Radiocarbon Calibration for Japanese Wood Samples

The radiocarbon content of Japanese cedars was measured by accelerator mass spectrometry for decadal tree-ring samples from the period of 240 BC to AD 900. Conventional gas counting was also used for part of the samples. The data were compared with the INTCAL98 calibration curve. The results indicate that the difference in atmospheric 14C between Japan and North America or Europe is negligible at this period, less than 18 14C yr using an average of 50 yr. However, in the period of about AD 100 to about AD 200, we cannot exclude the possibility of a deviation of the order of 30 to 40 14C yr to the older ages.

Analysis of the Complete Open Reading Frame of Genotype 2b Hepatitis C Virus in Association with the Response to Peginterferon and Ribavirin Therapy

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Patients infected with genotype 2b hepatitis C virus (HCV) generally can achieve favorable responses to pegylated-interferon plus ribavirin therapy (PEG-IFN/RBV). However, a proportion of patients show poorer responses and the correlation between viral sequence variation and treatment outcome remains unclear. METHODS: The pretreatment complete open reading frame (ORF) sequences of genotype 2b HCV determined by direct sequencing were investigated for correlation with the final outcome in a total of 60 patients. RESULTS: In this study group, 87.5% (14/16) of non-sustained virological response (non-SVR) patients (n = 16) were relapsers. Compared to sustained virological response (SVR) patients (n = 44), non-SVR patients were older and could not achieve prompt viral clearance after the therapy induction. Comparing each viral protein between the two groups, viral sequences were more diverse in SVR patients and that diversity was found primarily in the E1, p7, and NS5A proteins. In searching for specific viral regions associated with the final outcome, several regions in E2, p7, NS2, NS5A, and NS5B were extracted. Among these regions, part of the interferon sensitivity determining region (ISDR) was included. In these regions, amino acid substitutions were associated with the final outcome in an incremental manner, depending upon the number of substitutions. CONCLUSIONS: Viral sequences are more diverse in SVR patients than non-SVR patients receiving PEG-IFN/RBV therapy for genotype-2b HCV infection. Through systematic comparison of viral sequences, several specific regions, including part of the ISDR, were extracted as having significant correlation with the final outcome

理学療法学科学生の意欲低下についての研究

理学療法学科学生102名を対象に，その意欲低下について学業，授業，学校の3領域に分け，これに関与するといわれている要因との関連について検討した．これらの尺度間の相関係数から，意欲低下全体と各下位尺度を目的変数に，アイデンティティ，モラトリアム，自尊感情，進学志望動機を説明変数として重回帰分析を行った．その結果，いずれの重相関係数も有意であった．また，標準偏回帰係数が有意な関連は，意欲低下全体とモラトリアム（β＝0.300，p<0.01），学業とアイデンティティ（β＝－0.201，p<0.05）および自尊感情（β＝－0.257，p<0.05），授業とモラトリアム（β＝0.333，p<0.01）および自尊感情（β＝0.214，p<0.01），学校とアイデンティティ（β＝－0.347，p<0.01）において認められた．意欲低下は3領域で異なる関連性を示し，このことは学生との対応において問題の実態を把握し，各領域との関連要因を考慮する必要のあることを示唆するものである．The present study was designed to clarify correlations between problem behavior in enervated students and related factors, that is, identity, moratorium, self-esteem, and motives for entering school. Enervation in students, a disturbance of mental health, is an important facet of quality of life. The enervation or volitional degeneracy observed was divided into three areas: schoolactivity enervation, class enervation, and school institution enervation. Multiple regression analysis was performed on the resulting correlation coefficients among scores representing identity, moratorium, self-esteem, and motives for entering school. We found that moratorium directly impacted on overall enervation (R2=0.166, p<0.01). Similarly, the factors affecting schoolactivity enervation were identity and self-esteem (R2=0.135, p<0.01), those affecting class enervation were moratorium and self-esteem (R2=0.209, p<0.01), while that impacting on school institution enervation was identity (R2=0.148, p<0.01). Thus, in educational intervention regarding enervation, consideration of the problematic content is especially important in order to enhance the students\u27 quality of life

An Archaeological Radiocarbon Database of Japan

We present a radiocarbon database for the Japanese archipelago compiled from over 5,500 site excavation reports covering a chronological span from 55,000 BP to the present day. The complete database in Japanese contains over 44,000 entries, providing contextual information directly obtained from descriptions provided in the site reports. Here we provide a curated English translation of the database, containing a subset of 39,284 dates from the original database, which excludes duplicates and errors and includes new information concerning the dated material

Hindlimb Suspension Does Not Influence Mechanical Sensitivity, Epidermal Thickness, and Peripheral Nerve Density in the Glabrous Skin of the Rat Hind Paw

Our aim was to investigate the influence of microgravity on the sensitivity of the skin to mechanical stimulation, epidermal thickness, peripheral nerve density in the upper dermis, and serum levels of a stress marker in a rat hindlimb suspension (HS) model. Thirty 8-week-old male Wistar rats were randomly divided into 3 groups: HS, n=10; sham HS, n=10; control, n=10. The suspension system was attached to rat tails in both the HS and sham-HS groups, but the hindlimbs were suspended only in the HS group. The HS and sham-HS groups were treated for 4 weeks. In behavioral tests using von-Frey filaments (n=5 in each group), mechanical hypersensitivity developed in the HS and sham HS groups. Serum corticosterone levels increased significantly in the HS and sham HS groups compared to the control group, and no changes in epidermal thickness or peripheral nerve density were observed immediately after the removal of HS (n=5 in each group). These data indicated that the mechanical hypersensitivity observed in the HS group was not caused by microgravity or inactivity, but rather by restraint stress. We suggest that microgravity does not affect skin sensitivity and histology in these animals

Immobilization-induced hypersensitivity associated with spinal cord sensitization during cast immobilization and after cast removal in rats

This study examined mechanical and thermal hypersensitivity in the rat hind paw during cast immobilization of the hind limbs for 4 or 8 weeks and following cast removal. Blood flow, skin temperature, and volume of the rat hind paw were assessed in order to determine peripheral circulation of the hind limbs. Sensitization was analyzed by measuring the expression of the calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) in the spinal dorsal horn following cast immobilization. Two weeks post immobilization, mechanical and thermal sensitivities increased significantly in all rats; however, peripheral circulation was not affected by immobilization. Cast immobilization for 8 weeks induced more serious hypersensitivity compared to cast immobilization for 4 weeks. Moreover, CGRP expression in the deeper lamina layer of the spinal dorsal horn increased in the rats immobilized for 8 weeks but not in those immobilized for 4 weeks. These findings suggest that immobilization-induced hypersensitivity develops during the immobilization period without affecting peripheral circulation. Our results also highlight the possibility that prolonged immobilization induces central sensitization in the spinal cord.The final publication is available at link.springer.co