On dissemination mechanism of corporate social responsibility (CSR): Analysis with agent simulation

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), such as pro-environmental behaviour and fair trade, is a kind of normative behaviour by private companies to provide a quasi-public good. We study dissemination mechanism of CSR with a multi-agent model in which corporation agents and consumer agents interact with each other. We show that the mechanism to disseminate CSR is a positive feedback between the corporations\u27 popularity seeking behaviour and the consumers\u27 social learning in which CSR-seeking preference is evaluated according to both the local average of the preferences of surrounding consumers and the global average of the investment in CSR by all corporations. We also discuss an institutional design to establish CSR from an objectionable social state

皮膚に発現するP-gpとBCRPの経皮基質吸収及び皮膚炎抑制への関与

13301甲第4523号博士（創薬科学）金沢大学博士論文要旨Abstract 以下に掲載：International Journal of Pharmaceutics 521 pp.365-373 2017. Elsevier. 共著者：Hashimoto Naoto, Nakamichi Noritaka, Yamazaki Erina, Oikawa Masashi, Masuo Yusuke, Alfred H Schinkel, Kato Yuki

Effects of specific cultivar usage and preparation methods in Japanese potato starches.

Potato starch is one of the important agricultural products in Hokkaido, the northernmost and second largest island of Japan. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of cultivars and starch preparation methods on the quality parameters of Japanese potato starch. Potato starches from four cultivars, Hokkaikogane, Eniwa, Benimaru and Norin No. 1, grown over a period of several years in Hokkaido were used. The starches produced with tap water in a local starch factory and with distilled water in a laboratory were investigated for phosphorus content, median granule size and peak viscosity and breakdown as determined with a Rapid Visco Analyzer (RVA). Among the starch samples used in this study, significant differences were observed across starch quality parameters. We investigated the differences in quality parameters as an effect of individual cultivars. The starch median granule size among potato cultivars varied in the following order: Benimaru (43.1 μm) > Hokkaikogane (39.1 μm) ≈Eniwa (38.2 μm) > Norin No. 1 (33.9 μm). We found that starches of Hokkaikogane and Eniwa, both with a measurably higher phosphorus content, displayed significantly higher peak viscosity and breakdown than those of Benimaru and Norin No. 1. We also examined the effect that the preparation method has on starch quality parameters within the same potato cultivar. We found that the starch preparation method had a little or no influence on phosphorus content. Median granule size was also completely independent on the preparation method. The RVA evaluation revealed that, even within the same cultivar, starches produced in a factory showed lower peak viscosity and breakdown than those produced in a laboratory

Sub-nanometric High-Entropy Alloy Cluster: Hydrogen Spillover Driven Synthesis on CeO2 and Structural Reversibility

High-entropy alloy (HEA) nanoparticles (NPs) have attracted significant attention as promising catalysts owing to the various unique synergistic effects originating from the nanometer-scale, near-equimolar mixing of five or more components to produce single-phase solid solutions. However, the study of sub-nanometer HEA clusters having sizes of less than 1 nm remains incomplete despite the possibility of novel functions related to borderline molecular states with discrete quantum energy levels. The present work demonstrates the synthesis of CeO2 nanorods (CeO2-NRs) on which sub-nanometer CoNiCuZnPd HEA clusters were formed with the aid of a pronounced hydrogen spillover effect on readily reducible CeO2 (110) facets. The CoNiCuZnPd HEA sub-nanoclusters exhibited higher activity during the reduction of NO by H2 even at low temperatures compared with the corresponding monometallic catalysts. These clusters also showed a unique structural reversibility in response to repeated exposure to oxidative/reductive conditions, based on the sacrificial oxidation of the non-noble metals. Both experimental and theoretical analyses established that multielement mixing in quantum-sized regions endowed the HEA clusters with entirely novel catalytic properties.Hashimoto N., Mori K., Matsuzaki S., et al. Sub-nanometric High-Entropy Alloy Cluster: Hydrogen Spillover Driven Synthesis on CeO2 and Structural Reversibility. JACS Au , (2023); https://doi.org/10.1021/jacsau.3c0021

Factors affecting the digestibility of raw and gelatinized potato starches.

The enzymatic digestibilities of raw and gelatinized starches in various potato starches, as well as sweet potato, cassava, and yam starches, were estimated, along with other starch properties, such as the phosphorus content, median granule size, and rapid visco analyzer (RVA) pasting properties. Furthermore, correlation coefficients were calculated between the hydrolysis rates (HR) by amylase and other starch quality parameters. A larger granule size was closely associated with a lower HR in raw starch, while the HR in gelatinized starch did not correlate with the median granule size. An increase in phosphorus content resulted in a definitely lower HR in raw starch and tended to decrease the HR in gelatinized starch for the composite of potato and other starches. In contrast, no correlation coefficients of the phosphorus content with the HRs in raw and gelatinized starches were observed within potato starches. Starches with higher peak viscosity and breakdown showed a lower HR in raw starch, while few or no effects of these RVA parameters on the HR in gelatinized starch were observed for the composite of potato and other starches or among potato starches, respectively

Comparison of phenolic compositions between common and tartary buckwheat (Fagopyrum) sprouts.

The phenolic compositions of non-germinated/germinated seeds and seed sprouts (at 6–10 day-old) of common (Fagopyrum esculentum Möench) and tartary (Fagopyrum tataricum Gaertn.) buckwheats were investigated. Phenolic compounds, including chlorogenic acid, four C-glycosylflavones (orientin, isoorientin vitexin, isovitexin), rutin and quercetin, were determined in the seed sprouts by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). In the edible parts of common buckwheat sprouts, individual phenolics significantly increased during sprout growth from 6 to 10 days after sowing (DAS), whereas in tartary buckwheat sprouts they did not. While the sum contents of phenolic compounds in the edible part (mean 24.4 mg/g DW at 6–10 DAS) of tartary buckwheat sprouts were similar to those of common buckwheat sprouts, rutin contents in the non-germinated/germinated seeds (mean 14.7 mg/g DW) and edible parts (mean 21.8 mg/g DW) of tartary buckwheat were 49- and 5-fold, respectively, higher than those of common buckwheat. Extracts of the edible parts of both species showed very similar free radical-scavenging activities (mean 1.7 μmol trolox eq/g DW), suggesting that the overall antioxidative activity might be affected by the combination of identified phenolics and unidentified (minor) components. Therefore, buckwheat seed sprouts are recommended for their high antioxidative activity, as well as being an excellent dietary source of phenolic compounds, particularly tartary buckwheat sprouts, being rich in rutin

Yam contributes to improvement of glucose metabolism in rats.

To investigate whether yam improves glucose metabolism, yam-containing diets were given to Wistar rats. In a short-term experiment, fasted-rats were given 1.0 g of a control and 20% yam-containing diets. At 60 min after start of the feeding, glucose level in the yam diet group was lower or tended to be lower than that in the control diet. Insulin levels at 30 min and 60 min were significantly lower than those in the control group. In a long-term experiment, a normal diet (N) or 25% high fat diets with (Y) or without 15% yam powder (HF) were given to rats for 4 weeks. At 4 weeks, in an oral glucose tolerance test, the area under the curve (AUC) of plasma glucose level was higher in the HF group than that in the N group, whereas those in the Y groups did not differ from that in the N group. Glycosylated hemoglobin levels had similar tendency to the AUCs. Plasma leptin levels in the Y groups were significantly higher than that in the N group. In conclusion, yam may contribute to improvement of glucose metabolism. Additionally, we speculated that leptin level is possibly involved in the insulin-response to yam diets

P-Glycoprotein in skin contributes to transdermal absorption of topical corticosteroids

ATP binding cassette transporters, P-glycoprotein (P-gp) and breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP), are expressed in skin, but their involvement in transdermal absorption of clinically used drugs remains unknown. Here, we examined their role in transdermal absorption of corticosteroids. Skin and plasma concentrations of dexamethasone after dermal application were reduced in P-gp and BCRP triple-knockout (Mdr1a/1b/Bcrp−/−) mice. The skin concentration in Mdr1a/1b/Bcrp−/− mice was reduced in the dermis, but not in the epidermis, indicating that functional expression of these transporters in skin is compartmentalized. Involvement of these transporters in dermal transport of dexamethasone was also supported by the observation of a higher epidermal concentration in Mdr1a/1b/Bcrp−/− than wild-type mice during intravenous infusion. Transdermal absorption after dermal application of prednisolone, but not methylprednisolone or ethinyl estradiol, was also lower in Mdr1a/1b/Bcrp−/− than in wild-type mice. Transport studies in epithelial cell lines transfected with P-gp or BCRP showed that dexamethasone and prednisolone are substrates of P-gp, but are minimally transported by BCRP. Thus, our findings suggest that P-gp is involved in transdermal absorption of at least some corticosteroids in vivo. P-gp might be available as a target for inhibition in order to deliver topically applied drugs and cosmetics in a manner that minimizes systemic exposure. © 2017 Elsevier B.V.Embargo Period 12 month

Investigation of the effect of canagliflozin on the disposition index, a marker of pancreatic beta cell function, in patients with type 2 diabetes

This article is published in Diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome and Obesity: Targets and Therapy, 18 November 2020, Volume 2020:13, Pages 4457-4468