The replanning of the blitzed city centre in Britain: a comparative study of Bristol, Coventry and Southampton, 1941-1950

Before the outbreak of the Second World War Britain had suffered the consequences of uncontrolled industrial development - too highly populated built-up areas and indiscriminate sprawl of houses in the suburbs of industrial cities. Those associated with town planning called for comprehensive national planning. The state of city centres was the microcosm of the lack of such planning - insufficiency caused by traffic congestion and chaotic development of buildings of all kinds, and the absence of social amenities such as civic centres and public open spaces. But the local authorities could do very little, because, for one thing, there was no proper legislation dealing with such highly densely developed areas. The German air raids on several industrial cities in 1940 were thought to have provided a golden opportunity for the local authorities to set to the task of replanning city centres. The Government promised to make up the necessary legislation, and encouraged the blitzed local authorities to plan boldly and comprehensively. City centre replanning had become a symbol of post-war reconstruction as a whole. However, the blitzed authorities soon had to face a wave of pressure to subdue boldness in their city centre plans. This thesis, by exploring the three case studies of Bristol, Coventry, and Southampton, illustrates the development of city centre replanning in the 1940s, and explains why it failed to live up to some of the expectations of its supporters

Serum Messenger RNA as a Biomarker and its Clinical Usefulness in Malignancies

A number of biomarkers are used clinically and many protein-based assay methods are available. Improvements in the method to utilize specific antibodies have led to remarkable progress in clinical diagnosis using biomarkers. Proteomics studies to identify better biomarkers have been performed worldwide by using a protein-based comprehensive method. The detection rate of conventional biomarkers can not improve further. Now is a time that a breakthrough is needed. We previously proposed mRNA, which is circulating in the body, as a novel material for biomarkers. mRNA is an unexpectedly useful molecule, not only because it can detect genes with a low expression level in protein, but also because it can detect the expression from non-coding RNA precursor genes or gene products with limited secretion from the cells. Circulating mRNA has been thought to be unstable in blood containing RNase. We confirm that mRNA remains at the same level for 24 hours after blood sampling. Unlike DNA, the RNA molecule can reflect events in the human body which occurred within a day, resulting in an early diagnosis of diseases. We report the possibility to detect and quantify cancer-derived mRNAs circulating in human vessels. We introduce the detection of serum mRNA as a useful biomarker of human malignancies

Imaging the bone-immune cell interaction in bone destruction

Bone is a highly dynamic organ that is continuously being remodeled by the reciprocal interactions between bone and immune cells. We have originally established an advanced imaging system for visualizing the in vivo behavior of osteoclasts and their precursors in the bone marrow cavity using two-photon microscopy. Using this system, we found that the blood-enriched lipid mediator, sphingosine-1-phosphate, controlled the migratory behavior of osteoclast precursors. We also developed pH-sensing chemical fluorescent probes to detect localized acidification by bone-resorbing osteoclasts on the bone surface in vivo, and identified two distinct functional states of differentiated osteoclasts, “bone-resorptive” and “non-resorptive.” Here, we summarize our studies on the dynamics and functions of bone and immune cells within the bone marrow. We further discuss how our intravital imaging techniques can be applied to evaluate the mechanisms of action of biological agents in inflammatory bone destruction. Our intravital imaging techniques would be beneficial for studying the cellular dynamics in arthritic inflammation and bone destruction in vivo and would also be useful for evaluating novel therapies in animal models of bone-destroying diseases.Hasegawa T., Kikuta J., Ishii M.. Imaging the bone-immune cell interaction in bone destruction. Frontiers in Immunology 10, 596 (2019); https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2019.00596

Imaging the Bone-Immune Cell Interaction in Bone Destruction

Bone is a highly dynamic organ that is continuously being remodeled by the reciprocal interactions between bone and immune cells. We have originally established an advanced imaging system for visualizing the in vivo behavior of osteoclasts and their precursors in the bone marrow cavity using two-photon microscopy. Using this system, we found that the blood-enriched lipid mediator, sphingosine-1-phosphate, controlled the migratory behavior of osteoclast precursors. We also developed pH-sensing chemical fluorescent probes to detect localized acidification by bone-resorbing osteoclasts on the bone surface in vivo, and identified two distinct functional states of differentiated osteoclasts, “bone-resorptive” and “non-resorptive.” Here, we summarize our studies on the dynamics and functions of bone and immune cells within the bone marrow. We further discuss how our intravital imaging techniques can be applied to evaluate the mechanisms of action of biological agents in inflammatory bone destruction. Our intravital imaging techniques would be beneficial for studying the cellular dynamics in arthritic inflammation and bone destruction in vivo and would also be useful for evaluating novel therapies in animal models of bone-destroying diseases