Association between Survival Prognosis and Intraoral Conditions in Cancer Patients Receiving Palliative Care

目的：緩和ケア受療進行がん患者の口腔内評価を実施し，生命予後予測と口腔内状況の関係を検証した。 方法：対象は，2017年11月から2018年7月の期間に，聖隷浜松病院に入院中の緩和ケア受療がん患者で，同意が得られた85名とした。基本情報はカルテから抽出し，口腔内の状態はOral Health Assessment Tool日本語版（以下，OHAT-J）と口腔機能評価表を用いて評価した。Palliative Prognostic Index（以下，PPI）を用いて，対象者を生命予後が3週未満と予測される群（以下，予後短期群）と，それ以上（以下，予後長期群）の2群に分け比較した。 結果および考察：対象者の平均年齢は65.6±13.2歳であり，予後長期群が62名，予後短期群が23名であった。OHAT-Jでは，口唇，歯肉・粘膜，唾液，口腔清掃の項目および合計スコアにおいて予後短期群で有意に悪化が認められた。口腔機能においては，すべての項目において予後短期群で有意な悪化が認められた。口腔粘膜など口腔乾燥が影響する項目に有意な悪化が認められたものと考えられ，口腔機能に関しては，Activities of Daily Living（日常生活動作：以下，ADL）や意識状態の悪化などの結果と推察された。 結論：生命予後予測と口腔内状況には関連性があり，予後短期群の口腔内状況は予後長期群よりも不良であることが示唆された。PPIによる予後予測は口腔内状況の把握に有用であることが示唆された

Surface physical condition of asteroid Ryugu using close-up optical and thermal images

In 2018, the Hayabusa2 spacecraft [1] successfully conducted some descend operations toward Ryugu’s surface. They included MINERVA rover release in September, MASCOT lander release and two touchdown rehearsals in October. During these operations, we acquired high-resolved optical and thermal images from altitudes below 100 m, us- ing Optical Navigation Camera (ONC-T) and Ther- mal Infrared Imager (TIR), respectively. Close-up optical images by ONC-T show detailed physical conditions of the surface materials, such as particle size distribution of pebbles, surface morphol- ogy of small boulders and craters. Moreover, close-up thermal images by TIR indicate thermophysical prop- erties of the surface materials and its regional differ- ence, which cannot be resolved by higher altitude observations (e.g., home-position observations from 20 km altitude). Combination between optical and thermal observations is of great importance to under- stand the nature of the asteroid surface materials. In this study, we investigate the surface particle size from close-up ONC images. Thermophysical property of the surface component materials inferred from TIR images is also discussed, especially for the range observed for the thermal inertia of boulders

Measuring Progress in English Language Courses

A new English language curriculum was introduced in Hiroshima University's first and second year program for students in the Integrated Arts and Sciences Department in 1994. The new curriculum contains two main features: (1) a division of language skills into the four basic areas of listening, speaking, reading, and writing, and (2) a maximum limit of thirty-five students per class for second year students. In the new curriculum, all of the four skills are taught to first year students, and one of the four language skills is separately taught to second year students for one semester. A research project was undertaken in order to measure the impact of the new curriculum. The results of this initial study are summarized in this paper. Before the 1995-96 spring semester began, five classes were randomly chosen from among the first and second year students, i.e., two general English classes and one class each representing the listening, speaking, and writing skill areas. Pre-instruction language tests were administered to each skill-oriented class at the beginning of the semester. Each skill area was tested with a skill-specific instrument. At the conclusion of between ten and twelve weeks of instruction using the new curriculum, post-instructional tests were administered. Pre- and post-instructional questionnaires were also given to skill-oriented classes and a post-instructional questionnaire was given to general English classes. From the questionnaires, we learned that more than two-thirds of the students felt that some significant progress was made. Results from the language tests showed significant improvement in some aspects of language skills. In particular, students in the speaking and writing classes showed significant increases in the productive areas of language performance. In other words, students in these skill areas, while not demonstrating measurable increases in linguistic knowledge, demonstrated measurable increases in several areas of language use. These advances included increases in words per sentence, and in sentences per minute, in spoken speech, as well as increases in words per sentence and in sentences per paragraph in written English. These results suggest that the new curriculum has taken advantage of the student's knowledge, or competence, in English, and has made significant inroads in turning this competence into productive ability (performance). On the other hand, students in the general English classes appear, from the questionnaire results, to have significantly increased their confidence levels with respect to English knowledge. The question of how to balance the teaching of linguistic knowledge and performance from an overall perspective remains for future research

A CASE OF HEPATIC TUMOR IN WHICH AN ENHANCING CAVITY APPEARED DURING TRANSCATHETER ARTERIAL CHEMOEMBOLIZATION

We encountered a case of hepatic tumor in which an enhancing cavity became evident during transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE). The imaging findings of the tumor on ultrasonography and computed tomography were typical of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). During TACE, a well-defined, enhancing cavity appeared unexpectedly in the tumor, and pseudoaneurysm was suspected. As the cavity did not embolize well using additional epirubicin-iodized oil emulsion and porous gelatin particles, more definitive embolization was performed using microcoils to avoid adverse events, such as intratumoral bleeding or rupture of the pseudoaneurysm. Microcoils were placed both distal and proximal to the cavity in the feeding artery, and hepatic angiography after this procedure revealed disappearance of both tumor stain and the cavity