departmental bulletin paper

This study investigated the potential of adalimumab (ADA), a monoclonal antibody targeting TNF-alfa, to protect the inner ear from intense sound exposure, given that inflammatory cytokines, including TNF-alfa, are linked to hearing loss in acoustic disorders. In this study, adalimumab was administered to mice, and its effect on the inner ear was assessed. We examined the translocation of ADA to the inner ear and its ototoxicity and impact on acoustic exposure. The results showed that adalimumab partially reached the cochlea after administration but increased the susceptibility to acoustic exposure, resulting in higher hair cell loss in the inner ear. While TNF-alfa had been considered a potential therapeutic target, the results suggested that excessive TNF-alfa suppression could harm the inner ear. We acknowledged some limitations, such as the use of adalimumab instead of an anti-mouse TNF-alfa antibody and the need to explore the suppression of other cytokines for better inner ear protection. In conclusion, adalimumab administration was found to increase the inner earʼs susceptibility to acoustic exposure, potentially leading to more significant hair cell damage, possibly due to excessive TNF-alfa suppression

Vestibular hair cells are susceptible to damage from various stimuli such as infections, ischemia, and certain therapeutic drugs, including aminoglycoside antibiotics and the antineoplastic agent cisplatin. In mammals, damage to the vestibular hair cells is permanent. This study aimed to evaluate the protective effects of nobiletin (NOB) against aminoglycoside-induced hair cell death using utricles collected from adult mice. The utricles removed from CBA/N mice were assigned to eight groups according to the dose of NOB and the administration or not of neomycin. Hair cells in the utricles were counted by double labeling with calmodulin and calbindin. NOB inhibited hair cell death in utricles exposed to neomycin. The protective effect of NOB on hair cells in the utricles was also suggested to have resulted from the inhibition of the production and accumulation of 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal, the final product of lipid peroxide aldehyde. NOB suppressed neomycin-induced hair cell death. The principle of hair cell protection from aminoglycoside-induced hair cell death suggests that NOB inhibits reactive oxygen species formation in the utricles exposed to neomycin.

Objective: The objective was to explore the potential existence and nature of the relationship between serum of uric acid (SUA) and serum uric acid to serum creatinine ratio (SUA/SCr) with reduced estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among apparently healthy subjects with NAFLD (n=485). The association between tertiles of SUA and SUA/SCr with reduced eGFR (n=56) were investigated after adjustments for potentially relevant confounders. Also, the diagnostic performances of SUA and SUA/SCr were evaluated with the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Results: In the adjusted models, SUA showed a significant positive association with reduced eGFR in the highest tertile (OR 5.65, 95% CI 2.48-12.86, p<0.001), and SUA/SCr, in the lowest tertile (4.21, 95% CI 1.76-10.07, p=0.001). The ROC curve analysis did not reveal any significant difference between the corresponding values of area under the curve for SUA and SUA/SCr (0.70 and 0.67, respectively; p=0.521). Conclusions: We revealed significant and independent associations of elevated SUA and reduced SUA/SCr with kidney function decline in NAFLD. However, the clinical utility of these two biomarkers seemed to be limited for the mentioned purpose and needs further investigations.

Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) is the most common vertigo disease and is more likely to occur in perimenopausal women, suggesting an association with osteoporosis. Since otoconia are primarily composed of calcium carbonate, abnormal calcium metabolism may lead to otoconia dislocation. However, the detailed mechanism is currently unknown. In this study, we investigated the effects of drugs (cadmium and dexamethasone) that cause abnormal calcium metabolism on otolith formation in zebrafish larvae. Here, otolith size was clearly reduced in the cadmium group, and the calcium content of the larvae was also markedly reduced. In contrast, in the dexamethasone group, which also had a lower calcium content than the control group, otolith size increased. Our results suggest that, as in bone, calcium metabolism influences the repeated dissolution and recrystallization of otoliths and maintains homeostasis in response to calcium concentrations in the endolymphatic fluid.

本研究では、日本のレストランのメニューにはイメージが多い理由を探るために、未知の食事の内容を映像的に知らせるため・映像のなさで高級であることを発信するためという情報伝達仮説と、来客の行動を客体化し欲望を高めるという「マッサージ」（McLuhan、1957）仮説を検証した。情報伝達仮説はいずれも支持されなかったが、マッサージ仮説が有意に支持されたので、既知且つ高級な料理の場合でも、メニューに映像を掲載することを推薦した。

This study uses the International Input-Output Table to estimate the impact on Japan of China's ban on the import of waste plastics implemented at the end of 2017. Initially, by employing an econometric model, it was estimated that Japan's total waste plastic emissions decreased by an average of 39,000 tons from 2018 to 2022 due to China's ban on waste plastic imports. This reduction corresponds to 0.46% of the average annual total waste plastic emissions. Assuming a proportional relationship between Japan's total waste plastic emissions and domestic production, it was projected that the domestic production would decrease by an average of 0.46% annually. Furthermore, due to the anticipated decrease in Japan's production leading to a reduction in the import of intermediate goods from China and other countries, the study used the modified Leontief inverse matrix derived from the International Input-Output Table to calculate the negative economic multiplier effects （decrease in production） on China and other countries resulting from the decrease in Japan's production. As a result, we showed that, on average, from 2018 to 2022, China's ban on waste plastic imports had a negative economic multiplier effect of 4.2 trillion yen in Japan, 119.5 billion yen in China, and 5.0 trillion yen in the world.

In IS-LM model, it seems difficult to intuitively understand the concept of money market. Therefore, in Umada（2024） we discussed the determination of loan interest rate, deposit interest rate, and government bond yield without using the concept of money market. In addition to these three, we will also discuss GDP and price determination, adding the concept of goods market to the discussion.

令和4年の化学物質の自律的管理への法改正に伴い、「リスクアセスメント」を基軸とする「自律的管理」への移行への体制整備の重要性を前回簡単に述べた（藤原勇、森本宏志、近藤圭、2023）。令和5年は化学物質見直し対策部会（以下「部会」）を立ち上げ、国立大学協会の「大学の自律的化学物質管理ガイドライン」（仁科弘重ら、2022）を参考に安全衛生推進室の設置を含む体制及び安全教育の内容を検討し、化学物質管理委員会、役員会で承認された。本論文では部会で検討事項をまとめた。また、令和5年全学化学物質講習会の結果、及び共通教育化学実験の対応を紹介する。

本研究は、初級後半レベルである日本語II（総合）のクラスにおいて反転授業を導入した試みについて紹介し、そのメリット・デメリットについて分析および考察を行うものである。文法説明、基本練習を文法ビデオに収め、留学生はそれを視聴した上で対面授業に参加するという方法を実施した。その結果、留学生からの満足度が高く、学習効果も見込まれたが、一方でビデオを見ない留学生に対する働きかけにおいて課題が残った。

山口大学は、地元の高等教育機関、自治体、産業界等と共に、令和4年11月に地域連携プラットフォームとして「やまぐち地域共創プラットフォーム」及び「うべ・未来共創プラットフォーム」を立ち上げた。これらは地域の課題を発見し、その課題の解決を通して地域の発展を促進することを目的としており、大学は研究活動から得られた技術や知見の提供、人材育成と輩出を通してこれらの目的を達成することが求められている。初年度は各プラットフォーム内で2つのワーキングを立ち上げ、活動を行った。今後の推進においては、認知度向上、効果検証、継続性確保に注力する必要がある。

2021年6月に行われた「山口大学ヘルシーキャンパス宣言」のもと、保健管理センターはこれまで以上に学生・教職員の健康に寄り添い、安心して学び・働けるキャンパスづくりのサポートを行っている。本報告では、ヘルシーキャンパス宣言の一環として保健管理センターが取り組んだ「健康の森」および「ウォーキングチャレンジ2023」について紹介する。

日本学生支援機構の実態調査によると、高等教育機関に在籍する障害等のある学生は増加傾向にある。本学でも障害学生の増加、障害種の多様化、支援希望者の増加がみられ、連動して支援リソースの不足や支援ニーズの競合、支援内容の複雑化といった新たな課題が生じつつある。既存の支援体制をベースにしつつ、支援の効率化、一般的な対応の充実、関係部署間の連携等を行うことが対策となり得る。

共通教育の「山口と世界」は「山口」がキーワードである。著者は更に「環境」をキーワードに、環境教育の発展や自然豊かな山口のアピール等を目的とした「環境配慮活動計画作成」の課題を与え、その成果の実践例を紹介する。本学の環境マネジメントは環境マネジメント対策部会が中心になって環境配慮活動を行っているが学生の参画は少ない。この授業後に有志で部活、サークル、ボランティア活動において多くの学生に活動してもらいたいと考えている。

近年地球温暖化が原因で地球の気温が上昇し、異常気象による洪水等が増加していると報道されている。今起こっている地球温暖化現象の意識調査を行うために「環境と人間」の授業の中で地球環境に関する問題を学生に回答してもらった。問題の正解率は低く、地球環境事象と学生の認識の違いが明らかになった。

筆者は本学にて令和5年度後期よりYu-DXプログラム（地域の未来を担うDX人材育成プログラム）を構成する「DX概論」の授業を担当している。本稿ではこの授業を踏まえ、DX教育の実践について考察する。授業では、学生が課題解決においてDXを実践できる知識・態度を身に付けられるようにするため、実業におけるDXを適切に理解するとともに、コンセプチュアルスキル（概念化能力）を高めることに意を払っており、本稿ではこれらの点を中心に現状と、今後の取り組み課題を論述する。なお、DXはDigital Transformationの略称である。本稿ではDXと表記する。

18歳人口の減少、大学進学率の上昇等により、志願者獲得が今後の大学の課題となる。説明会参加者の追跡調査の結果、説明会参加は出願に繋がっており、特に山口県内の志願者にその傾向は顕著であった。また総合型選抜や学校推薦型選抜等の特別選抜志願者、専門学科の高校生は説明会に参加し、出願する傾向にあった。従って進学希望者が積極的に説明会へ参加するように促す広報を行うことが志願者獲得には重要である。

DXが社会で一般的となっていることから、大学生のDXの認識度に関する調査を行った。「DX」という言葉を知っていると回答した学生は3割を下回っていた。またその取組機関として企業以外の機関のイメージは薄く、DXの定義をわかっている学生も4割に満たなかった。加えて「DX」という言葉の認知と理解度は等しくなかった。大学教育として全学的かつ文系講義の一幕としてDXの定義や事例を紹介しておくことが望ましい。

入学後1 年以内に保健管理センターへメンタルヘルス相談に来た学生の入学時の精神健康状態について後方視的に調査し、入学時に行うスクリーニング検査の意義について改めて検討した。その結果、入学時の検査は1 年以内に大学生活に不適応を来しうるリスクを早い段階で予測できる可能性が示唆された。スクリーニング検査を受けない学生に対するアプローチ方法を検討していくことが、今後の課題である。

本稿では、山口大学の入学者追跡調査による入学者選抜の検証の今後の在り方、分析手法の可能性を検討するために、決定木分析を試みた。決定木分析は、入学者追跡データを有効に活用し有意味な情報を見出す分析として有効であり、教育支援・学生支援として対応すべきポイントを提示できる。しかし、分析結果を入試改善にフィードバックする場合には慎重な解釈と対応が重要になることが示唆された。

As universities take actions to support the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Yamaguchi University has focused in part on visibility, making information about which SDGs are taught in each class easily accessible on the online syllabi. This can be valuable data to students, but it is also important for the university to have a better understanding of how well these SDGs are integrated into classes and where there is room for improvement. This study investigated the extent that SDGs have been implemented into course syllabi in general education classes. SDG frequencies were investigated for both faculty and class type, and were found to be more frequent in English language courses, and of similar overall frequencies but varying compositions between faculties.

The fluctuation hypothesis (Ionin et al., 2004) holds that learners of English as a second or foreign language (ESL/EFL) will continue to make errors in their use of English articles until they switch their criteria for English article selection from specificity to definiteness. However, L1 language acquisition research indicates that young children who are L1 speakers use English articles accurately on the basis of whether the referent is specific or nonspecific before they acquire the definite–indefinite distinction. It is possible that Japanese EFL learners, like young L1 learners, can accurately use English articles employing the specific–non-specific distinction even before they master the definite–indefinite distinction. This study examined this hypothesis using Bickerton’s (1981) semantic wheel-based taxonomy and Díez- Bedmar and Papp’s (2008) tag-coding system. An analysis of 38 essays from the Nagoya Interlanguage Corpus of English Reborn showed that the specific– non-specific distinction can contribute to a highly accurate use of English articles for non-specific referents and relatively accurate article use for specific referents by Japanese EFL learners who have difficulty applying the definite– indefinite distinction. The pedagogical implications of the results were discussed.

Native English scholarly writers use interactional metadiscourse markers in their research articles to indicate their stance and negotiate their claims with readers. Hedges are a type of interactional metadiscourse marker often used in scientific research articles to soften writers’ claims and protect themselves from criticism (Hyland, 2005a). When Japanese researchers write research articles in English, they tend to use fewer English hedges than native English writers. Although hedges are used in research articles written in Japanese, their usage appears to differ from that of English hedges. This study analyses the use of hedges in research articles by Japanese writers in both English and Japanese in comparison with English hedges employed by native English writers in order to reveal the differences in the use of hedges between the two languages. The analysis focuses not only on the discrepancies in usage between native English and Japanese writers, but also on the characteristics of hedges used in academic articles written in English and Japanese. Furthermore, this study investigates the impact of Japanese writers’ first language on their use of English hedges in articles written in English. A total of 30 published empirical research articles in soft science disciplines in English and Japanese were used for the quantitative and qualitative analyses of the use of hedges, revealing both the writing and linguistic differences between the two languages. Thus, this study aims to offer pedagogical suggestions for Japanese learners of English to use hedges more effectively in their research papers written in English.