Auroral O+ 732/733 nm emission and its relation to ion upflow

Observations of auroral oxygen ion emission at 732/733 nm were made at the Aurora station in Longyearbyen (78.2.N, 16.3.E; lm=74.9.) using an all-sky spectrograph (ASG) during the winter season of 2000/2001. A statistical analysis showed that the highest occurrence of oxygen ion auroras at Longyearbyen was seen in the dayside of the 09-12MLT region; the intensities of these auroras were also larger than those on the night side. To study the mechanism of ion up゜ow in the polar ionosphere, ASG data obtained on December 7, 2000, was analyzed together with simultaneous ionospheric data obtained by EISCAT Svalbard radar (ESR). Enhancements of electron temperature and ion upward velocity were associated with an increase in the auroral OII intensity at the magnetic zenith. This result suggests that an ambipolar electric field associated with electron temperature enhancement caused by soft electron precipitation may be involved in the mechanisms that drive ionospheric ions upward

A new meridian imaging spectrogarph for the auroral spectroscopy

Spectroscopic and monochromatic imaging observations of emissions in the upper atmosphere are mutually complementary. A meridian imaging auroral spectrograph (ASG) that can measure a spectrum in the visible region along a meridian has been developed for research on the auroral physics and the polar upper-atmosphere dynamics. Combination of a fast optical system inherited from a monochromatic all-sky imager, a grism as a dispersive element, and a cooled CCD camera has enabled a wide field-of-view of 180° along a meridian, spectral coverage of 420-730 nm, spectral resolution of 1.5-2.0 nm, and high sensitivity to be obtained. The absolute sensitivity over a full-image field was calibrated using a National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) traceable integrating sphere and determined to be 0.06 cts/s/R at a wavelength of 560 nm at the zenith. The ASG was installed at Longyearbyen in March 2000, and routine operation was started in the 2000/2001 winter season. An example of an auroral spectral image is presented in this report to demonstrate the performance of the ASG

Prognostic value of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 in biomarker exploration using multiplex immunoassay in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma treated with axitinib

Background and AimsVascular endothelial growth factor-directed therapies play a significant role in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC). Biomarkers for predicting treatment efficacy and resistance are required to develop personalized medicine. We evaluated multiple serum cytokine levels in patients with mRCC treated with axitinib to explore predictive biomarkers. MethodsFrom September 2012 to October 2015, serum samples were collected from 44 patients with mRCC before treatment and 4weeks after axitinib initiation. Bio-Plex Pro Human Cancer Biomarker Panels 1 and 2 were used to measure levels of 34 serum biomarkers related to angiogenesis and cell proliferation. ResultsPatients with partial response or stable disease had significantly decreased serum plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) level from pre-treatment to 4weeks after axitinib initiation compared with those with progressive disease (P = .022). The median progression-free survival (PFS) and median overall survival (OS) in patients with increased serum PAI-1 level from pre-treatment to 4weeks after axitinib initiation were significantly shorter than those with decreased serum PAI-1 level (P = .027 and P = .026, respectively). Increased serum PAI-1 level from pre-treatment to 4weeks after axitinib initiation was an independent prognostic marker for shorter PFS and OS in multivariate analyses (P = .015 and P = .032, respectively). The immunohistochemical staining intensity of PAI-1 in tumor specimens was significantly associated with Fuhrman grade and presence of distant metastasis (P = .026 and P = .010, respectively). ConclusionsThe initial change in serum PAI-1 level in the early stage of axitinib treatment could be a useful prognostic biomarker in patients with mRCC

The Japanese space gravitational wave antenna; DECIGO

DECi-hertz Interferometer Gravitational wave Observatory (DECIGO) is the future Japanese space gravitational wave antenna. DECIGO is expected to open a new window of observation for gravitational wave astronomy especially between 0.1 Hz and 10 Hz, revealing various mysteries of the universe such as dark energy, formation mechanism of supermassive black holes, and inflation of the universe. The pre-conceptual design of DECIGO consists of three drag-free spacecraft, whose relative displacements are measured by a differential Fabry– Perot Michelson interferometer. We plan to launch two missions, DECIGO pathfinder and pre- DECIGO first and finally DECIGO in 2024

DECIGO pathfinder

DECIGO pathfinder (DPF) is a milestone satellite mission for DECIGO (DECi-hertz Interferometer Gravitational wave Observatory) which is a future space gravitational wave antenna. DECIGO is expected to provide us fruitful insights into the universe, in particular about dark energy, a formation mechanism of supermassive black holes, and the inflation of the universe. Since DECIGO will be an extremely large mission which will formed by three drag-free spacecraft with 1000m separation, it is significant to gain the technical feasibility of DECIGO before its planned launch in 2024. Thus, we are planning to launch two milestone missions: DPF and pre-DECIGO. The conceptual design and current status of the first milestone mission, DPF, are reviewed in this article

Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Imaging Mass Spectrometry

Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS) is a powerful tool that enables the simultaneous detection and identification of biomolecules in analytes. MALDI-imaging mass spectrometry (MALDI-IMS) is a two-dimensional MALDI-mass spectrometric technique used to visualize the spatial distribution of biomolecules without extraction, purification, separation, or labeling of biological samples. MALDI-IMS has revealed the characteristic distribution of several biomolecules, including proteins, peptides, amino acids, lipids, carbohydrates, and nucleotides, in various tissues. The versatility of MALDI-IMS has opened a new frontier in several fields such as medicine, agriculture, biology, pharmacology, and pathology. MALDI-IMS has a great potential for discovery of unknown biomarkers. In this review, we describe the methodology and applications of MALDI-IMS for biological samples

Internal Radiation Exposure Dose in Iwaki City, Fukushima Prefecture after the Accident at Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant

As a result of the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FNPP) on 11 March 2011, a huge amount of radionuclides, including radiocesium, was released and spread over a wide area of eastern Japan. Although three years have passed since the accident, residents around the FNPP are anxious about internal radiation exposure due to radiocesium. In this study, we screened internal radiation exposure doses in Iwaki city of Fukushima prefecture, using a whole-body counter. The first screening was conducted from October 2012 to February 2013, and the second screening was conducted from May to November 2013. Study participants were employees of ALPINE and their families who underwent examination. A total of 2,839 participants (1,366 men and 1,473 women, 1-86 years old) underwent the first screening, and 2,092 (1,022 men and 1,070 women, 1-86 years old) underwent the second screening. The results showed that 99% of subjects registered below 300 Bq per body in the first screening, and all subjects registered below 300 Bq per body in the second screening. The committed effective dose ranged from 0.01-0.06 mSv in the first screening and 0.01-0.02 mSv in the second screening. Long-term follow-up studies are needed to avoid unnecessary chronic internal exposure and to reduce anxiety among the residents by communicating radiation health risks

The status of DECIGO

DECIGO (DECi-hertz Interferometer Gravitational wave Observatory) is the planned Japanese space gravitational wave antenna, aiming to detect gravitational waves from astrophysically and cosmologically significant sources mainly between 0.1 Hz and 10 Hz and thus to open a new window for gravitational wave astronomy and for the universe. DECIGO will consists of three drag-free spacecraft arranged in an equilateral triangle with 1000 km arm lengths whose relative displacements are measured by a differential Fabry-Perot interferometer, and four units of triangular Fabry-Perot interferometers are arranged on heliocentric orbit around the sun. DECIGO is vary ambitious mission, we plan to launch DECIGO in era of 2030s after precursor satellite mission, B-DECIGO. B-DECIGO is essentially smaller version of DECIGO: B-DECIGO consists of three spacecraft arranged in an triangle with 100 km arm lengths orbiting 2000 km above the surface of the earth. It is hoped that the launch date will be late 2020s for the present

WRN Mutation Update: Mutation Spectrum, Patient Registries, and Translational Prospects: HUMAN MUTATION

Werner syndrome (WS) is a rare autosomal recessive disorder characterized by a constellation of adult onset phenotypes consistent with an acceleration of intrinsic biological aging. It is caused by pathogenic variants in the WRN gene, which encodes a multifunctional nuclear protein with exonuclease and helicase activities. WRN protein is thought to be involved in optimization of various aspects of DNA metabolism, including DNA repair, recombination, replication, and transcription. In this update, we summarize a total of 83 different WRN mutations, including eight previously unpublished mutations identified by the International Registry of Werner Syndrome (Seattle, WA) and the Japanese Werner Consortium (Chiba, Japan), as well as 75 mutations already reported in the literature. The Seattle International Registry recruits patients from all over the world to investigate genetic causes of a wide variety of progeroid syndromes in order to contribute to the knowledge of basic mechanisms of human aging. Given the unusually high prevalence of WS patients and heterozygous carriers in Japan, the major goal of the Japanese Consortium is to develop effective therapies and to establish management guidelines for WS patients in Japan and elsewhere. This review will also discuss potential translational approaches to this disorder, including those currently under investigation