Signatures of bosonic Landau levels in a finite-momentum superconductor.

Charged particles subjected to magnetic fields form Landau levels (LLs). Originally studied in the context of electrons in metals1, fermionic LLs continue to attract interest as hosts of exotic electronic phenomena2,3. Bosonic LLs are also expected to realize novel quantum phenomena4,5, but, apart from recent advances in synthetic systems6,7, they remain relatively unexplored. Cooper pairs in superconductors-composite bosons formed by electrons-represent a potential condensed-matter platform for bosonic LLs. Under certain conditions, an applied magnetic field is expected to stabilize an unusual superconductor with finite-momentum Cooper pairs8,9 and exert control over bosonic LLs10-13. Here we report thermodynamic signatures, observed by torque magnetometry, of bosonic LL transitions in the layered superconductor Ba6Nb11S28. By applying an in-plane magnetic field, we observe an abrupt, partial suppression of diamagnetism below the upper critical magnetic field, which is suggestive of an emergent phase within the superconducting state. With increasing out-of-plane magnetic field, we observe a series of sharp modulations in the upper critical magnetic field that are indicative of distinct vortex states and with a structure that agrees with predictions for Cooper pair LL transitions in a finite-momentum superconductor10-14. By applying Onsager's quantization rule15, we extract the momentum. Furthermore, study of the fermionic LLs shows evidence for a non-zero Berry phase. This suggests opportunities to study bosonic LLs, topological superconductivity, and their interplay via transport16, scattering17, scanning probe18 and exfoliation techniques19.

Prevalence trends of metabolic syndrome in residents of postdisaster Fukushima: a longitudinal analysis of Fukushima Health Database 2012-2019.

OBJECTIVES: The study aimed to evaluate the long-term metabolic risk profiles of Fukushima residents after the Great East Japan Earthquake of March 2011. STUDY DESIGN: This was a cross-sectional and a longitudinal design. METHODS: The Fukushima Health Database (FDB) contains 2,331,319 annual health checkup records of participants aged 40-74 years between 2012 and 2019. We checked the validity of the FDB by comparing the prevalence of metabolic factors with the National Database of Health Insurance Claims and Specific Health Checkups (NDB). We applied a regression analysis to determine the changes and project the trends of metabolic factors over the years. RESULTS: Compared to the NDB, the prevalence of metabolic factors in Fukushima was higher than the country average from 2013 to 2018, and they showed the same trends as those from the FDB. The prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) increased from 18.9% in 2012 to 21.4% in 2019 (an annual increase of 2.74%) in men and from 6.8 to 7.4% (an annual increase of 1.80%) in women in Fukushima. The standardized prevalence of MetS, being overweight, and diabetes is projected to continue increasing, with disparities among subareas being higher in evacuees than in non-evacuees. An annual decrease of 0.38-1.97% in hypertension was mainly observed in women. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of metabolic risk is higher in Fukushima as compared to the country average. The increasing metabolic risk in subareas, including the evacuation zone, highlights the need to control MetS in Fukushima residents.

Lifestyle behaviour patterns in the prevention of type 2 diabetes mellitus: the Fukushima Health Database 2015-2020.

OBJECTIVES: Lifestyle behaviours associated with the incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) need further clarification using health insurance data. STUDY DESIGN: This is a cohort study. METHODS: In 2015, 193,246 participants aged 40-74 years attended the specific health checkups and were observed up to 2020 in Fukushima, Japan. Using the principal component analysis, we identified two patterns from ten lifestyle behaviour questions, namely, the "diet-smoking" pattern (including smoking, alcohol drinking, skipping breakfast, eating fast, late dinner, and snacking) and the "physical activity-sleep" pattern (including physical exercise, walking equivalent activity, walking fast, and sufficient sleep). Then, individual pattern scores were calculated; the higher the scores, the healthier the behaviours. RESULTS: The accumulative incidence rate of T2DM was 630.5 in men and 391.9 in women per 100,000 person-years in an average of 4 years of follow-up. Adjusted for the demographic and cardiometabolic factors at the baseline, the hazard ratio (95% confidence interval) of the highest versus lowest quartile scores of the "diet-smoking" pattern for T2DM risk was 0.82 (0.72, 0.92; P for trend = 0.002) in men and 0.87 (0.76, 1·00; P for trend = 0.034) in women; that of the "physical activity-sleep" pattern was 0.92 (0.82, 1·04; P for trend = 0.0996) in men and 0.92 (0.80, 1·06; P for trend = 0.372) in women. The "physical activity-sleep" pattern showed a significant inverse association in non-overweight men. CONCLUSIONS: Lifestyle behaviour associated with a healthy diet and lack of smoking may significantly lower the risk of T2DM in middle-aged Japanese adults.

Efficacy of zinc acetate hydrate for hypozincemia in the elderly is influenced by the initial accumulated exposure dose after taking zinc acetate hydrate.

This study aimed to determine the efficacy of zinc acetate hydrate (ZAH) for hypozincemia in elderly hospitalized patients with an accumulated exposure of < 1000 mg of ZAH and to explore the factors affecting the therapeutic efficacy of ZAH. Seventy-four patients (mean age, 82 years) were enrolled in this study. All patients (n = 74) had low serum zinc levels (< 80 µg/dL), and the mean serum zinc concentration before ZAH administration was 53.6±10.7 µg/dL. The median serum zinc level (µg/dL) elevated per tablet (25 mg) of ZAH was 1.26 µg/dL, and the patients were divided into two groups, the slightly increased (< 1.26) and significantly increased (≥ 1.26) groups, based on the median cutoff value for the median increase in serum zinc level. A significant difference was found between the slightly increased (0.63±0.35 µg/dL, n = 36) and significantly increased (2.37±0.95 µg/dL, n = 38) groups (p < 0.0001, Wilcoxon rank-sum test). Logistic regression analysis with the accumulated exposure dose of ZAH, sex, and body weight as multivariate variables showed a significant difference in the accumulated exposure dose (total number of tablets per 25 mg: odds ratio, 1.119; 95% confidence interval, 1.052???1.203; p = 0.0009). There was no effect of underlying disease or of diet or zinc-containing intravenous or enteral nutrition on serum zinc levels. These results suggest that at an accumulated exposure of < 1000 mg of ZAH, serum zinc levels tend to increase with smaller accumulated doses. Therefore, serum zinc concentrations should be measured at the accumulated exposure to 500-1000 mg after ZAH initiation for the treatment of zinc deficiency in elderly hospitalized patients.

PI3K/mTOR Inhibitor Dactolisib Attenuates Allergic Response Through Inhibitions of the Sensitization and Mast Cell Activation.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the anti-allergic potentials of dactolisib, a dual PI3K/mTOR kinase inhibitor, on two important events for allergy: sensitization and the onset of anaphylactic symptoms. After sensitization with the antigen ovalbumin (OVA), five successive oral administrations of dactolisib effectively decreased serum anti-OVA antibody-an indicator of sensitization-levels in mice. In parallel with the antibody levels in their serum, anaphylactic rectal temperature decrease induced by the re-administration of OVA to dactolisib-treated mice was strongly diminished compared to that in vehicle-treated mice. The inhibitor also inhibited ex vivo splenic B cell activation indicated by the increase of phosphorylation of Akt, CD69 expression levels, and proliferation upon anti-B cell receptor antibody treatment, suggesting that suppressive effects of the inhibitor on B cell activation plays a role in its ability to decrease sensitization in vivo. We concurrently observed the anti-anaphylactic ability of dactolisib in vivoand in vitro. A single oral administration of the inhibitor attenuated the anaphylactic rectal temperature decrease induced in a mouse model of passive systemic anaphylaxis. In in vitro mast cell models, pretreatment with the drug inhibited the degranulation response and cytokine production in RBL2H3 cells triggered by IgE and antigens, without affecting cell viability. These results suggest that dactolisib, as well as other PI3K/mTOR inhibitors, might be a good candidate for anti-allergic drugs that exhibit both anti-sensitizing and anti-anaphylactic effects.

Relationship between office blood pressure and actual antihypertensive drug use in patients with hypertension following the promulgation of the guidelines for hypertension (JSH2019).

To achieve appropriate blood pressure control in the treatment of hypertension in Japan, this study examined the relationship between office blood pressure and actual antihypertensive drug use in general hospitals following the promulgation of the guidelines for hypertension (JSH2019). This study focused on blood pressure levels and drug use in outpatients on antihypertensive treatment from June to July 2020. The subjects were 2,537 patients classified into four groups based on their medical history, patients with: hypertension only; hypertension and cardiovascular disease; hypertension and dyslipidaemia; and hypertension and diabetes mellitus. The results showed a significant difference in systolic blood pressure (SBP) between patients with hypertension only and those with hypertension and cardiovascular disease (138.3±17.9 mmHg vs 135.6±19.9 mmHg, p<0.05). Regarding actual drug use, it was found that diuretics were prescribed more frequently in patients with hypertension and cardiovascular disease than in those with hypertension alone (15.5% vs 37.9%, p<0.05), even though the number of drugs for hypertension did not differ significantly. In addition, the dose of diuretics was greater only in patients with cardiovascular disease. These results show the actual drug use and blood pressure for each comorbidity. Furthermore, they suggest that the results of antihypertensive treatment may differ by changing the combination and dosage of antihypertensive drugs without changing the number of antihypertensive drugs used. The study also shows the problem of using less diuretics depending on the risk the patient has, and solving the problem may lead to achieving further antihypertensive goals.

Effect of acid suppressant medications on the laxative action of magnesium preparations in patients with opioid-induced constipation: A pharmacovigilance analysis of the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System.

Objective: Magnesium oxide is widely used for treating opioid-induced constipation, a serious analgesic-associated problem. Opioid analgesic users are often prescribed non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, which are sometimes combined with acid suppressants to prevent gastrointestinal adverse events. Magnesium preparations combined with acid suppressants may diminish magnesium preparations' laxative effect. This study was aimed at evaluating the effect of magnesium preparations combined with acid suppressants on the incidence of opioid-induced constipation by using the Food and Drug Administration Adverse Event Reporting System. Methods: Adverse events were defined per the Medical Dictionary for Regulatory Activities; the term 'constipation (preferred term code: 10010774)' was used for analysis. After adjusting for patient background factors using propensity score matching, acid suppressants' effect on constipation incidence was evaluated in opioid users prescribed magnesium preparations alone as laxatives by using a test for independence. Key Findings: The Food and Drug Administration Adverse Event Reporting System contains 14,475,614 reports for January 2004 to December 2021. Significantly increased constipation incidence was related to magnesium preparations combined with acid suppressants, especially proton pump inhibitors (P < 0.0001, McNemar's test). Conclusion: Magnesium preparations combined with acid suppressants may diminish magnesium preparations' laxative effect; healthcare professionals should pay attention to this issue.

Non-invasive classification of single and double-yolk eggs using Vis-NIR spectroscopy and multivariate analysis.

1. This study was conducted to develop an efficient technique for separating double-yolked (DY) from single-yolked (SY) light brown broiler eggs with comparable shape and size, that were hard to distinguish merely by their external characteristics, using Vis-NIR transmission spectroscopy combined with multivariate analysis.2. Spectroscopic transmission (200-900 nm) was measured after collecting the eggs, and the yolk number was verified by breaking the eggs after boiling. The absorbance of important spectral wavelengths sensitive to yolk amount were identified using feature selection techniques (Principal Component Analysis and Genetic Algorithm).3. Discriminant analysis (DA) and support vector machine (SVM) classifiers were used to develop classification models for DY and SY eggs using the selected important spectral wavelengths.4. When compared to alternative nonlinear techniques, the developed model applying linear discriminant analysis produced greater accuracies in the first (96%) and second (100%) experiments, implying lower inter-egg variability from spectral data and a linear relationship between classes. However, the position and orientation of yolks in DY eggs may limit the classification accuracy of the eggs.

Proton Distribution Radii of

The root mean square radii of the proton density distribution in ^{16-24}O derived from measurements of charge changing cross sections with a carbon target at ∼900A MeV together with the matter radii portray thick neutron skin for ^{22-24}O despite ^{22,24}O being doubly magic. Imprints of the shell closures at N=14 and 16 are reflected in local minima of their proton radii that provide evidence for the tensor interaction causing them. The radii agree with ab initio calculations employing the chiral NNLO_{sat} interaction, though skin thickness predictions are challenged. Shell model predictions agree well with the data.

Rabies outbreak in black-backed jackals (Canis mesomelas), South Africa, 2016.

Rabies, a fatal and vaccine-preventable disease, is endemic throughout Africa. In 2016, a rabies outbreak occurred in black-backed jackals (Canis mesomelas) along the western boundary of Gauteng Province, South Africa. We investigated the possible drivers of the 2016 outbreak and established its origin. Using spatio-temporal locations of cases, we applied logistic regression and Geographic Information System techniques to investigate environmental covariates driving occurrences of emerging rabies cases in Gauteng Province. About 53.8% of laboratory-confirmed lyssaviruses in Gauteng Province in 2016 originated from jackals. Phylogenetic trees reconstructed from a partial region of the glycoprotein gene of these and historical rabies viruses (RABVs) demonstrated the lyssaviruses to be of canid origin with 97.7% nucleotide sequence similarity. The major cluster comprised jackal RABVs from the 2012 KwaZulu/Natal outbreak and the 2016 outbreak in Gauteng Province. The second cluster was composed of both jackal and dog RABVs. Both clusters correlated with independent RABV introductions into Gauteng by dogs and jackals, respectively. This study demonstrated an expansion of a jackal rabies cycle from north-west Province into Gauteng Province during the 2016 dry period, as jackals ranged widely in search for food resources leading to increased jackal-dog interactions, reminiscent of the intricate links of domestic and wildlife rabies cycles in South Africa.

Supplemental Leuconostoc mesenteroides strain NTM048 attenuates imiquimod-induced psoriasis in mice.

AIMS: Psoriasis, a chronic inflammatory skin disease, is associated with altered intestinal microbiota. Here, we investigated the ameliorative effect of Leuconostoc mesenteroides NTM048 strain in imiquimod (IMQ)-induced psoriasis in mice. METHODS AND RESULTS: Mice were administered NTM048 for 21 days alongside the topical application of IMQ on the dorsal skin for 6 consecutive days. IMQ induced psoriatic symptoms such as erythema and scaling and also upregulated interleukin (IL)-17, a key effector cytokine of psoriasis, in the skin. Supplemental NTM048 suppressed these abnormalities, increased the levels of plasma deoxycholic acid (DCA), a secondary bile acid and altered the faecal microbiota composition, as indicated by the increased abundance of Akkermansia and decreased abundance of Staphylococcus and Streptococcus. Notably, DCA treatment of murine splenocytes reduced IL-17 production. CONCLUSIONS: The NTM048-mediated reduction of psoriasis was shown to involve the downregulation of IL-17 in mouse skin, which was possibly associated with the plasma DCA derived from intestinal microbiota. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: Our findings propose not only a novel approach for psoriasis reduction but also a crosstalk between the skin and intestine in psoriasis.

Non-destructive sex-specific monitoring of early embryonic growth rate in light brown broiler eggs using light transmission and its correlation with hatching time and chick weight.

1. Monitoring early embryonic growth rate (EGR) has significant economic and animal welfare benefits. This study focuses on monitoring sex-specific early EGR using light transmission, and correlating this with hatching time and chick weight. For broiler eggs in particular, spectral masking of the light brown eggshells needed to be addressed. This was done using longitudinal visible transmission spectroscopy combined with eggshell colour image analysis. 2. Prior to incubation, colour images of eggs were captured followed by daily measurements of transmission spectra of eggs from days one to nine of incubation. The sex of the eggs was subsequently verified 2 d after hatching. 3. To accurately and sensitively determine sex differences in EGR using light transmission, while minimising interference from eggshell colour and thickness, the ratio of longitudinal transmissions was determined to be most effective at 575 and 610 nm. 3. Embryonic growth was detectable from d 3 (72 h) of incubation, 24 h earlier than previously reported lateral transmission measurements. However, at this time, low blood levels meant that no significant sex-differences (P > 0.05) for the mean T575/T610 ratio were detectable. This may have been due, in part, to spectral masking from the light brown eggshells. At d 7, female embryos had a significantly lower (P < 0.05) mean T575/T610 ratio than males. 4. Although the T575/T610 ratio had low correlations with hatching time and hatch-weight of chicks, this could be a good starting point for further non-destructive investigations for such predictions. 5. In conclusion, the methodology had the sensitivity to differentiate sex-specific early EGR in broiler eggs, even with pigmented eggshells, and has the potential to advance precision hatchery management and poultry research.

Intratumoural immune cell landscape in germinoma reveals multipotent lineages and exhibits prognostic significance.

AIMS: Alterations in microenvironments are a hallmark of cancer, and these alterations in germinomas are of particular significance. Germinoma, the most common subtype of central nervous system germ cell tumours, often exhibits massive immune cell infiltration intermingled with tumour cells. The role of these immune cells in germinoma, however, remains unknown. METHODS: We investigated the cellular constituents of immune microenvironments and their clinical impacts on prognosis in 100 germinoma cases. RESULTS: Patients with germinomas lower in tumour cell content (i.e. higher immune cell infiltration) had a significantly longer progression-free survival time than those with higher tumour cell contents (P = 0.03). Transcriptome analyses and RNA in-situ hybridization indicated that infiltrating immune cells comprised a wide variety of cell types, including lymphocytes and myelocyte-lineage cells. High expression of CD4 was significantly associated with good prognosis, whereas elevated nitric oxide synthase 2 was associated with poor prognosis. PD1 (PDCD1) was expressed by immune cells present in most germinomas (93.8%), and PD-L1 (CD274) expression was found in tumour cells in the majority of germinomas examined (73.5%). CONCLUSIONS: The collective data strongly suggest that infiltrating immune cells play an important role in predicting treatment response. Further investigation should lead to additional categorization of germinoma to safely reduce treatment intensity depending on tumour/immune cell balance and to develop possible future immunotherapies.

Swelling of Doubly Magic

Interaction cross sections for ^{42-51}Ca on a carbon target at 280 MeV/nucleon have been measured for the first time. The neutron number dependence of derived root-mean-square matter radii shows a significant increase beyond the neutron magic number N=28. Furthermore, this enhancement of matter radii is much larger than that of the previously measured charge radii, indicating a novel growth in neutron skin thickness. A simple examination based on the Fermi-type distribution, and mean field calculations point out that this anomalous enhancement of the nuclear size beyond N=28 results from an enlargement of the core by a sudden increase in the surface diffuseness of the neutron density distribution, which implies the swelling of the bare ^{48}Ca core in Ca isotopes beyond N=28.

Two-Neutron Halo is Unveiled in

We report the measurement of reaction cross sections (σ_{R}^{ex}) of ^{27,29}F with a carbon target at RIKEN. The unexpectedly large σ_{R}^{ex} and derived matter radius identify ^{29}F as the heaviest two-neutron Borromean halo to date. The halo is attributed to neutrons occupying the 2p_{3/2} orbital, thereby vanishing the shell closure associated with the neutron number N=20. The results are explained by state-of-the-art shell model calculations. Coupled-cluster computations based on effective field theories of the strong nuclear force describe the matter radius of ^{27}F but are challenged for ^{29}F.

Nightlife clusters of coronavirus disease in Tokyo between March and April 2020.

We analysed associations between exposure to nightlife businesses and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 PCR test results at a tertiary hospital in Tokyo between March and April 2020. A nightlife group was defined as those who had worked at or visited the businesses. We included 1517 individuals; 196 (12.9%) were categorised as the nightlife group. After propensity score matching, the proportion of positive PCR tests in the nightlife group was significantly higher than that in the non-nightlife group (nightlife, 63.8%; non-nightlife, 23.0%; P < 0.001). An inclusive approach to mitigate risks related to the businesses needs to be identified.

Design of a multiplex quantitative reverse transcription-PCR system to simultaneously detect 16 pathogens associated with bovine respiratory and enteric diseases.

AIM: Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) and bovine enteric disease (BED) are two major diseases in cattle, resulting in severe economic losses in the dairy and beef industries. The two major diseases are associated with several factors such as viruses, bacteria, the health condition of the host and environmental factors. We aimed to design a new efficient diagnostic method, which rapidly detect causative pathogens, minimizing economic loss due to BRD and BED. METHODS AND RESULTS: We designed a multiplex quantitative reverse transcription-PCR (qRT-PCR) system for the simultaneous diagnosis of 16 pathogens, including 12 viruses and 4 bacteria related to BRD and BED, based on single qRT-PCR assays in previous studies. The designed multiplex qRT-PCR was highly sensitive and has minimal detection levels which will be no different from those of single qRT-PCR. Moreover, the multiplex qRT-PCR could more efficiently detect the causative pathogens than conventional RT-PCR in test using a part of BRD and BED clinical samples. Furthermore, our data revealed that the multiplex qRT-PCR had high performance in its specificity and reproducibility tests. CONCLUSIONS: Our system can effectively detect multiple BRD or BED related pathogens from each animal while testing several clinical samples via the multiplex qRT-PCR. It is more time-, cost- and labour-efficient than other diagnostic methods. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: Rapid detection of infected animals from the herd using our system will greatly contribute to infection control and prompt treatment in field.

Zinc-depletion associates with tissue eosinophilia and collagen depletion in chronic rhinosinusitis.

BACKGROUND: Zinc plays an important role in many biological processes. Reduced zinc levels have been found in chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) patients, however, its role in the pathophysiology of this disease remains unknown. This study examined zinc levels in the serum, mucus and tissue from CRS patients in relation to collagen content and eosinophil infiltration. The effect of zinc depletion on inflammatory cytokine production and collagen synthesis was assessed in vitro. METHODOLOGY: Zinc levels were determined in serum, mucus and tissue from controls, CRS with (CRSwNP) and without nasal polyps (CRSsNP) patients. Tissue zinc levels, collagen and inflammatory cell infiltration was examined using zinquin assays, immunofluorescence and histology on Tissue Micro Arrays. Cytokine expression and collagen synthesis was evaluated in zinc depleted primary human nasal epithelial cells (HNECs) and primary fibroblasts. RESULTS: CRSwNP patients showed reduced tissue zinc levels in correlation with a reduction in collagen content, and increased eosinophil numbers. Zinc depletion of HNECs and fibroblasts induced the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines and MUC5AC and reduced collagen secretion. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest mucosal zinc depletion associates with tissue eosinophilia and collagen depletion in CRSwNP and induces pro-inflammatory cytokine expression and reduction of collagen synthesis in vitro.

Nondestructive sex-specific monitoring of early embryonic development rate in white layer chicken eggs using visible light transmission.

1. Sex-specific variations in early embryonic development rates may pre-empt later variations in embryonic development through to pipping and hatching. Given that erythropoiesis (blood production) can be equated with early embryonic growth rate, it was hypothesised that blood pigment haemoglobin can act as a specific spectral fingerprint for changes in growth rate. Moreover, by measuring longitudinal, rather than lateral, spectral transmission through the egg, a more consistent spectrum with a higher signal-to-noise ratio could be captured.2. Longitudinal visible transmission (T575/T598 ratio), which is sensitive to haemoglobin, was used to monitor sex-specific early embryonic development rate in white layer chicken eggs from d 0 to 8 of incubation. The sex of these eggs was subsequently confirmed two days after hatching.3. Embryonic development was detectable from d 3 (72 h) of incubation, 36 h earlier than previously reported lateral spectral measurements, supporting the greater sensitivity of longitudinal measurements.4. At d 3, the mean T575/T598 ratio for male embryos was significantly lower (P < 0.001) (i.e. higher absorbance of haemoglobin) than for female embryos, which was thought to be due to sex-differences in early embryogenesis. On the other hand, female embryos had a significantly lower (P < 0.05) mean T575/T598 ratio than male embryos at d 7 of incubation, presumably due to the combined effects of oestrogen synthesis receptors and enzymes on erythropoiesis in female embryos at this time.5. In conclusion, the proposed methodology has the sensitivity to differentiate sex-specific embryonic development rates during early incubation and the potentiality to advance precision incubation management and poultry research.

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