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In the amniote limb, FGF10 is essential for limb bud initiation and outgrowth. However, whether this function is broadly conserved in tetrapods and/or involved in adult limb regeneration remains unknown. To tackle this question, we established anFgf10null mutant line in the newtPleurodeles waltlwhich have amazing regenerative ability. WhileFgf10mutant forelimbs develop normally, the hindlimbs exhibit severe digit reduction, fail to ossify the zeugopod, and downregulate FGF target genes likeSall1, Runx1andHoxa11/d11. Despite these developmental defects,Fgf10mutants were able to regenerate near-normal hindlimbs. Together, our results suggest an important role forFgf10in hindlimb digit formation and zeugopod ossification during development, but little or no function in regeneration, suggesting that different mechanisms operate during limb regeneration versus development.

Streptococcus pyogenes (group A streptococcus; GAS) is an important gram-positive human pathogen capable of causing diseases ranging from mild superficial skin and pharyngeal infections to more severe invasive diseases, including streptococcal toxic shock syndrome (STSS). GAS produces a T protein, and T serotyping has considerable discriminatory power for epidemiological characterization of GAS. To clarify the relationship between STSS and pharyngitis in Japan, we examined the T serotypes of GAS strains isolated from clinical specimens of streptococcal infections (STSS, 951 isolates; pharyngitis, 16268 isolates) from 2005 to 2017. The most prevalent T serotype from pharyngitis isolates was T12, followed by T1, T4, and TB3264. The most prevalent T serotype from STSS isolates was T1, followed by TB3264. Trend of increase and decrease in the frequency of T1 or TB3264 isolation from pharyngitis was correlated with that of STSS patients. The increase of T1 or TB3264 strain-infection in pharyngitis patients may increase the probability of causing STSS, indicating that careful monitoring of GAS serotypes is essential for the prediction of rapid increase of STSS in time to develop effective management strategies.

This study aimed to investigate the prevalence and relationships between subjective well being and involvement in pleasant events in a sample of 156 community-dwelling older people without cognitive impairment. The Brazilian version of The California Older Person’s Pleasant Events Schedule assessed the involvement in pleasant events, and subjective well-being was assessed by the Life Satisfaction Scale and the Positive and Negative Affect Scale. The sample showed higher levels of positive affect compared to negative affect, higher frequency of Contemplative activities and lower frequency of Intellectual activities. Significant relationships were observed between the constructs in general, suggesting that the higher the Involvement of older people in Pleasant Events the higher their Subjective Well Being. Social and Competence activities as well as Contemplative activities showed stronger associations with Subjective Well Being. These findings are relevant for the development of interventions and public policies focused on older people’s mental health.

Transgenic techniques have greatly increased our understanding of the transcriptional regulation of target genes through live reporter imaging, as well as the spatiotemporal function of a gene using loss- and gain-of-function constructs. In Xenopus species, two well-established transgenic methods, restriction enzyme-mediated integration and I-SceI meganuclease-mediated transgenesis, have been used to generate transgenic animals. However, donor plasmids are randomly integrated into the Xenopus genome in both methods. Here, we established a new and simple targeted transgenesis technique based on CRISPR/Cas9 in Xenopus laevis. In this method, Cas9 ribonucleoprotein (RNP) targeting a putative harbor site (the transforming growth factor beta receptor 2-like (tgfbr2l) locus) and a preset donor plasmid DNA were co-injected into the one-cell stage embryos of X. laevis. Approximately 10% of faithful reporter expression was detected in F0 crispants in a promoter/enhancer-specific manner. Importantly, efficient germline transmission and stable transgene expression were observed in the F1 offspring. The simplicity of this method only required preparation of a donor vector containing the tgfbr2l genome fragment and Cas9 RNP targeting this site, which are common experimental procedures used in Xenopus laboratories. Our improved technique allows the simple generation of transgenic X. laevis, so is expected to become a powerful tool for reporter assay and gene function analysis.

O termo conhecer é comumente usado em situações cotidianas ou educacionais. Discutir esse termo é relevante, na medida em que sua concepção pode implicar nas práticas de ensino adotadas. A Análise do Comportamento tem contribuído para a educação por meio de discussões teóricas e tecnologias que favorecem o processo de ensino. Diante disso, o presente estudo visou a apresentar e a esclarecer as acepções do termo sob a ótica da Análise do Comportamento e abordar formas de ensiná-lo. Para tanto, foram selecionados dois textos de Skinner sobre o tema. Utilizou-se o Procedimento de Interpretação Conceitual de Texto como método de análise. Nas Etapas 1 e 2 foram levantadas as definições do termo conhecer presentes nos textos, as teses tradicionais, críticas e teses alternativas discutidas pelo autor. Como resultado, foram discutidas as teses tradicionais descritas como “teoria da cópia” e “teoria da informação” e as críticas atribuídas a elas. Como teoria alternativa, apresentou-se a acepção de que conhecer é comportamento, e como tal, pode ser ensinado. Conhecer pode ser entendido como saber fazer, comportar-se de modo efetivo, modificar o repertório comportamental e agir sob controle de algo. Seu ensino envolve colocar os alunos em contato com contingências relevantes para seu aprendizado, ensinar regras que tenham relação com as contingências de vida e planejar para que entrem em contato com as contingências descritas pelas regras. Entende-se que responder a pergunta “como ensinar” parece ser tão importante quanto a pergunta “o que ensinar” para garantir que o aluno conheça.Palavras-chave: Conhecimento, educação, aprendizagem., The term to knowing is commonly used in everyday or educational situations. It is relevant to discuss this term insofar as its conception may imply in the teaching practices adopted. Behavior Analysis has contributed to education through theoretical discussions and technology that favor the teaching process. Thus the present study aimed to present and clarify the meanings of the term from the perspective of Behavior Analysis and to discuss ways of teaching it. Thereunto we selected two texts by Skinner on the theme, and used the Conceptual Text Interpretation Procedure as a method of analyzing them: in steps 1 and 2 we found definitions of the term knowing present in the texts, as well as the traditional thesis, critics and alternative theses discussed by the author. As a result, we discussed the traditional theses described as “copy theory” and “information theory” and the criticisms attributed to them. As an alternative theory, the understanding that knowing is behavior is presented, and as such, it can be taught. Knowing can be understood as knowing how to do, behave effectively, change the behavioral repertoire and act under the control of something. Its teaching involves putting students in contact with contingencies relevant to their learning, teaching rules that are related to life contingencies, planning for them to come into contact with the contingencies described by the rules. We conclude that answering the question "how to teach" seems to be as important as the question "what to teach" to ensure that the student knows.Keywords: Knowing, education, learning.

Aims Nurses' hand temperature may affect patient comfort but has not been investigated. This study aimed to determine female hospital nurses' hand skin temperature and clarify the effects of measurement site, time, nursing procedures, and environment. Design An observational study. Methods The middle finger, thenar eminence, hypothenar eminence, and medial forearm skin temperature of 29 female hospital nurses was measured at four time points during a day shift and before and after nursing procedures (hand disinfection, hand washing, taking vital signs, hygiene care, and positioning). Results Mean hand skin temperature was in the range of 29-32°C with interpersonal variations. Mean skin temperature at the medial forearm was 31.94-32.35°C (SD 0.87-1.52°C) and at the middle finger, 29.73-31.07°C (SD > 3°C). Time-dependent skin temperature fluctuations were confirmed on the middle finger (p = .022), and thenar (p = .005) and hypothenar eminence (p = .001). There were weak correlations between skin temperature and environmental factors, including ambient temperature (ρ = .194-.266), humidity (ρ = -.309 to -.319), and hospital room wind speed (ρ = .253-.314). The skin temperature dropped significantly after hand disinfection and handwashing at all measurement sites (middle finger: -1.30 and -3.56°C, respectively; thenar eminence: -1.19 and -3.32°C; hypothenar eminence: -0.80 and -3.39°C; medial forearm: -0.21 and -1.60°C). Conclusion These findings may raise nurses' awareness of their skin temperature. Moreover, our study highlights the need to develop countermeasures to ensure optimal nurses' skin temperature and patient comfort.

O objetivo deste estudo é refletir sobre os processos de desenvolvimento humano de pessoas que atuam como médiuns em comunidades espíritas na cidade de Uberaba, Estado de Minas Gerais, Brasil. Para tanto, foi empregado o modelo bioecológico tanto para a compreensão do desenvolvimento humano como da experiência da mediunidade segundo as narrativas de nove médiuns de três casas espíritas diferentes, todas submetidas à análise temática reflexiva. As relações proximais estabelecidas nos centros espíritas foram apontadas como importantes para a compreensão da experiência mediúnica, com destaque para o aprendizado oportunizado não apenas pelo estudo da doutrina dentro da instituição como do trabalho assistencial presente no microssistema. No espiritismo, o caráter temporal ultrapassa os limites da experiência terrena, passível de compreensão bioecológica, sendo necessário que o cronossistema considere o progresso espiritual através de diferentes encarnações. A mediunidade marcou, nesses participantes, uma importante transição ecológica responsável por evidenciar a ocorrência do desenvolvimento humano.

Founder animals carrying high proportions of somatic mutation induced by CRISPR-Cas9 enable a rapid and scalable strategy for the functional screening of numerous target genes in vivo. In this functional screening, genotyping using pooled amplicons with next-generation sequencing is the most suitable approach for large-scale management of multiple samples and accurate evaluation of the efficiency of Cas9-induced somatic mutations at target sites. Here, we present a simple workflow for genotyping of multiple CRISPR-Cas9-based knockout founders by pooled amplicon sequencing. Using custom barcoded primers, pooled amplicons from multiple individuals can be run in a single-indexed library on the Illumina MiSeq platform. Additionally, a user-friendly web tool, CLiCKAR, is available to simultaneously perform demultiplexing of pooled sequence data and evaluation of somatic mutation in each phenotype. CLiCKAR provides users with practical reports regarding the positions of insertions/deletions, as well as the frameshift ratio and tables containing mutation sequences, and read counts of each phenotype, with just a few clicks by the implementation of demultiplexing for pooled sample data and calculation of the frameshift ratio. This genotyping workflow can be harnessed to evaluate genotype-phenotype correlations in CRISPR-Cas9-based loss-of-function screening of numerous target genes in various organisms.

An outbreak of enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) O157:H7 infection occurred in October 2016 in Kanagawa, Japan. A total of 61 patients and 17 asymptomatic cases of EHEC O157:H7 infection were confirmed by laboratory testing. Among them, 24 patients were hospitalized and 4 developed hemolytic-uremic syndrome. An epidemiological investigation revealed that this outbreak of EHEC O157:H7 infection was associated with the consumption of uncooked minced meat cutlets that were sold frozen at branches of a supermarket chain. The implicated uncooked meat cutlets were made of a mixture of minced beef, pork, onions, and eggs. All 40 meat cutlets tested from one particular batch were positive for EHEC O157:H7. The patterns observed on pulsed-field gel electrophoresis of strains isolated from the affected patients and meat cutlets were identical. The bacterial counts of EHEC O157:H7 and E. coli in meat cutlets ranged from 2.3 to 110 most-probable-number (MPN)/g and from 240 to 4,600 MPN/g, respectively. There are currently no national regulatory standards to ensure the safety of these types of meat products in Japan. Consumers should ensure that such products are cooked thoroughly and that safe food handling procedures are used to prevent infection.

Limb regeneration is considered a form of limb redevelopment because of the molecular and morphological similarities. Forming a regeneration blastema is, in essence, creating a developing limb bud in an adult body. This reactivation of a developmental process in a mature body is worth studying. Xenopus laevis has a biphasic life cycle that involves distinct larval and adult stages. These distinct developmental stages are useful for investigating the reactivation of developmental processes in post-metamorphic frogs (froglets). In this study, we focused on the re-expression of a larval gene (krt62.L) during Xenopus froglet limb regeneration. Recently renamed krt62.L, this gene was known as the larval keratin (xlk) gene, which is specific to larval-tadpole stages. During limb regeneration in a froglet, krt62.L was re-expressed in a basal layer of blastema epithelium, where adult-specific keratin (Krt12.6.S) expression was also observable. Nerves produce important regulatory factors for amphibian limb regeneration, and also play a role in blastema formation and maintenance. The effect of nerve function on krt62.L expression could be seen in the maintenance of krt62.L expression, but not in its induction. When an epidermis-stripped limb bud was grafted in a froglet blastema, the grafted limb bud could reach the digit-forming stage. This suggests that krt62.L-positive froglet blastema epithelium is able to support the limb development process. These findings imply that the developmental process is locally reactivated in an postmetamorphic body during limb regeneration.

Streptococcal toxic shock syndrome (STSS) is a severe invasive infection characterized by the sudden onset of shock, multi-organ failure, and puerperal sepsis and shows high mortality. Its primary cause is group A streptococcus (GAS, Streptococcus pyogenes). In this study, we genotyped the cell-surface M virulence protein gene (emm) from 621 GAS isolates obtained from patients with STSS in Japan in 2013–2018 and performed antimicrobial susceptibility testing using the broth microdilution method. The predominant emm type was found to be 1, followed by 89, 12, and 3, which were identified in more than 70 % of STSS isolates. The proportions of emm3 and emm89 increased from 2.4 % and 12.0 %, respectively, during 2010–2012 to 5.6 % and 23.3 % during 2013–2018. In contrast, the proportion of emm1 decreased from 60.6 % to 39.3 % during the same two periods. Some emm types showed increasing proportions and were not isolated from patients with STSS in 2010–2012. Among these, an emm76 type increased in prevalence and was not included in the 30-valent M protein-based vaccine. Continual investigation of changes in the epidemiology of GAS which causes STSS can provide useful monitoring information such as future vaccination strategies and the emergence status of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria.

Recent advances in genome editing using programmable nucleases, such as zinc finger nucleases (ZFNs), transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs) and the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-Cas system, have facilitated reverse genetics in Xenopus tropicalis. To establish a practical workflow for analyzing genes of interest using CRISPR-Cas9, we examined various experimental procedures and conditions. We first compared the efficiency of gene disruption between Cas9 protein and mRNA injection by analyzing genotype and phenotype frequency, and toxicity. Injection of X. tropicalis embryos with Cas9 mRNA resulted in high gene-disrupting efficiency comparable with that produced by Cas9 protein injection. To exactly evaluate the somatic mutation rates of on-target sites, amplicon sequencing and restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis using a restriction enzyme or recombinant Cas9 were performed. Mutation rates of two target genes (slc45a2 and ltk) required for pigmentation were estimated to be over 90% by both methods in animals exhibiting severe phenotypes, suggesting that targeted somatic mutations were biallelically introduced in almost all somatic cells of founder animals. Using a heteroduplex mobility assay, we also showed that off-target mutations were induced at a low rate. Based on our results, we propose a CRISPR-Cas9-mediated gene disruption workflow for a rapid and efficient analysis of gene function using X. tropicalis founders.

In Japan, hot springs and public baths are the major sources of legionellosis. In 2015, an outbreak of Legionnaires' disease occurred among 7 patients who had visited a spa house. Laboratory investigation indicated that L. pneumophila serogroup 1 and 13 strains caused the outbreak and that these strains were genetically related.

Urodele amphibian newts have unique biological properties, notably including prominent regeneration ability. Iberian ribbed newt,Pleurodeles waltl, is a promising model newt along with the successful development of the easy breeding system and efficient transgenic and genome editing methods. However, genetic information ofP. waltlwas limited. In the present study, we conducted an intensive transcriptome analysis ofP. waltlusing RNA-sequencing to build gene models and annotate them. We generated 1.2 billion Illumina reads from a wide variety of samples across 11 different tissues and 9 time points during embryogenesis. They were assembled into 202,788 non-redundant contigs that appear to cover nearly complete (~98%)P. waltlprotein-coding genes. Using the gene set as a reference, our gene network analysis identified regeneration-, developmental-stage-, and tissue-specific co-expressed gene modules. Ortholog analyses with other vertebrates revealed the gene repertoire evolution of amphibians which includes urodele-specific loss ofbmp4and duplications ofwnt11b. Our transcriptome resource will enhance future research employing this emerging model animal for regeneration research as well as other areas such as developmental biology, stem cell biology, cancer research, ethology and toxico-genomics. These data are available via our portal website, iNewt (http://www.nibb.ac.jp/imori/main/).

Following completion of the genome sequences of Xenopus tropicalis and X. laevis, gene targeting techniques have become increasingly important for the further development of Xenopus research in the life sciences. Gene knockout using programmable nucleases, such as TALEN and CRISPR/Cas9, has reached a level whereby we can readily and routinely perform loss-of-function analysis of genes of interest in these species. However, there is still room for improvement in gene knock-in techniques owing to some technical problems. To overcome these problems, several knock-in techniques have been developed. Among them, we introduce in this chapter a simple knock-in system mediated by microhomology mediated end joining repair. This protocol allows us to produce knock-in animals for in vivo tagging, promoter/enhancer traps, and transgenesis in both of these Xenopus species.

An outbreak of enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) O157:H7 infection occurred in October 2016 in Kanagawa, Japan. A total of 61 patients and 17 asymptomatic cases of EHEC O157:H7 infection were confirmed by laboratory testing. Among them, 24 patients were hospitalized and 4 developed hemolytic-uremic syndrome. An epidemiological investigation revealed that this outbreak of EHEC O157:H7 infection was associated with the consumption of uncooked minced meat cutlets that were sold frozen at branches of a supermarket chain. The implicated uncooked meat cutlets were made of a mixture of minced beef, pork, onions, and eggs. All 40 meat cutlets tested from one particular batch were positive for EHEC O157:H7. The patterns observed on pulsed-field gel electrophoresis of strains isolated from the affected patients and meat cutlets were identical. The bacterial counts of EHEC O157:H7 and E. coli in meat cutlets ranged from 2.3 to 110 most-probable-number (MPN)/g and from 240 to 4,600 MPN/g, respectively. There are currently no national regulatory standards to ensure the safety of these types of meat products in Japan. Consumers should ensure that such products are cooked thoroughly and that safe food handling procedures are used to prevent infection.

Newts have remarkable ability to regenerate their organs and have been used in research for centuries. However, the laborious work of breeding has hampered reverse genetics strategies in newt. Here, we present simple and efficient gene knockout using Cas9 ribonucleoprotein complex (RNP) in Pleurodeles waltl, a species suitable for regenerative biology studies using reverse genetics. Most of the founders exhibited severe phenotypes against each target gene (tyrosinase, pax6, tbx5); notably, all tyrosinase Cas9 RNP-injected embryos showed complete albinism. Moreover, amplicon sequencing analysis of Cas9 RNP-injected embryos revealed virtually complete biallelic disruption at target loci in founders, allowing direct phenotype analysis in the F0 generation. In addition, we demonstrated the generation of tyrosinase null F1 offspring within a year. Finally, we expanded this approach to the analysis of noncoding regulatory elements by targeting limb-specific enhancer of sonic hedgehog, known as the zone of polarizing activity regulatory sequence (ZRS; also called MFCS1). Disruption of ZRS led to digit deformation in limb regeneration. From these results, we are confident that this highly efficient gene knockout method will accelerate gene functional analysis in the post-genome era of salamanders.

Following completion of the genome sequences of Xenopus tropicalis and X. laevis, gene targeting techniques have become increasingly important for the further development of Xenopus research in the life sciences. Gene knockout using programmable nucleases, such as TALEN and CRISPR/Cas9, has reached a level whereby we can readily and routinely perform loss-of-function analysis of genes of interest in these species. However, there is still room for improvement in gene knock-in techniques owing to some technical problems. To overcome these problems, several knock-in techniques have been developed. Among them, we introduce in this chapter a simple knock-in system mediated by microhomology mediated end joining repair. This protocol allows us to produce knock-in animals for in vivo tagging, promoter/enhancer traps, and transgenesis in both of these Xenopus species.

This paper presents the development of a mobile device application for the implementation of a participative model for evaluation of open spaces. Participants would be users of the Cidade Universitaria Armando Salles Oliveira (CUASO) Campus. The objective is to verify their perception of open spaces with regards to thermal environmental conditions; acoustics; daylight and ergonomic, and enable quick acquisition of these opinions. Thus, the name of the application: Opine. The participative model will provide quantitative subsidies as to the number of users of open spaces and their perception of these spaces and point towards a possible calibration which represents the process of climate adaptation. Studies in the area of environmental comfort and climate in open spaces presuppose the acquisition of data pertaining to environmental conditions, the physical characterization of spaces and users’ opinions, gathered by subjective answers. The last years have shown that, despite the technology used in field researches, part of this information could be acquired in a more dynamic manner. The development of the application led us to think of it as merely a questionnaire, as it would be more direct and easy to understand. Furthermore, an application with a questionnaire could be interesting, as campus users can voice their opinion and make their criticisms (or compliments) heard. The mobile application was developed, initially, for the investigation of user comfort in open spaces of the Campus Cidade Universitaria Armando Salles Oliveira, in Sao Paulo, Brazil, but can also be used for the analysis of other open urban spaces. The application was developed for Android systems, with the following characteristics regarded as relevant: easy to understand; clear; organized; easy to read. It should also be visually instinctive to the user, making the data acquisition process more agile and also enabling the rapid and dynamic treatment of the data, providing fast and easy further calculations based on the index of Temperature of Equivalent Perception (TEP) for the assessment of outdoor comfort.

Dados de alguns estudos apontam que os jogos educativos podem ser instrumentos efetivos para o ensino de leitura e escrita em razão de seu caráter motivacional e da possibilidade de programa-los de acordo com os princípios da Análise do Comportamento. O objetivo do Artigo 1 foi: (a) realizar um levantamento e descrever as pesquisas que utilizaram jogos para ensino de leitura e escrita e (b) avaliar o protótipo do jogo educativo Abrakedabra, Versão 2, no que diz respeito ao ensino de palavras com encontros consonantais, a usabilidade e o engajamento produzidos por ele. O jogo visa o ensino de leitura e escrita utilizando os procedimentos de MTS e CRMTS. Foram recuperados 10 estudos que apontaram que os jogos educativos podem ser instrumentos efetivos no ensino de leitura e escrita, dentre eles os estudos com o jogo de tabuleiro Abrakedabra. No presente estudo foram realizadas mudanças no jogo Abrakedabra e seu novo protótipo foi avaliado. Participou uma criança de cinco anos, matriculada na Educação Infantil, que não sabia ler e escrever palavras com encontros consonantais. No pré-teste foram avaliadas as relações entre palavra impressa e palavra falada pelo participante; entre figura e palavra impressa; entre figura e palavra escrita pelo participante; e entre palavra falada e conjunto de letras. A intervenção foi feita utilizando o jogo Abrakedabra ao longo de 15 sessões. No pós-teste as relações foram novamente testadas e observou-se que houve um aumento no número de palavras corretamente lidas e selecionadas, para as palavras de ensino e de generalização. No que diz respeito às sílabas com encontro consonantal, observou-se aumento no número de sílabas lidas apenas para as palavras de ensino. Os resultados sugerem que o jogo Abrakedabra pode ser utilizado para o ensino de palavras com encontros consonantais, contudo, há a necessidade de readequações no jogo e no procedimento devido ao desempenho com as palavras de generalização. No Artigo 2 o jogo educativo Abrakedabra foi novamente modificado (Versão 3) e avaliou-se seus efeitos sobre os comportamentos de ler e escrever palavras com encontros consonantais. A nova versão do jogo também foi avaliada no que diz respeito à usabilidade e engajamento. Participaram do estudo três crianças do 1º ano do ensino fundamental, com 6 anos de idade. Empregou-se um delineamento de linha de base múltipla. No pré-teste foram avaliadas as relações entre palavra impressa e palavra falada pelo participante; entre figura e palavra impressa; entre figura e palavra escrita pelo participante; e entre palavra falada e conjunto de letras. Na intervenção foi utilizado o jogo AbraKedabra ao longo de 18 a 24 sessões. Entre as intervenções e após as mesmas, as relações foram avaliadas novamente (Sondas e Pós-teste). Observou-se que para todos os participantes houve aumento na porcentagem de respostas corretas para todas as relações testadas. Quanto à usabilidade e engajamento, observou-se que o jogo tem a mecânica adequada à população avaliada e que os participantes se engajaram no jogo. Data from studies point that educational games can be effective instruments to teach reading and writing because of its motivational character and the possibility of programming them according to Behavior Analysis principles. Article 1 aimed to (a) search and describe researchers that used games to teach reading and writing and (b) evaluate the prototype of the educational game Abrakedabra in teaching words with consonantal encounters and in the usability and engagement produced. The game aims to teach reading and writing with the procedures MTS and CRMTS. Ten studies were recovered and they point that educational games can be effective instruments in teaching reading and writing; among them the studies with the boarding game Abrakedabra. In the current study changes in the game Abrakedabra were made and the new prototype was evaluated. Participated a 5-year-old child, registered in pre-school, who did not read or write words with consonantal encounters. In the pre-test, the relations between printed word and word spoken by the participant; between figure and printed word; between figure and word written by the participant; and between spoken word and set of letters were evaluated. In the intervention, the game Abrakedabra was used over 15 sessions. In the post-test, the relations were tested again and it was observed that there was an increase in the number of words correctly read and selected for the taught words, as well as the generalization words. About the syllables with consonantal encounters, there was an increase in the number of syllables read only for the taught words. The results suggest that the game Abrakedabra can be used to teach words with consonantal encounters, however, there is a need to adjust the game and the procedure because of the performance on the generalization words. In Article 2 the game Abrakedabra was once again modified and its effects on reading and writing words with consonantal encounters were evaluated. The new version of the game was also evaluated on the usability and engagement. Participated three 6-year-old children registered on the 1st grade. A multiple baseline design was adopted. In the pre-test, the relations between printed word and word spoken by the participant; between figure and printed word; between figure and word written by the participant; and between spoken word and set of letters were evaluated. In the intervention, the game was used over 18 to 24 sessions. In between the sessions and after them, the same relations were again evaluated (probes and post-test). To all the participants there was an increase in the percentage of correct answers to all the relations tested. Regarding the usability and engagement, it was observed that the mechanics of the game adequate and the participants engaged in the game.

In Japan, 18.1% of the population known as baby-boomers will become the late-stage elderly in 2025, thereby needing a foundation to support this change. The Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare is promoting the development of a regional comprehensive system allowing the elderly to continue living in their familiar surroundings. However, a care shortage is inevitable unless elders are able to age in good health, regardless of the system’s level of enhancement. This study aims to review the literature on active aging, clarify trends in clinical operations undertakings and research in Japan, and consider relevant research issues. After combining the search results of “active aging” and “healthy life expectancy,” we used a text mining technique to analyze the abstracts of 120 original articles and 213 reviews, commentaries, and features. Eight categories were extracted from the original articles: health statistics, gender, age, etc. From the reviews, commentaries, and features, 16 categories were extracted: orientation, disease, and living, etc. Cerebrovascular disease and osteoporosis were the most common diseases covered in the original articles; there has been a substantial amount of research on “active aging” and “healthy life expectancy” because they can easily lead to being bedridden and to a decrease in QOL. In the reviews, commentaries, and features, lifestyle-related diseases and menopause rather than cerebrovascular disease and osteoporosis, were extracted. The categorical differences found in the original articles may be due to the possibility that Japanese researchers are publishing their research abroad rather than in Japan or they submit research on topics that are guaranteed to be published at home or abroad. Little research has been conducted using the terms, “active aging” and “healthy life expectancy,” evidenced by the small number of studies generated. Preparations for 2025 will require an increase in the number of studies from the perspective of “active aging” and “healthy life expectancy.”

Keratin genes belong to the intermediate filament superfamily and their expression is altered following morphological and physiological changes in vertebrate epithelial cells. Keratin genes are divided into two groups, type I and II, and are clustered on vertebrate genomes, including those of Xenopus species. Various keratin genes have been identified and characterized by their unique expression patterns throughout ontogeny in Xenopus laevis; however, compilation of previously reported and newly identified keratin genes in two Xenopus species is required for our further understanding of keratin gene evolution, not only in amphibians but also in all terrestrial vertebrates. In this study, 120 putative type I and II keratin genes in total were identified based on the genome data from two Xenopus species. We revealed that most of these genes are highly clustered on two homeologous chromosomes, XLA9_10 and XLA2 in X. laevis, and XTR10 and XTR2 in X. tropicalis, which are orthologous to those of human, showing conserved synteny among tetrapods. RNA-Seq data from various embryonic stages and adult tissues highlighted the unique expression profiles of orthologous and homeologous keratin genes in developmental stage- and tissue-specific manners. Moreover, we identified dozens of epidermal keratin proteins from the whole embryo, larval skin, tail, and adult skin using shotgun proteomics. In light of our results, we discuss the radiation, diversification, and unique expression of the clustered keratin genes, which are closely related to epidermal development and terrestrial adaptation during amphibian evolution, including Xenopus speciation.

禁煙推進はタバコ関連疾患を減少させる唯一の方法である. タバコ関連疾患を治療する機会の多いわれわれ耳鼻咽喉科医は, 禁煙指導および治療を担うべきと考えられる. 今回, 昭和大学横浜市北部病院耳鼻咽喉科外来にて禁煙専門外来を開設したので, 治療成績と問題点を中心に若干の文献的考察を加え報告する. 対象は, 同病院耳鼻咽喉科外来通院中の患者で, 禁煙外来受診希望のあった患者30例とした. 方法は, 禁煙治療のための標準手順書に沿って12週間の標準プログラムに基づいて治療した症例22例に対し, プログラム完遂率, 禁煙成功率, 副作用発現率を算出し, アンケートにより禁煙治療における重要な因子を調査した. 標準プログラムの完遂率は90%, 禁煙成功率は68%と比較的よい成績であった. 副作用は, バレニクリンで嘔気40%, 異常な夢25%, 眠気15%, 腹痛5%であった. また, 禁煙に際して何が重要だったかというアンケートにおいて, 医師の指導が最も重要と回答した症例が69%であった. この理由として, 当科では耳鼻咽喉科一般診療と禁煙治療を並行して行っているため禁煙外来終了後も, 耳鼻咽喉科一般外来の通院を継続する必要があり, 医師患者の信頼関係が構築しやすいことが挙げられる. バレニクリンでは, 嘔気の副作用が40%と高率であったが, いずれも内服を中止するほどではなかった. 禁煙治療には医師の問診や面談が重要と考えられた.

本研究の目的は、保育現場が求める実習生像を明らかにすることである。実習生に身につけておいてほしいことがらを尋ねる26項目を作成し、保育者214名に質問紙調査を実施した。保育現場が求める実習生像について、幼稚園と保育所および公立と私立という勤務先による特徴を検討した。さらに、保育現場での立場として、経験年数、職場内の立場、実習生の年間の受入人数を取りあげて、保育現場が求める実習生像との関係を検討した。分析の結果、次の３点が示された。第１に、保育現場が実習生に求めることは、「学ぶ姿勢・態度」と「保育実践のスキル」にまとめることができる。第２に、「学ぶ姿勢・態度」は、私立施設勤務者が公立施設勤務者よりも実習生に必要であると考えていた。第３に、「学ぶ姿勢・態度」は、園長、主任、保育士が幼稚園教諭よりも実習生に必要であると考えていた。以上の結果を踏まえて、実習指導および保育者養成について、「学ぶ姿勢・態度」を育てることを通して「保育実践のスキル」を身につけることができる指導が重要であること、保育現場が求める実習生像を実習生自身が知ることで実習への意識を高めること、実習先の保育現場が求める実習生像を理解した上で実習生に指導を行なうことを提起した。

There is established concept that dendritic cells (DCs) play essential roles in the development of allergic immune responses. However, the influence of receptor antagonists on DC functions is not well defined. The aim of the present study was to examine the effect of epinastine hydrochloride (EP), the most notable histamine receptor antagonists in Japan, onDermatophagoides farinae (Der f)-pulsed mouse bone marrow-derived DCs in vitro and in vivo. EP at more than 25 ng/mL could significantly inhibit the production of IL-6, TNF- and IL-10 fromDer f-pulsed DCs, which was increased byDer fchallenge in vitro. On the other hand, EP increased the ability ofDer f-pulsed DCs to produce IL-12. Intranasal instillation ofDer f-pulsed DCs resulted in nasal eosinophilia associated with a significant increase in IL-5 levels in nasal lavage fluids.Der f-pulsed and EP-treated DCs significantly inhibited nasal eosinophila and reduced IL-5. These results indicate that EP inhibits the development of Th2 immune responses through the modulation of DC functions and results in favorable modification of clinical status of allergic diseases.