81 research outputs found

    Analysis and comparison of the junior and senior high school level English textbooks for Japan and Korea

    Get PDF
    Japan and Korea share similar motivations towards EFL education, acknowledging the necessity of English ability for each nation’s further development. Although both countries outline similar EFL philosophies in their course-of-study guidelines, there seem to be differences in the ways the guidelines are reflected in the textbooks. This paper compares and summarizes the organization, content, linguistic skills, and tasks of the Japanese and Korean English textbooks used in 3rd-year junior high and 1st-year high school. The continuity of the textbooks between the two grades was also analyzed. The framework of educational approach, the balance of four skills, the continuity of the level and the difficulty of the text were the major observed differences. Learning through the differences and similarities, considerations for future textbook writers are suggested

    Cellular Polyamine Catalogues of the Five Classes of the PhylumProteobacteria: Distributions of Homospermidine within the ClassAlphaproteobacteria, Hydroxyputrescine within the ClassBetaproteobacteria, Norspermidine within the ClassGammaproteobacteria, and Spermine within the ClassesDeltaproteobacteria and Epsilonproteobacteria

    Get PDF
    Cellular polyamines extracted from reclassified or newly validated 47 alphaproteobacteria, 46 betaproteobacteria, 96 gammaproteobacteria, 12 deltaproteobacteria and 10 epsilonproteobacteria were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography. Homospermidine was widely distributed within the class Alphaproteobacteria, however, homospermidine-dominant type, spermidine-dominant type and homospermidine/spermidinedominant type were found and the three triamine profiles were genus-specific. The all genera belonging to the class Betaproteobacteria, ubiquitously contained putrescine and 2- hydroxyputrescine. Triamines were absent in almost betaproteobacteria. Many genera, including psychrophilic species, of the class Gammaproteobacteria, contained putrescine and spermidine as the major polyaminenes. Diaminopropane and norspermidine were selectively distributed in several genera of the class Gammaproteobacteria. Spermidine was the major polyamine in the classes Deltaproteobacteria and Epsilonproteobacteria. Spermine was found in some thermophiles within Betaproteobacteria, Deltaproteobacteria and Epsilonproteobacteria, suggesting that the occurrence of spermine correlate to their thermophily. Additional these polyamine catalogues serve for the classification of the phylum Proteobacteria, as a chemotaxonomic marker

    Possible involvement of iron-induced oxidative insults in neurodegeneration.

    Get PDF
    Involvement of iron in the development of neurodegenerative disorders has long been suggested, and iron that cannot be stored properly is suggested to induce iron toxicity. To enhance iron uptake and suppress iron storage in neurons, we generated transgenic (Tg) mice expressing iron regulatory protein 2 (IRP2), a major regulator of iron metabolism, in a neuron-specific manner. Although very subtle, IRP2 was expressed in all regions of brain examined. In the Tg mice, mitochondrial oxidative insults were observed including generation of 4-hydroxynonenal modified proteins, which appeared to be removed by a mitochondrial quality control protein Parkin. Inter-crossing of the Tg mice to Parkin knockout mice perturbed the integrity of neurons in the substantia nigra and provoked motor symptoms. These results suggest that a subtle, but chronic increase in IRP2 induces mitochondrial oxidative insults and accelerates neurodegeneration in a mouse model of Parkinson's disease. Thus, the IRP2 Tg may be a useful tool to probe the roles of iron-induced mitochondrial damages in neurodegeraration research

    The Modern Development of the Residence Life Program in Higher Education

    Get PDF
    This document focuses on the Residence Life Program in higher education. A paradigm shift from teaching to learning has facilitated significant changes in higher education. Student affairs and services have regained attention as a feature of educational systems that facilitate an improvement in student learning outcomes, including human development globally. In particular, the Residence Life Program is symbolic of changes in student affairs and services. Residence Life plays a crucial role in student learning and life on campus. However, it also faces pressure to promote this educational approach for students despite the challenges of efficient management and a shortage of resources. This document considers the case of the Residence Life Program in Japan, the USA, and China. These three countries have a different student character and social background to higher education. We explore the contexts and processes of the development of the Residence Life Programs in diverse environments surrounding higher education. Residence Life Programs have various styles in each country. There are high expectations in the Residence Life Program because students can communicate with other students and faculty in the program, and in the classroom. Resident assistants have an essential role in building this community. The common tasks in three countries are developing student leaders and professionals who facilitate student learning through the educational approach of the Residence Life Program and evaluate and assess the programs based on the student learning outcomes.はじめに… 安部有紀子 1 第1章 米国における学寮と学寮プログラムの歴史的展開 -その理念と担い手に焦点を当てて-… 橋場論 5 第2章 米国学寮プログラムにおける学習者中心主義の影響について… 安部有紀子 19 第3章 中国における学寮教育の特質 -現代書院制教育に着目して-… 日暮トモ子 37 第4章 日本における学寮の歴史的展開と特徴 -「教育」と「厚生」の視点からみた戦後初期の「学寮像」…- 蝶慎一 53 第5章 多様化する日本の大学の学寮機能… 望月由起 67 第6章  1節 国際教育寮におけるレジデントアシスタント(RA)の育成-2大学の事例から-… 水野(林貴子 81  2節 RAを取り巻く課題と教育的支援の検討-一橋大学小平国際学生宿舎での取り組み-… 植松希世子 95  3節 麗澤大学グローバルドミトリーにおけるユニットリーダー育成… 北澤泰子 107 おわりに… 橋場論 11

    Interaction Rating Scale (IRS) as an Evidence-Based Practical Index of Children’s Social Skills and Parenting

    Get PDF
    Background: The purpose of this paper is to describe the features of the Interaction Rating Scale (IRS) as an evidence-based practical index of children’s social skills and parenting.Methods: The participants in our study, which was conducted as part of a Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) project, were 370 dyads of children (aged 18, 30, and 42 month) and 81 dyads of 7-year-old children with their caregivers. The participants completed the five minute interaction session and were observed using the IRS.Results: The results indicated that the IRS can measure children’s social skill development and parenting with high validity. Along with the discriminate validity for pervasive development disorder (PDD), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), abuse and maltreatment, a high correlation with the SDQ (Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire), and high reliability, the IRS is effective in describing features of social skill development.Conclusions: The IRS provides further evidence of the fact that in order to study children’s social skill development, it is important to evaluate various features of the caregiver-child interaction as a predictor of social skills

    The relationship between the development of social competence and sleep in infants: a longitudinal study

    Get PDF
    BackgroundMany reports argue that sleep is important for children’s health, learning, and academic performance. The purpose of this longitudinal study was to examine the association between sleep and the development of social competence in infants.MethodsThis study was conducted as part of a Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) project. Caregivers responded to the Japan Children’s Study Sleep Questionnaire when children were 18 months old. The interactions of caregivers and children were observed when children were 18, 30, and 42 months old, and rated with the Interaction Rating Scale, which is a measure of social competence.ResultsNocturnal sleep duration of more than 10 h and an earlier bed time than 22:00 were significantly correlated with two trajectory groups (low point and high point transition groups) of children’s social competence at 18, 30, and 42 months. Further, total sleep duration of more than 12.25 h and an earlier bed time than 22:00 were significantly correlated with the trajectory of children’s social competence at 18, 30, and 42 months.ConclusionsSleep duration and sleep onset time are important factors in children’s development of social competence

    Identification of the sex-determining factor in the liverwort Marchantia polymorpha reveals unique evolution of sex chromosomes in a haploid system

    Get PDF
    半数体生物の性染色体上の性決定遺伝子を解明 --コケがもつ現生生物最古の起源の性染色体--. 京都大学プレスリリース. 2021-11-08.Sex determination is a central process for sexual reproduction and is often regulated by a sex determinant encoded on a sex chromosome. Rules that govern the evolution of sex chromosomes via specialization and degeneration following the evolution of a sex determinant have been well studied in diploid organisms. However, distinct predictions apply to sex chromosomes in organisms where sex is determined in the haploid phase of the life cycle: both sex chromosomes, female U and male V, are expected to maintain their gene functions, even though both are non-recombining. This is in contrast to the X-Y (or Z-W) asymmetry and Y (W) chromosome degeneration in XY (ZW) systems of diploids. Here, we provide evidence that sex chromosomes diverged early during the evolution of haploid liverworts and identify the sex determinant on the Marchantia polymorpha U chromosome. This gene, Feminizer, encodes a member of the plant-specific BASIC PENTACYSTEINE transcription factor family. It triggers female differentiation via regulation of the autosomal sex-determining locus of FEMALE GAMETOPHYTE MYB and SUPPRESSOR OF FEMINIZATION. Phylogenetic analyses of Feminizer and other sex chromosome genes indicate dimorphic sex chromosomes had already been established 430 mya in the ancestral liverwort. Feminizer also plays a role in reproductive induction that is shared with its gametolog on the V chromosome, suggesting an ancestral function, distinct from sex determination, was retained by the gametologs. This implies ancestral functions can be preserved after the acquisition of a sex determination mechanism during the evolution of a dominant haploid sex chromosome system

    The extract of syngeneic keratinocytes enhances IgE production from BALB/c mouse splenic lymphocytes in vitro.

    Get PDF
    Background: The increase of serum IgE levels is closely associated with atopic dermatitis. We have previously revealed that cellular extract of PAM212 cells (PAM-extract), BALB/c mouse keratinocyte cell line, induced a remarkable increase of serum IgE levels, in vivo, when subcutaneously injected into BALB/c mice. However, precise mechanism of IgE-increasing activity was unclear. Objective: To elucidate the mechanism of IgE-increase in sera of BALB/c mice induced by PAM-extract, we explored the direct influence of PAM-extract on immunoglobulin production and class-switching in the culture of splenic lymphocytes and purified B-cells, in vitro. Methods: Splenic lymphocytes or purified B-cells obtained from BALB/c mice were cultured with various combinations of IL-4, anti-CD40 antibody, and PAM-extract for seven days. IgE and IgG concentrations of culture supernatants were measured by ELISA. Epsilon germ-line transcriptions were assessed by RT-PCR from the cultured cells. Results: IgE and IgG concentrations in culture supernatant of splenic lymphocytes were increased by an addition of PAM-extract in the presence of both IL-4 and anti-CD40 antibody. Epsilon germ-line transcript was also induced in parallel to the increase of IgE production. Similar results were obtained when purified B-cells were employed in stead of whole splenic lymphocytes. Conclusion: The cellular extract of keratinocyte promotes immunoglobulin class-switching to IgE and IgE production from mouse splenic B-cells in an IL-4- and CD40-stimuli-dependent manner. Such enhancement may account for the increase of serum IgE in patients with dermatitis in association with a Th2 microenvironment
    corecore