Cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) is an important second messenger mediating physiological functions, including metabolism, gene expression, cell growth and differentiation. Recently, we demonstrated novel roles of cAMP pathway in endothelial cell (EC) differentiation and arterial-venous specification using an embryonic stem cell differentiation system. These studies offered a concept that vascular formation is accomplished by a 2-layered mechanism: (1) a basal mechanism for common EC differentiation, whereby vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) signaling plays a central role in the basal mechanism, and (2) a vascular diversification mechanism working on the basis of common EC differentiation. Vascular diversification, such as artery and vein formation, can be only achieved by enacting specific machineries in the presence of the basal EC machinery. cAMP/protein kinase A signaling contributes to common EC differentiation through upregulation of the VEGF-A receptors, Flk1 and neuropilin1. On the other hand, cAMP can activate phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase, which induces an arterial fate in vascular progenitors via dual activation of Notch and β-catenin signaling as an arterial-specific machinery. cAMP signaling thus plays a pivotal role in both the basal and diversification machinery during vascular development. ( Circ J 2011; 75: 253-260)

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Cardiac regenerative medicine is emerging as a new approach to treat severe cardiovascular diseases that are resistant to conventional therapies. To achieve fair engraftment and efficient outcome, the method of cell transplantation is important, as the efficacy of engraftment after simple needle injection is relatively poor. Using biomaterials (e.g. collagen, fibrin, gelatin or matrigel) as a scaffold of the transplanted cells is an effective method, and various attempts to control cell distribution for the creation of tissue-like structure have been made. In this regard, scaffold-free cell sheet technology using temperature-responsive culture surface is another promising method because it bears potential for generating three-dimensional tissue-like structure in vitro. Furthermore, the cell sheet system enables us to elucidate the cellular mechanisms for cardiac regeneration. Combination of cell therapy and sustained release of growth factors, such as basic fibroblast growth factor, is another valuable approach for cell engraftment and augmentation of the potential of cell transplantation. Herein, we review various engraftment strategies of the transplanted cells to achieve more efficient outcome in cardiac cell therapy. We expect that these advanced modalities with bioengineering technology would largely contribute to cardiac regenerative medicine.

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The heart is one of the most important targets of regenerative medicine. The pacemaker, which controls the rate of beating, is also a target of regeneration. Until today, various researches have been aiming at generating biological pacemakers, but there are only a few reports about detailed analyses of candidates of cells for a really functional pacemaker. Recently, we reported novel induction methods of spontaneous beating cardiomyocytes from mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells, and detailed analysis of ion channel dynamics during their differentiation. This review briefly overviews up to date researches about biological pacemaker and our results achieved recently.

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木質バイオマスを大量かつ?率的に微粉?可能な?置の開?を目的とし，連?式振動ミルの改良および粉?プロセスの最適化を行った．??，材料の微粉?に利用されてきた振動ミルに粉?原料制御用堰を設置，また閉回路粉?プロセスを構築することにより木質バイオマスの微粉?プロセスを改良し，改良型の連?式振動ミルによる木質バイマスの粉?性について評?を行った．堰の設置や閉回路プロセスの構築により，粉?原料である木質チップの?留時間（粉?時間）および原料投入量の改善が可能となり，粉??率の向上，粉?木粉製品生産量の大幅?加，木質バイオマスの粉?に要するエネルギ?の大幅削減が可能となった．

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Authors Comments:
We deeply regret that the experimental date appeared in the above-mentioned article were completely forged from those previously published in the Journal of Nanobiotechnology 5(3) doi:10.1186/1477-3155-5-3 (2007).
Therefore, we wish that this article written by Dong-Myung K IM , Gee-Dong L EE , Seung-Hyun A UM , and Ho-Jun K IM should be totally deleted from Biol. Pharm. Bull.
Ho-Jun K IM
Department of Oriental Rehabilitation Medicine, Dongguk University, Korea
February 16, 2009

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The purpose of this study is to apply satellite RS technology to support an efficient green tea production. Multispectral cameras are installed in several tea plantations for fixed point observation and detailed investigation by UAV is also carried out. In future, we plan to combine these multi-platform data and provide tea producers with higher precision information.

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Kesennuma City, located in Miyagi Prefecture, area affected by the Great East Japan earthquake and tsunami (2011), have developed construction plans to build giant seawall barriers for protection.　The majority of the residents in Kesennuma City have accepted the current construction plans.　However, in the Koizumi City, some residents are against the construction of the walls and have proposed alternate plans to protect the landscape and ecosystem of the seaside.　This has subsequently caused conflicts between the local government and residents.
In this study, household surveys were conducted in Kesennuma in 2014 ( N =150).　Using a cost benefit analysis and employing a mean-structure model, we identified factors that lead residents to agree or disagree with the construction of seawalls.　The results showed residents in Koizumi District have a keen ‘awareness of risk prevention’ the walls can provide, while residents in Kesennuma City do not share the same consciousness (Kesennuma:mean=0, Koizumi:mean=.23, p <.001).　Consciousness of environmental preservation negatively affect decisions to construct the current seawall plan (Kesennuma: r =－.47, Koizumi: r =－.87, p <.001).　These factors may negatively affect the ability to create community consensus for higher seawall construction.　Koizumi District showed significantly stronger disagreement than Kesennuma.
In conclusion, this study identified that residents have a keen awareness of environmental conservation and aspire to incorporate an eco-friendly construction plan for the seawalls.　However, there also exists an unfavorable community environment in which residents feel it is difficult to express their opinions.　Enhancing consciousness of environmental preservation, may make it possible to achieve community consensus and choose an alternative eco-friendly plan.
JEL Classifications:C3, D1, R2, Q5

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　本?究では，相?直線の勾配値 a と切片 b ，bias ν ，相?係? ρ ，2?平均平方根誤差 σ の5統計量から，元となる2種類の時系列資料を用いずに，別の5統計量である各平均値 x ， y ，各分散 S _x ² ， S _y ² ，共分散 C あるいは原点を通る相?直線の勾配値 a ₀ および逆に a ₀ 等から a ， b 等を計算するための簡?な式を導出し，韓?の全沿岸沖合9ブイ地点における2014年1年間の?測風（速）資料と?象?MSM風（速）資料を用いてその妥?性を?値的に??した．ついで，Heo et al. ¹⁾ の風資料（上記と同じブイ地点で同じ期間のERA-Interim風資料とNCEP-FNL風資料をWRFでdown scaling）に?する a ， b ， ν ， ρ ， σ の入力?件から求めた2種類の x ， y ， S _x ， S _y ， C のうち?測風資料のみに係わり本?一致すべき x ， S _x はそれぞれ符合しないという疑問点を提示した．

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Bacillus polyfermenticus SCD, commonly referred to as Bispan strain, is used as a host in bioindustry and has been shown to have several human health benefits. In a recent in vitro study, we discovered that B. polyfermenticus SCD exerts cholesterol-lowering and antioxidant effects. Here, we evaluate the effects of B. polyfermenticus SCD on the lipid and antioxidant metabolisms of hypercholesterolemic rats. Twenty male Sprague–Dawley rats were divided into two groups after a 1-week adaptation period and were fed for 6 weeks on either a high fat-high cholesterol diet, or a high fat-high cholesterol diet supplemented with B. polyfermenticus SCD (3.1×10 ⁶ cfu/d). B. polyfermenticus SCD significantly reduced plasma low-density-lipoprotein cholesterol, hepatic total cholesterol, and triglycerides, while increasing the fecal excretion rates of total cholesterol and triglycerides. In addition, B. polyfermenticus SCD might reduce the risk of atherosclerosis, as the ratio of high-density-lipoprotein cholesterol to total cholesterol was significantly higher than in the control group. B. polyfermenticus SCD led to an increase in total radical trapping antioxidant potential (TRAP) and a decrease in conjugated dienes in plasma. The erythrocytic glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity in the B. polyfermenticus group was significantly lower than that in the control group. Plasma TRAP levels exhibited a highly significant negative correlation with hepatic total cholesterol and a marginally significant negative correlation with total plasma cholesterol, while a significant positive correlation was detected between fecal total cholesterol and plasma TRAP. These results suggest that B. polyfermenticus SCD exerts significant health benefits through the modulation of physiologic functions including a variety of atherogenic lipid profiles and antioxidants in hypercholesterolemia.

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  5-Lipoxygenase (5-LOX), which is believed to be a major source of oxidative stress, participates in somatostatin-receptor transmembrane signaling in the central nervous system. We used the Tet-On inducible expression system in PC12 cells to obtain cell lines with reproducible, stable 5-LOX expression levels to study its function. Cell apoptosis rates induced by Aβ ₄₂ were determined using an apo-BrdDU kit. Lipid peroxide, antioxidant enzyme, and caspase-3 activities were evaluated with respective commercial kits. The expression of 5-LOX, bcl-2, and bax were detected by immunoblotting. A subclone of PC18 with Tet-On inducible expression of 5-LOX was selected from PC12 transfectants. Expression of 5-LOX had no significant inhibitory effect on the cell viability of the PC18 clone. In contrast, compared with the control group, the cell viability of clone PC18 was significantly reduced after the induction of 5-LOX during Aβ exposure. The differences in cell viability before and after the induction of 5-LOX during Aβ insult were significantly offset by AA861. Overexpression of 5-LOX only slightly improved the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD). The levels of intracellular peroxides, SOD and caspase-3 activity, and Bax expression were significantly upregulated, and the levels of glutathione peroxidase and catalase were downregulated correspondingly in clone PC18 during Aβ exposure. These results indicate that constitutive expression of 5-LOX is not detrimental per se , but overexpression of 5-LOX may become problematic during Aβ exposure.

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CO ₂ とH ₂ からのメタノ?ル合成?媒CuO·ZnO·Al ₂ O ₃ ·Ga ₂ O ₃ ·MgOとメタノ?ル?水によるDME合成?媒として選定したγ-Al ₂ O ₃ またはZrO ₂ ·Al ₂ O ₃ を組み合わせた複合?媒を用いて，CO ₂ とH ₂ からのDME直接合成試?を?施し，組合せ?件のメタノ?ル＋DME?率およびDME選?率ならびに?媒の耐久性に?える影響を調べた。
複合?媒におけるメタノ?ル合成?媒とメタノ?ル?水?媒の組合せ?件では，混合比率は50 : 50 wt％ 程度が最適であること，CO ₂ とH ₂ からのDME直接合成反?においては，メタノ?ル＋DME?率およびDME選?率ともに反??度が高くなるほど上昇するが，メタノ?ル?率が平衡に達すると?度上昇とともにメタノ?ル＋DME?率は低下することが明らかとなった。メタノ?ル?水?媒の種類はγ-Al ₂ O ₃ よりもZrO ₂ ·Al ₂ O ₃ の方が高いDME合成活性を示すこと，反?器での複合?媒の構成に?しては，上層部にメタノ?ル合成?媒を充?し，下層部にメタノ?ル合成?媒とメタノ?ル?水?媒を混合して充?する方法が?果的であることが明らかとなった。さらに，このような組合せ?件を持つ複合?媒は耐久性においても他の?件の?媒よりすぐれていることが??された。

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The glycosides of Dregea volubilis (L). BENTH. were further investigated. Five new glycosides named dregeosides H (1), D _p1 (2), D _a1 (3), G _p1 (4), and G _a1 (5) were isolated and their structures were characterized on the basis of chemical and spectral evidence.

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We have upgraded the Super-Kamiokande DETector SIMulator (SKDETSIM) to include Gadolinium (Gd) neutron capture for future SK-Gd project. We validate the simulator by carrying out atmospheric neutrino simulation and examining its output secondary particles and photomultiplier tubes (PMT) hits. Basic distributions like capture fraction and gamma energy are checked. We also study preliminary cut criteria and efficiency to tag the Gd-captured neutrons. A good separation between signal and background is observed which is useful for physics analysis.

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【目的】?校給食の食べ?しと?童の?養?取?況との?連を?討すること。
【方法】2009年5～6月，東京都公立小?校に通う5?6年生の?童112名を?象に，給食の食べ?しに?する自記式質問紙調査と?菜調査を?施した。?菜調査は，?象者一人につき2回ずつ行い，延べ人?のデ?タを用いた。?菜調査の結果から，食べ?しの有無により，?菜率0％の?童を完食群，それ以外の?童を?菜群とした。この2群の?養?取量の中央値の差について，一般化推定方程式（generalized estimating equation: GEE）を用いて?討した。解析?象の?養素等は，エネルギ?，たんぱく質，脂質，炭水化物，ミネラル5種，ビタミン4種，食物?維とした。
【結果】延べ人?で，218名分の?菜デ?タを得た。そのうち，男子104名（47.7％），女子114名（52.3％）であった。全?で，?菜群が80名（36.7％），完食群が138名（63.3％）であった。?菜率は0.2％～84.3％の間に分布していた。?菜群と完食群のエネルギ?の中央値（25，75パ?センタイル値）は，各? 562（435，658）kcal，715（699，715）kcalであった（ p ＜0.001）。また，ビタミンCの中央値（25，75パ?センタイル値）は，?菜群で 26（16，35）mg，完食群で 41（41，47）mgであった。同?に，その他すべての?養素等で差がみられた（すべて p ＜0.001）。
【結論】?菜群のビタミンCを除く?養?取量は，完食群に比べて2～3割少なかった。?菜群のビタミンC?取量は，完食群に?して4割程度少なかった。

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