Heavy neutrino mixing in the T2HK, the T2HKK and an extension of the T2HK with a detector at Oki Islands

We study the discovery potential for the mixing of heavy isospin-singlet neutrinos in extensions of the Tokai-to-Kamioka (T2K) experiment: The Tokai-to-Hyper-Kamiokande (T2HK), the Tokai-to-Hyper-Kamiokande-to-Korea (T2HKK), and a plan of adding a new detector at Oki Islands to the T2HK. We parametrize the mixing of heavy neutrinos in terms of a non-unitary mixing matrix acting on active flavors. It is shown that in the T2HK and T2HKK, the sensitivity to heavy neutrino mixing deteriorates for some values of $CP$-violating phases in the standard and the non-unitary mixing matrices, but the deterioration is drastically mitigated if a detector at Oki Islands is added to the T2HK. We also consider the feasibility of measuring the mass hierarchy and the standard $CP$-violating phase $\delta_{CP}$ in the presence of heavy neutrino mixing, by fitting experimental data with the standard oscillation parameters only, i.e., under the assumption of unitary mixing. It is revealed that such measurement can be performed to some accuracy in the T2HKK and the extension of the T2HK with a detector at Oki Islands, owing to the fact that data with largely varying $L/E$ are collected in these experiments, while it cannot be in the T2HK.Comment: 41 pages, 16 figures. Version accepted for publication in EPJ

Meta-stable SUSY Breaking Model in Supergravity

We analyze a supersymmetry (SUSY) breaking model proposed by Intriligator, Seiberg and Shih in a supergravity (SUGRA) framework. This is a simple and natural setup which demands neither extra superpotential interactions nor an additional gauge symmetry. In the SUGRA setup, the U(1)R symmetry is explicitly broken by the constant term in the superpotential, and pseudo-moduli field naturally takes non-zero vacuum expectation value through a vanishing cosmological constant condition. Sfermions tend to be heavier than gauginos, and the strong-coupling scale is determined once a ratio of sfermion to gaugino masses is fixed.Comment: 13 page

Percutaneous Transcatheter Ballon Valvuloplasty of a Stenosed Bioprosthetic Tricuspid Valve

Article信州医学雑誌 67(5): 289-292(2019)journal articl

Influence of Age on Cardiorespiratory Kinetics During Sinusoidal Walking in Humans

We sought to determine the influence of age on cardiorespiratory kinetics during sinusoidal walking in two groups: 13 healthy young subjects (YG; 7 men and 6 women, age 21 ± 2 years) and 15 healthy elderly subjects (ELD; 9 men and 6 women, age 67 ± 5 years). A treadmill’s speed was sinusoidally changed between 3 and 6 km h-1 in the YG and between 3 and 5 km h-1 in the ELD during periods of 1, 2, 5, and 10 min, and in a stepwise manner. We compared the groups’ heart rate (HR), ventilation (V˙E), and gas exchange (CO2 output (V˙CO2) and O2 uptake (V˙O2)) responses. We determined the phase shift (PS) and the normalized amplitude (Amp) ratio of these kinetics in relation to the sinusoidal change in walking speed in response to the magnitude from the maximum to minimum speeds as revealed by a Fourier analysis in all cardiorespiratory variables. Both the Amp ratio and PS in the V˙E, V˙CO2, and V˙O2 responses were very similar between the ELD and YG, and being independent of the periods of sinusoidal oscillations. In marked contrast, the PS of the HR kinetics was significantly slowed in the ELD compared to the YG. The Amp ratio of HR was not related to the covariance variation of HR (CVHR) at standing rest in the ELD. The HR kinetics during sinusoidal walking may not be attributable to parasympathetic nerve activity into the heart in the ELD. The slope of the Amp of V˙E related to the Amp of V˙CO2 (V˙E/V˙CO2 slope) was steeper in the ELD (0.0258) compared to the YG (0.0132), suggesting that exercise hyperpnea could be greatly induced during walking in the ELD. These findings suggest that aging influences the alterations of autonomic nervous system-dependent slower HR kinetics and exercise hyperpnea during walking in the ELD

Genetic population structure of Hemigrammocypris rasborella (Cyprinidae) inferred from mtDNA sequences

The genetic population structure of the small cyprinid Hemigrammocypris rasborella, distributed widely in lowlands of western Japan, was examined using partial sequence data of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). Molecular phylogenetic analysis revealed that the populations of the western Kyushu region were markedly differentiated from all eastern populations, such that the groups would be comparable to different species; their divergence was inferred to have occurred in the Late Miocene–Pliocene. Also, a largely divergent mtDNA group (with divergence in the early Pleistocene) was found in the Sanyo and northeastern Shikoku regions, forming a secondary contact zone in the western Kinki with the eastern mtDNA group. To date, these aspects of the population structure of H. rasborella appear to be unique among lowland fishes in western Japan. Deeper understanding of the formation processes of freshwater faunas in western Japan will require further comparisons of the phylogeographic patterns and ecological traits of constituent species

HLA-DRB1 and DQB1 alleles in Japanese type 1 autoimmune hepatitis: The predisposing role of the DR4/DR8 heterozygous genotype

ObjectiveAutoimmune hepatitis (AIH) is a chronic progressive liver disease. AIH is composed predominantly of type 1 in Japanese populations. The genetic and environmental factors are associated with the pathogenesis of AIH. HLA-DRB1*03:01 and *04:01 are associated with type 1 AIH in European and *04:05 in Japanese populations. Here, we conducted an HLA association study in order to find HLA alleles or haplotypes predisposing or protective for Japanese AIH.MethodsHLA-DRB1 and DQB1 genotyping of 360 type 1 AIH patients and 1026 healthy controls was performed.ResultsThe predisposing association of DRB1*04:01 (P = 0.0006, corrected P [Pc] = 0.0193, odds ratio [OR] 2.97, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.62–5.43), DRB1*04:05 (P = 1.89×10−21, Pc = 5.86×10−20, OR 3.41, 95% CI 2.65–4.38), and DQB1*04:01 (P = 4.66×10−18, Pc = 6.99×10−17, OR 3.89, 95% CI 2.84–5.33) and the protective association of DRB1*13:02 (P = 0.0003, Pc = 0.0080, OR 0.48, 95% CI 0.32–0.72) with Japanese type 1 AIH were observed. An association of the DR4/DR8 heterozygous genotype with Japanese AIH was identified for the first time (P = 3.12×10−9, OR 3.52, 95% CI 2.34–5.29). Susceptible diplotypes were DRB1*04:05-DQB1*04:01/DRB1*08:02-DQB1*03:02 (P = 0.0004, OR 24.77, 95% CI 1.45–424.31) and DRB1*04:05-DQB1*04:01/DRB1*08:03-DQB1*06:01 (P = 1.18×10−6, OR 10.64, 95% CI 3.19–35.46). Serum levels of Immunoglobulin G and Immunoglobulin M, International Autoimmune Hepatitis Group score, positive rate of anti-smooth muscle antibodies, and the rate of definite AIH were higher in AIH patients with DRB1*04:05 than without.ConclusionsThe important roles of specific combinations of DRB1 and DQB1 alleles or haplotypes in the pathogenesis of type 1 AIH were suggested. The association of DR4/DR8 heterozygous genotype suggested the pathologic importance of trans-complementing DQα-β heterodimer molecules encoded by DQA1 allele of one haplotype and the DQB1 allele of the other haplotype, as it was proposed in the HLA association studies of Type 1 diabetes

Early and long?term outcomes of endoscopic submucosal dissection for early gastric cancer in a large patient series

Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) enables the curative resection of early gastric cancer (EGC); however, little information is available on the long-term outcomes of ESD. This study was conducted to clarify the clinical outcomes of a large number of patients with EGC who underwent ESD. The early outcomes were assessed in 1,209 patients and the long-term outcomes were assessed in 300 patients at a follow-up >5 years after the ESD procedure. The overall survival rates were compared between indication and expanded-indication groups, and between the patients who did or did not undergo additional surgery in an out-of-indication group. Overall survival rates were also compared among different age groups. In total, 617 lesions were classed as the indication group, 507 as the expanded-indication group and 208 as the out-of-indication group. Curative resection rates were 96.6% and 91.5% in the indication and expanded-indication groups, respectively. In terms of the long-term outcomes, 20 of the 146 patients in the indication group, 15 of the 105 patients in the expanded-indication group and one of the 23 patients who underwent additional surgery in the out-of-indication group succumbed due to causes other than gastric cancer. Among the 26 patients who did not undergo additional surgery in the out-of-indication group, 10 mortalities occurred, including one due to gastric cancer. The five-year survival rates were not significantly different between the indication and expanded-indication groups. In the out-of-indication group, the five-year survival rate for the patients who did not undergo additional surgery (65.0%) was significantly lower than that for those who did undergo additional surgery (100%) (P80 years (67.1%) was significantly lower than that of the younger patients (<60 years, 91.6%; sixties, 93.0%; seventies, 84.5%) (P<0.0001). In conclusion, although expanded-indication of ESD for EGC is appropriate, comorbidities require consideration in elderly patients

地方都市と大都市における女子生徒の食育課題検出のための研究

OBJECTIVE: In this study we investigated dietary consciousness, dietary behavior, dietary environments, life-style and subjects evaluation of their own health in Japanese urban and suburban adolescents to get ideas for improving dietary education for these groups.METHODS: The survey was conducted in October and November, 2006. Participant: The subjects were 262 urban junior high school girls (Age 13-14 yrs) and 220 suburban junior high school girls (Age 12-14 yrs). Measure: 1.The questionnaire consisted of 76 questions related to subjects dietary behavior, dietary environments, lifestyles, and their evaluation of their own health.2.Age, height and body weight were measured by their teacher. Subjects body weight was checked using the TANITA scale. And subjects BMI was calculated based on the degree of obesity as established by the Japan Society for the Study of Obesity. RESULTS 1.In urban areas a lot of students thought that they are overweight. They perceived themselves to be overweight even when they were not.2.More students in urban areas than in suburban areas did not understand how much one should eat and what would constitute overeating. 3.More than 50% of both suburban and urban subjects reported feeling irritated. Subjects also reported experiencing headaches, stiff shoulders, and backaches.4.All subjects reported being basically satisfied with their lives and families.5.Significantly fewer urban subjects than suburban subjects reported having breakfast and supper with their families. 6.50% of both groups reported having conversations with their families during meals and that they are happy at home