Peace and Development

Peace and satisfaction can be achieved if nations in the world can proceed towards their targets, if they can develop. Hence, development in its broad sense is the key to peace. The author gives an insight why "crisis management" should be changed for "crisis prevention" and how experiences of developed nations could be used for the benefit of less developed nations.世界の国々は自分のターゲットに向かって前進することが出来る限りそして自分が発展できる限り、平和と満足感を維持することが出来る。従って、広い意味での発展は、平和の鍵である。本論文は、「紛争管理」を「紛争予防」へ変えるべきこと、先進国の経験を発展途上国のために使うことを考察している

ハンガリーの銀行改革とユーロの導入

ハンガリーは、過去の十数年間銀行システムの根本的再生を行い、不良債権処理や外資による民営化を経て、ユーロ導入の入口まで辿り着いたのである。2004年5月にEUへ加盟しても、ユーロ導入に必要な財政と為替相場の安定性に関する条件の本格化は次の課題となっている。2001年からハンガリーはEUの共通通貨システム、ERM2を受け入れ、バンド型変動相場制を導入した。将来的には、インフレ・ターゲットをどう達成するか、財政赤字削減と為替レートの安定をどう実現するかを本論文は考察する。Together with 10 newly accepted countries, from May 2004 Hungary became full member of the EU. Thus, the more than decade long process of system transformation has arrived to a decisive milestone : Hungary finally got integrated into the West. Hungary has successfully completed the sophisticated adjustment to the EU-rules（acquis communautaire） to become eligible for full membership. However, there are still a few years ahead to introduce the Euro, for which a relative stability of the budget and the currency exchange rate is stipulated as condition. The paper discusses the reform of the banking sector after the socialist era, the problem of bad loans and the ways of their consolidation. As a result, Hungarian banks were capitalized up to the internationally accepted normative of the BIS and their privatization through Western banks brought a dramatic improvement in their business performance. Hungary's banking at present is fully compatible with the West and the MNB（Hungarian National Bank）is now applying an exchange rate system in compliance with the EMU. In addition to the formal rate mechanism, a relevant adjustment between the exchange rate's stability and the budget deficit must be accomplished, so that the Euro could be introduced in a few years

HAT-P-9b: A Low Density Planet Transiting a Moderately Faint F star

We report the discovery of a planet transiting a moderately faint (V=12.3 mag) late F star, with an orbital period of 3.92289 +/- 0.00004 days. From the transit light curve and radial velocity measurements we determine that the radius of the planet is R_p = 1.40 +/- 0.06 R_Jup and that the mass is M_p = 0.78 +/- 0.09 M_Jup. The density of the new planet, rho = 0.35 +/- 0.06 g cm^{-3}, fits to the low-density tail of the currently known transiting planets. We find that the center of transit is at T_c = 2454417.9077 +/- 0.0003 (HJD), and the total transit duration is 0.143 +/- 0.004 days. The host star has M_s = 1.28 +/- 0.13 M_Sun and R_s = 1.32 +/- 0.07 R_Sun.Comment: Submitted to ApJ; V2: Replaced with accepted versio

Activation of stress-related signalling pathway in human cells upon SiO2 nanoparticles exposure as an early indicator of cytotoxicity

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Nanomaterials such as SiO₂nanoparticles (SiO₂NP) are finding increasing applications in the biomedical and biotechnological fields such as disease diagnostics, imaging, drug delivery, food, cosmetics and biosensors development. Thus, a mechanistic and systematic evaluation of the potential biological and toxic effects of SiO₂NP becomes crucial in order to assess their complete safe applicability limits.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In this study, human monocytic leukemia cell line THP-1 and human alveolar epithelial cell line A549 were exposed to a range of amorphous SiO₂NP of various sizes and concentrations (0.01, 0.1 and 0.5 mg/ml). Key biological indicators of cellular functions including cell population density, cellular morphology, membrane permeability, lysosomal mass/pH and activation of transcription factor-2 (ATF-2) were evaluated utilizing quantitative high content screening (HCS) approach and biochemical techniques. Despite the use of extremely high nanoparticle concentrations, our findings showed a low degree of cytotoxicity within the panel of SiO₂NP investigated. However, at these concentrations, we observed the onset of stress-related cellular response induced by SiO₂NP. Interestingly, cells exposed to alumina-coated SiO₂NP showed low level, and in some cases complete absence, of stress response and this was consistent up to the highest dose of 0.5 mg/ml.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The present study demonstrates and highlights the importance of subtle biological changes downstream of primary membrane and endocytosis-associated phenomena resulting from high dose SiO₂NP exposure. Increased activation of transcription factors, such as ATF-2, was quantitatively assessed as a function of i) human cell line specific stress-response, ii) SiO₂NP size and iii) concentration. Despite the low level of cytotoxicity detected for the amorphous SiO₂NP investigated, these findings prompt an in-depth focus for future SiO₂NP-cell/tissue investigations based on the combined analysis of more subtle signalling pathways associated with accumulation mechanisms, which is essential for establishing the bio-safety of existing and new nanomaterials.</p