102 research outputs found

    Emergent One-Dimensional Helical Channel in Higher-Order Topological Insulators with Step Edges

    Full text link
    We study theoretically the electronic structure of three-dimensional (3D) higher-order topological insulators in the presence of step edges. We numerically find that a 1D conducting state with a helical spin structure, which also has a linear dispersion near the zero energy, emerges at a step edge and on the opposite surface of the step edge. Such a 1D helical conducting state can exist when the Fermi level is in the bulk bandgap, as well as the ordinary 1D topological hinge states. We also find that the 1D helical conducting state on the opposite surface of a step edge emerges when the electron hopping strength in the direction perpendicular to the step is weak. In other words, the existence of the emergent 1D helical conducting state on the opposite surface of a step edge can be understood by considering an addition of different-sized independent blocks of 3D higher-order topological insulators. Our finding paves the way for on-demand creation of 1D helical conducting states from 3D higher-order topological insulators employing experimental processes commonly used in thin-film devices, which could lead to, e.g., a realization of high-density Majorana qubits.Comment: 11 pages, 10 figure

    Taste hyposensitivity in Japanese schoolchildren

    Get PDF
    BACKGROUND: There is some research on taste disorder/hyposensitivity in special groups such as the elderly or patients presenting with specific taste problems, however few studies have been conducted among young populations. The objectives of this study were to estimate the prevalence of taste hyposensitivity and to investigate the relationship between taste hyposensitivity and oral health status in Japanese schoolchildren. METHODS: Subjects were 237 primary and 112 junior high school students in Saitama Prefecture, Japan. In total, 349 (boys: 181, girls: 168) students aged 6–15 years participated in the study. Oral examinations and whole-mouth taste tests using four tastes (sweet, salt, sour and bitter) solutions were conducted on the subjects. A subject who could not recognize the taste of the solution was defined as demonstrating hyposensitivity. RESULTS: Hyposensitivity was observed in 6.3% of all subjects for sweet-taste, 14.3% for salt-taste, 20.9% for sour-taste and 6.0% for bitter-taste. The prevalence of sweet, sour and bitter-taste hyposensitivity decreased as the subjects’ grade advanced. In contrast, the prevalence of salt-taste hyposensitivity increased in 7(th)-9(th) grade subjects. Furthermore, the prevalence of bitter-taste hyposensitivity was significantly higher in males than females among 1(st)-3(rd) graders. Taste hyposensitivity had little association with oral health status, such as decayed teeth, filled teeth, dental plaque, gingival status and tongue coating. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, taste hyposensitivity was observed in 6.0%-20.9% of the students. There was little association between taste hyposensitivity and oral health status. The current study implies that the factors affecting the taste hyposensitivity in children may different from those in the elderly. Therefore it is necessary to further investigate the causes of taste hyposensitivity among younger generation

    Erlebte Rede in "Lohengrins Tod"

    Get PDF
    In diesem Aufsatz wird die Funktion der Erlebten Rede (ER), die in "Lohengrins Tod" Heinrich Bölls hĂ€ufig auftritt, im Zusammenhang mit der ErzĂ€hlsituation analysiert. Die ErzĂ€hlhaltung schwebt im Bereich der personalen ErzĂ€hlsituation, d. h., zwischen der szenischen Darstellung und dem Auftritt der ER. Darunter kommen die ER zu den Nebenfiguren konzentriert am Anfang der Geschichte vor. Zwar tritt die ER in allgemeinen oft mit der EinfĂŒhlung des ErzĂ€hlers in den Charakter auf, aber bei mehreren Nebenfiguren im ErzĂ€hlbeginn ist solche Motivation schwer zu vermuten. Man sollte in diesem Fall eher auf die ErzĂ€hlwirkung der doppelten Perspektiven der ER achten: In der ER deckt sich die ErzĂ€hlerperspektive mit der Figurenperspektive. Damit wird ein Eindruck hervorgebracht, dass der ErzĂ€hler nicht hinter einem bestimmten Reflektorfigur, sondern direkt an Ort und Stelle, wo sich der Vorfall jetzt ereignet, steht und als ein unsichtbarer, anonymer und halbwissender Beobachter sowohl die Innenwelt als auch die Außenwelt zu sich reflektiert. Diese Personalisierung des ErzĂ€hlers bietet ihm eine Chance, seine SubjektivitĂ€t zu bedecken und die fungierte ObjektivitĂ€t zu erwerben. In der Klimax ist die ER nun fĂŒr die dauernden Gedankenwiedergabe vom Hauptfigur, Lohengrin benutzt. Bemerkenswert ist dabei, dass aus seinen verschiedenen InnenĂ€ußerungen nur "Nix, ich bin nicht getauft!" als seine Ă€ußere Stimme in der Direkten Rede wiedergegeben und in die lange ER eingeschoben ist. Dieser unerwartete Wechsel des Wiedergabemittels ist wohl absichtlich. Außerdem ist im ErzĂ€hlen noch eine auffallende Abweichungsstelle zu finden. In der szenischen Darstellung tritt der ErzĂ€hler plötzlich in Erscheinung und erklĂ€rt dem Leser den Herkunft des Namens "Lohengrin" in der Nazi-Zeit. In der Spannung zwischen den beiden ErzĂ€hlabweichungen hebt sich eine Ironie hervor: Das ist das paradoxe Schicksal, das ein Kind, das von seinem Geburt unwiderstehlich das Merkmal vom Faschismus bei sich trug, traf und schließlich zum armen Tod zwang. Zur Funktion der ER zu Lohengrin könnte man drei Punkte nennen. Erstens: die starke EinfĂŒhlungskraft der ER. Zweitens die gleitenden, unauffĂ€lligen ÜbergĂ€nge zwischen dem Innenbericht und der Gedankenwiedergabe durch die ER. Drittens: ein ErzĂ€hleffekt der ER, zu seiner Stimme in der Direkten Rede ein starkes Kontrast zu bilden. Im Vergleich mit der Indirekten Rede und dem Inneren Monolog eignet sich die ER dafĂŒr, die InnenĂ€ußerungen mit dem möglichst starken Kontrast zur Ă€ußeren Stimme wiederzugeben, ohne die originelle Form der Rede nicht so stark zu verĂ€ndern. Hier funktioniert die ER als Hintergrund, um die Ă€ußere Stimme des Jungen in den Vordergrund zu rĂŒcken und thematisieren. In dieser ErzĂ€hlstruktur könnte Lohengrins Schrei "Nix, ich bin nicht getauft!" als die Kritik am Faschismus auf dem Leser wirken

    Die verborgene Wut : die Erzahlstruktur von "Wanderer,kommst du nach Spa..."

    Get PDF
    Beim vorliegenden Aufsatz handelt es sich um förmliche Aspekte von der ErzĂ€hlung Heinrich Bölls "Wanderer, kommst du nach Spa ... ", und zwar um die Analyse ĂŒber die VerĂ€nderungen der ErzĂ€hlsituation. Dabei wird auch die Rolle des inneren Monologs und der erlebten Rede, die in dieser Ich-ErzĂ€hlung hĂ€ufig auftreten, ĂŒberprĂŒft. Die Geschichte beginnt in der personalen ErzĂ€hlsituation, in der das erzĂ€hlende Ich zurĂŒcktritt und sich der Darstellungsfokus stark auf das erlebende Ich konzentriert. Anschließend an der Darstellung der Außenwelt aus der Sicht vom erlebenden Ich kommt die innere Monolog vor. Als Mittel zur Gedankenwiedergabe vom erlebenden Ich aber wird der innere Monolog allmĂ€hlich durch die erlebte Rede abgelöst. Pararell dazu tritt das erzĂ€hlende Ich zunehmend in Erscheinung. Die VerĂ€nderung des ErzĂ€hlverhaltens vom ZurĂŒcktreten zum Hervortreten, und die Verlagerung vom inneren Monolog zur erlebten Rede deuten an, daß sich das erzĂ€hlende Ich bei der Wiedergabe seines harten Kriegserlebnisses aufgeregt ins erlebnede Ich einfĂŒhlen mußte. Seine EinfĂŒhlung ist allerdings von einer ZurĂŒckhaltung begleitet, weil er den Darstellungsfokus immer auf das erlebende Ich fixierte und nicht einmal seine Figur und Meinung als ErzĂ€hler offenbaren wollte. Aus dieser Kontrolle ĂŒber den Erscheinungsgrad könnte man ablesen, daß das erzĂ€hlende Ich nur durch den Mund des erlebenden Ichs eigene Kritik am Krieg ausdrĂŒcken wollte. Der innere Monolog und die erlebte Rede sind Mittel, seine Figur vor Leser zu verbergen und seine Wut mit der Stimme des erlebenden Ichs zu erzĂ€hlen

    Laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy after endovascular repair for abdominal aortic aneurysm

    Get PDF
    INTRODUCTION Most gastroenterological surgeries, even pancreatic surgery, can now be performed laparoscopically. However, the management of concomitant abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) and intra-abdominal malignancy is controversial. The performance of endovascular repair (EVAR) for AAA has been increasing; however, there is no report of laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy after EVAR. PRESENTATION OF CASE A pancreatic tumor was detected during follow-up after EVAR for AAA. The enlarging tumor was diagnosed as an intraductal papillary mucinous tumor with a nodule. Laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy was safely performed. After laparoscopic dissection around the pancreas head, an additional incision was made in the upper abdomen, and pancreatic reconstruction was performed through the incision. In spite of grade B pancreatic fistulae, the patient recovered with medical therapy. The pathological diagnosis was intraductal papillary mucinous adenoma with small foci of carcinoma in situ. The patient has been well with neither recurrence of the tumor nor any cardiovascular events for 18 months. DISCUSSION The management of concomitant malignancy and AAA is challenging, especially in patients with a pancreatic tumor. The reasons for the rarity of treatment include prognosis, anatomical vicinity, and postoperative complications. EVAR reduces retroperitoneal adhesions. A laparoscopic approach provides a small operative field and decreases mutual interference with AAA. Moreover, reconstruction is performed through an upper abdominal incision apart from the AAA. Hand-sewing provides more reliable stability of the anastomosis. CONCLUSION The increasing frequency of performance of EVAR for AAA and subsequent computed tomography may help to detect malignancy. Laparoscopic surgery appears to be a valid approach to malignancy after EVAR. © 2013 The Authors

    SRSF1-3 contributes to diversification of the immunoglobulin variable region gene by promoting accumulation of AID in the nucleus

    Get PDF
     Activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) is essential for diversification of the Ig variable region (IgV). AID is excluded from the nucleus, where it normally functions. However, the molecular mechanisms responsible for regulating AID localization remain to be elucidated. The SR-protein splicing factor SRSF1 is a nucleocytoplasmic shuttling protein, a splicing isoform of which called SRSF1-3, has previously been shown to contribute to IgV diversification in chicken DT40 cells. In this study, we examined whether SRSF1-3 functions in IgV diversification by promoting nuclear localization of AID. AID expressed alone was localized predominantly in the cytoplasm. In contrast, co-expression of AID with SRSF1-3 led to the nuclear accumulation of both AID and SRSF1-3 and the formation of a protein complex that contained them both, although SRSF1-3 was dispensable for nuclear import of AID. Expression of either SRSF1-3 or a C-terminally-truncated AID mutant increased IgV diversification in DT40 cells. However, overexpression of exogenous SRSF1-3 was unable to further enhance IgV diversification in DT40 cells expressing the truncated AID mutant, although SRSF1-3 was able to form a protein complex with the AID mutant. These results suggest that SRSF1-3 promotes nuclear localization of AID probably by forming a nuclear protein complex, which might stabilize nuclear AID and induce IgV diversification in an AID C-terminus-dependent manner

    Intron-loss evolution of hatching enzyme genes in Teleostei

    Get PDF
    <p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Hatching enzyme, belonging to the astacin metallo-protease family, digests egg envelope at embryo hatching. Orthologous genes of the enzyme are found in all vertebrate genomes. Recently, we found that exon-intron structures of the genes were conserved among tetrapods, while the genes of teleosts frequently lost their introns. Occurrence of such intron losses in teleostean hatching enzyme genes is an uncommon evolutionary event, as most eukaryotic genes are generally known to be interrupted by introns and the intron insertion sites are conserved from species to species. Here, we report on extensive studies of the exon-intron structures of teleostean hatching enzyme genes for insight into how and why introns were lost during evolution.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We investigated the evolutionary pathway of intron-losses in hatching enzyme genes of 27 species of Teleostei. Hatching enzyme genes of basal teleosts are of only one type, which conserves the 9-exon-8-intron structure of an assumed ancestor. On the other hand, otocephalans and euteleosts possess two types of hatching enzyme genes, suggesting a gene duplication event in the common ancestor of otocephalans and euteleosts. The duplicated genes were classified into two clades, clades I and II, based on phylogenetic analysis. In otocephalans and euteleosts, clade I genes developed a phylogeny-specific structure, such as an 8-exon-7-intron, 5-exon-4-intron, 4-exon-3-intron or intron-less structure. In contrast to the clade I genes, the structures of clade II genes were relatively stable in their configuration, and were similar to that of the ancestral genes. Expression analyses revealed that hatching enzyme genes were high-expression genes, when compared to that of housekeeping genes. When expression levels were compared between clade I and II genes, clade I genes tends to be expressed more highly than clade II genes.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Hatching enzyme genes evolved to lose their introns, and the intron-loss events occurred at the specific points of teleostean phylogeny. We propose that the high-expression hatching enzyme genes frequently lost their introns during the evolution of teleosts, while the low-expression genes maintained the exon-intron structure of the ancestral gene.</p

    PLENTY, a hydroxyproline O-arabinosyltransferase, negatively regulates root nodule symbiosis in Lotus japonicus

    Get PDF
    Legumes can survive in nitrogen-deficient environments by forming root-nodule symbioses with rhizobial bacteria; however, forming nodules consumes energy, and nodule numbers must thus be strictly controlled. Previous studies identified major negative regulators of nodulation in Lotus japonicus, including the small peptides CLAVATA3/ESR (CLE)-RELATED-ROOT SIGNAL1 (CLE-RS1), CLE-RS2, and CLE-RS3, and their putative major receptor HYPERNODULATION AND ABERRANT ROOT FORMATION1 (HAR1). CLE-RS2 is known to be expressed in rhizobia-inoculated roots, and is predicted to be post-translationally arabinosylated, a modification essential for its activity. Moreover, all three CLE-RSs suppress nodulation in a HAR1-dependent manner. Here, we identified PLENTY as a gene responsible for the previously isolated hypernodulation mutant plenty. PLENTY encoded a hydroxyproline O-arabinosyltransferase orthologous to ROOT DETERMINED NODULATION1 in Medicago truncatula. PLENTY was localized to the Golgi, and an in vitro analysis of the recombinant protein demonstrated its arabinosylation activity, indicating that CLE-RS1/2/3 may be substrates for PLENTY. The constitutive expression experiments showed that CLE-RS3 was the major candidate substrate for PLENTY, suggesting the substrate preference of PLENTY for individual CLE-RS peptides. Furthermore, a genetic analysis of the plenty har1 double mutant indicated the existence of another PLENTY-dependent and HAR1-independent pathway negatively regulating nodulation

    CD146 is a potential immunotarget for neuroblastoma

    Get PDF
    Neuroblastoma, the most common extracranial solid tumor of childhood, is thought to arise from neural crest-derived immature cells. The prognosis of patients with high-risk or recurrent/refractory neuroblastoma remains quite poor despite intensive multimodality therapy; therefore, novel therapeutic interventions are required. We examined the expression of a cell adhesion molecule CD146 (melanoma cell adhesion molecule [MCAM]) by neuroblastoma cell lines and in clinical samples and investigated the anti-tumor effects of CD146-targeting treatment for neuroblastoma cells both in vitro and in vivo. CD146 is expressed by 4 cell lines and by most of primary tumors at any stage. Short hairpin RNA-mediated knockdown of CD146, or treatment with an anti-CD146 polyclonal antibody, effectively inhibited growth of neuroblastoma cells both in vitro and in vivo, principally due to increased apoptosis via the focal adhesion kinase and/or nuclear factor-kappa B signaling pathway. Furthermore, the anti-CD146 polyclonal antibody markedly inhibited tumor growth in immunodeficient mice inoculated with primary neuroblastoma cells. In conclusion, CD146 represents a promising therapeutic target for neuroblastoma

    A Kinome-wide screen identifies a CDKL5-SOX9 regulatory axis in epithelial cell death and kidney injury

    Get PDF
    © 2020, The Author(s). Renal tubular epithelial cells (RTECs) perform the essential function of maintaining the constancy of body fluid composition and volume. Toxic, inflammatory, or hypoxic-insults to RTECs can cause systemic fluid imbalance, electrolyte abnormalities and metabolic waste accumulation- manifesting as acute kidney injury (AKI), a common disorder associated with adverse long-term sequelae and high mortality. Here we report the results of a kinome-wide RNAi screen for cellular pathways involved in AKI-associated RTEC-dysfunction and cell death. Our screen and validation studies reveal an essential role of Cdkl5-kinase in RTEC cell death. In mouse models, genetic or pharmacological Cdkl5 inhibition mitigates nephrotoxic and ischemia-associated AKI. We propose that Cdkl5 is a stress-responsive kinase that promotes renal injury in part through phosphorylation-dependent suppression of pro-survival transcription regulator Sox9. These findings reveal a surprising non-neuronal function of Cdkl5, identify a pathogenic Cdkl5-Sox9 axis in epithelial cell-death, and support CDKL5 antagonism as a therapeutic approach for AKI
    • 

    corecore