• Title/Summary/Keyword: Fujii

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Identification and Quantitative Determination of Glucosinolates in Brassica napus cv. Hanakkori

  • Kim, Sun-Ju;Fujii, Kouei;Mohamed, Zaidul Islam Sarker;Kim, Hyun-Woong;Yamauchi, Hiroaki;Ishii, Gensho
    • Food Science and Biotechnology
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    • v.17 no.5
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    • pp.1097-1101
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    • 2008
  • The objective of this study was to identify and quantify glucosinolates (GSLs) in Brassica napus cv. Hanakkori and its parents and to evaluate its potential bitter taste. 'Hanakkori' materials were cultivated with commercial chemical nutrients (20 kg/ha, N-P-K: 16-10-10) at the field. GSLs were isolated by means of extraction with 70%(v/v) boiling methanol (MeOH) followed by desulfation from those plants by reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and identified by electronic spray ionization-mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) analysis. In 'Hanakkori', 11 GSLs were identified as progoitrin, glucoraphanin, glucoalyssin, gluconapoleiferin, gluconapin, 1-methylpropyl, glucobrassicanapin, glucobrassicin, 4-methoxyglucobrassicin, gluconasturtiin, and neoglucobrassicin. The total GSL contents were 109 and 36.1 mmol/kg dry weights (d.w.) for the seeds and edible parts, respectively. The major GSLs (>5 mmol/kg d.w.) in the seeds were progoitrin (78.8), gluconapin (10.7), and glucobrassicanapin (7.81), whereas they in the edible parts were progoitrin (16.1) and glucobrassicanapin (8.58). In addition, the bitter taste in the edible parts was presumably related with the presence of progoitrin (>45% to the total GSL).

Edge-Based Tracking of an LED Traffic Light for a Road-to-Vehicle Visible Light Communication System

  • Premachandra, H. Chinthaka N.;Yendo, Tomohiro;Tehrani, Mehrdad Panahpour;Yamazato, Takaya;Fujii, Toshiaki;Tanimoto, Masayuki;Kimura, Yoshikatsu
    • Journal of Broadcast Engineering
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    • v.14 no.4
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    • pp.475-487
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    • 2009
  • We propose a visible light road-to-vehicle communication system at intersection as one of ITS technique. In this system, the communication between vehicle and a LED traffic light is approached using LED traffic light as a transmitter, and on-vehicle high-speed camera as a receiver. The LEDs in the transmitter are emitted in 500Hz and those emitting LEDs are captured by a high-speed camera for making communication. Here, the luminance value of each LED in the transmitter should be found for consecutive frames to achieve effective communication. For this purpose, first the transmitter should be identified, then it should be tracked for consecutive frames while the vehicle is moving, by processing the images from the high-speed camera. In our previous work, the transmitter was identified by getting the subtraction of two consecutive frames. In this paper, we mainly introduce an algorithm to track the identified transmitter in consecutive frames. Experimental results using appropriate images showed the effectiveness of the proposal.

Protective role of oligonol from oxidative stress-induced inflammation in C6 glial cell

  • Ahn, Jae Hyun;Choi, Ji Won;Choi, Ji Myung;Maeda, Takahiro;Fujii, Hajime;Yokozawa, Takako;Cho, Eun Ju
    • Nutrition Research and Practice
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    • v.9 no.2
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    • pp.123-128
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    • 2015
  • BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Natural products or active components with a protective effect against oxidative stress have attracted significant attention for prevention and treatment of degenerative disease. Oligonol is a low molecular weight polyphenol containing catechin-type monomers and oligomers derived from Litchi chinensis Sonn. We investigated the protective effect and its related mechanism of oligonol against oxidative stress. MATERIALS/METHODS: Oxidative stress in C6 glial cells was induced by hydrogen peroxide ($H_2O_2$) and the protective effects of oligonol on cell viability, nitric oxide (NO) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) synthesis, and mRNA expression related to oxidative stress were determined. RESULTS: Treatment with oligonol inhibited NO and ROS formation under cellular oxidative stress in C6 glial cells. In addition, it recovered cell viability in a dose dependent-manner. Treatment with oligonol also resulted in down-regulated mRNA expression related to oxidative stress, nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-${\kappa}B$) p65, cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), compared with the control group treated with $H_2O_2$. In particular, expression of NF-${\kappa}B$ p65, COX-2, and iNOS was effectively reduced to the normal level by treatment with $10{\mu}g/mL$ and $25{\mu}g/mL$ of oligonol. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that oligonol has protective activity against oxidative stress-induced inflammation. Oligonol might be a promising agent for treatment of degenerative diseases through inhibition of ROS formation and NF-${\kappa}B$ pathway gene expression.

Inhibition of Tumor Invasion and Metastasis by Calcium Spirulan(Ca-SP), a Novel Sulfated Polysaccharide Derived from a Blue-Green Alga Spirulina Platensis

  • Saiki, Ikuo;Murata, Jun;Fujii, Hideki;Kato, Toshimitsu
    • Nutritional Sciences
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    • v.7 no.3
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    • pp.144-150
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    • 2004
  • We have investigated the effect of calcium spirulan(Ca-SP) isolated from a blue-green alga Spirulina platensis, which is a sulfated polysaccharide chelating calcium and mainly composed of rhamnose and fructose, on invasion of both B16- BL6 melanoma cells, Colon 26 carcinoma and HT-1080 fibrosarcoma cells through reconstituted basement membrane (Matrigel). Ca-SP significantly inhibited the invasion of these tumor cells through Matrigel/fibronectin-coated filters in a concentration-dependent manner. Ca-SP also inhibited the haptotactic migration of tumor cells to laminin, but it had no inhibitory effect on tumor cell migration to fibronectin-coated filters. Ca-SP prevented the adhesion of B16-BL6 cells to Matrigel- and laminin-substrates but did not affect the adhesion to fibronectin. The pretreatment of tumor cells with Ca-SP inhibited the adhesion to laminin in a concentration-dependent fashion, while the pretreatment of laminin-substrates did not. Ca-SP had no effect on the production and activation of type IV collagenase in gelatin zymography. In contraset, Ca-SP significantly inhibited degradation of heparan sulfate by purified heparanase. The experimental lung metastasis was significantly reduced by co-injection of B16-BL6 cells with Ca-SP in a dose-dependent manner. Seven intermittent ⅰ.ⅴ. injection of 100$\mu\textrm{g}$ of Ca-SP caused a marked decrease of lung tumor colonization of B16-BL6 cells in a spontaneous lung metastasis model. These results suggest that Ca-SP, a novel sulfated polysaccharide, could reduce the lung colonization of B16-BL6 melanoma cells in experimental metastasis model, by inhibiting the tumor invasion of basement membrane Matrigel, probably through the prevention of the adhesion and migration of tumor cells to laminin-substrate and of the heparanase activity.

Forestry Education Support by a Forest Research Institute: Development of Forestry Educational Programs for Vocational High Schools

  • Inoue, Mariko;Oishi, Yasuhiko;Fujii, Tomoyuki;Kobayashi, Hiroyuki
    • Journal of Forest and Environmental Science
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    • v.24 no.3
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    • pp.175-179
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    • 2008
  • Forestry education in vocational high schools is one of the fundamental keys for achieving sustainable forest management. However, support systems for forestry education have not been well developed in Japan. Forest research institutes, which have accumulated relevant information, should have sufficient ability to develop new educational programs in this field. This study examined the possibility of support systems for forestry technical education by a research institute. Educational programs for vocational high schools were developed, and the programs were examined for their practical applications through a workshop for these teachers. We set the following five requirements for the programs: They should 1) incorporate new contents related to sustainable forest management, 2) be based on forestry education textbooks, 3) meet recent demands of the schools and society, 4) allow participants to learn through actual practice and experience, and 5) utilize readily available teaching materials. With these criteria, we developed the following two educational programs: (a) Forest management program to teach advanced techniques, (b) A timber-program to teach about biomass resources. The workshop was held on July $28^{th}$, 2007 with ten teachers attending. The programs were very interesting, who gave them high average evaluation of 4.6 on a scale of 1 to 5. Only a few issues need to be resolved before classroom instruction can begin, such as making wood structure easier to understanding for some teachers, and obtaining base maps of school forests. In conclusion, forest research institutes can effectively support forestry education by providing and implementing programs based on scientific information.

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Nutritional Quality of Napier Grass (Pennisetum purpureum Schum.) Silage Supplemented with Molasses and Rice Bran by Goats

  • Yokota, H.;Fujii, Y.;Ohshima, M.
    • Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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    • v.11 no.6
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    • pp.697-701
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    • 1998
  • In order to improve silage quality and utilization of napier grass (Pennisetum purpureum Schum.) by goats, the grass was ensiled with molasses (MOL) and/or defatted rice bran (DRB). Napier grass was harvested at the growing stage in July and cut into 3 cm length. The grass was mixed with 4% MOL and/or 15% DRB, ensiled 15 kg each into plastic bags and stored for 9 months. Dry matter content of the silage ensiled with MOL (MOL-silage) was 13.4%, but increased to 20% with DRB addition. The addition of MOL decreased pH value and ammonia nitrogen content, but increased lactic acid content. MOL-silage contained about 6% spoilage, but addition of DRB decreased spoilage to less than 1%. Goats were fed the silage at a level of 2.25% (DM basis) of their body weight. Goats fed DRB- or MOL/DRB-silages maintained nitrogen retention, but goats fed MOL-silage did not. The rumen fluid of goats fed DRB-silage tended to be higher in acetic acid and lower in propionic acid than those fed the other silages. Ammonia in the rumen fluids, urea nitrogen in the blood and the urinary nitrogen excretion were the lowest in goats fed MOL/DRB-silage. As the result, the ratio of retained nitrogen to nitrogen intake was the highest in goats fed MOL/DRB-silage. In conclusion, addition of DRB to napier grass increased DM of silage and decreased the volume of spoilage. The combination of MOL and DRB can improve the fermentation quality and thus enhance the utilization of the silage by goats, more than the MOL or DRB being as a single treatment.

Development of Laser-driven Proton Source Toward Its Applications

  • Sagisaka, Akito;Daido, Hiroyuki;Pirozhkov, Alexander S.;Yogo, Akifumi;Ogura, Koichi;Orimo, Satoshi;Ma, Jinglong;Mori, Michiaki;Nishiuchi, Mamiko;Bulanov, Sergei V.;Esirkepov, Timur Zh.;Oishi, Yuji;Nayuki, Takuya;Fujii, Takashi;Nemoto, Koshichi;Nagatomo, Hideo
    • Journal of the Optical Society of Korea
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    • v.13 no.1
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    • pp.37-41
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    • 2009
  • We observe the proton signals produced by laser interaction with thin-foil targets of polyimide and of copper. We change the thickness of the polyimide target to $7.5{\mu}m$, $12.5{\mu}m$, and $50{\mu}m$. High-energy protons with the maximum energy of ${\sim}2.3\;MeV$ from $7.5{\mu}m$ thick polyimide are observed. This proton beam with the maximum energy of multi-MeV has various applications such as a proton shadowgraphy.

Relationship between straight and curved walking abilities among inpatients in the subacute phase according to walking independence level

  • Fujii, Kazuya;Kobayashi, Masaki;Sato, Miyuki;Asakawa, Yasuyoshi
    • Physical Therapy Rehabilitation Science
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    • v.7 no.2
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    • pp.49-53
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    • 2018
  • Objective: This study was performed to examine differences in the association between straight and curved walking abilities of inpatients in the subacute phase and walking independence level. Design: Cross-sectional study. Methods: Subjects were divided into an independent group and a supervised group (n=10 each) by walking independence level within the ward decided by physical therapists. Inclusion criteria comprised the ability to ambulate independently within the ward, regardless of the use of walking aids. Straight walking abilities (walking velocity, stride length, and cadence) were evaluated using the 5-meter walk test. Curved walking abilities were evaluated using the Figure-of-8 Walk Test (F8W) and the 3-meter zigzag walk test (3ZW). Differences in associations between straight and curved walking abilities of inpatients were examined by calculating correlation coefficients between straight and curved walking abilities. Results: Age, walking velocity, stride length, F8W and 3ZW varied markedly between independent and supervised groups. In the independent group, F8W and 3ZW correlated significantly with walking velocity and cadence (p<0.05). In the supervised group, F8W correlated significantly with walking velocity and stride length (p<0.05), but 3ZW did not correlate significantly with straight walking abilities. Conclusions: The association between straight and curved walking abilities varied between inpatients who could ambulate independently and inpatients requiring supervision for ambulating. These differences may depend on skill on straight and curved walking abilities. There is a possibility that curved walking exercise is necessary for supervised group.

The Precision Analysis of Long Baseline Measurement by using Broadcast Ephemeris and Precise Ephemeris of GPS Satellites (GPS 위성의 방송력과 정밀력을 이용한 장기선측정 정밀도 분석)

  • Yoo, Hwan-Hee;Pior, Myoung-Young;Fujii, Yoichiro
    • Journal of Korean Society for Geospatial Information Science
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    • v.5 no.2 s.10
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    • pp.153-167
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    • 1997
  • The purpose of this study is to estimate the precision of GPS survey for the long baseline measurement. For this, we performed the simultaneous GPS observations at two points in Korea and nine points in Japan, and analyzed the precision of GPS survey by using broadcast ephemeris and precise ephemeris. As the results, in using precise emepheris and broadcast emepheris for the baseline less than 100km, each precisions are less than 0.1ppm. But the precision of precise emepheris is more improved than that of broadcast ephemeirs in the case of the baseline longer than 100km. That is, in comparing the results of VLBI and GPS survey, the precision is 0.13ppm for broadcast ephelneris and 0.04ppm for precise ephemeris. We expect that in the future this study will be used as the basic data for using broadcast ephemeris and precise ephemeris in GPS survey for the long baseline mearsurment.

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Prospective Targets for Colon Cancer Prevention: from Basic Research, Epidemiology and Clinical Trial

  • Shingo Miyamoto;Masaru Terasaki;Rikako Ishigamori;Gen Fujii;Michihiro Mutoh
    • Journal of Digestive Cancer Research
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    • v.4 no.2
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    • pp.64-76
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    • 2016
  • The step-wise process of colorectal carcinogenesis from aberrant crypt foci, adenoma to adenocarcinoma, is relatively suitable for chemopreventive intervention. Accumulated evidences have revealed that maintaining an undifferentiated state (stemness), inflammation, and oxidative stress play important roles in this colon carcinogenesis process. However, appropriate molecular targets that are applicable to chemopreventive intervention regarding those three factors are still unclear. In this review, we summarized appropriate molecular targets by identification and validation of the prospective targets from a comprehensive overview of data that showed colon cancer preventive effects in clinical trials, epidemiological studies and basic research. We first selected a study that used aspirin, statins and metformin from FDA approved drugs, and epigallocatechin-gallate and curcumin from natural compounds as potential chemopreventive agents against colon cancer because these agents are considered to be promising chemopreventive agents. Experimental and observational data revealed that there are common target molecules in these potential chemopreventive agents: T-cell factor/lymphoid enhancer factor (TCF/LEF), nuclear factor-&B (NF-κB) and nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor 2(NRF2). Moreover, these targets, TCF/LEF, NF-κB and NRF2, have been also indicated to suppress maintenance of the undifferentiated state, inflammation and oxidative stress, respectively. In the near future, novel promising candidate agents for colon cancer chemoprevention could be identified by integral evaluation of their effects on these three transcriptional activities.

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