Peacebuilding Framework For Business: Role Of Small To Medium-sized Private Enterprises In Post-conflict Economic Recovery In Central Africa

Considering the private sectors are responsible for 90 per cent of employment in the world and the majority of the sectors consist of small businesses, it is inevitable to engage them to achieve sustainable development and peace. Despite the UN-led initiatives, the absence of practical guidance on how they can contribute to the initiative remains a challenge. This study aims at establishing a framework for public, private and non-profit sectors to contribute to economic recovery as part of peacebuilding. This study especially tries to propose an operational framework for Chad, which can be modified in the countries that are also suffering from massive displacement, lack of national budget and decreasing international aid. Based on the pre-established conceptual framework, this study examines if the pre-identified variables are sufficient to guide the relevant actors to pursue the private sector engagement in economic recovery and peacebuilding. This study concludes that having an operational PPP will lead to sustainable economic recovery and peace with mediating variables (policy and guidelines, research and reports on best practices and lessons learnt, clear understanding of roles and responsibilities, as well as the mandated Resident Coordinator), and the moderating variables (formalization of informal business, capacity development, accessible information, international recognition and shared value with an integrated partnershi

Acquired Idiopathic ADAMTS13 Activity Deficient Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura in a Population from Japan

Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) is a type of thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA). Studies report that the majority of TTP patients present with a deficiency of ADAMTS13 activity. In a database of TMA patients in Japan identified between 1998 and 2008, 186 patients with first onset of acquired idiopathic (ai) ADAMTS13-deficient TTP (ADAMTS13 activity <5%) were diagnosed. The median age of onset of TTP in this group of patients was 54 years, 54.8% were female, 75.8% had renal involvement, 79.0% had neurologic symptoms, and 97.8% had detectable inhibitors to ADAMTS13 activity. Younger patients were less likely to present with renal or neurologic dysfunction (p<0.01), while older patients were more likely to die during the TTP hospitalization (p<0.05). Findings from this cohort in Japan differ from those reported previously from the United States, Europe, and Korea with respect to age at onset (two decades younger in the other cohort) and gender composition (60% to 100% female in the other cohort). We conclude that in one of the largest cohorts of ai-TTP with severe deficiency of ADAMTS13 activity reported to date, demographic characteristics differ in Japanese patients relative to those reported from a large Caucasian registry from Western societies. Additional studies exploring these findings are needed

Conformational diversity of dynactin

Dynactin is a principal regulator of the minus-end directed microtubule motor dynein. The sidearm of dynactin is essential for binding to microtubules and regulation of dynein activity. Although our understanding of the structure of the dynactin backbone (Arp1 rod) has greatly improved recently, structural details of the sidearm subcomplex remain elusive. Here, we report the flexible nature and diverse conformations of dynactin sidearm observed by electron microscopy. Using nanogold labeling and deletion mutant analysis, we determined the domain organization of the largest subunit p150 and discovered that its coiled-coil (CC1), dynein-binding domain, adopted either a folded or an extended form. Furthermore, the entire sidearm exhibited several characteristic forms, and the equilibrium among them depended on salt concentrations. These conformational diversities of the dynactin complex provide clues to understanding how it binds to microtubules and regulates dynein

Clinical Guides for aHUS

Atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (aHUS) is a rare disease characterized by the triad of microangiopathic hemolytic anemia, thrombocytopenia, and acute kidney injury. In 2013, we developed diagnostic criteria to enable early diagnosis and timely initiation of appropriate treatment for aHUS. Recent clinical and molecular findings have resulted in several proposed classifications and definitions of thrombotic microangiopathy and aHUS. Based on recent advances in this field and the emerging international consensus to exclude secondary TMAs from the definition of aHUS, we have redefined aHUS and proposed diagnostic algorithms, differential diagnosis, and therapeutic strategies for aHUS

A case of the paired inferior venae cavae

解剖実習遺体に重複下大静脈の1例を見い出した。この例は左右の上主静脈の残存に起因するものと考えられ,McClureとButler(1925),及びChuangら(1974)の分類法のBC型に分類される。重複下大静脈はさほど稀な変異ではなく,臨床家は注意をはらう必要がある。下大静脈の重複は,右精巣または卵巣静脈の流入部位が下大静脈から右腎静脈に移行するなどの,静脈系の他の変化を誘因するかもしれない。また,この変異は精巣または卵巣静脈の重複を引き起こすことを示唆する。We encountered a case of duplication of the inferior vena cava in a cadaver. This was thought to be caused by persistence of the right and the left supracardinal veins, and this case was classified as type BC in the classification systems developed by McClure and Butler (1925) and Chuang et al. (1974). Double inferior vena cava is not a rare anomaly, and clinicians should be aware of this anomaly. Duplication of the inferior vena cava may cause other changes in the venous system, such as dislocation of the drainage position of the right gonadal vein from the inferior vena cava to the right renal vein. We also suggest that this anomaly causes duplication of the gonadal vein

Two cases of bifid ribs observed in the fourth and the fifth rib

岩手医科大学歯学部の解剖学実習において2例の二分肋骨に遭遇した。1例は第4肋骨に,他の1例は第5肋骨に存在していた。1例では肋骨の分岐と再癒合が骨部でおこっていたが,他の1例では,分岐と再癒合が軟骨部でおこっていた。分枝の間は正常と思われる肋間筋で充たされていた。どちらの例においても,内胸動脈からの小枝が二分肋骨の上方の分枝と肋間筋に分布していたが,肋間神経は上方の分枝には分布せず,下方の分枝の下縁にのみ沿って走行していた。Two cases of bifid rib were found in two cadavers during routine dissections at Iwate Medical University School of Dentistry. They were found in the fourth rib in one cadaver, and in the fifth rib in the other cadaver. In one case both the branching and the reunion of the rib occurred in the osseous part, and in the other case they occurred in the cartilage part. The space between the two branches was filled with presumably normal intercostal muscles. The blood supply had been maintained by small branches from the internal thoracic artery to the upper branch and the intercostal muscles. However, the intercostal nerves did not branch toward the upper branch but only ran along the lower margin of the lower branch of the bifid rib in both cases

Application of a novel HiBiT peptide tag for monitoring ATF4 protein expression in Neuro2a cells

A split NanoLuc assay system consisting of two fragments, large N-terminal and small C-terminal regions (NanoBiT), was developed to investigate protein-protein interactions within living cells. Interestingly, the replacement of five amino acids among 11 C-terminal amino acids dramatically increased affinity against the large N-terminal fragment, LgBiT, and the complex had NanoLuc luciferase activity. In this study, we first applied this small fragment, HiBiT, to elucidate the expression of ATF4 protein by transient overexpression of HiBiT-tagged ATF4. According to the regulation of intrinsic ATF4 protein, stabilization of HiBiT-tagged ATF4 with a proteasome inhibitor, MG132, was observed by detecting luciferase activity in cell lysate and after SDS-PAGE and transfer onto a PVDF membrane. Next, we knocked-in the HiBiT-epitope tag into the ATF4 gene using the CRISPR/Cas9 system and rapidly selected positive clones by measuring luciferase activity in an aliquot of each cell suspension. Using a selected clone, we observed that the expression of HiBiT-tagged ATF4 in the selected cells varied in response to treatment with protein synthesis inhibitors or proteasome inhibitors and tunicamycin. Altogether, this novel HiBiT tag is a useful tool to evaluate the endogenous expression levels of proteins of interest

Structural analysis of alkali cations in mixed alkali silicate glasses by 23Na and 133Cs MAS NMR

We report the structural analysis of Na+ and Cs+ in sodium cesium silicate glasses by using 23Na and 133Cs magic-angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance (MAS NMR) spectroscopy. In the NMR spectra of cesium silicate crystals, the peak position shifted to higher magnetic field for structures with larger Cs+ coordination numbers and to lower magnetic field for smaller Cs+ coordination numbers. The MAS NMR spectra of xNa2O-yCs2O-2SiO2 (x = 0, 0.2, 0.33, 0.5, 0.66, 0.8, 1.0; x + y = 1) glass reveal that the average coordination number of both the alkali cations decreases with increasing Cs+/(Na+ + Cs+) ratio. In addition, the coordination number of Na+ in xNa2O-yCs2O-2SiO2 glass is smaller than that of Cs+. This difference between the average coordination numbers of the alkali cations is considered to be one structural reason of the mixed alkali effect