This study focuses on the new generation of Chinese migrants who came to Japan in the 2010s. As a result of the increasingly close economic relationship between China and Japan in recent years, increasing numbers of Chinese migrants have entered the Japanese job market. The emerging phenomenon in which young workers apply to major Chinese cities for jobs in Japan calls for attention. More and more human resource service companies build platforms for Chinese fresh graduates to explore the Japanese labor market and at the same time provide opportunities for Japanese employers seeking young Chinese employees. This transnational occupational niche has emerged as a result of the developing transnational economy between Japan and China. Nevertheless, working in Japanese companies with long-established gendered norms, these Chinese women are facing obstacles brought by their identities as both foreigners and female employees. / In addition, as another important component of Chinese migrants in Japan, students’ characteristics are worth investigating. Their processes of decision-making for migration, their current situation in Japan, and their plans for career have received relatively little attention in the literature on Chinese migrants. They deserve attention as a relatively new group of migrants since some of them are not considering Japan as their ideal destinations. / In this study, I aim to shed light upon the life of young Chinese female migrants in Japan. By depicting their migration motivations, the obstacles and challenges they are facing in both their workplaces and daily lives, and their future plans, I hope to present their lives in Japan and reveal their value orientations. From their working, studying and living experiences in a foreign country, I point out their characteristics as a new category of Chinese migrants in Japan. / 本研究着眼於的人群为2010 年後赴日的中國女性移民。伴隨著近年來中日兩國之間的經濟關係的不斷加深，愈來愈多的中國移民湧入日本勞動力市場。值得注意的一個現象是一批畢業於中國主要城市的大學的年輕大學生正在把握機遇前往日本勞動力市場大展拳腳。這一現象的背後是：愈來愈多的中日合資人才服務機構的出現為日本企業以及中國大學畢業生構建了一個平台。在這個平台之上，中國大學畢業生可以探索挖掘日本勞動力市場中的機會，而同時日本企業亦可尋得中國人才。進而，中日之間愈發密切的貿易往來引致的職業缺口得以填補。儘管如此，面對日本職場中的條條框框，這些中國女性依舊強烈感受到作為女性和外國移民雙重身份所帶來的重重壓力。 / 同時，作為在日中國人的另一主要組成部份，留學生們同樣應得到學者們的關注。然而這一人群的移民動機，在日本的生活情況，以及職業規劃仍未能獲得學界的足夠重視。這些年輕的留學生的一大特徵，即將日本作為一個中轉站而非最終目的地，值得學界更加深入的探討。 / 筆者希望藉由本研究中的報導人的生活，展示年輕一代中國女性移民在日本的生活以及她們的價值取向。為此，筆者將描述以下幾方面的內容：即她們赴日的動機，她們在職場及日常生活中遇到的困難和挑戰，以及她們對於自己未來的設想 。通過分析這些年輕的中國女性在日本工作，學習及生活經歷，筆者希望將她們作為新一代的在日中國移民的特徵呈現出來。 / Sun, Qing. / Thesis M.Phil. Chinese University of Hong Kong 2015. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 174-180). / Abstracts also in Chinese. / Title from PDF title page (viewed on 05, October, 2016). / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only.

This paper is written as part of a two-year study of climate change policy choices facing Sweden, conducted under the auspices of the Center for Business and Policy Studies in Stockholm. As such, it aims to be a primer on emissions trading as an instrument for limiting greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions under the Kyoto Protocol to the Framework Convention on Climate Change. The first section notes general considerations concerning emissions trading, particularly in relation to climate policy. The second section explains the many forms of emissions trading included in the Kyoto Protocol. The third section provides a brief review of emissions trading proposals that have been advanced in Europe as of mid-2000. The fourth section addresses issues in the design and implementation of a national GHG emissions trading system. The brief conclusion is followed by an appendix, which draws applicable lessons concerning the choice and design of a cap and trade system from the U.S. SO2 emissions trading program. / Abstract in HTML and technical report in PDF available on the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Joint Program on the Science and Policy of Global Change website (http://mit.edu/globalchange/www/) / Includes bibliographical references (p. 38-39).

The complement system plays an important role in innate and adaptive immunity. Central to all complement activities is the function of complement component 3 (C3). C3 contains a C-terminal extension of ~150 residues known as the NTR (or C345C) domain. To address the role of the NTR domain in binding and functional activities of C3, a C3/C5 chimera was engineered, in which the NTR domain of C3 was replaced by the homologous domain of the closely related protein C5. Functionally, the C3(C5NTR) was devoid of classical pathway-dependent hemolytic activity and deficient in factor H- and CR1-dependent factor I cleavability. Direct binding SPR assays, using chip bound methylamine treated His6-tagged C3(C5NTR), showed a complete loss of C5 binding while retaining wild type binding with CR1, factor H and factor B. These results present the first evidence for a major C5 binding site within C3 NTR.

The complement system plays an important role in innate and adaptive immunity. Central to all complement activities is the function of complement component 3 (C3). C3 contains a C-terminal extension of ~150 residues known as the NTR (or C345C) domain. To address the role of the NTR domain in binding and functional activities of C3, a C3/C5 chimera was engineered, in which the NTR domain of C3 was replaced by the homologous domain of the closely related protein C5. Functionally, the C3(C5NTR) was devoid of classical pathway-dependent hemolytic activity and deficient in factor H- and CR1-dependent factor I cleavability. Direct binding SPR assays, using chip bound methylamine treated His6-tagged C3(C5NTR), showed a complete loss of C5 binding while retaining wild type binding with CR1, factor H and factor B. These results present the first evidence for a major C5 binding site within C3 NTR.

Since 1975, the extent of catching-up has been very different across Southern regions. Starting from the common arguments of growth theory, the paper wishes to show whether differences in regional income and growth can be attributed to different endowment in human capital, differences in private or public investment level, to structural imbalances, and labour force participation. The investigated panel consists of regional time series for the period 1975 to 1994 and includes NUTS II level regions of Greece, Spain, and the Italian South. Estimation of the impact of the variables on regional income is effected in a dynamic panel data model applying a GMM estimation procedure. The results indicate that the income level of Southern EU regions is largely determined by employment/educational levels and past public investment, while the impact of private investment is not significant. One may follow that EU regional policies should predominately focus on the human factor. Assistance to member countries to upgrade public infra-structures may be continued, but private investment incentives should be curbed. (author's abstract) / Series: EI Working Papers / Europainstitut

No description available.

Slutsteget i immunförsvarets komplementaktivering innefattar en klyvning av komplementprotein C5, till C5a och C5b, vilket initierar bildandet av terminalt komplementkomplex (TCC) som i form av membran-attack-komplex (MAC) bildar cytotoxiska porer i bland annat gramnegativa bakterier. Bildandet av MAC kan blockeras av endogena regulatorer och TCC frisätts då som ett lösligt komplex, sC5b-9, i plasma. I examensarbetet studerades en variant av TCC, som i tidigare studier visats bildas oberoende av C3- och C5-konvertas när serum surgjorts till pH < 7,0 in vitro. Syftet med studien var att studera om detta atypiska TCC (aTCC) bildades hos grisar, som i en mekonium aspirationssyndrom (MAS)-modell, erhållit ett sänkt systemiskt pH in vivo. I syftet ingick också att etablera en ELISA-baserad metod för att analysera aTCC. I en sandwich ELISA användes monoklonal anti-C5a/C5a (desArg) (klon T13/9) som fångande antikropp och monoklonal anti-C9 (klon aE11) som detekterande antikropp för att analysera aTCC i plasmaprover från 18 MAS-grisar, samt i ett kontrollmaterial bestående av grisserum som surgjorts till pH 6,8 och 6,4 in vitro. Mängden aTCC i kontrollproverna ökade när pH sänktes men innehållet av aTCC i plasmaproverna minskade över MAS-studiens förlopp. När den relativa förändringen i aTCC relaterades till MAS-grisarnas slutliga pH kunde ett signifikant samband ses (p = 0,02) som visade att en större förändring i aTCC sammanföll med ett lägre slutligt pH. Nivåerna av aTCC var generellt sett högre i plasmaproverna jämfört med kontrollproverna vilket skulle kunnat bero på skillnader i plasma vs serum avseende aTCC eller att proverna kom från grisar med olika ålder och vikt. Avsaknad av grisspecifik standard och negativ kontroll samt lågt signal/brusförhållande bidrar till felkällor för analysen och denna kräver fortsatt optimering. / The late steps of complement activation involves a cleavage of complement protein C5, to C5a and C5b, which initiates the formation of terminal complement complex (TCC). The final complex is referred to as the membrane-attack-complex (MAC) which forms cytotoxic pores in, inter alia, gram-negative bacteria. The formation of MAC can be inhibited by endogenous regulators and the TCC is then released as a soluble complex, sC5b-9, in plasma. In the degree project, another type of TCC was studied, which in previous studies had shown to form independently of C3 and C5 convertases when serum was acidified to pH <7.0 in vitro. The purpose of the study was to investigate whether this atypical TCC (aTCC) was formed in piglets, which in a model of meconium aspiration syndrome (MAS), received a reduced systemic pH in vivo. The purpose was also to establish an ELISA for analyzing aTCC. Sandwich ELISA, with monoclonal anti-C5a / C5a (desArg) (clone T13/9) as a capture antibody and monoclonal anti-C9 (clone aE11) as a detection antibody, was used to analyse aTCC in plasma samples from 18 MAS piglets, and in control samples consisting of pig serum acidified to pH 6.8 and 6.4 in vitro. The amount of aTCC in the control samples increased when the pH was lowered, but the content of aTCC in the plasma samples decreased over the course of the MAS study. When the relative change in aTCC was related to the final pH of the MAS pigs, a significant relationship could be seen (p = 0.02) which showed that a major change in the aTCC coincided with a lower final pH. aTCC were generally higher in plasma samples compared with control samples, which could be due to differences in plasma vs serum for aTCC or that the samples came from pigs of different age and weight. Lack of pig-specific standard and negative control as well as low signal to noise ratio contribute to sources of error for the analysis and this requires continued optimization.

Memoria para optar al Título Profesional de Médico Veterinario / Trypanosoma cruzi, protozoo perteneciente a la familia Trypanosomatidae, es el agente causal de la enfermedad de Chagas. El principal mecanismo de transmisión de esta enfermedad es vectorial, por medio de insectos hemípteros hematófagos de la familia Reduviidae. Los tripomastigotes, formas infectantes del parásito, son capaces de resistir la acción del Sistema del Complemento (C) del hospedero, importante componente efector de la respuesta inmune innata. Se describen 3 vías de activación: clásica (VC), alterna (VA) y de las lectinas (VL), las cuales se activan en forma de cascada, por lo cual el C debe ser finamente regulado, impidiendo el daño en células del hospedero. En mamíferos, una proteínas reguladoras del C es el factor acelerador del decaimiento de la convertasa (DAF). DAF actúa inactivando las proteínas C3 y C5 convertasas de la VC y VA, acelerando su decaimiento. Se ha reportado que T. cruzi expresa factores reguladores del C similares a los del hospedero mamífero, inhibiendo su activación. Entre estos, se ha identificado la expresión de una proteína con función similar a DAF humana (T-DAF), de la cual sólo se han expresado parcialmente algunos fragmentos y se desconoce gran parte de sus funciones. En esta memoria de título se amplificó e insertó la secuencia nucleotídica codificante para la proteína de T. cruzi T-DAF en un vector de expresión de Escherichia coli. Utilizando bacterias transformadas con el plasmidio generado, se expresó y purificó en condiciones nativas la proteína recombinante T-DAF y se caracterizó su estructura tridimensional mediante un modelamiento in silico. / Trypanosoma cruzi, protozoan belonging to the Trypanosomatidae family, is the causative agent of Chagas disease. The main mechanism of transmission of this disease is through blood-sucking insects belonging to the Reduviidae family. Trypomastigotes, infectious forms of the parasite, are able to resist the action of the complement system (C), an important effector of the innate immune response in mammals. C has 3 activation pathways: classical (CP), alternative (AP) and lectin (LP) pathways. These 3 pathways are activated sequentially. For this reason, the activation of the C should be finely regulated in order to prevent damage on the host cells. In mammals, an important C regulatory proteins is the decay accelerating factor (DAF). DAF acts by inhibiting the C3 and C5 convertase proteins activation of the CP and AP, accelerating its decay. It has been reported that the parasite expresses C regulatory proteins similar to those present in the mammalian host, inhibiting C. One of these C regulatory proteins has a similar function of human DAF (T-DAF), however, it has only been expressed partially and most of their functions are unknown. In the present work, the nucleotide sequence coding for the protein of T. cruzi T-DAF was amplified and inserted into an expression vector for Escherichia coli. Using bacteria transformed with this vector, the recombinant protein T-DAF was expressed and purified under native conditions, and its three dimensional structure was characterized by an in silico modeling. / Financiamiento: Proyectos FONDECYT de Iniciación: Nð11110251 y Nð1130113.

No description available.

Ultrasound-guided selective C5 nerve root blocks have been described in several case reports as a safe and effective means to anesthetize the distal clavicle while maintaining innervation of the upper extremity and preserving diaphragmatic function. In this study, cadavers were injected with 5 mL of 0.5% methylene blue dye under ultrasound guidance to investigate possible proximal and distal spread of injectate along the brachial plexus, if any. Following the injections, the specimens were dissected and examined to determine the distribution of dye and the structures affected. One injection revealed dye extended proximally into the epidural space, which penetrated the dura mater and was present on the spinal cord and brainstem. Dye was noted distally to the divisions in 3 injections. The anterior scalene muscle and phrenic nerve were stained in all 4 injections. It appears unlikely that local anesthetic spread is limited to the nerve root following an ultrasound-guided selective C5 nerve root injection. Under certain conditions, intrathecal spread also appears possible, which has major patient safety implications. Additional safety measures, such as injection pressure monitoring, should be incorporated into this block, or approaches that are more distal should be considered for the acute pain management of distal clavicle fractures.