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We report a case of recurrent small cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix that showed a complete response to paclitaxel, carboplatin, and bevacizumab (TC + Bev) combination therapy. Small cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix is extremely rare, with an incidence of only 1.3% in Japan, and a poor outcome. The patient was a 62-year-old woman with a chief complaint of irregular vaginal bleeding. Magnetic resonance imaging showed a 10-cm irregular mass from the uterine corpus’s posterior wall to the cervix. Abdominal total hysterectomy, bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, and pelvic lymph node sampling were performed for suspected uterine sarcoma. Histopathological findings revealed small cell carcinoma with lymph node metastasis. Although 6 cycles of etoposide + cisplatin were performed, para-aortic lymph node recurrence was found 3 months after chemotherapy. Subsequently, the patient received 8 cycles of TC + Bev, which eliminated the metastases. The patient is currently alive at 24 months.

This study was performed to elucidate whether eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) suppresses spasm-prone blood vessel contractions induced by a thromboxane mimetic (U46619) and prostaglandin F2α (PGF2α) and determine whether the primary target of EPA is the prostanoid TP receptor. Accordingly, we assessed: (1) the tension changes in porcine basilar and coronary arteries, and (2) changes in the Fura-2 (an intracellular Ca2+ indicator) fluorescence intensity ratio at 510 nm elicited by 340/380 nm excitation (F340/380) in 293T cells expressing the human TP receptor (TP-293T cells) and those expressing the human prostanoid FP receptor (FP-293T cells). EPA inhibited both porcine basilar and coronary artery contractions induced by U46619 and PGF2α in a concentration-dependent manner, but it did not affect the contractions induced by 80 mM KCl. EPA also inhibited the increase in F340/380 induced by U46619 and PGF2α in TP-293T cells. In contrast, EPA showed only a marginal effect on the increase in F340/380 induced by PGF2α in FP-293T cells. These findings indicate that EPA strongly suppresses the porcine basilar and coronary artery contractions mediated by TP receptor and that inhibition of TP receptors partly underlies the EPA-induced inhibitory effects on these arterial contractions.

Recent advances in machine learning demonstrated its potential in accessibility applications. However, recognition models and their application scenarios are often defined by machine learning (ML) experts and cannot fully capture users’ diverse demands with disabilities. In order to open up the full potential of ML for accessibility applications, we have to bridge the gap for non-expert people doubly caused by the technological understanding and their disabilities. In this work, we investigate how non-expert deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) people understand ML technologies and design ML-based sound recognition systems. We conduct a workshop study consisting of an ML lecture and an interactive learning session using a sound recognition system. Through observations during the workshop and semi-structured interviews, we clarify that non-expert DHH people start to overcome the knowledge gap. They could obtain a more detailed understanding of ML technology and how to use sounds to train ML models.

Interactive machine learning techniques have a great potential to personalize media recognition models for each individual user by letting them browse and annotate a large amount of training data. However, graphical user interfaces (GUIs) for interactive machine learning have been mainly investigated in image and text recognition scenarios, not in other data modalities such as sound. In a scenario where users browse a large amount of audio files to search and annotate target samples corresponding to their own sound recognition classes, it is difficult for them to easily navigate through the overall sample structure due to the non-visual nature of audio data. In this work, we investigate the design issue for interactive sound recognition by comparing different visualization techniques ranging from audio spectrograms to deep learning-based audio-to-image retrieval. Based on an analysis of the user study, we clarify the advantages and disadvantages of audio visualization techniques, and provide design implications for interactive sound recognition GUIs using a massive amount of audio samples.

The refugee population of Fagus crenata in the Takakuma Mountains, Kyushu, Japan, represents the southern limit of this species' distribution area. Because this population is the most exposed to the global warming effect, records of this population are likely to provide useful information on the response of this species to global warming. The aim of this study was to record the present status of this valuable population, enabling judgment of its sustainability. The density of successive F. crenata trees and saplings was low regardless of the coverage of dwarf bamboo. Moreover, the proportion of empty nuts observed was considerably high, suggesting to be the likely major factor limiting recruitment of saplings or successors in this population. Radial growth of F. crenata was shown to have been decreasing for the past 50 years, and there was a significantly negative correlation with the warmth index. The decreasing growth rate and poor regenerative ability caused by the high proportion of empty nuts suggest the possibility that this population will degrade further in the future, possibly being replaced by shrubs and small tree species.

Nine microsatellite loci in hinoki, Chamaecyparis obtusa (Sieb. et Zucc.) Endl., were identified and characterized. A genomic library, developed using enrichment with magnetic beads, was screened to identify microsatellite repeats (CT/AG). The microsatellite loci, where the alleles were segregated, displayed codominant Mendelian inheritance. Genetic analysis of 16 plus trees and two unrelated individuals of Chamaecyparis obtusa revealed that all loci were highly polymorphic, with an average of 10.3 alleles per locus, and an average gene diversity of 0.77. The applicability of these microsatellite loci was also tested in other species of the Cupressaceae and in Cryptomeria japonica (L.f.) D. Don (Taxodiaceae, a family closely related to Cupressaceae). Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification was successful for about half of the loci of the species in the genus Chamaecyparis. However, the PCR amplification patterns of the 11 species of Cupressaceae showed no clear correlations with their molecular phylogeny. The highly polymorphic microsatellite loci in Chamaecyparis obtusa, identified here, will be useful in studies of hinoki breeding and population genetics.

Fifteen microsatellite markers were developed from a microsatellite-enriched library and characterized using 32 Chamaecyparis obtusa individuals. The number of alleles ranged from two to 27 per locus, with observed heterozygosity ranging from 0.281 to 0.906. The polymorphism information content (PIC) was also calculated for each marker and the average was 0.796 ± 0.024. These microsatellite markers will be useful for investigating population genetics, reproductive ecology, tree improvement and constructing linkage maps of the species.

Based on a five-band model made up by a 3d x 2 − y 2 orbital of copper and 2p σ and 2p π orbitals of two neighboring oxygens per unit cell, we derived the electronic band structure of cuprates. The effect of the strong Hubbard correlation is taken into account by using a new identity. We analyzed the optical absorption spectra of hole doped cuprates from the band structure. It is shown that the low-energy absorption below 1.0 eV experimentally observed in doped materials, which is usually claimed to indicate the formation of a new type of state (in-gap state), can be interpreted by an inter-band transition between the bands formed from the oxygen 2p σ and 2p π orbitals.

Measurements of the two-dimensional angular correlation of positron-annihilation radiation and positron lifetime have been carried out for a thermodynamically stable decagonal single quasicrystal of Al 70 Ni 15 Co 15 . The results show almost isotropic electron-positron momentum distributions in spite of the strong anisotropy in the atomic structure of the decagonal phase. Two positron lifetimes, which are much longer than the expected lifetime corresponding to the electron density of Al 70 Ni 15 Co 15 , were observed

Nebulization is usually used to remove sputum after surgery. We report on a patient with a high fever resulting from the use of Elase® for postoperative nebulization. The patient was a 66-year-old man who had preoperatively received chemotherapy and radiation therapy for a diagnosis of left cheek mucosal carcinoma. On the 31st treatment day, Elase®; was administered for radiation stomatitis. Rhinocleisis was treated by an otoraryngologist, who gave nebulization for 2 days, but no side effects occurred. Nebulization was resumed 8 days after resection of the tumor, and a fever higher than 38°C developed. Postoperative infection was suspected as the cause of the recurrent high fever. However, the fever did not subside after altering the antibiotic regimen. No pathogen was detected on blood culture analysis. The fever resided after the cessation of nebulization. A strong positive reaction to Elase® was noted on an intradermal test. Hence, we concluded that the fever was caused by an allergic reaction to Elase®.

The electronic momentum densities and the Compton profiles in Nb 1- x Mo x alloys are calculated on the basis of the KKR-ATA scheme with three different alloy potentials. The peak widths of the spectral momentum density and the calculated Compton profiles are strongly influenced by the alloy potentials used. The effect of alloying with Mo can be seen in the changes of the fine structures on the calculated Compton profiles. It is demonstrated that measurements of the Compton profiles can provide information about the construction of realistic alloy potentials.

In this paper, we report the results of the ATA calculations of the band structures and the Fermi surface of V 1- x Mo x ( x =0.8, 0.5 and 0.2), Cr 0.5 Mo 0.5 and V 0.5 Nb 0.5 . In order to test the reliability of the ATA framework, the complex energy bands and the electronic density of states in V 0.5 Mo 0.5 and Nb 0.5 Mo 0.5 are calculated by the CPA. Any marked difference between the ATA and the CPA results are not found for these systems.

Gorkov's derivation of the Ginzburg-Landau equation from BCS theory is reformulated in such a form that one can apply it to dynamical processes involving quasiparticle excitations. As the simplest example, the method is applied to electron tunneling from an intrinsic hard superconductor in Abrikosov's mixed state. It is shown that near the transition point one obtains the usual tunneling current simply averaged over Abrikosov's distribution of energy gap. Some numerical estimates are made of the dependence of I-V characteristics on magnetic field in the case of Nb.

The theoretical band structure and Compton profiles of Nb–Mo alloy have been calculated. The calculations are based on the average t-matrix approximation and the muffin-tin model. The results show that the first and the second bands of Nb 0.5 Mo 0.5 are completely filled and the Fermi surfaces in the third band are topologically similar to those of pure Nb.

The formation energy and the formation entropy of a single vacancy in copper were obtained by quenching method to be (1.06±0.07) eV and (-0.3±0.9)k, respectively.