連濁生起の傾向と定着化

大同大学Daido University日本語の連濁現象に関して実際に使われたデータを調べたところ,1)形態素が2モーラの場合に連濁を受けにくくなる傾向,2)いわゆるライマンの法則が形態素境界を越えて一定程度で前部要素に及ぶ傾向,3)歯茎から硬口蓋の調音点で連濁語率が低くなる傾向,4)h>w変化がh>b変化を補うように使用される傾向,5)よく使われる形が安定である例が得られた。これらの結果に対して,1)2モーラ構造の音韻的安定性,2)有声性に関する阻害音の排他性,3)Corの音韻的安定性,4)[h]>[w]変化が連濁と併存する条件,および5)合成語形の定着について述べた。The present study aims to survey the productivity of rendaku, a sequential voicing phenomenon in Contemporary Tokyo Japanese, based on a set of data compiled from general print media. The data show the phonological stability of the two-mora structure and the coronal place feature. The exclusion principle pertaining to [voice] in obstruents functions without exception within the final element of the native lexical stratum and, to a lesser degree, between those obstruents and the adjacent mora of the preceding element, even across morpheme junctures. Morpheme compounding can cause voiceless obstruents to change not only into their voiced counterparts but also into approximants under specific phonotactic conditions, and can likely fix those patterns, especially in cases involving highly frequent compounds

Attitudes of the Japanese public and doctors towards use of archived information and samples without informed consent: Preliminary findings based on focus group interviews

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study is to explore laypersons' attitudes toward the use of archived (existing) materials such as medical records and biological samples and to compare them with the attitudes of physicians who are involved in medical research. METHODS: Three focus group interviews were conducted, in which seven Japanese male members of the general public, seven female members of the general public and seven physicians participated. RESULTS: It was revealed that the lay public expressed diverse attitudes towards the use of archived information and samples without informed consent. Protecting a subject's privacy, maintaining confidentiality, and communicating the outcomes of studies to research subjects were regarded as essential preconditions if researchers were to have access to archived information and samples used for research without the specific informed consent of the subjects who provided the material. Although participating physicians thought that some kind of prior permission from subjects was desirable, they pointed out the difficulties involved in obtaining individual informed consent in each case. CONCLUSIONS: The present preliminary study indicates that the lay public and medical professionals may have different attitudes towards the use of archived information and samples without specific informed consent. This hypothesis, however, is derived from our focus groups interviews, and requires validation through research using a larger sample

An Alkaline Hot Spring in the Philippines

金沢大学大学院自然科学研究科National Institute of Geological Sciences, University of the Philippines-Diliman, PhiloppinePromoting Environmental Pesearch in Pan-Japan Sea Area : Young Researchers\u27 Network, Schedule: March 8-10,2006,Kanazawa Excel Hotel Tokyu, Japan, Organized by: Kanazawa University 21st-Century COE Program, Environmental Monitoring and Prediction of Long- & Short- Term Dynamics of Pan-Japan Sea Area ; IICRC(Ishikawa International Cooperation Research Centre), Sponsors : Japan Sea Research ; UNU-IAS(United Nations University Institute of Advanced Studies)+Ishikawa Prefecture Government ; City of Kanazaw

GDNF-inducible zinc finger protein 1 is a sequence-specific transcriptional repressor that binds to the HOXA10 gene regulatory region

The RET tyrosine kinase receptor and its ligand, glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) are critical regulators of renal and neural development. It has been demonstrated that RET activates a variety of downstream signaling cascades, including the RAS/mitogen-activated protein kinase and phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase(PI3-K)/AKT pathways. However, nuclear targets specific to RET-triggered signaling still remain elusive. We have previously identified a novel zinc finger protein, GZF1, whose expression is induced during GDNF/RET signaling and may play a role in renal branching morphogenesis. Here, we report the DNA binding property of GZF1 and its potential target gene. Using the cyclic amplification and selection of targets technique, the consensus DNA sequence to which GZF1 binds was determined. This sequence was found in the 5′ regulatory region of the HOXA10 gene. Electrophoretic mobility shift assay revealed that GZF1 specifically binds to the determined consensus sequence and suppresses transcription of the luciferase gene from the HOXA10 gene regulatory element. These findings thus suggest that GZF1 may regulate the spatial and temporal expression of the HOXA10 gene which plays a role in morphogenesis

Relationships of Posterior Condylar Offset Change to Condylar Length and Pre/Postoperative Range of Motion in Total Knee Arthroplasty

This study investigated the relationships of pre- to postoperative changes in posterior condylar offset（PCO）to differences in condylar length and range of motion in posterior stabilized（PS）-type total knee arthroplasty（TKA）. Subjects and Methods: We studied 40 knees of 40 patients（10 males and 30 females）treated by PS-type TKA. Slide calipers were used to measure condyle lengths intraoperatively and PCO was measured by standard X-ray. The patients were divided into two groups based on a pre- to postoperative change in PCO of ≥ 3mm or＜3mm, with the differences in both condylar length and range of motion compared between groups. The mean differences in condyle lengths were 2.6mm（33 knees）and 4.3mm（7 knees）in cases with PCO changes of＜3mm and ≥ 3mm, respectively. The means in the respective groups were −6° and −7° for preoperative extension, 116° and 118° for preoperative flexion, −3° and −4° for postoperative extension, and 131° and 129° for postoperative flexion. There was no significant difference in the range of motion between the groups. Cases with a large difference in condylar lengths were likely to have a small PCO postoperatively; however, the postoperative range of knee flexion was not significantly related to a small postoperative PCO. These findings suggested that preoperative range of knee motion, age, and type of TKA could influence both the postoperative range of motion and PCO

Experts' attitudes towards medical futility: an empirical survey from Japan

BACKGROUND: The current debate about medical futility is mostly driven by theoretical and personal perspectives and there is a lack of empirical data to document experts and public attitudes towards medical futility. METHODS: To examine the attitudes of the Japanese experts in the fields relevant to medical futility a questionnaire survey was conducted among the members of the Japan Association for Bioethics. A total number of 108 questionnaires returned filled in, giving a response rate of 50.9%. Among the respondents 62% were healthcare professionals (HCPs) and 37% were non-healthcare professionals (Non-HCPs). RESULTS: The majority of respondents (67.6 %) believed that a physician's refusal to provide or continue a treatment on the ground of futility judgment could never be morally justified but 22.2% approved such refusal with conditions. In the case of physiologically futile care, three-quarters believed that a physician should inform the patient/family of his futility judgment and it would be the patient who could decide what should be done next, based on his/her value judgment. However more than 10% said that a physician should ask about a patient's value and goals, but the final decision was left to the doctor not the patient. There was no statistically significant difference between HCPs and Non-HCPs (p = 0.676). Of respondents 67.6% believed that practical guidelines set up by the health authority would be helpful in futility judgment. CONCLUSION: The results show that there is no support for the physicians' unilateral decision- making on futile care. This survey highlights medical futility as an emerging issue in Japanese healthcare and emphasizes on the need for public discussion and policy development

ニホン ノ シュウマツキ イリョウ ニ タズサワル リンショウ カンゴシ ニ ヨル シュウマツキ カンゴ キョウイク コンソーシアム ELNEC End-of-Life Nursing Education Consortium ノ キョウイク プログラム オ モチイタ シュウマツキ カンゴ リンリ キョウイクホウ ノ ヒョウカ

Background. The need of a systematic program for teaching nursing ethics for clinical nurses was suggested repeatedly in earlier researches, but there is no existing research to evaluate teaching strategies in Japan. Aim. To illustrate the evaluation for teaching strategies of ethical issues in End-of-Life care utilizing ELNEC Module 4 by clinical nurses working in a Japanese palliative care setting. Methods. Teaching intervention, focus group interview, and qualitative methods of data collection and analysis were used. Findings. Evaluation for our teaching strategies comprised two main themes: general evaluations and problems of the teaching strategies utilizing ELNEC Module 4, and its impacts on nurses’ attitude, confidence, and self-awareness. Primary factors for the problems of our teaching strategies are; wordings of ethical terms and the order of the case study. Our strategies appeared to be an effective motivation for nurses to improve their practice, and might guide them to seek ethically sound practice. Conclusions. The case study helped participants’ active involvements to group discussions for case studies. They had chance to apply their knowledge of nursing ethics gained from the lecture of this study to their discussion in finding solutions to ethical dilemmas of the case that is given, and it is thought that their efforts made the knowledge, gained from a teaching session, settled in place