Harassment Free Schools: Sexual Harassment and Academic Performance of Primary School Pupils in Kenya

Improvement of learning outcomes in primary schools is one of the remaining challenges in the Kenyan education sector. Exam scores are commonly used globally to measure outcomes of learning activities of pupils in schools. This study underscores the importance of safe and protective learning environments to encourage pupil academic performance and examines whether or not experiencing sexual harassment in schools has a negative impact on pupil academic achievement. We employ CEM with the SACMEQ III dataset for 4,436 pupils in Kenya. Our result shows that pupils in schools where sexual harassment is reported, either from their peers or from their teachers, marked statistically significant lower exam scores than peers without experiences of sexual harassment, after controlling for covariates. As a conclusion, this paper suggests further analysis on the correlations between the experience of sexual harassment and pupil test scores with panel data from other SACMEQ participating countries. Stronger evidence generation on this theme would ultimately support better learning environments for pupils in primary schools in Sub-Saharan Africa

Amphidinolide H, a Potent Cytotoxic Macrolide, Covalently Binds on Actin Subdomain 4 and Stabilizes Actin Filament

AbstractThe actin-targeting toxins have not only proven to be invaluable tools in studies of actin cytoskeleton structure and function but they also served as a foundation for a new class of anticancer drugs. Here, we describe that amphidinolide H (AmpH) targets actin cytoskeleton. AmpH induced multinucleated cells by disrupting actin organization in the cells, and the hyperpolymerization of purified actin into filaments of apparently normal morphology in vitro. AmpH covalently binds on actin, and the AmpH binding site is determined as Tyr200 of actin subdomain 4 by mass spectrometry and halo assay using the yeast harboring site-directed mutagenized actins. Time-lapse analyses showed that AmpH stimulated the formation of small actin-patches, followed by F-actin rearrangement into aggregates via the retraction of actin fibers. These results indicate that AmpH is a novel actin inhibitor that covalently binds on actin

Mesenchymal Stem Cells from Bone Marrow Enhance Neovascularization and Stromal Cell Proliferation in Rat Ischemic Limb in the Early Phase after plantation

Accumulating evidence from animal studies shows that the administration of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) from adult bone marrow ameliorates tissue damage after ischemic injury. In the present study we investigated the efficacy of MSC implantation into a hindlimb ischemia model over a short-term period to elucidate the effects conferred within the early phase after treatment. MSCs from rats expressing green fluorescence protein (GFP) were injected into rat ischemic limbs. Laser Doppler perfusion imaging revealed significantly higher blood perfusion recovery in the MSC group than in the control group on days 3 and 7 after the treatment. The capillary / muscle fiber ratio in ischemic muscle was also significantly higher in the MSC group than in the controls in a histological study. In spite of these benefits, we found no evident engraftment of the GFP-positive cells, and instead, the MSC treatment induced a proliferation of resident stromal cells in the perivascular area of the ischemic muscle, some of which produced vascular endothelial growth factor. The present study suggested that MSC therapy promotes neovascularization even in the early phase, both directly through endothelial proliferation and indirectly through activation of the resident stromal cells

Paradoxical expression of IL-28B mRNA in peripheral blood in human T-cell leukemia virus Type-1 mono-infection and co-infection with hepatitis C Virus

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Human T-cell leukemia virus type-1 (HTLV-1) carriers co-infected with and hepatitis C virus (HCV) have been known to be at higher risk of their related diseases than mono-infected individuals. The recent studies clarified that IL-28B polymorphism rs8099917 is associated with not only the HCV therapeutic response by IFN, but also innate immunity and antiviral activity. The aim of our research was to clarify study whether IL-28B gene polymorphism (rs8099917) is associated with HTLV-1/HCV co-infection.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The genotyping and viral-serological analysis for 340 individuals showed that IL-28B genotype distribution of rs8099917 SNP did not differ significantly by respective viral infection status. However, the IL-28B mRNA expression level was 3.8 fold higher in HTLV-1 mono-infection than HTLV-1/HCV co-infection. The high expression level was associated with TT (OR, 6.25), whiles the low expression was associated with co-infection of the two viruses (OR, 9.5). However, there was no association between down-regulation and ATL development (OR, 0.8).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>HTLV-1 mono-infection up-regulates the expression of IL-28B transcripts in genotype-dependent manner, whiles HTLV-1/HCV co-infection down-regulates regardless of ATL development.</p

Mesenchymal Stem/Stromal Cells in Skeletal Muscle Are Pro-Angiogenic, and the Effect Is Potentiated by Erythropoietin

The aim of this study was to investigate the angiogenic potential of skeletal muscle mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (mMSCs). Platelet-derived growth factor receptor (PDGFR)-α positive mMSCs secreted vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and hepatocyte growth factor when cultured in an ELISA assay. The mMSC-medium significantly induced endothelial tube formation in an in vitro angiogenesis assay. The mMSC implantation promoted capillary growth in rat limb ischemia models. Upon identifying the erythropoietin receptor (Epo-R) in the mMSCs, we examined how Epo affected the cells. Epo stimulation enhanced the phosphorylation of Akt and STAT3 in the mMSCs and significantly promoted cellular proliferation. Next, Epo was directly administered into the rats’ ischemic hindlimb muscles. PDGFR-α positive mMSCs in the interstitial area of muscles expressed VEGF and proliferating cell markers. The proliferating cell index was significantly higher in the ischemic limbs of Epo-treated rats than in untreated controls. Investigations by laser Doppler perfusion imaging and immunohistochemistry demonstrated significantly improved perfusion recovery and capillary growth in the Epo-treated groups versus the control groups. Taken together, the results of this study demonstrated that mMSCs possessed a pro-angiogenic property, were activated by Epo, and potentially contributed to capillary growth in skeletal muscle after ischemic injury

Identification of a highly immunogenic mouse breast cancer sub cell line, 4T1-S

Cancer vaccines serve as a promising clinical immunotherapeutic strategy that help to trigger an effective and specific antitumor immune response compared to conventional therapies. However, poor immunogenicity of tumor cells remains a major obstacle for clinical application, and developing new methods to modify the immunogenicity of tumor cells may help to improve the clinical outcome of cancer vaccines. 4T1 mouse breast cancer cell line has been known as poorly immunogenic and highly metastatic cell line. Using this model, we identified a sub cell line of 4T1-designated as 4T1-Sapporo (4T1-S)-which shows immunogenic properties when used as a vaccine against the same line. In 4T1-S-vaccinated mice, subcutaneous injection of 4T1-S resulted in an antitumor inflammatory response represented by significant enlargement of draining lymph nodes, accompanied with increased frequencies of activated CD8 T cells and a subpopulation of myeloid cells. Additionally, 4T1-S vaccine was ineffective to induce tumor rejection in nude mice, which importantly indicate that 4T1-S vaccine rely on T cell response to induce tumor rejection. Further analysis to identify mechanisms that control tumor immunogenicity in this model may help to develop new methods for improving the efficacies of clinical cancer vaccines

Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells inhibit vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation and neointimal hyperplasia after arterial injury in rats

We investigated whether mesenchymal stem cell (MSC)-based treatment could inhibit neointimal hyperplasia in a rat model of carotid arterial injury and explored potential mechanisms underlying the positive effects of MSC therapy on vascular remodeling/repair. Sprague-Dawley rats underwent balloon injury to their right carotid arteries. After 2 days, we administered cultured MSCs from bone marrow of GFP-transgenic rats (0.8 × 106 cells, n = 10) or vehicle (controls, n = 10) to adventitial sites of the injured arteries. As an additional control, some rats received a higher dose of MSCs by systemic infusion (3 × 106 cells, tail vein; n = 4). Local vascular MSC administration significantly prevented neointimal hyperplasia (intima/media ratio) and reduced the percentage of Ki67 + proliferating cells in arterial walls by 14 days after treatment, despite little evidence of long-term MSC engraftment. Notably, systemic MSC infusion did not alter neointimal formation. By immunohistochemistry, compared with neointimal cells of controls, cells in MSC-treated arteries expressed reduced levels of embryonic myosin heavy chain and RM-4, an inflammatory cell marker. In the presence of platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF-BB), conditioned medium from MSCs increased p27 protein levels and significantly attenuated VSMC proliferation in culture. Furthermore, MSC-conditioned medium suppressed the expression of inflammatory cytokines and RM-4 in PDGF-BB-treated VSMCs. Thus, perivascular administration of MSCs may improve restenosis after vascular injury through paracrine effects that modulate VSMC inflammatory phenotype. Keywords: Mesenchymal stem cells, Vascular smooth muscle cells, Neointimal hyperplasia, Stem cell-secreted factor

神戸女学院「由起しげ子文庫」資料紹介 「女性の文化と女流の文学」座談会

本稿は神戸女学院大学図書館が管理する「由起しげ子文庫」資料番号【その他27】「「女性の文化と女流の文学」座談会」を活字化して公にするものである。当該資料は、縦書き原稿用紙（19.5cm×13.5cm、「悠久原稿用紙」二〇〇字詰）二〇九枚（右上端部仮綴じ）に、本行鉛筆書きで一行おきに記される。表紙記載事項より、雑誌『本流』第二号掲載のために開催された折口信夫、平林たい子、由起しげ子による座談会（司会は臼田甚五郎）の筆録であることがわかり、その開催は、記される発言より由起が芥川賞を受賞した翌年の1951年４月26日のことと考えられる。速記記録を原稿化し、完成原稿とすべく対談者間で回覧中であったが、鉛筆および黒ペンによる補入、加筆等の状況から、臼田、平林がそれぞれ加筆訂正を行い由起の手元に届けられた段階で作業が中断したものと推察される。折口、平林の未発表原稿として、資料的価値が認められるが、未定稿であることから全体に緊密さを欠き、首尾一貫しない発言や当該資料内には記されない人名や事柄を受けた発言も含まれる。なお、『本流』は1950年2月に創刊号が刊行された「折口信夫責任編集」の雑誌である。國學院大學折口信夫博士記念古代研究所によれば、休刊していた『國學院雑誌』の代替えの位置づけで刊行されたもので、第二号以降は未刊とのことである。This is the typescript for the original manuscript of "Round-table talk about woman\u27s culture and novels". It belongs to YUKI Shigeko Collection, Kobe College, catalogue number \u27other items #27\u27. The round-table talk is thought to have been held on April 26, 1951, presided by USUDA Jingoro. ORIGUCHI Shinobu, HIRABAYASHI Taiko and YUKI Shigeko took part in this talk. It was planned for publication for the magazine Honryu, No.2, though it was not published