A machining test to identify rotary axis geometric errors on a five-axis machine tool with a swiveling rotary table for turning operations

Lately, a cylindrical workpiece of relatively large diameter is often machined by turning operations by a swiveling rotary table in a five-axis machining center. This paper presents a machining test containing features finished by a turning operation by a swiveling rotary table. Unlike conventional machining tests for turning operations described in ISO 13041-6:2009, the present machining test can identify a complete set of position and orientation errors of the axis average line of rotary axes from the geometry of the finished test piece. The radial and axial error motions of the rotary table can be also observed when the swiveling axis is positioned horizontal (A = 0°) and vertical (A = -90°). Experimental demonstration is presented. The rotary axis geometric errors identified from the finished test piece's geometry are compared with those estimated by a conventional error calibration test using a touch-triggered probe and a precision sphere. The uncertainty analysis for the present machining test is also presented

Large-scale stem cell production system by newly designed bioreactor

Large scale cell production system is required in drug discovery and cell based therapy. However there are technically challenges in maintaining high quality and low cost for practical biomanufacturing industry. 3D suspension culture is one of attractive process, especially static culture is ultimate free from shear force. Utilizing static 3D suspension culture, automated closed system is newly designed and demonstrated expansion culture over several subcultures. Cell growth curves of this system and conventional manual method have good accordance. The system is also compatible with good scalability for scale up and scale out use. Please click Additional Files below to see the full abstract

Factors Related to Attitudes toward Seeking Professional Psychological Help among Japanese Junior High and High School Students

To develop intervention methods of primary prevention for adolescents who are at high risk for mental health disorders, we investigated help-seeking behavior (HSB) and factors related to HSB. We distributed questionnaires to 1222 junior high (age, 13.55 ± 0.5 years) (mean ± SD) and high school students (age, 16.56 ± 0.49 years) in Japan. A total of 1168 questionnaires were answered and returned. Correlation analysis and multiple linear regression analysis were conducted to determine HSB and related factors scales. Among the sample students, 39% had previous knowledge of mental health consultation. However, only 10% said they would seek out a mental health specialist. Friends or senior students were frequently chosen (70%) as the initial consultant. Using multiple regression linear analysis, we found that image of and stigma towards psychiatry and psychological counseling and knowledge of mental health to be factors related to HSB. High school students were more likely than junior high students to display HSB. Initially, students tended to choose friends and family rather than specialized professional support for their mental health concerns. The image of psychiatry, knowledge of services and stigma towards mental health problems and services were related factors. We conclude that educational programs that include students, parents, family and friends are needed for early intervention to change the general image and knowledge of specialized mental health services to increase HSB

Redefining awn development in rice through the breeding history of Japanese awn reduction

The study challenges the conventional understanding of awn loss as a domestication syndrome, showing instead that many awned varieties continued to be widely grown in Japan until the early twentieth century and that selection for awn reduction was active at that time, demonstrating that awn loss is not a domestication syndrome but “a trait that emerged during crop improvement”. Although selection for awnless mutants was carried out independently using different types of awned cultivars in the early twentieth century in Japan, awn loss was caused by the mutation in OsEPFL1. This suggests that a single mutant haplotype of OsEPFL1 was conserved in the genomes of different cultivars and subsequently selected within each line to meet the demand for awnless varieties. The study also conducts phylogenetic analyses of EPFL1 in 48 grass plants, revealing its unique involvement in awn formation in rice while potentially playing a different role in the domestication of other grass plants. Finally, an attempt is made to isolate an awn-forming gene that has not been identified from the awned rice cultivar “Omachi”, which is still cultivated in Japan. The results presented in this paper provide a new perspective on domestication against the conventional understanding of awn development, shedding light on its potential as a useful organ for breeding to mitigate environmental stress

Successful Use of Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation for Respiratory Failure Caused by Mediastinal Precursor T Lymphoblastic Lymphoma

Precursor T lymphoblastic lymphoma (T-LBL) often manifests as a mediastinal mass sometimes compressing vital structures like vessels or large airways. This case was a 40-year-old male who developed T-LBL presenting as respiratory failure caused by mediastinal T-LBL. He presented with persistent life threatening hypoxia despite tracheal intubation. We successfully managed this respiratory failure using venovenous (VV) ECMO. Induction chemotherapy was started after stabilizing oxygenation and the mediastinal lesion shrank rapidly. Respiratory failure caused by compression of the central airway by tumor is an oncologic emergency. VV ECMO may be an effective way to manage this type of respiratory failure as a bridge to chemotherapy

Effects of Glu298Asp Polymorphism of Endothelial Nitric Oxide Synthase (eNOS) Gene on eNOS mRNA and Protein Expressions in Cultured Human Vascular Endothelial Cells

The relationship between cardiovascular disease and Glu298Asp polymorphism of nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) gene in vascular endothelial cells is controversial due to conflicting results. To demonstrate the effects of Glu298Asp polymorphism of the eNOS gene on eNOS gene expression by excluding the effects of various confounding factors, eNOS mRNA and protein expressions were measured using cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) according to genotypes of Glu298Asp polymorphism of the eNOS gene. eNOS mRNA expression was measured by real-time PCR/reverse trasnscription-PCR. eNOS protein expression was measured by an immunoassay method. HUVECs with Glu298Asp tended to show higher eNOS mRNA and protein expressions than those with Glu298Glu, but the difference was not significant. These results suggest that the genotypic difference of Glu298Glu and Glu298Asp has no effect on eNOS mRNA and protein expressions

Low mutation rate of spontaneous mutants enables detection of causative genes by comparing whole genome sequences

In the early 1900s, mutation breeding to select varieties with desirable traits using spontaneous mutation was actively conducted around the world, including Japan. In rice, the number of fixed mutations per generation was estimated to be 1.38-2.25. Although this low mutation rate was a major problem for breeding in those days, in the modern era with the development of next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology, it was conversely considered to be an advantage for efficient gene identification. In this paper, we proposed an in silico approach using NGS to compare the whole genome sequence of a spontaneous mutant with that of a closely related strain with a nearly identical genome, to find polymorphisms that differ between them, and to identify the causal gene by predicting the functional variation of the gene caused by the polymorphism. Using this approach, we found four causal genes for the dwarf mutation, the round shape grain mutation and the awnless mutation. Three of these genes were the same as those previously reported, but one was a novel gene involved in awn formation. The novel gene was isolated from Bozu-Aikoku, a mutant of Aikoku with the awnless trait, in which nine polymorphisms were predicted to alter gene function by their whole-genome comparison. Based on the information on gene function and tissue-specific expression patterns of these candidate genes, Os03g0115700/LOC_Os03g02460, annotated as a short-chain dehydrogenase/reductase SDR family protein, is most likely to be involved in the awnless mutation. Indeed, complementation tests by transformation showed that it is involved in awn formation. Thus, this method is an effective way to accelerate genome breeding of various crop species by enabling the identification of useful genes that can be used for crop breeding with minimal effort for NGS analysis

Heparin cofactor II reduces albuminuria

Aims/Introduction: Thrombin exerts various pathophysiological functions by activating protease-activated receptors (PARs). Recent data have shown that PARs influence the development of glomerular diseases including diabetic kidney disease (DKD) by regulating inflammation. Heparin cofactor II (HCII) specifically inactivates thrombin; thus, we hypothesized that low plasma HCII activity correlates with DKD development, as represented by albuminuria. Materials and Methods: Plasma HCII activity and spot urine biomarkers, including albumin and liver-type fatty acid-binding protein (L-FABP), were determined as the urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio (uACR) and the urine L-FABP-to-creatinine ratio (uL-FABPCR) in 310 Japanese patients with diabetes mellitus (176 males and 134 females). The relationships between plasma HCII activities and those DKD urine biomarkers were statistically evaluated. In addition, the relationship between plasma HCII activities and annual uACR changes was statistically evaluated for 201/310 patients (115 males and 86 females). Results: The mean plasma HCII activity of all participants was 93.8 ± 17.7%. Multivariate-regression analysis including confounding factors showed that plasma HCII activity independently contributed to the suppression of the uACR and log-transformed uACR values (P = 0.036 and P = 0.006, respectively) but not uL-FABPCR (P = 0.541). In addition, plasma HCII activity significantly and inversely correlated with annual uACR and log-transformed uACR increments after adjusting for confounding factors (P = 0.001 and P = 0.014, respectively). Conclusions: The plasma HCII activity was inversely and specifically associated with glomerular injury in patients with diabetes. The results suggest that HCII can serve as a novel predictive factor for early-stage DKD development, as represented by albuminuria

Heparin Cofactor II and NAFLD in T2DM

Aims: Thrombin exerts various pathophysiological functions by activating protease-activated receptors (PARs), and thrombin-induced activation of PARs promotes the development of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Since heparin cofactor II (HCII) specifically inactivates thrombin action, we hypothesized that plasma HCII activity correlates with the severity of NAFLD. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted. Plasma HCII activity and noninvasive clinical markers of hepatic fibrosis including fibrosis-4 (FIB-4) index, NAFLD fibrosis score (NFS) and aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index (APRI) were determined in 305 Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The relationships between plasma HCII activity and the clinical markers were statistically evaluated. Results: Multiple regression analysis including confounding factors showed that plasma HCII activity independently contributed to decreases in FIB-4 index (p＜0.001), NFS (p＜0.001) and APRI (p=0.004). In addition, logistic regression analysis for the prevalence of advanced hepatic fibrosis defined by the cutoff points of the clinical scores showed that plasma HCII activity was the sole and common negative factor for prevalence of advanced hepatic fibrosis (FIB-4 index: p=0.002, NFS: p=0.026 and APRI: p=0.012). Conclusions: Plasma HCII activity was inversely associated with clinical hepatic fibrosis indices including FIB-4 index, NFS and APRI and with the prevalence of advanced hepatic fibrosis in patients with T2DM. The results suggest that HCII can serve as a novel biomarker for assessment of hepatic fibrosis of NAFLD in patients with T2DM

Complete Genome Sequence and Comparative Analysis of the Fish Pathogen Lactococcus garvieae

Lactococcus garvieae causes fatal haemorrhagic septicaemia in fish such as yellowtail. The comparative analysis of genomes of a virulent strain Lg2 and a non-virulent strain ATCC 49156 of L. garvieae revealed that the two strains shared a high degree of sequence identity, but Lg2 had a 16.5-kb capsule gene cluster that is absent in ATCC 49156. The capsule gene cluster was composed of 15 genes, of which eight genes are highly conserved with those in exopolysaccharide biosynthesis gene cluster often found in Lactococcus lactis strains. Sequence analysis of the capsule gene cluster in the less virulent strain L. garvieae Lg2-S, Lg2-derived strain, showed that two conserved genes were disrupted by a single base pair deletion, respectively. These results strongly suggest that the capsule is crucial for virulence of Lg2. The capsule gene cluster of Lg2 may be a genomic island from several features such as the presence of insertion sequences flanked on both ends, different GC content from the chromosomal average, integration into the locus syntenic to other lactococcal genome sequences, and distribution in human gut microbiomes. The analysis also predicted other potential virulence factors such as haemolysin. The present study provides new insights into understanding of the virulence mechanisms of L. garvieae in fish