Prevalence of rear seat belt use among pregnant women in a suburban area of Japan

学位記番号：保博甲122 This is the accepted version of the following article: FULL CITE, which has been published in final form at [https://doi.org/10.1111/jog.13468]

Classification of three generation models by orbifolding magnetized T2×T2T^2 \times T^2

We study orbifolding by the $\mathbb{Z}_2^{\rm (per)}$ permutaion of $T^2_1 \times T^2_2$ with magnetic fluxes and its twisted orbifolds. We classify the possible three generation models which lead to non-vanishing Yukawa couplings on the magnetized $T^2_1 \times T^2_2$ and orbifolds including the $\mathbb{Z}_2^{\rm (per)}$ permutation and $\mathbb{Z}_2^{\rm (t)}$ twist. We also study the modular symmetry on such orbifold models. As an illustrating model, we examine the realization of quark masses and mixing angles.Comment: 31 page

A Comparative Study of Data Gathering Procedures in Conjoint Measurement

An experiment is designed for testing validity and reliability of two data gathering procedures in conjoint measurement. Computer-interactive Adaptive Conjoint Analysis (ACA in short) and the conventional Full-Profile method (FP in short) are among those compared for predictive performance. After responding to four questionnaires, two data collection procedures each for two product categories (chocolate and soft drink), in a computer-assisted session, two hundred and six respondents picked up their most favorite brand(s) from a set of brands with relatively high shares in the market. For soft drink category, partworths of product attributes are estimated for price, manufacturer, brand category, and size of container. For chocolate, importance weights are estimated for price, maker, taste, and product form. Average correlation coefficients between parameter estimates derived from the different data collection procedures (ACA and FP) are quite high; 0.52 on the average for both product categories, mostly above 0.65 for individual respondents. Using parameter estimates, total utility scores could be calculated for the brands presented at the final stage of computer interview. Then, the first choice could be predicted and matched with the brand actually picked up by each respondent. "Batting Average" for FP method is 53.9%, which is fairly higher than 44.7% for ACA procedure in predicting the choice of chocolate. However, ACA with an average of 45.7% could hit the right cans of Cola, Tea, or Orange Juice better than FP only with an average of 40.4%. We recommend that researchers would better make use of ACA against FP, when there are many attributes and/or profiles, since interviewing with ACA is much easier than that with FP

Observation of a nuclear-elastic-scattering effect caused by energetic protons on deuteron slowing-down behaviour on the Large Helical Device

A first attempt to observe a nuclear-elastic-scattering (NES) effect caused by energetic protons on deuteron slowing-down behaviour was made on the Large Helical Device located at the National Institute for Fusion Science. The NES effect on the slowing-down of fast ions can influence the confinement of fast ions, ion heating, fusion reaction rate coefficient, etc. An intense hydrogen beam was injected into a deuterium plasma to create a knock-on tail, i.e. a non-Maxwellian energetic component in the deuteron velocity distribution function. We conducted two types of experiment: (1) observation of the slowing-down of the knock-on tail and (2) observation of the NES effect on the slowing-down time of fast ions. The phenomena are discussed in terms of the difference in the decay process of the D(d,n)3He neutron generation rate after neutral beam heating is terminated between the cases when the knock-on effect is influential and not influential, and also from the difference in the neutron decay times. The results of a series of experiments indicate that the NES effect caused by energetic protons can have an impact on the slowing-down of fast deuterons

SARS-CoV-2 spike receptor-binding domain is internalized and promotes protein ISGylation in human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes

Although an increased risk of myocarditis has been observed after vaccination with mRNA encoding severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 spike protein, its underlying mechanism has not been elucidated. This study investigated the direct effects of spike receptor-binding domain (S-RBD) on human cardiomyocytes differentiated from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC-CMs). Immunostaining experiments using ACE2 wild-type (WT) and knockout (KO) iPSC-CMs treated with purified S-RBD demonstrated that S-RBD was bound to ACE2 and internalized into the subcellular space in the iPSC-CMs, depending on ACE2. Immunostaining combined with live cell imaging using a recombinant S-RBD fused to the superfolder GFP (S-RBD-sfGFP) demonstrated that S-RBD was bound to the cell membrane, co-localized with RAB5A, and then delivered from the endosomes to the lysosomes in iPSC-CMs. Quantitative PCR array analysis followed by single cell RNA sequence analysis clarified that S-RBD-sfGFP treatment significantly upregulated the NF-kβ pathway-related gene (CXCL1) in the differentiated non-cardiomyocytes, while upregulated interferon (IFN)-responsive genes (IFI6, ISG15, and IFITM3) in the matured cardiomyocytes. S-RBD-sfGFP treatment promoted protein ISGylation, an ISG15-mediated post-translational modification in ACE2-WT-iPSC-CMs, which was suppressed in ACE2-KO-iPSC-CMs. Our experimental study demonstrates that S-RBD is internalized through the endolysosomal pathway, which upregulates IFN-responsive genes and promotes ISGylation in the iPSC-CMs.Okuno S., Higo S., Kondo T., et al. SARS-CoV-2 spike receptor-binding domain is internalized and promotes protein ISGylation in human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes. Scientific Reports 13, 21397 (2023); https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-48084-7

Decreased Wave V Amplitude in Auditory Brainstem Responses of Children with Cerebellar Lesions

【Background】 This study aims to elucidate the effect of isolated cerebellar lesions sparing the brainstem on the auditory brainstem responses in children. 【Methods】 We enrolled 10 children (aged 1?16 years) with cerebellar lesions on neuroimaging but lacking clinical brainstem involvement signs and with normal brainstem volumes on magnetic resonance imaging. 【Results】 The interpeak latency of waves I and V was normal in 9 patients and was marginally prolonged in 1 patient. While amplitudes of waves I and III were normal, we noted a decreased amplitude of wave V and/or an increased I/V amplitude ratio in 6 patients; these included 5 of 8 patients with cerebellar hypoplasia/atrophy and 1 patient with acute cerebellar ataxia. 【Conclusion】 Our results support the hypothesis of an inhibitory input from the cerebellar fastigial nucleus on the inferior colliculus, which might be disinhibited because of Purkinje cells dysfunction due to cerebellar cortex lesions, especially within the cerebellar vermis

Indirect energy transfer channel between fast ions via nuclear elastic scattering observed on the large helical device

An energy transfer phenomenon between energetic ions, which cannot be explained only considering the Coulomb scattering process, was observed on a large helical device (LHD). This phenomenon often occurs in fusion reactivity enhancement and fast-ion slowing-down process that can be observed as a delay in the decay time of the D(d,n)3He neutron generation rate. The transferred energy required to induce such a reactivity enhancement or delay in the fast-ion slowing-down time (neutron decay time) was examined based on the Boltzmann−Fokker−Planck analysis in which a discrete energy transfer process, called nuclear elastic scattering (NES), is included. It was shown that even though the cross section of the NES is smaller than that of the Coulomb scattering, enough knock-on population appears in the energetic region in ion distribution function to induce the observable NES effects; thus, enough energy is transferred from beam ions to fast component of bulk ion distribution function indirectly and the transferred energy per unit time via NES is comparable to the Coulomb scattering rate. This study analytically demonstrates that the observed phenomena on LHD can be explained smoothly by considering the alternative indirect energy transfer channel between energetic ions, which can be comparable with the one via Coulomb scattering

Energetic particle transport and loss induced by helically-trapped energetic-ion-driven resistive interchange modes in the Large Helical Device

In this work, energetic-ion confinement and loss due to energetic-ion driven magnetohydrodynamic modes are studied using comprehensive neutron diagnostics and orbit-following numerical simulations for the Large Helical Device (LHD). The neutron flux monitor is employed in order to obtain global confinement of energetic ions and two installed vertical neutron cameras (VNCs) viewing different poloidal cross-sections are utilized in order to measure the radial profile of energetic ions. A strong helically-trapped energetic-ion-driven resistive interchange mode (EIC) excited in relatively low-density plasma terminated high-temperature state in LHD. Changes in the neutron emission profile due to the EIC excitation are clearly visualized by the VNCs. The reduction in the neutron signal for the helical ripple valley increases with EIC amplitude, which reaches approximately 50%. In addition to the EIC experiment, orbit-following simulations using the DELTA5D code with EIC fluctuations were performed to assess the energetic-ion transport and loss. Two-dimensional temporal evolution results show that the neutron emissivity at the helical ripple decreases significantly due to the EIC. The rapid reduction in neutron emissivity shows that the helically-trapped beam ions immediately escape from the plasma. The reduction in the VNC signals for the helical ripple valley and the total neutron emission rate increase with increasing EIC amplitude, as observed in the experiment. Calculated line-integrated neutron emission results show that the profile measured by VNC1 has one peak, whereas the profile measured by VNC2 has two peaks, as observed in the experiment. Although the neutron emission profile for VNC2 has a relatively wide peak compared with the experimental results, the significant decrease in neutron signal corresponding to the helical ripple valley was successfully reproduced

Structural analysis of crystalline R(+)-α-lipoic acid-α-cyclodextrin complex based on microscopic and spectroscopic studies

R(+)-α-lipoic acid (RALA) is a naturally-occurring substance, and its protein-bound form plays significant role in the energy metabolism in the mitochondria. RALA is vulnerable to a variety of physical stimuli, including heat and UV light, which prompted us to study the stability of its complexes with cyclodextrins (CDs). In this study, we have prepared and purified a crystalline RALA-αCD complex and evaluated its properties in the solid state. The results of 1H NMR and PXRD analyses indicated that the crystalline RALA-αCD complex is a channel type complex with a molar ratio of 2:3 (RALA:α-CD). Attenuated total reflection/Fourier transform infrared analysis of the complex showed the shift of the C=O stretching vibration of RALA due to the formation of the RALA-αCD complex. Raman spectroscopic analysis revealed the significant weakness of the S–S and C–S stretching vibrations of RALA in the RALA-αCD complex implying that the dithiolane ring of RALA is almost enclosed in glucose ring of α-CD. Extent of this effect was dependent on the direction of the excitation laser to the hexagonal morphology of the crystal. Solid-state NMR analysis allowed for the chemical shift of the C=O peak to be precisely determined. These results suggested that RALA was positioned in the α-CD cavity with its 1,2-dithiolane ring orientated perpendicular to the plane of the α-CD ring. © 2015 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland