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Yuki Fujiwara,1 Izuki Amano,1 Sumiyasu Ishii,1,2 Mikiko Kishi,3 Noriyuki Koibuchi1 1Department of Integrative Physiology, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, Maebashi, Gunma, Japan; 2Niigata College of Nursing, Joetsu, Niigata, Japan; 3Department of Medical Education and Development, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, Maebashi, Gunma, JapanCorrespondence: Noriyuki Koibuchi, Department of Integrative Physiology, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, 3-39-22 Showa-machi, Maebashi, Gunma, 371-8511, Japan, Tel +81-27-220-7923, Fax +81-27-220-7926, Email nkoibuch@gunma-u.ac.jpBackground: The spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has significantly affected medical education. In particular, conducting practical training in a face-to-face format has become difficult.Purpose: To address this problem, online physiology practice combined with team-based learning (TBL) for deep learning of renal physiology was conducted among second-year medical students.Participants and Methods: The experiment was performed by a group of students, while other students watched online. After the experiment, all students were grouped using breakout rooms. Following a discussion of the data, a clinical case study related to the experiment was conducted using TBL. To examine the effect of online practice in a case study under TBL, the participants completed an anonymous, open-ended, web-based questionnaire after the program, enabling us to compare their expectations and satisfaction. The questionnaire consisted of questions examining students’ opinions on the appropriateness of online practice, degree of understanding, ease of asking questions, time efficiency, and the usefulness of case studies using TBL.Results: There was no change in the number of students who participated in the online practice before and after class. After class, more students considered the level of understanding easier and displayed better on-time efficiency than with regular face-to-face training. However, these questions are difficult to answer.Conclusion: Online-based physiology practice combined with clinical case studies under TBL helped maintain students’ expectations and satisfaction with the training.Keywords: online education, physiology practice, team-based learning, COVID-19, practical training

Memes within animated graphical interchange formats (GIFs) are developed and shared by Internet users to communicate cultural ideas, symbols, or practices for a wide global audience. Among the billions of GIFs shared internationally, some portray scientists engaged in scientific work. Media and science education scholarship alike have evidenced how scientists are portrayed can influence social perceptions of science and contribute to stereotypes that deter youth's interest in and affinity to science and science occupations. To understand what social perceptions of science may manifest from new media (GIFs), the present study ascertained stereotypes using Warmth and Competence constructs from Fiske's Stereotype Content Model (SCM). The SCM utilizes high, medium, and low warmth and competence dimensions found in media-based imagery to illuminate stereotypes. Researchers coded and categorised 287 meme-based GIFs of scientists sourced the largest online GIF repository, Giphy. A directed qualitative content analysis found high-competence and low-warmth dimensions most represented within the sample that theoretically (per SCM) represent perceptions that contribute to an envious stereotype with elements of admiration and contempt. This study suggests that although there have been improvements in the portrayals of scientists in media, however, GIFs may preserve and perpetuate the trope of the competent, yet cold, scientist.

Naomi Hayashi,1 Yasuyoshi Sato,1 Yu Fujiwara,1,2 Naoki Fukuda,1 Xiaofei Wang,1 Kenji Nakano,1 Testuya Urasaki,1 Akihiro Ohmoto,1 Makiko Ono,1 Junichi Tomomatsu,1 Yukiko Sato,3 Hiroki Mitani,4 Takashi Toshiyasu,5 Shunji Takahashi1 1Department of Medical Oncology, The Cancer Institute Hospital of Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, Tokyo, Japan; 2Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Mount Sinai Beth Israel, New York City, NY, USA; 3Pathology, The Cancer Institute Hospital of Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, Tokyo, Japan; 4Head and Neck Oncology, The Cancer Institute Hospital of Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, Tokyo, Japan; 5Radiation Oncology, The Cancer Institute Hospital of Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, Tokyo, JapanCorrespondence: Yasuyoshi SatoThe Cancer Institute Hospital of Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, 3-8-31 Ariake, Koto, Tokyo, 135-8550, JapanTel +8135200111Fax +81335200141Email yasuyoshi.sato@jfcr.or.jpPurpose: There have been few reports on the evaluation of cancer cachexia based on skeletal muscle mass index (SMI) in patients with head and neck cancer.Patients and Methods: One hundred and ninety-two head and neck cancer patients were enrolled. In definitive and adjuvant chemoradiotherapy settings, clinical outcomes were compared between cachexia and non-cachexia patients.Results: Forty patients were diagnosed with cachexia (20.8%). In the definitive setting, overall survival (OS) was significantly shorter in the cachexia group (3-year OS: 50.0% vs 88.5%; p < 0.01), and multivariate analysis identified UICC stage IV, baseline albumin of < 4 and cachexia as poor prognostic factors. However, cachexia was not significant in the adjuvant setting.Conclusion: Cancer cachexia was negatively associated with prognosis in patients with HNC who received definitive chemoradiotherapy. Nutritional intervention during chemoradiotherapy may improve survival in these patients.Keywords: head and neck cancer, squamous cell carcinoma of head and neck, sarcopenia, cachexia, muscle, skeletal, chemoradiotherapy, prognosis

We investigated the degradation of neutral beam (NB) fast-ion confinement depending on the NB power without magnetohydrodynamics instabilities in the Large Helical Device (LHD). In the LHD deuterium experiment, the neutron emission rate per NB power decreased by up to 20% with increasing injected NBs during a single discharge. Because there were no significant variations in the electron temperature and density, the NB shine-through rate, or the magnetic fluctuation due to the change in NB power, the reduction in the neutron emission rate indicates the degradation of the fast-ion confinement. In this paper, we formulated this degradation depending on the NB power and quantitatively estimated the degraded effective confinement time. In addition, we performed neutron emission rate simulations using the obtained effective confinement time. The simulation and experimental results were in good agreement, suggesting that the degraded effective confinement time is valid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The trivalent terbium ion (Tb3+) emits ultra-stable visible light consisting of blue, green, yellow, and red. Tb-doped semiconductors are candidates for novel full-color light sources in next-generation displays. Particularly, Tb-doped AlxGa1−xN (AlxGa1−xN:Tb) has attracted much attention for device applications. We present the luminescence properties of AlxGa1−xN:Tb grown by the organometallic vapor phase epitaxy. At 15 K, emission related to the 5D4–7FJ (J = 3, 4, 5, 6) transitions is observed for AlxGa1−xN:Tb with x ≥ 0.03. Thermal quenching of emission originating from the 5D4–7FJ transition is suppressed for higher Al compositions, and the luminescence is clearly observed at room temperature for AlxGa1−xN:Tb with x ≥ 0.06. The small thermal quenching is attributed to the enhanced excitation to the 5D4 level of Tb3+ ions via the 4f–5d transition and not due to the suppression of energy back-transfer paths in excited Tb3+ ions. Although additional emission originating from the 5D3–7FJ transitions is observed at 15 K for AlxGa1−xN:Tb with x ≥ 0.15, it is not observed at room temperature because the excitation to the 5D3 level via the 4f–5d transition is less efficient at high temperature. For Al0.15Ga0.85N:Tb, monochromatic green light is demonstrated using a SiO2/ZrO2 distributed Bragg reflector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report on the formation and optical characteristics of Eu-doped GaN (GaN:Eu)/GaN core–shell nanowires (NWs) grown by organometallic vapor phase epitaxy. A moderate V/III ratio and growth temperature enable the incorporation of Eu3+ ions into the GaN shells on GaN core NWs, resulting in red luminescence at room temperature whose peak intensity is more than 20 times larger than for a GaN:Eu film on planar GaN. The cathodoluminescence characterization corroborates that the observed enhanced Eu luminescence originates from the predominant formation of highly efficient Eu centers in the sidewalls of the GaN:Eu/GaN core–shell NWs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding energetic particle transport due to magnetohydrodynamic instabilities excited by energetic particles is essential to apprehend alpha particle confinement in a fusion burning plasma. In the large helical device (LHD), beam ion and deuterium–deuterium fusion-born triton transport due to resistive interchange mode destabilized by helically-trapped energetic ions (EIC) are studied employing comprehensive neutron diagnostics, such as the neutron flux monitor and a newly developed scintillating fiber detector characterized by high detection efficiency. Beam ion transport due to EIC is studied in deuterium plasmas with full deuterium or hydrogen/deuterium beam injections. The total neutron emission rate (Sn) measurement indicates that EIC induces about a 6% loss of passing transit beam ions and a 60% loss of helically-trapped ions. The loss rate of helically-trapped ions, which drive EIC, is larger than the loss rate of passing transit beam ions. Furthermore, the drop of Sn increasing linearly with the EIC amplitude shows that barely confined beam ions existing near the confinement-loss boundary are lost due to EIC. In full deuterium conditions, a study of deuterium–deuterium fusion-born triton transport due to EIC is performed by time-resolved measurement of total secondary deuterium–tritium neutron emission rate (Sn_DT). Drop of Sn_DT increases substantially with EIC amplitude to the third power and reaches up to 30%. The relation shows that not only tritons confined in confined-loss boundary, but also tritons confined in the inner region of a plasma, are substantially transported. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]