A search for the heaviest isotopes of fluorine, neon, and sodium was conducted by fragmentation of an intense ^{48}Ca beam at 345 MeV/nucleon with a 20-mm-thick beryllium target and identification ...of isotopes in the large-acceptance separator BigRIPS at the RIKEN Radioactive Isotope Beam Factory. No events were observed for ^{32,33}F, ^{35,36}Ne, and ^{38}Na and only one event for ^{39}Na after extensive running. Comparison with predicted yields excludes the existence of bound states of these unobserved isotopes with high confidence levels. The present work indicates that ^{31}F and ^{34}Ne are the heaviest bound isotopes of fluorine and neon, respectively. The neutron dripline has thus been experimentally confirmed up to neon for the first time since ^{24}O was confirmed to be the dripline nucleus nearly 20 years ago. These data provide new keys to understanding the nuclear stability at extremely neutron-rich conditions.
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CMK, CTK, FMFMET, IJS, NUK, PNG, UL, UM
Functional electrical stimulation (FES) is a rehabilitation technique that enables functional improvements in patients with motor control impairments. This study presents an original design and ...prototyping method for a smart sleeve for FES applications. The article explains how to integrate a carbon-based dry electrode into a textile structure and ensure an electrical connection between the electrodes and the stimulator for effective delivery of the FES. It also describes the materials and the step-by-step manufacturing processes. The carbon-based dry electrode is integrated into the textile substrate by a thermal compression molding process on an embroidered conductive matrix. This matrix is composed of textile silver-plated conductive yarns and is linked to the stimulator. Besides ensuring the electrical connection, the matrix improves the fixation between the textile substrate and the electrode. The stimulation intensity, the perceived comfort and the muscle torque generated by the smart FES sleeve were compared to hydrogel electrodes. The results show a better average comfort and a higher average stimulation intensity with the smart FES sleeve, while there were no significant differences for the muscle torque generated. The integration of the proposed dry electrodes into a textile is a viable solution. The wearable FES system does not negatively impact the electrodes' performance, and tends to improve it. Additionally, the proposed prototyping method is applicable to an entire garment in order to target all muscles. Moreover, the process is feasible for industrial production and commercialization since all materials and processes used are already available on the market.
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DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Background and purpose
Many epidemiological studies of Guillain−Barré syndrome (GBS) and Fisher syndrome (FS) have been conducted in Europe and America. In contrast, epidemiological studies are rare ...in Asia where the GBS subtypes differ from those in Western countries. This study was undertaken to clarify the incidence of GBS and FS in a local area in Japan as well as their seasonal trends.
Method
Seventy‐one GBS and 37 FS patients were recorded from 2006 to 2015 in an area of approximately 1.5 million inhabitants in Japan. The incidence, seasonal trends and clinical features of GBS and FS were examined.
Results
The incidence rate of GBS was 0.42 cases per 100 000 person‐years and that of FS was 0.22 cases per 100 000 person‐years. The incidence of GBS increased with age and FS affected predominantly patients aged from 45 to 64 years old. There was some seasonal clustering of acute motor axonal neuropathy (AMAN) and FS in spring and summer, but it was not significant. AMAN and FS patients had a high frequency of preceding infection (AMAN, 68% gastrointestinal infection; FS, 65% upper respiratory infection). Antecedent respiratory infection was significantly associated with FS as an outcome. Serum antibodies to ganglioside GM1 were detected in 71% of AMAN patients and antibodies to GQ1b were detected in 81% of FS patients.
Conclusions
Our study offers evidence of a lower incidence of GBS and a higher incidence of FS in a local area in Japan than in Western countries.
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BFBNIB, FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is associated with interoceptive deficits expressed throughout the body, particularly the facial musculature. According to the facial feedback hypothesis, afferent ...feedback from the facial muscles suffices to alter the emotional experience. Thus, manipulating the facial muscles could provide a new "mind-body" intervention for MDD. This article provides a conceptual overview of functional electrical stimulation (FES), a novel neuromodulation-based treatment modality that can be potentially used in the treatment of disorders of disrupted brain connectivity, such as MDD.
A focused literature search was performed for clinical studies of FES as a modulatory treatment for mood symptoms. The literature is reviewed in a narrative format, integrating theories of emotion, facial expression, and MDD.
A rich body of literature on FES supports the notion that peripheral muscle manipulation in patients with stroke or spinal cord injury may enhance central neuroplasticity, restoring lost sensorimotor function. These neuroplastic effects suggest that FES may be a promising innovative intervention for psychiatric disorders of disrupted brain connectivity, such as MDD. Recent pilot data on repetitive FES applied to the facial muscles in healthy participants and patients with MDD show early promise, suggesting that FES may attenuate the negative interoceptive bias associated with MDD by enhancing positive facial feedback. Neurobiologically, the amygdala and nodes of the emotion-to-motor transformation loop may serve as potential neural targets for facial FES in MDD, as they integrate proprioceptive and interoceptive inputs from muscles of facial expression and fine-tune their motor output in line with socio-emotional context.
Manipulating facial muscles may represent a mechanistically novel treatment strategy for MDD and other disorders of disrupted brain connectivity that is worthy of investigation in phase II/III trials.
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IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
Hydrogen production through steam reforming of dimethyl ether was investigated with a simple composite catalyst prepared by physically mixing two active components of Al2O3 and PdZn alloy. A mixture ...in a weight ratio of 9/1 (Al2O3/PdZn) gave an excellent catalytic performance at 400 °C with a 94% H2 yield at 100% conversion. Hydrolysis of dimethyl ether to methanol occurred on Al2O3, followed by steam reforming of methanol formed on PdZn alloy. The composite catalyst showed good stability and durability and no catalyst deactivation was observed at such a high temperature.
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•A simple composite catalyst of Al2O3 and PdZn is promising for steam reforming of dimethyl ether.•The optimized catalyst is a mixture of Al2O3 and PdZn in 9:1 in weight.•A 94% H2 yield can be achieved at 100% conversion over the optimized catalyst at 400 °C.•The optimized composite catalyst works satisfactorily with no deactivation at 400 °C.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK
Environmental Stimulus of Electric Fields on Stem Cell Migration. The movement of cells in response to electric potential gradients is called galvanotaxis. In vivo galvanotaxis, powered by endogenous ...electric fields (EFs), plays a critical role during development and wound healing. This review aims to provide a perspective on how stem cells transduce EFs into directed migration and an understanding of the current literature relating to the mechanisms by which cells sense and transduce EFs. We will comment on potential EF-based regenerative medicine therapeutics.
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FZAB, GIS, IJS, IZUM, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
We have measured for the first time simultaneously both the mean charge states and stopping powers of (35-280) MeV/u 208Pb ions in gases and solids with an accuracy of 1%. The existence at lower ...energies and disappearance at higher of density effects in the charge-state distribution and the corresponding stopping power are directly confirmed and comparisons with widely used theories and simulations for heavy ions demonstrate strong deviations of up to 27%. However, an unprecedented prediction power of better than 3% has been achieved for the energy loss when the measured mean charge-states are implemented in the Lindhard-Sørensen theory. Our present benchmark data contribute to an improved understanding of the basic atomic collision processes and to numerous applications in nuclear physics. Extending the GANIL data 1 to higher accuracy and energies, we can now answer at which velocities the Bohr-Lindhard density effect in stopping will vanish.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
HCHO species were effectively involved in the steam reforming and the dehydrogenation of methanol over supported copper and Group VIII metal (Ni, Rh, Pd, and Pt) catalysts. It was suggested that the ...difference in the catalytic performances of copper and Group VIII metals was ascribed to the difference in the reactivity of HCHO species formed in the course of the reactions. On the basis of the mechanisms proposed, novel functions of Pd/ZnO catalysts recently developed were discussed.
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IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK
Many cell types respond to electric fields (EFs) through cell migration, a process termed galvanotaxis. The galvanotactic response is critical for development and wound healing. Here we investigate ...whether skin-derived precursor cells (SKPs), which have the potential to differentiate into mesodermal and peripheral neural cell types, undergo directed migration in the presence of an EF. We found that EF application promotes SKP migration towards the anode. The migratory response is substrate-dependent as SKPs undergo directed migration on laminin and Matrigel, but not collagen. The majority of SKPs express the undifferentiated cell markers nestin, fibronectin and Sox2, after both EF application and in sister cultures with no EF application, suggesting that EFs do not promote cell differentiation. Co-cultures of SKPs and brain-derived neural precursor cells (NPCs), a population of cells that undergo rapid, cathode-directed migration, reveal that in the presence of NPCs an increased percentage of SKPs undergo galvanotaxis, providing evidence that cells can provide cues to modify the galvanotactic response. We propose that a better understanding of SKP migration in the presence of EFs may provide insight into improved strategies for wound repair.
•Skin-derived precursors migrate anodally in an electric field.•Skin-derived precursor migration depends on the substrate.•Skin-derived precursor anodal migration is affected by cell-mediated interactions.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
•We measured the production cross sections for a variety of radioactive isotopes.•They were produced from 124Xe, 48Ca, and 238U beams at 345MeV/nucleon using BigRIPS.•The measured production cross ...sections were compared with the EPAX formulae.•We discovered four new isotopes 85,86Ru and 81,82Mo produced by 124Xe+Be.•103Sb is particle unbound with an upper limit of 49ns for the half-life.
We have measured the production rates and production cross sections for a variety of radioactive isotopes which were produced from 124Xe, 48Ca, and 238U beams at an energy of 345MeV/nucleon using the BigRIPS separator at the RIKEN Nishina Center RI Beam Factory (RIBF). Proton-rich isotopes with atomic numbers Z=40–52 and neutron-rich isotopes with Z=5–16 were produced by projectile fragmentation of the 124Xe and 48Ca beam on Be targets, respectively. Neutron-rich isotopes with Z=20–59 were produced by in-flight fission of the 238U beam, in which both Be and Pb were used as production targets. The measured production rates and production cross sections were compared with those of the LISE++ calculations, and overall fairly good agreement has been obtained. Furthermore, in the measurements with the 124Xe beam, we have discovered four new isotopes on the proton-drip line, 85,86Ru and 81,82Mo, and obtained the clear evidence that 103Sb is particle unbound with an upper limit of 49ns for the half-life. The measurements of projectile-fragment momentum distributions have been also performed with the 124Xe beam, in which the low-momentum tails of the distributions have been measured for the first time at the energy of 345MeV/nucleon.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK
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