A simple method to create a vortex in Bose-Einstein condensate of alkali atoms

Bose-Einstein condensation in alkali atoms has materialized quite an interesting system, namely a condensate with a spin degree of freedom. In analogy with the A-phase of the superfluid $^3$He, numerous textures with nonvanishing vorticity have been proposed. In the present paper, interesting properties of such spin textures are analyzed. We propose a remarkably simple method to create a vortex state of a BEC in alkali atoms.Comment: 2 pages, 1 eps figure. Proceedings of LT22. The title is changed from the submitted version: Vortices in Bose-Einstein condensate with spin degree of freedo

Analysis of A-Type and B-Type Highly Polymeric Proanthocyanidins and Their Biological Activities as Nutraceuticals

Proanthocyanidins have a series of heteroflavan-3-ols, (+)-catechin/(−)-epicatechin units, which are linked through a single B-type linkage and a doubly linked A-type linkage. Recently, we have performed the structural characterization of seed shells of the Japanese horse chestnut and fruits of blueberry and cranberry. The molecular sizes of them were higher in the order of blueberry > cranberry > seed shells of the Japanese horse chestnut between the respective fractions. For the analysis of terminal and extension units in those proanthocyanidins, the isolated fractions were subjected to the thiolytic cleavage of the B-type linkages using 1-dodecanethiol, and the resulting degradation products were identified by ultraperformance liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray-ionization mass spectrometry. These analyses provided fast and good resolution of the degradation products and revealed higher proportions of A-type linkages compared with B-type linkages in both isolated fractions in the order of the seed shells > cranberry > blueberry. Moreover, the isolated fractions with higher molecular sizes and those more abundant in the proportions of A-type linkages were found to be more effective in the inhibition of pancreatic lipase activity. The results suggest that A-type highly polymeric proanthocyanidins are promising for the attenuation of lipid digestion as dietary supplements

Effective and Steady Differentiation of a Clonal Derivative of P19CL6 Embryonal Carcinoma Cell Line into Beating Cardiomyocytes

The P19CL6 cell line is a useful model to study cardiac differentiation in vitro. However, large variations were noticed in the differentiation rates among previous reports as well as our individual experiments. To overcome the unstable differentiation, we established P19CL6-A1, a new clonal derivative of P19CL6 that could differentiate into cardiomyocytes more efficiently and stably than the parent using the double stimulation with 5-Aza and DMSO based on the previous report. We also introduced a new software, Visorhythm, that can analyze the temporal variations in the beating rhythms and can chart correlograms displaying the oscillated rhythms. Using P19CL6-A1-derived cardiomyocytes and the software, we demonstrated that the correlograms could clearly display the enhancement of beating rates by cardiotonic reagents. These indicate that a combination of P19CL6-A1 and Visorhythm is a useful tool that can provide invaluable assistance in inotropic drug discovery, drug screening, and toxicity testing

Expression of Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 in the Livers of Rats Treated with Diethylnitrosamine

It has been reported that levels of soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) in the blood are elevated in hepatocellular carcinoma patients. In the present study, serial observations of the localization of ICAM-1 in the liver were made by light and electron microscopy in rats with carcinogen-induced cancer. Male Fisher rats were given diethylnitrosamine (DEN) orally in their drinking water. Rats were sacrificed at 6, 8, 12, or 14 weeks after the start of DEN administration and the liver tissue was collected. ICAM-1 expression in liver was assessed using indirect immunoperoxidase staining with anti-rat ICAM-1 antibody. Although ICAM-1 expression by endothelial cells in livers of DEN-treated rats was lower than in the control group at 8 weeks, it was higher in the membrane and cytoplasm of hepatocytes. The expression of ICAM-1 in mesenchymal cells was decreased, paralleling development of cellular atypia, whereas in hepatocyte membranes and cytoplasm it was increased in these atypia. ICAM-1 was localized to the cytoplasm of cancer cells, but to the membrane of hepatocytes in the treated livers at 14 weeks. Furthermore, the levels of ICAM-1 in mesenchymal cells tended to be lower in the cancerous area than in the atypical hyperplastic nodule, and were reduced as the density of cell atypia increased, in comparison to cells in areas without cancerous nodules. We concluded that ICAM-1 may be influenced the development of cancer induced in the rat liver by a chemical carcinogen

Ischemic Stroke in Acute Decompensated Heart Failure: From the KCHF Registry

[Background] Heart failure (HF) is a known risk factor for ischemic stroke, but data regarding ischemic stroke during hospitalization for acute decompensated HF (ADHF) are limited. [Methods and Results] We analyzed the data from a multicenter registry (Kyoto Congestive Heart Failure [KCHF] Registry) that enrolled 4056 consecutive patients with ADHF in Japan (mean age, 78 years; men, 2238 patients [55%]; acute coronary syndrome [ACS], 239 patients [5.9%]). We investigated the incidence and predictors of ischemic stroke during hospitalization for ADHF. During the hospitalization, 63 patients (1.6%) developed ischemic stroke. The median interval from admission to the onset of ischemic stroke was 7 [interquartile range: 2–14] days, and the most common underlying cause was cardioembolism (64%). Men (OR, 1.87; 95%CI, 1.11–3.24), ACS (OR, 2.31; 95%CI, 1.01–4.93), absence of prior HF hospitalization (OR, 2.21; 95%CI, 1.24–4.21), and high B‐type natriuretic peptide (BNP)/N‐terminal proBNP (NT‐proBNP) levels (above the median) at admission (OR, 3.15; 95%CI, 1.84–5.60) were independently associated with ischemic stroke. In patients without ACS, the independent risk factors for ischemic stroke were fully consistent with those in the main analysis. Higher quartiles of BNP/NT‐proBNP levels were significantly associated with higher incidence of ischemic stroke (P for trend, <0.001). Patients with ischemic stroke showed higher in‐hospital mortality, longer length of hospital stay, and poorer functional status at discharge. [Conclusions] During hospitalization for ADHF, 1.6% of the patients developed ischemic stroke. Men, ACS, absence of prior HF hospitalization, and high BNP/NT‐proBNP levels at admission were independently associated with ischemic stroke

Percutaneous coronary intervention using new-generation drug-eluting stents versus coronary arterial bypass grafting in stable patients with multi-vessel coronary artery disease: From the CREDO-Kyoto PCI/CABG registry Cohort-3

AIMS: There is a scarcity of studies comparing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) using new-generation drug-eluting stents (DES) with coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) in patients with multi-vessel coronary artery disease. METHODS AND RESULTS: The CREDO-Kyoto PCI/CABG registry Cohort-3 enrolled 14927 consecutive patients who underwent first coronary revascularization with PCI or isolated CABG between January 2011 and December 2013. The current study population consisted of 2464 patients who underwent multi-vessel coronary revascularization including revascularization of left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) either with PCI using new-generation DES (N = 1565), or with CABG (N = 899). Patients in the PCI group were older and more often had severe frailty, but had less complex coronary anatomy, and less complete revascularization than those in the CABG group. Cumulative 5-year incidence of a composite of all-cause death, myocardial infarction or stroke was not significantly different between the 2 groups (25.0% versus 21.5%, P = 0.15). However, after adjusting confounders, the excess risk of PCI relative to CABG turned to be significant for the composite endpoint (HR 1.27, 95%CI 1.04-1.55, P = 0.02). PCI as compared with CABG was associated with comparable adjusted risk for all-cause death (HR 1.22, 95%CI 0.96-1.55, P = 0.11), and stroke (HR 1.17, 95%CI 0.79-1.73, P = 0.44), but with excess adjusted risk for myocardial infarction (HR 1.58, 95%CI 1.05-2.39, P = 0.03), and any coronary revascularization (HR 2.66, 95%CI 2.06-3.43, P<0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: In this observational study, PCI with new-generation DES as compared with CABG was associated with excess long-term risk for major cardiovascular events in patients who underwent multi-vessel coronary revascularization including LAD

Cell Properties of Lung Tissue-Resident Macrophages Propagated by Co-Culture with Lung Fibroblastic Cells from C57BL/6 and BALB/c Mice

Tissue-resident macrophages (Mø) originating from foetal precursors are maintained by self-renewal under tissue/organ-specific microenvironments (niches). We recently developed a simple propagation method applicable to tissue-resident Mø by co-culturing. Here, we examined the properties of lung tissue-resident Mø propagated by co-culturing with lung interstitial cells. The intracardially and intratracheally perfused lung from BALB/c and C57BL/6 mice could minimise the contamination of alveolar Mø and lung monocytes. Lung tissue-resident Mø could be largely propagated under standard culture media along with the propagation of lung interstitial cells demonstrating a fibroblastic morphology. Propagated lung Mø showed characteristic expression properties for Mø/monocyte markers: high expressions of CD11b, CD64 and CD206; substantial expressions of Mertk; and negative expressions of Ly6C, MHC II and Siglec-F. These properties fit with those of lung interstitial Mø of a certain population that can undergo self-renewal. Propagated fibroblastic cells by co-culturing with lung Mø possessed niche properties such as Csf1 and Tgfb1 expression. Propagated lung Mø from both the mouse types were polarised to an M2 phenotype highly expressing arginase 1 without M2 inducer treatment, whereas the M1 inducers significantly increased the iNOS-positive cell percentages in C57BL/6 mice relative to those in BALB/c mice. This is the first study to demonstrate fundamental properties of lung tissue-resident Mø propagated by co-culturing. Propagated lung Mø showing features of lung interstitial Mø can serve as an indispensable tool for investigating SARS-CoV-2 diseases, although lung interstitial Mø have gained little attention in terms of their involvement in SARS-CoV-2 disease pathology, in contrast to alveolar and recruited Mø

Testicular Macrophages Produce Progesterone De Novo Promoted by cAMP and Inhibited by M1 Polarization Inducers

Tissue-resident macrophages (M&oslash;) originating from fetal precursors are maintained via self-renewal under tissue-/organ-specific microenvironments. Herein, we developed a propagation method of testicular tissue-resident M&oslash; in mixed primary culture with interstitial cells composed of Leydig cells from the mouse testis. We examined M&oslash;/monocyte marker expression in propagated testicular M&oslash; using flow cytometry; gene expression involved in testosterone production as well as spermatogenesis in testicular M&oslash; and interstitial cells propagated by mixed culture via RT-PCR; and progesterone (P4) de novo production in propagated testicular M&oslash; treated with cyclic adenosine monophosphate, isoproterenol, and M1 polarization inducers using ELISA. M&oslash; marker expression patterns in the propagated M&oslash; were identical to those in testicular interstitial M&oslash; with a CD206-positive/major histocompatibility complex (MHC) II-negative M2 phenotype. We identified the genes involved in P4 production, transcription factors essential for steroidogenesis, and androgen receptors, and showed that P4 production de novo was upregulated by cyclic adenosine monophosphate and &beta;2-adrenergic stimulation and was downregulated by M1 polarization stimulation in M&oslash;. We also demonstrated the formation of gap junctions between Leydig cells and interstitial M&oslash;. This is the first study to demonstrate de novo P4 production in tissue-resident M&oslash;. Based on previous studies revealing inhibition of testosterone production by P4, we propose that local feedback machinery between Leydig cells and adjacent interstitial M&oslash; regulates testosterone production. The results presented in this study can facilitate future studies on immune-endocrine interactions in gonads that are related to infertility and hormonal disorders