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Abstract Background The Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica D. Don) is one of the most important Japanese forest trees, occupying approximately 44% of artificial forests and planted in East Asia, the Azores Archipelago, and certain islands in the Indian Ocean. Although the huge genome of the species (ca. 9 Gbp) with abundant repeat elements may have represented an obstacle for genetic analysis, this species is easily propagated by cutting, flowered by gibberellic acid, transformed by Agrobacterium, and edited by CRISPR/Cas9. These characteristics of C. japonica recommend it as a model conifer species for which reference genome sequences are necessary. Results Herein, we report the first chromosome-level assembly of C. japonica (2n = 22) using third-generation selfed progeny (estimated homozygosity rate = 0.96). Young leaf tissue was used to extract high molecular weight DNA (> 50 kb) for HiFi PacBio long-read sequencing and to construct an Hi-C/Omni-C library for Illumina short-read sequencing. The 29× and 26× genome coverage of HiFi and Illumina reads, respectively, for de novo assembly yielded 2,651 contigs (9.1 Gbp, N50 contig size 12.0 Mbp). Hi-C analysis mapped 97% of the nucleotides on 11 chromosomes. The assembly was verified through comparison with a consensus linkage map comprising 7,781 markers. BUSCO analysis identified ∼ 91% conserved genes. Conclusions Annotations of genes and comparisons of repeat elements with other Cupressaceae and Pinaceae species provide a fundamental resource for conifer research.

This study develops a 3D sound localization platform specialized in evaluating the effect of synthetic reflected sounds. 3D sound localization is one of the promising technologies to realize a more realistic digital-twin world, and reflected sounds are indispensable to pursue further reality. Although reflected sounds are well-known they strongly affect sound localization contributing to the realistic 3D sound field, it is still unclear why and how the reflected sounds affect perceptions of sound direction since there has been no such platform to evaluate the effect of reflected sounds on perceptions of sound direction. Our proposed platform implements imaginary sound sources by taking into account arrival time differences as reflected sounds from reflective walls using Head-Related Transfer Functions (HTRFs), and they are mixed with directly arrived sounds to evaluate the effect of reflected sounds on perceptions of the direction of sound sources. The experiments are conducted to prove the usefulness of the proposed platform evaluating parameters of sound reflections affecting perceptions of the direction of sound sources. The experimental results show the influences of reflected sounds varied according to the direction of reflected sounds, and our platform is expected in the future to demystify the various effects of reflected sounds on perceptions of the direction of sound sources.

The effects of high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) treatment (100–600 MPa for 10–60 min) and thermal treatment (boiling for 10–60 min) on oligosaccharides, pinitol, and soyasapogenol A as taste ingredients in soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) (cv. Yukihomare) were evaluated. Additionally, soybean-derived fatty acids such as α-linolenic acid, linoleic acid, oleic acid, palmitic acid, and stearic acid in pressurized soybeans were quantitatively analyzed. Sucrose, stachyose, and raffinose concentrations were decreased in all tested pressure and time combinations; however, pinitol concentrations were increased by specific pressure and time combinations at 100–400 MPa for 10–60 min. While the soyasapogenol A content in boiled soybeans decreased with increasing boiling time, that of pressurized soybeans was altered by specific pressure and time combinations. At the lower pressure and shorter time combinations, the essential fatty acids such as α-linolenic acid and linoleic acid showed higher contents. Stearic acid and oleic acid contents of pressurized soybeans increased at mild pressure levels (300–500 MPa). In contrast, the combination of higher pressure and longer time results in lower essential fatty acid contents. Non-thermal-pressurized soybeans have the potential to be a high-value food source with better taste due to the enrichment of low molecular weight components such as pinitol, free amino acids, and the reduction of isoflavones and Group A soyasapogenol.

Abstract Purpose This study aimed to evaluate the utility of inflammation-based prognostic scores (IBPS) and systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) in the treatment of oral cancer patients. Methods For the 183 patients enrolled in this study, IBPS and SII were calculated from peripheral blood samples obtained before and after treatment and at the time of relapse. We examined overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) using previously reported cut-off values for IBPS. Cut-off values of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and prognostic nutritional index (PNI) were analyzed as NLR 1.79, PLR 114.97, LMR 5, and PNI 52.44. The cut-off value for SII was set at 569. OS and DFS were analyzed by Kaplan–Meier methods using the cutoff of each IBPS and SII. Univariate analysis and multivariate analysis using Cox proportional hazards were performed for OS and DFS. Results Kaplan–Meier methods showed the high-PNI group showed good prognosis including OS and DFS, while the high-SII group displayed poor DFS. Univariate analysis showed that pre-treatment high PNI and low SII were significantly associated with better prognosis. Multivariate analysis identified pre-treatment PNI as independently associated with OS. For DFS, univariate analysis using Cox proportional hazards modeling showed that pre-treatment high NLR and high SII were significantly associated with worse prognosis, while high PNI was significantly associated with better prognosis. Multivariate analysis identified pre-treatment PNI and SII as independently associated with DFS. Parameters of PNI and SII components were compared between pre-treatment, post-treatment and at relapse in the high- and low-PNI groups. PNI was predominantly decreased in both high- and low-PNI groups at post-treatment and at relapse compared to pre-treatment. This trend was also observed for albumin. Conclusions Higher pre-treatment PNI was associated with better OS, while lower pre-treatment PNI and higher treatment SII were associated with poorer DFS in oral cancer patients. Our data indicated that PNI and SII might offer useful biomarkers for gauging prognosis and the efficacy of conventional therapies.

Aqueous Na-ion batteries are attracting attention as candidates for large-scale rechargeable batteries with a high safety level. We proposed a novel electrolyte composed of NaClO4 dissolved in water, along with ethylene glycol, to serve as an innovative solution for aqueous Na-ion batteries. The potential window of NaClO4 aqueous-based electrolyte expanded as the ethylene glycol concentration increased. Specifically, when incorporating ethylene glycol into a 7 m (= mol kg−1) NaClO4 aqueous electrolyte, we observed a favorable cyclability pattern in the context of the NaTi2(PO4)3 anode, akin to that exhibited by a 17 m NaClO4 aqueous electrolyte. Moreover, the irreversible capacity of NaTi2(PO4)3 decreased as the ethylene glycol concentration increased. This effect was evident even at low rates such as 0.2 mA cm−2. Notably, the NaTi2(PO4)3 anode’s capacity, when utilizing a 7 m NaClO4 solution with a higher fraction of ethylene glycol (XE = 0.5), remained stable at 120 mAh g−1 even after the completion of 15 cycles. On the other hand, the Na2MnP2O7 cathode properties 7 m NaClO4 aqueous electrolyte could not be improved by adding a small amount of ethylene glycol.

To suppress the fluctuation of light intensity during wavelength tuning caused by carrier induced optical loss, we utilized a single quantum well (SQW) inserted into the bulk core layer of distributed Bragg reflectors (DBRs), called an active DBR structure, for a 2-μm-wavelength superstructure grating (SSG-) DBR laser. In the active DBR structure, some injected currents in the DBR regions are consumed for an optical gain in the inserted SQW, which suppresses the optical loss in the bulk core layer induced by the free-carrier absorption. The SSG-DBR laser fabricated with the active DBR structure exhibited a more than 8-nm lasing wavelength shift of a single SSG-DBR reflection peak. In addition, the reduction of light intensity was less than 2.7 dB when the total injection current of the front and rear DBR regions was 200 mA. This is significantly smaller than that of a conventional SSG-DBR laser that has the same device structure except for the SQW in the DBR regions, although a relatively large current was required for the wavelength shift. Evaluations of the lasing characteristics under various combinations of the front and rear DBR currents demonstrated that all seven SSG-modes could be selectively oscillated for wavelength tuning. In addition, the measured fluctuation of light intensities was less than 5 dB for almost all conditions even when the front and rear DBR currents were individually changed from 0 up to 100 mA. Furthermore, the active-DBR type laser simultaneously attained the quasi-continuous tuning range of 51.2 nm and the fluctuation of light intensity across the whole range of less than 2.5 dB which represents a significant suppression compared to the conventional SSG-DBR laser with the same laser cavity design.

Introduction In early-stage oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma (OTSCC), elective neck dissection (END) is recommended when occult lymph node metastasis is suspected; however, there is no unanimous consensus on the risks and benefits of END in such cases. The management of clinically node-negative (cN0) OTSCC remains controversial. This study, therefore, aimed to evaluate the efficacy of END and its impact on the quality of life (QoL) of patients with cN0 OTSCC.Methods and analysis This is a prospective, multicentre, nonrandomised observational study. The choice of whether to perform END at the same time as resection of the primary tumour is based on institutional policy and patient preference. The primary endpoint of this study is 3-year overall survival. The secondary endpoints are 3-year disease-specific survival, 3-year relapse-free survival and the impact on patient QoL. Propensity score-matching analysis will be performed to reduce selection bias.Ethics and dissemination This study was approved by the Clinical Research Review Board of the Nagasaki University. The protocol of this study was registered at the University Hospital Medical Information Network Clinical Trials Registry. The datasets generated during the current study will be available from the corresponding author on reasonable request. The results will be disseminated internationally, through scientific and professional conferences and in peer-reviewed medical journals.Trial registration number UMIN000027875.

Abstract The carbonophosphate Na3FePO4CO3 was synthesized by the mechanical ball milling method for the first time. The composition of the obtained sample with a higher amount of Fe2+ was Na2.66Fe2+ 0.66Fe3+ 0.34PO4CO3 as confirmed by Mössbauer analysis, owing to the good airtight properties of this method. The obtained samples in an organic electrolyte delivered an initial discharge capacity of 124 mAh/g at room temperature, and a larger discharge capacity of 159 mAh/g (1.66 Na+/mole) at 60 °C. With 17 m NaClO4 aqueous electrolyte, a discharge capacity of 161 mAh/g (1.69 Na+/mole) was delivered because of the high ionic conductivity of the concentrated aqueous electrolyte. During the charge-discharge process, the formation of Fe4+ after charging up to 4.5 V and the return of Fe2+ after discharging down to 1.5 V were detected by ex-situ X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) analysis.

Abstract Gravity gradient tensor analysis has been a powerful tool for investigating subsurface structures and recently its application to a two-dimensional fault structure has been developed. To elucidate the faulting type and spatial extent, specifically the continuity and the size, of the subsurface fault structure of an active fault through gravity gradient tensor analysis, we analyzed Bouguer anomalies, which were composed of dense gravity measurement data over the land and seafloor, and indices calculated from a gravity gradient tensor around the Togi-gawa Nangan fault (TNF), Noto Peninsula, central Japan. The features of Bouguer anomalies and their first horizontal and vertical derivatives demonstrate clearly that the TNF is a reverse fault dipping to the southeast. Furthermore, the combination of those derivatives and the dimensionality index revealed that the spatial extent of the subsurface fault structure is coincident with that of the surface fault trace and that it shows no evidence of connecting the TNF with surrounding active faults. Furthermore, the dip angle of the subsurface fault structure was estimated as 45°–60° from the minimum eigenvectors of the gravity gradient tensor. We confirmed that this result is coincident with the dip angle estimated using the two-dimensional Talwani’s method. This high dip angle as a reverse fault suggests that the TNF has experienced inversion tectonics.

This study measured the intraoperative anterior aqueous humor concentrations of various cytokines during corneal endothelial transplantation and searched for relationships between these concentrations and postoperative corneal endothelial cell (CEC) depletion. We recruited 30 consecutive patients who underwent corneal endothelial transplantation with Descemet's stripping automated endothelial keratoplasty (DSAEK) at Tohoku University Hospital between February 2014 and July 2017. During surgery, we obtained aqueous humor samples and later measured the concentrations of 27 cytokines with a Multiplex Bead Assay (Bio-Plex Pro). We counted CECs 1, 6 and 12 months after surgery, and used Spearman's rank correlation coefficient to identify relationships between CEC depletion and the concentrations of detected cytokines. The loss of CECs 1-6 months after surgery was significantly correlated with IL-7, IP-10, MIP-1a and MIP-1b concentrations (-0.67, -0.48, -0.39, and -0.45, respectively, all P

Purpose: To describe four cases of concomitant herpes simplex keratitis (HSK) and autoimmune-associated ulcerative keratitis (UK) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Observations: All patients developed HSK and UK while undergoing treatment for RA. The average age of onset for RA, UK and HSK was 49.3, 69.5 and 70.5 years, respectively. UK preceded HSK in three cases and followed HSK in one case. Two patients had bilateral UK and two had unilateral UK. HSK was unilateral in all cases. All the cases had been treated with immunosuppressive agents including steroid, methotrexate, calcineurin inhibitors, etanercept and tocilizumab at the onset of HSK. Every patient was treated for HSK with topical acyclovir ointment combined with oral valacyclovir. The final visual outcome was extremely poor despite intensive therapy. Conclusions and Importance: These cases raise the possibility that RA patients have an increased risk of HSK, and that HSK may tend to be severe in these patients because of their immunocompromised condition. Furthermore, the complication of HSK and UK in RA patients is difficult to treat because of the atypical clinical manifestation. Thus, the emergence of corneal ulcer, especially in patients with a long clinical history of RA, calls for careful follow-up.

Background: The oral microbiome, which consists of various habitats, has been shown to be influenced by smoking. However, differences in the tongue microbiomes of current and former smokers, as well as their resultant functional consequences, have rarely been investigated in East Asian populations. Methods: We used 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing of tongue-coating samples obtained from East Asian subjects who were current, former, or never smokers to identify differences in their tongue microbiomes and related metagenomic functions. Two sets of participants from 2016 to 2017 (n = 657 and n = 187, respectively) were analyzed separately. Results: We found significant differences between the overall microbiome compositions of current versus never smokers (p = 0.0015), but not between former versus never smokers (p = 0.43) based on the weighted UniFrac distance. Twenty-nine of 43 investigated genera showed significantly different expression levels in current versus never smokers. Neisseria and Capnocytophaga were less abundant, and Streptococcus and Megasphaera were more abundant in current smokers. Moreover, the abundances of metagenomic pathways, including those related to nitrate reduction and the tricarboxylic acid cycle, were significantly different between current and never smokers. Conclusions: The tongue microbiomes and related metagenomic pathways of current smokers differ from those of never smokers among East Asians.

The prognosis of autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD) including Graves’ disease (GD) and Hashimoto’s disease (HD) is difficult to predict. We previously suggested that Th17 cells may be associated with the pathogenesis of AITD. However, the association between gene polymorphisms in Th17-related genes and the prognosis of AITD was not clarified. To clarify this association, we genotyped 12 polymorphisms in 11 Th17-related genes (IL1Ra, IL6R, IL17R, IL21R, IL23R, CCR6, SOCS3, RORC, IL17A, IL17F and IL21) in 142 HD patients including 58 patients with severe HD and 48 patients with mild HD, 170 patients with GD including 81 patients with intractable GD and 49 patients with GD in remission, and 84 healthy volunteers. The frequency of the IL17F rs763780 T allele was higher in patients with severe HD than in patients with mild HD (p = .008). The frequency of the IL17R rs9606615 T allele was higher in patients with HD than in normal subjects (p = .011). The frequencies of the SOCS3 rs4969170 AA genotype, CCR6 rs3093024 AA genotype, and IL21 rs907715 AA genotype were higher in patients with intractable GD than in patients with GD in remission (p = .035, p = .002 and p = .030, respectively). In conclusion, IL17R rs9607715 and IL17F rs763780 polymorphisms are associated with the susceptibility and severity of HD, respectively. IL21 rs907715, SOCS3 rs4969170 and CCR6 rs3093024 polymorphisms are associated with the intractability of GD.

The electrochemical thermoelectric (TE) coefficient (SEC≡∂V∂T; V and T are the redox potential and temperature, respectively) is a significant material parameter, because it enable us to convert heat into electricity. Here, we systematically investigated the TE properties of cobalt hexacyanoferrate (Co-HCF), LixCo[Fe(CN)6]y, against the Li concentration (x). |SEC| is higher than the Seebeck coefficient (= 0.2 mV/K at room temperature) of Bi2Te3 and distributes from 0.2 to 0.8 mV/K. We further observed a sign reversal behavior of SEC: SEC is negative at y =0.71 while it is negative (positive) at x≤0.3 (x≥0.6) at y =0.90. Based on the ionic model, we qualitatively reproduced the sign reversal behavior by including the volume expansion effect. These arguments suggest that SEC in solid is mainly governed by the electrostatic energy.

Layered cobalt oxide, P2-NaxCoO2, is a prototypical cathode material for sodium-ion secondary battery. We systematically investigated the rate dependence of the discharge capacity (Q) in three thin films of Na0.68CoO2 with different film thickness (d) and in-plane grain radius (r). With subtracting conventional voltage drop effect on Q, we derived an intrinsic rate dependence of Q. We found a scaling relation between the renormalized discharge rate (γ ≡ r2/DT; D and T are the Na+ diffusion constant and discharge time, respectively) and relative capacity (=Q/Q0; Q0 is the value at a low rate limit). The observed scaling relation is interpreted in terms of the Na+ intercalation process at the electrolyte-NaxCoO2 interface and Na+ diffusion process within NaxCoO2.

Purpose. To determine the correlation of reduced retinal thickness in the central papillomacular bundle (CPB) to central visual function, including central retinal sensitivity and visual acuity, in glaucoma patients. Methods. This study enrolled 50 eyes of 50 patients with open-angle glaucoma who were carefully screened for comorbid conditions that can cause decreased central visual function, such as cataracts or macular diseases. We used a novel CPB analysis comprising a program for optical coherence tomography that measured RNFL thickness and GCC thickness in the CPB and divided lengthwise into three parts (upper, middle, and lower CPB). The relationship of these parameters, including conventional macular thickness, to visual field sensitivity in four central standard automated perimetry points (the central four thresholds) and BCVA was analyzed. Results. The two parameters most highly correlated with central four thresholds were macular GCCT and macular RNFLT. The two parameters most highly correlated with BCVA were middle CPB (mid-CPB) GCCT and mid-CPB RNFLT. A multiple regression analysis revealed that mid-CPB GCCT was an independent factor impacting central retinal thresholds and BCVA. Conclusions. Our results suggest that mid-CPB RNFLT and GCCT, parameters of a novel papillomacular bundle analysis, are candidate biomarkers of decreased central visual function in glaucomatous eyes.

2-thioxo-3-pyrrolidinecarbaldehyde (TPC) is an important intermediate in the yellowing of Japanese pickles “takuan-zuke”. TPC has been reported to have antibacterial activity against bacteria causing food poisoning and microorganisms associated with the development of caries, as well as various physiological functions such as antimutagenicity. However, since TPC has high reactivity, robust quantitative analysis is difficult with the extraction method or pre-column derivatization method using 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine. In this study, a high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method involving labeling with 4-(N,N-dimethylaminosulfonyl)-7-hydrazino-2,1,3-benzoxadiazole (DBD-H) was developed for the determination of the level of TPC in takuan-zuke. DBD-TPC was successfully stabilized by adding a buffer solution to the reaction solution, which established continuous analysis by HPLC using an autosampler. The DBD-TPC calibration curve was linear in the range of 0.25–250 nmol/mL (final concentration) and showed a wide dynamic range. The lower limit of detection was 0.205 nmol/mL in TPC standard. The proposed method was successfully applied to the measurement of TPC in daikon-oroshi. The results reveal the possibility of determining the variation of TPC level in processed foods containing radish. We concluded that the proposed method is useful for evaluating the quality of processed radish products.

Purpose. To assess the association between optic nerve head (ONH) microcirculation, central papillomacular bundle (CPB) structure, and visual function in eyes with treatment naive normal tension glaucoma (NTG). Methods. This study included 40 eyes of 40 patients with NTG and 20 eyes of 20 normal patients. We used laser speckle flowgraphy (LSFG) to measure mean blur rate (MBR) in all eyes and calculated the ratio of MBR in the horizontal quadrants of tissue area ONH (temporal/nasal ratio of MBR in the tissue area: T/N MT). Clinical findings also included retinal nerve fiber layer thickness (RNFLT) and ganglion cell complex thickness (GCCT) in the CPB and macular areas, best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), mean deviation (MD), and refractive error. Results. T/N MT was correlated with both BCVA and MD. The OCT parameters most highly correlated with T/N MT were macular RNFLT and mid-CPB RNFLT. Furthermore, T/N MT, mid-CPB RNFLT, and macular RNFLT were higher in NTG than in normal eyes. A discrimination analysis revealed that T/N MT and refractive error were independent factors indicating NTG. Conclusions. Our results suggest that T/N MT is a candidate biomarker of NTG. Furthermore, T/N MT reflects visual function, including acuity and sensitivity, and CPB structure.