Solution Structure of Apocalmodulin bound to a Binding Domain Peptide from the IQ motifs of Myosin V

The solution structures of complexes between apocalmodulin （apoCaM） and a binding domain of the IQ\nmotifs of myosin V have been determined by small-angle X-ray scattering （SAXS） with use of synchrotron\nradiation as an intense and stable X-ray source. We used three synthetic peptides of residues 772-786 （IQ1）,\n795-810 （IQ2）, and 772-810 （IQ（1+2）） of the myosin V to compare the solution structures with the\ncorresponding crystal structure （PDB: 2ix7）. The radius of gyration of apoCaM bound to the IQ1 or IQ2 at\na molar ratio of 1:1 increased by 4.8±0.3A or 3.8±0.3A, respectively, as compared with the corresponding\ncrystal structure. The experimental Kratky plots indicated that apoCaM bound to the IQ1 or IQ2 adopts a\ndumbbell-shaped structure. In contrast to these complexes, the solution of apoCaM/IQ（1+2） at a molar ratio\nof 2:1 became turbid, indicating that the solution contains several types of aggregates. The turbid solution\nwas centrifuged and the supernatant was used for the SAXS measurements. The SAXS results suggested that\nthe supernatant is composed of a mixture of apoCaM/IQ（1+2） and apoCaM. The radius of gyration of\napoCaM/IQ（1+2） at a molar ratio of 1:2 increased by 0.8±0.6A, as compared with the corresponding crystal\nstructure. The experimental Kratky plot was compared with calculated curves of both solution structures\nbased on the dumbbell-shaped structure and the crystal structure

Economic effects analysis of public investment in road improvement works in Hokkaido. Simulation analysis based on a macro-econometric model of Hokkaido

The objective of this study is to clarify how public investment in road improvement projects over a given analytical period of time has affected Hokkaido`s economic structure on the whole in relation to the industrial economy, prefectural income, household consumption, and commodity prices, through a simulation analysis based on a macro-econometric model. More specifically, our goal is to model both the direct effects achieved through the use of improved roads including the reduction of time-distance coefficients, the reduction of transportation costs and market expansion, and the indirect effects such as enhancement of lifestyles and convenience and influence on other public projects including living area improvement and promotion of regional areas, and to identify these effects quantitatively. Taking data availability into consideration, this study covers a 21-year analysis period covering the years 1976 through 1996. In constructing a quantitative model, the effect flow to be modeled was examined from two perspectives: 1) an effect flow showing the effects of road improvement works on production efficiency and market efficiency; and 2) an effect flow showing the effects of road improvement works on living standards considering convenience and lifestyle improvement. Then we attempted building a model that could indicate the occurrence of these effects in both Flow and Stock contexts. As a result of the simulation analysis, it was clarified that application of road improvement works would bring about pronounced positive economic benefits in tertiary industries, particularly in the transportation-service and wholesale/retail sectors, and greatly expand the prefectural net product on the whole. It was also revealed that these expansion effects would stimulate an increase in the prefectural income and in private final consumption expenditure. Furthermore, a simulation analysis on the economic effects that the expansion of the express-highway network would have on Hokkaido`s entire economy revealed that there would be a large effect particularly on investment and production within the transportation/communication industry and also on the commercial output of the wholesale/retail industry.

Is ChatGPT the Future of Causal Text Mining? A Comprehensive Evaluation and Analysis

Causality is fundamental in human cognition and has drawn attention in diverse research fields. With growing volumes of textual data, discerning causalities within text data is crucial, and causal text mining plays a pivotal role in extracting meaningful patterns. This study conducts comprehensive evaluations of ChatGPT's causal text mining capabilities. Firstly, we introduce a benchmark that extends beyond general English datasets, including domain-specific and non-English datasets. We also provide an evaluation framework to ensure fair comparisons between ChatGPT and previous approaches. Finally, our analysis outlines the limitations and future challenges in employing ChatGPT for causal text mining. Specifically, our analysis reveals that ChatGPT serves as a good starting point for various datasets. However, when equipped with a sufficient amount of training data, previous models still surpass ChatGPT's performance. Additionally, ChatGPT suffers from the tendency to falsely recognize non-causal sequences as causal sequences. These issues become even more pronounced with advanced versions of the model, such as GPT-4. In addition, we highlight the constraints of ChatGPT in handling complex causality types, including both intra/inter-sentential and implicit causality. The model also faces challenges with effectively leveraging in-context learning and domain adaptation. We release our code to support further research and development in this field

Economic effects analysis of public investment in road improvement works in Hokkaido. Simulation analysis based on a macro-econometric model of Hokkaido

The objective of this study is to clarify how public investment in road improvement projects over a given analytical period of time has affected Hokkaido`s economic structure on the whole in relation to the industrial economy, prefectural income, household consumption, and commodity prices, through a simulation analysis based on a macro-econometric model. More specifically, our goal is to model both the direct effects achieved through the use of improved roads including the reduction of time-distance coefficients, the reduction of transportation costs and market expansion, and the indirect effects such as enhancement of lifestyles and convenience and influence on other public projects including living area improvement and promotion of regional areas, and to identify these effects quantitatively. Taking data availability into consideration, this study covers a 21-year analysis period covering the years 1976 through 1996. In constructing a quantitative model, the effect flow to be modeled was examined from two perspectives: 1) an effect flow showing the effects of road improvement works on production efficiency and market efficiency; and 2) an effect flow showing the effects of road improvement works on living standards considering convenience and lifestyle improvement. Then we attempted building a model that could indicate the occurrence of these effects in both Flow and Stock contexts. As a result of the simulation analysis, it was clarified that application of road improvement works would bring about pronounced positive economic benefits in tertiary industries, particularly in the transportation-service and wholesale/retail sectors, and greatly expand the prefectural net product on the whole. It was also revealed that these expansion effects would stimulate an increase in the prefectural income and in private final consumption expenditure. Furthermore, a simulation analysis on the economic effects that the expansion of the express-highway network would have on Hokkaido`s entire economy revealed that there would be a large effect particularly on investment and production within the transportation/communication industry and also on the commercial output of the wholesale/retail industry

A case of lung abscess successfully treated by transbronchial drainage using a guide sheath

A 51-year-old man was diagnosed with colon cancer in September 2011, and a solitary pulmonary nodule was detected by computed tomography (CT) scan. We performed a transbronchial biopsy with endobronchial ultrasonography using a guide sheath (GS) and diagnosed lung metastasis of colon cancer. The patient experienced remittent fever after the biopsy in spite of intravenous antibiotic therapies. Moreover, his CT scan showed a large lung abscess at the biopsy site. We performed transbronchial drainage using a GS as salvage therapy. The bloody pus was successfully aspirated, and chest X-ray following the procedure showed dramatic shrinkage of the abscess

Utility of phrenic nerve ultrasound in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disorder affecting the upper and lower motor neurons causing progressive weakness. It eventually involves the diaphragm which leads to respiratory paralysis and subsequently death. Phrenic nerve (PN) conduction studies and diaphragm ultrasound has been studied and correlated with pulmonary function tests in ALS patients. However, PN ultrasonography has not been employed in ALS. This study aims to sonographically evaluate the morphologic appearance of the PN of ALS patients. Thirty-eight ALS patients and 28 normal controls referred to the neurophysiology laboratory of two institutions were retrospectively included in the study. Baseline demographic and clinical variables such as disease duration, ALS Functional Rating Scale-Revised score, and ALS region of onset were collected. Ultrasound was used to evaluate the PN cross-sectional area (CSA) of ALS and control subjects. The mean PN CSA of ALS patients were 1.08 ± 0.39 mm on the right and 1.02 ± 0.34 mm on the left. The PN CSA of ALS patients were significantly decreased compared to controls (p value < 0.00001). The PN CSA of ALS patients was not correlated to any of the demographic and clinical parameters tested. This study demonstrates that ALS patients have a smaller PN size compared to controls using ultrasonography