The Development of the Social Studies Lesson Plan focusing on Modern Political Issues: A Case of A Tentative Lesson Plan "Takeshima Problem"

本研究は、現代社会に対する認識を深めることを目指した社会科歴史の単元開発を目指したものである。そのために、本研究においては、現代、政治の場において問題となっている政策課題を取り上げ、その起源を追及させることを通して現代政治をよりよく理解させるとともに、生徒に問題解決への自分なりの見通しを持たせるように授業を構成している。取り上げた政策課題は領土問題であり、具体的には日韓の間で議論となっている「竹島問題」を扱った。開発した単元は、特定の主義・主張を教え込むのではなく、公立な立場から政策問題について思考・判断させ、自主的な思想形成を促すものと評価され得るものである

Catalogue of epidermal genes: Genes expressed in the epidermis during larval molt of the silkworm Bombyx mori

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The insect cuticle is composed of various proteins and formed during the molt under hormonal regulation, although its precise composition and formation mechanism are largely unknown. The exhaustive catalogue of genes expressed in epidermis at the molt constitutes a massive amount of information from which to draw a complete picture of the molt and cuticle formation in insects. Therefore, we have catalogued a library of full-length cDNAs (designated epM) from epidermal cells during the last larval molt of <it>Bombyx mori</it>.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Of the 10,368 sequences in the library, we isolated 6,653 usable expressed sequence tags (ESTs), which were categorized into 1,451 nonredundant gene clusters. Seventy-one clusters were considered to be isoforms or premature forms of other clusters. Therefore, we have identified 1,380 putative genes. Of the 6,653 expressed sequences, 48% were derived from 92 cuticular protein genes (RR-1, 24; RR-2, 17; glycine-rich, 29; other classes, 22). A comparison of epM with another epidermal EST data set, epV3 (feeding stage: fifth instar, day 3), showed marked differences in cuticular protein gene. Various types of cuticular proteins are expressed in epM but virtually only RR-1 proteins were expressed in epV3. Cuticular protein genes expressed specifically in epidermis, with several types of expression patterns during the molt, suggest different types of responses to the ecdysteroid pulse. Compared with other <it>Bombyx </it>EST libraries, 13 genes were preferentially included in epM data set. We isolated 290 genes for proteins other than cuticular proteins, whose amino acid sequences retain putative signal peptides, suggesting that they play some role in cuticle formation or in other molting events. Several gene groups were also included in this data set: hormone metabolism, P450, modifier of cuticular protein structure, small-ligand-binding protein, transcription factor, and pigmentation genes.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>We have identified 1,380 genes in epM data set and 13 preferentially expressed genes in epidermis at the molt. The comparison of the epM and other EST libraries clarified the totally different gene expression patterns in epidermis between the molting and feeding stages and many novel tissue- and stage-specifically expressed epidermal genes. These data should further our understanding of cuticle formation and the insect molt.</p

Problems in practical finite element analysis using Preisach hysteresis model

An efficient method, which is called the “inverse distribution function method”, for calculating the magnetic field strength H from the flux density B through the Preisach model is developed. By using the method, H can be directly obtained without iteration from B which is calculated by the usual FEM, with the magnetic vector potential as an unknown variable. The effects of the dimension n of the inverse distribution function on the CPU time and the memory requirements are investigated through a numerical example by increasing the dimension n of the inverse distribution function. It is shown that the additional CPU time for taking account of hysteresis is negligible when n is less than about 200</p

Efficacy and safety of micafungin in empiric and D-index-guided early antifungal therapy for febrile neutropenia ; A subgroup analysis of the CEDMIC trial

Objectives: The D-index is defined as the area over the neutrophil curve during neutropenia. The CEDMIC trial confirmed the noninferiority of D-index-guided early antifungal therapy (DET) using micafungin to empirical antifungal therapy (EAT). In this study, we evaluated the efficacy and safety of micafungin in these settings. Methods: From the CEDMIC trial, we extracted 67 and 113 patients who received micafungin in the DET and EAT groups, respectively. Treatment success was defined as the fulfilment of all components of a five-part composite end point. Fever resolution was evaluated at seven days after the completion of therapy. Results: The proportion of high-risk treatments including induction chemotherapy for acute leukemia and allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation was significantly higher in the DET group than in the EAT group (82.1% vs. 52.2%). The efficacy of micafungin was 68.7% (95%CI: 56.2–79.4) and 79.6% (71.0–86.6) in the DET and EAT groups, respectively. When we focused on high-risk treatments, the efficacy was 69.1% (55.2–80.9%) and 78.0% (65.3–87.7%), respectively (P = 0.30). There was no significant difference in any of the 5 components between the two groups. Conclusions: The efficacy of micafungin in patients undergoing high-risk treatment was not strongly impaired in DET compared to that in EAT

Analysis of the MYD88 L265P mutation in IgM monoclonal gammopathy by semi-nested polymerase chain reaction-based restriction fragment length polymorphism method

MYD88 L265P mutation causes constitutive activation of NF-κB and possible driver mutation in B-cell lymphoid malignancies. It is frequently detected in Waldenstrom’s macroglobulinemia （WM） （50％-100％）, and its detection is important in diagnostic and therapeutic targets of this syndrome. Standard detection method of MYD88 L265P mutation in clinical practice has yet to be established. We developed semi-nested PCR-based restriction fragment length polymorphism （snPCR-RFLP） to detect the mutation. The snPCR-RFLP method is a modification of the PCR-RFLP method, which uses the restriction enzyme BsiEI that recognizes CGACT/CG, intending to increase detection sensitivity by amplification of mutated allele in the DNA sample using semi-nested PCR before enzyme digestion. The detection sensitivity of snPCR-RFLP was estimated as 0.1％, by detecting mutated allele in wild-type allele in the cloned plasmid DNA, which is comparable with allele-specific （AS） PCR method widely used as sensitive detection method. By analyzing 40 cases with IgM monoclonal gammopathy, snPCR-RFLP detected 29/40 （70％） of all cases, 22/31 （70.9％） of WM, and 6/9 （66.6%） of IgM-type monoclonal gammopathy with undetermined significance （IgMMGUS）, including five cases （three cases of WM and two cases of IgMMGUS） in which the mutation was detected only by snPCR-RFLP but not by Sanger sequencing method. Regarding DNA sample status, particularly five cases, a case was extracted from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue and four cases were extracted from cells by Ficoll-Hypaque density gradient. In correlation with clinical features, the MYD88 mutation detected by snPCR-RFLP method was associated with the adverse prognostic index （WMIPSS） of WM using patient age, hemoglobin （Hb） level, platelet count, β2MG level, and serum IgM level （p＝0.055）. The snPCR-RFLP method is a clinically useful MYD88 mutation detection method that can be performed in general laboratories

Ganglioside GM3 is essential for the structural integrity and function of cochlear hair cells

Abstract GM3 synthase (ST3GAL5) is the first biosynthetic enzyme of a-and b-series gangliosides. Patients with GM3 synthase deficiency suffer severe neurological disability and deafness. Eight children (ages 4.1 ± 2.3 years) homozygous for ST3GAL5 c.694C&gt;T had no detectable GM3 (a-series) or GD3 (b-series) in plasma. Their auditory function was characterized by the absence of middle ear muscle reflexes, distortion product otoacoustic emissions and cochlear microphonics, as well as abnormal auditory brainstem responses and cortical auditory-evoked potentials. In St3gal5 −/− mice, stereocilia of outer hair cells showed signs of degeneration as early as postnatal Day 3 (P3); thereafter, blebs devoid of actin or tubulin appeared at the region of vestigial kinocilia, suggesting impaired vesicular trafficking. Stereocilia of St3gal5 −/− inner hair cells were fused by P17, and protein tyrosine phosphatase receptor Q, normally linked to myosin VI at the tapered base of stereocilia, was maldistributed along the cell membrane. B4galnt1 −/− (GM2 synthase-deficient) mice expressing only GM3 and GD3 gangliosides had normal auditory structure and function. Thus, GM3-dependent membrane microdomains might be essential for the proper organization and maintenance of stereocilia in auditory hair cells

Minimally invasive, patient specific, beat-by-beat estimation of left ventricular time varying elastance.

peer reviewedBACKGROUND: The aim of this paper was to establish a minimally invasive method for deriving the left ventricular time varying elastance (TVE) curve beat-by-beat, the monitoring of which's inter-beat evolution could add significant new data and insight to improve diagnosis and treatment. The method developed uses the clinically available inputs of aortic pressure, heart rate and baseline end-systolic volume (via echocardiography) to determine the outputs of left ventricular pressure, volume and dead space volume, and thus the TVE curve. This approach avoids directly assuming the shape of the TVE curve, allowing more effective capture of intra- and inter-patient variability. RESULTS: The resulting TVE curve was experimentally validated against the TVE curve as derived from experimentally measured left ventricular pressure and volume in animal models, a data set encompassing 46,318 heartbeats across 5 Pietrain pigs. This simulated TVE curve was able to effectively approximate the measured TVE curve, with an overall median absolute error of 11.4% and overall median signed error of -2.5%. CONCLUSIONS: The use of clinically available inputs means there is potential for real-time implementation of the method at the patient bedside. Thus the method could be used to provide additional, patient specific information on intra- and inter-beat variation in heart function

Augmented TLR2 Expression on Monocytes in both Human Kawasaki Disease and a Mouse Model of Coronary Arteritis

BACKGROUND: Kawasaki disease (KD) of unknown immunopathogenesis is an acute febrile systemic vasculitis and the leading cause of acquired heart diseases in childhood. To search for a better strategy for the prevention and treatment of KD, this study compared and validated human KD immunopathogenesis in a mouse model of Lactobacillus casei cell wall extract (LCWE)-induced coronary arteritis. METHODS: Recruited subjects fulfilled the criteria of KD and were admitted for intravenous gamma globulin (IVIG) treatment at the Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital from 2001 to 2009. Blood samples from KD patients were collected before and after IVIG treatment, and cardiovascular abnormalities were examined by transthoracic echocardiography. Wild-type male BALB/c mice (4-week-old) were intraperitoneally injected with LCWE (1 mg/mL) to induce coronary arteritis. The induced immune response in mice was examined on days 1, 3, 7, and 14 post injections, and histopathology studies were performed on days 7 and 14. RESULTS: Both human KD patients and LCWE-treated mice developed coronary arteritis, myocarditis, valvulitis, and pericarditis, as well as elevated plasma levels of interleukin (IL)-2, IL-6, IL-10, monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP)-1, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α in acute phase. Most of these proinflammatory cytokines declined to normal levels in mice, whereas normal levels were achieved in patients only after IVIG treatment, with a few exceptions. Toll-like receptor (TLR)-2, but not TLR4 surface enhancement on circulating CD14+ monocytes, was augmented in KD patients before IVIG treatment and in LCWE-treated mice, which declined in patients after IVIG treatment. CONCLUSION: This result suggests that that not only TLR2 augmentation on CD14+ monocytes might be an inflammatory marker for both human KD patients and LCWE-induced CAL mouse model but also this model is feasible for studying therapeutic strategies of coronary arteritis in human KD by modulating TLR2-mediated immune activation on CD14+ monocytes