A Three-day CLIL Workshop : what was learned and produced

現在多くの日本の大学では、グローバルな教育内容と環境を促進することが火急の課題である。岡山大学では英語教育の質の向上と授業科目の英語での提供の２つに取り組んでいるが、その実践においてCLIL（内容言語統合型学習）が有用であると考えられる。また日本の高等教育機関において、CLIL を既に実践あるいは導入を検討している教育関係者と経験やアイデアを共有し、ネットワークを作って今後の情報交換を行うことも非常に重要である。そこで岡山大学では2016 年2 月にフィンランドから２名の講師を招き、３日間のCLIL ワークショップを開催した。この論文では４大学の参加者４名がワークショップで紹介された２つの大学の異なったCLIL モデルについて報告する。またワークショップで行った様々なアクティビティを通して参加者が学び取ったことや成果についても記述する

Laparoscopic Surgery for Acute Diffuse Peritonitis Due to Gastrointestinal Perforation: A Nationwide Epidemiologic Study Using the National Clinical Database

[Background] Elective laparoscopic surgery is now widely accepted in the treatment of abdominal diseases because of its minimal invasiveness and rapid postoperative recovery. It is also used in the emergency setting for the diagnosis and treatment of acute diffuse peritonitis regardless of the causative disease. However, the value of laparoscopy in acute diffuse peritonitis remains unclear. In this study we aimed to show trends in the use of laparoscopy over time and compare the real-world performance of laparoscopic surgery with that of open surgery for acute diffuse peritonitis due to gastrointestinal perforation. [Methods] We extracted data from the National Clinical Database, a nationwide surgery registration system in Japan, for patients with a diagnosis of acute diffuse peritonitis due to gastroduodenal or colorectal perforation between 2016 and 2019. Trends in the use of laparoscopy over time were identified. Patient characteristics, laboratory findings, surgical findings, and postoperative complications were compared between laparoscopic surgery and open surgery. [Results] Patients in poor condition and those with abnormal laboratory findings tended to undergo open surgery. Anesthesia time and operating time were longer for laparoscopic surgery in patients with gastroduodenal perforation but shorter in those with colorectal perforation. Fewer complications occurred in patients who underwent laparoscopic surgery. The number of institutions where laparoscopic surgery was performed and the proportion of the use of laparoscopy at each institution increased over time. [Conclusion] The use of laparoscopy is becoming common in surgery for acute diffuse peritonitis due to gastrointestinal perforation. This approach may be a useful option for acute diffuse peritonitis

Bevacizumab terminates homeobox B9-induced tumor proliferation by silencing microenvironmental communication

Background: Homeobox B9 (HOXB9), a transcriptional factor, regulates developmental processes and tumor progression and has recently been recognized as one of important transcriptional factors related to angiogenesis. This study aimed to investigate the role of HOXB9 in tumorigenesis and angiogenesis. Methods: We examined the expression of HOXB9 in colorectal cancer using qPCR and in situ hybridization. We also examined the effect of HOXB9 overexpression in colorectal cancer using a proliferation assay, ELISA, a multiplex assay, and xenograft models. The clinical significance of HOXB9 was statistically evaluated in resected specimens. Results: HOXB9 was expressed in colorectal cancer specimens. HOXB9 induced angiogenesis and tumor proliferation in vitro, which resulted in high tumorigenicity in vivo and poor overall survival. Bevacizumab, an anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) antibody, remarkably suppressed tumor proliferation by inhibiting angiogenesis in HOXB9-overexpressing xenografts, and it improved overall survival and provided prolonged progression-free survival in HOXB9-overexpressing patients. A comprehensive multiplex assay of the supernatant of cancer cells co-cultured with human vascular endothelial cells and fibroblasts indicated significantly higher interleukin-6 (IL6) levels than those in the supernatant of monocultured cells. HOXB9 overexpression in clinical specimens was significantly correlated with increased IL6 expression. An IL6-neutralizing antibody inhibited VEGF secretion and tumor proliferation in the co-culture system. Conclusions: HOXB9 promotes the secretion of angiogenic factors, including VEGF, to induce tumor proliferation through microenvironmental production of cytokines including IL6 signaling. Moreover, silencing of VEGF or IL6 terminates cytokine release in tumor microenvironment. Thus, HOXB9 and IL6 may be potential biomarkers for bevacizumab treatment

Open Access

Bevacizumab terminates homeobox B9-induced tumor proliferation by silencing microenvironmental communicatio

Calcitonin Receptor Signaling Inhibits Muscle Stem Cells from Escaping the Quiescent State and the Niche

Masahiko Yamaguchi, Yoko Watanabe, Takuji Ohtani, Akiyoshi Uezumi, Norihisa Mikami, Miki Nakamura, Takahiko Sato, Masahito Ikawa, Mikio Hoshino, Kunihiro Tsuchida, Yuko Miyagoe-Suzuki, Kazutake Tsujikawa, Shin’ichi Takeda, Hiroshi Yamamoto, So-ichiro Fukada, Calcitonin Receptor Signaling Inhibits Muscle Stem Cells from Escaping the Quiescent State and the Niche, Cell Reports, Volume 13, Issue 2, 2015, Pages 302-314, ISSN 2211-1247, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2015.08.083

『日本語日常会話コーパス』を利用した指示語（コソアド）の用法の識別について

十文字学園女子大学光村教育図書株式会社お茶の水女子大学名誉教授Jumonji UniversityMitsumura Educational Co. Ltd.Professor Emeritus, Ochanomizu University『日本語日常会話コーパス』（Corpus of Everyday Japanese Conversation）のモニター公開版のデータ（50時間分）を用いて，指示語（コソアド）の使用実態を報告した。また，動画を参照し，形式的に指示語に由来するフィラーについて，その用法の識別を検討した。「コソアド」には，指示語の用法（連体詞・副詞・代名詞・名詞）と，指示語由来の応答・感情・フィラーなどを表す用法（感動詞）とがある。しかしながら，CEJCにおいて，「そう」「こう」「この」は，フィラー用法があるにもかかわらず，感動詞としての用法が設けられていない。そこで，この3語に着目し，動画を参照しながら，「そう」「こう」「この」の用法の識別を試みた。副詞や連体詞としての用法と，感動詞-フィラーとしての用法が，区別できるケースもあったが，話者の意図やそれに伴う身振りが明確でないことから，用法に連続性が認められたり，指示性が途中で流れ（希薄化ないし消失し）たりして，区別できない場合もあった。よって，CEJCの認定および分類方法は妥当であると考える。We report the actual usage of such deictic words as ko, so, a, and do, based on an analysis of 50 hours of data from the Corpus of Everyday Japanese Conversation (CEJC, 2018 version); watching the videos, we also examined how fillers derived formally from the reference terms are used. There are two usages of ko, so, a, and do, that where the deictic words are parts of speech: adjectives, adverbs, pronouns, or nouns, and that where they express responses, feelings, or fillers—that is, their use as interjections, which derive from deictic words in general. However, though the CEJC indicates the function of filler for so, ko, and kono, it does not define the words as interjections. Thus, we inspected the CEJC videos, paying special attention to these three deictic words; some of them were categorized as adverbs, adnominal words, interjections, or mere fillers. Others cannot be categorized or distinguished at all, partly because the speakers\u27 intentions and gestures are vague, and partly because the speakers were using these fillers without their indicated words. In conclusion, we found the definitions of these words by the CEJC satisfactorily valid

Integrated genetic and epigenetic analysis defines novel molecular subgroups in rhabdomyosarcoma.

横紋筋肉腫におけるゲノム・エピゲノム異常の全体図を解明 -横紋筋肉腫を4群に分類-. 京都大学プレスリリース. 2015-07-03.Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is the most common soft-tissue sarcoma in childhood. Here we studied 60 RMSs using whole-exome/-transcriptome sequencing, copy number (CN) and DNA methylome analyses to unravel the genetic/epigenetic basis of RMS. On the basis of methylation patterns, RMS is clustered into four distinct subtypes, which exhibits remarkable correlation with mutation/CN profiles, histological phenotypes and clinical behaviours. A1 and A2 subtypes, especially A1, largely correspond to alveolar histology with frequent PAX3/7 fusions and alterations in cell cycle regulators. In contrast, mostly showing embryonal histology, both E1 and E2 subtypes are characterized by high frequency of CN alterations and/or allelic imbalances, FGFR4/RAS/AKT pathway mutations and PTEN mutations/methylation and in E2, also by p53 inactivation. Despite the better prognosis of embryonal RMS, patients in the E2 are likely to have a poor prognosis. Our results highlight the close relationships of the methylation status and gene mutations with the biological behaviour in RMS

Psychological process from hospitalization to death among uninformed terminal liver cancer patients in Japan

BACKGROUND: Although the attitude among doctors toward disclosing a cancer diagnosis is becoming more positive, informing patients of their disease has not yet become a common practice in Japan. We examined the psychological process, from hospitalization until death, among uninformed terminal cancer patients in Japan, and developed a psychological model. METHODS: Terminal cancer patients hospitalized during the recruiting period voluntarily participated in in-depth interviews. The data were analyzed by grounded theory. RESULTS: Of the 87 uninformed participants at the time of hospitalization, 67% (N = 59) died without being informed of their diagnosis. All were male, 51–66 years of age, and all experienced five psychological stages: anxiety and puzzlement, suspicion and denial, certainty, preparation, and acceptance. At the end of each stage, obvious and severe feelings were observed, which were called "gates." During the final acceptance stage, patients spent a peaceful time with family, even talking about their dreams with family members. CONCLUSION: Unlike in other studies, the uninformed patients in this study accepted death peacefully, with no exceptional cases. Despite several limitations, this study showed that almost 70% of the uninformed terminal cancer patients at hospitalization died without being informed, suggesting an urgent need for culturally specific and effective terminal care services for cancer patients in Japan