A rectenna, standing for a rectifying antenna, is an apparatus which generates d.c. electricity from electric fluctuations. It is expected to realize wireless power transmission as well as energy ...harvesting from environmental radio waves. To realize such rectification, devices that are made up of internal atomic asymmetry such as an asymmetric junction have been necessary so far. Here we report a material that spontaneously generates electricity by rectifying environmental fluctuations without using atomic asymmetry. The sample is a common superconductor without lowered crystalline symmetry, but, just by putting it in an asymmetric magnetic environment, it turns into a rectifier and starts generating electricity. Superconducting vortex strings only annihilate and nucleate at surfaces, and this allows the bulk electrons to feel surface fluctuations in an asymmetric environment: a vortex rectenna. The rectification and generation can be switched on and off with only a slight change in temperature or external magnetic fields.
Summary
We conducted a prospective comparative study of the effect of teriparatide therapy for preventing vertebral-failure-type PJK after reconstructive surgery for adult spinal deformity. ...Prophylactic teriparatide improved the volumetric bone mineral density and fine bone structure of the vertebra above the upper-instrumented vertebra and reduced the incidence of vertebral-failure-type PJK.
Introduction
Proximal junctional kyphosis (PJK) is a complication after corrective surgery for spinal deformity. This study sought to determine whether teriparatide (TP) is an effective prophylactic against PJK type 2 (vertebral fracture) in surgically treated patients with adult spinal deformity (ASD).
Methods
Forty-three patients who started TP therapy immediately after surgery and 33 patients who did not receive TP were enrolled in this prospective case series. These patients were female, over 50, surgically treated for ASD, and followed for at least 2 years. Preoperative and postoperative standing whole-spine X-rays and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry scans, and multidetector CT images obtained before and 6 months after surgery were used to analyze the bone strength in the vertebra above the upper-instrumented vertebra (UIV+1).
Results
Mean age was 67.9 years. After 6 months of treatment, mean hip-bone mineral density (BMD) increased from 0.721 to 0.771 g/cm
2
in the TP group and decreased from 0.759 to 0.729 g/cm
2
in the control group. This percent BMD change between groups was significant (
p
< 0.05). The volumetric BMD (326 to 366 mg/cm
3
) and bone mineral content (BMC) (553 to 622 mg) at UIV+1 were also significantly increased in TP group. The bone volume/tissue volume ratio increased from 46 to 54 % in the TP group, and the trabecular bone thickness and number increased by 14 and 5 %, respectively. At the 2-year follow-up, the PJK type 2 incidence was significantly lower in the TP group (4.6 %) than in the control group (15.2 %;
p
= .02).
Conclusions
Prophylactic TP treatment improved the volumetric BMD and fine bone structure at UIV+1 and reduced the PJK-type 2 incidence.
When many-particle (vortex) assemblies with disordered distribution are subjected to a periodic shear with a small amplitude Formula: see text, the particles gradually self-organize to avoid next ...collisions and transform into an organized configuration. We can detect it from the time-dependent voltage Formula: see text (average velocity) that increases towards a steady-state value. For small Formula: see text, the particles settle into a reversible state where all the particles return to their initial position after each shear cycle, while they reach an irreversible state for Formula: see text above a threshold Formula: see text. Here, we investigate the general phenomenon of a reversible-irreversible transition (RIT) using periodically driven vortices in a strip-shaped amorphous film with random pinning that causes local shear, as a function of Formula: see text. By measuring Formula: see text, we observe a critical behavior of RIT, not only on the irreversible side, but also on the reversible side of the transition, which is the first under random local shear. The relaxation time Formula: see text to reach either the reversible or irreversible state shows a power-law divergence at Formula: see text. The critical exponent is determined with higher accuracy and is, within errors, in agreement with the value expected for an absorbing phase transition in the two-dimensional directed-percolation universality class. As Formula: see text is decreased down to the intervortex spacing in the reversible regime, Formula: see text deviates downward from the power-law relation, reflecting the suppression of intervortex collisions. We also suggest the possibility of a narrow smectic-flow regime, which is predicted to intervene between fully reversible and irreversible flow.
The field-induced superconductor-insulator transition (SIT) in two-dimensional (2D) systems is a famous example of a quantum phase transition. However, an emergence of an anomalous metallic state ...induced by field has been a long-standing problem in 2D superconductors. While theories predicted that the emergence is attributed to strong phase fluctuations of the superconducting order parameter due to quantum fluctuations, usual resistance measurements have not probed them directly. Here, using Nernst effect measurements, we uncover superconducting fluctuations in the vicinity of the field-induced metallic state in an amorphous Mo_{x}Ge_{1-x} thin film. The field range where the vortex Nernst signals are detectable remains nonzero toward zero temperature, and it locates inside the metallic state defined by the magnetoresistance, indicating that the metallic state results from quantum vortex liquid (QVL) with phase fluctuations due to quantum fluctuations. Slow decay of transport entropy of vortices in the QVL with decreasing temperature suggests that the metallic state originates from broadening of a quantum critical point in SIT.
We study the critical dynamics of vortices associated with dynamic disordering near the depinning transitions driven by dc force (dc current I) and vortex density (magnetic field B). Independent of ...the driving parameters, I and B, we observe the critical behavior of the depinning transitions, not only on the moving side, but also on the pinned side of the transition, which is the first convincing verification of the theoretical prediction. Relaxation times, Formula: see text and Formula: see text, to reach either the moving or pinned state, plotted against I and B, respectively, exhibit a power-law divergence at the depinning thresholds. The critical exponents of both transitions are, within errors, identical to each other, which are in agreement with the values expected for an absorbing phase transition in the two-dimensional directed-percolation universality class. With an increase in B under constant I, the depinning transition at low B is replaced by the repinning transition at high B in the peak-effect regime. We find a trend that the critical exponents in the peak-effect regime are slightly smaller than those in the low-B regime and the theoretical one, which is attributed to the slight difference in the depinning mechanism in the peak-effect regime.
Objectives
To evaluate the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of perampanel, a selective, non‐competitive, α‐amino‐3‐hydroxy‐5‐methyl‐4‐isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) receptor antagonist, as an ...adjunctive treatment for patients with refractory partial‐onset seizures (POS) from Asia‐Pacific.
Materials & methods
This multicenter, randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled trial (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01618695) involved patients aged ≥12 years with refractory POS (receiving 1‐3 antiepileptic drugs). Patients were randomized (1:1:1:1) to receive once‐daily placebo or perampanel 4, 8, or 12 mg over a 6‐week titration and 13‐week maintenance double‐blind period. Enzyme‐inducing antiepileptic drugs were equally stratified between groups. The primary efficacy endpoint was percent change in POS frequency per 28 days (double‐blind phase vs baseline). Other efficacy endpoints included ≥50% responder rate and seizure freedom. Treatment‐emergent adverse events (TEAEs) were also monitored.
Results
Of 710 randomized patients, seizure frequency data were available for 704 patients. Median percent changes in POS frequency per 28 days indicated dose‐proportional reductions in seizure frequency: −10.8% with placebo and −17.3% (P = .2330), −29.0% (P = .0003), and −38.0% (P < .0001) with perampanel 4, 8, and 12 mg, respectively. In total, 108 (15.3%) patients discontinued treatment; 44 (6.2%) due to TEAEs. TEAEs occurring in ≥5% of patients, and reported at least twice as frequently with perampanel vs placebo, included dizziness and irritability.
Conclusions
Adjunctive perampanel (8 and 12 mg/d) significantly improved seizure control in patients with refractory POS. Safety and tolerability were acceptable at daily doses of perampanel 4‐12 mg.
Pressure pulsations excited by a centrifugal turbomachinery such as compressor, fan or pump at the blade passing frequency may cause severe noise and vibrations in piping system. Therefore, the ...practical evaluation method of pressure pulsations is strongly recommended. In particular, the maximum pressure amplitude under the resonant conditions should be appropriately evaluated. In this study, a one-dimensional excitation source model for a compressor or pump is introduced based on the equation of motion, so as to incorporate the non-linear damping proportional to velocity squared in the total piping system including the compressor or pump. The damping characteristics of the compressor or pump are investigated by using the semi-empirical model. It is shown that the resistance coefficient of the compressor or pump depends on the Reynolds number that is defined using the equivalent velocity of the pulsating flow. The frequency response of the pressure amplitude and the pressure distribution in the piping system can be evaluated by introducing the equivalent resistance of the compressor or pump and that of piping system. In particular, the relation of the maximum pressure amplitude in piping system to the location of the excitation source under resonant conditions can be evaluated. Finally, the reduction of the pressure pulsations by use of an orifice plate is discussed in terms of the pulsation energy loss.
We investigated the change in the metal–molecule interaction in a 1,4-benzenedithiol (BDT) single-molecule junction using a combination of surface-enhanced Raman scattering spectra and ...current–voltage curves. During the stretching process, the conductance of the junction systematically decreased, accompanied by an increase in the vibrational energy of the CC stretching mode. By analyzing the current–voltage curves and Raman spectra, we found that the interaction between the π orbital of BDT and the electronic states of Au was diminished by the orientation change of BDT during the stretching process. A comparison with a 4,4′-bipyridine single-molecule junction revealed that the reduction of coupling of the Au–S contacts was smaller than that of Au–pyridine contacts. Therefore, the electronic states originating from the contact geometry are responsible for the tolerance to the stretching of thiol-terminated molecular junctions.
Sorafenib (Sor) is acknowledged as a standard therapy for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This trial was conducted to evaluate the effect of addition of hepatic arterial infusion ...chemotherapy with cisplatin (SorCDDP) to Sor for the treatment of advanced HCC.
We conducted a multicenter open-labeled randomized phase II trial in chemo-naïve patients with advanced HCC with Child-Pugh scores of 5–7. Eligible patients were randomly assigned 2:1 to receive SorCDDP (sorafenib: 400mg bid; cisplatin: 65mg/m2, day 1, every 4–6 weeks) or Sor (400mg bid). The primary end point was overall survival.
A total of 108 patients were randomized (Sor, n = 42; SorCDDP, n = 66). The median survival in the Sor and SorCDDP arms were 8.7 and 10.6 months, respectively stratified hazard ratio (95% confidence interval), 0.60 (0.38–0.96), P = 0.031. The median time to progression and the response rate were, respectively, 2.8 months and 7.3% in the Sor arm and 3.1 months and 21.7% in the SorCDDP arm. The adverse events were more frequent in the SorCDDP arm than in the Sor arm, but well-tolerated.
SorCDDP yielded favorable overall survival when compared with Sor in patients with advanced HCC.
UMIN-CTR (http://www.umin.ac.jp/ctr/index-j.htm), identification number: UMIN000005703.
Tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), which catalyzes the conversion of l-tyrosine to l-DOPA, is the rate-limiting enzyme in the biosynthesis of catecholamines. It is well known that both α-synuclein and 14-3-3 ...protein family members bind to the TH molecule and regulate phosphorylation of its N-terminus by kinases to control the catalytic activity. In this present study we investigated whether other proteins aside from these 2 proteins might also bind to TH molecules. Nano-LC-MS/MS analysis revealed that 5′-nucleotidase domain-containing protein 2 (NT5DC2), belonging to a family of haloacid dehalogenase-type (HAD) phosphatases, was detected in the immunoprecipitate of PC12D cell lysates that had been reacted with Dynabeads protein G-anti-TH antibody conjugate. Surprisingly, NT5DC2 had already been revealed by Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS) as a gene implicated in neuropsychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, which are diseases related to the abnormality of dopamine activity in the brain, although the role that NT5DC2 plays in these diseases remains unknown. Therefore, we investigated the effect of NT5DC2 on the TH molecule. The down-regulation of NT5DC2 by siRNA increased the synthesis of catecholamines (dopamine, noradrenaline, and adrenaline) in PC12D cells. These increases might be attributed to the catalytic activity of TH and not to the intracellular stability of TH, because the intracellular content of TH assessed by Western blotting was not changed by the down-regulation of NT5DC2. Collectively, our results indicate that NT5DC2 inhibited the synthesis of dopamine by decreasing the enzymatic activity of TH.
•Nano-LC-MS/MS revealed that NT5DC2 binds to tyrosine hydroxylase in PC12D cells.•Down-regulation of NT5DC2 by siRNA increased the synthesis of catecholamines.•NT5DC2 had already been revealed as a gene implicated in neuropsychiatric disorders.
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