初等科中等科音楽教育におけるベル・カント発声法に基づく一考察―イタリアの音楽教育研究視察から―

　2014 年より４年間，ベル・カント唱法の発祥地であるイタリアの音楽科教育について調査研究し,具体的には歌唱指導に注目した。イタリアにおける音楽家教育の在り方を踏まえ，ベル・カント唱法の変遷と原理を明らかにし，実地調査することができた内容を含め，イタリアで引き継がれてきた呼吸法・発声法における示唆を提示する。日本においても実践可能な，学校教育における歌唱メソッドの提案につながるのではないかと考える

Axon terminal hypertrophy of striatal projection neurons with levodopa-induced dyskinesia priming

BackgroundA rat model of levodopa-induced dyskinesia (LID) showed enlarged axon terminals of striatal direct pathway neurons in the internal segment of the globus pallidus (GPi) with excessive gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) storage in them. Massive GABA release to GPi upon levodopa administration determines the emergence of LID.ObjectivesWe examined whether LID and axon terminal hypertrophy gradually develop with repeated levodopa treatment in Parkinsonian rats to examine if the hypertrophy reflects dyskinesia priming.Methods6-hydroxydopamine-lesioned hemiparkinsonian rats were randomly allocated to receive saline injections (placebo group, 14 days; n = 4), injections of 6 mg/kg levodopa methyl ester combined with 12.5 mg/kg benserazide (levodopa-treated groups, 3-day-treatment; n = 4, 7-day-treatment; n = 4, 14-day-treatment; n = 4), or injections of 6 mg/kg levodopa methyl ester with 12.5 mg/kg benserazide and 1 mg/kg 8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin for 14 days (8-OH-DPAT-treated group; n = 4). We evaluated abnormal involuntary movement (AIM) scores and axon terminals in the GPi.ResultsThe AIM score increased with levodopa treatment, as did the hypertrophy of axon terminals in the GPi, showing an increased number of synaptic vesicles in hypertrophied terminals.ConclusionIncreased GABA storage in axon terminals of the direct pathway neurons represents the priming process of LID

Primary Omental Myxoid Leiomyosarcoma: Report of a Case and a Review of the Literature

A 41-year-old Japanese woman who presented with right lower abdominal pain underwent partial omental resection with tumor excision, leaving no residual tumor. The tumor was diagnosed as a myxoid leiomyosarcoma that apparently originated in the greater omentum. A recurrent omental tumor was excised at 4.5 months after the first operation, and then at 5.5 months after this, CT revealed metastatic sarcoma at the surface of the liver (S7) and the left upper abdomen. She died 20 months after the last operation despite treatment of the metastases with MAID therapy (mesna, adriamycin, ifosfamide, dacarbazine). A literature review revealed that this tumor mainly occurs in the uterus, soft tissue, and cardiovascular system, with a preponderance among middle-aged to elderly women. The present report is the first description of primary omental myxoid leiomyosarcoma

Prescription trend and lactic acidosis in patients prescribed metformin before and after the revision of package insert for allowing metformin administration to patients with moderately decreased kidney function based on real-world data from MID-NET® in Japan

IntroductionThis study was conducted to understand the impact of package insert (PI) revision in Japan on 18 June 2019 to allow metformin use for patients with moderately decreased kidney function (30 ≤ estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) < 60 mL/min/1.73 m2).MethodsA new user cohort design was employed to examine the prescription trend and the occurrence of lactic acidosis in patients prescribed metformin before and after PI revision using the Medical Information Database Network (MID-NET®).ResultsFrom 12 May 2016 to 31 March 2020, 5,874 patients (before, n = 4,702; after, n = 1,172) were identified as new metformin users, including 1,145 patients (before, n = 914; after, n = 231) with moderately decreased kidney function. Although no marked changes in metformin prescription were observed before and after PI revision, the daily metformin dose at the first prescription decreased after PI revision. For both before and after PI revision, less than 10 cases of lactic acidosis occurred in all patients prescribed metformin, and no lactic acidosis was observed in patients with moderately decreased kidney function.ConclusionThe results of this study are useful for understanding the safety of metformin use in patients with decreased kidney function and suggest no worse impacts of PI revision in Japan, indicating no further safety concerns on metformin use in patients with moderately decreased kidney function under the situation with careful use and safety monitoring of metformin