The Woman: A Radical Feminism Study on The Oppression of Women in Japanese Society

Project Title: THE WOMAN: A RADICAL FEMINISM STUDY ON THE OPPRESSION OF WOMEN IN JAPANESE SOCIETY Abstract - This project aims to find out what impact do women’s oppression in Japanese society have on Japanese women in modern society. To answer this question, I conducted a review on related studies and theories, and an interview. As a result of the research done, I created a short story entitled THE WOMAN. Women’s oppression is a serious problem in every corner of the world and Japan is also one of the countries which have the big problem of women’s oppression. Therefore, a study to understand women’s oppression is important for every society in the world and it is essential for the next generation. Additionally, the project explored the history of feminism in Japan, women in society, and the relationship between men and women by Richard Lee and Richard Daly’s Man’s Domination and Women’s Oppression. They discussed about the foundation of the problem and social system, and the relationship between men and women in society and radical feminism in Japan. Radical feminism was used to see the basic division in society and the relationship between men and women and women’s oppression. An open-ended interview was used to have a deeper understanding on what really happened in Japanese society, especially on women’s oppression. A creative short story based on the study of radical feminism study the oppression of women in Japanese society is the result of this research. Hopefully, it will enlighten reader’s understanding on the real condition even in modern society, especially in Japan; and eventually, help reduce or stop the vicious cycle of women’s oppression

Systemic Supplementation of Collagen VI by Neonatal Transplantation of iPSC-Derived MSCs Improves Histological Phenotype and Function of Col6-Deficient Model Mice

6型コラーゲン欠損筋ジストロフィーに対する細胞治療法の開発. 京都大学プレスリリース. 2021-11-29.Collagen VI is distributed in the interstitium and is secreted mainly by mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) in skeletal muscle. Mutations in COL6A1-3 genes cause a spectrum of COL6-related myopathies. In this study, we performed a systemic transplantation study of human-induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived MSCs (iMSCs) into neonatal immunodeficient COL6-related myopathy model (Col6a1[KO]/NSG) mice to validate the therapeutic potential. Engraftment of the donor cells and the resulting rescued collagen VI were observed at the quadriceps and diaphragm after intraperitoneal iMSC transplantation. Transplanted mice showed improvement in pathophysiological characteristics compared with untreated Col6a1[KO]/NSG mice. In detail, higher muscle regeneration in the transplanted mice resulted in increased muscle weight and enlarged myofibers. Eight-week-old mice showed increased muscle force and performed better in the grip and rotarod tests. Overall, these findings support the concept that systemic iMSC transplantation can be a therapeutic option for COL6-related myopathies

Geometrical isomerization of arachidonic acid during lipid peroxidation interferes with ferroptosis

Geometrical mono-trans isomers of arachidonic acid (mtAA) are endogenous products of free radical-induced cis-trans double bond isomerization occurring to natural fatty acids during cell metabolism, including lipid peroxidation (LPO). Very little is known about the functional roles of mtAA and in general on the effects of mono-trans isomers of polyunsaturated fatty acids (mtPUFA) in various types of programmed cell death, including ferroptosis. Using HT1080 and MEF cell cultures, supplemented with 20 μM PUFA (i.e., AA, EPA or DHA) and their mtPUFA congeners, ferroptosis occurred in the presence of RSL3 (a direct inhibitor of glutathione peroxidase 4) only with the PUFA in their natural cis configuration, whereas mtPUFA showed an anti-ferroptotic effect. By performing the fatty acid-based membrane lipidome analyses, substantial differences emerged in the membrane fatty acid remodeling of the two different cell fates. In particular, during ferroptosis mtPUFA formation and their incorporation, together with the enrichment of SFA, occurred. This opens new perspectives in the role of the membrane composition for a ferroptotic outcome. While pre-treatment with AA promoted cell death for treatment with H2O2 and RSL3, mtAA did not. Cell death by AA supplementation was suppressed also in the presence of either ferroptosis inhibitors, such as the lipophilic antioxidant ferrostatin- 1, or NADPH oxidase (NOX) inhibitors, including diphenyleneiodonium chloride and apocynin. Our results confirm a more complex scenario for ferroptosis than actually believed. While LPO processes are active, the importance of environmental lipid levels, balance among SFA, MUFA and PUFA in lipid pools and formation of mtPUFA influence the membrane phospholipid turnover, with crucial effects in the occurrence of cell death by ferroptosis

Ubiquitin‐specific protease 8 is a novel prognostic marker in early‐stage lung adenocarcinoma

Alterations of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) expression frequently occur in early‐stage lung adenocarcinoma. Ubiquitin‐specific protease 8 (USP8) has been reported to stabilize EGFR protein at the plasma membrane through the recycling pathway. Here, we examined the correlation between USP8 expression and the expression or mutation status of EGFR, as well as the clinicopathological features of lung adenocarcinoma and patient outcome. Expression of EGFR and USP8 in surgically resected specimens of lung adenocarcinoma (82 cases) was examined by immunohistochemistry. Overexpression of EGFR was mutually correlated with that of USP8, and was also associated with clinicopathological features including pathological subtype, lymphatic permeation, and vascular invasion. Moreover, patients who had USP8‐positive tumors had a significantly poorer outcome than those who were USP8‐negative, not only overall but also patients who were EGFR‐negative. Although EGFR was expressed in invasive adenocarcinoma but not in adenocarcinoma in situ (AIS), USP8 was overexpressed in not only invasive adenocarcinoma but also 38.1% of AIS cases. In vitro, USP8 regulated the expression and half‐life of EGFR in immortalized AIS cells, and also cell proliferation. Our findings indicate that overexpression of USP8 in lung adenocarcinoma is an early event during the course of tumor progression, and is related to EGFR expression

Collagen-VI supplementation by cell transplantation improves muscle regeneration in Ullrich congenital muscular dystrophy model mice

6型コラーゲンを補う細胞移植がウルリッヒ型先天性筋ジストロフィーモデルマウスの病態を改善する. 京都大学プレスリリース. 2021-08-24.iPS cells show therapeutic benefits for a rare muscle dystrophy. 京都大学プレスリリース. 2021-08-24.[Background] Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) function as supportive cells on skeletal muscle homeostasis through several secretory factors including type 6 collagen (COL6). Several mutations of COL6A1, 2, and 3 genes cause Ullrich congenital muscular dystrophy (UCMD). Skeletal muscle regeneration deficiency has been reported as a characteristic phenotype in muscle biopsy samples of human UCMD patients and UCMD model mice. However, little is known about the COL6-dependent mechanism for the occurrence and progression of the deficiency. The purpose of this study was to clarify the pathological mechanism of UCMD by supplementing COL6 through cell transplantation. [Methods] To test whether COL6 supplementation has a therapeutic effect for UCMD, in vivo and in vitro experiments were conducted using four types of MSCs: (1) healthy donors derived-primary MSCs (pMSCs), (2) MSCs derived from healthy donor induced pluripotent stem cell (iMSCs), (3) COL6-knockout iMSCs (COL6KO-iMSCs), and (4) UCMD patient-derived iMSCs (UCMD-iMSCs). [Results] All four MSC types could engraft for at least 12 weeks when transplanted into the tibialis anterior muscles of immunodeficient UCMD model (Col6a1KO) mice. COL6 protein was restored by the MSC transplantation if the MSCs were not COL6-deficient (types 1 and 2). Moreover, muscle regeneration and maturation in Col6a1KO mice were promoted with the transplantation of the COL6-producing MSCs only in the region supplemented with COL6. Skeletal muscle satellite cells derived from UCMD model mice (Col6a1KO-MuSCs) co-cultured with type 1 or 2 MSCs showed improved proliferation, differentiation, and maturation, whereas those co-cultured with type 3 or 4 MSCs did not. [Conclusions] These findings indicate that COL6 supplementation improves muscle regeneration and maturation in UCMD model mice

Androgen’s effects in female

The metabolic effects of androgens and their underlying mechanisms in females have been revealed by recent studies. An excess of androgens can have adverse effects on feeding behavior and metabolic functions and induce metabolic disorders / diseases, such as obesity, insulin resistance, and diabetes, in women and experimental animals of reproductive age. Interestingly, these effects of androgens are not observed in ovariectomized animals, indicating that their effects might be dependent on the estrogen milieu. Central and peripheral mechanisms, such as alterations in the activity of hypothalamic factors, reductions in energy expenditure, skeletal muscle insulin resistance, and β-cell dysfunction, might be related to these androgens’ effects

Formation of an Ultracarbonaceous Antarctic Micrometeorite through Minimum Aqueous Alteration in a Small Porous Icy Body

A comprehensive study of the organic chemistry and mineralogy of an ultracarbonaceous micrometeorite (UCAMM D05IB80) collected from near the Dome Fuji Station, Antarctica, was carried out to understand the genetic relationship among organic materials, silicates, and water. The micrometeorite is composed of a dense aggregate of ∼5 µm-sized hollow ellipsoidal organic material containing submicrometer-sized phases such as glass with embedded metal and sulfides (GEMS) and mineral grains. There is a wide area of organic material (∼15 × 15 μm) in its interior. Low-Ca pyroxene is much more abundant than olivine and shows various Mg/(Mg + Fe) ratios ranging from ∼1.0 to 0.78, which is common to previous works on UCAMMs. By contrast, GEMS grains in this UCAMM have unusual chemical compositions. They are depleted in both Mg and S, which suggests that these elements were leached out from the GEMS grains during very weak aqueous alteration, without the formation of phyllosilicates. The organic materials have two textures—smooth and globular with an irregular outline—and these are composed of imine, nitrile and/or aromatic nitrogen heterocycles, and amide. The ratio of nitrogen to carbon (N/C) in the smooth region of the organics is ∼0.15, which is five times higher than that of insoluble organic macromolecules in types 1 and 2 carbonaceous chondritic meteorites. In addition, the UCAMM organic materials are soluble in epoxy and are thus hydrophilic; this polar nature indicates that they are very primitive. The surface of the material is coated with an inorganic layer, a few nanometers thick, that consists of C, O, Si, S, and Fe. Sulfur is also contained in the interior, implying the presence of organosulfur moieties. There are no isotopic anomalies of D, 13C, or 15N in the organic material. Interstellar photochemistry alone would not be sufficient to explain the N/C ratio of the UCAMM organics; therefore, we suggest that a very small amount of fluid on a comet must have been necessary for the formation of the UCAMM. The GEMS grains depleted in Mg and S in the UCAMM prove a very weak degree of aqueous alteration; weaker than that of carbonaceous chondrites. Short-duration weak alteration probably caused by planetesimal shock locally melted cometary ice grains and released water that dissolved the organics; the fluid would likely have not mobilized because of the very low thermal conductivity of the porous icy body. This event allowed the formation of the large organic puddle of the UCAMM, as well as organic matter sulfurization, formation of thin membrane-like layers of minerals, and deformation of organic nanoglobules.アクセプト後にタイトル・アブストラクト等変更あり、著者最終稿は変更前のタイトル"Formation of an Ultracarbonaceous Antarctic Micrometeorite through Minimum Aqueous Alteration in a Small Porous Icy Body"This work was supported by a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research from the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (No. 22224010, PI: H. Nagahara). The STXM facility at the beamline 5.3.2.2, ALS, is supported by the Department of Energy, Basic Energy Sciences Program

Organic chemical variation between hydrous and anhydrous Antarctic micrometeorites

第6回極域科学シンポジウム[OA] 南極隕石11月17日（火）　国立国語研究所 2階 講

ノッティンガムトレント大学との連携によるテキスタイルからファッションデザインに至るシームレスな人材教育システムの開発研究

本学とノッティンガムトレント大学は、一学科内にテキスタイルとファッションの二つの領域を持つ大学であり、人材育成に関する共同研究を行った。これまで、日本、イギリスを含む先進工業国においては自国のテキスタイル産業の上にファッション産業が成り立っていた。しかし、どちらの国においてもテキスタイル産地は、技術力を増した安価な新興国に市場を奪われ、存亡の危機に立たされている。これまでテキスタイル産地はファッションメーカーからの受託生産を行っていたため、高度な技術力は持つ人材はいるものの、最終製品に対する感性が持つ人材が不要であった。今日、テキスタイル産地では最終製品を想定し、付加価値の高いテキスタイルを創り出す人材が求められている。一方、ファッションの現場では、テキスタイルの重要度が増し、素材から最終製品にいたるシームレスなデザイン力が求められている。このような産業界の変化に対し、多くの教育機関ではテキスタイルとファッションデザインは異なる分野で教育が行われている。本研究は、テキスタイルとファッションを一つの文脈におき、シームレスで一貫した教育のシステムの開発と人材育成を行うことを目的とする。テキスタイル産地の疲弊という同様の背景の中で、両校が同じテーマで教育・研究をすることにより、本学科独自の教育システムの構築を模索する。This was a challenging project and a seamless education program as university, which educate to range from textile design to fashion design.Nottingham Trent University and Kobe Design University desired to research together to develop a seamless and consistent educational program, which cultivate students to acquire wide range of fashion field from textile design to fashion design. Value of textile is becoming more important to fashion industry and they require a person who can create fashion design that is included textile design. In addition they expect designers who have very high quality textile design faculty, which can focus details of fashion products. However most of educational institutes educate textile and fashion in separately. Nottingham Trent University and Kobe Design University who have two fields of fashion and textile design, cooperate to raise the seamless educational system

Carcinogen‐induced tumors in SFN‐transgenic mice harbor a characteristic mutation spectrum of human lung adenocarcinoma

The landscape of genetic alterations in disease models such as transgenic mice or mice with carcinogen‐induced tumors has provided a huge amount of information that has shed light on the process of tumorigenesis in human non‐small‐cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We have previously identified stratifin (SFN) as a potent oncogene, and generated SFN‐transgenic (Tg‐SPC‐SFN+/−) mice, which express human SFN (hSFN) only in the lung. Here, we have found that carcinogen nicotine‐derived nitrosaminoketone (NNK)‐induced tumors developing in Tg‐SPC‐SFN+/− mice show a similar histology to human lung adenocarcinoma and exhibit high hSFN expression. In order to compare the genetic characteristics of Tg‐SPC‐SFN+/− tumors and human lung adenocarcinoma, the former were subjected to whole‐exome sequencing. Interestingly, Tg‐SPC‐SFN+/− tumors showed the distinct distribution of exonic mutations and high number of mutated genes and transversion. Moreover, Tg‐SPC‐SFN+/− tumors showed 73 genes that were commonly detected in more than 2 tumors, mutations of which were also found in human lung adenocarcinoma. The expression levels of some of these genes were significantly associated with the clinical outcome of lung adenocarcinoma patients. Additionally, mutated genes in Tg‐SPC‐SFN+/− tumors were closely associated with key canonical pathways such as PI3K/AKT signaling and apoptosis signaling. These results suggest that SFN overexpression is a universal abnormality in human lung adenocarcinogenesis and Tg‐SPC‐SFN+/− tumors recapitulate key features of major human lung adenocarcinoma. Therefore, Tg‐SPC‐SFN+/− mice provide a useful model for clarifying the molecular mechanism underlying lung adenocarcinogenesis