Enterprise promotion in the road construction sector in a conflict-ridden area in Kenya : a solution for the nexus of developmental problems?

Overcoming the missing middle syndrome by promoting growth of micro and small enterprises through training is a key to solve the nexus of problems including industrial stagnation, inequality, and ethnic confrontation in Africa. We focus on collaborative interventions by an international NGO and the Kenyan government to disseminate labor-based technology of road construction and strengthen managerial skills of youth self-help groups in a county ridden by an ethno-political conflict, called the Post-Election Violence. They tried to help groups formalize as corporations and develop their businesses through training. Our research reveals that ethnically homogenous groups might have better chances to obtain construction contracts but the reason would be trust among permanent members lowering internal transaction costs, rather than ethnicity itself. In conclusion, development of micro and small firms are to some extent determined by education of leaders and internal trust. Trainings could contribute in case groups are equipped with those conditions

Political Economy of Resources : Quest for the History of Modern African State

アフリカ各国の独立以前には政治権力と大衆が、資源の増加をめぐって共益的な関係を結んだことは希だった。植民地期には多様な文化集団が併存し、各々が倫理的共同体として形成された。持たざる多数者への資源配分を同民族の有力者に求める力が働くようになり、独立後には、国家 権力が左右できる資源は、腐敗及び「政治的部族主義」を強める一方、集団・地域間の分断を超えて国家の統合を維持するために用いられもした。構造調整政策はこうした国家の利害調整機能を減殺した。他方、冷戦後に広がった政治的自由化は集団間の競合を招き、「政治的部族主義」が大衆化し、より排他性と暴力性を帯びた。その反面で、アフリカの人びとは腐敗と「部族主義」を否定的に捉えもしている。こうした2つの方向の観念の根は同じ国民意識のうちにあり、両者のダイナミクスとしてアフリカ国家史を捉え直し、共益的・包摂的開発を展望することが課題となる

Lithium-containing S-PRG fillers promoted the wound healing process of pulp tissues through activation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway

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Fournier's Gangrene with Edwardsiella tarda: A Gas Production Case by Bacterial Synergism with Streptococcus anginosus

Edwardsiella tarda is an anaerobe associated with freshwater and marine life. Necrotizing soft tissue infection caused by E. tarda is rare, but its mortality rate is extremely high (61.1%). We experienced a survival case of Fournier's gangrene with E. tarda. A key clinical feature for the diagnosis was gas production; however, there have been no previous reports of such a phenomenon in relation to E. tarda. A 64-year-old man was admitted with a 3-day history of a high fever. His medical history, which included paraplegia from the Th6 level down, made the focus of inflammation at the perineum difficult to notice. Whole-body CT revealed subcutaneous gas from the posterior scrotum around the entire circumference of the anus. During emergency surgery, an incision at the posterior scrotum revealed extensive fascia necrosis, and E. tarda and Streptococcus anginosus were identified. We speculated the gas production in this case to be the product of a mixed infection of aerobes and anaerobes, which acted synergistically to induce bacterial growth. Timely surgical debridement and antibiotic therapy led to the patient's survival

Protein S100-A7 derived from digested dentin is a critical molecule for dentin pulp regeneration

Dentin consists of inorganic hard tissue and organic dentin matrix components (DMCs). Various kinds of bioactive molecules are included in DMCs and some of them can be released after digestion by endogenous matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) in the caries region. Digested DMCs induced by MMP20 have been reported to promote pulpal wound healing processes, but the released critical molecules responsible for this phenomenon are unclear. Here, we identified protein S100-A7 as a critical molecule for pulpal healing in digested DMCs by comprehensive proteomic approaches and following pulp capping experiments in rat molars. In addition, immunohistochemical results indicated the specific distribution of S100-A7 and receptor for advanced glycation end-products (RAGE) as receptor for S100-A7 in the early stage of the pulpal healing process, and following accumulation of CD146-positive stem cells in wounded pulp. Our findings indicate that protein S100-A7 released from dentin by MMP20 might play a key role in dentin pulp regeneration

TAZ / PIPC agranulocytosis in puerperal

Tazobactam / piperacillin (TAZ / PIPC) is an injectable combination drug consisting of a broad-spectrum penicillin and a β-lactamase inhibitor. This antimicrobial has a wide spectrum of efficacy against both Gram-positive bacteria and anaerobes. Adverse events usually present as diarrhea or liver dysfunction ; agranulocytosis has not been reported in Japanese patients with puerperal disorders. However, we report a 32-year-old Japanese woman who received TAZ / PIPC to treat an intraperitoneal infection that developed after complications related to transvaginal delivery. Within 14 days of beginning TAZ / PIPC therapy, the patient developed agranulocytosis, indicated by a white blood cell count of 1900 cells / μL and a neutrophil count of 475 cells / μL. We discontinued TAZ / PIPC at this point and changed the antimicrobial to meropenem. Seven days later, her white blood cell count increased to 3700 cells / μL (neutrophil count : 1684 cells / μL), and the intraperitoneal infection resolved. Patients receiving TAZ / PIPC should be monitored periodically for agranulocytosis as well as for diarrhea and liver dysfunction

Influence of myopotential interference on the Wavelet discrimination algorithm in implantable cardioverter-defibrillator

Background: Wavelet is a morphology-based algorithm for detecting ventricular tachycardia. The electrogram (EGM) source of the Wavelet algorithm is nominally programmed with the Can-RV coil configuration, which records a far-field ventricular potential. Therefore, it may be influenced by myopotential interference. Methods: We performed a retrospective review of 40 outpatients who had an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (LCD) with the Wavelet algorithm. The percent-match score of the Wavelet algorithm was measured during the isometric chest press by pressing the palms together. We classified patients with percent-match scores below 70% due to myopotential interference as positive morphology change, and those with 70% or more as negative morphology change. Stored episodes of tachycardia were evaluated during the follow-up. Results: The number of patients in the positive morphology change group was 22 (55%). Amplitude of the Can-RV coil EGM was lower in the positive morphology change group compared to that in the negative group (3.9 +/- 1.3 mV vs. 7.4 +/- 1.6 mV, P=0.0015). The cut-off value of the Can-RV coil EGM was 5 mV (area under curve, 0.89). Inappropriate detections caused by myopotential interference occurred in two patients (5%) during a mean follow-up period of 49 months, and one of them received an inappropriate LCD shock. These patients had exhibited positive morphology change. Conclusions: The Wavelet algorithm is influenced by myopotential interference when the Can-RV coil EGM is less than 5 mV

Parabolic Jets from the Spinning Black Hole in M87

The M87 jet is extensively examined by utilizing general relativistic magnetohydrodynamic (GRMHD) simulations as well as the steady axisymmetric force-free electrodynamic (FFE) solution. Quasi-steady funnel jets are obtained in GRMHD simulations up to the scale of $\sim 100$ gravitational radius ($r_{\rm g}$) for various black hole (BH) spins. As is known, the funnel edge is approximately determined by the following equipartitions; i) the magnetic and rest-mass energy densities and ii) the gas and magnetic pressures. Our numerical results give an additional factor that they follow the outermost parabolic streamline of the FFE solution, which is anchored to the event horizon on the equatorial plane. We also identify the matter dominated, non-relativistic corona/wind play a dynamical role in shaping the funnel jet into the parabolic geometry. We confirm a quantitative overlap between the outermost parabolic streamline of the FFE jet and the edge of jet sheath in VLBI observations at $\sim 10^{1}$-$10^{5} \, r_{\rm g}$, suggesting that the M87 jet is likely powered by the spinning BH. Our GRMHD simulations also indicate a lateral stratification of the bulk acceleration (i.e., the spine-sheath structure) as well as an emergence of knotty superluminal features. The spin characterizes the location of the jet stagnation surface inside the funnel. We suggest that the limb-brightened feature could be associated with the nature of the BH-driven jet, if the Doppler beaming is a dominant factor. Our findings can be examined with (sub-)mm VLBI observations, giving a clue for the origin of the M87 jet.Comment: 29 pages, 23 figures, accepted for publication in Ap