Ayami Hoshino

In long-term bedridden elderly patients with dietary copper deficiency, biochemical markers of bone resorption are increased with copper supplementation during 12 weeks

Background: Although the effect of copper on bone has been tested in animals and healthy subjects, no studies concerning the effect of copper supplementation on bone metabolism in patients with copper deficiency have been reported because of the rarity of these patients. This study was conducted to investigate the effect of copper supplementation on bone metabolism in copper-deficient patients. Method: This study included 10 patients (83.7 ± 8.3 years) with dietary copper deficiency under long-term bed rest for more than 12 months. They had their diets supplemented with copper sulfate (3 mg/day) over 12 weeks in addition to their diet of only one kind of enteral food with a low concentration of copper. Serum copper and ceruloplasmin, urinary deoxypyridinoline (DPD) and collagen-type 1 N-telopeptide (NTX) (biomarkers of bone resorption), serum osteocalcin (OC) and bone-specific alkaline phosphatase (Bone ALP) (biomarkers of bone formation) were analyzed at baseline, 4 and 12 weeks after copper supplementation. Results: DPD and NTX excretion were significantly increased 4 weeks after copper supplementation (p = 0.009 and p = 0.013, respectively). Serum bone ALP and OC were not significantly changed 12 weeks after copper supplementation (p = 0.051 and p = 0.594). Conclusions: In patients with nutritional copper deficiency, bone resorption markers are increased with copper supplementation.

The Preannouncement of Exam Questions in Printed Synopsis of Lecture that Increase Motivation for Learning among the Student Nurse

【背景・目的】 看護学生は, 短期間で幅広い専門的知識を習得しなければならず, 高い学習意欲が要求されている. 我々は実習に先立つ講義において, 試験出題部分をあらかじめ講義資料の中で明示することが, 看護学生の学習意欲に及ぼす影響を検討した. 【対象と方法】 2004年度入学の看護学科一年次の学生 (男性12名, 女性72名). 試験に出題する部分を講義資料のなかで明示し, 学習意欲について, Visual analogue scaleで定量化した. 【結 果】 試験出題部分を予告した今回の講義の方が, 予告をしない他の講義よりVisual Analogue Scaleを用いて定量した学習意欲が有意に高かった. 自由筆記の分析からは, 「実習で学習内容を実践するのが楽しみになった」など, 学習意欲に関する項目が抽出された. 【結 論】 試験出題部分の講義資料内での予告は, 看護学生の学習意欲を向上させる一手段として有用であると考えられた.