The pathophysiology of prospective memory failure after diffuse axonal injury - Lesion-symptom analysis using diffusion tensor imaging

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Prospective memory (PM) is one of the most important cognitive domains in everyday life. The neuronal basis of PM has been examined by a large number of neuroimaging and neuropsychological studies, and it has been suggested that several cerebral domains contribute to PM. For these activation studies, a constellation of experimental PM trials was developed and adopted to healthy subjects. In the present study, we used a widely used clinical PM assessment battery to determine the lesions attributable to PM failure, with the hypothesis that lesion-symptom analysis using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) in subjects with diffuse axonal injury (DAI) can reveal the neuronal basis of PM in everyday life.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Fourteen DAI patients (age: range of 18-36, median 24) participated in this study. PM failure was scored in the range of 0-6 using three sub-tests of the Rivermead Behavioural Memory Test. The PM scores of DAI patients were in the range of 2-6 (median 4.5, inter-quartile range 2.25). The severity of axonal injury following DAI was examined using fractional anisotropy (FA), one of the DTI parameters, at voxel level in each subject. We then obtained clusters correlated with PM failure by conducting voxel-based regression analysis between FA values and PM scores. Three clusters exhibited significant positive correlation with PM score, the left parahippocampal gyrus, left inferior parietal lobe, and left anterior cingulate.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>This is the first lesion-symptom study to reveal the neuronal basis of PM using DTI on subjects with DAI. Our findings suggest that the neuronal basis of PM is in the left parahippocampal gyrus, left inferior parietal lobe, and/or left anterior cingulate. These findings are similar to those of previous activation studies with loading experimental PM tasks.</p

Blue Monday Phenomenon among Men:Suicide Deaths in Japan

The number of suicide deaths in Japan has continued to be high, and is a pressing social problem. Although the weekly distribution of suicide deaths has been documented, no nationwide analysis has yet been conducted. In the present study, the ratios of the number of suicide deaths per day, by day of the week, and on weekdays relative to holidays were calculated using the data for all suicide deaths recorded in 2003. The suicide deaths recorded on holidays were treated as the reference, and a confidence interval of 95% (95% CI) was used. We calculated the suicide death ratios among men and women of all ages (men:23,396, women:8,713, total:32,109) and also among those of productive age (age:15-64 years, men:18,552, women:5,481, total:24,033). Among men of all ages, the suicide death ratio on Mondays was found to be significantly high at 1.49 (95% CI:1.04-2.14), and the ratios were found to decrease over the course of the week from Monday to Friday. On each weekday, the suicide death ratios among men of productive age were found to be higher than those among men of all ages. Among women, the suicide death ratios on any weekday were found to be higher than 1, but there was no significant difference between the days. Among both men and women, the number of suicide deaths on holidays was lower than that on weekdays. This study revealed that the number of suicide deaths recorded per day on Mondays is 1.5 times higher than that on holidays among men. This suggests that the structure of the work week may possibly influence suicide deaths among men. Future discussions regarding the arrangement and distribution of weekly holidays should be conducted in order to reduce the number of suicide deaths.</p

Improving Mathematics Lesson and Evaluation through Setting Inquiry Problem-Solving Activities

The purpose of this research is to make a theoretical framework for improving mathematics lesson and evaluation through setting inquiry problem-solving activities effectively in junior high and senior high mathematics lessons. To achieve this, we first carried out a questionnaire survey to capture how students perceive learning mathematics and, based on the results, made a framework incorporated these activities for lesson design and evaluation of student’s learning. Then, sample lesson conducted in a junior and senior high school based on the framework was analyzed to investigate its effectiveness and get some practical suggestions

Eating Behavior and Childhood Overweight Among Population-Based Elementary Schoolchildren in Japan

This study investigated the relationship between eating behavior and childhood overweight among population-based elementary schoolchildren in Japan. Data was collected from fourth graders (9 or 10 years of age) from Ina Town, Saitama Prefecture, Japan from 1999 to 2009. Information about subjects’ sex, age, and lifestyle, including eating behaviors (eating until full and chewing thoroughly), was obtained using a self-administered questionnaire, and height and weight were measured directly. Overweight was determined according to the definition established by the International Obesity Task Force. Data from 4027 subjects (2079 boys and 1948 girls) were analyzed. Chewing thoroughly was associated with a significantly decreased odds ratio (OR) for being overweight, whereas eating until full significantly increased the OR for being overweight (OR: 1.50, 95% confidence interval: 1.16–1.94) among boys. However, eating until full was not associated with a significantly increased OR for being overweight among the group that reported chewing thoroughly, whereas it was associated with a significantly increased OR for being overweight (2.02, 1.38–2.94) among boys who did not chew thoroughly. In conclusion, eating until full or not chewing thoroughly was associated with being overweight among elementary schoolchildren. Results of this study suggest that chewing thoroughly may be an avenue to explore childhood overweight prevention efforts

A Study on Effective Support of Pre-Service Teachers in Practice Teaching : Focused on Students’ Mathematical Activity in Mathematics Lesson

本研究は，教育実習生の現状を調査し分析することを通して，教育実習における効果的な指導のための知見を得ることを目的としている。教育実習生に対して数学的活動の認識に関するアンケート調査を行い，提出された学習指導案とともに分析することによって，教育実習生が授業を構成する際の困難性について，特に数学的活動の位置付けに焦点を当てて考察を行った。数学学習における数学的活動の意義や現代の社会において求められる教員養成の役割に照らしてみるとき，教育実習においては次のような指導が効果的であることが示唆された。 　①授業の中で位置づけることが可能な数学的活動のタイプを特定させること 　②数学的活動との関わりで学習者の反応を捉えさせること 　③授業の中の情報共有の場面に意味を持たせること 　④教育実習生同士での議論を活性化させることThis study aims to provide suggestions about effective support in practice teaching by analyzing a survey of pre-service teachers. We discussed their difficulties in planning a mathematics lesson from the perspective of the construction of mathematical activities. We surveyed their conception of mathematical activities and analyzed their lesson plans. The results imply effective support is required in practice teaching as below: 1) Specifying possible mathematical activities in mathematics lessons 2) Understanding students’ reactions by referring them to mathematical activities 3) Making some situations of information-sharing meaningful in mathematics lessons 4) Activating the arguments among pre-service teacher

A Study on Effective Support of Pre-service Teachers in Practice Teaching(2): Through the Analysis of Small-group Learning in Pre-service Teachers’ Mathematics Lessons

本研究の目的は，教育実習生の認識に関する調査や実践される授業の分析を通して，効果的な実習指導に向けた示唆を得ることである。アンケートによる調査や学習指導案の分析によって，教育実習生が授業の中に小集団学習を取り入れる際の困難性が示された。また，小集団学習に関する利点やそれを実施する際の留意点に関して，教育実習生が多くの視点を持ち合わせている一方で，高等学校における小集団学習を取り入れた授業の経験が少ないことも明らかとなった。これらのことから，実習指導においては次のような点に重点を置いた支援が重要であると考えられる； 1) 小集団学習を位置づける目的を明確にし，個人の思考の場面も適切に確保すること 2) 小集団学習での目標を生徒に明確に示すこと 3) 小集団学習と個人あるいはクラス全体での学習との関連性を把握すること 4) 小集団学習と学習評価との関わりに注意を払うことThis study aims to highlight the implications of effective support in practice teaching by analyzing a survey administered to pre-service teachers. Through the analysis of teaching plans and questionnaire surveys, we identify the difficulties that occur when trainee teachers set up small-group learning in their lessons. From the questionnaires, we found that trainee teachers have many opinions about the advantages or disadvantages of such lessons, although they had little experience of small-group learning from their time at high school. The results of the analysis suggest that the following points are important when we instruct trainee teachers: 1) Clarify both the purpose of small-group learning and how to conduct individual learning; 2) Show students the aim of small-group learning; 3) Ensure trainee teachers review small-group learning for relating it to whole or individual learning; and 4) Ensure trainee teachers pay attention to the relationship between small-group learning and learning evaluations

Analysis of negative historical control group data from the in vitro micronucleus assay using TK6 cells.

The recent revisions of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) genetic toxicology test guidelines emphasize the importance of historical negative controls both for data quality and interpretation. The goal of a HESI Genetic Toxicology Technical Committee (GTTC) workgroup was to collect data from participating laboratories and to conduct a statistical analysis to understand and publish the range of values that are normally seen in experienced laboratories using TK6 cells to conduct the in vitro micronucleus assay. Data from negative control samples from in vitro micronucleus assays using TK6 cells from 13 laboratories were collected using a standard collection form. Although in some cases statistically significant differences can be seen within laboratories for different test conditions, they were very small. The mean incidence of micronucleated cells/1000 cells ranged from 3.2/1000 to 13.8/1000. These almost four-fold differences in micronucleus levels cannot be explained by differences in scoring method, presence or absence of exogenous metabolic activation (S9), length of treatment, presence or absence of cytochalasin B or different solvents used as vehicles. The range of means from the four laboratories using flow cytometry methods (3.7-fold: 3.5-12.9 micronucleated cells/1000 cells) was similar to that from the nine laboratories using other scoring methods (4.3-fold: 3.2-13.8 micronucleated cells/1000 cells). No laboratory could be identified as an outlier or as showing unacceptably high variability. Quality Control (QC) methods applied to analyse the intra-laboratory variability showed that there was evidence of inter-experimental variability greater than would be expected by chance (i.e. over-dispersion). However, in general, this was low. This study demonstrates the value of QC methods in helping to analyse the reproducibility of results, building up a 'normal' range of values, and as an aid to identify variability within a laboratory in order to implement processes to maintain and improve uniformity

Improving Mathematics Lesson and Evaluation through Setting Inquiry Problem-Solving Activities

The purpose of this research is to make a theoretical framework for improving mathematics lesson and evaluation through setting inquiry problem-solving activities effectively in junior high and senior high mathematics lessons. To achieve this, we first carried out a questionnaire survey to capture how students perceive learning mathematics and, based on the results, made a framework incorporated these activities for lesson design and evaluation of student’s learning. Then, sample lesson conducted in a junior and senior high school based on the framework was analyzed to investigate its effectiveness and get some practical suggestions

Laughter and humor as complementary and alternative medicines for dementia patients

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The number of dementia patients has increased worldwide, with an estimated 13.7 million dementia patients in the Asia Pacific region alone. This number is expected to increase to 64.6 million by the year 2050.</p> <p>Discussion</p> <p>As a result of advances in research, there several pharmacological therapies available for the treatment of dementia patients. However, current treatments do not suppress the disease process and cannot prevent dementia, and it will be some time before these goals are realized. In the meantime, complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is an important aspect in the treatment of dementia patients to improve their quality of life throughout the long course of the disease. Considering the individuality of dementia patients, applicability of laughter and humor therapy is discussed. Even though there are many things that need to be elucidated regarding the mechanisms underlying the beneficial effects of laughter and humor, both may be good CAM for dementia patients if they are applied carefully and properly.</p> <p>Summary</p> <p>In this debate article, the physiological basis and actual application of laughter and humor in the treatment of dementia patients are presented for discussion on the applicability to dementia patients.</p