Exchange rate regime and real exchange rate behavior

This paper examines exchange rate regimes from the viewpoint of the validity of purchasing power parity (PPP). Specifically, we analyze real exchange rate behavior under various classifications of exchange rate arrangement through panel unit root tests, and also investigate the adjustment speed of nominal exchange rate and relative prices separately through an error correction framework. Our findings are as follows: First, as a result of the panel unit root tests on real exchange rate behavior, industrial countries under “free float†reveal REER stability even though the test results show weak support for this speculation, while developing countries under “hard peg†definitely represent the REER stability, and have full support from the tests. Second, error correction analysis tells us that in industrial countries under “free float,†the adjustment of nominal exchange rate was faster than that of relative prices, while in developing countries under “hard peg†the adjustment of relative prices is faster that that of the nominal exchange rate. We speculate that industrial countries under free float may render exchange rate movements sensitive to the inflation gap, and that developing countries under “hard peg†may produce nonlinear price adjustments toward the REER long-run equilibrium through an anchor-effect of peg on price stabilization.real (effective) exchange rate, exchange rate arrangement, panel unit root tests, error correction analysis, nonlinear price adjustment

Providing Social Support to Family Caregivers. –An Essential Part of the Japanese Care Manager’s Role

The overall objective of this study was to investigate the social support provided by care managers to family caregivers of elderly adults receiving community based care under the Japanese Long-Term Care Insurance scheme. The study has explored such support from the perspective of the care manager, and in relation to the overall role of the care manager. As such, the following research questions have been employed: (i) what reasons do care managers have for providing social support to family caregivers, (ii) what kind of social support do care managers provide to family caregivers and how does it relate to the care managers’ work assignments, and (iii) what is influencing the social support provided by care managers to family caregivers. The research questions were approached from the perspective of care managers through a qualitative approach, using semi-structured interviews as a research method. In total, interviews with nine care managers were held between December 2012 and March 2013, in the prefectures of Tokyo, Chiba, Kanagawa and Yokohama. The empirical material was analyzed within a framework of interactionist role theory. The analysis suggests that the activity of providing social support to family caregivers has become incorporated into the care manager role. Reasons for providing social support can be understood as a way for care managers to strive to create a situation, that allows family caregivers to continue providing informal care to their elderly family member within the community. The study identified seven different categories of social support. Three of these categories (supporting family caregivers with LTCI services; giving information and advice; creating a supportive environment) can be seen as social support that is provided partly through the care managers’ formal work assignments. The remaining four categories (making referrals; being there; spending time talking; comfort and encouragement) can be said to fall outside of the care managers’ formal work assignments. The social support provided by care managers are partly influenced by the developer behind the LTCI scheme (the Japanese government) and the companies the care managers work for, since they partly define the care manager role. The care managers’ way of supporting family caregivers was also influenced by what they wished to accomplish by providing support as well as the care managers’ preconceptions and/or opinions about what kind of relationship they should have with family caregivers, how family caregivers should be supported in certain situations and what kind of support that was important

A Discrete Choquet Integral for Ordered Systems

A model for a Choquet integral for arbitrary finite set systems is presented. The model includes in particular the classical model on the system of all subsets of a finite set. The general model associates canonical non-negative and positively homogeneous superadditive functionals with generalized belief functions relative to an ordered system, which are then extended to arbitrary valuations on the set system. It is shown that the general Choquet integral can be computed by a simple Monge-type algorithm for so-called intersection systems, which include as a special case weakly union-closed families. Generalizing Lov\'asz' classical characterization, we give a characterization of the superadditivity of the Choquet integral relative to a capacity on a union-closed system in terms of an appropriate model of supermodularity of such capacities

ファジィ測度の空間 (函数解析学の応用としての情報数理の研究)

ファイル差し替え（2021/08/20

Cyclic phosphatidic acid and lysophosphatidic acid induce hyaluronic acid synthesis via CREB transcription factor regulation in human skin fibroblasts

AbstractCyclic phosphatidic acid (cPA) is a naturally occurring phospholipid mediator and an analog of the growth factor-like phospholipid lysophosphatidic acid (LPA). cPA has a unique cyclic phosphate ring at the sn-2 and sn-3 positions of its glycerol backbone. We showed before that a metabolically stabilized cPA derivative, 2-carba-cPA, relieved osteoarthritis pathogenesis in vivo and induced hyaluronic acid synthesis in human osteoarthritis synoviocytes in vitro. This study focused on hyaluronic acid synthesis in human fibroblasts, which retain moisture and maintain health in the dermis. We investigated the effects of cPA and LPA on hyaluronic acid synthesis in human fibroblasts (NB1RGB cells). Using particle exclusion and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays, we found that both cPA and LPA dose-dependently induced hyaluronic acid synthesis. We revealed that the expression of hyaluronan synthase 2 messenger RNA and protein is up-regulated by cPA and LPA treatment time dependently. We then characterized the signaling pathways up-regulating hyaluronic acid synthesis mediated by cPA and LPA in NB1RGB cells. Pharmacological inhibition and reporter gene assays revealed that the activation of the LPA receptor LPAR1, Gi/o protein, phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase (PI3K), extracellular-signal-regulated kinase (ERK), and cyclic adenosine monophosphate response element-binding protein (CREB) but not nuclear factor κB induced hyaluronic acid synthesis by the treatment with cPA and LPA in NB1RGB cells. These results demonstrate for the first time that cPA and LPA induce hyaluronic acid synthesis in human skin fibroblasts mainly through the activation of LPAR1-Gi/o followed by the PI3K, ERK, and CREB signaling pathway

A camera calibration method for a hammer throw analysis tool

The hammer throw in athletics has been the subject of published research since the 1980s. This has focused on case studies of individual athletes or small cohorts and has identified a number of key performance indicators such as the speed profile of the hammer during the wind-up phase. To use these key performance indicators with current athletes a bespoke analysis tool is required for frequent data collection. An unobtrusive two cameras system was proposed and a non-standard planar calibration method that allows the safety cage to remain in place was designed. The performance of the non-standard calibration method was compared to the standard calibration method using simulated data. The non-standard method was found to be suitable when intrinsic camera parameters were not recomputed. The method is a suitable alternative for volumes that cannot easily be accessed with a calibration object or volumes that are too large for practically sized calibration objects

Abnormal Vestibular Evoked Myogenic Potentials in Medial Medullary Infarction

Background The medial vestibulospinal tract (MVST), which descends in the medial longitudinal fasciculus (MLF), may mediate the vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (VEMPs) in the contracting sternocleidomastoid muscle. We report herein abnormal VEMPs in a patient with medial medullary infarction (MMI) that appeared to involve the MLF. Case Report A patient with infarction involving the right medial medulla showed decreased p13-n23 amplitude and increased p13/n23 latencies of the VEMPs on the right side. These abnormal VEMPs recorded in all MMI patient support the theory that VEMPs are mediated by the MVST contained within the MLF. Conclusions VEMPs may represent a valuable tool for investigating vestibular dysfunction originating from the saccule, even ill patients with central vestibulopathies, which is not readily defined by conventional vestibular function tests. J Clin Neurol 2009;5:101-103This study was supported by a grant of the Korea Health 21 R&D Project, Ministry of Health & Welfare, Republic of Korea (A080750). The authors thank Jong-Hee Lee for experimental assistance.Kim JS, 2005, NEUROLOGY, V65, P1294Welgampola MS, 2005, NEUROLOGY, V64, P1682Newlands SD, 2003, J COMP NEUROL, V466, P31, DOI 10.1002/cne.10876Chen CH, 2003, LARYNGOSCOPE, V113, P990Murofushi T, 1999, ARCH OTOLARYNGOL, V125, P660Murofushi T, 1996, ARCH OTOLARYNGOL, V122, P845WILSON VJ, 1995, J VESTIBUL RES-EQUIL, V5, P147MUROFUSHI T, 1995, EXP BRAIN RES, V103, P174ROBERTSON DD, 1995, J OTOLARYNGOL, V24, P3COLEBATCH JG, 1994, J NEUROL NEUROSUR PS, V57, P190COLEBATCH JG, 1992, NEUROLOGY, V42, P1635AKAIKE T, 1983, BRAIN RES, V259, P217FERNANDEZ C, 1976, J NEUROPHYSIOL, V39, P970POMPEIANO O, 1957, ARCH ITAL BIOL, V95, P166

Cyclic phosphatidic acid influences the expression and regulation of cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase 3B and lipolysis in 3T3-L1 cells

Cyclic phosphatidic acid (CPA) is found in cells from slime mold to humans and has a largely unknown function. We previously reported that cPA significantly inhibited the lipid accumulation in 3T3-L1 adipocytes through inhibition of PPAR gamma activation. We find here that CPA reduced intracellular triglyceride levels and inhibited the phosphodiesterase 3B (PDE3B) expression in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. PPAR gamma activation in adipogenesis that can be blocked by treatment with cPA then participates in adipocyte function through inhibition of PDE3B expression. We also found the intracellular cAMP levels in 3T3-L1 adipocytes increased after exposure to cPA. These findings contribute to the participation of cPA on the lipolytic activity in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Our studies imply that CPA might be a therapeutic compound in the treatment of obesity and obesity-related diseases.ArticleBIOCHEMICAL AND BIOPHYSICAL RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS. 404(1):109-114 (2011)journal articl

Bipolarization of posets and natural interpolation

The Choquet integral w.r.t. a capacity can be seen in the finite case as a parsimonious linear interpolator between vertices of $[0,1]^n$. We take this basic fact as a starting point to define the Choquet integral in a very general way, using the geometric realization of lattices and their natural triangulation, as in the work of Koshevoy. A second aim of the paper is to define a general mechanism for the bipolarization of ordered structures. Bisets (or signed sets), as well as bisubmodular functions, bicapacities, bicooperative games, as well as the Choquet integral defined for them can be seen as particular instances of this scheme. Lastly, an application to multicriteria aggregation with multiple reference levels illustrates all the results presented in the paper