Natural van der Waals heterostructural single crystals with both magnetic and topological properties

Heterostructures having both magnetism and topology are promising materials for the realization of exotic topological quantum states while challenging in synthesis and engineering. Here, we report natural magnetic van der Waals heterostructures of (MnBi2Te4)m(Bi2Te3)n that exhibit controllable magnetic properties while maintaining their topological surface states. The interlayer antiferromagnetic exchange coupling is gradually weakened as the separation of magnetic layers increases, and an anomalous Hall effect that is well coupled with magnetization and shows ferromagnetic hysteresis was observed below 5 K. The obtained homogeneous heterostructure with atomically sharp interface and intrinsic magnetic properties will be an ideal platform for studying the quantum anomalous Hall effect, axion insulator states, and the topological magnetoelectric effect.Comment: 40 pages, 15 figure

Quantitative Assessment of Gait Bradykinesia in Parkinson’s Disease Using a Portable Gait Rhythmogram

To quantify gait bradykinesia during daily activity in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD), we measured movement-induced accelerations over more than 24h in 50 patients with PD and 17 age-matched normal controls, using a new device, the portable gait rhythmogram. Acceleration values induced by various movements, averaged each 10 min, exhibited a gamma distribution. The mean value of the distribution curve was used as an index of the "amount of overall movement per 24h". Characteristic changes were observed in both the gait cycle and gait acceleration. During hypokinesia, the gait cycle became either faster or slower. A number of patients with marked akinesia/bradykinesia showed a reduced and narrow range of gait acceleration, i.e., a range of floor reaction forces. The results suggest that assessment of the combination of changes in gait cycle and gait acceleration can quantitatively define the severity of gait bradykinesia

A Proposal for New Algorithm that Defines Gait-Induced Acceleration and Gait Cycle in Daily Parkinsonian Gait Disorders

We developed a new device, the portable gait rhythmogram (PGR), to record up to 70 hrs of movement-induced accelerations. Acceleration values induced by various movements, averaged every 10 min, showed gamma distribution, and the mean value of this distribution was used as an index of the amount of overall movements. Furthermore, the PGR algorithm can specify gait-induced accelerations using the pattern-matching method. Analysis of the relationship between gait-induced accelerations and gait cycle duration makes it possible to quantify Parkinson’s disease (PD)-specific pathophysiological mechanisms underlying gait disorders. Patients with PD showed the following disease-specific patterns: (1) reduced amount of overall movements and (2) low amplitude of gait-induced accelerations in the early stages of the disease, which was compensated by fast stepping. Loss of compensation was associated with slow stepping gait, (3) narrow range of gait-induced acceleration amplitude and gait cycle duration, suggesting monotony, and (4) evident motor fluctuations during the day by tracing changes in the above two parameters. Prominent motor fluctuation was associated with frequent switching between slow stepping mode and active mode. These findings suggest that monitoring various movement- and gait-induced accelerations allows the detection of specific changes in PD. We conclude that continuous long-term monitoring of these parameters can provide accurate quantitative assessment of parkinsonian clinical motor signs

Mechanical guidance of self-condensation patterns of differentiating progeny

Spatially controlled self-organization represents a major challenge for organoid engineering. We have developed a mechanically patterned hydrogel for controlling self-condensation process to generate multi-cellular organoids. We first found that local stiffening with intrinsic mechanical gradient (IG > 0.008) induced single condensates of mesenchymal myoblasts, whereas the local softening led to stochastic aggregation. Besides, we revealed the cellular mechanism of two-step self-condensation: (1) cellular adhesion and migration at the mechanical boundary and (2) cell-cell contraction driven by intercellular actin-myosin networks. Finally, human pluripotent stem cell-derived hepatic progenitors with mesenchymal/endothelial cells (i.e., liver bud organoids) experienced collective migration toward locally stiffened regions generating condensates of the concave to spherical shapes. The underlying mechanism can be explained by force competition of cell-cell and cell-hydrogel biomechanical interactions between stiff and soft regions. These insights will facilitate the rational design of culture substrates inducing symmetry breaking in self-condensation of differentiating progeny toward future organoid engineering.Matsuzaki T., Shimokawa Y., Koike H., et al. Mechanical guidance of self-condensation patterns of differentiating progeny. iScience 25, 105109 (2022); https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2022.105109

Preparation of mechanically patterned hydrogels for controlling the self-condensation of cells

Synthetic protocols providing mechanical patterns to culture substrate are essential to control the self-condensation of cells for organoid engineering. Here, we present a protocol for preparing hydrogels with mechanical patterns. We describe steps for hydrogel synthesis, mechanical evaluation of the substrate, and time-lapse imaging of cell self-organization. This protocol will facilitate the rational design of culture substrates with mechanical patterns for the engineering of various functional organoids. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Takebe et al. (2015) and Matsuzaki et al. (2014, 2022).Matsuzaki T., Kawano Y., Horikiri M., et al. Preparation of mechanically patterned hydrogels for controlling the self-condensation of cells. STAR Protocols 4, 102471 (2023); https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xpro.2023.102471

Japanese Lung Cancer Society Guidelines for Stage IV NSCLC With EGFR Mutations

Patients with NSCLC in East Asia, including Japan, frequently contain EGFR mutations. In 2018, we published the latest full clinical practice guidelines on the basis of those provided by the Japanese Lung Cancer Society Guidelines Committee. The purpose of this study was to update those recommendations, especially for the treatment of metastatic or recurrent EGFR-mutated NSCLC. We conducted a literature search of systematic reviews of randomized controlled and nonrandomized trials published between 2018 and 2019 that multiple physicians had reviewed independently. On the basis of those studies and the advice from the Japanese Society of Lung Cancer Expert Panel, we developed updated guidelines according to the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation system. We also evaluated the benefits of overall and progression-free survival, end points, toxicities, and patients’ reported outcomes. For patients with NSCLC harboring EGFR-activating mutations, the use of EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR TKIs), especially osimertinib, had the best recommendation as to first-line treatment. We also recommended the combination of EGFR TKI with other agents (platinum-based chemotherapy or antiangiogenic agents); however, it can lead to toxicity. In the presence of EGFR uncommon mutations, except for an exon 20 insertion, we also recommended the EGFR TKI treatment. However, we could not provide recommendations for the treatment of EGFR mutations with immune checkpoint inhibitors, including monotherapy, and its combination with cytotoxic chemotherapy, because of the limited evidence present in the literature. The 2020 Japanese Lung Cancer Society Guidelines can help community-based physicians to determine the most appropriate treatments and adequately provide medical care to their patients

2017～2019年度 関西大学研究拠点形成支援経費研究成果報告書

目次・研究成果の概要・2-1　工藤 宏人・宮前 翼・上田 正人・村山 憲弘・林 順一 "ノーリア骨格をテンプレートとした空孔内に水酸基を有する架橋化合物の合成とそれらの金属イオン包接性能" ネットワークポリマー論文集 vol.41, No.2, 65 - 71 (2020).・2-2　Mitsuaki Matsuoka, Kaho Yokoyama, Kohei Okura, Norihiro Murayama, Masato Ueda, Makio Naito " Synthesis of Geopolymers from Mechanically Activated Coal Fly Ash and Improvement of Their Mechanical Properties" Minerals 9, 791- 801 (2019).・2-3　Daisuke Shimoyama, Ryo Sekiya, Hiroto Kudo, Takeharu Haino, "Feet-to-Feet Connected Trisresorcinarenes" Organic Letters 22, 352 - 356 (2019).・2-4　Masato Ueda, Masahiko Ikeda, Shigeo Mori, Kenji Doi, Hisashi Kitagaki, Shuntaro Terauchi "Mechanical Properties of Additively Manufactured Porous Titanium with Sub-Millimetre Structural Units" Materials Transactions Vol.60, No.9, 1792 - 1798 (2019).・2-5　五十井 浩平・白杉 文香・松岡 光昭・林 順一・村山 憲弘 "種々のMg-Fe系複合酸化物を用いた希薄水溶液中のホウ素およびヒ素の除去" 環境資源工学 66, 29 - 35 (2019).・2-6　Toru Maruyama, Mitsuyoshi Tamaki, Keisuke Nakamura, Gou Nakamura "EFFECT OF MOLTEN METAL TEMPERATURE ON MOLD FILLING IN EVAPORATIVE PATTERN CASTING" International Journal of Metalcasting 13, 611–617 (2019).・2-7　Ryuta Saito, Toru Maruyama, Toshiki Nakamura, Hitoshi Yanagitani, Takahiro Sakai, Kouji Nakamoto "Influence of Tellurium Addition to Spheroidal Graphite Cast Iron on the Number of Graphite Particles" International Journal of Metalcasting Vol.13, 3, 571-577 (2018).・2-8　Masato Ueda, Rika Yamaguchi, Chika Fujita, Masahiko Ikeda "Control of Cell Adhesion on Titanium Dioxide by Light Irradiation" Materials Science Forum Vol.941, 2507 - 2512 (2018).・2-9　Hiroto Kudo, Mari Fukunaga, Kohei Shiotsuki, Hiroya Takeda, Hiroki Yamamoto, Takahiro Kozawa, Takeo Watanabe "Synthesis of hyperbranched polyacetals containing C-(4-t-butylbenz)calix[4]resorcinarene: Resist properties for extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography" Reactive and Functional Polymers 131, 361 - 367 (2018).・2-10　大隈 修・前 一廣・林 順一 "直接液化による豪州ビクトリア褐炭の高度利用 : 改新BCLプロセスによる化学原料の生産" Journal of the Japan Institute of Energy 98, 17 - 26 (2019).・2-11　Issei Suzuki, Ayako Kakinuma, Masato Ueda, Takahisa Omata "Flux growth of β-NaGaO₂ single crystals" Journal of Crystal Growth 504, 26 -30 (2018).・2-12　上田 正人、坂本 貴則、池田 勝彦 "電気抵抗率の精密測定による純チタンの組織評価" 環境資源工学 65, 74 -76 (2018).・2-13　Satoshi Imasaka, Hiroyasu Ishii, Jun\u27ichi Hayashi, Sadao Araki, Hideki Yamamoto "Synthesis of CHA-type titanosilicate zeolites using titanium oxide as Ti source and evaluation of their physicochemical properties" Microporous and Mesoporous Materials 273, 243-248 (2019).・2-14　Hiroto Kudo, Shizuya Ohori, Hiroya Takeda, Hiroki Ogawa, Takeo Watanbe, Hiroki Yamamoto, Takahiro Kozawa "Synthesis and Property of Tannic Acid Derivatives and Their Application for Extreme Ultraviolet Laser Lithography System" Journal of Photopolymer Science and Technology Vol.31, 221 - 225 (2018).・2-15　Hiroto Kudo, Tsubasa Miyamae, Kouta Kitagawa, Kohei Isoi, Norihiro Murayama, Jun\u27ichi Hayashi " Synthesis and Metal-Complexation Ability of Cross-Linking Materials Containing Noria-Templated Cavities with Pendant Carboxylic Acid Groups" Chemistry Select 3, 2223 - 2228 (2018).・2-16　上田 正人、池田 勝彦、土井 研児、 森 重雄、北垣 壽、寺内 俊太郎、関 あずさ "骨部分置換用ポーラスチタン : ポリグリコール酸 : 炭酸カルシウム複合体の開発" 高分子論文集 Vol.75, No.1, 69 - 74 (2018).・2-17　Alexandru C Sonoc, Jacob Jeswiet, Norihiro Murayama, Junji Shibata "A study of the application of Donnan dialysis to the recycling of lithium ion batteries" Hydrometallurgy 175, 133 - 143 (2018).2-3は、著作権の関係により非公開としております。2-8は、著作権の関係により非公開としております。2-9は、著作権の関係により非公開としております。2-10は、著作権の関係により非公開としております。2-11は、著作権の関係により非公開としております。2-16は、著作権の関係により非公開としております