Developing reading competence through writing activities in primary school

今日, 国語科教育では転移できる力, 活用できる力の育成が求められている。本共同研究では, 特に読む力の育成に焦点づけ, 研究を行う。 昨年度は読み手の反応および解釈の変容過程を意識しつつ授業づくりを行い, 反応のタイプと解釈の質との関係について一定の知見が得られた。しかし, 読み手が自らの反応に自覚的であることは未だ十分でないという課題も明らかになった。そして, この課題を克服することは, 今日, 国語科教育において求められていることを実現することにもつながると考えられた。 そこで, 今年度は書く活動を取り入れ, 読み手が自らの読みに自覚的になれるよう工夫することで, 日常の読みに転移でき, 活用できる力を育成できるのではないかという仮説を立て, 授業をとおして検証を進めていくことにした

Proposal of Practices of Language Arts to Promote the Language Competence : Through the Classes in Making Use of the Linguistic Characteristics of Materials

言語能力育成を図るため, 言語のもっている特性に着目した研究を行った。本年は, 読みの領域に限定をし, 授業づくりの段階から具体的な方途を示すことを目的とした。 まず, 指導する教材の特性について研究を進めた。 次に, 指導する学年や学級実態に応じて, 仮設を立て, 検証授業行い, 仮説の有効性について考察を行った。仮説について, 以下具体的に示す。低学年では, 物語や詩を教材として取り上げた。物語では, 教材にある言葉と児童の経験を交流し, 詩教材では, 自分の気づきを話し合いで交流を行った。高学年では, 説明文や古典教材を取り上げた。説明文では, 筆者の判断についての解釈を交流し, 古典教材では, 物の見方について作者との比較を行った。 その結果, 教材の特性を取り上げた教材ごとに整理することはできた。だが, 教材特性と児童をどのようにつないでいくかが充分明らかになったとはいえない

Restoration of IGFBP-rP1 Increases Radiosensitivity and Chemosensitivity in Hormone-refractory Human Prostate Cancer

We previously reported the tumor-suppressive activity of insulin-like growth factor binding protein-related protein 1 (IGFBP-rP1) through induction of apoptosis in human prostate cancer cells. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of IGFBP-rP1 for radiosensitivity and chemosensitivity in hormone-refractory human prostate PC-3 cancer cells. Five assays were performed using PC-3 cells transfected with IGFBP-rP1 (PC-3rP1) and control cells transfected with an empty vector (PC-3N): PC-3rP1 and PC-3N were compared by clonogenic survival assay, cell cycle analysis and apoptotic assay for radiosensitivity. The number of colonies of PC-3rP1 cells significantly decreased after 4 and 8 Gy of irradiation, compared with those of PC-3N in the clonogenic survival assay. After 16 hr irradiation at 8 Gy, the percentage of apoptotic cells significantly increased in PC-3rP1 compared with PC-3N. Growth of PC-3rP1 was significantly lower than that of PC-3N after docetaxel treatment both in vitro and in vivo. These results indicate that restoration of IGFBP-rP1 to PC-3 cells increases both their radiosensitivity and chemosensitivity

Fibroblast Growth Factor Family in the Progression of Prostate Cancer

Fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) and FGF receptors (FGFRs) play an important role in the maintenance of tissue homeostasis and the development and differentiation of prostate tissue through epithelial-stromal interactions. Aberrations of this signaling are linked to the development and progression of prostate cancer (PCa). The FGF family includes two subfamilies, paracrine FGFs and endocrine FGFs. Paracrine FGFs directly bind the extracellular domain of FGFRs and act as a growth factor through the activation of tyrosine kinase signaling. Endocrine FGFs have a low affinity of heparin/heparan sulfate and are easy to circulate in serum. Their biological function is exerted as both a growth factor binding FGFRs with co-receptors and as an endocrine molecule. Many studies have demonstrated the significance of these FGFs and FGFRs in the development and progression of PCa. Herein, we discuss the current knowledge regarding the role of FGFs and FGFRs—including paracrine FGFs, endocrine FGFs, and FGFRs—in the development and progression of PCa, focusing on the representative molecules in each subfamily

Serotonin regulates glucose-stimulated insulin secretion from pancreatic β cells during pregnancy

In preparation for the metabolic demands of pregnancy, β cells in the maternal pancreatic islets increase both in number and in glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) per cell. Mechanisms have been proposed for the increased β cell mass, but not for the increased GSIS. Because serotonin production increases dramatically during pregnancy, we tested whether flux through the ionotropic 5-HT3 receptor (Htr3) affects GSIS during pregnancy. Pregnant Htr3a(-/-) mice exhibited impaired glucose tolerance despite normally increased β cell mass, and their islets lacked the increase in GSIS seen in islets from pregnant wild-type mice. Electrophysiological studies showed that activation of Htr3 decreased the resting membrane potential in β cells, which increased Ca(2+) uptake and insulin exocytosis in response to glucose. Thus, our data indicate that serotonin, acting in a paracrine/autocrine manner through Htr3, lowers the β cell threshold for glucose and plays an essential role in the increased GSIS of pregnancy