Classes of the assertion for bringing up self-esteem-oriented communication without losing respectful attitude to others under the COVID-19 pandemic.

新型コロナウイルス感染症に対する不安や恐れから他者に対してストレスをぶつける行動を取る人がみられている。そこで子ども達に対して新型コロナウイルスの正しい知識と予防行動について学習を行った。その上で自己尊重他者尊重に基づいたアサーティブネス・トレーニングを実施した。その結果「相手の気持ちを聞く」「相手のせいにしない」という他者尊重に関することについて意識の変化がみられた。また授業後の感想では自分の主張傾向を振り返り相手の気持ちを考えながら自分の気持ちを伝えていきたいと記述している者が多くみられた。Because of the stress from the fear of getting infected by the new coronavirus or its serious symptoms, there seems to be a lot of people making aggressive and negative actions toward others. That is the reason why we conducted classes on scientific know l edge about the virus and how to prevent students from getting infect ed by it. After that, they experienced “assertiveness training,” in which they were targeted to have an awareness of assertiveness toward themselves and others. As a result, the students became more aware of respecting others as shown in their actions like “trying to listen to others and understand what they mean” or “trying not to blame others on some bad things that happened.” Also, according to the descriptions on the class, many students wrote in the questionnaire that they understood how they assert their ideas and that they should make self assertive actions without hurting others’ feelings

Relationships between Spirituality, Health Self-efficacy and Health Locus of Control in the Elderly

The purpose of this study was to clarify the relationships between spirituality, health locus of control and health self-efficacy. A questionnaire survey was administered to elderly people living at home, and 696 valid responses were collected and analyzed. The subjects\u27 mean age was 74.0±5.2 years. Using a causal model to analyze the relationship between spirituality, health locus of control and health self-efficacy, data fitness to the model was evaluated by structural equation modeling. As a result, the validity of a model in which health locus of control affects health self-efficacy and spirituality while health self-efficacy enhances spirituality was confirmed. However, the nature of the relationship between health locus of control and spirituality and health self-efficacy differed according to the characteristics of health locus of control. In addition, there was a positive correlation between health self-efficacy and spirituality regarding "significance and objectives of life", "harmony with others", "belief", and "union with nature". In order to support for the spirituality of the elderly, the author suggests that strategies to improve the health self-efficacy for basic health control behavior are useful

Effects of Prolonged High Phosphorus Diet on Phosphorus and Calcium Balance in Rats

The amount of phosphorus contained in food as food additives is currently increasing and a high intake of phosphorus can cause various diseases. To determine the effects of a prolonged high phosphorus diet, here we investigated the phosphorus and calcium balance and expression of type IIa sodium-dependent phosphate transporter (Npt IIa) in mature rats. Wistar male rats (8-weeks old) were divided into five groups and fed diets containing 0.6% calcium plus 0.3, 0.6, 0.9, 1.2 or 1.5% phosphorus for 4 weeks. Urinary and fecal phosphorus excretions were significantly increased by the high phosphorus diets (from 0.6 to 1.5%), dependent on the amount of dietary phosphorus. The net absorption of intestinal phosphorus was also significantly increased by high phosphorus diets. As a result, a negative phosphorus balance was observed in rats given the 1.2% or 1.5% phosphorus diets. Serum parathyroid hormone and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 concentrations were increased by high phosphorus diets. In addition, high phosphorus diets decreased the expression of Npt IIa mRNA and protein in the renal brush border membrane. Taken together, these results suggest that diets containing 1.2 or 1.5% phosphorus plus 0.6% calcium have potentially adverse effects on phosphorus homeostasis in mature rat

Expansion of CpG Methylation in the SFRP2 Promoter Region during Colorectal Tumorigenesis

Secreted frizzled-related protein 2, (SFRP2) is a Wnt inhibitor whose promoter CpGs were recently found to be methylated at high frequency in colorectal cancers (CRCs). We hypothesized that the pattern of SFRP2 methylation may differ throughout the promoter during progressive tumorigenesis. Using combined bisulfite restriction analysis (COBRA), two methylation-sensitive regions (Regions A and B) of the SFRP2 promoter were investigated in 569 specimens of colorectal tissue:222 CRCs, 103 adenomatous polyps (APs), 208 normal colonic mucosa from CRC patients (N-Cs), and 36 normal colonic mucosa from subjects with no evidence of colorectal neoplasia at colonoscopy (N-Ns). Extensive (including both Regions A and B) and partial (either Region A or B) SFRP2 methylation levels were found in 61.7% and 24.8% of CRCs, 8.7% and 37.9% of APs, 3.9% and 39.9% of N-Cs, and 0% and 30.6% of N-Ns, respectively. Extensive methylation of the SFRP2 promoter was present primarily in CRCs, while partial methylation was common in APs. Whereas APs with the KRAS mutant showed no correlation to any pattern of SFRP2 methylation, extensive methylation of the SFRP2 promoter was significantly associated with KRAS mutant CRCs (p＜.0001), suggesting that genetic alteration in the RAS-RAF pathway might precede the spread of CpG methylation through the SFRP2 promoter, which is observed in over 60% of advanced colorectal tumors