るいそうに関する実態調査と今後の対策 : プロジェクトチームの結成(予報)

平成10年ごろから国民栄養調査において20歳代女性のやせ傾向が問題になっている。そこで、やせ体型の学生が自分自身が持つ健康上の問題点を理解し、現在および将来の健康な女性を目指して和洋女子大学を卒業するまでに正常体格になるように支援するためのプロジェクトチームが平成17年に結成されたので紹介する。まず、このプロジェクトを遂行するにあたって予備的な問題点を検討するために、予備研究を行った。その結果、やせ体型を示す若年女性に、月経異常、骨密度の低下が認められた。一般に、やせ体型は生活習慣病ハイリスクの低体重児を産む傾向、平均余命の低下などの問題点を抱えている。これらの問題を検討するには体組成の違いを考慮する必要があると考えられる。今後、やせ体型改善対策プロジェクトを通して、食事や運動などの指導による本格的な介入を続け、対象者が健康的なライフスタイルを身につけることによりQOLを高めると同時に、先に述べた各種の健康障害や将来の低体重児の出産率を低下させることが期待される。また、この研究成果は学生に対する健康教育と健康管理に活用できると考える

市川市の働き盛り世代の生活習慣に関する研究 : 市川市受託研究活動報告

市川市の働き盛り世代(40～50歳代)の市民の健康診査と生活習慣アンケートを約4,000名を対象に実施した。アンケートは約2,000名の結果を回収し、健診とアンケートの結果について解析した。さらに、この結果に基づいて生活習慣病予防ための健康教育講座を計画し、アンケート回答者を対象に実施した。健診結果より生活習慣病のリスクを持っている者は男性に多かった。体調を表す不定愁訴スコアとBMI、家事負担感、食事満足度に関連性がみられた。栄養バランスを表す食品摂取頻度スコアは男性より女性で高く、BMIの高い肥満者では、スコアが低かった。運動習慣スコアは食品摂取スコア、食事満足度スコア、家事頻度スコアと関連性がみられ、運動習慣スコアが低い者では、BMIが高い者や高中性脂肪血症の者が多かった。健康教育講座について、食事、栄養、調理、運動に関する演習や実習を取り入れた少人数の講座は、参加した人は少なかったが有意義で効果的であった。以上の結果から、健診結果、体調、生活習慣(食事、運動)には多くの関連性があることについての根拠となる基礎資料が得られた。特に、今回用いた手法である体調や生活習慣に関するアンケート結果をスコア化して解析することが、これらの関連性を検討する方法として有効であることが示された

Mesothelin blockage by Amatuximab suppresses cell invasiveness, enhances gemcitabine sensitivity and regulates cancer cell stemness in mesothelin-positive pancreatic cancer cells

Background Mesothelin is a 40-kDa glycoprotein that is highly overexpressed in various types of cancers, however molecular mechanism of mesothelin has not been well-known. Amatuximab is a chimeric monoclonal IgG1/k antibody targeting mesothelin. We recently demonstrated that the combine therapy of Amatuximab and gemcitabine was effective for peritonitis of pancreatic cancer in mouse model. Methods We discover the role and potential mechanism of mesothelin blockage by Amatuximab in human pancreatic cells both expressing high or low level of mesothelin in vitro experiment and peritonitis mouse model of pancreatic cancer. Results Mesothelin blockage by Amatuximab lead to suppression of invasiveness and migration capacity in AsPC-1 and Capan-2 (high mesothelin expression) and reduce levels of pMET expression. The combination of Amatuximab and gemcitabine suppressed proliferation of AsPC-1 and Capan-2 more strongly than gemcitabine alone. These phenomena were not observed in Panc-1 and MIA Paca-2 (Mesothelin low expression). We previously demonstrated that Amatuximab reduced the peritoneal mass in mouse AsPC-1 peritonitis model and induced sherbet-like cancer cell aggregates, which were vanished by gemcitabine. In this study, we showed that the cancer stem cell related molecule such as ALDH1, CD44, c-MET, as well as proliferation related molecules, were suppressed in sherbet-like aggregates, but once sherbet-like aggregates attached to peritoneum, they expressed these molecules strongly without the morphological changes. Conclusions Our work suggested that Amatuximab inhibits the adhesion of cancer cells to peritoneum and suppresses the stemness and viability of those, that lead to enhance the sensitivity for gemcitabine

Perspectives on a Seamless Marine-lake Sediment Coring Study in East Antarctica

The Antarctic Ice Sheet (AIS) is one of the largest potential contributors to future sea-level changes. Recently, an acceleration of AIS volume loss through basal melting and iceberg calving has been reported based on several studies using satellite observations, including radar altimetry, interferometer, and gravity measurements. A recent model that couples ice sheet and climate dynamics and incorporates hydrofracturing mechanism of buttressing ice shelves predicts a higher sea-level rise scenario for the next 500 years. However, the calibration and reproducibility of the sea-level rise projection from these models relies on geological sea-level reconstructions of past warm intervals. This suggests that a highly reliable reconstruction of the past AIS is essential for evaluating its stability and anticipating its contribution to future sea-level rise. In particular, a relative sea-level reconstruction in East Antarctica is the key to solving the problems and refining future projections. The current understanding of sea-level change along the East Antarctic margin is reviewed, including Glacial Isostatic Adjustment (GIA) effects, and a new strategy is proposed to address this topic based on seamless sediment coring from marine to lake in the East Antarctic margin. This project will provide essential data on AIS change since the last interglacial period

Processes of Radiocarbon Dating at Kansai University II : Syntheses of Li Carbide and Acetylene using a Newly-Devised Reactor

本研究には，文部省科学研究費（基盤研究A, 課題番号08401014) (平成8･9年度代表網干善教，平成10･11年度代表木庭元睛）および関西大学平成10年度学部共同研究費（木庭元晴）を使用した

Discovery of a big void in Khufu’s Pyramid by observation of cosmic-ray muons

International audienceThe Great Pyramid or Khufu’s Pyramid was built on the Giza Plateau (Egypt) during the IVth dynasty by the pharaoh Khufu (Cheops), who reigned from 2509 to 2483 BC$^1$ . Despite being one of the oldest and largest monuments on Earth, there is no consensus about how it was built. To better understand its internal structure, we imaged the pyramid using muons, which are by-products of cosmic rays that are only partially absorbed by stone. The resulting cosmic-ray muon radiography allows us to visualize the known and potentially unknown voids in the pyramid in a non-invasive way. Here we report the discovery of a large void (with a cross section similar to the Grand Gallery and a length of 30m minimum) above the Grand Gallery, which constitutes the first major inner structure found in the Great Pyramid since the 19$^{th}$ century. This void, named ScanPyramids Big Void, was first observed with nuclear emulsion films installed in the Queen’s chamber (Nagoya University), then confirmed with scintillator hodoscopes set up in the same chamber (KEK) and re-confirmed with gas detectors12 outside of the pyramid (CEA)This large void has therefore been detected with a high confidence by three different muon detection technologies andthree independent analyses. These results constitute a breakthrough for the understanding of Khufu’s Pyramid and its internal structure. While there is currently no information about the role of this void, these findings show how modern particle physics can shed new light on the world’s archaeological heritag

High Resolution Photoexcitation Measurements Exacerbate the Long-Standing Fe XVII Oscillator Strength Problem

For more than 40 years, most astrophysical observations and laboratory studies of two key soft x-ray diagnostic $2p-3d$ transitions, $3C$ and $3D$, in Fe XVII ions found oscillator strength ratios $f(3C)/f(3D)$ disagreeing with theory, but uncertainties had precluded definitive statements on this much studied conundrum. Here, we resonantly excite these lines using synchrotron radiation at PETRA III, and reach, at a millionfold lower photon intensities, a 10 times higher spectral resolution, and 3 times smaller uncertainty than earlier work. Our final result of $f(3C)/f(3D) = 3.09(8)(6)$ supports many of the earlier clean astrophysical and laboratory observations, while departing by five sigmas from our own newest large-scale ab initio calculations, and excluding all proposed explanations, including those invoking nonlinear effects and population transfers.Comment: Main text (6 pages, 3 figures), Supplmentary Material (8 pages, 4 figure), Published in Physical Review Letter