Polar Antiferromagnets Produced with Orbital-Order

Polar magnetic states are realized in pseudocubic manganite thin films fabricated on high-index substrates, in which a Jahn-Teller (JT) distortion remains an active variable. Several types of orbital-orders were found to develop large optical second harmonic generation, signaling broken-inversion-symmetry distinct from their bulk forms and films on (100) substrates. The observed symmetry-lifting and first-principles calculation both indicate that the modified JT q2 mode drives Mn-site off-centering upon orbital order, leading to the possible cooperation of "Mn-site polarization" and magnetism.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure

Cutaneous T-cell-attracting chemokine as a novel biomarker for predicting prognosis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: a prospective observational study

[Background] Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic, progressive fibrotic lung disease that leads to respiratory failure and death. Although there is a greater understanding of the etiology of this disease, accurately predicting the disease course in individual patients is still not possible. This study aimed to evaluate serum cytokines/chemokines as potential biomarkers that can predict outcomes in IPF patients. [Methods] A multi-institutional prospective two-stage discovery and validation design using two independent cohorts was adopted. For the discovery analysis, serum samples from 100 IPF patients and 32 healthy controls were examined using an unbiased, multiplex immunoassay of 48 cytokines/chemokines. The serum cytokine/chemokine values were compared between IPF patients and controls; the association between multiplex measurements and survival time was evaluated in IPF patients. In the validation analysis, the cytokines/chemokines identified in the discovery analysis were examined in serum samples from another 81 IPF patients to verify the ability of these cytokines/chemokines to predict survival. Immunohistochemical assessment of IPF-derived lung samples was also performed to determine where this novel biomarker is expressed. [Results] In the discovery cohort, 18 cytokines/chemokines were significantly elevated in sera from IPF patients compared with those from controls. Interleukin-1 receptor alpha (IL-1Rα), interleukin-8 (IL-8), macrophage inflammatory protein 1 alpha (MIP-1α), and cutaneous T-cell-attracting chemokine (CTACK) were associated with survival: IL-1Rα, hazard ratio (HR) = 1.04 per 10 units, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.01–1.07; IL-8, HR = 1.04, 95% CI 1.01–1.08; MIP-1α, HR = 1.19, 95% CI 1.00–1.36; and CTACK, HR = 1.12 per 100 units, 95% CI 1.02–1.21. A replication analysis was performed only for CTACK because others were previously reported to be potential biomarkers of interstitial lung diseases. In the validation cohort, CTACK was associated with survival: HR = 1.14 per 100 units, 95% CI 1.01–1.28. Immunohistochemistry revealed the expression of CTACK and CC chemokine receptor 10 (a ligand of CTACK) in airway and type II alveolar epithelial cells of IPF patients but not in those of controls. [Conclusions] CTACK is a novel prognostic biomarker of IPF

The Helicobacter pylori Genome Project : insights into H. pylori population structure from analysis of a worldwide collection of complete genomes

Helicobacter pylori, a dominant member of the gastric microbiota, shares co-evolutionary history with humans. This has led to the development of genetically distinct H. pylori subpopulations associated with the geographic origin of the host and with differential gastric disease risk. Here, we provide insights into H. pylori population structure as a part of the Helicobacter pylori Genome Project (HpGP), a multi-disciplinary initiative aimed at elucidating H. pylori pathogenesis and identifying new therapeutic targets. We collected 1011 well-characterized clinical strains from 50 countries and generated high-quality genome sequences. We analysed core genome diversity and population structure of the HpGP dataset and 255 worldwide reference genomes to outline the ancestral contribution to Eurasian, African, and American populations. We found evidence of substantial contribution of population hpNorthAsia and subpopulation hspUral in Northern European H. pylori. The genomes of H. pylori isolated from northern and southern Indigenous Americans differed in that bacteria isolated in northern Indigenous communities were more similar to North Asian H. pylori while the southern had higher relatedness to hpEastAsia. Notably, we also found a highly clonal yet geographically dispersed North American subpopulation, which is negative for the cag pathogenicity island, and present in 7% of sequenced US genomes. We expect the HpGP dataset and the corresponding strains to become a major asset for H. pylori genomics

Synthesis of through-space conjugated polymers containing the pseudo-ortho-linked [2.2]paracyclophane moiety

New through-space conjugated polymers comprising the pseudo-ortho-linked [2.2]paracyclophane moiety were synthesized by the Sonogashira coupling reaction. All the synthesized polymers were soluble in common organic solvents and could form thin films. The UV–vis absorption spectra of the synthesized polymers revealed an extension of the conjugation length owing to the through-space interactions. The polymers exhibited a blue-light emission in both solution and film states

A large hornet mimic clearwing moth of the genus Lamellisphecia Kallies & Arita 2004 (Lepidoptera, Sesiidae) from Nanling, Guangdong, southern China

Arita, Yutaka, Kallies, Axel, Yata, Naoki (2019): A large hornet mimic clearwing moth of the genus Lamellisphecia Kallies & Arita 2004 (Lepidoptera, Sesiidae) from Nanling, Guangdong, southern China. Zootaxa 4706 (3): 477-482, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4706.3.

ネフローゼ症候群を合併したシスチン尿症の1例

The patient is 32-year-old, male who had been administered sodium bicarbonate and a small dose of α-mercaptopropionylglycine under the diagnosis of cystinuria, but during the 8th year of treatment he developed nephrotic syndrome. He suffered a number of recurrences which were treated each time with steroid only, but complete remission of nephrotic syndrome was achieved with the combined administration of methylprednisolone pulse therapy and cyclophosphamide

On the taxonomy and biology of the clearwing moth Aegeria montis (Lepidoptera, Sesiidae)

Yata, Naoki, Gorbunov, Oleg G., Arita, Yutaka, Aoki, Yoshichika (2018): On the taxonomy and biology of the clearwing moth Aegeria montis (Lepidoptera, Sesiidae). Zootaxa 4369 (3): 443-450, DOI: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4369.3.