First observation of 28O

Subjecting a physical system to extreme conditions is one of the means often used to obtain a better understanding and deeper insight into its organization and structure. In the case of the atomic nucleus, one such approach is to investigate isotopes that have very different neutron-to-proton (N/Z) ratios than in stable nuclei. Light, neutron-rich isotopes exhibit the most asymmetric N/Z ratios and those lying beyond the limits of binding, which undergo spontaneous neutron emission and exist only as very short-lived resonances (about 10-21 s), provide the most stringent tests of modern nuclear-structure theories. Here we report on the first observation of 28O and 27O through their decay into 24O and four and three neutrons, respectively. The 28O nucleus is of particular interest as, with the Z = 8 and N = 20 magic numbers1,2, it is expected in the standard shell-model picture of nuclear structure to be one of a relatively small number of so-called 'doubly magic' nuclei. Both 27O and 28O were found to exist as narrow, low-lying resonances and their decay energies are compared here to the results of sophisticated theoretical modelling, including a large-scale shell-model calculation and a newly developed statistical approach. In both cases, the underlying nuclear interactions were derived from effective field theories of quantum chromodynamics. Finally, it is shown that the cross-section for the production of 28O from a 29F beam is consistent with it not exhibiting a closed N = 20 shell structure.

Multiple Mechanisms in Proton-Induced Nucleon Removal at ∼100 MeV/Nucleon

We report on the first proton-induced single proton- and neutron-removal reactions from the neutron-deficient ^{14}O nucleus with large Fermi-surface asymmetry S_{n}-S_{p}=18.6  MeV at ∼100  MeV/nucleon, a widely used energy regime for rare-isotope studies. The measured inclusive cross sections and parallel momentum distributions of the ^{13}N and ^{13}O residues are compared to the state-of-the-art reaction models, with nuclear structure inputs from many-body shell-model calculations. Our results provide the first quantitative contributions of multiple reaction mechanisms including the quasifree knockout, inelastic scattering, and nucleon transfer processes. It is shown that the inelastic scattering and nucleon transfer, usually neglected at such energy regime, contribute about 50% and 30% to the loosely bound proton and deeply bound neutron removal, respectively. These multiple reaction mechanisms should be considered in analyses of inclusive one-nucleon removal cross sections measured at intermediate energies for quantitative investigation of single-particle strengths and correlations in atomic nuclei.

Extended p_{3/2} Neutron Orbital and the N=32 Shell Closure in ^{52}Ca

The one-neutron knockout from ^{52}Ca in inverse kinematics onto a proton target was performed at ∼230  MeV/nucleon combined with prompt γ spectroscopy. Exclusive quasifree scattering cross sections to bound states in ^{51}Ca and the momentum distributions corresponding to the removal of 1f_{7/2} and 2p_{3/2} neutrons were measured. The cross sections, interpreted within the distorted-wave impulse approximation reaction framework, are consistent with a shell closure at the neutron number N=32, found as strong as at N=28 and N=34 in Ca isotopes from the same observables. The analysis of the momentum distributions leads to a difference of the root-mean-square radii of the neutron 1f_{7/2} and 2p_{3/2} orbitals of 0.61(23) fm, in agreement with the modified-shell-model prediction of 0.7 fm suggesting that the large root-mean-square radius of the 2p_{3/2} orbital in neutron-rich Ca isotopes is responsible for the unexpected linear increase of the charge radius with the neutron number.

Bulk vitrification of in vitro produced bovine zygotes without reducing developmental competence to the blastocyst stage

Cryopreservation of mammalian zygotes can be advantageous since it enables their flexile use in time and space for alternative purposes such as genome editing. Here we report a simple, quick and inexpensive vitrification protocol for in vitro produced bovine zygotes which enables their bulk preservation. Slaughterhouse-derived oocytes were subjected to in vitro maturation and fertilization (IVF). Ten h after IVF, cumulus-enclosed zygotes were equilibrated in 2% (v/v) ethylene glycol + 2% (v/v) propylene glycol for 13-15 min then vitrified in groups of 52-100 in 2 μL microdrops of 17.5% (v/v) ethylene glycol + 17.5% (v/v) propylene glycol supplemented with 0.3 M sucrose and 50 mg/mL polyvinylpyrrolidone. The presence of cumulus cells is important for the success of the process. Therefore, we applied a modified IVF protocol using a short (30 min) co-incubation interval which allowed zygote culture with attached cumulus cells until vitrification and even reduced polyspermy rates without affecting the total fertilization rate. Vitrified zygotes were similar to their non-vitrified counterparts in terms of survival, post-warming development to the blastocyst stage and blastocyst quality measured by cell numbers and cryo-survival. In conclusion, our vitrification protocol integrated with the modified IVF system enabled the quick cryopreservation of bovine zygotes in large groups without reducing their developmental competence to the blastocyst stage.

Verification of the Usefulness of an Assessment and Risk Control Sheet that Promotes Management of Cancer Drug Therapy

Background: Proper management of adverse events is crucial for the safe and effective implementation of anticancer drug treatment. Showa University Hospital uses our interview sheet (assessment and risk control [ARC] sheet) for the accurate evaluation of adverse events. On the day of anticancer drug treatment, a nurse conducts a face-to-face interview. As a feature of the ARC sheet, by separately describing the symptoms the day before treatment and the day of treatment and sharing the information on the medical record, it is possible to clearly determine the status of adverse events. In this study, we hypothesized that the usefulness and points for improvement of the ARC sheet would be clarified by using and evaluating a patient questionnaire.

Methods: This study included 174 patients (144 at Showa University Hospital (Hatanodai Hospital) and 30 at Showa University Koto Toyosu Hospital (Toyosu Hospital) who underwent pre-examination interviews by nurses and received cancer chemotherapy at the outpatient center of Hatanodai and Toyosu Hospital. In the questionnaire survey, the ARC sheet’s content and quality, respondents’ satisfaction, structural strengths, and points for improvement were evaluated on a five-point scale.

Results: The patient questionnaire received responses from 160 participants, including the ARC sheet use group (132 people) and the non-use group (28 people). Unlike the ARC sheet non-use group, the ARC sheet use group recognized that the sheet was useful to understand the adverse events of aphthous ulcers (p = 0.017) and dysgeusia (p = 0.006). In the satisfaction survey questionnaire, there was a high sense of security in the pre-examination interviews by nurses using the ARC sheet.

Conclusions: The ARC sheet is considered an effective tool for comprehensively evaluating adverse events. Pre-examination interviews by nurses using ARC sheets accurately determined the adverse events experienced by patients with anxiety and tension due to confrontation with physicians.

Effects of reduced glutathione supplementation in semen freezing extender on frozen-thawed bull semen and in vitro fertilization

During cryopreservation, spermatozoa may suffer cold and cryo-induced injuries -associated with alterations in cell defense systems- that are detrimental to their function and subsequent fertility. This study aimed to determine the efficacy of supplementing the semen freezing extender with the antioxidant reduced glutathione (GSH) in cattle. Semen was collected from four bulls and diluted in a freezing extender supplemented with or without GSH (0, 1, 5, and 10 mM) before the cooling step of the cryopreservation process. After thawing, the quality of the frozen-thawed semen was investigated for motility, viability, acrosomal and DNA integrity, and subsequent embryo development after in vitro fertilization of bovine oocytes. Additionally, semen from one of the bulls was used to analyze semen antioxidative potential, sperm penetration into oocytes, male pronucleus formation rate, and embryo DNA integrity. The sperm quality varied among bulls after GSH supplementation. One bull had decreased sperm total motility, and two bulls had decreased sperm DNA integrity. GSH supplementation had positive effects on embryo development for three bulls. Two of them showed both improved cleavage and blastocyst formation rates, while the other one only showed an improved cleavage rate. We observed positive effects on early male pronucleus formation and no negative effects on DNA integrity and cell number in blastocyst stage embryos. Although the effect varies depending on individual bulls and GSH concentration, GSH supplementation in semen may improve in vitro embryo production from frozen semen.

Pairing Forces Govern Population of Doubly Magic ^{54}Ca from Direct Reactions

Direct proton-knockout reactions of ^{55}Sc at ∼220  MeV/nucleon were studied at the RIKEN Radioactive Isotope Beam Factory. Populated states of ^{54}Ca were investigated through γ-ray and invariant-mass spectroscopy. Level energies were calculated from the nuclear shell model employing a phenomenological internucleon interaction. Theoretical cross sections to states were calculated from distorted-wave impulse approximation estimates multiplied by the shell model spectroscopic factors, which describe the wave function overlap of the ^{55}Sc ground state with states in ^{54}Ca. Despite the calculations showing a significant amplitude of excited neutron configurations in the ground-state of ^{55}Sc, valence proton removals populated predominantly the ground state of ^{54}Ca. This counterintuitive result is attributed to pairing effects leading to a dominance of the ground-state spectroscopic factor. Owing to the ubiquity of the pairing interaction, this argument should be generally applicable to direct knockout reactions from odd-even to even-even nuclei.

Differentially methylated CpG sites related to fertility in Japanese Black bull spermatozoa: epigenetic biomarker candidates to predict sire conception rate

For semen suppliers, predicting the low fertility of service bull candidates before artificial insemination would help prevent economic loss; however, predicting bull fertility through in vitro assessment of semen is yet to be established. In the present study, we focused on the methylated CpG sites of sperm nuclear DNA and examined methylation levels to screen new biomarkers for predicting bull fertility. In frozen-thawed semen samples collected from Japanese Black bulls, for which the sire conception rate (SCR) was recorded, the methylation level of each CpG site was analyzed using human methylation microarray. According to regression analysis, 143 CpG sites related to SCR were significantly differentially methylated. Whole genome bisulfite sequence data were obtained from three semen samples and the differentially methylated regions (DMRs) that included the target CpG sites selected by human methylation microarray were confirmed. Using combined bisulfite restriction analysis, fertility-related methylation changes were detected in 10 DMRs. With the exception of one DMR, the methylation levels of these DMRs were significantly different between groups with high fertility (> 50%) and low fertility (< 40%). From multiple regression analysis of methylation levels and SCR, three DMRs were selected that could effectively predict bull fertility. We suggest that these fertility-related differences in spermatozoal methylation levels could be new epigenetic biomarkers for predicting bull fertility.

Quasifree Neutron Knockout Reaction Reveals a Small s-Orbital Component in the Borromean Nucleus ^{17}B

A kinematically complete quasifree (p,pn) experiment in inverse kinematics was performed to study the structure of the Borromean nucleus ^{17}B, which had long been considered to have a neutron halo. By analyzing the momentum distributions and exclusive cross sections, we obtained the spectroscopic factors for 1s_{1/2} and 0d_{5/2} orbitals, and a surprisingly small percentage of 9(2)% was determined for 1s_{1/2}. Our finding of such a small 1s_{1/2} component and the halo features reported in prior experiments can be explained by the deformed relativistic Hartree-Bogoliubov theory in continuum, revealing a definite but not dominant neutron halo in ^{17}B. The present work gives the smallest s- or p-orbital component among known nuclei exhibiting halo features and implies that the dominant occupation of s or p orbitals is not a prerequisite for the occurrence of a neutron halo.

In vitro survival kinetics of microfluidic-sorted bovine spermatozoa

BACKGROUND

The isolation and characterization of sperm subpopulations that can achieve fertilization is a major challenge of assisted reproduction methods. We focused on the microfluidic sperm sorter as a novel tool for collecting highly motile spermatozoa from heterogeneous semen samples.

OBJECTIVES

This study primarily aims to obtain baseline information on sorted spermatozoa according to its characteristics and in vitro life span.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Frozen-thawed bull semen was subjected to microfluidic sperm sorting using diffuser-type microfluidic sperm sorter (DMSS). After sorting, samples were collected as the sorted spermatozoa and unsorted residual spermatozoa and incubated at 37°C for subsequent evaluation. The samples were assessed at different time points (0 or 1, 6, and 24 h) in terms of motility, which was measured by computer-assisted sperm analysis (CASA), membrane integrity, mitochondrial function, and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) production after sorting (0 h). To determine the characteristics and efficiency of DMSS sorting, the sorted spermatozoa were compared with samples collected using the swim-up method, a conventional method in motile sperm selection.

RESULTS

A comparison between the sorted and residual spermatozoa demonstrated significantly higher motility parameters, membrane integrity, and mitochondrial function of the sorted spermatozoa until 6 h after incubation. The time course decrement of membrane and mitochondrial status were subjected to curve fitting and theoretically supported. Sperm ATP production measured immediately after sorting showed higher ATP generation of the sorted spermatozoa compared with the unsorted, frozen-thawed spermatozoa. The motility parameters and mitochondrial activity of DMSS-sorted spermatozoa were higher than the swim-up-collected spermatozoa (p < 0.05).

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION

These results indicate that DMSS sorting can strictly select highly motile spermatozoa with the ability to maintain its membrane integrity and mitochondrial function related to ATP production. We speculate that the device that is able to sort high-quality spermatozoa can have great potential in assisted reproduction.

Surface Localization of the Dineutron in ^{11}Li

The formation of a dineutron in the ^{11}Li nucleus is found to be localized to the surface region. The experiment measured the intrinsic momentum of the struck neutron in ^{11}Li via the (p,pn) knockout reaction at 246  MeV/nucleon. The correlation angle between the two neutrons is, for the first time, measured as a function of the intrinsic neutron momentum. A comparison with reaction calculations reveals the localization of the dineutron at r∼3.6  fm. The results also support the density dependence of dineutron formation as deduced from Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov calculations for nuclear matter.

How Different is the Core of ^{25}F from ^{24}O_{g.s.} ?

The structure of a neutron-rich ^{25}F nucleus is investigated by a quasifree (p,2p) knockout reaction at 270A  MeV in inverse kinematics. The sum of spectroscopic factors of π0d_{5/2} orbital is found to be 1.0±0.3. However, the spectroscopic factor with residual ^{24}O nucleus being in the ground state is found to be only 0.36±0.13, while those in the excited state is 0.65±0.25. The result shows that the ^{24}O core of ^{25}F nucleus significantly differs from a free ^{24}O nucleus, and the core consists of ∼35% ^{24}O_{g.s.}. and ∼65% excited ^{24}O. The result may infer that the addition of the 0d_{5/2} proton considerably changes neutron structure in ^{25}F from that in ^{24}O, which could be a possible mechanism responsible for the oxygen dripline anomaly.

Halo Structure of the Neutron-Dripline Nucleus ^{19}B

The heaviest bound isotope of boron ^{19}B has been investigated using exclusive measurements of its Coulomb dissociation, into ^{17}B and two neutrons, in collisions with Pb at 220  MeV/nucleon. Enhanced electric dipole (E1) strength is observed just above the two-neutron decay threshold with an integrated E1 strength of B(E1)=1.64±0.06(stat)±0.12(sys)  e^{2} fm^{2} for relative energies below 6 MeV. This feature, known as a soft E1 excitation, provides the first firm evidence that ^{19}B has a prominent two-neutron halo. Three-body calculations that reproduce the energy spectrum indicate that the valence neutrons have a significant s-wave configuration and exhibit a dineutronlike correlation.

Bovine sperm selection procedure prior to cryopreservation for improvement of post-thawed semen quality and fertility

Background

The application of cryopreservation and artificial insemination technology have contributed to the advancement of animal reproduction. However, a substantial proportion of spermatozoa undergoes alterations and loses their fertility during cryopreservation, rendering the frozen-thawed semen impractical for routine use. Cryopreservation is known to reduce sperm lifespan and fertility. Variation in cryosurvival of spermatozoa from different sires and even with the individual sire is common in artificial insemination (AI) centers. Our goal is to improve post-thawed semen quality by optimization of cryopreservation technique through sperm selection prior to cryopreservation process.

Results

Our strategy of sperm selection based on rheotaxis and thermotaxis (SSRT) on macrosale in a rotating fluid flow demonstrated the ability to maintain the original pre-freezing structural integrity, viability and biological function related to fertilization competence. This strategy has a positive effect on the cryosurvival and fertilizing abilities of spermatozoa as supported by the improvement on pregnancy rate of Japanese Black heifers and Holstein repeat breeders. This technique protected further sublethal damage to bovine spermatozoa (higher % cryosurvival than the control) and resulted in the improvement of DNA integrity. Prefreeze selected spermatozoa demonstrated slower and controlled capacitation than unprocessed control which is thought to be related to sperm longevity and consequently to appropriate timing during in vivo fertilization.

Conclusions

These results provide solid evidence that improvement of post-thawed semen quality by SSRT method is beneficial in terms of cryosurvival, longevity of post-thawed sperm, and optimization of in vivo fertilization, embryo development and calving as supported by the favorable results of field fertility study.

Quasifree Neutron Knockout from ^{54}Ca Corroborates Arising N=34 Neutron Magic Number

Exclusive cross sections and momentum distributions have been measured for quasifree one-neutron knockout reactions from a ^{54}Ca beam striking on a liquid hydrogen target at ∼200  MeV/u. A significantly larger cross section to the p_{3/2} state compared to the f_{5/2} state observed in the excitation of ^{53}Ca provides direct evidence for the nature of the N=34 shell closure. This finding corroborates the arising of a new shell closure in neutron-rich calcium isotopes. The distorted-wave impulse approximation reaction formalism with shell model calculations using the effective GXPF1Bs interaction and ab initio calculations concur our experimental findings. Obtained transverse and parallel momentum distributions demonstrate the sensitivity of quasifree one-neutron knockout in inverse kinematics on a thick liquid hydrogen target with the reaction vertex reconstructed to final state spin-parity assignments.

P3619Incidence of progressively reduced LVEF during long-year follow-up after myocardial infarction: impact for mid-term outcomes

Background

Severely reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF≤35%) is commonly seen in approximately 5% of the myocardial infarction (MI) survivors in its acute-phase, which is recognized as a risk factor of post-MI cardiac death. However, clinical impact of the progressively reduced LVEF in the chronic-phase after MI has not been clarified.

Purpose

To evaluate clinical impact of the progressively reduced LVEF in the chronic-phase after MI.

Method

We evaluated 1659 consecutive patients with acute MI by serial echocardiography. Primary outcome was severely reduced LVEF. And secondary outcome was all cause death and cardiac death.

Result

During follow-up (median: 1097 days), severely reduced LVEF newly developed in 8.6% of AMI survivors. These patients had significantly higher incidence of all cause death (20.7% vs. 4.4%, p<0.01) and cardiac death (10.6% vs. 1.2%, p<0.01) than those with LVEF>35%. Severely reduced LVEF progressed in the chronic-phase associated with all cause death and cardiac death as well as those with severely reduced EF in the acute-phase.

Figure 1

Conclusions

Progressively reduced LVEF during chronic-phase occurred 8.6% per 10-year in MI survivors. Careful long-term follow-up after MI should be needed to identify possible candidate for the implantable cardioverter-defibrillator.

P3604Gender difference in Low-BMI patients with acute myocardial infarction makes an impact on mid-term outcomes

Background/Introduction

There are some reports about impact of low body-mass-index (BMI) on patients with acute myocardial infarction (MI), suggesting an obesity paradox. However, the differential impact of gender between low-BMI and mid-term outcome remains unclear.

Purpose

To evaluate the differential impact of gender between low-BMI patients with acute MI and mid-term outcome.

Methods

We evaluated 3038 consecutive patients with acute MI in Miyazaki medical association hospital. Patients were stratified low-BMI group (BMI≤20) from other-BMI group (BMI>20), and compared. BMI was measured at admission of acute MI. Primary outcome was cardiac death. We also analyzed each gender, using Kaplan-meier curve with long-rank test.

Result

Among all patients, low-BMI patient was 8.6%. Median follow-up was 1085 days, and cardiac death was significantly higher rate in low-BMI group (14.5% vs 7.7%, p<0.001). Male patient with low-BMI was significantly higher event rate, compared with other-BMI group (11.0% vs 5.5%, p<0.001). However, female patient group had no significant difference of outcomes between low-BMI and other-BMI (12.6% vs 10.3%, p=0.315). Event rate is shown in the Figure.

Gender

Conclusions

Low BMI was associated with mid-term outcomes in acute MI patients. Impact of low-BMI on mid-term outcome seems to be gender dependent in acute MI patients.

P45945-years clinical outcomes of patients underwent percutaneous coronary intervention for calcified lesions with rotational atherectomy and second-generation drug eluting stent

Background

Percutaneous coronary Intervention (PCI) with rotational atherectomy (RA) was useful for severe calcified lesions. However, the long-term clinical outcomes of PCI with second-generation drug eluting stent (DES) following RA has been still unclear.

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to investigate the long-term clinical outcomes of RA followed by second-generation DES.

Methods

We retrospectively enrolled 254 consecutive patients treated with second-generation DES following RA. The primary outcome was the cumulative 5-year incidence of MACE, defined as cardiac death, myocardial infarction, clinically-driven target lesion revascularization and definite stent thrombosis.

Results

The incidence of MACE was 22.8% at 5-years. Multivariate analysis showed 3 predictors of MACE, hemodialysis, diabetic mellitus and extremely angulated lesions (>90°).Significantly higher MACE was observed in the high-risk (≥2 risk factors) group, compared with the low-risk (2< risk factors) group (68.7% vs. 18.7%, P<0.001, Figure).

Multivariate analysis for MACE at 5 year Hazard ratio (95% Confidence Interval) P-value Diabetic Mellitus 2.58 (1.35–4.91) 0.004 Hemodialysis 4.57 (1.64–12.76) 0.004 extremely angulated (>90°) 3.08 (1.06–8.93) 0.04

Kaplan-Meier curves for 5-years MACE

Conclusions

The long-term clinical outcomes of PCI for severely calcified lesions was acceptable. However, the clinical outcomes of patients classified high risk cohort was unsatisfactory.

92 Culture method for long-distance transport of bovine embryos derived from IVF before blastulation using microtubes

In vitro-produced (IVP) embryos are more easily damaged by cryopreservation than in vivo-derived embryos. Therefore, transportation of fresh IVP embryos in a manner that can maintain viability is necessary. This study was conducted to determine the preferable culture conditions for transport of embryos at 5 days post-insemination (dpi) in 1.5-mL microtubes. Cumulus-oocyte complexes derived from an abattoir were matured and then inseminated with frozen-thawed semen. Presumptive zygotes were cultured in mCR1aa (CR1)+5% calf serum (CS) until use. In Exp. 1, embryos with 5 blastomeres at 5 dpi were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 groups: 25mM Hepes-CR1aa (H-CR1)+5% CS or 25mM Hepes-M199 (H-M199)+5% CS in air, or CR1 in 5% CO2. Embryos were cultured in microdrops overlaid with liquid paraffin in a petri dish for 48h at 38.5°C. In Exp. 2, the optimal number of embryos to culture per microtube was assessed. Presumptive zygotes were cultured in groups of 20, 40, or 80 in 1mL of CR1 covered with liquid paraffin in microtubes in an incubator at 38.5°C in 5% CO2 until 7 dpi. For Exp. 3, culture of embryos in microtubes in a portable incubator was tested. At 5 dpi, 5-cell embryos (n=17 to 36 per microtube) were statically cultured in 1mL of CR1 or H-CR1 in microtubes in a portable incubator set at 38.5°C for 48h. The CR1 was pre-equilibrated in an incubator in 5% CO2 for 24h before use. Embryos were harvested from microtubes after 48h and were then cultured in microdrops of CR1 overlaid with liquid paraffin in a petri dish in an incubator at 38.5°C in 5% CO2 until 8 dpi. In Exp. 4, embryos (n=29 to 39 five-cell embryos per microtube) were transported in a portable incubator by land for 1000km over a period of 44h using the same conditions as in Exp. 3. Control embryos were statically cultured in microdrops of CR1 in an incubator in 5% CO2. Statistical analyses were carried out by ANOVA (Exp. 1 and 2), t-test (Exp. 3), or Fisher’s exact test (Exp. 4). In Exp. 1, there was no effect (P&gt;0.05) of culture medium on blastocyst development at 7 dpi (27.6±2.3, 25.7±7.2, and 17.3±2.9% for CR1, H-CR1, and H-M199, respectively). In Exp. 2, blastocyst development at 7 dpi was not affected (P&gt;0.05) by the number of presumptive zygotes cultured per microtube (43.6±8.3, 42.4±4.0, and 39.9±2.9% for 20, 40, and 80 presumptive zygotes, respectively). In Exp. 3, blastocyst development at 8 dpi was not affected (P&gt;0.05) by culture medium (60.7±7.4 and 53.1±4.4% for CR1 and H-CR1, respectively); however, the pH of CR1 changed from 7.5 to 8.1 at 48h after culture. In Exp. 4, blastocyst development at 8 dpi was not affected (P&gt;0.05) by transport (57.1, 64.4, and 75.5% for CR1, H-CR1, and control, respectively). These results indicate that IVP embryos harvested at 5 dpi can be transported by portable incubator with no effect on embryo development to the blastocyst stage. This work was supported by grants from the Project of the Bio-oriented Technology Research Advancement Institution, NARO (the special scheme project on advanced research and the development for next-generation technology).

Erratum: Persistence of the Z=28 Shell Gap Around ^{78}Ni: First Spectroscopy of ^{79}Cu [Phys. Rev. Lett. 119, 192501 (2017)]

This corrects the article DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.119.192501.

Duodenal infusion of fatty acids differentially affects plasma glucagon-like peptide-1 and ghrelin concentrations in sheep

The aim of this study was to investigate how intraduodenal infusions of fatty acids (FA) affect appetite-related gut peptides such as glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and ghrelin in sheep. We hypothesized that these peptides can be highly reactive to unsaturated long-chain FA, because they are well known to decrease dry matter intake (DMI). Four ewes were fitted with a duodenal cannula and a jugular vein catheter for a 6-h duodenal infusion of the 9 FA (C8:0, C10:0, C12:0, C14:0, C16:0, C18:0, C18:1, C18:2, and C18:3) and water (control). The concentration of each FA was 1.6 g per metabolic body weight (BW), approximately corresponding to the amount of supplemented fat in a standard dairy cow diet. Each infusion was separated by at least 2 d. During the infusion period, blood samples were collected periodically to determine changes in plasma GLP-1, ghrelin, and metabolite concentrations. Duodenal infusions of C18:1, C18:2, and C18:3 led to higher plasma GLP-1 (P < 0.05) and lower glucose (P < 0.05) than control. Plasma ghrelin concentrations were greater in C18:1 and C18:3 infusions than control (P < 0.05). Plasma ketone bodies were higher in C8:0 and C10:0 infusions (P < 0.05), but plasma triglyceride concentrations were lower in C8:0, C10:0, C12:0, and C16:0 infusions (P < 0.05) than control. Fatty acid infusions except for C18:3 led to higher plasma NEFA concentrations than control (P < 0.05). These results confirmed that the hypophagic effect of dietary unsaturated long-chain FA is mediated by GLP-1 (an anorexigenic effect) secretion. However, we also observed higher plasma ghrelin (an orexigenic effect) partially by unsaturated long-chain FA. Thus, the gut peptide secretions when ruminant animals ingest FA supplements would complexly affect satiety and further studies are needed to determine their each impact on DMI.

Evolving affinity between Coulombic reversibility and hysteretic phase transformations in nano-structured silicon-based lithium-ion batteries

Nano-structured silicon is an attractive alternative anode material to conventional graphite in lithium-ion batteries. However, the anode designs with higher silicon concentrations remain to be commercialized despite recent remarkable progress. One of the most critical issues is the fundamental understanding of the lithium-silicon Coulombic efficiency. Particularly, this is the key to resolve subtle yet accumulatively significant alterations of Coulombic efficiency by various paths of lithium-silicon processes over cycles. Here, we provide quantitative and qualitative insight into how the irreversible behaviors are altered by the processes under amorphous volume changes and hysteretic amorphous-crystalline phase transformations. Repeated latter transformations over cycles, typically featured as a degradation factor, can govern the reversibility behaviors, improving the irreversibility and eventually minimizing cumulative irreversible lithium consumption. This is clearly different from repeated amorphous volume changes with different lithiation depths. The mechanism behind the correlations is elucidated by electrochemical and structural probing.

Histochemical properties of bovine and ovine mammary glands during fetal development

In order to obtain more information on the development of bovine and ovine fetal mammary glands, a series of mammary glands from fetuses of different ages were analyzed. A total of 16 bovine fetuses with curved crown rump lengths ranging from 12 cm (80 days) to 75 cm (240 days) and 15 ovine fetuses ranging from 55 days to 131 days were examined. We used hematoxylin and eosin stain and Oil-Red-O stain to analyze the developmental and morphogenetic processes of mammary glands. In addition, we used immunohistochemical staining to determine the pattern of expression of cytokeratin 18 (CK18) during luminal epithelial differentiation, α-smooth-muscle actin (α-SMA) for myoepithelial differentiation, Ki-67 for cell proliferation, and estrogen receptor α (ERα). Our analyzes showed: (a) The primary mammary duct begin to proliferate in a lengthwise within the teat at 90 days in bovine fetuses and 63 days in ovine fetus; (b) luminal epithelial cells and myoepithelial cells appeared from 90 days in bovine fetuses and 63 days in ovine fetus; (c) proliferation of epithelial cells appeared to coincide with the development of the primary and secondary ducts; and (d) ERα was not found in the fetal mammary gland, but adipocytes showed the presence of ERα. Overall, these results indicate that the sequence of events in the prenatal development of the mammary gland of sheep is similar to that of cattle.

Effects of insulin-like growth factor-1 on the in vitro maturation of canine oocytes

The maturation rate of canine oocytes during in vitro maturation (IVM) needs to be improved. The present study was designed to evaluate the effects of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) on the IVM of canine oocytes. Ovaries were obtained by ovariohysterectomy and were sliced to release cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs). In Experiment 1, the effects of different concentrations of IGF-1 on the nuclear maturation of oocytes was investigated. The COCs were cultured in a modified medium (mTCM199) with IGF-1 (0, 0.5, 5, 10, and 50 µg/ml). At the end of the 48 h culture, oocytes were fixed and stained to evaluate their nuclear stage. Supplementation with 50 µg/ml IGF-1 induced a significantly higher metaphase II (MII) rate (P < 0.05) compared to the 0 and 0.5 μg/ml IGF-1 groups. In Experiment 2, the expression levels of insulin receptor (INSR), IGF-1 receptor (IGF-1R), and IGF-2 receptor (IGF-2R) genes, localized to canine oocytes and cumulus cells, were investigated before and after IVM. The expression level of IGF-1R in cumulus cells after IVM was higher than that before IVM (P < 0.05). In Experiment 3, it was investigated whether an inhibitor of PTEN (phosphatase and tensin homolog), bpV, affects the nuclear maturation of oocytes. Regardless of bpV supplementation at a concentration of 0.2 to 200 µmol/l, there was no significant difference in the proportion of oocytes that reached the MII stage. These results indicated that IGF-1 has a favorable effect on the IVM of canine oocytes, possibly through the stimulation of the Ras/MAPK pathway via IGF-1R expressed in cumulus cells.

Persistence of the Z=28 Shell Gap Around ^{78}Ni: First Spectroscopy of ^{79}Cu

In-beam γ-ray spectroscopy of ^{79}Cu is performed at the Radioactive Isotope Beam Factory of RIKEN. The nucleus of interest is produced through proton knockout from a ^{80}Zn beam at 270  MeV/nucleon. The level scheme up to 4.6 MeV is established for the first time and the results are compared to Monte Carlo shell-model calculations. We do not observe significant knockout feeding to the excited states below 2.2 MeV, which indicates that the Z=28 gap at N=50 remains large. The results show that the ^{79}Cu nucleus can be described in terms of a valence proton outside a ^{78}Ni core, implying the magic character of the latter.

A novel missense mutation affecting the same amino acid as the recurrent PACS1 mutation in Schuurs-Hoeijmakers syndrome

A novel causative variant (c.608G>A, p.Arg203Gln) in PACS1.

A case of atypical Kabuki syndrome arising from a novel missense variant in HNRNPK

A novel causative variant (c. 464T>C, p.Leu155Pro) in the heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein K (HNRNPK) gene.

Patient perceptions of symptoms and concerns during cancer chemotherapy: 'affects my family' is the most important

Background

Cancer chemotherapy is associated with a variety of side effects/adverse events. It is very important that patients adhere to the planned chemotherapy regimen, which necessitates a minimum of side effects and that these side effects be kept under control. We have investigated patients’ concerns and symptoms during chemotherapy with the aim to seek solutions that will improve patients’ quality of life during chemotherapy.

Methods

Forty-nine patients with malignant diseases on parenteral antineoplastic agents were sequentially enrolled in this study. These patients completed a questionnaire consisting of 42 items related to non-physical concerns and 52 items of physical symptoms related to chemotherapy. Each patient was also asked to select the three items among these 94 items which affected him/her the most.

Results

The median age of the cancer patients was 62 years and the male-to-female ratio was 18:31. Among the non-physical concerns, the most frequently chosen concern was ‘affects my family or partner,’ followed by anxiety related to treatment. Regarding the physical symptoms, the most frequent complaints were fatigue, alopecia and constipation, while the most troublesome symptoms were nausea, poor taste and paresthesia. Overall, the most frequently expressed concerns were ‘affects my family or partner’ and anxiety related to treatment. Male patients suffered most from fever, fatigue and nausea, and female patients complained more of poor taste and gastrointestinal problems.

Conclusion

Patient perceptions of adverse events associated with cancer chemotherapy apparently have changed from physical symptoms to non-physical concerns. In our patient cohort ‘affects my family or partner’ was the most important concern. One important point to note is that female patients often complained of poor taste because this meant they were unable to cook well.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s10147-017-1117-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

The impact of nutritional state on the duration of sputum positivity of Mycobacterium tuberculosis

BACKGROUND

The outcome of anti-tuberculosis treatment varies according to patient factors.

OBJECTIVE

To retrospectively identify risks related to the extension of time to negative sputum culture (Tn) and to determine their clinical significance.

DESIGN

Patients with bacilli susceptible to isoniazid and rifampicin who received initial standard treatment without cessation were recruited into the study. A total of 630 consecutive in-patients were included in the risk development analysis (development cohort) and another 611 consecutive in-patients in the risk validation analysis (validation cohort).

RESULTS

Univariate analysis showed that Tn was related to sex, body mass index (BMI), white blood cell count (WBC), serum albumin, fasting blood sugar, haemoglobin A1c, C-reactive protein and total cholesterol levels and sputum smear positivity (SSP). Multivariate analysis showed that BMI, WBC and SSP were significant risk factors related to extended Tn. Optimal cut-offs of BMI and WBC for predicting good (Tn < 46 days) and poor responders (Tn ⩾ 46 days) according to each risk were determined by receiver operating characteristics analysis. Risks were verified with the validation cohort. Tn increased according to the number of risks; the median Tn for patients with three risks was 21 days longer than that of patients with none.

CONCLUSION

The nutritional state of a TB patient can be used to predict Tn.

A PLK4 mutation causing azoospermia in a man with Sertoli cell-only syndrome

About 15% of couples wishing to have children are infertile; approximately half these cases involve a male factor. Polo-like kinase 4 (PLK-4) is a member of the polo protein family and a key regulator of centriole duplication. Male mice with a point mutation in the Plk4 gene show azoospermia associated with germ cell loss. Mutational analysis of 81 patients with azoospermia and Sertoli cell-only syndrome (SCOS) identified one man with a heterozygous 13-bp deletion in the Ser/Thr kinase domain of PLK4. Division of centrioles occurred in wild-type PLK4-transfected cells, but was hampered in PLK-4-mutant transfectants, which also showed abnormal nuclei. Thus, this PLK4 mutation might be a cause of human SCOS and nonobstructive azoospermia.

Glutathione supplementation to semen extender improves the quality of frozen-thawed canine spermatozoa for transcervical insemination

The present study was conducted to evaluate whether supplementation of semen extender with glutathione (GSH) can maintain the quality of frozen-thawed canine spermatozoa. Eighteen ejaculates were obtained from 5 dogs and placed in extender (20% egg yolk, Tris, citric acid, lactose, raffinose, antibiotics and 6.5% glycerol) containing 0 (control), 2.5, 5, 7.5 or 10 mM GSH. The samples were cooled to 4 C and then frozen in liquid nitrogen vapor. Motility parameters of the sperm were evaluated at 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 12 and 24 h after thawing. Sperm motility was higher in the 5 mM GSH group than in the control or 2.5 and 10 mM GSH groups; this effect was observed at 1 to 24 h after thawing (P < 0.05). The 5 mM GSH group had a higher sperm viability index at 12 and 24 h after thawing compared with the other groups (P < 0.05). Acrosome integrity, evaluated at 4 h after thawing, was greater in two of the GSH-treated groups (5 and 10 mM) compared with the control. Lipid peroxidation (LP) levels immediately after thawing were lower in the 5 and 10 mM GSH groups compared with the control, while those at 12 h after thawing did not differ significantly. Frozen-thawed semen in the 5 mM GSH group was used for transcervical insemination of 4 bitches, resulting in delivery of 5 puppies from 2 bitches. These results indicate that supplementation of semen extender with 5 mM GSH was effective in improving motility, longevity and acrosomal integrity and inhibiting LP levels in post-thaw canine spermatozoa, without any adverse impacts on full-term development after transcervical insemination.

334 FACTORS AFFECTING HEMATOPOIETIC ENGRAFTMENT OF MONKEY EMBRYONIC STEM CELLS IN SHEEP FETUSES

Previously, we generated monkey/sheep haematopoietic chimeras by in utero transplantation (IUT) of monkey embryonic stem (ES); however, the factors that control how the ES cells successfully engraft and differentiate into haematopoietic tissue in sheep fetuses remain uncertain. Here, we examined factors that might influence donor cells and recipient sheep and affect successful ES cell engraftment. We transplanted either undifferentiated monkey ES cells or ES-derived cells at an early haematopoietic differentiation stage into sheep fetuses. The latter cells were allowed to differentiate by culturing on OP9 cell layers for 6 days. Cells were transplanted into the liver or subcutaneous tissue of recipient sheep fetuses at 43 to 50 or 51 to 67 days of gestation (full term = 147 days) using ultrasound to identify the site for transplantation. After birth, monkey haematopoietic engraftment in the bone marrow was analysed in 40 lambs using colony-PCR with cells grown in methylcellulose in the presence of defined cytokines; teratoma formation was analysed by biopsy and immunohistochemistry. We found that haematopoietic engraftment was only observed when ES-derived cells at the early differentiation stage were transplanted into fetal livers at 51 to 67 days of gestation (6/9). However, teratoma formation with mature monkey tissue structures was only observed following transplantation of undifferentiated ES cells into fetal subcutaneous tissues at 43 to 50 days of gestation (4/6), but that was not observed when both types of cells were transplanted into the liver (0/18) or at 51 to 67 days of gestation (0/24). These results demonstrate that the differentiation status of the donor cells, the transplantation site, and the age of the fetus at transplantation are important factors in engraftment and differentiation into haematopoietic tissue or teratoma formation in sheep fetuses.

312 EFFECTS OF TRANSFORMING GROWTH FACTOR ALPHA AND INSULIN-LIKE GROWTH FACTOR 1 SUPPLEMENTATION ON IN VITRO MATURATION OF CANINE OOCYTES

Although in vitro maturation (IVM) of oocytes has been successfully established for many species, the efficiency of IVM in canine oocytes is still very low. As growth factors have been shown to promote oocyte maturation in some species, we investigated whether use of transforming growth factor α (TGF-a) and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) might overcome the difficulties of achieving meiotic maturation in cultured canine cumulus-oocyte complexes (COC). Ovaries were obtained from bitches at 6 months to 7 years of age by ovariohysterectomy and were sliced repeatedly to release COC. In the first experiment, the COC were cultured at 38.8°C for 48 h in 5% CO2 in air in medium 199 supplemented with either TGF-a (0, 1, 10, or 100 ng mL–1) or IGF-1 (0, 0.5, 5, 10, or 50 µg mL–1). In the second experiment, the synergistic effect of TGF-a and IGF-1 was investigated by culturing COC in medium 199 supplemented with both TGF-a (0, 1, 10, or 100 ng mL–1) and IGF-1 (0, 0.5, 5, 10, or 50 µg mL–1). At the end of the culture period, the oocytes were denuded of cumulus cells by pipetting with a fine bore glass pipette; the denuded oocytes were then fixed in Carnoy's solution and stained with Hoechst 33342. The nuclear configuration and chromatin morphology of the oocytes were evaluated under confocal laser scanning microscopy. The cells were assigned to 1 of the following meiotic stages: germinal vesicle (GV), germinal vesicle breakdown (GVBD), metaphase I (MI), or metaphase II (MII). Data were analysed by ANOVA with Fisher's PLSD test. In experiment 1, no significant difference were observed in the rates of cells maturing to the MI and MII stages, but that in the 10 ng mL–1 of TGF-a group (56.3%) were larger than in the other treatment groups (38.8–51.0%). The frequencies of MII stage cells in the 5, 10, and 50 µg mL–1 of IGF-1 treatment groups (9.8, 13.3, and 12.2%, respectively) were significantly higher than in the 0.5 µg mL–1 of IGF-1 group and the control group (5.3 and 2.2%, respectively). In experiment 2, the frequency of MI and MII cells in the control, 1 ng mL–1 of TGF-a plus 0.5 µg mL–1 of IGF-1, 10 ng mL–1 of TGF-a plus 5 µg mL–1 of IGF-1, 10 ng mL–1 of TGF-a plus 10 µg mL–1 of IGF-1, and 100 ng mL–1 of TGF-a plus 50 µg mL–1 of IGF-1 group were 44.1, 36.1, 63.5, 70.8, and 50.8%, respectively. The frequency of MII cells in the control group and the same treatment groups were 2.8, 7.2, 10.4, 15.3, and 10.8%, respectively. Both frequencies in the 10 ng mL–1 of TGF-a plus 10 µg mL–1 of IGF-1 group were significantly higher than in the control group. The TGF-a may act in a paracrine fashion on the surrounding granulosa cells, and IGF-1 may play multiple roles in cellular metabolism, proliferation, growth, and differentiation in canine oocyte maturation, as has been reported for many other species. In conclusion, these results demonstrate that a synergistic effect between TGF-a and IGF-1 produces an increased rate of in vitro maturation to the MI and MII stages in canine oocytes.