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The purpose of this study was to investigate morphologic differences using plain film radiographs in cervical intervertebral foramina (IVF) for the following positions: neutral; flexion combined with lateral flexion to the right, rotation to the left (FLFR-RL); and flexion combined with lateral flexion to the right, rotation to the right (FLFR-RR.)Fifteen participants (male; age, 22-29 years) with no history of neck pain were recruited to participate in this study. Radiographs were taken with participants standing and their cervical spines positioned in neutral, in FLFR-RL, and in FLFR-RR. Foraminal height and width were measured at levels C5/6 and C6/7 by a radiologist. Differences in IVF sizes between positions were analyzed.The FLFR-RL position (flexion with contralateral rotation and lateral flexion) increased IVF height at C5/6 by 2.40 mm (24%; P.01) and C6/7 by 2.64 mm (26%; P.01) compared with the neutral position. However, no significant increase in foraminal width was observed compared with the neutral position (P.05), and no significant difference in foraminal height and width increase was observed between FLFR-RL and FLFR-RR.The results of this study demonstrate that the cervical FLFR-RL position increases the height of the cervical IVF as measured on radiographs.

Digital control of a general-purpose switching power supply is one of the key technologies to perform the high reliability and the intelligent functions demanded for the next generation. In this paper, the experimental identification method is firstly applied to the developed digital control-based switching power supply. Based on the identified model, the model-based control system is constructed. Considering the load variations, the adaptive mechanism is introduced to the control system. The effectiveness of the proposed identification and control strategies is evaluated through simulations and experiments with the developed switching power supply system.

The genetics of nicotine addiction has been probed using combinations of genetic markers and questionnaire results regarding individual smoking behavior. Recently, the association of nicotine addiction with various candidate gene or gene polymorphisms has been proposed based on genome-wide association studies and candidate gene approaches, but the assessment of smoking behaviors including how severely each smoker is addicted, is typically performed using limited measures such as questionnaires. In this review, we present part of our recent data in which different scaling methods detected different genetic polymorphisms associated with different aspects of addicted smoking behaviors, as determined using questionnaire responses and genotyping data for 2500 Japanese elderly subjects. Several scaling methods have been developed to estimate nicotine addiction; here, we briefly review four scaling methods in addition to the Fagerstrom Tolerance Questionnaire (FTQ) and the Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence (FTND): The Tobacco Dependence Screener (TDS), the Wisconsin Inventory of Smoking Dependence Motives (WISDM), the Cigarette Dependence Scale (CDS), and the Nicotine Dependence Syndrome Scale (NDSS). The characteristics and powers of these scales are also discussed. These scales are used regionally; for example, the TDS is mainly used in Japan, while the NDSS and the WISDM are used in the US. Taking advantage of the characteristics of these scaling methods and comparing them with each other in various populations may be useful for elucidating the genetic and non- genetic nature of nicotine dependence.

The time-varying multipath fading causes the intercarrier interference (ICI) that destroys the orthogonality between the subcarriers for orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) systems. In this paper, we propose an iterative equalization method using channel estimation based on compressed sensing (CS) that can be used to optimize and reconstruct the channel state information (CSI) for sparse channel. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed method significantly improves the system performance, comparing with the conventional Least Square (LS) methods.

The magnetic vortex in nanopatterned elements is currently attracting enormous interest. A priori, one would assume that the formation of magnetic vortex states should exhibit a perfect symmetry, because the magnetic vortex has four degenerate states. Here we show the first direct observation of an asymmetric phenomenon in the formation process of vortex states in a permalloy nanodisk using high-resolution full-field magnetic transmission soft X-ray microscopy. Micromagnetic simulations confirm that the intrinsic Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction, which arises from the spin-orbit coupling due to the lack of inversion symmetry near the disk surface, as well as surface-related extrinsic factors, is decisive for the asymmetric formation of vortex states.

Bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP2) is a member of the transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) superfamily and plays important roles in multiple biological events. Although BMP2 expression has been well described in the early development of the central nervous system (CNS), little information is available on its expression in the adult CNS. We thus investigated BMP2 expression in the adult rat CNS by using immunohistochemistry. Here we show that BMP2 is widely expressed throughout the adult CNS. In addition, besides intense BMP2 expression in almost all neurons, we found BMP2 expression in astrocytes and ependymal cells. Interestingly, we found that the axons of olfactory sensory neurons express BMP2. In addition, in the glomerular layer, BMP2 was very strongly expressed in some glomeruli, whereas the other glomeruli were weakly stained, suggesting that the variations in BMP2 expression level in each glomerus might be cues for each axon to find its adequate target and to keep its identity. Furthermore, we compared the expression patterns of BMP2 and BMP4. Interestingly, BMP4 was preferentially expressed in the dendrites of several neurons, whereas BMP2 was basically not expressed in the dendrites; however, it was detected in the axons. This means that in a single neuron the localizations of BMP2 and BMP4 are differentially regulated. These data indicate that BMP2 is more widely expressed throughout the adult CNS than previously reported, and its continued abundant expression in the adult brain strongly supports the idea that BMP2 also plays pivotal roles in the adult brain. J. Comp. Neurol. 518:4513–4530, 2010. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Large topographic features, like the Tibetan Plateau (TP) and the Rocky Mountains, have significant impacts on Earth's climate. Numerical experiments were carried out using a regional climate model in order to study the sensitivity of rainfall distribution to the TP's thermal/dynamic effects and meridional position of the subtropical westerly jet. The sensitivity experiments under the present winter conditions, characterized by weaker solar radiation and westerly jet located to the south of the TP, reveal that broad and climate characterizes Northeast Asia, covering North China and Mongolia. The results are consistent with previous studies, indicating that TP dynamic forcing is dominant in winter. In sensitivity experiments under present summer conditions, characterized by stronger solar radiation and the westerly jet located to the north of TP, a prominent subsidence occurred over North China, where the Taklimakan and Gobi deserts are located. In summer, dynamic forcing of TP is very weak, whereas the thermal forcing of TP mainly induces subsidence. Relatively smaller mountain ranges, such as the TianShan Mountains, also modify the atmospheric circulation even during the summer season. The active convection zone along the Baiu front, which produces an elongate rain belt that extends from East China to Korea and Japan, is near the boundary of two moisture sources, transported by the westerly wind over the Eurasian continent and by the Asian summer monsoon flow. The millennial-scale variation in the location of the boundary reflects corresponding changes in East Asian climate, including monsoon intensity, storm activity, and the subtropical jet. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd and INQUA. All rights reserved.

We have synthesized A-site ordered (AO)- and A-site disordered (AD)-Y1/4Sr3/4CoO3-delta (YSCO) with various oxygen deficiency delta, and have made a comparative study of the structural and physical properties. We have found that A-site (Y/Sr) ordering produces the unconventional oxygen-vacancy ordered (OO) structure, and that the magnetic and transport properties of both AO- and AD-YSCO strongly depend on the oxygen-vacancy (or excess oxygen) ordering pattern. AO-YSCO with a stoichiometric delta of 0.5 has the unconventional OO structure reflecting Y/Sr ordering pattern. With decreasing delta from 0.5, the overall averaged OO structure is essentially unchanged except for an increase of occupancy ratio for the oxygen-vacant sites. At delta = 0.34, excess oxygen atoms are ordered to form a novel superstructure, which is significant for the room-temperature ferromagnetism of AO-YSCO. In AD-YSCO, on the other hand, the quite different OO structure, which is of a brownmillerite-type, is found only in the vicinity of delta = 0.5., 7 pages, 6 figures

Quality requirements are scattered over a requirements specification, thus it is hard to measure and trace such quality requirements to validate the specification against stakeholders' needs. We have already proposed a technique called "spectrum analysis for quality requirements" which enables analysts to sort a requirements specification to measure and track quality requirements in the specification. However current spectrum analysis largely depends on expertise of each analyst, thus it takes a lot of efforts to perform the analysis and is hard to reuse experiences for such analysis. We introduce domain knowledge called term-characteristic map (TCM) to improve current spectrum analysis for quality requirements. Through several experiments, we evaluated the improved spectrum analysis.

A cantilever-type dynamic absorber applies not only a force but also a moment to the main system, and it can be more effective than the conventional mass-spring dynamic absorber which applies only a force. In this paper, vibration control of a rigid plate by a cantilever-type absorber is investigated theoretically and experimentally. The vibrations of rotational modes are decreased more effectively by the cantilever-type absorber than by the conventional absorber. The absorber must be set such that the direction of the cantilever is normnal to the nodal line of the main plate. An autotuning system of the natural frequency and the direction of the absorber was constructed by making use of a personal computer and two stepping motors.

It is difficult to identify whether quality requirements are defined adequately or not, but there are few methods to support this kind of requirements analysis. In this paper, we propose a method based on software quality spectrum, that shows a ratio of quality characteristics embedded in a software engineering artifact, such as a requirements specification, a manual and so on. We assume similar kinds of software systems have similar spectrum, thus we can identify the adequacy of quality requirements for a new system by using spectrum of already existing similar systems. We confirmed the assumption above by analyzing actual software systems, i.e., web browsers and drawing tools.

[1] Irrigated farmland in an arid region creates a prominent heat contrast along its boundary. A statistical analysis of satellite images indicated that the frequency distribution of clouds has a clear contrast between the Hetao Irrigation District in China and the surrounding dry area in the summer. In this paper, we use a mesoscale model to clarify the impact of the extensive irrigation on the cloud formation. The numerical experiment assuming simplified irrigation indicates that the colder surface of the irrigated area induces a surface wind toward the dry area, where the surface temperature is higher. This wind is a part of a land-use-induced circulation. The circulation matures in the early afternoon and generates clouds near the border of the dry area and irrigated area.

We have succeeded in preparing A-site ordered- and disordered-Y1/4Sr3/4CoO3-d with various oxygen deficiencies delta, and have made comparative study of their structural and physical properties. In the A-site ordered structure, oxygen vacancies order, and d = 0.34 sample shows a weak ferromagnetic transition beyond 300 K. On the other hand, in the A-site disordered structure, no oxygen vacancy ordering is observed, and d = 0.16 sample shows a ferromagnetic metallic transition around 150 K. A-site disordering destroys the orderings of oxygen-vacancies and orbitals, leading to the strong modification of the electronic phases., Comment: 3 pages, 3 figures, proceeding of 52nd Mangetism and Magnetic Materials Conference (MMM 2007), published in Journal of Applied Physics

An optical intrusion-detection sensor based on a Sagnac interferometer has been developed for fence-mounted perimeter security applications. The interferometer is completely made of polarization maintaining fiber and related components. This sensor has been adopted by some important institutions as part of their physical security systems.

[1] Cloud patterns over arid/semi-arid area in the Northeast Asia are investigated by statistical analysis of the satellite observations in relation to the roles of topography and vegetation contrasts. In the morning, cloud frequencies are high over the mountainous areas in the northern Mongolia. In the afternoon and early evening, the frequencies increase in the entire analyzed domain. The frequencies are prominently enhanced over the slopes and mountains. The upslope wind prevails during the daytime where vegetation contrasts are not sharp or the slope is steep, even though vegetation covers the mountain which tends to cool the mountain slope. The land-cover-induced cloud formations are distinctly observed where the slope is gentle and vegetation contrast is sharp enough to form a prominent surface temperature contrast. Around the Yellow River, the cloud frequency rapidly increases in the afternoon due to the vegetation contrast, whereas it remains very low over the river. We hypothesized that the smaller sensible heat flux from the vegetated surface suppresses the development of the daytime mixed layer. Thus the cumulus clouds near top of the mixed layer are difficult to form. It is inferred from the statistical analysis that the afforestation of the desertified lands may cause the decrease of cloud frequency above it.

[1] Origin of water vapor, which falls as precipitation over arid/semiarid area in northeast Asia, is investigated by modeling and observational approaches. The regional climate model evaluates the spatiotemporal variations of precipitation and water vapor budget, which are used to drive the single-layer isotope circulation model. Intraseasonal variations of δ18O in precipitation are well simulated during June-July-August of 2003. The δ18O in water vapor experiences rapid decreases according to the passage of synoptic-scale disturbances. The rapid decreases of δ18O are attributed to two processes. (1) The δ18O in air mass locally decreases over the western mountains associated with the mountain precipitation; the light vapor is advected to eastern Mongolia by the prevailing westerly wind. (2) Convective systems pass by in the vicinity of the observation site, which persistently keep the lower δ18O in the air mass. Origin of the water vapor during June-July-August in 2003 is evaluated by the colored moisture analysis in which the tracers are assigned depending on the region where the water vapor finally evaporated. Seasonal mean result indicates that the regions contributing to precipitation in Mongolia are not low-latitude regions but central Asia and western Siberia located to the northwest of Mongolia. Observed multilevel isotopic composition supports the model estimation. The moisture transport along the southwesterly wind of the Asian summer monsoon has difficulty reaching Mongolia as a monthly/seasonal mean perspective. However, eastern Mongolia and northeast China are situated on the border area between westerly wind moisture transport (by midlatitude synoptic cyclones) and southerly wind moisture transport (by Asian summer monsoon).

In the present study, the precise mechanism of the enhancing action of histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors on cisplatin (CDDP)-induced apoptosis was investigated using suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (SAHA) in human oral squamous cell carcinoma cells (HSC-3). HDAC inhibitors are promising novel compounds for the treatment of cancer, which cooperate with chemotherapeutic agents to induce apoptosis. Apoptosis enhancement of HSC-3 cells by SAHA was accompanied by the activation of caspase-3, -8 and -9, suggesting a mitochondrial-dependent amplification loop. Concomitant treatment (CDDP/SAHA) of cells resulted in the most effective enhancement of apoptosis compared to other timing combinations. By means of cell-cycle synchronization, G0/G1-phase cells proved to be a more sensitive fraction to SAHA action than their synchronized counterparts in other phases. Furthermore, cells treated with SAHA revealed a decrease in intracellular reduced glutathione (GSH) contents. Of importance, the GSH synthesis inhibitor, diethyl maleate, decreased intracellular GSH and enhanced CDDP-induced apoptosis in a similar pattern of timing to SAHA. Thus, SAHA appears to disrupt the intracellular redox balance, which causes maximal apoptosis at the G0/G1 phase arrested by CDDP in HSC-3 cells. These results demonstrate that HDAC inhibitors not only cause a change in the histone acetylation status, but are also able to influence the apoptotic process at several levels, and GSH plays a key role in governing SAHA-dependent enhancement of CDDP-induced apoptosis.

We report on current-induced magnetization switching in a nanomagnet with perpendicular anisotropy, and investigate the effects of the damping constant (α) on the switching current (Isw) by varying the nanosecond-scale pulse current duration (tp), the saturation magnetization (Ms), and the magnetocrystalline anisotropy (Ku). The results show that reduction of α below a certain threshold (αc) is ineffective in reducing Isw for short tp. When tp is short, it is necessary to reduce both α and Ms simultaneously until αc is reached to reduce Isw. The results presented here offer a promising route for the design of ultrafast information storage and logic devices using current-induced magnetization switching.

Chemotherapeutic treatment with combinations of drugs is front-line therapy for many types of cancer. Combining drugs that target different signaling pathways often lessens adverse side-effects while increasing the efficacy of treatment and reducing patient morbidity. Histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors represent a novel class of anti-neoplastic agents that act by promoting acetylation of core histones, leading in turn to the uncoiling of chromatin and activation of a variety of genes implicated in the regulation of cell survival, proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis. A defined scheduling protocol is described by which HDAC inhibitors facilitate the cytotoxic effectiveness of cisplatin (CDDP) in the killing of carcinoma cells. An oral squamous cell carcinoma cell line (HSC-3) was treated with sodium butyrate (NaB), suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (SAHA) or MS-275 on the day of, the day before, or the day after addition of CDDP. The IC50 (48-h assay) value of 3.48 microg/ml CDDP could be lowered to 0.41 microg/ml CDDP when concurrently combined with an HDAC inhibitor (MS-275). The percentage of apoptosis by treatment with CDDP for 24 h, followed by NaB for an additional 24 h without washing was significantly greater than that observed in the reverse order. Depending on the time of addition of HDAC inhibitors, CDDP-treated cells displayed varying degrees of apoptotic responses, indicating the critical nature of timing in the use of HDAC inhibitors. Interestingly, experiments suggested that cells arrested at the G1/S checkpoint by CDDP were more sensitive to subsequent treatment with an HDAC inhibitor. Moreover, these events were associated with an enhancement of reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and caspase-3 activation by HDAC inhibitors. They raise the possibility that combining these agents may represent a novel anti-neoplastic strategy.

In order to evaluate the water chemistry in the irradiation field during IASCC irradiation test, a water radiolysis code for IASCC irradiation loop system was developed. In the water radiolysis code, a multiple node model was introduced since the irradiation loop system has a wide rage temperature distribution as well as the dose distribution. To investigate the applicability of developed water radiolysis code, water chemistry at the water sampling point of the irradiation loop system was measured and compared with analytical results under several water chemistry conditions. Further, water chemistry distribution in the in-pile region as well as in the out-pile region was calculated by the developed water radiolysis code.

Selenium (Se) is a very effective anti-cancer agent. We studied the effects of inorganic Se compounds on induction of apoptosis by which Se compounds exert cancer chemopreventive activity. With the use of HSC-3 human oral squamous cell carcinoma cells, the present study showed that treatment with Se for 72 h, in the form of SeO 2 and Na 2 SeO 3 , but not Na 2 SeO 4 , markedly induced apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner. Treatment of HSC-3 cells with 100 μM SeO 2 resulted in the caspase-3-like and -9-like activation. Se compounds induced a loss of mitochondrial membrane potential (AVm), but did not induce the generation of reactive oxygen species. Treatment with SeO 2 for 18 h resulted in 80% loss of reduced glutathione (GSH), which is known to be involved in the metabolism of Se. Treatment with N-acetyl-L-cysteine, or exogenous GSH, prevented the SeO 2 -induced apoptosis. Treatment with GSH led to the partial reverse in reduction of ΔΨm caused by SeO 2 , while buthionine sulfoximine augmented the SeO 2 - or Na 2 SeO 3 -induced apoptosis.These results suggest that modulation of the mitochondrial redox equilibrium by Se contributes to the mitochondrial pathway, regulating caspase-9-mediated apoptosis without a concurrent increase in ROS.

[1] Numerous clouds streets often appear in the lee of island arcs during cold-air outbreak. These clouds are quite similar each other in shape and appearance. We found that two different kinds of cloud streets are coexistent in them, one is formed by a mountain and another is formed by the temperature contrast between islands and the sea. Since difference in the characteristics between them is small, it is difficult to simply discriminate by satellite images. However, two kinds of the cloud streets can be observationally classified by the statistics of the satellite images with the help of numerical experiments.

Apoptosis induced by docetaxel that interferes with microtubule polymerization dynamics and is used clinically to treat advanced cancers, has not been fully defined in squamous cell carcinoma. In this study, apoptotic events involved in docetaxel treatment were investigated. When the human oral squamous cell carcinoma cell line HSC-3 was exposed to docetaxel for 72 h, a dose-dependent effect was observed in apoptosis using the TUNEL method. We observed activation of caspase cascade including activities like caspase-3, -8, and -9. And the pan-caspase inhibitor z-VAD-fmk prevented apoptosis induced by docetaxel (0.1 microM), showing participation of caspases in this process. Since an antagonistic CD95-antibody (ZB4) exerted no effect on docetaxel-induced apoptosis, CD95/CD95L interaction was not involved in this pathway. The caspase-8-like activity was inhibited not only by IETD-fmk (caspase-8) but also by DEVD-fmk (caspase-3). The results indicate that the caspase-8-like activation occurred downstream of DEVDase. Docetaxel promoted the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in mitochondria, and preincubation of cells with anti-oxidants such as N-acetyl cysteine and pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate, protected against apoptosis mediated by docetaxel. Furthermore, treatment with docetaxel elicited reduction of mitochondrial membrane potential, and release of cytochrome c to cytosol, after 48 h of treatment. We observed binding activity to NF-kappaB consensus site and interference with the mitochondrial function via NF-kappaB after docetaxel treatment. Preventing pro-apoptotic property of NF-kappaB inhibited docetaxel-induced apoptosis. Thus, these results suggest that, following the activation of NF-kappaB by docetaxel, apoptosis is elicited through a mitochondria-dependent pathway.

Apoptosis induced by docetaxel that interferes with microtubule polymerization dynamics and is used clinically to treat advanced cancers, has not been fully defined in squamous cell carcinoma. In this study, apoptotic events involved in docetaxel treatment were investigated. When the human oral squamous cell carcinoma cell line HSC-3 was exposed to docetaxel for 72 h, a dose-dependent effect was observed in apoptosis using the TUNEL method. We observed activation of caspase cascade including activities like caspase-3, -8, and -9. And the pan-caspase inhibitor z-VAD-fmk prevented apoptosis induced by docetaxel (0.1 microM), showing participation of caspases in this process. Since an antagonistic CD95-antibody (ZB4) exerted no effect on docetaxel-induced apoptosis, CD95/CD95L interaction was not involved in this pathway. The caspase-8-like activity was inhibited not only by IETD-fmk (caspase-8) but also by DEVD-fmk (caspase-3). The results indicate that the caspase-8-like activation occurred downstream of DEVDase. Docetaxel promoted the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in mitochondria, and preincubation of cells with anti-oxidants such as N-acetyl cysteine and pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate, protected against apoptosis mediated by docetaxel. Furthermore, treatment with docetaxel elicited reduction of mitochondrial membrane potential, and release of cytochrome c to cytosol, after 48 h of treatment. We observed binding activity to NF-kappaB consensus site and interference with the mitochondrial function via NF-kappaB after docetaxel treatment. Preventing pro-apoptotic property of NF-kappaB inhibited docetaxel-induced apoptosis. Thus, these results suggest that, following the activation of NF-kappaB by docetaxel, apoptosis is elicited through a mitochondria-dependent pathway.

[1] The formation mechanism of the arid climate over northeast Asia is investigated by a series of regional climate model experiments. Precipitation there is suppressed by a prominent regional-scale subsidence during summertime. An experiment without diabatic heating shows very gentle vertical motion there, whereas the subsidence is prominent when diabatic heating by solar radiation is included in the model. Additionally, the other experiments indicate that an artificial heating over the Tibetan Plateau enhances the subsidence over the arid area which is similar to the observed distribution. These results suggest that the thermal effects of the plateau induce the prominent subsidence. The mechanical effects of the topography, such as stationary mountain waves, are not a principal reason for the subsidence nor the arid climate. The stationary Rossby wave driven by the diabatic heating over the plateau tends to propagate northward during boreal summer, since subtropical westerly jet locates north of the plateau.

[1] By the numerical experiments, we clarify the regional wind systems that generate dust storms in the Tarim basin, Northwest China. In the basin, dust storms are generated by a mesoscale cold wind system induced by a synoptic-scale cold air mass behind a cold front. The intruding course of the mesoscale cold wind into the basin can be classified into three patterns. The first pattern is characterized by the easterly mesoscale cold wind, which is separated from the synoptic-scale cold westerly and turns westward after going around the eastern side of the TianShan Mountains. The mesoscale cold wind categorized in the second pattern directly crosses over the TianShan Mountains, which often gives a very strong wind in the basin with the largest dust storms in the three patterns. The third pattern indicates that the cold wind crosses over Pamir plateau, although the magnitude of the dust storm is usually small.

[1] Extensive dust outbreaks occurred on the late morning of 26 March 2004 in the Taklimakan Desert. An image by the satellite AQUA shows the dust outbreaks as an enormous dust storm extending as far as 1000 km in the direction of east and west across the desert. A ground-based lidar was successful in observing the dust storm. Values of the backscattering ratio from near the ground surface to an altitude of 6 km above sea level rapidly increased as soon as the dust storm covered the lidar observation site. Numerical experiments including a diffusion experiment revealed that strong westerly winds appeared at the surface level following the morning inversion breakup and then induced the dust outbreaks. The nocturnal inversion layer prevented the strong westerly winds from spreading to the surface level until the breakup. Notable nocturnal inversion is considered to be easily formed in the Taklimakan Desert because of its deep basin topography which can accumulate cold air masses. These results show the stability of the planetary boundary layer to be an extremely important factor in dust outbreaks especially in basin deserts, in addition to the intensity of surface winds. This implies that the occurrence frequency of dust storms in the desert has a diurnal cycle.

A digital 384-kbps TDMA-TDD microcellular system using pi /4-shifted DQPSK modulation is under development in Japan. To simplify the demodulator's configuration using this system and to reduce its power consumption, the authors propose a pi /4-shifted DQPSK demodulator that includes what they call an arctangent differential detector (ATN-DD) and an arctangent automatic frequency controller (ATN-AFC) because they process the phase of the received signal rather than the quadrature components. They present the configuration and the principles of operation of the ATN-DD and the ATN-AFC and show the results of BER and AFC performance testing. In addition, they investigate the most suitable AFC structure. Their study enabled a differential detector and AFC circuit gate-count reduction of more than 60%. >

We report on the switching of the magnetic vortex core in a Pac-man disk using a nanosecond current pulse, investigated via micromagnetic simulations. The minimum core switching current density is reduced by 75% compared with that of a circular disk with the same diameter and thickness. The direction of the nucleation core is determined by the kinetic field of the out-of-plane component, which is induced by the core motion. We also show that the polarity of the core can be uniquely controlled by adjusting the direction of the current pulse.

We report the switching of a magnetic vortex core in ferromagnetic elliptical disks induced by a nanosecond field pulse. We show that the switching probability depends on both the duration and amplitude of the field pulse. The minimum magnetic field required for the core switching depends also on the ellipticity of the disk. Micromagnetic simulations reproduce this behavior and reveal that there are two mechanisms of the core switching.

We report on the switching of the magnetic vortex core in a Pac-man disk using a magnetic field pulse, investigated via micromagnetic simulations. The minimum core switching field is reduced by 72 % compared to that of a circular disk with the same diameter and thickness. However, the core switches irregularly with respect to both the field pulse amplitude and duration. This irregularity is induced by magnetization oscillations which arise due to excitation of the spin waves when the core annihilates. We show that the core switching can be controlled with the assist magnetic field and by changing the waveform., 9 pages, 4 figures

In-situ measurement of subsurface temperature (temperature prospecting) has been developed as a method of groundwater-vein surveying. However, the usual method is labour intensive and the temporal resolution is poor, so we could never obtain sequential data of the temperature distribution. Continuous observation of the temperature distribution (i.e. distribution of the preferential flow-path) using fiber-optic temperature sensor is reported in this paper. High temperature regions indicate the groundwater pathway. And the intensity of its signature was found to show slight fluctuations. These signatures may be associated with the fluctuations of the preferential flow-path of groundwater, indicate the dynamic state of groundwater flow, and provide new parameters for the temperature prospecting method.

The short arm of chromosome 8 is frequently lost in many human carcinomas including breast cancer, suggesting the presence of a tumor suppressor gene(s) in this region. We identified a gene termed hEXT1L/EXTR1/EXTL3 (hEXT1L hereinafter) that was mapped to chromosome bands 8p12-p21 where frequent LOHs of this region was reported in breast cancer. The existence of the third breast cancer susceptibility gene was also suggested in this region by linkage analysis. We further performed LOH analysis in 8p12-p21 in 34 breast cancers and identified a 5-cM region of common allelic loss that overlapped with the locus for positive lod score in familial breast cancer. We further analyzed genomic alterations of hEXT1L in tumors in which frequent LOHs of 8p were reported. A total of 327 cancers (313 primary tumors and 14 cancer cell lines) including 22 primary breast cancers were analyzed, but none of the tumors had somatic mutations: only one thyroid cancer patient without any family history of cancer had a 9-bp insertion in the constitutional DNA. These results suggest that mutations of hEXT1L do not play a major role in the development of sporadic cancers including breast cancer, and that other tumor suppressor gene(s) exists in the 5-cM region identified in this study.

We study spontaneous emission control in a buried-heterostructure (BH) photonic crystal (PhC) cavity in which InGaAsP quantum wells (QWs) are embedded in an InP PhC. Spontaneous emission from QW-PhC cavities have been extensively investigated, but they suffer from poor carrier confinement and surface non-radiative recombination. Therefore, the clear spontaneous emission control has been only observed in quantum dots PhC cavities. The present study shows that the BH-QW-PhC cavities can exhibit distinctive spontaneous emission control in QW-PhCs. We observed large emission-rate ratio between the on- and off-resonant conditions of 30:1. This is the highest ratio reported for QW-PhCs.

A single vortex-core switching induced by current injection into a ferromagnetic disk is detected in real time using a three-terminal device with the tunneling magnetoresistance junction. The real time observation reveals that the electrical core switching is completed within a few 100 ps. It is also found that the core switching takes place at the specific positions inside the disk.