文脈を視点とした日本の統計教育カリキュラム原理に関する研究

広島大学(Hiroshima University)博士(教育学)Doctor of Philosophy in Educationdoctora

A Study of Relationship Between Postpositional Particles of Japanese and Illustrative Representations: Focusing on Even/Odd Numbers

本稿では，偶数と奇数の概念形成にかかわる説明的文章での助詞を抽出し，図的表現との関連について明らかにする。本稿の知見として，1つ目に，助詞の使用頻度については，学年に関係なく格助詞の使用頻度が多いことが認められた。偶数と奇数の概念形成において，格助詞を使いこなせることが正しい表現へつながっていることは学年を問わず課題になっていることを意味する。2つ目に，偶数と奇数の概念形成において，小学5年では図的表現と助詞の組み合わせが多くあることが認められ，中学2年では認められなかった。ここでの助詞は格助詞を含めた全ての助詞である。In this study, we extracted particles of descriptive sentences related to the concept formation of even numbers and odd numbers and clarified their relation to illustrative representations and linguistic representations. First, it was found that the frequency of use of case particles is high, regardless of academic grade. In the formation of even-numbered and oddnumbered concepts, the fact that mastering case particles leads to correct expression means that it is an issue for all grades. Second, in the formation of even and odd concepts, it was recognized that during the fifth year of elementary school and in the second year of junior high school pupils used many combinations of illustrative representations, linguistic representations, and particles, including case particles

Suppression of tumor formation in lymph nodes by L-selectin–mediated natural killer cell recruitment

Natural killer (NK) cells are known to reject certain tumors in vivo; however, the ability of NK cells to prevent metastasis of tumors into secondary lymphoid organs has not been addressed. Here, we report that in tumor-bearing hosts, NK cells are recruited to regional lymph nodes in wild-type mice, but not in mice deficient for L-selectin or L-selectin ligands. By adoptive transfer and complete Freund's adjuvant stimulation experiments, we demonstrated that L-selectin on NK cells and L-selectin ligands on endothelial cells are essential for NK cell recruitment to lymph nodes. Furthermore, freshly isolated resident lymph node NK cells lysed tumors efficiently, and metastasis of B16 melanoma cells to draining lymph nodes was suppressed in wild-type or Rag-1–deficient mice, but not when NK cells were depleted. Although L-selectin–deficient NK cells efficiently lysed tumor cells in vitro, NK cell–dependent suppression of tumor metastasis was diminished in mice deficient for L-selectin or L-selectin ligands because of insufficient NK cell recruitment to lymph nodes. Moreover, tumor metastasis was substantially inhibited in L-selectin–deficient mice reconstituted with wild-type NK cells. These findings indicate that L-selectin–mediated NK cell recruitment plays a crucial role in the control of tumor metastasis into secondary lymphoid organs

Potent and broad anticancer activities of leaf extracts from Melia azedarach L. of the subtropical Okinawa islands

Plant extracts have been traditionally used for various therapeutic applications. By conducting an initial screening of several subtropical plants, in this study, we evaluated the anticancer activities of Melia azedarach L. The extract from Melia azedarach L. leaves (MLE) show high cytotoxic effects on cancer cells and in vivo mouse and dog tumor models. During the initial screening, MLE showed strong antiproliferative activity against HT-29 colon, A549 lung, and MKN1 gastric cancer cells. In subsequent tests, using 39 human tumor cell lines, we confirmed the potent anticancer activities of MLE. The anticancer activity of MLE was also confirmed in vivo. MLE markedly inhibited the growth of transplanted gastric MKN1 cancer xenografts in mice. To elucidate the mechanism underlying the anticancer effects of MLE, MLE-treated MKN1 cells were observed using an electron microscope; MLE treatment induced autophagy. Furthermore, western blot analysis of proteins in lysates of MLE-treated cells revealed induction of light chain 3 (LC3)-II autophagosomal proteins. Thus, MLE appeared to suppress MKN1 cell proliferation by inducing autophagy. In addition, in the mouse macrophage cell line J774A.1, MLE treatment induced TNF-alpha production, which might play a role in tumor growth suppression in vivo. We also performed a preclinical evaluation of MLE treatment on dogs with various cancers in veterinary hospitals. Dogs with various types of cancers showed a mean recovery of 76% when treated with MLE. Finally, we tried to identify the active substances present in MLE. All the active fractions obtained by reverse-phase chromatography contained azedarachin B-related moieties, such as 3-deacetyl-12-hydroxy-amoorastatin, 12-hydroxy-amoorastatin, and 12-hydroxyamoorastaton. In conclusion, MLE contains substances with promising anticancer effects, suggesting their future use as safe and effective anticancer agents

Increased nerve growth factor expression in the synovial tissues of patients with rotator cuff tears

BACKGROUND: Rotator cuff tears (RCTs) are often associated with severe shoulder pain. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, not recommended for long-term use, do not effectively manage RCT-induced pain, resulting in reduced quality of life. To improve management, a better understanding of the fundamental properties of RCT pain is needed. Here, we aimed to compare the expression levels of nerve growth factor (NGF) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) mRNA in the synovial tissues of patients with RCT-induced pain and patients with non-painful recurrent shoulder dislocation (RSD). METHODS: The study included 32 patients with RCT who underwent arthroscopic rotator cuff repair and 28 patients with non-painful RSD who underwent arthroscopic Bankart repair. Synovial tissue samples were harvested from subacromial bursa and rotator interval of RCT patients and from the rotator interval of RSD patients. Samples were analyzed quantitatively expression levels for NGF and COX2 mRNA and NGF protein. RESULTS: NGF mRNA and protein levels were significantly higher in the rotator interval of RCT patients than in the rotator interval of RSD patients (p = 0.0017, p = 0.012, respectively), while COX2 mRNA levels did not differ significantly between the two patient groups. In RCT patients, COX2 mRNA was more highly expressed in the rotator interval than in the subacromial bursa (p = 0.038), whereas the mRNA and protein levels of NGF did not differ between the two tissues. The expression of NGF mRNA in the synovium of the rotator interval was significantly correlated with the numeric rating scale of pain (ρ = 0.38, p = 0.004). CONCLUSION: NGF mRNA and protein levels were elevated in patients with painful RCT compared with those in patients with non-painful RSD, whereas COX-2 levels were comparable in the two patient groups. These findings provide insights into novel potential strategies for clinical management of RCT

Improved Sendai viral system for reprogramming to naive pluripotency

優れた多分化能を持つヒトのナイーブ型iPS細胞を迅速に作製する方法を発明. 京都大学プレスリリース. 2022-10-18.A novel method for generating naive human iPS cells with significantly higher differentiation potency. 京都大学プレスリリース. 2022-11-15.Naive human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) can be generated by reprogramming somatic cells with Sendai virus (SeV) vectors. However, only dermal fibroblasts have been successfully reprogrammed this way, and the process requires culture on feeder cells. Moreover, SeV vectors are highly persistent and inhibit subsequent differentiation of iPSCs. Here, we report a modified SeV vector system to generate transgene-free naive human iPSCs with superior differentiation potential. The modified method can be applied not only to fibroblasts but also to other somatic cell types. SeV vectors disappear quickly at early passages, and this approach enables the generation of naive iPSCs in a feeder-free culture. The naive iPSCs generated by this method show better differentiation to trilineage and extra-embryonic trophectoderm than those derived by conventional methods. This method can expand the application of iPSCs to research on early human development and regenerative medicine