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A Compton camera is a gamma-ray imaging device, especially in the sub-mega-electron volt to higher than mega-electron volt range. Compton cameras have recently attracted attention as an environmental survey tool. However, owing to their limited sensitivity, Compton camera images often suffer from various artifacts, especially when the event statistics are low. To address this challenge, several deep learning models have been proposed to enhance the quality of reconstructed images with limited statistics. However, during the event selection phase of a typical Compton camera image reconstruction, a significant number of events that potentially reflect the source distribution are generally discarded. Effective utilization of these discarded events has the potential to estimate an accurate source distribution from limited statistical data. Thus, we initially developed ComptonNet-v1, a framework designed to directly estimate source distribution by integrating all measured events into a single model. To explicitly implement the difference in contribution between events that interact solely with scatterers, solely with absorbers, or with both, we developed ComptonNet-v2, which integrates these events individually. Consequently, our proposed models exhibited superior performance in both quantitative and qualitative assessments compared with existing models, even under low event statistics. In the future, we plan to implement a more memory-efficient model to estimate the distribution of complex source shapes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently an improved confinement regime, characterized by reduced turbulent fluctuations has been observed in the Large Helical Device upon the injection of boron powder into the plasma (Nespoli et al 2022 Nat. Phys. 18 350–56). In this article, we report in more detail the experimental observations of increased plasma temperature and the decrease of turbulent fluctuations across the plasma cross section, on an extended database. In particular, we compare powders of different materials (B, C, BN), finding similar temperature improvement and turbulence response for the three cases. Modeling of the powder penetration into the plasma and of neoclassical electric field and fluxes support the interpretation of the experimental results. Additionally, we report evidence of the temperature improvement increasing with powder injection rates and decreasing for both increasing density and heating power. Though, plasma turbulence response varies depending on the initial conditions of the plasma, making it difficult to draw an inclusive description of the phenomenon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most research on the association between parental or family socio-economic status and psychological adjustment in children has been performed mainly in Western countries, while there is limited evidence of such research in Asian countries. We examined the association of parental occupation and educational levels and household income with children's psychological adjustment in Japan. This was a cross-sectional study. Study subjects were 6329 children aged 3 years. Children's psychological adjustment was assessed using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Compared with having an unemployed father, having a father who worked in an administrative and managerial or clerical job was associated with a lower prevalence of peer problems. Compared with having an unemployed mother, having a mother who worked in the professional and engineering, sales, service, or manufacturing process area was associated with a lower prevalence of low prosocial behaviors, whereas having a mother who worked in the clerical, service, or manufacturing process area was associated with an increased prevalence of emotional problems. Having a mother who worked in a clerical area was associated with a higher prevalence of conduct problems. Higher paternal and maternal educational levels were inversely associated with the prevalence of conduct problems and hyperactivity but were positively associated with low prosocial behaviors. A higher household income was inversely associated with the prevalence of emotional problems, conduct problems, and hyperactivity. Parental occupation, educational levels, and household income may affect children's psychological adjustment in Japan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The tribological properties of a-C:H coating sliding against a SUJ2 ball, a SUJ2 roller, and an a-C:H coated roller were investigated under temperatures ranging from 20 to 80 °C in PAO with different additives. The additives had a glycerol and hydroxyl functional group in one molecule to enhance additive adsorption for mating with the a-C:H coating disk material and to build a phosphorus oxide tribolayer. Additives with different numbers of hydroxyl groups and primary or secondary-type C6H13O structures were also prepared. The tribolayer derived from each additive was analyzed via EDS, XPS, and ToF-SIMS. XPS depth analysis for the tribolayers revealed that additives were dissociated by friction and suggested C–O bond cleavage occurred. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bloch lines are formed to reduce the magnetostatic energy generated by the Bloch walls in uniaxial magnets. Recently, it is reported that Bloch lines play important roles in the emergence and helicity reversal of magnetic bubbles in Sc-substitute M-type hexaferrites (BaFe12–x–0.05ScxMg0.05O19). Although Bloch lines have been discussed on the basis of micromagnetic simulations, the detailed structure was not observed directly. In this study, we investigated the microscopic structures of Bloch lines in BaFe10.35Sc1.6Mg0.05O19 uniaxial magnets. Differential-phase contrast scanning transmission microscopy directly revealed that the edges of the Bloch walls were misaligned in the Bloch lines of BaFe10.35Sc1.6Mg0.05O19. From the micromagnetic simulations based on the Monte-Carlo technique, we showed that the misaligned Bloch walls were caused by the dipole-dipole interactions in the hexaferrite. Our results will help to understand the microstructures of Bloch lines at a nanometer scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses a case study of a 76-year-old patient who underwent an esophagogastroduodenoscopy and was diagnosed with Epstein-Barr virus-associated gastric carcinoma (EBVaGC). The endoscopy revealed a small, depressed lesion in the gastric body, and further examination using magnifying endoscopy with narrow-band imaging (NBI) and acetic acid spraying showed irregular and almost regular surface patterns in the depression, respectively. The pathology of the resected specimen confirmed the presence of EBVaGC. The article highlights the distinct clinicopathological features of EBVaGC and emphasizes the importance of identifying subtle mucosal changes for early detection. [Extracted from the article]

In Japan, research activities by junior and senior high school students show an upward trend. However, there are limited examples of research activities in the field of elementary particles and atoms. This is due to the difficulty associated with procuring research tools such as accelerators or particle detectors. Therefore, we hosted the ‘Accel Kitchen’ in 2018 and 2019 at the Cyclotron and Radioisotope Center (CYRIC) in Tohoku University where junior and senior high school students could participate in ongoing research of particle and atomic physics. At each workshop, 12 junior and senior high school students participated in the beam experiment, including the production of francium atoms (Fr) by the fusion reaction of oxygen and gold, optimizing the transport of the ion beam and identifying the alpha decay nuclei, and laser trapping of Fr for two days. Each group that was involved in the experiment was supported by researchers and university students who acted as mentors. This was the first opportunity for junior and senior high school students to know about the particle beam experiment in Japan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Ductility of polymer-supported metal films is important for flexible electronic devices and it is strongly affected by the metal film, polymer substrate, and their interfacial properties. Objective: In this paper, the effect of interfacial adhesion and substrate thickness on the metal film ductility was investigated. Methods: Mechanical behavior of 500 nm-thick aluminum (Al) films deposited on polyethylene-terephthalate (PET) substrates with thickness of 12, 25, and 50 μm was studied by tensile testing with in-situ electrical resistance measurements and post-mortem scanning electron microscopy. In addition, plasma etching was applied to tailor the PET surface condition before Al film deposition. Subsequently, the Al/PET interfacial adhesion was quantitatively evaluated using the laser spallation approach. Results: The tensile tests showed that plasma etching improved the ductility of the Al films, and that the apparent ductility of the Al film on the 50 μm-thick PET substrate was substantially lower than that on the 12 and 25 μm PET thickness. Laser spallation results revealed that the plasma etching increased the Al/PET interfacial adhesion. Conclusions: The influence of plasma etching and substrate thickness on the Al film ductility can be explained by the interface adhesion and shear lag theory. Plasma etching improves the interfacial adhesion by inducing both chemical and physical changes on the PET surface, and substrate thickness contributes to interface shear stress upon strain localization. The competing effect of the interfacial adhesion and the interfacial shear stress leads to a limiting substrate thickness for the desired ductility at a given tensile strain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: This study assessed the cost effectiveness of romosozumab versus teriparatide, both sequenced to alendronate, for the treatment of severe postmenopausal osteoporosis in Japan, using bone mineral density (BMD) efficacy data. Results show that romosozumab/alendronate produces greater health benefits at a lower cost than teriparatide/alendronate. Introduction: This study aims to assess the cost effectiveness of romosozumab versus teriparatide, both sequenced to alendronate, for the treatment of severe postmenopausal osteoporosis in Japanese women previously treated with bisphosphonates. Methods: A Markov model was used to assess the relative cost effectiveness of 1 year of romosozumab versus 2 years of teriparatide, both sequenced to alendronate for a total treatment duration of 5 years. Outcomes for a cohort of women with a mean age of 78 years, a T-score ≤−2.5 and a previous fragility fracture were simulated over a lifetime horizon. The analysis was conducted from the perspective of the Japanese healthcare system and used a discount rate of 2% per annum. To inform relative fracture incidence, the bone mineral density (BMD) advantage of romosozumab over teriparatide was translated into relative risks of fracture, using relationships provided by a meta-regression of osteoporosis therapy trials. Outcomes were assessed in terms of lifetime costs (2020 US dollars) and quality-adjusted life years (QALYs). Results: Base case results showed that, compared with teriparatide/alendronate, romosozumab/alendronate reduced costs by $5134 per patient and yielded 0.045 additional QALYs. Scenario analyses and probabilistic sensitivity analysis confirmed that results are robust to uncertainty in model assumptions and inputs. Conclusion: Results show that romosozumab/alendronate produces greater health benefits at a lower total cost than teriparatide/alendronate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates a solenoidal linear forcing scheme with reduced oscillation of a turbulent Mach number MT for direct numerical simulations (DNS) of statistically steady, homogeneous isotropic turbulence. A conventional linear forcing scheme results in a large temporal oscillation of MT, where the maximum MT reaches about 1.1 times the time-averaged MT. Therefore, strong shocklets are generated when MT becomes large although such strong shocklets hardly appear when MT is close to the time-averaged value. DNS with the proposed forcing scheme confirms that the temporal oscillation of MT is effectively reduced by adjusting a forcing coefficient with a ratio between velocity variance and its steady state value prescribed as a parameter. The time-dependent forcing coefficient results in the variation of the power input to kinetic energy. Therefore, the temporal oscillation of the Reynolds number for this forcing scheme is as large as that for the conventional linear forcing. The ratio between the solenoidal and dilatational kinetic energy dissipation rates increases with MT, and the MT dependence is consistent between the present solenoidal linear forcing and the low-wavenumber solenoidal forcing in wavenumber space. The skewness and flatness of the velocity derivative become large compared with incompressible turbulence when MT exceeds 0.6. Both average and root-mean-squared fluctuation of the shock Mach number of shocklets increase with MT. The most typical thickness of shocklets decreases with MT and asymptotically approaches about 1.5 times the Kolmogorov scale. The shocklet thickness normalized by the Kolmogorov scale hardly depends on the Reynolds number. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Isotope effects are one of the most important issues for predicting future reactor operations. Large helical device (LHD) is the presently working largest stellarator/helical device using super conducting helical coils. In LHD, deuterium experiments started in 2017. Extensive studies regarding isotope effects on transport have been carried out. In this paper, the results of isotope effect studies in LHD are reported. The systematic studies were performed adjusting operational parameters and nondimensional parameters. In L mode like normal confinement plasma, where internal and edge transport barriers are not formed, the scaling of global energy confinement time (τE) with operational parameters shows positive mass dependence (M0.27; where M is effective ion mass) in electron cyclotron heating plasma and no mass dependence (M0.0) in neutral beam injection heating plasma. The non-negative ion mass dependence is anti-gyro-Bohm scaling. The role of the turbulence in isotope effects was also found by turbulence measurements and gyrokinetic simulation. Better accessibility to electron and ion internal transport barrier (ITB) plasma is found in deuterium (D) plasma than in hydrogen (H). Gyro kinetic non-linear simulation shows reduced ion heat flux due to the larger generation of zonal flow in deuterium plasma. Peaked carbon density profile plays a prominent role in reducing ion energy transport in ITB plasma. This is evident only in plasma with deuterium ions. New findings on the mixing and non-mixing states of D and H particle transports are reported. In the mixing state, ion particle diffusivities are higher than electron particle diffusivities and D and H ion density profiles are almost identical. In the non-mixing state, ion particle diffusivity is much lower than electron diffusivity. Deuterium and hydrogen ion profiles are clearly different. Different turbulence structures were found in the mixing and non-mixing states suggesting different turbulence modes play a role. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 90 GHz W-band millimeter-wave back-scattering system is designed and installed for measuring electron scale turbulence (k⊥ρs ∼ 40). A metal lens relay antenna is used for in-vessel beam focusing, and a beam diameter of less than 40 mm is achieved in the plasma core region. This antenna can be steered at an angle of 159° ± 6°, which almost covers the plasma radius. The estimated size of the scattering volume is ∼105 mm at the edge and 135 mm at the core, respectively. A 60 m corrugated waveguide is used to achieve a low transmission loss of ∼8 dB. A heterodyne detection system for millimeter-wave circuits with probing power modulation can distinguish the scattered signal from background noise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genomic imprinting occurs before fertilization, impacts every cell of the developing child, and may be sensitive to environmental perturbations. The noncoding RNA, nc886 (also called VTRNA2-1) is the only known example of the ~100 human genes imprinted by DNA methylation, that shows polymorphic imprinting in the population. The nc886 gene is part of an ~1.6-kb differentially methylated region (DMR) that is methylated in the oocyte and silenced on the maternal allele in about 75% of humans worldwide. Here, we show that the presence or absence of imprinting at the nc886 DMR in an individual is consistent across different tissues, confirming that the imprint is established before cellular differentiation and is maintained into adulthood. We investigated the relationships between the frequency of imprinting in newborns and maternal age, alcohol consumption and cigarette smoking before conception in more than 1,100 mother/child pairs from South Africa. The probability of imprinting in newborns was increased in older mothers and decreased in mothers who drank alcohol before conception. On the other hand, cigarette smoking had no apparent relationship with the frequency of imprinting. These data show an epigenetic change during oocyte maturation which is potentially subject to environmental influence. Much focus has been placed on avoiding alcohol consumption during pregnancy, but our data suggest that drinking before conception may affect the epigenome of the newborn. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and purpose: A transient ischemic attack (TIA) can occur without self‐awareness of symptoms. We aimed to investigate characteristics of patients with a tissue‐based diagnosis of TIA but having no self‐awareness of their symptoms and whose symptoms were witnessed by bystanders. Methods: We used data from the multicenter registry of 1414 patients with a clinical diagnosis of TIA. For patients without evidence of ischemic lesions on imaging, clinical characteristics were compared between patients with and without self‐awareness of their TIA symptoms. Results: Among 896 patients (559 men, median age of 70 years), 59 (6.6%) were unaware of their TIA symptoms, but had those symptoms witnessed by bystanders. Patients without self‐awareness of symptoms were older and more frequently female, and more likely to have previous history of stroke, premorbid disability, and atrial fibrillation, but less likely to have dyslipidemia than those with self‐awareness. Patients without self‐awareness of symptoms arrive at hospitals earlier than those with self‐awareness (P < 0.001). ABCD2 score was higher in patients without self‐awareness of symptoms than those with self‐awareness (median 5 vs. 4, P = 0.002). Having no self‐awareness of symptoms was a significant predictor of ischemic stroke within 1 year after adjustment for sex, ABCD2 score, and onset to arrival time (hazard ratio = 2.44, 95% confidential interval: 1.10–4.83), but was not significant after further adjustment for arterial stenosis or occlusion. Conclusions: Patients with a TIA but having no self‐awareness of their symptoms might have higher risk of subsequent ischemic stroke rather than those with self‐awareness, suggesting urgent management is needed even if patients have no self‐awareness of symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The expression of insulin-like growth factor-1,4 hepatocyte growth factor4 and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) was also examined (Table 1).5 Elevated serum VEGF levels were observed in both the patients. The patients in this manuscript have given written informed consent to publication of their case details. 8 Meephansan J, Thummakriengkrai J, Ponnikorn S, Yingmema W, Deenonpoe R, Suchonwanit P. Efficacy of topical tofacitinib in promoting hair growth in non-scarring alopecia: possible mechanism via VEGF induction. [Extracted from the article]

Direct numerical simulation is performed for analyzing the interaction between a normal shock wave and turbulence. The shock wave is initially located in a quiescent fluid and propagates into a local turbulent region. This flow setup allows investigation of the initial transition and statistically steady stages of the interaction. Shock deformation is quantified using the local shock wave position. The root-mean-square (rms) fluctuation in the shock wave position increases during the initial stage of the interaction, for which the time interval divided by the integral time scale increases with M t 2 / ( M s 2 − 1) , where Mt is a turbulent Mach number and Ms is a shock Mach number. In late time, the rms fluctuation in the shock wave position hardly depends on the propagation time and follows a power law, [ M t 2 / ( M s 2 − 1) ] 0.46 , whose exponent is similar to the power law exponent of the rms pressure-jump fluctuation reported in experimental studies. Fluctuations in the shock wave position have a Gaussian probability density function. The spectral analysis confirms that the length scale that characterizes shock wave deformation is the integral length scale of turbulence. The fluctuating shock wave position is correlated with dilatation of the shock wave, where the correlation coefficient increases with Mt/(Ms − 1). In addition, the shock wave that deforms backward tends to be stronger than average and vice versa. Mean pressure jumps across the shock wave are different between areas with forward and backward deformations. This difference increases with the rms fluctuation in the shock wave position and is well-represented as a function of M t 2 / ( M s 2 − 1). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper reports on the recent activity of the data analysis software development for total-reflection high-energy positron diffraction, a novel experimental technique for surface structure determination. Experiments using TRHEPD are being conducted intensively at the Slow Positron Facility, Institute of Materials Structure Science, High Energy Accelerator Research Organization, revealing surface structure of interest. The data analysis software provides a solution to the inverse problem in which the atomic positions of a surface structure are determined from the experimental diffraction data (rocking curve). The forward problem is solved by the numerical solution of the partial differential equation in the quantum scattering problem. A technical demonstration with a test problem was carried out to confirm the software functioned as expected. Since the analysis method has a general mathematical foundation, it is also applicable to other experiments, such as X-ray or electron diffraction experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Isotope effects of ECRH plasma in LHD were investigated in detail. A clear difference of transport and turbulence characteristics in H and D plasmas was found in the core region, with normalized radius ρ < 0.8 in high collisionality regime. On the other hand, differences of transport and turbulence were relatively small in low collisionality regime. Power balance analysis and neoclassical calculation showed a reduction of the anomalous contribution to electron and ion transport in D plasma compared with H plasma in the high collisionality regime. In core region, density modulation experiments also showed more reduced particle diffusion in D plasma than in H plasma, in the high collisionality regime. Ion scale turbulence was clearly reduced at ρ < 0.8 in high collisionality regime in D plasma compared with H plasma. The gyrokinetic linear analyses showed that the dominant instability ρ = 0.5 and 0.8 were ion temperature gradient mode (ITG). The linear growth rate of ITG was reduced in D plasma than in H plasma in high collisionality regime. This is due to the lower normalized ITG and density gradient. More hollowed density profile in D plasma is likely to be the key control parameter. Present analyses suggest that anomalous process play a role to make hollower density profiles in D plasma rather than neoclassical process. Electron scale turbulence were also investigated from the measurements and linear gyrokinetic simulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electroreflectance (ER) spectra of β-Ga2O3 were measured using Schottky barrier diodes. The ER spectra were well fitted to a third derivative line shape function by assuming three excitonic transitions. The transition energies exhibited moderate blueshifts with an external reverse bias by reflecting the contribution of transitions at M0 type critical points. Optical anisotropy was selectively observed in the polarized ER spectra. The fittings for the third derivative line shape function gave relatively large broadening parameters (0.11–0.89 eV) due mainly to the large exciton-longitudinal-optical-phonon interaction in β-Ga2O3. The ER spectra exhibited a third derivative line shape with a Franz-Keldysh oscillation superimposed on it. The results demonstrate that ER measurements are useful for investigating optical anisotropy in β-Ga2O3 and related alloys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the fabrication of both antidot lattices and unidirectional stripe patterns upon molecular beam epitaxy grown MgZnO/ZnO heterostructures. The magnetoresistance of these high mobility devices exhibits commensurability oscillations associated with ballistic transport of carriers executing orbital motion within the geometry of the imposed modulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work proposes a new optoelectronic measurement of quantum well (QW) thickness and applies it to doped and undoped In0.53Ga0.47As/In0.52Al0.48As multiple-QW structures. Near-infrared spectroscopic identification of the interband optical transition at 100–300 K gave the eigenenergies of the conduction band in the QW. Evaluation of the QW thickness involved analysis of the effective mass at the corresponding eigenenergy. QW thicknesses in the range of 5.45–20.8 nm were determined in six different wafers. These thicknesses agreed well with the QW thicknesses estimated by double-crystal x-ray diffraction within almost two monolayers. This measurement was used to determine the distance of potential boundaries confining the electron wave functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photothermal deflection spectroscopy has been applied to optical absorption measurements in As[sub 2]S[sub 3], Se, and As–S glasses. The spectroscopic method is demonstrated to be suitable for evaluation of small absorption in thin samples, while its accuracy is affected by light scattering. For As[sub 2]S[sub 3], as-evaporated films give higher residual absorption than those of the bulk. In the As–S system, As[sub 2]S[sub 3] shows the most prominent weak absorption tail, and As[sub 17]S[sub 83] exhibits a peculiar spectrum. The origins of these features are discussed. © 2002 American Institute of Physics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prominent surface deformations appear in Ag-As-S chalcogenide glasses when exposed to focused laser beams. Deformation behaviors change with the beam diameter, the photon energy, the temperature at which illumination is provided, and the sample composition. In thin AgAsS[sub 2] films exposed at room temperature to a 2.0 eV light spot with a diameter of 2 μm, an isotropic convex structure with a height of ∼0.1 μm appears. The expanded region accompanies an Ag-content enhancement by ∼3 at. %, which suggests that the deformation is caused by photoinduced accumulation of Ag[sup +] ions. © 2001 American Institute of Physics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anisotropic surface deformations appear in AgAsS[sub 2] chalcogenide films when exposed to linearly polarized 2.0 eV light spots with diameters of 5-200 μm. The anisotropic shape reflects the polarization direction. The shape also changes with the direction of light incidence. Illumination on the free surface of the films gives a craterlike deformation, and illumination through a substrate gives an anticrater deformation. In bulk samples, under any exposure conditions, an isotropic convex structure appears. The formation mechanisms of these patterns are discussed taking into account the photoinduced migration of Ag[sup +] ions. © 2001 American Institute of Physics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tumour suppressor gene TP53 mutations in atypical vascular lesions of breast skin following radiotherapy. Plasma samples were obtained from five patients with metastatic angiosarcoma diagnosed in our hospital; tissue samples were obtained from patient #4 before initiating systemic therapy. Genomic profiling focused on the assessment of clonal evolution and intra-heterogeneity has improved the precision medicine approach in cancer treatment.1 Cancer personalized profiling by deep sequencing (CAPP-seq) of cell-free DNA (cfDNA) reveals the complexity of cancer and is a less invasive technique compared to tissue biopsy.1 Although the clinical utility of cfDNA in skin cancer was recently reported in some studies,2,3 there are few reports on circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) analysis using CAPP-Seq in skin tumours.4 Thus, we investigated the genomic profiling of cfDNA in metastatic angiosarcoma using CAPP-seq. [Extracted from the article]

Studies the nanoscale indium... gallium... arsenic/indium... aluminum...arsenic multiquantum wells structures with the use of photocurrent spectroscopy. Experimental results; Analysis and discussion; Summary.

Presents a study which examined energy transport in thin aluminum and gold foils irradiated with a 263-nanometer laser. Methods; Results; Discussion.

Studies the measurements of mass ablation rate and pressure in planar targets irradiated by 0.27 micrometer laser light. Advantages of using submicron wavelength lasers in mass ablation; Details on the experimental conditions; Discussion on the results of the study.

Presents a study which discussed the photoluminescence spectra of deformed silicon-germanium alloy. Description of the photoluminescence technique; Experimental details; Results.

Studies photoelectric properties of silver-arsenic-sulfur glasses. Method of the study; Results and discussion; Conclusion.

The electron density distribution in crystals of (meso-tetraphenylporphinato)iron(II) has been analyzed using accurate x-ray diffraction data collected at 120 K. The structural results are in agreement with those of the room temperature study. Theoretical calculations predict several different ground states for the complex and in particular support the 3A2g and the 3EgA states. The experimental electron density distribution shows large peaks above and below the iron atom which would not be present for a 3EgA ground state. Comparison with Mössbauer quadrupole splittings and the result of the aspherical atom refinement indicate that the axial peaks may be systematically too high in this acentric crystal structure. Nevertheless, it is concluded that their presence indicates a relatively small contribution of the 3EgA state to the ground state of the complex. This implies that the ground state of FeTPP is different from that of iron(II)phthalocyanine in the crystal. A significant population of electrons is found in the dx2-y2 orbital which is mainly attributed to σ donation of electrons from the porphyrin ligand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A strip-yield model is applied to examine the buildup of crack closure for two types of precracks are examined: open precracks which remain open even under cyclic compression, and closed precracks which may close under compression. • The effect of precrack type on fatigue thresholds are systematically examined under fully reversed loading for two types of precrcaks. • New master curve equations are proposed for the cyclic R-curve for two types of precracks with various lengths. A strip-yield model modified to leave plastically deformed stretch in the wake of the advancing crack tip is applied to simulate the buildup of plasticity-induced crack closure with crack extension from precracks with various lengths under fully reversed loading. Two types of precracks are examined: open precracks which remain open even under cyclic compression, and closed precracks which may close under compression. The effects of precrack type and length on fatigue thresholds were systematically examined. Because of a sharp increase of crack opening stress with crack extension, the effective stress intensity range Δ K eff drops initially and then turns to increase. Assuming a constant threshold value of Δ K eff for steels, new master curve equations are proposed for the cyclic R-curve. The effect of the precrack type on fatigue thresholds is successfully derived for different precrack lengths. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Histochemical organization of the Caudata olfactory system remains largely unknown, despite this amphibian order showing phylogenetic diversity in the development of the vomeronasal organ and its primary centre, the accessory olfactory bulb. Here, we investigated the glycoconjugate distribution in the olfactory bulb of a semi‐aquatic salamander, the Japanese sword‐tailed newt (Cynops ensicauda), by histochemical analysis of the lectins that were present. Eleven lectins showed a specific binding to the olfactory and vomeronasal nerves as well as to the olfactory glomeruli. Among them, succinylated wheat germ agglutinin (s‐WGA), soya bean agglutinin (SBA), Bandeiraea simplicifolia lectin‐I (BSL‐I) and peanut agglutinin showed significantly different bindings to glomeruli between the main and accessory olfactory bulbs. We also found that s‐WGA, SBA, BSL‐I and Pisum sativum agglutinin preferentially bound to a rostral cluster of glomeruli in the main olfactory bulb. This finding suggests the presence of a functional subset of primary projections to the main olfactory system. Our results therefore demonstrated a region‐specific glycoconjugate expression in the olfactory bulb of C. ensicauda, which would be related to a functional segregation of the olfactory system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nano-architectures of single-crystalline anatase TiO2 nanosheets predominantly exposing the {001} facet are constructed in well-oriented configurations based on the strategies of controlled growth of TiO2 in novel growth modes, i.e. (a) the epitaxial growth mode of TiO2 nanosheets on the surface of oriented crystalline substrates, TiO2 and SnO2, resulting in an ordered growth direction, and (b) the hierarchical growth mode of TiO2 nanosheets on oriented nano-crystals, TiO2 nanowires, resulting in a well-ordered orientation and high surface areas as compared with conventional random growth of nanosheets. The present work explores a variety of methods for morphology control of TiO2 nanosheets directly grown on nanostructures as mother components, on which the potential of anatase TiO2 nanosheets to expose a high fraction of the reactive {001} facet is maximized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alkali metal dosing has nowadays been extensively used in angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) for the in situ surface electron doping of materials to provide access to the unoccupied states. This technique also gives rise to nontrivial physical phenomena, such as the appearance of quantum well states and effects due to alkali metal intercalation. Here, we uncovered a previously unobserved type of electronic behavior induced by alkali metal dosing. By employing ARPES to study the evolution of the electronic structure of the Ti2O3 thin film upon rubidium (Rb) dosing, we found that the electron chemical potential of the system remains unchanged throughout the process. Interestingly, a series of electron-like band dispersions first appear with Rb dosing. A further increase in the Rb dosage leads to the eventual disappearance of the electron-like bands and the emergence of a set of hole-like bands. Our finding enriches the phenomenology brought about by alkali metal surface dosing, suggesting a novel functionality of this popular surface doping technique. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The influence of fiber orientation on crack propagation was studied with single edge-notched specimens cut from injection-molded plates of fiber-reinforced polyphenylene sulfide (PPS). Fracture mechanics parameters were calculated by FEM based on anisotropic elasticity. For mode I crack propagation in specimens parallel (MD) and perpendicular (TD) to molding direction, difference in crack propagation rate, dc / dN , among specimens becomes small when correlated to a crack-tip-opening radius parameter, H I Δ G I , where H I is a compliance parameter. Including crack propagation under mixed loading, all the data tend to merge a single relation when correlated to total energy-release-rate range divided by Young’s modulus, Δ G total /E θ . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A tangential viewing phase contrast imaging system is being designed for the JT-60SA tokamak to investigate microturbulence. In order to obtain localized information on the turbulence, a spatialfiltering technique is applied, based on magnetic shearing. The tangential viewing geometry enhances the radial localization. The probing laser beam is injected tangentially and traverses the entire plasma region including both low and high field sides. The spatial resolution for an Internal Transport Barrier discharge is estimated at 30%-70% of the minor radius at k = 5 cm-1, which is the typical expected wave number of ion scale turbulence such as ion temperature gradient/trapped electron mode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The effects of precrack lengths and material yield stress on crack closure development are examined. • A new master curve equation is proposed for the cyclic R-curve. • The fatigue thresholds of materials with defects are successfully derived. A strip-yield model modified to leave plastically deformed stretch in the wake of the advancing crack tip is applied to simulate the development of plasticity-induced crack closure with crack extension from precracks with various lengths under the stress ratio R = 0. The effects of precrack length and yield stress on fatigue thresholds were systematically examined. Because of a sharp increase of crack opening stress with crack extension, the effective stress intensity range Δ K eff drops initially and then turns to increase. Assuming the threshold value of Δ K eff for steels, a master curve equation is proposed for the cyclic R-curve. The effects of precrcrack length and material yield stress on fatigue thresholds are successfully derived. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focuses on a study that described the enhancement of soft x-ray emission using prepulses with laser plasmas. Details of the study; X-ray generation efficiencies of gold targets; Dependence of the x-ray conversion efficiencies on the plasma-emitting volume.

Investigates the iron doping by chloride vapor-phase epitaxy (VPE) to obtain semi-insulating (SI) InP layers. Resistivity of the SI-InP layer; Schematic configuration of the chloride VPE apparatus for the iron doping; Procedure of iron doping.

Focuses on a study which observed a series of optical transmissions between higher conduction subbands and higher heavy-hole subbands in InGaAs/InAlAs quantum wells. Analysis of transition energies between the subbands; Description of the normalized photocurrent spectra of the quantum wells; Energy of optical transition in the quantum wells.

Advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) play important roles in the progression of diabetic complications. Although sarcopenia is recently recognized as another complication associated with diabetes mellitus, its mechanism still remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the relationship between serum levels of pentosidine, which is one of AGEs, and insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) vs. skeletal muscle mass by whole body dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry in 133 postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes. Relative skeletal muscle mass index (RSMI) was calculated by following formula; appendicular skeletal muscle mass divided by height in meters squared. Simple correlation analyses showed that serum pentosidine levels were significantly and negatively correlated with muscle mass of legs (r = - 0.21, p = 0.017) and RSMI (r = - 0.18, p = 0.022), and that IGF-I was significantly and positively correlated with muscle mass of arms and legs (r = 0.23, p = 0.008 and r = 0.30, p = 0.001, respectively) as well as RSMI (r = 0.20, p = 0.022). Moreover, after adjusting for age, duration of diabetes, serum creatinine, HbA1c, and IGF-I, pentosidine was significantly and negatively associated with RSMI (β = - 0.27, p = 0.018) and marginally with muscle mass of legs (β = - 0.18, p = 0.071). The associations between IGF-I and indices of muscle mass such as arms, legs and RSMI were still significant after additional adjustment for pentosidine (p = 0.016, 0.019 and 0.021, respectively). These findings indicate that increased serum pentosidine and decreased IGF-I are independent risk factors for loss of muscle mass in postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cloud-cloud collision has long been claimed to be an efficient trigger of massive star formation. We present interferometric maps of a candidate site of collision-triggered star formation newly discovered at 40 pc projected distance from the Galactic center. The cloud CO-0.3 has an extremely broad molecular line emission of a 140 kms -1 velocity width despite of absence of any known energy sources nearby and inside the cloud. Recent observations with the Atacama Large Millimeter and Submillimeter Array have unveiled that the cloud is comprised by two distinctive velocity components which appear to contact at a thin, well-defined interface layer on the plane-of-the-sky, suggesting that the extremely broad emissions originate from shocked regions created by cloud-cloud collision. The high surface density C18O filaments and compact N2H+ clump associated with the collision interface are likely to be created though the collision shock, which may evolve into an active star-forming region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we investigate the impact of the dynamic behavior of photovoltaic (PV) power generation systems on short-term voltage stability of the transmission system. First, the impact of the fault ride-through capability of a PV model is studied by setting several recovery speeds of the active current output when the operation of the PV system is interrupted because of a voltage sag. The results are analyzed by using transient P\-V curves and a stability boundary, which has been proposed in our previous research. Further, we show that the installation of PVs severely impairs the short-term voltage stability if the PVs shut off after a voltage sag, and its recovery speed is low. Next, two countermeasures to control short-term voltage instability phenomena are tested. One is the operation of the PV system at a leading power factor in the normal state, and the other is the dynamic reactive power control by the inverters of the PV system after a voltage sag. Numerical examples are carried out for a one-load infinite-bus power system and a five-machine five-load power system. The results show that these countermeasures can play a substantial role in preventing the voltage instability phenomena caused when a PV system is suddenly interrupted because of a fault. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The influence of fiber orientation on the crack propagation behavior was studied with single edgenotched specimens which were cut from an injection-molded plate of short-fiber reinforced plastics of polyphenylenesulphide (PPS) reinforced with 30wt% carbon fibers. Specimens were cut at five fiber angles relative to the molding direction, i.e. θ = 0° (MD), 22.5°, 45°, 67.5°, 90° (TD). Fracture mechanics parameters derived based on anisotropic elasticity were used as a crack driving force. Macroscopic crack propagation path was nearly perpendicular to the loading axis for the cases of MD and TD. For the other fiber angles, the crack path was inclined because the crack tended to propagate along inclined fibers. For mode I crack propagation in MD and TD, the resistance to crack propagation is improved by fiber reinforcement, when the rate is correlated to the range of stress intensity factor. The crack propagation rate, da/dN, was slowest for MD and fastest for TD. For each material, the crack propagation rate is higher for larger R ratio. The effect of R ratio on da/dN diminished in the relation between da/dN and the range of energy release rate, DGI. Difference among MD, TD and matrix resin becomes small when da/dN correlated to a parameter corresponding the crack-tip radius, HDGI, where H is compliance parameter. Fatigue cracks propagated under mixed loading of mode I and II for the fiber angles other than 0° and 90°. The data of the crack propagation rate correlated to the range of total energy release rate, DGtotal, lie between the relations obtained for MD and TD. All data of crack propagation tend to merge a single relation when the rate is correlated to the range of total energy release rate divided by Young's modulus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An analysis method for unfolding the spatially resolved wave-number spectrum and phase velocity from the 2D CO2 laser phase contrast imaging system on the large helical device is described. This is based on the magnetic shear technique which identifies propagation direction from 2D spatial Fourier analysis of images detected by a 6 x 8 detector array. Because the strongest modes have wave-number at the lower end of the instrumental k range, high resolution spectral techniques are necessary to clearly resolve the propagation direction and hence the spatial distribution of fluctuations along the probing laser beam. Multiple-spatial point cross-correlation averaging is applied before calculating the spatial power spectrum. Different methods are compared, and it is found that the maximum entropy method (MEM) gives best results. The possible generation of artifacts from the over-narrowing of spectra are investigated and found not to be a significant problem. The spatial resolution Δρ (normalized radius) around the peak wave-number, for conventional Fourier analysis, is ~0.5, making physical interpretation difficult, while for MEM, Δρ ~ 0.1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]