Accessibility and affordability of tertiary education in Brazil, Colombia, Mexico and Peru within a global context

This paper examines the financing of tertiary education in Brazil, Colombia, Mexico and Peru, comparing the affordability and accessibility of tertiary education with that in high-income countries. To measure affordability, the authors estimate education costs, living costs, grants, and loans. Further, they compute the participation rate, attainment rate, and socio-economic equity index in education and the gender equity index as indicators of accessibility. This is the first study attempting to estimate affordability of tertiary education in Latin America within a global context. The analysis combines information from household surveys, expenditure surveys, and administrative and institutional databases. The findings show that families in Latin America have to pay 60 percent of per-capita income for tertiary education per student per year compared with 19 percent in high-income countries. Living costs are significant, at 29 percent of gross domestic product per capita in Latin America (19 percent in high-income countries). Student assistance through grants and loans plays a marginal role in improving affordability. Moreover, the paper confirms previous findings of low access to tertiary education in the region. One policy implication of the findings is that Latin American governments could take steps to make tertiary education more affordable through student assistance.Tertiary Education,,Access&Equity in Basic Education,Access to Finance,Teaching and Learning

放射光を用いたナノ構造を有する自動車用触媒の高性能化に関する研究

広島大学(Hiroshima University)博士(理学)Doctor of Sciencedoctora

A Critical Risk Factor for a Major Side Effect of Interferon-Alpha Therapy: Activated Indoleamine 2,3-Dioxygenase 1 is Related to Depressive Symptoms

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection affects approximately 170 million people worldwide. Interferon-alpha (IFN-α) is a cytokine that is related to early viral infection and has both antiviral and antiproliferative properties. The current standard treatment for long-term chronic hepatitis C (CHC) consists of combination therapy with IFN-α and ribavirin, which has a broad spectrum antiviral effect. Despite the potential therapeutic benefits of IFN-α, its administration often causes many side effects, such as somatic and neuropsychiatric symptoms. Depression is a serious and frequently occurring side effect of IFN-α therapy, and this is one of the major reasons for cessation of the therapy. Therefore, in order to avoid the discontinuation of INF-α therapy owing to depressive symptoms, it is important to identify the risk factor(s) leading to the onset of associated depressive symptoms. In this chapter, we introduce our novel findings on the association between IFN treatment and the onset of depression in CHC patients as well as the potential neurobiological mechanisms by which depression may arise. We also highlight a potential approach for predicting the onset risk of depression as a side effect in these patients

炭化水素／バイオ燃料／アンモニアの酸化及び反応性に関する研究

Tohoku University中村寿課

Efficacy of Temporary Transvenous Pacing to Prevent Atropine-resistant Bradycardia during Surgery for a Tumor in the Brainstem Region : A Case Report

Article信州医学雑誌 64(3): 153-157(2016)journal articl

Gateway Reflex: A Neuro-Immune Crosstalk for Organ-Specific Disease Development

Homeostasis of the central nervous system (CNS) is strictly regulated by a unique structure of blood vessels, the blood-brain barrier (BBB). Experimental and clinical evidence has revealed that abnormalities in the BBB in chronic inflammatory diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS). By using an animal model of MS, we identified novel neuro-immune crosstalk to explain how pathogenic immune cells enter the CNS to disrupt its homeostasis, a phenomenon we named the gateway reflex. Regional neural inputs such as gravity, electricity, pain or chronic stress cause specific neural activation to create a gateway of immune cells, particularly pathogenic ones, at specific blood vessels. Moreover, the recently discovered stress-induced gateway reflex uncovered a stress-induced neural link between the brain, gastrointestine, and heart. Thus, the gateway reflex is critical for the homeostasis of various organs, and aberrant activation of neural pathways by the gateway reflex disrupts normal organ homeostasis. The inflammatory reflex is another mechanism for local neuro-immune interactions. It potently exerts a cholinergic anti-inflammatory effect on various disease conditions. In this section, we discuss emerging roles for local neuro-immune interactions, with a special focus on the gateway reflex

The Current Status of Learning Activities within the Topic of Community Contribution in Special Needs Schools for Students with Intellectual Disabilities

知的障害特別支援学校における地域貢献をテーマとする学習活動の歴史的経緯と意義、および地域と協働して展開していくための手立てを明らかにすることを目的とした。知的障害特別支援学校２校を訪問調査し、勤務校の教育実践を検討した。地域貢献をテーマとする学習活動は、学校で既に実施してきた教育活動や地域にある制度等を活用すると円滑に開始しやすいことが明らかになった。また、開始する際は、学校の教育目標を実現するために必要な資源を検討し、探究していくことも必要だと考えられた。一方、地域の施設や団体等とのコミュニケーションを密にすることで、より多くの資源を活用できる可能性があり、教師の負担の軽減も期待できると考えられた。さらに、学習活動を発展・持続させていくためには、成果の共有、地域資源の見直し、年間指導計画での授業時数確保等のカリキュラム・マネジメントが不可欠であると考えられた。The aim of this paper is to clarify i) the history and significance of learning activities within the topic of community contribution in special support schools for students with intellectual disabilities, and ii) the ways in which such activities are developed in cooperation with the local community. Two special support schools for students with intellectual disabilities were visited, and relevant education delivery in the researcher’s school was investigated. Utilization of educational activities already ongoing in the school, and of existing systems in the community, were found to facilitate smooth commencement of such community contribution learning activities. When starting these activities, it is also necessary to identify and explore the resources required to realize the school’s educational objectives. Meanwhile, improved communication with local facilities and groups will broaden the pool of available resources and ease the burden on teaching staff. In addition, if such learning activities are to be developed and maintained, it is essential to share outcomes, review community resources, and engage in curriculum management, including with the allocation of sufficient lesson time within annual planning