How Are Statistical Parameters of the Velocity Vector of Body Sway Distributed in Normal Human Subjects?

The velocity vector when the human body sways has been qualitatively evaluated in clinical sessions. We quantitatively measured the velocity vector for 1 min in 89 normal subjects standing in a stable posture, and examined distributions of quantities of the velocity vector. The velocity vector was measured with a stabilometer, which visualizes the vector as magnitudes radially projected from the center to the periphery into 36 directions by 10°. The 3 quantities we calculated from the 36 scalars of the vector per subject were the coefficient of correlation (CV), skewness and kurtosis, which were analyzed statistically. Values of skewness were normally distributed. Values of CV and kurtosis were log-normally distributed when adjusted with log transformation. Then, we calculated standardized values of the normal distributions, from which the lower and upper cutoff values in the 95% and 99% areas were available. The 3 quantities showed statistically significant correlations with one another, although the levels were low. Thus, in the present study, use of the 3 parameters enabled us to quantitatively evaluate the whole image of velocity vector, which would simplify the procedures of examination and shorten the time required for differential diagnosis

日本の大学における英語アカデミックライティング教育の可能性と課題

Today, whether English's dominance as a global lingua franca benefits higher education, more and more universities around the world have made efforts to integrate English academic writing education into their institutional policies and strategies. This trend has been observed particularly against the background where, with the increased internationalization of higher education, the imperative for universities globally to focus on maintaining or improving their international reputation and rankings has grown significantly. Indeed, such prestige tends to be assessed largely in terms of publications in English. With this in mind, we are concerned with how higher education institutions address these efforts toward promoting English academic writing in a specific non-English L1 context, namely Japan. English academic writing in university contexts where English is an additional language exists where the fields of language education, higher education administration, research methodology, and cultural socialization converge. Therefore, this volume brings together scholarship that aims to examine the different ways in which academic writing education shapes and is shaped by students, faculty and other stakeholders in Japanese universities. This volume’s eight chapters, by authors with diverse backgrounds, ranging from administrators to researchers, and from humanities and social sciences to medical studies, explore the opportunities and challenges of English academic writing education in Japanese universities by looking at related topics, including writing centers, faculty members, genre-specific education, and technology development. Together, the discussions in the individual chapters can contribute profoundly to theory, policy, and practice in the domains of curriculum, research, and administration in university contexts.Introduction… Norifumi Miyokawa 1 Part I: A writing center in Japan: Hiroshima University Chapter One: Development of the Hiroshima University Writing Center －From an administrative perspective－… Hiroko Araki & Norifumi Miyokawa 3 Chapter Two: Perceptions of academic writing support －A needs analysis of the Hiroshima University Writing Center－… Roehl Sybing & Norifumi Miyokawa 17 Part II: Faculty development for academic writing Chapter Three: Potential roles of writing centers for writing related Faculty Development… Machi Sato & Shinichi Cho 31 Chapter Four: Academic writing support for faculty members －Writing Groups and Writing Retreats－… Adina Staicov 45 Part III: Genre-specific education: Cases in the medical field Chapter Five: How to write the Introduction of biomedical research articles －Move analysis of the first and last sentences－… Takeshi Kawamoto & Tatsuya Ishii 57 Chapter Six: Error analysis of overt lexicogrammatical errors in the prepublication English-language manuscripts of Japanese biomedical researchers －With implications for the teaching of writing for biomedical research –… Flaminia Miyamasu 67 Part IV: Theoretical and practical approaches to academic writing Chapter Seven: Language socialization and writing centers… Akiko Katayama 81 Chapter Eight: Socialization into integrity －Using plagiarism software to teach L2 writing－… Gavin Furukawa 95 Acknowledgements… Norifumi Miyokawa 10

Incidência do vírus influenza em cães adultos criados em áreas rural e urbana do estado de São Paulo, Brasil

A transmissão interespecífica do vírus influenza é relatada em estudo sobre influenza com animais domésticos desde 1970. Pássaros e mamíferos, incluindo o homem, são seus hospedeiros naturais, porém outros animais podem participar da sua epidemiologia. Foi investigada a incidência do vírus influenza em cães adultos criados em zonas rural (9, 19,56%) e urbana (37, 80,43%), do Estado de São Paulo. Os soros dos cães foram examinados pelo teste de inibição da hemaglutinação (IH), usando antígeno dos vírus influenza circulantes no Brasil. Nos cães rurais foram detectados títulos médios de 94,37, 227,88, 168,14 e 189,62 UIH/25 mL (unidades inibidoras de hemaglutinação/25 mL) para os subtipos H1N1, H3N2, H7N7, H3N8 de vírus influenza A, respectivamente, com diferenças estatisticamente significativas (pIn 1970, searching for the interspecies transmission of influenza viruses led to the first study on influenza viruses in domestic animals. Birds and mammals, including human beings, are their natural hosts; however, other animals may also play a role in the virus epidemiology. The objective was to investigate the incidence of influenza viruses in adult dogs raised in rural (9, 19.56%) and urban (37, 80.43%) areas in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. Dog serum samples were examined for antibodies to influenza viruses by the hemagglutination inhibition (HI) test using the corresponding antigens from the circulating viruses in Brazil. Dogs from rural areas presented antibodies to influenza A H3N2, and influenza A H7N7 and H3N8. In rural areas, dog sera displayed mean titers as 94.37, 227.88, 168.14, 189.62 HIU/25 µL for subtypes H1N1, H3N2, H7N7, H3N8, respectively. About 84% and 92% of dogs from urban areas exhibited antibodies to human influenza A H1N1 and H3N2, respectively, with statistical difference at p < 0.05 between the mean titers of antibodies to H1N1 and H3N2. About 92% and 100% were positive for H7N7 and H3N8, respectively. In dogs from urban areas, the mean titers of antibodies against influenza A H1N1, H3N2, H7N7 and H3N8, were 213.96, 179.42, 231.76, 231.35 HIU/25 µL respectively. The difference among them was not statistically significant at p &gt; 0.05. In conclusion, these dogs were positive for both human and equine influenza viruses. The present study suggests the first evidence that influenza viruses circulate among dogs in Brazil

Presença de vírus respiratórios em equinos do Brasil

Equines are susceptible to respiratory viruses such as influenza and parainfluenza. Respiratory diseases have adversely impacted economies all over the world. This study was intended to determine the presence of influenza and parainfluenza viruses in unvaccinated horses from some regions of the state of São Paulo, Brazil. Blood serum collected from 72 equines of different towns in this state was tested by hemagglutination inhibition test to detect antibodies for both viruses using the corresponding antigens. About 98.6% (71) and 97.2% (70) of the equines responded with antibody protective titers (≥ 80 HIU/25µL) H7N7 and H3N8 subtypes of influenza A viruses, respectively. All horses (72) also responded with protective titers (≥ 80) HIU/25µL against the parainfluenza virus. The difference between mean antibody titers to H7N7 and H3N8 subtypes of influenza A viruses was not statistically significant (p >; 0.05). The mean titers for influenza and parainfluenza viruses, on the other hand, showed a statistically significant difference (p ; 0,05). As médias de títulos dos vírus influenza e parainfluenza, por outro lado, demonstraram diferença estatisticamente significante (p < 0,001). Esses resultados indicam melhor resposta de anticorpos pelos equinos ao vírus parainfluenza 3 do que ao vírus da influenza equina. Nenhuma diferença estatística foi observada nas respostas contra os vírus da influenza equina A (H7N7 e H3N8) e parainfluenza 3, com relação ao gênero (fêmeas e machos) e grupo etário (≤ 2 até 20 anos) nos equinos avaliados. Este estudo fornece evidência da presença concomitante dos dois subtipos vírus influenza A (H7N7 e H3N8) e do parainfluenza 3 em cavalos no Brasil. Portanto, é aconselhável a vacinação dos cavalos contra esses vírus respiratórios

INFLUENZA VIRUSES IN ADULT DOGS RAISED IN RURAL AND URBAN AREAS IN THE STATE OF SAO PAULO, BRAZIL

In 1970, searching for the interspecies transmission of influenza viruses led to the first study on influenza viruses in domestic animals. Birds and mammals, including human beings, are their natural hosts; however, other animals may also play a role in the virus epidemiology. The objective was to investigate the incidence of influenza viruses in adult dogs raised in rural (9, 19.56%) and urban (37, 80.43%) areas in the state of Sao Paulo, Brazil. Dog serum samples were examined for antibodies to influenza viruses by the hemagglutination inhibition (HI) test using the corresponding antigens from the circulating viruses in Brazil. Dogs from rural areas presented antibodies to influenza A H3N2, and influenza A H7N7 and H3N8. In rural areas, dog sera displayed mean titers as 94.37, 227.88, 168.14, 189.62 HIU/25 mu L for subtypes H1N1, H3N2, H7N7, H3N8, respectively. About 84% and 92% of dogs from urban areas exhibited antibodies to human influenza A H1N1 and H3N2, respectively, with statistical difference at p &lt; 0.05 between the mean titers of antibodies to H1N1 and H3N2. About 92% and 100% were positive for H7N7 and H3N8, respectively. In dogs from urban areas, the mean titers of antibodies against influenza A H1N1, H3N2, H7N7 and H3N8, were 213.96, 179.42, 231.76, 231.35 HIU/25 mu L respectively. The difference among them was not statistically significant at p &gt; 0.05. In conclusion, these dogs were positive for both human and equine influenza viruses. The present study suggests the first evidence that influenza viruses circulate among dogs in Brazil.Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cientifico e Tecnologico [471876/2009/2010]Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cientifico e Tecnologic

The Low-pH Stability Discovered in Neuraminidase of 1918 Pandemic Influenza A Virus Enhances Virus Replication

The “Spanish” pandemic influenza A virus, which killed more than 20 million worldwide in 1918-19, is one of the serious pathogens in recorded history. Characterization of the 1918 pandemic virus reconstructed by reverse genetics showed that PB1, hemagglutinin (HA), and neuraminidase (NA) genes contributed to the viral replication and virulence of the 1918 pandemic influenza virus. However, the function of the NA gene has remained unknown. Here we show that the avian-like low-pH stability of sialidase activity discovered in the 1918 pandemic virus NA contributes to the viral replication efficiency. We found that deletion of Thr at position 435 or deletion of Gly at position 455 in the 1918 pandemic virus NA was related to the low-pH stability of the sialidase activity in the 1918 pandemic virus NA by comparison with the sequences of other human N1 NAs and sialidase activity of chimeric constructs. Both amino acids were located in or near the amino acid resides that were important for stabilization of the native tetramer structure in a low-pH condition like the N2 NAs of pandemic viruses that emerged in 1957 and 1968. Two reverse-genetic viruses were generated from a genetic background of A/WSN/33 (H1N1) that included low-pH-unstable N1 NA from A/USSR/92/77 (H1N1) and its counterpart N1 NA in which sialidase activity was converted to a low-pH-stable property by a deletion and substitutions of two amino acid residues at position 435 and 455 related to the low-pH stability of the sialidase activity in 1918 NA. The mutant virus that included “Spanish Flu”-like low-pH-stable NA showed remarkable replication in comparison with the mutant virus that included low-pH-unstable N1 NA. Our results suggest that the avian-like low-pH stability of sialidase activity in the 1918 pandemic virus NA contributes to the viral replication efficiency

The Constrained Maximal Expression Level Owing to Haploidy Shapes Gene Content on the Mammalian X Chromosome.

X chromosomes are unusual in many regards, not least of which is their nonrandom gene content. The causes of this bias are commonly discussed in the context of sexual antagonism and the avoidance of activity in the male germline. Here, we examine the notion that, at least in some taxa, functionally biased gene content may more profoundly be shaped by limits imposed on gene expression owing to haploid expression of the X chromosome. Notably, if the X, as in primates, is transcribed at rates comparable to the ancestral rate (per promoter) prior to the X chromosome formation, then the X is not a tolerable environment for genes with very high maximal net levels of expression, owing to transcriptional traffic jams. We test this hypothesis using The Encyclopedia of DNA Elements (ENCODE) and data from the Functional Annotation of the Mammalian Genome (FANTOM5) project. As predicted, the maximal expression of human X-linked genes is much lower than that of genes on autosomes: on average, maximal expression is three times lower on the X chromosome than on autosomes. Similarly, autosome-to-X retroposition events are associated with lower maximal expression of retrogenes on the X than seen for X-to-autosome retrogenes on autosomes. Also as expected, X-linked genes have a lesser degree of increase in gene expression than autosomal ones (compared to the human/Chimpanzee common ancestor) if highly expressed, but not if lowly expressed. The traffic jam model also explains the known lower breadth of expression for genes on the X (and the Z of birds), as genes with broad expression are, on average, those with high maximal expression. As then further predicted, highly expressed tissue-specific genes are also rare on the X and broadly expressed genes on the X tend to be lowly expressed, both indicating that the trend is shaped by the maximal expression level not the breadth of expression per se. Importantly, a limit to the maximal expression level explains biased tissue of expression profiles of X-linked genes. Tissues whose tissue-specific genes are very highly expressed (e.g., secretory tissues, tissues abundant in structural proteins) are also tissues in which gene expression is relatively rare on the X chromosome. These trends cannot be fully accounted for in terms of alternative models of biased expression. In conclusion, the notion that it is hard for genes on the Therian X to be highly expressed, owing to transcriptional traffic jams, provides a simple yet robustly supported rationale of many peculiar features of X's gene content, gene expression, and evolution

Molecular and serological characterization of influenza A isolated from wild, migratory and resident birds in the state of São Paulo.

O Vírus de Influenza aviária pertence à família Orthomyxoviridae. Nos últimos anos vários subtipos da gripe aviária de baixa patogenicidade têm causado surtos e epidemia em humanos e aves domésticas. As aves selvagens e migratórias participam da manutenção e transmissão interespécie dos 16 subtipos de hemaglutinina e 9 subtipos de Neuraminidase na natureza. Nosso estudo teve como objetivo subtipar as amostras positivas através de teste sorológico de inibição da hemaglutinação (HI) e técnica de Biologia Molecular. Foram positivas as amostras das espécies: Elaenia mesoleuca (2), Sporophila lineola (1) Sporophila caerulescen (1), Vireo olivaceus (3), Columbina talpacoti (3), Paroaria dominicana (2), foram coletadas das reservas experimentais de campo localizadas no estado de São Paulo-Brasil,durante os anos de 1997 e 1998. Tais amostras foram identificadas por teste preconizado HI(de acordo com WHO) usando 20 soros imunes anti-influenza do tipo A e um do tipo B e análise de RT-PCR com sequenciamento do gene Hemaglutinina e Neuraminidase. O teste HI demonstrou que 12 amostras apresentou estreita afinidade com com soros imune A/HongKong/1/68 (H3N2), A/Equine/Miami/63 (H3N8) and A/Duck/Ukraine/63 (H3N8). As análises de sequenciamento do gene hemaglutinina e Neuraminidase desses isolados revelaram uma alta homologia com os do subtipos H3N2. As análise filogenética e variabilidade genética em comparação com as seqüências de Genbank representando diversos países, mostraram que nossas amostras apresentou estreita homologia com os vírus do subtipos que circularam em Victoria (1990), Siena (1991) e Beijim (1989). A análise de amino ácido indicou que há mutações não sinônimas no gene da Hemaglutinina exclusiva de nossas amostras e as mutações da Neuraminidase são sinônimos, quando comparadas com amostras de AIV de outros paises. Nossas Amostras quando análisadas a NA, não apresentaram mutações nos aminoácidos y285t e r297n que conferem resistencia aos inibidores da Neuminidase.Avian Influenza virus belongs to Orthomyxoviridae family. The last years several low pathogenic avian influenza subtypes have caused outbreaks and epidemic in human and poultry. The wild and migrating birds may be participating of maintenance and interspecies transmission of the sixteen subtypes of the Hemagglutinina and nine Neuraminidase in nature. Our study was aimed to subtype the positive samples for influenza A isolated from migrating and wild birds by molecular technique and Haemagglutination inhibition test (HI). The samples from species Elaenia mesoleuca (2), Sporophila lineola (1) Sporophila caerulescens (1), Vireo olivaceus (3), Columbina talpacoti (3), Paroaria dominicana (2), were collected in reserves and experimental field stations located in the São Paulo State - Brazil, during the years 1997 and 1998. The samples were identified by HI test (according WHO) using the 20 antibody patterns anti-influenza A type and one for the influenza type B and RT-PCR and Sequence analysis of Hemaglutinina and Neuraminidase gene. The HI test demonstrated that 12 samples presented an antigenic close relationship with A/HongKong/1/68 (H3N2), A/ Equine/Miami /63 (H3N8) and A/Duck/ Ukraine/ 63 (H3N8) antiserum.The sequencing analyses of Hemaglutinin and Neuraminidase gene of these 12 isolates revealed a high homology with H3N2. Phylogenetic analysis and genetic variability compared with genbank sequence representing several countries, showed that our current samples submitted close homology to that circulated in Victoria (1990), Siena (1991) and Beijim (1989). Amino acid analysis compared our samples with representative genbank samples all of mutation are synonymous