The influence of translation on reading amount, proficiency, and speed in extensive reading

This study attempted to examine the influence of a decrease in translation on the number of words read reading comprehension, and reading rate in an extensive reading (ER) program. The participants were 70 first-year university students who experienced ER both in and outside the classroom for 15 weeks. The results of regression analyses confirmed that a decrease in translation and grammar analyses statistically significantly affected all three. A further investigation found that a decrease in translation overall as well as in grammar analyses made a difference in the means of the number of words read and the post-test scores. Moreover, a decrease in translation at the word level was statistically significant on reading comprehension, and so was a decrease in translation at the sentence level on the amount of reading. The results were discussed referring to automaticity together with the prior educational experience and mentality of typical Japanese students

Meiotic cohesins modulate chromosome compaction during meiotic prophase in fission yeast

The meiotic cohesin Rec8 is required for the stepwise segregation of chromosomes during the two rounds of meiotic division. By directly measuring chromosome compaction in living cells of the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe, we found an additional role for the meiotic cohesin in the compaction of chromosomes during meiotic prophase. In the absence of Rec8, chromosomes were decompacted relative to those of wild-type cells. Conversely, loss of the cohesin-associated protein Pds5 resulted in hypercompaction. Although this hypercompaction requires Rec8, binding of Rec8 to chromatin was reduced in the absence of Pds5, indicating that Pds5 promotes chromosome association of Rec8. To explain these observations, we propose that meiotic prophase chromosomes are organized as chromatin loops emanating from a Rec8-containing axis: the absence of Rec8 disrupts the axis, resulting in disorganized chromosomes, whereas reduced Rec8 loading results in a longitudinally compacted axis with fewer attachment points and longer chromatin loops

A subjective well-being of the aged - psychological characteristics of elderly people of 90 or older -

高齢化社会の到来に伴い一言で老人といっても幅広い年代が対象となり、一律に老人では説明できない。実際看護をしていると90歳をすぎた老人はその年代迄にはない、穏やかさ、焦りのなさ、人生を達観しているような感じを受けることが多い。そこで90歳以上の老人にみられるイメージや心理面の特徴を明らかにし看護実践の一助としたいと考えた。方法は80歳以上の入院患者50名に身体、生活、家族面からみた現状、他者から見たイメージ、主観的幸福感を調査した。その結果、90歳以上は80歳代にくらべ看護者に肯定的イメージに受け取られる傾向にあった。主観的幸福感を示すモラール得点の総合点では差はなかったが得点する内容に差が見られ、80歳は積極的な生き方で得点しているものが多く90歳代は現状に満足している点で得点している者が多かった。看護者からみたイメージと本人の主観的幸福感は両年代とも肯定的イメージで相関した。The population of the aged is currently increasing with advanced medical science and technology. The aged have become to keep their lives long. In this paper, We especially focused on their psychological characteristics of elderly people of 90 and older to offer high quality of nursing care for them. We interviewed 50 patients of 80 years and older about a subjective well-being, using a questionaire based on Philadelphia Geriatric Center Morale Scale. And also we asked 50 nurses, who took care of them exclusively, a questinaire about their images of the aged. We report as follows : 1. The nurses estimated that their images of the second group (range : 90 years old ~) were better than the first group (range : 80~89 years old). 2. In subjective well-being which Philadelphia Geriatric Center Morale Scale showed, above-mentioned both groups were similar in total scores. However, each item was marked differently by them. 3. In both groups, their subjective well-being correlated with good images for them

Antitumor Agents. 282. 2′-( R )- O -Acetylglaucarubinone, a Quassinoid from Odyendyea gabonensis As a Potential Anti-Breast and Anti-Ovarian Cancer Agent

A new quassinoid, designated 2′-(R)-O-acetylglaucarubinone (1), and seven known quassinoids (2–8) were isolated, using bioactivity-guided separation, from the bark of Odyendyea gabonensis (Pierre) Engler [syn. Quassia gabonensis Pierre (Simaroubaceae)]. The structure of 1 was determined by spectroscopic analysis, and by semi-synthesis from glaucarubolone. Complete 1H and 13C NMR assignments of compounds 1–8 were also established from detailed analysis of two-dimensional NMR spectra, and the reported configurations in odyendene (7) and odyendane (8) were corrected. Compound 1 showed potent cytotoxicity against multiple cancer cell lines. Further investigation using various types of breast and ovarian cancer cell lines suggested that 1 does not target the estrogen receptor (ER) or progesterone receptor (PR). When tested against mammary epithelial proliferation in vivo using a Brca1/p53-deficient mice model, 1 also caused significant reduction in mammary duct branching