Financial resource of public social security expenditure, the rule of law, and economic inequality: international comparison of legal origins

This study indicates that the strength of the rule of law affects social security expenditure and its financial resources. However, legal origins affect the strength of the rule of law. We use data from 36 member countries of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development. The legal origins affect the rule of law and have different marginal effects on public financial resources. Further, social security expenditures have a correction effect on economic inequality. However, the marginal effect of the social security expenditure on economic inequality differs based on its legal origins. Increasing social security expenditure affects correcting economic inequality to elaborate concerning all legal origins. Particularly in countries that adopted French legal origins, high social security expenditure further improves economic inequality. In contrast, increases in social security expenditures of countries with English legal origins do not improve economic inequality to a large extent. The results of this study suggest that differences in legal origins result in various types of capitalism

RBM20 and Cardiomyopathy

RBM20 is a vertebrate-specific RNA-binding protein with two zinc finger (ZnF) domains, one RNA-recognition motif (RRM)-type RNA-binding domain and an arginine/serine (RS)-rich region. RBM20 has initially been identified as one of dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM)-linked genes. RBM20 is a regulator of heart-specific alternative splicing and Rbm20ΔRRM mice lacking the RRM domain are defective in the splicing regulation. The Rbm20ΔRRM mice, however, do not exhibit a characteristic DCM-like phenotype such as dilatation of left ventricles or systolic dysfunction. Considering that most of the RBM20 mutations identified in familial DCM cases were heterozygous missense mutations in an arginine-serine-arginine-serine-proline (RSRSP) stretch whose phosphorylation is crucial for nuclear localization of RBM20, characterization of a knock-in animal model is awaited. One of the major targets for RBM20 is the TTN gene, which is comprised of the largest number of exons in mammals. Alternative splicing of the TTN gene is exceptionally complicated and RBM20 represses >160 of its consecutive exons, yet detailed mechanisms for such extraordinary regulation are to be elucidated. The TTN gene encodes the largest known protein titin, a multi-functional sarcomeric structural protein specific to striated muscles. As titin is the most important factor for passive tension of cardiomyocytes, extensive heart-specific and developmentally regulated alternative splicing of the TTN pre-mRNA by RBM20 plays a critical role in passive stiffness and diastolic function of the heart. In disease models with diastolic dysfunctions, the phenotypes were rescued by increasing titin compliance through manipulation of the Ttn pre-mRNA splicing, raising RBM20 as a potential therapeutic target

Electronic-Structure-Driven Magnetic Ordering in a Kondo Semiconductor CeOs2Al10

We report the anisotropic changes in the electronic structure of a Kondo semiconductor CeOs$_2$Al$_{10}$ across an anomalous antiferromagnetic ordering temperature ($T_0$) of 29 K, using optical conductivity spectra. The spectra along the $a$- and $c$-axes indicate that a $c$-$f$ hybridization gap emerges from a higher temperature continuously across $T_0$. Along the b-axis, on the other hand, a different energy gap with a peak at 20 meV appears below 39 K, which is higher temperature than $T_0$, because of structural distortion. The onset of the energy gap becomes visible below $T_0$. Our observation reveals that the electronic structure as well as the energy gap opening along the b-axis due to the structural distortion induces antiferromagnetic ordering below $T_0$.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure

Alternative Splicing Regulator RBM20 and Cardiomyopathy

RBM20 is a vertebrate-specific RNA-binding protein with two zinc finger (ZnF) domains, one RNA-recognition motif (RRM)-type RNA-binding domain and an arginine/serine (RS)-rich region. RBM20 has initially been identified as one of dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM)-linked genes. RBM20 is a regulator of heart-specific alternative splicing and Rbm20ΔRRM mice lacking the RRM domain are defective in the splicing regulation. The Rbm20ΔRRM mice, however, do not exhibit a characteristic DCM-like phenotype such as dilatation of left ventricles or systolic dysfunction. Considering that most of the RBM20 mutations identified in familial DCM cases were heterozygous missense mutations in an arginine-serine-arginine-serine-proline (RSRSP) stretch whose phosphorylation is crucial for nuclear localization of RBM20, characterization of a knock-in animal model is awaited. One of the major targets for RBM20 is the TTN gene, which is comprised of the largest number of exons in mammals. Alternative splicing of the TTN gene is exceptionally complicated and RBM20 represses >160 of its consecutive exons, yet detailed mechanisms for such extraordinary regulation are to be elucidated. The TTN gene encodes the largest known protein titin, a multi-functional sarcomeric structural protein specific to striated muscles. As titin is the most important factor for passive tension of cardiomyocytes, extensive heart-specific and developmentally regulated alternative splicing of the TTN pre-mRNA by RBM20 plays a critical role in passive stiffness and diastolic function of the heart. In disease models with diastolic dysfunctions, the phenotypes were rescued by increasing titin compliance through manipulation of the Ttn pre-mRNA splicing, raising RBM20 as a potential therapeutic target

学習者の主体性を促す学習モデルの開発に関する研究

関西大

わが国地方自治体における業績管理と業績向上 : 行動的管理会計とニュー・パブリック・ガバナンス

関西学院大

Psychological factors that promote behavior modification by obese patients

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The weight-loss effect of team medical care in which counseling is provided by clinical psychologists was investigated in an university hospital obesity (OB) clinic. Nutritional and exercise therapy were also studied. In our previous study, we conducted a randomized, controlled trial with obese patients and confirmed that subjects who received counseling lost significantly more weight than those in a non-counseling group. The purpose of this study was to identify the psychological characteristics assessed by ego states that promote behavior modification by obese patients.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>147 obese patients (116 females, 31 males; mean age: 45.9 ± 15.4 years) participated in a 6-month weight-loss program in our OB clinic. Their psychosocial characteristics were assessed using the Tokyo University Egogram (TEG) before and after intervention. The Wilcoxon signed rank test was used to compare weight and psychological factors before and after intervention. Multiple regression analysis was used to identify factors affecting weight loss.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Overall, 101 subjects (68.7%) completed the program, and their data was analyzed. The subjects mean weight loss was 6.2 ± 7.3 kg (<it>Z </it>= 7.72, <it>p </it>< 0.01), and their mean BMI decreased by 2.4 ± 2.7 kg/m²(<it>Z </it>= 7.65, <it>p </it>< 0.01). Significant differences were observed for the Adult (A) ego state (0.68 ± 3.56, <it>Z </it>= 1.95, <it>p </it>< 0.05) and the Free Child (FC) ego state (0.59 ± 2.74, <it>Z </it>= 2.46, <it>p </it>< 0.01). The pre-FC ego state had a significant effect on weight loss (β = 0.33, <it>p </it>< 0.01), and a tendency for changes in the A ego state scores to affect weight loss (β = - 0.20, <it>p </it>= 0.06) was observed.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>This study of a 6-month weight-loss program that included counseling by clinical psychologists confirmed that the A ego state of obese patients, which is related to their self-monitoring skill, and the FC ego state of them, which is related to their autonomy, were increased. Furthermore, the negative aspects of the FC ego state related to optimistic and instinctive characteristics inhibited the behavior modification, while the A ego state represented objective self-monitoring skills that may have contributed to weight loss.</p

Association between low-carbohydrate diet score and incidence of type 2 diabetes among Japanese adults: the JACC Study

We prospectively examined the association between low-carbohydrate diet (LCD) score and incidence of type 2 diabetes (T2D) in Japanese adults using Japan Collaborative Cohort Study for Evaluation of Cancer Risk (JACC Study) data. A total of 19 084 (7052 men and 12 032 women) Japanese non-diabetic participants aged 40–79 years, who enrolled in the JACC study between 1988 and 1990, were included in our analysis. Dietary intake was evaluated using a validated food-frequency questionnaire. The overall, animal and vegetable LCD scores were calculated by dividing the study participants into eleven categories based on the percentages of energy from carbohydrates, protein and fat. The incidence of T2D was assessed using a self-administered questionnaire. We used multivariable logistic regression analysis to estimate the odds ratios (ORs) and 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) of incident T2D across the quintile of each LCD score, with adjustment for potential confounders. During the 5-year study period, 490 adults (247 men and 243 women) developed T2D. The multivariable-adjusted OR of incident T2D for the highest v. lowest quintiles of overall and animal LCD scores, respectively, were 0·64 (95 % CI 0·42, 0·99) and 0·83 (95 % CI 0·55, 1·27) for men, 0·78 (95 % CI 0·51, 1·18) and 0·84 (95 % CI 0·57, 1·24) for women. The vegetable LCD score was associated with a lower risk of T2D in men (OR 0·51; 95 % CI 0·33, 0·77). Our results suggest that diets lower in carbohydrates and higher in fat and protein are unlikely to higher the T2D risk among Japanese individuals