Década de la Energía Sostenible para Todos

Naciones Unidas, tras la proclamación de 2012 como "Año Internacional de la Energía Sostenible para todos", refuerza ahora su ambicioso pero fundamentado proyecto de revolución energética, instituyendo una Década (2014-2024) destinada a la puesta en marcha de las medidas necesarias para que la totalidad de los seres humanos pueda disponer de recursos energéticos renovables y no contaminantes. Se pretende así contribuir a erradicar la pobreza y a atajar el destructivo desarreglo climático que ya estamos empezando a sufrir

Th17 functions as an osteoclastogenic helper T cell subset that links T cell activation and bone destruction

In autoimmune arthritis, traditionally classified as a T helper (Th) type 1 disease, the activation of T cells results in bone destruction mediated by osteoclasts, but how T cells enhance osteoclastogenesis despite the anti-osteoclastogenic effect of interferon (IFN)-γ remains to be elucidated. Here, we examine the effect of various Th cell subsets on osteoclastogenesis and identify Th17, a specialized inflammatory subset, as an osteoclastogenic Th cell subset that links T cell activation and bone resorption. The interleukin (IL)-23–IL-17 axis, rather than the IL-12–IFN-γ axis, is critical not only for the onset phase, but also for the bone destruction phase of autoimmune arthritis. Thus, Th17 is a powerful therapeutic target for the bone destruction associated with T cell activation

An Objective Method of Detecting Human Laughter in Abdominal Electromyography (EMG)

The purpose of this paper is to show a method for the objective detection of human laughter by electromyography (EMG). In order to discriminate the human laughter from the other body movements, we compare the each of EMG data collection from the abdominal surface by frequency analysis. We find that the myoelectric signals in human laughter have periodic repetitions of 4-6Hz. This distinctive feature of human laughter enables us to distinguish it from the other body movements. Our results are of importance in the objective and quantitative measurement of the human laughter

Essential roles of class E Vps proteins for sorting into multivesicular bodies in Schizosaccharomyces pombe

The multivesicular body (MVB) sorting pathway is required for a number of biological processes, including downregulation of cell-surface proteins and protein sorting into the vacuolar lumen. The function of this pathway requires endosomal sorting complexes required for transport (ESCRT) composed of class E vacuolar protein sorting (Vps) proteins in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, many of which are conserved in Schizosaccharomyces pombe. Of these, sst4/vps27 (homologous to VPS27) and sst6 (similar to VPS23) have been identified as suppressors of sterility in ste12Δ (sst), although their functions have not been uncovered to date. In this report, these two sst genes are shown to be required for vacuolar sorting of carboxypeptidase Y (CPY) and an MVB marker, the ubiquitin–GFP–carboxypeptidase S (Ub–GFP–CPS) fusion protein, despite the lack of the ubiquitin E2 variant domain in Sst6p. Disruption mutants of a variety of other class E vps homologues also had defects in sorting of CPY and Ub–GFP–CPS. Sch. pombe has a mammalian AMSH homologue, sst2. Phenotypic analyses suggested that Sst2p is a class E Vps protein. Taken together, these results suggest that sorting into multivesicular bodies is dependent on class E Vps proteins, including Sst2p, in Sch. pombe

Organizational Sustainability from a Biological Perspective : Density-dependent Coexistence, Interactions, and Fluctuations

企業も人も、競争、効率を追及し、利益の拡大を主眼とするビジネスモデルに行き詰まりを感じている。成熟、飽和した現代は、もはや、拡大・成長よりも持続可能が必須になってきている。本稿では、生物組織の持続の原理に学び、企業組織の持続性の本質を提言する。文献精査により生物組織の持続の原理として、「濃度」「相互作用」「ゆらぎ」を抽出した。持続を実現している企業、拡大を主眼としている企業、持続と拡大にゆれる企業を比較調査し、これら3つの原理が、持続している企業でも機能しており、企業組織の持続性の本質として適用できる可能性が示唆された。20世紀の工業化社会では、目的は明確で、決定論的アプローチにより、正確さ、効率・速度、最適化を追求して拡大に成功してきた。濃度が高まり複雑で変化の大きい現代では、目的はあいまいで、相互作用に応じて変化していく。生物組織に学んだ、ゆらぎ、柔軟・融通、相互作用といった確率論的アプローチの合理性と持続可能性について考察する。\nThis paper aims to reveal the major factors contributing to the organizational sustainability from a biological perspective. We specified that the major factors are density-dependent coexistence, interactions, and fluctuations. The paper concludes with a study of sustainable oriented companies, expanding growth oriented companies, and the companies that have both. The three specified factors work as a mechanism of organizational sustainability. We also discuss the relevance of the stochastic approach of biological organizations in the recent uncertainty and complicated society. On the contrary, during the industrial era in the 20th century, the target was clear. So the deterministic approach gave expanding growth with accuracy, efficiency, speed, and optimization

Lattice Gas Model for Iterated Prisoner's Dilemma Games: Emergency of Altruism in a Company

Abstract In Japan, there exist many sustainable companies. Their distinctive feature is mutualism; they often take altruistic behaviors. To explain such behaviors, we carry out iterated prisoner's dilemma games by lattice gas model. Each lattice point is regarded as a company which contains m + 1 players with an identical strategy. Simulations reveal that All Cooperation wins, when m takes a value larger than a threshold. We obtain a power law depending on error level. This law implies altruism may prevail in a company which has many employees or high error level

Effects of medium-chain triglycerides on gluconeogenesis and ureagenesis in weaned rats fed a high fat diet

We explored the effects of Medium-chain triglycerides (MCT) on gluconeogenesis and ureagenesis in the liver of weaned male rats fed high fat, carbohydrate-free diets. The rats of three experimental groups and control were fed for 10 days. The diets were high fat, carbohydrate-free diets consisting either of a corn oil or MCT, and high protein carbohydrate-free diet and a control (high carbohydrate) diet. The hepatic glucose-6-phosphatase (G6Pase) activity increased in the experimental groups. Despite the elevated G6Pase activity in these groups, hepatic activities of glutamic alanine transaminase (GAT), pyruvate carboxylase (PC) and arginase differed among the experimental groups. The HF-corn oil rats showed elevation of PC activity, but no elevation of GAT activity, and the lowest arginase activity among the three groups. The HF-MCT diet-fed rats showed higher GAT and arginase activities than the HF-corn oil group. In the HP diet-fed rats, GAT and arginase activities enhanced, PC did not

The Mini Nutritional Assessment-Short Form as a predictor of nursing home mortality in Japan: A 30-month longitudinal study

Objectives: We examined whether the Mini Nutritional Assessment-Short Form (MNA (R)-SF) predicted mortality in 367 nursing home residents (82% women; mean age = 84.4 +/- 8.5 years) in Japan. Measurements: We examined participants' basic characteristics (sex, age, height, weight, and medical history), the Barthel index (BI), clinical dementia rating (CDR), and six items of the MNA (R)-SF. The association between the MNA (R)-SF and 30-month mortality was assessed using a Cox proportional regression analysis. Results: During the study, 157 (42.8%) participants died. MNA (R)-SF scores in the Survival group were significantly higher than in the Death group (9.4 +/- 2.1 vs. 8.4 +/- 2.3, respectively; p < .001). After adjusting for age, sex, history of aspiration pneumonia, BI, and CDR, MNA (R)-SF scores were significantly associated with 30-month mortality (hazard ratio: 0.89, 95% confidence interval: 0.82-0.97, p = .005). Conclusion: The MNA (R)-SF was an effective predictor of mortality among nursing home residents in Japan, even after adjusting for potential confounders. These results indicate that periodically evaluating nutritional status using the MNA (R)-SF, and nutritional interventions according to status, may result in maintenance and improvement of nutritional status, as well as lead to reduced mortality