Tensor correlation in 4He with the tensor-optimized shell model

We study the characteristics of the tensor correlation in $^4$He using a shell model type method. We treat the tensor force explicitly by performing a configuration-mixing calculation in the $2p2h$ basis and include single-particle states up to intermediately high angular momenta. We adopt the Gaussian expansion method for the quantitative description of the spatial shrinkage of the single-particle states to optimize the tensor correlation. We are able to describe the full strength of the tensor correlation for $^4$He in the shell model type method by realizing convergence. We call this model the tensor-optimized shell model. It is found that in $^4$He, three specific $2p2h$ configurations are strongly coupled with the $(0s)^4$ configuration due to the characteristic features of the tensor operator.Comment: 18 pages, 8 figures, Changed content, To be Published in Prog. Theor. Phys. 117(2007

Towards Implantable Bio-Supercapacitors: Pseudocapacitance of Ruthenium Oxide Nanoparticles and Nanosheets in Acids, Buffered Solutions, and Bioelectrolytes

Metal oxides, in particular ruthenium-based oxides, are promising electrode materials for aqueous pseudocapacitors. Strong acids or bases are favored over neutral electrolytes owing to the higher capacitance. Here we explore the pseudocapacitive behavior of ruthenium oxide nanoparticles and nanosheets in near neutral pH as an environmentally benign electrolyte. The pseudocapacitive charge storage in poorly-crystalline hydrous RuO2 nanoparticles, and highly-crystalline RuO2 nanosheets were investigated in acetic acid-lithium acetate (AcOH-AcOLi) buffered solutions. It is shown that capacitance values as high as 1,038 F g(-1) can be achieved in AcOH-AcOLi buffered solutions with RuO2 nanosheets, which is 44% higher than the benchmark RuO2 nH(2)O in H2SO4 electrolyte (720 F g(-1)). Furthermore, comparable performance was obtained in phosphate buffered saline and fetal bovine serum. The mechanism of the pseudocapacitive properties is discussed based on the difference in the surface redox behavior of different RuO2 nanomaterials in acid, neutral, buffered solutions, and in weak acid. (C) The Author(s) 2015. Published by ECS. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License (CC BY, http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted reuse of the work in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. All rights reserved.ArticleJOURNAL OF THE ELECTROCHEMICAL SOCIETY. 162(5):A5001-A5006 (2015)journal articl

A Case of Psoriasis Complicated by Breast Cancer after Systemic Treatments Including Biologics

Psoriasis is a common chronic inflammatory skin disorder that is characterized by scaly, erythematous, sharply demarcated plaques. The treatment for psoriasis has dramatically changed over the last 10 years with the introduction of biologics. However, the risk of cancer induced by biologics for psoriasis has not been fully analyzed, since these agents have such a short history of use. Here we report the case of a 74-year-old woman with psoriasis vulgaris and psoriatic arthritis complicated by breast cancer after systemic treatments including etretinate, cyclosporine, methotrexate, adalimumab, and ustekinumab

4 V class aqueous hybrid electrochemical capacitor with battery-like capacity

A new aqueous hybrid electrochemical capacitor consisting of a porous positive capacitive electrode and a water-stable multilayered Li negative electrode is demonstrated. The new cell design affords cell voltages close to 4 V in a mild aqueous electrolyte. Application of a pseudocapacitive positive electrode with high specific charge results in specific energy comparable to present rechargeable batteries.ArticleRSC ADVANCES. 2(32):12144-12147 (2012)journal articl

Angiomatous Nasal Polyp Diagnosed by Preoperative Imaging and Successfully Resected by Endonasal Endoscopic Surgery: A Case Report

Angiomatous polyp is a benign, nonneoplastic nasal polyp that accounts for 4-5% of all inflammatory nasal polyps but is rarely reported in the literature. It can grow rapidly and exhibit an aggressive clinical behavior that can simulate malignant sinonasal tumor. We herein report a case of a 13-year-old boy with a rapidly growing angiomatous polyp in the nasal cavity. We had followed up the patient without significant changes for two years, but the tumor had rapidly grown in the last six months. At first, the rapid growth of the tumor and the bone erosion of the maxilla were suggestive of a malignant tumor. However, with preoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and [18F]-2-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose positron emission tomography imaging findings, we established the corrective diagnosis of an angiomatous polyp. After the diagnostic imaging, we performed an endoscopic endonasal surgery and totally resected the tumor without unnecessary excessive surgery. Recognition of this disease that can mimic malignancy is important to avoid excessive surgery such as en bloc resection by craniofacial approach, and we believe that MRI findings can be helpful for the imaging diagnosis

Holographic QCD and Pion Mass

To realize massive pions, we study variations of the holographic model of massless QCD using the D4/D8/anti-D8 brane configuration proposed by Sakai and Sugimoto. We propose deformations which break the chiral symmetry explicitly and compute the mass of the pions and vector mesons. The observed value of the pion mass can be obtained. We also argue a chiral perturbation corresponding to our deformation.Comment: 23pages, minor changes, references adde

Characterization of a New Saccharomyces cerevisiae Isolated From Hibiscus Flower and Its Mutant With L-Leucine Accumulation for Awamori Brewing

Since flavors of alcoholic beverages produced in fermentation process are affected mainly by yeast metabolism, the isolation and breeding of yeasts have contributed to the alcoholic beverage industry. To produce awamori, a traditional spirit (distilled alcoholic beverage) with unique flavors made from steamed rice in Okinawa, Japan, it is necessary to optimize yeast strains for a diversity of tastes and flavors with established qualities. Two categories of flavors are characteristic of awamori; initial scented fruity flavors and sweet flavors that arise with aging. Here we isolated a novel strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae from hibiscus flowers in Okinawa, HC02-5-2, that produces high levels of alcohol. The whole-genome information revealed that strain HC02-5-2 is contiguous to wine yeast strains in a phylogenic tree. This strain also exhibited a high productivity of 4-vinyl guaiacol (4-VG), which is a precursor of vanillin known as a key flavor of aged awamori. Although conventional awamori yeast strain 101-18, which possesses the FDC1 pseudogene does not produce 4-VG, strain HC02-5-2, which has the intact PAD1 and FDC1 genes, has an advantage for use in a novel kind of awamori. To increase the contents of initial scented fruity flavors, such as isoamyl alcohol and isoamyl acetate, we attempted to breed strain HC02-5-2 targeting the L-leucine synthetic pathway by conventional mutagenesis. In mutant strain T25 with L-leucine accumulation, we found a hetero allelic mutation in the LEU4 gene encoding the Gly516Ser variant α-isopropylmalate synthase (IPMS). IPMS activity of the Gly516Ser variant was less sensitive to feedback inhibition by L-leucine, leading to intracellular L-leucine accumulation. In a laboratory-scale test, awamori brewed with strain T25 showed higher concentrations of isoamyl alcohol and isoamyl acetate than that brewed with strain HC02-5-2. Such a combinatorial approach to yeast isolation, with whole-genome analysis and metabolism-focused breeding, has the potentials to vary the quality of alcoholic beverages

Host Prostaglandin E2-EP3 Signaling Regulates Tumor-Associated Angiogenesis and Tumor Growth

Nonsteroidal antiinflammatories are known to suppress incidence and progression of malignancies including colorectal cancers. However, the precise mechanism of this action remains unknown. Using prostaglandin (PG) receptor knockout mice, we have evaluated a role of PGs in tumor-associated angiogenesis and tumor growth, and identified PG receptors involved. Sarcoma-180 cells implanted in wild-type (WT) mice formed a tumor with extensive angiogenesis, which was greatly suppressed by specific inhibitors for cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 but not for COX-1. Angiogenesis in sponge implantation model, which can mimic tumor-stromal angiogenesis, was markedly suppressed in mice lacking EP3 (EP3−/−) with reduced expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) around the sponge implants. Further, implanted tumor growth (sarcoma-180, Lewis lung carcinoma) was markedly suppressed in EP3−/−, in which tumor-associated angiogenesis was also reduced. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that major VEGF-expressing cells in the stroma were CD3/Mac-1 double-negative fibroblasts, and that VEGF-expression in the stroma was markedly reduced in EP3−/−, compared with WT. Application of an EP3 receptor antagonist inhibited tumor growth and angiogenesis in WT, but not in EP3−/−. These results demonstrate significance of host stromal PGE2-EP3 receptor signaling in tumor development and angiogenesis. An EP3 receptor antagonist may be a candidate of chemopreventive agents effective for malignant tumors

Effect of isolated AMP deaminase deficiency on skeletal muscle function

Jidong Cheng, Hiroko Morisaki, Naomi Sugimoto, Atsushi Dohi, Takuya Shintani, Erika Kimura, Keiko Toyama, Masahito Ikawa, Masaru Okabe, Itsuro Higuchi, Satoshi Matsuo, Yasuaki Kawai, Ichiro Hisatome, Takako Sugama, Edward W. Holmes, Takayuki Morisaki, Effect of isolated AMP deaminase deficiency on skeletal muscle function, Molecular Genetics and Metabolism Reports, Volume 1, 2014, Pages 51-59, ISSN 2214-4269, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ymgmr.2013.12.004

Inhibition of EP4 Signaling Attenuates Aortic Aneurysm Formation

BACKGROUND: Aortic aneurysm is a common but life-threatening disease among the elderly, for which no effective medical therapy is currently available. Activation of prostaglandin E(2) (PGE(2)) is known to increase the expression of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) and the release of inflammatory cytokines, and may thus exacerbate abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) formation. We hypothesized that selective blocking of PGE(2), in particular, EP4 prostanoid receptor signaling, would attenuate the development of AAA. METHODS AND FINDINGS: Immunohistochemical analysis of human AAA tissues demonstrated that EP4 expression was greater in AAA areas than that in non-diseased areas. Interestingly, EP4 expression was proportional to the degree of elastic fiber degradation. In cultured human aortic smooth muscle cells (ASMCs), PGE(2) stimulation increased EP4 protein expression (1.4 ± 0.08-fold), and EP4 stimulation with ONO-AE1-329 increased MMP-2 activity and interleukin-6 (IL-6) production (1.4 ± 0.03- and 1.7 ± 0.14-fold, respectively, P<0.05). Accordingly, we examined the effect of EP4 inhibition in an ApoE(-/-) mouse model of AAA infused with angiotensin II. Oral administration of ONO-AE3-208 (0.01-0.5 mg/kg/day), an EP4 antagonist, for 4 weeks significantly decreased the formation of AAA (45-87% reduction, P<0.05). Similarly, EP4(+/-)/ApoE(-/-) mice exhibited significantly less AAA formation than EP4(+/+)/ApoE(-/-) mice (76% reduction, P<0.01). AAA formation induced by periaortic CaCl(2) application was also reduced in EP4(+/-) mice compared with wild-type mice (73% reduction, P<0.001). Furthermore, in human AAA tissue organ cultures containing SMCs and macrophages, doses of the EP4 antagonist at 10-100 nM decreased MMP-2 activation and IL-6 production (0.6 ± 0.06- and 0.7 ± 0.06-fold, respectively, P<0.05) without increasing MMP-9 activity or MCP-1 secretion. Thus, either pharmacological or genetic EP4 inhibition attenuated AAA formation in multiple mouse and human models by lowering MMP activity and cytokine release. CONCLUSION: An EP4 antagonist that prevents the activation of MMP and thereby inhibits the degradation of aortic elastic fiber may serve as a new strategy for medical treatment of AAA