A Study on Efforts to Improve “Quality in Early Childhood Education and Care for Infants and Young Children” in Higashihiroshima City: A Comparison of the Level of Recognition of Childcare Workers and Parents

The purpose of this study is to clarify the extent to which the efforts related to the “Action Plan” in Higashihiroshima City, are recognized by the childcare workers engaged in the selected nursery schools, and the parents of the students at these schools, as well as the differences between them. The results revealed that efforts to “incorporate the natural environment, including plants and animals, into childcare” were highly recognized by both, childcare workers, and parents. In addition, Mann-Whitney’s U-test results showed that “childcare with awareness of the five capabilities formulated by the Hiroshima Prefectural Board of Education,” “efforts for collaboration between day-care centers and elementary schools,” “introduction of a childcare coordinator system, formulated by Higashihiroshima City” and “implementation of parent questionnaire surveys,” were the four initiatives for which childcare workers assign significantly higher value items. On the other hand, the item with significantly higher scores among parents was “Implementation of open class,” but an inadequacy was pointed out in the question setting. Furthermore, since the survey was conducted twice in one year, a within-participant comparison of childcare workers revealed no significant differences between the first and second rounds of the survey.本研究は令和３年度「大学連携政策課題共同研究事業 行政課題解決型共同研究」に提案した「東広島市の就学前保育施設の保育の質と乳幼児の育ちに関する評価研究」の一環として,東広島市 こども未来部 保育課の協力で実施したものである

Activation of Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase in Descending Pain Modulatory System

The descending pain modulatory system is thought to undergo plastic changes following peripheral tissue injury and exerts bidirectional (facilitatory and inhibitory) influence on spinal nociceptive transmission. The mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) superfamily consists of four main members: the extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase1/2 (ERK1/2), the c-Jun N-terminal kinases (JNKs), the p38 MAPKs, and the ERK5. MAPKs not only regulate cell proliferation and survival but also play important roles in synaptic plasticity and memory formation. Recently, many studies have demonstrated that noxious stimuli activate MAPKs in several brain regions that are components of descending pain modulatory system. They are involved in pain perception and pain-related emotional responses. In addition, psychophysical stress also activates MAPKs in these brain structures. Greater appreciation of the convergence of mechanisms between noxious stimuli- and psychological stress-induced neuroplasticity is likely to lead to the identification of novel targets for a variety of pain syndromes

Endoscopic ultrasound-guided immunotherapy

AbstractAnti-tumoral endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle injection (EUS-FNI), with its minimally invasive access for anti-tumoral agent delivery, is the most exciting field of intervention EUS. Pancreatic cancer is regarded as a systemic disease even if imaging modalities reveal no visible metastasis. From that perspective, immunological therapy is performed. To date, several reports have described immunotherapy under EUS-guidance. The first report of EUS-FNI intended for immunotherapy for advanced pancreatic cancer was published in 2000. In that study, an allogeneic mixed-lymphocyte culture was injected into tumors of eight patients with unresectable local pancreatic adenocarcinoma. The study of dendritic cells (DCs) for cancer has continued to develop in recent years. Actually, DCs are potent antigen-presenting cells for the induction of primary T-cell dependent immune response. When injected intratumorally, DCs acquire and process tumor antigens in situ, migrate to regional lymphoid organs, and initiate a strong tumor-specific immune response. To date, three reports have described EUS-FNI of DCs into pancreatic cancer: two for unresectable and one for pre-surgical operations. Every study has indicated the feasibility and safety. Furthermore, these reports showed that EUS-guided DCs injection might be an important option for treating advanced pancreatic cancer. EUS-guided immunotherapy is a very exciting field in interventional EUS for obstinate cancers

Quality of Early Childhood Education and Care and Child Development Evaluation Research in Higashi-hiroshima.: A report of 2021

In this study, we clarified how the quality of childcare at preschool childcare facilities (kindergartens, nursery schools, certified children’s kindergartens ) in the city is affected by the implementation status of the “Higashi-Hiroshima City Early Childhood Education and Childcare Action Plan.” The Action Plan includes, (1) the creation of an attractive childcare environment that nurtures the five abilities, (2) the promotion of natural childcare, (3) the enhancement of public childcare, and (4) the training and collaboration of childcare coordinators. Specifically, first, we clarified how teachers played a role in the growth of children from 0 years to preschool age through the implementation of the Higashi-Hiroshima City Early Childhood Education and Childcare Action Plan; second, we also evaluated parental childcare

Investigation of Early Protein Changes in the Urinary Bladder Following Partial Bladder Outlet Obstruction by Proteomic Approach

We investigated the pathophysiological mechanism by proteomic approach as a possible tool to detect the marker proteins to develop lower urinary tract symptoms following bladder outlet obstruction (BOO). Rats were randomized into 3 groups; control, sham operation and BOO groups. BOO group was divided into 1, 3, and 5 day-group. Conventional proteomics was performed with high resolution 2-D gel electrophoresis followed by computational image analysis and protein identification using mass spectrometry using rat urinary bladders. A comparison of bladder of BOO group with control bladder showed that three proteins of optineurin, thioredoxin and preprohaptoglobin were over-expressed in the bladder of BOO group. In addition, four proteins, such as peroxiredoxin 2, transgelin, hippocampal cholinergic neurostimulating peptide (HCNP) and beta-galactoside-binding lectin, were under-expressed in the bladder of BOO group. These data supported that down-regulation of HCNP might make detrusor muscle be supersensitive to acetylcholine, up-regulation of optineurin means the protection of nerve injury, and down-regulation of transgelin means the decreased contractility of detrusor muscle. Beside these proteins, other proteins are related to oxidative stress or have a nonspecific function in this study. However more information is needed in human bladder tissue for clinical usage

Hyperalgesia in an immobilized rat hindlimb: Effect of treadmill exercise using non-immobilized limbs

Cast immobilization of limbs causes hyperalgesia, which is a decline of the threshold of mechanical and thermal mechanical stimuli. The immobilization-induced hyperalgesia (IIH) can disturb rehabilitation and activities of daily living in patients with orthopedic disorders. However, it is unclear what therapeutic and preventive approaches can be used to alleviate IIH. Exercise that activates the descending pain modulatory system may be effective for IIH. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of treadmill exercise during the immobilization period, using the non-immobilized limbs, on IIH. Thirty-six 8-week-old Wistar rats were randomly divided into (1) control, (2) immobilization (Im), and (3) immobilization and treadmill exercise (Im. +. Ex) groups. In the Im and Im. +. Ex groups, the right ankle joints of each rat were immobilized in full plantar flexion with a plaster cast for an 8-week period. In the Im. +. Ex group, treadmill exercise (15. m/min, 30. min/day, 5 days/week) was administered during the immobilization period while the right hindlimb was kept immobilized. Mechanical hyperalgesia was measured using von Frey filaments every week. To investigate possible activation of the descending pain modulatory system, beta-endorphin expression levels in hypothalamus and midbrain periaqueductal gray were analyzed. Although IIH clearly occurred in the Im group, the hyperalgesia was partially but significantly reduced in the Im. +. Ex group. Beta-endorphin, which is one of the endogenous opioids, was selectively increased in the hypothalamus and midbrain periaqueductal gray of the Im. +. Ex group. Our data suggest that treadmill running using the non-immobilized limbs reduces the amount of hyperalgesia induced in the immobilized limb even if it is not freed. This ameliorating effect might be due to the descending pain modulatory system being activated by upregulation of beta-endorphin in the brain