Inhibitory effect of green coffee bean extract on fat accumulation and body weight gain in mice

BACKGROUND: An epidemiological study conducted in Italy indicated that coffee has the greatest antioxidant capacity among the commonly consumed beverages. Green coffee bean is rich in chlorogenic acid and its related compounds. The effect of green coffee bean extract (GCBE) on fat accumulation and body weight in mice was assessed with the objective of investigating the effect of GCBE on mild obesity. METHODS: Male ddy mice were fed a standard diet containing GCBE and its principal constituents, namely, caffeine and chlorogenic acid, for 14 days. Further, hepatic triglyceride (TG) level was also investigated after consecutive administration (13 days) of GCBE and its constituents. To examine the effect of GCBE and its constituents on fat absorption, serum TG changes were evaluated in olive oil-loaded mice. In addition, to investigate the effect on hepatic TG metabolism, carnitine palmitoyltransferase (CPT) activity in mice was evaluated after consecutive ingestion (6 days) of GCBE and its constituents (caffeine, chlorogenic acid, neochlorogenic acid and feruloylquinic acid mixture). RESULTS: It was found that 0.5% and 1% GCBE reduced visceral fat content and body weight. Caffeine and chlorogenic acid showed a tendency to reduce visceral fat and body weight. Oral administration of GCBE (100 and 200 mg/kg· day) for 13 days showed a tendency to reduce hepatic TG in mice. In the same model, chlorogenic acid (60 mg/kg· day) reduced hepatic TG level. In mice loaded with olive oil (5 mL/kg), GCBE (200 and 400 mg/kg) and caffeine (20 and 40 mg/kg) reduced serum TG level. GCBE (1%), neochlorogenic acid (0.028% and 0.055%) and feruloylquinic acid mixture (0.081%) significantly enhanced hepatic CPT activity in mice. However, neither caffeine nor chlorogenic acid alone was found to enhance CPT activity. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that GCBE is possibly effective against weight gain and fat accumulation by inhibition of fat absorption and activation of fat metabolism in the liver. Caffeine was found to be a suppressor of fat absorption, while chlorogenic acid was found to be partially involved in the suppressive effect of GCBE that resulted in the reduction of hepatic TG level. Phenolic compounds such as neochlorogenic acid and feruloylquinic acid mixture, except chlorogenic acid, can enhance hepatic CPT activity

Azimuthal anisotropy of neutral pion production in Au+Au collisions at sqrt(s_NN) = 200 GeV: Path-length dependence of jet quenching and the role of initial geometry

We have measured the azimuthal anisotropy of pi0's for 1 < pT < 18 GeV/c for Au+Au collisions at sqrt s_NN = 200 GeV. The observed anisotropy shows a gradual decrease in 3 < pT < 7 - 10 GeV/c, but remains positive beyond 10 GeV/c. The magnitude of this anisotropy is under-predicted, up to at least 10 GeV/c, by current perturbative QCD (pQCD) energy-loss model calculations. An estimate of the increase in anisotropy expected from initial-geometry modification due to gluon saturation effects and initial-geometry fluctuations is insufficient to account for this discrepancy. Calculations which implement a path length dependence steeper than what is implied by current pQCD energy-loss models, show reasonable agreement with the data.Comment: 384 authors, 6 pages text, 3 figures. Submitted to Phys. Rev. Lett. Plain text data tables for the points plotted in figures for this and previous PHENIX publications are (or will be) publicly available at http://www.phenix.bnl.gov/papers.htm

特別支援教育における小学校教員の発達障がいの理解と支援希求に関する半構造化面接 : AD/HDの理解と対応を中心に

特別支援教育の施行に伴い、教育現場では発達障がいの理解と対応がいっそう求められるようになった。しかし、急速な施行には理念と現場対応の解離も危惧される。そこで小学校教諭を対象に、AD/HDを中心とした発達障がいの理解と対応の現状を半構造化面接法により検討した。小学校教員は「(軽度)発達障がい」の理解に混乱があり、AD/HDについては、医学的理解以上に集団適応の視点から理解する傾向が見られた。また小学校教員が求めた主たる支援は介助員制度であった。以上の結果が「ユニバーサルデザインの理念に基づく支援」の実践および研究方法の観点から議論された

小学校の生活場面における発達障がいの問題行動と対応に関する質的研究 : 特別支援教育コーディネーターの理解と対応を踏まえて

特別支援教育の導入により特別支援コーディネーターによる発達障がいの支援の在り方が議論されている.本研究では,小学校の特別支援教育コーディネーターに対して学校での課題場面と,その対応を検討した.その結果,特別支援教育コーディネーターが苦慮する課題は主に児童の衝動行動および多動性傾向であることが明らかにされた.特別支援教育コーディネーターの対応については「クールダウン」が強調される一方で,有効な手法であるソーシャルスキルトレーニングは単発的な実施にとどまっている可能性が示唆された.また,特別支援教育コーディネーターによりユニバーサル環境の視点から物理的な環境調整を行うことが独自の支援となることが指摘された.体系的なソーシャルスキルトレーニングの立案および発達障がいの物理的な環境調整の研修が特別支援コーディネーターの発展に望まれる

Transverse momentum dependence of eta meson suppression in Au+Au collisions at sqrt(s_NN) = 200 GeV

New measurements by the PHENIX experiment at RHIC for eta production at midrapidity as a function of transverse momentum (p_T) and collision centrality in sqrt(s_NN) = 200 GeV Au+Au and p+p collisions are presented. They indicate nuclear modification factors (R_AA) that are similar both in magnitude and trend to those found in earlier pi^0 measurements. Linear fits to R_AA in the 5--20 GeV/c p_T region show that the slope is consistent with zero within two standard deviations at all centralities although a slow rise cannot be excluded. Having different statistical and systematic uncertainties the pi^0 and eta measurements are complementary at high p_T; thus, along with the extended p_T range of these data they can provide additional constraints for theoretical modeling and the extraction of transport properties.Comment: 427 authors, 7 pages, 6 figures, 3 tables. Submitted to Phys. Rev. C, Rapid Communications. Plain text data tables for the points plotted in figures for this and previous PHENIX publications are (or will be) publicly available at http://www.phenix.bnl.gov/papers.htm

小学校・家庭場面におけるADHDへの効果的な対応に関する半構造化面接 : 学校と家庭の共通理解モデル作成の試み

特別支援教育の中でADHDの特に衝動性と多動性が小学校内で「問題行動」と認識されやすいことが指摘されている(斎藤・小野・井手,2008).この結果は,家庭が行う支援構造と小学校での支援構造を比較検討することで,家庭と学校の支援への認識にずれがない「統合的な共通理解モデル」を作成する必要性を意味する.そこで本研究では家庭と小学校の調整役を担う臨床心理士に半構造化面接を試み,「家庭での支援モデル」と「小学校での支援モデル」を導いた.また両モデルの相異を踏まえ,時間軸の認識を書くとした協働的な「共通理解モデル」が提案された

Retrospective observational study of a novel smartphone app on the management of patients with mild cognitive impairment or mild dementia

IntroductionIn this study, we aimed to evaluate the feasibility, utility, and potential effects of LQ-M/D App, a smartphone application developed by Life Quest Inc., Tokyo, Japan, for patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and mild dementia. The app incorporates cognitive and physical exercise training, lifestyle habit acquisition features, and a continuity improvement feature added in the post-update version to enhance user engagement. The continuity improvement feature includes the optimization of training content, and disease education, and enables family monitoring via a family app.MethodsA retrospective analysis was conducted on app usage, cognitive and exercise training implementation and interruptions, questionnaire response rates, and cognitive assessments in a single institution. A total of 20 patients used the app, with 10 patients using the pre-update version without the continuity improvement feature, and the other 10 patients using the post-update version with the continuity improvement feature.Results and ConclusionThe results demonstrated that the LQ-M/D App could be effectively used by the study population, and the continuity improvement feature positively influenced app usage in several aspects. Although a potential association between app usage and cognitive ability was suggested, the scatter in the data points warrants cautious interpretation. Limitations of the study included a small sample size, a single institution setting, and the retrospective nature of the study. In the future, a randomized controlled trial design using a larger sample size and multiple institutions to further evaluate the effectiveness of LQ-M/D App in managing MCI and mild dementia should be performed