Status survey of autonomous motivation, academic strategies, learning strategies and linguistic competence in “Japanese” at elementary and junior high school located in Okinawa: To resolve low academic achievement problem

本研究の目的は，動機づけ，学習方略，言語能力という視点から，沖縄県の国語科における低学力問題の課題を考究することであった。調査対象は，小学6年生177名，公立・私立中学1年生251名であった。調査の結果，以下の3点が示唆された。すなわち， (1)沖縄県以外で行われた先行研究との平均値を比較すると，沖縄県の児童生徒は学力と関連性が高いと指摘されている同一化的調整において有意差はないが，柔軟的方略やプランニング方略，そして作業方略といった学習方略使用の頻度は有意に低いことが確認された。(2)沖縄県の児童生徒は男女とも，同一化的調整が学習方略全般と関連する傾向にあったが，唯一，公立中学生女子において，人的リソース方略との間に有意な相関はなかった。(3)言語能力は小学生では，国語科における動機づけと学習方略の両方との間に関連性があったが，公立・私立中学生では学習方略との間に有意な相関はあるものの，学習動機づけとはあまり有意な関連性が見出されなかった。議論は，学力向上に向けて児童生徒が効果的な学習方略使用を促すためにはどのような方策が必要なのかを中心に行った。The purpose of this research was to consider the low academic achievement problem of Japanese in Okinawa from the viewpoint of autonomous motivation, learning strategy, and linguistics competence. Participants were 177 elementary school students and 251 junior high school students. Main results were as follows: (1) Comparing average scores of previous studies conducted outside Okinawa, it is found that there was not significant difference in "identified regulation" which was more relevant to academic ability compared with other autonomous motivation, Okinawa students had significantly low scores of using learning strategies such as "flexible strategy'', "planning strategy'', and "work strategy" were significantly lower. (2) "identified regulation" sore of Okinawa students (both elementary and junior high school) was associated with learning strategies, however, there was not significant correlation between that score and ''human resources" score in girls of public junior high school. (3) Linguistic competence is related both autonomous motivation and learning strategies in elementary school, however that one were only related significantly to learning strategies in junior high school. We discuss mainly on what kind of teacher's action to encourage students to acquire effective learning strategies to improve academic abilit

Co-occurrence of ecologically equivalent cryptic species of spider wasps

Many cryptic species have been discovered in various taxonomic groups based on molecular phylogenetic analyses and mating experiments. Some sympatric cryptic species share equivalent resources, which contradicts the competitive exclusion principle. Two major theories have been proposed to explain the apparent lack of competitive exclusion, i.e. niche-based coexistence and neutral model, but a conclusive explanation is lacking. Here, we report the co-occurrence of cryptic spider wasp species appearing to be ecologically equivalent. Molecular phylogenetic analyses and mating experiments revealed that three phylogenetically closely related species are found sympatrically in Japan. These species share the same resources for larval food, and two of the species have the same niche for nesting sites, indicating a lack of competitive exclusion. This evidence may suggest that ecologically equivalent species can co-occur stably if their shared resources are sufficiently abundant that they cannot be over-exploited.Electronic supplementary material is available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsos.160119 or via http://rsos.royalsocietypublishing.org

Delayed traumatic aortic valve perforation after blunt chest trauma

Abstract Background Aortic valve perforation is a rare complication of blunt chest trauma. We report a case of delayed aortic insufficiency presenting several months after trauma. Case presentation A 17-year-old male presented to the emergency department with traumatic brain injuries and blunt chest trauma, but no evidence of cardiac injuries. Three months later, he developed acute heart failure due to severe aortic valve regurgitation with left ventricular dysfunction. A sizable tear in the right coronary cusp caused aortic insufficiency. He was treated successfully by surgical replacement with an aortic bioprosthesis. Conclusion We reported a successful surgical case of valve replacement for delayed aortic valve perforation. Delayed valve perforation should be kept in mind after blunt chest trauma

蝋石肺の胸部 X 線所見

An outline of the chest X-ray findings on pyrophyllitosis was described in terms of working environments and its length of term in the dust. It was clarified that in pyrophyllitosis granular shadows were distributed in the upper and middle lung fields, which used to indicate an accretion trend at an early stage. A fast development of fibrosis in the lung was also assumed, from which standpoint, too, the malignancy of pyrophyllitosis is considered to be very serious. It requires careful and sufficient course-observations, while on the other hand an earlier isolation from such work in the dust must be taken into consideration