On the Use of Shadowing for Improving Listening Ability : Theory and Practice

This　paper　discusses　one　language　learning　technique，　shadowing，　f（｝r　improving　listen・ ing　abili¢y　of　learners　of　Enghsh．　In　the飯rst　half　of　the　paper　the　theoretical　grounds of　shadoWing　are　discussed　from　six　pointS　of　View：the　ToP－down　apPmach　to懸stening， attention　to　word　recognition，　ability　to　fo畳置ow　fast　speech，　concentration　on　learning，　the amount　of　prac吐ice，　and　moti▼ation　for　learning．　In　the　second　half　a　detailed　report　is given　on　a　one－year　intensive　shadoWing　class　the　author　conducted　at　a　senior　high School．　Pointing　out　possib且e　improvementS　in　conducting　the　technique，　the　paper　con・ c1皿des　that　shadowing　has　sound　thebretical　grounds　for　improVing　listening　ability　of studentS　and　suggestS　that　it　should　be　introduced　widely　into　classrooms

The major and minor wall teichoic acids prevent the sidewall localization of vegetative DL-endopeptidase LytF in Bacillus subtilis

This is the pre-peer reviewed version of the following article: MOLECULAR MICROBIOLOGY 70(2): 297-310, 2008, which has been published in final form http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/121385465/abstract.ArticleMOLECULAR MICROBIOLOGY. 70(2): 297-310 (2008)journal articl

Age-Specific Effectiveness and Safety of Newly Initiated Insulin Therapy in Japanese Patients with Uncontrolled Diabetes

INTRODUCTION: One consequence of population aging is an increase in the number of elderly patients with diabetes mellitus. These elderly patients often experience atherosclerotic complications, and diabetes prevention and management are strongly desired to promote health and reduce the financial burden on the healthcare system. In this study, we conducted an age-specific evaluation of the effectiveness and safety of comprehensive management with newly initiated insulin therapy over a 1-year period in elderly (≥65 years) compared with non-elderly (≤64 years) Japanese patients with uncontrolled diabetes [glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) ≥ 8% for ≥ 3 months]. METHODS: This retrospective single-center cohort study was conducted in Japan. We screened all outpatients with diabetes mellitus who visited the clinic for diabetes treatment between December 2006 and March 2011. Of these patients, 132 with type 2 diabetes who were newly initiated on insulin therapy for continued poor glycemic control and undergoing comprehensive management through self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG) were registered to the study. RESULTS: Thirty-two of 132 registered patients were excluded from the analysis. Among the 100 patients (67 non-elderly, 33 elderly) included in the analysis, median age and proportion of male patients was 69 years and 66.7%, respectively, among the elderly, and 52 years and 68.7%, respectively, among the non-elderly patients. After initiation of insulin therapy, median HbA1c levels improved from 9.6% to 7.2% in elderly patients, and from 10.8% to 7.3% in non-elderly patients at baseline and 12 months. Severe hypoglycemic events were not observed in either patient group; however, uncontrolled diabetes was ongoing in 31.8% of non-elderly and 15.4% of elderly patients, and obesity was associated with poor glycemic control. CONCLUSION: Our results indicate that the effectiveness and safety of newly initiated insulin therapy are similar between elderly and non-elderly Japanese patients with uncontrolled diabetes, and highlight the importance of comprehensive management using SMBG to avoid hypoglycemia. Better glycemic control supported by adequate intensive management is required to improve mortality and morbidity. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s13300-013-0049-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users

Multi-delay arterial spin labeling brain magnetic resonance imaging study for pediatric autism

Introduction Arterial spin labeling (ASL) is a non-invasive magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique that can measure regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) without radiation exposure. This study aimed to evaluate rCBF in individuals with autism and their age-matched controls, globally and regionally. Methods We performed ASL MRI (3T, pulsed-continuous ASL, 3 delayed ASL imaging sequences) for 33 patients with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) (average age: 7.3 years, range: 2-14 years). Nineteen children (average age: 8.6 years, range: 3-15 years) without ASD and intellectual delay were included as controls. Patients with morphological abnormalities detected on MRI were excluded. Objective analysis was performed with automatic region of interest analysis of the ASL results. The Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare the rCBF results between the groups. Results Compared to the controls, patients with ASD showed a statistically significant decrease in rCBF, respectively, in the insula [left, rCBF 51.8±9.5 mL/100 g/min (mean±SD) versus 59.9±9.8, p=0.0017; right, 51.2±10.1 versus 57.8±8.8, p=0.0354], superior parietal lobule (left, 44.6±8.4 versus 52.0±7.8, p=0.003), superior temporal gyrus (left, 50.0±8.6 versus 56.9±8.6, p=0.007; right, 49.5±8.4 versus 56.4±7.7, p=0.0058), and inferior frontal gyrus (left, 53.0±9.8 versus 59.3±9.9, p=0.0279), which are associated with the mirror neuron system. Conclusions We concluded that patients with ASD showed a statistically significant decline in CBF in regions associated with the mirror neuron system. The advantages of ASL MRI include low invasiveness (no radiation exposure) and short imaging time (approximately 5 min). Studies with larger sample sizes are required to establish the diagnostic value of ASL MRI for ASD

Stimulation of nuclear receptor REV-ERBs suppresses production of pronociceptive molecules in cultured spinal astrocytes and ameliorates mechanical hypersensitivity of inflammatory and neuropathic pain of mice

The orphan nuclear receptors REV-ERBα and REV-ERBβ (REV-ERBs) are crucial in the regulation of inflammatory-related gene transcription in astroglioma cells, but their role in nociceptive transduction has yet to be elaborated. Spinal dorsal horn astrocytes contribute to the maintenance of chronic pain. Treatment of cultured spinal astrocytes with specific REV-ERBs agonists SR9009 or GSK4112 significantly prevented lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced mRNA upregulation of pronociceptive molecules interleukin-1β (IL-1β) mRNA, interleukin-6 (IL-6) mRNA and matrix metalloprotease-9 (MMP-9) mRNA, but not CCL2 mRNA expression. Treatment with SR9009 also blocked tumor necrosis factor-induced IL-1β mRNA, IL-6 mRNA and MMP-9 mRNA. In addition, treatment with SR9009 significantly blocked LPS-induced upregulation of IL-1β protein, IL-6 protein and MMP-9 activity. The inhibitory effects of SR9009 on LPS-induced expression of pronociceptive molecules were blocked by knockdown of REV-ERBs expression with short interference RNA, confirming that SR9009 exerts its effect through REV-ERBs. Intrathecal LPS treatment in male mice induces hind paw mechanical hypersensitivity, and upregulation of IL-1β mRNA, IL-6 mRNA and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) expression in spinal dorsal horn. Intrathecal pretreatment of SR9009 prevented the onset of LPS-induced mechanical hypersensitivity, cytokine expression and GFAP expression. Intrathecal injection of SR9009 also ameliorated mechanical hypersensitivity during the maintenance phase of complete Freund’s adjuvant-induced inflammatory pain and partial sciatic nerve ligation-, paclitaxel-, and streptozotocin-induced neuropathy in mice. The current findings suggest that spinal astrocytic REV-ERBs could be critical in the regulation of nociceptive transduction through downregulation of pronociceptive molecule expression. Thus, spinal REV-ERBs could be an effective therapeutic target in the treatment of chronic pain.This work was supported by Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C) grant number 26460342, and grants from the Takeda Science Foundation, Suzuken Memorial Foundation, The Uehara Memorial Foundation and The Nakatomi Foundation. Experiments were carried out using equipment at the Analysis Center of Life Science, Hiroshima University and the Research Center for Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Hiroshima University

キンダイ ブンカ ト センチャ CJLC ニホン ブンカ ト サドウ ジュギョウ ノ クフウ ト フリカエリ シート ノ カツヨウ

大阪大学日本語日本文化教育センター（CJLC）の「日本文化演習」（2018年度秋～冬学期からの授業名は「日本歴史文化学研究基礎」）授業で、お茶とお茶に関する文化の講義と実技体験を行っている。この授業の取り組みと工夫を紹介したい。この授業の目的は、①日本文化としての茶と茶の文化を学ぶ（知識の習得）、②煎茶道の初歩の点前と客の作法を体験する（実技）、③体験を通して文化について理解したことを自分の言葉で述べる（発信）の３点である。本稿では、①②について、各目的に応じた学習目標の設定と学習目標に到達するために学生が行う具体的な授業内活動の設定のしかたとその評価のしかたについて述べる。また、この授業は毎学期平均20人前後（最小で16人～最大で38人）が履修しており、茶葉観察や点前実習の日を含めて教員一人で準備や実技中の巡回を行うため、授業の効果をあげるための工夫が必要である。実技授業における取り組みとして、グループラーニングによる学生同士の協働と話し合い、個々の実技体験とグループ内の協働を自己評価する振り返りシートの活用についても紹介する