Construction of Negatively Curved Cubic Carbon Crystals via Standard Realizations

We constructed physically stable sp2 negatively curved cubic carbon structures which reticulate a Schwarz P-like surface. The method for constructing such crystal structures is based on the notion of the standard realization of abstract crystal lattices. In this paper, we expound on the mathematical method to construct such crystal structures

Conformal change of Riemannian metrics and biharmonic maps

For the reduction ordinary differential equation due to Baird and Kamissoko \cite{BK} for biharmonic maps from a Riemannian manifold $(M^m,g)$ into another one $(N^n,h)$, we show that this ODE has no global positive solution for every $m\geq 5$. On the contrary, we show that there exist global positive solutions in the case $m=3$. As applications, for the the Riemannian product $(M^3,g)$ of the line and a Riemann surface, we construct the new metric $\widetilde{g}$ on $M^3$ conformal to $g$ such that every nontrivial product harmonic map from $M^3$ with respect to the original metric $g$ must be biharmonic but not harmonic with respect to the new metric $\widetilde{g}$.Comment: 26 pages, 6 figure

Stable configurations of entangled graphs and weaves with repulsive interactions

Entangled objects such as entangled graphs and weaves are often seen in nature. In the present article, two identical graphs entangled, and weaves with two different color threads are studied. A method to identify stable configurations in the three dimensional space of a given topological entangled structure, a planar graph with crossing information, is proposed by analyzing the steepest descent flow of the energy functional with repulsive interactions. The existence and uniqueness of a solution in the entangled case. In the untangled case, a weave has a unique tangle decomposition with height order, whose components are moving away each other in the order $t^{1/3}$ as time $t$ goes to the infinity.Comment: 37 pages, 4 figure

The association between subjective anti-doping knowledge and objective knowledge among Japanese university athletes: a cross-sectional study

IntroductionThis study aimed to assess the association between subjective anti-doping knowledge (subjective ADK) and objective anti-doping knowledge (objective ADK) among Japanese university athletes, framed within the context of the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB).MethodsEligible participants were 486 university athletes [320 men (65.8%), 166 women; mean age of 18.9 ± 1.0 years]. The participants categorized themselves in terms of the quality of their anti-doping knowledge. This assessment resulted in an independent variable coded as “(1) substantial lack of adequate knowledge,” “(2) some lack of adequate knowledge,” “(3) fair amount of knowledge” or “(4) good amount of knowledge.” Objective ADK was assessed using the Athlete Learning Program about Health and Anti-Doping (ALPHA) test, a set of questions derived from the ALPHA—a former World Anti-Doping Agency e-learning program. The test comprises 12 questions (four choices each; passing index: ≧10 points or 80% correct answer rate). ANCOVA was conducted using subjective ADK as an independent variable and ALPHA scores as a dependent variable, adjusting for confounding factors (anti-doping experience).ResultsThe ALPHA corrected answer rate across subjective ADK levels for the group were 73.10% for “(1) substantial lack of adequate knowledge,” 71.97% for “(2) some lack of adequate knowledge,” 75.18% for “(3) fair amount of knowledge” and 72.86% for “(4) good amount of knowledge.” Comparison between different levels of subjective ADK revealed no significant differences in ALPHA score considering the main effects or any of their interactions.DiscussionThe present results revealed that Japanese university athletes’ subjective ADK did not match their objective ADK. In the context of the TPB, there may be limitations in the perceived behavioral control in anti-doping knowledge. Even if athletes view doping as a wrongful act and have formed attitudes and subjective norms to comply with the rules, the results suggest that errors may occur in the composition of behavioral intentions due to a lack of knowledge. This could lead to the possibility of facing the risk of unintentional anti-doping rule violations. It highlights the need for targeted educational interventions to align subjective ADK of athletes with their objective ADK

Positive and negative regulation of the Fcγ receptor–stimulating activity of RNA-containing immune complexes by RNase

The U1RNP complex, Ro/SSA, and La/SSB are major RNA-containing autoantigens. Immune complexes (ICs) composed of RNA-containing autoantigens and autoantibodies are suspected to be involved in the pathogenesis of some systemic autoimmune diseases. Therefore, RNase treatment, which degrades RNA in ICs, has been tested in clinical trials as a potential therapeutic agent. However, no studies to our knowledge have specifically evaluated the effect of RNase treatment on the Fcγ receptor–stimulating (FcγR-stimulating) activity of RNA-containing ICs. In this study, using a reporter system that specifically detects FcγR-stimulating capacity, we investigated the effect of RNase treatment on the FcγR-stimulating activity of RNA-containing ICs composed of autoantigens and autoantibodies from patients with systemic autoimmune diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus. We found that RNase enhanced the FcγR-stimulating activity of Ro/SSA- and La/SSB-containing ICs, but attenuated that of the U1RNP complex–containing ICs. RNase decreased autoantibody binding to the U1RNP complex, but increased autoantibody binding to Ro/SSA and La/SSB. Our results suggest that RNase enhances FcγR activation by promoting the formation of ICs containing Ro/SSA or La/SSB. Our study provides insights into the pathophysiology of autoimmune diseases involving anti-Ro/SSA and anti-La/SSB autoantibodies, and into the therapeutic application of RNase treatment for systemic autoimmune diseases.Naito R., Ohmura K., Higuchi S., et al. Positive and negative regulation of the Fcγ receptor–stimulating activity of RNA-containing immune complexes by RNase. JCI Insight 8, e167799 (2023); https://doi.org/10.1172/jci.insight.167799