Evaluation and Clinical Validity of a New Questionnaire for Mikulicz's Disease

Objectives. The characteristic features of Mikulicz's disease (MD) are diffuse enlargement of the lacrimal and submandibular glands, elevated levels of serum immunoglobulin (Ig)G4, and abundant infiltration of IgG4-positive plasmacytes into both glands. No disease index is available to properly evaluate MD, so we developed a functional assessment of MD, the Mikulicz's disease activity questionnaire (MAQ), and evaluated its clinical efficacy. Methods. We selected 18 patients who were either being treated for MD or who had presented with recurrence. The patients completed a self-assessment and were scored according to the MAQ sheet during each visit between December 2009 and August 2011. Assessment items were in regard to increases or decreases in lacrimal and salivary gland enlargement and severity of sicca symptoms. Results. On the first visits, MAQ scores were high, but scores decreased rapidly as treatment progressed. When doses of glucocorticoid were reduced, some patients showed increased scores. Dry-symptom scores increased initially. MAQ scores for patients with recurrent MD gradually increased over several months before relapse. However, some patients displayed no elevation in MAQ scores due to relapses at other sites. Conclusion. MAQ score can be used to quantify flares and treatment response and is useful for functional assessment of MD

会話型クローズテストト会話力ノ関係

日本の高校英語教育にオーラルコミュニケーションA, B, Cの各コースが導入されて3年になる。今まで英語学習の4技能の中で最も難しいとされているスピーキングのテストの作成,実施,評価の方法が当然問題となる。本論では, Conversational Cloze Test(会話型クローズテスト)とConversational Ability(会話力)が相関関係を持つ,といういくつかの研究報告に注目し,Conversational Cloze TestをSpeaking Abilityを評価するテストとして採用することの有効性を考察した。In 1994, the Ministry of Education in Japan has introduced conversation classes in the High School English curriculum as a requirement. Thus, recently, much attention has been given to how communicative ability of nonnative speakers can be tested. Among the various methods of measuring oral proficiency there are functional dialogue tests that consists of guidelines for a dialogue and conducted through role-playing, functional written tests that consists of multiple-choice questions on common situations, other forms of oral and written tests that involves work-related situations, interview tests that reguires dialogue between the interviewer and interviewee, and cloze tests that involves students to fill the gaps of a continued discourse. This paper will focus mainly on cloze tests as a means to determine oral proficiency and integrative skills, conducted in a simplified and practical manner. To give a brief background, the definition and history of cloze test will be introduced, followed by discussion of the advantages of the cloze test over existing methods. The goal of our study is to determine if cloze procedure can be used as a measure for communicative skills. Thus, two questions will be pursued : (a) How do the cloze and Michigan test relate to each other in measuring integrative skills ? (b) How do the cloze and oral recording relate to each other in measuring oral proficiency skills

Clinical Study Evaluation and Clinical Validity of a New Questionnaire for Mikulicz's Disease

Objectives. The characteristic features of Mikulicz's disease (MD) are diffuse enlargement of the lacrimal and submandibular glands, elevated levels of serum immunoglobulin (Ig)G4, and abundant infiltration of IgG4-positive plasmacytes into both glands. No disease index is available to properly evaluate MD, so we developed a functional assessment of MD, the Mikulicz's disease activity questionnaire (MAQ), and evaluated its clinical efficacy. Methods. We selected 18 patients who were either being treated for MD or who had presented with recurrence. The patients completed a self-assessment and were scored according to the MAQ sheet during each visit between December 2009 and August 2011. Assessment items were in regard to increases or decreases in lacrimal and salivary gland enlargement and severity of sicca symptoms. Results. On the first visits, MAQ scores were high, but scores decreased rapidly as treatment progressed. When doses of glucocorticoid were reduced, some patients showed increased scores. Dry-symptom scores increased initially. MAQ scores for patients with recurrent MD gradually increased over several months before relapse. However, some patients displayed no elevation in MAQ scores due to relapses at other sites. Conclusion. MAQ score can be used to quantify flares and treatment response and is useful for functional assessment of MD

Research Activities in the Department of Nursing

Research activity at the Department of Nursing is overviewed from the point of research topics, the theme of the projects admitted for grant from the Ministry of Education and Science of Japan, and expected research topics, trying to clarify the needs and challenges of the Department from multilateral aspects in future research activities. The Department of Nursing, Aino University is currently divided into the five areas and further into 12 fields. On the other hand, according to the Scientific Research Grant Program (2015 fiscal year), the research topics in nursing science is subdivided into the five areas; a) basic nursing, b) clinical nursing, c) lifelong developmental nursing, d) elderly nursing, and e) community health nursing

コンポージング・プロセスニヨルライティングノ内容強化

従来,外国語学習者の作文能力は,教師が時間と労力を惜しまずに文法や表記などの表面的訂正を続けることで向上すると考えられていたが,近年,表面的訂正はむしろ学習者の情意面に悪影響を与える可能性があると指摘する多くの研究報告が発表されている。本稿では,学習者の作文にいくつかの異なる方法で表面的訂正を試み,その実質的効果を検討した。更に,作文構成の必要性,および最終的作品だけでなく作文の習得過程の重要性に注目し,学生自身の持つ考えや感情を自由に表現できるような指導を実験的に行い,その結果の考察を行った