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In this article, we construct zeta morphisms for the universal deformations of odd absolutely irreducible two dimensional mod p Galois representations satisfying some mild assumptions, and prove that our zeta morphisms interpolate Kato’s zeta morphisms for Galois representations associated to Hecke eigen cusp newforms. The existence of such morphisms was predicted by Kato’s generalized Iwasawa main conjecture. Based on Kato’s original construction, we construct our zeta morphisms using many deep results in the theory of p-adic (local and global) Langlands correspondence for GL2/Q. As an application of our zeta morphisms and the recent article (Kim et al. in On the Iwasawa invariants of Kato’s zeta elements for modular forms, 2019, arXiv:1909.01764v2), we prove a theorem which roughly states that, under some μ=0 assumption, Iwasawa main conjecture without p-adic L-function for f holds if this conjecture holds for one g which is congruent to f.

Low-carbohydrate, high-fat diets (ketogenic diets) might prevent tumor progression and could be used as supportive therapy; however, few studies have addressed the effect of such diets on colorectal cancer. An infant formula with a ketogenic composition (ketogenic formula; KF) is used to treat patients with refractory epilepsy. We investigated the effect of KF on cancer and cancer cachexia in colon tumor-bearing mice. Mice were randomized into normal (NR), tumor-bearing (TB), and ketogenic formula (KF) groups. Colon 26 cells were inoculated subcutaneously into TB and KF mice. The NR and TB groups received a standard diet, and the KF mice received KF ad libitum. KF mice preserved their body, muscle, and carcass weights. Tumor weight and plasma IL-6 levels were significantly lower in KF mice than in TB mice. In the KF group, energy intake was significantly higher than that in the other two groups. Blood ketone body concentrations in KF mice were significantly elevated, and there was a significant negative correlation between blood ketone body concentration and tumor weight. Therefore, KF may suppress the progression of cancer and the accompanying systemic inflammation without adverse effects on weight gain, or muscle mass, which might help to prevent cancer cachexia.

Knee osteoarthritis (OA) currently lacks disease-modifying treatments. While autologous mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) transplantation has shown promise, its limitations have led to growing interest in allogeneic MSC therapy. The aim of this study was to clarify the functional role of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) in the chondroprotective effects of synovial MSCs transplanted under fully major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-mismatched allogeneic conditions in a rat model. Synovial MSCs were isolated from the knees of ACI rats and transfected with either Hgf siRNA or control siRNA. HGF knockdown was confirmed at both the mRNA and protein levels. Chondrogenic capacity was assessed by evaluating the cartilage pellet size after in vitro differentiation. OA was surgically induced in Lewis rats by anterior cruciate ligament transection (ACLT). At one week post-surgery, the rats (n = 20 knees/group) received weekly intra-articular injections of one of the following for 7 weeks: (1) vehicle control (medium alone), (2) control siRNA-treated MSCs, or (3) Hgf siRNA-treated MSCs (1 × 10⁶ cells). At 8 weeks post-injection, cartilage degeneration was evaluated using macroscopic and histological Osteoarthritis Research Society International (OARSI) scoring. Transfection with Hgf siRNA reduced Hgf gene expression to 30% of the control levels and significantly decreased HGF protein secretion. HGF knockdown impaired in vitro chondrogenic differentiation, resulting in a reduced cartilage pellet size. In vivo, treatment with control siRNA-treated MSCs significantly delayed OA progression compared to the vehicle group, while Hgf siRNA-treated MSCs demonstrated diminished therapeutic efficacy, indicating reduced chondroprotective effects when HGF secretion was suppressed. Synovial MSCs derived from ACI rats effectively delayed OA progression in Lewis rats despite the full MHC mismatch. HGF secretion played a critical role in mediating these chondroprotective effects. These findings highlight HGF as a key therapeutic effector in MSC-based treatment of OA under immunologically mismatched allogeneic conditions.

Synovial mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) injected into the knee promote meniscus regeneration in several animal models; however, the mode of action is unknown. Our purpose was to identify the molecules responsible for this meniscus regeneration. Rat synovial MSCs were treated with neutralizing antibodies for integrin β1, PDGFRβ, or CD44 or with the CRISPR/Cas9 system to delete Vcam1 , Tnfr1 , or Col2a1 genes. After partial meniscectomy, rat knees were injected with MSCs, and the regenerated meniscus area was quantified three weeks later. The in vivo and in vitro functions were compared between the treated and control MSCs. Anti-integrin β1 neutralizing antibody inhibited in vitro MSC adhesion to collagen-coated chambers, anti-PDGFRβ neutralizing antibody inhibited proliferation in culture dishes, and Col2a1 deletion inhibited in vitro chondrogenesis. In vivo, the regenerated meniscus area was significantly smaller after injection of MSCs treated with integrin β1 and PDGFRβ neutralizing antibodies or lacking type II collagen gene than after control MSC injection. By contrast, the regenerated areas were similar after injection of control, CD44-, Vcam1- , or Tnfr1 treated MSCs ( n  = 12–16) MSCs. Synovial MSCs injected into the knee joint promoted meniscus regeneration by adhesion to integrin β1 in the meniscectomized region, proliferation by PDGFRβ, and cartilage matrix production from type II collagen.

Deep-sea sediments have attracted much attention as a promising resource for rare-earth elements and yttrium (REY). In this study, we show statistically independent components characterising REY-enrichment in the abyssal ocean that are decoded by Independent Component Analysis of a multi-elemental dataset of 3,968 bulk sediment samples from 101 sites in the Pacific and Indian oceans. This study for the first time reconstructs the spatiotemporal variations of the geochemical signatures, including hydrothermal, hydrogenous and biogenic calcium phosphate components that were closely involved in the formation of REY-rich mud over the past 65 million years. An underlying key factor of significant REY-enrichment is a sufficiently low sedimentation rate that enables the mud to accumulate REY from seawater. In the early Cenozoic, a remarkably small supply of aeolian dust, compared with any other time and region, facilitated the deposition of very high-grade REY-rich mud in the South Pacific. This indicates an important link between the genesis of the seafloor mineral resources and Earth’s dynamic phenomena such as climate change and plate tectonics.

The authors present a streamlined setup for Brillouin scattering observation, which negates the need for an independent reference path by incorporating a variable reflectivity mirror at the terminus of the sensing fibre. The authors’ study uncovers an optimal reflectivity point, specifically at −9 dB, where the signal‐to‐noise ratio (SNR) of the observed Brillouin gain spectrum (BGS) reaches its zenith, approximately doubling the SNR of a conventional simplified setup that utilises Fresnel reflection. Furthermore, the authors elucidate that this setup inherently mitigates the polarisation‐dependent fluctuations of the BGS. A simplified Brillouin observation setup is developed by removing an independent reference path and incorporating a variable reflectivity mirror at the fibre end. This setup inherently mitigates the polarisation‐dependent fluctuations of the Brillouin gain spectrum.

Catalysis-based electrical sensing of volatile organic compounds on metal oxide surfaces is a powerful method for molecular discrimination. However, catalyst deactivation caused by the poisoning of catalytic sites by analytes and/or catalyzed products remains a challenge. This study highlights the underestimated role of van der Waals interactions between hydrophobic aliphatic alkyl chains and hydrophilic ZnO surfaces in mitigating catalyst deactivation during aliphatic aldehyde sensing. By immobilizing octadecylphosphonic acid (ODPA) on ZnO nanowire sensors, recovery times for nonanal detection are significantly reduced without compromising sensitivity. Temperature-programmed measurements demonstrate a reduction in desorption temperature of carboxylates on ODPA-modified ZnO to below 150 °C, whereas carboxylates on bare ZnO remain above 300 °C, indicating a significant decrease in catalyst deactivation. Density functional theory calculations reveal that accumulated van der Waals interactions between alkyl chains and ZnO surfaces significantly contributed to adsorption molecular kinetics. IR spectroscopy using deuterated self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) reveals conformational changes of alkyl chains within the SAMs caused by aldehyde adsorption, supporting the suggested adsorption kinetics. A model is proposed based on the dynamic surface-covering by alkyl chains destabilizes catalytically oxidized carboxylic acids. This study highlights the role of van der Waals interactions between hydrophobic aliphatic alkyl chains and hydrophilic ZnO surfaces in mitigating catalyst deactivation during aliphatic aldehyde electrical sensing.

World demand for rare-earth elements and the metal yttrium is rapidly increasing. An analysis of more than 2,000 seafloor sediment samples suggests that deep-sea mud constitutes a highly promising giant resource for these elements. World demand for rare-earth elements and the metal yttrium—which are crucial for novel electronic equipment and green-energy technologies—is increasing rapidly 1 , 2 , 3 . Several types of seafloor sediment harbour high concentrations of these elements 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 . However, seafloor sediments have not been regarded as a rare-earth element and yttrium resource, because data on the spatial distribution of these deposits are insufficient. Here, we report measurements of the elemental composition of over 2,000 seafloor sediments, sampled at depth intervals of around one metre, at 78 sites that cover a large part of the Pacific Ocean. We show that deep-sea mud contains high concentrations of rare-earth elements and yttrium at numerous sites throughout the eastern South and central North Pacific. We estimate that an area of just one square kilometre, surrounding one of the sampling sites, could provide one-fifth of the current annual world consumption of these elements. Uptake of rare-earth elements and yttrium by mineral phases such as hydrothermal iron-oxyhydroxides and phillipsite seems to be responsible for their high concentration. We show that rare-earth elements and yttrium are readily recovered from the mud by simple acid leaching, and suggest that deep-sea mud constitutes a highly promising huge resource for these elements.

Deep‐sea sediments enriched in rare‐earth elements and yttrium (REY) plus scandium (Sc), termed “REY‐rich mud,” have attracted attention as a possible resource for these critical industrial elements. Examples have been reported from the western North Pacific, central Pacific, low‐latitude South Pacific, and eastern South Pacific. Although previous studies of pelagic clay have reported the existence of highly REY‐rich mud in the ultraoligotrophic South Pacific Gyre, neither the source materials nor the resource potentials for REY and Sc of the sediment have been quantified. We analyzed the major‐ and trace‐element contents of bulk sediments in Integrated Ocean Drilling Program Holes U1365A to U1370D, drilled in the South Pacific Gyre. The elemental relationships suggest that the enrichment in REY and Sc reflects the accumulation of biogenic Ca phosphate in an environment with low sedimentation rates as well as the tectonic transition of depositional environments from hydrothermally influenced sites near the mid‐ocean ridge to distal basins far from hydrothermal vents. The maximum total REY content of 4,662 ppm at Hole U1366C is the highest value yet reported from the South Pacific Ocean. Although the REY‐ and Sc‐enriched sediment layers of most cores from the South Pacific Gyre are located deeper beneath the seafloor than those elsewhere in the Pacific Ocean, Hole U1367B demonstrates large resource potentials (1.21 × 104 t/km2 of REY oxides and 102 t/km2 of Sc) in the uppermost 6.5‐m interval, making it the most promising site for REY and Sc yet found in the South Pacific Gyre. Plain Language Summary Rare‐earth elements and yttrium (REY) and scandium (Sc) are essential materials in current technology. These elements are concentrated in deep‐sea sediments, called “REY‐rich mud,” which is being considered as a future resource for REY and Sc. However, in the South Pacific Gyre, a mid‐latitude South Pacific pelagic area with extremely low bioproductivity, the source materials and resource potentials for REY and Sc of REY‐rich mud remain uncertain. We analyzed major‐ and trace‐element contents of six previously drilled sediment cores from the South Pacific Gyre to assess the factors contributing to their REY and Sc enrichment and to estimate their REY and Sc resource potentials. We confirmed the presence of several REY‐ and Sc‐rich layers (total ΣREY >2,000 ppm and Sc >50 ppm) in the cores, with maximum levels of total ΣREY = 4,662 ppm and Sc = 106 ppm. We attribute this enrichment mainly to biogenic Ca phosphate (fish teeth and bones) accumulation in an environment with slow sedimentation rates and to oceanic plate movement from the mid‐ocean ridge to a deep‐sea basin far from hydrothermal vents. The resource potentials in the most promising site were estimated as 1.21 × 104 t/km2 of REY oxides and 102 t/km2 of Sc. Key Points Biogenic Ca‐phosphate deposition at a slow sedimentation rate enriched rare‐earth elements in the South Pacific Gyre deep‐sea sediments The most promising site contains 1.21 × 104 t/km2 of rare‐earth oxides within the sediment 0–6.5 m below the seafloor The uppermost 6.5 m of sediment at the most promising site contains 102 t/km2 of easily extractable Sc

Optical fibre sensors based on Brillouin scattering have been vigorously studied in the context of structural health monitoring on account of their capacity for distributed strain and temperature measurements. However, real-time distributed strain measurement has been achieved only for two-end-access systems; such systems reduce the degree of freedom in embedding the sensors into structures, and furthermore render the measurement no longer feasible when extremely high loss or breakage occurs at a point along the sensing fibre. Here, we demonstrate real-time distributed measurement with an intrinsically one-end-access reflectometry configuration by using a correlation-domain technique. In this method, the Brillouin gain spectrum is obtained at high speed using a voltage-controlled oscillator, and the Brillouin frequency shift is converted into a phase delay of a synchronous sinusoidal waveform; the phase delay is subsequently converted into a voltage, which can be directly measured. When a single-point measurement is performed at an arbitrary position, a strain sampling rate of up to 100 kHz is experimentally verified by detecting locally applied dynamic strain at 1 kHz. When distributed measurements are performed at 100 points with 10 times averaging, a repetition rate of 100 Hz is verified by tracking a mechanical wave propagating along the fibre. Some drawbacks of this ultrahigh-speed configuration, including the reduced measurement accuracy, lowered spatial resolution and limited strain dynamic range, are also discussed. Fibre sensors: ultrafast sampling An optical fibre sensing scheme that measures strain with a high spatial resolution and a very high sampling rate has been developed. Optical fibre sensors based on Brillouin scattering are promising for monitoring structural health. The system built by Yosuke Mizuno of Tokyo Institute of Technology and colleagues measures the frequency shift induced in the fibre’s Brillouin gain spectrum on stretching the fibre. This frequency shift is converted into a phase delay of a sinusoidal waveform, which enables the direct detection of the frequency shift. The approach allows single-point strain measurements to be performed at a rate of up to 100 kilohertz at any point along the fibre. Distributed measurements at multiple points along the fibre are also possible, although at lower repetition rates. Importantly, the scheme only requires access from one end of the fibre.