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The rheology of human follicular fluid has been empirically evinced to be related to the reproductive health status of individuals, which supports its use as an indicator for improving the success rates of in vitro fertilization. However, there is a dearth of studies investigating the viscoelastic properties of human follicular fluid. Moreover, a comprehensive elucidation of the rheological properties of complex fluids necessitates the assessment of data regarding both shear and extensional viscosities. Nonetheless, to the best of our knowledge, the extant literature does not include reports on the behavior of follicular fluid under extensional conditions. Consequently, this study aimed to analyze the shear and extensional viscosities of human follicular fluid. Primarily, the impact of oocytes on the rheology of follicular fluid was evaluated by measuring the shear viscosity of this fluid using a high-resolution coaxial cylinder viscometer. The shear viscosity of follicular fluid exhibited marked differences depending on the presence or absence of oocytes. Subsequently, a measurement system that enables the handling of minute quantities of body fluid was developed to determine the extensional viscosity of follicular fluid, which contains albumin. A comparison of the acquired follicular fluid data with that of the protein solution containing albumin demonstrated that the follicular fluid alone displayed extensional behavior, whereas the protein solution did not. Therefore, it can be inferred that the protein solution is not its sole determinant, as other constituents of the fluid, such as peptides and cumulus cells, may determine its rheological properties. This observation was not attained through the conventional technique consisting in shear viscosity measurements.

The parallel operation of plural undulator beam lines is an important means of improving the efficiency and usability of x-ray free-electron laser facilities. After the installation of a second undulator beam line (BL2) at SPring-8 Angstrom compact free-electron laser (SACLA), pulse-by-pulse switching between two beam lines was tested using kicker and dc twin-septum magnets. To maintain a compact size, all undulator beam lines at SACLA are designed to be placed within the same undulator hall located downstream of the accelerator. In order to ensure broad tunability of the laser wavelength, the electron bunches are accelerated to different beam energies optimized for the wavelengths of each beam line. In the demonstration, the 30 Hz electron beam was alternately deflected to two beam lines and simultaneous lasing was achieved with 15 Hz at each beam line. Since the electron beam was deflected twice by 3° in a dogleg to BL2, the coherent synchrotron radiation (CSR) effects became non-negligible. Currently in a wavelength range of 4–10 keV, a laser pulse energy of 100–150 μJ can be obtained with a reduced peak current of around 1 kA by alleviating the CSR effects. This paper reports the results and operational issues related to the multi-beam-line operation of SACLA.

We report a patient with anorexia nervosa without bronchiectasis and cystic fibrosis who developed acute pneumonia caused by Exophiala dermatitidis (E. dermatitidis). The black fungus found in multiple sputum cultures was determined to be E. dermatitidis using mass spectrometry and identified using genetic analysis. Although the initiation of antifungal therapy was late, the pneumonia gradually improved with long-term treatment. This case highlights the need for early diagnosis and effective long-term treatment of the fungal etiologic agent.