2,221 research outputs found

    ポストコロナの日本語授業に向けて: 遠隔から対面授業を体験した初級学習者の継続的な観察からわかること

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    本研究では、コロナ禍で遠隔、以後対面授業へ移行した初級学習者の学習経験の調査を目的に、筆者ら の大学で 2020 年秋から遠隔で日本語 1 年生を履修、2021 年秋に対面で日本語 2 年生を続けた学生らを対 象に、匿名アンケートとインタビューをし、その結果に加え、授業観察やエッセイ等をデータとして分 析した。また、インタビューを元に、遠隔授業と対面授業をそれぞれ担当した教師の対話もデータとし て考察した。本稿では、遠隔と対面授業で学習者が感じた違いとそれに伴う学習観の構築を探り、同価 値理論を背景とした遠隔から対面カリキュラム移行の際に生じた学習観のズレや、其々の学習環境にお ける学習の有効性について考察する。本研究は、遠隔授業を経験した初級学習者を対面授業後も継続的 に観察した報告例として、ポスト・コロナの日本語授業を考える上で、学習観を踏まえた教師側の情報 交換や振り返りの機会に貢献できるのではないかと考える

    Current Status for Application of RNA Interference Technology as Nucleic Acid Drug

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    RNA interference (RNAi) is a convenient and useful gene suppression technology induced by small interfering RNA (siRNA) composed of 21-nucleotide long double-stranded RNA. The successful application of RNAi for clinical use is expected for a long time. Although siRNA drug is categorized into a nucleic acid drug, it has a prominent advantage that genetic function can be suppressed by destroying mRNA at the posttranscriptional level without wounding genomic DNA. Nevertheless, unfortunately there are no siRNA certified as pharmaceuticals passing through clinical trials, since there are several problems, such as gene suppression efficiency, stability in blood stream, or other undesirable effects. Here, we describe the current status and future prospects for clinical application of the siRNA nucleic acid drug

    Autoantibodies to angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 in patients with connective tissue diseases

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    INTRODUCTION: Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) 2, a homolog of ACE, converts angiotensin (Ang) II into Ang(1-7), and the vasoprotective effects of Ang(1-7) have been documented. We explored the hypothesis that serum autoantibodies to ACE2 predispose patients with connective tissue diseases to constrictive vasculopathy, pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), or persistent digital ischemia. METHODS: Serum was examined from 42 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), scleroderma, or mixed connective tissue disease. Eighteen vasculopathy patients with PAH (five cases) and/or persistent digital ischemia (16 cases) were compared with 24 patients without these vasculopathies (control patients) for serum reactivity to purified recombinant human ACE2, using an ELISA. RESULTS: The sera from 17 of the 18 (94%) vasculopathy patients had ELISA scores above the baseline level determined using control sera from 28 healthy subjects, and the mean ELISA score in the vasculopathy patients was significantly higher than that in the control patients (P < 0.0005). The relative activity of serum ACE2, which was defined using a reference serum, correlated inversely with the ELISA scores for serum anti-ACE2 antibodies in the 18 vasculopathy patients (R(2 )= 0.6872). The IgG fraction from vasculopathy patients, but not from healthy subjects, inhibited ACE2 activities in vitro. Consistent with this, immunosuppressive therapy given to one SLE patient with digital necrosis markedly decreased the anti-ACE2 antibody titer and restored serum ACE2 activity. CONCLUSIONS: Autoantibodies to ACE2 may be associated with constrictive vasculopathies

    Changes in the SF-8 scores among healthy non-smoking school teachers after the enforcement of a smoke-free school policy: a comparison by passive smoke status

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    <p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The effects of the enforcement of a smoke-free workplace policy on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) among a healthy population are poorly understood. The present study was undertaken to examine the effects of the enforcement of a smoke-free school policy on HRQOL among healthy non-smoking schoolteachers with respect to their exposure to passive smoke.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Two self-reported questionnaire surveys were conducted, the first before and the second after the enforcement of a total smoke-free public school policy in Nara City. A total of 1534 teachers were invited from 62 schools, and their HRQOL was assessed using six domains extracted from the Medical Outcomes Survey Short Form-8 questionnaire (SF-8): general health perception (GH), role functioning-physical (RP), vitality (VT), social functioning (SF), mental health (MH), and role functioning-emotional (RE). The participants were divided into two groups according to their exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) at baseline: participants not exposed to ETS at school (non-smokers), and participants exposed to ETS at school (passive smokers). Changes in each SF-8 score were evaluated using paired t-tests for each group, and their inter-group differences were evaluated using multiple linear regression analyses adjusted for sex, age, school type, managerial position, and attitude towards a smoke-free policy.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>After ineligible subjects were excluded, 689 teachers were included in the analyses. The number of non-smokers and passive smokers was 447 and 242, respectively. Significant changes in SF-8 scores were observed for MH (0.9; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.2-1.5) and RE (0.7; 95% CI, 0.0-1.3) in non-smokers, and GH (2.2; 95% CI, 1.2-3.1), VT (1.8; 95% CI, 0.9-2.7), SF (2.7; 95% CI, 1.6-3.8), MH (2.0; 95% CI, 1.0-2.9), and RE (2.0; 95% CI, 1.2-2.8) in passive smokers. In the multiple linear regression analyses, the net changes in the category scores of GH (1.8; 95% CI, 0.7-2.9), VT (1.4, 95% CI, 0.3-2.5), SF (2.5; 95% CI, 1.1-3.9), MH (1.2; 95% CI, 0.1-2.4) and RE (1.6; 95% CI, 0.5-2.7) in passive smokers significantly exceeded those in non-smokers.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>A smoke-free school policy would improve the HRQOL of healthy non-smoking teachers who are exposed to ETS.</p
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