Effects of various drugs on platelet functions

Background: The hyperfunction and activation of platelets have been strongly implicated in the development and recurrence of arterial occlusive disease, and various antiplatelet drugs are used to treat and prevent such diseases. New antiplatelet drugs and many other drugs have been developed, but some drugs may have adverse effects on platelet functions. Objective: The aim of this study was to establish an evaluation method for evaluating the effect and adverse effect of various drugs on platelet functions. Materials and methods: Human erythroid leukemia (HEL) cells were used after megakaryocytic differentiation with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate as an alternative to platelets. Drugs were evaluated by changes in intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) mobilization in Fura2-loaded phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate-induced HEL cells. Aspirin and cilostazol were selected as antiplatelet drugs and ibuprofen and sodium valproate as other drugs. Results: There was a positive correlation between [Ca2+]i and platelet aggregation induced by thrombin. Aspirin (5.6–560 µM) and cilostazol (5–10 µM) significantly inhibited thrombin-induced increases in [Ca2+]i in a concentration-dependent manner. On the other hand, ibuprofen (8–200 µM) and sodium valproate (50–1,000 µg/mL) also significantly inhibited thrombin-induced increases in [Ca2+]i in a concentration-dependent manner. Furthermore, the interaction effects of the simultaneous combined use of aspirin and ibuprofen or sodium valproate were evaluated. When the inhibitory effect of aspirin was higher than that of ibuprofen, the effect of aspirin was reduced, whereas when the inhibitory effect of aspirin was lower than that of ibuprofen, the effect of ibuprofen was reduced. The combination of aspirin and sodium valproate synergistically inhibited thrombin-induced [Ca2+]i. Conclusion: It is possible to induce HEL cells to differentiate into megakaryocytes, which are a useful model for the study of platelet functions, and the quantification of the inhibition of thrombin-induced increases in [Ca2+]i is applicable to the evaluation of the effects of various drugs on platelets

Fifty-Year Trend Towards Suppression of Wolbachia-Induced Male-Killing by Its Butterfly Host, Hypolimnas bolina

Some intracellular symbionts of arthropods induce a variety of reproductive alterations in their hosts, and the alterations tend to spread easily within the host populations. A few cases involving the spread of alteration-inducing Wolbachia bacteria in natural populations with time have been reported, but the investigations on the increasing trend in counteracting the bacterial effect on hosts in natural populations (i.e., increased resistance in hosts against the alterations) have been limited. In the present study, the prevalence of an alteration, killing of male Hypolimnas bolina (L.) (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) butterflies by their inherited Wolbachia strain in the wild in Japan, was surveyed over a continuous 50-year period, which is far longer than ever before analyzed in studies of dynamics between reproductive alteration-inducing symbionts and their host arthropods. Thus, the results in this study provide the first instance of a long-term trend involving a change in reproductive alteration; and it strongly suggests a change in the opposite direction (i.e., suppression of male-killing) in natural populations. This change in the current combination of the Wolbachia and butterflies appears to be dependent upon the host taxon (race)

<リサーチ・ペーパー>茨城県大洗町におけるツーリズム形態の変容に伴う観光空間の再編

本研究は茨城県大洗町におけるコンテンツ・ツーリズムの展開に注目し，ツーリズム形態の転換に伴う観光空間への影響，及びその変容の解明を目的とした。大洗町は観光施設を数多く有する県内でも有数の海浜観光地であり，2012年以降はアニメ「ガールズ＆パンツァー」の舞台として新たな観光現象が生じている地域である。大洗町においては，当初は店舗・組織におけるアニメファンへの対応はまちまちであったが，多くの訪問客が訪れるにつれて，商工会の主導により積極的にコンテンツを地域の資源として取り入れ，多くのアニメファンを来訪者として呼び込むことに成功した。宿泊業においては，アニメ放映以前までは夏季の家族連れや団体客が宿泊者の中心であったが，放映以降は夏季以外の1人客の割合が大きく増加するなど変化が生じた。コンテンツ・ツーリズムの導入によるホスト・ゲスト間の関係性の変化は新たな観光者を呼ぶ契機となったが明らかとなった。This research focuses on the development of content tourism in Oarai town, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan, and aims to clarify the influence on the tourism space brought about by changes in the essential character of the tourism. The subject area is one of the premier destinations in the prefecture, which has many facilities. After 2012 , a new trend in tourism appear to have been motivated by the Japanese animation Girls & Panzer. As the number of tourists inspired by the show increased, the Chamber of Commerce, shops, and commercial facilities actively used them as regional resources. As a result, they succeeded in attracting many fans as a tourist to shopping street. Before the animation aired, the accommodation industry served mostly families and group guests in the summer season. After the show aired, there were changes, such as a large increase in the proportion of individual customers visiting and in seasons other than summer, and changes in the relationship between hosts and guests. The introduction of content tourism also led to a greater number of tourists there overall

The Japanese space gravitational wave antenna; DECIGO

DECi-hertz Interferometer Gravitational wave Observatory (DECIGO) is the future Japanese space gravitational wave antenna. DECIGO is expected to open a new window of observation for gravitational wave astronomy especially between 0.1 Hz and 10 Hz, revealing various mysteries of the universe such as dark energy, formation mechanism of supermassive black holes, and inflation of the universe. The pre-conceptual design of DECIGO consists of three drag-free spacecraft, whose relative displacements are measured by a differential Fabry– Perot Michelson interferometer. We plan to launch two missions, DECIGO pathfinder and pre- DECIGO first and finally DECIGO in 2024

リピーターの観光行動からみたアニメツーリズムの持続性 : 茨城県大洗町「ガールズ&パンツァー」を事例として

本研究にあたり，2016～17年度科学研究費（挑戦的萌芽研究）「聖地共創時代におけるオタクの癒し空間に関する応用地理学的研究」（研究代表者：松井圭介）の一部を利用した

DECIGO pathfinder

DECIGO pathfinder (DPF) is a milestone satellite mission for DECIGO (DECi-hertz Interferometer Gravitational wave Observatory) which is a future space gravitational wave antenna. DECIGO is expected to provide us fruitful insights into the universe, in particular about dark energy, a formation mechanism of supermassive black holes, and the inflation of the universe. Since DECIGO will be an extremely large mission which will formed by three drag-free spacecraft with 1000m separation, it is significant to gain the technical feasibility of DECIGO before its planned launch in 2024. Thus, we are planning to launch two milestone missions: DPF and pre-DECIGO. The conceptual design and current status of the first milestone mission, DPF, are reviewed in this article

茨城県土浦市おおつ野におけるニュータウンの開発と変化

日本の高度経済成長期に「ニュータウン」と呼ばれる新興住宅地が郊外地域で多数形成された．今日，ニュータウンの課題として住民の高齢化や空き区画の増加などが指摘され，ニュータウンの再開発や再生が求められている．そこで本研究は，土浦協同病院の移転によって発展が加速する茨城県土浦市おおつ野を対象に，ニュータウンの再開発について考察した．聞き取りおよびアンケート調査を実施して，おおつ野の開発史，土浦協同病院の移転経緯，住民のライフコースと日常生活の変化を明らかにする．茨城県南部におけるニュータウンは，バブル崩壊後の都心回帰の傾向が強まる中で，東京大都市圏の郊外としての機能が低下し，地方都市の郊外として戸建住宅の用地を供給する役割を持つように変化した．その結果，おおつ野では空き区画が増加したが，土浦協同病院の移転により，商業施設が立地し，生活環境が改善され，ニュータウンとしての再発展が始まった．New residential areas called "new towns" have developed in the suburbs of Tokyo, Japan, since the 1960s. These new towns are now faced with such problems as an increased elderly population and growing numbers of vacant lots, and redevelopment is required. This study examines the redevelopment of the new town in Otsuno District, Tsuchiura City, Ibaraki Prefecture, where the relocation of the Tsuchiura Kyodo General Hospital triggered a new residential development. Interviews and questionnaire surveys were conducted in order to clarify the development history of Otsuno District, the reason for relocation of the hospital, and the changes in daily life for the residents. The characteristics of the new town changed from that of a bedroom community of the Greater Tokyo Metropolitan Area into a commuter town of Southern Ibaraki Prefecture after the collapse of Japan\u27s overheated stock and real estate markets, leaving Otsuno District with many vacant lots immediately after the collapse. However, the new town has been redeveloped since the relocation of the Tsuchiura Kyodo General Hospital, and the living environment has improved

The status of DECIGO

DECIGO (DECi-hertz Interferometer Gravitational wave Observatory) is the planned Japanese space gravitational wave antenna, aiming to detect gravitational waves from astrophysically and cosmologically significant sources mainly between 0.1 Hz and 10 Hz and thus to open a new window for gravitational wave astronomy and for the universe. DECIGO will consists of three drag-free spacecraft arranged in an equilateral triangle with 1000 km arm lengths whose relative displacements are measured by a differential Fabry-Perot interferometer, and four units of triangular Fabry-Perot interferometers are arranged on heliocentric orbit around the sun. DECIGO is vary ambitious mission, we plan to launch DECIGO in era of 2030s after precursor satellite mission, B-DECIGO. B-DECIGO is essentially smaller version of DECIGO: B-DECIGO consists of three spacecraft arranged in an triangle with 100 km arm lengths orbiting 2000 km above the surface of the earth. It is hoped that the launch date will be late 2020s for the present