A Study on Public Library Management in Japan: for a sustainable contribution to a local community <Notes>

本稿は，地域にとって知の拠点である公立図書館が，その役割を持続的に果たしていくため今後どのような経営を目指すべきか，その示唆を見出すことを目的とするものである。具体的な方法論としては，公立図書館への指定管理者制度の導入に係る関係機関の見解を整理し，その見解を踏まえて，指定管理者制度の導入と図書館経営についての先行研究をレビューした。そして，４つの公立図書館を事例として取り上げ，その管理運営と経営手法についての分析を試みた。その結果をもとに，他の公立図書館においても採用し得ると思われる一般性の高い経営手法や取組を抽出し，地方公共団体が今後図書館経営を行う上で，一定の手掛かりを示した

Molecular biology of histidine decarboxylase and prostaglandin receptors

Histamine and prostaglandins (PGs) play a variety of physiological roles as autacoids, which function in the vicinity of their sources and maintain local homeostasis in the body. They stimulate target cells by acting on their specific receptors, which are coupled to trimeric G proteins. For the precise understanding of the physiological roles of histamine and PGs, it is necessary to clarify the molecular mechanisms involved in their synthesis as well as their receptor-mediated responses. We cloned the cDNAs for mouse l-histidine decarboxylase (HDC) and 6 mouse prostanoid receptors (4 PGE2 receptors, PGF receptor, and PGI receptor). We then characterized the expression patterns and functions of these genes. Furthermore, we established gene-targeted mouse strains for HDC and PG receptors to explore the novel pathophysiological roles of histamine and PGs. We have here summarized our research, which should contribute to progress in the molecular biology of HDC and PG receptors

コア・コンピタンスをベースにした技術の多角化による企業の持続的成長に関する研究 : 戸田工業の多角化事例を通じて <平成26年度修士論文要旨>

広島大学大学院社会科学研究科マネジメント専攻 平成26年度修士論文要旨〈学会員の論文要旨のみ掲載

Optimize the Transit Vehicle Routing for the Emergency Evacuation

Conference Name:2nd International Conference on Manufacturing Science and Engineering. Conference Address: Guilin, PEOPLES R CHINA. Time:APR 09-11, 2011.This paper concentrates on modeling the vehicle routing to develop an evacuation plan for transit-dependent residents during emergency situation. Planning of transit route in the evacuation is formulated as a vehicle routing problem with time windows (VRPTW). An intelligent algorithm, in which genetic algorithm is embedded with simulated annealing is developed to solve the optimization model. A real evacuation network on which 19 pick-up points and 4 shelters are distributed is used to study the proposed evacuation strategy. The relevant results show the feasibility of the mathematical model as well as the efficiency of the solving algorithm

JTP-117968, a novel selective glucocorticoid receptor modulator, exhibits significant anti-inflammatory effects while maintaining bone mineral density in mice

Classic glucocorticoids have been prescribed for various inflammatory diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, due to their outstanding anti-inflammatory effects. However, glucocorticoids cause numerous unwanted side effects, including osteoporosis and diabetes. Hence, selective glucocorticoid receptor modulators (SGRMs), which retain anti-inflammatory effects with minimized side effects, are among the most anticipated drugs in the clinical field. The assumption is that there are two major mechanisms of action via glucocorticoid receptors, transrepression (TR) and transactivation (TA). In general, anti-inflammatory effects of glucocorticoids are largely due to TR, while the side effects associated with glucocorticoids are mostly mediated through TA. We previously reported that JTP-117968, a novel SGRM, maintained partial TR activity while remarkably reducing the TA activity. In this study, we investigated the anti-inflammatory effect of JTP-117968 on a lipopolysaccharide (LPS) challenge model and collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) model in mice. Meanwhile, we tested the effect of JTP-117968 on the bone mineral density (BMD) in mouse femur to evaluate the side effect. Based on the evaluation, JTP-117968 reduced the plasma levels of tumor necrosis factor α induced by LPS challenge in mice significantly. Remarkably, CIA development was suppressed by JTP-117968 comparably with prednisolone and PF-802, an active form of fosdagrocorat that has been developed clinically as an orally available SGRM. Strikingly, the side effect of JTP-117968 on mouse femoral BMD was much lower than those of PF-802 and prednisolone. Therefore, JTP-117968 has attractive potential as a new therapeutic option against inflammatory diseases with minimized side effects compared to classic glucocorticoids