Use of Table-Talk Role-Playing Game (TRPG) to Promote Communication Behaviors among Children with ASD

本研究では，自閉スペクトラム症(ASD)または注意欠陥多動性障害(ADHD)のある小学生3名を対象に，テーブルトーク・ロールプレイングゲーム(TRPG)を用いた余暇活動を実施し，児童同士のコミュニケーション行動の変容について検討した。加藤ら(2019)による「いただきダンジョンRPG」において，ゲーム上の場面区分「探索フェイズ」「戦闘フェイズ」が，児童同士の発話量と発話内容にどのような変化をもたらすかについて，実際の活動場面からトランスクリプトを作成して分析した。その結果，児童同士の発話量が「探索フェイズ」「戦闘フェイズ」の両方において増加し，発話内容も多様化した。この結果から，TRPG を用いた余暇活動は，同年代の他者とのコミュニケーションや交流機会の成功体験を蓄積できる活動として，ASD 児にとって有用であることが示唆された。This study examined the improvement of communication behaviors among children with ASD using table talk role-playing game (TRPG). Three students with ASD or ADHD participated in this study and played TRPG for seven sessions. The participants were assessed on the changes of communication behaviors in the “Battle” and “Seek” phases (Kato, 2019). We analyzed the communication behaviors by the transcript of TRPG playing sessions. Results of transcript showed that the frequency and variations of communication behaviors improved in both phases. This study suggested that TRPG was effective for ASD students to have experience of successful communication and interaction among peers of the same age

Hepatocellular Carcinoma with Foamy Histiocyte-Like Appearance: A Deceptively Clear Cell Carcinoma Appearing Variant

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) shows many pathological features, and it varies architecturally and cytologically. There have been many reports and discussions of the morphological features of HCC. A 63-year-old man was found to have a solitary tumor in liver segment 7 that was diagnosed as HCC. A partial resection of liver segment 7 was performed. Microscopically, the tumor lesion showed a moderately differentiated HCC. There was also a lesion with foamy histiocyte-like cells corresponding to the white lesion in the face of the cut tumor. Immunohistochemical staining showed that they were negative for CD68, S-100, vimentin, and HMB-45. The cytoplasm itself was negative on periodic acid Schiff (PAS) and Sudan staining. Without immunohistological analysis, it is difficult to distinguish this HCC variant from clear cell carcinoma or metastases of renal cell carcinoma. It is important to recognize this type as a specific cytological variant of HCC that requires confirmation by immunohistochemistry. This report describes the case of a patient with a morphologically distinctive pattern of HCC with prominent cell cytoplasm that had a foamy histiocyte-like appearance. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of this HCC variant

Role of Hypoxic OPC in Angiogenesis

Background－Oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs) regulate neuronal, glial, and vascular systems in diverse ways and display phenotypic heterogeneity beyond their established role as a reservoir for mature oligodendrocytes. However, the detailed phenotypic changes of OPCs after cerebral ischemia remain largely unknown. Here, we aimed to investigate the roles of reactive OPCs in the ischemic brain. Methods and Results－The behavior of OPCs was evaluated in a mouse model of ischemic stroke produced by transient middle cerebral artery occlusion in vivo. For in vitro experiments, the phenotypic change of OPCs after oxygen glucose derivation was examined using a primary rat OPC culture. Furthermore, the therapeutic potential of hypoxic OPCs was evaluated in a mouse model of middle cerebral artery occlusion in vivo. Perivascular OPCs in the cerebral cortex were increased alongside poststroke angiogenesis in a mouse model of middle cerebral artery occlusion. In vitro RNA‐seq analysis revealed that primary cultured OPCs increased the gene expression of numerous pro‐angiogenic factors after oxygen glucose derivation. Hypoxic OPCs secreted a greater amount of pro‐angiogenic factors, such as vascular endothelial growth factor and angiopoietin‐1, compared with normoxic OPCs. Hypoxic OPC‐derived conditioned media increased the viability and tube formation of endothelial cells. In vivo studies also demonstrated that 5 consecutive daily treatments with hypoxic OPC‐conditioned media, beginning 2 days after middle cerebral artery occlusion, facilitated poststroke angiogenesis, alleviated infarct volume, and improved functional disabilities. Conclusions－Following cerebral ischemia, the phenotype of OPCs in the cerebral cortex shifts from the parenchymal subtype to the perivascular subtype, which can promote angiogenesis. The optimal use of hypoxic OPCs secretome would provide a novel therapeutic option for stroke

p53 Expression in Pretreatment Specimen Predicts Response to Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy Including Anthracycline and Taxane in Patients with Primary Breast Cancer.

While clinical and pathologic responses are important prognostic parameters, biological markers from core needle biopsy (CNB) are needed to predict neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) response, to individualize treatment, and to achieve maximal efficacy. We retrospectively evaluated the cases of 183 patients with primary breast cancer who underwent surgery after NAC (anthracycline and taxane) at the National Cancer Center Hospital (NCCH). We analyzed EGFR, HER2, and p53 expression and common clinicopathological features from the CNB and surgical specimens of these patients. These biological markers were compared between sensitive patients (pathological complete response;pCR) and insensitive patients (clinical no change;cNC and clinical progressinve disease;cPD). In a comparison between the 9 (5%) sensitive patients and 30 (16%) insensitive patients, overexpression of p53 but not overexpression of either HER2 or EGFR was associated with a good response to NAC. p53 (p＝0.045) and histological grade 3 (p＝0.011) were important and significant predictors of the response to NAC. The correspondence rates for histological type, histological grade 3, ER, PgR, HER2, p53, and EGFR in insensitive patients between CNB and surgical specimens were 70%, 73%, 67%, 70%, 80%, 93%, and 73%. The pathologic response was significantly associated with p53 expression and histological grade 3. The correspondence rate of p53 expression between CNB and surgical specimens was higher than that of other factors. We conclude that the level of p53 expression in the CNB was an effective and reliable predictor of treatment response to NAC

Intracranial Rosai-Dorfman Disease - a Case Report and a Review of the Literature

Rosai-Dorfman disease (RDD) is an uncommon, non-neoplastic benign lymphoproliferative disease characterized by prominent,painless cervical lymphadenopathy with fever and leukocytosis. RDD is histologically characterized by emperipolesis,where large histiocytes become infiltrated with lymphocytes and plasma cells. Intracranial RDD is extremely rare. Only 79cases have been reported, including the present case. Intracranial RDD is associated with headaches, seizures, and numbnesscaused by increased intracranial pressure. A 67-year-old Japanese woman presented with dizziness and was diagnosedwith a tumor in the cerebral falx. The preoperative radiological diagnosis was meningioma. She had no lymphadenopathy. Thepatient underwent a craniotomy and tumor resection. The tumor consisted of lymphoid tissue with scattered lymph follicles.The infiltrating histiocytes showed emperipolesis. The histiocytes were immunoreactive for S-100 protein and CD68 and negativefor CD1a, leading to the diagnosis of intracranial RDD. The postoperative course was uneventful without further therapy.The dizziness had not re-appeared and MRI demonstrated no recurrence of tumors for 7 months. Intracranial RDD shows amale predominance and occurs later in life than nodal RDD. The clinical manifestations and prognosis are variable dependingon the location of the tumor and treatment. Most intracranial RDD have a benign course, but long-term follow-up is important,because recurrence has been observed

New aspect of photophysics of 7,7,8,8-tetracyanoquinodimethane and its solvated complexes: intra- vs. inter-molecular charge-transfer

We performed laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) spectroscopy of 7,7,8,8-tetracyanoquinodimethane (TCNQ) and its solvated complexes with acetonitrile (ACN) and benzene (Bz), under the jet-cooled gas-phase condition. We also carried out fluorescence and its time profile measurements in TCNQ/Bz/hexane solution to compare with the gas-phase results. The LIF excitation spectrum of the S-1 (pi pi*)-S-0 electronic transition of TCNQ monomer exhibited unusual vibronic structure with the maximum intensity at similar to 3000 cm(-1) above the band origin. In addition, the fluorescence lifetime is more than 100 times longer than that in hexane solution with most of the bands showing double exponential decay. The unusual feature of the vibronic bands is intrinsic and not due to the presence of other species, as confirmed by UV-UV hole-burning (HB) spectroscopy. These unusual features of S-1 are thought to be due to the coupling with the S-2 state, where S-2 was revealed to have intramolecular charge-transfer (ICT) character. The S-1-S-0 transition of the TCNQ-ACN complex exhibited sharp vibronic bands which are red-shifted by 120 cm(-1) from those of the monomer, indicating van der Waals (vdW) interaction between them; however, the fluorescence lifetime was drastically shortened. In contrast, the TCNQ-Bz complex gave a broad electronic spectrum. The study of the fluorescence and its time profile in TCNQ/Bz/hexane solution clearly shows the formation of the CT complex between TCNQ and Bz. Based on the experimental results and density functional theory (DFT) calculations, we propose that in the TCNQ monomer and TCNQ-ACN complex the S-1 (pi pi*) state is coupled to the intramolecular CT state, while the S-1 state of TCNQ in the TCNQ-Bz complex is more strongly coupled to the intermolecular CT state

Development of a soft X-ray angle-resolved photoemission system applicable to 100 µm crystals

A soft X-ray angle-resolved photoemission system applicable to 100 µm crystals has been developed