ミナミ アジア ニオケル テイショトク ソウ ノタメノ シャカイテキ ホゴ システム ノ ハッテン インド ト バングラデシュ ノ ジレイ ヨリ

南アジアの人口大国， インドとバングラデシュでは， 低所得層のためのマイクロファイナンスが過去 30 年間に広く普及してきた． このマイクロファイナンスは， 所得源の多様化や家計の安定を助けることで貧困脱却や低所得層の貧困化を防止するという意義があった． しかし， これらの国ではマイクロファイナンスだけでは対応できない様々なリスクに人々は晒されており， 政府が提供できる社会保障制度や救済策には限界があることから， リスクに脆弱な人々に対する何らかの対策が求められている．このような中で， マイクロファイナンス実施機関は， その顧客に対する様々な救済制度を取り入れてきた． 本論文では， まずその代表的な手段としての保険について， その種類や導入形態， およびその普及の経緯を概観した． そして， インドではマイクロファイナンス機関の主体的努力もさることながら， 民間保険会社が歩み寄らざるを得ない環境を政策的に作ったことがマイクロ保険普及の要因として見出された．また， なぜマイクロファイナンス機関の関与が効果的なのかを検討し， いずれのマイクロファイナンス実施機関も参加者に何らかの貢献を求める 「メンバーシップ」 制度を採用してきたことが， 低所得層に対する保険制度の導入に伴う諸問題を緩和することに役立ったと考えられた． ここから， 未だ政府に社会保障制度を整備する余裕が無い発展途上国においては， マイクロファイナンス機関を一つのエージェント組織として， 保護を必要とする市民が行政や市場のサービスを入手できるようにする方式の可能性を示唆した

カイテンコウ ノ リシリツ ケイサン ホウホウ ト シュカンテキ ワリビキリツ

RoSCAs are financial institutions organized by the local people themselves and they are often observed in developing countries. In the bidding RoSCAs, the order to take the fund is decided based on the amount of discount offered by bidders. Therefore it reflects the subjective discount rate of each participant. However the studies which calculate the interest rates based on the data of discounts are very few. It is partly because a united calculation method for bidding RoSCAs does not exist, though two ways, Okura method and Internal Rate of Return, were found among the previous studies. The main purpose of this paper is to understand the characteristics of the two ways and test their adequacy, by applying them to the real data of case studies. The result shows that both ways have shortcomings and which one is more appropriate depend on the financial environment for the participants

コンパルタモス銀行の高金利に関する一考察

少額の融資をあつかうマイクロファイナンス機関は，発展途上国の農村住民，とりわけ女性達に金融へのアクセスを可能にし，金融インフラを実質的に提供してきた．しかし，その中には，メキシコのコンパルタモス銀行のように，実効年利子率が100％を超える高金利で無担保融資を行ってきたところがある．それらの金融機関の利子率はなぜそれほど高いのかについて，想定される諸要因を他のマイクロファイナンス機関と比較しつつ検討した．その結果，極めて小額であり短期貸し付けであることや，融資方法と地域特性のゆえに運営費が極めて高くなることが主たる要因であることを明らかにした．また，借り手にはなぜそれが受け入れられているのかについて，現実に支払われる利息額の小ささ故に事業を圧迫するものとはならないことを示し，また短期ローン利子率の年利換算が借り手にとっては重要ではない可能性を示唆した

Predominance of porcine rotavirus G9 in Japanese piglets with diarrhea: Close relationship of their VP7 genes with those of recent human G9 strains

Type G9 of group A rotavirus (GAR) was shown to be predominant in a survey of VP7 (G) and VP4 (P) genotypes among porcine GARs associated with outbreaks of diarrhea in young pigs in Japan between 2000 and 2002. Comparison of the G9 VP7 gene sequences showed that the porcine G9 strains were more closely related to human G9 strains reemerging globally since the mid-1990s than to those from the mid-1980s. The VP7 gene sequences of porcine G9 strains from different farms were divergent (6.1 to 7.2% diference in nucleotides), suggesting that these G9 VP7 genes were not the result of recent introduction into the porcine population. Regarding the P genotype specificities of porcine G9 strains, while the majority of strains were close to unusual porcine P types (P[13] and P[23]), two strains were of the P[6] type, which has closer sequence identity with the human AU19 strain than with the porcine Gottfried strain. These unexpected results suggest that G9 GARs in the porcine population have spread more widely than previously thought and that the VP7 genes of porcine G9 strains and those of some human G9 strains detected recently may have a common progenitor.Facultad de Ciencias Veterinaria

Surgical Castration in Hormone-Refractory Metastatic Prostate Cancer Patients Can Be an Alternative for Medical Castration

Background. Most patients with metastatic prostate cancer are endocrinologically treated with LHRH agonist, but finally castration-refractory and hormone-refractory cancers occur. Serum testosterone levels get low to “the castration level” by LHRH agonists but may not get low enough against castration-refractory prostate cancer. Methods. As case series, twelve patients suffering from hormone-refractory prostate cancer continuously on LHRH agonist underwent surgical castration. Additionally, one hundred and thirty-nine prostate cancer patients on LHRH agonist or surgical castration were tested for serum total testosterone levels. Results. Surgical castration caused decrease in serum PSA in one out of 12 hormone-refractory prostate cancer patients with PSA reduction rate 74%. Serum total testosterone levels were below the sensitivity threshold (0.05 ng/mL) in 40 of 89 (44.9%) medically castrated patients and 33 of 50 (66.0%) surgically castrated patients (P = .20). Conclusion. Even hormone-refractory prostate cancer patients are candidates for surgical castration because of endocrinological, oncological, and economical reasons

Predominance of porcine rotavirus G9 in Japanese piglets with diarrhea: Close relationship of their VP7 genes with those of recent human G9 strains

Type G9 of group A rotavirus (GAR) was shown to be predominant in a survey of VP7 (G) and VP4 (P) genotypes among porcine GARs associated with outbreaks of diarrhea in young pigs in Japan between 2000 and 2002. Comparison of the G9 VP7 gene sequences showed that the porcine G9 strains were more closely related to human G9 strains reemerging globally since the mid-1990s than to those from the mid-1980s. The VP7 gene sequences of porcine G9 strains from different farms were divergent (6.1 to 7.2% diference in nucleotides), suggesting that these G9 VP7 genes were not the result of recent introduction into the porcine population. Regarding the P genotype specificities of porcine G9 strains, while the majority of strains were close to unusual porcine P types (P[13] and P[23]), two strains were of the P[6] type, which has closer sequence identity with the human AU19 strain than with the porcine Gottfried strain. These unexpected results suggest that G9 GARs in the porcine population have spread more widely than previously thought and that the VP7 genes of porcine G9 strains and those of some human G9 strains detected recently may have a common progenitor.Facultad de Ciencias Veterinaria

The Protective Effect of Chlorogenic Acid on Vascular Senescence via the Nrf2/HO-1 Pathway

The world faces the serious problem of aging. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effect of chlorogenic acid (CGA) on vascular senescence. C57/BL6 female mice that were 14 +/- 3 months old were infused with either Angiotensin II (AngII) or saline subcutaneously for two weeks. These mice were administered CGA of 20 or 40 mg/kg/day, or saline via oral gavage. AngII infusion developed vascular senescence, which was confirmed by senescence associated-beta-galactosidase (SA-beta-gal) staining. CGA administration attenuated vascular senescence in a dose-dependent manner, in association with the increase of Sirtuin 1 (Sirt1) and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), and with the decrease of p-Akt, PAI-1, p53, and p21. In an in vitro study, with or without pre-treatment of CGA, Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells (HUVECs) were stimulated with H(2)O(2)for an hour, then cultured in the absence or presence of 0.5-5.0 mu M CGA for the indicated time. Endothelial cell senescence was induced by H2O2, which was attenuated by CGA treatment. Pre-treatment of CGA increased Nrf2 in HUVECs. After H(2)O(2)treatment, translocation of Nrf2 into the nucleus and the subsequent increase of Heme Oxygenase-1 (HO-1) were observed earlier in CGA-treated cells. Furthermore, the HO-1 inhibitor canceled the beneficial effect of CGA on vascular senescence in mice. In conclusion, CGA exerts a beneficial effect on vascular senescence, which is at least partly dependent on the Nuclear factor erythroid 2-factor 2 (Nrf2)/HO-1 pathway

Art/Museums and Accessibility : Creating an Audio Guide for Visually Impaired Persons

本稿は、学芸員課程を受講する大学生に、アートやミュージアムのアクセシビリティ (accessibility) について考えてもらうための実践に関する報告である。実践は、2017年から2019年の3年間、ノートルダム清心女子大学（岡山市）の「博物館情報・メディア論」の授業の一環として、岡山県立美術館にて行われた。プログラムの内容は、視覚障害者が美術館で使用することを想定した作品の音声ガイダンスを作成するというもので、視覚障害者の視点から美術館の作品や展示を捉える試みを通して、アートや美術館がどのように多様な人々を受け入れることができるか／できないかについて考えるものである。この報告では、プログラムの概要とともに、学生たちが実際に作成した音声ガイダンスや、彼らの声も紹介する。This paper reports on a museum program designed to encourage university students to think about accessible art/museums. The program, conducted between 2017 and 2019 at Okayama Prefectural Museum of Art, is part of the Lecture on Museum Information and Media Studies held at Notre Dame Seishin University in Okayama (the lecture is a requirement for the Curator Course in Japan). In the program, students created an audio guide of the artworks for visually impaired visitors. This paper examines how the program was conducted, the students\u27 works, and their responses towards the program