ASSESSING JAPANESE FEMALE COLLEGE STUDENT FEELINGS ABOUT MATHEMATICS LEARNING AREA CONTENTS

This study was designed to examine Japanese female college students’ feelings toward mathematics that they had learned before beginning college study. The 235 surveyed participants were all Japanese college students from the humanities course of a two-year junior college in a local city in Japan. For this investigation, respondents were divided into groups based on their feelings about mathematics. They were scrutinized using conjoint analysis for their learning anxieties about specific learning contents. The analysis consisted of assessing these students’ awareness of ‘being good at’, ‘neutral’, and ‘being not good at’ one specific aspect of mathematics relative to others. These groups were characterized. Results revealed differences in the perceptions of difficulty specific to the learning areas. These findings suggest the importance of providing female students with appropriate learning content from elementary school to high school, depending on their feelings about mathematics. These findings might help teachers plan mathematics learning classes for secondary education

THE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY LITERACY LEVEL OF NEWLY ENROLLED FEMALE COLLEGE STUDENTS IN JAPAN

Purpose: The objective of the study was to assess the self-assessment of information literacy among newly enrolled Japanese female college student in what concerns to the ability to operate office applications; namely, word processors, spreadsheets and presentation software. In addition, researchers also investigated the time period when they started using them.  Methodology: A survey was performed on 272 junior college female students of humanities courses and 41 college students of nutrition science course in April 2018, right after their entrance ceremonies. Statistical free software R was used to process the data, which consisted of chi-square test of independence for a contingency table, and correspondence analysis. The parameters assessed were (1) self-evaluation of the ability to use office applications, and (2) the period of time the students started using time. Main Findings: ‘Upper intermediate’ level students in word processors were correlated with the period around ‘Class in elementary school’ or ‘Class in junior high school’. By contrast, ‘Upper intermediate’ level students in spreadsheeting were associated with the first contact in a ‘Class in junior high school’ or ‘Class in high school’. Presentation software has been used frequently since elementary school up to high school and its club activities. Finally, the results suggest that ‘Advanced’ level students were taught how to use all these applications from family members. Implications: These findings may help teachers to improve their academic curriculum in order to fill the gap between those who are skilled and those who are not. They also can give useful hints to explore new teaching methods on information literacy subjects in higher education. Novelty: The results suggest that that the period of time that students had their first contact with the applications affects the awareness of their importance and the motivation to learn them

RELATIONSHIP AMONG STUDENTS’ FACING PROBLEM RELATED MATHEMATICS LEARNING AND LESSON

Purpose: The objective of this study is to examine the Japanese junior high school students’ feelings of difficulty in learning mathematics and discuss a possible solution on the ‘Lesson Study’ framework. Methodology: A survey was performed on 616 students of a public junior high school regarding their feelings towards learning mathematics. The survey was carried out at the end of the academic year 2016 in March, and 182 students (44 first-year, 75 second-year, 63 third-year) participated in the study. In this investigation, only those who answered “No Problem” were further scrutinized by means of conjoint analysis for their anxieties towards the specific learning modules following the education system guidelines and classified as ‘Algebra calculations’, ‘Functions’ and ‘Geometrical figures’. Basically, the analysis consisted of assessing these students’ awareness of ‘being good at’ and ‘being not good at’ one specific module relative to the other modules. Data processing and conjoint analysis were performed with Microsoft Excel. Main Findings: Roughly 68% of first year students, 77% of second year female students, and 72% of third year female students felt ‘Not Good At’ towards ‘Algebra calculation’ and ‘Functions’, whereas about 95% of second year male students self-assessed themselves as ‘Not Good At’ towards ‘Functions’, and 79% of third year males as ‘Good At’ towards ‘Algebra calculation’. Thus, even though some students declared “No Problem”, they were actually ‘Not Good At’. Implications: These findings suggest that a class division according to the students’ feelings with ‘Lesson Study’ at the teachers’ level would help struggling students to learn mathematics. In addition, we showed that the use of conjoint analysis-based assessment may help educators and teachers to figure out students’ feelings towards learning mathematics. Novelty: The use of conjoint analysis to analyze the students’ implicit feelings towards learning mathematics is followed by a discussion on the grounds of ‘Lesson Study’, for which a cycle at the individual level is presented

Effect of Obstructive Jaundice and Nitric Oxide on the Profiles of Intestinal Bacterial Flora in Wild and iNOS−/− Mice

We previously reported that the plasma level of endotoxin and colonic expression of IgA in the mouse increased with obstructive jaundice induced by bile duct ligation (BDL). To elucidate the mechanism of the BDL-induced increase, we analyzed the effect of BDL on intestinal flora in wild type and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS)-deficient mice (iNOS−/−) using the terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis (T-RFLP) and 16S rDNA clone libraries. The amounts of bacterial DNA detected in fecal samples from both animal groups pretreated with antibiotics were extremely low as compared with untreated groups. We found that the profiles of enteric bacteria changed markedly after BDL. The bacterial composition is significantly different between not only wild type and iNOS−/− mice but also those before and after BDL, respectively. Among enteric bacteria examined, Lactobacillus murinus was found to increase markedly after BDL in rectum of both animal groups. However, Escherichia coli markedly increased after BDL in the iNOS−/− mice. These findings suggest that profiles of enteric flora change markedly in animals during obstructive jaundice by some mechanism that is affected by bile constituents and iNOS-derived NO

内視鏡超音波ガイド下穿刺吸引の液状検体の残余を用いたK-ras 遺伝子検査は正診率を高める

Background: Endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) technology is widely used for the diagnosis of pancreatic masses. However, in some cases, inadequate tissue volume or difficulty of morphological diagnosis are constraining factors for adequate cytopathological evaluation. K-ras mutation is the most frequently acquired genetic abnormality, occurring in approximately 90% of all patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). In the present study, the clinical utility of residual liquid-based cytology (LBC) specimens obtained using EUS-FNA for K-ras mutation analysis was evaluated. Methods: In this study, 81 patients with pancreatic lesions were examined. The cell block (CB) specimens separated from EUS-FNA samples were morphologically evaluated by hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining. Final diagnoses were confirmed by CB specimens, surgical resection specimens, diagnostic imaging, and clinical follow-up. Genomic DNA of residual LBC specimens stored at 4°C for several months were extracted and assessed for K-ras mutations using a fluorescence resonance energy transfer-based preferential homoduplex formation assay. Results: K-ras mutation analysis using residual LBC samples was successful in all cases. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of CB examination alone were 77.4%, 100%, and 81.3%, respectively, and those of the combination of CB examination and K-ras mutation analysis were 90.3%, 92.3%, and 90.7%, respectively. Furthermore, K-ras mutations were detected in 8 (57.1%) of 14 PDAC samples for which the CB results were inconclusive. Conclusion: These findings suggest that K-ras mutation analysis using residual LBC specimens improves the diagnostic accuracy of EUS-FNA.博士（医学）・乙第1492号・令和2年12月24日Copyright: © 2018 Sekita-Hatakeyama et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License(https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited

Rapid Elimination of the Persistent Synergid through a Cell Fusion Mechanism

SummaryIn flowering plants, fertilization-dependent degeneration of the persistent synergid cell ensures one-on-one pairings of male and female gametes. Here, we report that the fusion of the persistent synergid cell and the endosperm selectively inactivates the persistent synergid cell in Arabidopsis thaliana. The synergid-endosperm fusion causes rapid dilution of pre-secreted pollen tube attractant in the persistent synergid cell and selective disorganization of the synergid nucleus during the endosperm proliferation, preventing attractions of excess number of pollen tubes (polytubey). The synergid-endosperm fusion is induced by fertilization of the central cell, while the egg cell fertilization predominantly activates ethylene signaling, an inducer of the synergid nuclear disorganization. Therefore, two female gametes (the egg and the central cell) control independent pathways yet coordinately accomplish the elimination of the persistent synergid cell by double fertilization

Significance of measurement of tumor marker in primary breast cancer

We investigated a prognosis in the presence or absence of preoperative marker abnormality for 371 cases with primary breast cancer that we experienced in our department this time. 60 (16%) of 371 cases showed the abnormality of the tumor marker and 25 (41.7%) of 60 patients had a recurrence. The positive rate of the marker was 8.1% in CA 15 3, 6.7% in CEA, 4.1% in NCC ST 439, and each rate of recurrence was 56.7%, 48.0%, 33.3%. Rate of recurrence in the negative cases was 12.7%, 13.9, 15.0% respectively and recognized a significant difference statistically (p <0.001) . Of 11 cases (3.8%) shown CA 15 3 abnormal high level, 3 cases (27.2%) had recurrence when we examined in 0 3 metastases to lymph nodes according to markers. 281 cases (96.2%) was normal range in CA15 3. Only 15 cases (5%) had recurrence. It showed a significant difference statistically (p <0.05) . For the cases shown abnormality of the preoperative CA 15 3, careful serial observations are necessary

学生が上肢装具の成型中に失敗しやすい工程の把握

本研究の目的は、上肢装具製作実習において学生が対象者に適合する装具を作成できるまでにかかった成型の回数や成型中に失敗しやすい工程を明らかにすることである。このため、上肢装具製作実習を受講した学生35名を対象に集合質問紙調査を実施した。その結果、対象者に適合する装具を1回目で作成できた学生もいれば10回以上要した学生もおり、工程によって学生が失敗する割合が異なることも分かった。また、学生の4割が自分の両手を意識したとおりに動かすことができず、一度形成した対象者の肢位を作業中に崩していることが分かった。これらのことから、成型中に失敗しやすい工程やその原因を明らかにするためには、今後より詳細に学生の動作特性を調べてみる必要があると思われた。The aim of the present study was to determine the number of moldings required to prepare proper fitting orthotic systems for persons, and the molding processes that are most difficult for students in an upper limb orthotic system preparation practicum. A group questionnaire survey was conducted on 35 students who attended upper limb orthotic systems preparation practicum. The results indicated that some students could prepare orthotic systems suitable for persons in their first attempt, while some required more than 10 attempts, indicating that the studentsAffailure rate varied according to the processes they used. Furthermore, it was indicated that 40% of students felt that they could not move their hands as intended. The results of the present study suggest that further research may be necessary in order to more closely investigate studentsAfmovement characteristics

入院中の高齢者の主観的幸福感 : 8ヶ月の経時的変化

2000年2月から11月の間長期入院をしている高齢者66名に対して、PGCモラールスケールを用いて主観的幸福感を経時的に測定し、高齢者の主観的幸福感が変化するか、変化するのであればどのような要因が影響を与えるのか調査を行った。その結果、高い主観的幸福感を有する高齢者ほど家族との交流が密に行われており、低い高齢者は家族との交流も少なく日常の健康状態も良くないことが認められた。また、長期入院の中で作業療法の実施や日常生活の自立度が影響を与える傾向がみられた。This study was conducted for 66 elderly patients hospitalized over a long term during the February - November 2002 period to elucidate whether a feeling of well-being changed; then, if so, what kinds of factors contribute to its transformation. The Philadelphia Geriatric Center (PGC) Morale Scale was used to measure subjective well-being chronologically. Results indicated that those with a stronger feeling of well-being have a closer relationship with family members, while others with a weaker feeling of well-being have less communication with family; additionally, their daily health condition is not good. Also, it was found that implementation of occupational therapy for long-term hospitalization and the degree of independence in daily life tended to influence the sense of well-being