936 research outputs found
The virtues of Fukuda laboratory of crystal growth
No full textAbstractThe author, dealing with crystal growth of II–VI, IV–VI and III–V compounds for more than 25 years, describes his impressions on the state of art of the basic research in the field of bulk growth of electronic materials in Japan, obtained during his stay from 1993 to 1994 as invited professor at the laboratory of Professor Tsuguo Fukuda at the Institute for Materials Research of Tohoku University in Sendai. He learned that the future generations of electronic and optical devices require original ideas and unconventional steps towards new bulk crystal growth technologies combined with a close teamwork between academic laboratories and industry
Impact of Fatigue on Quality of Life in People With Parkinson’s Disease
No full textAbstract
Date Presented 3/30/2017
The symptom of fatigue was shown to be an effector for quality of life (QOL) in people with Parkinson’s disease (PD) independently from motor function–related PD symptoms. Intervention to improve specific aspects of fatigue is recommended to promote better QOL for people with PD.
Primary Author and Speaker: Kayoko Takahashi
Contributing Authors: Naoto Kamide, Michinari Fukuda</jats:p
Making it Just in Time: Author-Creator Matsumoto Taiyō
No full textTranslated by Jon Holt and Teppei Fukuda
The first time I can remember encountering Matsumoto Taiyō’s work was probably when he released his short story collection, Blue Spring (Aoi haru - Matsumoto Taiyō tanpenshū [stories published from 1990 to 1993; Shōgakukan, 1993]). All of the stories concern a bunch of young dudes -- full of desires, frustrations, and violent tendencies -- and no chance they can ever get past those things. I thought to myself at that time, “Ah, I bet this stuff means a lot to readers in their teens, but they don’t really do anything for me.” After all, I was a man in my forties, so this stuff wasn’t on my radar as I was busy becoming a grown-up. Keep in mind that Taiyō himself was just in his early twenties. So, it really wasn’t that unnatural for him to write about life like that
Japanese FDI in China - Determinants and performance
No full textJapanese foreign direct investment (FDI) into China is analysed using an FDI model that accounts for different modes of FDI as well as third country effects and adds to existing literature by incorporating a new measurement of political distance. Political closeness between countries is shown to affect FDI. An improvement in political relations is associated with an increase in FDI by reducing uncertainty in the investment environment. The performance of Japanese FDI into China is shown to be high relative to its potential since the late 1980s. The signing of the bilateral investment treaty in 1988 and Chinas WTO accession in 2001 were events that helped reduce uncertainty in bilateral investment, with the latter mitigating the effects of increased uncertainty from rising bilateral political tensions after 2001.FDI, foreign direct investment, Japan, China
Baidzharakhs (relic mounds) increase plant community diversity by interrupting zonal vegetation distribution along the Arctic Sea, northern Siberia
No full textTo understand how baidzharakhs (relic mounds enclosing polygonal ice blocks in permafrost) affect the zonal distribution of vegetation, vegetation was measured in 145 50 cm x 50 cm plots on a coastal terrace facing the Arctic Ocean in northern Siberia. Cluster analysis classified five community types that were zonally distributed along the coastline. α-diversities (species richness and diversity) were not different among vegetation types except for vegetation close to the coastline. On and around baidzharakhs, burrows created by lemmings were frequently observed, and plant cover was low, suggesting that baidzharakhs support for rodents. Disturbances by rodent habits caused plant cover to decline but did not change α-diversity. Two vegetation types that developed only on baidzharakhs were found at intermediate distances between the seacoast and inland areas. Because these two vegetation types are azonally distributed, β- and γ-diversities were increased by permafrost-derived topography, i.e., baidzharakh, and/or disturbance by rodents of which suitable nesting habitat is provided by baidzharakh
Plasma xanthine oxidoreductase activity in Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes across hospitalized treatment
No full textYusuke Kawachi; Yuya Fujishima; Hitoshi Nishizawa; Hirofumi Nagao; Takashi Nakamura; Seigo Akari; Takayo Murase; Naohiro Taya; Kazuo Omori; Akimitsu Miyake; Shiro Fukuda; Mitsuyoshi Takahara; Shunbun Kita; Naoto Katakami; Norikazu Maeda; Iichiro Shimomura. Plasma xanthine oxidoreductase activity in Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes across hospitalized treatment. J Diabetes Investig. 2020.Aims/Introduction: Xanthine oxidoreductase (XOR) is an enzyme that catalyzes hypoxanthine and xanthine to xanthine and uric acid, respectively. Plasma XOR activity has recently been measured in humans. However, limited information is known about plasma XOR activity in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, and its changes after short-term glycemic control treatment. Materials and Methods: We enrolled 28 Japanese patients (10 men/18 women) with type 2 diabetes mellitus who were hospitalized to undergo medical treatment for diabetes. Plasma XOR activity, quantified using triple quadrupole mass spectrometry and liquid chromatography, and other clinical parameters were examined at admission and 2 weeks after treatment during hospitalization. Changes in plasma XOR activity after treatment during hospitalization and associated clinical parameters were assessed. Results: At the time of admission, the median plasma XOR activity was 83.1 pmol/h/mL, with a wide range of 14.4–1150 pmol/h/mL. Multiple regression analysis identified serum aspartate transaminase and alanine transaminase levels as significant and independent factors correlating with the baseline plasma XOR. Two weeks of treatment during hospitalization was associated with a significant decrease in plasma XOR activity. Changes in serum aspartate transaminase were also the only significant and independent factor correlating with changes in plasma XOR activity. Conclusions: A close relationship was observed between plasma XOR activity and liver transaminases in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, cross-sectionally, and also across treatment during hospitalization
Paraehlersia martapolae Fukuda, Centurión, Nogueira & Martín, 2012, sp. nov.
No full textParaehlersia martapolae sp. nov. Figures 4–6; Table 3 Material examined. Brazil, State of Rio de Janeiro, offshore: 1 spec. (MZUSP 0 0 978, paratype 3), coll. 2 Mar 1998, 21° 51 ’S 40 °07’W, 110 m; 1 spec. (ZUEC-POL 9696), coll. 2 Mar 1998, 22°02’S 40 °05’W, 93 m; 1 spec. (MZUSP 00979), coll. 28 Feb 1998, 23° 20 ’S 41 ° 22 ’W, 110 m; 1 spec. (ZUEC-POL 9699), coll. 14 Feb 1998, 24° 11 ’S 43 ° 26 ’W, 330 m. State of São Paulo, offshore: 2 specs (MNCN 16.01/ 13610, paratype 4; MZUSP 0 1005, paratype 5), coll. 11 Jan 1998, 24°07’S 44 ° 42 ’W, 101 m; 10 specs (MZUSP 0 0 977, holotype; MZUSP 0 1004, paratype 1; MNCN 16.01/ 13609, paratype 2; ZUEC-POL 9697, paratype 6; MZUSP 00980), coll. 9 Jan 1998, 24°07’S 45 ° 51 ’W, 147 m. State of Paraná, offshore: 1 spec. (ZUEC-POL 9700), coll. 17 Mar 1998, 28º 40 ’S 47 º 25 ’W, 285 m. State of Santa Catarina, offshore: 1 spec. (MZUSP 00981), coll. 22 Mar 1998, 28º 41 ’S 48 º 18 ’W, 104 m; 1 spec. (ZUEC-POL 9698), coll. 22 Mar 1998, 28º 53 ’S 47 º 48 ’W, 225 m. Type series. Data on each specimen of the type series are provided in Table 3. Comparative material examined. Paraehlersia weissmannioides (Augener, 1913). Australia, Western Australia, Shark Bay, Useless Inlet: 1 spec. (ZMH V- 7949, holotype) coll. Michaelsen, 26 °08´S 113 ° 21´E, 7 m. Description. Holotype (MZUSP 00977) largest specimen, complete, with 65 chaetigers, 4.72 mm long, 0.23 mm wide (Table 3); body without colour patterns (Fig. 4 A); peristomium and chaetigers throughout with 1–2 tranverse rows of cilia dorsally extending to near bases of dorsal cirri (Fig. 5 A–B). Palps triangular, longer than prostomium (Figs. 4 A; 5 A–C), occasionally with tips ventrally bent. Prostomium oval, 2 pairs of eyes in open trapezoidal arrangement and 1 pair of anterior eyespots (Fig. 4 A); median antenna inserted between posterior pair of eyes, almost twice as long as prostomium and palps together, with up to 20 articles distally; lateral antennae inserted in front of anterior pair of eyes, similar to median antenna but about two thirds as long, with up to 15 articles distally (Figs. 4 A; 5 A–B). Nuchal organs as 1 pair of dorso-lateral ciliary bands posterior to insertion of median antenna (Fig. 5 A–B). Peristomium dorsally shorter than chaetigers, frequently covering nuchal organs (Fig. 5 A–B); dorsal peristomial cirri about as long as lateral antennae or slightly shorter, sometimes irregularly articulated distally; ventral peristomial cirri about two thirds length of dorsal peristomial cirri, usually smooth (Fig. 4 A). Dorsal cirri with nearly inconspicuous alternation in length along body, longer cirri approximately as long as body width, shorter cirri about two thirds to half length of longer cirri (Fig. 4 A). Antennae, peristomial and dorsal cirri with short cirrophores (Fig. 5 A–D); ovate to digitiform ventral cirri, shorter than parapodial lobes on anterior body (Fig. 5 C), progressively slightly longer, about as long as parapodial lobes from midbody (Fig. 4 A). Anterior parapodia with small, rounded subcirral papilla underneath each dorsal cirrus (Fig. 5 D); parapodial lobes conical (Figs. 4 A; 5 A–B). Anterior parapodia with 2–4 spiniger-like chaetae and 10–15 falcigers each, 1–3 spiniger-like chaetae and 5–7 falcigers on midbody parapodia, 0–1 spiniger-like chaetae and 3–6 falcigers on each posterior parapodium (Table 3). Spiniger-like chaetae with thin shafts, progressively slightly thinner towards posterior body (Figs. 4 B–C; 6 A); elongate, slender blades, bidentate with both teeth minute, subdistal tooth smaller than distal tooth, with short spines on margin (Fig. 4 B–C), 77 – 35 μm long on anterior body, 82 – 37 μm long on midbody, 75 – 22 μm long on posterior body, spiniger-like chaetae absent on last chaetigers (Table 3). Falcigers with subdistally slightly spinulated shafts, tips of shafts with slightly more sigmoid distal beaks towards posterior body; bidentate blades with subdistal tooth smaller than distal one on anterior body (Fig. 4 D), distal tooth progressively slightly smaller and subdistal tooth progressively stouter towards posterior body (Figs. 4 D–F; 6 A–D); blades with short, thin spines on margin (Figs. 4 D–F; 6 A–D); blades 32 – 12 μm long on anterior body, 17 – 7 μm long on midbody, 15 – 8 μm long on posterior body (Table 3). Dorsal simple chaetae present from midbody (Table 3), sigmoid, distally irregularly rounded, with short and coarse subdistal spines (Figs. 4 G; 6 E). Ventral simple chaetae on posterior segments only (Table 3), sigmoid, bidentate with distal tooth smaller than subdistal one, with short subdistal spines (Figs. 4 H; 6 F). Anterior parapodia with up to 2 aciculae each, subdistally bent at almost right angle, sometimes apparently flattened at top (Fig. 4 I); single acicula per parapodium from midbody, similar to anterior ones, but more conspicuously bent (Fig. 4 J). Pygidium with 2 long, thin anal cirri and conical median papilla. Pharynx through 9–12 segments (Table 3), with crown of 13 papillae surrounding its opening and conical central tooth close to anterior margin (Fig. 4 A; 5 B–C); proventricle through 5 –6.5 segments, with 21–24 muscle-cell rows (Fig. 4 A; Table 3). Remarks. Paraehlersia martapolae sp. nov., is characterized by having dorsal simple chaetae distally irregularly rounded, with short and coarse subdistal spines, which does not occur in any other species of Paraehlersia (Table 2). Paraehlersia weissmannioides (Augener, 1913), from Australia, has relatively similar dorsal simple chaetae, but has compound and ventral simple chaetae with subdistal aristae extending beyond the level of subdistal tooth, as well as aciculae of three types: straight, distally rounded and with oblique tip (San Martín & Hutchings 2006), instead of compound and ventral simple chaetae with progressively shorter marginal spines towards tip, without subdistal aristae, and aciculae subdistally bent almost at right angle as in P. martapolae sp. nov. The absence of dorsal simple chaetae in anterior fragments often difficults the identification of Paraehlersia species, and this is particularly true for the distinction between P. longichaetosa sp. nov., and P. martapolae sp. nov. In addition to the morphology of dorsal simple chaetae, P. longichaetosa sp. nov., and P. m a r ta p ol a e sp. nov., differ because the latter has blades of spiniger-like chaetae more distinctly bidentate (Figs. 1 B–D vs. 4 B–C) and blades of anterior body falcigers with subdistal tooth smaller than distal tooth, sometimes resembling an enlarged spine (Fig. 4 D), aciculae apparently flattened at the top (Fig. 4 I–J), and longer pharynx and shorter proventricle. In contrast, P. longichaetosa sp. nov., has blades of anterior body falcigers with both teeth similar (Figs. 1 B; 3 A, C); aciculae distally enlarged, sometimes apparently hollow (Fig. 1 G–I), and a shorter pharynx and longer proventricle (see Tables 1 and 3). Etymology. This species is named after Dr Marta Pola, colleague and friend of the last author in the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, well known specialist in nudibranchs.Published as part of Fukuda, Marcelo Veronesi, Centurión, Romina, Nogueira, João Miguel De Matos & Martín, Guillermo San, 2012, Two new species of Paraehlersia San Martín, 2003 (Polychaeta, Syllidae) from the Atlantic Coast of South America, pp. 38-52 in Zootaxa 3264 on pages 46-51, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.28073
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