Anomalous Hall effect by chiral spin textures in two-dimensional Luttinger model

Long-range magnetic textures, such as magnetic skyrmion, give rise to rich transport properties in magnetic metals, such as the anomalous Hall effect related to spin chirality, a.k.a. topological Hall effect. In addition to the topological Hall effect, recent studies on non-centrosymmetric magnets find that the spin-orbit interaction of itinerant electrons gives rise to novel contributions related to spin chirality, i.e., the chiral Hall effect. In this work, we discuss that the spin-orbit interaction has a distinct, yet significant, effect on the anomalous Hall effect related to spin chirality in centrosymmetric magnets. Using a scattering theory method, we find that the anomalous Hall effect related to scalar spin chirality in a two-dimensional Luttinger model is suppressed by more than one order of magnitude compared to the quadratic dispersion, and the contributions similar to the chiral Hall effect in Rashba model vanishes. At the same time, a novel term that gives different Hall conductivity for the Bloch and Neel skyrmions occurs, thereby enabling the detection of the skyrmion helicity. The striking differences demonstrate the rich effect of crystal symmetry on the chirality-related anomalous Hall effect in materials with strong spin-orbit interaction

Effects of Choto-san (Diao-Teng-San) on microcirculation of bulbar conjunctiva and hemorheological factors in patients with asymptomatic cerebral infarction

In this study, the effects of Choto-san ( 釣藤散 ) on the microcirculation of bulbar conjunctiva in 16 patients with asymptornatic cerebral infarction were investigated with a video-microscopic system. After the administration of Choto-san for four weeks, variables of microcirculatory flow of the bulbar conjunctiva, that is, the internal diameter of vessels, flow velocity and flow volume rate were increased (p<0.05) . Erythrocyte aggregability, evaluated by measuring the maximum diameter of a column of intravascular erythrocyte aggregation, was also improved (p<0.05) . Simultaneously, hemorheological factors such as whole blood viscosity, plasrna viscosity, erythrocyte deformability and leukocyte deformability were examined. Choto-san improved deformability of both erythrocytes and leukocytes (p<0.05) , but not blood viscosity. These results suggest that Choto-san may have favorable effects on cerebrovascular disorders through changes in microcirculatory flow, erythrocyte aggregability and blood cell deformability. 今回,無症候性脳梗塞患者16名を対象に,眼球結膜微小循環に及ぼす釣藤散の効果をビデオ顕徴鏡システムを用いて検討した。釣藤散を4週間投与後,眼球結膜微小循環の血管内径,血流速度,血流量が増加した(p<0.05)。血管内赤血球集合現象を認める血管の最大内径で評価ざれる赤血球集合能も改善した(p<0.05)。同時に,血液レオロジー因子である全血粘度,血漿粘度,赤血球変形能,白血球変形能も検討したところ,釣藤散は赤血球と白血球の変形能を改善したが(p<0.05),血液粘度は改善しなかった。以上の結果から,釣藤散は徴小循環血流や赤血球集合能,血球変形能を改善することで,脳血管障害に好影響を与える可能性が示唆された

A Proteomic Approach for the Diagnosis of ‘Oketsu’ (blood stasis), a Pathophysiologic Concept of Japanese Traditional (Kampo) Medicine

‘Oketsu’ is a pathophysiologic concept in Japanese traditional (Kampo) medicine, primarily denoting blood stasis/stagnant syndrome. Here we have explored plasma protein biomarkers and/or diagnostic algorithms for ‘Oketsu’. Sixteen rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients were treated with keishibukuryogan (KBG), a representative Kampo medicine for improving ‘Oketsu’. Plasma samples were diagnosed as either having an ‘Oketsu’ (n = 19) or ‘non-Oketsu’ (n = 29) state according to Terasawa's ‘Oketsu’ scoring system. Protein profiles were obtained by surface-enhanced laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (SELDI-TOF MS) and hierarchical clustering and decision tree analyses were performed. KBG treatment for 4 or 12 weeks decreased the ‘Oketsu’ scores significantly. SELDI protein profiles gave 266 protein peaks, whose expression was significantly different between the ‘Oketsu’ and ‘non-Oketsu’ states. Hierarchical clustering gave three major clusters (I, II, III). The majority (68.4%) of ‘Oketsu’ samples were clustered into one cluster as the principal component of cluster I. The remaining ‘Oketsu’ profiles constituted a minor component of cluster II and were all derived from patients cured of the ‘Oketsu’ state at 12 weeks. Construction of the decision tree addressed the possibility of developing a diagnostic algorithm for ‘Oketsu’. A reduction in measurement/pre-processing conditions (from 55 to 16) gave a similar outcome in the clustering and decision tree analyses. The present study suggests that the pathophysiologic concept of Kampo medicine ‘Oketsu’ has a physical basis in terms of the profile of blood proteins. It may be possible to establish a set of objective criteria for diagnosing ‘Oketsu’ using a combination of proteomic and bioinformatics-based classification methods

Hitomi X-Ray Studies of Giant Radio Pulses from the Crab Pulsar

To search for giant X-ray pulses correlated with the giant radio pulses (GRPs) from the Crab pulsar, we performed a simultaneous observation of the Crab pulsar with the X-ray satellite Hitomi in the 2300 keV band and the Kashima NICT radio telescope in the 1.41.7 GHz band with a net exposure of about 2 ks on 2016 March 25, just before the loss of the Hitomi mission. The timing performance of the Hitomi instruments was confirmed to meet the timing requirement and about 1000 and 100 GRPs were simultaneously observed at the main pulse and inter-pulse phases, respectively, and we found no apparent correlation between the giant radio pulses and the X-ray emission in either the main pulse or inter-pulse phase. All variations are within the 2 fluctuations of the X-ray fluxes at the pulse peaks, and the 3 upper limits of variations of main pulse or inter-pulse GRPs are 22% or 80% of the peak flux in a 0.20 phase width, respectively, in the 2300 keV band. The values for main pulse or inter-pulse GRPs become 25% or 110%, respectively, when the phase width is restricted to the 0.03 phase. Among the upper limits from the Hitomi satellite, those in the 4.510 keV and 70300 keV bands are obtained for the first time, and those in other bands are consistent with previous reports. Numerically, the upper limits of the main pulse and inter-pulse GRPs in the 0.20 phase width are about (2.4 and 9.3) 10(exp 11) erg cm(exp 2), respectively. No significant variability in pulse profiles implies that the GRPs originated from a local place within the magnetosphere. Although the number of photon-emitting particles should temporarily increase to account for the brightening of the radio emission, the results do not statistically rule out variations correlated with the GRPs, because the possible X-ray enhancement may appear due to a >0.02% brightening of the pulse-peak flux under such conditions

Omecamtiv mecarbil in chronic heart failure with reduced ejection fraction, GALACTIC‐HF: baseline characteristics and comparison with contemporary clinical trials

Aims: The safety and efficacy of the novel selective cardiac myosin activator, omecamtiv mecarbil, in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) is tested in the Global Approach to Lowering Adverse Cardiac outcomes Through Improving Contractility in Heart Failure (GALACTIC‐HF) trial. Here we describe the baseline characteristics of participants in GALACTIC‐HF and how these compare with other contemporary trials. Methods and Results: Adults with established HFrEF, New York Heart Association functional class (NYHA) ≥ II, EF ≤35%, elevated natriuretic peptides and either current hospitalization for HF or history of hospitalization/ emergency department visit for HF within a year were randomized to either placebo or omecamtiv mecarbil (pharmacokinetic‐guided dosing: 25, 37.5 or 50 mg bid). 8256 patients [male (79%), non‐white (22%), mean age 65 years] were enrolled with a mean EF 27%, ischemic etiology in 54%, NYHA II 53% and III/IV 47%, and median NT‐proBNP 1971 pg/mL. HF therapies at baseline were among the most effectively employed in contemporary HF trials. GALACTIC‐HF randomized patients representative of recent HF registries and trials with substantial numbers of patients also having characteristics understudied in previous trials including more from North America (n = 1386), enrolled as inpatients (n = 2084), systolic blood pressure &lt; 100 mmHg (n = 1127), estimated glomerular filtration rate &lt; 30 mL/min/1.73 m2 (n = 528), and treated with sacubitril‐valsartan at baseline (n = 1594). Conclusions: GALACTIC‐HF enrolled a well‐treated, high‐risk population from both inpatient and outpatient settings, which will provide a definitive evaluation of the efficacy and safety of this novel therapy, as well as informing its potential future implementation

Sputum Gram stain for diagnosing causative bacterial pathogens and guiding antimicrobial therapies in community-acquired pneumonia: a systematic review and meta-analysis protocol

OBJECTIVES: The clinical role of sputum Gram stain for rapid etiologic pathogen diagnosis in patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) remains an unresolved controversy. Variability in protocols and reporting of diagnostic performance in different studies has hampered assessments of clinical utility and interpretation. Since the last meta-analysis published in 1996, several reports and resources to accurately evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of sputum Gram stain have become available. Therefore, we will conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of the clinical validity and utility of sputum Gram stain. METHODS: We will search PubMed, Ovid MEDLINE, Embase, and The Cochrane Controlled Register of Trials (CENTRAL) databases from inception through July 30, 2018, with no language restriction and perform a full-text evaluation of potentially relevant articles. We will include prospective and retrospective studies that assess sputum Gram stain in adults (aged ≥18 years) with CAP. Two reviewers will independently extract data and rate each study’s validity with standard quality assessment tools. We will subsequently perform standard and latent-class random-effects model meta-analyses to quantitatively synthesize the diagnostic accuracy and yield. Finally, we will assess the totality of evidence by the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) approach for diagnostic tests and strategies. RESULTS: Results of the analysis will be submitted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal. CONCLUSIONS: This systematic review and meta-analysis will provide a 30-year synopsis of clinical evidence on sputum Gram stain in patients with CAP