道路ネットワークの接続性強化に向けた防災拠点の重要度ランクの推定

金沢大学理工研究域地球社会基盤学系As ‘network reliability’, road networks are required to connect important bases even in large-scale disasters for life-saving and quick recovery. Many studies proposed the methodologies for evaluating the network reliability, however only a few studies answered “Which base should be used for evaluation as important one?” In this paper, the problems of the current disaster prevention base are organized, and the priority ranks of disaster prevention base are estimated. At first, from the viewpoint of road network reliability, the current state of disaster prevention base designation in the regional disaster prevention plan across the country was arranged. As a results, we presented that there is no criterion for disaster prevention bases designation and the type of designated bases are different between prefectures. Based on that, we estimated the simple priority ranks of disaster prevention bases which stably obtained with many areas / assumptions. By clarifying this estimated ranks as the national unity standard, we will be able to improve the network reliability efficiently.防災拠点は，被害の拡大阻止と生活機能の迅速な復旧のために，災害時においても拠点間をつなぐ連絡・輸送体制が確保されていることが求められる．本研究では，まず，道路ネットワークの耐災害機能強化の視点から，全国各地の地域防災計画における防災拠点指定の現状を整理した．その結果，防災拠点の種類や機能についての全国統一の基準はなく，都道府県ごとに指定の状況が大きく異なり，広域で拠点間の接続性強化を検討することがそもそも困難であることが分かった．その課題を踏まえて，アンケート調査結果から多くの地域・想定で安定的に得られる防災拠点の接続優先度（重要度）ランクを推定した．この重要度ランクに基づいて，道路リンクの耐災害能力強化の優先順位を策定することで，より効率的に防災拠点間の接続性強化を進めることが可能となる

第2節 日本・ベトナム出土のベトナム焼締陶器の放射化分析(第6章 ベトナム陶磁器の理化学的分析)(III ベトナム陶磁器の理化学的分析)(ベトナムの日本町 : ホイアンの考古学調査)

Chemical studies on the Vietnamese pottery sherds from Vietnam and Japan were carried out to know their provenance, kilns for making them, through the trace element contents by instrumental neutron activation analysis. The Vietnamese pottery sherds used are 14 samples collected on the surface of four old kiln sites (My Xuyen and Phuoc tich, Hue ; Phuoc Ly, Quang tri ; and My Cuong, QuangBinh) and 7 samples excavated at three archaeological sites (Thanh Ha, Hue ; and Dinh Campho and Thanh Chiem, Hoi An) in the central Vietnam and also 13 samples excavated at four archaeological sites in different places in Japan (Nagasaki, Sakai, Kyoto City and Heiankyo, Kyoto). Contents of 12 trace elements such as Rb, Cs, La, Ce, Sm, Eu, Lu, Th, Hf, Co, Sc and Cr, and two major elements Na and Fe in the Vietnamese pottery sherds were analyzed by instrumental neutron activation analysis. These samples (ca.30～50mg) were irradiated for 24 hours intermittently at Rikkyo University Research Reactor, TRIGA Mark n. The activated samples were measured by gamma-ray spectrometry using a high resolution Ge (Li) detector coupled with a 4096 channel analyzer. As a result of the cluster analysis of the element contents of the pottery sherds, probably 13 samples including four Vietnam and nine from Japan, were identified as those from the kilns of My Xuyen, Phuoc tich and Phuoc Ly. It is interesting there are no samples identified to My Xuyen kiln site, supposed to be the late seventeenth century. It agreed with the fact all of the samples from Japan were estimated earlier than that time. Also five samples from both countries have no adequate sources, so it suggests some of undiscovered kiln sites still remain in the central part of Vietnam

Tumor-Derived Microvesicles Induce Proangiogenic Phenotype in Endothelial Cells via Endocytosis

Background: Increasing evidence indicates that tumor endothelial cells (TEC) differ from normal endothelial cells (NEC). Our previous reports also showed that TEC were different from NEC. For example, TEC have chromosomal abnormality and proangiogenic properties such as high motility and proliferative activity. However, the mechanism by which TEC acquire a specific character remains unclear. To investigate this mechanism, we focused on tumor-derived microvesicles (TMV). Recent studies have shown that TMV contain numerous types of bioactive molecules and affect normal stromal cells in the tumor microenvironment. However, most of the functional mechanisms of TMV remain unclear. Methodology/Principal Findings: Here we showed that TMV isolated from tumor cells were taken up by NEC through endocytosis. In addition, we found that TMV promoted random motility and tube formation through the activation of the phosphoinositide 3-kinase/Akt pathway in NEC. Moreover, the effects induced by TMV were inhibited by the endocytosis inhibitor dynasore. Our results indicate that TMV could confer proangiogenic properties to NEC partly via endocytosis. Conclusion: We for the first time showed that endocytosis of TMV contributes to tumor angiogenesis. These findings offer new insights into cancer therapies and the crosstalk between tumor and endothelial cells mediated by TMV in the tumor microenvironment

The whole blood transcriptional regulation landscape in 465 COVID-19 infected samples from Japan COVID-19 Task Force

「コロナ制圧タスクフォース」COVID-19患者由来の血液細胞における遺伝子発現の網羅的解析 --重症度に応じた遺伝子発現の変化には、ヒトゲノム配列の個人差が影響する--. 京都大学プレスリリース. 2022-08-23.Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a recently-emerged infectious disease that has caused millions of deaths, where comprehensive understanding of disease mechanisms is still unestablished. In particular, studies of gene expression dynamics and regulation landscape in COVID-19 infected individuals are limited. Here, we report on a thorough analysis of whole blood RNA-seq data from 465 genotyped samples from the Japan COVID-19 Task Force, including 359 severe and 106 non-severe COVID-19 cases. We discover 1169 putative causal expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs) including 34 possible colocalizations with biobank fine-mapping results of hematopoietic traits in a Japanese population, 1549 putative causal splice QTLs (sQTLs; e.g. two independent sQTLs at TOR1AIP1), as well as biologically interpretable trans-eQTL examples (e.g., REST and STING1), all fine-mapped at single variant resolution. We perform differential gene expression analysis to elucidate 198 genes with increased expression in severe COVID-19 cases and enriched for innate immune-related functions. Finally, we evaluate the limited but non-zero effect of COVID-19 phenotype on eQTL discovery, and highlight the presence of COVID-19 severity-interaction eQTLs (ieQTLs; e.g., CLEC4C and MYBL2). Our study provides a comprehensive catalog of whole blood regulatory variants in Japanese, as well as a reference for transcriptional landscapes in response to COVID-19 infection

DOCK2 is involved in the host genetics and biology of severe COVID-19

「コロナ制圧タスクフォース」COVID-19疾患感受性遺伝子DOCK2の重症化機序を解明 --アジア最大のバイオレポジトリーでCOVID-19の治療標的を発見--. 京都大学プレスリリース. 2022-08-10.Identifying the host genetic factors underlying severe COVID-19 is an emerging challenge. Here we conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) involving 2, 393 cases of COVID-19 in a cohort of Japanese individuals collected during the initial waves of the pandemic, with 3, 289 unaffected controls. We identified a variant on chromosome 5 at 5q35 (rs60200309-A), close to the dedicator of cytokinesis 2 gene (DOCK2), which was associated with severe COVID-19 in patients less than 65 years of age. This risk allele was prevalent in East Asian individuals but rare in Europeans, highlighting the value of genome-wide association studies in non-European populations. RNA-sequencing analysis of 473 bulk peripheral blood samples identified decreased expression of DOCK2 associated with the risk allele in these younger patients. DOCK2 expression was suppressed in patients with severe cases of COVID-19. Single-cell RNA-sequencing analysis (n = 61 individuals) identified cell-type-specific downregulation of DOCK2 and a COVID-19-specific decreasing effect of the risk allele on DOCK2 expression in non-classical monocytes. Immunohistochemistry of lung specimens from patients with severe COVID-19 pneumonia showed suppressed DOCK2 expression. Moreover, inhibition of DOCK2 function with CPYPP increased the severity of pneumonia in a Syrian hamster model of SARS-CoV-2 infection, characterized by weight loss, lung oedema, enhanced viral loads, impaired macrophage recruitment and dysregulated type I interferon responses. We conclude that DOCK2 has an important role in the host immune response to SARS-CoV-2 infection and the development of severe COVID-19, and could be further explored as a potential biomarker and/or therapeutic target

Analysis of Disaster Risk on Expressways for Foreign Tourists to Japan Using Rental Cars: Study Using Central Nippon Expressway Pass

The travel patterns of foreign visitors to Japan are changing from group travel, which was the mainstream to date, to individual travel, and there has been an increase in the number of cars rented by visitors as a means of transportation. The use of rental cars improves access to rural areas and is being promoted as a means of transportation. However, if a natural disaster occurs while driving a rental car, then the individual may face difficulties owing to a lack of local support. Therefore, the traffic volume on the roads used by foreign visitors to Japan during certain periods needs to be estimated in advance as well as the natural disaster risks that exist on those roads. In this study, we utilized CEP data managed by the Central Nippon Expressway Company in Japan to identify the risk of disaster for foreign visitors to Japan who use expressways with rental cars. The CEP data has usage records of foreign visitors to Japan who used rental cars on expressways in the Chubu region of Japan during the period from 1 April 2018 to 31 March 2019. Using this data, we calculated the risk of earthquake and landslide disasters. Result of this analysis, it is clear that the risk of earthquake disasters is high on expressways in the Tokai region, and the risk of landslide disasters is high on expressways in mountainous areas

Technical Studies on the White-glazed Sherds Excavated from the Archaeological Site, A\u27Ali in Bahrain

Some Islamic white-glazed Sherds excavated from an archaeological site of the 9th century, A\u27Ali in Bahrain on the coast of Persian Gulf were technically studied to find their characteristics and provenances. The white glazes of some sherds contain fairly large amounts of tin and lead, while others do not. This fact has been hitherto unknown in detail. The results of chemical analyses and X-ray diffraction of glazes and fabrics (body clays), and trace element contents of fabrics determined by instrumental neutron activation analysis are presented, and their provenances are discussed