Configuring an Ideal Self through Maintaining a Family Network : Northern Thai Factory Women in an Industrializing Society

この論文は国立情報学研究所の学術雑誌公開支援事業により電子化されました

Mechanisms of G Protein Regulation by RGS Proteins and Small Molecule Inhibitors

G protein coupled receptors transduce diverse extracellular signals like hormones, neurotransmitters, and photons to specific cellular responses through heterotrimeric G proteins. G proteins activate numerous effectors and signal transduction pathways, and therefore the regulation of G proteins is crucial for faithful propagation of specific cellular and physiological responses. A better understanding of the mechanisms that regulate G proteins should provide new insight into signaling pathways that govern healthy and disease states, and also provide opportunities for discovery of novel therapeutic targets.Regulator of G protein signaling (RGS) proteins are crucial regulators of G proteins, for they control amplitude and duration of G protein signaling responses. RGS2 is particularly important because it is associated with many physiological and disease processes. A key concept that has emerged is that physiological and disease processes are extremely sensitive to even modest changes in RGS2 expression levels. The goals of this dissertation were to investigate the mechanism that controls RGS2 levels and to determine how dynamic RGS2 levels affect GPCR signaling. The particular focus was on the ubiquitin proteasome pathway (UPP), which is one of the key mechanisms that control RGS2 expression levels. Rather than looking for components of the UPP that recognize and degrade RGS2, a comprehensive analysis was performed on the RGS2 N-terminal domain to identify signals required for degradation. This analysis revealed a novel bipartite hydrophobic motif that is required for degradation. Intriguingly, deletion of these hydrophobic motifs did not abrogate binding with E3 ligases associated with RGS2 degradation, suggesting additional mechanisms are involved. The effect of UPP mediated degradation of RGS2 on regulation of GPCR signaling was also explored. Using a cell based, kinetically resolved, GPCR reporter assay, it was demonstrated that proteasome degradation of RGS2 dynamically regulates GPCR signaling, influencing both agonist efficacy and the rate of receptor resensitization.G protein signaling pathways also can be modulated by small molecule inhibitors. YM-254890 and FR900359 are a class of small molecule inhibitors for G proteins that are selective and cell permeable. They are promising research tools and leads for therapeutic agents, but the exact molecular mechanism of action of these inhibitors is not known. The second part of the dissertation describes early stages of a study that aims to elucidate the mechanism of action of YM and FR. Preliminary results that support an allosteric model of inhibition are reported, followed by a discussion of future work that will further test this model

Le ripetute migrazioni giapponesi in America Latina

Gli autori, un italiano e un giapponese, presentano una sintesi delle considerazioni di partenza e delle ipotesi da cui prendono le mosse alcune ricerche sulle ripetute migra-zioni dei nipponici e dei loro discendenti tra Giappone e America Latina. Si evidenzia l’esistenza di una triangolazione di risorse ed esperienze che comprende pure l’Europa e, in particolare, l’Italia.Los autores, un italiano y un japonés, presentan un resumen de las primeras consideraciones y de las hipótesis que los llevaron a investigar sobre las migraciones repetidas de nipones y de sus descendientes entre Japón y América Latina. Se destaca la existencia de una triangulación de recursos y experiencias que también incluye a Europa y, en particular, a Italia.This paper, authored by an Italian and a Japanese, sums up the introductory remarks and the claims that form the background of some research in the repeated migrations of Japanese people and their descendants between Japan and Latin America. The paper points out the existence of a three-fold exchange of resources and experiences, which involves also Europe and in particular Italy

Catecholamine Detection Using a Functionalized Poly(L-dopa)-Coated Gate Field-Effect Transistor

A highly sensitive catecholamine (CA) sensor was created using a biointerface layer composed of a biopolymer and a potentiometric detection device. For the detection of CAs, 3-aminophenylboronic acid (3-NH2-PBA) was reacted with the carboxyl side chain of L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (L-dopa, LD) and the PBA-modified L-dopa was directly copolymerized with LD on an Au electrode, resulting in a 3.5 nm thick PBA-modified poly(PBA–LD/LD) layer-coated Au electrode. By connecting the PBA–LD-coated Au electrode to a field-effect transistor (FET), the molecular charge changes at the biointerface of the Au electrode, which was caused by di-ester binding of the PBA–CA complex, were transduced into gate surface potential changes. Effective CAs included LD, dopamine (DA), norepinephrine (NE), and epinephrine (EP). The surface potential of the PBA–LD-coated Au changed after the addition of 40 nM of each CA solution; notably, the PBA–LD-coated Au showed a higher sensitivity to LD because the surface potential change could already be observed after 1 nM of LD was added. The fundamental parameter analyses of the PBA–LD to CA affinity from the surface potential shift against each CA concentration indicated the highest affinity to LD (binding constant (Ks): 1.68 × 106 M–1, maximum surface potential shift (Vmax): 182 mV). Moreover, the limit of detection for each CA was 3.5 nM in LD, 12.0 nM in DA, 7.5 nM in NE, and 12.6 nM in EP. From these results, it is concluded that the poly(PBA–LD/LD)-coated gate FET could become a useful biosensor for neurotransmitters, hormones, and early detection of Parkinson’s disease

タイにおける海外企業のリプロダクティブ・ヘルス・マネジメント?焦点化されたアプローチと包括的なアプローチの間で

In Thailand, where new HIV infection cases have been decreasing and other sexual and reproductive health problems have become visible, HIV/AIDS management has come to be integrated into comprehensive sexual and reproductive health management. Based on the study on the sexual and reproductive health among factory workers in multinational companies in northern Thailand, I will explore the potential directions of sexual and reproductive health management in the workplace. The fieldwork was carried out intermittentlry from 2001 to 2003 in an industrial park in Lamphun province in northern Thailand. This study found that whilst factory workers had various sexual and reproductive health problems, they received inadequate care and treatment in the workplace. The workers looked for regular visits by reproductive health professionals such as family counselors, obstetricians and gynecologists to the nursing station of their companies. Based on the findings, I proposed that companies should provide a comprehensive sexual and reproductive health care by these health professionals, who in turn should provide good and qualified services whilst employing humanistic attitudes towards the workers. I also argued that a comprehensive approach in factories must be a part of a wider collaborative effort involving schools, families, community organizations and health institutions

アジア社会における職場のHIV/AIDS対策に関するシステマティック・レビュー

The objective of this study is to identify and examine studies of corporate responses to HIV/AIDS in Asian societies. The data source is published literature and two electronic databases which were systematically searched for worldwide reports written in English from 1996 to 2006. All papers describing workplace HIV/AIDS situations and the effects of workplace HIV/AIDS programs in the ormal business sector were considered. Fifty-nine studies were initially identified, of which eight papers satisfied inclusion criteria. These were categorized as follows: four survey results, three commentaries and one descriptive analysis of company reports. In addition, 13 case studies and one report were identified through internet searches. All of them were documents compiled by the World Economic Forum-Global Health Initiative. Key lessons from the main regions of the world referring to the World Economic Forum\u27s report on a global review of the business responses to HIV/AIDS 2005-2006 were also reviewed for a comparative purpose. There is evidence that workplace HIV/AIDS programs have not been well developed in Asian societies. A comprehensive approach to workplace programs that encompass both prevention and treatment is now required. In addition, the current workplace HIV/AIDS programs need to be monitored, evaluated and refined.本研究の目的は、アジア社会におけるHIV/AIDSに対する企業の対応に関する論文を選別し考察することである。資料は公表されている文献であり、二つのデータベースを用いて、1996年から2006年に公表された英語論文を系統的に検索した。職場におけるHIV/AIDSの現状および職場のHIV/AIDS対策がフォーマル・ビジネスセクター全体に与える影響について述べられている論文を検索の対象とした。その結果、59本の論文が選別され、そのうち採用基準を満たした８本の論文がレビューの対象となった。そのうち４本はサーベイ調査、３本は論評、１本は企業報告書の内容分析である。このほかに、13本の事例研究と１本の報告書がインターネットの検索を用いて選別され、これらはすべて世界経済フォーラム世界保健イニシアティブ（WEF/GHI）が行った調査である。比較のために、同機関の「2005?2006年版HIV/AIDSに対する企業の対応に関するグローバル・レビュー」を参照し世界の主要な地域における教訓も吟味した。これらのレビューの結果、アジア社会において職場のHIV/AIDS対策はあまり発達していないことが明らかになった。今後、予防と治療を対象とする包括的なHIV/AIDS対策を推進していくことや現在行われている対策のモニタリング、評価、改善が求められている

Well-designed dopamine-imprinted polymer interface for selective and quantitative dopamine detection among catecholamines using a potentiometric biosensor

We report a well-designed biointerface enabling the selective and quantitative detection of dopamine (DA) using a potentiometric biosensor. To enhance the detection selectivity of DA, a DA-templated molecularly imprinted polymer (DA–MIP) was synthesized on the extended Au gate electrode of a field-effect transistor (FET) biosensor. For a quantitative DA analysis, the thickness of the DA–MIP was controlled to ca. 60 nm by surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization (SI-ATRP). In this process, the DA–MIP was copolymerized with vinylphenylboronic acid (vinyl-PBA), inducing molecular charges at the biointerface of the FET gate electrode. These charges were generated by the diol-binding between PBA and dopamine (a catecholamine), and were directly detected as a change in surface potential. In fact, the surface potential at the gate of the DA–MIP-coated FET responded significantly to DA added at concentrations ranging from 40 nM to μM, whereas that of a non-imprinted polymer (NIP)-coated FET hardly changed over this range. Moreover, by measuring the kinetic parameters and electrochemical properties of well-designed devices with various added catecholamines, we confirmed that the DA–MIP-coated FET biosensor selectively and quantitatively detects DA