Tsukuba 32-m VLBI Station

The Tsukuba 32-m VLBI station is operated by the Geospatial Information Authority of Japan. This report summarizes activities of the Tsukuba 32-m VLBI station in 2012. More than 200 sessions were observed with the Tsukuba 32-m and other GSI antennas in accordance with the IVS Master Schedule of 2012. We have started installing the observing facilities that will be fully compliant with VLBI2010 for the first time in Japan

Percutaneous coronary intervention using new-generation drug-eluting stents versus coronary arterial bypass grafting in stable patients with multi-vessel coronary artery disease: From the CREDO-Kyoto PCI/CABG registry Cohort-3

AIMS: There is a scarcity of studies comparing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) using new-generation drug-eluting stents (DES) with coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) in patients with multi-vessel coronary artery disease. METHODS AND RESULTS: The CREDO-Kyoto PCI/CABG registry Cohort-3 enrolled 14927 consecutive patients who underwent first coronary revascularization with PCI or isolated CABG between January 2011 and December 2013. The current study population consisted of 2464 patients who underwent multi-vessel coronary revascularization including revascularization of left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) either with PCI using new-generation DES (N = 1565), or with CABG (N = 899). Patients in the PCI group were older and more often had severe frailty, but had less complex coronary anatomy, and less complete revascularization than those in the CABG group. Cumulative 5-year incidence of a composite of all-cause death, myocardial infarction or stroke was not significantly different between the 2 groups (25.0% versus 21.5%, P = 0.15). However, after adjusting confounders, the excess risk of PCI relative to CABG turned to be significant for the composite endpoint (HR 1.27, 95%CI 1.04-1.55, P = 0.02). PCI as compared with CABG was associated with comparable adjusted risk for all-cause death (HR 1.22, 95%CI 0.96-1.55, P = 0.11), and stroke (HR 1.17, 95%CI 0.79-1.73, P = 0.44), but with excess adjusted risk for myocardial infarction (HR 1.58, 95%CI 1.05-2.39, P = 0.03), and any coronary revascularization (HR 2.66, 95%CI 2.06-3.43, P<0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: In this observational study, PCI with new-generation DES as compared with CABG was associated with excess long-term risk for major cardiovascular events in patients who underwent multi-vessel coronary revascularization including LAD

Phenotype-Based Search of Natural Mutations Related to Hereditary Diseases Existing in a Closed Colony of Mice

We attempted to detect natural mutations existing in the Jcl:ICR closed colony of mice which is maintained by random mating. We used ordinary genetic backcrosses to efficiently detect recessive mutations carried by individual mice in the colony. Crosses of DBA/2 females and ICR males were performed to obtain F(1) mice. Four F(1) females randomly selected from each cross were backcrossed to the male parent. More than thirty backcross progeny were obtained from each F(1) female by several deliveries. Phenotypes of the backcross progeny were observed macroscopically at about one month of age. As a result, 18 (26.1%) of 69 Jcl:ICR males carried 11 recessive mutation(s). Based on the phenotypes, the tentative names were abnormal kidney, aplasia of eyelids/hind limb digits, circling, dwarfism, heterotaxy, hind limb paralysis, hydrocephalus, rigidity (or rigor), testicular hypoplasia, tremor, and wobbling. The genes responsible for aplasia of eyelids/hind limb digits and dwarfism were each carried by two males, the genes responsible for hydrocephalus and testicular hypoplasia were each carried by three males and the gene responsible for wobbling by four males. It was strongly suggested that the genes shared by several males originated from an identical mutated gene. Surprisingly, male No. 43 had the responsible genes of abnormal kidneys and testicular hypoplasia, and No. 79 had those of dwarfism and tremor. The results obtained in this study suggest that breeders need to be aware of the presence of natural mutations in their colonies

Phenotype-Based Search of Natural Mutations Related to Hereditary Diseases Existing in a Closed Colony of Mice

We attempted to detect natural mutations existing in the Jcl:ICR closed colony of mice which is maintained by random mating. We used ordinary genetic backcrosses to efficiently detect recessive mutations carried by individual mice in the colony. Crosses of DBA/2 females and ICR males were performed to obtain F(1) mice. Four F(1) females randomly selected from each cross were backcrossed to the male parent. More than thirty backcross progeny were obtained from each F(1) female by several deliveries. Phenotypes of the backcross progeny were observed macroscopically at about one month of age. As a result, 18 (26.1%) of 69 Jcl:ICR males carried 11 recessive mutation(s). Based on the phenotypes, the tentative names were abnormal kidney, aplasia of eyelids/hind limb digits, circling, dwarfism, heterotaxy, hind limb paralysis, hydrocephalus, rigidity (or rigor), testicular hypoplasia, tremor, and wobbling. The genes responsible for aplasia of eyelids/hind limb digits and dwarfism were each carried by two males, the genes responsible for hydrocephalus and testicular hypoplasia were each carried by three males and the gene responsible for wobbling by four males. It was strongly suggested that the genes shared by several males originated from an identical mutated gene. Surprisingly, male No. 43 had the responsible genes of abnormal kidneys and testicular hypoplasia, and No. 79 had those of dwarfism and tremor. The results obtained in this study suggest that breeders need to be aware of the presence of natural mutations in their colonies