Although chronic pain (CP) is classified as inflammatory or non-inflammatory, the involvement of fatty acid intake in this process has not yet been examined in detail. Therefore, the present study investigated whether the relationship between CP and fatty acid intake differs between high and low C-reactive protein (CRP) levels in middle-aged and elderly individuals in the Shika study. One-thousand and seven males and 1216 females with mean ages of 68⋅78 and 69⋅65 years, respectively, participated in the present study. CRP was quantified by blood sampling from participants who responded to a CP questionnaire. The brief-type self-administered diet history questionnaire (BDHQ) was used to assess fatty acid intake. Interactions were observed between CP and CRP on monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) and eicosadienoic acid in a two-way analysis of covariance adjusted for sex, age, lack of exercise, lack of sleep, current smoking and drinking status, and BMI. MUFA (OR 1⋅359) and eicosadienoic acid (OR 1⋅072) were identified as significant independent variables for CP in a multiple logistic regression analysis, but only in the low CRP group. Only a high intake of MUFA and eicosadienoic acid was associated with chronic neck/shoulder/upper limb pain without elevated CRP. In psychogenic and neuropathic pain without elevated CRP, an increased intake of MUFA and eicosadienoic acid, a family member of n-6 fatty acids, appears to affect CP. Further longitudinal studies are needed to elucidate this relationship.

Microtubule severing by katanin plays key roles in generating various array patterns of dynamic microtubules, while also responding to developmental and environmental stimuli. Quantitative imaging and molecular genetic analyses have uncovered that dysfunction of microtubule severing in plant cells leads to defects in anisotropic growth, division and other cell processes. Katanin is targeted to several subcellular severing sites. Intersections of two crossing cortical microtubules attract katanin, possibly by using local lattice deformation as a landmark. Cortical microtubule nucleation sites on preexisting microtubules are targeted for katanin-mediated severing. An evolutionary conserved microtubule anchoring complex not only stabilises the nucleated site, but also subsequently recruits katanin for timely release of a daughter microtubule. During cytokinesis, phragmoplast microtubules are severed at distal zones by katanin, which is tethered there by plant-specific microtubule-associated proteins. Recruitment and activation of katanin are essential for maintenance and reorganisation of plant microtubule arrays.

Recent genome-wide association studies (GWAS) on the dietary habits of the Japanese population have shown that an effect rs671 allele was inversely associated with fish consumption, whereas it was directly associated with coffee consumption. Although meat is a major source of protein and fat in the diet, whether genetic factors that influence meat-eating habits in healthy populations are unknown. This study aimed to conduct a GWAS to find genetic variations that affect meat consumption in a Japanese population. We analysed GWAS data using 14 076 participants from the Japan Multi-Institutional Collaborative Cohort (J-MICC) study. We used a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire to estimate food intake that was validated previously. Association of the imputed variants with total meat consumption per 1000 kcal energy was performed by linear regression analysis with adjustments for age, sex, and principal component analysis components 1–10. We found that no genetic variant, including rs671, was associated with meat consumption. The previously reported single nucleotide polymorphisms that were associated with meat consumption in samples of European ancestry could not be replicated in our J-MICC data. In conclusion, significant genetic factors that affect meat consumption were not observed in a Japanese population.

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a predisposing factor for renal disorder progression and is referred to as diabetic kidney disease (DKD). However, there are no reports of DKD with an underlying autoimmune disorder. In this study, we compared the pathophysiological changes caused by DM induction after streptozotocin (STZ) injection in comparison with that in a control group receiving citrate buffer (CB) in the autoimmune disease model mice “BXSB/MpJ-Yaa” (Yaa) and the wild-type strain BXSB/MpJ. Both strains showed hyperglycemia after 12 weeks of STZ injection. Interestingly, the Yaa group developed membranous and proliferative glomerulonephritis, which tended to be milder glomerular lesions in the STZ group than in the CB group, as indicated by a decreased mesangial area and ameliorated albuminuria. Statistically, the indices for hyperglycemia and autoimmune abnormalities were negatively and positively correlated with the histopathological parameters for mesangial matrix production and glomerular proliferative lesions, respectively. STZ treatment induced renal tubular anisonucleosis and dilations in both strains, and they were more severe in Yaa. Significantly decreased cellular infiltration was observed in the Yaa group compared to the CB group. Thus, in DKD related to autoimmune nephritis, hyperglycemia modifies its pathology by decreasing the mesangial area and interstitial inflammation and aggravating renal tubular injury.

Dietary intake modification is important for the treatment of chronic kidney disease (CKD); however, little is known about the association between dietary intake of antioxidant vitamins and kidney function based on gender difference. We examined the relationship of dietary intake of antioxidant vitamins with decreased kidney function according to gender in Japanese subjects. This population-based, cross-sectional study included 936 Japanese participants with the age of 40 years or older. A validated brief self-administered diet history questionnaire was used to measure dietary intakes of vitamin E and its four isoforms, vitamin A and vitamin C. Decreased kidney function was defined as estimated glomerular filtration rate <60 ml/min/1·73 m2. A total of 498 (53·2 %) of the study participants were women. Mean age was 62·4 ± 11·3 years. Overall, 157 subjects met the criteria of decreased kidney function. In the fully adjusted model, a high vitamin E intake is inversely associated with decreased kidney function in women (odds ratio, 0·886; 95 % confidence interval, 0·786–0·998), whereas vitamin E intake was not associated with decreased kidney function (odds ratio, 0·931; 95 % confidence interval, 0·811–1·069) in men. No significant association between dietary intake of vitamins A and C and decreased kidney function was observed in women and men. Higher dietary intake of vitamin E was inversely associated with decreased kidney function in middle-aged and older women, and the result may provide insight into the more tailored dietary approaches to prevent CKD.

As a practical strategy for reducing agitation in schizophrenia, low-potency neuroleptics have been commonly used as an adjunct in combination with high-potency neuroleptics that seem superior in reducing positive symptoms. There is no evidence, however, that giving more than one antipsychotics at a time enhances therapeutic effects. Antipsychotic polypharmacy has been rather considered an unproven and potentially harmful practice [4].

The low-potency neuroleptic levomepromazine has been in common use for agitated patients with schizophrenia in Europe and Japan [2,3], because of its markedly sedative property. In order to clarify whether levomepromazine as an adjunct to high-potency neuroleptics are beneficial or harmful, therefore, we compared the efficacy of the combined therapy with levomepromazine and high-potency neuroleptic haloperidol with the monotherapy with haloperidol for patients with acute exacerbation of schizophrenia.

To evaluate the daily Se intake of 3- to 5-year-old Japanese children, we used seventy-two urine samples collected from fifty-three children (twenty-seven male and twenty-six female) from two cities in Miyagi prefecture, Japan. For measuring low Se concentrations with high precision, accuracy and rapidity in the 24-h urine samples, we developed an instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) method, that is without any chemical separation, using the short-lived 77mSe (t1/2 = 17·4 s) nuclide. The estimated Se intake of the fifty-three children was 51·5 (sd 30·2) µg/d (geometric mean: 42·7 µg/d). Ten subjects (three male and seven female), successfully provided 24-h urine samples over two or three consecutive days; their Se intake was 37·4 (sd 5·9) µg/d. Based on the logarithmically transformed data of these ten subjects, the ratio of intra-/inter-individual variances of usual Se intake was 16·7 (28·0/1·7) and geometric mean was 27·7 µg/d. The 5th to 95th percentile of usual Se intake of these ten subjects was 17·5 to 40·4 µg/d, which ranged between the recommended dietary allowance and tolerable upper intake level of Se by the Dietary Reference Intakes for Japanese (2015).

Over the past 20 years, many designer drugs derived from controlled substances have been widely distributed as easily available psychoactive substances and have become a serious problem in Japan. In order to determine the absolute structures of four new designer drugs derived from medicines (methylphenidate and phenmetrazine) X-ray single-crystal structure analyses were performed using the BL26B1 beamline of synchrotron radiation facility SPring-8. The results show that the molecular configuration of these designer drugs (having two asymmetric carbons), which were distributed in the illegal drug market had threo-forms as found for methylphenidate and phenmetrazine.

The mechanical properties of as-sintered and heat-exposed polycrystalline Mg2Si were investigated. The strength of the as-fabricated specimen depends on the surface flaws. After heat exposure in Ar atmosphere, oxidized products formed, mainly consisting of MgO. The strength increased after the heat exposure, and the surface oxidation product filled the surface cracks. After the surface oxidation products were removed, the strength and TE properties were the same as those of the as-fabricated specimens.

Let 0 < a ⩽ 1, s, z ∈ ${\mathbb{C}}$ and 0 < |z| ⩽ 1. Then the Hurwitz–Lerch zeta function is defined by Φ(s, a, z) ≔ ∑∞n = 0zn(n + a)− s when σ ≔ ℜ(s) > 1. In this paper, we show that the Hurwitz zeta function ζ(σ, a) ≔ Φ(σ, a, 1) does not vanish for all 0 < σ < 1 if and only if a ⩾ 1/2. Moreover, we prove that Φ(σ, a, z) ≠ 0 for all 0 < σ < 1 and 0 < a ⩽ 1 when z ≠ 1. Real zeros of Hurwitz–Lerch type of Euler–Zagier double zeta functions are studied as well.

HoxEr1-xN (x=0.25, 0.5, 0.75) samples were synthesized by nitriding of HoxEr1-x alloy bars and their thermal conductivity κ were measured. The measured κ values were comparable to those of stainless steel and Er3Ni. Ho0.5Er0.5N showed the highest κ of the present three samples. The thermal diffusivity calculated from the κ and the specific heat indicates that Ho0.5Er0.5N is a very promising regenerator material for the cryocoolers. The electrical resistivity ρ was also measured as a function of temperature.

The effect of the continuously inserted 3-nm-thick Co(Pt) layer on the preferred orientation of AlN film is investigated, and highly c-axis textured AlN film has been obtained. According to high resolution transmission electron microscope observations, the preferred orientation of sputter-deposited AlN film is improved from polycrystalline to (001) texture at the interface between AlN and Co(Pt)(111). The texture of AlN films are also examined using an x-ray diffractometer equipped with a two dimensional positive sensitive detector. The x-ray rocking curve full width at half maximum of 002AlN of (001) textured AlN with the Co(Pt) layer is 2.7°, and the residual stress of such specimen is 1.6 GPa in tensile stress.

In the paper we deal with self-approximation of the Riemann zeta function in the half plane $\operatorname {Re} s\gt 1$ and in the right half of the critical strip. We also prove some results concerning joint universality and joint value approximation of functions $\zeta (s+\lambda +id\tau )$ and $\zeta (s+i\tau )$.

The multishift QR algorithm is efficient for computing all the eigenvalues of a dense, large-scale, non-Hermitian matrix. The major part of this algorithm can be performed by matrix-matrix multiplications and is therefore suitable for modern processors with hierarchical memory. A variant of this algorithm was recently proposed which can execute more computational parts by matrix-matrix multiplications. The algorithm is especially appropriate for recent coprocessors which contain many processor-elements such as the CSX600. However, the performance of the algorithm highly depends on the setting of parameters such as the numbers of shifts and divisions in the algorithm. Optimal settings are different depending on the matrix size and computational environments. In this paper, we construct a performance model to predict a setting of parameters which minimizes the execution time of the algorithm. Experimental results with the CSX600 coprocessor show that our model can be used to find the optimal setting.

A magnetic refrigeration test was performed using a test device filled with spherical GdN material synthesized by the hot isostatic pressing (HIP) method. Refrigeration with an active magnetic regenerator cycle was tested in the temperature range between 48 and 66 K, with the field changing from 1.2 to 3.7 T and 2.0 to 4.0 T at upper and lower sides of the regenerator bed filled with the GdN spheres, respectively. Temperature spans about of 2 K were obtained at both sides, and the total temperature span in each cycle attained about 5 K. The specific heat of the material was measured to calculate the magnetic entropy change ΔS and the adiabatic temperature change ΔT induced by the magnetic field change ΔH. It was suggested that for a given ΔH, larger ΔS and ΔT can be exploited when demagnetized to lower H, especially, to zero field.

Type Ic supernova (SN Ic) is the gravitational collapse of a massive star without H and He layers. It propels several solar masses of material to the typical velocity of 10,000 km/s, a very small fraction of the ejecta nearly to the speed of light. We investigate SNe Ic as production sites for the light elements Li, Be, and B, via the neutrino-process and spallations. As massive stars collapse, neutrinos are emitted in large numbers from the central remnants. Some of the neutrinos interact with nuclei in the exploding materials and mainly 7Li and 11B are produced. Subsequently, the ejected materials with very high energy impinge on the interstellar/circumstellar matter and spall into light elements. We find that the ν-process in the current SN Ic model produces a significant amount of 11B, consistent with observations if combined with B isotopes from the following spallation production.

A new approach to the theoretical study of turbulent behaviour of a collisionless plasma is developed. This approach is based upon the concept or probability maximization originally applied to collisional gases by Boltzmann. The probability-maximization theory deals with stochastic processes in a steady turbulent plasma by solving for the most-probable distribution. Our theory as applied to counter-streaming electron beams can quantitatively predict beam retardation, i.e. a decrease in the mean velocity of electrons injected from the system boundary. This is also in agreement with the results of a one-dimensional numerical experiment performed for such a beam-plasma system.