Ghrelin-like peptide with fatty acid modification and O-glycosylation in the red stingray, Dasyatis akajei

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Ghrelin (GRLN) is now known to be an appetite-stimulating and growth hormone (GH)-releasing peptide that is predominantly synthesized and secreted from the stomachs of various vertebrate species from fish to mammals. Here, we report a GRLN-like peptide (GRLN-LP) in a cartilaginous fish, the red stingray, <it>Dasyatis akajei</it>.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The purified peptide contains 16 amino acids (GVSFHPQPRS¹⁰TSKPSA), and the serine residue at position 3 is modified by <it>n</it>-octanoic acid. The modification is the characteristic of GRLN. The six N-terminal amino acid residues (GVSFHP) were identical to another elasmobranch shark GRLN-LP that was recently identified although it had low identity with other GRLN peptides. Therefore, we designated this peptide stingray GRLN-LP. Uniquely, stingray GRLN-LP was <it>O</it>-glycosylated with mucin-type glycan chains [<it>N</it>-acetyl hexosamine (HexNAc)₃hexose(Hex)₂] at threonine at position 11 (Thr-11) or both serine at position 10 (Ser-10) and Thr-11. Removal of the glycan structure by <it>O</it>-glycanase made the <it>in vitro </it>activity of stingray GRLN-LP decreased when it was evaluated by the increase in intracellular Ca²⁺concentrations using a rat GHS-R1a-expressing cell line, suggesting that the glycan structure plays an important role for maintaining the activity of stingray GRLN-LP.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>This study reveals the structural diversity of GRLN and GRLN-LP in vertebrates.</p

Development of Exchange Activities with the International Students for Nurturing Global Human Resources: Focusing on Communication Skills, Cooperativity and Flexibility

This research project developed and practiced some exchange activities with international university students to nurture global human resources at the kindergarten level. The project was constructed with four strategic approaches to focus on developing communication skills, cooperativity and flexibility in children. The studies concluded that children's amical feeling toward international students have acted as a springboard to seek active interaction and to provide support when needed. Developmental level of children should also be considered to promote communication and flexibility. Further research on flexibility is necessary both in literature and in practice

Development of exchange activity with the student studying abroad to bring global human resources up (2): Focusing on intercultural understandings and identity as Japanese

本研究の目的は，幼稚園においてグローバル人材の育成に必要な「異文化に対する理解と日本人としてのアイデンティティ」に焦点をあてた留学生交流活動を開発することである。検証の方法は，交流活動の実践事例を基に考察を行い，開発した活動の成果と課題を導き出す。開発した交流活動における成果となる子どもの姿は次の通りである。①留学生の出身国の麺料理に興味をもち，自分たちのカフェレストランごっこのメニューに取り入れて，いろいろな素材を用いて作る姿が見られた。②留学生の出身国のジャンケンのやり方などについて質問をしたり，掛け声を繰り返し言いながら他国の言葉に触れることを楽しんだりする姿などが見られた。③万里の長城を映像で見た子どもたちが，留学生にたくさんの質問をする姿が見られた。また，万里の長城を見て「中国に行ってみたい」と自分の気もちを話していた。④留学生とのお茶会の中で，抹茶を飲み終わった後の茶碗のふき取り方をさり気なく留学生にやって見せたり，作法に従って出来ているかどうかを最後まで見届けたりする姿が見られた。⑤留学生の出身国の様々なお茶を飲み，日本のお茶と比較をしながら味，色などの違いを感じている様子が見られた。This study aims to develop a kindergarten cross-cultural exchange program to raise children’s intercultural understandings and identity as Japanese. To achieve the goal, international students (IE) of Hiroshima University were invited to the kindergarten six times in total, and they shared traditional plays, ceremonies, and old tales together. The exchanges were recorded and children’s utterances were analyzed. The following five achievements were found: (1) children showed interest in food habit of IE and tried to take that into their role play menu. (2) children asked questions about the traditional plays that IE introduced. (3) children asked many questions about famous places of IE’s countries and said that they want to visit those places. (4) children tried to tell IE how to do Japanese tea ceremony by using gestures. (5) children compared different kinds of tea and found that each tea, each country, each culture has different and the same things

Development of exchange activity with the student studying abroad to bring global human resources up : “Independence and positivism” please focus on “challenge spirit”

本研究は，幼稚園におけるグローバル人材の育成をめざした留学生交流活動を開発することを目的とする。特に，グローバル人材の育成に必要である「主体性・積極性」「チャレンジ精神」に焦点をあてることとする。 開発した交流活動における成果となる子どもの姿は次の通りである。①『日本語が通じない留学生と出会う（主体性・積極性）』場面では，子どもたちと留学生との間で徐々に自然な形でのやりとりが見られた。②『留学生が困った表情をしている（チャレンジ精神）』場面では，子ども自ら留学生にとってよい方法を考え，考えた方法で粘り強くかかわっていた。③『言葉の違いから留学生に自分の思いや考えが伝わらない（チャレンジ精神）』では，自分たちが伝えたいことを身振り手振り，絵や図鑑を用いて伝えようとする姿が見られた。④『留学生から「日本の子どもたちの歌や遊びが知りたい」という話がくる（主体性・積極性，チャレンジ精神）』では，子どもたちが留学生のことを思い，初めてでもすぐに覚えられるものを考えて選ぼうとする姿が見られた。また，日本の歌の踊りをわかってもらえるように見本を見せたり，体に触れたりしながら丁寧に教える姿が見られた。Exchange activity with the student studying abroad to bring global human resources up at a kindergarten by this research is being developed. I focus on independence, positivism and challenge spirit required by upbringing of global human resources. The outcome of a study is as follows. (1) I meet the student studying abroad who can’t speak Japanese. (Independence and positivism) Children were talking with a student studying abroad naturally. (2) A student studying abroad is in trouble. (Challenge spirit) A child is thinking for a student studying abroad and is behaving. (3) Talk isn’t transmitted to a student studying abroad because a word is different. (Challenge spirit) Children moved and it was being explained by a picture and an illustration book. (4) A student studying abroad is saying that he’d like to know Japanese play. (Independence and positivism, Challenge spirit) Easy play was chosen. A sample was being shown and it was being told politely

The growth of an adviser through practice teaching guidance in kindergarden

本研究は,教育実習が実習生だけでなく指導教員の成長を促すものであることに着目し,教育実習を通して実習生と指導教員が相乗的に高まる状況を確認するとともに,そのメカニズムを考察することを目的とする。今回の研究では次の3点が明らかになった。①新任教員は,実習生にとっては目指すモデルとして身近であるということと,新任教員にとっても実習生との呼応関係を非常に意識しており,そのことが相乗的な向上につながっているということが分かった。今後は呼応関係を積み上げながら,保育として必要な内容を深めていくことが望まれる。②熟達教員は,実習生にとっては力量の差が大きいために効力感や職業的同一性が低下せざるを得なかった。今後は力量の差を克服する指導が望まれる。③今後の展望として,指導教員と実習生によるカンファレンスの中で,「子ども」のとらえや,それに対する教師の援助を具体的に深めていくことが,両者の相乗的な向上につながっていくのではないかということが見えてきた。This study enables a teacher to grow through practice teaching. The method of research involved questionnaire completion by the trainee and the teacher. The study obtained three findings. (1) A newly appointed teacher is a model familiar for a trainee. (2) A veteran teacher needs instructions consistent with the trainee's ability. (3) In conference, an instruction teacher and a trainee must deepen the understanding about a child together

A study on the development of an adviser through guidance provided for teaching practice : Mechanisms for synergistic improvements in teaching practice between student teachers and advisers in kindergarten

本研究は，教育実習を通して実習生と指導教員が相乗的に高まる状況を確認し，そのメカニズムを考察することを目的とする。昨年度の研究から，実習生が求めるものと指導教員の指導のズレが少ない方が実習生と指導教員が相乗的に向上するという仮説に至った。したがって，今年度は指導教員が実習生のニーズをより具体的に理解しながら，それに応じた指導のあり方を探ることで，実習生と指導教員の相乗的な向上をめざしていく。　　 研究の方法は，実習生・指導教員に対し実習開始時・中間時・終了時の３回にわたり質問紙調査を用いる。中間時に２点について実習生の開始時の質問紙調査と比較し，指導教員の指導内容と実習生の所感との間に見られる共通点やズレに関する自由記述を行った。またそれぞれの時点で「実習指導において配慮すること」に関する自由記述を行った。　　 その結果，実習生と指導教員の相乗的向上のメカニズムとして，①教育実習を通して学んでほしいこと，いわゆる実習のねらいを明確にもつ②指導教員と実習生との意識の間でズレがないかを確認し指導に活かす③指導教員全員による意識を共有したり高め合ったりする場の必要性，という３点が明らかになった。This study aims to examine the development of the guidance teacher when instructing a student teacher. This year, we have aimed to clarify the relative improvements in the teaching practice of both the guidance and student teacher as well as to understand the needs of the student teacher and to explore the teaching methods being taught to student teachers. We hypothesized that the explanation of teaching methods by the guidance teacher was dependent on the willingness of the student teacher to learn. Our approach to the study involved analyzing the relationship between the student teacher and the guidance teacher at three stages (at the beginning, in the middle, and at the end of the training). The following three points were revealed as mechanisms for synergistic improvements in teaching practice to occur between the student and guidance teacher: (1) the establishment of clear aims by the guidance teacher in relation to teaching practice, (2) the exploration of a range of teaching methods by the guidance teacher in accordance with the willingness of the apprentice to learn, and (3) the creation of opportunities for discussion by the guidance teacher