”Argument” as a scene setting for making ”Yarikuri Lesson”.

本校の研究主題である「やりくり」場面設定の一つとして，論証（アーギュメント）の手法を用いて授業実践を行った。その結果生徒は論証を繰り返すごとに根拠を用いて自分の考えを主張することに慣れ対話の中で自己の考えを伝えることができるようになった。論証のための知識機会主張できる雰囲気がそろうことによりやりくりの場面を設定することができた。As a scene setting for making “Yarikuri Lesson”, we had classes through the method called “argument”. As a result, the more the students have arguments in class, the more they get used to presenting to peer students their own ideas based on certain objective data. Through the practice, more students in the class become less hesitant to express their ideas or thoughts to other students. The premise of my study is that the students can learn in interactive ways with other students if the teacher creates the proper environment for discussing something using the method of “argument.

The management to promote student's “understanding” in classes of science education : From the class practice “Stimulating student's thinking after teaching”

理科教育においては，学習した内容を科学的な概念を用いて説明できることが重要であると考える。従来の授業では，基本的な知識や技能を教え，テストによってその思考を問うという方法を用いてきた。今回の研究では，より「理解」をうながすためのやりくりの一例として，教えて考えさせるという手法を用いた授業実践を行った。 / In science education, it is important that students become able to explain learned contents in the class using various scientific concepts. Typical method so far long been employed is teaching fundamental knowledge and skills first, then check level of understanding of the students with a quiz or an examination. I practiced classes where students are encouraged to find out answers themselves for problems presented, as an example of “finding better way with trial and error”. In this research, we conducted teaching practice using a method of thinking after teaching as an example of a solution to promote "understanding"

An inquiring mind obtained through the process of " classes encouraging voluntary thinking by teaching" : Through the learning of stretch of springs.

理科の学習の中で子供たちはさまざまな事象に興味を持ち， 学習したことに対して新しい疑問点をもっていることに気づく。基本的な知識や技能を教え， 実験や観察により原理や法則を導き出すという手法ではなく， 与えられた原理や法則を活用するという授業スタイルの中で，子供たちはどのような新しい課題を発見しているのかについて述べる。 / Junior high school students often find new challenges for the things they learn, showing interests in various phenomena, in the course of classes of the science. I presented classes where the process of finding new challenges by students would be detected in the class style where we make use of principles or laws already given, instead of the class style where principles or laws are elicited through experiments or observations after teaching basic knowledge and skills

Setting of the application scene of “Law of Light Reflection “

理科の学習において生徒たちの語句理解が進んでいると感じる反面，活用場面で既習事項を活用して実験をすることや技能面での困難さがみられることから，「光の反射の法則」を利用した活用場面を設定し，生徒たちが法則を用いてどのように課題に取り組むのかを検討する。In science learning, while students’ understanding of words and phrases has progressed, there are some difficulties in conducting experiments using previously learned items and skills in the application scenes. We will set the use scene using the “Law of Light Reflection”, and examine how students use the law to tackle the problem

Further expansion of distributional range of an introduced spider Badumna insignis in the eastern part of Tottori Prefecture (Results of the surveys in 2017).

2017 年の夏から秋にかけて鳥取県の東部を中心として外来種のクロガケジグモ（クモ目ウシオグモ科）の分布範囲を調査した。これまで本種が未確認の鳥取県西部でも数地点（境港市，米子市，大山町，日南町）調べたが，今回も生息は確認できなかった。鳥取県東部では，既知生息範囲から遠く離れた若桜町内や岩美町内でもそれぞれ1 地点で生息を確認した。離れているこれら2 地点を除いたほぼ連続的と考えられる鳥取市周辺の本種の今回の生息確認範囲は2014 年における生息確認範囲よりも広く，西は国道9 号線沿いの白兎海岸，南は国道53 号沿いに河原町布袋，国道29 号線沿いに八頭町下坂まで伸びていた（西へは約2.5 km，南には約6 km 拡大）。いっぽう，交通量の少ない鳥取市南西側の県道沿いには新規の拡大はみられず，本種の分布域の拡大に人の移動や物流が関係していることを示唆した。本種が生息する地点では在来種のクモの個体数が減少していた。クロガケジグモの個体数の多さが目立つのは，早くから本種の生息域となっている湖山町周辺が含まれる千代川以西・国体道路以北の鳥取市街地であった。 We surveyed distribution of an introduced spider Badumna insignis (Araneae: Desidae) in Tottori Prefecture in 2017. There were no sites where B. insignis was found in the western part of Tottori Prefecture, as reported in the former surveys. On the other hand, we found the species in Iwami-cho and Wakasa-cho, where B. insignis had not been found. Continuous range of distribution of the species in Tottori City expanded ca. 2.5 km toward west along the national route 9, and ca. 6 km toward south, along major national routes (Routes 29 and 53). On the other hand, there was no expansion of the species toward southwestern part of the city where only prefectural roads with a few traffic extend. These facts suggest that human movements and logistics help expansion of the spider. The individual number of native spiders at sites where B. insignis inhabits was much fewer than that at sites without B. insignis

The polymorphism in the caudal-related homeodomain protein Cdx-2 binding element in the human vitamin D receptor gene

The major physiological activity of 1,25-hydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25(OH)2D3) is the regulation of calcium absorption in the small intestine, and the level of vitamin D receptor (VDR) is an important factor in this regulation. In a previous study, we demonstrated that the caudal-related homeodomain Cdx-2 played an important role in the intestine-specific transcription of the human VDR gene. In the present study, the polymorphism was identified in the core sequence 5'-ATAAAAACTTAT-3' in the Cdx-2 binding site in the VDR gene promoter. In 261 Japanese women with genotyped VDR polymorphisms, 48 were genotype Cdx-A (adenine at-3731 nt relative to the transcription start site of human VDR gene, 5'-A_TAAAAACTTAT'-3'), 82 were genotype Cdx-G (guanine at-3731 nt, 5'-G_TAAAAACTTAT-3'), 131 were genotype Cdx-A/G (heterozygote). The bone mineral density (BMD) in the lumbar spine (L2-4) with the Cdx-A homozygote was 12% lower than that with the Cdx-G homozygote (P<0.05). In electropholertic gel mobility shift assay, the oligonucleotide with Cdx-G allele markedly decreased the binding to Cdx-2 compared with that in the Cdx-A allele. The transcriptional activity of the VDR promoter with Cdx-G allele was decreased to 70% of the Cdx-A allele. In addition, in the herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase promoter, the Cdx-2 binding element with the G allele showed significantly lower transcriptional activity than that of the A allele. Thus, the polymorphism in the Cdx-2 binding site of the VDR gene (Cdx-polymorphism) would affect the expression of VDR in the small intestine. In addition, this polymorphism may modulate BMD in postmenopausal Japanese women

Finishing the euchromatic sequence of the human genome

The sequence of the human genome encodes the genetic instructions for human physiology, as well as rich information about human evolution. In 2001, the International Human Genome Sequencing Consortium reported a draft sequence of the euchromatic portion of the human genome. Since then, the international collaboration has worked to convert this draft into a genome sequence with high accuracy and nearly complete coverage. Here, we report the result of this finishing process. The current genome sequence (Build 35) contains 2.85 billion nucleotides interrupted by only 341 gaps. It covers ∼99% of the euchromatic genome and is accurate to an error rate of ∼1 event per 100,000 bases. Many of the remaining euchromatic gaps are associated with segmental duplications and will require focused work with new methods. The near-complete sequence, the first for a vertebrate, greatly improves the precision of biological analyses of the human genome including studies of gene number, birth and death. Notably, the human enome seems to encode only 20,000-25,000 protein-coding genes. The genome sequence reported here should serve as a firm foundation for biomedical research in the decades ahead

How to make a reading card for Science carta

カルタという日本に古くからある教材を用いて， 単語の取り札をとらせるための読み札を作成する。 この結果， 生徒は興味深くカルタの読み札を作成し， 相手に伝えるためには， 深く理解していなければ作ることが難しいことを学び， 語句の定着に有効であった。 また， カルタをとるという遊びの中で楽しく学び， 自分の覚えていない語句は何かを客観的に知ることができた。 / By using “carta” , which has been one of Japan play cards since early days, as a teaching material, students made carta cards with science words and explanation for these words.As a result, students got motivated to make carta, and they also found that they should know the words precisely if they want to convey what the words mean to other students. They also enjoyed learning to play carta and was able to objectively know what words they didn’t remember

This paper attempts to evaluate the economic impacts of the Kyoto Protocol by using AIM model. It is estimated that the GDP losses to Japan, US, EU, and Russia would be 0.42%, 0.56%, 0.44%, and 0.25%, respectively in case the Annex B countries ratify the Kyoto Protocol and reduce their emissions without emissions trading and without accounting carbon sink. On the other hand, the GDP losses to Japan and EU would grow when the United States would not ratify the Kyoto Protocol, and it is estimated to fall by 0.48% and 0.47% relative to the base case scenario, respectively. The GDP loss of Russia would be 0.17%. The GDP of US would increase by 0.01%. These losses would be recovered if Kyoto mechanisms were adopted. When the emissions trading would be introduced, the GDP losses to Japan, US, and EU would be 0.14%, 0.33% and 0.19%, respectively and Russia would gain GDP by 3.5%. When carbon sink is accounted, the economic impacts can be reduced further. Even when the amount of tradable carbon is restricted, the impacts will become much less. In addition to emission trading, effects of CDM, price induced technical change, and boycott movement are examined. The paper also analyzed the climatic impacts of the mitigation scenarios. Three scenarios are examined. First scenario assumes a goal of the Kyoto Protocol will be achieved in 2010. The second assumes that USA will not ratify the Kyoto Protocol. The third scenario assumes that the emission is reduced at the rate of 5% per decade after 2020. It is found that the temperature will increase to 2.15 ºC by the year 2100 even if the Annex B countries follow the Kyoto protocol and other appropriate countermeasures are taken. If we postpone the reduction policies, climate impacts will become worse. The implementation of the Kyoto Protocol is necessary to keep the temperature increase in 2100 below 2 ºC.

This paper attempts to evaluate the economic impacts of the Kyoto Protocol by using AIM model. It is estimated that the GDP losses to Japan, US, EU, and Russia would be 0.42%, 0.56%, 0.44%, and 0.25%, respectively in case the Annex B countries ratify the Kyoto Protocol and reduce their emissions without emissions trading and without accounting carbon sink. On the other hand, the GDP losses to Japan and EU would grow when the United States would not ratify the Kyoto Protocol, and it is estimated to fall by 0.48% and 0.47% relative to the base case scenario, respectively. The GDP loss of Russia would be 0.17%. The GDP of US would increase by 0.01%. These losses would be recovered if Kyoto mechanisms were adopted. When the emissions trading would be introduced, the GDP losses to Japan, US, and EU would be 0.14%, 0.33% and 0.19%, respectively and Russia would gain GDP by 3.5%. When carbon sink is accounted, the economic impacts can be reduced further. Even when the amount of tradable carbon is restricted, the impacts will become much less. In addition to emission trading, effects of CDM, price induced technical change, and boycott movement are examined

Patterns of morphological variation in enamel-dentin junction and outer enamel surface of human molars.

Tooth crown patterning is governed by the growth and folding of the inner enamel epithelium (IEE) and the following enamel deposition forms outer enamel surface (OES). We hypothesized that overall dental crown shape and covariation structure are determined by processes that configurate shape at the enamel-dentine junction (EDJ), the developmental vestige of IEE. This this hypothesis was tested by comparing patterns of morphological variation between EDJ and OES in human permanent maxillary first molar (UM1) and deciduous second molar (um2). Using geometric morphometric methods, we described morphological variation and covariation between EDJ and OES, and evaluated the strength of two components of phenotypic variability, canalization and morphological integration, in addition to the relevant evolutionary flexibility, i.e. the ability to respond to selective pressure. The strength of covariation between EDJ and OES was greater in um2 than in UM1, and the way that multiple traits covary between EDJ and OES was different between these teeth. The variability analyses showed that EDJ had less shape variation and a higher level of morphological integration than OES, which indicated that canalization and morphological integration acted as developmental constraints. These tendencies were greater in UM1 than in um2. On the other hand, EDJ and OES had a comparable level of evolvability in these teeth. Amelogenesis could play a significant role in tooth shape and covariation structure, and its influence was not constant among teeth, which may be responsible for the differences in the rate and/or period of enamel formation