A plateau in the sensitivity of a compact optically pumped atomic magnetometer

In a compact optically pumped atomic magnetometer (OPAM), there is a plateau in the sensitivity where the dependence of the sensitivity on pumping power is small compared with that predicted by the uniform polarization model. The mechanism that generates this plateau was explained by numerical analysis. The distribution of spin polarization in the alkali metal cell of an OPAM was modeled using the Bloch equation incorporating a diffusion term and an equation for the attenuation of the pump beam. The model was well-fitted to the experimental results for a module with a cubic cell with 20 mm sides and pump and probe beams with 8 mm diameter. On the plateau, strong magnetic response was generated at the regions that were not illuminated directly by the intense pump beam, while at the same time spin polarization as large as 0.5 was maintained due to diffusion of the spin-polarized atoms. Thus, the sensitivity of the magnetometer monitored with a probe beam decreases only slightly with increasing pump beam intensity because the spin polarization under an intense pump beam is saturated. This plateau, which is characteristic of this type of magnetometer using a narrow pump and probe beams, can be used in arrays of magnetometers because it enables stable operation with little sensitivity fluctuation from changes in pump beam power

Periodontitis and Porphyromonas gingivalis in Preclinical Stage of Arthritis Patients.

歯周病と関節リウマチ発症との相関を示す. 京都大学プレスリリース. 2015-04-21.To determine whether the presence of periodontitis (PD) and Porphyromonas gingivalis (Pg) in the subgingival biofilm associates with the development of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in treatment naïve preclinical stage of arthritis patients

Significant association of periodontal disease with anti-citrullinated peptide antibody in a Japanese healthy population - The Nagahama study.

歯周病と関節リウマチ発症との相関を示す. 京都大学プレスリリース. 2015-04-21.Anti-citrullinated peptide antibody (ACPA) is a highly specific autoantibody to rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Recent studies have revealed that periodontal disease (PD) is closely associated with RA and production of ACPA in RA. Analyses of associations between PD and ACPA production in a healthy population may deepen our understandings. Here, we analyzed a total of 9554 adult healthy subjects. ACPA and IgM-rheumatoid factor (RF) was quantified and PD status was evaluated using the number of missing teeth (MT), the Community Periodontal Index (CPI) and Loss of Attachment (LA) for these subjects. PD status was analyzed for its association with the positivity and categorical levels of ACPA and RF conditioned for covariates which were shown to be associated with PD, ACPA or RF. As a result, all of MT, CPI and LA showed suggestive or significant associations with positivity (p = 0.024, 0.0042 and 0.037, respectively) and levels of ACPA (p ≤ 0.00031), but none of the PD parameters were associated with those of RF. These association patterns were also observed when we analyzed 6206 non-smokers of the participants. The significant associations between PD parameters and positivity and levels of ACPA in healthy population support the fundamental involvement of PD with ACPA production

Pneumothorax caused by cystic and nodular lung metastases from a malignant uterine perivascular epithelioid cell tumor (PEComa)

Perivascular epithelioid cell tumors (PEComas) are mesenchymal neoplasms with immunoreactivity for both melanocytic and smooth muscle markers. PEComas occur at multiple sites, and malignant PEComas can undergo metastasis, recurrence and aggressive clinical courses. Although the lung is a common metastatic site of PEComas, they usually appear as multiple nodules but rarely become cystic or cavitary. Here, we describe a female patient whose lungs manifested multiple cystic, cavity-like and nodular metastases 3 years after the resection of uterine tumors tentatively diagnosed as epithelioid smooth muscle tumors with uncertain malignant potential. This patient's subsequent pneumothorax necessitated video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery, and examination of her resected lung specimens eventually led to correcting the diagnosis, i.e., to a PEComa harboring tuberous sclerosis complex 1 (TSC1) loss-of-heterozygosity that originated in the uterus and then metastasized to the lungs. The administration of a gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogue later stabilized her clinical course. To the best of our knowledge, the present case is the first in the literature that associates PEComas with a TSC1 abnormality. Additionally, the pulmonary manifestations, including imaging appearance and pneumothorax, somewhat resembled those of lymphangioleiomyomatosis, a representative disease belonging to the PEComa family. Although PEComas are rare, clinicians, radiologists and pathologists should become aware of this disease entity, especially in the combined clinical setting of multiple cystic, cavity-like, nodular lesions on computed tomography of the chest and a past history of the tumor in the female reproductive system

Diagnosis for joint symptoms at baseline and endpoint.

<p>Diagnosis at baseline is based upon the American College of Rheumatology / European League against Rheumatism (ACR/EULAR) classification criteria for RA in 2010. Diagnosis of RA at endpoint is based upon primary rheumatologists’ diagnosis. Diagnosis at endpoint is based upon the primary rheumatologists’ diagnosis. The diagnosises in non RA→non RA group was Sjogren syndrome (3), Pseudogout (2), Polymyalgia rheumatic (1), Tenosynovitis (1), and Undifferentiated arthritis (22). MTX; methotrexate treatment introduction, PD; diagnosis of periodontitis (maximal probing depth≧4mm), Pg; presence of <i>Porphyromolas gingivalis</i> in subgingival biofilm. Categorical variables were expressed as percentages (numbers) and were analyzed by Pearson’s qui squared test. P values for the different PD status groups at baseline are 0.36 (RA→RA vs non RA→non RA), 0.23 (RA→RA vs non RA→RA), 0.04 (non RA→RA vs non RA→non RA), respectively. P values for different Pg status groups at baseline are 0.37 (RA→RA vs non RA→non RA), 0.44 (RA→RA vs non RA→RA), 0.04 (non RA→RA vs non RA→non RA), respectively.</p><p>Diagnosis for joint symptoms at baseline and endpoint.</p

Characteristics of the patients divided by the clinical diagnosis of periodontitis or the presence of <i>Porphyromonas gingivalis</i> in subgingival biofilm.

<p>Continuous variables were expressed as mean ± SD. The difference of continuous variables between two groups were analyzed by students’ t-test and those among three groups were analyzed by Kruskal-Wallis test. Categorical variables were expressed as percentages (numbers). The difference of categorical variables between two groups was analyzed by Pearson’s qui-squared test and those among three groups were analyzed by Kruskal-Wallis test. EWP: periodontitis classification criteria of the 5th European Workshop in Periodontology in 2005; SDAI: simplified disease activity index; mHAQ: modified health assessment questionnaire; N.D.: not determined; N.A.: not assessed</p><p>*: p<0.05 Pg was not analyzed in one patient because DNA of subgingival plaque sample was not successfully extracted.</p><p>Characteristics of the patients divided by the clinical diagnosis of periodontitis or the presence of <i>Porphyromonas gingivalis</i> in subgingival biofilm.</p

Baseline characteristics of the study patients.

<p>Continuous variables were expressed as mean ± SD. Categorical variables were expressed as % (number). EWP: periodontitis classification criteria of the 5^th European Workshop in Periodontology in 2005, SDAI: simplified disease activity index; mHAQ: modified health assessment questionnaire</p><p>Baseline characteristics of the study patients.</p