Improvement of acquisition and analysis methods in multi-electrode array experiments with iPS cell-derived cardiomyocytes

AbstractIntroductionMulti-electrode array (MEA) systems and human induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell-derived cardiomyocytes are frequently used to characterize the electrophysiological effects of drug candidates for the prediction of QT prolongation and proarrhythmic potential. However, the optimal experimental conditions for obtaining reliable experimental data, such as high-pass filter (HPF) frequency and cell plating density, remain to be determined.MethodsExtracellular field potentials (FPs) were recorded from iPS cell-derived cardiomyocyte sheets by using the MED64 and MEA2100 multi-electrode array systems. Effects of HPF frequency (0.1 or 1Hz) on FP duration (FPD) were assessed in the presence and absence of moxifloxacin, terfenadine, and aspirin. The influence of cell density on FP characteristics recorded through a 0.1-Hz HPF was examined. The relationship between FP and action potential (AP) was elucidated by simultaneous recording of FP and AP using a membrane potential dye.ResultsMany of the FP waveforms recorded through a 1-Hz HPF were markedly deformed and appeared differentiated compared with those recorded through a 0.1-Hz HPF. The concentration–response curves for FPD in the presence of terfenadine reached a steady state at concentrations of 0.1 and 0.3μM when a 0.1-Hz HPF was used. In contrast, FPD decreased at a concentration of 0.3μM with a characteristic bell-shaped concentration–response curve when a 1-Hz HPF was used. The amplitude of the first and second peaks in the FP waveform increased with increasing cell plating density. The second peak of the FP waveform roughly coincided with AP signal at 50% repolarization, and the negative deflection at the second peak of the FP waveform in the presence of E-4031 corresponded to early afterdepolarization and triggered activity.DiscussionFP can be used to assess the QT prolongation and proarrhythmic potential of drug candidates; however, experimental conditions such as HPF frequency are important for obtaining reliable data

Signature of Coherent Transport in Epitaxial Spinel-based Magnetic Tunnel Junctions Probed by Shot Noise Measurement

We measured the shot noise in fully epitaxial Fe/MgAl2OX/Fe-based magnetic tunneling junctions (MTJs). While the Fano factor to characterize the shot noise is very close to unity in the antiparallel configuration, it is reduced to 0.98 in the parallel configuration. This observation shows the sub-Poissonian process of electron tunneling in the parallel configuration, indicating the coherent tunneling through the spinel-based tunneling barrier of the MTJ.Comment: 3 pages, 3 figure

Production of Aquatic Organism Cultivation Kit and Its Development in STEAM Education

中学校技術科における水産生物の栽培では，実習的な活動はほとんど実施されていない。知識だけの習得で，思考を深めることは難しい。実社会での問題発見や解決を科目横断的に進めるSTEAM教育により，思考を抽象化させる必要があると考える。本研究では，はじめに「水産生物栽培キット」を設計・製作し，中学校技術科での教材としての適性を確かめた。次に，水産生物栽培キットをSTEAM教育へ展開するため，ファンバブル発生ノズルを水産生物栽培キットに設置し，ファインバブルがゼブラフィッシュの成長に及ぼす影響を調べた。その結果，水産生物栽培キットは中学校技術科の水産生物の栽培で，学習指導要領の取り扱い内容を満足する教材として使用できることを確認した。また，ファインバブルによるゼブラフィッシュの成長促進や高品質化に関する優位性は確認できなかったが，ものづくりに関するテーマは，STEAM教育に寄与する可能性が高いことを明らかにした

A Robust Fiber Bragg Grating Hydrogen Gas Sensor Using Platinum-Supported Silica Catalyst Film

A robust fiber Bragg grating (FBG) hydrogen gas sensor for reliable multipoint-leakage monitoring has been developed. The sensing mechanism is based on shifts of center wavelength of the reflection spectra due to temperature change caused by catalytic combustion heat. The sensitive film which consists of platinum-supported silica (Pt/SiO2) catalyst film was obtained using sol-gel method. The precursor solution was composed of hexachloroplatinic acid and commercially available silica precursor solution. The atom ratio of Si : Pt was fixed at 13 : 1. A small amount of this solution was dropped on the substrate and dried at room temperature. After that, the film was calcined at 500°C in air. These procedures were repeated and therefore thick hydrogen-sensitive films were obtained. The catalytic film obtained by 20-time coating on quartz glass substrate showed a temperature change 75 K upon exposure to 3 vol.% H2. For realizing robust sensor device, this catalytic film was deposited and FBG portion was directly fixed on titanium substrate. The sensor device showed good performances enough to detect hydrogen gas in the concentration range below lower explosion limit at room temperature. The enhancement of the sensitivity was attributed to not only catalytic combustion heat but also related thermal strain

Survey of Period Variations of Superhumps in SU UMa-Type Dwarf Novae. III: The Third Year (2010--2011)

Continuing the project described by Kato et al. (2009, PASJ 61, S395, arXiv:0905.1757), we collected times of superhump maxima for 51 SU UMa-type dwarf novae mainly observed during the 2010-2011 season. Although most of the new data for systems with short superhump periods basically confirmed the findings by Kato et al. (2009) and Kato et al. (2010, PASJ 62, 1525, arXiv:1009.5444), the long-period system GX Cas showed an exceptionally large positive period derivative. An analysis of public Kepler data of V344 Lyr and V1504 Cyg yielded less striking stage transitions. In V344 Lyr, there was prominent secondary component growing during the late stage of superoutbursts, and the component persisted at least for two more cycles of successive normal outbursts. We also investigated the superoutbursts of two conspicuous eclipsing objects: HT Cas and the WZ Sge-type object SDSS J080434.20+510349.2. Strong beat phenomena were detected in both objects, and late-stage superhumps in the latter object had an almost constant luminosity during the repeated rebrightenings. The WZ Sge-type object SDSS J133941.11+484727.5 showed a phase reversal around the rapid fading from the superoutburst. The object showed a prominent beat phenomenon even after the end of the superoutburst. A pilot study of superhump amplitudes indicated that the amplitudes of superhumps are strongly correlated with orbital periods, and the dependence on the inclination is weak in systems with inclinations smaller than 80 deg.Comment: 87 pages, 92 figures, Accepted for publication in PASJ, correction in the author list and tex

Results of the search for inspiraling compact star binaries from TAMA300's observation in 2000-2004

We analyze the data of TAMA300 detector to search for gravitational waves from inspiraling compact star binaries with masses of the component stars in the range 1-3Msolar. In this analysis, 2705 hours of data, taken during the years 2000-2004, are used for the event search. We combine the results of different observation runs, and obtained a single upper limit on the rate of the coalescence of compact binaries in our Galaxy of 20 per year at a 90% confidence level. In this upper limit, the effect of various systematic errors such like the uncertainty of the background estimation and the calibration of the detector's sensitivity are included.Comment: 8 pages, 4 Postscript figures, uses revtex4.sty The author list was correcte

Observation results by the TAMA300 detector on gravitational wave bursts from stellar-core collapses

We present data-analysis schemes and results of observations with the TAMA300 gravitational-wave detector, targeting burst signals from stellar-core collapse events. In analyses for burst gravitational waves, the detection and fake-reduction schemes are different from well-investigated ones for a chirp-wave analysis, because precise waveform templates are not available. We used an excess-power filter for the extraction of gravitational-wave candidates, and developed two methods for the reduction of fake events caused by non-stationary noises of the detector. These analysis schemes were applied to real data from the TAMA300 interferometric gravitational wave detector. As a result, fake events were reduced by a factor of about 1000 in the best cases. The resultant event candidates were interpreted from an astronomical viewpoint. We set an upper limit of 2.2x10^3 events/sec on the burst gravitational-wave event rate in our Galaxy with a confidence level of 90%. This work sets a milestone and prospects on the search for burst gravitational waves, by establishing an analysis scheme for the observation data from an interferometric gravitational wave detector