Socially responsible behaviour: Who supports societal crowdfunding among Chinese and Japanese university students?

Crowdfunding is one of social finance measures and has been become a global phenomenon of growing socio-economic importance. To identify who supports social-good fields of crowdfunding, this study determined: (a) consumer consciousness and actual crowdfunding usage, (b) awareness and the image of crowdfunding, and (c) factors supporting crowdfunding, by sampling younger university students as potential major users to understand their tendencies. The results showed that the top three fields of crowdfunding that both groups would like to support were child education, disaster recovery and medical welfare, recognized as societal fields. Furthermore, the results of personality and intentionality traits showed that individuals with openness, instead of agreeableness, were inclined toward many fields of crowdfunding. Social-oriented individuals would support medical welfare and environmental protection, those with conscientiousness would support child education, and those with neuroticism would support natural disaster recovery. In contrast, individual-oriented persons with neuroticism would support human rights, and those with neuroticism and openness would support minority rights. This study is the first to clarify the consumer character willing to engage in socially responsible behaviour on current global issues.Bulletin論文Articledepartmental bulletin pape

耳介軟骨細胞の細胞分裂速度と基質形成能との関連性についての検討

学位の種別: 課程博士審査委員会委員 : （主査）東京大学教授 牛田 多加志, 東京大学講師 西條 英人, 東京大学講師 齋藤 琢, 東京大学特任講師 峰松 健夫, 東京大学特任准教授 鈴木 淳一University of Tokyo(東京大学

Dual induction of caspase 3- and transglutaminase-dependent apoptosis by acyclic retinoid in hepatocellular carcinoma cells

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Hepatocellular carcinoma has a high mortality rate due to its rate of recurrence. Acyclic retinoid prevents recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma in patients after surgical removal of their primary tumors by inducing apoptosis in hepatocellular carcinoma cells, although the molecular mechanisms of action are not understood.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Human hepatocellular carcinoma cells in culture, as well as nude mice transplanted with hepatocellular carcinoma cells and rats given with <it>N</it>-diethylnitrosamine were treated with acyclic retinoid. Changes in activated caspase 3 and transglutaminase 2 (TG2) levels, Sp1 cross-linking and its activities, expression of epidermal growth factor receptor, and apoptotic levels were measured.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Acyclic retinoid simultaneously stimulated the activation of caspase 3, and the expression, nuclear localization and crosslinking activity of TG2, resulting in crosslinking and inactivation of the transcription factor, Sp1, thereby reducing expression of epidermal growth factor receptor and cell death in three hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines. These effects were partially restored by a caspase inhibitor, transfection of antisense TG2, restoration of functional Sp1, or an excess of epidermal growth factor. Nuclear expression of TG2 and crosslinked Sp1, as also activated caspase 3 were found in both hepatocellular carcinoma cells transplanted into nude mice and cancerous regions within the liver in <it>N</it>-diethylnitrosamine-induced hepatocarcinogenesis model in rats, following treatment of animals with acyclic retinoid.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Treatment with acyclic retinoid produces a dual activation of caspase 3 and TG2 induced apoptosis of hepatocellular carcinoma cells via modification and inactivation of Sp1, resulting in reduced expression of epidermal growth factor receptor.</p

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スチューデント・レポー

Pulmonary, Gastrointestinal and Urogenital Pharmacology

The effect of an acyclic synthetic retinoid analogue NIK-333, on the restoration of liver mass and recovery of liver function after 70% partial hepatectomy, was compared with natural retinoids in rats in vivo. NIK-333 (0.4 mg/kg/day, p.o.)- and all-trans-retinoic acid (ATRA: 4 mg/kg/day, p.o.)-treated rats showed an approximately 1.3- and 1.2-fold increase in liver-to-body weight ratio, respectively, compared to solventadministered control rats on day 3 after 70% partial hepatectomy. Accordingly, 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrdU)-labeling index in the regenerating liver was significantly higher in NIK-333- and ATRA-treated rats compared with control rats on days 0.5 and 1. However, retinol (40 mg/kg/day, p.o.) did not significantly increase either the liver-to-body weight ratio or the BrdU labeling index. In control rats, liver-related serum transaminase activities such as alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase, were rapidly elevated on day 1 and then decreased to near pre-operative levels on day 5 following 70% partial hepatectomy. NIK-333 significantly lowered serum transaminases on days 1 and 3 after 70% partial hepatectomy compared with solvent-administered control rats. The transaminase-lowering effect of NIK-333 was more effective than that of ATRA. Retinol did not significantly decrease serum transaminases compared with the control. These results demonstrate that of the three retinoids, NIK-333 was the most potent in promoting the regeneration of liver mass and function with full recovery after 70% partial hepatectomy.Original Research Articl

Socially responsible crowdfunding across the globe: A comparative analysis of Swiss, Japanese, and Chinese university students

We compare the motivational underpinnings of the willingness to use crowdfunding for a range of sustainability- and social-justice-related objectives across three countries with different socioeconomic environments and cultures: Switzerland, Japan, and China. This study focuses on two motivational orientations; the first, other-orientedness, refers to a need for social interaction, social norms, and solidarity. The second, self- orientedness, reflects the importance of personal goals and internal standards. The analysis relies on student samples, an especially relevant segment for the development of socially responsible crowdfunding. The findings show that socially responsible crowdfunding is overall more consistently related to other-orientedness than self-orientedness. However, the motivational underpinnings are far from universal and vary by country and sustainability objectives. While the willingness to use crowdfunding is linked to other-orientedness in the Swiss and Chinese samples, it is linked to self-orientedness in the Japanese sample. Furthermore, we find that other-orientedness translates more strongly into support for many sustainability objectives (e.g., human rights and environmental protection) among Swiss respondents

Identification of the functional region on the superantigen Yersinia pseudotuberculosis-derived mitogen responsible for induction of lymphocyte proliferation by using synthetic peptides

AbstractYersinia pseudotuberculosis-derived mitogen (YPM) is the unique Gram-negative bacillary superantigen known. In order to identify the regions on the YPM molecule involved in its superantigenic activity, seven overlapping peptides of the entire YPM molecule were synthesized and tested to evaluate their effects on the YPM-induced proliferation of human peripheral blood lymphocytes. A peptide corresponding to the N-terminal amino acid sequence (1–23) was found to inhibit YPM-induced lymphocyte proliferation in a concentration-dependent manner. The N-terminal peptide was found to show no inhibition of the proliferation induced by the other superantigen (staphylococcal enterotoxin B) or the other T-cell mitogen pertussis toxin, indicating that the inhibition is specific to YPM-induced proliferation. Thus, we have identified the N-terminal region (1–23) of the YPM as one of the functional regions responsible for its superantigenic activity

Medication-Related Osteonecrosis of the Jaw Spontaneously Occurred in a Patient with Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia Only by Imatinib: A Report of a Rare Case

The prevalence of medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ) associated with molecular-targeted therapies such as bevacizumab and sunitinib has been constantly increasing in recent years. MRONJ frequently occurs after invasive dental procedures such as tooth extraction in patients currently or with a previous history of receiving antiresorptive agents including bisphosphonates and/or denosumab. Here, we report a rare case of spontaneously occurring MRONJ of the mandible in a 52-year-old Japanese woman with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) who was administered imatinib for 9 years. She had never been treated with antiresorptive agents, and her MRONJ developed spontaneously. Although there have been few reports of MRONJ related to imatinib, our case reported here indicates that imatinib may be capable of causing spontaneous MRONJ