Two New Marine Sponges of the Genus Haliclona (Haplosclerida: Chalinidae) from Korea

Two new marine sponges, Haliclona (Haliclona) tonggumiensis n. sp. and H. (Reniera) sinyeoensis n. sp., in the family Chalinidae were collected from Ulleungdo Island and Gageodo Island, Korea from 2007 to 2009. Haliclona (Haliclona) tonggumiensis n. sp. is similar to H. (H.) simulans (Johnston, 1842) in shape, but the former differs in its ectosomal skeleton structure and spicules’ shape and size. The ectosomal skeleton of H. (H.) tonggumiensis n. sp. is absent, but that of H. (H.) simulans is very regularly arranged, and has tangential reticulation with oxea. The spicule shape of H. (H.) tonggumiensis n. sp. is slender, but that of H. (H.) simulans is short and cigar-shape. The new species have two sizes of oxea, but H. (H.) simulans has one size of oxea. Haliclona (Reniera) sinyeoensis n. sp. resembles H. (R.) tubifera (George and Wilson, 1919) in the growth form and choanosomal skeleton structure. However, the new species has two kinds of oxea in size, but H. (R.) tubifera has only one size

Luxury Fashion Consumption: The Interplay of Guilt and Pleasure

We draw on the Affect Balance Theory to (a) explore whether two distinct modes of luxury consumption (i.e., conspicuous consumption and style consumption) are related to pleasure (i.e., positive affect) and guilt (i.e., negative affect); and (b) determine whether pleasure and guilt interplay to make interactive impacts, as well as independent impacts, on consumers’ repurchase intention

Effect of 5-aminolevulinic acid-based photodynamic therapy via reactive oxygen species in human cholangiocarcinoma cells

Cancer cells have been reported to exhibit an enhanced capacity for protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) synthesis facilitated by the administration of 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA). We investigated the effect of ALA-based photodynamic therapy (PDT) on human cholangiocarcinoma cells (HuCC-T1). Since protoporphyrin IX (PpIX), a metabolite of ALA, can produce reactive oxygen species (ROS) under irradiation and then induce phototoxicity, ALA-based PDT is a promising candidate for the treatment of cholangiocarcinoma. When various concentrations of ALA (0.05–2 mM) were used to treat HuCC-T1 cells for 6 or 24 hours, the intracellular PpIX level increased according to the ALA concentration and treatment time. Furthermore, an increased amount of PpIX in HuCC-T1 cells induced increased production of ROS by irradiation, resulting in increased phototoxicity

No-rebound trend of sea ice reduction in the Arctic Ocean: Role of "inertia effect" of the ocean

第4回極域科学シンポジウム横断セッション：[IA] 「急変する北極気候システム及びその全球的な影響の総合的解明」―GRENE北極気候変動研究事業研究成果報告2013―11月12日（火） 国立極地研究所 ２階大会議

Green Tea Consumption and Stomach Cancer Risk: A Meta-Analysis

OBJECTIVES: Green tea has been suggested to have a chemopreventive effect against various cancers including stomach cancer. The aim of this study is to elucidate the relationship between green tea consumption and stomach cancer risk by meta-analysis. METHODS: Eighteen observational studies were identified using MEDLINE, THE COCHRANE LIBRARY, RISS, and a manual search. Summary relative risks/odds ratios (RR/ORs) for the highest versus non/lowest green tea consumption levels were calculated on the basis of fixed and random effect models. Subgroup analyses were used to examine heterogeneity across the studies. RESULTS: The combined results indicate a reduced risk of stomach cancer with intake of green tea (RR/OR=0.86, 95% CI=0.74-1.00). Subgroup analysis with six studies that reported differences between the highest and lowest consumption levels equal to or greater than five cups/day revealed a statistically significant protective effect (RR/OR=0.68, 95% CI=0.53-0.87). CONCLUSION: Green tea appears to play a protective role against the development of stomach cancer. The results also suggest that a higher level of green tea consumption might be needed for a clear preventive effect to appear. This conclusion, however, should be interpreted with caution because various biases can affect the results of a meta-analysis.ope