A Theory of Multidimensional Information Disclosure

We study disclosure of information about the multidimensional state of the world when uninformed receivers' actions affect the sender's utility. Given a disclosure rule, the receivers form an expectation about the state following each message. Under the assumption that the senderfs expected utility is written as the expected value of a quadratic function of those conditional expectations, we identify conditions under which full and no disclosure is optimal for the sender and show that a linear transformation of the state is optimal if it is normally distributed. We apply our theory to advertising, political campaigning, and monetary policy.

A Theory of Multidimensional Information Disclosure

The 14th ISER-Moriguchi Prize (2011) Awarded Pape

Mechanical Characterization of Spinal Dura Using a PD-Controlled Biaxial Tensile Tester

In this study, we developed an equi-load biaxial tensile tester and applied it to a series of mechanical tests using specimens obtained from the porcine spinal dura mater. The dural sample exhibited a nonlinear and anisotropic behavior as it was more deformable in the longitudinal direction rather than in the circumferential direction at lower strains; i.e., mechanical response of the longitudinal direction was significantly compliant in the Toe region compared to that of the circumferential direction under 1:1 biaxial stretching. However, we have not observed a significant difference with respect to the resultant strain and Young’s modulus between the longitudinal and circumferential directions at higher strains or in the Linear region. Our results also indicated that the upper thoracic region (T1) was relatively compliant compared to the lumbar region (L), where the failure load was almost equal between them because the dural thickness of T1 was five-fold greater than that of L; i.e., spinal dura mater became stiffer and stronger at further distances from the brain. This shows structural effectiveness and may be preferable to mechanically protect the vulnerable spinal cord from externally applied impact loads

クジ コンゲン ノ イチジョウ カネラ サク ニツイテ

従来『公事根源』は奥書から一条兼良の著作とされてきた。しかし奥書をもたない伝本も多いため、後人の作為とも受けとれ、これのみを根拠とするのは危険である。そこで奥書以外にも裏づけをとり、はたして『公事根源』が兼良の著作として妥当なのかどうかを検討したい。方法としては『公事根源』と、確実な兼良の著作および兼良存命時の史料との比較をおこなう。内容面で『公事根源』との共通が確認できれば兼良の著作となり、そうでなければ兼良の著作とはならないはずである。具体的には『江次第紗』と『看聞日記』を比較の材料としてとりあげる。　「四方拝」に関しては『年中行事歌合』の摂取と『天地瑞祥志』の参照という二点で、「白馬節会」に関しては『師光年中行事』からの誤った『礼記』の引用という点で『江次第紗』との一致が確認でき、ほぼ『公事根源』は兼良の著作と見なすことができる。また『看聞日記』には有職故実をとおした将軍義持と兼良の交渉が確認でき、これまで疑問視されてきた「後成恩寺関白兼良公、干時生年十九歳」の識語を裏づけられる可能性も出てきた。　『公事根源』は『年中行事歌合』の増補・追加で構成され、兼良の他の著作『尺素往来』や『花鳥余情』もそれぞれ『新札往来』『源氏物語提要』を基にしており、ここに先行の他書を母体とする兼良の著述方法が認められる。この著述方法については自説・他説の別にとらわれぬ、現代の学問とは異なる価値基準を見いだしうるかもしれず、あわせて問題提起しておきたい。“Kuji。Kongen”is　usually　ascribed　to　lchijo　Kanera　from　its　colophon．　But　this　colophon　maybe artificial，　because　there　are　many　manuscripts　which　do　not　include　it，　and　it　is　unreliable　to ascribe　authorship　to　this．　So　we　should　find　another　basis　for　deciding　whether“Kuji－Kongen” was　written　by　Kanera．　The　methodology　of　this　paper　is　to　compase“Kuji－Kongen”with Kanera’s　undisputed　books　and　certain　historical　materia1．　If　we　can　find　something　in　common between‘‘Kuji－Kongen”and　the　other　texts“Kuji－Kongen”can　be　ascribed　to　Kanera．　To　put　it concretely，　this　paper　considers“Go－Shidai－Sho”and“Kanmon－Nikki”in　comparison　with“Kuji－ Kongen　． 　　By　the　comparison，　concerning“Shiho－hai”，　we　can　find　some　copies　from“Nenchu－Gyqji－ Utaawase”and　making　reference　to“Tenchi－Zuishosi”，　and　concerning‘‘Aouma－no－Sechie”，　we can丘nd　a　misquotation　from“Raiki”，　based　on“Moromitsu－Nenchu－Gy（）ji”，　both　in“Kuji－ Kongen”and“Go－Shidai－Sho”，　which　suggests　that“Kuji－Kongen”is　Kanera’s　work．　In　addition， the　memorandum　of“Kuji－Kongen”notes“Go－Joonji－Kanpaku，　Kanera－Ko，　Written　when　he　was nineteen　years　old”has　been　consider6d　unreliable　fbr　a　long　time　16卑aybe　reliable，　based　on the　dialogue　between　Ashikaga　Ybshimochi－the　fburth　Shougun　of　Muromachi－BakufU－and Kanera　concerning　Aouma－no－Sechie　in“Kanmon－Nikki”，、 　　“Kuji－Kongen”is　essentially　a　supplement　of“Nenchu－Gy（）ji－Utaawase”．　Kanera’s　other works，“Sekiso－Orai”and“Kacho－Ybsei”，　are　similarly　a　supplement　of“Genji－Monogatari－Teiyo” and“Shinsatsu－Orai”．　We　can　find　Kanera’s　writing　method，　which　was　based　on　other　books，　and adding　something　from　his　works．　There　are　some　values　of　study　different丘om　today，　such　as making　no　distinction　between　one’s　own　view　and　another「s

Purification and Characterization of Thermostable Amidase from Thermus sp.O-3-1

The gene encoding a thermostable amidase (EC 3.5.1.4) from thermophilic bacterium Thermus sp.O-3-1, was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli JM109. The cloned amidase gene (ami) is 930 bp and encodes a protein composed of 310 amino acids. The protein is predicted to have a molecular mass of 33,089 Da. The amidase from Thermus sp.O-3-1 was purified by heat treatment and DEAE Toyopearl 650M column chromatography. The molecular mass of the native enzyme was estimated to be about 70 kDa by gel filtration chromatography, indicating that the enzyme has a homodimeric structure. The purified enzyme was stable up to 80°C and within a pH range from 7.0 to 10.0. The optimum temperature and pH for enzyme activity were 90°C, and 9.0, respectively. The enzyme was strongly inhibited by the metal-chelating compound EDTA. The activity of the EDTA-treated enzyme was reactivated by the addition of Co(2+), Ni(2+) and Mn(2+) ions. Therefore the enzyme was predicted to be metalloenzyme. Finally, as a result of investigation into substrate specificity, the purified enzyme was suggested to be D-amino acid specific amidase, as it showed higher activity toward D-Leu-pNA than L-Leu-pNA.好熱性細菌Thermus sp.O-3-1 由来の耐熱性アミダーゼ遺伝子を大腸菌中にクローニングし，その塩基配列を決定した．ami 遺伝子は930 bp からなり，310アミノ酸をコードしていた．本酵素の分子量は33，089 Daであると予想された．Thermus sp.O-3-1 由来アミダーゼを大腸菌で生産させ，熱処理とDEAE-トヨパール650M陰イオン交換カラム等により精製した．ゲル濾過クロマトグラフィーとSDS-PAGE の結果から本酵素は分子質量33 kDa のサブユニット2分子からなるダイマー構造を有していることが明らかとなった．精製酵素の熱安定性は80℃まで，pH 安定性は7.0～10.0であり，安定性の 高い酵素であった．最適温度は90℃，最適 pH は9.0であ った．EDTA により活性が著しく阻害され，Co(2+)やNi(2+)，Mn(2+)によって活性の回復，向上が見られたため，本酵素は金属酵素であることが示唆された．基質特異性の検討 の結果，L-Leu-pNA よりもD-Leu-pNA に対して高い活性を示したため，本酵素がＤ-アミノ酸基質に特異性を持つアミダーゼであることが判明した．本酵素は耐熱性を有するユニークなＤ-アミノ酸アミダーゼであり，今後産業利用が期待される

Disruption of a Novel NADH-Glutamate Synthase2 Gene Caused Marked Reduction in Spikelet Number of Rice

Inorganic ammonium ions are assimilated by a coupled reaction of glutamine synthetase and glutamate synthase (GOGAT). In rice, three genes encoding either ferredoxin (Fd)-GOGAT, NADH-GOGAT1, or NADH-GOGAT2, have been identified. OsNADH-GOGAT2, a newly identified gene, was expressed mainly in fully expanded leaf blades and leaf sheaths. Although the distinct expression profile to OsNADH-GOGAT1, which is mainly detected in root tips, developing leaf blades, and grains, was shown in our previous studies, physiological role of NADH-GOGAT2 is not yet known. Here, we isolated retrotransposon mediated-knockout mutants lacking OsNADH-GOGAT2. In rice grown under paddy field conditions, disruption of the OsNADH-GOGAT2 gene caused a remarkable decrease in spikelet number per panicle associated with a reductions in yield and whole plant biomass, when compared with wild-type (WT) plants. The total nitrogen contents in the senescing leaf blade of the mutants were approximately a half of the WT plants. Expression of this gene was mainly detected in phloem companion cells and phloem parenchyma cells associated with large vascular bundles in fully expanded leaf blades, when the promoter region fused with a β-glucuronidase gene was introduced into the WT rice. These results suggest that the NADH-GOGAT2 is important in the process of glutamine generation in senescing leaves for the remobilization of leaf nitrogen through phloem to the panicle during natural senescence. These results also indicate that other GOGATs, i.e., NADH-GOGAT1 and ferredoxin-GOGAT are not able to compensate the function of NADH-GOGAT2

Metagenomic analysis of bacterial species in tongue microbiome of current and never smokers

Cigarette smoking affects the oral microbiome, which is related to various systemic diseases. While studies that investigated the relationship between smoking and the oral microbiome by 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing have been performed, investigations involving metagenomic sequences are rare. We investigated the bacterial species composition in the tongue microbiome, as well as single-nucleotide variant (SNV) profiles and gene content of these species, in never and current smokers by utilizing metagenomic sequences. Among 234 never smokers and 52 current smokers, beta diversity, as assessed by weighted UniFrac measure, differed between never and current smokers (pseudo-F = 8.44, R² = 0.028, p = 0.001). Among the 26 species that had sufficient coverage, the SNV profiles of Actinomyces graevenitzii, Megasphaera micronuciformis, Rothia mucilaginosa, Veillonella dispar, and one Veillonella sp. were significantly different between never and current smokers. Analysis of gene and pathway content revealed that genes related to the lipopolysaccharide biosynthesis pathway in Veillonella dispar were present more frequently in current smokers. We found that species-level tongue microbiome differed between never and current smokers, and 5 species from never and current smokers likely harbor different strains, as suggested by the difference in SNV frequency

Revisiting PFA-mediated tissue fixation chemistry: FixEL enables trapping of small molecules in the brain to visualize their distribution changes

ホルマリン漬けから着想した小分子可視化法 --医薬品開発効率化につながる新たな戦略--. 京都大学プレスリリース. 2022-12-05.Various small molecules have been used as functional probes for tissue imaging in medical diagnosis and pharmaceutical drugs for disease treatment. The spatial distribution, target selectivity, and diffusion/excretion kinetics of small molecules in structurally complicated specimens are critical for function. However, robust methods for precisely evaluating these parameters in the brain have been limited. Herein, we report a new method termed “fixation-driven chemical cross-linking of exogenous ligands (FixEL), ” which traps and images exogenously administered molecules of interest (MOIs) in complex tissues. This method relies on protein-MOI interactions and chemical cross-linking of amine-tethered MOI with paraformaldehyde used for perfusion fixation. FixEL is used to obtain images of the distribution of the small molecules, which addresses selective/nonselective binding to proteins, time-dependent localization changes, and diffusion/retention kinetics of MOIs such as the scaffold of PET tracer derivatives or drug-like small molecules