Combined analysis of microstructures within an annual ring of Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) by dynamic mechanical analysis and small angle X-ray scattering

Dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) and small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) measurements of water-saturated wood of Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) in the temperature range of 0 ℃ to 100 ℃ were focused to clarify microstructural changes within an annual ring. The following results were obtained. Thermal softening behavior caused by micro-Brownian motion of lignin was observed in both earlywood and latewood. The peaks of tanδ were found at around 95 ℃ for earlywood and at around 90 ℃ for latewood. These results suggested that the structures of lignin in the cell wall were different between earlywood and latewood. SAXS measurements of water-saturated earlywood and latewood in water were performed with precise temperature control. The scattering intensity increased with increasing temperature, indicating that the density of the matrix was reduced at higher temperature. One-dimensional SAXS intensity at the equator, which approximately represents cellulose microfibrils arrangement in the matrix, was intensively analyzed using the WoodSAS model. The result of this model fitting showed that the cellulose microfibril diameter of latewood was higher than that of earlywood. In addition, the value of interfibrillar distance decreased monotonically in the earlywood, while it decreased rapidly in the latewood from 60 ℃ to 90 ℃. The changes in the cellulose microfibril (CMF) diameter and the interfibrillar distance with increasing temperature between earlywood and latewood by SAXS measurement were different. The differences in CMF diameter and inter-fibril distance between earlywood and latewood measured by SAXS also support the hypothesis that lignin structure differs between earlywood and latewood based on the results of DMA measurements

Common Variants in CDKN2B-AS1 Associated with Optic-Nerve Vulnerability of Glaucoma Identified by Genome-Wide Association Studies in Japanese

BACKGROUND: To date, only a small portion of the genetic variation for primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG), the major type of glaucoma, has been elucidated. METHODS AND PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We examined our two data sets of the genome-wide association studies (GWAS) derived from a total of 2,219 Japanese subjects. First, we performed a GWAS by analyzing 653,519 autosomal common single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 833 POAG patients and 686 controls. As a result, five variants that passed the Bonferroni correction were identified in CDKN2B-AS1 on chromosome 9p21.3, which was already reported to be a significant locus in the Caucasian population. Moreover, we combined the data set with our previous GWAS data set derived from 411 POAG patients and 289 controls by the Mantel-Haenszel test, and all of the combined variants showed stronger association with POAG (P<5.8 × 10(-10)). We then subdivided the case groups into two subtypes based on the value of intraocular pressure (IOP)--POAG with high IOP (high pressure glaucoma, HPG) and that with normal IOP (normal pressure glaucoma, NPG)--and performed the GWAS using the two data sets, as the prevalence of NPG in Japanese is much higher than in Caucasians. The results suggested that the variants from the same CDKN2B-AS1 locus were likely to be significant for NPG patients. CONCLUSIONS AND SIGNIFICANCE: In this study, we successfully identified POAG-associated variants in the CDKN2B-AS1 locus using a Japanese population, i.e., variants originally reported as being associated with the Caucasian population. Although we cannot rule out that the significance could be due to the differences in sample size between HPG and NPG, the variants could be associated specifically with the vulnerability of the optic nerve to IOP, which is useful for investigating the etiology of glaucoma

研究公正に関する自己記述式尺度における質問文の検討 : 尺度作成における議論を通して

京都府立医科大学大学院医学研究科医学生命倫理学人文・社会科学教室京都府立医科大学大学院医学研究科生物統計学教室京都府立医科大学大学院保健看護学研究科東京医科歯科大学臨床医学教育学開発分野新潟大学創生学部日本医科大学医療管理学京都府立医科大学大学院医学研究科生命基礎数理学教室京都府立医科大学大学院医学研究科医療フロンティア展開学九州大学病院ARO次世代医療センター群馬パース大学教養部AMED研究公正高度化モデル開発支援事業「学際的アプローチによる研究倫理教育のモデル評価プログラムの開発と検証」（瀬戸山班）では、研究活動に関する倫理的意思決定を測定する尺度を開発している。本論文では、この開発中の尺度の質問文に着目し、自己記述式尺度が抱える問題点を克服するため、質問文の作成において検討した内容や、この質問文のオリジナリティ、課題について述べる

研究活動における「隠れたカリキュラム」の可視化の試み : 重回帰分析による分析と考察

京都府立医科大学大学院医学研究科医学生命倫理学人文・社会科学教室京都府立医科大学大学院医学研究科生命基礎数理学教室京都府立医科大学大学院医学研究科生物統計学教室京都府立医科大学大学院保健看護学研究科東京医科歯科大学臨床医学教育学開発分野新潟大学創生学部日本医科大学医療管理学京都府立医科大学大学院医学研究科医療フロンティア展開学九州大学病院ARO次世代医療センター群馬パース大学教養部本稿では，医学教育分野で注目されている「隠れたカリキュラム（hidden curriculum）」を，医学研究の倫理分野において倫理的意思決定やそれに影響を与える組織の環境に応用し，研究倫理に関する規範意識・行動様式を問う情意領域問題の測定尺度を作成したものを用いて，「あなたならばどう行動するか」と「あなたの周りの人ならばどう行動すると考えるか」についてそれぞれ質問を行い，その得点差を見ることで隠れたカリキュラムの影響を可視化することを試みた。その結果，全体及びすべてのカテゴリーにおいて「あなたならばどう行動するか」の得点が高いこと，属性との関連について調べたところ，一部のカテゴリーと性別，人に関わる研究の有無で有意な得点差がみられた

Prediction and Implications of Edoxaban-Associated Bleeding in Patients after Critical Illness

In this retrospective study, we aimed to identify the risk factors for bleeding in patients after critical illness during edoxaban treatment. Data from patients who received edoxaban after critical illness at the Emergency Department at a tertiary care hospital were obtained from the hospital medical records. Multivariate analysis revealed the risk factors for edoxaban-associated bleeding. Additionally, we developed an edoxaban-associated bleeding score (EAB score) based on these results. The derived EAB score was compared with the HAS-BLED score using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Bleeding was observed in 42 of 114 patients (36.8%). We identified the following bleeding predictors (odds ratios, 95% confidence interval, score points) using multivariate analysis: concomitant use of antiplatelet agents (6.759, 2.047-22.32, 2 points), concomitant use of P-glycoprotein inhibitors (3.825, 1.484-9.856, 1 point), prothrombin time (PT)% following edoxaban administration of = 60% (2.507, 0.788-7.970, 1 point), and PT% following edoxaban administration of <60% (11.23, 3.560-35.42, 3 points). The ROC curve analysis revealed an area under the curve of 0.826 for the EAB score and 0.625 for the HAS-BLED score. Under appropriate edoxaban dosing regimens in patients after critical illness, a combination of antiplatelet agents, P-gp inhibitors, and a low PT% following edoxaban administration were identified as strong risk factors for bleeding

Prediction and Implications of Edoxaban-Associated Bleeding in Patients after Critical Illness

In this retrospective study, we aimed to identify the risk factors for bleeding in patients after critical illness during edoxaban treatment. Data from patients who received edoxaban after critical illness at the Emergency Department at a tertiary care hospital were obtained from the hospital medical records. Multivariate analysis revealed the risk factors for edoxaban-associated bleeding. Additionally, we developed an edoxaban-associated bleeding score (EAB score) based on these results. The derived EAB score was compared with the HAS-BLED score using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Bleeding was observed in 42 of 114 patients (36.8%). We identified the following bleeding predictors (odds ratios, 95% confidence interval, score points) using multivariate analysis: concomitant use of antiplatelet agents (6.759, 2.047&ndash;22.32, 2 points), concomitant use of P-glycoprotein inhibitors (3.825, 1.484&ndash;9.856, 1 point), prothrombin time (PT)% following edoxaban administration of &lt;75% and &ge;60% (2.507, 0.788&ndash;7.970, 1 point), and PT% following edoxaban administration of &lt;60% (11.23, 3.560&ndash;35.42, 3 points). The ROC curve analysis revealed an area under the curve of 0.826 for the EAB score and 0.625 for the HAS-BLED score. Under appropriate edoxaban dosing regimens in patients after critical illness, a combination of antiplatelet agents, P-gp inhibitors, and a low PT% following edoxaban administration were identified as strong risk factors for bleeding