English translation and validation of the Ikigai-9 in a UK Sample [Protocol]

The psychological construct of ‘ikigai’ reflects the sense of having a ‘reason for living’ and has been associated with various positive health-related outcomes. This proposal presents an English translation of the Ikigai-9, empirically explores the manifestation of ikigai in the United Kingdom, and outlines its associations with facets of well-being.N/

Instability toward biexciton crystallization in one-dimensional electron-hole systems

One-dimensional (1D) electron-hole (e-h) systems in a high-density regime is investigated by means of bozonization techniques. It turned out that the systems are insulating even at the high density limit and that the exciton Mott transition (insulator-to-metal transition) never occurs at absolute zero temperature. The insulating ground state exhibits a strong instability towards the crystallization of biexcitons.Comment: 4 page

Designing Dirac points in two-dimensional lattices

We present a framework to elucidate the existence of accidental contacts of energy bands, particularly those called Dirac points which are the point contacts with linear energy dispersions in their vicinity. A generalized von-Neumann-Wigner theorem we propose here gives the number of constraints on the lattice necessary to have contacts without fine tuning of lattice parameters. By counting this number, one could quest for the candidate of Dirac systems without solving the secular equation. The constraints can be provided by any kinds of symmetry present in the system. The theory also enables the analytical determination of k-point having accidental contact by selectively picking up only the degenerate solution of the secular equation. By using these frameworks, we demonstrate that the Dirac points are feasible in various two-dimensional lattices, e.g. the anisotropic Kagome lattice under inversion symmetry is found to have contacts over the whole lattice parameter space. Spin-dependent cases, such as the spin-density-wave state in LaOFeAs with reflection symmetry, are also dealt with in the present scheme.Comment: 15pages, 9figures (accepted to Phys. Rev. B

Suppression of Matrix Metalloproteinase Production in Nasal Fibroblasts by Tranilast, an Antiallergic Agent, In Vitro

Allergic rhinitis is an inflammatory disease characterized by nasal wall remodeling with intense infiltration of eosinophils and mast cells/basophils. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), MMP-2 and MMP-9, are the major proteolytic enzymes that induce airway remodeling. These enzymes are also important in the migration of inflammatory cells through basement membrane components. We evaluated whether tranilast (TR) could inhibit MMP production from nasal fibroblasts in response to tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) stimulation in vitro. Nasal fibroblasts (NF) were established from nasal polyp tissues taken from patients with allergic rhinitis. NF (2 × 10(5) cells/mL) were stimulated with TNF-α in the presence of various concentrations of TR. After 24 hours, the culture supernatants were obtained and assayed for MMP-2, MMP-9, TIMP-1, and TIMP-2 levels by ELISA. The influence of TR on mRNA expression of MMPs and TIMPs in cells cultured for 12 hours was also evaluated by RT-PCR. TR at more than 5 × 10(−5) M inhibited the production of MMP-2 and MMP-9 from NF in response to TNF-α stimulation, whereas TIMP-1 and TIMP-2 production was scarcely affected. TR also inhibited MMP mRNA expression in NF after TNF-α stimulation. The present data suggest that the attenuating effect of TR on MMP-2 and MMP-9 production from NF induced by inflammatory stimulation may underlie the therapeutic mode of action of the agent in patients with allergic diseases, including allergic rhinitis

Actinogelin and the Microfilament System : Participation in Cellular Functions and their Modification in Transformed Cells

The role of the microfilament system in non-muscle cells was reviewed briefly. Actin-binding proteins which seem to regulate the distribution and hence control physiological role of the microfilament system were classified into F-actin cross-linking, capping, binding, G-actin binding, and bridging between microfilament and non-microfilament proteins. Representatives of these classes were described. A Ca??-sensitive F-actin cross-linking protein, actinogelin, was isolated by the present workers, either from Ehrlich ascites tumor cells or from rat liver. Characteristics and intracellular distribution of this unique protein are summarized. From its localization at the ends (adhesion plaques) and converging points of actin bundles, and its sensitivity to micromolar level (i. e. intracellular messenger level) of Ca??, and its wide distribution among different types of cells, actinogelin seems to fulfill all of the requirements for major regulators of micro filament system of nonmuscle cells. Modification of microfilament distribution upon transformation by oncogenic viruses and by tumor promoters were summarized. Tyrosine-specific phosphorylation of actin-binding proteins was described in connection with this transformation. The other difference of the micro filament system between normal and tumor cells was also explained