Shiga University

Mental health problems among children and adolescents have been increasing worldwide, highlighting the need for preventive interventions in schools. This study examined the effectiveness of a school-based universal prevention program on self-efficacy and mental health problems in Japanese children using a quasi-experimental design with intervention and control groups. A total of 1,281 third- and fourth-grade students participated, with 264 assigned to the intervention group and 1,017 to the control group. The intervention group received the Universal Unified Prevention Program for Diverse Disorders (Up2-D2), a 12-session program based on cognitive-behavioral and positive psychological interventions. A significant universal-level effect was found for positive attitude (a self-efficacy subscale), which improved over time in the intervention group but not in the control group. At the indicated level, a Time × Group interaction was observed for depressive symptoms among children with elevated baseline depression; however, the group effect at Time 4 did not reach statistical significance after covariate adjustment. Effect sizes at Time 4 were small for positive attitude at the universal level (g = 0.19) and small-to-moderate for depressive symptoms at the indicated level (g = 0.36). These findings suggest that Up2-D2 may promote positive attitude at the universal level, while potential indicated-level benefits for depressive symptoms may warrant further confirmation. Evaluating outcomes in both general and at-risk subgroups may help clarify for whom and on which outcomes universal school-based prevention programs are most beneficial.

Abstract The development of remote sensing and object detection technologies has advanced benthos surveys. However, challenges remain in accuracy and cost‐efficiency due to environmental interference. A practical method combining drone‐based image acquisition and deep learning techniques for benthos monitoring is presented. Field experiments objecting hermit crabs were conducted at Lake Hamana using drones at altitudes of 2 m, 5 m and 10 m. Super‐resolution reconstruction (SRR) was applied to enhance image quality, followed by small‐object detection using the self‐built V9‐BENTHOS. With a magnification factor × 4, Residual Dense Network (RDN) achieved optimal SRR performance (PSNR: 38.15 dB, SSIM: 88.51%) and V9‐BENTHOS reached a mean average precision of 95.5%. The effects of SRR algorithms and magnification factors on hermit crab detection were discussed. This case study provides a new approach to support benthos ecological monitoring.

Post-translational modifications regulate tau aggregation and propagation, yet how amyloid pathology shapes the tau modification landscape remains unclear. Using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, we compared tau modifications in MAPT knock-in (MAPT KI) mice and MAPT/App double knock-in mice with AppNL-G-F amyloid pathology. Only subtle differences were detected, with a tendency toward increased acetylation within the repeat domain. Because K321 and K331 lie in the fibril-forming core, their roles were further examined. Acetylation at these sites was absent in cynomolgus monkey brains. To test functional relevance, we generated acetylation-mimicking MAPTK331Q knock-in mice on the MAPT KI background. Despite tau expression, these mice showed reduced tau phosphorylation at 24 months, with unchanged insoluble tau and seeding activity. Thus, K331 acetylation does not promote tau pathology.

The number of children with medical complexity at home has been increasing. To facilitate a smooth transition to home care for these children after discharge from the intensive care unit (ICU), early nursing interventions and family training are essential. This study examined factors that predict home discharge and the need for medical care at home using routine clinical information at the time of ICU admission. This study included paediatric patients under the age of 16 who were admitted to the ICU. Clinical data were extracted from medical records. Univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted using logistic regression to identify relevant factors. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was performed to determine the cut-off values. One hundred and thirty-one patients were included, of whom 82 patients were discharged home. Multivariate analysis using logistic regression identified the following independent predictors of home discharge: postoperative admission (p = 0.024), lower heart rate at admission (p = 0.016), absence of cardiopulmonary arrest immediately before ICU admission (CPA) (p = 0.012) and no mechanical ventilation within the first hour of ICU admission (p = 0.044). ROC analysis for heart rate at admission yielded a cut-off value of 131 bpm (p = 0.039). A total of 62 patients did not require home medical care. Univariate logistic regression analysis identified length of ICU stay as a significant factor associated with the need for home medical care (p = 0.045). In paediatric ICU patients, postoperative admission, lower heart rate at admission, absence of pre-admission CPA and no mechanical ventilation predicted successful home discharge. The need for home medical care was significantly associated with length of ICU stay. Early and appropriate nursing interventions can be considered for paediatric ICU patients and their families, leading to the provision of high-quality nursing care.

Background: Meige syndrome induced by antipsychotics causes significant functional impairment. This case report describes a pediatric patient with treatment-resistant schizophrenia complicated by Myge syndrome. Case Presentation: A 12-years-old boy with schizophrenia developed blepharospasm and facial twitching around the mouth during treatment with multiple antipsychotic medications. Given the diagnosis of treatment-resistant schizophrenia

ABSTRACTBackgroundRare pathogenic variations of desmosomal genes, particularly in plakophilin‐2 (PKP2) and desmoglein‐2 (DSG2), have been implicated in arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy (ACM); however, their potential polygenic contribution remains unclear.MethodsWe performed a genome‐wide association study of 104 Japanese patients with ACM and 46 527 controls, adjusting for case–control imbalance.ResultsThe strongest association was observed upstream of DSG2 (rs182626537, p = 2.3 × 10−42), but the signal was abolished after excluding carriers of pathogenic DSG2 variants, suggesting a synthetic association driven by linkage disequilibrium.ConclusionsThese findings highlight a population‐specific genetic architecture of ACM, with DSG2 predominating in the Japanese population.

Fabricating perovskite solar cells (PSCs) in ambient air may lower production costs and enhance the feasibility of commercialization of this cutting-edge technology. However, ambient-air fabrication of perovskite films often results in rough surfaces, pinholes, and non-uniform coverage, which increase non-radiative recombination in PSCs. In this work, we fabricated uniform pinhole-free perovskite films with large crystal domains of several tens of micrometers under ambient conditions (40 % relative humidity) by bar coating using 1-hexyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride as an ionic liquid (IL). The IL molecules in the perovskite solution protected the perovskite from interacting with moisture, facilitating the fabrication of high-quality perovskite films under ambient conditions. PSCs with bar-coated IL-assisted perovskite films exhibited over 90 % of their initial solar output after storage for 1000 h in the dark under ambient conditions (relative humidity of 40 %–50 %), illustrating their higher long-term moisture stability than that of devices with conventional spin-coated perovskite films. This high moisture stability is attributed to the dense perovskite grains with sizes of one to several tens of micrometers obtained by bar coating rather than spin coating. • Ionic liquid additives allow the easy bar-coating of high quality perovskite films. • The grain size of bar-coated IL-assisted films exceeds tens of micrometers. • As-Deposited materials exhibit enhanced moisture stability. • Unencapsulated solar cells retain over 90 % of their performance after 1000 h under ambient conditions.

Abstract In this chapter, we outline the influence of an experimental, hands-on Kakishibu STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) workshop designed for primary school children and their families, guided by the principles of Culturally Relevant Pedagogy (CRP). The chapter commences with a literature review on CRP, with particular emphasis on STEM education. Subsequently, the development process of culturally relevant STEM education workshops centred on Kakishibu is introduced, incorporating CRP and a utility value intervention involving worksheets on self-generated invention ideas involving Kakishibu. The workshops were conducted in both Japan and Australia, where the relevance of Kakishibu and policies on single-use plastic bans vary. A qualitative analysis was performed on the collected worksheets from eco-friendly and sustainability perspectives. The findings reveal that the majority of children proposed eco-friendly applications for Kakishibu; however, the context of single use plastics in everyday life had a discernable effect. Additionally, some children advocated a systems approach to broader plastic issues. Consequently, it is suggested that the intersection of multicultural relevance and single-use plastic alternatives may produce a synergistic effect. Given that children employed an anthropocentric perspective rather than focusing on the foundational philosophy of Kakishibu, it is necessary to emphasise shifting the concept of “culturally relevant” from everyday life to the cultural philosophical background.