Theory of multiwave mixing and decoherence control in qubit array system

We develop a theory to analyze the decoherence effect in a charged qubit array system with photon echo signals in the multiwave mixing configuration. We present how the decoherence suppression effect by the {\it bang-bang} control with the $\pi$ pulses can be demonstrated in laboratory by using a bulk ensemble of exciton qubits and optical pulses whose pulse area is even smaller than $\pi$. Analysis is made on the time-integated multiwave mixing signals diffracted into certain phase matching directions from a bulk ensemble. Depending on the pulse interval conditions, the cross over from the decoherence acceleration regime to the decoherence suppression regime, which is a peculiar feature of the coherent interaction between a qubit and the reservoir bosons, may be observed in the time-integated multiwave mixing signals in the realistic case including inhomogeneous broadening effect. Our analysis will successfully be applied to precise estimation of the reservoir parameters from experimental data of the direction resolved signal intensities obtained in the multiwave mixing technique.Comment: 19 pages, 11 figure

Copper-deficiency anemia after esophagectomy: A pitfall of postoperative enteral nutrition through jejunostomy

AbstractINTRODUCTIONCopper deficiency leads to functional disorders of hematopoiesis and neurological system. There have been some reports of copper deficiency occurring to the patients on enteral nutrition through a jejunostomy in long-term-care hospitals. However, it is extremely rare to find patients with copper deficiency several months after esophagectomy, regardless of enteral nutrition through the jejunostomy. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case report of a patient who experienced copper-deficiency anemia after esophagectomy and subsequent enteral nutrition through the jejunostomy.PRESENTATION OF CASEA 73-year-old man presented with pulmonary failure after esophagectomy for esophageal cancer with video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery, and needed long-term artificial ventilator support. Nutritional management included enteral nutrition through a jejunostomy from the early postoperative period. Copper-deficiency anemia was detected 3 months postoperatively; therefore, copper supplementation with cocoa powder was performed, and both serum copper and hemoglobin levels subsequently recovered.DISCUSSIONCopper-deficiency anemia has already been reported to occur in patients receiving enteral nutrition in long-term care hospitals. However, this is the first case report of copper deficiency after esophagectomy despite administration of standard enteral nutrition through the jejunostomy for several months.CONCLUSIONIt is extremely rare to find copper-deficiency anemia several months after esophagectomy followed by enteral nutrition through the jejunostomy. However, if anemia of unknown origin occurs in such patients, copper-deficiency anemia must be considered among the differential diagnoses

End-sequencing and characterization of silkworm (Bombyx mori) bacterial artificial chromosome libraries

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>We performed large-scale bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) end-sequencing of two BAC libraries (an <it>Eco</it>RI- and a <it>Bam</it>HI-digested library) and conducted an <it>in silico </it>analysis to characterize the obtained sequence data, to make them a useful resource for genomic research on the silkworm (<it>Bombyx mori</it>).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>More than 94000 BAC end sequences (BESs), comprising more than 55 Mbp and covering about 10.4% of the silkworm genome, were sequenced. Repeat-sequence analysis with known repeat sequences indicated that the long interspersed nuclear elements (LINEs) were abundant in <it>Bam</it>HI BESs, whereas DNA-type elements were abundant in <it>Eco</it>RI BESs. Repeat-sequence analysis revealed that the abundance of LINEs might be due to a GC bias of the restriction sites and that the GC content of silkworm LINEs was higher than that of mammalian LINEs. In a BLAST-based sequence analysis of the BESs against two available whole-genome shotgun sequence data sets, more than 70% of the BESs had a BLAST hit with an identity of ≥ 99%. About 14% of <it>Eco</it>RI BESs and about 8% of <it>Bam</it>HI BESs were paired-end clones with unique sequences at both ends. Cluster analysis of the BESs clarified the proportion of BESs containing protein-coding regions.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>As a result of this characterization, the identified BESs will be a valuable resource for genomic research on <it>Bombyx mori</it>, for example, as a base for construction of a BAC-based physical map. The use of multiple complementary BAC libraries constructed with different restriction enzymes also makes the BESs a more valuable genomic resource. The GenBank accession numbers of the obtained end sequences are <ext-link ext-link-type="gen" ext-link-id="DE283657">DE283657</ext-link>–<ext-link ext-link-type="gen" ext-link-id="DE378560">DE378560</ext-link>.</p

A BAC-Based Integrated Linkage Map of the Silkworm \u3cem\u3eBombyx mori\u3c/em\u3e

Background: In 2004, draft sequences of the model lepidopteran Bombyx mori were reported using whole-genome shotgun sequencing. Because of relatively shallow genome coverage, the silkworm genome remains fragmented, hampering annotation and comparative genome studies. For a more complete genome analysis, we developed extended scaffolds combining physical maps with improved genetic maps. Results: We mapped 1,755 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers from bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) end sequences onto 28 linkage groups using a recombining male backcross population, yielding an average inter-SNP distance of 0.81 cM (about 270 kilobases). We constructed 6,221 contigs by fingerprinting clones from three BAC libraries digested with different restriction enzymes, and assigned a total of 724 single copy genes to them by BLAST (basic local alignment search tool) search of the BAC end sequences and high-density BAC filter hybridization using expressed sequence tags as probes. We assigned 964 additional expressed sequence tags to linkage groups by restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of a nonrecombining female backcross population. Altogether, 361.1 megabases of BAC contigs and singletons were integrated with a map containing 1,688 independent genes. A test of synteny using Oxford grid analysis with more than 500 silkworm genes revealed six versus 20 silkworm linkage groups containing eight or more orthologs of Apis versus Tribolium, respectively. Conclusion: The integrated map contains approximately 10% of predicted silkworm genes and has an estimated 76% genome coverage by BACs. This provides a new resource for improved assembly of whole-genome shotgun data, gene annotation and positional cloning, and will serve as a platform for comparative genomics and gene discovery in Lepidoptera and other insects

The renin–angiotensin system promotes arrhythmogenic substrates and lethal arrhythmias in mice with non-ischaemic cardiomyopathy

[Aims]The progression of pathological left ventricular remodelling leads to cardiac dysfunction and contributes to the occurrence of malignant arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death. The underlying molecular mechanisms remain unclear, however. Our aim was to examine the role of the renin–angiotensin system (RAS) in the mechanism underlying arrhythmogenic cardiac remodelling using a transgenic mouse expressing a cardiac-specific dominant-negative form of neuron-restrictive silencer factor (dnNRSF-Tg). This mouse model exhibits progressive cardiac dysfunction leading to lethal arrhythmias. [Methods and results]Subcutaneous administration of aliskiren, a direct renin inhibitor, significantly suppressed the progression of pathological cardiac remodelling and improved survival among dnNRSF-Tg mice while reducing arrhythmogenicity. Genetic deletion of the angiotensin type 1a receptor (AT1aR) similarly suppressed cardiac remodelling and sudden death. In optical mapping analyses, spontaneous ventricular tachycardia (VT) and fibrillation (VF) initiated by breakthrough-type excitations originating from focal activation sites and maintained by functional re-entry were observed in dnNRSF-Tg hearts. Under constant pacing, dnNRSF-Tg hearts exhibited markedly slowed conduction velocity, which likely contributes to the arrhythmogenic substrate. Aliskiren treatment increased conduction velocity and reduced the incidence of sustained VT. These effects were associated with suppression of cardiac fibrosis and restoration of connexin 43 expression in dnNRSF-Tg ventricles. [Conclusion]Renin inhibition or genetic deletion of AT1aR suppresses pathological cardiac remodelling that leads to the generation of substrates maintaining VT/VF and reduces the occurrence of sudden death in dnNRSF-Tg mice. These findings demonstrate the significant contribution of RAS activation to the progression of arrhythmogenic substrates

コラーゲンスポンジを用いた三次元培養におけるヒト顎下腺由来腺癌細胞株の遺伝子発現

Expressions of genes and proteins of human salivary gland cells (HSG cells) were investigated on three-dimensional culture comprised in collagen sponge in order to understand the response of simple epithelial cells at the molecular level. HSG cells were seeded in collagen sponges (COL-S)(three-dimensional culture) with an agitated seeding method, and cultured for various times. As a control, HSG cells were cultured on a polystyrene dish (PS) or a collagen coated dish (COL-C)(monolayer culture). The morphological features indicate that HSG cells cultured with COL-S presented a globular shape compared with monolayer culture such as with PS or COL-C. We focused on cytokeratins (CK) that are used as the marker proteins for epithelia to characterize the cultured cells. In HSG cells, CK7, CK8, CK17 and CK18 are expressed, but CK13 which is expressed specifically in mucosal epithelia is not expressed. The expression levels of CK genes were investigated by RT-PCR. The results were that the level of CK8 and CK18 were downregulated. The level of CK13 was upregulated. On the other hand, no alternation of the expression levels of CK7 and CK17 was observed. Western Blotting was carried out to investigate the expression of protein. The bands of CK8 and CK18 were detected. The expression level of CK8 and CK18 protein was reduced as well as the mRNA level. CK13 protein was not detected in this way. The expression level of the Nm23-H1 gene, which is one of tumor suppressor genes and concerned with ERK/MAPK signal transduction, was downregulated. These results suggest that HSG cells were altered by three-dimensional culture for different expression patterns of CKs which were not contained in the simple epithelium

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

The impact of inpatient suicide on psychiatric nurses and their need for support

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The nurses working in psychiatric hospitals and wards are prone to encounter completed suicides. The research was conducted to examine post-suicide stress in nurses and the availability of suicide-related mental health care services and education.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Experiences with inpatient suicide were investigated using an anonymous, self-reported questionnaire, which was, along with the Impact of Event Scale-Revised, administered to 531 psychiatric nurses.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The rate of nurses who had encountered patient suicide was 55.0%. The mean Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R) score was 11.4. The proportion of respondents at a high risk (≥ 25 on the 88-point IES-R score) for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was 13.7%. However, only 15.8% of respondents indicated that they had access to post-suicide mental health care programmes. The survey also revealed a low rate of nurses who reported attending in-hospital seminars on suicide prevention or mental health care for nurses (26.4% and 12.8%, respectively).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>These results indicated that nurses exposed to inpatient suicide suffer significant mental distress. However, the low availability of systematic post-suicide mental health care programmes for such nurses and the lack of suicide-related education initiatives and mental health care for nurses are problematic. The situation is likely related to the fact that there are no formal systems in place for identifying and evaluating the psychological effects of patient suicide in nurses and to the pressures stemming from the public perception of nurses as suppliers rather than recipients of health care.</p

社会人のための初歩の外国語教育 : 面接授業「初歩のフランス語」「初歩のインドネシア語」の教材制作と全体構想

　外国語の面接授業は本来、放送授業をサポートすることを目的として開設されたものである。とりわけ高い年齢層の受講者のなかには、学習意欲はあるにもかかわらず、新しい外国語を習得するときに多大の困難を感じる者も少なくない。しかし一方で、社会人としての経験を積んだ学生は、知的好奇心が旺盛であり、現代世界に開かれた問題意識をもっている。そうした特性を活かすために、語学の訓練と「異文化理解」の素材を適切に組み合わせた教材を開発し、効果的なモティヴェーション教育を行うことをめざしている。　面接授業は放送授業にくらべ容易に新しい科目を開講できるという利点もある。平成18年度2学期には、フランス語、ドイツ語、スペイン語、ロシア語、中国語、韓国語、アラビア語に加え、イタリア語、インドネシア語、フィリピン語（タガログ語）、ポルトガル語が開講されており、多様化への努力は一定の成果を挙げている。　現在、若手研究者たちの協力を得て重点的にとり組んでいるフランス語とインドネシア語の教材開発の特徴を以下に併記する。1．フランス語面接授業補助教材DVD：フランス国内では南と北西の地方で取材を行ったほか、フランス語圏マリ共和国のオリジナル素材を豊富に使用した。パリへの憧れと標準語の尊重というフランス語学習の伝統に対し、新しい方向性を提案するものであり、多言語主義的な発想と、文化の多元性を尊重する姿勢が基調となっている。2．インドネシア語面接授業補助教材DVD：スタジオ収録により、ABC、発音の原則、簡単なあいさつなどの語学教材を制作した。さらにインドネシアにおける伝統的なろうけつ染め（バティック）の製作過程など特徴ある画像・映像データを収集したところであり、平成19年度には、この素材を編集して文化的なテーマを盛りこんだDVDを制作する予定である

Direct evidence for pitavastatin induced chromatin structure change in the KLF4 gene in endothelial cells.

Statins exert atheroprotective effects through the induction of specific transcriptional factors in multiple organs. In endothelial cells, statin-dependent atheroprotective gene up-regulation is mediated by Kruppel-like factor (KLF) family transcription factors. To dissect the mechanism of gene regulation, we sought to determine molecular targets by performing microarray analyses of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) treated with pitavastatin, and KLF4 was determined to be the most highly induced gene. In addition, it was revealed that the atheroprotective genes induced with pitavastatin, such as nitric oxide synthase 3 (NOS3) and thrombomodulin (THBD), were suppressed by KLF4 knockdown. Myocyte enhancer factor-2 (MEF2) family activation is reported to be involved in pitavastatin-dependent KLF4 induction. We focused on MEF2C among the MEF2 family members and identified a novel functional MEF2C binding site 148 kb upstream of the KLF4 gene by chromatin immunoprecipitation along with deep sequencing (ChIP-seq) followed by luciferase assay. By applying whole genome and quantitative chromatin conformation analysis {chromatin interaction analysis with paired end tag sequencing (ChIA-PET), and real time chromosome conformation capture (3C) assay}, we observed that the MEF2C-bound enhancer and transcription start site (TSS) of KLF4 came into closer spatial proximity by pitavastatin treatment. 3D-Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) imaging supported the conformational change in individual cells. Taken together, dynamic chromatin conformation change was shown to mediate pitavastatin-responsive gene induction in endothelial cells