From Teachers’ Minds to Speakers’ Minds in the Applications to Psychology and Philosophy, Connected to Sociolinguistics in the Ways of Interactions for Better Relationships to Make Parts of Narratives

This paper is focused on discourse analyses that give us an insight that there is a cultural difference in showing empathy in dialogues from the issue of sociolinguistics. It would be based on further investigations and promotions to learn actual interactions as usages of languages, which is connected to a problem of bilingualism. The way to construct a conversation well shows a cultural view to give empathy in dialogues. This paper reveals the discourse frames in Japanese and American dialogues, related to frames of self of “we”, “you”, and “I”. It is significant for us to notice that these frames appear in expressions and discourse structures as speakers and hearers. It puts forward an investigation of ways with which people interact

Role of N-terminal His-rich Domain of Oscillatoria brevis Bxa1 in Both Ag(I)/Cu(I) and Cd(II)/Zn(II) Tolerance

A CPx-ATPase (named Bxa1) is induced in the cyanobacterium Oscillatoria brevis upon exposure to multiple heavy metal ions. The function of the bxa1 gene was examined by heterologous expression in both Saccharomyces cerevisiae (yeast) and Escherichia coli. Expression of bxa1 in E. coli caused Ag, Cd and Zn tolerance, but in yeast became sensitive to those metals. To reveal the role of the N-terminal His-rich domain (first 35 amino acids) of Bxa1, we constructed E. coli and yeast transformants carrying the bxa1 (Δ35bxa1). The E. coli transformant with Δ35bxa1 was sensitive to heavy metals. On the other hand, the yeast Δ35bxa1 transformant increased heavy-metal tolerance than bxa1 transformant. Fluorescence microscopy suggested that the two fusion proteins Bxa1::mGFP and Δ35Bxa1::mGFP are mainly localized in yeast endoplasmic reticulum (ER). These results imply that the function of Bxa1 was lost by the N-terminus deletion in both E. coli and yeast transformants. This is the first report that the His-rich domain in O. brevis Bxa1 is essential not only to monovalent (Ag+ and Cu+) but also to divalent (Cd2+ and Zn2+) heavy metal tolerance. Moreover, we clarified the toxicity mechanism against Cd using yeast transformants

Effectiveness of Self-Monitoring Approach Using Fitness Trackers to Improve Walking Ability in Rehabilitation Settings: A Systematic Review

Background: A self-monitoring approach utilizing fitness trackers that provide feedback regarding physical activities has been recently applied to rehabilitation patients to promote voluntary walking activities. Although this approach has been proven to increase physical activity, it is uncertain whether the intervention improves walking ability.Aim: This review investigated whether the additional self-monitoring approach using activity trackers would improve walking ability in any type of rehabilitation setting.Methods: A systematic search was performed in four databases [PubMed (MEDLINE), The Cochrane Library, SPORTDiscus, and Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature] to identify studies that examined the self-monitoring approach combined with rehabilitative intervention vs. the same rehabilitative intervention only in participants with any unhealthy conditions. Two review authors independently assessed the eligibility of all the retrieved English literature published from 2009 to 2019, then discussed the final inclusion. The risk of bias was assessed referring to the criteria of the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool. The key findings were synthesized using narrative synthesis. In addition, a quantitative synthesis was conducted when more than two studies investigating the same disease were identified.Results: Eleven randomized controlled trials satisfied the eligibility criteria, nine of which had a lower risk of bias. The types of diseases included stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), cancer, Parkinson's disease, hemophilia, peripheral artery disease, post-total knee arthroplasty, and geriatric rehabilitation. Eight studies reported measures of walking endurance and four reported measures of gait speed. In the quantitative synthesis of two studies investigating COPD, there was a significant between-group difference in terms of changes in the 6-min walking distance from the baseline, which was favorable to the additional self-monitoring intervention group (mean difference: 13.1 m; 95% confidence interval, 1.8–24.5; 2 studies, 124 participants; p = 0.02; I2 = 0%). Other available data revealed no consistent evidence regarding effectiveness of the intervention.Conclusions: The findings indicate that there is little evidence suggesting the effectiveness of the self-monitoring approach in improving walking ability in rehabilitation settings. However, a weak recommendation for patients with stable COPD was implicated in the quantitative synthesis. Further research would be required to explore the best indications for this self-monitoring approach.Systematic Review Registration: CRD 42020157695

Abnormal Movements of Japanese Infants following Treatment with Midazolam in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: Incidence and Risk Factors

Background. This study was conducted to investigate the incidence of, and factors associated with, myoclonus-like abnormal movements of Japanese infants following treatment with midazolam in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Methods. We retrospectively investigated abnormal movements and associated risk factors in Japanese infants (less than 1 year old) who received continuous intravenous midazolam treatment in the NICU of the Neonatal Medical Center, Kumamoto City Hospital, Japan, between April 2007 and March 2009. Results. The study included 94 infants who received 119 sessions of midazolam treatment in total. Nine infants (9.6%) developed abnormal movements attributable to midazolam. These nine patients had a significantly lower gestational age at birth, a significantly lower number of weeks after conception at the start of midazolam treatment, and significantly lower body weight compared with patients free of abnormal movements. Logistic regression analysis revealed neonatal asphyxia as a factor associated with an elevated risk of abnormal movements (P = 0.03). Conclusion. The incidence of abnormal movements after midazolam treatment was about 9.6% among the Japanese NICU infants. This result suggests that neonatal asphyxia may be involved in the onset of abnormal movements in infants treated with midazolam

外科的に切除しえた, 肝硬変を伴う維持透析患者に発症した右腎癌下大静脈腫瘍塞栓の1例

症例は54歳, 男性。1900年, CGNにて血液透析導入となった。2005年2月に肉眼的血尿が出現。CTにて右腎癌を指摘され, 3月9日当科紹介。当科にて施行したCTでは直径7cm大の右腎腫瘍とともに下大静脈内の肝静脈流入部まで達する腫瘍塞栓を認めた。右腎腫瘍, 下大静脈塞栓, T3bN0M0 stage IIIの診断で4月28日, 根治的右腎摘除ならびに腫瘍塞栓摘除術を施行した。手術時間4時間28分, 出血量1, 400ml, 摘出標本は重量800g, 病理所見はrenal cell carcinoma, G2, pT3bであった。術前の凝固系検査は異常を認めなかったが, 肝硬変が原因と考えられる出血時間の延長と血小板数の低下を認めたため, 周術期は血小板輸血などにて対応した。術後経過は良好で, 後出血などの術後合併症もなく, 術後18日目に退院した。現在IFNα投与にて後療法を施行中であるが, 再発を認めていない。透析患者における下大静脈腫瘍塞栓を伴う腎癌に対して外科的治療を施行した症例についての報告例については比較的少なく, 文献的考察も含めて報告する。(著者抄録)A 54-year-old man who had been under hemodialysis therapy for 16 years presented with gross hematuria at our department in February 2005. Imaging findings revealed right renal tumor of8.2 cm in diameter. In addition, the tumor extended into inferior vena cava at the level of the hepatic vein. There were no findings of distant metastasis. Right radical nephrectomy and thrombectomy were performed on April 2006. Histopathological analysis showed that the tumor was renal cell carcinoma of clear cell type, grade 2. Postoperative course was uneventful, and the adjuvant therapy with interferon alpha was initiated. He has been free from recurrence for 22 months after surgery

Extended passaging increases the efficiency of neural differentiation from induced pluripotent stem cells

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The use of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) for the functional replacement of damaged neurons and <it>in vitro </it>disease modeling is of great clinical relevance. Unfortunately, the capacity of iPSC lines to differentiate into neurons is highly variable, prompting the need for a reliable means of assessing the differentiation capacity of newly derived iPSC cell lines. Extended passaging is emerging as a method of ensuring faithful reprogramming. We adapted an established and efficient embryonic stem cell (ESC) neural induction protocol to test whether iPSCs (1) have the competence to give rise to functional neurons with similar efficiency as ESCs and (2) whether the extent of neural differentiation could be altered or enhanced by increased passaging.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Our gene expression and morphological analyses revealed that neural conversion was temporally delayed in iPSC lines and some iPSC lines did not properly form embryoid bodies during the first stage of differentiation. Notably, these deficits were corrected by continual passaging in an iPSC clone. iPSCs with greater than 20 passages (late-passage iPSCs) expressed higher expression levels of pluripotency markers and formed larger embryoid bodies than iPSCs with fewer than 10 passages (early-passage iPSCs). Moreover, late-passage iPSCs started to express neural marker genes sooner than early-passage iPSCs after the initiation of neural induction. Furthermore, late-passage iPSC-derived neurons exhibited notably greater excitability and larger voltage-gated currents than early-passage iPSC-derived neurons, although these cells were morphologically indistinguishable.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>These findings strongly suggest that the efficiency neuronal conversion depends on the complete reprogramming of iPSCs via extensive passaging.</p

Complication of Chronic Eosinophilic Pneumonia in an Elderly Patient with Sjögren Syndrome

An 81-year-old Japanese male with primary Sjögren syndrome (pSS) developed a low-grade fever and productive cough which were refractory to antibiotic therapy. Based on the high level of eosinophils observed in his bronchial alveolar lavage, he was diagnosed with chronic eosinophilic pneumonia (CEP) and successfully treated by oral prednisolone. Interstitial lung diseases associated with pSS (pSS-ILDs) usually present as nonspecific interstitial pneumonia or usual interstitial pneumonia; therefore, the present case is extremely unique in that the patientʼs condition was complicated with CEP. A diagnosis of advanced gallbladder cancer was made in the patientʼs clinical course, suggesting the advisability of a whole-body workup in cases of pSS, especially in elderly patients

Diagnosis and Prognostication of Ductal Adenocarcinomas of the Pancreas Based on Genome-Wide DNA Methylation Profiling by Bacterial Artificial Chromosome Array-Based Methylated CpG Island Amplification

To establish diagnostic criteria for ductal adenocarcinomas of the pancreas (PCs), bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) array-based methylated CpG island amplification was performed using 139 tissue samples. Twelve BAC clones, for which DNA methylation status was able to discriminate cancerous tissue (T) from noncancerous pancreatic tissue in the learning cohort with a specificity of 100%, were identified. Using criteria that combined the 12 BAC clones, T-samples were diagnosed as cancers with 100% sensitivity and specificity in both the learning and validation cohorts. DNA methylation status on 11 of the BAC clones, which was able to discriminate patients showing early relapse from those with no relapse in the learning cohort with 100% specificity, was correlated with the recurrence-free and overall survival rates in the validation cohort and was an independent prognostic factor by multivariate analysis. Genome-wide DNA methylation profiling may provide optimal diagnostic markers and prognostic indicators for patients with PCs