCR method was further employed to examine the androgen-dependent transcriptional regulation of the identified proteins. Proteome analysis revealed that the VP secretes spermine binding protein, serine protease inhibitor Kazal type 3 and a 91 kDa hypothetical scavenger receptor (AK035662). The DLP and the AP secrete a protein similar to immunoglobulin binding protein (IgBPLP) and one of the experimental autoimmune prostatitis antigen proteins (EAPA2). Peroxiredoxin-6, glucose-regulated protein 78, zinc-a2-glycoprotein and phospholipase Ca are also secreted. Castration of animals led to a decrease in the mRNAs of these secreted proteins, although the extents of change varied greatly among different lobes. We present here an overview of mouse prostate secretion, which should contribute to an understanding of the biological functions of the prostate gland, as well as the androgen-dependency of prostate secretion