Applicability of environmental DNA metabarcoding for the hyporheic zone of a stream bed

Hyporheic zones play a crucial role in ecological processes primarily orchestrated by hyporheic organisms, known as hyporheos. Our understanding of riverine biodiversity, encompassing hyporheic zones, remains limited. Therefore, the development of a method for the facile and accurate detection of hyporheic communities is imperative. Thus, we evaluated the applicability of environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding surveys in the hyporheic zone in a small stream in Japan. We conducted simultaneous direct sampling and eDNA surveys at two different locations (head and tail of a rapid and a bar) and during two different seasons (less and more disturbed periods). Subsequently, we compared the outcomes of these sampling methods, locations, and seasons. Through eDNA metabarcoding targeting the cytochrome-c oxidase subunit I (COI) regions, we successfully identified a diverse array of hyporheic and benthic taxa in all samples. Remarkably, the performance of eDNA metabarcoding was comparable to the identification of directly sampled benthos and hyporheos. We observed a 62%–78% concordance between direct sampling and eDNA metabarcoding. Notably, eDNA metabarcoding revealed a higher number of hyporheic taxa compared to direct sampling. Moreover, the relative detectability of hyporheos by eDNA metabarcoding differed between the seasons, unlike direct sampling. Our findings underscore the importance of conducting both eDNA surveys and direct sampling to comprehensively assess the composition of the stream community while accounting for seasonal variations. This study demonstrates the utility of eDNA metabarcoding as a non-destructive approach for investigating the hyporheic zone, enabling a more effective assessment of riverine biodiversity

保育者養成校における実習日誌に関する指導法の研究 : 幼稚園実習日誌に用いられる"時制"についての調査から

『一人ひとりに応じた保育』が求められる中、幼児理解を深める実習日誌の指導法について再考するため、実習日誌の指導の現状を調査・分析した。調査結果として、学生が書いた実習日誌ののうち、と注)は、「現在形」で記載されることが多かった。市販されている多くの保育者養成テキストでも「現在形」で書いた日誌見本例を掲載している。また、との内容は一般性が高く、クラス集団の総体的な姿が把握できる一方、個々の子どもの姿が見えにくい。そこに対応するも表層的な内容に留まりやすいことがわかった。このことから、養成校において、やには、1.集団の総体的な姿を「現在形」で書く、2.個々の姿や保育者の援助のエピソードを「固有名詞(仮名)」を使用し「過去形」を交えて書く、の2つの視点をもって記述する指導法を提案する

要録の有効な活用に関する提言 : 保育所保育要録と幼稚園指導要録の記述における5歳児の見とりの比較を通して

平成21年度改正の「保育所保育指針」「幼稚園教育要領」「小学校学習指導要領」には保幼小連携の必要性が共通して明記され、保育所においても園児の進学する小学校へ保育所保育要録を送付することが義務付けられた。本稿では、就学前の子どもの記録である「保育所保育要録」と「幼稚園指導要録」の実際の記載内容にどのような相違点があるかを明らかにした。また1年担任へのインタビュー調査を行い、要録がより有効に活用されるために必要な情報についても提言している。結果として、保育所保育要録においては、『スコープ』の視点から教育の5領域ごとの見とりが"横断的に記述"される傾向が見られた。一方、幼稚園指導要録においては、『シーケンス』の視点から5歳児1年間の育ちの経緯が"縦断的に記述"されていた。また1年担任が求める要録の情報と記載されている内容とには隔たりがあり、十分に活用されていないという課題も浮き彫りになった

Ability of minimally invasive surgery to decrease incisional surgical site infection occurrence in patients with colorectal cancer and other gastroenterological malignancies

BackgroundSurgical site infection (SSI) is one of the most important complications of surgery for gastroenterological malignancies because it leads to a prolonged postoperative hospital stay and increased inpatient costs. Furthermore, SSI can delay the initiation of postoperative treatments, including adjuvant chemotherapy, negatively affecting patient prognosis. Identifying the risk factors for SSI is important to improving intra- and postoperative wound management for at-risk patients.MethodsPatients with gastroenterological malignancies who underwent surgery at our institution were retrospectively reviewed and categorized according to the presence or absence of incisional SSI. Clinicopathological characteristics such as age, sex, body mass index, malignancy location, postoperative blood examination results, operation time, and blood loss volume were compared between groups. The same analysis was repeated of only patients with colorectal malignancies.ResultsA total of 528 patients (330 men, 198 women; mean age, 68 ± 11 years at surgery) were enrolled. The number of patients with diseases of the esophagus, stomach, small intestine, colon and rectum, liver, gallbladder, and pancreas were 25, 150, seven, 255, 51, five, and 35, respectively. Open surgery was performed in 303 patients vs. laparoscopic surgery in 225 patients. An incisional SSI occurred in 46 patients (8.7%). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that postoperative hyperglycemia (serum glucose level ≥140 mg/dl within 24 h after surgery), colorectal malignancy, and open surgery were independent risk factors for incisional SSI. In a subgroup analysis of patients with colorectal malignancy, incisional SSI occurred in 27 (11%) patients. Open surgery was significantly correlated with the occurrence of incisional SSI (P = 0.024).ConclusionsPostoperative hyperglycemia and open surgery were significant risk factors for SSI in patients with gastroenterological malignancies. Minimally invasive surgery could reduce the occurrence of incisional SSI

Interaction between lung cancer cells and astrocytes via specific inflammatory cytokines in the microenvironment of brain metastasis

The incidence of brain metastasis is increasing, however, little is known about molecular mechanism responsible for lung cancer-derived brain metastasis and their development in the brain. In the present study, brain pathology was examined in an experimental model system of brain metastasis as well as in human brain with lung cancer metastasis. In an experimental model, after 3–6 weeks of intracardiac inoculation of human lung cancer-derived (HARA-B) cells in nude mice, wide range of brain metastases were observed. The brain sections showed significant increase in glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP)-positive astrocytes around metastatic lesions. To elucidate the role of astrocytes in lung cancer proliferation, the interaction between primary cultured mouse astrocytes and HARA-B cells was analyzed in vitro. Co-cultures and insert-cultures demonstrated that astrocytes were activated by tumor cell-oriented factors; macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF), interleukin-8 (IL-8) and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1). Activated astrocytes produced interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-1 β (IL-1β), which in turn promoted tumor cell proliferation. Semi-quantitative immunocytochemistry showed that increased expression of receptors for IL-6 and its subunits gp130 on HARA-B cells. Receptors for TNF-α and IL-1β were also detected on HARA-B cells but down-regulated after co-culture with astrocytes. Insert-culture with astrocytes also stimulated the proliferation of other lung cancer-derived cell lines (PC-9, QG56, and EBC-1). These results suggest that tumor cells and astrocytes stimulate each other and these mutual relationships may be important to understand how lung cancer cells metastasize and develop in the brain

ユタカ ニ ヒョウゲン スル バ オ ヒラク タヨウ ナ ヒョウゲン カツドウ ノ バ オ タイセツ ニ シタ シドウ ケイカク ノ サクセイ ニ ムケテ 1

1. 研究の所在/2. 指導計画の立案にあたって/3. 実践事例 (5才児 VI期前半：10月～12月中旬)「もりであそぼう」/4. 成果と今後の課