Akita University

Background Embryologists are crucial in assisted reproductive technology (ART), yet their duties, education, and licensing requirements vary significantly across countries, complicating the determination of optimal staffing levels in ART laboratories. With anticipated advancements such as automation in ART laboratories, this review comprehensively analyzes factors necessary for appropriate future staffing. Main Findings A comprehensive literature search was conducted using PubMed to identify relevant articles up to July 2024, employing keywords such as “embryologist,” “staffing,” and “certification.” Articles were evaluated for content related to laboratory operations, and guidelines from five organizations regarding licensing and education were compared. Results The review revealed significant international differences in embryologist certification, duties, and staffing recommendations. These disparities, along with the integration of advanced ART technologies and regulatory requirements, significantly impact future staffing needs in ART laboratories. Conclusion The definitions of an ART cycle and required staffing levels vary across organizations, influenced by the certification and duties of embryologists in different countries. Adequate embryologist staffing is essential for ensuring laboratory quality control and impacting patient ART outcomes. As new technologies and automation reshape laboratory workflows, collaborative efforts among organizations, countries, and embryologist associations are essential for developing comprehensive educational curricula and determining appropriate staffing levels.

We are officially aiming to significantly reduce CO2 emissions and become a carbon-neutral society. On the other hand, our society cannot accept soaring energy prices at this point. We empirically analyzed the relationship between the unit cost of offshore wind power projects and the factors based on actual data from offshore wind power facilities in Europe. As a result, based on the data collected in this study from 2000 onwards, it was observed that the project unit cost tends to increase as the year of wind power facilities commissioning is newer. It suggested that excessive expectations such as “significant progress in cost reduction” should be avoided. We applied real options analysis to carbon dioxide capture and storage（CCS）investment and calculated the investment threshold at which it is appropriate to make the investment in terms of expected costs. As a result, we confirmed that there are large areas where it is cost-effective to wait at that point, rather than immediately making a final investment decision in a new power source. This means that it is challenging to proceed with CCS investment under uncertainty. To promote the spread of CCS, it is necessary to overcome the investment barriers shown in this analysis. Carbon neutrality has been focused on for a long time. To maintain and secure the direction of carbon neutrality while minimizing the economic burden as much as possible, it is necessary to confront these challenges that lie ahead.

Veins intersected by a ~600‐m‐long drill core into the Hokuryu epithermal Au‐Ag deposit in the northeastern part of Hokkaido, Japan, were investigated including mineralogy, texture, quartz composition, and fluid inclusion characteristics, with relation to elevation. Host rocks of these veins are flow‐banded rhyolite, pyroclastic breccia, and andesite and are mainly altered by illite and chlorite. The veins display crustiform and massive macroscopic textures. The crustiform veins generally located at higher elevations, contain Ag‐rich and Au‐Ag‐rich bands. The massive veins are mainly present at lower elevations, and they are generally barren of precious metals. The Ag‐rich bands in the crustiform veins contain mineral assemblage of hessite + sphalerite + pyrite + galena. These minerals, together with anhedral to rhombic adularia, exist within the interstices of quartz that display microspherical texture. The Au‐Ag‐rich bands contain mineral assemblage of electrum ± naumannite‐aguilarite associated with quartz with colloform, ghost‐sphere, and ghost‐bladed textures. Bulk compositions of the veins reflect the ore mineralogy observed in which Ag is strongly correlated with Pb, Te, Zn, Cd, and Bi. The barren massive veins are mainly composed of granular quartz. Textural and mineralogical characteristics of Au‐ and Ag‐bearing bands in the crustiform veins indicate amorphous silica and calcite precursors. Together with the coexistence of adularia, these suggest liquid boiling during vein formation. Quartz associated with Au‐ and Ag‐bearing minerals exhibits blue cathodoluminescence (ca. 400 nm wavelength) triggered by high Al impurity probably due to pH and pressure fluctuations or impurity redistribution during recrystallization from metastable amorphous silica. Fluid inclusions hosted in quartz and adularia, which contain negligible amounts of CO 2 , show a modal homogenization temperature range of 260°C–290°C and a salinity range of 1.2–6.9 wt% NaCl equivalent. The homogenization temperatures follow a boiling point curve and indicate an erosion of up to ~340 m for the deposit. The variable salinities in relation to elevation suggest extreme vapor loss during boiling at depth, episodic influx of high salinity fluids from deeper source, or mixing with high salinity fluids along anastomosing fractures at relatively shallower depths.

Casting experiments of Al-10 wt.%Cu alloy were carried out using an impreved Satou mold (iST mold). The mold was a rectangular parallelepiped (inner dimensions 30 mmT × 50 mmW × 140 mmH), with a porous alumina plate on the wide side of the mold and a chill set at a height of 70 to 80 mm from the bottom. Four metal materials (stainless, steel, brass, and copper) with different thermal conductivities were used for the chill. To investigate the effect of bridging on the formation of macrosegregation, X-ray CT analysis of the macrosegregation distribution and morphology, observation of micro- and macro-structures, and analysis of temperature and solid fraction distribution were performed for samples obtained under each condition. Bridging formed near the chill under all conditions, and channels consisting of positive segregation and cavities were formed below it. The volume fraction of positive segregation decreased as the thermal conductivity of the chill material increased. In the samples using stainless and copper as chill materials, the volume fractions of positive segregation were 73.8 % and 11.7 %, respectively. Consequently, we confirmed that the bridging-formed conditions have a significant effect on the formation of macrosegregation.

Various tubular diseases in patients with multiple myeloma (MM) are caused by monoclonal immunoglobulin light chains (LCs). However, the physicochemical characteristics of the disease‐causing LCs contributing to the onset of MM‐associated tubular diseases remain unclear. We herein report a rare case of MM‐associated combined tubulopathies: non‐crystalline light chain proximal tubulopathy (LCPT) and crystalline light chain cast nephropathy (LCCN). The patient's urinary κ‐LC (Bence–Jones proteins, BJP‐κ PT‐CN) was detected through immunofixation. Renal biopsy revealed cytoplasmic vacuoles in swollen proximal tubular cells and distal tubular casts. Immunohistochemistry showed proximal tubular reabsorption granules and distal tubular casts positively stained with an anti‐κ‐LC antibody. Electron microscopy identified vacuolation and an increased number of lysosomes in proximal tubular epithelial cells without crystalline structures. Distal tubular casts comprised numerous crystals with both rod‐shaped and needle‐like configurations and tube‐shaped materials. To elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying tubular toxicity, we performed the following physicochemical analyses of BJP‐κ PT‐CN: N‐terminal amino acid sequencing, cDNA cloning, size‐exclusion chromatography, thermal shift assays, and X‐ray crystallography. The variable segment of BJP‐κ PT‐CN was derived from the IGKV1‐39 gene. The characteristic features of BJP‐κ PT‐CN were a positively charged surface patch, concentration‐dependent monomer‐dimer equilibrium, and the R61G mutation. This is the first biochemical and structural characterization of disease‐causing BJPs in MM‐associated LCPT and crystalline LCCN. The results obtained suggest that these characteristic features enhance protein binding to negatively charged sites on brush‐border membranes in proximal tubules and promote the formation of organized casts in distal tubular lumens.

Eu2O3-doped oxychloride tellurite glasses were fabricated, and their luminescent characteristics were investigated for glass scintillators. Luminescent peaks originating from the transition between 4f energy levels of Eu³⁺ were observed at 577, 592, 612, 652, and 701 nm under 530 nm light. These luminescent peaks were also observed when irradiated with X-ray, and the maximum intensity was observed at a Eu2O3 concentration of 3.0%. Furthermore, scintillation decay times of about 0.64 ms were detected from the Eu2O3-doped oxychloride tellurite glasses. Moreover, the 3.0% Eu2O3-doped oxychloride tellurite glass exhibited the lowest afterglow level (177 ppm) that was lower than that of a Tl-doped CsI single crystal.

Developing Age-Friendly Cities and Communities (AFCCs) is an increasingly popular policy response to supporting ageing populations. AFCC programmes rely on cross-sectoral collaboration, involving partnerships among diverse stakeholders working across sectors to address shared goals. However, there remains a limited understanding of what mechanisms and strategies drive collaboration among diverse actors within age-friendly cities. To address this gap, this empirical paper draws on examples from a comparative case study across Akita (Japan) and Manchester (UK), two cities with distinct demographic profiles but both with a longstanding commitment to the age-friendly approach. Case studies were created through a range of data collection methods, namely, a review of secondary data sources, semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders, and fieldwork in each city. Key insights from the case studies relating to the mobilisation of cross-sectoral collaboration were categorised into three themes: leadership and influencing, co-production, and place-based working. These mechanisms are not mutually exclusive; collaboration building through co-production and place-based working is essential to deliver age-friendly programmes, but these mechanisms rely on leadership and influence. Therefore, it is recommended that all three mechanisms be used to effectively mobilise cross-sectoral collaborations to collectively create AFCC and support healthy ageing.

The present investigation employs relevance vector machine (RVM) and long short-term memory (LSTM) models to predict the time-dependent bearing capacity of concrete piles. Each RVM model (SRVM) is configured by each linear, polynomial, gaussian, sigmoid, laplacian, and exponential kernel function. Each SRVM model has been optimized by each genetic (GA_SRVM) and particle swarm optimization (PSO_RVM) algorithm. Moreover, the double kernel-based RVM models (DRVM) have been employed and optimized by each GA (GA_DRVM) and PSO (PSO_DRVM) algorithm. Thus, an extensive comparison among 33 RVM (6SRVM + 6GA_RVM + 6PSO_RVM + 5DRVM + 5GA_DRVM + 5PSO_DRVM) has been carried out. Conversely, the Adam, root mean squared propagation and stochastic gradient descent with momentum algorithms have optimized the LSTM model. Each optimized RVM and LSTM model has been trained and tested by 100 and 26 datasets. In addition, the effect of structural and database multicollinearities has been analyzed on models’ prediction capabilities. The performance index (PI), the variance accounted for (VAF), performance (R), mean absolute error (MAE), normalized mean bias error (NMBE), and root mean square error (RMSE) matrices have analyzed the prediction capabilities of each model. The comparison of 33 RVM and 3 LSTM models reveals that the genetic algorithm-optimized Gaussian kernel function-based SRVM model, i.e., UBC7, has been recognized as the optimal performance model with the RMSE = 146.3962 kPa, PI = 1.85, VAF = 94.60, NMBE = 30.1379 kPa, MAE = 105.7009 kPa, and R = 0.9727, close to the ideal values. Furthermore, the score (= 56), Wilcoxon (= 94.95% confidence), uncertainty (= 1st rank), generalizability (= close to ideal values), and Anderson Darling (= 9.435 ≈ 9.336) tests confirm the superiority of model UBC7. Still, structural and database multicollinearity has drastically impacted dual kernel-based RVM and stochastic gradient descent optimized LSTM models.

As part of geological survey cruises GB22-1 and GB22-2 conducted in the area west of the Tokara Islands and the area south of Yaku Island, we conducted surface sediment sampling at 95 sites and sediment core sampling at 1 site. Sediment data, such as sediment samples and photographs of the seafloor, were analyzed for various species (e.g., bryozoa); the distribution of living corals and coral remains; planktic foraminifera assemblages, size distribution, and preservation; and environmental DNA extraction.In the area west of the Tokara Islands, medium sandy to muddy sediments are distributed on the flat seafloor at depths of 800 m or more, and scattered outcrops occur near the top of a topographic high. We found gravelly sediments and locally rippled sandy sediments around the topographic high. This sediment distribution can be explained by the abundant supply of fine-grained sediment from surrounding land areas such as the Asian continent and Kyushu Island, the influence of the Kuroshio Current flowing northward in this area, and locally generated bottom currents related to topographic effects. In the area south of Yakushima Island, a large area of outcrop occurs along the Tane-Yaku Spur, including Yaku-Shin Sone, and gravelly to muddy sediments are distributed to the east and west of the spur. The sandy sediments contain a large amount of biogenic material, and ripples were observed at several points. The distribution of these sediments reflects the erosion and sediment transport associated with the changing velocity of the Kuroshio Current as it moves eastward across the Tane-Yaku Spur and out to the Pacific Ocean. The analysis of bryozoa, coral distribution, and planktic foraminifera assemblage, size distribution, and preservation suggests that biological production is strongly influenced by the Kuroshio Current in the area west of the Tokara Islands and the area south of Yaku Island.

Extreme workload and poor working environment have a negative impact on the emotional and physical statuses among nurses. The study has contributed to evaluate work-life balance and its related factors among teaching hospital nurses. It was aimed to examine the work-life balance and its related factors among teaching hospital nurses. A cross-sectional study using a universal sampling technique was conducted. 1002 nurses were included from the Teaching hospital of Klang Valley, Malaysia. The instrument was adapted from NIOSH Generic Job Stress Questionnaire and QoL questionnaire from WHO, and it was used to measure the quality of work-life balance. Non-work activities, job requirement, supervisor support, job satisfaction, manageability, social and environmental variables have independently influenced work-life balance among nurses. Furthermore, quality of life variables has positively influenced the work-life balance (P<0.050). Work life balance and organizational commitment can have a positive relationship. Whereas, Nurses working in fixed shifts were observed with greater work-life balance as compared to the nurses working in multiple shifts. A friendly environment in the professional sector plays a major role for developing motivation and enthusiasm among workers.

In Japan, diapers are often used to wash bedridden patients’ hair by placing the diaper under the patient’s head for ease of use and efficiency. However, using diapers for the head is an ethical problem as diapers are originally used for elimination care. Developing better equipment to wash hair is necessary to comfort patients and reduce nurses’ workload. Our industry-academia-clinical collaboration team developed a disposable absorbent pad particularly for washing patients’ hair in bed. This study aimed to evaluate this pad developed for bedridden patients. The trial was conducted in five departments at a university hospital between May and August 2016. The post-trial cross-sectional survey for nurses contained demographic data, evaluation of the pad with rating score as quantitative data, free comments as qualitative data, and comparison with diaper used experience. As this study involved development of an equipment and thus to facilitate data triangulation, mixed methods were used. The results revealed that 36 nurses participated (90% response rate). Most were in their 20s (69%). The overall evaluation was “good” (91%). Good water absorption, no water leakage, and easy usage were reported. In a comparison with diapers using experience, the majority preferred the developed pad (81%). Better structure, usage, and resolution of ethical issues were also confirmed in a comparison with diapers. The developed disposable hair washing pad is an efficient tool for nurses to wash bedridden patients’ hair. As it is disposable, infections are also controlled well. Further manufacturing aspects need to be considered for mega production.

This study aims to restructure a location-aware audio guide mobile application designed for urban walking tours. Traditional points of interest-based geofencing, which triggers automatic guide delivery as users approach specific locations, struggle to provide continuous and consistent storytelling in areas with limited notable spots, thereby diminishing tourist experiences. To address this challenge, we propose a hierarchical geofencing framework that forms the basis for seamless audio guide experiences through scale-based feature switching and the definition of story serialization rules. In addition, this study proposes geofence-to-conversation techniques utilizing text-to-speech engines and large language models to dynamically adapt guide document resources to dynamic tourists’ movements. A demonstration conducted in a historic urban park area highlighted that the guide generation time in both English and Japanese guide modes is significantly shorter than playback duration, confirming technical feasibility for seamless regional storytelling. Furthermore, we define metrics such as starting time errors, ending time errors, undelivered time to evaluate the real-time performance of location-aware audio guide applications. The experimental results demonstrate effective strategies for geofence configuration and operations, enhancing user experiences in our generative audio tours. This intelligent guide approach, designed for complex urban environments, is expected to enrich tourism and foster regional learning.

The Ryugamori Granitoids in northern Akita Prefecture, northeast Japan, were emplaced during two separate phases of magmatism. In this study, we determined the ages of the granitoids using LA–ICP–MS zircon U–Pb dating. Ages of 21.9 ± 0.2 Ma and 21.2 ± 0.2 Ma were obtained from the older Ryugamori Granitoids, while the younger granitoids were dated to 9.5 ± 0.1 Ma. A porphyritic granite in the southwestern part of Ryugamori, which was previously thought to be a member of the younger Ryugamori Granitoids, yields an age that corresponds to the older phase of granitoid emplacement. The distribution of the younger Ryugamori Granitoids is limited to the southern part of the Ryugamori area.

In Japan, since 2014, new treatments such as androgen receptor signaling inhibitors and cabazitaxel have become applicable for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC), leading to dramatic changes in treatment options. This study aims to evaluate the impact of recent advancements in treatment options on the overall survival (OS) of patients diagnosed with de novo metastatic castration-sensitive prostate cancer (mCSPC) in Japan. A retrospective analysis was conducted on 2450 Japanese men diagnosed with de novo mCSPC between 2008 and 2018. Patients were stratified into two groups based on the period of diagnosis: an earlier period (2008–2013) and a later period (2014–2018). OS was compared between earlier and later periods using Kaplan–Meier analysis in total and propensity score matched subpopulation as well as risk-stratified subgroups. Patients diagnosed in the later period exhibited significantly improved OS compared to those diagnosed in the earlier period. The risk score, calculated based on ISUP grade group, LDH levels, and ALP levels, was a poor prognostic factor. In the later period, compared to the earlier period, there was no improvement in OS in the favorable-risk group, but a significant improvement was observed in the poor-risk group. It was suggested that the introduction of novel androgen receptor signaling inhibitors and chemotherapy treatment regimens since 2014 has led to improved survival outcomes for patients with de novo mCSPC, particularly those with poor-risk profiles. The findings highlight the impact of recent advancements in treatment on the prognosis of patients with metastatic prostate cancer in Japan.

HM-SCREEN-Japan is a multicenter collaborative project in Japan to evaluate the clinical utility of a cancer genome panel in the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The HM-SCREEN-JAPAN02 study used the Amoy Myeloid Panel® with the HANDLE system, which enables efficient and rapid sequencing, as the genomic testing kit. The Amoy Myeloid Panel® targets 53 genes with established clinical significance or high prevalence. The study analyzed bone marrow fluid or peripheral blood. Multiple time points for submission were allowed to evaluate clonal changes over time. A total of 179 tests/145 patients with one or more pathogenic mutations (23 patients submitted specimens at multiple time points) were included in the analysis. A variety of patterns were detected, including acquisition of new resistance-associated genetic mutations and pathogenic mutations remaining after clinical remission. The median time required for sequencing and annotation was 8 days. TP53 and NRAS mutations were associated with increased risk of death (hazard ratio = 3.98 and 5.50, respectively). In a survey of physicians at the participating centers, 63% reported that the genomic panel was clinically useful, particularly for assessing clinical risk and evaluating indications for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

This paper proposes a method to quantitatively estimate the local-distortion characteristics in historical maps. First, the Euclidean regression technique is applied to a given historical map to fit its size, direction and location to those of a present map. Next, the moving least squares technique is used to formulate the relationship between the present map and the fitted historical map as a localized similarity-transformation function. The coefficients of the obtained function quantitatively and separately give the amounts of two main local-distortion processes at each local area: rotation heuristics and implicit scaling. The experimental results show the effectiveness of the proposed method.

Background/Objectives: Since 2013, eradication therapy for Helicobacter pylori gastritis (Hp-ET) has been covered by the National Health Insurance of Japan. Recently, the risk of post-eradication gastric cancer (pE-GC) has increased. pE-GC includes cancers that develop immediately and several years after Hp-ET. Therefore, we aimed to clarify the endoscopic and histological characteristics of late types of pE-GCs. Method: One hundred patients with differentiated cancers detected after Hp-ET who underwent endoscopic submucosal dissection from 2015 to 2023 were compared. Patients were divided into two groups; the immediate group (n = 69), with cancer detected within 6 years, and the delayed group (n = 31), with cancer detected within >6 years after Hp-ET. The background mucosa and tumor mucosa were examined individually. The endoscopic findings were as follows: enlarged folds, map-like redness, intermediate zone irregularity, and the presence of a regular arrangement of collecting venules and a light blue crest (background); an irregular surface structure, an irregular vascular pattern, an irregular surface pattern, and a gastritis-like appearance (tumor). The histological findings were as follows: a low remnant rate of the fundic glands, intestinal metaplasia (IM), crypt enlargement, and neutrophil infiltration (background); mosaicism, the elongation of noncancer ducts, and an overlying non-neoplastic epithelium (tumor). Results: There was no significant difference regarding the background mucosa and tumor mucosa between the two groups. In the delayed group, the remnant rate of the fundic glands was 19.8 ± 15.6%, and IM was 87.1% (27/31). Further, 90.3% (28/31) of the patients exhibited persistent neutrophil infiltration. Conclusion: This study suggested that patients with a low remnant rate of the fundic gland and IM and persistent mucosal inflammation were at high risk for developing pE-GCs.