Regulation of ribosomal RNA gene copy number and its role in modulating genome integrity and evolutionary adaptability in yeast

The genes encoding ribosomal RNA (rRNA) are the most abundant genes in the eukaryotic genome. They reside in tandem repetitive clusters, in some cases totaling hundreds of copies. Due to their repetitive structure and highly active transcription, the rRNA gene repeats are some of the most fragile sites in the chromosome. A unique gene amplification system compensates for loss of copies, thus maintaining copy number, albeit with some fluctuations. The unusual nature of rRNA gene repeats affects cellular functions such as senescence. In addition, we recently found that the repeat number determines sensitivity to DNA damage. In this review, I would like to introduce a new aspect of the rRNA gene repeat (called rDNA) as a center of maintenance of genome integrity and discuss its contribution to evolution

Statistical Modeling of Ultrawideband Body-Centric Wireless Channels Considering Room Volume

This paper presents the results of a statistical modeling of onbody ultrawideband (UWB) radio channels for wireless body area network (WBAN) applications. Measurements were conducted in five different rooms. A measured delay profile can be divided into two domains; in the first domain (04 ns) has multipath components that are dominant and dependent on room volume. The first domain was modeled with a conventional power decay law model, and the second domain with a modified Saleh-Valenzuela model considering the room volume. Realizations of the impulse responses are presented based on the composite model and compared with the measured average power delay profiles

TOYOTOMI Hideyoshi's Recognition of East Asia : Centering on Analysis of Diplomatic Documents

豊臣秀吉は、天正１８年（１５９０）７月に小田原の北条氏を滅亡させ、その後徳川家康を関東へ移封したのを始めとして、大規模な移封や除封を行なった。彼は天皇家の持つ伝統的な権威を背景として惣無事（令）をも布告し、この段階を経て、最早関白としての軍を率いる秀吉に正面から戦いを挑む勢力は、少なく共、日本国内には存在しなくなっていたのである。そして、その直後から彼の眼は既に海外に向けられていた。翌年９月には朝鮮征討を下令し、朝鮮側が秀吉に依って要請された「征明嚮導」を拒否したことを一つの口実として、同２０年３月には１６万人、９軍編成からなる関白の軍が韓半島へと投入された。しかし、こうした軍事的な行動とは裏腹に秀吉に依る対東アジア政策には不明な点も多い。本稿では、彼の発給した外交文書等に関わる様式や内容の分析、そして再検討を通して、彼の目指していた明国を頂点とする東アジア的秩序の再構築構想に就いて検討を加えた

Large Earthquake Disaster and “Kaname-ishi(stone)” : Why isn't “Kaname-ishi(stone)” Belief popular in the Sea of Japan Coastal Area?

日本に於いては、同じ様な場所に於いて繰り返されて来た、殆んど周期的な地震の発生に依り、人的、物的にも多大な被害を被って来たのである。人々（当該地震に関わる被災者達）は、そうした大規模な震災の記憶を、文字情報としては勿論のこと、それ以外の非文字認知的手法―説話・伝承・地名・宗教施設・石造物・信仰等、としても残し、子孫への警鐘・警告、又、日常生活上の戒めとして来たのである。それは、日本社会で大多数の人々（為政者層、被支配者層の人々）に依って、或る事柄の記録が、文語資料として残される様になるのは、近世に入って以降のことであったからである。これは、寺子屋・郷学・私塾・藩校・藩学等に見られる教育機関の普及や、社会の安定、貨幣経済の成熟、農業振興等の理由に依る。それ以前の段階に於いては、文字を使用した形式での情報共有は困難であったのである。本稿では、そうした視角に立脚し、地震鎮めの効果を期待して実施されていた、「要石（かなめいし）信仰」に焦点を当てつつ、その太平洋沿岸諸地域と、日本海沿岸諸地域間での残存状況を比較、検討しながら、その差異の検証、分析や、その背景、経緯等に就いて考察を加えたものである

原発性シェーグレン症候群の唾液腺におけるリンパ球浸潤とアクアポリン5の分布異常について

Objectives: Patients with Sjögren's syndrome (SS) suffer from impaired saliva secretion due to an autoimmune destruction of salivary glands. Based upon its abnormal distribution in SS salivary glands, a potential role for the water channel protein aquaporin-5 (AQP5) is proposed in the pathogenesis of SS. Methods: The immunohistochemical distribution of AQP5 was compared in minor salivary gland (MSG) biopsies obtained from primary SS with a variety of lymphoid cells infiltration in MSG, and healthy volunteers. Results: Biopsies from normal subjects revealed AQP5 primarily at the apical membrane of the salivary gland acinus. In contrast, biopsies from SS patients with both moderate and severe lymphoid infiltration revealed AQP5 expression diffusely at the cytoplasm of the acinus. Computer-assisted microscopy was performed to quantitatively evaluate AQP5 distribution in the acini. Biopsies of SS patients exhibited lower labeling indices (LI) at the apical membrane compared with biopsies from control subjects. The LI of the acini obtained from SS patients with both moderate and severe lymphoid infiltration showed no difference. Conclusions: Abnormal distribution of AQP5 in salivary gland acini could be responsible for a loss of saliva secretion, and this abnormal distribution is likely to develop during the stage of moderate lymphoid infiltration in salivary gland.博士（医学）・乙1334号・平成26年3月17

Live imaging of whole mouse embryos during gastrulation : migration analyses of epiblast and mesodermal cells

During gastrulation in the mouse embryo, dynamic cell movements including epiblast invagination and mesodermal layer expansion lead to the establishment of the three-layered body plan. The precise details of these movements, however, are sometimes elusive, because of the limitations in live imaging. To overcome this problem, we developed techniques to enable observation of living mouse embryos with digital scanned light sheet microscope (DSLM). The achieved deep and high time-resolution images of GFP-expressing nuclei and following 3D tracking analysis revealed the following findings: (i) Interkinetic nuclear migration (INM) occurs in the epiblast at embryonic day (E)6 and 6.5. (ii) INM-like migration occurs in the E5.5 embryo, when the epiblast is a monolayer and not yet pseudostratified. (iii) Primary driving force for INM at E6.5 is not pressure from neighboring nuclei. (iv) Mesodermal cells migrate not as a sheet but as individual cells without coordination