N,N′-Bis(2-phenyl­ethyl)naphthalene-1,8:4,5-bis­(dicarboximide)

The title compound, C30H22N2O4, is a derivative of the naphthalene–imide pigments that are characterized by significant overlap of the stacked mol­ecules. The mol­ecule has a centre of symmetry. Accordingly, the phenylethyl groups are arranged in a trans fashion across the skeleton. The phenyl rings are not parallel to the naphthalene­imide skeleton and are twisted in the same direction by 9.27 (7)°. The mol­ecules are, however, stacked with insignificant overlap along the stacking axis, as characterized by appreciable slide in the direction of either the short or the long mol­ecular axis, in marked contrast to the ordinary naphthalene–imide pigments

Sleep Duration and Overweight among Elementary Schoolchildren:A Population-based Study in Japan

Although a number of studies have investigated the relationship of sleep duration to overweight and obesity, studies conducted among population-based elementary schoolchildren have been limited in Japan. The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between sleep duration and overweight among elementary schoolchildren in Japan. The study subjects were all fourth-grade schoolchildren (9 or 10 years of age) in Ina-town, Saitama Prefecture, Japan from 1999 to 2008. Information concerning each subjectʼs sex, age, and lifestyle was obtained using a self-administered questionnaire, while measurements of his or her height and weight were carried out. Childhood overweight was determined according to the definition established by the International Obesity Task Force. Data from 3,433 children were analyzed. In logistic regression analysis, a statistically significant dose-response relationship was observed between sleep duration and overweight among boys (p for trend＝0.014) but not among girls (p for trend＝0.149). Short sleep duration was associated with childhood overweight, and the sex difference in the association was observed. These findings suggested that it is important to consider sleep duration as part of any program to prevent overweight among elementary schoolchildren, especially among boys

In search of "Favorite-Long Shot Bias" : An experimental study of the demand for sweepstakes

This paper studies experimentally the demand for a variable-prize sweepstakes in which a single winner receives 90% of the total receipts, and whether such demand would exhibit the favorite-longshot bias (FLB) widely reported in the racetrack betting literature. We find significant incidence of sweepstakes purchase over population sizes ranging from 2 to 141, a greater tendency for FLB among those who exhibit longshot preference (LSP) over fixed-odds lotteries, but mixed support for FLB per se. In particular, the demand on average for 28-subject sweepstakes exceeds that of the largest one with 141 subjects including those who are averse to taking even-chance bets. Further and intriguingly, we observe significant demands for 2-person sweepstakes even among risk adverse subjects. Taken together, our observations reveal an incremental demand for sweepstakes arising from its interactive nature that can reinforce the effects of LSP as well as counter the effects of risk aversion.ArticleFaculty of Economics and Law Shinshu University Staff Paper Series. 1 : 1-52 (2016). (Staff Paper No.16-01).technical repor

Relationship between hemoglobin A1c and cardiovascular disease in mild-to-moderate hypercholesterolemic Japanese individuals: subanalysis of a large-scale randomized controlled trial

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Although the ADA/EASD/IDF International Expert Committee recommends using hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) to define diabetes, the relation between HbA1c and cardiovascular disease (CVD) has not been thoroughly investigated. We analyzed this relation using clinical data on Japanese individuals with hypercholesterolemia.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>In the large-scale MEGA Study 7832 patients aged 40 to 70 years old with mild-to-moderate hypercholesterolemia without CVD were randomized to diet alone or diet plus pravastatin and followed for >5 years. In the present subanalysis of that study a total of 4002 patients with baseline and follow-up HbA1c data were stratified according to having an average HbA1c during the first year of follow-up <6.0%, 6.0%-<6.5%, or ≥6.5% and their subsequent 5-year incidence rates of CVD compared according to sex, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and treatment arm.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Overall, risk of CVD was significantly 2.4 times higher in individuals with HbA1c ≥6.5% versus <6.0%. A similar relation was noted in men and women (hazard ratio [HR], 2.1; p <0.01 and HR, 3.0; p <0.01, respectively) and was regardless of treatment arm (diet alone group: HR, 2.2; p <0.001; diet plus pravastatin group: HR, 1.8; p = 0.02). Spline curves showed a continuous risk increase according to HbA1c level in all subpopulations studied.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>In hypercholesterolemic individuals the risk of CVD increases linearly with HbA1c level. This significant contribution by elevated HbA1c to increased CVD is independent of pravastatin therapy, and thus requires appropriate HbA1c management in addition to lipids reduction.</p

Suppressed Immune System Caused by Exposure to Asbestos and Malignant Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma is the most serious of the asbestos-related diseases. It is caused by exposure to relatively low doses of asbestos and takes a long period to develop, which suggests the enactment of gradual adverse effects other than cellular toxicity. The immune system, which can play a role in tumor prevention, is a presumable target of asbestos by accumulation in lymph nodes and then slowly affecting functions of immune cells. Here, we describe key findings obtained from our studies concerning the immune-suppressive effects of asbestos and functional alteration in immune cells of patients with mesothelioma as well as plaque-positive subjects. Asbestos exposure of cell cultures resulted in decreased natural and acquired cytotoxicity exerted by NK cells and CTLs and the ability of Th1 cells to activate and support antitumor immunity. In contrast, asbestos exposure augmented Treg cell function and generation of fibrogenic/suppressive macrophages. Mesothelioma patients also showed similar characteristics in certain alterations caused by asbestos exposure. Additionally, our recent study established immunological screening devices for mesothelioma and asbestos exposure on the basis of comprehensive analysis of peripheral blood. Those findings underscore the importance of the immunological effects of asbestos and should assist further understanding of the mechanism and early detection of mesothelioma

Dicer Functions in Aquatic Species

Dicer is an RNase III enzyme with two catalytic subunits, which catalyzes the cleavage of double-stranded RNA to small interfering RNAs and micro-RNAs, which are mainly involved in invasive nucleic acid defense and endogenous genes regulation. Dicer is abundantly expressed in embryos, indicating the importance of the protein in early embryonic development. In addition, Dicer is thought to be involved in defense mechanism against foreign nucleic acids such as viruses. This paper will mainly focus on the recent progress of Dicer-related research and discuss potential RNA interference pathways in aquatic species

Impact of Future Design on Workshop Participants’ Time Preferences

In this paper, we examine the impact of Future Design (FD) on public workshops organized in Matsumoto City, Japan, for its city hall renovation plan. We ran an FD workshop and an ordinary workshop as a control, and the participants were randomly assigned to one of the two workshops. We identified the SVO (social value orientation) type (prosocial, proself, and other,) and time preference of each participant using simple questionnaires that were independent of the context of the workshops. We found that proself individuals tend to have shorter time perspectives than prosocial individuals before workshops. While proself individuals who went through the ordinary workshop became even more myopic, we did not detect such adverse effects in the FD workshop. This contrast between the ordinary and FD workshops is consistent with the qualitative differences in the policy outcomes between the two workshops. The discussions in the ordinary workshop tended to focus on resolving today’s needs, such as acquiring more rooms, more services, etc., while the discussions in the FD workshop focused on the more fundamental functions of the city hall that will be needed in the future, thereby leading to more constructive policy proposals. Such demand-based discussions in the ordinary workshop may have been a result of the growing myopia within proself participants who insisted on ensuring their current needs.ArticleFaculty of Economics and Law Shinshu University Staff Paper Series. 3 : 1-23 (2020). (Staff Paper No.20-01).technical repor