Post-disaster mental health and psychosocial support in the areas affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake: a qualitative study

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Promotion of Bone Regeneration by CCN2 Incorporated into Gelatin Hydrogel

CCN family protein 2/connective tissue growth factor (CCN2/CTGF) is a unique molecule that promotes the entire endochondral ossification process and regeneration of damaged articular cartilage. Also, CCN2 has been shown to enhance the adhesion and migration of bone marrow stromal cells as well as the growth and differentiation of osteoblasts; hence, its utility in bone regeneration has been suggested. Here, we evaluated the effect of CCN2 on the regeneration of an intractable bone defect in a rat model. First, we prepared two recombinant CCN2s of different origins, and the one showing the stronger effect on osteoblasts in vitro was selected for further evaluation, based on the result of an in vitro bioassay. Next, to obtain a sustained effect, the recombinant CCN2 was incorporated into gelatin hydrogel that enabled the gradual release of the factor. Evaluation in vivo indicated that CCN2 continued to be released at least for up to 14 days after its incorporation. Application of the gelatin hydrogel-CCN2 complex, together with a collagen scaffold to the bone defect prepared in a rat femur resulted in remarkable induction of osteoblastic mineralization markers within 2 weeks. Finally, distinct enhancement of bone regeneration was observed 3 weeks after the application of the complex. These results confirm the utility of CCN2 in the regeneration of intractable bone defects in vivo when the factor is incorporated into gelatin hydrogel

Student-Oriented “Child Rearing Support Activities” (1): Significance of Experiential Learning Through Practice

本研究は、保育者養成校で学生が主体となって運営・実施する子育て支援活動を通し、学生の子育て支援に関する理解の深化がどのように図られたかを検証するとともに、独自にカリキュラム化された「子育て支援活動」の教育的意義や課題を明らかにした。この活動は「子ども学フィールドワークⅢ」の前期授業計画に基づき、計4回の実践を軸に準備、実践、省察、改善を繰り返した。教員が全体の大まかな枠組みを示し、学生はグループに分かれ役割分担をして取り組んだ。反省的思考の習慣が身につき、PDCA活動を有効に行うことができた学生による省察レポートを整理・分析した結果、次のことがわかった。 　学生は、回数を重ねたことで一定の達成感は得たが、子育て支援活動の運営に関してコミュニケーション力やチームワーク力など保育の協働性についてや、自らの保育技能や知識の向上についてなど様々な課題意識を持った。これは、1年次からの履修科目全体を振り返ることで明確に持ち得た意識でもあった。一方、本学の子育て支援活動の質は担保されたものの、授業展開において事前学習の内容、実践回数、省察の時期及び方法などを再検討し、よりブラッシュアップさせる必要性があることがわかった。また参加者の支援ニーズの把握についても示唆された。 　今後も引き続き、「カリキュラム化された学生主体の地域に根差す子育て支援活動」の意義と課題と探求したい。departmental bulletin pape

Gene Organization in Rice Revealed by Full-Length cDNA Mapping and Gene Expression Analysis through Microarray

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is a model organism for the functional genomics of monocotyledonous plants since the genome size is considerably smaller than those of other monocotyledonous plants. Although highly accurate genome sequences of indica and japonica rice are available, additional resources such as full-length complementary DNA (FL-cDNA) sequences are also indispensable for comprehensive analyses of gene structure and function. We cross-referenced 28.5K individual loci in the rice genome defined by mapping of 578K FL-cDNA clones with the 56K loci predicted in the TIGR genome assembly. Based on the annotation status and the presence of corresponding cDNA clones, genes were classified into 23K annotated expressed (AE) genes, 33K annotated non-expressed (ANE) genes, and 5.5K non-annotated expressed (NAE) genes. We developed a 60mer oligo-array for analysis of gene expression from each locus. Analysis of gene structures and expression levels revealed that the general features of gene structure and expression of NAE and ANE genes were considerably different from those of AE genes. The results also suggested that the cloning efficiency of rice FL-cDNA is associated with the transcription activity of the corresponding genetic locus, although other factors may also have an effect. Comparison of the coverage of FL-cDNA among gene families suggested that FL-cDNA from genes encoding rice- or eukaryote-specific domains, and those involved in regulatory functions were difficult to produce in bacterial cells. Collectively, these results indicate that rice genes can be divided into distinct groups based on transcription activity and gene structure, and that the coverage bias of FL-cDNA clones exists due to the incompatibility of certain eukaryotic genes in bacteria

Benefit of accident reduction considering the improvement of travel time reliability

Traffic accidents often cause lane closure, and diminish stability of travel time as well as the level of road services. On the other hand, research on the implementation of ITS services aiming at the reduction of traffic accidents has made considerable progress lately. However there has been little discussion on the benefits obtained by traffic accident reduction from the view point of travel time reliability. Therefore, in this research, relationships between traffic accidents and travel time reliability are examined, and the benefit of traffic accident reduction is calculated based on the scheduling model under travel time uncertainties. The results show the significance of traffic accident reduction for the improvement of travel time reliability