Application of omni-purpose electric devices to electrophysiological student practices at the Department of Orthoptics and Visual Sciences, Niigata University of Health and Welfare

Electrophysiological examinations, such as electroencephalogram (EEG) and electrooculogram (EOG), are important for objective assessments of human visual functions. Therefore, students training in orthoptics must understand the principles of electrophysiological recordings, which comprise differential amplification and time-locked averaging. However, clinical-use EEG apparatuses are expensive and much encapsulated. We believed that a simpler, cost-effective electrophysiological recording system would be useful for undergraduate education in our department. Today, monolithic instrumentation amplifiers are commercially available at low prices. They have the common mode rejection ratios>120 dB, high (≧10 10 Ω) input impedances, and very low noise levels. For time-precise visual stimulation, an Arduino-compatible microcontroller with an on-board three-color light-emitting diode was employed. Using these omni-purpose devices, we developed a simple undergraduate practice system for electrophysiological recordings. With the system, even inexperienced students can record visually evoked potentials (VEPs) in a common, non-shield room. The signal quality of recorded VEPs was high enough to demonstrate P2 and N2 peaks in student practices. The system is also applicable to EOG recording. Thus our practice system can help students gain the essential knowledge and experiences of electrophysiological examinations in orthoptics

The Role of Teachers in the Development of Play Using Grasses and Flowers in a Kindergarten Class for 4-year-olds

　本論は，幼稚園４歳児学級における草花を使った遊びにおいて，教師の役割を整理し，考察するものである。幼児教育では，遊びの展開に伴って，調和的で多様な学びが深化・発展し，遊びや学びは，幼児主体で偶発的に生じているように見える。しかし，遊びの展開や学びの背景には，「幼児の姿を予想した環境構成」「遊び方の変化に合わせた物的環境の整備」「遊びの発展への架け橋」といった教師の役割が見出された。This paper aims to organize and examine the role of teachers in the play using grasses and flowers in a kindergarten class for 4-year-olds. In early childhood education, harmonious and diverse learning deepens and develops alongside the development of play, with play and learning seemingly occurring spontaneously and child-directed. However, the roles of teachers, such as “environmental constitution anticipating the child's presence,” “maintenance of the physical environment in accordance with changes in play,” and “bridging to the development of play,” were identified as underlying the background of the development of play and learning

Diverse Learning of Children that Can Be Observed during Developing Play with Flowers in the Class of Kindergarten for Four-year-old Children

本論の目的は，幼児教育における遊びの展開を捕捉することである。幼児期の学びは，多様且つ総合的で，全体像の捕捉は困難であり，これまで経験的に理解されてきた。そこで，幼稚園４歳児学級における草花を使った遊びを考察した。遊びの展開に伴って学びは，深化・発展し，保育内容５領域に関係した。偶発的に見える幼児期の学びの背景には，教師の効果的な働きかけがある。The purpose of this paper is to clarify the development of play in early childhood education. The learning in childhood is diverse and comprehensive therefore it was difficult to capture the complete picture and it has been empirically understood. Accordingly, we considered play with flowers in the class of kindergarten for four-year-old children. As their play was developed, the learning was deepened, developed, and related to five fields of childcare contents. In addition, the background of learning in childhood that seemed incidental involved effective approaches by te achers

Melatonin suppression during a simulated night shift in medium intensity light is increased by 10-minute breaks in dim light and decreased by 10-minute breaks in bright light

Exposure to light at night results in disruption of endogenous circadian rhythmicity and/or suppression of pineal melatonin, which can consequently lead to acute or chronic adverse health problems. In the present study, we investigated whether exposure to very dim light or very bright light for a short duration influences melatonin suppression, subjective sleepiness, and performance during exposure to constant moderately bright light. Twenty-four healthy male university students were divided into two experimental groups: Half of them (mean age: 20.0 +/- 0.9 years) participated in an experiment for short-duration (10 min) light conditions of medium intensity light (430 lx, medium breaks) vs. very dim light (< 1 lx, dim breaks) and the other half (mean age: 21.3 +/- 2.5 years) participated in an experiment for short-duration light conditions of medium intensity light (430 lx, medium breaks) vs. very bright light (4700 lx, bright breaks). Each simulated night shift consisting of 5 sets (each including 50-minute night work and 10-minute break) was performed from 01:00 to 06:00 h. The subjects were exposed to medium intensity light (550 lx) during the night work. Each 10-minute break was conducted every hour from 02:00 to 06:00 h. Salivary melatonin concentrations were measured, subjective sleepiness was assessed, the psychomotor vigilance task was performed at hourly intervals from 21:00 h until the end of the experiment. Compared to melatonin suppression between 04:00 and 06:00 h in the condition of medium breaks, the condition of dim breaks significantly promoted melatonin suppression and the condition of bright breaks significantly diminished melatonin suppression. However, there was no remarkable effect of either dim breaks or bright breaks on subjective sleepiness and performance of the psychomotor vigilance task. Our findings suggest that periodic exposure to light for short durations during exposure to a constant light environment affects the sensitivity of pineal melatonin to constant light depending on the difference between light intensities in the two light conditions (i.e., short light exposure vs. constant light exposure). Also, our findings indicate that exposure to light of various intensities at night could be a factor influencing the light-induced melatonin suppression in real night work settings

Novel Mechanism of Fatty Acid Sensing in Enteroendocrine Cells : Specific Structures in Oxo-Fatty Acids Produced by Gut Bacteria Are Responsible for CCK Secretion in STC-1 Cells via GPR40

Scope The secretion of gut hormones, such as cholecystokinin (CCK) is stimulated by fatty acids. Although a chain length?dependent mechanism has been proposed, other structural relationships to releasing activity remain unclear. We aimed to elucidate specific structures in fatty acids that are responsible for their CCK-releasing activity, and related sensing mechanisms in enteroendocrine cells. Methods and results CCK secretory activities were examined in a murine CCK-producing cell line STC-1 by exposing the cells to various modified fatty acids produced by gut lactic acid bacteria. The effects of fatty acids on gastric emptying rate as a CCK-mediated function were examined using acetaminophen and phenol red methods in rats. Out of more than 30 octadecanoic-derived fatty acids tested, 5 oxo-fatty acids potently stimulated CCK secretion without cytotoxic effects in STC-1 cells. Three fatty acids had a distinct specific structure containing one double bond, whereas the other two had two double bonds, nearby an oxo residue. CCK secretion induced by representative fatty acids (10-oxo-trans-11-18:1 and 13-oxo-cis-9,cis-15-18:2) was attenuated by a fatty acid receptor G-protein coupled receptor 40 antagonist. Oral administration of 13-oxo-cis-9,cis-15-18:2 lowered the gastric emptying rate in rats in a dose- and structure-dependent manner. Conclusion These results reveal a novel fatty acid-sensing mechanism in enteroendocrine cells