Robotic devices and ICT in long-term care in Japan: Their potential and limitations from a workplace perspective

In light of its rapidly aging society, Japan is pressured to full-heartedly address the labor shortage in long-term care. Among the various policy options currently in discussion, government agencies and business sector representatives agree that robotic devices and information and communication technology (ICT) constitute a suitable countermeasure. However, during our research in Japan in 2019, we found that robotic devices and ICT are only reluctantly being introduced into long-term care facilities. Based on our field visits and interviews as well as supplementary document research, this paper discusses the potential that facility managers ascribe to robotic devices and ICT when it comes to alleviating the labor shortage in the long-term care institutions they run. Of particular interest is the question to what degree the usage of robotic devices and ICT could reduce the physical hardships and mental stress that staff in long-term caregiving experience. This paper will further our understanding of the labor situation in long-term care facilities and contribute to the research field of robotic devices and ICT in Japan’s labor market

Bindungsverhalten zu Mutter und Vater und Bindungsrepräsentation bei Kindern im Alter von fünf und sieben Jahren

Bindungsqualitäten können im Vorschulalter und bei Schulbeginn unterschiedlich erhoben werden, auf der Verhaltensebene über die Fremde Situation (FS) oder auf der Repräsentationsebene, erfasst über semiprojektive Verfahren mittels Geschichten oder Bildern. Beide Methoden verschaffen Zugang zu unterschiedlichen Ebenen eines theoretisch angenommenen mentalen Bindungsmodells, wobei die auf der Verhaltensebene erfasste Bindung als personspezifisch, die auf der Repräsentationsebene erfasste Bindung als generalisiert gilt. Untersucht wurde, ob Mutter- und Vaterbindung übereinstimmen und wie beide mit der generalisierten Bindungsrepräsentation zusammenhängen. Zudem wurde geprüft, ob bei Nichtübereinstimmung von Mutter- und Vaterbindung eher das Bindungsverhalten zur Hauptbezugsperson mit der Bindungsrepräsentation übereinstimmt. 67 Kinder im Alter von 5;3 Jahren wurden in der FS mit der Mutter und 31 davon auch mit dem Vater untersucht. Im Alter von durchschnittlich 6;7 Jahren wurde mit ihnen ein Geschichtenergänzungsverfahren zur Bindung durchgeführt. Bei Übereinstimmung der personspezifischen Bindung zu Mutter und Vater (sechs Kinder sicher, acht Kinder unsicher gebunden) fiel die Bindungsrepräsentation übereinstimmend aus, bei Nichtübereinstimmung der personspezifischen Bindungen zu Vater und Mutter war kein systematischer Zusammenhang feststellbar. Somit bestätigen die Daten die Annahme eines stärkeren Einflusses der hauptsächlichen Betreuungsperson auf die Bindungsrepräsentation nicht. (ZPID

Recolha e investigação de metabólitos secundários de organismos marinhos de duas ilhas açoreanas, Faial e São Jorge.

In March and April of 1997 a total of 35 samples of marine organisms were collected from the Azorean Islands of Faial and São Jorge. These samples included 3 species of Chlorophyta, 7 species of Phaeophyta, 10 species of Rhodophyta, 2 species of Chordata, 3 species of Mollusca, and 7 species of Porifera. Of these samples Laxosuberites rugosus (Porifera), and Pachymatisma johnstonia (Porifera), are new records for the Azores. Secondary metabolite investigations of a number of these samples led to the isolation of para-hydroxybenzyl cyanide from the sponge Laxosuberites rugosus, and oxindol from the sponge Tedania anhelans. Both these compounds are reported here from the marine environment for the first time. These compounds were assessed for their human immunodeficiency virus type 1 reverse transcriptase (HIV-1-RT) and tyrosine kinase (TK) inhibition activities, and para-hydroxybenzyl cyanide found to inhibit the activity of TK to 64% at the 200 Fg/ml level. This is the first report of the TK activity of parahydroxybenzyl cyanide

Professional knowledge of (prospective) Mathematics Teachers – Its structure and development

Recent research on the professional knowledge of mathematics teachers, which has been carried out in the last decade, is in the focus of this paper. Building on the international IEA Teacher Education and Development Study – Learning to Teach Mathematics (TEDS-M), this paper describes a more situated way of evaluating the professional knowledge of teachers. The theoretical framework of the follow-up study of TEDS-M takes up the novice-expert framework andanalyses via video-based assessment instruments the structure and development of the professional knowledge of mathematics teachers. More recent concepts on noticing and interpreting classroom situations and students’ activities are also incorporated into the analysis. Connecting the results of the study TEDS-FU with the study TEDS-M gives insight into the development of the professional knowledge of mathematics teachers

Professional knowledge of (prospective) Mathematics Teachers – Its structure and development

Recent research on the professional knowledge of mathematics teachers, which has been carried out in the last decade, is in the focus of this paper. Building on the international IEA Teacher Education and Development Study – Learning to Teach Mathematics (TEDS-M), this paper describes a more situated way of evaluating the professional knowledge of teachers. The theoretical framework of the follow-up study of TEDS-M takes up the novice-expert framework andanalyses via video-based assessment instruments the structure and development of the professional knowledge of mathematics teachers. More recent concepts on noticing and interpreting classroom situations and students’ activities are also incorporated into the analysis. Connecting the results of the study TEDS-FU with the study TEDS-M gives insight into the development of the professional knowledge of mathematics teachers

Measuring teacher noticing : A scoping review of standardized instruments

This scoping review provides an overview of standardized instruments used to measure teacher noticing. A systematic literature search identified 37 publications in English-language peer-reviewed journals describing 22 different test instruments. Regarding the underlying conceptualization of noticing, instruments commonly distinguish mental processes (e.g., attending and interpreting) using heterogeneous nomenclatures and focus on various aspects of teaching. Regarding the test design, the instruments are predominantly video-based and vary considerably with respect to measurement approach and test requirements. High test quality was demonstrated for established test instruments. However, on a general level, desiderata became apparent regarding construct and criterion-related validity

Polymorphisms of the NADPH Oxidase p22phox Gene in a Caucasian Population with Intracranial Aneurysms

Background: Vascular remodeling generated by reactive oxygen species contributes to aneurysm formation. The NADPH oxidase system is a major source of superoxide anion not only in phagocytes, but also in endothelial and vascular smooth muscle cells. Polymorphisms of p22phox, an essential component of the NADPH oxidase system, are found to be associated with atherosclerosis, while a recent study found a significant association between the 214C>T polymorphism and the occurrence of ischemic cerebrovascular disease. We conducted a case-control study to investigate the relationship of five polymorphisms of the p22phox gene and the occurrence of cerebral aneurysms. Methods: The study population consisted of 113 patients with intracranial aneurysms and 53 control subjects. The 214C>T polymorphism was investigated by restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis, while polymorphisms 381T>C, 480G>A, 521C>T, and *24A>G were analyzed by direct sequencing of exon 6 and adjacent intronic sequences. Results: The analysis of a primary study sample comprising 35 cases and 28 controls failed to show a significant association between any of the five polymorphisms and the occurrence of intracranial aneurysms using both allele frequencies and genotypes (all nominal p > 0.05). Although there was a deviation from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium in cases at the 521C>T locus (nominal p T, 521C>T, and *24A>G); haplotype frequencies in cases and controls were not significantly different. Conclusion: Although polymorphisms of the p22phox gene located in the coding region and the 3′-untranslated region were reported to be associated with atherosclerosis and cerebrovascular disease, our data provide evidence that there is no association between these polymorphisms and the occurrence of cerebral aneurysms in Caucasians.Dieser Beitrag ist mit Zustimmung des Rechteinhabers aufgrund einer (DFG-geförderten) Allianz- bzw. Nationallizenz frei zugänglich

Fasting Upregulates PPARα Target Genes in Brain and Influences Pituitary Hormone Expression in a PPARα Dependent Manner

PPARα is a lipid-activable transcription factor that mediates the adaptive response to fasting. Recent data indicate an important role of brain PPARα in physiological functions. However, it has not yet been shown whether PPARα in brain can be activated in the fasting state. Here we demonstrate that fasting of rats increased mRNA concentrations of typical PPARα target genes implicated in β-oxidation of fatty acids (acyl-CoA oxidase, carnitine palmitoyltransferase-1, medium chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase) and ketogenesis (mitochondrial 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA synthase) in pituitary gland and partially also in frontal cortex and diencephalon compared to nonfasted animals. These data strongly indicate that fasting activates PPARα in brain and pituitary gland. Furthermore, pituitary prolactin and luteinizing hormone-β mRNA concentrations were increased upon fasting in wild-type mice but not in mice lacking PPARα. For proopiomelanocortin and thyrotropin-β, genotype-specific differences in pituitary mRNA concentrations were observed. Thus, PPARα seems to be involved in transcriptional regulation of pituitary hormones

TRPM5, a taste-signaling transient receptor potential ion-channel, is a ubiquitous signaling component in chemosensory cells

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>A growing number of TRP channels have been identified as key players in the sensation of smell, temperature, mechanical forces and taste. TRPM5 is known to be abundantly expressed in taste receptor cells where it participates in sweet, amino acid and bitter perception. A role of TRPM5 in other sensory systems, however, has not been studied so far.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Here, we systematically investigated the expression of TRPM5 in rat and mouse tissues. Apart from taste buds, where we found TRPM5 to be predominantly localized on the basolateral surface of taste receptor cells, TRPM5 immunoreactivity was seen in other chemosensory organs – the main olfactory epithelium and the vomeronasal organ. Most strikingly, we found solitary TRPM5-enriched epithelial cells in all parts of the respiratory and gastrointestinal tract. Based on their tissue distribution, the low cell density, morphological features and co-immunostaining with different epithelial markers, we identified these cells as brush cells (also known as tuft, fibrillovesicular, multivesicular or caveolated cells). In terms of morphological characteristics, brush cells resemble taste receptor cells, while their origin and biological role are still under intensive debate.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>We consider TRPM5 to be an intrinsic signaling component of mammalian chemosensory organs, and provide evidence for brush cells being an important cellular correlate in the periphery.</p

Cancer risk among residents of Rhineland-Palatinate winegrowing communities: a cancer-registry based ecological study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Aim</p> <p>To investigate the cancer risk among residents of Rhineland-Palatinate winegrowing communities in an ecological study.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>On the basis of the Rhineland-Palatinate cancer-registry, we calculated age-adjusted incidence rate ratios for communities with a medium area under wine cultivation (>5 to 20 percent) and a large area under wine cultivation (>20 percent) in comparison with communities with a small area under wine cultivation (>0 to 5 percent). In a side analysis, standardized cancer incidence ratios (SIR) were computed separately for winegrowing communities with small, medium and large area under wine cultivation using estimated German incidence rates as reference.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>A statistically significant positive association with the extent of viniculture can be observed for non-melanoma skin cancer in both males and females, and additionally for prostate cancer, bladder cancer, and non-Hodgkin lymphoma in males, but not in females. Lung cancer risk is significantly reduced in communities with a large area under cultivation. In the side-analysis, elevated SIR for endocrine-related tumors of the breast, testis, prostate, and endometrium were observed.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>This study points to a potentially increased risk of skin cancer, bladder cancer, and endocrine-mediated tumors in Rhineland-Palatinate winegrowing communities. However, due to the explorative ecologic study design and the problem of multiple testing, these findings are not conclusve for a causal relationship.</p