The Hyper Suprime-Cam SSP survey: Overview and survey design

Hyper Suprime-Cam (HSC) is a wide-field imaging camera on the prime focus of the 8.2-m Subaru telescope on the summit of Mauna Kea in Hawaii. A team of scientists from Japan, Taiwan, and Princeton University is using HSC to carry out a 300-night multi-band imaging survey of the high-latitude sky. The survey includes three layers: the Wide layer will cover 1400 deg2 in five broad bands (grizy), with a 5 σ point-source depth of r ≈ 26. The Deep layer covers a total of 26 deg2 in four fields, going roughly a magnitude fainter, while the UltraDeep layer goes almost a magnitude fainter still in two pointings of HSC (a total of 3.5 deg2). Here we describe the instrument, the science goals of the survey, and the survey strategy and data processing. This paper serves as an introduction to a special issue of the Publications of the Astronomical Society of Japan, which includes a large number of technical and scientific papers describing results from the early phases of this survey

A Case of Acquired Haemophilia A in a Patient with Chronic Myelomonocytic Leukaemia

A 67-year-old male, with a known diagnosis of myelodysplastic syndromes with multilineage dysplasia (MDS-MLD) was admitted to our hospital with a primary complaint of subcutaneous bleeding in his left thigh. Laboratory data showed anaemia and prolongation of activated partial thromboplastin time (85.8 s, normal range 24–39 s) without thrombocytopenia. Coagulation factor VIII (FVIII) activity was less than 1% (normal range 60–150%), and a FVIII inhibitor was identified and quantified at 166 BU/mL to indicate a diagnosis of acquired haemophilia A (AHA). A recent, but sustained circulating monocytosis (>1 × 109/L) was observed, which combined with elevated numbers of neutrophil and monocytic cells in the marrow, suggested evolution of MDS-MLD to chronic myelomonocytic leukaemia (CMML), coinciding with AHA. Further analysis revealed a karyotype of 46, XY, i(14) (q10), which was the same abnormality previously identified in the patient. To treat bleeding caused by AHA, steroid and activated prothrombin complex concentrate were administered. Azacitidine (AZA) was used to treat CMML. During the clinical course, bleeding partially improved; however, subsequent acute myocardial infarction occurred on day 87. Worsening bone marrow failure was observed 4 months after the original admission, despite administration of AZA therapy, and the patient died due to bleeding from AHA. This case suggests that the evolution of MDS to CMML status can be associated with AHA conferring a bleeding tendency

Characteristics of pregnancy complicated with type 1 and type 2 diabetes

Objective: Diabetes in pregnancy is a major risk factor for adverse perinatal outcomes such as congenital anomalies, hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP), and macrosomia. For the mechanism of onset of type 1 and type 2 diabetes are different, we focused on the difference in perinatal outcomes between the type 1 and type 2 diabetes groups. Materials and methods: We retrospectively reviewed 22 pregnancies with type 1 diabetes and 15 pregnancies with type 2 diabetes, who were managed in our single center, with regard to maternal diabetes conditions during pregnancy and neonatal birthweight and blood glucose level. Furthermore, we checked the effect of continuous glucose monitoring and continuous subcutaneous insulin injection in pregnancies with type 1 diabetes. Results: Type 1 diabetes in pregnancy was less controllable and increased neonatal birth weight and neonatal hypoglycemia within 2 h after birth after neonatal care unit admission. Continuous glucose monitoring and continuous subcutaneous insulin injection that are convenient to use, had a similar effect in the management of type 1 diabetes during pregnancy, compared with conventional diabetes treatment. In contrast, maternal BMI and HDP were increased in women with type 2 diabetes. Conclusion: In the management of pregnancy with diabetes, we should pay attention to the difference in pregnancy prognosis between type 1 and type 2 diabetes

In vitro and in vivo anti-herpes simplex virus activity of monogalactosyl diacylglyceride from Coccomyxa sp. KJ (IPOD FERM BP-22254), a green microalga.

A monogalactosyl diacylglyceride (MGDG) was isolated as an antiviral component from Coccomyxa sp. KJ (IPOD FERM BP-22254) via bioassay-guided fractionation. α-Linolenic acid (C18:3) and 7,10,13-hexadecatrienoic acid (C16:3) accounted for approximately 72% and 23%, respectively, of the MGDG total fatty acids of the MGDG. The MGDG showed virucidal activity against herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2), a pathogen that causes genital herpes. Physical changes in HSV-2 shape were observed after treatment with MGDG, including a decrease in particle size, and possible damage to the viral envelope, as assessed using electron microscopy. In accordance with the morphological findings, virus particles lost their ability to bind to host cells. HSV-2 treated with high concentrations of MGDG resulted in no pathogenicity in an animal model, indicating that MGDG exhibits irreversible virucidal activity against HSV-2 particles. In the animal model of HSV-2-induced genital herpes, intravaginally administered MGDG exerted a prophylactic effect by suppressing viral yields in the genital cavity and formation of herpetic lesions, resulting in a higher survival rate in treated mice than control mice administered solvent. Thus, MGDG offers a novel prophylactic option against HSV infections

Preventive Roles of Rice-<i>koji</i> Extracts and Ergothioneine on Anxiety- and Pain-like Responses under Psychophysical Stress Conditions in Male Mice

This study determined the effect of daily administration of Rice-koji on anxiety and nociception in mice subjected to repeated forced swim stress (FST). In a parallel experiment, it was determined whether ergothioneine (EGT) contained in Rice-koji displayed similar effects. Anxiety and nociception were assessed behaviorally using multiple procedures. c-Fos and FosB immunoreactivities were quantified to assess the effect of both treatments on neural responses in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN), nucleus raphe magnus (NRM), and lumbar spinal dorsal horn (DH). FST increased anxiety- and pain-like behaviors in the hindpaw. Rice-koji or EGT significantly prevented these behaviors after FST. In the absence of formalin, both treatments prevented decreased FosB expressions in the PVN after FST, while no effect was seen in the NRM and DH. In the presence of formalin, both treatments prevented changes in c-Fos and FosB expressions in all areas in FST mice. Further, in vitro experiments using SH-SY5Y cells were conducted. Rice-koji and EGT did not affect cell viability but changed the level of brain-derived neurotrophic factor. In conclusion, Rice-koji could reduce anxiety and pain associated with psychophysical stress, possibly mediated by the modulatory effects of EGT on neural functions in the brain

Crystal Engineering of <i>N</i>,<i>N</i>′‑Diphenylurea Compounds Featuring Phenyl–Perfluorophenyl Interaction

Here, aiming to adopt the phenyl–perfluorophenyl interaction to regulate molecular alignment and arrangement for crystal engineering, we examined and compared in detail the crystal structures of <i>N</i>,<i>N</i>′-diphenylurea compounds <b>1</b>–<b>6</b>. We found that phenyl–perfluorophenyl interaction greatly influenced the intermolecular arrangement in the crystal, and we were able to prepare a cocrystal of <b>1</b> and <b>2</b>, in which the molecules were alternately arranged under the control of the phenyl–perfluorophenyl interaction. This arrangement was driven by the asymmetric geometry of the hydrogen bonds in the cocrystal (<b>1·2</b>), in which <b>2</b>, bearing two perfluorophenyl groups, worked as a better hydrogen bond donor. In contrast, NH connected to the phenyl group in <b>3</b> proved to be a better hydrogen bond donor due to the intramolecular resonance effect. <i>N</i>,<i>N</i>′-Dimethylated derivatives, <b>4</b>–<b>6</b>, existed in <i>cis</i>-<i>cis</i> form in the crystal. Antiparallel carbonyl–carbonyl arrangements were observed in <b>4</b> and <b>6</b>, while an unexpected carbonyl–perfluorophenyl interaction was observed in the crystal of <b>5</b>. These findings will be helpful in the design of diphenylurea-based functional molecules, especially for solid-state application