Effects of the Zero-Mode Landau Level on Inter-Layer Magnetoresistance in Multilayer Massless Dirac Fermion Systems

We report on the experimental results of interlayer magnetoresistance in multilayer massless Dirac fermion system $\alpha$-(BEDT-TTF)$_2$I$_3$ under hydrostatic pressure and its interpretation. We succeeded in detecting the zero-mode Landau level (n=0 Landau level) that is epected to appear at the contact points of Dirac cones in the magnetic field normal to the two-dimensional plane. The characteristic feature of zero-mode Landau carriers including the Zeeman effect is clearly seen in the interlayer magnetoresistance.Comment: 2 pages, 2 figure

Novel Treatment Criteria for Persistent Ductus Arteriosus in Neonates

BackgroundThe indications for ductus arteriosus ligation in very-low-birth-weight infants (VLBWIs) with persistent ductus arteriosus (PDA) are unclear. Increased left ventricular end-diastolic dimension (LVDd) is commonly found in patients with PDA. Here, the enlargement of LVDd in term and preterm neonates without congenital heart disease was estimated by two-dimensional echocardiography.MethodsThe value of the measured LVDd was divided by the normal LVDd as an index (LVDd ratio) to compare 30 patients who underwent PDA ligation with 30 patients treated with indomethacin and 30 patients who did not undergo radical therapy.ResultsAn LVDd ratio between 122% and 197% (mean, 142%) was considered to be an indication for the ligation procedure. The proportion of patients exceeding 130% in the LVDd ratio was 87% (26/30) in those patients who underwent ligation. Catecholamines and/or vasodilators were required in 83% patients for the treatment of low ejection fraction or hypertension after operations, suggesting that patients had been in preload and/or afterload remodeling failure during the operation. The percentage of patients with less than 115% in the LVDd ratio was 90% in the non-radical-therapy patients. The LVDd ratios of 130% and 115% were regarded as cut-off values for surgical ligation and indomethacin treatment.ConclusionThe LVDd ratio is a useful measure to determine the treatment of VLBWIs with PDA

A Case of Mucosal Cancer of the Stomach Treated by Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection after Which Nodal Metastasis Became Evident

An 82-year-old male was referred to our institution for evaluation and treatment of a protruding lesion in the stomach. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) showed a small protruding lesion and a large superficial elevated lesion on the lesser curvature of the stomach (macroscopic type: 0-I and 0-IIa, resp.). CT and endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) visualized a small round lymph node (LN) 11 mm in size near the lesser curvature, although submucosal invasion was not evident. These two lesions were resected en bloc by endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD). Pathological examination of the resected specimen showed moderately differentiated tubular adenocarcinoma (tub2) and well-differentiated tubular adenocarcinoma (tub1), respectively, which were limited to the mucosal layer. Because lymphatic-vascular involvement was not detected by hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining, additional gastrectomy was not performed. Two months after ESD, follow-up EUS and CT showed an enlarged LN. EUS-guided fine needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) for the LN revealed metastasis. Therefore, total gastrectomy with LN dissection was performed. His postoperative course was uneventful. After discharge, he has been followed up at the outpatient department without any sign of recurrence for 5 years. Histological reexamination of the ESD specimen using immunohistochemistry showed lymphatic invasion of cancer cells in the lamina propria of the 0-I lesion 13 mm in size

The selective continued linkage of centromeres from mitosis to interphase in the absence of mammalian separase

Separase is an evolutionarily conserved protease that is essential for chromosome segregation and cleaves cohesin Scc1/Rad21, which joins the sister chromatids together. Although mammalian separase also functions in chromosome segregation, our understanding of this process in mammals is still incomplete. We generated separase knockout mice, reporting an essential function for mammalian separase. Separase-deficient mouse embryonic fibroblasts exhibited severely restrained increases in cell number, polyploid chromosomes, and amplified centrosomes. Chromosome spreads demonstrated that multiple chromosomes connected to a centromeric region. Live observation demonstrated that the chromosomes of separase-deficient cells condensed, but failed to segregate, although subsequent cytokinesis and chromosome decondensation proceeded normally. These results establish that mammalian separase is essential for the separation of centromeres, but not of the arm regions of chromosomes. Other cell cycle events, such as mitotic exit, DNA replication, and centrosome duplication appear to occur normally. We also demonstrated that heterozygous separase-deficient cells exhibited severely restrained increases in cell number with apparently normal mitosis in the absence of securin, which is an inhibitory partner of separase

Incidence of seed migration to the chest, abdomen, and pelvis after transperineal interstitial prostate brachytherapy with loose 125I seeds

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The aim was to determine the incidence of seed migration not only to the chest, but also to the abdomen and pelvis after transperineal interstitial prostate brachytherapy with loose ¹²⁵I seeds.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We reviewed the records of 267 patients who underwent prostate brachytherapy with loose ¹²⁵I seeds. After seed implantation, orthogonal chest radiographs, an abdominal radiograph, and a pelvic radiograph were undertaken routinely to document the occurrence and sites of seed migration. The incidence of seed migration to the chest, abdomen, and pelvis was calculated. All patients who had seed migration to the abdomen and pelvis subsequently underwent a computed tomography scan to identify the exact location of the migrated seeds. Postimplant dosimetric analysis was undertaken, and dosimetric results were compared between patients with and without seed migration.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>A total of 19,236 seeds were implanted in 267 patients. Overall, 91 of 19,236 (0.47%) seeds migrated in 66 of 267 (24.7%) patients. Sixty-nine (0.36%) seeds migrated to the chest in 54 (20.2%) patients. Seven (0.036%) seeds migrated to the abdomen in six (2.2%) patients. Fifteen (0.078%) seeds migrated to the pelvis in 15 (5.6%) patients. Seed migration occurred predominantly within two weeks after seed implantation. None of the 66 patients had symptoms related to the migrated seeds. Postimplant prostate D90 was not significantly different between patients with and without seed migration.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>We showed the incidence of seed migration to the chest, abdomen and pelvis. Seed migration did not have a significant effect on postimplant prostate D90.</p

NBRP databases: databases of biological resources in Japan

The National BioResource Project (NBRP) is a Japanese project that aims to establish a system for collecting, preserving and providing bioresources for use as experimental materials for life science research. It is promoted by 27 core resource facilities, each concerned with a particular group of organisms, and by one information center. The NBRP database is a product of this project. Thirty databases and an integrated database-retrieval system (BioResource World: BRW) have been created and made available through the NBRP home page (http://www.nbrp.jp). The 30 independent databases have individual features which directly reflect the data maintained by each resource facility. The BRW is designed for users who need to search across several resources without moving from one database to another. BRW provides access to a collection of 4.5-million records on bioresources including wild species, inbred lines, mutants, genetically engineered lines, DNA clones and so on. BRW supports summary browsing, keyword searching, and searching by DNA sequences or gene ontology. The results of searches provide links to online requests for distribution of research materials. A circulation system allows users to submit details of papers published on research conducted using NBRP resources

Genome evolution and plasticity of <em>Serratia marcescens</em>:an important multidrug resistant nosocomial pathogen

Serratia marcescens is an important nosocomial pathogen that can cause an array of infections, most notably of the urinary tract and bloodstream. Naturally, it is found in many environmental niches, and is capable of infecting plants and animals. The emergence and spread of multidrug-resistant strains producing extended-spectrum or metallo beta-lactamases now pose a threat to public health worldwide. Here we report the complete genome sequences of two carefully selected S. marcescens strains, a multidrug-resistant clinical isolate (strain SM39) and an insect isolate (strain Db11). Our comparative analyses reveal the core genome of S. marcescens and define the potential metabolic capacity, virulence, and multidrug resistance of this species. We show a remarkable intraspecies genetic diversity, both at the sequence level and with regards genome flexibility, which may reflect the diversity of niches inhabited by members of this species. A broader analysis with other Serratia species identifies a set of approximately 3,000 genes that characterize the genus. Within this apparent genetic diversity, we identified many genes implicated in the high virulence potential and antibiotic resistance of SM39, including the metallo beta-lactamase and multiple other drug resistance determinants carried on plasmid pSMC1. We further show that pSMC1 is most closely related to plasmids circulating in Pseudomonas species. Our data will provide a valuable basis for future studies on S. marcescens and new insights into the genetic mechanisms that underlie the emergence of pathogens highly resistant to multiple antimicrobial agents