The Structure of Meaning in English and Japanese

This article begins from the dual premise that culture is a universal and essential human attribute, but that each separate culture and language is a particular manifestation thereof. It describes the semantic range of the polysemous English lexeme break and contrasts it with that of its Japanese correlates. Each of these correlates expresses but a portion of the semantic range of break; none can be considered \u27equivalents\u27 in any overall sense. It seeks to discover the essence of the semantic structure of break, and offer a comprehensive definition that would include all of its meanings. The core meaning of break was found to be the foundation upon which virtually all of its extended, figurative uses are based. The implications of the disparity in semantic structure between Japanese and English for learning and teaching English are discussed, as well as the suitability of translation as a language learning and teaching method

鎖国日本を訪れたアメリカ捕鯨船の水兵達 ： 油と冒険の為に 1846～1850

本稿は，幕末日本に滞在したアメリカ人の日本観と同時期の日本側の記録との比較，相互観を要約したものである。　太平洋に於いて操業していたアメリカの捕鯨船が日本近海で難破した際に避難した乗組員たち，あるいは捕鯨船の劣悪な環境から逃げ出した逃亡者たち，または日本を知りたかった冒険家など，1846年から1850年にかけ日本に滞在したアメリカ人船乗りたちの日本観を論じる。　1846年6月，日本の択捉島の近くで嵐のためアメリカ捕鯨船Lawrence号が難破し，乗組員7人がボートに乗り択捉島に上陸，島内の勤番所にほぼ1年間監禁された。その後連行された長崎でも，寺の部屋に監禁され，何度も奉行所で詳しい取り調べを受けた。その間に1人が死亡したが，その死因はアメリカ人の記録と日本の記録では異なっている。翌年アメリカ人6人はオランダ船に乗り，ようやく日本を出ることができた。　1848年，アメリカの捕鯨船Lagoda号から逃亡した15人の乗組員が松前藩の領土に上陸した後捕らえられ，数ヶ月後長崎に連行，寺に監禁され奉行所で取り調べを受けた。2，3 人が長崎にいる間に繰り返し逃亡を試み，監禁はその度に厳しくなっていった。それに関連して2 人が死亡し，ほとんどの者が病気になるなどの苦難を強いられた。　その間に，別の捕鯨船で日本近海に来たもう1人のアメリカ人ラナルド・マクドナルドは，大胆な冒険家として捕鯨船から小さなボートに乗り利尻島に上陸した後捕らえられ，宗谷や松前経由で長崎に連行された。彼も奉行所で取り調べを受け，数ヶ月間長崎の寺に収監された。1849年4月，アメリカの軍艦Preble号が来て，Lagoda号の乗組員たちと共に日本を後にした。　これらのアメリカ人たちが「鎖国時代」の日本に於けるそれぞれの経験について残した記録を読み，当時の日本，オランダ商館の記録と比較し，その共通点と相違点を分析する。それらの記録の中の「真実」はどこにあるか，どのようにお互いの文化を解釈したのか，それらの相互観を論じる

Essay about Margaret Maeda

Margaret Maeda 教授のご退職に寄せ

Synthesis and antitumour evaluation of benzopsoralen analogues

The synthesis of five new analogues of benzopsoralens, derived from xanthen-9-one and carbazole is described. The preparation of the hydroxylated precursors, their formylation and the formation of the pyranone ring, by the reaction between ortho-formylated heterocycles and diethyl malonate in EtOH, will be discussed. The inhibitory effect on the growth of human tumour cell lines (MCF-7, SF-268 and NCI-460) of the final products was evaluated and is discussed in terms of the 3D-geometry and electronic density distribution. The compounds showing significant biological activity in this study were those having angular structures.Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT) - I&D226/94, POCTI-SFA-3-686), PRAXIS XXI/BD/19707/99)FEDERFundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais (FAPEMIG)Conselho Nacional do Desenvolvimento Científico eTecnológico - Brasil (CNPq

Novel synthesised flavone derivatives provide significant insight into the structural features required for enhanced anti-proliferative activity

With many cancers showing resistance to current chemotherapies, the search for novel anti-cancer agents is attracting considerable attention. Natural flavonoids have been identified as useful leads in such programmes. However, since an in-depth understanding of the structural requirements for optimum activity is generally lacking, further research is required before the full potential of flavonoids as anti-proliferative agents can be realised. Herein a broad library of 76 methoxy and hydroxy flavones, and their 4-thio analogues, was constructed and their structure-activity relationships for anti-proliferative activity against the breast cancer cell lines MCF-7 (ER+ve), MCF-7/DX (ER+ve, anthracycline resistant) and MDA-MB-231 (ER-ve) were probed. Within this library, 42 compounds were novel, and all compounds were afforded in good yields and > 95% purity. The most promising lead compounds, specifically the novel hydroxy 4-thioflavones 15f and 16f, were further evaluated for their anti-proliferative activities against a broader range of cancer cell lines by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), USA and displayed significant growth inhibition profiles (e.g Compound-15f: MCF-7 (GI50 = 0.18 μM), T-47D (GI50 = 0.03 μM) and MDA-MB-468 (GI50 = 0.47 μM) and compound-16f: MCF-7 (GI50 = 1.46 μM), T-47D (GI50 = 1.27 μM) and MDA-MB-231 (GI50 = 1.81 μM). Overall, 15f and 16f exhibited 7-46 fold greater anti-proliferative potency than the natural flavone chrysin (2d). A systematic structure-activity relationship study against the breast cancer cell lines highlighted that free hydroxyl groups and the B-ring phenyl groups were essential for enhanced anti-proliferative activities. Substitution of the 4-C=O functionality with a 4-C=S functionality, and incorporation of electron withdrawing groups at C4’ of the B-ring phenyl, also enhanced activity. Molecular docking and mechanistic studies suggest that the anti-proliferative effects of flavones 15f and 16f are mediated via ER-independent cleavage of PARP and downregulation of GSK-3β for MCF-7 and MCF-7/DX cell lines. For the MDA-MB-231 cell line, restoration of the wild-type p53 DNA binding activity of mutant p53 tumour suppressor gene was indicated