エリスロポエチンによる腸管に対する抗炎症、組織再生効果

Background. The prevalence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is increasing. Since patients usually need long-term treatment and suffer from reduced quality of life, there is a need to develop new therapeutic strategy. The aim of this study was to investigate the therapeutic potential of erythropoietin (EPO) for the treatment of IBD. Methods. Murine colitis was induced by 3.0% Dextran Sulfate Sodium (DSS). Recombinant human EPO (rhEPO) was given to evaluate the anti-inflammatory and regenerative effects on intestinal inflammation. The effect of rhEPO on human colon epithelial cells was also evaluated. Immunohistochemical analysis of EPO receptor was performed in human IBD tissues. Results. While about 62% of control mice with severe colitis induced by 5-day DSS died, 85% of mice treated with rhEPO survived. Histological analysis confirmed that EPO treatment reduced the colonic inflammation. Furthermore, EPO treatment significantly downregulated the local expressions of IFN-γ, TNF-α and E-selectin in the colon, suggesting that the effect was associated with inhibiting local immune activation. In a 4-day DSS-induced colitis model, rhEPO significantly improved the recovery of body weight loss compared to controls. Furthermore, proliferating cell nuclear antigen expression was significantly upregulated in the colon tissue from mice treated with rhEPO compared to controls. In addition, rhEPO increased the growth of cultured human colon epithelial cells in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, EPO-receptor expression was confirmed in human IBD colon tissues. Conclusion. Three major functions of EPO, hematopoiesis, anti-inflammation and regeneration, may produce significant effects on intestinal inflammation, therefore suggesting that rhEPO might be useful for IBD.博士（医学）・乙第1364号・平成27年7月31日© Informa UK Limited, an Informa Group CompanyThe definitive version is available at " http://dx.doi.org/10.3109/00365521.2015.1020861

Application of the “Hiroshima University English Can-Do List” in the e-portfolio System Mahara

This report describes the application of the “Hiroshima University English Can-Do List” through an open-source e-portfolio system called “Mahara”. In 2016, the Institute for Foreign Language Research and Education at Hiroshima University developed the can-do list, which was based on a questionnaire made by the Institute for International Business Communication. It includes can-do statements not only in the so-called four English skills (reading, listening, speaking, and writing) but also in two additional areas (interaction and function). The developed can-do list was implemented in the e-portfolio system as an attempt to evaluate students’ English proficiencies and to set their learning goals. In this system, each student inputs his/her current TOEIC score, and then selects can-do statements which s/he would like to achieve. The system then shows a target TOEIC score which s/he should get in order to achieve the learning goal, and suggests learning contents for it. This paper reports on the first trial of the system administered to undergraduate students at Hiroshima University, and shows their reactions. Future directions for utilization of the can-do list and the Mahara system are also discussed

The Development of a Hiroshima University English Can-Do List

The present paper reports the background of and the procedure for the development of a Hiroshima University English Can-Do List. Students at Hiroshima University take English courses as a part of their liberal arts education requirement, but the total amount of this course-based learning is not sufficient to achieve high-level English proficiency. Therefore, the Institute for Foreign Language Research and Education (FLaRE) at Hiroshima University has so far prepared English learning environments for students’ self-learning, such as online e-learning courses and extensive reading resources. However, given the fact that it is difficult for students to keep learning by themselves, some system of assistance that motivates them to keep learning is important. The Hiroshima University English Can-Do List was developed as a part of this system. The participants of the present project were about 1,000 first-year students at Hiroshima University who are required to take eight credits for English in liberal arts education. A can-do list questionnaire, which was developed by the Institute for International Business Communication (IIBC), was used in this study. The questionnaire asks the participants to rate various can-do statements on a five-point Likert scale (1: cannot do at all to 5: can do without any difficulty). Based on the results of the TOEIC®IP test and the questionnaire, the Hiroshima University English Can-Do List was developed. The participants were first divided into seven proficiency levels based on the TOEIC IP test score. Then, appropriate proficiency levels were decided for “can-do” and “can-do with difficulty” statements. This paper showed the first draft of the Hiroshima University English Can-Do List. There are still some tasks remaining: First, the can-do list reported here should be revised with more data from high proficiency students; second, some better can-do statements could be added or inappropriate ones could be deleted in the future. Future refinement of the list is expected