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Abstract This paper explores the application of computer vision and mathematical modeling to analyze the intricate movements involved in weaving a traditional farming tool, the winnowing basket. By utilizing OpenPose algorithms, the study simplifies and visualizes the craftsmen's motions, particularly focusing on wrist movements. Video data of craftsmen in Chiba, Japan, creating Kizumi (place name) winnowing baskets is used as the basis for analysis. The extracted information is used to generate 2D motion trajectories of the wrist, allowing a comparison between beginners who watched parsed videos and those who watched the original videos in terms of skill acquisition and learning time. By visualizing human body behavior and combining statistical results, this study demonstrates the potential of artificial intelligence techniques such as computer vision for observing repetitive human movement and inheriting traditional skills.

Abstract Characterization of the atomic level processes that determine optical transitions in emerging materials is critical to the development of new platforms for classical and quantum networking. Such understanding often emerges from studies of the temperature dependence of the transitions. We report measurements of the temperature dependent Er3+ photoluminescence in single crystal Er2O3 thin films epitaxially grown on Si(111) focused on transitions that involve the closely spaced Stark-split levels. Radiative intensities are compared to a model that includes relevant Stark-split states, single phonon-assisted excitations, and the well-established level population redistribution due to thermalization. This approach, applied to the individual Stark-split states and employing Er2O3 specific single-phonon-assisted excitations, gives good agreement with experiment. This model allows us to demonstrate the difference in the electron-phonon coupling of the 4S3/2 and 2H11/2 states of Er3+ in E2O3 and suggests that the temperature dependence of Er3+ emission intensity may vary significantly with small shifts in the wavelength (~0.1 nm) of the excitation source.

An optical fiber scale sensor based on the detection principle of surface plasmon resonance (SPR) was developed for the rapid, high-sensitivity, real-time evaluation of scale precipitation in geothermal fluids. The optical fiber SPR scale sensor was fabricated by depositing a gold thin film onto the surface of an optical fiber with an exposed core. The optimal gold film thickness of the sensor was determined to be 30 nm, which achieved a refractive index sensitivity of 2140 nm per refractive index unit. A field test was conducted using geothermal brine from the Obama Binary Geothermal Power Plant in Unzen, Nagasaki Prefecture. A conventional optical fiber scale sensor and the SPR sensor were simultaneously assessed using raw and pH-adjusted brines. For the SPR sensor, a peak shift of 0.27 nm/min was observed at a response time of 1 min, whereas no change in transmittance was observed for the conventional sensor until 180 min. After the experiments, a scanning electron microscopy-energy-dispersive spectroscopy analysis was conducted on the sensors, and the findings showed that the deposition of Mg-SiO2 scale did not significantly differ between the two sensors. The developed SPR sensor achieved faster scale precipitation detection (tens of minutes to hours) than the conventional sensor.

The formation of scale in hot springs and geothermal brines can be detected quickly and easily using optical fiber-based scale sensors. This paper describes the development of a portable sensor for the in situ detection of scale in geothermal water. This sensor was used to detect the formation of calcium carbonate and silica scale and to assess the effectiveness of their inhibitors. The performance of the sensor was evaluated using calcium carbonate scale. In laboratory experiments using both the newly developed sensor and a conventional nonportable sensor, the strength of the transmitted signal was found to decrease significantly as the amount of scale increased. It was considered that this sensor can accurately evaluate only scale formation without being affected by turbidity. The scale that was deposited on each material (optical fiber core, glass plate, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and SUS304) was observed using a shape analysis laser microscope. Based on these observations, we concluded that this sensor could be used to predict the amount of scale deposited in real time. In situ evaluation of the sensor was conducted at a blowout carbonated hot spring on Rishiri Island, which is located off the coast of Hokkaido, Japan. The results obtained from experiments using hot spring water showed a similar sensor response within a comparable time range as those obtained from the laboratory experiments. The results of this study thus demonstrate that this novel portable scale sensor is suitable for use in geothermal power plants and investigating effectiveness of inhibiters under different conditions.

IntroductionThe efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) is heterogeneous at each metastatic site, and tumor progression pattern is associated with survival; however, it remains unclear in gastric cancer (GC). Therefore, we aimed to clarify the progression pattern in response to ICIs in patients with GC, and we analyzed its mechanism focusing on the intratumoral immune cells.MethodsPatients who received ICIs were retrospectively classified into non-systemic and systemic progression groups based on their radiological assessments. Moreover, the best percentage change in target lesions from each organ was compared.ResultsAmong 148 patients, the non-systemic progression group showed a significant improvement in overall survival (OS) compared with the systemic progression group (median, 5.6 months vs. 3.3 months; HR, 0.53; 95%CI, 0.32–0.89; p = 0.012). Poor performance status (HR, 1.73, 95%CI, 1.00–2.87) and systemic progression (HR, 3.09, 95%CI, 1.95–4.82) were associated with OS. Of all metastatic sites, the liver showed the poorest percentage change, and liver metastasis (OR, 2.99, 95%CI, 1.04–8.58) was associated with systemic progression. Hence, intratumoral CD8+ T-cell density was lower in patients with liver metastasis than in those without liver metastasis after ICIs, although the density of CD4+ T-cells (Th1, Th17, and Treg) and CD163+ cells (TAM) were not significantly different.ConclusionThe new progression pattern was associated with OS in GC. Liver metastasis may be a predictive factor of systemic progression during ICIs by regulating intratumoral CD8+ T-cells.

Abstract Mesoporous silica was successfully synthesized for the first time using geothermal water from the Onuma Geothermal Power Plant, Akita Prefecture, Japan. Cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) was used as an organic template for the synthesis. CTAB with a concentration of 2.4 × 10–4 mol/L was reacted for 30 min with geothermal water at a temperature of 90 °C, which had a total silicic acid concentration of 475 mg/L (SiO2), at pH 7.0, pH 8.2 (raw water) and pH 9.0. By calcination of the resulting precipitate at 550 °C, mesoporous silica with a pore size of about 2.8 nm and a specific surface area of > 800 m2/g was formed. The total silicic acid concentration in the solution after formation of the mesoporous precipitates was reduced to

Abstract We perform magnetic susceptibility and magnetic torque measurements on the organic κ-(BEDT-TTF)2Hg(SCN)2Br, which is recently suggested to host an exotic quantum dipole-liquid in its low-temperature insulating phase. Below the metal-insulator (MI) transition temperature, the magnetic susceptibility follows a Curie–Weiss law with a positive Curie–Weiss temperature, and a particular $$M\propto \sqrt{H}$$ M ∝ H curve is observed. The emergent ferromagnetically interacting spins amount to about 1/6 of the full spin moment of localized charges. Taking account of the possible inhomogeneous quasi-charge-order that forms a dipole-liquid, we construct a model of antiferromagnetically interacting spin chains in two adjacent charge-ordered domains, which are coupled via fluctuating charges on a Mott-dimer at the boundary. We find that the charge fluctuations can draw a weak ferromagnetic moment out of the spin singlet domains.

Abstract Background Diarrhea is a common adverse event of fluoropyrimidine-based chemotherapy. However, limited data are available on the frequency and risk factors of complicated chemotherapy-induced diarrhea (CID) and small intestinal mucosal damage. In this current study, we aimed to determine the incidence of complicated CID and mucosal injury among patients with complicated CID receiving fluoropyrimidine via small bowel capsule endoscopy (CE) and determined baseline risk factors associated with complicated CID. Methods In total, 536 patients with advanced or recurrent gastrointestinal cancer who received fluoropyrimidine-based chemotherapy were retrospectively analyzed. Diarrhea was evaluated using the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events version 4. Complicated CID was defined according to the American Society of Clinical Oncology guidelines. To evaluate small intestinal mucosal injury in patients with complicated CID, CE was performed. Multivariate analysis was performed to identify risk factors for complicated CID. Results Total number of 32 (6%) patients developed complicated CID. Complicating symptoms were noted in 25 (78%) patients, with cramping, vomiting, and sepsis being observed in 15 (60%), 8 (32%), and 3 (12%) patients, respectively. Among the 13 patients who underwent CE, 11 (85%) showed abnormal findings. Multivariate analysis revealed that oral fluoropyrimidine administration was a risk factor for complicated CID (odds ratio 2.95; 95% confidence interval 1.06–8.19). Conclusions Despite the relatively low incidence of complicated CID, mucosal injury of small intestine was common in patients with complicated fluoropyrimidine-induced diarrhea and oral fluoropyrimidine was an independent risk factor.

Seasonal variations of water temperature, electric conductivity, and oxygen isotope and chemical composition of shallow groundwaters and river waters were determined in the Sho River alluvial fan, western Toyama Prefecture, Japan, to examine groundwater heat utilization for indoor climate control. Samples were collected at 31 sites every 2 months for 1 year and at 11 representative sites monthly. In addition, the results of monthly precipitation amount and oxygen isotope composition of precipitation collected within the region during the same period were also taken into account. The sources of the shallow groundwaters are a mixture of river water and precipitation. The contribution of precipitation to groundwater is generally small along the Sho River but reaches as much as 80% along the Oyabe River and in the south and west of the alluvial fan. Though the origin of the groundwater differs regionally, water temperature is fixed at around 15 °C throughout the year in the northern part of the alluvial fan, and open-type ground source heat pump systems can be used for cooling and heating there, if adequate quantitative aquifer properties (exploitable groundwater amounts) are present.

Abstract We present a novel fiber optic sensor for real-time sensing of silica scale formation in geothermal water. The sensor is fabricated by removing the cladding of a multimode fiber to expose the core to detect the scale-formation-induced refractive index change. A simple experimental setup was constructed to measure the transmittance response using white light as a source and a spectroscopy detector. A field test was performed on geothermal water containing 980 mg/L dissolved silica at 93 °C in Sumikawa Geothermal Power Plant, Japan. The transmittance response of the fiber sensor decreased due to the formation of silica scale on the fiber core from geothermal water. An application of this sensor in the evaluation of scale inhibitors was demonstrated. In geothermal water containing a pH modifier, the change of transmittance response decreased with pH decrease. The effectiveness of a polyelectrolyte inhibitor in prevention of silica scale formation was easily detectable using the fiber sensor in geothermal water.

Organic electronics: strong near-infrared light absorption with radical columns Near-infrared light absorption is enhanced by trioxotriangulene radicals that self-assemble into one-dimensional columns. Organic materials are attractive candidates for solar cells as they are inexpensive and have strong light absorption at visible wavelengths. This usually does not extend into the near-infrared region, however, restricting their use in this technologically-important wavelength range. A team of researchers in Japan led by Yasushi Morita from Aichi Institute of Technology and Hiromi Nakai from Waseda University show that crystals of trioxotriangulene can have unusually strong near-infrared absorption. With the aid of large-scale quantum chemistry calculations, they show that the key to this property is the tendency of their trioxotriangulene derivatives to stack into one-dimensional columns, which led to an overlap of electronic orbitals from different molecules.

Chiral molecular crystals built up by chiral molecules without inversion centers have attracted much interest owing to their versatile functionalities related to optical, magnetic, and electrical properties. However, there is a difficulty in chiral crystal growth due to the lack of symmetry. Therefore, we made the molecular design to introduce intermolecular hydrogen bonds in chiral crystals. Racemic and enantiopure bis(ethylenedithio)tetrathiafulvalene (BEDT-TTF) derivatives possessing hydroxymethyl groups as the source of hydrogen bonds were designed. The novel racemic trans-vic-(hydroxymethyl)(methyl)-BEDT-TTF 1, and racemic and enantiopure trans-vic-bis(hydroxymethyl)-BEDT-TTF 2 were synthesized. Moreover, the preparations, crystal structure analyses, and electrical resistivity measurements of the novel achiral charge transfer salt θ21-[(S,S)-2]3[(R,R)-2]3(ClO4)2 and the chiral salt α’-[(R,R)-2]ClO4(H2O) were carried out. In the former θ21-[(S,S)-2]3[(R,R)-2]3(ClO4)2, there are two sets of three crystallographically independent donor molecules [(S,S)-2]2[(R,R)-2] in a unit cell, where the two sets are related by an inversion center. The latter α’-[(R,R)-2]ClO4(H2O) is the chiral salt with included solvent H2O, which is not isostructural with the reported chiral salt α’-[(S,S)-2]ClO4 without H2O, but has a similar donor arrangement. According to the molecular design by introduction of hydroxy groups and a ClO4− anion, many intermediate-strength intermolecular hydrogen bonds (2.6–3.0 Å) were observed in these crystals between electron donor molecules, anions, and included H2O solvent, which improve the crystallinity and facilitate the extraction of physical properties. Both salts are semiconductors with relatively low resistivities at room temperature and activation energies of 1.2 ohm cm with Ea = 86 meV for θ21-[(S,S)-2]3[(R,R)-2]3(ClO4)2 and 0.6 ohm cm with Ea = 140 meV for α'-[(R,R)-2]2ClO4(H2O), respectively. The variety of donor arrangements, θ21 and two kinds of α’-types, and their electrical conductivities of charge transfer complexes based upon the racemic and enantiopure (S,S)-2, and (R,R)-2 donors originates not only from the chirality, but also the introduced intermolecular hydrogen bonds involving the hydroxymethyl groups, perchlorate anion, and the included solvent H2O.

Production of a plasma that has a large degree of ionization (DOI), volume, and spatial and temporal uniformities is a challenge for the improvement of the performance of plasma-based vapor deposition processes. As a potential candidate for the discharge, we investigate plasma parameters arising in helium electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) discharges due to a simple cusp field. Two-dimensional distributions of helium atom emission-line intensities were measured using spectroscopy with multiple viewing chords and then de-convoluted by Abel inversion. The local plasma parameters, including the atomic density, were evaluated using collisional-radiative model analysis. The DOI calculated from the electron and atomic densities reached up to 35% and, in most of the region inside the ECR surface, it was more than 10%.

The metallic state of the molecular conductor β-(meso-DMBEDT-TTF)2X (DMBEDT-TTF = 2-(5,6-dihydro-1,3-dithiolo[4,5-b][1,4]dithiin-2-ylidene)-5,6-dihydro-5,6-dimethyl-1,3-dithiolo[4,5-b][1,4]dithiin, X = PF6, AsF6) is transformed into the checkerboard-type charge-ordered state at around 75–80 K with accompanying metal-insulator (MI) transition on the anisotropic triangular lattice. With lowering temperatures, the magnetic susceptibility decreases gradually and reveals a sudden drop at the MI transition. By applying pressure, the charge-ordered state is suppressed and superconductivity appears in β-(meso-DMBEDT-TTF)2AsF6 as well as in the reported β-(meso-DMBEDT-TTF)2PF6. The charge-ordered spin-gapped state and the pressure-induced superconducting state are discussed through the paired-electron crystal (PEC) model, where the spin-bonded electron pairs stay and become mobile in the crystal, namely the valence-bond solid (VBS) and the resonant valence bonded (RVB) state in the quarter-filled band structure.

The beam halo mitigation is a very important challenge for reliable and safe operation of a high-energy machine. A systematic beam halo study was conducted at the KEK compact energy recovery linac (cERL) since non-negligible beam loss was observed in the recirculation loop during a common operation. We found that the beam loss can be avoided by making use of the collimation system. Beam halo measurements have demonstrated the presence of vertical beam halos at multiple locations in the beam line (except the region near the electron gun). Based on these observations, we made a conjecture that the transverse beam halo is attributed to the longitudinal bunch tail arising at the photocathode. The transfer of particles from the longitudinal space to a transverse halo may have been observed and studied in other machines, considering nonlinear effects as their causes. However, our study demonstrates a new unique halo formation mechanism, in which a transverse beam halo can be generated by a longitudinal bunch tail due to transverse rf kicks from the accelerating (monopole) fields of the radio-frequency cavities. This halo formation occurs when nonrelativistic particles enter the cavities with a transverse offset, even if neither nonlinear optics nor nonlinear beam effects are present. A careful realignment of the injector system will mitigate the present halo. Another possible cure is to reduce the bunch tails by changing the photocathode material from the present GaAs to a multi-alkali that is known to have a shorter longitudinal tail.

Objective. Patients with gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine carcinoma (NEC) have a poor prognosis. Platinum-based combination chemotherapy is commonly used as first-line treatment; however, the role of salvage chemotherapy remains unknown. This study aimed to analyze the efficacy and safety of amrubicin monotherapy in patients with platinum-refractory gastroenteropancreatic NEC. Methods. Among 22 patients with advanced gastroenteropancreatic NEC, 10 received amrubicin monotherapy between September 2007 and May 2014 after failure of platinum-based chemotherapy. The efficacy and toxicity of the treatment were analyzed retrospectively. Results. Eight males and two females (median age, 67 years (range, 52–78)) received platinum-based chemotherapy, including cisplatin plus irinotecan (n=7, 70%), cisplatin plus etoposide (n=2, 20%), and carboplatin plus etoposide (n=1, 10%) before amrubicin therapy. Median progression-free survival and overall survival after amrubicin therapy were 2.6 and 5.0 months, respectively. Two patients had partial response (20% response rate), and their PFS were 6.2 months and 6.3 months, respectively. Furthermore, NEC with response for amrubicin had characteristics with a high Ki-67 index and receipt of prior chemotherapy with cisplatin and irinotecan. Grade 3-4 neutropenia and anemia were observed in four and five patients, respectively. Conclusion. Amrubicin monotherapy appears to be potentially active and well-tolerated for platinum-refractory gastroenteropancreatic NEC.

A Japanese man suffered from acute respiratory tract infection after returning to Japan from Bali, Indonesia in 2007. Miyazaki-Bali/2007, a strain of the species of Nelson Bay orthoreovirus, was isolated from the patient's throat swab using Vero cells, in which syncytium formation was observed. This is the sixth report describing a patient with respiratory tract infection caused by an orthoreovirus classified to the species of Nelson Bay orthoreovirus. Given the possibility that all of the patients were infected in Malaysia and Indonesia, prospective surveillance on orthoreovirus infections should be carried out in Southeast Asia. Furthermore, contact surveillance study suggests that the risk of human-to-human infection of the species of Nelson Bay orthoreovirus would seem to be low.

Background. S-1 plus cisplatin has been established to be standard first-line chemotherapy for advanced gastric cancer in Japan. The optimal second-line treatment refractory to S-1 plus cisplatin remains unclear. Methods. We retrospectively studied the efficacy, toxicity, and survival of irinotecan plus mitomycin C in patients with advanced gastric cancer refractory to a fluoropyrimidine plus cisplatin. Results. Twenty-four patients were studied. Prior chemotherapy was S-1 plus cisplatin in 15 patients, S-1 plus cisplatin and docetaxel in 8, and 5-fluorouracil plus cisplatin with radiotherapy in 1. The overall response rate was 17.4%. The median overall survival was 8.6 months, and the median progression-free survival was 3.6 months. Grade 3 or 4 toxicities included leukopenia (33%), neutropenia (50%), anemia (33%), thrombocytopenia (4%), anorexia (13%), diarrhea (4%), and febrile neutropenia (13%). Conclusion. A combination of irinotecan and mitomycin C is potentially effective in patients with advanced gastric cancer refractory to a fluoropyrimidine plus cisplatin.

We have developed a new beam injection system with a single pulsed sextupole magnet (PSM) at the photon factory storage ring (PF ring) in the High Energy Accelerator Research Organization. We demonstrated beam injection with this system and succeeded in storing a beam current of 450 mA, which is the normal operating beam current of the PF ring. Top-up injection was also achieved. Coherent dipole oscillation of the stored beam and fluctuation of photon intensity observed at synchrotron radiation beam lines during the PSM injection became very small compared with a pulsed bump injection system that is normally used in the beam injection at the PF ring. This experiment is the first demonstration of beam injection using the PSM in an electron storage ring.