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Abstract This paper presents the crossing scheme (X-scheme) for improving the performance of deep neural network (DNN)-based music source separation (MSS) with almost no increasing calculation cost. It consists of three components: (i) multi-domain loss (MDL), (ii) bridging operation, which couples the individual instrument networks, and (iii) combination loss (CL). MDL enables the taking advantage of the frequency- and time-domain representations of audio signals. We modify the target network, i.e., the network architecture of the original DNN-based MSS, by adding bridging paths for each output instrument to share their information. MDL is then applied to the combinations of the output sources as well as each independent source; hence, we called it CL. MDL and CL can easily be applied to many DNN-based separation methods as they are merely loss functions that are only used during training and do not affect the inference step. Bridging operation does not increase the number of learnable parameters in the network. Experimental results showed that the validity of Open-Unmix (UMX), densely connected dilated DenseNet (D3Net) and convolutional time-domain audio separation network (Conv-TasNet) extended with our X-scheme, respectively called X-UMX, X-D3Net and X-Conv-TasNet, by comparing them with their original versions. We also verified the effectiveness of X-scheme in a large-scale data regime, showing its generality with respect to data size. X-UMX Large (X-UMXL), which was trained on large-scale internal data and used in our experiments, is newly available at https://github.com/asteroid-team/asteroid/tree/master/egs/musdb18/X-UMX .

Abstract Background Whether human T-lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) carriers can develop sufficient humoral immunity after coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination is unknown. Methods To investigate humoral immunity after COVID-19 vaccination in HTLV-1 carriers, a multicenter, prospective observational cohort study was conducted at five institutions in southwestern Japan, an endemic area for HTLV-1. HTLV-1 carriers and HTLV-1-negative controls were enrolled for this study from January to December 2022. During this period, the third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine was actively administered. HTLV-1 carriers were enrolled during outpatient visits, while HTLV-1-negative controls included health care workers and patients treated by participating institutions for diabetes, hypertension, or dyslipidemia. The main outcome was the effect of HTLV-1 infection on the plasma anti-COVID-19 spike IgG (IgG-S) titers after the third dose, assessed by multivariate linear regression with other clinical factors. Results We analyzed 181 cases (90 HTLV-1 carriers, 91 HTLV-1-negative controls) after receiving the third dose. HTLV-1 carriers were older (median age 67.0 vs. 45.0 years, p

Abstract Background Primary adrenal leiomyosarcoma is a rare and aggressive mesenchymal tumor derived from the smooth muscle wall of a central adrenal vein or its tributaries; therefore, tumors tend to invade the inferior vena cava and cause thrombosis. The great majority of tumors grow rapidly, which makes the disease difficult to diagnose in its early clinical stages and needs differentiation from adrenocortical carcinomas for the selection of chemotherapy including mitotane which causes adrenal insufficiency. Case presentation We presented two patients with adrenal leiomyosarcoma who were referred to our hospital with abdominal pain and harboring large adrenal tumors and inferior vena cava thrombosis. The endocrine findings, including serum catecholamine levels, were unremarkable. These two patients were considered clinically inoperable, and CT-guided core needle biopsy was performed to obtain the definitive histopathological diagnosis and determine the modes of therapy. The masses were subsequently diagnosed as primary adrenal leiomyosarcoma based on the histological features and positive immunoreactivity for SMA (smooth muscle actin), desmin, and vimentin. Conclusions Adrenal leiomyosarcoma derived from the smooth muscle wall of a central adrenal vein or its tributaries is rare but should be considered a differential diagnosis in the case of nonfunctioning adrenal tumors extending directly to the inferior vena cava. CT-guided biopsy is considered useful for histopathological diagnosis and clinical management of patients with inoperable advanced adrenal tumors without any hormone excess.

Abstract Sea surface temperatures (SSTs) vary not only due to heat exchange across the air‐sea interface but also due to changes in effective heat capacity as primarily determined by mixed layer depth (MLD). Here, we investigate seasonal and regional characteristics of the contribution of MLD anomalies to the month‐to‐month variability of SST using observational datasets. First, we propose a metric called Flux Divergence Angle, which can quantify the relative contributions of surface heat fluxes and MLD anomalies to SST variability. Using this metric, we find that MLD anomalies tend to amplify SST anomalies in the extra‐tropics, especially in the eastern ocean basins, during spring and summer. In contrast, MLD anomalies tend to suppress SST anomalies in the eastern tropical Pacific during December‐January‐February. This paper provides the first global picture of the observed importance of MLD anomalies to the local SST variability.

The Haramachi Fault segment in the northeastern part of Honshu Island, Japan, has mainly sinistral fault movements with minor reverse component within the Futaba Fault Zone in the northeastern Japan arc. The 2011 Mw 9.0 earthquake occurred off the Pacific coast of Tohoku which caused large crustal deformations. Despite being the closest active fault to the epicenter, very limited investigation has been conducted on the Futaba Fault Zone. Previous studies used smaller scale topographic maps and fault activity was estimated only from trenching and borehole investigations in the central part of the Haramachi Fault segment. Thus, geometry, kinematic, and recent tectonic activity of the fault segment is not well identified, especially in northern part. In this study, we use a combination of high-resolution DEMs (2-m and 5-m mesh), several types of topographic anaglyph images (slope, negative and positive openness), and conducted field survey to confirm remote sensing interpretation. Subtle surface expression of deformation associated with active faulting, such as deformed terrace risers, deflected drainages, and small fault scarps can now be identified more clearly. Several new fault strands in the northern part of the segment were found supported by fault outcrops found in the field confirming the recent activity of the fault system. The new estimation of the total length of the Haramachi segment produced from the approach of this study yields 25 km, which is capable of producing Mw 6.5 – 7.0 or Mjma 7.2 earthquakes if ruptures were to occur altogether in the future. Moreover, a shallow borehole survey and radiocarbon dating from the soil organic material has revealed the minimal timing estimation of the most recent faulting in the Haramachi segment to be 3694 ± 24 BP. This research provides a revised understanding of active fault distribution and deformation associated with the Haramachi segment and validates the timing of the most recent faulting event more broadly.

Abstract Variations of sea-surface temperature (SST) in the subtropical North Pacific have received considerable attention due to their potential role as a precursor of El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events in the tropical Pacific as well as their role in regional climate impacts. These subtropical SST variations, known as the North Pacific Meridional Mode (PMM), are thought to be triggered by extratropical atmospheric forcing and amplified by air-sea coupling involving surface winds, evaporation, and SST. The PMM is often defined through a statistical technique called maximum covariance analysis (MCA) that identifies patterns of maximum covariability between SST and surface winds. Here we show that SST alone is sufficient to reproduce the MCA-based PMM index with near-perfect correlation. This dominance of the SST suggests that the MCA-based definition of the PMM may not be ideally suited for capturing two-way wind-SST interaction or, alternatively, that this interaction is relatively weak. We further show that the MCA-based PMM definition conflates intrinsic subtropical and remote ENSO variability, thereby undermining its interpretation as an ENSO precursor. Our findings indicate that, while air-sea coupling may be important for variability in the subtropical North Pacific, it cannot be reliably identified by the MCA-based definition of the PMM. This highlights the need for refined tools to diagnose variability in the subtropical North Pacific.

Abstract Identification of individuals is performed when a corpse is found after a natural disaster, incident, or accident. DNA and dental records are frequently used as biometric fingerprints; however, identification may be difficult in some cases due to decomposition or damage to the corpse. The present study aimed to develop an individual identification method using thoracic vertebral features as a biological fingerprint. In this method, the shortest diameter in height, width, and depth of the thoracic vertebrae in the postmortem image and a control antemortem were recorded and a database was compiled using this information. The Euclidean distance or the modified Hausdorff distance was calculated as the distance between two points on the three-dimensional feature space of these measurement data. The thoracic vertebrae T1-12 were measured and the pair with the smallest distance was considered to be from the same person. The accuracy of this method for identifying individuals was evaluated by matching images of 82 cases from a total of 702 antemortem images and showed a hit ratio of 100%. Therefore, this method may be used to identify individuals with high accuracy.

Layer 5 (L5) serves as the main output layer of cortical structures, where long-range projecting pyramidal neurons broadcast the columnar output to other cortical and extracortical regions of the brain. L5 pyramidal neurons are grouped into two subclasses based on their projection targets; while intratelencephalic (IT) neurons project to cortical areas and the striatum, extratelencephalic (ET) neurons project to subcortical areas such as the thalamus, midbrain, and brainstem. Each L5 subclass possesses distinct morphological and electrophysiological properties and is incorporated into a unique synaptic network. Thanks to recent advances in genetic tools and methodologies, it has now become possible to distinguish between the two subclasses in the living brain. There is increasing evidence indicating that each subclass plays a unique role in sensory processing, decision-making, and learning. This review first summarizes the anatomical and physiological properties as well as the neuromodulation of IT and ET neurons in the rodent neocortex, and then reviews recent literature on their roles in sensory processing and rodent behavior. Our ultimate goal is to provide a comprehensive understanding of the role of each subclass in cortical function by examining their operational regimes based on their cellular properties.

Archery at the Olympic games is a competition that hits a target 70 m away. The shooting performance of bows has improved, and athletes are required to have high accuracy shooting at the 10-point zone with a diameter of 122 mm. It is important to know the flight trajectory and attitude of arrow shot to improve the competitive ability. For this purpose, it is necessary to analyze an image of each arrow shot by a high-speed video camera with high accuracy. In this study, an automatic image analysis software for analyzing the velocity and attitude of archery arrows in free flight was developed. In order to confirm the reliability of the analysis results, we measured the velocity and attitude of arrows launched at various initial velocities by a shooting machine using compressed air, and also the arrows shot from bows by an athlete and a robot. Consistency between the results of the conventional visual analysis and those of the automatic image analysis was confirmed. The analysis time was reduced to 1/10 or less. Based on the information obtained from the automatic image analysis, it became possible to examine the flight characteristics of arrow shots, such as the variations in the initial arrow velocity, the initial angle of attack and the velocity decay rate. Knowing these flight characteristics on site will contribute to the optimization of arrow parts composition and the improvement of the athletes’ competitive ability.

In a few cases, postmortem computed tomography angiography (PMCTA) is effective in postmortem detection of cortical artery rupture causing subdural hematoma (SDH), which is difficult to detect at autopsy. Here, we explore the usefulness and limitations of PMCTA in detecting the sites of cortical arterial rupture for SDH. In 6 of 10 cases, extravascular leakage of contrast material at nine different places enabled PMCTA to identify cortical arterial rupture. PMCTA did not induce destructive arterial artifacts, which often occur during autopsy. We found that, although not in all cases, PMCTA could show the site of cortical arterial rupture causing subdural hematoma in some cases. This technique is beneficial for cases of SDH autopsy, as it can be performed nondestructively and before destructive artifacts from the autopsy occur.

Abstract Examining the regularity in slip over seismic cycles leads to an understanding of earthquake recurrence and provides the basis for probabilistic seismic hazard assessment. Systematic analysis of three-dimensional paleoseismic trenches and analysis of offset markers along faults reveal slip history. Flights of displaced terraces have also been used to study slips of paleoearthquakes when the number of earthquakes contributing to the observed displacement of a terrace is known. This study presents a Monte Carlo-based approach to estimating slip variability using displaced terraces when a detailed paleoseismic record is not available. First, we mapped fluvial terraces across the Kamishiro fault, which is an intra-plate reverse fault in central Japan, and systematically measured the cumulative dip slip of the mapped terraces. By combining these measurements with the age of the paleoearthquakes, we estimated the amount of dip slip for the penultimate event (PE) and antepenultimate event (APE) to be 1.6 and 3.4 m, respectively. The APE slip was nearly three times larger than the most recent event of 2014 (Mw 6.2): 1.2 m. This suggests that the rupture length of the APE was much longer than that of the 2014 event and the entire Kamishiro fault ruptured with adjacent faults during the APE. Thereafter, we performed the Monte Carlo simulations to explore the possible range of the coefficient of variation for slip per event (COVs). The simulation considered all the possible rupture histories in terms of the number of events and their slip amounts. The resulting COVs typically ranged between 0.3 and 0.54, indicating a large variation in the slip per event of the Kamishiro fault during the last few thousand years. To test the accuracy of our approach, we performed the same simulation to a fault whose slip per event was well constrained. The result showed that the error in the COVs estimate was less than 0.15 in 86% of realizations, which was comparable to the uncertainty in COVs derived from a paleoseismic trenching. Based on the accuracy test, we conclude that the Monte Carlo-based approach should help assess the regularity of earthquakes using an incomplete paleoseismic record.

Abstract The Mw7.0 2016 Kumamoto earthquake occurred on the previously mapped Futagawa–Hinagu fault causing significant strong ground motions. A ~ 30-km-long dextral surface rupture appeared on the major fault zone and dextral slip was up to 2–3 m. However, the surface ruptures were also broadly and remotely distributed approximately 10 km away from the primary rupture zone. These numerous distributed secondary surface slips with vertical displacement of less than a few tens of centimeters were detected by the interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) technology in previous studies. Such displacements occurred not only on previously mapped faults but also on unknown traces. Here, we addressed the following fundamental issues: whether the broadly distributed faults were involved in the past major earthquakes in the neighborhood, and how the fault topography of such secondary faults develops, seismically or aseismically. To find clues for understanding these issues, we show the results of field measurements of surface slips and paleoseismic trenching on distributed secondary faults called the Miyaji faults inside the Aso caldera, 10 km away from the eastern end of the primary rupture zone. Field observations revealed small but well-defined dextral slip surface ruptures that were consistent with vertical and dextral offsets derived from InSAR. On the trench walls, the penultimate event with vertical displacements almost similar to the 2016 event was identified. The timing of the penultimate event was around 2 ka, which was consistent with that of the primary fault and archeological information of the caldera. Considering the paleo-slip event and fault models of the Miyaji faults, they were presumed not to be source faults, and slip on these faults have been triggered by large earthquakes along major adjacent active faults. The results provide important insights into the seismic hazard assessment of low-slip-rate active faults and fault topography development due to triggered displacement along secondary faults.

Establishing sustainable and economical pathways for the deployment of variable renewable energy (VRE) is essential for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and increasing energy security. However, due to VRE power output fluctuations, high shares of VRE are associated with increases in surplus power generation, which increases the cost of power supply. This paper examines the effects of power fluctuation mitigation measures on the integration of high shares of VRE in power supply systems. The paper takes a systematic approach to evaluate the effects of the geographical distribution of VRE locations, the increase in transmission capacity, and the introduction of large-scale battery storage while increasing the VRE share. The methodology used in this analysis is a linear programming-based power supply mix model which was developed to optimize installed capacities and operation patterns of a power supply system with geographically distributed VRE locations by minimizing the total cost of power supply. The developed methodology is applied to the power supply system of Hokkaido, Japan, as a case study. The results demonstrate that VRE shares of up to 40 % can be achieved by geographically distributing the VRE locations with no increase in the total cost of the power supply. This is because the geographical distribution of VRE locations suppresses the increase in surplus power generation. Further, achieving 40 % to 60 % VRE shares only requires an increase in the power transmission capacity. However, for higher VRE shares from 60 % to 80 %, a combination of the geographical distribution of VRE locations, transmission capacity increase, and the introduction of power storage are required to effectively minimize the amount of surplus power generated.

One of the causes of bleeding in subdural hematoma is cortical artery rupture, which is difficult to detect at autopsy. Therefore, reports of autopsy cases with this condition are limited and hence, the pathogenesis of subdural hematoma remains unclear. Herein, for the detection and morphological analysis of cortical artery ruptures as the bleeding sources of subdural hematoma, we used the tissue-clearing CUBIC (clear, unobstructed, brain/body imaging cocktails and computational analysis) method with light-sheet fluorescence microscopy and reconstructed the two-dimensional and three-dimensional images. Using the CUBIC method, we could clearly visualize and detect cortical artery ruptures that were missed by conventional methods. Indeed, the CUBIC method enables three-dimensional morphological analysis of cortical arteries including the ruptured area, and the creation of cross-sectional two-dimensional images in any direction, which are similar to histopathological images. This highlights the effectiveness of the CUBIC method for subdural hematoma analysis.

The tumor microenvironment contains various components, including cancer cells, tumor vessels, and cancer‐associated fibroblasts, the latter of which are comprised of tumor‐promoting myofibroblasts and tumor‐suppressing fibroblasts. Multiple lines of evidence indicate that transforming growth factor‐β (TGF‐β) induces the formation of myofibroblasts and other types of mesenchymal (non‐myofibroblastic) cells from endothelial cells. Recent reports show that fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2) modulates TGF‐β‐induced mesenchymal transition of endothelial cells, but the molecular mechanisms behind the signals that control transcriptional networks during the formation of different groups of fibroblasts remain largely unclear. Here, we studied the roles of FGF2 during the regulation of TGF‐β‐induced mesenchymal transition of tumor endothelial cells (TECs). We demonstrated that auto/paracrine FGF signals in TECs inhibit TGF‐β‐induced endothelial‐to‐myofibroblast transition (End‐MyoT), leading to suppressed formation of contractile myofibroblast cells, but on the other hand can also collaborate with TGF‐β in promoting the formation of active fibroblastic cells which have migratory and proliferative properties. FGF2 modulated TGF‐β‐induced formation of myofibroblastic and non‐myofibroblastic cells from TECs via transcriptional regulation of various mesenchymal markers and growth factors. Furthermore, we observed that TECs treated with TGF‐β were more competent in promoting in vivo tumor growth than TECs treated with TGF‐β and FGF2. Mechanistically, we showed that Elk1 mediated FGF2‐induced inhibition of End‐MyoT via inhibition of TGF‐β‐induced transcriptional activation of α‐smooth muscle actin promoter by myocardin‐related transcription factor‐A. Our data suggest that TGF‐β and FGF2 oppose and cooperate with each other during the formation of myofibroblastic and non‐myofibroblastic cells from TECs, which in turn determines the characteristics of mesenchymal cells in the tumor microenvironment.

Summary: Most excitatory inputs arrive at dendritic spines in a postsynaptic neuron. To understand dendritic information processing, it is critical to scrutinize the spatiotemporal dynamics of synaptic inputs along dendrites. This protocol combines spinning-disk confocal imaging with whole-cell patch-clamp recording to perform wide-field, high-speed optical recording of synaptic inputs in a neuron loaded with a calcium indicator in ex vivo cultured networks. Our protocol enables simultaneous detection of synaptic inputs as calcium signals from hundreds of spines in multiple dendritic branches.For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Takahashi et al. (2012, 2016), Kobayashi et al. (2019), and Ishikawa and Ikegaya (2020).

Different stages of sleep, marked by particular electroencephalographic (EEG) signatures, have been linked to memory consolidation, but underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. Here, the authors show that dendritic calcium synchronisation correlates with spindle-rich sleep phases.

The dynamic interactions between synaptic excitation and inhibition (E/I) shape membrane potential fluctuations and determine patterns of neuronal outputs; however, the spatiotemporal organization of these interactions within a single cell is poorly understood. Here, we investigated the relationship between local synaptic excitation and global inhibition in hippocampal pyramidal neurons using functional dendrite imaging in combination with whole-cell recordings of inhibitory postsynaptic currents. We found that the sums of spine inputs over dendritic trees were counterbalanced by a proportional amount of somatic inhibitory inputs. This online E/I correlation was maintained in dendritic segments that were longer than 50 μm. However, at the single spine level, only 22% of the active spines were activated with inhibitory inputs. This inhibition-coupled activity occurred mainly in the spines with large heads. These results shed light on a microscopic E/I-balancing mechanism that operates at selected synapses and that may increase the accuracy of neural information.

Understanding the neural computations that contribute to behavior requires recording from neurons while an animal is behaving. This is not an easy task as most subcellular recording techniques require absolute head stability. The Go/No-Go sensory task is a powerful decision-driven task that enables an animal to report a binary decision during head-fixation. Here we discuss how to set up an Ardunio and Python based platform system to control a Go/No-Go sensory behavior paradigm. Using an Arduino micro-controller and Python-based custom written program, a reward can be delivered to the animal depending on the decision reported. We discuss the various components required to build the behavioral apparatus that can control and report such a sensory stimulus paradigm. This system enables the end user to control the behavioral testing in real-time and therefore it provides a strong custom-made platform for probing the neural basis of behavior.

To determine the possibility of predicting viewer’s internal states using the hidden Markov model, several features of eye movements were introduced to the model. Performance was measured using the data from a set of eye movement features recorded during recall tests which consisted of observations of three levels of task difficulty. The features were the temporal appearances of fixations and saccades, and combinations of 8 viewed directions during long and short eye movements. As a result, features of long eye movements, such as saccade information, contributed to prediction accuracy. Also, this prediction accuracy was regulated by the difficulty of the task.

Abstract.: We describe the effect of high pressure and high temperature on neuronal activity. Increased intracranial pressure is generally a pathological sign observed in intracerebral hemorrhage, brain edema, and brain tumor, yet little is known about how the hyperbaric pressure per se affects neuronal activity. Using a pressure/temperature-changeable perfusion chamber, we carried out functional multineuron calcium imaging to record spontaneous spiking activity simultaneously from about 100 neurons in hippocampal slice cultures. High-pressure conditions (up to 100 mmHg) did not alter the network excitability, whereas high-temperature conditions (up to 40°C) increased synchronized network activity. Thus, neurons are sensitive to feverish conditions, but the acute hyperbaric circumstance itself is unlikely to exert a detrimental effect on neuronal function. Keywords:: pressure, calcium imaging, neuronal network

Low-cost, simple procedures for organotypic tissue cultures are desirable for high-throughput biological experiments such as large-scale medical/drug screening. We present a practical and economical method to cultivate brain slices using hydrophilic filtration membranes. With a cost reduction of more than 90%, this technique allows us to prepare hippocampal slice cultures that are morphologically and functionally indistinguishable from those obtained by the widely used Millicell-CM® method. Keywords:: membrane-interface tissue culture, organotypic culture, hippocampal slice

Abstract In the originally published version of this Article, incorrect references were cited on two occasions in the Results section. Under the subheading ‘Ca2+ activity in single dendrites and somata of L5 neurons’, the final sentence of the second paragraph incorrectly cited reference 29 instead of reference 31. Under the subheading ‘Spiking of L5 cell bodies is not influenced by spindles’, the first sentence cited reference 30 instead of reference 29. These errors have now been corrected in both the PDF and HTML versions of the Article.

Synchronized spikes prevail in cortical networks, and their modulations are associated with attention, sensory processing, and motor behaviors, yet it remained unclear how spikes can synchronize at the millisecond precision in a noisy network. Our new evidence shows, however, that neurons do not easily synchronize; rather, in order to make them generate synchronous spikes, "parent" presynaptic neurons commonly shared by them are required to synchronize in advance. Therefore, the conventional style of neurophysiological research is unable to reach the true origin of synchronization.