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Short-term exposure to air pollution may be linked to negative health outcomes that require an emergency medical response. However, few studies have been undertaken on this phenomenon to date. The aim of this study therefore was to examine the association between short-term exposure to ambient suspended particulate matter (SPM) and emergency ambulance dispatches (EADs) for acute illness in Japan. Daily EAD data, daily mean SPM and meteorological data were obtained for four prefectures in the Kanto region of Japan for the period from 2007 to 2011. The area-specific association between daily EAD for acute illness and SPM was explored using generalized linear models while controlling for ambient temperature, relative humidity, seasonality, long-term trends, day of the week and public holidays. Stratified analyses were conducted to evaluate the modifying effects of age, sex and medical conditions. Area-specific estimates were combined using meta-analyses. For the total study period the mean level of SPM was 23.7 μg/m3. In general, higher SPM was associated with a significant increase in EAD for acute illness [estimated pooled relative risk (RR): 1.008, 95% CI: 1.007 to 1.010 per 10 μg/m3 increase in SPM at lag 0-1]. The effects of SPM on EAD for acute illness were significantly greater for moderate/mild medical conditions (e.g. cases that resulted in <3 weeks hospitalization or no hospitalization) when compared to severe medical conditions (e.g. critical cases, and cases that led to >3 weeks hospitalization or which resulted in death). Using EAD data, this study has shown the adverse health effects of ambient air pollution. This highlights the importance of reducing the level of air pollution in order to maintain population health and well-being.

Accepted: 2009-11-11

An equivalent circuit model is proposed to represent ferrite magnetic properties under ac and dc fields phenomenologically, where the H-input and B-input play models are used to handle hysteretic property accurately and concisely. A slow magnetization component is extracted from measured ac and dc properties. Frequency dependence of the ac loss is represented by an equivalent resistance. The simulated ac and dc magnetic properties agree with the measured properties.

The wide-band Suzaku spectra of the black hole binary GX 339-4, acquired in 2007 February during the Very High state, were reanalyzed. Effects of event pileup (significant within ~ 3' of the image center) and telemetry saturation of the XIS data were carefully considered. The source was detected up to ~ 300$ keV, with an unabsorbed 0.5--200 keV luminosity of ~3.8 10^{38} erg/s at 8 kpc. The spectrum can be approximated by a power-law of photon index 2.7, with a mild soft excess and a hard X-ray hump. When using the XIS data outside 2' of the image center, the Fe-K line appeared extremely broad, suggesting a high black hole spin as already reported by Miller et al. (2008) based on the Suzaku data and other CCD data. When the XIS data accumulation is further limited to >3' to avoid event pileup, the Fe-K profile becomes narrower, and there appears a marginally better solution that suggests the inner disk radius to be 5-14 times the gravitational radius (1-sigma), though a maximally spinning black hole is still allowed by the data at the 90% confidence level. Consistently, the optically-thick accretion disk is inferred to be truncated at a radius 5-32 times the gravitational radius. Thus, the Suzaku data allow an alternative explanation without invoking a rapidly spinning black hole. This inference is further supported by the disk radius measured previously in the High/Soft state., Comment: 5 pages, figures, Suzaku results on GX 339-4, accepted to APJL. Nov. 11, 2009, accepted to ApJL

The wide-band Suzaku spectra of the black hole binary GX 339-4, acquired in 2007 February during the Very High state, were reanalyzed. Effects of event pileup (significant within ~ 3' of the image center) and telemetry saturation of the XIS data were carefully considered. The source was detected up to ~ 300$ keV, with an unabsorbed 0.5--200 keV luminosity of ~3.8 10^{38} erg/s at 8 kpc. The spectrum can be approximated by a power-law of photon index 2.7, with a mild soft excess and a hard X-ray hump. When using the XIS data outside 2' of the image center, the Fe-K line appeared extremely broad, suggesting a high black hole spin as already reported by Miller et al. (2008) based on the Suzaku data and other CCD data. When the XIS data accumulation is further limited to >3' to avoid event pileup, the Fe-K profile becomes narrower, and there appears a marginally better solution that suggests the inner disk radius to be 5-14 times the gravitational radius (1-sigma), though a maximally spinning black hole is still allowed by the data at the 90% confidence level. Consistently, the optically-thick accretion disk is inferred to be truncated at a radius 5-32 times the gravitational radius. Thus, the Suzaku data allow an alternative explanation without invoking a rapidly spinning black hole. This inference is further supported by the disk radius measured previously in the High/Soft state., Comment: 5 pages, figures, Suzaku results on GX 339-4, accepted to APJL. Nov. 11, 2009, accepted to ApJL

We consider the production process e-e+ -> G\gamma of invisible gravitons (G) at future linear colliders. We discuss whether the angular distribution of the photon (\gamma) can be used to measure the spin of the invisible graviton, or of any other invisible objects produced. We propose a method based on the Fourier expansion of the transverse energy squared moment distribution of the photon. We provide justification for this method, and confirm, especially for the case of two extra dimensions, that the method is valid within a realistic setup, which includes the simulation of the Standard Model background, beamstrahlung, bremsstrahlung, calorimeter resolution and calorimeter coverage. When the number of extra dimensions is increased, the angular distribution does not provide sufficient information to extract the spin, but this method still offers a useful parameterization of the single photon cross section using which the nature of the missing object can be studied., Comment: Published version, one reference added, minor corrections and clarifications

We consider the production process e-e+ -> G\gamma of invisible gravitons (G) at future linear colliders. We discuss whether the angular distribution of the photon (\gamma) can be used to measure the spin of the invisible graviton, or of any other invisible objects produced. We propose a method based on the Fourier expansion of the transverse energy squared moment distribution of the photon. We provide justification for this method, and confirm, especially for the case of two extra dimensions, that the method is valid within a realistic setup, which includes the simulation of the Standard Model background, beamstrahlung, bremsstrahlung, calorimeter resolution and calorimeter coverage. When the number of extra dimensions is increased, the angular distribution does not provide sufficient information to extract the spin, but this method still offers a useful parameterization of the single photon cross section using which the nature of the missing object can be studied., Comment: Published version, one reference added, minor corrections and clarifications

The fine structure of smooth muscle cells of the embryo chicken gizzard cultured in monolayer was studied by phase-contrast optics and electron microscopy. The smooth muscle cells were irregular in shape, but tended to be elongate. The nucleus usually contained prominent nucleoli and was large in relation to the cell body. When fixed with glutaraldehyde, three different types of filaments were noted in the cytoplasm: thick (150-250 A in diameter) and thin (30-80 A in diameter) myofilaments, many of which were arranged in small bundles throughout the cytoplasm and which were usually associated with dark bodies; and filaments with a diameter of 80-110 A which were randomly orientated and are not regarded as myofilaments. Some of the aggregated ribosomes were helically arranged. Mitochondria, Golgi apparatus, and dilated rough endoplasmic reticulum were prominent. In contrast to in vivo muscle cells, micropinocytotic vesicles along the cell membrane were rare and dense areas were usually confined to cell membrane infoldings. These cells are compared to in vivo embryonic smooth muscle and adult muscle after treatment with estrogen. Monolayers of cultured smooth muscle will be of particular value in relating ultrastructural features to functional observations on the same cells.

An extensive study of adult and developing smooth muscle has revealed the widespread occurrence of a distinct filament with an average diameter of about 100 A (termed the 100 A filament). Unlike that of myofilaments, their appearance in longitudinal section is uniform, but in transverse section they have a round profile, occasionally exhibiting a less electron-opaque core. The 100 A filaments are almost invariably preserved under a variety of fixation procedures, whereas myofilaments, particularly the thicker filaments, are preserved inconsistently. The 100 A filaments appear to be randomly oriented throughout the cytoplasm, either singly or in small groups, although they are sometimes concentrated in the juxtanuclear region of the smooth muscle cells. The intimate association of 100 A filaments with dark bodies, in both developing and adult smooth muscle cells, may indicate that these filaments either play a role in dark body formation or, at least, constitute a part of the dark body. The 100 A filaments are conspicuous in developing smooth muscle cells and occasionally form networks or clusters; they appear to decrease in relative number as maturation proceeds, but considerable numbers are still present in adult tissue.