Ultimate Strength Evaluation for Cracked Stiffened Panel Structure using Dynamic Explicit Method

広島大学(Hiroshima University)博士(工学)Doctor of Engineeringdoctora

Picture Book Materials to Support Infants to Understand Developmental Disorders Subtitle

　発達障害である自閉スペクトラム症・注意欠如多動症・学習障害は，幼児にとって難解であるが，これを取り上げる絵本は近年増加傾向にあり，幼児期からの障害理解に資する教材として考えられる。障害とその特徴的な行動について，物語を通して分かりやすく示すことができる視覚教材である絵本は，選択の幅も広く，保育現場の実態に適合した幼児の障害理解を支援する。また，障害児への支援においては，保護者・兄弟支援も重要であるが，障害理解絵本には家族の心情を描写するものも多く，保護者・兄弟に対する幼児の理解を深めることにも活用できると考えられる。一方，人的環境に関わる絵本の多様性に比べて，物的環境に関わるものやその改善について紹介されたものは少ないことが把握された。これらに関する絵本の増加が期待されると共に，実態に即した手作りの絵本教材も有効であると考えられる。Autism Spectrum Disorder（ASD）, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder（ADHD）, and Learning Disabilities（LD） are obscure for infants to understand, but picture books about these disabilities have recently increased, and are considered to be educational materials to understand these disabilities from early childhood. Picture books, that can clearly present disabilities and their characteristic behaviors through stories, offer various choices and support an understanding of disabilities in the real childcare. Also, many picture books for understanding disabilities describe the emotions of the family and can be used to deepen infants' understanding of their parents and siblings. On the other hand, the number of picture books about the environment and its improvement is small. An increase in the number of picture books on these topics is expected, and handmade picture book materials based on the real conditions w ould also be effective

Cys34-cysteinylated human serum albumin is a sensitive plasma marker in oxidative stress-related chronic diseases

The degree of oxidized cysteine (Cys) 34 in human serum albumin (HSA), as determined by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), is correlated with oxidative stress related pathological conditions. In order to further characterize the oxidation of Cys34-HSA at the molecular level and to develop a suitable analytical method for a rapid and sensitive clinical laboratory analysis, the use of electrospray ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometer (ESI-TOFMS) was evaluated. A marked increase in the cysteinylation of Cys34 occurs in chronic liver and kidney diseases and diabetes mellitus. A significant positive correlation was observed between the Cys-Cys34-HSA fraction of plasma samples obtained from 229 patients, as determined by ESI-TOFMS, and the degree of oxidized Cys34-HSA determined by HPLC. The Cys-Cys34-HSA fraction was significantly increased with the progression of liver cirrhosis, and was reduced by branched chain amino acids (BCAA) treatment. The changes in the Cys-Cys34-HSA fraction were significantly correlated with the alternations of the plasma levels of advanced oxidized protein products, an oxidative stress marker for proteins. The binding ability of endogenous substances (bilirubin and tryptophan) and drugs (warfarin and diazepam) to HSA purified from chronic liver disease patients were significantly suppressed but significantly improved by BCAA supplementation. Interestingly, the changes in this physiological function of HSA in chronic liver disease were correlated with the Cys-Cys34-HSA fraction. In conclusion, ESI-TOFMS is a suitable high throughput method for the rapid and sensitive quantification of Cys-Cys34-HSA in a large number of samples for evaluating oxidative stress related chronic disease progression or in response to a treatment

Cognitive and Psychological Reactions of the General Population Three Months After the 2011 Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami

BACKGROUND: The largest earthquake on record in Japan (magnitude 9.0) occurred on March 11, 2011, and the subsequent tsunami devastated the Pacific coast of Northern Japan. These further triggered the Fukushima I nuclear power plant accidents. Such a hugely complex disaster inevitably has negative psychological effects on general populations as well as on the direct victims. While previous disaster studies enrolled descriptive approaches focusing on direct victims, the structure of the psychological adjustment process of people from the general population has remained uncertain. The current study attempted to establish a path model that sufficiently reflects the early psychological adaptation process of the general population to large-scale natural disasters. METHODS AND FINDINGS: Participants from the primary disaster area (n = 1083) and other areas (n = 2372) voluntarily participated in an online questionnaire study. By constructing path models using a structural equation model procedure (SEM), we examined the structural relationship among psychological constructs known related to disasters. As post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTS) were significantly more present in people in the primarily affected area than in those in secondary- or non-affected areas, the path models were constructed for the primary victims. The parsimoniously depicted model with the best fit was achieved for the psychological-adjustment centered model with quality of life (QoL) as a final outcome. CONCLUSION: The paths to QoL via negative routes (from negative cognitive appraisal, PTS, and general stress) were dominant, suggesting the importance of clinical intervention for reducing negative cognitive appraisal, and for caring for general stress and PTS to maintain QoL at an early stage of psychological adaptation to a disaster. The model also depicted the presence of a positive route where positive cognitive appraisal facilitates post-traumatic growth (PTG) to achieve a higher QoL, suggesting the potential importance of positive psychological preventive care for unexpected natural disasters

Picture Book Materials to Support Infants to Understand Down Syndrome and Intellectual Disabilities

　ダウン症や知的障害に関する絵本は，物語を通した障害の具体例の提示や感情表現など，障害そのものに対する理解にとどまらず，障害者やその保護者・兄弟の理解と支援につながる教材であり，より一層の充実が求められる。また，障害理解の教材としての絵本と幼児を媒介する保育者には，絵本を読み聞かせるだけでなく，保育現場の事例と照合させ，幼児に対する個別的な障害理解の深化を促す声掛けや働き掛けなどの援助が必要となる。本研究において作成された絵本リストは，保育者による絵本選択や障害理解教育を支援すると考えられる。今後の課題は，保育の現場実践での具体的運用と環境整備の検討及び，保育者と連携した妥当性の検証である。また，障害に関する絵本は，描写されるエピソードや使用される言葉や漢字表記等から児童期以降の子どもを想定したものが多いと考えられ，幼児期からの障害理解教育の有用性を踏まえ，幼児を対象とした絵本の増加が求められる。Picture books on Down syndrome and intellectual disabilities should be further improved, to understanding not only the disabilities but also the disabled and their parents and siblings through stories. Further more, caregivers need not only to read picture books to infants, but also to provide support such as approach and encouragement to deepen individual understanding of infants with disabilities. A picture book list developed in this study is intended to assist caregivers in selecting picture books and to provide guidance in understanding disabilities. Future issues are to examine the practical application of the list in childcare and to test its validity in cooperation with caregivers. In addition, because of the usefulness of education for understanding disabilities from early childhood, there is a need for more picture books on these topics for infants

The Role of IL-17-Producing Cells in Cutaneous Fungal Infections

The skin is the outermost layer of the body and is exposed to many environmental stimuli, which cause various inflammatory immune responses in the skin. Among them, fungi are common microorganisms that colonize the skin and cause cutaneous fungal diseases such as candidiasis and dermatophytosis. The skin exerts inflammatory responses to eliminate these fungi through the cooperation of skin-component immune cells. IL-17 producing cells are representative immune cells that play a vital role in anti-fungal action in the skin by producing antimicrobial peptides and facilitating neutrophil infiltration. However, the actual impact of IL-17-producing cells in cutaneous fungal infections remains unclear. In this review, we focused on the role of IL-17-producing cells in a series of cutaneous fungal infections, the characteristics of skin infectious fungi, and the recognition of cell components that drive cutaneous immune cells

言語による意思疎通の難しいトレーニーへの動作法における関わり : 抵抗行動の背景の理解と関わりの工夫

本研究の目的は，こだわり行動と訓練室入室に抵抗行動が見られる成人トレーニー（以下， A）との2泊3日の心理リハビリテイションキャンプの経過を振り返り，こだわり行動と抵抗行動についての理解と援助の工夫を検討することであった。Aは訓練室入室に対する抵抗があり，それに伴い，工レベーター（以下，EV）に出入りするというこだわり行動が見られていた。キャンプ中の様子から， Aの訓練室入室に対する抵抗は，Aの動作法中の主体性の低さから，訓練に対する見通しが持ちづらく，そこから生じる不安によって出現していたと考えられ，それに伴うEVへのこだわり行動はAにとって不安を軽減する方法であった可能性が推察された。キャンプの中でトレーナーは， Aに見通しをもたせて不安を軽減すること，動作法セッションにおけるAの主体感を引き出すことをねらいとした工夫を行った。その結果，Aは全セッション訓練室に入室し，最後のセッションではA自ら車椅子を漕いで移動して訓練室に入室するなど，Aの抵抗行動の変容が認められた。This study aimed to examine the better method to apply Dohsa-hou treatment for an adult with resistance behavior, and understanding and aid devises about commitment behavior and resistance behavior. The subject of the study "A" was adult man with commitment behavior and resistance behavior who took part in 3-day psychological rehabilitation camp. A was resistant to entering the training room, and according to it, I was particular about getting in and out of the elevator. From the state of camping, it was considered difficult for A to have a subjectivity and a prospect during the Dohsa-hou. For that reason A had anxiety and was thought to be indicative of resistance behavior against entry into the training room. Therefore, it was thought that A's commitment to elevators could be a way to reduce anxiety. The trainer involved A so that he could have prospects and subjectivity during the Dohsa-hou, and the resistance behavior of A changed as a result