Search

Oxygen isotope ratios (δ18O) of tree-ring cellulose are a novel proxy for summer hydroclimate in monsoonal Asia. In central Japan, we collected 67 conifer wood samples, mainly Chamaecyparis obtusa, with ages encompassing the past 2600 years. The samples were taken from living trees, archeological wood, architectural wood, and buried logs. We analyzed stable isotope ratios of oxygen (δ18O) and hydrogen (δ2H) in tree-ring cellulose in these samples (more than 15 000 rings in total) without using a pooling method and constructed a statistically reliable tree-ring cellulose δ18O time series for the past 2500 years. However, there were distinct age trends and level offsets in the δ18O record, and cellulose δ18O values showed a gradual decrease as an individual tree matures. This suggested it is difficult to establish a cellulose δ18O chronology for low-frequency signals by simple averaging of all the δ18O time series data. In addition, there were opposite age trends in the cellulose δ2H, and δ2H gradually increased with tree age. There were clear positive correlations in the short-periodicity variations between δ18O and δ2H, probably indicating a common climate signal. A comparison of the δ18O and δ2H time series in individual trees with tree-ring width suggested that the opposite age trends of δ18O and δ2H are caused by temporal changes in the degree of post-photosynthetic isotope exchange with xylem water (physiological effect), accompanied by changes in stem growth rate that are influenced by human activity in the forests of central Japan. Based on the assumptions that cellulose δ18O and δ2H vary positively and negatively with constant proportional coefficients due to climatological and physiological effects, respectively, we solved simultaneous equations for the climatological and physiological components of variations in tree-ring cellulose δ18O and δ2H in order to remove the age trend. This enabled us to evaluate the climatic record from cellulose δ18O variations. The extracted climatological component in the cellulose δ18O for the past 2600 years in central Japan was well correlated with numerous instrumental, historical, and paleoclimatological records of past summer climate at various spatial and temporal scales. This indicates that integration of tree-ring cellulose δ18O and δ2H data is a promising method to reconstruct past summer climate variations on annual to millennial timescales, irrespective of the growth environment. However, analytical and statistical methods need to be improved for further development of this climate proxy.

RI-RICH, a ring-imaging Cherenkov counter for radioactive ions, has been developed to measure the velocity of the ions at intermediate energies. Our RI-RICH system consists of six multi-anode photomultiplier tubes covered with 360-nm bandpass filters and a radiator made of quartz or BK7. For the primary 132Xe beam with a velocity of β = 0 . 712 , a velocity resolution of Δ β ∕ β = 4 . 9 × 1 0 − 4 (one standard deviation σ ) and a detection efficiency of more than 99.99% were achieved. For the secondary beams with Z = 44 – 55 and β ≃ 0 . 70 , we successfully performed particle identification using the B ρ - Δ E - β method. The velocity resolutions of RI-RICH for these nuclides were equivalent to a more than 6 σ separation for the mass number.

We present a statistical analysis of the first four seasons from a "second-generation" microlensing survey for extrasolar planets, consisting of near-continuous time coverage of 8 deg$^2$ of the Galactic bulge by the OGLE, MOA, and Wise microlensing surveys. During this period, 224 microlensing events were observed by all three groups. Over 12% of the events showed a deviation from single-lens microlensing, and for $\sim$1/3 of those the anomaly is likely caused by a planetary companion. For each of the 224 events we have performed numerical ray-tracing simulations to calculate the detection efficiency of possible companions as a function of companion-to-host mass ratio and separation. Accounting for the detection efficiency, we find that $55^{+34}_{-22}\%$ of microlensed stars host a snowline planet. Moreover, we find that Neptunes-mass planets are $\sim10$ times more common than Jupiter-mass planets. The companion-to-host mass ratio distribution shows a deficit at $q\sim10^{-2}$, separating the distribution into two companion populations, analogous to the stellar-companion and planet populations, seen in radial-velocity surveys around solar-like stars. Our survey, however, which probes mainly lower-mass stars, suggests a minimum in the distribution in the super-Jupiter mass range, and a relatively high occurrence of brown-dwarf companions., Comment: 24 pages, 13 figures, 2 tables. 2016, MNRAS, 457, 4089

Charge changing cross sections (\(\sigma _{\text{CC}}\)) for ^40–48K and ^42–51Ca have been measured using BigRIPS at RIBF, RIKEN. The \(\sigma _{\text{CC}}\) obtained along the long isotopic chain of K and Ca revealed the fact that \(\sigma _{\text{CC}}\) have strong proton separation energy () dependence. The data are compared with the calculation based on the Glauber model and also with the proton evaporation model. It is found that the \(\sigma _{\text{CC}}\) data are well reproduced when the proton evaporation effect is taken into account.

Interaction cross sections for ^{42-51}Ca on a carbon target at 280 MeV/nucleon have been measured for the first time. The neutron number dependence of derived root-mean-square matter radii shows a significant increase beyond the neutron magic number N=28. Furthermore, this enhancement of matter radii is much larger than that of the previously measured charge radii, indicating a novel growth in neutron skin thickness. A simple examination based on the Fermi-type distribution, and mean field calculations point out that this anomalous enhancement of the nuclear size beyond N=28 results from an enlargement of the core by a sudden increase in the surface diffuseness of the neutron density distribution, which implies the swelling of the bare ^{48}Ca core in Ca isotopes beyond N=28.

We report discovery of the lowest mass ratio exoplanet to be found by the microlensing method in the light curve of the event OGLE~2016--BLG--1195. This planet revealed itself as a small deviation from a microlensing single lens profile from an examination of the survey data soon after the planetary signal. The duration of the planetary signal is $\sim 2.5\,$hours. The measured ratio of the planet mass to its host star is $q = 4.2\pm 0.7 \times10^{-5}$. We further estimate that the lens system is likely to comprise a cold $\sim$3 Earth mass planet in a $\sim\,$2 AU wide orbit around a 0.2 Solar mass star at an overall distance of 7.1 kpc., 8 pages, 5 figures, accepted for publication in MNRAS

Introduction/Background Although peritoneal cytology in endometrial carcinoma was excluded from the staging system (FIGO 2008), the management for patients with positive peritoneal cytology remains controversial. The aim of this study is to evaluate the clinical significance of positive peritoneal cytology in G1/G2 endometrioid carcinoma. Methodology We retrospectively reviewed medical records of 365 patients with G1/G2 endometrioid carcinoma who were primarily treated at our hospital from 2005 to 2013. We analyzed clinicopathological features and prognosis of patients with positive (P group, N=45) and negative (N group, N=320) peritoneal cytology. Fisher9s exact test, Kaplan-Meier analysis, and Log-rank test were used for statistical analyses. Results Median age of all patients was 56 years-old (range 27–83), and stage distribution was 290/25/47/3 in stage I/II/III/IV (FIGO 2008). Median follow-up period was 61 months (range 1–130). The frequency of metastasis to adnexa, lymph nodes (LN), and distant organs was significantly high in P group compared with N group (p=0.0002, 0.0034, 0.0018, respectively). However, omental metastasis was not related with the results of cytology. The number of patients in low, intermediate, and high risk for recurrence defined in Japanese guidelines for treatment of uterine body neoplasm was 20/6/19 in P group and 202/62/56 in N group. Forty of 45 patients (89%) in P group received adjuvant treatment, while 110/320 (34%) in N group. Overall survival (OS) in P group was significantly poor compared with N group in patients with high risk for recurrence (75.0% vs 88.4% in 5-year OS, p=0.0067), although there was no difference in patients with both low and intermediate risks. Conclusion As the frequency of lymph node metastasis is significantly high, appropriate evaluation of lymph node metastasis is necessary in P group. Further, more effective adjuvant treatment is desirable for patients with high risk in P group to improve the prognosis. Disclosure Nothing to disclose.

Introduction/Background Treatment outcome of radiotherapy for uterine cervical adenocarcinoma (CA) is known to be poor compared with squamous cell carcinoma. Especially, the management for residual disease after radiotherapy remains unclear. The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of salvage hysterectomy for residual disease after radiotherapy in patients with CA. Methodology Medical records of 28 patients with CA who underwent radiotherapy or concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) as primary treatment at our hospital between 2004 and 2015 were retrospectively reviewed. Clinicopathological features and prognosis of these patients were analyzed. Fisher’s exact test, Kaplan-Meier analysis, and Log-rank test were used for statistical analyses. Results Median age was 59 years-old (range 36–87), and stage distribution was 3/10/12/3 in stage I/II/III/IV (FIGO 2008). Histology was adenocarcinoma in 23 and adenosquamous carcinoma in 5. Six patients received radiotherapy alone (RT) and 22 patients received CCRT (one with CDDP and 21 with CDGP as chemotherapy). Eleven patients (39.3%) achieved complete remission (CR) after RT or CCRT (RT-CR group). Five patients with residual disease in uterus and without other extra-uterine lesions achieved CR by means of salvage simple or modified radical hysterectomy following RT or CCRT (OP-CR group). Consequently, 16 patients achieved CR in total. Overall survival (OS) in CR group was significantly favorable compared with non-CR group (74.5% vs 24.2% in 2-year OS, p=0.006). Especially, patients in OP-CR group had excellent prognosis with an 80% 5-year OS, which was comparable with a 61.4% 5-year OS in RT-CR group. There was no significant difference in clinicopathologial features between CR and non-CR groups. Thus, there was no predictive feature for radiation effect. Conclusion Salvage hysterectomy should be considered in patients with residual disease after radiotherapy, if they have no extra-uterine disease. Disclosure Nothing to disclose.

Angelica keiskei Koidzumi (Ashitaba) is a large perennial herb that is native to the Pacific coast of Japan, and it has recently become popular as herbal medicine, dietary supplement and health food in Asian countries. The structures of various constituents isolated from Ashitaba such as chalcones, flavanones and coumarins have been precisely characterized, and many of them have bioactivities. A recent study clarified that Angelica keiskei exerts actions that lead to the prevention of thrombosis. Here, we introduce the possibility that ingesting Ashitaba could help to prevent thrombotic diseases.

Angelica keiskei Koidzumi (Ashitaba) is a traditional folk medicine that is also regarded in Japan as a health food with potential antithrombotic properties. The ability of the major chalcones, xanthoangelol (XA) and 4-hydroxyderricin (4-HD) extracted from Ashitaba roots to inhibit platelet aggregation activity in vitro was recently determined. However, the anti-platelet activities of Ashitaba chalcones in vivo have remained unclear. The present study examines the anti-platelet effects of Ashitaba exudate and its constituent chalcones using mouse tail-bleeding models that reflect platelet aggregation in vivo. Ashitaba exudate and the major chalcone subtype XA, suppressed the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced shortening of mouse tail bleeding. However, trace amounts of other Ashitaba chalcone subtypes including xanthoangelols B (XB), D (XD), E (XE) and F (XF) did not affect tail bleeding. These results suggest that the major chalcone subtype in Ashitaba, XA, has anti-platelet-activities in vivo.

We report the discovery of a possible planet in microlensing event MOA-2010-BLG-353. This event was only recognised as having a planetary signal after the microlensing event had finished, and following a systematic analysis of all archival data for binary lens microlensing events collected to date. Data for event MOA-2010-BLG-353 were only recorded by the high cadence observations of the OGLE and MOA survey groups. If we make the assumptions that the probability of the lens star hosting a planet of the measured mass ratio is independent of the lens star mass or distance, and that the source star is in the Galactic bulge, a probability density analysis indicates the planetary system comprises a 0.9^{+1.6}_{-0.53} M_{Saturn} mass planet orbiting a 0.18^{+0.32}_{-0.11} M_{sun} red dwarf star, 6.43^{+1.09}_{-1.15} kpc away. The projected separation of the planet from the host star is 1.72^{+0.56}_{-0.48} AU. Under the additional assumption that the source is on the far side of the Galactic bulge, the probability density analysis favours a lens system comprising a slightly lighter planet., 7 pages, 4 figures, MNRAS accepted

Up to this day, RICHes have been mainly used for high energy experiments to identify leptons and mesons. On the other hand, the number of Cherenkov photons is proportional to square of the atomic number, so that application of a RICH for heavy ions is expected. Then we are developing a ring-imaging Cherenkov counter for heavy ions (HI-RICH). The experiment was performed at NIRS-HIMAC. As for the primary beam ($^{132}$Xe with an energy of 420 MeV/u), a velocity resolution $\Delta\beta/\beta=0.050\%$ (standard deviation $\sigma$) and a detection efficiency $\varepsilon=99.9\%$ were achieved. Regarding to the secondary beam, a particle identification was successfully performed with HI-RICH and an ion chamber.

We detect a cold, terrestrial planet in a binary-star system using gravitational microlensing. The planet has low mass (2 Earth masses) and lies projected at $a_{\perp,ph}$ ~ 0.8 astronomical units (AU) from its host star, similar to the Earth-Sun distance. However, the planet temperature is much lower, T, Published in Science, Main and supplementary material combined

Background: Various factors contribute to the discrepancies observed between the bromocresol green (BCG) and bromocresol purple (BCP) assays of serum concentration. Either a BCG or a modified BCP assay is a routine laboratory for albumin measurement in Japan. High-dose of penicillin G underestimates serum albumin level using a modified BCP method in vitro. Therefore, we examined the serum albumin level in the patients treated with high-dose of penicillin G and also performed the experiments on coincubation with plasma, or albumin product and penicillin G solution in vitro. Methods: The medical records of 71 patients treated with high-dose of Penicillin G collected between 2009 and 2012 were reviewed for age, gender, biochemistry (total protein, albumin and potassium), underlying diseases and usage of albumin product. Patients were divided into 2 groups: BCG group (N = 38) and a modified BCP group (N = 33). We compared serum albumin levels between two groups. We performed the Original Research Article British Journal of Medicine & Medical Research, 4(6): 1293-1300, 2014 1294 experiments on co-incubation with albumin product or human plasma and penicillin G solution in vitro. Results: Serum albumin levels using a modified BCP assay decreased during the treatment with high dose penicillin G (-0.4 ± 0.1 g/dL), while serum albumin levels by a BCG method did not decrease (0.06 ± 0.05 g/dL). Although only one patient revealed hypoalbuminemia (

Seed dispersal by ants (myrmecochory) is a widely distributed plant–animal interaction in many ecosystems, and it has been regarded as a generalized (multiple species) interaction in which specialization on specific ant partners is uncommon. In this paper, we demonstrate species-specific seed dispersal of spotted spurge (Chamaesyce maculata) by ants in Japan. C. maculata produces seeds from summer to autumn in Japan. The seeds produced in autumn are carried by two ant species, Tetramorium tsushimae and Pheidole noda. We performed laboratory experiments to investigate the fate of C. maculata seeds in the nests of T. tsushimae and P. noda. P. noda consumed the seeds in the nest and rarely carried seeds out of the nest, while T. tsushimae consumed only the seed coat, and subsequently carried the seeds out of the nest. Removal of the seed coat by T. tsushimae may increase seed survival by reducing their susceptibility to infection by fungi. We also observed ant responses to filter paper soaked with an aqueous extract of the seed coat. P. noda did not react to the filter paper, but T. tsushimae carried the filter paper into their nest. Analysis by high-pressure liquid chromatography revealed that the aqueous extract contained at least four sugars and one unknown substance. Myrmecochory has been regarded as a generalized interaction with specialization for specific ant partners uncommon. However, our study suggests there is a species-specific interaction in seed dispersal by ants in autumn-flowering individuals of C. maculata in Japan.

Time delay in bilateral control system seriously deteriorates performance and stability. Acceleration-based bilateral control (ABC) is hybrid of position and force control in the acceleration dimension using the disturbance observer. It can be divided into two modal spaces: common and differential. The sum of master and slave forces is controlled to be zero in the common modal space (1,+1) to realize the law of action-reaction. The difference of master and slave positions is controlled to be zero in the differential modal space (1,-1) for position tracking. This brief analyzes the stability of each modal space under time delay. Based on modal space analysis, this brief proposes a novel four-channel (4ch) ABC architecture using two degrees of freedom proportional derivative (PD) control for haptic communication under time delay. In the proposed 4ch ABC, the difference of position is controlled to be zero by P-D control (differential proactive PD control), and the sum of the forces is controlled to be zero by damping-injected force P control. Furthermore, this brief utilizes frequency-domain damping design to realize both high performance and stability based on delay-dependent robust H∞ stability. The proposed 4ch ABC improves the stability of each modal space under time delay. The validity of the proposed control system is confirmed by some experimental results.

We report the discovery of a binary composed of two brown dwarfs, based on the analysis of the microlensing event OGLE-2016-BLG-1469. Thanks to detection of both finite-source and microlens-parallax effects, we are able to measure both the masses $M_1\sim 0.05\ M_\odot$, $M_2\sim 0.01\ M_\odot$, and distance $D_{\rm L} \sim 4.5$ kpc, as well as the projected separation $a_\perp \sim 0.33$ au. This is the third brown-dwarf binary detected using the microlensing method, demonstrating the usefulness of microlensing in detecting field brown-dwarf binaries with separations less than 1 au., Comment: 8 pages, 8 figures

著者人数: 55名 (JAXA職員: 鈴木, 大介), Accepted: 2017-08-08, 資料番号: SA1170115000

The microlensing event OGLE-2008-BLG-510 is characterised by an evident asymmetric shape of the peak, promptly detected by the ARTEMiS system in real time. The skewness of the light curve appears to be compatible both with binary-lens and binary-source models, including the possibility that the lens system consists of an M dwarf orbited by a brown dwarf. The detection of this microlensing anomaly and our analysis demonstrates that: 1) automated real-time detection of weak microlensing anomalies with immediate feedback is feasible, efficient, and sensitive, 2) rather common weak features intrinsically come with ambiguities that are not easily resolved from photometric light curves, 3) a modelling approach that finds all features of parameter space rather than just the `favourite model' is required, and 4) the data quality is most crucial, where systematics can be confused with real features, in particular small higher-order effects such as orbital motion signatures. It moreover becomes apparent that events with weak signatures are a silver mine for statistical studies, although not easy to exploit. Clues about the apparent paucity of both brown-dwarf companions and binary-source microlensing events might hide here.

We propose the enhancement of Λ c yield in heavy ion collisions at RHIC and LHC as a novel signal for the existence of diquarks in the strongly coupled quark-gluon plasma produced in these collisions as well as in the Λ c . Assuming that stable bound diquarks can exist in the quark-gluon plasma, we argue that the yield of Λ c would be increased by two-body collisions between [ud] diquarks and c quarks, in addition to normal three-body collisions among u, d and c quarks. A quantitative study of this effect based on the coalescence model shows that including the contribution of diquarks to Λ c production indeed leads to a substantial enhancement of the Λ c /D ratio in heavy ion collisions.

We report the result of the analysis of the light curve of a caustic-crossing binary-lens microlensing event OGLE-2009-BLG-023/MOA-2009-BLG-028. Even though the event was observed solely by survey experiments, we could uniquely determine the mass of the lens and distance to it by simultaneously measuring the Einstein radius and lens parallax. From this, we find that the lens system is composed of M-type dwarfs with masses $(0.50\pm 0.07) \ M_\odot$ and $(0.15\pm 0.02)\ M_\odot$ located in the Galactic disk with a distance of $\sim 1.8$ kpc toward the Galactic bulge direction. The event demonstrates that physical lens parameters of binary-lens events can be routinely determined from future high-cadence lensing surveys and thus microlensing can provide a new way to study Galactic binaries.

Seeds are often carried by omnivorous ants even if they do not carry elaiosomes. Although many seeds carried by ants are consumed, both seeds abandoned during the seed carrying and leftover seeds are consequently dispersed (dyszoochory). These non-myrmecochorous seeds do not necessarily attract ants quickly. Therefore, these seeds often seem to be exposed to the danger of consumption by pre-dispersal seed predators. We propose the hypotheses, “seed predator deterrence hypothesis” that plants may benefit from seed-carrying ants if they deter seed predators from visiting plants, and seed-carrying ants may play additional roles in plant reproductive success, besides dyszoochory by ants. To test the hypotheses, we investigated the abundance of seed-carrying ants of the species Tetramorium tsushimae Linnaeus and Pheidole noda Smith F., and of the seed predatory stinkbug, Nysius plebeius Distat, on the spotted sandmat, Chamaesyce maculata L. Small, of which the seeds have no elaiosomes but are consumed by both ants and bugs. In the field, ants and stinkbugs seldom encountered each other on the plant. The number of stinkbugs beneath the plants with ants was smaller than that beneath the plants without ants. In laboratory experiments, the number of stinkbugs on the shoot was smaller when ants were present than when they were absent. These results might support the seed predator deterrence hypothesis: the probability of seed predation by stinkbugs seems to be reduced by the ant visits on plants and/or the existence of ants beneath the plants. This study highlights a new ant–plant interaction in seed dispersal by ants.

著者人数: 62名ほか（所属．宇宙航空研究開発機構宇宙科学研究所(JAXA)(ISAS): 鈴木, 大介）, Accepted: 2018-07-23, 資料番号: SA1180096000

To elucidate roles of an omnivorous ant, Tetramorium tsushimae Emery, against pre-dispersal seed consumers in the seed dispersal of Chamaesyce maculata (L.) Small, the effects of the seed injury by a stinkbug, Nysius plebeius Distat, on the seed removal by the ant and the germination rate were examined in laboratory experiments. The ants of T. tsushimae removed more frequently non-injured seeds than injured seeds. Therefore, low removal frequency of injured seeds by T. tsushimae ants might facilitate the increase in removal frequency of non-injured seeds, consequently leading to efficient seed dispersal of C. maculata. The germination rate of injured seeds that N. plebeius nymphs sucked was conspicuously lower than the non-injured seeds. The germination rate of seeds that T. tsushimae ants carried out of their nest was similar to that of the non-injured seeds. Thus, seed removal by T. tsushimae ants has hardly effects on the germination of these seeds. Therefore, the preferential removal of non-injured seeds by T. tsushimae ants might contribute to the dispersal success of C. maculata seeds. These results might show a novel interaction between myrmecochorous plants and ants in which the assessment of seed quality by ants contributes to the reproductive success of plants.

We propose the enhancement of $\Lambda_c$ yield in heavy ion collisions at RHIC and LHC as a novel signal for the existence of diquarks in the strongly coupled quark-gluon plasma produced in these collisions as well as in the $\Lambda_c$. Assuming that stable bound diquarks can exist in the quark-gluon plasma, we argue that the yield of $\Lambda_c$ would be increased by two-body collisions between $ud$ diquarks and $c$ quarks, in addition to normal three-body collisions among $u$, $d$ and $c$ quarks. A quantitative study of this effect based on the coalescence model shows that including the contribution of diquarks to $\Lambda_c$ production indeed leads to a substantial enhancement of the $\Lambda_c/D$ ratio in heavy ion collisions., Comment: Prepared for Chiral Symmetry in Hadron and Nuclear Physics (Chiral07), Nov. 13-16, 2007, Osaka, Japan

A numerical model of time-dependent gas shielded metal arc is described, which was developed in order to make clear the kinetics of arc plasma together with metal transfer. It is possible to calculate and visualize time-dependent temperature and fluid flow field of argon shielded metal arc plasma with the grow-up and the subsequent detachment of the liquid metal drop at the wire tip. Numerical calculation shows that the arc shape in globular transfer abruptly changes at the moment of metal drop detachment. Whereas, the spray transfer arc seems to be stable and almost does not fluctuate with metal transfer.

The Microlensing Observations in Astrophysics (MOA) is a microlensing survey conducted at Mt. John Observatory in New Zealand. We searched transiting planet candidates from the MOA-I Galactic bulge data, which have been obtained with a 61cm B&C telescope from 2000 to 2005 for a microlensing search. Although this survey data were dedicated to microlensing, they are also quite useful for searching transiting objects because of the large number of stars monitored (~7 million) and the long span of the survey (~6 years). From our analysis, we found 58 transiting planet candidates. We are planning to follow up these candidates with high-precision spectroscopic and photometric observations for further selection, toward the detection of planets by radial velocity observations.

Experimental and numerical studies have been performed for the cure process of solid rubber. Styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) packed in a cylindrical mold of inner diameter 74.6 mm, was heated by one-dimensional, transient heat conduction from the mold. Radial temperature profile and also radial distributions of the degree of cure were measured after the prescribed heating time was reached. Two methods for the mold temperature control were adopted. One is that the heating is continued at a constant temperature until the uniform temperature profile across the rubber was observed. The other is that the heating was cut off before the uniform profile was formed in order to study the effects of residual heat on the cure process. Numerical prediction was performed for the distributions of the temperature and degree of cure. Heat conduction equation for one-dimensional, transient heat transfer is coupled to the cure kinetics of the SBR. Heat generation term, expressed as a function of cure rate and the total heat generation due to cure reaction, is introduced to account for the effect of heat liberated during the process. Results of the prediction showed a good agreement of the measured profiles of the temperature and the degree of cure.

We report the discovery of a planet by the microlensing method, OGLE-2012-BLG-0724Lb. Although the duration of the planetary signal for this event was one of the shortest seen for a planetary event, the anomaly was well covered thanks to high cadence observations taken by the survey groups OGLE and MOA. By analyzing the light curve, this planetary system is found to have a mass ratio $q=(1.58\pm0.15)\times10^{-3}$. By conducting a Bayesian analysis, we estimate that the host star is an M-dwarf star with a mass of $M_{\rm L}=0.29_{-0.16}^{+0.33} \ M_{\odot}$ located at $D_{\rm L}=6.7_{-1.2}^{+1.1} \ {\rm kpc}$ away from the Earth and the companion's mass is $m_{\rm P}=0.47_{-0.26}^{+0.54} \ M_{\rm Jup}$. The projected planet-host separation is $a_{\perp}=1.6_{-0.3}^{+0.4} \ {\rm AU}$. Because the lens-source relative proper motion is relatively high, future high resolution images would detect the lens host star and determine the lens properties uniquely. This system is likely a Saturn-mass exoplanet around an M-dwarf and such systems are commonly detected by gravitational microlensing. This adds an another example of a possible pileup of sub-Jupiters $(0.2 < m_{\rm P}/M_{\rm Jup} < 1)$ in contrast to a lack of Jupiters ($\sim 1 - 2 \ M_{\rm Jup}$) around M-dwarfs, supporting the prediction by core accretion models that Jupiter-mass or more massive planets are unlikely to form around M-dwarfs., 22 pages, 7 figures, 2 tables, accepted for publication in ApJ

We report the discovery of a microlensing planet OGLE-2012-BLG-0950Lb with the planet/host mass ratio of $q \sim 2 \times 10^{-4}$. A long term distortion detected in both MOA and OGLE light curve can be explained by the microlens parallax due to the Earth's orbital motion around the Sun. Although the finite source effect is not detected, we obtain the lens flux by the high resolution Keck AO observation. Combining the microlens parallax and the lens flux reveal the nature of the lens: a planet with mass of $M_{\rm p} = 35^{+17}_{-9} M_{\oplus}$ is orbiting around a M-dwarf with mass of $M_{\rm host} = 0.56^{+0.12}_{-0.16} M_{\odot}$ with a planet-host projected separation of $r_{\perp} =2.7^{+0.6}_{-0.7}$ AU located at $D_{\rm L} = 3.0^{+0.8}_{-1.1}$ kpc from us. This is the first mass measurement from only microlens parallax and the lens flux without the finite source effect. In the coming space observation-era with $Spitzer$, $K2$, $Euclid$, and $WFIRST$, we expect many such events for which we will not be able to measure any finite source effect. This work demonstrates an ability of mass measurements in such events., Comment: 40 pages, 10 figures, 4 Tables. Accepted to AJ

Experimental study has been made during cure process of SBR/NR foam rubber. Rubber sample with 30 mm thick, made up by stacking thin rubber sheets in layers, was packed in a metal mold, and peroxide cure was performed by transient heat conduction. Rubber heating time was changed in several steps in order to study the effects of the cure time on the blowing characteristics. Also swelling test was conducted in order to study the relation between the cell structure and the crosslink density. Typical temperature field of one-dimensional, transient heat conduction was observed, and results of the observation studies showed that the cell structure changed depending on both the position from the heating surface and the heating time, and two extreme cell structure, open-cell foam, and closed-cell foam, was clearly observed. Image analyses of the cell structure showed that the porosity distribution increased with the increase of the distance from the heating surface, and the porosity was lower for longer heating time at a same position. Average area of the foam almost took similar results for the result of the porosity, and these various quantities were correlated to the crosslink density.

We developed a new bulk strained Si/SiGe CMOS technology free from any Ge-related problems, which has a 90- to 110-nm strained Si layer thicker than the limit at which misfit dislocations occur and a new shallow-trench isolation (STI) structure that has a selective-epitaxial-Si (SES) layer to cover up the SiGe trench surface. This technology has advantages in process compatibility with Si CMOS because it allows rough treatment of cap Si surface cleaning or sacrificial oxidation. The thick-strained Si exactly causes misfit dislocations at the interface of Si/SiGe, but no degradation of the internal strain was observed. The dislocation depth is deep enough to reduce the leakage current between source and drain. SES-STI has advantages in low junction leakage current and manufacturing compatibility with Si-CMOS process. The fabricated thick-strained-Si/SiGe 0.18-mum CMOS shows the same performance enhancement factor as the usual thin (< 20 nm) strained Si/SiGe. SES-STI reduced the junction leakage current by 1.5-2 decades from the conventional STI without epitaxial Si layer. Hot carrier lifetime is the same or rather longer than control Si, which means that the quality of the gate oxide on thick-strained Si is not inferior to that of control Si.

Almost 2 million Japanese citizens use Navitime, a mobile phone-based navigation service that incorporates various modes of transportation. User experiences reveal implications for designing urban-computing services. Location-based services are a key pervasive computing application that could deeply influence urban spaces and their inhabitants. Recent advances in mobile phones, GPS, and wireless networking infrastructures are making it possible to implement and operate large-scale location- based services in the real world.

The modes of seed dispersal in the prostrate annual, Chamaesyce maculata, with multiple overlapping generations were investigated. We found that C. maculata has two modes of seed dispersal; autochory in the summer and myrmecochory in the autumn. Seasonally different modes of seed dispersal have not been known in other plant species. The large proportion of seeds produced in the summer was positioned further than the expanse of the parent plants by automatic mechanical seed dispersal. Therefore, autochory would be effective for avoiding competition between parent and offspring plants. No autochory occurred in the seeds produced in the autumn. The seeds of C. maculata without an elaiosome were dispersed by seed-collecting ants in the autumn. Although 18 ant species in total visited the plants of C. maculata at the 50 sites investigated, only two ant species, Tetramorium tsushimae and Pheidole noda frequently carried the seeds of C. maculata. The low frequency of seeds carried out of the nest by P. noda suggests that the workers of P. noda carry the seeds as food into their nest. So, P. noda might be a less effective seed disperser for C. maculata, corresponding to the effectiveness of seed dispersal by harvester ants. However, T. tsushimae ants frequently carried the seeds into and out of their nest, suggesting that T. tsushimae do not regard the seeds of C. maculata as a food resource. Thus, T. tsushimae may be an effective seed disperser for C. maculata.

Annealing studies were performed on single hetero (SH) structures and multiple quantum well (MQW) structures of TlGaAs/GaAs grown by molecular-beam epitaxy (MBE) at a low growth temperature of 190 °C. X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements on the SH structures revealed that the mole fraction of the antisite As in the low-temperature grown layers can be decreased to less than 0.1% by annealing at 450 °C for 30 min. Due to this annealing, however, decrease and inhomogeneity in Tl mole fraction were also caused. On the other hand, extending the total time of annealing at 400 °C to 16 h enabled us to decrease the antisite As mole fraction to about 0.1% without causing decrease and inhomogeneity in Tl mole fraction. It has also been confirmed that the well-defined MQW structures of TlGaAs/GaAs remain almost unchanged after annealing at 400 °C for 30 min.

The magneto-resistance and magnetization have been studied for magnetite (Fe3O4) sinter made from low size-dispersion hematite (α-Fe2O3) nanoparticles (LSDHN's) with high temperature calcination. Two kinds of LSDHN's were grown by the hydrothermal synthesis. The average particle sizes of them are 30 nm and 60 nm. The magnetite sinter was produced by calcining the LSDHN's at 800 °C for 5 hours in the atmosphere of Ar(90%)/H2(10%) mixed gases. We have observed an abrupt change of the electrical resistivity by one order of magnitude in the vicinity of the Verwey temperature (123 K) of a bulk single crystal. From the X-ray diffraction experiment, we have found that the magnetite sinter includes crystalline region. The magnetite sinter is considered to be composed of relatively narrow grain-boundary regions of amorphous-like magnetite and large grain regions of crystalline magnetite. It is regarded that the grain-boundary-conduction is dominant below the Verwey temperature and the inter-grain-conduction is dominant above the Verwey temperature. We have observed the positive differential magnetoresistance (PD-MR) in low temperature regions and the negative differential magnetoresistance (ND-MR) in high temperature regions. The ND-MR is an ordinary phenomenon for magnetite, but the PD-MR is a peculiar one. In addition, an unusual localized-spin-freezing phenomenon has been also observed. Below the Verwey temperature, the magnetization difference between zero-field-cooling and field-cooling has been observed. The magnetization difference shows a sudden change in the vicinity of the Verwey temperature. (© 2006 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

The spin-dependent-transport (SDT) has been studied for magnetite (Fe3O4) nano-particle sinter (MNPS) made from low size-dispersion hematite (α-Fe2O3) nanoparticles (LSDHN's) with low temperature calcination. Two kinds of LSDHN's are grown by the hydrothermal synthesis. The average sizes of them are 30 nm and 60 nm. The MNPS is produced by calcining the LSDHN's at 500 °C for 5 hours in the atmosphere of Ar(90%)/H2(10%) mixed gases. As compared with a bulk single crystal, the considerable intensification of negative-differential-magnetoresistance (ND-MR) has been observed for the MNPS. We have not observed abrupt change of the electrical resistivity in the vicinity of the temperature of the Verwey transition (which is the metal-insulator transition) appeared for a bulk single crystal. The ND-MR for 30 nm shows larger values than that of 60 nm on the temperature dependence. From the X-ray diffraction experiment, the MNPS is found to include crystalline magnetite regions. We consider that the MNPS is composed of large amorphous-like grain-boundaries and small crystalline grains. The electrical current is inferred to flow in grain-boundary regions. In grain-boundary regions, since the localized spins are relatively random distributed, the spin-polarized conduction electrons show the SDT. Below the Verwey temperature, we have observed the magnetization difference between zero-field cooling (ZFC) and field-cooling (FC). This phenomenon indicates that the localized spins in the amorphous-like grain-boundaries are frozen in some degree. Above the Verwey temperature, the magnetoresistance is well fitted by the square of the Langevin function. We consider that the localized spins in the amorphous-like grain-boundaries do not form perfectly random configuration and are somewhat ordered in a short range region. (© 2006 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

The first confirmed lunar impact flash due to a non-Leonid meteoroid is reported. The observed Perseid meteoroid impact occurred at 18h28m27s on August 11, 2004 (UT). The selenographic coordinates of the lunar impact flash are 48 ± 1 ° N and 72 ± 2 ° E , and the flash had a visual magnitude of ca. 9.5 with duration of about 1/30 s. The mass of the impactor is estimated to have been 12 g based on a nominal model with conversion efficiency from kinetic to optical energy of 2 × 10 −3 . Extrapolation of a power law size-frequency distribution fitting the sub-centimeter Perseid meteoric particles to large meteoroids suggests that several flashes should have been observed at this optical efficiency. The detection of only one flash may indicate that the optical efficiency for Perseid lunar impact is much lower, or that the slope of the size distribution differs between large meteoroids and typical sub-centimeter meteoric particles.

Durabilities of Ti–Cr–V alloys were investigated using the cyclic hydrogen absorption–desorption test. The XRD pattern obtained for Ti24Cr36V40 alloy after 100 cycles suggested the production of a highly distorted secondary phase. A temperature swing cyclic test was conducted and it became clear that the degradation of hydrogen transfer was caused by the decrease of total hydrogen content in the alloy. Vanadium content is an important factor in improving durability. High vanadium content prevents rapid degradation in the initial cycles. Floating zone melting is effective also for improving durability and the effect is remarkable for alloys with high vanadium content. Highly homogenized Ti8Cr12V80 alloy made by floating zone melting shows only 1.4% degradation from the initial hydrogen capacity after 500 cycles. As a behavior different from other Ti–Cr–V alloys, the floating zone melted Ti8Cr12V80 alloy shows an increase of the hydrogen absorption plateau pressure with the progression of cycles.

To elucidate the significance of the simultaneous growth of vegetative and reproductive organs in the prostrate annual Chamaesyce maculata (L.) Small (Euphorbiaceae) from the standpoint of meristem allocation, we investigated plant architecture, meristem allocation, and the spatial and temporal patterns in vegetative growth and reproduction in the reproductive stage. The numbers of secondary and tertiary shoots successively increased by branching in the reproductive stage, and the sum of shoot length was greater in secondary shoots than in primary shoots. The specific shoot length (shoot length per shoot biomass) was greater in lateral shoots than in primary shoots, indicating efficient lateral shoot elongation. The internode length was shorter in secondary shoots than in primary shoots, increasing the number of nodes per shoot length in secondary shoots. Many nodes on a shoot generated two meristems, one of which committed to a flower and one to a lateral shoot. The number of reproductive meristems was greatest in tertiary shoots, and 96% of total reproductive meristems on shoots were generated in lateral shoots. On almost all nodes, the reproductive meristem developed into a flower, and 95–98% of the flowers produced a fruit. Therefore, vegetative growth by branching in the reproductive stage contributed to the increase in reproductive outputs. From the standpoint of meristem allocation, the simultaneous growth of vegetative and reproductive organs in prostrate plant species might be important for increasing the number of growth and reproductive meristems, resulting in the increase in reproductive outputs.

Multiple thoracic disc herniations are rare and there are few reports in the literature. Between December 1998 and July 2002, we operated on 12 patients with multiple thoracic disc herniations. All underwent an anterior decompression and fusion through a transthoracic approach. The clinical outcomes were assessed using the Frankel neurological classification and the Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) score. Under the Frankel classification, two patients improved by two grades (C to E), one patient improved by one grade (C to D), while nine patients who had been classified as grade D did not change. The JOA scores improved significantly after surgery with a mean recovery rate of 44.8% ± 24.5%. Overall, clinical outcomes were excellent in two patients, good in two, fair in six and unchanged in two. Our results indicate that anterior decompression and fusion for multiple thoracic disc herniations through a transthoracic approach can provide satisfactory results.

Data for 4.4 million stars from the Microlensing Observations in Astrophysics (MOA) project are compared with the near-infrared data of the Deep Near Infrared Southern Sky Survey (DENIS). More than 4000 stars observed in both projects show a quite periodic light curve. Among them, a number of stars are likely eclipsing variables, and the others seem to be pulsating stars. The Ks magnitudes of these red variables are in the range 10-12.5 but a minor clump at K S 12.2 mag is also found. The multiplicity of the period-luminosity relation is confirmed, but most of the regular, large-amplitude variables are found on the relation established for the Mira stars. We study the properties of the variables on the colour-magnitude diagram constructed with the MOA red band R m and Ks of DENIS. Multiplicity of the period-luminosity relation is briefly discussed in relation to the excitation mechanism of red pulsating variables.

More than 4000 stars observed in both MOA and DENIS projects showing periodic or quasi-periodic light curves are studied. Almost all Mira stars are located on the classical period-luminosity relation, and the multiplicity of the period-luminosity relation is confirmed for small-amplitude stars. The colour-magnitude diagrams based on the MOA red band, Rm, and Ks constructed for the sequences, form a single strip with small successive shifts.

We propose a high-precision polycrystalline-silicon film resistor having a quasi-double-layer (QDL) composed of a large-grain layer and a small-grain layer. The electrical characteristics of the polycrystalline-silicon film resistor can be controlled by varying the shapes of the crystal grains. Therefore, we fabricated a QDL structure composed of a large-grain layer with a resistance having a positive temperature coefficient and a small-grain layer having a negative temperature coefficient by making the top of a small-grain polycrystalline-silicon film amorphous by ion implantation followed by recrystallization in thermal processing. This technique is equivalent to macroscopically controlling the grain diameter in the entire film. In this paper, the QDL structure is clearly (1) effective in lessening the effect of fluctuations in the deposited film thickness on variations in the resistance and (2) can control the resistance and its temperature coefficient by adjusting the ion implantation energy and varying the ratio of the large-grain layer and the small-grain layer. We also show that it is possible to produce a polycrystalline-silicon film resistor having any temperature coefficient by using the proposed structure in the resistive elements. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electron Comm Jpn Pt 2, 87(7): 9–17, 2004; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/ecjb.10174