Superfluid-Mott Insulator Transition of Spin-1 Bosons in an Optical Lattice

We have studied superfluid-Mott insulating transition of spin-1 bosons interacting antiferromagnetically in an optical lattice. We have obtained the zero-temperature phase diagram by a mean-field approximation and have found that the superfluid phase is to be a polar state as a usual trapped spin-1 Bose gas. More interestingly, we have found that the Mott-insulating phase is strongly stabilized only when the number of atoms per site is even.Comment: 9 pages, 1 figur

Early Ontogeny of the Japanese Common Squid Todarodes pacificus (Cephalopoda, Ommastrephidae) with Special Reference to its Characteristic Morphology and Ecological Significance

Early ontogeny of the Japanese Common Squid Todarodes pacificus was described for artificially inseminated and collected specimens to present new criteria for developmental stages in relation to its ecological adaptation. For the purpose, details for formation of the following organs and tissues were observed with special attention: cilia on the integument, mouth part, shell sac and stellate ganglia, visceral mass, funnel-collar complex, statocysts, eye parts, and ventral photosensitive vesicles. At the embryonic stage (i.e., pre-hatching), various types of epidermal cilia that seem to work as the embryonic rotation were detected. At the early postembryonic stage (i.e., post-hatching), the epidermal lines were characteristically arranged at the scattered condition on arms, tentacles, head, and funnel. Novel strong muscle fibers were distinct in the base of tentacles and funnel retractor muscles at the early postembryonic stage, which is clearly related to the head withdrawal behavior of the paralarvae. The lip cilia and toothed beak developed at the early postembryonic stage, but disappeared later; these apparatus were considered to be related with a change of unique feeding mode in the paralarval life. Based on such morphological features, four distinct stages, namely, paralarval stage 1, 2, 3, and juvenile stage are proposed. The present observations are discussed in relation to survival strategy at early life of T. pacificus and they are compared with those in other cephalopods

Biliary ICG Concentrations as an Indicatr of the Effect of Biliary Decompressions : Peak and two-hour ICG Concentrations

To quantitate the effects of biliary decompression on hepatic functional reserve prior to a definitive operation in patients with obstructive jaundice, indocyanine green (ICG) concentration in the bile was measured before and at 15 minute intervals for six hours following its administration. The maximal excretion rate of ICG in the bile as a function of time (ICG Bmax) was calculated by the following equation : ICG Bmax=loge (loge(10Xpeak concentration)] peak concentration time Determination of ICG Bmax has a shortcoming in that it requires prolonged restriction of the patients. Therefore, for the purpose of simplification, the natural logarithm of the ICG concentration two hours after ICG administration (ICG B2hr) was obtained : ICG B2hr=loge (biliary ICG concentration at two hours) There was a significant correlation between ICG Bmax and ICG B2hr\u27 with a correlation coefficient of 0.865 as determined in 131 subjects. ICG Bmax is a reliable indicator in the assessment of hepatic functional reserve in jaundiced patients after biliary decompression and prior to further surgical interventions ICG B2hr assessment is a simplified method of ICG Bmax assessment. ICG B2hr values of less than 0.5 are considered to be contraindication for surgery, with a high probability of prolonged jaundice and poor prognosis. Values of more than 0.5 indicate the advisability of surgery, while those between -0.5 and 0.5 also indicate this if there is a trend to improvement

Octacalcium phosphate crystals including a higher density dislocation improve its materials osteogenecity

Herein, we show that the enhanced osteogenecity of octacalcium phosphate (OCP) biomaterial, recently identified as an important element in hybrid organic–inorganic nanocomposites involved in the initial hydroxyapatite crystal expansion in mammal bones, results from an enhanced chemical property, stemming from the presence of lattice strain and dislocations. Two types of OCPs were synthesized by wet-chemical processing in the presence (c-OCP) and absence (w-OCP) of gelatin, respectively, and subjected to structural, chemical, and biological analyses. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and fast Fourier transform (FFT) analyses revealed that c-OCP crystals contained approximately six times higher edge dislocations with Burgers vectors perpendicular to a-axis than that in the case of w-OCP. The dissolution of c-OCP crystal in tris-HCl buffer occurred toward the long axis of the crystal, most likely, toward the lattice strain along the c-axis direction, while w-OCP crystal dissolved toward the a-axis direction. The study suggested that the increment of internal energy by the higher dislocation density contributed promoting c-OCP dissolution and hydrolysis through decreasing the activation energy. c-OCP crystal displayed enhanced in vitro mesenchymal stem 2D cell and 3D spheroid differentiation, in vivo bone formation, and apatite crystallographic orientation in critical-sized rat calvarial defect model as compared to w-OCP crystal, at the same time, converting to apatite structure earlier than w-OCP. The present study demonstrates that dislocation-related dissolution along with enhanced conversion of OCP is a determinant in bone induction, which may be relevant to normal bone development utilizing OCP biomaterials.Hamai R., Sakai S., Shiwaku Y., et al. Octacalcium phosphate crystals including a higher density dislocation improve its materials osteogenecity. Applied Materials Today, 26, 101279. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apmt.2021.101279

The establishment of the food safety commission (FSC) and its role in relation to boiling spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in Japan

After the detection of the first case of bovine spongiformencephalopathy (BSE) in Japan, severalmeasures were introduced to protect public and animal health. Those measures included BSE testing of all cattle slaughtered for human consumption with a rapid test, removal of specified risk materials (SRM), enhancement of surveillance, and feed ban. In addition, the Food Safety Basic Law was enforced and the Food Safety Commission (FSC) was established in July 2003 to strengthen the function of the government in food safety. In December 2004, the first case of BSE was detected in the United States, and the Japanese government suspended importation of beef from the US to Japan, causing a new trade issue between the two countries. This article outlines how the Japanese government addressed the domestic BSE issues and bilateral trade issues in consultation with the FSC.Après la détection du premier cas d'encéphalopathie spongiforme bovine (ESB) au Japon, plusieurs mesures ont été prises pour protéger la santé publique et animale. Elles comprennent le dépistage de l'ESB, par un test rapide, de tous les bovins abattus pour la consommation humaine, le retrait des matériels à risques spécifiés (MRS), le renforcement de la surveillance et l'interdiction des farines de viandes et d'os. En outre, la Loi fondamentale sur la sécurité alimentaire a été appliquée et la Commission de la sécurité sanitaire des aliments (CSSA) a été créée en juillet 2003 pour conseiller le gouvernement en matière de sécurité alimentaire. En décembre 2004, suite au premier cas d'ESB détecté aux Etats-Unis, le gouvernement japonais a suspendu l'importation de viande bovine qui en provenait, provoquant un nouveau problème commercial entre les deux pays. Cet article décrit la façon dont le gouvernement japonais, après consultation de la CSSA, a contrôlé, au plan national, la situation relative à l'ESB et les relations commerciales bilatérales

Predictive Evaluation of the Effects of Biliary Decompression by Biliary ICG Clearance Test (ICG Bmax) for Patients with Obstructive Jaundice

To quantitate the effects of biliary decompression on hepatic functional reserve before operation in patietns with obstructive jaundice, we developed a new method of maximal hepatic removal of indocyanine green in the bile (ICG Bmax). This was calculated from the peak ICG concentration in the bile and the peak concentration time after its administration via antecubital vein using regression analysis. This study involved 13 normal controls and 26 jaundiced patients. ICG Bmax of the normal controls indicated more than 0.5. Among the jaundiced patients. 17 showed an ICG Bmax value of more than -0.5 early during biliary decompression and 87% of them satisfactorily tolerated further radical operation. The remaining patients in whom ICG Bmax initially showed less than -0.5, but 67% of them had an unfavorable outcome postoperatively. Six of the nine patients whose ICG Bmax was less than -0.5 prior to operation suffered severe postoperative complication, and three of whom died from hepatic failure. These results indicated that ICG Bmax evaluation during an early period of biliary decompression provided a reliable asseessment of the effects and a prediction of biliary drainage. ICG Bmax evaluation is also useful to the timely decision of radical operation

Safety analysis of two different regimens of uracil–tegafur plus leucovorin as adjuvant chemotherapy for high-risk stage II and III colon cancer in a phase III trial comparing 6 with 18 months of treatment: JFMC33-0502 trial

PURPOSE: The JFMC33-0502 trial is a phase III clinical study designed to determine the most appropriate duration of postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy with uracil–tegafur (UFT) plus leucovorin in patients with stage IIB or III colon cancer. We report the interim results of preplanned safety analyses. METHODS: Patients with stage IIB or III colon cancer who had undergone curative resection were randomly assigned to receive UFT (300 mg/m(2)) plus leucovorin (75 mg/day) for 6 months (control group, 4 weeks of treatment followed by a 1-week rest, five courses) or for 18 months (study group, 5 days of treatment followed by a 2-day rest, 15 courses). Treatment status and safety were evaluated. RESULTS: A total of 1,071 patients were enrolled, and 1,063 were included in safety analyses. Treatment completion rate at 6 months was 74.0 % in the control group and 76.7 % in the study group. Treatment completion rate in the study group at 18 months was 56.0 %. The overall incidence of adverse events (AEs) was 75.3 % in the control group and 77.6 % in the study group. The incidences of grade 3 or higher AEs were low in both groups. During the first 6 months, the incidences of the subjective AEs were significantly lower in the study group. CONCLUSIONS: Oral UFT plus leucovorin given by either dosage schedule is a very safe regimen for adjuvant chemotherapy. In particular, 5 days of treatment followed by a 2-day rest was a useful treatment option from the viewpoint of toxicity even when given for longer than 6 months. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s00280-014-2461-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users