Deformation Process of Sandbar and Interaction between Vegetation and Sandbar in Meandering Channel of Shibetsu River

Source: ICHE Conference Archive - https://mdi-de.baw.de/icheArchiv

Observation on Behavior of Flowing Diriftwoods around Bridge Pier

Source: ICHE Conference Archive - https://mdi-de.baw.de/icheArchiv

Impact of Permeable Structures on Salinity Intrusion in the Abashiri River

Source: ICHE Conference Archive - https://mdi-de.baw.de/icheArchiv

Basic Study on Sediment Behavior in the Chiyoda Experimental Channel

Source: ICHE Conference Archive - https://mdi-de.baw.de/icheArchiv

Isoliquiritigenin: A Unique Component That Attenuates Adipose Tissue Inflammation and Fibrosis by Targeting the Innate Immune Sensors

Recent studies have suggested that pattern recognition receptors, including inflammasomes and TLRs, in the innate immune system recognize various kinds of endogenous ligands and have critical roles in initiating or promoting obesity‐associated chronic inflammation. These findings have provided new therapeutic strategies based on regulation of the innate immune system. With the rapid advancement of novel technologies and the increased research on natural products, many new plant‐derived extracts and active compounds have been identified to exhibit anti‐inflammatory effects. Isoliquiritigenin (ILG) is a flavonoid derived from Glycyrrhiza uralensis with a chalcone structure. We have reported that ILG inhibits NLRP3 inflammasome activation resulting in the improvement of diet‐induced adipose tissue inflammation and insulin resistance. Furthermore, we have also demonstrated that ILG improves diet‐induced fibrosis in adipose tissue by inhibiting TLR4‐ and Mincle‐induced expression of fibrosis‐related genes in obese adipose tissue and macrophages. Thus, ILG can suppress two important dysfunctions of obesity, adipose tissue inflammation and fibrosis by targeting innate immune sensors. Here we overview ILG as a potential therapeutic agent for the treatment of obesity‐associated diseases. We also summarize anti‐inflammatory actions of other constituents of licorice

Use of a Caco-2 permeability assay to evaluate the effects of several Kampo medicines on the drug transporter P-glycoprotein

In modern medical care in which Kampo and Western drugs are often combined, it is extremely important to clarify drug–drug interaction (DDI) to ensure safety and efficacy. However, there is little evidence of DDI in Kampo medicines. Therefore, as part of our studies to clarify the DDI risk for Kampo medicines, we evaluated the effects of five Kampo medicines [yokukansan (YKS), rikkunshito (RKT), shakuyakukanzoto (SKT), hangeshashinto (HST), and goshajinkigan (GJG)] that are widely used in Japan, on drug transporter P-glycoprotein (P-gp) using a Caco-2 permeability assay. These Kampo medicines inhibited the P-gp transport of digoxin through a Caco-2 cell monolayer. The IC50 values were 1.94–10.80 mg/ml. Of the five Kampo medicines, YKS showed the strongest inhibition (IC50 = 1.94 mg/ml), which was attributed to Uncariae Uncis Cum Ramulus. Unfortunately, we could not find the active ingredients responsible for its action. Finally, the Igut/IC50 values for the five Kampo medicines were calculated, and the DDI risk was objectively evaluated according to the criteria in the DDI guidance issued by the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare and the US Food and Drug Administration. The Igut/IC50 values for the five Kampo medicines were ≤3.4. As these values were <10, they were evaluated as having a weak P-gp inhibitory effect that does not require further verification in humans, suggesting that the DDI risk due to P-gp inhibition for these Kampo medicines is low. The results should provide useful clinical information on the safety and efficacy of the combined use of Kampo and Western medicines

Interdependency between Information System Investment and Human Capital or Organization : Post Masters\u27 Questionnaires Analysis

本研究では、2002年に行われた近畿郵政局管内の郵便局長アンケート調査のデータを用いて、郵便事業における人的資本および組織とIT資本の相互補完的な関係を検討するために、順位相関係数とクロス集計表による分析を行った。その結果、一部の分析では、人的資本および組織とIT資本の相互補完的な関係によって、正のIT投資がより高い従業員1人当たりの貯金額をもたらすことが判明した

Information Technology Investment in Japanese Banks : Panel Data Analyses

われわれは、情報システム投資が銀行の市場価値の増加にどの程度貢献しているのかを分析するために、面接および郵送アンケートにより得られた企業データを使用して、パネル分析を行った。この結果、コンピュータに関連しない資産を時価換算した後に、ハードウェアとソフトウェアを合計して推計すれば、銀行の1円のコンピュータ資本が少なくとも17円の市場価値と関連づけられることが判明した。われわれのパネル分析の結論は、金融技術に関する現代日本の通説を覆すものである。 第1に、金融業においてはコンピュータのハードウェアとソフトウェアの投資が企業の市場価値に及ぽす影響が製造業よりもはるかに大きいという主張は誤りである。その数値は米国製造業の効果と大差はない。第2に、米国の経営学者を中心とするコンピュータ投資の効果の計測結果は過大評価の可能性が強い。われわれのようにコンピュータ投資総額にソフトウェア資産額を算入して推計すれば、日米の情報技術の効果に大差はない。したがって、日本金融業の設備投資は情報技術革命に決して遅れをとってはいない

Design and Evaluation of the Corpus of Everyday Japanese Conversation

application/pdfNational Institute for Japanese Language and LinguisticsNational Institute for Japanese Language and LinguisticsGraduate School of Humanities, Chiba UniversityNational Institute for Japanese Language and LinguisticsNational Institute for Japanese Language and LinguisticsNational Institute for Japanese Language and LinguisticsNational Institute for Japanese Language and LinguisticsNational Institute for Japanese Language and LinguisticsNational Institute for Japanese Language and LinguisticsNational Institute for Japanese Language and LinguisticsNational Institute for Japanese Language and LinguisticsWe have constructed the Corpus of Everyday Japanese Conversation (CEJC) and published it in March 2022. The CEJC is designed to contain various kinds of everyday conversations in a balanced manner to capture their diversity. The CEJC features not only audio but also video data to facilitate precise understanding of the mechanism of real-life social behavior. The publication of a large-scale corpus of everyday conversations that includes video data is a new approach. The CEJC contains 200 hours of speech, 577 conversations, about 2.4 million words, and a total of 1675 conversants. In this paper, we present an overview of the corpus, including the recording method and devices, structure of the corpus, formats of video and audio files, transcription, and annotations. We then report some results of the evaluation of the CEJC in terms of conversant and conversation attributes. We show that the CEJC includes a good balance of adult conversants in terms of gender and age, as well as a variety of conversations in terms of conversation forms, places, activities, and numbers of conversants.conference pape

Hydraulic model test on channel shifting and yielding woody debris on the fan after sediment disaster in the past

The re-movement of sediment and woody debris in torrents after huge sediment transport in the past could cause new flood and sediment disasters due to heavy rainfall events. However, it is not clear how re-movement of logs effects on bed variations such as bars and river channel divergence. In present study, hydraulic model tests were carried out referring to the magnitude of floods, that was over the plan size, in Tottabetsu River basin in August in 2016. These tests include different magnitudes of flood, suppling logs from bed/side bank erosion, and existence of sabo facilities. The key results were as follows: The presence of logs by bed/side bank erosions influences on the patterns of flows and sediment transport, because deposition of logs affects formation of bars. Difference of the magnitudes of the floods affects the activeness of the interaction between logs and sediment transport. In additions, the locations and slits of the sabo dam need to consider hydraulic conditions and characteristics of woody debris for appropriate control of sediment and woody debris