Compound Heterozygous Mutations in SLC30A2/ZnT2 Results in Low Milk Zinc Concentrations: A Novel Mechanism for Zinc Deficiency in a Breast-Fed Infant.

Zinc concentrations in breast milk are considerably higher than those of the maternal serum, to meet the infant's requirements for normal growth and development. Thus, effective mechanisms ensuring secretion of large amounts of zinc into the milk operate in mammary epithelial cells during lactation. ZnT2 was recently found to play an essential role in the secretion of zinc into milk. Heterozygous mutations of human ZnT2 (hZnT2), including H54R and G87R, in mothers result in low (>75% reduction) secretion of zinc into the breast milk, and infants fed on the milk develop transient neonatal zinc deficiency. We identified two novel missense mutations in the SLC30A2/ZnT2 gene in a Japanese mother with low milk zinc concentrations (>90% reduction) whose infant developed severe zinc deficiency; a T to C transition (c.454T>C) at exon 4, which substitutes a tryptophan residue with an arginine residue (W152R), and a C to T transition (c.887C>T) at exon 7, which substitutes a serine residue with a leucine residue (S296L). Biochemical characterization using zinc-sensitive DT40 cells indicated that the W152R mutation abolished the abilities to transport zinc and to form a dimer complex, indicating a loss-of-function mutation. The S296L mutation retained both abilities but was extremely destabilized. The two mutations were found on different alleles, indicating that the genotype of the mother with low milk zinc was compound heterozygous. These results show novel compound heterozygous mutations in the SLC30A2/ZnT2 gene causing zinc deficiency in a breast-fed infant

Chondroitin Sulfate Iron Colloid-Enhanced MR Imaging in Patients with Small Hepatocellular Carcinomas: Correlations with Hemodynamic and Pathologic Examinations

To determine the usefulness of chondroitin sulfate iron colloid (CSIC)-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in evaluation of the histologic grade of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), we performed a comparative study with computed tomography during arterial portography (CTAP) and CT arteriography. Twenty-one surgically resected HCCs 3 cm or less in diameter were examined. There were five well- differentiated, six well- to moderately-differentiated and ten moderately- or poorly-differentiated HCCs. T2-weighted spin echo images (repetition time: 2,000 ms, echo time: 90 ms) were taken before and after intravenous injection of 23.6 ?mol Fe/kg of CSIC. The differences between precontrast and postcontrast contrast-to-noise ratios (enhancement index) was correlated with the findings of CTAP, CT arteriography and histological examination. The enhancement index increased with statistical significance as the intranodular arterial perfusion increased (P < 0.01), and as the intranodular portal perfusion decreased (P < 0.01). Though the enhancement index tended to increase as the grade of malignancy increased, no statistical significance was found. CSIC-enhanced MRI allowed a noninvasive evaluation of the intranodular reticuloendothelial function. We consider this procedure as a supplementary method for evaluation of the histologic grade of HCC prior to performing invasive procedures such as angiography and biopsy

Development of Exchange Activities with the International Students for Nurturing Global Human Resources: Focusing on Communication Skills, Cooperativity and Flexibility

This research project developed and practiced some exchange activities with international university students to nurture global human resources at the kindergarten level. The project was constructed with four strategic approaches to focus on developing communication skills, cooperativity and flexibility in children. The studies concluded that children's amical feeling toward international students have acted as a springboard to seek active interaction and to provide support when needed. Developmental level of children should also be considered to promote communication and flexibility. Further research on flexibility is necessary both in literature and in practice

Development of exchange activity with the student studying abroad to bring global human resources up : “Independence and positivism” please focus on “challenge spirit”

本研究は，幼稚園におけるグローバル人材の育成をめざした留学生交流活動を開発することを目的とする。特に，グローバル人材の育成に必要である「主体性・積極性」「チャレンジ精神」に焦点をあてることとする。 開発した交流活動における成果となる子どもの姿は次の通りである。①『日本語が通じない留学生と出会う（主体性・積極性）』場面では，子どもたちと留学生との間で徐々に自然な形でのやりとりが見られた。②『留学生が困った表情をしている（チャレンジ精神）』場面では，子ども自ら留学生にとってよい方法を考え，考えた方法で粘り強くかかわっていた。③『言葉の違いから留学生に自分の思いや考えが伝わらない（チャレンジ精神）』では，自分たちが伝えたいことを身振り手振り，絵や図鑑を用いて伝えようとする姿が見られた。④『留学生から「日本の子どもたちの歌や遊びが知りたい」という話がくる（主体性・積極性，チャレンジ精神）』では，子どもたちが留学生のことを思い，初めてでもすぐに覚えられるものを考えて選ぼうとする姿が見られた。また，日本の歌の踊りをわかってもらえるように見本を見せたり，体に触れたりしながら丁寧に教える姿が見られた。Exchange activity with the student studying abroad to bring global human resources up at a kindergarten by this research is being developed. I focus on independence, positivism and challenge spirit required by upbringing of global human resources. The outcome of a study is as follows. (1) I meet the student studying abroad who can’t speak Japanese. (Independence and positivism) Children were talking with a student studying abroad naturally. (2) A student studying abroad is in trouble. (Challenge spirit) A child is thinking for a student studying abroad and is behaving. (3) Talk isn’t transmitted to a student studying abroad because a word is different. (Challenge spirit) Children moved and it was being explained by a picture and an illustration book. (4) A student studying abroad is saying that he’d like to know Japanese play. (Independence and positivism, Challenge spirit) Easy play was chosen. A sample was being shown and it was being told politely

MR-angiographyで経過を観察しえた慢性関節リウマチに合併した巨細胞動脈炎の1例

We report a patient who developed giant cell (temporal) arteritis during treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. The patient was a 57-year-old Japanese woman and had been well controlled with anti-rheumatic drugs, when she presented to our hospital with severe bitemporal headaches and marked fatigue. An exclusive diagnosis was rapidly made and she was diagnosed as having giant cell arteritis based on the classification criteria by American College of Reumatology. Additionally, magnetic resonance (MR) angiography was performed, from which stenotic change in the bilateral superficial temporal arteries was strongly suspected and then corticosteroid therapy was quickly started. The patient followed an uneventful course without developing any complications such as visual dysfunctions. Therapeutic effect was confirmed by MR-angiographic findings obtained 4 weeks after the initiation of therapy.慢性関節リウマチ治療経過中に巨細胞動脈炎(側頭動脈炎)を合併した1例を報告した｡症例は抗リウマチ剤投与で良好にコントロールされていた慢性関節リウマチの57歳の女性で,強い両側頭部痛と全身倦怠感を主訴に来院した｡アメリカリウマチ学会(ACR)の分類基準に基づき巨細胞動脈炎と診断し,MR-アンギオグラフィーで両側浅側頭動脈の狭窄性変化を強く疑い,発症 早期よりステロイド投与を開始した｡眼合併症等を来すことなく良好な経過をとり,治療開始4週間後のMR-アンギオグラフィー再検でその治療効果を確認し得た｡MR-アンギオグラフィーで巨細胞動脈炎病変部を観察しえた報告は極めて少なく,文献的考察を加え報告する

Masculinity and femininity in male and female undergraduates

1990年代に入ってからの女子青年の変貌は著しく,現代の男子,女子それぞれの持つ性格特性が旧来男性性,女性性と呼ばれてきたものとずれている可能性がある.また性役割に関する社会の期待の認知も変化しているように思われる.そのため,現代の大学生の持つ性格特性および性役割認知を調査する.調査Ⅰでは現代の大学生の持つ性格特性を調べた.その結果,男性性,女性性いずれにおいても男女間で有意差はほとんど見られなかった.母親の就労タイプ別にみると,乳幼児と児童期に母親がフルタイムで働いていた場合,そうでない場合より,男子において思いやりのある人間として自己評価する傾向が高まることが判明した.調査Ⅱでは自己にとっての重要性の認知と社会からの期待の認知について調べた.その結果,女性性および人間性に関して,女子が男子より自己にとって重要と評価する傾向が見られた.一方,社会からの期待は男女間で差はほとんど見られなかった.また,これらの特性に関して,女子の方が男子より,社会からの期待以上に自己にとって重要と認知する傾向がみられた.以上より,女性性,男性性という呼び名が,現代においてふさわしくないことが示された

A study on the development of an adviser through guidance provided for teaching practice : Mechanisms for synergistic improvements in teaching practice between student teachers and advisers in kindergarten

本研究は，教育実習を通して実習生と指導教員が相乗的に高まる状況を確認し，そのメカニズムを考察することを目的とする。昨年度の研究から，実習生が求めるものと指導教員の指導のズレが少ない方が実習生と指導教員が相乗的に向上するという仮説に至った。したがって，今年度は指導教員が実習生のニーズをより具体的に理解しながら，それに応じた指導のあり方を探ることで，実習生と指導教員の相乗的な向上をめざしていく。　　 研究の方法は，実習生・指導教員に対し実習開始時・中間時・終了時の３回にわたり質問紙調査を用いる。中間時に２点について実習生の開始時の質問紙調査と比較し，指導教員の指導内容と実習生の所感との間に見られる共通点やズレに関する自由記述を行った。またそれぞれの時点で「実習指導において配慮すること」に関する自由記述を行った。　　 その結果，実習生と指導教員の相乗的向上のメカニズムとして，①教育実習を通して学んでほしいこと，いわゆる実習のねらいを明確にもつ②指導教員と実習生との意識の間でズレがないかを確認し指導に活かす③指導教員全員による意識を共有したり高め合ったりする場の必要性，という３点が明らかになった。This study aims to examine the development of the guidance teacher when instructing a student teacher. This year, we have aimed to clarify the relative improvements in the teaching practice of both the guidance and student teacher as well as to understand the needs of the student teacher and to explore the teaching methods being taught to student teachers. We hypothesized that the explanation of teaching methods by the guidance teacher was dependent on the willingness of the student teacher to learn. Our approach to the study involved analyzing the relationship between the student teacher and the guidance teacher at three stages (at the beginning, in the middle, and at the end of the training). The following three points were revealed as mechanisms for synergistic improvements in teaching practice to occur between the student and guidance teacher: (1) the establishment of clear aims by the guidance teacher in relation to teaching practice, (2) the exploration of a range of teaching methods by the guidance teacher in accordance with the willingness of the apprentice to learn, and (3) the creation of opportunities for discussion by the guidance teacher