Mental Health Issues of Japanese Elementary School Teachers: The Effects of the Japanese Classroom Management Style

Teachers in Japan face work-related mental health issues, such as depression and adjustment disorders. The number of elementary school teachers taking leave of absence due to mental illness has been increasing every year and is high according to international standards. One of the reasons for this was the workload on a single teacher, resulting in long working hours. The authors believe that the reason for long working hours may be the Japanese classroom management style. This chapter compares the Japanese classroom management style of elementary school teachers with the classroom management styles of other countries, such as India, and discusses the reasons for the long working hours under the Japanese classroom management style

BEX1/ARF1A1C is required for BFA-sensitive recycling of PIN auxin transporters and auxin-mediated development in arabidopsis

Correct positioning of membrane proteins is an essential process in eukaryotic organisms. The plant hormone auxin is distributed through intercellular transport and triggers various cellular responses. Auxin transporters of the PIN-FORMED (PIN) family localize asymmetrically at the plasma membrane (PM) and mediate the directional transport of auxin between cells. A fungal toxin, brefeldin A (BFA), inhibits a subset of guanine nucleotide exchange factors for ADP-ribosylation factor small GTPases (ARF GEFs) including GNOM, which plays a major role in localization of PIN1 predominantly to the basal side of the PM. The Arabidopsis genome encodes 19 ARF-related putative GTPases. However, ARF components involved in PIN1 localization have been genetically poorly defined. Using a fluorescence imaging-based forward genetic approach, we identified an Arabidopsis mutant, bfa-visualized exocytic trafficking defective1 (bex1), in which PM localization of PIN1-green fluorescent protein (GFP) as well as development is hypersensitive to BFA. We found that in bex1 a member of the ARF1 gene family, ARF1A1C, was mutated. ARF1A1C localizes to the trans-Golgi network/early endosome and Golgi apparatus, acts synergistically to BEN1/MIN7 ARF GEF and is important for PIN recycling to the PM. Consistent with the developmental importance of PIN proteins, functional interference with ARF1 resulted in an impaired auxin response gradient and various developmental defects including embryonic patterning defects and growth arrest. Our results show that ARF1A1C is essential for recycling of PIN auxin transporters and for various auxin-dependent developmental processes

Original Article

Tetrodotoxin, a toxic substance obtained from the globe fish, has been known to paralise the neuromuscular system as well as the central nervous system and recently, it was found to block production of the action potential through its selective inhibition of the sodium-carrying mechanism, but has no effect on the resting potential. In this paper, the effects of tetrodotoxin on the four kinds of skeletal muscle fibers were compared and analysed. Four muscle fibers are tonic and phasic fibers of the extrafusal muscle, and nuclear-bag and nuclear-chain fibers of the intrafusal muscle fibers. The extrafusal muscle is a dynamic source of posture and locomotion, the intrafusal muscle being the regulating source of them. Paralysis of the extrafusal muscle fibers was determined by measuring the decrease in maximum contraction of the soleus (tonic muscle) and tibialis anterior (phasic) produced stimulation of the distal cut end of the ventral root. Paralysis of the intrafusal muscle fibers wasmeasured by a change in the frequency of Group la discharge led from the functionally isolated single filaments of the distal cut end of the dorsal root. By intravenous administration of 4γ/kg tetrodotoxin, paralysis advaces beginning with the intrafusal muscle fibers, and then on to the tonic muscle and phasic muscle fibers. They recover according to the same order. When the intrafusal muscle fiber recovers during an advance in paralysis of the extrafusal muscle, intrafusal muscle fibers contract by the γ-efferent activated by stimulation of the ventral root, and the Group la discharge increases. Frequency of the Group la discharge increases in proportion to muscle extension, therefore the contraction curve of the intrafusal muscle fiber is measured from augmentation of the discharge frequency. Contraction of the intrafusal muscle fibers lasts for several hundred msec, and the curve has two peaks at about 60 msec, and 110 (Fig. 5).It is clear then that the former corresponds to contraction of the nuclear-bag fiber, and the latter to contraction of the nuclearchain fiber

看護におけるコーチングの活用とその効果 －国内の文献レビューを通しての分析－

　本研究は，コーチングについての実践を研究した国内の文献をレビューすることによって，日本におけるコーチングの活用とその効果を明らかにすることを目的としたものである．1983年から収録を開始したデータベース医学中央雑誌のWeb 版（ver.5），国立情報学研究所 学術情報ナビゲータ(CiNii) および学術研究データベース・リポジトリ（GiNii）にて，キーワードを「コーチング＆看護」として検索し，コーチングの実践が明示されている文献を研究対象とした．その結果，35件が抽出された．看護におけるコーチングの活用とその効果として，以下の6点があげられる．1．最も早期に出版された文献の年代は2003年であった．国内における医療場面を題材にしたコーチングの参考書籍が出版された時期と合致し，この頃から医療の分野においてコーチングが活用され始めたと考えられる．その後2005年の8 件がピークになって以来，2010年迄の5 年間では平均5.7(SD ± 1.6) 件で，文献の数でみる限りコーチングの活用が進んでいるとは言い難い状況である．2．文献に示されたコーチングの活用スタイルは，【実践的活用】【トレーニングとしての活用】【コーチング概念の活用】に集約できた．3．現時点での看護におけるコーチングの活用の場は主に病院であり，看護職にとってコーチングは活用の前段階である学習の段階にあるが，今後さらなる活用の可能性が示唆されている．4．コーチングによって，患者が治療と向き合い治療を少しでも楽に継続できるようサポートされるということを示唆するメディカルコーチングの典型が示されている．5．看護師がコーチングを実践することによって，日常の看護活動が意識的な実践に変化し，コミュニケーションの質と量が向上するという，看護師の行動変容が起こることが示された．6．コーチングスキルという語彙を得たことによって，暗黙知であった自分の実践に言葉が与えられ，次に列なる課題を明確にし，向かうべき方向性の示唆を得ることができる

The effects of inhaling hydrogen gas on macrophage polarization, fibrosis, and lung function in mice with bleomycin-induced lung injury

Background : Acute respiratory distress syndrome, which is caused by acute lung injury, is a destructive respiratory disorder caused by a systemic inflammatory response. Persistent inflammation results in irreversible alveolar fibrosis. Because hydrogen gas possesses anti-inflammatory properties, we hypothesized that daily repeated inhalation of hydrogen gas could suppress persistent lung inflammation by inducing functional changes in macrophages, and consequently inhibit lung fibrosis during late-phase lung injury. Methods : To test this hypothesis, lung injury was induced in mice by intratracheal administration of bleomycin (1.0 mg/kg). Mice were exposed to control gas (air) or hydrogen (3.2% in air) for 6 h every day for 7 or 21 days. Respiratory physiology, tissue pathology, markers of inflammation, and macrophage phenotypes were examined. Results : Mice with bleomycin-induced lung injury that received daily hydrogen therapy for 21 days (BH group) exhibited higher static compliance (0.056 mL/cmH(2)O, 95% CI 0.047-0.064) than mice with bleomycin-induced lung injury exposed only to air (BA group; 0.042 mL/cmH(2)O, 95% CI 0.031-0.053, p = 0.02) and lower static elastance (BH 18.8 cmH(2)O/mL, [95% CI 15.4-22.2] vs. BA 26.7 cmH(2)O/mL [95% CI 19.6-33.8], p = 0.02). When the mRNA levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines were examined 7 days after bleomycin administration, interleukin (IL)-6, IL-4 and IL-13 were significantly lower in the BH group than in the BA group. There were significantly fewer M2-biased macrophages in the alveolar interstitium of the BH group than in the BA group (3.1% [95% CI 1.6-4.5%] vs. 1.1% [95% CI 0.3-1.8%], p = 0.008). Conclusions The results suggest that hydrogen inhalation inhibits the deterioration of respiratory physiological function and alveolar fibrosis in this model of lung injury

看護大学に在籍する学生の課外活動と社会人基礎力との関連性

〈目的〉サークル活動，ボランティア活動及びアルバイト活動などの課外活動が，看護大学に在籍する学生の社会人基礎力とどのように関連しているかを明らかにする．〈方法〉看護系大学の1年次から4年次までの学生859名を対象とし，社会人基礎力について，無記名自記式質問紙にて調査した．分析は課外活動の時期についてはMann-Whitney のU検定及び課外活動の頻度における得点の差についてKruskal-Wallis 検定を行った．〈結果〉回収603（回収率70.2％），有効回答590を分析の対象とした．「大学生時代に課外活動を行っている」学生は「活動をしていない」学生に比べ，社会人基礎力が高い結果を示した．Kruskal-Wallis 検定を行った結果，大学生時代にサークル活動を行っている群は傾聴力及び柔軟性，状況把握力の3 項目，ボランティア活動の結果は，主体性，課題発見力，計画力，創造力，柔軟性の5項目，アルバイト活動は主体性および課題発見力の2 項目において有意差が認められた．「大学生時代に課外活動を行っている」学生を対象として活動頻度による差を検討した結果，有意差が認められる項目はなかった．〈結論〉本研究において，課外活動と社会人基礎力の関連について以下の示唆を得た．1．「大学生時代に課外活動を行っている」学生は「大学生時代に課外活動を行っていない」学生に比べ，社会人基礎力が高い結果を示しており，大学生時代に行う課外活動は社会人基礎力を高める要因となっている可能性が示唆された．2．課外活動の頻度と社会人基礎力の向上には，関連性が認められなかった

Differential gene expression profiles in neurons generated from lymphoblastoid B-cell line-derived iPS cells from monozygotic twin cases with treatment-resistant schizophrenia and discordant responses to clozapine

Schizophrenia is a chronic psychiatric disorder with complex genetic and environmental origins. While many antipsychotics have been demonstrated as effective in the treatment of schizophrenia, a substantial number of schizophrenia patients are partially or fully unresponsive to the treatment. Clozapine is the most effective antipsychotic drug for treatment-resistant schizophrenia; however, clozapine has rare but serious side-effects. Furthermore, there is inter-individual variability in the drug response to clozapine treatment. Therefore, the identification of the molecular mechanisms underlying the action of clozapine and drug response predictors is imperative. In the present study, we focused on a pair of monozygotic twin cases with treatment-resistant schizophrenia, in which one twin responded well to clozapine treatment and the other twin did not. Using induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell-based technology, we generated neurons from iPS cells derived from these patients and subsequently performed RNA-sequencing to compare the transcriptome profiles of the mock or clozapine-treated neurons. Although, these iPS cells similarly differentiated into neurons, several genes encoding homophilic cell adhesion molecules, such as protocadherin genes, showed differential expression patterns between these two patients. These results, which contribute to the current understanding of the molecular mechanisms of clozapine action, establish a new strategy for the use of monozygotic twin studies in schizophrenia research

HINKEL kinesin, ANP MAPKKKs and MKK6/ANQ MAPKK, which phosphorylates and activates MPK4 MAPK, constitute a pathway that is required for cytokinesis in Arabidopsis thaliana

Cytokinesis is regulated to ensure the precise partitioning of cytoplasm and duplicated chromosomes to daughter cells. The NACK-PQR pathway, which includes NACK1 kinesin-like protein (KLP) and a mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascade, plays a key role in cytokinesis in tobacco cells. Although HINKEL/AtNACK1 (HIK) KLP, ANP MAP kinase kinase kinases (MAPKKKs) and MKK6/ ANQ MAP kinase kinase (MAPKK) have been identified independently as regulators of cytokinesis in Arabidopsis thaliana, the involvement of HIK, ANPs and MKK6/ANQ in a regulatory cascade remains to be demonstrated. Here we provide details of the protein kinase pathway that controls cytokinesis in A. thaliana. Analysis of the subcellular distribution of six MAPKKs of A. thaliana that had been fused to green fluorescent protein revealed that only MKK6/ANQ protein was concentrated at the equatorial plane of the phragmoplast, at the site of localization of HIK. Expression of MKK6/ANQ in yeast cells replaced the growth-control function of the MAPKK encoded by yeast PBS2, provided that both ANP1 MAPKKK and HIK [or TETRASPORE/AtNACK2 (TES)] KLP were coexpressed, suggesting that ANP1 activates MKK6/ANQ in the presence of HIK (or TES). Coexpression of HIK and ANP3 (another member of the ANP MAPKKK family) weakly activated MKK6/ANQ but that of TES and ANP3 did not. MKK6/ANQ phosphorylated MPK4 MAPK in vitro to activate the latter kinase. Thus cytokinesis in A. thaliana is controlled by a pathway that consists of ANP MAPKKKs that can be activated by HIK and MKK6/ANQ MAPKK, with MPK4 MAPK being a probable target of MKK6/ANQ