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Saxitoxin (STX) and its analogues produced by toxic dinoflagellates accumulate in bivalves, and routine monitoring of bivalves is important to prevent cases of human poisoning. In this study, we describe a rapid detection method for the analysis of STXs using ultra-performance liquid chromatography with post-column fluorescent detection and to investigate water depths and sampling points optimal for shellfish toxin monitoring. Cultured scallops (Mizuhopecten yessoensis) and mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) collected from various water depths and sampling points were used in this study. Irrespective of bivalve species, toxin concentrations in bivalves were lower at deeper water depths. The toxin concentrations of bivalves did not differ greatly when bivalves were collected from the same bay. Although the levels of contamination of bivalves with STXs can depend on various environmental and geographical factors, our findings are useful for formulating a sampling protocol for the prevention of harvesting contaminated shellfish.

A magnitude-frequency analysis of rockslide-debris avalanche deposits was performed. Hummocks are conical mounds formed in debris avalanche deposits from the catastrophic sector collapse of a mountain (often volcanic) that represent relatively cohesive fragments of the mountain edifice. Examination of 17 debris avalanche deposits in Japan and the Philippines showed that, in general, the larger the magnitude of the hummocks, the smaller their frequency. Hummocks followed an exponential distribution: log10N(x) = a – bx, where N(x) is the cumulative number of hummocks with magnitude ≥ x and a and b are constants; x is equal to log10A, where A is the area of a hummock. The constants a and b were positively correlated. The value of b, which differs among avalanches and in this analysis ranged between 1 and 3, may be controlled by the mobility of the debris avalanche. Avalanches with higher mobility (relatively longer runout) have higher b and potentially produce more numerous fragments forming hummocks (i.e., higher a). From the above correlation, the magnitude-frequency relationship can be used to roughly estimate the original height of the collapsed volcanic body, if the runout distance of the rockslide–debris avalanche can be estimated with sufficient accuracy.

A prepulse-free Nd:glass PW laser system of 0.9-PW peak power is developed to heat a pre-imploded high-density plasma. Specifications of the PW laser have also been summarized.

Recently, several petawatt (PW, 1015 W) lasers with pulse duration of ∼20–30 fs have been introduced throughout the world, pushing the upper limit on laser peak power. However, besides well-known spatio-temporal coupling effects, such as residual spatial/angular chirps and pulsefront tilt/curvature, the spatio-temporal/spectral coupling in compressors induced by wavefront errors of gratings, which could dramatically distort ultra-intense pulses, has been neglected. In this work, for the first time we analyzed this phenomenon and the peak power/intensity degradation induced by it. Our results suggest that the actual performance of femtosecond PW lasers may be worse than previously estimated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We demonstrate optical parametric chirped-pulse amplification (OPCPA) based on two-beam pumping, using sub-nanosecond pulses generated by stimulated Brillouin scattering compression. Seed pulse energy, duration, and center wavelength were 5 nJ, 220 ps, and ∼1065 nm, respectively. The 532 nm pulse from a Q-switched Nd:YAG laser was compressed to ∼400 ps in heavy fluorocarbon FC-40 liquid. Stacking of two time-delayed pump pulses reduced the amplifier gain fluctuation. Using a walk-off-compensated two-stage OPCPA at a pump energy of 34 mJ, a total gain of 1.6 × 105 was obtained, yielding an output energy of 0.8 mJ. The amplified chirped pulse was compressed to 97 fs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the relationship of hummock orientation to the flow dynamics of volcanic debris avalanches. There are opposing views on whether hummocks are systematically aligned along debris avalanche paths, or not. To investigate this geomorphologically fundamental question, I investigated hummock orientation for six Japanese debris avalanches of two simple styles: four "freely spreading" debris avalanches, and two "valley-filling" debris avalanches. Quantitative GIS-based data analysis revealed that hummock orientation along the avalanche flow path alternated between dominantly parallel to and dominantly perpendicular to the flow direction. These changes of alignment reflect dynamic changes of the local stress field within the avalanche, alternating between extensional and compressional in response to changes of the slope of the pre-avalanche ground surface. Changes of hummock alignment from perpendicular to parallel indicate that the local stress regime has changed from compressional to extensional. Conversely, changes of hummock alignment from parallel to perpendicular indicate that the local stress regime has changed from extensional to compressional. Thus, this research demonstrated a clear relationship between hummock orientation and dynamic changes of stress regime within avalanches that are related to changes of the slope of the pre-avalanche ground surface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]