Phase Structure of Four-dimensional Simplicial Quantum Gravity with a U(1) Gauge Field

The phase structure of four-dimensional simplicial quantum gravity coupled to U(1) gauge fields has been studied using Monte-Carlo simulations. The smooth phase is found in the intermediate region between the crumpled phase and the branched polymer phase. This new phase has a negative string susceptibility exponent, even if the number of vector fields (Nv) is 1. The phase transition between the crumpled phase and the smooth phase has been studied by a finite size scaling method. From the numerical results, we expect that this model (coupled to one gauge field) has a higher order phase transition than first order, which means the possibility to take the continuum limit at the critical point. Furthermore, we consider a modification of the balls-in-boxes model for a clear understanding of the relation between the numerical results and the analytical one.Comment: 18 pages, latex, 6 figures, uses psfig.st

Psychological Factors as Predictor of Sport Participation among Japanese and Foreign Students in Sendai, Japan

Sports play a functional role in human development. Regular sport participation has beneficial effects on physical, psychological and social wellbeing. It has positive effects on prevention and treatment of non-communicable diseases, physical appearance, enhance self-concept and external prestige, lower rates of suicidal ideation, reduce use of fossil fuels, and substantially increase life expectancy. The advent and excessive use of technology, academic workload coupled with the incidence of COVID-19, students become content with engaging more in sedentary activities. This chapter examined the psychological factors predicting sport participation among Japanese and foreign students in Sendai, Japan. The common choice of recreational sports are sedentary activities with a high level of performance in terms of frequency, intensity, duration and long period of participation. Psychological factors of self-confidence, value, task familiarity, perceived success significantly predicts sport participation among university students. Therefore, there is need for increased awareness on benefit of sport participation within the university. Improved reconciliation between academic and physical education programs, and development of attractive recreational sports considering the psychological process that leads to participation. To allay concerns during pandemic, self-organized, non-contact and outdoor sports should be encouraged with adequate preventive measures in place

Cystic Lymphangioma of the Pancreas with Spontaneous Rupture: Report of a Case

Lymphangioma is a benign and congenital malformation of the lymphatic system. Most lymphangiomas are preferentially located in the head and neck region. The abdominal organs are uncommon sites of origin. Several cases of lymphangioma in abdominal organs were reported, however, the pancreas is one of the rarest origins. Generally, intra-abdominal lymphangioma is asymptomatic and found incidentally, but in some cases, the patient complains of abdominal distension or a palpable mass. We describe the case of a 38-year-old male who presented with sudden-onset upper abdominal pain. Rupture of a cystic tumor of the pancreatic head was suspected, based on the findings of computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging and endoscopic ultrasonography. Subtotal stomach-preserving pancreaticoduodenectomy was undertaken. The tumor, which was 4 × 4.5 × 8 cm in size, was pathologically diagnosed as a cystic lymphangioma. In conclusion, pancreatic lymphangioma is mostly asymptomatic, a ruptured case causing ‘acute abdomen’ has never been reported. Since lymphangioma is benign, it could be observed with accurate diagnosis. The surgical indication would be limited to cases of symptomatic lymphangiomas

Complementary Dendritic Cell–activating Function of CD8+ and CD4+ T Cells: Helper Role of CD8+ T Cells in the Development of T Helper Type 1 Responses

Dendritic cells (DCs) activated by CD40L-expressing CD4+ T cells act as mediators of “T helper (Th)” signals for CD8+ T lymphocytes, inducing their cytotoxic function and supporting their long-term activity. Here, we show that the optimal activation of DCs, their ability to produce high levels of bioactive interleukin (IL)-12p70 and to induce Th1-type CD4+ T cells, is supported by the complementary DC-activating signals from both CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. Cord blood– or peripheral blood–isolated naive CD8+ T cells do not express CD40L, but, in contrast to naive CD4+ T cells, they are efficient producers of IFN-γ at the earliest stages of the interaction with DCs. Naive CD8+ T cells cooperate with CD40L-expressing naive CD4+ T cells in the induction of IL-12p70 in DCs, promoting the development of primary Th1-type CD4+ T cell responses. Moreover, the recognition of major histocompatibility complex class I–presented epitopes by antigen-specific CD8+ T cells results in the TNF-α– and IFN-γ–dependent increase in the activation level of DCs and in the induction of type-1 polarized mature DCs capable of producing high levels of IL-12p70 upon a subsequent CD40 ligation. The ability of class I–restricted CD8+ T cells to coactivate and polarize DCs may support the induction of Th1-type responses against class I–presented epitopes of intracellular pathogens and contact allergens, and may have therapeutical implications in cancer and chronic infections

Quantification of (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate Inhibition of Migration and Invasion of Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma Cell Lines Using Real-time Cell Analysis

Catechins found in green tea, in particular (−)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), have antitumor activity. The primary antitumor actions of catechins are anti-oxidative, anti-angiogenic, and anti-metastatic effects. Cell migration and invasion contribute to the metastatic potential of tumors. Real-time cell analysis (RTCA) measures cell migration and invasion in vitro. In the present study, using RTCA, we investigated whether the cell migration and invasion of oral squamous cell carcinomas (OSCCs) of the tongue and floor of the mouth were inhibited by EGCG. Studies were performed using the human SCC-4 and SAS cell lines, which are poorly differentiated OSCCs of the tongue, and the HO-1-u-1 cell line, an OSCC of the floor of the mouth. SCC-4 cells exhibited high cell migration and invasion compared with the SAS and HO-1-u-1 cells. EGCG was most effective in inhibiting the migration and invasion of SCC-4 cells, and inhibited OSCC cell invasion more strongly than it inhibited cell migration. EGCG inhibited the expression of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2, MMP-9, and integrin α1 and β1 mRNA in the OSCC cell lines, particularly SCC-4 cells. The findings of the present study suggest that EGCG inhibits OSCC cell migration and invasion by inhibiting MMP-2, MMP-9, and integrin α1and β1 expression. Thus, EGCG may be a suitable agent or lead compound for the inhibition of OSCC metastasis

Investigation of Cell Migration and Invasion Using Real-time Cell Analysis, as well as the Association with Matrix Metalloproteinase-9 in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinomas

The recently developed technology of real-time cell analysis (RTCA) was designed to analyze cell migration and invasion in vitro. In this study, we investigated these cellular factors in oral squamous cell carcinomas (OSCCs) of the tongue and floor of the mouth with RTCA. We also examined the associated matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and integrins. We used the cell lines SCC-4 and SAS, which are human poorly differentiated OSCCs from the tongue, and HO-1-u-1, which are human poorly differentiated OSCCs from the floor of the mouth. Using RTCA, cell migration was assessed on fibronectin–coated CIM-Plates, and invasion was assessed on fibronectin- and matrigel-coated CIM-Plates. SCC-4 cells demonstrated a high ability for cell migration and invasion compared with SAS and HO-1-u-1 cells. The SCC-4 cells also expressed high levels of MMP-9 and integrin α1 mRNA compared with SAS and HO-1-u-1 cells. The MMP inhibitor Marimastat blocked migration and invasion of all OSCCs. The findings suggest that MMP-9 is associated with cell migration and invasion in OSCCs, and indicate that RTCA will be useful for analyzing the metastatic capability of OSCCs and developing more effective new drugs for this disease

Quantification of Cell Migration and Invasion, and Their Association with Periostin in Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer, Using a Real-time Cell Analyzer

Anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC) is known to be a highly malignant cancer of the thyroid with a high mortality rate. In a previous study, we used real-time cell analysis (RTCA) to analyze cell migration and invasion of oral squamous cell carcinomas (OSCCs) of the tongue and floor of the mouth. In the present study, we investigated cell migration and invasion of ATC using RTCA, as well as their association with periostin, matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), and integrins. Experiments were performed on TCO-1 and HTC/C3 cells, which are human ATC cell lines. OSCC cell lines were used for comparison. Using the cell analysis system, cell migration was assessed on fibronectin-coated CIM-Plates, whereas invasion was assessed on fibronectin- and matrigel-coated CIM-Plates. SCC-4 cells exhibited high cell migration and invasion activity compared with other OSCC cell lines. TCO-1 cells exhibited equivalent cell invasion but stronger migration than SCC-4 cells. Although TCO-1 cells had strong invasive activity, they did not express MMP-9, unlike SCC-4 cells. Conversely, periostin expression was high in TCO-1 cells. Therefore, periostin expression appears to be associated with the cell migration and invasion activity of ATC. The RTCA system will be useful for the analysis of the metastatic characteristics of ATC in head and neck cancer