What Drives the Profitability of Japanese Multi-Business Corporations? A Variance Components Analysis

This article decomposes the business-level profit rate of Japanese multi-business corporations by performing a variance components analysis on a large sample of publicly traded non-financial firms in 1998-2003. Consistent with U.S. evidence, estimation results demonstrate that profitability is predominantly determined by business-level factors, not corporate-level ones, suggesting that a typical multi-business corporation in Japan is a combination of relatively distinct businesses in terms of profit

About the Effectivity of the Priming Water Channel in the Pool-and-Weir-Fishway

Source: ICHE Conference Archive - https://mdi-de.baw.de/icheArchiv

Activation of Protein Kinase B Induced by H2O2 and Heat Shock through Distinct Mechanisms Dependent and Independent of Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase

Protein kinase B (PKB) is a downstream target of phosphatidylinositol (PI) 3-kinase in the signaling pathway of growth factors, and is activated by cellular stress such as H2O2 and heat shock. To study the mechanism of the stress-induced activation of PKB, PI 3-kinase products were measured in stress-stimulated cells. Both PI 3, 4-bisphosphate and PI 3, 4, 5-trisphosphate increased in H2O2 -treated cells, and the elevation of these phospholipids and activation of PKB were concurrently blocked by wortmannin, a potent inhibitor of PI 3-kinase. In heat-shocked cells, the level of PI 3, 4-bisphosphate did not change while that of PI 3, 4, 5-trisphosphate increased slightly, and an association between PKB molecules was observed. Two active PKB fractions, presumably monomeric and oligomeric forms, were resolved from heat-shocked cells by gel filtration column chromatography. Activation of the former was suppressed by pretreatment with wortmannin, whereas the generation and activation of the latter were not blocked by the PI 3-kinase inhibitor. Only the monomeric form, but not the oligomeric form, was recovered from H2O2 -treated cells, and its activation was prevented by wortmannin. These results indicate that PKB is activated by two distinct mechanisms that are dependent and independent of PI 3-kinase in stress-stimulated cell

Vegetable juice preload ameliorates postprandial blood glucose concentration in healthy women : A randomized cross-over trial

Background and Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the acute effect of drinking vegetable juice 20 min before carbohydrate on postprandial blood glucose concentrations in young healthy women. Method: In this randomized controlled cross-over study, 24 women (age 21.3 ±0.6 years, HbA1c 5.4 ±0.2 %, mean ± SD) consumed either 200 g of vegetable juice, vegetable (150 g of tomato and 40 g of broccoli), or water at 20 min before consuming 200 g of boiled white rice for 3 separate days. The blood glucose concentrations were measured by self-monitoring blood glucose pre- and post-breakfast at -20, 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 120, and 180 min. The glycemic parameters were compared among 3 days. Results: The incremental glucose peak at 45 min (vegetable juice 48.3 ± 4.1, vegetable 47.4 ± 3.3 vs. water 66.8 ± 4.3 mg/dl, respectively, both p < 0.01, mean ± SEM) and large amplitude of glycemic excursion (LAGE; vegetable juice 57.1 ± 3.1, vegetable 58.3 ± 3.6 vs. water 78.3 ± 4.3 mg/dl, respectively, both p < 0.05) in consuming vegetable juice and vegetable at 20 min before carbohydrate intake were all significantly lower than those of water. There was no significant difference between glycemic parameters of vegetable juice and vegetable. Conclusions: Drinking vegetable juice 20 min before carbohydrate ameliorates the postprandial blood glucose concentrations as well as vegetable preload, despite total amounts of energy and carbohydrate of vegetable juice or vegetable are higher than those of water

Relaxin-3-Deficient Mice Showed Slight Alteration in Anxiety-Related Behavior

Relaxin-3 is a neuropeptide belonging to the relaxin/insulin superfamily. Studies using rodents have revealed that relaxin-3 is predominantly expressed in neurons in the nucleus incertus (NI) of the pons, the axons of which project to forebrain regions including the hypothalamus. There is evidence that relaxin-3 is involved in several functions, including food intake and stress responses. In the present study, we generated relaxin-3 gene knockout (KO) mice and examined them using a range of behavioral tests of sensory/motor functions and emotion-related behaviors. The results revealed that relaxin-3 KO mice exhibited normal growth and appearance, and were generally indistinguishable from wild genotype littermates. There was no difference in bodyweight among genotypes until at least 28 weeks after birth. In addition, there were no significant differences between wild-type and KO mice in locomotor activity, social interaction, hot plate test performance, fear conditioning, depression-like behavior, and Y-maze test performance. However, in the elevated plus maze test, KO mice exhibited a robust increase in the tendency to enter open arms, although they exhibited normal performance in a light/dark transition test and showed no difference from wild-type mice in the time spent in central area in the open field test. On the other hand, a significant increase in the acoustic startle response was observed in KO mice. These results indicate that relaxin-3 is slightly involved in the anxiety-related behavior

Pancreatic insulin release in vitamin C-deficient senescence marker protein-30/gluconolactonase knockout mice

We recently identified senescence marker protein-30 as the lactone-hydrolyzing enzyme gluconolactonase, which is involved in vitamin C biosynthesis. In this study, we investigated the effects of vitamin C on insulin secretion from pancreatic β-cells using senescence marker protein-30/gluconolactonase knockout mice. In intraperitoneal glucose tolerance tests, vitamin C-deficient senescence marker protein-30/gluconolactonase knockout mice demonstrated impaired glucose tolerance with significantly lower blood insulin levels at 30 and 120 min post-challenge than in wild type mice (p<0.01–0.05). In contrast, vitamin C-sufficient senescence marker protein-30/gluconolactonase knockout mice demonstrated significantly higher blood glucose and lower insulin only at the 30 min post-challenge time point (p<0.05). Senescence marker protein-30/gluconolactonase knockout mice showed enhanced insulin sensitivity regardless of vitamin C status. Static incubation of islets revealed that 20 mM glucose-stimulated insulin secretion and islet ATP production were significantly decreased at 60 min only in vitamin C-deficient SMP30/GNL knockout mice relative to wild type mice (p<0.05). These results indicate that the site of vitamin C action lies between glycolysis and mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation, while SMP30 deficiency itself impairs the distal portion of insulin secretion pathway

Oral Exposure to Polystyrene Microplastics of Mice on a Normal or High-Fat Diet and Intestinal and Metabolic Outcomes

マイクロプラスチックの経口摂取が高脂肪食条件下での代謝障害を悪化させる. 京都大学プレスリリース. 2023-02-24.[Background:] Microplastics (MPs) are small particles of plastic (≤ 5mm in diameter). In recent years, oral exposure to MPs in living organisms has been a cause of concern. Leaky gut syndrome (LGS), associated with a high-fat diet (HFD) in mice, can increase the entry of foreign substances into the body through the intestinal mucosa. [Objectives:] We aimed to evaluate the pathophysiology of intestinal outcomes associated with consuming a high-fat diet and simultaneous intake of MPs, focusing on endocrine and metabolic systems. [Methods:] C57BL6/J mice were fed a normal diet (ND) or HFD with or without polystyrene MP for 4 wk to investigate differences in glucose tolerance, intestinal permeability, gut microbiota, as well as metabolites in serum, feces, and liver. [Results:] In comparison with HFD mice, mice fed the HFD with MPs had higher blood glucose, serum lipid concentrations, and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) activity scores. Permeability and goblet cell count of the small intestine (SI) in HFD-fed mice were higher and lower, respectively, than in ND-fed mice. There was no obvious difference in the number of inflammatory cells in the SI lamina propria between mice fed the ND and mice fed the ND with MP, but there were more inflammatory cells and fewer anti-inflammatory cells in mice fed the HFD with MPs in comparison with mice fed the HFD without MPs. The expression of genes related to inflammation, long-chain fatty acid transporter, and Na⁺/glucose cotransporter was significantly higher in mice fed the HFD with MPs than in mice fed the HFD without MPs. Furthermore, the genus Desulfovibrio was significantly more abundant in the intestines of mice fed the HFD with MPs in comparison with mice fed the HFD without MPs. Muc2 gene expression was decreased when palmitic acid and microplastics were added to the murine intestinal epithelial cell line MODE-K cells, and Muc2 gene expression was increased when IL-22 was added. [Discussion:] Our findings suggest that in this study, MP induced metabolic disturbances, such as diabetes and NAFLD, only in mice fed a high-fat diet. These findings suggest that LGS might have been triggered by HFD, causing MPs to be deposited in the intestinal mucosa, resulting in inflammation of the intestinal mucosal intrinsic layer and thereby altering nutrient absorption. These results highlight the need for reducing oral exposure to MPs through remedial environmental measures to improve metabolic disturbance under high-fat diet conditions

Гомосексуальный субъект в пространстве публичного: нарративное измерение камин-аута

<div><p>Background</p><p>Although <i>Helicobacter pylori</i> (<i>H</i>. <i>pylori</i>) infection is closely associated with the development of peptic ulcer, its involvement in pathophysiology in the lower intestinal tract and gastrointestinal (GI) motility remains unclear. Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) is a gut hormone produced in the lower intestinal tract and involved in GI motility. Here, we investigated the effect of <i>H</i>. <i>pylori</i> infection on the link between GLP-1 expression and motility of the GI tract.</p><p>Methods</p><p>C57BL/6 mice were inoculated with a <i>H</i>. <i>pylori</i> strain. Twelve weeks later, the <i>H</i>. <i>pylori</i>-infected mice underwent <i>H</i>. <i>pylori</i> eradication treatment. GI tissues were obtained from the mice at various time intervals, and evaluated for the severity of gastric inflammatory cell infiltration and immunohistochemical expression of GLP-1 and PAX6 in the colonic mucosa. Gastrointestinal transit time (GITT) was measured by administration of carmine-red solution.</p><p>Results</p><p>GLP-1 was expressed in the endocrine cells of the colonic mucosa, and PAX6 immunoreactivity was co-localized in such cells. The numbers of GLP-1- and PAX6-positive cells in the colon were significantly increased at 12 weeks after <i>H</i>. <i>pylori</i> infection and showed a positive correlation with each other. The GITT was significantly longer in <i>H</i>. <i>pylori</i>-infected mice than in non-infected controls and showed a positive correlation with GLP-1 expression. When <i>H</i>. <i>pylori</i>-infected mice underwent <i>H</i>. <i>pylori</i> eradication, GITT and PAX6/GLP-1 expression did not differ significantly from those in untreated <i>H</i>. <i>pylori</i>-infected mice.</p><p>Conclusions</p><p><i>H</i>. <i>pylori</i> infection may impair GI motility by enhancing the colonic GLP-1/PAX6 expression.</p></div

Luteal lifespan and fertility after estrus synchronization in goats

The present experiment aims to examine the efficiency of estrus synchronization using progesterone and equine chorionic gonadotrophin (eCG) and to look at luteal function. During the non-breeding and breeding season, 5 adult female Korean native goats were injected intramuscularly with 2.5 ml of physiological saline as the control. A progesterone impregnated intravaginal sponge was then kept in the same goats for 10 days followed, after a week, by an intramuscular injection of 500 IU eCG. Five adult female Nubian goats were mated with a fertile buck during the non-breeding season. During the non-breeding season 2 of the 5 goats showed a normal estrous cycle (ranging from 18 to 21 days) and 3 a short estrous cycle (ranging from 3 to 6 days). During the breeding season the equivalent figures were 1 and 2. The major axes of the corpus luteum (CL) were measured by means of calipers built into the ultrasonography system, and the concentrations of plasma progesterone (P4) were determined by double antibody radioimmunoassay. The mean major axes of the CL in goats showing the short cycle (6.1 ± 0.5 mm) was significantly smaller than in those showing the normal cycle (8.9 ± 0.5 mm; p < 0.01) and also the value of P4 in goats showing the short cycle (4.2 ± 2.1 ng/ml) was significantly lower than for those showing the normal cycle (10.3 ± 4.3 ng/ml; p < 0.05) at day 3 following ovulation. Three out of 5 Nubian goats became pregnant but only one goat carried to full term. The present experiment indicated that a combination of progesterone and eCG was effective in inducing estrus, although it resulted in a high incidence of short luteal lifespan. The low kidding rate and high incidence of embryonic loss may be due to the instability of the luteal lifespan