Dynamics of Ultracold Lithium in Modulated Optical Lattices

The extreme tunability and control that atomic physics provides makes quantum gasesideal platforms for experimentally realizing novel synthetic materials beyond what istraditionally realizable in condensed matter experiments. In particular, the ability tocontrol interparticle interactions allows for the realization of long lived nonequilibriumstates, and strong periodic modulation of lattice potentials realizes novel Floquet matter.In this thesis I shall present a series of experiments studying the dynamics of ultracoldlithium in modulated and static one-dimensional optical lattices. First, I present anoverview of the experimental apparatus which includes a description of the generation ofour Bose-Einstein condensate and optical lattices. Then I step through four experimentswhich we conducted. The rst two involve studying spatial dynamics in static opticallattices in the ground and the excited bands which realize position-space Bloch oscillationsand a relativistic harmonic oscillator respectively. The third experiment studies transportin Floquet hybridized optical lattice Bloch bands, and the fourth experiment investigatesprethermalization in strongly modulated lattices with tunable interactions

A Hepatocellular Adenoma in a Diet-induced Obese Mouse

A hepatic nodule was noted in a C57BL/6J mouse with diet-induced obesity at 53 weeks of age. Macroscopically, a protruding yellowish white nodule was observed on the visceral surface of the left lateral lobe. Light microscopy demonstrated clear demarcation from the compressed adjacent parenchyma, with loss of the distinct lobular pattern. The proliferating cells of the lesion varied in shape and showed cellular atypia and prominent nucleoli along with vacuoles of various sizes. Some of the cells contained various-sized eosinophilic inclusion bodies in their cytoplasm, and electron microscopy revealed the presence of lipid droplets in the rough endoplasmic reticulum. Eosinophilic inclusions were observed as electron dense granular material in the rough endoplasmic reticulum, with one or a few low density central cores. A diagnosis of hepatocellular adenoma was made based on these findings

Association of Thioautotrophic Bacteria with Deep-Sea Sponges

We investigated microorganisms associated with a deep-sea sponge, Characella sp. (Pachastrellidae) collected at a hydrothermal vent site (686 m depth) in the Sumisu Caldera, Ogasawara Island chain, Japan, and with two sponges, Pachastrella sp. (Pachastrellidae) and an unidentified Poecilosclerida sponge, collected at an oil seep (572 m depth) in the Gulf of Mexico, using polymerase chain reaction–denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE) directed at bacterial 16S rRNA gene sequences. In the PCR-DGGE profiles, we detected a single clearly dominant band in each of the Characella sp. and the unidentified Poecilosclerida sponge. BLAST search of their sequences showed that they were most similar (>99% identity) to those of the gammaproteobacterial thioautotrophic symbionts of deep-sea bivalves from hydrothermal vents, Bathymodiolus spp. Phylogenetic analysis of the near-full length sequences of the 16S rRNA genes cloned from the unidentified Poecilosclerida sponge and Characella sp. confirmed that they were closely related to thioautotrophic symbionts. Although associations between sponges and methanotrophic bacteria have been reported previously, this is the first report of a possible stable association between sponges and thioautotrophic bacteria

Imaging analysis reveals mechanistic differences between first- and second-phase insulin exocytosis

The mechanism of glucose-induced biphasic insulin release is unknown. We used total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) imaging analysis to reveal the process of first- and second-phase insulin exocytosis in pancreatic β cells. This analysis showed that previously docked insulin granules fused at the site of syntaxin (Synt)1A clusters during the first phase; however, the newcomers fused during the second phase external to the Synt1A clusters. To reveal the function of Synt1A in phasic insulin exocytosis, we generated Synt1A-knockout (Synt1A−/−) mice. Synt1A−/− β cells showed fewer previously docked granules with no fusion during the first phase; second-phase fusion from newcomers was preserved. Rescue experiments restoring Synt1A expression demonstrated restoration of granule docking status and fusion events. Inhibition of other syntaxins, Synt3 and Synt4, did not affect second-phase insulin exocytosis. We conclude that the first phase is Synt1A dependent but the second phase is not. This indicates that the two phases of insulin exocytosis differ spatially and mechanistically

Three Dimensional Motion Analysis of Hand Tremors During Endoscopic Ear Surgery

[Background] Endoscopic surgery is developing in various clinical specialties. During ear endoscopic surgery, a surgeon has to hold an endoscope with one hand and operate the surgical instruments with another hand. Therefore, the stability of the surgeon’s hand affects the field of surgical view and quality of the surgery considerably. There are few techniques which are used during surgery to stabilize the endoscope. However, no study has evaluated the efficacy of such techniques in detail. This study examined the three dimensional movement of an endoscope to compare and evaluate the effect of various stabilization techniques to reduce the hand tremor while using the endoscope. [Methods] A non-randomized controlled trial involving 15 medical students was conducted in Tottori University, Japan. Subjects held an endoscope with their non-dominant hand and manipulated it using three different stabilization techniques i.e. with resting the elbow on the table, resting the endoscope on the ear canal, both with the elbow on the table and endoscope on the ear canal. For the control, subjects were made to use the endoscope without any stabilization technique. The endoscopic movement was measured with and without using the stabilization techniques. [Results] The results obtained in this study indicated that manipulating the endoscope with resting the elbow on the table restrains both vertical (Y-axis) and optical axis (Z-axis) direction of tremor, and manipulating the endoscope by resting it on the ear canal restrains both vertical (Y-axis) and horizontal axis (X-axis) direction while the combined use of both the techniques reduces the endoscope movement in all the three X, Y and Z axes. [Conclusion] In conclusion, concomitant use of both techniques appears to be clinically beneficial in endoscopic ear surgery

Impact of Parenting Style on Clinically Significant Behavioral Problems Among Children Aged 4–11 Years Old After Disaster: A Follow-Up Study of the Great East Japan Earthquake

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of parenting style on children's behavior problems after the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011.Methods: Participants were children exposed to the 2011 disaster at preschool age (n = 163). Data were collected from August 2012 to March 2013, and from July 2014 to March 2015 (2 and 4 years, respectively, after the earthquake), thus participants were aged 4–11 years when assessed. Parenting style was assessed by caregivers using the Alabama Parenting Questionnaire (APQ), which measures parental involvement, positive parenting, poor monitoring/supervision, inconsistent discipline, and corporal punishment in the second year after the disaster. Behavior problems were assessed by caregivers using the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), which identifies internalizing, externalizing, and total problems in the second and fourth year after the disaster.Results: The results show that corporal punishment in the second year after the disaster had negative influence on CBCL internalizing score (coefficient: 0.78, 95%CI: 0.12–1.45, p = 0.023), externalizing score (coefficient: 0.74, 95%CI: 0.09–1.39, p = 0.025), and total score in the fourth year after the disaster (coefficient: 0.85, 95%CI: 0.16–1.55, p = 0.016), after adjusted for children's age, sex, the number of trauma experiences, maternal education, the number of siblings, temporally housing experience, and CBCL each scores in the second year after the disaster. Other parenting style did not affect children's behavioral problems.Conclusion: The result suggests that inadequate rearing after a natural disaster had negative impact on the behavior problems of the affected children in 4 years later of the disaster. Specifically, corporal punishment had negative influence on children's behavior problems

Capability and Limitations of Recent Diagnostic Criteria for Autoimmune Pancreatitis

Because a diagnostic serological marker is unavailable, autoimmune pancreatitis (AIP) is diagnosed based on unique features. The diagnostic capabilities and potential limitations of four sets of diagnostic criteria for AIP (Japanese diagnostic criteria 2006 and 2011, Asian diagnostic criteria, and international consensus diagnostic criteria (ICDC)) were compared among 85 patients who were diagnosed AIP according to at least one of the four sets. AIP was diagnosed in 87%, 95%, 95%, and 95% of the patients according to the Japanese 2006, Asian, ICDC, and Japanese 2011 criteria, respectively. The ICDC can diagnose types 1 and 2 AIP independently and show high sensitivity for diagnosis of AIP. However, as the ICDC are rather complex, diagnostic criteria for AIP should perhaps be revised and tailored to each country based on the ICDC

高校生における異文化体験と国際的資質の関連 : 海外研修旅行の効果

本研究の目的は， 日本の高校生を対象に，国際的資質が海外研修旅行における異文化体験へ与える影響を検討することであった。3か国のうち1か国を選択して海外研修旅行を経験した高校生158人に対し，国際的資質および異文化体験を測定する賀問紙調査を実施した。その結呆，旅行後の国際的資質が有意に高まったが，その効果量は低かった。また異文化に対する認識の肯定的変化は，旅行の結果高まったほか，旅行前の国際的資質に強く影響受けることが明らかとなった。教育効果の検証における個人要因導入の必要性について考察された。The purpose of this study was lo examine the impact of international disposition on cross-cultural experiences in an oversea school trip among Japanese high school students. 158 high school students who participated in one in three foreign countries\u27 trip answered the questionnaire regarding international disposition and cross-cultural experiences. The results showed that scores of international disposition significantly increased but the effect sizes were moderate. Positively changes of the realization toward other countries also increased and were positively influenced by international disposition before the trip. Application of individual factors to the examination of the teaching effectiveness was discussed

Risk factors for CAR-T cell manufacturing failure among DLBCL patients: A nationwide survey in Japan

CAR-T細胞製造を成功させるためのレシピ --アフェレーシス前の下ごしらえでの工夫--. 京都大学プレスリリース. 2023-04-27.For successful chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) cell therapy, CAR-T cells must be manufactured without failure caused by suboptimal expansion. In order to determine risk factors for CAR-T cell manufacturing failure, we performed a nationwide cohort study in Japan and analysed patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) who underwent tisagenlecleucel production. We compared clinical factors between 30 cases that failed (7.4%) with those that succeeded (n = 378). Among the failures, the proportion of patients previously treated with bendamustine (43.3% vs. 14.8%; p < 0.001) was significantly higher, and their platelet counts (12.0 vs. 17.0 × 10⁴/μL; p = 0.01) and CD4/CD8 T-cell ratio (0.30 vs. 0.56; p < 0.01) in peripheral blood at apheresis were significantly lower than in the successful group. Multivariate analysis revealed that repeated bendamustine use with short washout periods prior to apheresis (odds ratio [OR], 5.52; p = 0.013 for ≥6 cycles with washout period of 3–24 months; OR, 57.09; p = 0.005 for ≥3 cycles with washout period of <3 months), low platelet counts (OR, 0.495 per 105/μL; p = 0.022) or low CD4/CD8 ratios (<one third) (OR, 3.249; p = 0.011) in peripheral blood at apheresis increased the risk of manufacturing failure. Manufacturing failure remains an obstacle to CAR-T cell therapy for DLBCL patients. Avoiding risk factors, such as repeated bendamustine administration without sufficient washout, and risk-adapted strategies may help to optimize CAR-T cell therapy for DLBCL patients