The Experiences of International Students in Japanese Bachelor Programs

This study aimed to understand the experiences of international students in Japanese bachelor programs by exploring factors related to their Japanese language proficiency. A total of seventy-nine international undergraduate students responded to the online survey. In the analysis, descriptive and bivariate statistics were performed for all international undergraduate students, including the JEP (Japan-Expert Program) students who had been educated in the Japanese language. In the bivariate statistics, the relation between Japanese language proficiency against demographics, GPA (Grade Point Average), campus life and health status were examined. As a result, the following two points were revealed: i) among all international students, those with lower Japanese language proficiency faced more difficulty in understanding course contents, having part-time jobs, being in the upper grades, and had poorer perceived sleep quality; ii) in JEP students, those with low Japanese proficiency had a lower GPA. Thus, the Japanese language proficiency of international students in bachelor-degree programs is related to their grades, part-time jobs, and sleep quality, especially GPAs in JEP students. To support these students, it is necessary to provide continuous and comprehensive Japanese language education, including lifestyle and learning support, from the time of admission to graduation. 要旨本研究では、日本の学士課程における日本語教育の方法に示唆を得るために、学士課程に所属する留学生の日本語能力の関連要因を探ることにより、日本語プログラムの留学生の経験を明らかにすることを研究目的とした。このオンライン調査では、79名の学士課程に在籍する留学生が回答した。分析では、学士課程に在籍する留学生全体とJapan-Expertプログラム（JEP）の日本語プログラムの留学生について、記述統計と2変量統計を行ない、日本語能力と属性、学業成績、学生生活、健康状態との関連を検討した。その結果、以下の2点が明らかとなった。１．留学生全体では、日本語能力が低い学生ほど、授業の理解に問題を感じており、高学年で、アルバイトをして、睡眠の質が悪いと認識していた。２．JEPの日本語プログラムの学生は、日本語能力が低いほど学業成績は低かった。このように、学士課程に所属する留学生の日本語能力は、学年、成績、アルバイトの有無、睡眠状態が関連しており、学士課程における留学生への支援には、入学から卒業まで継続した、生活指導を含めた日本語教育が必要である

Human Herpesvirus 6-Associated Hemophagocytic Syndrome in a Healthy Adult

Virus-associated hemophagocytic syndrome is a fulminant disorder associated with systemic viral infection and characterized pathologically by multiple-organ infiltration of hemophagocytic histiocytes into the lymphoreticular tissues. This is the first report of a previously healthy adult in whom Human herpesvirus 6 reactivation induced this syndrome with severe hemodynamic and respiratory distress

Arabidopsis thaliana GYRB3 Does Not Encode a DNA Gyrase Subunit

, is predicted to encode four gyrase subunits: AtGyrA, AtGyrB1, AtGyrB2 and AtGyrB3. temperature-sensitive strain, whereas AtGyrB2 can. Yeast two-hybrid analysis suggests that AtGyrB3 cannot bind to AtGyrA or form a dimer.These data strongly suggest that AtGyrB3 is not a gyrase subunit but has another unknown function. One possibility is that it is a nuclear protein with a role in meiosis in pollen

Abnormal social behavior, hyperactivity, impaired remote spatial memory, and increased D1-mediated dopaminergic signaling in neuronal nitric oxide synthase knockout mice

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) is involved in the regulation of a diverse population of intracellular messenger systems in the brain. In humans, abnormal NOS/nitric oxide metabolism is suggested to contribute to the pathogenesis and pathophysiology of some neuropsychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Mice with targeted disruption of the nNOS gene exhibit abnormal behaviors. Here, we subjected nNOS knockout (KO) mice to a battery of behavioral tests to further investigate the role of nNOS in neuropsychiatric functions. We also examined the role of nNOS in dopamine/DARPP-32 signaling in striatal slices from nNOS KO mice and the effects of the administration of a dopamine D1 receptor agonist on behavior in nNOS KO mice.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>nNOS KO mice showed hyperlocomotor activity in a novel environment, increased social interaction in their home cage, decreased depression-related behavior, and impaired spatial memory retention. In striatal slices from nNOS KO mice, the effects of a dopamine D1 receptor agonist, SKF81297, on the phosphorylation of DARPP-32 and AMPA receptor subunit GluR1 at protein kinase A sites were enhanced. Consistent with the biochemical results, intraperitoneal injection of a low dose of SKF81297 significantly decreased prepulse inhibition in nNOS KO mice, but not in wild-type mice.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>These findings indicate that nNOS KO upregulates dopamine D1 receptor signaling, and induces abnormal social behavior, hyperactivity and impaired remote spatial memory. nNOS KO mice may serve as a unique animal model of psychiatric disorders.</p

High temperature perception in leaves promotes vascular regeneration and graft formation in distant tissues

Cellular regeneration in response to wounding is fundamental to maintain tissue integrity. Various internal factors including hormones and transcription factors mediate healing, but little is known about the role of external factors. To understand how the environment affects regeneration, we investigated the effects of temperature upon the horticulturally relevant process of plant grafting. We found that elevated temperatures accelerated vascular regeneration in Arabidopsis thaliana and tomato grafts. Leaves were crucial for this effect, as blocking auxin transport or mutating PHYTOCHROME INTERACTING FACTOR 4 (PIF4) or YUCCA2/5/8/9 in the cotyledons abolished the temperature enhancement. However, these perturbations did not affect grafting at ambient temperatures, and temperature enhancement of callus formation and tissue adhesion did not require PIF4, suggesting leaf-derived auxin specifically enhanced vascular regeneration in response to elevated temperatures. We also found that elevated temperatures accelerated the formation of inter-plant vascular connections between the parasitic plant Phtheirospennum japonicum and host Arabidopsis, and this effect required shoot-derived auxin from the parasite. Taken together, our results identify a pathway whereby local temperature perception mediates long distance auxin signaling to modify regeneration, grafting and parasitism.This article has an associated 'The people behind the papers' interview

The HPB-AML-I cell line possesses the properties of mesenchymal stem cells

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>In spite of its establishment from the peripheral blood of a case with acute myeloid leukemia (AML)-M1, HPB-AML-I shows plastic adherence with spindle-like morphology. In addition, lipid droplets can be induced in HPB-AML-I cells by methylisobutylxanthine, hydrocortisone, and indomethacin. These findings suggest that HPB-AML-I is similar to mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) or mesenchymal stromal cells rather than to hematopoietic cells.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>To examine this possibility, we characterized HPB-AML-I by performing cytochemical, cytogenetic, and phenotypic analyses, induction of differentiation toward mesenchymal lineage cells, and mixed lymphocyte culture analysis.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>HPB-AML-I proved to be negative for myeloperoxidase, while surface antigen analysis disclosed that it was positive for MSC-related antigens, such as CD29, CD44, CD55, CD59, and CD73, but not for CD14, CD19, CD34, CD45, CD90, CD105, CD117, and HLA-DR. Karyotypic analysis showed the presence of complicated abnormalities, but no reciprocal translocations typically detected in AML cases. Following the induction of differentiation toward adipocytes, chondrocytes, and osteocytes, HPB-AML-I cells showed, in conjunction with extracellular matrix formation, lipid accumulation, proteoglycan synthesis, and alkaline phosphatase expression. Mixed lymphocyte culture demonstrated that CD3⁺T-cell proliferation was suppressed in the presence of HPB-AML-I cells.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>We conclude that HPB-AML-I cells appear to be unique neoplastic cells, which may be derived from MSCs, but are not hematopoietic progenitor cells.</p

Wounding triggers callus formation via dynamic hormonal and transcriptional changes

Wounding is a primary trigger of organ regeneration, but how wound stress reactivates cell proliferation and promotes cellular reprogramming remains elusive. In this study, we combined transcriptome analysis with quantitative hormonal analysis to investigate how wounding induces callus formation in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). Our time course RNA-seq analysis revealed that wounding induces dynamic transcriptional changes, starting from rapid stress responses followed by the activation of metabolic processes and protein synthesis and subsequent activation of cell cycle regulators. Gene ontology analyses further uncovered that wounding modifies the expression of hormone biosynthesis and response genes, and quantitative analysis of endogenous plant hormones revealed accumulation of cytokinin prior to callus formation. Mutants defective in cytokinin synthesis and signaling display reduced efficiency in callus formation, indicating that de novo synthesis of cytokinin is critical for wound-induced callus formation. We further demonstrate that type-B ARABIDOPSIS RESPONSE REGULATOR-mediated cytokinin signaling regulates the expression of CYCLIN D3;1 (CYCD3;1) and that mutations in CYCD3;1 and its homologs CYCD3;2 and 3 cause defects in callus formation. In addition to these hormone-mediated changes, our transcriptome data uncovered that wounding activates multiple developmental regulators, and we found novel roles of ETHYLENE RESPONSE FACTOR 115 and PLETHORA3 (PLT3), PLT5, and PLT7 in callus generation. All together, these results provide novel mechanistic insights into how wounding reactivates cell proliferation during callus formation

Oxygen electrode as a new tool to evaluate hydroxyl radical-scavenging ability

An oxygen electrode was applied to determine hydroxyl radical ((OH)-O-center dot) levels for the first time. The method is based on the determination of (OH)-O-center dot generated by the Fenton reaction using the reaction of (OH)-O-center dot with a scavenger and the resulting radical consuming an oxygen molecule stoichiometrically. Thus, the (OH)-O-center dot-scavenging abilities of antioxidant reagents, as well as the concentration of (OH)-O-center dot, can be determined by the measurement of consumption of dissolved oxygen using an oxygen electrode. A good correlation between the present method and conventional colorimetry was obtained for the estimation of the (OH)-O-center dot-scavenging activities of antioxidants. Furthermore, the results correlated with the (OH)-O-center dot-scavenging rate constants of the reagents evaluated by a "cupric ion reducing antioxidant capacity (CUPRAC)" assay. We applied the present method to estimate the (OH)-O-center dot-scavenging abilities of commercially available alcoholic drinks.</p

衣服設計のための若年女性の肩部形状の3次元的把握

The torsos of 39 young women were measured using two three-dimensional devices (VIVID 910, Konica Minolta Sensing Co.). The shape of the shoulder was represented with a 3D model which was constructed 83 points on the body surface of the shoulder include neck line, shoulder seam line, armhole line, across back line and across chest line. The average model of shoulder for young Japanese women was obtained. But the individual shape of shoulder varied widely. Then the principal component analysis was performed to clarify the factors that characterize individual shoulder shapes. The principal components obtained were "forward thrust shoulder or not,""sloping shoulder or square shoulder,""thick or thin upper back" and "pigeon breasted or flat breasted." These results will help to design more fitted dress dummies and to improve apparel fit

Transcriptional Regulation of Arabidopsis Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 Coordinates Cell Type Proliferation and Differentiation

Spatiotemporal regulation of transcription is fine-tuned at multiple levels, including chromatin compaction. Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 (PRC2) catalyzes the trimethylation of Histone 3 at lysine 27 (H3K27me3), which is the hallmark of a repressive chromatin state. Multiple PRC2 complexes have been reported in Arabidopsis thaliana to control the expression of genes involved in developmental transitions and maintenance of organ identity. Here, we show that PRC2 member genes display complex spatiotemporal gene expression patterns and function in root meristem and vascular cell proliferation and specification. Furthermore, PRC2 gene expression patterns correspond with vascular and non-vascular tissue-specific H3K27me3-marked genes. This tissue-specific repression via H3K27me3 regulates the balance between cell proliferation and differentiation. Using enhanced yeast-one-hybrid analysis, upstream regulators of the PRC2 member genes are identified, and genetic analysis demonstrates that transcriptional regulation of some PRC2 genes plays an important role in determining PRC2 spatiotemporal activity within a developing organ