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"Okazaki, Manami"
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Kawaii! : Japan's culture of cute
Showcasing Japan's astonishingly varied culture of cute, this volume takes the reader on a dazzling and adorable visual journey through all things kawaii. Although some trace the phenomenon of kawaii as far back as Japan's Taisho era, it emerged most visibly in the 1970s when schoolgirls began writing in big, bubbly letters complete with tiny hearts and stars. From cute handwriting came manga, Hello Kitty, and Harajuku, and the kawaii aesthetic now affects every aspect of Japanese life. As colorful as its subject matter, this book contains numerous interviews with illustrators, artists, fashion designers, and scholars. It traces the roots of the movement from sociological and anthropological perspectives and looks at kawaii's darker side as it morphs into gothic and gloomy iterations. Best of all, it includes hundreds of colorful photographs that capture kawaii's ubiquity: on the streets and inside homes, on lunchboxes and airplanes, in haute couture and street fashion, in cafââes, museums, and hotels.
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Binding affinities of paclitaxel and docetaxel for generic and nanoparticle albumin-bound paclitaxel-derived albumin from human serum
Nanoparticle albumin-bound (nab)-paclitaxel is a 130-nm formulation containing human serum albumin (HSA). The clinical efficacy of this formulation is considered to depend on its affinity for HSA. The high pressure employed during the manufacture of nab-paclitaxel HSA (nab HSA) may influence its conformation and/or oligomerization, and ultimately its affinity for HSA. Therefore, studies are required to evaluate whether the affinity of paclitaxel for nab HSA is similar to that of generic HSA (control HSA). In the present study, nab HSA was isolated from nab-paclitaxel by gel filtration, and the binding affinities (KDs) were determined by surface plasmon resonance. Furthermore, the affinity of docetaxel for nab HSA and control HSA was measured, as their binding sites are similar. Paclitaxel showed KDs of 8.93±8.60 and 7.39±5.81 µM for nab HSA and control HSA, respectively, whereas the corresponding KDs for docetaxel were 44.3±9.50 and 55.9±2.28 µM, respectively. This suggests that the paclitaxel binding site was not modified during the nab-paclitaxel manufacturing process. Additionally, nab HSA likely does not affect paclitaxel and blood HSA binding, as evidenced by the similar affinities of paclitaxel and docetaxel for nab HSA and control HSA. In conclusion, the binding affinities of paclitaxel and docetaxel for nab HSA and control HSA were found to be comparable. Additionally, the manufacturing process did not influence the paclitaxel binding affinity for nab HSA. These results also suggest that nab HSA may not affect the clinical effectiveness of nab-paclitaxel.
Journal Article
Repeated Valproic Acid Administration Fundamentally Ameliorated Cisplatin-Induced Mechanical Allodynia in Rats
Cisplatin (cis-diamminedichloro-platinum; CDDP) is a chemotherapeutic agent that frequently induces peripheral neuropathy characterized by mechanical allodynia. Herein, we aimed to determine the effects of valproic acid (VPA) on cisplatin-induced mechanical allodynia in rats and elucidate the underlying mechanisms. A single administration of VPA (150 mg/kg) transiently suppressed CDDP-induced mechanical allodynia, correlating with serum VPA concentrations. Repeated VPA administration before or after the onset of CDDP-induced mechanical allodynia significantly attenuated allodynia even after VPA discontinuation, suggesting fundamental treatment potential. Mechanistically, CDDP increased the expression of neurokinin 1 receptor (NK1R) mRNA in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord, and this increased expression was suppressed by repeated VPA administration. Treatment with an NK1R antagonist alleviated CDDP-induced mechanical allodynia, indicating the involvement of NK1R in allodynia. In vitro assays revealed that VPA did not affect the cytotoxicity of CDDP in Walker 256 cells, suggesting that VPA does not interfere with the antitumor activity of CDDP. Overall, repeated VPA administration may fundamentally ameliorate CDDP-induced peripheral neuropathy by suppressing the CDDP-induced increased NK1R expression without compromising the antitumor effects of CDDP. These findings provide insights into the potential use of VPA as a therapeutic agent for managing CDDP-induced peripheral neuropathy.
Journal Article
Clinical implications of elevated serum interleukin-6 in IgG4-related disease
Some patients with IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD) exhibit elevated serum interleukin (IL)-6 with excessive inflammatory reactions or with repeating relapse. To date few reports pertaining to clinical implications of elevated serum IL-6 in IgG4-RD patients have been published. The aims of the current retrospective study were to investigate the clinical implications of elevated serum IL-6 in IgG4-RD patients, and to examine whether IL-6 can predict the activity and/or relapse of the disease.
We examined the clinical picture at the onset of 43 patients who were diagnosed with IgG4-RD in our hospital and were able to measure serum IL-6 before steroid treatment.
The median level of serum IL-6 was 2.2 pg/mL. There was a significant correlation between IL-6 and C-reactive protein (CRP) level (r = 0.397, p = 0.008), hemoglobin level (r = -0.390, p = 0.010) and albumin level (r = -0.556, p < 0.001). When 43 patients were divided into two groups by using a cut-off IL-6 of 4 pg/mL, the high IL-6 group showed higher age, lower albumin, higher CRP and higher aspartate aminotransferase (AST) (age p = 0.014, albumin p = 0.006, CRP p <0.001, AST p = 0.009). Hepatic swelling and splenomegaly were significantly more prevalent in the high IL-6 group than it was in the low IL-6 group (liver p < 0.001, spleen p = 0.020). Biliary tract involvement tended to admit more in the high IL-6 group (p = 0.060).
Serum IL-6 level at the onset of IgG4-RD may be significantly correlated with clinical inflammatory parameters and it may also be associated with involvement of the bile duct, liver, and spleen.
Journal Article
Effect of particle characteristics on granular friction evaluated by dual-slip-plane friction tests
The frictional properties of natural granular materials are important for understanding dynamic natural phenomena such as earthquakes and landslides. The coefficient of friction for natural granular materials varies significantly based on parameters including sliding velocity, normal stress, and experimental conditions (temperature, humidity, etc.). This variation makes it difficult to accurately assess the relative slip resistance of two granular materials under identical conditions. To address this issue, we present a novel experimental approach employing a rotary shear apparatus that applies shear stress to two samples simultaneously. In this study, we utilized this method to determine the slip resistance of 50 different granular materials selected through a tournament competition. Qualitative evaluation results showed that crushed oyster shells, composed of biogenic calcite, were the most slip-resistant material. It was also found that the highly ranked, slip-resistant materials are those with higher peak frictions. Factors contributing to higher friction differed significantly between natural and artificially crushed particles, with the peak friction for crushed particles being strongly influenced by angularity, flatness, specific surface area, and particle-size distribution. The significantly higher friction of crushed oyster-shell particles can be attributed to their composition, which includes particles of various angular shapes, such as needle-like and flat forms. The shape characteristics prevent particle rotation, increasing the number of contact surfaces with neighboring particles. Oyster shells are a cause for concern as an industrial waste product, but their high frictional force has a potential for secondary use as a soil conditioner and slip-resistant material.
Journal Article
An inhibitor of fibroblast growth factor receptor-1 (FGFR1) promotes late-stage terminal differentiation from NGN3+ pancreatic endocrine progenitors
Human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) provide a potential resource for regenerative medicine. To identify the signalling pathway(s) contributing to the development of functional β cells, we established a tracing model consisting of dual knock-in
h
iPSCs (
I
NS
-
Ve
nus/
N
GN3
-mCher
ry
) (hIveNry) expressing the fluorescent proteins Venus and mCherry under the control of intrinsic insulin (
INS
) and neurogenin 3 (
NGN3
) promoters, respectively. hIveNry iPSCs differentiated into NGN3- and mCherry-positive endocrine progenitors and then into Venus-positive β cells expressing
INS
,
PDX1
,
NKX6.1
, and glucokinase (
GCK
). Using these cells, we conducted high-throughput screening of chemicals and identified a specific kinase inhibitor of fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 (FGFR1) that acted in a stage-dependent manner to promote the terminal differentiation of pancreatic endocrine cells, including β cells, from the intermediate stage of pancreatic endocrine progenitors while blocking the early development of pancreatic progenitors. This FGFR1 inhibitor augmented the expression of functional β cell markers (
SLC30A8
and
ABCC8
) and improved glucose-stimulated INS secretion. Our findings indicate that the hIveNry model could provide further insights into the mechanisms of hiPS-derived β cell differentiation controlled by FGFR1-mediated regulatory pathways in a temporal-dependent fashion.
Journal Article
Identifying a possible factor for the increased newborn size in singleton pregnancies after assisted reproductive technology using cryopreserved embryos, in comparison with fresh embryos
Purpose To determine whether the cycle regimens that are used for endometrial preparation are associated with the birthweight (BW) after assisted reproductive technology (ART) using frozen‐thawed embryo transfer (FET). Methods The BW of singletons who were born by ART using FET was compared retrospectively, according to whether a FET was conducted in a hormone replacement therapy cycle (HRT, n = 403) or an ovulatory cycle (OVL, n = 117). The BW after timed intercourse (NAT, n = 162) also was investigated. Results There were no significant differences in the age of the mothers, percentage of primiparas, gestational periods, Body Mass Index, and sex ratio between the HRT and OVL cycles. The average BW from HRT was significantly greater than that of OVL. The BW from HRT was also greater, compared with NAT, while statistical significance was not achieved between OVL and NAT. The putative factors affecting the BW, such as ovarian stimulation protocols, endometrial thickness, and the stage and quality of embryos, could not explain the difference in the BW between the HRT and OVL cycles. Conclusion An increased BW from ART using FET seems to be ascribable to conditions of the endometrium, but not cryopreservation procedures per se, which might provide a mechanistic framework for understanding heavier neonates who are born by FET. We explored the mechanism of how birth weight of babies born from assisted reproductive technology using frozen‐thawed embryos is higher compared with fresh embryos transfer. The data presented here implicate that higher birth weight of babies born using frozen‐thawed embryos is not intrinsic to the technology of cryopreservation itself, but is related to how the endometrium is prepared for embryo transfer.
Journal Article
An inhibitor of fibroblast growth factor receptor-1 (FGFR1) promotes late-stage terminal differentiation from NGN3+ pancreatic endocrine progenitors
Human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) provide a potential resource for regenerative medicine. To identify the signalling pathway(s) contributing to the development of functional β cells, we established a tracing model consisting of dual knock-in hiPSCs (INS-Venus/NGN3-mCherry) (hIveNry) expressing the fluorescent proteins Venus and mCherry under the control of intrinsic insulin (INS) and neurogenin 3 (NGN3) promoters, respectively. hIveNry iPSCs differentiated into NGN3- and mCherry-positive endocrine progenitors and then into Venus-positive β cells expressing INS, PDX1, NKX6.1, and glucokinase (GCK). Using these cells, we conducted high-throughput screening of chemicals and identified a specific kinase inhibitor of fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 (FGFR1) that acted in a stage-dependent manner to promote the terminal differentiation of pancreatic endocrine cells, including β cells, from the intermediate stage of pancreatic endocrine progenitors while blocking the early development of pancreatic progenitors. This FGFR1 inhibitor augmented the expression of functional β cell markers (SLC30A8 and ABCC8) and improved glucose-stimulated INS secretion. Our findings indicate that the hIveNry model could provide further insights into the mechanisms of hiPS-derived β cell differentiation controlled by FGFR1-mediated regulatory pathways in a temporal-dependent fashion.
Journal Article