An Amalab-Movie Creation Approach Model: Utilizing Statistical Science To Design Anime Hits

The authors have created an “Amalab-Movie Creation Approach Model, A-MCAM”, by utilizing statistical science to support filmmakers’ design hit movies. This paper first identifies the factors that make an Anime hit movie by making the expertise and knowledge of Anime movie producers explicit. Second, explicit knowledge is then made of factors that have an emotional impact on moviegoers to identify key subjective elements in films. Third, cause and effect links are then forged between these subjective elements and those in hit movies. Finally, this knowledge and the research process are used to create an A-MCAM. The authors then enlist the support of movie producers in verifying this model, which is deemed a successful model for improving the quality of hit filmmaking

Constructing Measures Of CS Effectiveness To Boost Subjective Quality At Manufacturers

Subjective quality features, such as product feel and design, are becoming increasingly important to consumers. This paper focuses on the linkages connecting business processes in product planning and design departments and constructs Measures of CS Effectiveness to quantitatively assess efforts to improve subjective quality features at both departments. The results of implementing these measures are reported

Establishment of Nonlife Insurance Business Navigation System A-NIBNS

In this study, the authors teamed up with nonlife insurance companies and agencies to create a business approach method that made it possible to reform insurance-related business activities from a policyholder perspective. A detailed operational method was then put together as A-NIPNS, or Amalabs Nonlife Insurance Business Navigation System. The system is comprised of four parts: (1) a networking system for sharing information within nonlife insurance companies and with agencies, (2) a customer handling evaluation system, (3) a business information sharing system used to link nonlife insurance companies and agencies, and (4) a complaint utilization system for policyholders. After putting together the system, the authors implemented a trial operation using Nonlife Insurance Company A and Nonlife Insurance Agency B in order to check its effectiveness

Halogen‐Free πupiupi‐Conjugated Polymers Based on Thienobenzobisthiazole for Efficient Nonfullerene Organic Solar Cells: Rational Design for Achieving High Backbone Order and High Solubility

In π-conjugated polymers, a highly ordered backbone structure and solubility are always in a trade-off relationship that must be overcome to realize highly efficient and solution-processable organic photovoltaics (OPVs). Here, it is shown that a π-conjugated polymer based on a novel thiazole-fused ring, thieno[2′, 3′:5, 6]benzo[1, 2-d:4, 3-d′]bisthiazole (TBTz) achieves both high backbone order and high solubility due to the structural feature of TBTz such as the noncovalent interlocking of the thiazole moiety, the rigid and bent-shaped structure, and the fused alkylthiophene ring. Furthermore, based on the electron-deficient nature of these thiazole-fused rings, the polymer exhibits deep HOMO energy levels, which lead to high open-circuit voltages (VOCs) in OPV cells, even without halogen substituents that are commonly introduced into high-performance polymers. As a result, when the polymer is combined with a typical nonfullerene acceptor Y6, power conversion efficiencies of reaching 16% and VOCs of more than 0.84 V are observed, both of which are among the top values reported so far for “halogen-free” polymers. This study will serve as an important reference for designing π-conjugated polymers to achieve highly efficient and solution-processable OPVs

How did rehabilitation professionals act when faced with the Great East Japan earthquake and disaster? Descriptive epidemiology of disability and an interim report of the relief activities of the ten Rehabilitation-Related Organizations.

Objective: Inter-organizational coordination is important for rehabilitation disaster relief. The 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and Disaster was unprecedented, being geographically widespread and multifaceted. Faced with the crisis, rehabilitation professionals established the 10 Rehabilitation- Related Organizations of Rehabilitation Support Service (10-RRO). The objectives of this paper are to provide descriptive epidemiology and assess the activities of 10- RRO. Design: Descriptive. Methods: Epidemiological data on disability were collected, mainly from official sources. Relief activities were reviewed from daily reports, and the preparedness, initial response and functioning of 10-RRO were assessed with a questionnaire directed at 36 executives of individual organizations. Results: The disaster was characterized by a very low ratio of injuries to death of 0.372, and an odds ratio of deaths among disabled persons of 2.32. 10-RRO provided relief activities at 3 shelters. The total number of dispatch days ranged from 107 to 146, and the cumulative number of professionals and evacuees served was 1,202 and 7,300, respectively. Support activities included prevention of immobilization, daily life support, environmental improvement and transition to temporary housing. The questionnaire survey revealed poor preparedness, satisfactory initial response and support activities, and problems of data collection and advocacy. Conclusion: The disaster was characterized by minimal trauma and a great need for preventing immobilization. This first collaborative endeavour was successful

Meeting Abstract Enhancing Automatic Classification of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Images through Image Masking, Tissue Changes, and Trabecular Features

Background Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a malignant tumor with hepatocellular differentiation and one of the most common cancers in the world. This type of cancer is often diagnosed when the survival time is measured in months causing high death rates Method We enhanced the classification process presented in [3] by including 11 features of tissue changes (i.e., features related to fatty change, cytoplasm colors, cell clearness index, and stroma) and 10 features of trabecular (e.g., nuclei-cytoplasmic ratio, irregularity of sinusoid, and trabecular arrangements). Furthermore, we apply a mask obtained by the stroma segmentation before calculating the 13 types of nuclear and structural features such that those features are derived from hepatocytes only, thus generating in total 177 features. The experiments were performed on a collection of region-ofinterest (ROI) images extracted from HE stained whole slide images (WSI), consisting of 1054 ROIs of HCC biopsy samples (504 negatives and 550 positives) and 1076 ROIs of HCC surgically resected samples (533 negatives and 543 positives). In the process, we made some combinations on the sets of features and sets of training data from both biopsy and surgery samples. As for the classification, we used 5-fold cross validation support vector machine (SVM) with LibSVM as our library. Results The results of classification experiment are summarized in Conclusion The combination of nuclear, trabecular, and other tissue features enables improved classification rate in HCC detection using SVM. Even though the image characteristics are different in biopsy and surgically resected samples, the same classification system gives good performance in both samples. The HCC classification scheme introduced in this paper is implemented in the prototype "feature measurement software for liver biopsy, " and the probability of HCC is visualized for every ROI in the WSI. It will support pathologists in the HCC diagnosis along with the quantitative measurements of tissue morphology

The CCR4–NOT deadenylase complex safeguards thymic positive selection by down-regulating aberrant pro-apoptotic gene expression

A repertoire of T cells with diverse antigen receptors is selected in the thymus. However, detailed mechanisms underlying this thymic positive selection are not clear. Here we show that the CCR4-NOT complex limits expression of specific genes through deadenylation of mRNA poly(A) tails, enabling positive selection. Specifically, the CCR4-NOT complex is up-regulated in thymocytes before initiation of positive selection, where in turn, it inhibits up-regulation of pro-apoptotic Bbc3 and Dab2ip. Elimination of the CCR4-NOT complex permits up-regulation of Bbc3 during a later stage of positive selection, inducing thymocyte apoptosis. In addition, CCR4-NOT elimination up-regulates Dab2ip at an early stage of positive selection. Thus, CCR4-NOT might control thymocyte survival during two-distinct stages of positive selection by suppressing expression levels of pro-apoptotic molecules. Taken together, we propose a link between CCR4-NOT-mediated mRNA decay and T cell selection in the thymus

ギョルイ コッカク ヒョウホン オ モチイタ ESD ノ レイ アユ ノ チギョ ノ ハ オ カンサツ シテ セイタイ ト ノ カンケイ オ シロウ

本研究は、透明骨格二重染色標本を海洋環境教育や理科教育を含めたESD（Education for Sustainable Development：持続的発展教育）で利活用できることを実証する事例の第三弾である。ここでは、アユ仔魚の透明標本の歯を観察することで、形態と生態を理解しようと試み、その有効性を事前と事後のアンケートにもとづいて調査した。対象としたのは、5 つのイベントに参加した16 歳から80 歳の男性29 名、女性31 名、計60 名である。プログラムは、アユの生活史、顕微鏡の使い方、透明標本の基礎知識、主題1（体長20mm 前後の個体の歯の探索）、および主題2（体長30mm 前後の個体の歯の観察）の順に進めた。プログラムの前には参加者は全員アユの仔魚に歯が生えていることを知らなかった。しかし、事後のアンケートによると、内翼状骨や基舌骨、基鰓骨などの歯を観察し、これらの歯で動物プランクトンを摂餌することを理解したと判断できた。This study is the third round in a project to utilize double stained fish transparent specimens for ESD (Education for Sustainable Development) including science, marine and environmental education. In this round, fish transparent specimens were applied to a study of the relationships between morphology and ecology through the observation of teeth in ayu Plecoglossus altivelis altivelis larvae, and its effectiveness was investigated by the preand post-intervention questionnaire. The research examined 60 participants in five learning interventions, the age ranging from 16 to 80 with a mean of 37.1 years old and the sex ratio being 31 females and 29 males. The program was composed of the followings: the life history of ayu, which is a diadromous fish migrating between the river and the sea; how to use the microscope; the basic knowledge of bones; main observation 1, searching teeth of ca. 20 mm in body length (BL) specimens; and main observation 2, searching and observing teeth of ca. 30mm BL specimens.Although no participants recognized the presence of teeth in ayu larvae in the pre-intervention questionnaire, all of them would observe the teeth on bones such as the endopterygoid, basihyal, basibranchial, dentary and upper and lower pharyngeals and understand that the larvae would seize zooplankton during their marine life by using these teeth.河野博: 東京海洋大学学術研究院海洋環境科学部門河野博・デイビッド エリック アンマリサン・石川 新・新城遥己・小野寺暁・手良村知功: 東京海洋大学魚類学研究

FXYD3 functionally demarcates an ancestral breast cancer stem cell subpopulation with features of drug-tolerant persisters

乳がんの再発を起こす原因細胞を解明. 京都大学プレスリリース. 2023-11-16.The heterogeneity of cancer stem cells (CSCs) within tumors presents a challenge in therapeutic targeting. To decipher the cellular plasticity that fuels phenotypic heterogeneity, we undertook single-cell transcriptomics analysis in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) to identify subpopulations in CSCs. We found a subpopulation of CSCs with ancestral features that is marked by FXYD domain–containing ion transport regulator 3 (FXYD3), a component of the Na⁺/K⁺ pump. Accordingly, FXYD3⁺ CSCs evolve and proliferate, while displaying traits of alveolar progenitors that are normally induced during pregnancy. Clinically, FXYD3⁺ CSCs were persistent during neoadjuvant chemotherapy, hence linking them to drug-tolerant persisters (DTPs) and identifying them as crucial therapeutic targets. Importantly, FXYD3⁺ CSCs were sensitive to senolytic Na⁺/K⁺ pump inhibitors, such as cardiac glycosides. Together, our data indicate that FXYD3⁺ CSCs with ancestral features are drivers of plasticity and chemoresistance in TNBC. Targeting the Na⁺/K⁺ pump could be an effective strategy to eliminate CSCs with ancestral and DTP features that could improve TNBC prognosis