Teaching philosophy in practice: Developing compatibility through personal practical knowledge

As part of an MATESOL mentoring program, developing educators were paired with experienced professors.  The authors explore how personal practical knowledge bridges the gap between teaching philosophy and classroom practice. The complex layers of experience and knowledge that a mentor can offer need to be prompted, however; they cannot simply be deduced by observing. Using observational notes, interviews, and reflection, we explore real-time teaching decisions as a way to elaborate and reconsider the usually succinct teaching philosophy statement. This is particularly important for new teachers and those who are teaching in contexts or with students whose culture is still being absorbed. Personal practice knowledge is seen as the stem from which both teaching philosophy and classroom practice bloom

Characteristics of frequency content of atrial signal-averaged electrocardiograms during sinus rhythm in patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation

To clarify the characteristics of the frequency content of atrial signal-averaged electrocardiograms (ECGs) during sinus rhythm in patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, P wave-triggered signal-averaged ECGs were recorded in 28 patients with and 34 control patients without paroxysmal atrial fibrillation. Fast Fourier transform analysis was performed on the 100-ms segment starting 75 ms before the end of the P wave. An area ratio (AR50) was calculated by dividing the area under the spectrum curve between 20 and 50 Hz, multiplied by 100, by the area between 0 and 20 Hz. Magnitude ratios (MR20, MR30, MR40and MR50) were calculated by dividing the magnitude at 20, 30, 40 and 50 Hz, respectively, multiplied by 100, by the maximal magnitude of the entire signal.AR50was significantly greater in patients with than without paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (62.3 ± 34.2 vs. 42.4 ± 18.4). MRM and MR30were also significantly greater in patients with than without paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (MR2076.1 ± 15.2 vs. 60 ± 20.2; MR3041 ± 18.8 vs. 26.6 ± 14.4), although no significant differences in MR40or MR50were observed between the two patient groups. The difference in MR30between groups remained significant even after taking into account the presence of organic heart disease.It is concluded that, irrespective of the presence of organic heart disease, the terminal portion of the P wave contained significantly more components in the 20- to 50-Hz range, especially around 30 Hz, in patients with than in patients without paroxysmal atrial fibrillation. These results suggest that frequency analysis could characterize atrial signal-averaged ECGs of patients at risk for paroxysmal atrial fibrillation

993-40 Characteristics of the Atrial Signal-averaged Electrocardiograms in Patients with Sick Sinus Syndrome – the Presence of “Atrial Early Potential”

In sick sinus syndrome (SSS), pathophysiological abnormalities have been shown not only in the sinus node but also in the atrial muscle, especially of the perinodal portion. To investigate whether the electrophysiological abnormalities of atrial muscle in SSS would induce the characteristic P wavepattern, especially in the initial portion of the P wave, we studied 37 patients with SSS and 67 age-comparable control patients. using the P wave-triggered signal-averaged electrocardiography. Sixteen of 37 SSS patients had paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (Paf). Signal-averaged electrocardiograms were recorded with a band-pass filter of 40–300Hz and signals of 200 beats or more were averaged with the P wave-triggering technique. The P wave complexes of the three bipolar leads were combined into a spatial magnitude, and then the root mean square voltage for the initial 30ms (EP30) and the last 20m (LP20) of filtered P wave were measured. The duration (Ad) and root mean square voltage (RMS) of the total filtered P wave were also measured.ResultsSSS with PafSSS without PatControlEP30 (μV)2.55±1.17*2.16±0.98*3.93±1.23LP20 (μV)1.98±0.40#†2.79±1.043.35±1.76Ad (ms)145.8±16.1*†131.2±14.1123.7±11.7RMS (μV)6.20±0.415.82±0.826.20±1.47*p<0.0001#P<0.005p&lt;0.05 vs. Control†p&lt;0.01 vs SSS Without PatThe amplitude of initial portion of filtered P wave was significantly lower and the duration was longer in SSS patients with/without Paf than the controls, while there was no significant difference in the amplitude of the terminal portion between SSS patients without Paf and controls. The criteria of “EP30≤3.0μV and Ad&gt;130m” as defining “atrial early potential” gave a sensitivity of 76%, a specificity of 83% and a predictive accuracy of 81% for detection of patients with SSS. These results indicate that the low amplitude signals in the initial portion of filtered P wave were characteristic of SSS, so that the recognition of atrial early potential might be promising to identify patients with SSS

An Advanced Training Program Development for School Teachers and Staff: Purposes and Activities of Okayama Center, National Institute for School Teachers and Staff Development (NITS Okayama Center)

本論文では，これからの教師の学びの在り方を明らかにしたうえで，教師の学びを保障する場やその特質について考察する。具体的には，まず，近年の教員政策のなかで求められる教師像をもとに，教師の学びがどのように意味づけられるかを明らかにする。そのうえで，既存の教師の学びの場である教育委員会等が企画運営する研修，教職大学院，各学校で行われる校内研修等との比較により，（独）教職員支援機構岡山大学センターが構想する研修プログラムの特色を描出し，教職員の学びが深化するためのしくみを構築することの必要性と重要性を指摘したい。と同時に，教職員の学びの成果を可視化していくためには，研修プログラムに対するアウトカム重視の評価の開発が求められる。この点については今後の課題とする。This paper discusses the issues related to school teachers and staff development towards the future, including matters that how they gradually secure their learning opportunities in each stage of their careers and experiences and how university centers systematically ensure them professional development training programs. NITS Okayama Center has started to provide several training programs, in novelty and requirement distinguished from others: programs by local public bodies, local schools and teaching profession graduate schools. Through an inspection of our pilot programs, we basically point out that, first, the necessity to construct a system of making school teachers and staff’s learning process and outcome visible, and second, the importance to improve an evaluation method for training programs and to design that as an outcome model

Comparison of the prognostic value of cardiac iodine-123 metaiodobenzylguanidine imaging and heart rate variability in patients with chronic heart failure A prospective study

AbstractObjectivesWe sought to prospectively compare the prognostic value of cardiac iodine-123 (I-123) metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) imaging with that of heart rate variability (HRV) in patients with mild-to-moderate chronic heart failure (HF).BackgroundCardiac I-123 MIBG imaging, which reflects cardiac adrenergic nerve activity, provides prognostic information on chronic HF patients. Reduced HRV, indicating derangement in cardiac autonomic control, was also reported to be associated with a poor prognosis in chronic HF patients.MethodsAt study entry, I-123 MIBG imaging and 24-h Holter monitoring were performed in 65 chronic HF outpatients with a radionuclide left ventricular ejection fraction <40%. The cardiac MIBG heart to mediastinum ratio (H/M) and washout rate (WR) were obtained from MIBG imaging. The time and frequency domain parameters of HRV were calculated from 24-h Holter recordings.ResultsAt a mean follow-up of 34 ± 19 months, WR (p < 0.0001), H/M on the delayed image (p = 0.01), and normalized very-low-frequency power (n-VLFP) (p = 0.047) showed a significant association with the cardiac events (sudden death in 3 and hospitalization for worsening chronic HF in 10 patients) on univariate analysis. Multivariate analysis revealed that WR was the only independent predictor of cardiac events, although the predictive accuracy for the combination of abnormal WR and n-VLFP significantly increased, compared with that for abnormal WR (82% vs. 66%, p < 0.05).ConclusionsCardiac MIBG WR has a higher prognostic value than HRV parameters in patients with chronic HF. The combination of abnormal WR and n-VLFP would be useful to identify chronic HF patients at a higher risk of cardiac events

Non-human primate model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis with cytoplasmic mislocalization of TDP-43

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is a fatal neurodegenerative disease characterized by progressive motoneuron loss. Redistribution of transactive response deoxyribonucleic acid-binding protein 43 from the nucleus to the cytoplasm and the presence of cystatin C-positive Bunina bodies are considered pathological hallmarks of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, but their significance has not been fully elucidated. Since all reported rodent transgenic models using wild-type transactive response deoxyribonucleic acid-binding protein 43 failed to recapitulate these features, we expected a species difference and aimed to make a non-human primate model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. We overexpressed wild-type human transactive response deoxyribonucleic acid-binding protein 43 in spinal cords of cynomolgus monkeys and rats by injecting adeno-associated virus vector into the cervical cord, and examined the phenotype using behavioural, electrophysiological, neuropathological and biochemical analyses. These monkeys developed progressive motor weakness and muscle atrophy with fasciculation in distal hand muscles first. They also showed regional cytoplasmic transactive response deoxyribonucleic acid-binding protein 43 mislocalization with loss of nuclear transactive response deoxyribonucleic acid-binding protein 43 staining in the lateral nuclear group of spinal cord innervating distal hand muscles and cystatin C-positive cytoplasmic aggregates, reminiscent of the spinal cord pathology of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Transactive response deoxyribonucleic acid-binding protein 43 mislocalization was an early or presymptomatic event and was later associated with neuron loss. These findings suggest that the transactive response deoxyribonucleic acid-binding protein 43 mislocalization leads to α-motoneuron degeneration. Furthermore, truncation of transactive response deoxyribonucleic acid-binding protein 43 was not a prerequisite for motoneuronal degeneration, and phosphorylation of transactive response deoxyribonucleic acid-binding protein 43 occurred after degeneration had begun. In contrast, similarly prepared rat models expressed transactive response deoxyribonucleic acid-binding protein 43 only in the nucleus of motoneurons. There is thus a species difference in transactive response deoxyribonucleic acid-binding protein 43 pathology, and our monkey model recapitulates amyotrophic lateral sclerosis pathology to a greater extent than rodent models, providing a valuable tool for studying the pathogenesis of sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

How accent and identity influence each other: An investigation of L2 English speakers' perceptions of their own accents and their perceived social identities

This qualitative study aims to attain a practical understanding of L2 English speakers' perceptions and understanding of their own English accents and to explore the relationship between their perceptions of accents and their perceived social identities. Data were collected through interviews with 14 participants. The individual analysis on each participant was reported as a form of narrative. The group analysis across all the participants' narratives demonstrated the complexity of their perceptions and understanding of accents, and the complex and context-dependent nature of the relationship between accents and perceived social identities. Five themes that respond to the research questions emerged from the results and findings. From the discussion of the themes, a heuristic model of identity construction was developed. The model is grounded in three cases of the participants as an explanatory tool for identity construction. The study provides pedagogical implications for language teachers, and provides some suggestions for future research