Discovery of Protoclusters at z∼3.7 and 4.9: Embedded in Primordial Superclusters

We have carried out follow-up spectroscopy on three overdense regions of $g$- and $r$-dropout galaxies in the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope Legacy Survey Deep Fields, finding two new protoclusters at $z=4.898$, 3.721 and a possible protocluster at $z=3.834$. The $z=3.721$ protocluster overlaps with a previously identified protocluster at $z=3.675$. The redshift separation between these two protoclusters is $\Delta z=0.05$, which is slightly larger than the size of typical protoclusters. Therefore, if they are not the progenitors of a $>10^{15}\,\mathrm{M_\odot}$ halo, they would grow into closely-located independent halos like a supercluster. The other protocluster at $z=4.898$ is also surrounded by smaller galaxy groups. These systems including protoclusters and neighboring groups are regarded as the early phase of superclusters. We quantify the spatial distribution of member galaxies of the protoclusters at $z=3.675$ and 3.721 by fitting triaxial ellipsoids, finding a tentative difference: one has a pancake-like shape while the other is filamentary. This could indicate that these two protoclusters are in different stages of formation. We investigate the relation between redshift and the velocity dispersion of protoclusters, including other protoclusters from the literature, in order to compare their dynamical states. Although there is no significant systematic trend in the velocity dispersions of protoclusters with redshift, the distribution is skewed to higher velocity dispersion over the redshift range of $z=2\mathrm{-}6$. This could be interpreted as two phases of cluster formation, one dominated by the steady accretion of galaxies, and the other by the merging between group-size halos, perhaps depending on the surrounding large-scale environments.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ, 24 pages, 12 figures, 5 table

Microbiome composition comparison in oral and atherosclerotic plaque from patients with and without periodontitis

There is no conclusive evidence regarding a causal relationship between periodontitis and atherosclerosis. In this study, we examined the microbiome in the oral cavity and atheromatous plaques from atherosclerosis patients with or without periodontitis to investigate the role of oral bacteria in the formation of atheromatous plaques. We chose four patients with and without periodontitis, who had undergone carotid endarterectomy. Bacterial samples were extracted from the tongue surface, from periodontal pocket (during the oral examination), and from the atheromatous plaques (APs). We investigated the general and oral conditions from each patient and performed next-generation sequencing (NGS) analysis for all bacterial samples. There were no significant differences between both groups concerning general conditions. However, the microbiome patterns of the gingival pocket showed differences depending on the absence or presence of periodontitis, while those of the tongue surface were relatively similar. The microbiome pattern of the atheromatous plaques was entirely different from that on the tongue surface and gingival pocket, and oral bacteria were seldom detected. However, the microbiome pattern in atheromatous plaques was different in the presence or absence of periodontitis. These results suggested that oral bacteria did not affect the formation of atheromatous plaques directly

視野左方偏倚が線分二等分試験に及ぼす影響 : Head Mounted Displayを用いた若年健常者に対する検討

Objective: The purpose of this study was to verify the effect on spatial perception in healthy young subjects of an unconscious leftward optical shift created by a head-mounted display (HMD) with an offset camera. Methods: We recruited 40 healthy right-handed adults who were divided into four groups according to the hand used in the tests and the visual direction displayed by the HMD (centered or 10° left). Each of the four groups (n = 10) undertook line bisection tasks across four combinations of variables: using a finger/stick or a mouse to point at a touch panel located 60 or 120 cm away from the subject. Results: According to the results, regardless of the hand used, when the index finger or a stick was used (reaching condition), the line bisection point was displaced significantly to the left of the center. Additionally, a major left-displacement trend was observed in the short-distance reaching task, which did not require the use of a stick. In contrast, the long-distance task required a stick to be used, and the left displacements were all smaller than those for the short-distance tasks that used the index finger. Conclusion: This finding may be explained by the subjects having sufficient experience coordinating hand and eye movements in the condition where they used their dominant hand and reached with their own arms without using a stick.東京都立大学学位論文甲第1160号　副論

重傷外傷の認識が遅れ救急外来で緊急開腹術を行った１例

An８１-year-old man fell down and bruised his left abdomen. After a while the back pain got worse, and he admitted to the Emergency Department. At hospitals admission, several signs of shock were observed, and contrast-enhanced CT revealed a splenic injury. However, it took an hour and a half to diagnose and convene the trauma team because of the lack of information shared among medical staffs and the delay of the recognition as a severe traumatic injury. Since there was no available operation room at the time, nor there wasn’t time to transfer to another hospital, he was forced to undergo emergency open splenectomy at the Emergency Department. That decision saved his life as a result. In ２００２, it revealed that the deaths of about ４０％ of expired trauma patients who arrived at emergency centers were probably preventable. Since then, much progress has been made in establishing and generalizing the trauma care and evaluation guidelines. Our hospital is also making progress in organizing a trauma team and the massive transfusion protocol. However, even if they are well maintained, we won’t be able to decrease the number of preventable trauma deaths（PTD）unless we diagnose it. Improving clinical management as well as making efforts on teamwork, leads to a rapid definitive care in trauma patients

Endoscopic ultrasound-guided celiac plexus neurolysis for managing abdominal pain related with advanced cancer

Cancer associated abdominal pain, as typified by pancreatic cancer, has conventionally been treated with narcotic drugs, but often the severe abdominal pain is difficult to control. Endoscopic ultrasound-guided celiac plexus neurolysis (EUS-CPN) is commonly performed for abdominal pain that is difficult to control. EUS-CPN can be performed more safely and reliably than other conventional procedures on the celiac plexus, and good outcomes of pain relief have been reported. Although a variety of endoscopic techniques are available for EUS-CPN, the choice varies among institutions, and evidence on the efficacy and safety of each procedure is limited. In this review, we summarize the indications for treatment, specific endoscopic techniques, therapeutic efficacy for pain relief, and complications from previous reports on EUS-CPN

Microfabricated Nitinol Stent Retrievers with a Micro-Patterned Surface

Stent retrievers are medical devices that are designed to physically remove blood clots from within the blood vessels of the brain. This paper focuses on microfabricated nitinol (nickel–titanium alloy) stent retrievers, which feature micro-patterns on their surface to enhance the effectiveness of mechanical thrombectomy. A thick film of nitinol, which was 20 µm in thickness, was sputtered onto a substrate with a micro-patterned surface, using electroplated copper as the sacrificial layer. The nitinol film was released from the substrate and then thermally treated while folded into a cylindrical shape. In vitro experiments with pig blood clots demonstrated that the micro-patterns on the surface improved the efficacy of blood clot retrieval