Search

Discusses an approach to control the total radiant flux by three-dimensional photonic crystal coatings. Suppression of radiant flux in the wavelength range corresponding to a photonic bandgap regime; Advantage over conventional methods of using lithographic techniques; Application in the field of energy.

Stark shifts for heavy-hole and light-hole levels in an isolated GaAs/AlGaAs quantum well have been analyzed by an exact numerical calculation within the envelope function approximation. The calculated results predict that for wells thicker than about 100 Å the Stark shift for heavy hole is larger than that for light hole; however, for thinner wells this tendency is reversed. It also predicts that this well size dependence strongly depends on the band offset ratio. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The measurements of the polarization dependence of field-induced refractive index changes in GaAs/AlAs multiple quantum wells, which are directly measured by using the modulation spectroscopy method for the TE and TM modes, are described. Clear polarization dependences, such as differences in the spectra shape and the peak wavelength, were observed. The polarization dependences originate from the different excitonic transitions: the n=1 heavy-hole and light-hole exciton for the TE mode and the n=1 light-hole exciton for the TM mode. The experimental results show qualitatively good agreement with the theoretical calculation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A graded gap quantum well structure, where the band gap is linearly changing along the growth direction, is proposed for the enhancement of quantum confined Stark effect. Theoretical calculations show that the ground-state exciton peak energy shifts by a larger amount than in a usual square-shaped quantum well under an applied electric field. The wave function modifications in this quantum well result in a smaller decrease of the exciton oscillator strength, according to the electric field applied. These effects reveal the possibility of achieving high-performance optical modulators or other devices which utilize the quantum confined Stark effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of conduction-band nonparabolicity on quantized energy levels of an In0.5Ga0.5As /In0.5Al0.5As quantum well have been analyzed using the original Luttinger–Kohn ‘‘effective mass’’ equation, which is, in principle, valid as long as the perturbation to the periodic lattice potential can be regarded as slowly varying. The results differ substantially from those previously reported which employed the energy-dependent effective mass approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, the wild deer population in Japan has grown exponentially, causing severe feeding damage to the agricultural and forestry industries. Therefore, the game meat industry is being promoted for effective utilization of hunted animals. Wild animals are not hygienically controlled and can serve as reservoirs for pathogenic microorganisms. However, epidemiological information on wild animals in Japan remains insufficient. Recently, food poisoning-like cases have occurred because of raw venison infection with Sarcocystis spp. As the prevalence of Sarcocystis spp. in sika deer is very high in Japan and even fawns are infected, this study attempted to verify the vertical infection of Sarcocystis spp. in sika deer in Japan. Genetic detection of Sarcocystis 18S ribosomal RNA in fetal and maternal tissues from early to late gestation in sika deer revealed Sarcocystis Types 1-5 and Sarcocystis fayeri in the mother and fetus. Types 1, 2, 4, and 5 were detected in the maternal tissues of Ezo sika deer ( Cervus nippon yesoensis ) in Hokkaido, whereas Types 1 and 2 and S. fayeri were detected in fetuses. Types 1-5 were detected in Honshu sika deer ( Cervus nippon centrali s) in Mie Prefecture but not in the fetuses. Types 1, 2, and 4 were detected in the udder and milk samples. This indicates that Sarcocystis Types 1 and 2 and S. fayeri have the ability to pass through the placenta of sika deer and invade fetal tissues and Types 1, 2, and 4 may be transmitted orally via milk. These findings suggest that there is transplacental and transmammary transmission of Sarcocystis spp. in sika deer.

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells are effective against hematological cancers, but are less effective against solid tumors such as non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). One of the reasons is that only a few cell surface targets specific for NSCLC cells have been identified. Here, we report that CD98 heavy chain (hc) protein is overexpressed on the surface of NSCLC cells and is a potential target for CAR T cells against NSCLC. Screening of over 10,000 mAb clones raised against NSCLC cell lines showed that mAb H2A011 bound to NSCLC cells but not normal lung epithelial cells. H2A011 recognized CD98hc. Although CAR T cells derived from H2A011 could not be established presumably due to the high level of H2A011 reactivity in activated T cells, those derived from the anti-CD98hc mAb R8H283, which had been shown to lack reactivity with CD98hc glycoforms expressed on normal hematopoietic cells and some normal tissues, were successfully developed. R8H283 specifically reacted with NSCLC cells in six of 15 patients. R8H283-derived CAR T cells exerted significant anti-tumor effects in a xenograft NSCLC model in vivo. These results suggest that R8H283 CAR T cells may become a new therapeutic tool for NSCLC, although careful testing for off-tumor reactivity should be performed in the future., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Purpose: Fibroblast activation protein (FAP) is a serine integral membrane protease, the expression of which has been confirmed in various cancer types. Solitary fibrous tumors of the pleura (SFTP) are rare mesenchymal fibroblastic neoplasms. We present a case of 18 F-labeled FAP inhibitor ([ 18 F]FAPI-74) PET imaging and its correlation with histological FAP expression and review an SFTP series at our institution in relation to the extent of FAP expression., Methods: This retrospective study included 13 patients who underwent surgery between March 2011 and December 2022 at our institute. One of the patients also underwent [ 18 F]FAPI-74 PET imaging. We semi-quantitatively evaluated FAP expression in SFTPs using immunohistochemical staining and H-scores., Results: Nine of the 13 patients were male, with a median age of 64 years (range, 28-79 years). The median tumor size was 6.6 cm (1.1, 16 cm). In the pathological findings, expression levels of Ki67 were 1-5% in 12 of 13 cases. Furthermore, FAP expression was observed in all patients, and the median H-score was 160 (range, 10-280). The H-score of FAP expression in two of the 13 patients was low (10 in both), and that in two of the 13 patients was high (240 and 280). The SUVmax value of [ 18 F]FAPI-74 PET was 3.57 in a patient in whom the H-score of FAP expression was 180., Conclusions: SFTPs expressed FAP to varying degrees in different patients and the [ 18 F]FAPI-74 PET results in one patient reflected FAP expression in the tumor tissue., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests:Toru Kimura reports financial support was provided by Japan Society for the Promotion of Science. Toru Kimura reports financial support was provided by The Japan Lung Cancer Society. If there are other authors, they declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper, (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.)

Old plantations are iconic sites, and estimating stand parameters is crucial for valuation and management. This study aimed to estimate stand parameters of a 115-year-old Japanese larch ( Larix kaempferi (Lamb.) Carrière) plantation at the University of Tokyo Hokkaido Forest (UTHF) in central Hokkaido, northern Japan, using unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) photogrammetry. High-resolution RGB imagery was collected using a DJI Matrice 300 real-time kinematic (RTK) at altitudes of 80 and 120 m. Structure from motion (SfM) technology was applied to generate 3D point clouds and orthomosaics. We used different filtering methods, search radii, and window sizes for individual tree detection (ITD), and tree height (TH) and crown area (CA) were estimated from a canopy height model (CHM). Additionally, a freely available shiny R package (SRP) and manually digitalized CA were used. A multiple linear regression (MLR) model was used to estimate the diameter at breast height (DBH), stem volume (V), and carbon stock (CST). Higher accuracy was obtained for ITD (F-score: 0.8-0.87) and TH (R 2 : 0.76-0.77; RMSE: 1.45-1.55 m) than for other stand parameters. Overall, the flying altitude of the UAV and selected filtering methods influenced the success of stand parameter estimation in old-aged plantations, with the UAV at 80 m generating more accurate results for ITD, CA, and DBH, while the UAV at 120 m produced higher accuracy for TH, V, and CST with Gaussian and mean filtering.

Background: Singing in an indoor space may increase the risk of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. We conducted a case-control study of karaoke-related coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreaks to reveal the risk factors for SARS-CoV-2 infection among individuals who participate in karaoke., Methods: Cases were defined as people who enjoyed karaoke at a bar and who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 by reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction between 16 May and 3 July 2020. Controls were defined as people who enjoyed karaoke at the same bar during the same period as the cases and tested negative. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. ORs of key variables adjusted for each other were also estimated (aOR)., Results: We identified 81 cases, the majority of whom were active elderly individuals (median age, 75 years). Six cases died (case fatality ratio, 7%). Among the cases, 68 (84%) were guests, 18 of whom had visited ≧2 karaoke bars. A genome analysis conducted in 30 cases showed 6 types of isolates within 4 single-nucleotide variation difference. The case-control study revealed that singing (aOR, 11.0 [95% CI, 1.2-101.0]), not wearing a mask (aOR, 3.7 [95% CI, 1.2-11.2]), and additional hour spent per visit (aOR, 1.7 [95% CI, 1.1-2.7]) were associated with COVID-19 infection., Conclusions: A karaoke-related COVID-19 outbreak that occurred in 2 different cities was confirmed by the results of genome analysis. Singing in less-ventilated, indoor and crowded environments increases the risk of acquiring SARS-CoV-2 infection. Wearing a mask and staying for only a short time can reduce the risk of infection during karaoke., (© The Author(s) 2022. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Infectious Diseases Society of America.)

Objectives: Metastasectomy is often the local treatment for pulmonary metastases arising from osteosarcoma or soft tissue sarcoma. However, there have been few investigations on the outcomes of patients who undergo this procedure. In this study, we identified prognostic factors in patients with pulmonary metastases arising from osteosarcoma and soft tissue sarcoma to determine more appropriate eligibility criteria for metastasectomy., Methods: We retrospectively examined 37 patients who underwent metastasectomy of pulmonary nodules arising from osteosarcomas or soft tissue sarcomas at our institute between 2005 and 2020. Overall and recurrence-free survival intervals were determined using univariate and multivariate analyses., Results: A tumor doubling time > 1 month and a primary tumor histological type of osteosarcoma were independent predictors of longer overall survival on multivariate analysis (hazard ratios: 3.618 and 2.979, p = 0.00986 and 0.0373, respectively). Moreover, a > 1-month tumor doubling time and > 10-cm diameter of the primary tumor were independent predictors of longer recurrence-free survival (hazard ratios: 3.293 and 2.67, p = 0.0121 and 0.0134, respectively). Patients who underwent repeat pulmonary metastasectomy after complete resection of sarcoma-derived pulmonary metastases had significantly longer overall survival than those who did not (median: 5.91 years vs. 0.81 years, p < 0.0001)., Conclusions: Tumor doubling time is a significant predictor of clinical outcomes in patients who undergo resection of pulmonary metastases originating from sarcomas. The surgical indication for this procedure should be decided carefully, particularly for patients with metastatic lesion doubling times ≤ 1 month., (© 2021. The Japanese Association for Thoracic Surgery.)