相模女子大学

Gait disturbance in individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) at levels rostral to the lumbar locomotor centre results from disconnection between the supraspinal system and the spinal locomotor centre. Here, we present a non-invasive volition-controlled spinal stimulation paradigm that empowers paraplegic individuals to regain stepping control in their impaired legs. Using hand muscle-controlled magnetic stimulation targeting the lumbar spinal motor circuits in the preserved lumber cord, individuals with chronic SCI achieved control of start-stop motion, step length and cadence of bilateral cyclic stepping in paralysed legs. Stimulus-induced cyclic stepping with leg muscle EMG activity was evoked in all participants with complete or incomplete SCI, regardless of the lesion site between the thoracic and lumbar spinal cord. Combining voluntary gait effort with closed-loop stimulation further enhanced leg movements. Repeated application of this closed-loop stimulation led to progressive improvement in stimulus-induced stepping and muscle responses, particularly in participants with thoracic SCI, and in stimulus-free stepping, particularly in participants with incomplete SCI. Our findings indicate that the preserved lumbar spinal motor circuit plays a crucial role in improving stimulus-induced stepping, whereas the preserved descending pathway is required for improving stimulus-free stepping. This non-invasive closed-loop spinal stimulation paradigm bypasses the lesion site on the spinal cord and strengthens both the preserved spinal circuits and the descending pathways to allow bilateral stepping control to be regained after SCI. This approach holds great promise for SCI-related gait rehabilitation because it has the potential to lead to functional recovery. Furthermore, this approach offers a viable alternative for individuals with contraindications to invasive procedures or those who do not consent to surgical treatments.

In Japan, the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme is increasingly implemented in public secondary schools through dual-language models incorporating English-medium instruction (EMI). Despite this expansion, little is known about how teachers’ classroom vocabulary supports disciplinary learning and academic language development in EMI IB contexts. Using the CEFR-based Vocabulary Level Analyzer (CVLA), a Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR)–based vocabulary analysis tool, the study examined how teachers employ language to make subject content accessible while supporting students’ academic language development. The findings revealed that teachers predominantly use accessible, interaction-oriented English to facilitate enquiry, while subject specialists incorporate higher-CEFR vocabulary at levels above B1, particularly discipline-specific terminology, in mathematics and science. In addition, teachers frequently employed IB command terms (e.g. analyse, evaluate, and justify), which are central to IB pedagogy and function as cross-disciplinary academic vocabulary supporting enquiry-based learning and disciplinary literacy across EMI classrooms. Existing EMI and IB research has rarely examined teachers’ actual classroom vocabulary use in Japanese public secondary IB contexts. This study addresses this gap by demonstrating how vocabulary functions as a pedagogical resource in EMI instruction. The findings have implications for EMI pedagogy, teacher preparation, and the implementation of IB programmes in Japan.

Delayed matching-to-position (DMTP) and delayed nonmatching-to-position (DNMTP) tasks are widely used as standard paradigms for evaluating working memory in rodents. In these tasks, which employ a two-alternative forced-choice (2AFC) design, animals initiate each trial by nosepoking a back key, which triggers the illumination of a sample key (either the left or right front key). Upon nosepoking the sample key, a delay begins. During this delay, the back key remains illuminated and animals may nosepoke it, but these responses have no programmed consequence. After the programmed delay, the first nosepoke on the back key activates both front keys. Reinforcement is contingent on choosing the same key as the sample in the DMTP task, or the opposite key in the DNMTP task. Performance is typically measured as the proportion of correct responses across varying delays, which generally decline as delay increases. However, whether the imposed mediating responses used in many protocols effectively prevents the use of nonmnemonic strategies remains insufficiently explored. In this study, we recorded and analyzed the movements of mice during these tasks using automated video tracking. Our findings suggest that mice may rely on nonmnemonic strategies, such as maintaining body position relative to the sample keys, rather than solely on working memory. These results challenge the assumption that DMTP and DNMTP tasks exclusively measure working memory, highlighting the need for cautious interpretation of task performance.