Improving Teaching Methods, Student Learning Outcomes, and Curricula through Cross-Phase Teaching in Primary and Junior High School

In order to obtain a certain hint of forming a good cooperation between primary and junior high schools through Cross-Phase Teaching (CPT), it is necessary to verify the effect of CPT. We analyzed our CPT, surveyed the teachers and students by questionnaire, and interviewed the teachers, so that we might verify the effect of the CPT. While verifying, we not only recognized the change of the teachers' mind but also found the concrete way of improving their teaching

Influence of External Natural Environment Including Sunshine Exposure on Public Mental Health: A Systematic Review

The COVID-19 pandemic has been raging around the world and public health measures such as lockdowns have forced people to go out less often, reducing sunlight exposure time, green space use, and physical activity. It is well known that exercise has a positive impact on mental health, but the impact of external environmental factors such as sunlight exposure and green space use on mental health has not been systematically reviewed. In this review, we categorized the major factors that may affect people’s mental health into (1) external environmental factors such as exposure to sunlight and green spaces, (2) internal life factors such as physical activity and lifestyle, and (3) mixed external and internal factors, and systematically examined the relationship between each factor and people’s mental health. The results showed that exposure to sunlight, spending leisure time in green spaces, and physical activity each had a positive impact on people’s mental health, including depression, anxiety, and stress states. Specifically, moderate physical activity in an external environment with sunlight exposure or green space was found to be an important factor. The study found that exposure to the natural environment through sunbathing and exercise is important for people’s mental health

Rare hydrosalpinx in a sexually inactive adolescent successfully treated with laparoscopy

The majority of cases of symptomatic hydrosalpinx needing treatment are caused by sexually transmitted diseases. However, here, we present a rare case of a hydrosalpinx occurring in a sexually-inactive adolescent girl successfully treated with laparoscopy. A 17-year-old girl presenting with lower abdominal symptoms had a surgical history for an inguinal hernia at infancy. Transabdominal ultrasonography revealed a multicystic lesion in the pelvis, and magnetic resonance imaging suggested hydrosalpinx. Due to the abdominal pain and a suspicion of torsion, laparoscopic surgery was performed. After aspiration and resection of a cystic tumor, we confirmed that the left ovary was normal and that the tumor involved the left fallopian tube, which was twisted at the isthmus. Although relatively rare in postmenarchal sexually inactive adolescents, clinicians and surgeons must still consider hydrosalpinx as a possible diagnosis when encountering an adolescent patient with lower abdominal pain

Gemella morbillorum bacteremia following total laparoscopic hysterectomy for uterine corpus cancer

Gemella morbillorum, a Gram-positive coccus facultative anaerobe, is part of the normal flora of the mucous membranes of the oropharynx, upper respiratory, gastrointestinal, and female genital tracts. However, this species can also cause serious infection. We herein report on a case of bacteremia, accompanied by peritonitis and pleuritis, in a 46-year-old immunocompetent female following a total laparoscopic hysterectomy for endometrial cancer. The case was successfully treated with antibacterial and antifungal agents

Predictive factors of the duration of sick leave due to mental disorders

Abstract Background This study aimed to examine potential predictors of duration of sick leave due to mental disorders in Japan. Methods A total of 207 employees at a manufacturing company in Japan with a past history of sick leave due to mental disorders participated in this study. Mental disorders were defined as those listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV). All of the participants used the mental health program that the company provided. The predictive power of the variables was tested using a Cox proportional hazard analysis. The hazard ratios in the final model were used to identify the predictor variables of the duration of sick leave. We included socio-demographic (age, sex, tenure), clinical (diagnosis and number of previous sick leave), and work-related factors (employment rank) as possible predictors. Data on these variables were obtained through the psychiatrists and psychologists in the company’s mental health program. Results The results of the univariate analyses showed that the number of previous sick leave episodes, diagnosis and employee rank were significant predictors of the duration of sick leave due to mental disorders. A multivariate analysis indicated that age, number of previous sick leave and employee rank were statistically significant predictors of return to work. Conclusions Diagnosis, number of previous sick leave episodes, and employee rank are predictors of the duration of sick leave due to mental disorders. This study’s findings have implications in the development of effective interventions to prevent protracted sick leave

Investigation of Spatiotemporal Profiles of Single-Pulse TMS-Evoked Potentials with Active Stimulation Compared with a Novel Sham Condition

Identifying genuine cortical stimulation-elicited electroencephalography (EEG) is crucial for improving the validity and reliability of neurophysiology using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) combined with EEG. In this study, we evaluated the spatiotemporal profiles of single-pulse TMS-elicited EEG response administered to the left dorsal prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) in 28 healthy participants, employing active and sham stimulation conditions. We hypothesized that the early component of TEP would be activated in active stimulation compared with sham stimulation. We specifically analyzed the (1) stimulus response, (2) frequency modulation, and (3) phase synchronization of TMS–EEG data at the sensor level and the source level. Compared with the sham condition, the active condition induced a significant increase in TMS-elicited EEG power in the 30–60 ms time interval in the stimulation area at the sensor level. Furthermore, in the source-based analysis, the active condition induced significant increases in TMS-elicited response in the 30–60 ms compared with the sham condition. Collectively, we found that the active condition could specifically activate the early component of TEP compared with the sham condition. Thus, the TMS–EEG method that was applied to the DLPFC could detect the genuine neurophysiological cortical responses by properly handling potential confounding factors such as indirect response noises

Etiology of Ascites and Pleural Effusion Associated with Ovarian Tumors: Literature Review and Case Reports of Three Ovarian Tumors Presenting with Massive Ascites, but without Peritoneal Dissemination

Borderline ovarian tumors are benign but relatively large tumors that are often initially mistaken as ovarian cancers. We report three cases of stage I borderline ovarian tumors having massive ascites that we (preoperatively) suspected of being advanced ovarian cancer. The three patients (35, 47, and 73 years old) reported feeling fullness of the abdomen before consulting their gynecologist. By CT scan, they were diagnosed with a pelvic tumor accompanied by massive ascites, the diameters of which were 11, 20, and 11 cm, respectively. Postsurgical pathology showed all were stage I borderline ovarian tumors without dissemination; two were mucinous and one was serous. The amount of ascites was 6,300, 2,600, and 3,600 mL, respectively, and was serous in all. Cytodiagnosis of the ascites found that one was positive for tumor cells and two were negative. After resection of the mass, the ascites disappeared in all three cases. No pleural effusion was present at any time. The literature is reviewed concerning ascites and pleural effusions linked to ovarian tumors, and a supposition is forwarded of why pleural effusion presents sporadically in these cases