Quantum arbitrary waveform generator

Controlling the waveform of light is the key for a versatile light source in classical and quantum electronics. Although pulse shaping of classical light is a mature technique and has been used in various fields, more advanced applications would be realized by a light source that generates arbitrary quantum light with arbitrary temporal waveform. We call such a device a quantum arbitrary waveform generator (Q-AWG). The Q-AWG must be able to handle versatile quantum states of light, which are fragile. Thus, the Q-AWG requires a radically different methodology from classical pulse shaping. In this paper, we invent an architecture of Q-AWGs that can operate semi-deterministically at a repetition rate over GHz in principal. We demonstrate its core technology via generating highly non-classical states with waveforms that have never been realized before. This result would lead to powerful quantum technologies based on Q-AWGs such as practical optical quantum computing.Comment: 24 pages, 5 figure

Complications Associated With Spine Surgery in Patients Aged 80 Years or Older: Japan Association of Spine Surgeons with Ambition (JASA) Multicenter Study

Study Design:Retrospective study of registry data.Objectives:Aging of society and recent advances in surgical techniques and general anesthesia have increased the demand for spinal surgery in elderly patients. Many complications have been described in elderly patients, but a multicenter study of perioperative complications in spinal surgery in patients aged 80 years or older has not been reported. Therefore, the goal of the study was to analyze complications associated with spine surgery in patients aged 80 years or older with cervical, thoracic, or lumbar lesions.Methods:A multicenter study was performed in patients aged 80 years or older who underwent 262 spinal surgeries at 35 facilities. The frequency and severity of complications were examined for perioperative complications, including intraoperative and postoperative complications, and for major postoperative complications that were potentially life threatening, required reoperation in the perioperative period, or left a permanent injury.Results:Perioperative complications occurred in 75 of the 262 surgeries (29%) and 33 were major complications (13%). In multivariate logistic regression, age over 85 years (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.007, P = 0.025) and estimated blood loss ≥500 g (HR = 3.076, P = .004) were significantly associated with perioperative complications, and an operative time ≥180 min (HR = 2.78, P = .007) was significantly associated with major complications.Conclusions:Elderly patients aged 80 years or older with comorbidities are at higher risk for complications. Increased surgical invasion, and particularly a long operative time, can cause serious complications that may be life threatening. Therefore, careful decisions are required with regard to the surgical indication and procedure in elderly patients

Risk Factors for Delirium After Spine Surgery in Extremely Elderly Patients Aged 80 Years or Older and Review of the Literature: Japan Association of Spine Surgeons with Ambition Multicenter Study

Study Design:Retrospective database analysis.Objective:Spine surgeries in elderly patients have increased in recent years due to aging of society and recent advances in surgical techniques, and postoperative complications have become more of a concern. Postoperative delirium is a common complication in elderly patients that impairs recovery and increases morbidity and mortality. The objective of the study was to analyze postoperative delirium associated with spine surgery in patients aged 80 years or older with cervical, thoracic, and lumbar lesions.Methods:A retrospective multicenter study was performed in 262 patients 80 years of age or older who underwent spine surgeries at 35 facilities. Postoperative complications, incidence of postoperative delirium, and hazard ratios of patient-specific and surgical risk factors were examined.Results:Postoperative complications occurred in 59 of the 262 spine surgeries (23%). Postoperative delirium was the most frequent complication, occurring in 15 of 262 patients (5.7%), and was significantly associated with hypertension, cerebrovascular disease, cervical lesion surgery, and greater estimated blood loss (P < .05). In multivariate logistic regression using perioperative factors, cervical lesion surgery (odds ratio = 4.27, P < .05) and estimated blood loss ≥300 mL (odds ratio = 4.52, P < .05) were significantly associated with postoperative delirium.Conclusions:Cervical lesion surgery and greater blood loss were perioperative risk factors for delirium in extremely elderly patients after spine surgery. Hypertension and cerebrovascular disease were significant risk factors for postoperative delirium, and careful management is required for patients with such risk factors

CCN3 and bone marrow cells

CCN3 expression was observed in a broad variety of tissues from the early stage of development. However, a kind of loss of function in mice (CCN3 del VWC domain -/-) demonstrated mild abnormality, which indicates that CCN3 may not be critical for the normal embryogenesis as a single gene. The importance of CCN3 in bone marrow environment becomes to be recognized by the studies of hematopoietic stem cells and Chronic Myeloid Leukemia cells. CCN3 expression in bone marrow has been denied by several investigations, but we found CCN3 positive stromal and hematopoietic cells at bone extremities with a new antibody although they are a very few populations. We investigated the expression pattern of CCN3 in the cultured bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells and found its preference for osteogenic differentiation. From the analyses of in vitro experiment using an osteogenic mesenchymal stem cell line, Kusa-A1, we found that CCN3 downregulates osteogenesis by two different pathways; suppression of BMP and stimulation of Notch. Secreted CCN3 from Kusa cells inhibited the differentiation of osteoblasts in separate culture, which indicates the paracrine manner of CCN3 activity. CCN3 may also affect the extracellular environment of the niche for hematopoietic stem cells

The whole blood transcriptional regulation landscape in 465 COVID-19 infected samples from Japan COVID-19 Task Force

「コロナ制圧タスクフォース」COVID-19患者由来の血液細胞における遺伝子発現の網羅的解析 --重症度に応じた遺伝子発現の変化には、ヒトゲノム配列の個人差が影響する--. 京都大学プレスリリース. 2022-08-23.Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a recently-emerged infectious disease that has caused millions of deaths, where comprehensive understanding of disease mechanisms is still unestablished. In particular, studies of gene expression dynamics and regulation landscape in COVID-19 infected individuals are limited. Here, we report on a thorough analysis of whole blood RNA-seq data from 465 genotyped samples from the Japan COVID-19 Task Force, including 359 severe and 106 non-severe COVID-19 cases. We discover 1169 putative causal expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs) including 34 possible colocalizations with biobank fine-mapping results of hematopoietic traits in a Japanese population, 1549 putative causal splice QTLs (sQTLs; e.g. two independent sQTLs at TOR1AIP1), as well as biologically interpretable trans-eQTL examples (e.g., REST and STING1), all fine-mapped at single variant resolution. We perform differential gene expression analysis to elucidate 198 genes with increased expression in severe COVID-19 cases and enriched for innate immune-related functions. Finally, we evaluate the limited but non-zero effect of COVID-19 phenotype on eQTL discovery, and highlight the presence of COVID-19 severity-interaction eQTLs (ieQTLs; e.g., CLEC4C and MYBL2). Our study provides a comprehensive catalog of whole blood regulatory variants in Japanese, as well as a reference for transcriptional landscapes in response to COVID-19 infection

DOCK2 is involved in the host genetics and biology of severe COVID-19

「コロナ制圧タスクフォース」COVID-19疾患感受性遺伝子DOCK2の重症化機序を解明 --アジア最大のバイオレポジトリーでCOVID-19の治療標的を発見--. 京都大学プレスリリース. 2022-08-10.Identifying the host genetic factors underlying severe COVID-19 is an emerging challenge. Here we conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) involving 2, 393 cases of COVID-19 in a cohort of Japanese individuals collected during the initial waves of the pandemic, with 3, 289 unaffected controls. We identified a variant on chromosome 5 at 5q35 (rs60200309-A), close to the dedicator of cytokinesis 2 gene (DOCK2), which was associated with severe COVID-19 in patients less than 65 years of age. This risk allele was prevalent in East Asian individuals but rare in Europeans, highlighting the value of genome-wide association studies in non-European populations. RNA-sequencing analysis of 473 bulk peripheral blood samples identified decreased expression of DOCK2 associated with the risk allele in these younger patients. DOCK2 expression was suppressed in patients with severe cases of COVID-19. Single-cell RNA-sequencing analysis (n = 61 individuals) identified cell-type-specific downregulation of DOCK2 and a COVID-19-specific decreasing effect of the risk allele on DOCK2 expression in non-classical monocytes. Immunohistochemistry of lung specimens from patients with severe COVID-19 pneumonia showed suppressed DOCK2 expression. Moreover, inhibition of DOCK2 function with CPYPP increased the severity of pneumonia in a Syrian hamster model of SARS-CoV-2 infection, characterized by weight loss, lung oedema, enhanced viral loads, impaired macrophage recruitment and dysregulated type I interferon responses. We conclude that DOCK2 has an important role in the host immune response to SARS-CoV-2 infection and the development of severe COVID-19, and could be further explored as a potential biomarker and/or therapeutic target

Seismological observations on Mount Erebus, Ross Island, Antarctica, 1980-1981

Mount Erebus (3794m) on Ross Island is one of active volcanoes in Antarctica. Two high sensitive seismic networks were installed during the 1980-1981 austral summer field season for studying seismicity in Ross Island. The one was a three-station radio telemetry network, and the other was a six-station network with long-life portable data recorders. The latter was installed temporarily around the main crater near the summit from December 20,1980 to January 6,1981. In spite of wild and harsh environment for the seismic observations, many volcanic earthquakes were recorded by the seismic networks. The number of 111 shallow events were located using the data of the above two networks. The hypocenters clustered beneath the summit in a range from near the surface to 6km. Many events accompanied the explosive eruptions were recorded at summit stations around the main crater

Development of low power data logger for the Antarctic use

A project of the "Development of Unmanned Observation System Utilizing Natural Energy" was carried out by the Polar Regions Engineering Department, National Institute of Polar Research to obtain fundamental knowledge and technique of unmanned observation systems in Antarctica during 1982 to 1984. A data logger for discontinuity data of long time range was developed as a part of the project. On the development of the data logger, it is required to achieve very low consumption of electricity and long-term recording period because it is very difficult to obtain large electric power constantly. A new data logger system has been designed and tested in Antarctica. Good results have been obtained by the experiments during the 26th and 27th Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition (1984-1986)

Biomechanical study on man's adaptation to cold -Comparison of the outfit of JARE and Eskimos in heat insulation and physical activity-

The heat insulation and the physical performance were tested to compare the winter clothing of the JARE with that of Greenland Eskimos. Four healthy students were chosen as subjects. In the heat insulation test, each subject's body temperature was monitored during 60 min in chamber (-40℃). The condition of bicycle ergometer exercise was 2.5 kp×15 min. The results revealed the following : In heat insulation the Eskimo outfit excels the JARE outfit. In the physical performance test, the sportswear proves better in "broad jump" than the JARE and Esikimo outfit. But in the seven other items of the test, the three kinds of clothing showed almost the same result, though the Eskimo outfit was a little lower in "trunk flexibility". The JARE outfit seems suitable for physical activity, but its gloves require some improvements in heat insulation so as to cope with the severe cold

ナンキョク ヨウ テイ ショウヒ デンリョク データ シュウロク キ ノ カイハツ

国立極地研究所極地設営工学研究グループでは, 南極における無人観測システムの基礎的な知識・技術を得るために「自然エネルギーを動力とした無人観測システムの開発」計画(昭和57-59年度)を実施した。その計画の一部として, サンプリング間隔の長い非連続データを対象にしたデータ収録器を開発した。無人観測の性格上, 現場で十分な電力を確保することは難しいので開発の重点を低消費電力化に置き, かつ長期のデータ収録を目標にして開発を進めた。その結果, JARE-26でテストランを行い良好な成果を得, JARE-27で実用観測を開始するに至った。A project of the "Development of Unmanned Observation System Utilizing Natural Energy" was carried out by the Polar Regions Engineering Department, National Institute of Polar Research to obtain fundamental knowledge and technique of unmanned observation systems in Antarctica during 1982 to 1984. A data logger for discontinuity data of long time range was developed as a part of the project. On the development of the data logger, it is required to achieve very low consumption of electricity and long-term recording period because it is very difficult to obtain large electric power constantly. A new data logger system has been designed and tested in Antarctica. Good results have been obtained by the experiments during the 26th and 27th Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition (1984-1986)