This paper investigates the detailed effects on language learners of various communication tools meant to improve course coordination. Activities with video conferencing, chat, and BBS were introduced as 3-week language exchange sessions in one semester. Students exchanged information and opinions on Japanese culture with students learning the Japanese language at a research-based university in Melbourne, Australia.Students in Japan used English, while students in Australia used Japanese and some English. After these online sessions, we conducted a survey using a questionnaire to collect the responses of the students in Japan on their motivation, attitudes and tension in video conferencing, chat, BBS sessions. In addition to the above activities, a face-to-face discussion with overseas students was conducted. As a result of the analyses, we found that there are 2 important factors that affect student's learning processes in each communication tool. Video conferencing has conflicting effects, that is, it has an advantage of increasing motivation to communicate more, but in contrast, it has a disadvantage of making students feel nervous and embarrassed. Possible reasons behind the feeling of nervousness and embarrassment might be not only their making mistakes in grammar or pronunciation but also their personalities and characters. On the other hand, the effect of chat is to provide stimulus to develop vocabulary and to enhance their cultural awareness, and the effect of BBS is to provide relaxed feelings in online communication and to increase students' desire to develop vocabulary.

Insulin and hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) induced morphologically different membrane rufflings in KB cells. Insulin-induced membrane ruffling was inhibited by microinjection of rho GDI, an inhibitory GDP/GTP exchange regulator for both rho p21 and rac p21 small GTP-binding proteins, but not inhibited by microinjection of botulinum exoenzyme C3, known to selectively ADP-ribosylate rho p21 and to impair its function. This rho GDI action was prevented by comicroinjection with guanosine 5'-(3-O-thio)triphosphate (GTP gamma S)-bound rac1 p21. In contrast, HGF-induced membrane ruffling was inhibited by microinjection of rho GDI or C3. This rho GDI action was prevented by comicroinjection with GTP gamma S-bound rhoA p21, and this C3 action was prevented by comicroinjection with GTP gamma S-bound rhoAIle-41 p21, which is resistant to C3. Microinjection of either GTP gamma S-bound rac1 p21 or rhoA p21 alone induced membrane ruffling in the absence of the growth factors. The rac1 p21-induced membrane ruffling was morphologically similar to the insulin-induced kind, whereas rhoA p21-induced ruffling was apparently different from both the insulin- and HGF-induced kinds. Membrane ruffling was also induced by 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA), a protein kinase C-activating phorbol ester, but not by Ca2+ ionophore or microinjection of a dominant active Ki-ras p21 mutant (Ki-rasVal-12 p21). The phorbol ester-induced membrane ruffling was morphologically similar to the rhoA p21-induced kind and inhibited by microinjection of rho GDI or C3. These results indicate that rac p21 and rho GDI are involved in insulin-induced membrane ruffling and that rho p21 and rho GDI are involved in HGF- and phorbol ester-induced membrane rufflings.