電子スピン共鳴(ＥＳＲ)を用いた古環境変遷史の解明 : トルコ・コンヤ盆地のボーリングコア中ジプサム(ＣａＳＯ４・Ｈ２Ｏ)結晶のＥＳＲ顕微鏡画像

Some of the natural minerals formed in arid climate give information on the paleo-climate. A microwave spectroscopy of electron spin resonance, (ESR), which detects the concentration of accumulated defects produced by natural radiation, gives the age of a mineral. ESR ages of gypsum (CaSO4・2H2O) from Quaternary lacustrine sediments in Konya Basin, Turkey, were estimated using the CO3-signal as a function of the depth. The ages at 17.4 and 27.4 m were estimated to be about 37 and 62 ka and the average velocity of sedimentation from 6 to 13 m and from 17 to 16 m was determined to be about 0.4 m/ka. The distribution of two radicals (CO3- and SO2-) in crystalline gypsum was imaged using a scanning ESR microscope developed in our laboratory. The high concentration of SO2- at the center of the crystal indicates that the gypsum has grown from the center to the surface. The distribution of impurities was also checked by electron probe X-ray microanalysis (EPMA). Our scanning ESR imaging method can clarify the stripe pattern and cyclic variation of paleo-climate

Localized-to-itinerant transition preceding antiferromagnetic quantum critical point and gapless superconductivity in CeRh0.5Ir0.5In5

A fundamental problem posed from the study of correlated electron compounds, of which heavy-fermion systems are prototypes, is the need to understand the physics of states near a quantum critical point (QCP). At a QCP, magnetic order is suppressed continuously to zero temperature and unconventional superconductivity often appears. Here, we report pressure T-c. (P)-dependent In-115 nuclear quadrupole resonance (NQR) measurements on heavy-fermion antiferromagnet CeRh0.5Ir0.5In5. These experiments reveal an antiferromagnetic (AF) QCP at P-c(AF) = 1.2 GPa where a dome of superconductivity reaches a maximum transition temperature Tc. Preceding P-c(AF), however, the NQR frequency nu(Q) undergoes an abrupt increase at P-c* = 0.8 GPa in the zero-temperature limit, indicating a change from localized to itinerant character of cerium's f-electron and associated small-to-large change in the Fermi surface. At P-c(AF) where T-c is optimized, there is an unusually large fraction of gapless excitations well below T-c that implicates spin-singlet, odd-frequency pairing symmetry

Transcriptome Analysis Reveals Differential Gene Expression between the Closing Ductus Arteriosus and the Patent Ductus Arteriosus in Humans

The ductus arteriosus (DA) immediately starts closing after birth. This dynamic process involves DA-specific properties, including highly differentiated smooth muscle, sparse elastic fibers, and intimal thickening (IT). Although several studies have demonstrated DA-specific gene expressions using animal tissues and human fetuses, the transcriptional profiles of the closing DA and the patent DA remain largely unknown. We performed transcriptome analysis using four human DA samples. The three closing DA samples exhibited typical DA morphology, but the patent DA exhibited aorta-like elastic lamellae and poorly formed IT. A cluster analysis revealed that samples were clearly divided into two major clusters, the closing DA and patent DA clusters, and showed distinct gene expression profiles in IT and the tunica media of the closing DA samples. Cardiac neural crest-related genes such as JAG1 were highly expressed in the tunica media and IT of the closing DA samples compared to the patent DA sample. Abundant protein expressions of jagged 1 and the differentiated smooth muscle marker calponin were observed in the closing DA samples but not in the patent DA sample. Second heart field-related genes such as ISL1 were enriched in the patent DA sample. These data indicate that the patent DA may have different cell lineages compared to the closing DA

Impact of gastrectomy on high-density lipoprotein cholesterol elevation in nonobese patients during a 10-Year follow-up

金沢大学医薬保健研究域医学系Aim: The role of gastrectomy in glycemic control has been established in the current era of bariatric surgery for obesity. Gastrectomy in obese patients is associated with increased levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C). However, limited data on the effects of gastrectomy in nonobese patients are available. We herein investigated the long-term plasma lipid changes in nonobese patients who had undergone gastrectomy. Methods: Patients were enrolled as part of routine healthcare examinations from 1984 to 2003. Preoperative and postoperative data from patients who had undergone curative gastrectomy were analyzed for up to 10 years postoperatively. Three age- and sex-matched controls were assigned to each case. Results: Sixty-four nonobese patients without diabetes mellitus or a history of having taken lipidlowering drugs who underwent curative gastrectomy during the study period were enrolled (60 subtotal gastrectomies, four total gastrectomies). The median follow-up period was 7.6 years. The mean body mass index was 9.6% lower one year after gastrectomy (p<0.01), then plateaued with a slight recovery. Intriguingly, the preoperative HDL-C level was 21% higher one year after gastrectomy (p<0.01), increased by another 30% six years after gastrectomy and remained at this level for the rest of the follow-up period. No significant changes in the HDL-C level were observed in the controls. The degree of HDL-C elevation was consistently significant, irrespective of the baseline triglyceride level, HDL-C level or body weight. Conclusions: Gastrectomy in nonobese patients was associated with consistent and distinct longterm HDL-C elevations and body mass index reductions. © 2015 Japan Atherosclerosis Society.出版者照会後に全文公

Predictive factors for complications after surgical treatment for schwannomas of the extremities

Abstract Background Schwannomas are well-encapsulated, benign neoplasms, and enucleation is a standard operation procedure. The incidence of neurological complications after surgical treatment for schwannomas of the extremities varies, and there is no consensus concerning predictive factors for complications. The aim of this study was to elucidate predictive factors for complications after surgical treatment of schwannomas that develop in the major nerves of the extremities. Methods A total of 139 patients with 141 schwannomas arising in major nerves were retrospectively analyzed. Data regarding preoperative clinical features, the postoperative neurological complications, and clinical course of complications, with a median follow-up period of 2 months (range, 0.5–96), were obtained. Predictive factors for complications were statistically analyzed. Results Postoperative complications occurred in 49 lesions (34.8%), including 42 with sensory disturbance and 8 with motor weakness. In univariate analysis, older age, tumors originating from the upper extremity, and major motor nerve involvement were associated with a higher complication rate (p = 0.03, p = 0.003, and p = 0.001, respectively). In multivariate analysis, major motor nerve involvement was an independent predictive factor for postoperative complications (p = 0.03). Almost all complications gradually improved, but 6 out of 8 patients with motor weakness did not show full recovery at the final follow-up. Conclusions Schwannomas originating from major motor nerves can lead to a higher risk for postoperative complications