Search

We developed a CANDLES-III system to study the neutrino-less double beta (0$\nu\beta\beta$) decay of $^{48}$Ca. The proposed system employs 96 CaF$_{2}$ scintillation crystals (305 kg) with natural Ca ($^{\rm nat.}$Ca) isotope which corresponds 350\,g of $^{48}$Ca. External backgrounds were rejected using a 4$\pi$ active shield of a liquid scintillator surrounding the CaF$_2$ crystals. The internal backgrounds caused by the radioactive impurities within the CaF$_2$ crystals can be reduced effectively through analysis of the signal pulse shape. We analyzed the data obtained in the Kamioka underground for a live-time of 130.4\,days to evaluate the feasibility of the low background measurement with the CANDLES-III detector. Using Monte Carlo simulations, we estimated the background rate from the radioactive impurities in the CaF$_{2}$ crystals and the rate of high energy $\gamma$-rays caused by the (n, $\gamma$) reactions induced by environmental neutrons. The expected background rate was in a good agreement with the measured rate, i.e., approximately 10$^{-3}$ events/keV/yr/(kg of $^{\rm nat.}$Ca), in the 0$\nu\beta\beta$ window. In conclusion, the background candidates were estimated properly by comparing the measured energy spectrum with the background simulations. With this measurement method, we performed the first search for 0$\nu\beta\beta$ decay in a low background condition using a detector with a Ca isotope, in which the Ca present was not enriched, in a scale of hundreds of kg. The $^{48}$Ca isotope has a high potential for use in 0$\nu\beta\beta$ decay search, and is expected to be useful for the development of a next-generation detector for highly sensitive measurements.

This study focuses on thermo-mechanical fatigue (TMF) behaviors of nickel-based 23Cr-45Ni-7W alloy for pipes and tubes in high-efficiency power boilers. TMF tests (maximum temperature = 700 °C; minimum temperature = 100 °C) were conducted under in-phase (IP) and out-of-phase (OP) conditions. The lives under the IP condition is 0.30–0.44 times of that under the OP condition when same total strain range, Δet, is applied. The TMF properties obtained via the tests are compared with the results of isothermal fatigue (ITF) tests conducted at 700 °C and bithermal fatigue (BTF) tests with maximum and minimum temperatures of 700 °C and 100 °C, respectively. The fracture morphology for each type of TMF, ITF, and BTF is similar under the test conditions of this study. Intergranular cracking is predominant under application of cyclic tensile creep strain during the fatigue tests, and transgranular cracking is predominant under application of cyclic compressive creep strain during the fatigue tests. The inelastic strain range–fatigue life (Δein–Nf) relation in the TMF test and the inelastic strain range components–life (Δeij–Nij) relation determined using the strain range partitioning method show a good agreement within a factor of 1.5 scatter band. These results indicate the possibility of predicting the TMF life of the 23Cr-45Ni-7W alloy using the results of the ITF test by considering the amount and direction (tension or compression) of creep strain applied to the alloy.

Despite full immunoprophylaxis, mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of Hepatitis B Virus still occurs in approximately 2–5% of HBsAg positive mothers. Little is known about the bottleneck of HBV transmission and the evolution of viral quasispecies in the context of MTCT. Here we adopted a newly developed tag linkage deep sequencing method and analyzed the quasispecies of four MTCT pairs that broke through immunoprophylaxis. By assigning unique tags to individual viral sequences, we accurately reconstructed HBV haplotypes in a region of 836 bp, which contains the major immune epitopes and drug resistance mutations. The detection limit of minor viral haplotypes reached 0.1% for individual patient sample. Dominance of “a determinant” polymorphisms were observed in two children, which pre-existed as minor quasispecies in maternal samples. In all four pairs of MTCT samples, we consistently observed a significant overlap of viral haplotypes shared between mother and child. We also demonstrate that the data can be potentially useful to estimate the bottleneck effect during HBV MTCT, which provides information to optimize treatment for reducing the frequency of MTCT.

This chapter describes the most practical manual and automated methods of isolating genomic DNA and RNA from different sources. It also summarizes currently popular methods of quality control (QC) for genomic DNA, RNA, and next generation sequencing (NGS) libraries.

International audience; The aerogel Ring Imaging CHerenkov counter (ARICH) is the particle identification device installed in the forward region of the Belle II detector at the SuperKEKB accelerator facility in Japan. The first electron–positron collisions at SuperKEKB took place on April 26, 2018, during the so called phase 2 run. The measured performance of the detector based on recorded Bhabha events during phase 2 is presented. We measure a 14 mrad average angular resolution per photon and 10 photons per Bhabha electron in the [6–8] GeV/c momentum range.

International audience; The Belle II experiment at the SuperKEKB facility started the beam collision in 2018, aiming search for the New Physics beyond the Standard Model. The Aerogel Ring Imaging Cherenkov (ARICH) counter is a particle identification (PID) device in the forward endcap of the Belle II detector to provide 4\(\sigma \) separation of charged kaons and pions of momenta up to 3.5 GeV. The ARICH counter is a proximity-focusing RICH counter to identify particle species based on the angular distribution of Cherenkov photons located in 30 cm depth of narrow space and 1.5 T of high magnetic field. Two layers of the silica aerogel with different refractive indices emits photons as Cherenkov ring image. A total of 420 of Hybrid Avalanche Photo Detectors (HAPDs) are used to measure the 2-dimensional distribution of photons. We have collected ring images in the first beam collision data during the Phase II commissioning run and studies for the PID performance estimation are being carried out toward the Phase III physics data taking starting in 2019.

International audience; The Hybrid Avalanche Photo Detector (HAPD) is used as a photon detector for Aerogel Ring Imaging Cherenkov counter (ARICH), a particle identification device at Belle II. ARICH measures Cherenkov angles of photons emitted in silica aerogel radiators, hence a high photon detection efficiency is required by the HAPD module, a combination of HAPD and front-end electronics board. We evaluate the performance of the HAPD modules by measuring the noise level, the offset value, the pulse height, temperature dependency and the variation of performance in the beam commissioning period. This article describes the results of performance evaluation of the HAPD and shows that it fulfills the requirements of ARICH.

International audience; In the charged particle identification system of the Belle II experiment, an aerogel-based proximity focusing ring-imaging Cherenkov (ARICH) counter is installed in the forward end-cap region of the Belle II detector. The goal is to enhance the power of separation between kaons and pions up to and above 4σ for momenta up to 4 GeV/c, which is critical to the study of CP violation involved in B decays. The counter is made of aerogel tiles with refractive indices n of 1.045 and 1.055, transmission lengths of 30-40 mm, and dimensions of 18 × 18 × 2 cm3. A 144-channel HAPD (Hybrid Avalanche Photo Detector) is adopted as a photo-detector, and the HAPD signal processing is performed using ASICs (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) to digitize the signal and FPGAs (Field Programmable Gate Array) for data processing.During Phase II operation of SuperKEKB, the commissioning of ARICH is done both with cosmic rays and beam collisions. The Cherenkov rings are clearly observed, and the performance of the hardware system and identification algorithm is being evaluated. In this paper, we will report on the construction of ARICH and on the initial performance of the detector obtained during the commissioning.

International audience; The Belle II Aerogel Ring Imaging Cherenkov (ARICH) counter uses the angular distribution of Cherenkov photons emitted in silica aerogel to discriminate between charged pions and kaons. The Hybrid Avalanche Photo Detector (HAPD) is used as the photo-sensor, and is clearly the most critical component of the detector. HAPDs were installed into ARICH in July 2017, and ARICH was installed in the Belle II spectrometer in the end of 2017. During the Belle II beam commissioning in spring 2018, the performance of HAPDs was evaluated through measurements of the offset value, noise level and pulse height. Long term stability of the signal-to-noise ratio and the fraction of dead channel was also monitored. The signal-to-noise ratio exceeded 6, and the fraction of dead channels was less than 1%. The results of the performance evaluation and of the commissioning showed that the ARICH counter fulfills the requirements.

International audience; A proximity focusing RICH detector with an aerogel radiator is used for charged particle identification in the forward end-cap of the Belle II spectrometer. The detector, consisting of a 4 cm aerogel radiator, a 16 cm expansion volume and a photon detector with 420 Hybrid Avalanche Photo Detectors, is mounted in a very confined space between Central Drift Chamber and Electromagnetic Calorimeter, allowing only 5 cm of space for the readout electronics. In our solution, low power front-end read-out boards are mounted at the back side of each of the HAPD photosensors. These boards have each been tested individually before their installation onto the photosensors and into the spectrometer. Most important design issues and first experiences with the aforementioned front-end read-out boards are presented in this contribution.

For efficient separation of hadrons in the forward end-cap of the Belle II spectrometer , an aerogel proximity focusing Ring Imaging Detector is installed in the high magnetic field between the central drift chamber and electromagnetic calorimeter . Cherenkov photons , emitted in the double layer aerogel radiator are expanded through the empty space and detected on the photon detector consisting of Hybrid Avalanche Photo diodes . The readout electronics working in a threshold mode records hit patterns registered during beam collisions. A particle identification algorithm based on the two dimensional extended maximum likelihood technique is used to assign probabilities for different particle hypotheses of tracks traversing the aerogel RICH detector. For efficient discrimination, the Aerogel RICH detector has to be calibrated. We present the key calibration steps used to optimize the detector performance.

The Belle II experiment is a new generation B factory experiment at the SuperKEKB electron–positron collider. The main purpose of the experiment is to search for new physics with a large sample of B meson decays. The proximity-focusing Aerogel Ring-Imaging Cherenkov detector (ARICH) has been designed to identify kaons and pions in the forward end-cap of the Belle II spectrometer. Using aerogel as radiator with specialized photon sensors called HAPD, the K/ π separation is expected to reach more than 4 σ in the momentum range from 0.5 GeV/c to 4.0 GeV/c. ARICH detector was constructed in summer 2017 and was installed in the Belle II spectrometer in the beam line of the SuperKEKB collider. The test of the ARICH detector is performed using both cosmic rays and the beam collisions during the accelerator commissioning. We observe Cherenkov rings in the ARICH detector associated with charged tracks detected by the tracking system. The reconstructed Cherenkov angle distribution has a clear and reasonable peak. The ARICH K ∕ π separation performance is evaluated using Bhabha events in beam runs; the separation power achieve the design value.

The Aerogel Ring-Imaging Cherenkov (ARICH) detector provides particle identification information in the forward endcap part of Belle II. It efficiently separates charged kaons from pions for momenta between 0.5 GeV/c and 4.0 GeV/c. Optical photons are emitted in a double layer aerogel radiator and detected by Hybrid Avalanche Photo Detectors. ARICH was installed in Belle II at the end of 2017, the first phase of a complex detector calibration of electronic signals and preparation for physics signals calibration has been successfully concluded. Cherenkov rings, created by cosmic rays as well as by charged particles from beam collisions, have been observed. The kaon identification efficiency using D ± ∗ decays has been studied and its calibration is expected by the end of the commissioning phase when sufficient data is available.

BACKGROUND Biomarkers are needed for noninvasive early detection of gastric cancer (GC). We investigated salivary extracellular RNA (exRNA) biomarkers as potential clinical evaluation tools for GC. METHODS Unstimulated whole saliva samples were prospectively collected from 294 individuals (163 GC and 131 non-GC patients) who underwent endoscopic evaluation at the Samsung Medical Center in Korea. Salivary transcriptomes of 63 GC and 31 non-GC patients were profiled, and mRNA biomarker candidates were verified with reverse transcription quantitative real-time PCR (RT-qPCR). In parallel, microRNA (miRNA) biomarkers were profiled and verified with saliva samples from 10 GC and 10 non-GC patients. Candidate biomarkers were validated with RT-qPCR in an independent cohort of 100/100 saliva samples from GC and non-GC patients. Validated individual markers were configured into a best performance panel. RESULTS We identified 30 mRNA and 15 miRNA candidates whose expression pattern associated with the presence of GC. Among them, 12 mRNA and 6 miRNA candidates were verified with the discovery cohort by RT-qPCR and further validated with the independent cohort (n = 200). The configured biomarker panel consisted of 3 mRNAs (SPINK7, PPL, and SEMA4B) and 2 miRNAs (MIR140-5p and MIR301a), which were all significantly down-regulated in the GC group, and yielded an area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 0.81 (95% CI, 0.72–0.89). When combined with demographic factors, the AUC of the biomarker panel reached 0.87 (95% CI, 0.80–0.93). CONCLUSIONS We have discovered and validated a panel of salivary exRNA biomarkers with credible clinical performance for the detection of GC. Our study demonstrates the potential utility of salivary exRNA biomarkers in screening and risk assessment for GC.

We report behavior of Hybrid Avalanche Photon Detectors (HAPDs), which were newly developed for Aerogel Ring Imaging Cherenkov detector (ARICH) counter that will be installed in the endcap region of the Belle II detector, in the magnetic field. Since HAPDs are used in a 1.5 T magnetic field in the Belle II detector, we have tested 520 HAPDs from the mass production in the magnetic field. We observed anomalously large pulses in the magnetic field in many HAPDs. The main adverse effect of these large pulses is the induction of a short dead time of the readout electronics after each pulse. We performed several studies to understand the mechanism generating large pulses.

A new data acquisition (DAQ) system for the CANDLES experiment was developed using the SpaceWire protocol and the DAQ-Middleware framework. The CANDLES experiment uses a trigger board and Flash Analog-to-Digital Converters (FADCs). The SpaceWire helps us construct the DAQ system with a flexible and multi-path access to FADCs and the trigger board. FADCs have a ring buffer with three buffers to detect sequential decays from backgrounds. We developed the DAQ system with parallel read-out to reduce the dead time at high trigger rates using three read-out personal computers (PCs) that are connected to the three buffers in FADCs one by one. Each PC connects all FADCs and the trigger board and gathers a complete data set of one event without any event builder. The maximum DAQ speed of parallel read-out by three PCs was 2.4 times higher than that of single read-out. In order to collect event data sets from PCs, we built the network distributed DAQ system through Ethernet, which is naturally introduced with the DAQ-Middleware. To realize remote monitoring and histogram modification while the DAQ running, we also developed a dynamic online monitor system independent with the DAQ-Middleware.

CANDLES is the project to search for neutrino-less double beta decay ( 0νββ ) of 48 Ca. The observation of 0νββ will prove existence of a massive Majorana neutrino. For the 0νββ measurement, we need a low background condition because of a low decay rate of 0νββ . Now we installed the CANDLES III system at the Kamioka underground laboratory. The CANDLES III system realizes the low background condition by a characteristic structure and data analyses for background rejection. Here we report performances of the CANDLES III system.

CANDLES studies the double beta decay of 48Ca through CaF2 scintillation crystals. The CANDLES III detector, located in Kamioka underground laboratory, is currently running. Here we describe recent status of data analysis which includes detector performance, detector stability, and background estimation. Current sensitivity for 0 ν β β half-life is also discussed in this paper.

Purpose: This study was conducted to explore the differences in salivary microRNA (miRNA) profiles between patients with malignant or benign parotid gland tumors as a potential preoperative diagnostic tool of tumors in the salivary glands. Experimental Design: Whole saliva samples from patients with malignant (n = 38) or benign (n = 29) parotid gland tumors were obtained from the Salivary Gland Tumor Biorepository (SGTB). After total RNA isolation, human miRNA cards were used for miRNA profiling. The differential miRNA expression was analyzed using two-sided Wilcoxon test. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) was used to validate selected miRNAs in an independent sample set. Receiver-operating characteristics curve and probability of malignancy was exploited to evaluate the diagnostic power of the validated miRNAs. Results: With miRNA profiling, 57 of 750 investigated miRNAs were differently expressed, of which 54 showed higher miRNA expression in samples from patients with malignant tumors than those from patients with benign tumors. Validating the expression in an independent sample set of 9 miRNAs revealed indeed higher expression of miRNAs in malignant samples compared with benign samples. The expression of 6 validated miRNAs was statistically significantly different between the two groups (P < 0.05). A four miRNA combination was able to discriminate between saliva samples from patients with malignant tumors from those of patients with benign parotid gland tumors (sensitivity 69%, specificity 95%). Conclusions: Salivary miRNA profiles differ in saliva from patients with malignant from saliva from patients with a benign parotid gland tumor. These preliminary results are promising to develop a noninvasive diagnostic tool for diagnosing tumors in the salivary glands. Clin Cancer Res; 19(11); 3032–8. ©2013 AACR.

Novel biomarkers and non-invasive diagnostic methods are urgently needed for the screening of gastric cancer to reduce its high mortality. We employed quantitative proteomics approach to develop discriminatory biomarker signatures from human saliva for the detection of gastric cancer. Salivary proteins were analyzed and compared between gastric cancer patients and matched control subjects by using tandem mass tags (TMT) technology. More than 500 proteins were identified with quantification, and 48 of them showed significant difference expression (p

Background Epistasis is one of the central themes in viral evolution due to its importance in drug resistance, immune escape, and interspecies transmission. However, there is a lack of experimental approach to systematically probe for epistatic residues. Results By utilizing the information from natural occurring sequences and high-throughput genetics, this study established a novel strategy to identify epistatic residues. The rationale is that a substitution that is deleterious in one strain may be prevalent in nature due to the presence of a naturally occurring compensatory substitution. Here, high-throughput genetics was applied to influenza A virus M segment to systematically identify deleterious substitutions. Comparison with natural sequence variation showed that a deleterious substitution M1 Q214H was prevalent in circulating strains. A coevolution analysis was then performed and indicated that M1 residues 121, 207, 209, and 214 naturally coevolved as a group. Subsequently, we experimentally validated that M1 A209T was a compensatory substitution for M1 Q214H. Conclusions This work provided a proof-of-concept to identify epistatic residues by coupling high-throughput genetics with phylogenetic information. In particular, we were able to identify an epistatic interaction between M1 substitutions A209T and Q214H. This analytic strategy can potentially be adapted to study any protein of interest, provided that the information on natural sequence variants is available. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12864-015-2358-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0142264.].

Lumbago is one of the most prevalent symptoms in patients with osteoporotic vertebral fracture. Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire (RDQ) is a quality of life (QOL) questionnaire targeted for evaluating lumbago. Although total score is the usual way of analysis, we have tried to make more use of it by subscale analysis. Forty-four osteoporotic patients were evaluated for their QOL using RDQ and SF-8; a widely accepted generic (non disease-specific) QOL questionnaire. Subscales and summary scores of SF-8 were significantly lower than Japanese norm. Patients with fracture had significantly lower scores including RDQ. Multiple regression analysis has shown that total score of RDQ was significantly contributed by bodily pain as well as other subscales of SF-8. Principal component analysis has revealed that RDQ consists of two components representing general, and mental or social aspect of lumbago. Defining the component structure and determining the procedure to obtain the subscales would make the most use of RDQ, and contribute to the better evaluation of patients with lumbago.

We studied an environmental magnetic noise rejection method using independent component analysis (ICA) for a magnetocardiogram (MCG). In the ICA, when the SN ratio of the data is reduced, the accuracy of the noise rejection becomes low and it becomes difficult to reach a decision regarding the contraction dimension. In order to solve these problems, we examined the initial value of the transformation matrix W of the ICA. We proposed an initial value decision procedure for the transformation matrix W, and as a result the accuracy of the noise rejection was improved. Verification was carried out for MCGs with various SN ratios. It was shown that this method was effective for improving noise rejection.

We have studied a method of environmental magnetic noise rejection using independent component analysis (ICA) for magnetocardiograms (MCGs). ICA is a useful method of separating the signal from noise. However ICA has various problems in determining numerous parameters and distinguishing signal or noise components from separated components. In many cases, these have been determined from the experiential results, and it has been difficult to determin the optimum parameters. We proposed a method of the distinguishing signal or noise components using the autocorrelation function of electrocardiograms (ECGs) and MCGs. Contraction dimension decisions were used to determin the maximum value of the autocorrelation function. The testing to verify its accuracy was carried out for MCGs with various signal-to-noise ratios. We found that this method was effective for the noise rejection.

NifEN is a key player in the biosynthesis of nitrogenase MoFe protein. It not only shares a considerable degree of sequence homology with the MoFe protein, but also contains clusters that are homologous to those found in the MoFe protein. Here we present an investigation of the catalytic activities of NifEN. Our data show that NifEN is catalytically competent in acetylene (C 2 H 2 ) and azide (N 3 − ) reduction, yet unable to reduce dinitrogen (N 2 ) or evolve hydrogen (H 2 ). Upon turnover, C 2 H 2 gives rise to an additional S = 1/2 signal, whereas N 3 − perturbs the signal originating from the NifEN-associated FeMoco homolog. Combined biochemical and spectroscopic studies reveal that N 3 − can act as either an inhibitor or an activator for the binding and/or reduction of C 2 H 2 , while carbon monoxide (CO) is a potent inhibitor for the binding and/or reduction of both N 3 − and C 2 H 2 . Taken together, our results suggest that NifEN is a catalytic homolog of MoFe protein; however, it is only a “skeleton” version of the MoFe protein, as its associated clusters are simpler in structure and less versatile in function, which, in turn, may account for its narrower range of substrates and lower activities of substrate reduction. The resemblance of NifEN to MoFe protein in catalysis points to a plausible, sequential appearance of the two proteins in nitrogenase evolution. More importantly, the discrepancy between the two systems may provide useful insights into nitrogenase mechanism and allow reconstruction of a fully functional nitrogenase from the “skeleton” enzyme, NifEN.

In Japan, reclaimed wastewater has been recycled widely for non-potable urban applications and it is to be used for sprinkling roads to mitigate heat island in urban areas. To assess the heat island mitigation effects of the sprinkling reclaimed wastewater on water retentive pavement, we carried out a survey at Shiodome-District, Tokyo. The temperatures of air and roads, humidity, and WBGT (Wet-bulb globe temperature) were measured and heat flux was estimated to compare the condition of the areas with/without sprinkling. The following results were obtained. 1) Sprinkling reclaimed wastewater decreased the road surface temperature by 8 degrees during the daytime and by 3 degrees at night: temperatures equal to those on planting zones. Nevertheless sprinkling was done only in the daytime, the temperature decrease effect was not only obtained during the daytime: it continued through the night, due to the water retentive pavement. 2) Sprinkling reclaimed wastewater reduced the amount of sensible heat flux and increased that of latent heat flux. These results suggest that sprinkling reclaimed wastewater on water retentive pavement can effectively mitigate the heat island phenomenon.

Vaccinia poly(A) polymerase (VP55) interacts with > or = 33-nucleotide (nt) primers via uridylates at two sites (-27/-26 and -10). It adds approximately 30-nt poly(A) tails with a rapid, processive burst in which the first few nt are added without substantial primer movement, and addition of the remaining adenylates is dependent upon a six-uridylate tract at the extreme 3' end of the primer and accompanied by polymerase translocation. Interaction of VP55 with 2-aminopurine (2-AP)-containing primers was associated with a 3-fold enhancement in 2-AP fluorescence. In stopped-flow experiments, fluorescence intensity changed with time during the polyadenylation burst in a manner dependent upon the position of 2-AP, indicating a non-uniform isomerization of the polymerase-primer complex with time consistent with a discontinuous (saltatory) translocation mechanism. Three distinct translocatory phases could be discerned: a -10(U)-binding site forward movement, a -27/-26(UU)-binding site jump to -10, then a -27/-26(UU)-binding site movement further downstream. Poly(A) tail elongation showed no apparent pauses during these isomerizations. Fluorescence changes during polyadenylation of 2-AP-containing primers with short preformed oligo(A) tails reinforced the above observations. Primers composed entirely of oligo(U) (apart from the 2-AP sensor), in which the polymerase modules might be most able to "slide" uniformly, also showed the characteristic saltatory pattern of translocation. These data indicate, for the first time, a discontinuous mode of translocation for a non-templated polymerase.

BackgroundCurrently, clinical examination, ultrasound scanning (with or without fine needle aspiration cytology), preoperative CT-scan and MRI are available for the differential diagnosis of parotid gland swelling. A preliminary non-invasive salivary diagnostic tool may be helpful in the clinical decision making process. Altered salivary micro-RNA (miRNA) expression levels have been observed in saliva from patients with various cancers. Therefore, we investigated miRNA expression levels in saliva samples from patients with a parotid gland neoplasm using Human miRNA cards in comparison to controls.ResultsIn the discovery phase, eight miRNAs were identified having different expression levels in patients compared to controls. In the validation phase, the differences in miRNA expression levels between patients and controls were confirmed for seven out of eight discovered miRNAs (p < 0.001). A combination of two miRNAs yielded a receiver-operator-characteristics curve with an AUC of 0.94 (95% CI: 0.87-1.00; sensitivity 91%; specificity 86%). Validation of discovered miRNAs in segregated collected parotid saliva revealed that expression of these miRNAs differ between whole saliva and parotid saliva.ConclusionsA two miRNA combination can predict the presence of a parotid gland neoplasm. Furthermore, this study suggested that the identified, patient-specific, salivary miRNAs were not derived from the parotid gland itself.

CANDLES is a double beta decay experiment using 48Ca in CaF2 crystals. The measurement is being performed with prototype detector (CANDLES III) for high sensitive measurement in the future. Recent status of detector improvements and background reduction techniques are described in this paper.

We carried out non-contacting measurements of photocurrent distributions in GaN blue light emitting diode (LED) chips using our newly developed ultraviolet (UV) laser SQUID microscope. The UV light generates the photocurrent, and then the photocurrent induces small magnetic fields around the chip. An off-axis arranged HTS-SQUID magnetometer is employed to detect a vector magnetic field whose typical amplitude is several hundred femto-tesla. Generally, it is difficult to obtain Ohmic contacts for p-type GaN because of the low hole concentration in the p-type epitaxial layer and the lack of any available metal with a higher work function compared with the p-type GaN. Therefore, a traditional probecontacted electrical test is difficult to conduct for wide band gap semiconductors without an adequately annealed electrode. Using the UV-laser SQUID microscope, the photocurrent can be measured without any electrical contact. We show the photocurrent vector map which was reconstructed from measured magnetic fields data. We also demonstrate how we found the position of a defect of the electrical short circuits in the LED chip.

The MgB/sub 2/ superconductor with T/sub C/ of 39 K has great potential to replace some LTS materials in superconducting electronics. Thin films with low surface resistance, (R/sub S/) and negligible nonlinear effects are necessary to realize MgB/sub 2/ circuits for microwave applications. The R/sub S/ of MgB/sub 2/ thin films varies significantly depending on the method of deposition and deposition conditions. We have investigated microwave properties of MgB/sub 2/ thin films grown on MgO substrate by the Molecular Beam Epitaxy method with novel co-evaporation conditions at low deposition rate in ultra-high vacuum. The R/sub S/ of as-grown MgB/sub 2/ thin films have been measured using the Hakki-Coleman Sapphire dielectric resonator technique. High measurement accuracy was accomplished by using multifrequency measurements of S-parameters and the Transmission Mode Q-Factor technique for data processing to obtain the unloaded Q/sub o/-factor and resonant frequency of the dielectric resonator. Measured R/sub s/ of the MgB/sub 2/ films of 400 /spl mu//spl Omega/ was obtained at frequency of 24.6 GHz and temperature of 13 K. Microwave power characteristics of R/sub s/ indicates stable operation of MgB/sub 2/ devices for the input power up to 10 dBm.

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.

The paper presents the results of a study in which the non-stationary dynamic response of typical lift installations is investigated. A general approach to describe the dynamic behaviour of a vertical transport installation is presented. Subsequently, vibration models of a building elevator and a mine hoist installation are discussed. Perturbation and numerical techniques are discussed and applied to predict the non-stationary response of hoist ropes. It is shown that the method of multiple scales with non-linear scale as well as the method of characteristics can be employed to analyse a passage through resonance in a simple lift installation. Furthermore, the effectiveness of direct numerical integration of equations of motion is demonstrated in the case of a mine hoist installation.

We evaluated single crystal silicon wafers with a p-n junction structure using a laser superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) microscope. A high temperature superconductor SQUID magnetometer was used to detect photogenerated magnetic signals with an amplitude of several pico-tesla. The relationship between the photogenerated magnetic fields and the wavelengths of the excitation light was investigated. The minority carrier diffusion length was obtained by using a multiwavelength (680 to 850 nm) laser SQUID microscope. The results were found to be in good agreement with those obtained using the probe contacting method. The laser SQUID microscope can enable a truly noncontacting and contamination-free test of equipment with a high spatial resolution, and can enable testers to make quantitative evaluations. While surface pretreatment is necessary in traditional destructive measurements, the laser SQUID method can be used to take immediate measurements without any required pretreatment. These features make this method highly advantageous for monitoring the semiconductor process.