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Abstract: We measured the 220GHz atmospheric-transparency at the Dome Fuji station in Antarctica from 18 December 2006 to 14 January 2007 using a tipping radiometer. The mean optical depth at zenith was 0.045±0.007, and during 98% of this period we measured an optical depth of less than 0.06. These data indicate that the atmospheric-transparency in summer at Dome Fuji is comparable to that of well-known submillimeter astronomical sites such as the Atacama desert in Chile in their best seasons. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

To investigate the efficacy of the ingestion of vinegar in aiding recovery from fatigue, we examined the effect of dietary acetic acid, the main component of vinegar, on glycogen repletion in rats. Rats were allowed access to a commercial diet twice daily for 6 d. After 15 h of food deprivation, they were either killed immediately or given 2 g of a diet containing 0 (control), 0.1, 0.2 or 0.4 g acetic acid/100 g diet for 2 h. The 0.2 g acetic acid group had significantly greater liver and gastrocnemius muscle glycogen concentration than the control group (P < 0.05). The concentrations of citrate in this group in both the liver and skeletal muscles were >1.3-fold greater than in the control group (P > 0.1). In liver, the concentration of xylulose-5-phosphate in the control group was significantly higher than in the 0.2 and 0.4 g acetic acid groups (P < 0.01). In gastrocnemius muscle, the concentration of glucose-6-phosphate in the control group was significantly lower and the ratio of fructose-1,6-bisphosphate/fructose-6-phosphate was significantly higher than in the 0.2 g acetic acid group (P < 0.05). This ratio in the soleus muscle of the acetic acid fed groups was <0.8-fold that of the control group (P > 0.1). In liver, acetic acid may activate gluconeogenesis and inactivate glycolysis through inactivation of fructose-2,6-bisphosphate synthesis due to suppression of xylulose-5-phosphate accumulation. In skeletal muscle, acetic acid may inhibit glycolysis by suppression of phosphofructokinase-1 activity. We conclude that a diet containing acetic acid may enhance glycogen repletion in liver and skeletal muscle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maltitol is fermented in the colon due to only partial hydrolysis in the small intestine. In the present study, we examined effects of dietary maltitol on dimethylhydrazine-induced intestinal tumor in rats. In experiment 1, rats were fed a fiber-free diet or diets supplemented with 1 or 5 g/100 g maltitol for 27 wk. Each group of rats was injected with dimethylhydrazine or vehicle alone for the first 14 wk of the experimental period. Maltitol supplementation at 1 g/100 g of the diet significantly reduced tumor incidence in the cecum and the 5% supplement reduced tumor incidence in both the cecum and proximal colon in dimethylhydrazine-treated rats. In experiment 2, we investigated the effect of the 1 g/100 g maltitol diet on the short chain fatty acid concentrations in cecal contents of placebo and dimethylhydrazine-treated rats. Intake of the 1 g/100 g maltitol diet doubled (P < 0.05) the concentration of butyrate but did not affect acetate or propionate in the cecal contents. These results suggest that dietary maltitol has a protective effect against dimethylhydrazine-induced tumors in rat cecum and proximal colon and that butyrate produced by bacterial fermentation of maltitol in the cecum may be involved in the protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: By means of numerical simulations based on Ginzburg–Landau theory, we study the vortex depinning from a columnar defect in a superconducting film. We evaluate the limiting thickness of the film, below which the depinning does not occur even under an application of the magnetic field perpendicular to the columnar defect. The limiting thickness is a measure of the pinning strength of the columnar defect. The dependence of this limiting thickness on the magnitude of the applied field is obtained for two types of columnar defects. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Based on the quasi-classical theory, we calculate the zero energy density of states N(B) in the mixed state for a type II superconductor. N(B) is related to the sommerfeld coefficient γ(B), which gives us useful information for a superconducting gap. The linear portion in γ(B) relative to B c2 and its slope in a low field reflect the gap anisotropy, so that we can distinguish the nodal gap and the anisotropic full gap, and estimate the magnitude of the gap anisotropy. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: We have performed temperature (T)-dependent laser-photoemission spectroscopy of antiferromagnetic (AF) superconductor ErNi2B2C to study the electronic structure, especially the effect of AF ordering in T-dependent superconducting (SC) gap. To estimate the values of T-dependent SC gap, we fitted the experimental data by Dynes function having an anisotropic s-wave SC gap. From the fitting results, we find a sudden deviation from the BCS prediction just below T N. This observation can be well explained by the theoretical model, indicating that the origin of anomalous T-dependence is competition between rapid evolution of AF molecular field and SC condensation energy. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]