Differences in competitors' market influence due to market structure: Evidence from Japanese gambling market.

This study investigates how differences in the market structure between the Japanese horse racing and Keirin racing markets affects the influence exercised by high-turnover operators (major operators) in both markets on low-turnover operators (minor operators) in those markets. In the horse racing market structure, there are few competitors, and the difference in turnover between major and minor operators is large. In contrast, in the Keirin racing market structure, there are many competitors, and the difference in turnover between major and minor operators is small.

Effect of ultrafine zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles on induction of oral tolerance in mice.

Ultrafine nanoparticles of zinc oxide (ZnO) recently became available as a substitute for larger-size fine ZnO particles. However, the biological activity of ultrafine ZnO currently remains undefined. In the present study, we investigated the effect of ultrafine ZnO on oral tolerance that plays an important role in the prevention of food allergy.

Adjuvant effect of zinc oxide on Th2 but not Th1 immune responses in mice.

Background And Aim: We investigated the effect of zinc oxide (ZnO) on Th1 and Th2 immune responses in mice.

Material And Methods: Mice were intraperitoneally administered with ovalbumin (OVA) with or without varying doses of ZnO (day 0). On day 21, anti-OVA IgG, IgG2a, IgG1, and IgE antibodies in sera, OVA-specific proliferative responses of spleen cells, and production of Th1 cytokines including IFN-gamma as well as Th2 cytokines such as IL-4 and IL-5 were measured.

Role of the Nh (Non-hair) mutation in the development of dermatitis and hyperproduction of IgE in DS-Nh mice.

The DS-Nh (DS Non-hair) mouse is a spontaneous hairless mutant of the DS mouse. The inheritance mode of the Nh mutation is autosomal dominant, and the Nh locus is mapped to Chromosome 11. The roles of the Nh mutation in spontaneous dermatitis and IgE hyperproduction were studied using an Nh congenic strain with a genetic background from the BALB/c mouse.

Spontaneous development of dermatitis in DS-Nh mice under specific pathogen-free conditions.

Spontaneous development of dermatitis in DS-Nh mice under specific pathogen-free conditions was examined to verify the hypothesis [Exp. Anim. 46: 225-229, 1997] that Stapylococcus aureus (S.