Publications by authors named "Ryo Sakai"

We review the basic ideas of the tensor renormalization group method and show how they can be applied for lattice field theory models involving relativistic fermions and Grassmann variables in arbitrary dimensions. We discuss recent progress for entanglement filtering, loop optimization, bond-weighting techniques and matrix product decompositions for Grassmann tensor networks. The new methods are tested with two-dimensional Wilson-Majorana fermions and multi-flavor Gross-Neveu models.

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Motor nerve organoids could be generated by culturing a spheroid of motor neurons differentiated from human induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells within a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) chip which guides direction and fasciculation of axons extended from the spheroid. To isolate axon bundles from motor nerve organoids, we developed a rapid laser dissection method based on localized photothermal combustion. By illuminating a blue laser on a black mark on the culture device using a dry-erase marker, we induced highly localized heating near the axon bundles.

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TFAP2E is a member of the activator protein-2 transcription factor family and acts as a tumor suppressor in several types of cancer. Downregulation of TFAP2E expression is significantly associated with a shorter overall survival period in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). To evaluate the molecular mechanisms by which TFAP2E suppresses the development or progression of OSCC, the present study investigated the effects of TFAP2E downregulation on OSCC-derived Ca9-22 and HSC-4 cells.

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Article Synopsis
  • Guided bone regeneration (GBR) is a technique in dental procedures used to enhance bone volume for implants, but current membranes have limitations like quick absorption and poor space maintenance.
  • In a study using male Fisher rats, researchers compared a new resorbable bilayer membrane made of poly (L-lactic acid) and poly (-caprolactone) (PLACL) with traditional collagen membranes, finding that both promoted significant bone regeneration.
  • The PLACL membrane showed notable durability and partial degradation after 24 weeks, suggesting it could be a better option for GBR, though more research is needed to confirm its effectiveness and safety in humans.
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For millimeter and submillimeter-wave astronomy, it is highly desirable to have vacuum windows within the receiver cryostat that exhibit low reflection, low loss, and a wide bandpass. The use of antireflective (AR) sub-wavelength structures (SWSs) on substrates has expanded the possibilities for creating new vacuum windows. Recently, a novel method of fabricating AR SWS on a silicon-on-insulator wafer has been proposed, and a vacuum window with a two-layer AR SWS has been developed for use with the Atacama Submillimeter Telescope Experiment Band 10 receiver.

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The patient was a 6-year-old girl with clinically isolated syndrome-like anti-myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein-associated disease (MOG-AD). Methylprednisolone pulse therapy resolved her cerebral lesion, and her visual acuity and field fully recovered after plasma exchange. This is the first case report presenting the therapeutic course in a child with clinically isolated syndrome-like MOG-AD.

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The objective of this study was to verify whether loss of posterior occlusal support induced displacement of the mandibular condyles from a physiological point of view. Stabilization-type splints were fabricated for 12 healthy dentulous individuals. Each splint was designed to cover the bilateral maxillary teeth up to the second molars.

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Age-related decline in lower limb motor control may cause errors in pedal operation when driving a car. This study aimed to clarify the kinematics and electrophysiological characteristics of the pedal-switching operation associated with emergency braking in the case of elderly drivers. The participants in this study consisted of 11 young drivers and 10 elderly drivers.

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Article Synopsis
  • Two new titanium germylene complexes, designated as 3 b and 3 c, were created and analyzed for their structure and properties.
  • The titanium-germanium bond lengths suggest that they have a double bond characteristic, and this observation is supported by theoretical calculations (DFT study).
  • These complexes are identified as Schrock-type titanium germylidenes, distinct from the Fischer-type germylene complexes seen in group 6 metals like molybdenum and tungsten.
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Background And Purpose: Stiff-knee gait, which is a gait abnormality observed after stroke, is characterized by decreased knee flexion angles during the swing phase, and it contributes to a decline in gait ability. This study aimed to identify the immediate effects of pedaling exercises on stiff-knee gait from a kinesiophysiological perspective.

Methods: Twenty-one patients with chronic post-stroke hemiparesis and stiff-knee gait were randomly assigned to a pedaling group and a walking group.

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Cancer stem cells (H1299-sdCSCs) were obtained from tumour spheres of H1299 human lung cancer cells. We studied low stiffness, a unique biophysical property of cancer cells, in H1299-sdCSCs and parental H1299. Atomic force microscopy revealed an average Young's modulus value of 1.

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  • Developed an effective method for doping AgInS₂/ZnS core/shell nanocrystals (NCs) with manganese (Mn) to achieve dual photoluminescence (PL) peaks.
  • Original AIS/ZnS NCs emitted one PL peak around 530 nm, but adding Mn introduced additional peaks at ~500 nm (green PL) and ~600 nm (orange PL).
  • Enhanced the absolute PL quantum yield from 10% to 34% by applying surface passivation with a ZnS shell, creating core/shell/shell nanocrystal structures.
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(1) Background: Crude drugs used in traditional Japanese Kampo medicine or folk medicine are major sources of new chemical entities for drug discovery. We screened the inhibitory potential of these crude drugs against urate transporter 1 (URAT1) to discover new drugs for hyperuricemia. (2) Methods: We prepared the MeOH extracts of 107 different crude drugs, and screened their inhibitory effects on URAT1 by measuring the uptake of uric acid by HEK293/PDZK1 cells transiently transfected with URAT1.

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We analyzed 921 adenocarcinomas of the esophagus, stomach, colon, and rectum to examine shared and distinguishing molecular characteristics of gastrointestinal tract adenocarcinomas (GIACs). Hypermutated tumors were distinct regardless of cancer type and comprised those enriched for insertions/deletions, representing microsatellite instability cases with epigenetic silencing of MLH1 in the context of CpG island methylator phenotype, plus tumors with elevated single-nucleotide variants associated with mutations in POLE. Tumors with chromosomal instability were diverse, with gastroesophageal adenocarcinomas harboring fragmented genomes associated with genomic doubling and distinct mutational signatures.

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To study the role of cell softening in malignant progression, Transwell assay and atomic force microscope were used to classify six human non-small cell lung cancer cell lines into two groups: a high motility-low stiffness (HMLS) group and a low motility-high stiffness (LMHS) group. We found a significant role of activity of the AXL receptor tyrosine kinase, which belongs to the TAM (Tyro3, AXL, Mer) family, in the stimulation of motility and cell softening. HMLS cells expressed higher AXL levels than LMHS cells and contained phosphorylated AXL.

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Background: Ample evidence on etiological and pathological differences between femoral neck and trochanteric fracture cases suggests the possibility of individualized treatment. There are many issues related to areal bone mineral density and other quantitative computed tomography parameters of the proximal femur. Although osteoporosis is a systemic problem, little has been reported regarding differences in bone structural parameters, including bone mineral density, between them in regions other than the proximal femur.

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Acid-catalyzed degradation of lignin in toluene containing methanol selectively yields C6-C2 lignin monomers and releases lignin oligomers, a potential raw feedstock for epoxy resins. We herein characterize the structures of the lignin oligomers by focusing on the changes in the interunit linkage types during solvolysis. The oligomeric lignin products were analyzed via thioacidolysis and 2D-HSQC-NMR.

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Recent genome sequencing efforts have identified millions of somatic mutations in cancer. However, the functional impact of most variants is poorly understood. Here we characterize 194 somatic mutations identified in primary lung adenocarcinomas.

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Expression of the tumor suppressor gene TUSC2 is reduced or absent in most lung cancers and is associated with worse overall survival. In this study, we restored TUSC2 gene expression in several wild type EGFR non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cell lines resistant to the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitor erlotinib and analyzed their sensitivity to erlotinib in vitro and in vivo. A significant inhibition of cell growth and colony formation was observed with TUSC2 transient and stable expression.

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Background: The sequence logo is a graphical representation of a set of aligned sequences, commonly used to depict conservation of amino acid or nucleotide sequences. Although it effectively communicates the amount of information present at every position, this visual representation falls short when the domain task is to compare between two or more sets of aligned sequences. We present a new visual presentation called a Sequence Diversity Diagram and validate our design choices with a case study.

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Dendrograms are graphical representations of binary tree structures resulting from agglomerative hierarchical clustering. In Life Science, a cluster heat map is a widely accepted visualization technique that utilizes the leaf order of a dendrogram to reorder the rows and columns of the data table. The derived linear order is more meaningful than a random order, because it groups similar items together.

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The emergence of new genes throughout evolution requires rewiring and extension of regulatory networks. However, the molecular details of how the transcriptional regulation of new gene copies evolves remain largely unexplored. Here we show how duplication of a transcription factor gene allowed the emergence of two independent regulatory circuits.

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O-Linked β-N-acetylglucosamine-modification (O-GlcNAcylation) is a reversible, post-translational, and regulatory modification of nuclear, mitochondrial, and cytoplasmic proteins that is responsive to cellular stress. However, the role of O-GlcNAcylation in the induction of heat shock proteins (Hsps) by arsenite remains unclear. We used O-(2-acetamido-2-deoxy-D-glucopyranosylidene) amino N-phenyl carbamate (PUGNAc), an inhibitor of O-GlcNAcase, and glucosamine (GlcN), an enhancer of the hexosamine biosynthesis pathway, or O-GlcNAc transferase (OGT) short interfering RNA (siRNA) to enhance or suppress cellular O-GlcNAcylation levels, respectively, in HeLa cells.

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