Making and consuming characters

This paper shall introduce a new phenomenon about consumption. This is related to consumption of characters like Mickey Mouse and Hello, Kitty. The phenomenon appears prominently in Japan. In order to examine consumption of characters and the strategies for creating characters, we conducted a case study on a set of marketing strategies of a toy manufacturer in Japan. Traditionally, consumption research is asserted using the uni-methodological paradigm. The uni-methodological paradigm here means that researchers have a methodological exclusiveness stance to any other research approaches. Hirschman and Holbrook (1992) distinguish five non-interchangeable research approaches on consumer research. For instance, from an economic point of view, consumption could be assumed as a problem solving method to increase utility. Baudrillard (1968, 1970) criticized this type of functional consumption. Researchers have often denied the other approaches competitive to their own approaches rather than incorporating them. Character consumption cannot be revealed by such an insulated research stance because consumers would like to consume characters for multidimensional reasons. They consume characters to enhance their utilities. In addition, characters stimulate consumers’ sentiments. The possession desire is satisfied by consuming characters. Possessing character goods can create small interest groups and stimulate communication among the group members. Consuming characters is assumed to involve multidimensional aspects: functional, conspicuous, and semiotic consumption. As a result, once we try to understand character consumption, we have to employ the multidisciplinary approach in contrast to the unimethodological paradigm. Through our case study, we revealed the distinctive marketing strategies in the business of characters. It is necessary for marketers of character goods to regard character consumption as having functional, conspicuous, and semiotic aspects. We can find distinctive characteristics in the market research, product development, advertising, and communication strategies in the process of creating characters

Immunohistologic Analysis of Malignant Lymphoma 1. Accuracy of Histological Diagnosis and Usefulness of Monoclonal Antibodies

In order to test whether B cell or T cell origin of malignant lymphomas can be reliably suspected on histological basis alone, and to know the usefulness of some antibodies to lymphocytic cells which are currently available commercially, we reviewed 30 cases of malignant lymphomas both histologically and immunohistochemically. Hematoxylin- eosin stained sections from those cases were reclassified using Lukes and Collins\u27 classification with minor modification. Then, monoclonal antibodies; LCA, MT-1, and MB-1 have been applied to paraffin sections from same cases. In addition, four cases of plasmacytoma and a case of metastatic carcinoma which resembled malignant lymphoma were studied immunohistochemically. Our results indicate that (1) in most cases, T and B cell origin of lymphoma may be accurately classified by H-E stainecd section although further study with more cases is definitely necessary to reach this conclusion. (2) LCA immunoreactivity seemed to be stronger in lymphomas of T cell system. (3) MT-1 and MB-1 immunoreactivity did not correlate perfectly with LCA positivity. And (4) MT-1 ant MB-1 provide useful tools to dictate markers for T and B cell lymphomas in routinely fixed and paraffin-embedded tissue

Development of Functional Microfold (M) Cells from Intestinal Stem Cells in Primary Human Enteroids.

Background & aimsIntestinal microfold (M) cells are specialized epithelial cells that act as gatekeepers of luminal antigens in the intestinal tract. They play a critical role in the intestinal mucosal immune response through transport of viruses, bacteria and other particles and antigens across the epithelium to immune cells within Peyer's patch regions and other mucosal sites. Recent studies in mice have demonstrated that M cells are generated from Lgr5+ intestinal stem cells (ISCs), and that infection with Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium increases M cell formation. However, it is not known whether and how these findings apply to primary human small intestinal epithelium propagated in an in vitro setting.MethodsHuman intestinal crypts were grown as monolayers with growth factors and treated with recombinant RANKL, and assessed for mRNA transcripts, immunofluorescence and uptake of microparticles and S. Typhimurium.ResultsFunctional M cells were generated by short-term culture of freshly isolated human intestinal crypts in a dose- and time-dependent fashion. RANKL stimulation of the monolayer cultures caused dramatic induction of the M cell-specific markers, SPIB, and Glycoprotein-2 (GP2) in a process primed by canonical WNT signaling. Confocal microscopy demonstrated a pseudopod phenotype of GP2-positive M cells that preferentially take up microparticles. Furthermore, infection of the M cell-enriched cultures with the M cell-tropic enteric pathogen, S. Typhimurium, led to preferential association of the bacteria with M cells, particularly at lower inoculum sizes. Larger inocula caused rapid induction of M cells.ConclusionsHuman intestinal crypts containing ISCs can be cultured and differentiate into an epithelial layer with functional M cells with characteristic morphological and functional properties. This study is the first to demonstrate that M cells can be induced to form from primary human intestinal epithelium, and that S. Typhimurium preferentially infect these cells in an in vitro setting. We anticipate that this model can be used to generate large numbers of M cells for further functional studies of these key cells of intestinal immune induction and their impact on controlling enteric pathogens and the intestinal microbiome

A novel interplay between the Fanconi anemia core complex and ATR-ATRIP kinase during DNA cross-link repair.

When DNA replication is stalled at sites of DNA damage, a cascade of responses is activated in the cell to halt cell cycle progression and promote DNA repair. A pathway initiated by the kinase Ataxia teleangiectasia and Rad3 related (ATR) and its partner ATR interacting protein (ATRIP) plays an important role in this response. The Fanconi anemia (FA) pathway is also activated following genomic stress, and defects in this pathway cause a cancer-prone hematologic disorder in humans. Little is known about how these two pathways are coordinated. We report here that following cellular exposure to DNA cross-linking damage, the FA core complex enhances binding and localization of ATRIP within damaged chromatin. In cells lacking the core complex, ATR-mediated phosphorylation of two functional response targets, ATRIP and FANCI, is defective. We also provide evidence that the canonical ATR activation pathway involving RAD17 and TOPBP1 is largely dispensable for the FA pathway activation. Indeed DT40 mutant cells lacking both RAD17 and FANCD2 were synergistically more sensitive to cisplatin compared with either single mutant. Collectively, these data reveal new aspects of the interplay between regulation of ATR-ATRIP kinase and activation of the FA pathway

通所型介護予防事業修了者の運動に関する介護予防プログラム継続に関わる要因と行政に求められる支援

【目的】通所型介護予防事業修了者の運動に関する介護予防プログラム継続の状況と要因を明らかにし、行政に求められる支援について考察する。 【方法】前橋市の平成23年度通所型介護予防事業修了生で事業に７回以上出席した479人に郵送調査を実施した。 【結果】352名（73.5％）から有効回答が得られ、230名（65.3％）が現在も、運動に関する介護予防プログラムを継続して実施していた。継続群は［以前からの運動習慣］があり、［運動は大切］と認識し、［それ以外の運動］も行っていた。事業に参加して［楽しかった］［仲間ができた］［体調に良い変化がみられた］［大変ではなかった］と感じ、［まわりの人にも勧めたい］と思う傾向があった。修了時には、［続けて行う場所の案内］や［近所の集まりへの誘い］があり、［介護予防サポーターを知っている］人の割合が高かった。 【考察】通所型介護予防事業修了者の運動に関する介護予防プログラム継続の要因として「楽しい」「負担でない」「仲間ができる」「身体に良いと実感できる」教室運営、教室修了時/後の「身近な開催場所の案内」と「次の集まりへの誘い」、「卒業後の受け皿がある」こと、普段からの「運動 習慣の定着」が明らかになった。行政の役割として、今回の調査から得られた介護予防プログラム継続の要因を踏まえた教室運営と、介護予防サポーターの育成及び活動支援を含む受け皿づくりの支援が求められる。また、広く若者から高齢者まで運動習慣を作る健康づくりへの支援が大切である

Organized and Sustainable Education Program for Drug Abuse Prevention by Yogo-teachers

　学校における喫煙・飲酒・薬物乱用防止教育の充実には，問題行動が顕在化する中学校期だけでなく小学校期 における指導の推進が重要であり，系統的な指導計画を立て，指導者や時間の確保，教材作成などに組織的に取 組み，継続可能なプログラム開発を行う必要がある。そこで，地区内12 校の養護教諭が協働して，発達段階に応 じた系統的・組織的かつ継続可能な地区共通の指導計画を開発し，各校の教育課程・年間計画に位置付けた実践 研究を行った。その結果，指導計画の実施状況は，小学校11 校中，学級活動10 校，ミニ保健指導10 校，長期 休業前指導6 校，広報活動9 校となり，特別支援学校1 校では広報活動のみを行うことができた。小学校におけ る喫煙・飲酒・薬物乱用防止教育の推進には，学校保健活動の中核的役割を担う養護教諭が専門性を活かし協働 して，系統的な指導計画を各校の教育課程に位置付け組織的で継続可能なプログラムとする取組が有効であった

Maintenance of Interstitial Cells of Cajal for Intestinal Smooth Muscle Engineering

Interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC) are the pacemakers that enable the oriented intestinal smooth muscle layers to contract rhythmically and autonomously. However, disruption of ICC networks has been reported in various intestinal motility disorders, which deteriorate the quality of life and life expectancy of a growing number of people in recent years. The key challenges in current intestinal smooth muscle engineering are the rapid loss of functional ICC and smooth muscle cells (SMC) in the culture. The objective of this study was to engineer functional intestinal smooth muscle with proper alignment and spontaneous rhythmic contraction by overcoming those obstacles. This was achieved by 1) developing orthogonally oriented scaffolds with aligned fibers for engineering intestinal smooth muscle in vivo; 2) identifying a reproducible culture system for in vitro maintenance of isolated ICC with pacemaker activity; and 3) engineering intestinal smooth muscle constructs with directional rhythmic contractions by implementing the functional ICC culture system into aligned scaffolds.In summary, this research yielded reproducible practices using a simple feeder cell system for in vitro expansion of isolated ICC, which enabled the development of structurally desirable intestinal smooth muscle constructs exhibiting spontaneous membrane potential oscillations and contractions over 10 weeks in vitro. The demonstrated work not only contributed to the progress of intestinal tissue engineering, but also may provide valuable information for research in intestinal motility disorders, and for other types of visceral smooth muscle engineering including the bladder and vascular system