Revising the so-called Western Universalism in Medical Ethics Education ― a New Moral Thinking Based on Japanese Realities ―

The aim of this paper is to examine the strong tendency to regard the Western values of human fundamental rights as universal over and above any other cultural values. This tendency is often found in medical ethics education as well as in philosophical controversy in general. In this paper, I will examine this issue within the framework of my own theory of moral thinking based on evolving Japanese realities. In Japanese society today, I feel the need to recreate a certain common platform for discussing the moral dilemma concerning issues of life and death. In order to recreate it, there must be a certain common background for discussing what the concept of the good life can be defined as, and further what the greatest common ground is for discussing the meaning of life and death. I believe such grounds can be found in the "domain specific value" being immanent in social relationships, and the "invisible universal value" for every individual being. In conclusion, I believe these new common and global values should be substituted for Western values advocating universalism and antagonistic tendencies. A deeper understanding of Western values can be achieved though thinking this way

Mechanical and Thermal Characteristics of Bio-Nanocomposites Consisting of Poly-L-lactic Acid and Self-Assembling Siloxane Nanoparticles with Three Phases

Biopolymer nanocomposites (bio-nanocomposite) consisting of poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA) and siloxane nanoparticles with three phases, a high-density siloxane phase (plural cores), an elastomeric silicone phase, and a caprolactone oligomer phase, were developed to increase the mechanical properties of PLLA. The nanoparticles, average size of 13 nm, were self-assembled by aggregation and condensation of an organosiloxane with three units: isocyanatepropyltrimethoxysilane (IPTS), polymethylpropyloxysiloxane (PMPS), and a caprolactone oligomer (CLO), which form each phase. The bio-nanocomposite was produced using PLLA and the nanoparticles. Bending and tensile testing showed that the use of these nanoparticles (5 wt% in PLLA) greatly increases the tenacity (breaking strain) of PLLA while maintaining its relatively high breaking (maximum) strength. The elongation of the nanocomposite was more than twice that of PLLA while the elasticity modulus and breaking (maximum) strength were comparable to those of PLLA. The nanoparticles also increased the impact strength of PLLA. The use of the nanoparticles almost did not show adverse affect on the thermal resistance of PLLA. The nanocomposite’s heat resistance indicated by the glass transition temperature and heat distortion temperature was fairly kept. The decomposition temperature of the nanocomposite somewhat increased

Structural and kinetic modification of aqueous hydroxypropylmethylcellulose(HPMC) induced by electron beam irration

Electron beam was irradiated on 10% and 20% hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (HPMC) aqueous solutions with different doses to make gel films. As increasing dose, the gel fraction of the film increased sharply above a critical dose and then decreased gradually after passing a maximum. The scission/cross-linking ratio and the critical dose were determined using the Charlesby-Rosiak equation as 0.52 and 9 kGy for 10% gel and 0.43 and 14 kGy for 20% gel, respectively. The gel fraction for 20% HPMC film was lower at low dose and higher at high dose than that for 10% film. The behavior of the swelling ratio of the gel film was just opposite to that of the gel fraction. The cross-linking density of the gel estimated from the Flory theory linearly increased with irradiation dose at low dose, passed a maximum around 100 and 160 kGy for 10% and 20% films, respectively, and decreased at high dose. These results suggest the competition of scission and cross-linking induced by indirect effect of irradiation. Dielectric relaxation measurement by time domain reflectometry and RF impedance/material analyzer revealed two characteristic relaxations of chain motions around 100MHz and of orientation of free water around 20GHz. From the dose dependence of the relaxation parameters determined by fitting to a combined equation of Cole-Cole type and KWW type, a coupling of motions of HPMC molecules and water molecules was strongly suggested. The critical dose for gelation was coincident with the dose for the maximum of t h and the minimum of Deh together with the minimum of t m and the maximum of Dem, where t h and Deh denote the relaxation time and the relaxation strength for free water molecular motion and t m and Dem the corresponding ones for HPMC molecular motion. The characteristic behavior was discussed in terms of the increase of affinity between HPMC and water and the constrained molecular motion in the gel network

Regulation of the tubulin polymerization-promoting protein by Ca2+/S100 proteins

To elucidate S100 protein-mediated signaling pathways, we attempted to identify novel binding partners for S100A2 by screening protein arrays carrying 19,676 recombinant glutathione S-transferase (GST)-fused human proteins with biotinylated S100A2. Among newly discovered putative S100A2 interactants, including TMLHE, TRH, RPL36, MRPS34, CDR2L, OIP5, and MED29, we identified and characterized the tubulin polymerization-promoting protein (TPPP) as a novel S100A2-binding protein. We confirmed the interaction of TPPP with Ca2+/S100A2 by multiple independent methods, including the protein array method, S100A2 overlay, and pulldown assay in vitro and in transfected COS-7 cells. Based on the results from the S100A2 overlay assay using various GST-TPPP mutants, the S100A2-binding region was identified in the C-terminal (residues 111-160) of the central core domain of a monomeric form of TPPP that is involved in TPPP dimerization. Chemical cross-linking experiments indicated that S100A2 suppresses dimer formation of His-tagged TPPP in a dosedependent and a Ca2+-dependent manner. In addition to S100A2, TPPP dimerization is disrupted by other multiple S100 proteins, including S100A6 and S100B, in a Ca2+-dependent manner but not by S100A4. This is consistent with the fact that S100A6 and S100B, but not S100A4, are capable of interacting with GST-TPPP in the presence of Ca2+. Considering these results together, TPPP was identified as a novel target for S100A2, and it is a potential binding target for other multiple S100 proteins, including S100A6 and S100B. Direct binding of the S100 proteins with TPPP may cause disassembly of TPPP dimer formation in response to the increasing concentration of intracellular Ca2+, thus resulting in the regulation of the physiological function of TPPP, such as microtubule organization

Development of a Super-Small Solid Rocket Motor for OMOTENASHI

Background of the OMOTENASHI Mission. To be launched by NASA’s SLS Artemis 1 in the early 2020s, OMOTENASHI will be one of the 13 CubeSats launched as secondary payloads. With a size of 6U (113×239×366 mm) and a mass of CubeSat, it is the world’s smallest moon lander. Aims to land on the moon

Identification and Biochemical Characterization of High Mobility Group Protein 20A as a Novel Ca2+/S100A6 Target

During screening of protein-protein interactions, using human protein arrays carrying 19,676 recombinant glutathione s-transferase (GST)-fused human proteins, we identified the high-mobility protein group 20A (HMG20A) as a novel S100A6 binding partner. We confirmed the Ca2+-dependent interaction of HMG20A with S100A6 by the protein array method, biotinylated S100A6 overlay, and GST-pulldown assay in vitro and in transfected COS-7 cells. Co-immunoprecipitation of S100A6 with HMG20A from HeLa cells in a Ca2+-dependent manner revealed the physiological relevance of the S100A6/HMG20A interaction. In addition, HMG20A has the ability to interact with S100A1, S100A2, and S100B in a Ca2+-dependent manner, but not with S100A4, A11, A12, and calmodulin. S100A6 binding experiments using various HMG20A mutants revealed that Ca2+/S100A6 interacts with the C-terminal region (residues 311-342) of HMG20A with stoichiometric binding (HMG20A:S100A6 dimer = 1:1). This was confirmed by the fact that a GST-HMG20A mutant lacking the S100A6 binding region (residues 311-347, HMG20A-Delta C) failed to interact with endogenous S100A6 in transfected COS-7 cells, unlike wild-type HMG20A. Taken together, these results identify, for the first time, HMG20A as a target of Ca2+/S100 proteins, and may suggest a novel linkage between Ca2+/S100 protein signaling and HMG20A function, including in the regulation of neural differentiation

Dramatic response to immunochemotherapy followed by salvage surgery in an elderly lung cancer patient

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have caused a paradigm shift in the treatment of lung cancer. Here, we encountered a case of inoperable locally advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the lung that became operable with pembrolizumab-based immunochemotherapy and achieved a pathological complete response. An 82-year-old man suspected of having lung cancer was referred to our hospital. The patient was clinically diagnosed with left upper lobe squamous cell carcinoma cT2aN3M0 c-stage IIIC. Immunostaining revealed the expression of programmed death-ligand 1 in 60% of tumor cells. The cancer cells disappeared after two cycles of chemotherapy with carboplatin and nanoparticle albumin-bound paclitaxel plus pembrolizumab. As the abnormal accumulation of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) on FDG-positron emission tomography/computed tomography before chemotherapy almost disappeared after pembrolizumab-based immunochemotherapy, left upper lobectomy and lymph node dissection were performed. No cancer cells were pathologically detected from the resected tissue. Therefore, ICIs combined with chemotherapy may enable inoperable advanced lung cancer patients to undergo surgery and achieve a complete response

Initial therapeutic results of atezolizumab plus bevacizumab for unresectable advanced hepatocellular carcinoma and the importance of hepatic functional reserve

Aim: We analyzed the association between the modified albumin–bilirubin (mALBI) grade and therapeutic efficacy of atezolizumab plus bevacizumab (Atezo+Bev) for the treatment of unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (u-HCC). Methods: In this retrospective observational study, we included 71 u-HCC patients treated with Atezo+Bev between September 2020 and September 2021. Patients were grouped corresponding to the mALBI grade at the start of treatment (mALBI 1+2a or mALBI 2b+3) and analyzed for therapeutic effect and the transition rate to secondary treatment. Results: According to the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors, the overall response rate was significantly higher for the mALBI 1+2a group, than for the mALBI 2b+3 group, with 26.2% and 3.4%, respectively. The progression-free survival (PFS) was significantly longer in the mALBI 1+2a group (10.5 months) than in the mALBI 2b+3 group (3.0 months). In the multivariate analysis, an mALBI of 1+2a was found to be an independent factor of PFS. The rate of second-line treatment with multi-targeted agents was also significantly higher in the mALBI 1+2a group. Conclusions: In real-world practice, Atezo+Bev treatment might have higher therapeutic efficacy in u-HCC patients with mALBI 1+2a