The relationship between the Dark Triad traits and help-seeking attitude in high school students

Participants in previous studies on the Dark Triad of personality (Machiavellianism, Psychopathy, and Narcissism) have been mainly college students or older. In the present study, participants were 799 high school students, and the purpose was to identify the factor structure of the Dark Triad and examine differences according to sex, school year, and career direction. Additionally, we investigated the relationship between the Dark Triad and help-seeking attitudes. The results were in line with previous evidence, as the hierarchical factor structure of the Dark Triad was identified. Furthermore, negative influences of Machiavellianism and Psychopathy on help-seeking attitudes were found. On the other hand, there was a positive influence of Narcissism on help-seeking attitudes.Dark Triadとは，マキャベリアニズム，サイコパシー，自己愛傾向の3つの総称である。これまでのDark Triadに関する研究は，大学生以上を対象とした研究が主流である。本研究では，799名の高校生を対象に調査を実施し，Dark Triadの因子構造を確認するとともに，性別，学年，進路による差についても検討し，大学生以上を対象に行われた従来の研究の知見との比較を行うことを目的とした。また，合わせて援助要請との関連についても検討した。その結果，Dark Triadにおいては階層的な因子構造が高校生サンプルにおいても確認された。また，マキャベリアニズム，サイコパシーは援助要請に対してネガティブな関連がみられるのに対して，ナルシシズムはポジティブな関連がみられた

Interleukin-6 is required for cell cycle arrest and activation of DNA repair enzymes after partial hepatectomy in mice

BACKGROUND: Interleukin-6 (IL-6) has been shown to be vital for liver regeneration, however the specific mechanisms and factors involved remain incompletely defined. The present study aimed to investigate whether IL-6 exerts its protective effects via arresting the cell cycle allowing base excision and repair of oxidized DNA after hepatectomy. RESULTS: Following seventy percent partial hepatectomy (PH) in wild type (WT) mice IL-6 serum levels increased reaching peak levels at 3 hours. This was associated with markers of cell cycle arrest as p21 expression was increased and cyclin D1 and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) expression decreased. In the absence of IL-6, markers of cell cycle arrest were absent and the number of bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) positive cells was significantly higher at 28, 32 and 36 hours after PH. The mRNAs for DNA repair enzymes, including Neil-1, 8-oxodGTPase, OGG1, Apex1, and UDG (DNA glycosylase) were increased 2 to 4 fold in WT mice at 6 and/or 12 hours after PH compared to IL-6 knockout (KO) mice. The protein levels of Neil1 and OGG1 were also significantly increased in WT mice compared to KO mice. Pathological changes were far greater and survival was less in IL-6 KO mice than in WT mice. Administration of IL-6 in KO mice restored p21 and DNA repair enzyme expression to wild-type levels and survival was improved. CONCLUSIONS: IL-6 caused cell cycle arrest and delayed proliferation during the first day after PH. This delay was associated with the activation of DNA repair enzymes resulting in accurate replication and restoration of hepatic mass

Inhibition of Phosphodiesterase-4 (PDE4) activity triggers luminal apoptosis and AKT dephosphorylation in a 3-D colonic-crypt model

BACKGROUND: We previously established a three-dimensional (3-D) colonic crypt model using HKe3 cells which are human colorectal cancer (CRC) HCT116 cells with a disruption in oncogenic KRAS, and revealed the crucial roles of oncogenic KRAS both in inhibition of apoptosis and in disruption of cell polarity; however, the molecular mechanism of KRAS-induced these 3-D specific biological changes remains to be elucidated. RESULTS: Among the genes that were upregulated by oncogenic KRAS in this model, we focused on the phosphodiesterase 4B (PDE4B) of which expression levels were found to be higher in clinical tumor samples from CRC patients in comparison to those from healthy control in the public datasets of gene expression analysis. PDE4B2 was specifically overexpressed among other PDE4 isoforms, and re-expression of oncogenic KRAS in HKe3 cells resulted in PDE4B overexpression. Furthermore, the inhibition of PDE4 catalytic activity using rolipram reverted the disorganization of HCT116 cells into the normal physiologic state of the epithelial cell polarity by inducing the apical assembly of ZO-1 (a tight junction marker) and E-cadherin (an adherens junction marker) and by increasing the activity of caspase-3 (an apoptosis marker) in luminal cavities. Notably, rolipram reduced the AKT phosphorylation, which is known to be associated with the disruption of luminal cavity formation and CRC development. Similar results were also obtained using PDE4B2-shRNAs. In addition, increased expression of PDE4B mRNA was found to be correlated with relapsed CRC in a public datasets of gene expression analysis. CONCLUSIONS: These results collectively suggested that PDE4B is upregulated by oncogenic KRAS, and also that the inhibition of PDE4 catalytic activity can induce both epithelial cell polarity and luminal apoptosis in CRC, thus highlighting the utility of our 3-D culture (3 DC) model for the KRAS-induced development of CRC in 3-D microenvironment. Indeed, using this model, we found that PDE4B is a promising candidate for a therapeutic target as well as prognostic molecular marker in CRC. Further elucidation of the signaling network of PDE4B2 in 3 DC would provide a better understanding of CRC in vivo

ゼツアツ コウトウ ウンドウ ケイソク システム ニ ヨル パーキンソンビョウ カンジャ ノ エンゲ ドウタイ ヒョウカ

The different forms of flowers in a species have attracted the attention of many evolutionary biologists, including Charles Darwin. In Fagopyrum esculentum (common buckwheat), the occurrence of dimorphic flowers, namely short-styled and long-styled flowers, is associated with a type of self-incompatibility (SI) called heteromorphic SI. The floral morphology and intra-morph incompatibility are both determined by a single genetic locus named the S-locus. Plants with short-styled flowers are heterozygous (S/s) and plants with long-styled flowers are homozygous recessive (s/s) at the S-locus. Despite recent progress in our understanding of the molecular basis of flower development and plant SI systems, the molecular mechanisms underlying heteromorphic SI remain unresolved. By examining differentially expressed genes from the styles of the two floral morphs, we identified a gene that is expressed only in short-styled plants. The novel gene identified was completely linked to the S-locus in a linkage analysis of 1,373 plants and had homology to EARLY FLOWERING 3. We named this gene S-LOCUS EARLY FLOWERING 3 (S-ELF3). In an ion-beam-induced mutant that harbored a deletion in the genomic region spanning S-ELF3, a phenotype shift from short-styled flowers to long-styled flowers was observed. Furthermore, S-ELF3 was present in the genome of short-styled plants and absent from that of long-styled plants both in world-wide landraces of buckwheat and in two distantly related Fagopyrum species that exhibit heteromorphic SI. Moreover, independent disruptions of S-ELF3 were detected in a recently emerged self-compatible Fagopyrum species and a self-compatible line of buckwheat. The nonessential role of S-ELF3 in the survival of individuals and the prolonged evolutionary presence only in the genomes of short-styled plants exhibiting heteromorphic SI suggests that S-ELF3 is a suitable candidate gene for the control of the short-styled phenotype of buckwheat plants

Absolute Gravity Measurements and Gravity Changes at Syowa Station, Antarctica

第3回極域科学シンポジウム/第32回極域地学シンポジウム 11月29日（木） 統計数理研究所 ３階セミナー

コンパクト デジタル カメラ ニヨル テンタイ キョウザイ サクセイ ノ カノウセイ ト ジュギョウ エノ ドウニュウ ノ ココロミ

情報機器類の性能向上により,パソコンを含めた情報機器類の教材製作機材としての重要度がますます高くなってきている。その中でもデジタルカメラは,高性能で安価なものが市販され,学校への普及も急速に進んでいる。本論文ではデジタルカメラの中でも特に,安価なコンパクトデジタルカメラを使って,星座の撮影の可能性について検討した。その結果,コンパクトデジタルカメラでも,十分星座写真が写せることが明らかになった。手軽な星座撮影は,新たな教材開発につながるであろう。The performance of information-processing equipment has been greatly improved, thus they become very vital tool for teaching materials. Especially, as for the digital camera, an efficient yet cheap one is marketed. As a result, it was clarified that it is possible to use a compact digital camera to take constellation photograph. the spread of the digital camera to the school is also rapidly advanced. In this paper, we examined the possibility of taking a picture of the constellation in the compact digital camera. As a result, it was clarified to be able to take the constellation photograph with the compact digital camera. It is likely to lead to the development of new teaching material if the constellation photograph can be easily taken.国立情報学研究所『研究紀要公開支援事業』により電子化

Effects of monthly intravenous ibandronate on bone mineral density and microstructure in patients with primary osteoporosis after teriparatide treatment: The MONUMENT study

Purpose: To investigate the effects of sequential therapy with monthly intravenous ibandronate on bone mineral density (BMD) and microstructure in patients with primary osteoporosis who received teriparatide treatment. Methods: Sixty-six patients with primary osteoporosis who had undergone teriparatide treatment for more than 12 months (mean 18.6 months) received sequential therapy with 1 mg/month intravenous ibandronate for 12 months. The patients were evaluated using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), quantitative ultrasound, bone turnover markers, and high-resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography (HR-pQCT) at baseline and 6 and 12 months after beginning administration. Results: At 12 months after beginning sequential therapy,the bone resorption marker, tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase-5b, decreased by 39.5%, with 82.3% of the patients exhibiting levels within the normal limit. DXA revealed that the BMD of the lumbar spine increased by 3.2%, with 79.0% of the patients exhibiting a response, and 40.3% experiencing an increase in BMD over 5%. HR-pQCT revealed that the cortical thickness of the distal tibia was increased by 2.6%. The cortical area increased by 2.5%, and the buckling ratio (an index of cortical instability) decreased by 2.5%. Most parameters of the trabecular bone showed no significant changes. These changes in the cortical bone were observed in both the distal radius and tibia and appeared beginning 6 months after treatment initiation. Conclusions: Sequential therapy with monthly intravenous ibandronate increased the BMD and improved the cortical bone microstructure of osteoporotic patients who had undergone teriparatide treatment