Cognitive and Emotional Changes in Peer Educators of Type 2 Diabetes Patients After Starting Peer-Support Activities

Background: Diabetes self-management education through peer support has beneficial effects, especially in regions with limited medical resources. To ensure peer educators continue to provide peer-led education programs, it is important that they remain motivated to instruct patients. Here, to explore measures to enhance peer-educators’ motivation toward such programs, we examined the cognitive and emotional changes in Filipino type 2 diabetics after 7-month activities as peer educators. Methods: We individually performed semi-structured interviews with 13 peer educators with 20 years of age or above in August 2017 (immediately before starting their peer-education activities) and in March 2018 (7 months after the start). The first interview was performed after the peer educators had received 2-day training of diabetes self-management. In both interviews, we asked the peer educators about their feelings toward peer-led educational activities (e.g., satisfaction, difficulty, reward, confidence, and challenges). Their replies about their own cognition and emotions were interpreted and integrated, and then analyzed qualitatively. Results: Four and seven categories were extracted from the first and second interviews, respectively. The category “Cognition of patients’ active learning attitudes and of positive changes in patients’ physical conditions and behavior” observed in the second interview led to “Cognition of growth as a peer educator” and “Satisfaction with supporting patients as a peer educator.” These two feelings gave the peer educators’ “Increased motivation to continue the activities as a peer educator.” This motivation was also associated with “Active collaboration among peer educators,” which was affected by “Difficulties and concerns in working as a peer educator.” Conclusion: To sustain diabetic peer-led education programs, we suggest that interventions be implemented that increase peer educators’ motivation toward their activities and stimulate their awareness of the importance of collaborating with one another. Such collaboration should help to overcome the difficulties they may face in providing peer-led education

Lovastatin insensitive 1, a novel pentatricopeptide repeat protein, is a potential regulatory factor of isoprenoid biosynthesis in Arabidopsis

Higher plants have two metabolic pathways for isoprenoid biosynthesis: the cytosolic mevalonate (MVA) pathway and the plastidal non-mevalonate (MEP) pathway. Despite the compartmentalization of these two pathways, metabolic flow occurs between them. However, little is known about the mechanisms that regulate the two pathways and the metabolic cross-talk. To identify such regulatory mechanisms, we isolated and characterized the Arabidopsis T-DNA insertion mutant lovastatin insensitive 1 (loi1), which is resistant to lovastatin and clomazone, inhibitors of the MVA and MEP pathways, respectively. The accumulation of the major products of these pathways, i.e. sterols and chlorophyll, was less affected by lovastatin and clomazone, respectively, in loi1 than in the wild type. Furthermore, the 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase (HMGR) activity analysis showed higher activity of HMGR in loi1-1 treated with lovastatin than that in the WT. We consider that the lovastatin-resistant phenotype of loi1-1 was derived from this post-transcriptional up-regulation of HMGR. The LOI1 gene encodes a novel pentatricopeptide repeat (PPR) protein. PPR proteins are thought to regulate the expression of genes encoded in organelle genomes by post-transcriptional regulation in mitochondria or plastids. Our results demonstrate that LOI1 is predicted to localize in mitochondria and has the ability to bind single-stranded nucleic acids. Our investigation revealed that the post-transcriptional regulation of mitochondrial RNA may be involved in isoprenoid biosynthesis in both the MVA and MEP pathways.Peer reviewe

Diagnostic criteria for acute-onset type 1 diabetes mellitus (2012): Report of the Committee of Japan Diabetes Society on the Research of Fulminant and Acute-onset Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus

Type 1 diabetes is a disease characterized by destruction of pancreatic β-cells, which leads to absolute deficiency of insulin secretion. Depending on the manner of onset and progression, it is classified as fulminant, acute-onset or slowly progressive type 1 diabetes. Here, we propose the diagnostic criteria for acute-onset type 1 diabetes mellitus. Among the patients who develop ketosis or diabetic ketoacidosis within 3 months after the onset of hyperglycemic symptoms and require insulin treatment continuously after the diagnosis of diabetes, those with anti-islet autoantibodies are diagnosed with \u27acute-onset type 1 diabetes mellitus (autoimmune)\u27. In contrast, those whose endogenous insulin secretion is exhausted (fasting serum C-peptide immunoreactivity <0.6 ng/mL) without verifiable anti-islet autoantibodies are diagnosed simply with \u27acute-onset type 1 diabetes mellitus\u27. Patients should be reevaluated after certain periods in case their statuses of anti-islet autoantibodies and/or endogenous insulin secretory capacity are unknown

横断的・総合的な幼稚園教育教員養成プログラムの構築研究

本研究では，別冊『－平成30年度広島大学大学院教育学研究科共同研究プロジェクト－横断的・総合的な幼稚園教育教員養成プログラムの構築研究論文集』を作成し，紙幅の都合で本報告書に掲載できなかった調査・研究の成果を掲載した

Hepatic Arterial Infusion Therapy with Cisplatin using Protein Binding Inhibition : Pharmacokinetics and Antineoplastic Effects of Cisplatin Combined with L-Cysteine in Rats

Cisplatin の蛋白結合には共有結合が関与しており、L-cysteine はcisplatin の共有結合を低下させる。そこで、この蛋白結合阻害を利用してcisplatin の肝動注療法の応用性について検討を行った。実験では、Donryu系雄性ラットにおけるL-cysteine 併用時におけるcisplatin の体内動態と抗腫瘍効果の影響について検討した。その結果、L-cysteine 併用においてcisplatin のtotal とfree 濃度に有意な差はみられなかった。また肝癌ラットを使用したin vivo 実験系において、L-cysteine を併用したcisplatin の肝動注はcisplatin のみの投与に比べ、腫瘍増殖率が抑えられる傾向であることを示した。さらに肝組織中における腫瘍部と非腫瘍部におけるcisplatin 濃度において、L-cysteine 併用により腫瘍部と非腫瘍部に有意な差を認めることができた (p<0.01)。以上の結果より、L-cysteine の併用はcisplatin の肝動注療法へ応用できると考えられる。Covalent binding is involved in the protein binding of cisplatin. L-cysteine reduces the covalent binding of cisplatin. We investigated hepatic arterial infusion therapy with cisplatin using protein binding inhibition. In the present experiment, the pharmacokinetics and antineoplastic effects of cisplatin combined with L-cysteine in male Donryu rats were investigated. As a result, no significant difference was noted in the total and free concentrations of cisplatin combined with L-cysteine. In an in vivo experiment using rats with liver cancer, the hepatic arterial infusion of cisplatin combined with L-cysteine showed that it was the tendency that tumor growth rate was inhibited in comparison with administration only for cisplatin. In addition, concentrations of cisplatin increased significantly between tumor and non-tumor regions in liver tissue when combined with L-cysteine (p<0.01). Thus, L-cysteine can be combined with cisplatin for hepatic arterial infusion therapy