An expansion of the Jones representation of genus 2 and the Torelli group

We study the algebraic property of the representation of the mapping class group of a closed oriented surface of genus 2 constructed by VFR Jones [Annals of Math. 126 (1987) 335-388]. It arises from the Iwahori-Hecke algebra representations of Artin's braid group of 6 strings, and is defined over integral Laurent polynomials Z[t, t^{-1}]. We substitute the parameter t with -e^{h}, and then expand the powers e^h in their Taylor series. This expansion naturally induces a filtration on the Torelli group which is coarser than its lower central series. We present some results on the structure of the associated graded quotients, which include that the second Johnson homomorphism factors through the representation. As an application, we also discuss the relation with the Casson invariant of homology 3-spheres.Comment: Published by Algebraic and Geometric Topology at http://www.maths.warwick.ac.uk/agt/AGTVol1/agt-1-3.abs.htm

Genome-Wide Association Study of Coronary Artery Disease

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a multifactorial disease with environmental and genetic determinants. The genetic determinants of CAD have previously been explored by the candidate gene approach. Recently, the data from the International HapMap Project and the development of dense genotyping chips have enabled us to perform genome-wide association studies (GWAS) on a large number of subjects without bias towards any particular candidate genes. In 2007, three chip-based GWAS simultaneously revealed the significant association between common variants on chromosome 9p21 and CAD. This association was replicated among other ethnic groups and also in a meta-analysis. Further investigations have detected several other candidate loci associated with CAD. The chip-based GWAS approach has identified novel and unbiased genetic determinants of CAD and these insights provide the important direction to better understand the pathogenesis of CAD and to develop new and improved preventive measures and treatments for CAD

Formation of Nanometer-Thick Water Layer at High Humidity on Dynamic Crystalline Material Composed of Multi-Interactive Molecules

Crystalline powders self-assembled from interactive discrete molecules reversibly transformed from a porous structure to a 2D one with a nanometer-thick H2O layer by hydration/dehydration. Multi-point weak intermolecular interactions contributed to maintenance of each phase. This structure transformation induced a humidity-dependent ion conductivity change from insulator to 3.4 x 10(-3) S cm(-1).open1122sciescopu

季節外生産羊を利用しためん羊発育に及ぼす環境要因の分析的研究II : 単日処理とホルモン処理併用法による子羊の季節外生産

　第1報において筆者らは，非繁殖期のコリデーノレ種雌羊を短日処理すると，長日から短日に変化してからほぼ40~50 日で人工的に発育を誘起できること，しかし第1回の発情では多くの場合妊娠しないこと，しばしば弱い子羊を生産することなどを報告した. 　短日処理によるめん羊の人工発情誘起法は，長期間を要する，管理に手数を要するなどの問題を有するが，反面最近数多く報告されているホノレモン処理法では，高価な薬品を相当量使用する他，その効果が比較的確実でない欠点が指摘される. 　筆者らは，両方法の併用法，すなわち強度の短日処理1週間(以後ホルモン処理終了まで同一日照時間維持)―黄体ホノレモン25mg/ 日x3~5 筋注-2 日後P.M.S. 750 i. u 筋注法の効果を試験した.またこの場合短日処理は，厚い黒頭巾を雌羊の頭に被せ，明るい羊舎内に放置する簡便法によった. 　1959~1961 ，6回に亘り21 頭を試験したが，発情と認められたもの19 頭(90%) ，妊娠―分娩，卵巣所見―黄体・グラーフ卵胞の存在により確実に発情と認められたものは17 頭， 81%に達した.また第6回試験では併用法による4頭をホルモン処理法による3頭と比較したところ，確実に発情したもの前者100% に対し，後者は33%であった. 　黄体ホルモン処理日数を3日に短縮しでも5日間の処理となんら差異を認めなかった. 　強度の短日処理により，下垂体機能の亢進乃至反応閥値の低下など，本併用法による人工発情誘起のメカニズムについても論議した. 　なお処理羊はP.M.S. 筋注後2日目に最も多く発情し， GORDON (1958) の報告と一致した.Following decreasing daylight treatment for 7 days, twenty four anoestrous ewes of Japanese Corriedale were injected with P.M.S. 750 i. u. after 3-5 injections of progesterone 25mg daily. The ewes in pretreatment of light were hooded with black thick-cloth, and were under control hours of daylight. This combined treatment was studied over three years 1959-1961, and the incidence of oestrus, presence of corpora lutea, and the state of follicular development was studied. Total 13 lambs were produced by nine of twenty-one ewes treated with the method, and average percentage of lamb-production per ewe was 1.44. The presence of corpora lutea and Graafian follicle was observed cytologically in 8 of I 0 ewes when their ovaries were examined at slaughter time. Seventeen of twenty-one ewes were induced oestrus and the percentage is about 81%. In the sixth trial, three ewes were under progesterone-P.M.S. treatment alone, and only one cytologically was observed in fertile. The percentage is 33%. Therefore, the hypothesis may be probably explained that the light treatment prior to hormone administration will reduce the threshold in pituitary activity to induce the ovarian activity to much lower level. There is no difference between the method of three days injection daily and the method of five days injection. Thus the method combined the pretreatment of decreasing daylight by a black hood with progesterone 25mg x 3 and P.M.S. 750 i. u. may be considered of practical application. The highest response was observed two days after the time of P.M.S. injection, followed by next day, and this is agreed with GoRDON's result.The authors wish to express grateful thanks to the Ministry of Education for grants in aid and to Mr. M. YosHIOKA, Mr. T. KIMURA, Mr. N. FUJIMOTO, Mr. K. SHIMAKAWA and Mr. K. KoMATSU for the general assistance.　本報の一部は「三村・岡本他.肉緬羊の研究.輿文社，東京， 1961」 および昭和34年度， 35 年度文部省科学研究費による研究報告集録農学編(II) .肉緬羊造成に関する試験(代表者.三村耕)にそれぞれ速報している

Pivotal role of Sirt6 in the crosstalk among ageing, metabolic syndrome and osteoarthritis

AbstractOsteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic degenerative joint disorder commonly associated with metabolic syndrome. As ageing and obesity has a great impact on the initiation/severity of OA, herein we sought to investigate the involvement of Sirt6 in the crosstalk between ageing and metabolic syndrome/OA. Sirt6 haploinsufficiency in mice promoted the expression of inflammatory cytokines in the IPFP. Enhanced inflammation of the IPFP in the aged Sirt6 ± HFD group was paralleled with accelerated OA change, including osteophyte growth and chondrocyte hypertrophy. Conversely, mesenchyme-specific Sirt6-deficient mice revealed both attenuated chondrocyte hypertrophy and proteoglycan synthesis, although chondrocyte senescence was enhanced as shown in the aged WT mice. Thus Sirt6 has key roles in the relationship among ageing, metabolic syndrome, and OA

Dynamically Integrated Transport Approach for High-Energy Nuclear Collisions at High Baryon Density

To explore the structure of the QCD phase diagram in high baryon density domain, several high-energy nuclear collision experiments in a wide range of beam energies are currently performed or planned using many accelerator facilities. In these experiments search for a first-order phase transition and the QCD critical point is one of the most important topics. To find the signature of the phase transition, experimental data should be compared to appropriate dynamical models which quantitatively describe the process of the collisions. In this study we develop a new dynamical model on the basis of the non-equilibrium hadronic transport model JAM and 3+1D hydrodynamics. We show that the new model reproduce well the experimental beam-energy dependence of hadron yields and particle ratio by the partial thermalization of the system in our core-corona approach.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures; contribution to the proceedings of the 8th International Conference on Quarks and Nuclear Physics (QNP2018), Tsukuba, November 13-17, 201

Rad51 Expression Is a Useful Predictive Factor for the Efficacy of Neoadjuvant Chemoradiotherapy in Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Esophagus

BACKGROUND: Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (NACRT) for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is beneficial in the setting of a complete pathological response. Rad51 expression affects both chemo- and radiosensitivity in many cancers; however, its role in ESCC is unclear. METHODS: Rad51 expression was investigated by immunohistochemical staining with resected specimens in 89 ESCC patients who underwent surgery without preoperative therapy. The association with Rad51 and clinicopathological factors was assessed. The expression of Rad51 was also investigated in pretreatment biopsy specimens in 39 ESCC patients who underwent surgery after NACRT and compared with the pathological response to NACRT. RESULTS: Lymph node metastasis was more frequently observed in Rad51-positive cases than negative cases (58.5 vs. 30.6 %, P = 0.0168) in patients treated with surgery alone. Disease-specific survival was decreased in Rad51-positive cases compared to Rad51-negative cases (5 year survival: 79.6 vs. 59.3 %, P = 0.0324). In NACRT patients, completed pathological responses were more frequently observed in Rad51-negative cases than in Rad51-positive cases (68.8 vs. 46.5 %, P = 0.0171). CONCLUSIONS: Rad51 expression in ESCC was associated with lymph node metastasis and poor survival. Additionally, Rad51 expression in pretreatment biopsy specimens was a predictive factor for the response to NACRT. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1245/s10434-013-3220-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users

National survey of catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation: The Japanese catheter ablation registry of atrial fibrillation (J-CARAF)

AbstractTo assess the current status of atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation in Japan, the Japanese Heart Rhythm Society (JHRS) instituted a national registry, the Japanese Catheter Ablation Registry of AF (J-CARAF).MethodsUsing an online questionnaire, the JHRS invited electrophysiology centers in Japan to voluntarily and retrospectively register data regarding the AF ablation procedures performed in September, 2011.ResultsA total of 128 centers submitted data regarding AF ablation procedures in 932 patients (age 62.1±10.4 years; male 76.8%; paroxysmal AF 65.7%, CHADS2 score 1.0±1.0). The majority received oral anticoagulant therapy during and following the procedure (68.9% and 97.5%, respectively). Pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) was performed in 97.5% of the patients; ipsilateral encircling PVI was the preferred technique (79.7%). Three-dimensional (3D) mapping systems and irrigated-tip catheters were used in 94.8% and 87.7% of the procedures, respectively. Ablation methods other than PVI were performed in 78.8% of all the patients and 73.5% of the patients with paroxysmal AF. Acute complications were reported in 6.2% of the patients, but no early deaths were recorded.ConclusionsIpsilateral encircling PVI, using 3D mapping and irrigated-tip catheters, is the standard AF ablation method in Japan. However, adjunctive ablations were performed frequently, even in patients with paroxysmal AF