A reservoir trap for antiprotons

We have developed techniques to extract arbitrary fractions of antiprotons from an accumulated reservoir, and to inject them into a Penning-trap system for high-precision measurements. In our trap-system antiproton storage times > 1.08 years are estimated. The device is fail-safe against power-cuts of up to 10 hours. This makes our planned comparisons of the fundamental properties of protons and antiprotons independent from accelerator cycles, and will enable us to perform experiments during long accelerator shutdown periods when background magnetic noise is low. The demonstrated scheme has the potential to be applied in many other precision Penning trap experiments dealing with exotic particles.Comment: Article by the BASE-collaboration at CERN. Results from the Antiproton physics run 2014. Submitted to International Journal of Mass Spectrometry, 8th of April 201

Mice Treated with an Antibiotic Cocktail Containing Metronidazole Show Attenuated Allergy Responses through the Induction of Regulatory T Cells in the Intestinal Mucosa

This study sought to determine whether antibiotic treatments affect the pathogenesis of allergic diseases. We demonstrated that mice treated with a mixture of four antibiotic agents （ampicillin, neomycine, metronidazole, and vancomycin） showed significantly decreased antigen-specific IgE production compared to control mice, whereas mice treated with the same cocktail without metronidazole showed no change in IgE production compared to controls. Regulatory T cell suppression induced by particular antibody combinations is a possible mechanism of this effect, with an increased frequency of regulatory T cells also observed in the mesenteric lymph nodes （MLN） of mice treated with the mixture of four antibiotics, but not in the second cocktail without metronidazole. Our antibiotic treatments also dramatically decreased the diversity of mouse intestinal microbiota compared to control mice, based on 16SrRNA analysis of the cecum fecal composition. In conclusion, mice treated with antibiotic mixtures containing metronidazole, but not those treated without metronidazole, showed attenuated allergy responses and increased induction of regulatory T cells in the mucosa

Inducible colitis-associated glycome capable of stimulating the proliferation of memory CD4+ T cells

Immune responses are modified by a diverse and abundant repertoire of carbohydrate structures on the cell surface, which is known as the glycome. In this study, we propose that a unique glycome that can be identified through the binding of galectin-4 is created on local, but not systemic, memory CD4+ T cells under diverse intestinal inflammatory conditions, but not in the healthy state. The colitis-associated glycome (CAG) represents an immature core 1–expressing O-glycan. Development of CAG may be mediated by down-regulation of the expression of core-2 β1,6-N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase (C2GnT) 1, a key enzyme responsible for the production of core-2 O-glycan branch through addition of N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) to a core-1 O-glycan structure. Mechanistically, the CAG seems to contribute to super raft formation associated with the immunological synapse on colonic memory CD4+ T cells and to the consequent stabilization of protein kinase C θ activation, resulting in the stimulation of memory CD4+ T cell expansion in the inflamed intestine. Functionally, CAG-mediated CD4+ T cell expansion contributes to the exacerbation of T cell–mediated experimental intestinal inflammations. Therefore, the CAG may be an attractive therapeutic target to specifically suppress the expansion of effector memory CD4+ T cells in intestinal inflammation such as that seen in inflammatory bowel disease

A Case of Laparoscopic Ileocecal Resection for Intussusception Secondary to Cecal Cancer

An 83-year-old woman presented with a right lower abdominal mass, lower abdominal pain, and distension. She had no medical or surgical history. Clinical examination revealed a right lower abdominal mass, abdominal distension, and decreased bowel sounds in the lower abdomen. Abdominal computed tomography showed an intussusception involving the ileocecal junction. A Gastrografin enema showed a tumor shadow with an irregular defect caused by the intussusception in the transverse colon. The protruding tumor was also pushed back into the cecum by the enema pressure. Colonoscopy revealed a protruding mass at the leading edge of the intussusception in the ascending colon, and biopsy results of the cecal mass indicated an adenocarcinoma. The patient underwent laparoscopic ileocecal resection of the intussuscepted cecal cancer using reduced port surgery. The resected specimen contained a type 1 tumor measuring 40mm that was histopathologically diagnosed as cecal cancer. The patient remains asymptomatic 8 months after surgery

Interaction between alkali metals and diamond: Etching and charge states of NV centers

Single crystal diamond particles were heated with liquid phase alkali metals (Li, Na, K) in an argon atmosphere. It was found that Li reacts with the diamond above 600 degrees C, Na makes the surface rougher on a nm scale at 800 degrees C, and K did not change the surface morphology. The etching speed by the reaction with Li is the fastest on the (001) surface. Photoluminescence of the NV- (negatively charged nitrogen vacancy) center decreased only after the annealing with K. DFT calculations explained the strong chemical interaction between Li and the diamond (001) surfaces, and upward band bending at the interfaces with Na and K. The behavior of the NV-center photoluminescence is consistent with the extent of band bending. (C) 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Fish oil accelerates diet-induced entrainment of the mouse peripheral clock via GPR120

The circadian peripheral clock is entrained by restricted feeding (RF) at a fixed time of day, and insulin secretion regulates RF-induced entrainment of the peripheral clock in mice. Thus, carbohydrate-rich food may be ideal for facilitating RF-induced entrainment, although the role of dietary oils in insulin secretion and RF-induced entrainment has not been described. The soybean oil component of standard mouse chow was substituted with fish or soybean oil containing docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and/or eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). Tuna oil (high DHA/EPA), menhaden oil (standard), and DHA/EPA dissolved in soybean oil increased insulin secretion and facilitated RF-induced phase shifts of the liver clock as represented by the bioluminescence rhythms of PER2::LUCIFERASE knock-in mice. In this model, insulin depletion blocked the effect of tuna oil and fish oil had no effect on mice deficient for GPR120, a polyunsaturated fatty acid receptor. These results suggest food containing fish oil or DHA/EPA is ideal for adjusting the peripheral clock