High-power laser experiment forming a supercritical collisionless shock in a magnetized uniform plasma at rest.

We present an experimental method to generate quasiperpendicular supercritical magnetized collisionless shocks. In our experiment, ambient nitrogen (N) plasma is at rest and well magnetized, and it has uniform mass density. The plasma is pushed by laser-driven ablation aluminum (Al) plasma. Streaked optical pyrometry and spatially resolved laser collective Thomson scattering clarify structures of plasma density and temperatures, which are compared with one-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations. It is indicated that just after the laser irradiation, the Al plasma is magnetized by a self-generated Biermann battery field, and the plasma slaps the incident N plasma. The compressed external field in the N plasma reflects N ions, leading to counterstreaming magnetized N flows. Namely, we identify the edge of the reflected N ions. Such interacting plasmas form a magnetized collisionless shock.

Treatment outcomes in patients with laryngotracheal lesions and compromised airway during and prior to the coronovirus disease 2019 pandemic: a tertiary institution's experience.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to compare treatment outcomes in patients with laryngeal and tracheal stenosis treated during and prior to the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic period. METHOD: Patients treated for laryngotracheal lesions with impending airway compromise during the active pandemic period were matched with those treated for similar lesions in the preceding years in a monocentric tertiary hospital setting. RESULTS: During the pandemic period of 55 days, 31 patients underwent 47 procedures. Seven patients (2 children, 5 adults) had open airway surgery, and one had an operation-specific complication. Twenty-four patients (10 children, 14 adults) underwent 40 endoscopic interventions without any complications. Operation specific results during and prior to the pandemic were comparable. CONCLUSION: The management strategy in patients with laryngotracheal lesions and impending airway compromise should not be altered during periods of risk from coronavirus disease 2019. Avoiding a tracheostomy by performing primary corrective surgery or proceeding with a definitive decannulation would be beneficial in these patients to reduce the risk of contagion.

Direct detection of circular polarized light in helical 1D perovskite-based photodiode.

Detection of circularly polarized light (CPL) has a high potential for development of various optical technologies. Conventional photodetectors require optical polarizers on the device to detect polarized light, and this causes substantial losses of sensitivity and resolution in light detection. Here, we report direct CPL detection by a photodiode using a helical one-dimensional (1D) structure of lead halide perovskites composed of naphthylethylamine-based chiral organic cations. The 1D structure with face-sharing (PbI6)4- octahedral chains whose helicity is largely affected by chiral cations shows intense circular dichroism (CD) signals over 3000 mdeg at 395 nm with the highly anisotropy factor (g CD) of 0.04. This high CD enables photocurrent detection with effective discrimination between left-handed and right-handed CPLs. The CPL detector based on this 1D perovskite achieved the highest polarization discrimination ratio of 25.4, which largely surpasses the direct detecting CPL devices (<4) using chiral plasmonic metamaterials and organic materials.

Surgical options in suprastomal collapse-induced severe airway obstruction.

PURPOSE: A single institutions experience with various surgical options in the treatment of severe suprastomal collapse (SSC). METHODS: The study included 18 tracheostomized children with SSC treated between January 2012 and December 2018. Data included: patient demography, initial airway lesions, comorbidities, indication and age at tracheostomy, prior airway surgery, stomal demography, type of surgery, postoperative management, complications and treatment outcomes. RESULTS: Four techniques were used to correct SSC. The surgical choice was dependent on stoma demography and associated airway lesions. Excision was done in eight patients and rib cartilage augmentation in five. Three patients had single stage tracheal resection and anastomosis. Two patients received stomal rigidification and temporary placement of Montgomery T tube. Three patients with anterior rib graft augmentation required additional lateral tracheal wall rigidification. Three patients (two with cartilage augmentation, and one with stomal rigidification) developed minimal granulation tissue in the postoperative period. Complete SSC resolution was seen in all except two patients who had a partial response to the treatment. All patients were successful decannulated and are currently asymptomatic. CONCLUSION: Decannulation failures may be due to severe suprastomal collapse that could be either unique or associated with obstructing laryngotracheal lesions. Therefore, it is essential to select the most appropriate surgical treatment to obtain overall favorable outcomes.

Decoding supraglottic stenosis.

OBJECTIVE: Supraglottic stenosis (SPGS) is a rare condition and little is known about its optimal management. Its etiologies are varied and depend on the age group. Here, we review our institution's series of patients and propose treatment strategies for SPGS. METHODS: SPGS patients between 2013 and 2019 were retrospectively reviewed. We recorded their demography, clinical data and endoscopy. The patients were treated with either an endoscopic, open or a combined approach. Subsequently, we reviewed photo and video documents, medical sheets and long-term follow-up charts. RESULTS: The report includes 14 children having a mean age of 5.7 years (range 2 months-13 years). Seven children had undergone prior supraglottoplasty for laryngomalacia, three children had blunt neck trauma and four had iatrogenic plus post-intubation etiology. Five children received endoscopic treatment and are currently symptom free. Four patients received a combined repair with satisfactory results. Five children received an open repair, four of which are decannulated and feed orally without aspiration. Most children in this group required additional endoscopic interventions. CONCLUSION: Post supraglottoplasty stenosis can be treated optimally by an endoscopic approach. More severe supraglottic cicatrical sequelae with posterior glottic involvement may require a combined endoscopic and open approach. Transglottic stenoses with severe grades of multi-level stenoses require an extended cricotracheal resection.

A de novo missense mutation in SLC12A5 found in a compound heterozygote patient with epilepsy of infancy with migrating focal seizures.

Epilepsy of infancy with migrating focal seizures (EIMFS) is an infantile epileptic encephalopathy characterized by refractory seizures, severe psychomotor delay, and multiple moving epileptic discharges. The genetic etiology of EIMFS is relatively homogeneous with the majority of causative mutations found in KCNT1. Currently, gene panel or whole-exome sequencing is used for testing. To verify the pathogenicity of a variant, co-segregation of the variant and the disorder in a pedigree is important; hence, de novo mutations that are judged to be deleterious may be considered pathogenic because the patients are isolated. In contrast, in cases from non-consanguineous families, genes that cause disorders in a recessive manner should remain as potential candidates. Herein, we performed gene panel sequencing of a patient with EIMFS from a non-consanguineous family, and found a compound heterozygous constellation consisting of a maternally inherited p.Ser399Leu and a de novo p.Arg880Leu in SLC12A5, which encodes the neuronal KCC2 cotransporter. These unique mutations show gene variants that act in a recessive manner may be pathogenic for patients from non-consanguineous families.

Improvement of neurological disorders in postmenopausal model rats by administration of royal jelly.

OBJECTIVE: Royal jelly (RJ) from honeybees (Apis mellifera) has estrogenic activity. Estrogen deficiency after menopause leads to a high risk of memory impairment and depression as well as metabolic syndrome and osteoporosis. We here investigated the effect of RJ on memory impairment and depression-like behaviors in ovariectomized (OVX) rats. METHODS: OVX rats were administered with RJ for 82 days. Hippocampus-dependent spatial memory and depression-like behaviors were assessed by the Morris water maze test and the forced swimming test, respectively. The weights of body, brain and uterus and the contents of protein and myelin galactolipids including galactosylceramide and sulfatide were measured. RESULTS: Memory impairment and depression-like behaviors in OVX rats were recovered to the levels of sham-operated rats by RJ administration. Increased body weight and decreased uterine weight in OVX rats were recovered to the levels of sham-operated rats by 17ß-estradiol (E2) administration but not by RJ administration. In contrast, brain weight was slightly increased by RJ administration but not by E2 administration. The contents of protein and myelin galactolipids were higher in the brains of RJ-administered OVX rats than in the brains of E2-administered OVX rats. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that RJ has a beneficial effect on neurological symptoms of a menopausal disorder.

Serum Wisteria floribunda agglutinin-positive Mac-2-binding protein for patients with chronic hepatitis B and C: a comparative study.

We compared Wisteria floribunda agglutinin-positive Mac-2-binding protein (WFA+ -M2BP) levels between patients with chronic hepatitis B (n=249) and chronic hepatitis C (n=386) based on the degree of liver fibrosis. We examined WFA+ -M2BP levels in patients with F4 (cirrhosis), F3 or more (advanced fibrosis) and F2 or more (significant fibrosis) in the two groups. We further examined the relationship between five fibrosis markers and the degree of fibrosis. The WFA+ -M2BP values ranged from 0.25 cut-off index (COI) to 12.9 COI in patients with hepatitis B and 0.34-20.0 COI in patients with hepatitis C (P<.0001). The median WFA+ -M2BP values in F4 in the two groups were 2.83 COI in patients with hepatitis B and 5.03 COI in patients with hepatitis C (P=.0046). The median WFA+ -M2BP values in F3 or more in the two groups were 1.79 COI in patients with hepatitis B and 3.79 COI in patients with hepatitis C (P<.0001). The median WFA+ -M2BP values in F2 or more in the two groups were 1.49 COI in the hepatitis B cohort and 3.19 COI in the hepatitis C group (P<.0001). Among five liver fibrosis markers, WFA+ -M2BP had the highest correlation coefficient (rs =.629) in terms of correlation with the degree of fibrosis in the patients with hepatitis C and had the second highest rs value (.415) in the hepatitis B group. Although WFA+ -M2BP could be a useful indicator of liver fibrosis, WFA+ -M2BP levels in the two groups significantly differed even in the same degree of fibrosis. Individual cut-off values in each aetiology for the degree of fibrosis should be determined.

Gate-Tunable Atomically Thin Lateral MoS2 Schottky Junction Patterned by Electron Beam.

Among atomically thin two-dimensional (2D) materials, molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) is attracting considerable attention because of its direct bandgap in the 2H-semiconducting phase. On the other hand, a 1T-metallic phase has been revealed, bringing complementary application. Recently, thanks to top-down fabrication using electron beam (EB) irradiation techniques, in-plane 1T-metal/2H-semiconductor lateral (Schottky) MoS2 junctions were demonstrated, opening a path toward the co-integration of active and passive two-dimensional devices. Here, we report the first transport measurements evidencing the formation of a MoS2 Schottky barrier (SB) junction with barrier height of 0.13-0.18 eV created at the interface between EB-irradiated (1T)/nonirradiated (2H) regions. Our experimental findings, supported by state-of-the-art simulation, reveal unique device fingerprint of SB-based field-effect transistors made from atom-thin 1T layers.

Electric-Field Induced Activation of Dark Excitonic States in Carbon Nanotubes.

Electrical activation of optical transitions to parity-forbidden dark excitonic states in individual carbon nanotubes is reported. We examine electric-field effects on various excitonic states by simultaneously measuring photocurrent and photoluminescence. As the applied field increases, we observe an emergence of new absorption peaks in the excitation spectra. From the diameter dependence of the energy separation between the new peaks and the ground state of E11 excitons, we attribute the peaks to the dark excited states which became optically active due to the applied field. Field-induced exciton dissociation can explain the photocurrent threshold field, and the edge of the E11 continuum states has been identified by extrapolating to zero threshold.

The 3-second auditory conditioned stimulus is a more effective stressor than the 20-second auditory conditioned stimulus in male rats.

Using fear-conditioning model, we have used a 3-s auditory conditioned stimulus (CS) as a stressor and observed fear and stress responses during a specific experimental period regardless of the presence or absence of the CS. Because the CS was extremely short compared with the experimental period, we observed responses primarily in the absence of the CS. In contrast, most studies in the literature have analyzed responses in the presence of the CS. Therefore, the characteristics of fear and stress responses in the absence of the CS remain to be clarified. To clarify this, we compared the characteristics of fear and stress responses elicited by a 3-s auditory CS with those observed during a 20-s auditory CS. The basolateral complex of the amygdala (BLA), but not the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST), participated in the fear response elicited by the 3-s CS, whereas both the BLA and BNST were involved in the response observed during the 20-s CS. Additional analyses revealed that the BNST participated in the fear response during the 20-s CS when the CS was paired with a 0.75-mA, but not with a 0.9-mA, foot shock, and to the contextual CS. In addition, the fear response elicited by the 3-s CS was more resistant to extinction than that during the 20-s CS. Finally, the 3-s CS produced more intense freezing and corticosterone secretion than the 20-s CS. On the basis of these characteristics, we conclude that the 3-s auditory CS is a more effective stressor than the 20-s auditory CS. Our findings also suggest that foot shock intensity is an additional determinant in the type of fear response induced by the CS.

Gate-controlled generation of optical pulse trains using individual carbon nanotubes.

In single-walled carbon nanotubes, electron-hole pairs form tightly bound excitons because of limited screening. These excitons display a variety of interactions and processes that could be exploited for applications in nanoscale photonics and optoelectronics. Here we report on optical pulse-train generation from individual air-suspended carbon nanotubes under an application of square-wave gate voltages. Electrostatically induced carrier accumulation quenches photoluminescence, while a voltage sign reversal purges those carriers, resetting the nanotubes to become luminescent temporarily. Frequency-domain measurements reveal photoluminescence recovery with characteristic frequencies that increase with excitation laser power, showing that photoexcited carriers provide a self-limiting mechanism for pulsed emission. Time-resolved measurements directly confirm the presence of an optical pulse train synchronized to the gate voltage signal, and flexible control over pulse timing and duration is also demonstrated. These results identify an unconventional route for optical pulse generation and electrical-to-optical signal conversion, opening up new prospects for controlling light at the nanoscale.

Immunocytochemical staining for stratifin and OCIAD2 in bronchial washing specimens increases sensitivity for diagnosis of lung cancer.

OBJECTIVE: Brushing or washing cytology taken at bronchoscopy is a standard diagnostic procedure for lung cancer. The present study evaluated the sensitivity of immunocytochemical diagnosis of lung cancer using bronchial washing materials. METHODS: We collected bronchial washing samples taken at bronchoscopy between July 2012 and July 2013 at Tsukuba University Hospital and studied 106 cases that were finally diagnosed as lung cancer. We collected exfoliated cells using a thin-layer advanced cytology assay system (TACAS(™)) and performed cytological diagnosis using Papanicolaou staining. As controls, we randomly selected 30 tumour-negative cases from among samples collected during the same period. Using these materials, we also examined the expression of stratifin (14-3-3 sigma) (n = 92) and OCIAD2 ovarian immunoreactive antigen domain 2) (n = 106) by immunocytochemistry, as these are considered to be broad spectrum immune markers for lung adenocarcinoma including early invasive lung adenocarcinoma. RESULTS: Using Papanicolaou staining, 52 out of 106 lung cancers (49.1%) were diagnosed as positive. However, positivity was increased to 63.0% by immunocytochemistry using anti-stratifin or anti-OCIAD2 antibodies. Biopsies were taken in 103/106 cases and cancer was diagnosed in 60/103, (58.3%). The sensitivity of stratifin or OCIAD2 was significantly higher than that of Papanicolaou staining (P = 0.027), but immunocytochemistry detected false-positive cells in 3/30 cases (10%) for stratifin and 2/30 cases (7%) for OCIAD2. CONCLUSION: Immunocytochemical staining for stratifin and OCIAD2 improved diagnostic sensitivity for lung cancers but diagnostic specificity was lower than that for cytology alone. The immunostains carried up to a 10% risk of a false-positive result and therefore positive staining must be confirmed by morphological evidence of malignancy.

Ultralow mode-volume photonic crystal nanobeam cavities for high-efficiency coupling to individual carbon nanotube emitters.

The unique emission properties of single-walled carbon nanotubes are attractive for achieving increased functionality in integrated photonics. In addition to being room-temperature telecom-band emitters that can be directly grown on silicon, they are ideal for coupling to nanoscale photonic structures. Here we report on high-efficiency coupling of individual air-suspended carbon nanotubes to silicon photonic crystal nanobeam cavities. Photoluminescence images of dielectric- and air-mode cavities reflect their distinctly different mode profiles and show that fields in the air are important for coupling. We find that the air-mode cavities couple more efficiently, and estimated spontaneous emission coupling factors reach a value as high as 0.85. Our results demonstrate advantages of ultralow mode-volumes in air-mode cavities for coupling to low-dimensional nanoscale emitters.

Segregation of a QTL cluster for home-cage activity using a new mapping method based on regression analysis of congenic mouse strains.

Recent genetic studies have shown that genetic loci with significant effects in whole-genome quantitative trait loci (QTL) analyses were lost or weakened in congenic strains. Characterisation of the genetic basis of this attenuated QTL effect is important to our understanding of the genetic mechanisms of complex traits. We previously found that a consomic strain, B6-Chr6C(MSM), which carries chromosome 6 of a wild-derived strain MSM/Ms on the genetic background of C57BL/6J, exhibited lower home-cage activity than C57BL/6J. In the present study, we conducted a composite interval QTL analysis using the F2 mice derived from a cross between C57BL/6J and B6-Chr6C(MSM). We found one QTL peak that spans 17.6 Mbp of chromosome 6. A subconsomic strain that covers the entire QTL region also showed lower home-cage activity at the same level as the consomic strain. We developed 15 congenic strains, each of which carries a shorter MSM/Ms-derived chromosomal segment from the subconsomic strain. Given that the results of home-cage activity tests on the congenic strains cannot be explained by a simple single-gene model, we applied regression analysis to segregate the multiple genetic loci. The results revealed three loci (loci 1-3) that have the effect of reducing home-cage activity and one locus (locus 4) that increases activity. We also found that the combination of loci 3 and 4 cancels out the effects of the congenic strains, which indicates the existence of a genetic mechanism related to the loss of QTLs.

Spontaneous exciton dissociation in carbon nanotubes.

Simultaneous photoluminescence and photocurrent measurements on individual single-walled carbon nanotubes reveal spontaneous dissociation of excitons into free electron-hole pairs. The correlation of luminescence intensity and photocurrent shows that a significant fraction of excitons are dissociating before recombination. Furthermore, the combination of optical and electrical signals also allows for extraction of the absorption cross section and the oscillator strength. Our observations explain the reasons why photoconductivity measurements in single-walled carbon nanotubes are straightforward despite the large exciton binding energies.

The neural substrates of physical fatigue sensation to evaluate ourselves: a magnetoencephalography study.

It is important to clarify the neural mechanisms underlying fatigue sensation. There have been several studies which identified brain regions in which the level of the neural activities was correlated with the subjective level of fatigue. However, the neural activity evoked when we evaluate our level of fatigue may not be related to the subjective level of fatigue. Thus, we tried to identify the neural activities caused by the evaluation of the level of fatigue, which may not be related to the subjective level of fatigue. We used magnetoencephalography (MEG) to measure neural activity in 10 healthy participants enrolled in our study. During MEG recordings, participants were asked to evaluate the level of physical fatigue in their right hand in time with execution cues (evaluation session) or to direct attention to their right hand in time with execution cues (control session). Equivalent current dipole (ECD) analysis was performed to localize the neural activity limited to the evaluation session. In the evaluation session, ECDs with mean latencies of approximately 380ms were observed in nine of 10 participants. These were localized in the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC), while in the control session, the ECDs in the same brain region were observed in only two of 10 participants. The proportion of participants in whom ECDs were observed in the PCC in the evaluation session was significantly higher than that in the control session (McNemar test). In addition, the intensities of the ECDs were positively associated with the extent to which the participants successfully evaluated the fatigue in their right hand in the evaluation session. These data suggest that the PCC is involved in the neural substrates associated with self-evaluation of physical fatigue.