筋委縮性側索硬化症患者の夜間睡眠状態に対する催眠レベル測定指標(Bispectral Index)による評価; 睡眠支援に向けて

広島大学(Hiroshima University)博士(看護学)Doctor of Philosophy in Nursingdoctora

Disclosure of congenital cleft lip and palate to Japanese patients : reported patient experiences and relationship to self-esteem

Background:The present study investigated when and how Japanese people with cleft lip and palate (CL/P) learn that their condition is congenital; the perceived effects of withholding the CL/P diagnosis on patients; and whether the resulting social experience and self-esteem are related. A questionnaire survey was conducted in 71 adults with CL/P recruited through a hospital, a patients’ association, and by snowball sampling.Results:The participants became aware of their physical difference in childhood, but many reported difficulty in understanding their condition. Participants reported that their families avoided the topic of diagnosis. Participants who understood their condition during childhood rather than in adulthood were significantly more likely to consider this scenario as positive (p < 0.001). Although stigmatising experiences were extremely painful, most patients hid their suffering, making it more difficult to obtain social support. Participants with high self-esteem were more likely to feel that they received adequate support.Conclusions:It is important to explain the congenital nature of CL/P sufficiently and early. In addition, openness by the family about the diagnosis, rather than avoidance, may improve patients’ self-esteem. Sufficient support from family, health care providers, and significant others is needed for patients to develop adequate self-esteem

Who Is the Declarant of the English Translation of the Defendant's Out-of-Court Foreign Language Statement? An "Authenticated Conduit Theory"

This thesis contends that the declarant of the English-language translation of an LEP suspect’s out-of-court testimony “must” become no one else but the suspect, not by making the interpreter the suspect’s “agent” through the application of FRE 801(d)(2)(C) or (D), but by ensuring that every interpreter passes muster as a true “language conduit” to enable the application of FRE 801(d)(2)(A). The “agent-and-conduit interpreter” theory is a dominant U.S. case law that has dealt with the hearsay issue of an interpreter-assisted extrajudicial testimonial statement. To enable the application of “a party opponent’s vicarious admission” stipulated by FRE 801(d)(2)(C) or (D), the theory claims that when two parties begin an interpreter-assisted conversation, the interpreter becomes a “dual agent” for both parties, who presume that the interpreter is acting as a language “conduit” with prima facie accurate translations. This hybrid legal theory of the traditional agency law and a 20th-century legal fiction about a foreign-language interpreter, however, embodies critical logic dilemmas, especially faced with the renewed Confrontation Clause challenge from Crawford. The thesis, comprising two main research results: a legal research and a forensic-linguistic research, calls for a complete overhaul of the “agent-and-conduit” theory used for the application of FRE 801(d)(2)(C) or (D), by maintaining that it be replaced by a new implementation of the 21st-century-style “authenticated conduit” measure that will enable the application of FRE 801(d)(2)(A) instead. In Part I: Legal Research, the thesis demonstrates that no “agency relationship” takes place between the suspect and the interpreter in a police interview for the reason that the suspect neither consents to it nor controls the interpreter. The thesis further argues that imposition on the suspect of any such consent to an assumed agency relationship with an interpreter will violate the suspect’s “non-waivable” Fifth Amendment due process right against “potential verballing.” The thesis then advocates a realization of a “true conduit” that will enable the application of FRE 801(d)(2)(A), by exerting 21st-century technological and intellectual resources that are becoming increasingly advanced, accessible, and available. Also, to attest to the adequacy of attaining a “true conduit,” the thesis demonstrates that the “true conduit” notion is also in harmony with the doctrine of the copyright law on the protectible elements of the original copyright that continue to exist in its translation. To achieve the “true conduit,” the thesis calls for mandatory introduction of video recording of interpreter-assisted custodial police interviews and mandatory authentication of the interpreter’s translation accuracy by a certified court interpreter who will also act as an expert witness. Part II: Forensic-Linguistic Research is an empirical substantiation for Part I, in the form of an action-study analysis, using an authentic recording of a custodial police interview with a Dari interpreter. The thesis demonstrates that though there are certain ways, such as turn-taking cycles, rendition and pause time comparisons, monolingual extra round-trips, etc., by which monolingual parties (the police and the suspect) in a police interview can assess the interpreter’s accuracy and reliability, there is a maximum limit to such indirect accuracy confirmation without a complete check-translation. The research empirically demonstrates that an authenticated check translation is absolutely crucial for fact-triers’ determination of the interpreting accuracy and impartiality, a result that strongly supports not only the introduction of digital recording but also mandatory production of an authenticated complete transcript of such check translation

A1F-B, a novel CCAAT-binding transcription activator that interacts with the aldolase B promoter

AbstractWe describe here a 70 kDa transcription factor A1F-B, which preferentially binds to an element encompassing a CCAAT motif on the rat aldolase B promoter. Comparison of binding specificities, relative molecular masses, and subunit compositions with those of other known CCAAT-binding factors indicated that A1F-B is a novel member of CCAAT-binding factors

Characteristics of silicon etching by silicon chloride ions

Tomoko Ito and Kazuhiro Karahashi, Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology A 31, 031301 (2013) https://doi.org/10.1116/1.479342

Cooperative functions of Hes/Hey genes in auditory hair cell and supporting cell development.

Notch-mediated lateral inhibition has been reported to regulate auditory hair cell and supporting cell development from common precursors. While the Notch effector genes Hes1, Hes5 and Hey1 are expressed in the developing cochlea, inactivation of either of them causes only mild abnormality, suggesting their functional redundancy. To explore the roles of Hes/Hey genes in cochlear development, we examined compound heterozygous or homozygous mutant mice that lacked Hes1, Hes5 and Hey1 alleles. We found that a reduction in Hes/Hey gene dosage led to graded increase of hair cell formation. However, if at least one allele of Hes1, Hes5 or Hey1 was intact, excessive hair cells were accompanied by overproduction of supporting cells, suggesting that the hair cell increase does not occur at the expense of supporting cells, and that each Hes/Hey gene functions to induce supporting cells. By contrast, when all alleles of Hes1, Hes5 and Hey1 were inactivated, the number of hair cells increased more drastically, whereas that of supporting cells was unchanged compared with control, suggesting that supporting cell formation was balanced by their overproduction and fate conversion into hair cells. The increase of the cell numbers seemed to occur after the prosensory domain formation in the mutants because the proliferation state and the size of the prosensory domain were not affected. Thus, Hes1, Hes5 and Hey1 cooperatively inhibit hair cell formation, and one allele of Hes1, Hes5 or Hey1 is sufficient for supporting cell production probably by lateral inhibition in the sensory epithelium. Strikingly, Hes/Hey mutations lead to disorganized cell alignment and polarity and to hearing loss despite hair cell overproduction. These results suggest that Hes/Hey gene dosage is essential not only for generation of appropriate numbers of hair cells and supporting cells by controlling cell proliferation and lateral inhibition but also for the hearing ability by regulating the cell alignment and polarity

Effect of Anatomical Distribution of Mast Cells on Their Defense Function against Bacterial Infections: Demonstration Using Partially Mast Cell–deficient tg/tg Mice

Mast cells were depleted in the peritoneal cavity of WBB6F1-tg/tg mice that did not express a transcription factor, MITF. When acute bacterial peritonitis was induced in WBB6F1-+/+, WBB6F1-W/Wv, and WBB6F1-tg/tg mice, the proportion of surviving WBB6F1-+/+ mice was significantly higher than that of surviving WBB6F1-W/Wv or WBB6F1-tg/tg mice. The poor survival of WBB6F1-W/Wv and WBB6F1-tg/tg mice was attributed to the deficient influx of neutrophils into the peritoneal cavity. The injection of cultured mast cells (CMCs) derived from WBB6F1-+/+ mice normalized the neutrophil influx and reduced survival rate in WBB6F1-W/Wv mice, but not in WBB6F1-tg/tg mice. This was not attributable to a defect of neutrophils because injection of TNF-α increased the neutrophil influx and survival rate in both WBB6F1-W/Wv and WBB6F1-tg/tg mice. Although WBB6F1-+/+ CMCs injection normalized the number of mast cells in both the peritoneal cavity and mesentery of WBB6F1-W/Wv mice, it normalized the number of mast cells only in the peritoneal cavity of WBB6F1-tg/tg mice. Mast cells within the mesentery or mast cells in the vicinity of blood vessels appeared to play an important role against the acute bacterial peritonitis. WBB6F1-tg/tg mice may be useful for studying the effect of anatomical distribution of mast cells on their antiseptic function

Effect of calcium phosphate compound (MZF-CaP) with and without fluoride in preventing bone loss in ovariectomized rats

Zinc (Zn) has been shown to inhibit osteoclast differentiation, promote osteoblast activity, and enhance the bone formation. Zinc-containing calcium phosphate (Zn-TCP) implanted in rabbit femoral defect was demonstrated to stimulate bone formation. Other studies demonstrated that calcium phosphate compounds (MZF-CaP) incorporating magnesium (Mg2+), zinc and fluoride (F-) when administered either by injection or orally were effective in preventing bone loss (osteoporosis) induced by estrogen deficiency (ovariectomy) in a rat model. The objective of the present study was to investigate the preventive effect of similar compound, with F (MZF-CaP-L, MZF-CaP-H) and without F (MZ-CaP-L), when injected in ovariectomized (OVX) rats. MZF-CaP-L and MZ-CaP-L were prepared by precipitation at 90oC and MZF-CaP-H was prepared by sintering MZF-CaP-L at 900oC. The release of the ions from acidic buffer was determined. Suspensions of Zn-TCP, MZF-CaP-H, MZF-CaP-L and MZ-CaP-L (617 μg in 0.2 ml of 1% sodium alginate saline solution) were injected intramuscularly under anesthesia into 5-week-old OVX rats on Zn-deficient diet. One week after surgery, bone mineral density (BMD) and bone mineral content (BMC) of the rat femurs were measured using X-ray CT. The injections and X-ray CT and Zn ion plasma measurements were repeated every week for 12 weeks. The rats were sacrificed and the femurs removed after 12 weeks. Bone mechanical strength was evaluated using the three-point bending test. MZ-CaP-L (without F), compared to the other compounds, showed the highest increase in the Zn2+ ion plasma concentration, and the highest BMD, BMC and mechanical strength

Preparation of DNA/Gold Nanoparticle Encapsulated in Calcium Phosphate

Biocompatible DNA/gold nanoparticle complex with a protective calcium phosphate (CaP) coating was prepared by incubating DNA/gold nanoparticle complex coated by hyaluronic acid in SBF (simulated body fluid) with a Ca concentration above 2 mM. The CaP-coated DNA complex was revealed to have high compatibility with cells and resistance against enzymatic degradation. By immersion in acetate buffer (pH 4.5), the CaP capsule released the contained DNA complex. This CaP capsule including a DNA complex is promising as a sustained-release system of DNA complexes for gene therapy

Obesity and the risk of diabetes mellitus in middle-aged Japanese men.

The morbidity of diabetes mellitus is increasing gradually in Japanese populations. It is important to clarify the risk factors of diabetes in Japanese populations in order to take adequate measures against the increasing morbidity of diabetes. In order to evaluate the link between past and concurrent obesity and diabetes in middle-aged Japanese men, we conducted a worksite-based historical cohort study in Okayama, Japan in 1999. Annual health examination data of middle-aged male workers in a worksite were collected. The relative risks of past and concurrent obesity for developing diabetes were calculated. Subjects with a past history of obesity at between 40 and 50 years of age had a significantly higher risk of developing diabetes by age 55 than did subjects in the normal weight group. These results suggest that, in order to prevent diabetes in middle-aged Japanese men, health guidance for normal weight maintenance should be provided not only for middle-aged men, but also for men under age 40.</p