A Study of Students’ Motivation to Learn through the Use of Tablet Devices

本研究では，中学校英語の授業において，一人一台のICT 端末を活用した学習が，生徒の学習意欲に与える影響について検討した。ICT 端末を活用することで，英語が得意な生徒にも苦手な生徒にも双方に寄り添う個別最適化された学びと，複数人の協同的な学びを可能とし，主体的で深い学びへとつながると考えられる。このような，ICT 端末の利点を生かした一斉，個別，協同の学びを実践した結果，多数の生徒の英語への学習意欲が向上する傾向が見られた。In this study， we examined whether learning using each tablet terminal affects students’ motivation for learning in junior high school English classes. By utilizing ICT equipment， it will be possible for students who are good at English and those who are not good at English to have individual learning and collaborative learning in which multiple learning is shared， leading to independent and deep learning for students. As a result of considering and verifying that students’ motivation for learning English may change through simultaneous， individual， and collaborative learning that takes advantage of tablet terminals， many students have become English. Tends to improve learning motivation

Reconstructing 3d lung shape from a single 2d image during the deaeration deformation process using model-based data augmentation

Three-dimensional (3D) shape reconstruction is particularly important for computer assisted medical systems, especially in the case of lung surgeries, where large deaeration deformation occurs. Recently, 3D reconstruction methods based on machine learning techniques have achieved considerable success in computer vision. However, it is difficult to apply these approaches to the medical field, because the collection of a massive amount of clinic data for training is impractical. To solve this problem, this paper proposes a novel 3D shape reconstruction method that adopts both data augmentation techniques and convolutional neural networks. In the proposed method, a deformable statistical model of the 3D lungs is designed to augment various training data. As the experimental results demonstrate, even with a small database, the proposed method can realize 3D shape reconstruction for lungs during a deaeration deformation process from only one captured 2D image. Moreover, the proposed data augmentation technique can also be used in other fields where the training data are insufficient

Deformation analysis of surface and bronchial structures in intraoperative pneumothorax using deformable mesh registration

The positions of nodules can change because of intraoperative lung deflation, and the modeling of pneumothorax-associated deformation remains a challenging issue for intraoperative tumor localization. In this study, we introduce spatial and geometric analysis methods for inflated/deflated lungs and discuss heterogeneity in pneumothorax-associated lung deformation. Contrast-enhanced CT images simulating intraoperative conditions were acquired from live Beagle dogs. The images contain the overall shape of the lungs, including all lobes and internal bronchial structures, and were analyzed to provide a statistical deformation model that could be used as prior knowledge to predict pneumothorax. To address the difficulties of mapping pneumothorax CT images with topological changes and CT intensity shifts, we designed deformable mesh registration techniques for mixed data structures including the lobe surfaces and the bronchial centerlines. Three global-to-local registration steps were performed under the constraint that the deformation was spatially continuous and smooth, while matching visible bronchial tree structures as much as possible. The developed framework achieved stable registration with a Hausdorff distance of less than 1 mm and a target registration error of less than 5 mm, and visualized deformation fields that demonstrate per-lobe contractions and rotations with high variability between subjects. The deformation analysis results show that the strain of lung parenchyma was 35% higher than that of bronchi, and that deformation in the deflated lung is heterogeneous

Long-term effect of cinacalcet hydrochloride on abdominal aortic calcification in patients on hemodialysis with secondary hyperparathyroidism

Background: Secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT) is one of the common complications in dialysis patients, and is associated with increased risk of vascular calcification. The effects of cinacalcet hydrochloride treatment on bone and mineral metabolism have been previously reported, but the benefit of cinacalcet on vascular calcification remains uncertain. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of cinacalcet on abdominal aortic calcification in dialysis patients. Subjects and methods: Patients were on maintenance hemodialysis with insufficiently controlled SHPT (intact parathyroid hormone [PTH] >180 pg/mL) by conventional therapies. All subjects were initially administered 25 mg cinacalcet daily, with concomitant use of calcitriol analogs. Abdominal aortic calcification was annually evaluated by calculating aortic calcification area index (ACAI) using multidetector computed tomography (MDCT), from 12 months before to 36 months after the initiation of cinacalcet therapy. Results: Twenty-three patients were analyzed in this study. The mean age was 59.0±8.7 years, 34.8% were women, and the mean dialysis duration was 163.0±76.0 months. After administration of cinacalcet, serum levels of intact PTH, phosphorus, and calcium significantly decreased, and mean Ca × P values significantly decreased from 67.4±7.9 mg2/dL2 to 52±7.7 mg2/dL2. Although the ACAI value did not decrease during the observation period, the increase in ACAI between 24 months and 36 months after cinacalcet administration was significantly suppressed. Conclusion: Long-term administration of cinacalcet was associated with reduced progression of abdominal aortic calcification, and achieving appropriate calcium and phosphorus levels may reduce the rates of cardiovascular events and mortality in patients on hemodialysis

The renin–angiotensin system promotes arrhythmogenic substrates and lethal arrhythmias in mice with non-ischaemic cardiomyopathy

[Aims]The progression of pathological left ventricular remodelling leads to cardiac dysfunction and contributes to the occurrence of malignant arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death. The underlying molecular mechanisms remain unclear, however. Our aim was to examine the role of the renin–angiotensin system (RAS) in the mechanism underlying arrhythmogenic cardiac remodelling using a transgenic mouse expressing a cardiac-specific dominant-negative form of neuron-restrictive silencer factor (dnNRSF-Tg). This mouse model exhibits progressive cardiac dysfunction leading to lethal arrhythmias. [Methods and results]Subcutaneous administration of aliskiren, a direct renin inhibitor, significantly suppressed the progression of pathological cardiac remodelling and improved survival among dnNRSF-Tg mice while reducing arrhythmogenicity. Genetic deletion of the angiotensin type 1a receptor (AT1aR) similarly suppressed cardiac remodelling and sudden death. In optical mapping analyses, spontaneous ventricular tachycardia (VT) and fibrillation (VF) initiated by breakthrough-type excitations originating from focal activation sites and maintained by functional re-entry were observed in dnNRSF-Tg hearts. Under constant pacing, dnNRSF-Tg hearts exhibited markedly slowed conduction velocity, which likely contributes to the arrhythmogenic substrate. Aliskiren treatment increased conduction velocity and reduced the incidence of sustained VT. These effects were associated with suppression of cardiac fibrosis and restoration of connexin 43 expression in dnNRSF-Tg ventricles. [Conclusion]Renin inhibition or genetic deletion of AT1aR suppresses pathological cardiac remodelling that leads to the generation of substrates maintaining VT/VF and reduces the occurrence of sudden death in dnNRSF-Tg mice. These findings demonstrate the significant contribution of RAS activation to the progression of arrhythmogenic substrates

Mechanism of decrease of oral bioavailability of cyclosporin a during immunotherapy upon coadministration of amphotericin B

金沢大学附属病院薬剤部The trough level of blood concentration of cyclosporin A (CyA) in a patient receiving immunotherapy was observed to decrease following coadministration of amphotericin B (AMB). This clinical observation was confirmed experimentally in Wistar rats intravenously given AMB (1.5 or 3.0 mg/kg) or saline (control) for 4 days, followed by CyA (10 mg/kg). The blood concentration of CyA after i.v. or p.o. administration in both AMB groups was significantly decreased compared with the control. The oral bioavailability of CyA after 1.5 or 3.0 mg/kg AMB treatment was decreased to 67% or 46%, respectively, of that of the control group. AMB treatment increased the expression levels of mdr1a and mdr1b mRNAs in the duodenum to about three times the control, and expression of CYP3A2 mRNA in the liver was increased to about twice the control. The P-gp and CYP3A2 proteins were increased significantly. These findings suggest that the oral bioavailability of CyA is reduced as a result of both increased efflux transport via P-glycoprotein in the duodenum and an increased first-pass effect of CYP3A2-mediated hepatic metabolic activity, induced by AMB. It is suggested that careful monitoring of CyA levels is necessary in the event of AMB administration to patients receiving immunotherapy with CyA. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd

Associations between the orexin (hypocretin) receptor 2 gene polymorphism Val308Ile and nicotine dependence in genome-wide and subsequent association studies

Impact of the HCRTR2 gene risk variant on schizotypal personality traits (mean ± SD). (DOC 54 kb