Large enhancement of superconducting transition temperature in single-element superconducting rhenium by shear strain

Finding a physical approach for increasing the superconducting transition temperature (Tc) is a challenge in the field of material science. Shear strain effects on the superconductivity of rhenium were investigated using magnetic measurements, X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and first-principles calculations. A large shear strain reduces the grain size and simultaneously expands the unit cells, resulting in an increase in Tc. Here we show that this shear strain approach is a new method for enhancing Tc and differs from that using hydrostatic strain. The enhancement of Tc is explained by an increase in net electron–electron coupling rather than a change in the density of states near the Fermi level. The shear strain effect in rhenium could be a successful example of manipulating Bardeen–Cooper–Schrieffer-type Cooper pairing, in which the unit cell volumes are indeed a key parameter

Hydrostatic pressure effects on superconducting transition of nanostructured niobium highly strained by high-pressure torsion

We study the effects of hydrostatic pressure (HP) compression on the superconducting transition of severely strained Nb samples, whose grain sizes are reduced to the submicrometer level. Engineered granularity by high-pressure torsion (HPT) treatment changes the strength of coupling between submicrometer-scale grains and introduces lattice strain. We attempt to utilize the initially accumulated shear strain in the starting material for increasing the superconducting transition temperature Tc under HP compression. The HP effects on non-strained Nb have already been investigated in the pressure regime over 100 GPa by Struzhkin et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 79, 4262 (1997)], and Tc reportedly exhibited an increase from 9.2 to 9.9 K at approximately 10 GPa. (1) Slightly strained Nb in the HPT treatment exhibits the increase in Tc under HP due to the strengthening of the intergrain coupling, so the pressure scale of the pressure response observed by Struzhkin et al. is reduced to approximately one-seventh at the maximum. (2) Prominently strained Nb in the HPT treatment exhibits the increase in Tc under HP due to a reduction in structural symmetry at the unit-cell level: In a Nb sample subjected to HPT (6 GPa, 10 revolutions), Tc exceeds 9.9 K at approximately 2 GPa. According to our first-principle calculations, the reduction in the structural symmetry affords an increase in the density of states at the Fermi energy, thereby yielding a prominent increase in Tc at low pressures

Morphological evidence for an invasion-independent metastasis pathway exists in multiple human cancers

BACKGROUND: We have previously described an alternative invasion-independent pathway of cancer metastasis in a murine mammary tumor model. This pathway is initiated by intravasation of tumor nests enveloped by endothelial cells of sinusoidal vasculature within the tumor. In this study, we examined whether evidence for the invasion-independent pathway of metastasis is present in human cancers. METHODS: Archival specimens of 10 common types of human cancers were examined for the presence of sinusoidal vasculature enveloping tumor nests and subsequently generated endothelial-covered tumor emboli in efferent veins. RESULTS: A percentage of tumor emboli in all cancers was found to be enveloped by endothelial cells, but these structures were particularly prevalent in renal cell carcinomas, hepatocellular carcinomas and follicular thyroid carcinomas. A common feature of the vasculature in these tumors was the presence of dilated sinusoid-like structures surrounding tumor nests. A high mean vascular area within tumors, an indication of sinusoidal vascular development, was significantly related to the presence of endothelial-covered tumor emboli. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that an invasion-independent metastatic pathway is possible in a wide variety of human cancers. Further investigation of this phenomenon may present new therapeutic strategies for the amelioration of cancer metastasis

日本赤十字災害看護学の確立をめざして(第2報) : 日赤系短期大学生の赤十字に関する認識の実態

赤十字災害看護学の構造と教育方法を確立するためには,赤十字に関する教育が基盤となる。そこで本学の学生が赤十字に関してどのように認識しているかを学生の卒業時に調査し,日赤系の3短大看護学科・介護福祉学科学生と比較検討した。その結果,学生はマスコミ報道や学習環境の中で赤十字を意識し,赤十字のイメージは赤十字活動や「行動の7原則」の知識にもとづいており,赤十字の活動・事業については知っているが,組織や歴史の知識は少ない。3短大は同様の結果を示すが,カリキュラムや教育方法,学習環境やクラブ活動によって,得られる知識やメージにわずかな差異が見られる。日本赤十字の看護教育においては,赤十字や災害看護学に関する教育カリキュラムはもとより,赤十字の理念「人道」を実践化するための体験的学習や学習環境整備が必要であろうと考察した。Education about Red Cross will be the basis for establishing the structure and education methodology of the Disaster Nursing Theory. We investigated how the students recognize Red Cross on their graduation, and compared the results to those of nursing and caring students in three Red Cross Junior colleges. Conseqently, we found that the students were conscious of Red Cross in the media news and their learning enviorment, and that their image of Red Cross was based on Red Cross activities and the knowlege of the Seven Behavior Principles. Students of all three junior colleges show the same tendency, and slight difference in their knowlege and images depending on their curricula, education methodologies

秋田市における血液透析患者の現状と医療・福祉のニーズ(第1報)

血液透析患者(以下,透析患者)に対する望ましい医療・福祉サービスを考える手だてとして,透析患者に実態調査を行った。秋田市内9施設362人の調査結果,以下のことが明らかになった。1)通院コスト,家族による付きそいなどをあげたものが多く,通院の負担が大きかった。2)日常生活動作では,比較的歩行を伴わない行動はできている者が多かったが,軽・重労働は介助を要する者が多かった。3)過去6ヶ月で受けた各種の介護サービスよりも,いずれの種類も今後受けたいという回答件数が多かった。また,その内容は様々であった。以上から,通院支援や個別的な医療・福祉サービスの充実が望まれると考えた。透析患者のQOLを高める方策として,社会福祉的な視点が重要である。In order to better understand the medical and social services needs of patients receiving hemodialyis in Akita a questionnaire was administered to these patients. 362 responses were received from 9 hospitals within Akita City. These were analysed and the conclusions are as follows : 1. The major concerns of respondents were the costs of attendance by family members at hospital and the costs of medical care and medications. 2. Some patients coped with ADLs with minimal assistance but others required assistance with both light and heavy tasks 3. While there was a variety of answers to the question regarding social welfare services most participants indicated a desire to receive different kinds of social welfare services than had been provided in the previous 6 months. In light of these findings we recommend the development of individualised medical and social welfare services to support hospital visits and quality of life for hemodialysis patients

日本赤十字災害看護学の確立をめざして(第1報) : 赤十字災害看護研究会の発足とその課題

阪神淡路大震災を契機にわが国の看護界では災害看護学確立の機運が高まっている。日本赤十字は戦時災害救護を目的として創設され,救護看護婦を養成し,長い歴史の中で数多くの救護活動に携わってきた。その為にも看護基礎教育課程でも実践的な教育と卒業後の訓練を行ってきた。しかし,理論としての災害看護学を構築してきたとはいいがたい。そこで本稿では,災害看護学の構築を目指して赤十字災害看護研究会を発足させた経緯と,これから検討すべき課題について提案する。In Japan, taking the opportunity the big earthquake in Hansin and Awaji 1995 gave the movement are promoting many studies and construction of the disaster nursing theory. Although the Japanese Red Cross Nurses have great many activities since 1891,in natural disasters and aid suffering soldiers, the disaster nursing theory of the Japanese Red Cross is not yet clearly established. We have started the study with the aim of constructing the theory of disaster nursing for the Japanese Red Cross

Presenting information on regulation values improves the public’s sense of safety: Perceived mercury risk in fish and shellfish and its effects on consumption intention

<div><p>Risk communication aims to promote health and understanding through information exchange; however, explanations regarding the basis of regulation values for the public are insufficient. Moreover, it is unclear how information presentation affects the public’s sense of safety and their consumption intentions. We first investigated the relationship between perception of mercury-risk in fish and shellfish and individual attributes and knowledge. We then examined how presenting information on regulation values and primary factors regarding perception affected sense of safety toward regulations and food-consumption intentions. An online survey was conducted with Japanese individuals (N = 1148). Respondents were randomly assigned to one of three groups based on the presentation level of regulation values. People who frequently consumed tuna had a high perception of dread risk of mercury. This suggests that the dread risk perception of mercury does not determine tuna-type consumption behavior; rather, individuals’ consumption behavior determines dread risk perception of mercury. Among those with high tuna-type consumption, those receiving information that a safety factor of 10 times had been considered showed a significantly greater sense of safety than did the group that was not presented with information on regulation values (odds ratio (95% confidence interval): 2.04 (1.18–3.53), <i>p</i> < 0.05). However, presentation of regulation values showed a weak but significantly positive correlation with excessive intake of tuna-type fish (odds ratio: 2.95 (0.93–9.32), <i>p</i> < 0.10). Presenting the information on regulation values increases sense of safety; however, it may also lead to excessive intake.</p></div

Regression coefficients for risk perception regarding mercury in fish and shellfish.

<p>B: unstandardized regression coefficient; CI: confidence interval; β: standardized partial coefficient; Ref: reference. No significant coefficients were obtained for sex, age, presence/absence of children, grandchildren, and pregnancy, science/humanities courses, consumption frequency of fish and shellfish, and taste-view.</p