University students’ attitudes toward human interaction and health in the Corona Disaster.

新型コロナウイルスの感染拡大が学生生活に及ぼした変化から，コロナ禍における大学生の人的交流や健康に対する考え方を検討することを目的とする。2020年度広島大学歯学部歯学科１～６年生318名の学生を対象に，2020年11月から2021年２月の間にコロナ感染拡大による生活変化に関する質問紙調査を実施した。対面の会話は人との交流の要因であるものの，非対面での交流は要因ではなかった。人との交流と外出頻度との相関は高かった。健康と相関が認められたのは，衛生面に気をつけることだけであり，食事，運動，睡眠との相関は認められなかった。人との交流は，対面によるものが基本であり，非対面の交流は対面での交流を補うものではないと考えられた。外出は対面による会話を行うために必要なものであろう。健康とは衛生面に気をつけることであり，食事，運動や睡眠は省みられなかった。This study aimed to examine university students’ attitudes toward human interaction and health by clarifying changes in their lives caused by the COVID-19 epidemic. A questionnaire survey on life changes due to the COVID-19 epidemic was conducted among 318 first- to sixth-year students in the Department of Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, Hiroshima University between November 2020 and February 2021. “Interaction with others” was influenced by changes in “face-to-face conversations”, but not by “non-face-to-face interactions” such as online interaction. “Interaction with others” correlated highly with “the frequency of going out”. “Health conscious”correlated only with “taking care of hygiene ”but not with “diet”, “exercise”, or “sleep”. The basic interaction with people might be face to face, and non-personal interactions had not evolved to the point where they complement face-to-face interactions. Going out was considered necessary for face-to-face conversations. “Health conscious” meant “taking care of hygiene” and not “diet” , “exercise”, and “sleep”

Spin-Torque Diode Measurements of MgO-Based Magnetic Tunnel Junctions with Asymmetric Electrodes

We present a detailed study of the spin-torque diode effect in CoFeB/MgO/CoFe/NiFe magnetic tunnel junctions. From the evolution of the resonance frequency with magnetic field at different angles, we clearly identify the free-layer mode and find an excellent agreement with simulations by taking into account several terms for magnetic anisotropy. Moreover, we demonstrate the large contribution of the out-of-plane torque in our junctions with asymmetric electrodes compared to the in-plane torque. Consequently, we provide a way to enhance the sensitivity of these devices for the detection of microwave frequency

Management of Multiple Primary Lung Cancer in Patients with Centrally Located Early Cancer Lesions

BackgroundPatients with centrally located early lung cancer (CLELC) are often heavy smokers with a considerably high risk of multiple primary lung cancer (MPLC) lesions; treatment strategies for such patients must preserve the cardiopulmonary function.MethodsBetween July 2004 and July 2008, patients with CLELC underwent photodynamic therapy (PDT) using NPe6, second-generation photosensitizer at Tokyo Medical University Hospital. Among these patients, we retrospectively analyzed MPLC, which was treated by surgery plus PDT or PDT alone and examined the effectiveness of PDT, and we propose a treatment strategy for patients with MPLC.ResultsA total of 64 patients with CLECL received NPe6-PDT, and MPLCs were found in 22 patients (34.4%) using sputum cytology and a bronchoscopical examination using autofluorescence bronchoscopy. Among these 22 patients, 10 patients underwent surgery for primary lung cancer and underwent NPe6-PDT for the treatment of secondary primary CLELC, one patient underwent PDT for CLELC as a primary lesion followed by an operation for peripheral-type lung cancer as a secondary primary lesion, and 11 patients underwent PDT alone for MPLC lesions (28 lesions) that were roentgenographically occult lung cancers. Among these 22 patients with MPLC including peripheral-type lung cancers, which were resected by surgery, all 39 CLELC lesions exhibited a complete response after PDT, and all patients were alive.ConclusionsFor patients with lung cancer with a long-term history of smoking, careful follow-up examinations after surgical resection are needed considering the incidence of metachronous primary lung cancers. PDT can play an important role for the treatment strategy for MPLC

Cryo-EM structure of the nucleosome containing the ALB1 enhancer DNA sequence

Pioneer transcription factors specifically target their recognition DNA sequences within nucleosomes. FoxA is the pioneer transcription factor that binds to the ALB1 gene enhancer in liver precursor cells, and is required for liver differentiation in embryos. The ALB1 enhancer DNA sequence is reportedly incorporated into nucleosomes in cells, although the nucleosome structure containing the targeting sites for FoxA has not been clarified yet. In this study, we determined the nucleosome structure containing the ALB1 enhancer (N1) sequence, by cryogenic electron microscopy at 4.0 Å resolution. The nucleosome structure with the ALB1 enhancer DNA is not significantly different from the previously reported nucleosome structure with the Widom 601 DNA. Interestingly, in the nucleosomes, the ALB1 enhancer DNA contains local flexible regions, as compared to the Widom 601 DNA. Consistently, DNaseI treatments revealed that, in the nucleosome, the ALB1 enhancer (N1) DNA is more accessible than the Widom 601 sequence. The histones also associated less strongly with the ALB1 enhancer (N1) DNA than the Widom 601 DNA in the nucleosome. Therefore, the local histone–DNA contacts may be responsible for the enhanced DNA accessibility in the nucleosome with the ALB1 enhancer DNA

Daikenchuto accelerates the recovery from prolonged postoperative ileus after open abdominal surgery : a subgroup analysis of three randomized controlled trials

Purpose Prolonged postoperative ileus (POI) is a common complication after open abdominal surgery (OAS). Daikenchuto (DKT), a traditional Japanese medicine that peripherally stimulates the neurogenic pathway, is used to treat prolonged POI in Japan. To analyze whether DKT accelerates the recovery from prolonged POI after OAS, we conducted a secondary analysis of three multicenter randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Methods A secondary analysis of the three RCTs supported by the Japanese Foundation for Multidisciplinary Treatment of Cancer (project numbers 39-0902, 40-1001, 42-1002) assessing the effect of DKT on prolonged POI in patients who had undergone OAS for colon, liver, or gastric cancer was performed. The subgroup included 410 patients with no bowel movement (BM) before the first diet, a DKT group (n = 214), and a placebo group (n = 196). Patients received either 5 g DKT or a placebo orally, three times a day. The primary endpoint was defined as the time from the end of surgery to the first bowel movement (FBM). A sensitivity analysis was also performed on the age, body mass index and dosage as subgroup analyses. Results The primary endpoint was significantly accelerated in the DKT group compared with the placebo group (p = 0.004; hazard ratio 1.337). The median time to the FBM was 113.8 h in the placebo group and 99.1 h in the DKT treatment group. Conclusions The subgroup analysis showed that DKT significantly accelerated the recovery from prolonged POI following OAS

Testis-Specific Histone Variant H3t Gene Is Essential for Entry into Spermatogenesis

Jun Ueda, Akihito Harada, Takashi Urahama, Shinichi Machida, Kazumitsu Maehara, Masashi Hada, Yoshinori Makino, Jumpei Nogami, Naoki Horikoshi, Akihisa Osakabe, Hiroyuki Taguchi, Hiroki Tanaka, Hiroaki Tachiwana, Tatsuma Yao, Minami Yamada, Takashi Iwamoto, Ayako Isotani, Masahito Ikawa, Taro Tachibana, Yuki Okada, Hiroshi Kimura, Yasuyuki Ohkawa, Hitoshi Kurumizaka, Kazuo Yamagata, Testis-Specific Histone Variant H3t Gene Is Essential for Entry into Spermatogenesis, Cell Reports, Volume 18, Issue 3, 2017, Pages 593-600, ISSN 2211-1247, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2016.12.065