Enterovirus isolation from children with acute respiratory infections and presumptive identification by a modified microplate method

AbstractObjective: To evaluate a modified microplate method, utilizing HEF, HEp-2, Vero, MDCK and newly introduced RD-18S and GMK cell lines, for virus isolation.Methods: From June to October 2001, 723 throat swab specimens taken from children with acute respiratory infections (ARIs) were inoculated onto these cells. To analyze cell sensitivity, we also inoculated 20 serotypes of stocked enteroviruses.Results: During the period, we isolated 40 Coxsackie A2 (CoxA2), 13 CoxA4, 16 CoxA16, 1 CoxB2, 11 CoxB3, 2 CoxB5, 54 echo16, 2 entero7l and 1 polio2. By observing a cell sensitivity pattern with HEF, HEp-2, Vero, RD-18S, and GMK, we could finally differentiate five enterovirus groups: CoxA except for CoxA16, CoxA16/entero7l, CoxB, echovirus, and poliovirus.Conclusions: With this system, the RD-18S cell line enabled us to isolate CoxA virus, except for CoxA16, for the first time. Differentiation of five enterovirus groups by cell sensitivity simplified the specific identification by neutralization test as a presumptive identification. A modified microplate method may be an appropriate cell combination for virus isolation, especially for enteroviruses, and is expected to be used routinely for virologic diagnosis and to clarify the epidemiology of ARI in children

Multifrequency VLBI Observations of the Broad Absorption Line Quasar J1020+4320: Recently Restarted Jet Activity?

This paper reports very-long-baseline interferometry observations of the radio-loud broad absorption line (BAL) quasar J1020+4320 at 1.7, 2.3, 6.7, and 8.4 GHz using the Japanese VLBI network (JVN) and European VLBI network (EVN). The radio morphology is compact with a size of ~10 pc. The convex radio spectrum is stable over the last decade; an observed peak frequency of 3.2 GHz is equivalent to 9.5 GHz in the rest frame, suggesting an age of the order of ~100 years as a radio source, according to an observed correlation between linear size and peak frequency of compact steep spectrum (CSS) and giga-hertz peaked spectrum (GPS) radio sources. A low-frequency radio excess suggests relic of past jet activity. J1020+4320 may be one of the quasars with recurrent and short-lived jet activity during a BAL-outflowing phase.Comment: 7 pages, 2 figures, 2 tables, accepted for publication in PAS

エイコクチュウトウキョウイク ムケ ニホンゴ リソース 『チカラ-CHIKARA-』 ヲ ツカッタ ニホンゴキョウシケンシュウカイ ノ ジッセン

JFロンドン日本文化センターでは、2005年度から英国中等教育向け日本語リソース『力-CHIKARA-』開発プロジェクトに取り組んできた。プロジェクトは、関係者が共有できる日本語教育リソースを開発すること、開発後にはそれを使った研修会を実施して日本語教師の資質向上とネットワークを拡げ深めることを目指した。この報告では『力-CHIKARA-』を使った5つの日本語教師研修会について、具体的な内容と方法、参加者の反応等を述べる。5つの研修には、『力-CHIKARA-』リソースを素材として利用した日本語教授法と教材作成の研修、『力-CHIKARA-』以外のJF開発教材もいっしょに利用した研修、ノンネイティブ教師の日本語ブラッシュアップを目指した研修が含まれる。参加者からは研修内容が良かったこと、新しい教育情報を得られたこと、そしてほかの日本語教師と交流できたことに対する肯定的な評価を得ており、今後もこのような研修会を企画したいと思っている。The Japan Foundation London has been working on the CHIKARA project, to develop resources for the GCSE Japanese examination, since 2005. The project aims to develop resources that secondary school teachers can share, and to improve teaching skills and promote networks among teachers through training sessions following the opening of CHIKARA online. This paper reports on five teacher training sessions with CHIKARA resources, including the specific contents and participants’responses. These included sessions on lesson design, editing and developing teaching materials; a session using CHIKARA and other resources developed by the Japan Foundation; and a session for non-native Japanese teachers to improve their own Japanese. We have received very positive feedback from participants on the contents of each session, the useful educational information introduced, and the opportunities for teachers to network

Education for Disaster Prevention in England : Analysis of Secondary Geography Textbooks

The purpose of this study is to clarify the aims, contents and activities of education for disaster prevention on geographical education in England, by analysis of secondary textbooks. Thereby, we want to contribute the improvement of Japanese geographical education. As a result, we clarified the following: 1) when students study a natural disaster in UK, they learn a plurality of cases including domestic and foreign regions, 2) all textbooks contain activities that students can form attitudes and decide what to do for disaster prevention. On the basis of these results, we suggest improvements of education for disaster prevention. The first is to develop a clear understanding of a natural disaster with multi-area including Japan. The second is to place contents and activities for forming a value relevant to awareness of disaster prevention into Japanese geography textbook. The third is to set an activity to learn practical strategies for disaster prevention in the real world

Characteristics of the stone monuments in Saijo, Higashi-Hiroshima City, southwest Japan, and their significance for teaching materials of social studies.

本稿の目的は，広島県東広島市旧西条町に分布する石碑の特徴を明らかにすると共に，小学校や中学校社会科の地域学習における石碑の教材的意義を検討することである。調査の結果，202基の石碑が確認され，寺社や公共施設，溜池などに石碑の立地が多くみられた。石碑の建立年との関連を検討すると，第二次世界大戦の終戦を境に，石碑の主な建立目的が地域社会に貢献した人物や行為の顕彰から，寺社への寄附に関連したものへと変化していったことが明らかになった。社会科教材としての意義については，1）学習指導要領への適合と2）石碑の情報量という観点から検討を行い，石碑のもつ教材的意義を3つに分類した。各分類において，具体的な活用方法を考察し想定される学習の展開を提示した。本稿は，「地域学習」の不振の要因のひとつである，地域に即した資料の不足の改善の一助になると期待される。An objective of this study is to clarify the characteristics and distribution of the stone monuments in Saijo, Higashi-Hiroshima City, Hiroshima Prefecture, and discuss their significance for elementary and junior high school social studies teaching materials. Two hundred two monuments were recognized in this area. They were mostly located in temples, shrines, public institutions, roadsides, and irrigation ponds. The purpose of erecting monuments has changed over 150 years from the Meiji era to the present day, which reflects the transition of the history of the local community or local people’s consciousness about their community. All monuments were classified into three levels considering their significance for elementary and junior high school social studies teaching materials: i.e., A. Useful and sufficient information; B. Useful but insufficient information; and C. Others. As a result, we defined 6 monuments as level A, 71 as level B, and 125 as level C. We propose an example of a social studies teaching plan including information about the monuments according to each level. The monuments directly provided information about the history of the local community and the location of historical events; therefore, the teaching plan using information about the monuments has possibility to improve for social studies

Enhanced Auditory Brainstem Response and Parental Bonding Style in Children with Gastrointestinal Symptoms

The electrophysiological properties of the brain and influence of parental bonding in childhood irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) are unclear. We hypothesized that children with chronic gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms like IBS may show exaggerated brainstem auditory evoked potential (BAEP) responses and receive more inadequate parental bonding. = 0.024). Multiple regression analysis in females also supported these findings.It is suggested that children with chronic GI symptoms have exaggerated brainstem responses to environmental stimuli and inadequate parental behaviors aggravate these symptoms

Complicated intra-abdominal infections worldwide: the definitive data of the CIAOW Study.

The CIAOW study (Complicated intra-abdominal infections worldwide observational study) is a multicenter observational study underwent in 68 medical institutions worldwide during a six-month study period (October 2012-March 2013). The study included patients older than 18 years undergoing surgery or interventional drainage to address complicated intra-abdominal infections (IAIs).1898 patients with a mean age of 51.6 years (range 18-99) were enrolled in the study. 777 patients (41%) were women and 1,121 (59%) were men. Among these patients, 1,645 (86.7%) were affected by community-acquired IAIs while the remaining 253 (13.3%) suffered from healthcare-associated infections. Intraperitoneal specimens were collected from 1,190 (62.7%) of the enrolled patients.827 patients (43.6%) were affected by generalized peritonitis while 1071 (56.4%) suffered from localized peritonitis or abscesses.The overall mortality rate was 10.5% (199/1898).According to stepwise multivariate analysis (PR = 0.005 and PE = 0.001), several criteria were found to be independent variables predictive of mortality, including patient age (OR = 1.1; 95%CI = 1.0-1.1; p < 0.0001), the presence of small bowel perforation (OR = 2.8; 95%CI = 1.5-5.3; p < 0.0001), a delayed initial intervention (a delay exceeding 24 hours) (OR = 1.8; 95%CI = 1.5-3.7; p < 0.0001), ICU admission (OR = 5.9; 95%CI = 3.6-9.5; p < 0.0001) and patient immunosuppression (OR = 3.8; 95%CI = 2.1-6.7; p < 0.0001). © 2014 Sartelli et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd

Complicated intra-abdominal infections in a worldwide context: an observational prospective study (CIAOW Study)

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Complicated intra-abdominal infections worldwide : the definitive data of the CIAOW Study

Peer reviewe