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A bstract Based on the study of non-invertible symmetries, we propose there exist infinitely many new renormalization group flows between Virasoro minimal models M ( kq + I , q ) → M ( kq – I , q ) induced by ϕ (1,2 k +1) . They vastly generalize the previously proposed ones k = I = 1 by Zamolodchikov, k = 1, I > 1 by Ahn and Lässig, and k = 2 by Dorey et al. All the other ℤ 2 preserving renormalization group flows sporadically known in the literature (e.g. M (10, 3) → M (8, 3) studied by Klebanov et al) fall into our proposal (e.g. k = 3, I = 1). We claim our new flows give a complete understanding of the renormalization group flows between Virasoro minimal models that preserve a modular tensor category with the SU(2) q− 2 fusion ring.

Swimmers primarily increase their forward velocity through lower limb motion in breaststroke, making the breaststroke kick crucial for optimizing race times. Recent studies have highlighted the generation of vortices around the swimmer’s entire body to propel forward during swimming. However, the investigation of vortex generation during breaststroke kicks remains unexplored. This study aimed to reveal the propulsive and braking mechanisms of breaststroke kicks by simulating vortex generation using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). Kinematic data during the breaststroke kick and a three-dimensional digital model were collected to conduct CFD for a male breaststroke swimmer. Vortex generation was determined during one breaststroke kick from the CFD results. Vortices, which potentially induce a decrease in forward velocity, were generated by the swimmer’s lower legs and feet during the recovery phase. The swimmer generated vortices on the dorsal side of the feet and the posterior and lateral sides of the lower legs to increase the forward velocity during the out-sweep phase. The swimmer generated vortices on the lateral sides of the thighs and lower legs and the dorsal and lateral sides of the feet during the in-sweep phase to maintain forward velocity. Moreover, vortices generated from the out-sweep to the in-sweep merged and were shed backward relative to the swimming direction after the in-sweep phase. This study is the first to reveal the propulsive and braking mechanisms of breaststroke kicks by analyzing the vortex generation.

Swimmers propel their bodies forward by generating vortices around themselves, which produce fluid force during underwater undulatory swimming (UUS). This study aimed to investigate the propulsive and braking contributions of the vortices of the lower limbs, trunk, and upper limbs during UUS. The kinematic data and three-dimensional digital model were collected from nine male swimmers. Vortex generation was obtained using computational fluid dynamics, and the fluid force of six vortices was determined from the vortex circulation, swimmers' segment velocity, and length. Foot vortices contributed 96.7 % to producing braking fluid force during the first half of the downward kick. Vortices of the feet and the ventral side of the trunk contributed 69.3 % and 58.8 % to producing the propulsive fluid force during the last half of the downward kick, respectively. During the first half of the upward kick, the vortices of the feet and ventral side of the trunk contributed to producing the 87.3 % of propulsive and 93.3 % of braking fluid force, respectively. During the last half of the upward kick, 63.1 % of propulsive and 86.9% of braking fluid forces were produced by vortices on the ventral side of the trunk and feet, respectively. Small fluid forces and contributions were detected for vortices of the arms, lower legs, dorsal sides of the shoulders, and waist. These results indicate that the vortices of the feet and ventral side of the trunk mainly contribute to the increase and decrease in the horizontal UUS velocity.

Purpose This study aimed to investigate the factors affecting extraocular muscle enlargement in thyroid eye disease (TED). Study design Retrospective study. Methods The thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) receptor antibody (TRAb), thyroid-stimulating antibody (TSAb), antithyroid peroxidase antibody (ATPO), and antithyroglobulin antibody (ATG) levels in patients diagnosed with TED who underwent orbital magnetic resonance imaging were assessed. The control group comprised the contralateral eye of patients who underwent orbital magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for unilateral eyelid tumors or orbital disease. The thickness of the bilateral rectus muscles and superior oblique muscles was measured on orbital MRI. Muscle enlargement was classified as unilateral/bilateral and symmetric/asymmetric. The effects of age, sex, smoking history, TSH, thyroid hormone, and thyroid autoantibodies on the muscle thickness and number of enlarged muscles were assessed by use of simple and multiple regression analyses. Results The TED and control groups comprised 41 and 44 cases, respectively. The positivity rate of TSAb in patients with TED was 92.7% higher than that of the other autoantibodies. Muscle enlargement was observed in 29 of the 41 cases (70.7%). Older age and higher TSAb levels were identified as significant factors affecting the total muscle thickness and number of enlarged muscles. Bilateral muscle enlargement and asymmetrical muscle enlargement were observed in 17 (58.6%) and 23 (79.3%) of the 29 cases, respectively. The TSAb levels and age had no significant effect on the type of muscle enlargement. Conclusions TSAb showed significant associations with extraocular muscle enlargement. Measurement of TSAb, rather than of TRAb, may be more useful for diagnosing extraocular muscle enlargement in patients with TED.

Background Small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) accounts for 12–15% of lung cancers and has a limited prognosis, with approximately one-third of SCLC patients having a poor performance status (PS). Patients with extensive-stage (ES) SCLC and a poor PS have a poor prognosis. For this population, overall survival from carboplatin and etoposide treatment is 7–8 months, and treatment development is an unmet medical need. Recently, the combination of an anti-PD-L1 (a ligand for programmed cell death 1) antibody and platinum-based chemotherapy has become the standard of care for ES-SCLC patients with a good PS (PS 0–1). We hypothesized that the combination of the anti-PD-L1 antibody durvalumab with carboplatin and etoposide would be feasible and effective for such patients. Methods We initiated a multicenter phase II study of durvalumab combined with carboplatin and etoposide in previously untreated ES-SCLC patients with a poor PS (PS 2–3). Eligible patients will receive durvalumab plus carboplatin and etoposide every 3 to 4 weeks for up to 4 cycles, followed by durvalumab every 4 weeks until progression or unacceptable toxicity. The dosages of carboplatin and etoposide for the second and subsequent cycles will be adaptively determined based on the adverse events of the first cycle. A total of 56 patients (43 patients with a PS of 2 and 13 patients with a PS of 3) will be enrolled in this study, with a 24-month enrollment period and a 12-month follow-up. The primary endpoint is the tolerability of carboplatin and etoposide plus durvalumab in previously untreated ES-SCLC patients with a poor PS. The secondary endpoints are the 1-year survival rate, objective response rate, progression-free survival, overall survival, ratio of PS improvement, and safety. Discussion The results of this study are intended to establish the safety and efficacy of carboplatin and etoposide plus durvalumab in patients with ES-SCLC and a poor PS. Trial registration Japan Registry of Clinical Trials (jRCT), jRCTs031200319. Registered 21 January 2021, https://jrct.niph.go.jp/en-latest-detail/jRCTs031200319

The foot and trunk kinematics could be associated with horizontal velocity during underwater undulatory swimming (UUS). This study aimed to compare the foot and trunk kinematic parameters during UUS between faster and slower swimmers. The three-dimensional coordinates of the markers were collected during 15 m UUS for 13 swimmers. Participants were divided into two groups based on their horizontal UUS velocity. The range of motion of the lower waist was greater for the faster swimmers than for the slower swimmers; however, no group differences were found for the foot orientation angle. Both the maximum flexion and extension angular velocities of the lower waist and maximum extension angular velocity of the chest were greater for faster swimmers than for slower swimmers. The toe vertical velocity during upward and downward kicks and horizontal displacement per kick were greater for the faster swimmers than for the slower swimmers, whereas no group difference was found for kick frequency. The increase in the long horizontal displacement per kick could be explained by the increase in vertical velocity of the great toes due to the increased trunk angular velocity. These results indicate that faster swimmers performed the UUS with greater trunk angular velocity.

Objectives: A simple method to evaluate clinically the sweating rate and the salt loss rate via sweating would enable the early detection of heat-related illness in workers. We measured K+ concentration in sweat and calculated the Na+/K+ ratio to evaluate its utility for estimating sweating rate and salt loss rate. We hypothesized that compared with single electrolyte concentrations, the Na+/K+ ratio would be less affected by the rapid evaporation of sweat.Methods: Thirteen healthy males exercised on a bicycle ergometer in an artificial climate room, and their sweating rates and Na+ and K+ concentrations in sweat were measured. We also compared sealed and open methods of sweat collection, which respectively prevent or permit evaporation of sweat from the collection area.Results: When sweating rate increased, Na+ concentration increased, and K+ concentration decreased. Na+ concentration and the Na+/K+ ratio were significantly lower among habitual exercisers. Sweating rate was more strongly associated with the Na+/K+ ratio than with Na+ concentration. Similarly, the calculated NaCl loss rate was more strongly correlated with the Na+/K+ ratio than with Na+ concentration. The open sweat collection method reliably demonstrated individual variation in the Na+/K+ ratio.Conclusions: The Na+/K+ ratio is more accurate than Na+ concentration for predicting sweating rate and the calculated NaCl loss rate because it accounts for individual sweat variation. The Na+/K+ ratio is not influenced by sweat evaporation, and samples can be practically obtained by briefly applying absorbent paper to the skin surface.

A bstract It is widely known that the primordial curvature perturbation ζ has several universal properties in the infrared (IR) such as the soft theorem, which is also known as the consistency relation, and the conservation in time. They are valid in rather general single clock models of inflation. It has been argued that these universal properties are deeply related to the large gauge transformations in inflationary spacetime. However, the invariance under the large gauge transformations is not sufficient to show these IR properties. In this paper, we show that the locality condition is crucial to show the consistency relation and the conservation of ζ. This argument also can apply to an interacting system with the inflaton and heavy fields which have arbitrary integer spins, including higher spin fields, which may be motivated from string theory. We will also show that the locality condition guarantees the cancellation of the IR divergences in a certain class of variables whose correlation functions resemble cosmologically observable quantities.

Background Falls on stairs are a major cause of severe injuries among older adults, with stair descent posing significantly greater risks than ascent. Variations in stair descent phenotypes may reflect differences in physical function and biomechanical stability, and their identification may prevent falls. Aims This study aims to classify stair descent phenotypes in older adults and investigate the biomechanical and physical functional differences between these phenotypes using hierarchical cluster analysis. Methods Eighty-two older adults participated in this study. Stair descent was measured using a three-dimensional motion analysis system. Physical function was assessed using measures of muscle strength, walking speed, the Timed Up and Go Test (TUG), and the Community Balance and Mobility Scale (CB&M). Results Hierarchical cluster analysis was performed on kinematic data obtained during stair descent. Three phenotypes were identified: neutral (N-type; 24%), extension (E-type; 52%), and rotation (R-type; 23%). There were no significant differences in lower limb muscle strength or walking speed among the different types, and TUG scores showed no differences in terms of mobility or balance abilities. However, CB&M scores were significantly lower for E-type and R-type compared to N-type. Sub-analyses revealed that while there were no differences in the mobility factor of CB&M between E-type and R-type, the strength factors were significantly lower compared to those for N-type. Discussion These results suggest that E-type and R-type stair-descent patterns may be influenced by declines in standing balance ability and muscle strength. Conclusions These findings may inform fall-prevention training programs related to stair descent among older adults.

Background Repeated inhalation of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) was recently approved in Japan as a treatment for autoimmune pulmonary alveolar proteinosis. However, the detailed physiological and pathological effects of repeated inhalation in the long term, especially at increasing doses, remain unclear. Methods In this chronic safety study, we administered 24 cynomolgus monkeys ( Macaca fascicularis ) aged 2–3 years with aerosolized sargramostim (a yeast-derived recombinant human GM-CSF [rhGM-CSF]) biweekly for 26 weeks across four dosing groups (0, 5, 100, and 500 µg/kg/day). We measured the serum GM-CSF antibody (GM-Ab) concentration by an ELISA and assessed the neutralizing capacity of GM-Ab using the GM-CSF-dependent cell line TF-1. We subjected lung tissue samples taken from all monkeys at 27 weeks to histopathological assessment using a sargramostim-specific monoclonal antibody to detect localization of residual sargramostim. Results All the animals maintained good body condition and showed steady weight gain throughout the study. The pathological analyses of the lung revealed the formation of induced bronchus-associated lymphoid tissue (iBALT) in the lower respiratory tract, even at the clinical dose of 5 µg/kg/day. There was a relationship between the number or size of BALT and sargramostim dose or the serum GM-Ab levels. Immunohistochemical analyses revealed GM-Ab–producing cells in the follicular region of iBALT, with residual sargramostim in the follicles. Leucocyte counts were inversely correlated with GM-Ab levels in the high-dose groups. Additionally, serum GM-Ab from the treated animals significantly suppressed the alveolar macrophage proliferation activity of both Cynomolgus recombinant and rhGM-CSF in vitro. Conclusion Long-term repeated inhalation of sargramostim led to iBALT formation in the lower respiratory tract, even at the clinical dose of 5 µg/kg/day, with the extent of iBALT formation increasing in a dose-dependent manner. Inhaled sargramostim was localized to the follicular region of iBALT nodules, which may induce the production of GM-Ab.