Speaking Practices Designed to Improve Presentation Skills and Their Effect on High School Students’ Oral Performance

この研究は，口頭発表活動に必要な技術を身につける実践を通じて，発話力の伸びを検証することを目的とした実証的研究である。高校１年生の実験クラスを対象に，物語の紹介を目的とする，パターン化された構成で行うプレゼンテーション形式の活動を一定期間行い，ポストテストにおける発話を統制クラスと比較した結果，流暢さの面で向上が見られた。実験クラスの経験した発表活動では，パターン化された情報構造で発話内容を考えるため，活動時の発話過程において，概念化の段階で受ける認知的負荷が軽減され，言語化に向ける認知資源を増やすことができ，流暢さが高まったと考えられる。The present study takes an empirical approach to assessing the effect of speaking practice designed to improve presentation skills. First-year high-school students repeatedly engaged in book-talk activities for a certain period of time. During the activities, they were given a speaking format to facilitate their performance. At the end of the instruction period, students’ speaking fluency was measured, analyzed, and compared with that of a control group. The comparative analysis demonstrates that the students’ fluency improves substantially when they are provided with a speaking format. The result supports the hypothesis that this format helps to lessen the students’ cognitive load at the initial conceptualization stage and instead helps to save cognitive resources for successive stages of speech production, which consequently enhances the students’ speaking performance

Insights into Land Plant Evolution Garnered from the Marchantia polymorpha Genome.

The evolution of land flora transformed the terrestrial environment. Land plants evolved from an ancestral charophycean alga from which they inherited developmental, biochemical, and cell biological attributes. Additional biochemical and physiological adaptations to land, and a life cycle with an alternation between multicellular haploid and diploid generations that facilitated efficient dispersal of desiccation tolerant spores, evolved in the ancestral land plant. We analyzed the genome of the liverwort Marchantia polymorpha, a member of a basal land plant lineage. Relative to charophycean algae, land plant genomes are characterized by genes encoding novel biochemical pathways, new phytohormone signaling pathways (notably auxin), expanded repertoires of signaling pathways, and increased diversity in some transcription factor families. Compared with other sequenced land plants, M. polymorpha exhibits low genetic redundancy in most regulatory pathways, with this portion of its genome resembling that predicted for the ancestral land plant. PAPERCLIP

- Gut Feelings when Being Cut and Pierced-

Vibration displays have been rapidly brought into every day life in the fields of communication and entertainment [1]. Notably, vibro-tactile feedback provided by game controllers has been intensively pursued to enrich haptic experiences in gaming. Haptic feedback in games is presented mainly to the hands with the game pad. However, though the game characters have a wide range of haptic experience in the virtual world, the feedback consists of simple shocks or vibration patterns. For example, though the characters in "Sword and Magic " are slashed by their enemies in swordfights, previous devices are not able to present realistic haptic sensations of such situations. Here, we propose a novel vibro-tactile interface, called “/ed (slashed)”, which can present haptic sensation of movement on the body’s surface, such as that of being cut with a sword (Fig. 1A), and movement passing through the body, such as that of being pierced with a sharp object (Fig. 1B). Although body-worn haptic feedback devices (haptic vests) have been proposed [2], they cannot provide the new dimensions of haptic experience offered by our interface. With our interface, not only vibration patterns at a location, but also haptic movements on the body’s surface (frontal parallel plane) and internal movements passing through the body (sagittal dimension) can be accomplished. Fig. 1. Feelings of being slahsed (A), and piereced (B)

Vapor-Controlled Linkage Isomerization of a Vapochromic Bis(thiocyanato)platinum(II) Complex: New External Stimuli To Control Isomerization Behavior

We synthesized a novel Pt­(II)–diimine complex with a typical ambidentate thiocyanato ligand, [Pt­(<i>thiocyanato</i>)₂(H₂dcbpy)] (<b>1</b>; H₂dcbpy =4,4′-dicarboxy-2,2′-bipyridine), and found that the complex <b>1</b> exhibits unique linkage isomerizations with drastic color and luminescence changes driven by exposure to volatile organic chemical (VOC) vapors in the solid state. Reaction between [PtCl₂(H₂dcbpy)] and KSCN in aqueous solution at 0 °C enabled successful isolation of an isomer with the S-coordinated thiocyanato ligand, [Pt­(<u>S</u>CN)₂(H₂dcbpy)] (<b>1SS·H</b>_<b>2</b><b>O</b>), as a nonluminescent orange solid. Interestingly, <b>1SS·H</b>_<b>2</b><b>O</b> was isomerized completely to one isomer with the N-coordinated isothiocyanato ligand, [Pt­(<u>N</u>CS)₂(H₂dcbpy)] (<b>1NN·3DMF</b>) by exposure to DMF vapor, and this isomerization was accompanied by significant color and luminescence changes from nonluminescent orange to luminescent red. IR spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis revealed that adsorption of the DMF vapor and transformation of the hydrogen-bonded structure both played important roles in this vapor-induced linkage isomerization. Another isomer containing both S- and N-coordinated thiocyanato ligands, [Pt­(<u>S</u>CN)­(<u>N</u>CS)­(H₂dcbpy)] (<b>1SN</b>), was obtained as a nonluminescent yellow solid simply by exposure of <b>1SS·H</b>_<b>2</b><b>O</b> to acetone vapor at room temperature, and about 80% of <b>1SS·H</b>_<b>2</b><b>O</b> was found to be converted to <b>1SN</b>. In the solution state, each isomer changed gradually to an isomeric mixture, but pure <b>1SS</b> was regenerated by UV light irradiation (λ_irr. = 300 nm) of an MeOH solution of the mixture. In the crystal structure of <b>1SN</b>, the complex molecules were hydrogen-bonded to each other through the carboxyl groups of the H₂dcbpy ligand and the N site of the thiocyanato ligand, whereas the <b>1NN</b> molecules in the <b>1NN·4DMF</b> crystal were hydrogen-bonded to the solvated DMF molecules. Competition of the hydrogen-bonding ability among the carboxyl groups of the H₂dcbpy ligand, N and S atoms of the thiocyanato ligand, and the vapor molecule was found to be one of the most important factors controlling linkage isomerization behavior in the solid state. This unique linkage isomerization controlled by vapor can provide an outstanding vapochromic system as well as a new molecular switching function driven by vapor molecules

Vapor-Controlled Linkage Isomerization of a Vapochromic Bis(thiocyanato)platinum(II) Complex: New External Stimuli To Control Isomerization Behavior

We synthesized a novel Pt­(II)–diimine complex with a typical ambidentate thiocyanato ligand, [Pt­(<i>thiocyanato</i>)₂(H₂dcbpy)] (<b>1</b>; H₂dcbpy =4,4′-dicarboxy-2,2′-bipyridine), and found that the complex <b>1</b> exhibits unique linkage isomerizations with drastic color and luminescence changes driven by exposure to volatile organic chemical (VOC) vapors in the solid state. Reaction between [PtCl₂(H₂dcbpy)] and KSCN in aqueous solution at 0 °C enabled successful isolation of an isomer with the S-coordinated thiocyanato ligand, [Pt­(<u>S</u>CN)₂(H₂dcbpy)] (<b>1SS·H</b>_<b>2</b><b>O</b>), as a nonluminescent orange solid. Interestingly, <b>1SS·H</b>_<b>2</b><b>O</b> was isomerized completely to one isomer with the N-coordinated isothiocyanato ligand, [Pt­(<u>N</u>CS)₂(H₂dcbpy)] (<b>1NN·3DMF</b>) by exposure to DMF vapor, and this isomerization was accompanied by significant color and luminescence changes from nonluminescent orange to luminescent red. IR spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis revealed that adsorption of the DMF vapor and transformation of the hydrogen-bonded structure both played important roles in this vapor-induced linkage isomerization. Another isomer containing both S- and N-coordinated thiocyanato ligands, [Pt­(<u>S</u>CN)­(<u>N</u>CS)­(H₂dcbpy)] (<b>1SN</b>), was obtained as a nonluminescent yellow solid simply by exposure of <b>1SS·H</b>_<b>2</b><b>O</b> to acetone vapor at room temperature, and about 80% of <b>1SS·H</b>_<b>2</b><b>O</b> was found to be converted to <b>1SN</b>. In the solution state, each isomer changed gradually to an isomeric mixture, but pure <b>1SS</b> was regenerated by UV light irradiation (λ_irr. = 300 nm) of an MeOH solution of the mixture. In the crystal structure of <b>1SN</b>, the complex molecules were hydrogen-bonded to each other through the carboxyl groups of the H₂dcbpy ligand and the N site of the thiocyanato ligand, whereas the <b>1NN</b> molecules in the <b>1NN·4DMF</b> crystal were hydrogen-bonded to the solvated DMF molecules. Competition of the hydrogen-bonding ability among the carboxyl groups of the H₂dcbpy ligand, N and S atoms of the thiocyanato ligand, and the vapor molecule was found to be one of the most important factors controlling linkage isomerization behavior in the solid state. This unique linkage isomerization controlled by vapor can provide an outstanding vapochromic system as well as a new molecular switching function driven by vapor molecules

Chloroplast-mediated regulation of CO2-concentrating mechanism by Ca2+-binding protein CAS in the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii.

「光合成のターボエンジン」CO2濃縮機構が葉緑体を介して制御される仕組みを新たに発見. 京都大学プレスリリース. 2016-10-28.Aquatic photosynthetic organisms, including the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, induce a CO2-concentrating mechanism (CCM) to maintain photosynthetic activity in CO2-limiting conditions by sensing environmental CO2 and light availability. Previously, a novel high-CO2–requiring mutant, H82, defective in the induction of the CCM, was isolated. A homolog of calcium (Ca2+)-binding protein CAS, originally found in Arabidopsis thaliana, was disrupted in H82 cells. Although Arabidopsis CAS is reported to be associated with stomatal closure or immune responses via a chloroplast-mediated retrograde signal, the relationship between a Ca2+ signal and the CCM associated with the function of CAS in an aquatic environment is still unclear. In this study, the introduction of an intact CAS gene into H82 cells restored photosynthetic affinity for inorganic carbon, and RNA-seq analyses revealed that CAS could function in maintaining the expression levels of nuclear-encoded CO2-limiting–inducible genes, including the HCO3– transporters high-light activated 3 (HLA3) and low-CO2–inducible gene A (LCIA). CAS changed its localization from dispersed across the thylakoid membrane in high-CO2 conditions or in the dark to being associated with tubule-like structures in the pyrenoid in CO2-limiting conditions, along with a significant increase of the fluorescent signals of the Ca2+ indicator in the pyrenoid. Chlamydomonas CAS had Ca2+-binding activity, and the perturbation of intracellular Ca2+ homeostasis by a Ca2+-chelator or calmodulin antagonist impaired the accumulation of HLA3 and LCIA. These results suggest that Chlamydomonas CAS is a Ca2+-mediated regulator of CCM-related genes via a retrograde signal from the pyrenoid in the chloroplast to the nucleus

Effect of 15-mg Edoxaban on Clinical Outcomes in 3 Age Strata in Older Patients With Atrial Fibrillation:A Prespecified Subanalysis of the ELDERCARE-AF Randomized Clinical Trial

IMPORTANCE: Long-term use of oral anticoagulants (OACs) is necessary for stroke prevention in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). The effectiveness and safety of OACs in extremely older patients (ie, aged 80 years or older) with AF and at high risk of bleeding needs to be elucidated. OBJECTIVE: To examine the effects of very low-dose edoxaban (15 mg) vs placebo across 3 age strata (80-84 years, 85-89 years, and ≥90 years) among patients with AF who were a part of the Edoxaban Low-Dose for Elder Care Atrial Fibrillation Patients (ELDERCARE–AF) trial. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This prespecified subanalysis of a phase 3, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was conducted from August 5, 2016, to December 27, 2019. Patients with AF aged 80 years or older who were not considered candidates for standard-dose OACs were included in the study; reasons these patients could not take standard-dose OACs included low creatinine clearance (<30 mL per minute), low body weight (≤45 kg), history of bleeding from critical organs, continuous use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or concomitant use of antiplatelet drugs. Eligible patients were recruited randomly from 164 hospitals in Japan and were randomly assigned 1:1 to edoxaban or placebo. INTERVENTIONS: Edoxaban (15 mg once daily) or placebo. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: The primary efficacy end point was the composite of stroke or systemic embolism. The primary safety end point was International Society on Thrombosis and Hemostasis–defined major bleeding. RESULTS: A total of 984 patients (mean [SD] age: age group 80-84 years, 82.2 [1.4] years; age group 85-89 years, 86.8 [1.4] years; age group ≥90 years, 92.3 [2.1] years; 565 women [57.4%]) were included in this study. In the placebo group, estimated (SE) event rates for stroke or systemic embolism increased with age and were 3.9% (1.2%) per patient-year in the group aged 80 to 84 years (n = 181), 7.3% (1.7%) per patient-year in the group aged 85 to 89 years (n = 184), and 10.1% (2.5%) per patient-year in the group aged 90 years or older (n = 127). A 15-mg dose of edoxaban consistently decreased the event rates for stroke or systemic embolism with no interaction with age (80-84 years, hazard ratio [HR], 0.41; 95% CI, 0.13-1.31; P = .13; 85-89 years, HR, 0.42; 95% CI, 0.17-0.99; P = .05; ≥90 years, HR, 0.23; 95% CI, 0.08-0.68; P = .008; interaction P = .65). Major bleeding and major or clinically relevant nonmajor bleeding events were numerically higher with edoxaban, but the differences did not reach statistical significance, and there was no interaction with age. There was no difference in the event rate for all-cause death between the edoxaban and placebo groups in all age strata. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Results of this subanalysis of the ELDERCARE–AF randomized clinical trial revealed that among Japanese patients aged 80 years or older with AF who were not considered candidates for standard OACs, a once-daily 15-mg dose of edoxaban was superior to placebo in preventing stroke or systemic embolism consistently across all 3 age strata, including those aged 90 years or older, albeit with a higher but nonstatistically significant incidence of bleeding. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT0280166

Light-driven Proton Pumps as a Potential Regulator for Carbon Fixation in Marine Diatoms

Diatoms are a major phytoplankton group responsible for approximately 20% of carbon fixation on Earth. They perform photosynthesis using light-harvesting chlorophylls located in plastids, an organelle obtained through eukaryote-eukaryote endosymbiosis. Microbial rhodopsin, a photoreceptor distinct from chlorophyll-based photosystems, was recently identified in some diatoms. However, the physiological function of diatom rhodopsin remains unclear. Heterologous expression techniques were herein used to investigate the protein function and subcellular localization of diatom rhodopsin. We demonstrated that diatom rhodopsin acts as a light-driven proton pump and localizes primarily to the outermost membrane of four membrane-bound complex plastids. Using model simulations, we also examined the effects of pH changes inside the plastid due to rhodopsin-mediated proton transport on photosynthesis. The results obtained suggested the involvement of rhodopsin-mediated local pH changes in a photosynthetic CO2-concentrating mechanism in rhodopsin-possessing diatoms