On Determinants of the Yen Weight in the Implicit Basket System in East Asia

After the Asian currency crisis, most Asian economies have adopted managed float regimes, with notable exception of China, Hong Kong, and Malaysia. Various studies have examined the weights of the dollar, the yen, and the euro, regarding floating is loosely managed with reference to the basket currency system. However, results are mixed, in that in some periods, the yen weight seems to be higher in some countries, and in some other periods, the Asian currencies seem to have gone back to the dollar peg. This paper seeks the determinants of the yen weight in Asian currencies. It is found that the yen weight tends to increase when the yen depreciates and when the domestic interest rates rise. The yen weight tends to decrease when the US interest rate rises. Asymmetry is observed among coefficients of variables between the lower and higher yen periods. In addition, the yen weight is less susceptible to the overall position of the US dollar vis-a-vis major currencies. It should also be noted that the peculiarity among countries seems large in handling the currency weights in the basket.

Understanding and utilizing students’ attitudes toward participation in discussions by using emotion analysis

We propose a method that uses an emotion analysis for PBL education. The emotion analysis is a method of analyzing a person's emotions from the person's remarks or facial expressions. In this method, teachers understand the situation of students from the results of the emotion analysis and give accurate advice. PBL education often involves group activities. The students conducted groups discuss, propose ideas, select ideas, and make the products. However, not all students are able to participate in discussions and express their opinions. It is the teacher's duty to provide guidance to such students. Therefore, we propose the use of the emotion analysis techniques to identify and guide students who have problems, such as those who cannot participate in discussions. The method is possible for one teacher to grasp multiple groups at the same time and to help developing the students' ability to learn. Under COVID-19, face-to-face classes were restricted. Online classes using Zoom etc. have also been introduced in PBL education. In online classes, it is difficult to grasp the situation of students. This was a big difference from face-to-face classes. So we looked at ways to keep track of the situation for all students. This is because the gap between students who are willing to take classes and those who are reluctant to take classes has widened due to the shift to online classes. As a result of the adaption to the classes, the number of students who actively participate in the classes has increased. The effectiveness of the proposed method was confirmed

Ammonia Emission and Carbon and Nitrogen Balances during Acidulocomposting of Garbage

Original Pape

Enzymatic Decomposition of Basic Amino Acids by the Cell Free Extract of a Red Alga， Gymnogongrus flabelliformis

紅藻の一種オキツノリGymnogongrus flabelliformisを-200℃に凍結貯蔵すると藻体遊離アミノ酸の主要成分であるgigartinineおよびcitrullineが著しく減少し7週間の貯蔵で両者とも95%以上が分解された.藻体をpH8.0のTris緩衝液とともに磨砕して得た抽出液を25℃に置いた場合には更に顕著で、あって，gigartinineは3時間で完全に消失した.更に透析処理した抽出液に17種のアミノ酸混合液を添加して分解性をみたところ，この抽出液は特に塩基性アミノ酸を強く分解することを知った. 以上のことは本海藻に塩基性アミノ酸を特異的に分解する酵素の存在を示唆したので，この反応に対する緩衝液の種類の影響，至適温度，pH，基質特異性，分解生産物について調べた.結果は以下の如くである. (1) 燐酸緩衝液はTris緩衝液.硼砂緩衝液に比較してarginine分解の活性を低下させる. (2) 反応の至適温度は30℃附近にある. (3) 反応の至適pHは8.0～9.0の間にある. (4) 塩基性アミノ酸であるL-arginine ，L-ornithine， L-lysine，L-gigartinineは強く分解するが，L-histidine L-methionineにも弱い分解力を持つ.DL-Ornithine，DL-lysine，DL-gigartinineは50%しか分解されず，この反応はL-アミノ酸に特異的であると推察される. (5) Arginine，gigartinineの分解生産物をペーパークロマトグラフィーによって検索したところ，いずれも主生成物として相当するα-ケト酸が検出された.したがって，この海藻抽出液には塩基性アミノ酸の酸化的脱アミノ反応に関与する酵素の存在が推定された.The red alga, Gymnogongrus flabelliformis has a peculiar free amino acid pattern, in which one characteristic amino acid, gigartinine, is the most dominant component1-4). Recently, we observed that the contents of gigartinine and citrulline in the extracts of the alga decreased markedly during storage at about -20℃. The purpose of this paper is to report that the cell free extract of Gymnogongrus flabelliformis has an enzymatic activity for the decomposition of basic L-amino acids. 1) The cell free extract was prepared by grinding the alga with an equal volume of pH 8.0 Tris buffer in a mortar previously chilled and centrifuging for 30 min. at 10,000 rpm under chilling. The supernatant obtained was dialyzed against distilled water for 24 hours. 2) The extract showed a deaminative activity towards L-gigartinine, L-arginine, L-lysine and L-ornithine, and decomposed 50% of DL-gigartinine, DL-lysine and DL-ornithine. It suggests that D-isomers are not affected. 3) The influence of the different kinds of buffer solution on the decomposing activity of the extract towards arginine was examined. The phosphate buffer showed a slightly inhibitive effect. 4) Effects of pH and temperature on the decomposing activity of the extract were examined. The pH optimum was relatively broad. The activity of the extract did not vary appreciably from pH 8.0 to 9.0. The optimum temperature was about 30℃. 5) The decomposition products of arginine and gigartinine were surveyed by paperchromatography and the corresponding a-keto acid to each one of the amino acids was detected, respectively. The data suggest that the extract of the alga has an activity to catalyze oxidative deamination of basic L-amino acids

Sodium-metal-promoted reductive 1,2-syn-diboration of alkynes with reduction-resistant trimethoxyborane

Reductive 1, 2-diboration of alkynes has been accomplished by means of sodium dispersion in the presence of trimethoxyborane as a reduction-resistant boron electrophile. Two boron moieties can be introduced onto alkynes with excellent syn selectivity to afford the corresponding (Z)-1, 2-diborylalkenes. Bis(borate) species generated in situ can be involved in one-pot Suzuki-Miyaura arylation, formal arylboration of alkynes thus being executed

Rectovaginal Fistula after Low Anterior Resection for Rectal Cancer Using a Double Stapling Technique

A 55-year-old female underwent low anterior resection for rectal cancer using a double stapling technique. She developed a rectovaginal fistula on the 9th postoperative day. She was discharged from hospital after undergoing transverse colostomy, and 5 months later she underwent transvaginal repair of the rectovaginal fistula. She subsequently had an uneventful recovery. The leading cause of this complication is involvement of the posterior wall of the vagina in the staple line when firing the circular stapler. Transvaginal repair with a diverting stoma for rectovaginal fistula is a safe, minimally invasive and effective method