投资者与国家纠纷解决中企业社会责任的实现

Despite its oft-claimed voluntary nature, corporate social responsibility (CSR) has increasingly interacted and been integrated with legal obligations, and circumstances have arisen wherein a corporation’s breach of CSR has caused legal responsibility. This Perspective discusses host countries’ options for pursuing an investor’s CSR-based responsibility through counterclaims in investor-state dispute settlement

Analysis of the effectiveness of control strategies against bioterrorist smallpox attacks by using Individual Based Model

We carried out simulations of various scenarios for bioterrorist attacks using smallpox occurring in a virtual area set up on the basis of the census of Okayama-city, Japan, which predict the effect of control strategies against bioterrorism and the loss scale. On simulating a smallpox epidemic, we followed the method of the Individual Based Model stochastically, which can treat the population in the virtual area as individuals. Individuals have personal information, behavior patterns, and interactions among social groups. We took into consideration the influence of residual immunity due to past vaccination. We considered Traced Vaccination (TV) and Mass Vaccination (MV) strategies against bioterrorism. We investigated the effect of TV and MV strategies on the suppression of smallpox epidemics. Consequently, the TV strategy was found to have higher effectiveness than the MV strategy

Evaluation for interventions against influenza of H5N1 in Sapporo-city by using an Individual Based Model

The spread of the highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N1) among domestic poultry and wild birds has caused global concern over the outbreak of an influenza pandemic of H5N1. The "Pandemic Influenza Preparedness Action Plan" determines the strategy against an influenza pandemic in Japan. Simulations were carried out using an individual based model (IBM). The IBM targeted a virtual area with a population of 100,000 using the demographic data of Sapporo-city, Hokkaido. The effectiveness of targeted antiviral prophylaxis (TAP), geographical targeted antiviral prophylaxis (GTAP), school closure, and pre-pandemic vaccination were explored. Moreover, this study focused on infections among children, who have a high attack rate, and analyzed the effectiveness of interventions for school-age targeted antiviral prophylaxis (STAP). Consequently, TAP, which is recommended by the "Pandemic Influenza Preparedness Action Plan", was found to have high effectiveness in the suppression of the outbreak. Moreover, this study showed the importance of intervention among children, such as STAP and school closure, to prevent the spread of H5N1 influenza

Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy as a Neurocardiogenic Injury after Subarachnoid Hemorrhage: Hemodynamics and Fluid Management

Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TCM) is a life-threatening systemic disorder that may occur early after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), but precise hemodynamics and fluid management remain unclear. Although TCM is often regarded as a reversible or self-limited phenomenon, it contributes significantly to morbidity and mortality of SAH patients, especially when it is complicated with other neurogenic injuries such as severe left ventricular dysfunction, pulmonary edema, and pneumonia. The purpose of this chapter is to introduce the current practice in intensive hemodynamic monitoring and goal-directed fluid management of post-SAH TCM using advanced hemodynamic devices based on our institutional protocol and the relevant literature and to evaluate their effects on clinical outcomes

Neurotrophic properties of leptomeninges

The leptomeninges, consisted of pia mater and arachnoid, cover the surface of brain parenchyma. Leptomeningeal cells produce a number of biologically active proteins, including prostaglandin-D synthase, cyclooxygenase-1, -2, insulin-like growth factor-II, insulin-like growth factor-binding proten-2, and apolipoprotein E, released into the cerebrospinal fluid. The involvement of leptomeninges in neurotrophic, scavenging, and transport activities as well as inflammatory responses, associated with the brain, is reviewed.Biomedical Reviews 1999; 10: 31-36

A1F-B, a novel CCAAT-binding transcription activator that interacts with the aldolase B promoter

AbstractWe describe here a 70 kDa transcription factor A1F-B, which preferentially binds to an element encompassing a CCAAT motif on the rat aldolase B promoter. Comparison of binding specificities, relative molecular masses, and subunit compositions with those of other known CCAAT-binding factors indicated that A1F-B is a novel member of CCAAT-binding factors

チュウゴク ニ リュウガク スル ニホンカキョウ カジン ノ アイデンティティ ニカンスル イチコウサツ ニホンカキョウ デアルコト ノ トクシュセイ

本研究では,日本に在住する華僑・華人の留学経験者を対象とし,トランスナショナルな存在として捉えられるかれらのエスニック・アイデンティティの諸相をインタビュー調査を通して明らかにすることを目的とする。「中国留学」を,これからも続くアイデンティティ形成過程の一部分であるととらえ,そこでみられたアイデンティティ形成のあり様をつぶさにみた。その中国留学経験においてアイデンティティ形成に影響を与える3つの要素を抽出した。それは,留学理由と日本・帰国華僑との比較,そして他の海外華僑との比較である。留学以前に持っていた漠然とした華僑アイデンティティや確固たる中国人アイデンティティが,留学経験によって,華僑アイデンティティがより明確化したり,日本華僑としてのアイデンティティを形成していくダイナミクスが明らかとなった。またそれらが,血統主義をとっている日本を生きる華僑としての特徴をもっていることがわかった

Effects of mask fitness and worker education on the prevention of occupational dust exposure

To decrease the incidence of pneumoconiosis, we examined dust protective mask performance and its relation to pulmonary function as well as the effects of worker education on the proper wearing of masks. One hundred and seventy-eight workers from 15 factories subject to dust exposure participated in this study. All participants were interviewed to obtain relevant personal information and underwent both a mask leakage and a pulmonary function test. The mask leakage was expressed as a percentage, with under 10% leakage indicating that the dust protective mask worked efficiently. In addition, 23 workers from 2 factories were educated on how to wear masks properly. The average mask leakage was 24.3%, and 58% of workers wore ineffective masks. Though pulmonary function was almost normal, the percent vital capacity (%VC) tended to be lower depending on the mask leakage. Mask education, which was very easy and took only a short time, dramatically decreased average mask leakage from 32.1% to 10.5% (p0.001). Educating workers to wear masks properly might prevent the worsening of pulmonary function in response to dust exposure. Appropriate mask fitness by education could be useful in preventing the development of pneumoconiosis.</p

Gene Suppression of Mouse Testis In Vivo Using Small Interfering RNA Derived from Plasmid Vectors

We evaluated whether inhibiting gene expression by small interfering RNA (siRNA) can be used for an in vivo model using a germ cell-specific gene (Tex101) as a model target in mouse testis. We generated plasmid-based expression vectors of siRNA targeting the Tex101 gene and transfected them into postnatal day 10 mouse testes by in vivo electroporation. After optimizing the electroporation conditions using a vector transfected into the mouse testis, a combination of high- and low-voltage pulses showed excellent transfection efficiency for the vectors with minimal tissue damage, but gene suppression was transient. Gene suppression by in vivo electroporation may be helpful as an alternative approach when designing experiments to unravel the basic role of testicular molecules