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Background The prevalence of obesity is increasing in many Asian countries. However, longitudinal data on the impacts of dietary factors on weight gain in Asian populations are sparse. Objectives We evaluated the relationship between changes in intakes of nutrients, foods, and beverages and diet quality and long-term changes in body weight. Methods We used data (n = 3064) from the Singapore Multi-Ethnic Cohort, a prospective cohort including Chinese, Indian, and Malay residents aged 21-65 years. Dietary intakes were assessed using an FFQ, and body weight and waist circumference were measured during health examinations. Diet quality was evaluated using the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) and Alternative Healthy Eating Index (AHEI-2010) scores. Data were collected at baseline (2004-2010) and follow-up (2011-2016), with a mean follow-up of 6.0 years. Linear regression was used to assess the associations between dietary changes and weight change, adjusted for socio-demographic and lifestyle variables. Results Improvements in dietary quality scores (DASH, -0.34 kg per 5 points; AHEI-2010, -0.35 kg per 10 points) and replacement of carbohydrates with protein (-0.44 kg per 5% of energy) were significantly associated with less weight gain. Increased intakes of white rice (+0.25 kg per serving/d), soft drinks (+0.69 kg), red meat (+0.58 kg), and poultry with skin (+0.74 kg) were directly associated with weight gain. The replacement of 1 serving per day of white rice with whole grains (-0.68 kg), vegetables (-0.33 kg), poultry without skin (-0.79 kg), and eggs (-0.87 kg) was associated with less weight gain. Similar associations were observed between changes in dietary factors and changes in waist circumference. Conclusions Among Asian adults, increasing dietary quality, reducing soft drink consumption, and replacing white rice with whole grains, vegetables, and selected high-protein foods was associated with less weight gain.

Novel staple foods are staple foods that are modified with the purpose of improving their nutritional properties. However, consumers' acceptance towards novel staple foods remains to be evaluated, especially in Asian populations where staple foods like white rice are a major source of energy. The objective of this study was to explore consumers' attitudes and perceptions towards novel staple foods in a multi-ethnic Asian population. We conducted 11 focus group discussions, with 37 healthy participants and 22 participants with diabetes recruited through newspaper, email and poster advertisement and in-person recruitment at a clinic. Thematic analysis using the general inductive approach was performed. We found that participants' conceptual understanding of the modification process affected their acceptance towards novel staple foods. Plant-based modifications were considered natural and acceptable while genetic modification and use of chemicals were unnatural and undesirable. Participants expected novel staple foods to be more expensive and less tasty and this was largely due to their perceptions and experiences with healthy eating. Participants with diabetes or family history of diabetes were generally more willing to compromise taste and cost for healthier staple foods, and this appeared to be driven by concerns about diabetes and its related co-morbidities. The appearance of food was an important influence on participants' initial impression of the food, which appeared to be mediated by taste expectations. Participants’ trust of novel staple foods was largely influenced by their trust in food industry, governmental authorities and nutrition science that was mediated through pathways of information and food safety.

An electromagnetic calorimeter made of undoped CsI crystals is used in the J-PARC KOTO experiment to search for new physics beyond the standard model with the K L → π 0 ν ν decay. The calorimeter is designed to operate in vacuum of 0.1 Pa and in a high-rate environment where the counting rate due to K L decays is O ( 100 ) kHz. A special method to calibrate the calorimeter during the data taking without using a tracking system for charged particles is reported. The energy, position, and timing resolutions of the calorimeter were evaluated in several beam tests, and the resolutions satisfy the required performance. The energy resolution with the total energy E is 0 . 66 ⊕ 1 . 81 ∕ E [ GeV ] % in the inner region of the calorimeter.

The Outer-Edge Veto (OEV) counter subsystem for extra-photon detection from the backgrounds for the? $K^0_L\rightarrow\pi^0\nu\bar{\nu}$ decay is located at the outer edge of the endcap CsI calorimeter of the KOTO experiment at J-PARC. The subsystem is composed of 44 counters with different cross-sectional shapes. All counters are made of lead and scintillator plates and read out through wavelength-shifting fibers. In this paper, we discuss the design and performances of the OEV counters under heavy load ($\sim8$ tons/m$^2$) in vacuum. For 1-MeV energy deposit, the average light yield and time resolution are 20.9 photo-electrons and 1.5 ns, respectively. Although no pronounced peak by minimum-ionizing particles is observed in the energy distributions, an energy calibration method with cosmic rays works well in monitoring the gain stability with an accuracy of a few percent., Comment: 23 figures, To be published in Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A

The J-PARC KOTO experiment aims to explore new physics beyond the Standard Model through the K L → π 0 ν ν ¯ decay. We installed a new photon-veto detector, named the Inner Barrel (IB), to improve the detection efficiency and the timing resolution for photons in the region transverse to the neutral beam. The IB is a 2.8-m-long cylindrical detector with a 1.5 m inner diameter. The IB is a lead-scintillator sampling shower counter with a 5-radiation-length thickness and with a low mass support structure, and fits inside the 14-radiation-length-thick cylindrical detector. Scintillating light is read out from both ends via wavelength shifting fibers with a short decay time. The design, construction and performance of the IB are presented in this paper.

Background Attitudes and beliefs regarding food are known to influence dietary behaviours and may reflect cultural traditions. Therefore, understanding the food culture in the population is important to inform culturally relevant and acceptable public health interventions. Objective (1) To evaluate attitudes towards pleasure and health with regard to eating and its association with healthy eating intentions. (2) To assess traditional beliefs about ‘hot-cold balance’ and its influence on food choice. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study using an online research panel comprising of 787 male and female adults of Chinese, Malay and Indian ethnicity recruited from population-based cohorts and public housing estates in Singapore. A self-administered questionnaire was used to assess beliefs and attitudes towards food. To evaluate the association of beliefs and attitudes with socio-demographic determinants and potential consequences for healthy eating intentions, multivariable logistic regression was used with adjustment for age, gender and ethnicity. Results Beliefs about the importance of considering hot-cold balance for food choice were common among all three Asian ethnic groups and most prominent among the Chinese ethnic group (56.3% Malay, 64.5% Indian and 72.4% Chinese). The majority of participants (73.8%) often consider the effects of diet on health, but also value eating pleasure greatly (84.9%). Older age was associated with a shift in attitudes from valuing eating pleasure towards health. Valuing the importance of food for health was associated with a wide range of healthy eating intentions, whereas highly valuing eating pleasure was associated with a lower intention to reduce salt intake. Conclusion In a cosmopolitan Asian population, both eating for health and eating for pleasure were valued highly and traditional beliefs regarding the hot-cold balance were held by the majority.

This paper aims to design and develop a control system for the biped robot. The Peripheral Interface Controller (PIC) main controller board is designed to control the servo motor controller board which assures the biped robot to maintain its stability. This robot consists of PIC microcontroller, servo controller, servo motor, and sensors. The bracket parts are fabricated to mount the servo motors by constructing the biped structure. The PIC microcontroller provides interface among the sensors input, servo motor controller, and servo motor. The biped robot is able to walk in a stable motion under a flat plane. The sensors feedbacks enable the controller to adjust the stability of biped robot. The biped robot is able to perform walking steps and crouching action through the configuration of trajectory angle values of the servo motors.

We developed a high voltage system for the electromagnetic calorimeter of the KOTO detector. The system is designed around a low noise, low power Cockcroft–Walton (CW) photomultiplier tube base with a high gain preamplifier. The low power makes it suitable for operations in vacuum. The low noise and high gain allow detecting signals in the 1 MeV range. We achieved a final noise level below 180 μ V rms for a preamplifier gain of more than 40. A vacuum tolerant control system for the CW bases power distribution was also designed. This system is able to control and monitor the high voltage of each individual base.

We describe the K L 0 flux measurements performed at the J-PARC neutral-kaon beam line. This beam line was constructed for an experiment aiming to observe the CP-violating rare decay K L 0 → π 0 ν ν ¯ . The primary proton energy was 30 GeV and the K L 0 production angle was 16°. Prior to the physics run, the K L 0 flux and spectrum were measured by counting K L 0 → π + π − π 0 decays with a simple setup, which was composed of an electromagnetic calorimeter and a hodoscope system. Results from these measurements are presented and compared with various hadron-interaction simulations.

The newly constructed high-intensity proton synchrotron, J-PARC ( J apan P roton A ccelerator R esearch C omplex), has completed its first stage of construction and started accelerator commissioning. Many experiments using slowly extracted proton beam are proposed and being prepared. Among them, two experiments to study Kaon decays, KOTO to search for a K L → π 0 ν ν ¯ decay and TREK for violation of Time-Reversal invariance, are under preparation. In this article, current status of the experiments is reported.

The E391a is the first experiment dedicated to the K L → π 0 ν ν ¯ decay. Its primary goal is to establish an experimental method which is expressed as ‘ pencil beam + hermetic veto ’, for a precise measurement of this rare process. There were three times of data taking during 2004–2005 at the 12-GeV proton synchrotron in KEK, Japan. In this article, a brief introduction and results of the E391a is reported.

Large lead/scintillator sandwich-type photon detectors, sensitive to visible energy depositions of 1 MeV, have been built for the K L 0 → π 0 ν ν ¯ experiment at the KEK 12-GeV proton synchrotron. The front barrel (FB) is composed of 16 modules with a length of 2.75 m, forming the 1.5 m-diameter cylinder. The main barrel (MB) is composed of 32 modules with a length of 5.5 m, forming a 3.5 m-diameter cylinder. Scintillation light is read out through wavelength-shifter (WLS) fibers. In this paper, the design, construction and performance of these detectors together with some R&D results are reported.

The K + → π 0 μ + ν γ ( K μ 3 γ ) decay has been measured with stopped positive kaons at the KEK 12 GeV proton synchrotron. A K μ 3 γ sample containing 125 events was obtained. The partial branching ratio Br ( K μ 3 γ , E γ > 30 MeV , θ μ + γ > 20 ° ) was found to be [ 2.4 ± 0.5 ( stat ) ± 0.6 ( syst ) ] × 10 −5 , which is in good agreement with theoretical predictions.

A neutral beam line was constructed at the 12-GeV proton synchrotron of KEK for an experiment to study K L 0 → π 0 ν ν ¯ decay. It was designed to make a well-collimated K L 0 beam with small γ and neutron halos. In a series of beam-survey experiments, beam profiles and energy spectra of γ 's and neutrons were measured. It was confirmed that the beam was sharply collimated with a halo-to-core flux ratio lower than 10 - 4 . These experimental results were well reproduced by a Monte-Carlo simulation based on the GEANT-3 program.

We have developed a new photomultiplier tube (PMT) with high sensitivity for a wavelength-shifter fiber readout of plastic scintillators. Improvements of the photoelectron yield were made on a 2-in. PMT (Hamamatsu R329) by adopting (1) a prism-shaped photocathode, (2) an extended-green photocathode material, and (3) an optical mirror surface of the electrodes. As a result, the number of photoelectrons obtained by the new PMT has increased to be 1.8-times that by R329. Other PMT characteristics, such as uniformity of sensitivity, time response and darkcurrent are not so much different from those of R329 for practical applications.

The K L → π 0 η η decay is one of the most attractive phenomena for the study of the CP violation. The branching ratio can be calculated with a small theoretical ambiguity, which will provide a clean determination of a basic parameter of the present particle physics. It will also play an important role for the search of the new physics as well as for the fundamental unerstanding of the CP-violation. We will start a kind of pilot experiment using a present 12-GeV proton synchrotron (PS) at KEK from early 2004, which is the first dedicated experiment searching for the K L → π 0 η η decay.

A new result for the transverse mu^+ polarization, P_T, in the decay K^+ --> pi^0 mu^+ nu has been obtained in the KEK E246 experiment. Combined with our earlier result, P_T = (-1.12 +- 2.17(stat) +- 0.90(syst))x10^{-3} and Im(\xi) = (-0.28 +- 0.69(stat) +- 0.30(syst))x10^{-2}, which are consistent with no T-violation., Comment: 5 pages, 2 figures, to be published in the Proceedings of the PANIC02, Osaka, Sept 30 - Oct 4, 2002

A Scintillator–Lucite Sandwich Detector (SLSD) has been developed for n/γ separation in the GeV energy region. An efficient n/γ separation is achieved by measuring a correlation between the scintillation and Cherenkov light yields. The basic performance of the detector has been tested with e, π and p beams with momenta between 0.5 and 2.0 GeV /c ; the results were compared with a Monte-Carlo simulation. The n/γ separation capability of this detector has been studied by simulations in the energy range from 5 MeV to 12 GeV . The SLSD detector was successfully used for a beam survey of the new K L 0 beam line built for a K L 0 → π 0 ν ν experiment at the KEK 12-GeV proton synchrotron.

The ratio of the $K^{+}\to \pi^{0} \mu^{+} \nu$ ($K_{\mu3}^+$) and $K^{+}\to \pi^{0} e^{+} \nu$ ($K_{e3}^+$) decay widths, $\Gamma(K_{\mu 3})/\Gamma(K_{e3})$, has been measured with stopped positive kaons. $K_{\mu3}^+$ and $K_{e3}^+$ samples containing 2.4$\times 10^4$ and 4.0$\times 10^4$ events, respectively, were analyzed. The $\Gamma(K_{\mu3})/\Gamma(K_{e3})$ ratio was obtained to be 0.671$\pm$0.007(stat.)$\pm$0.008(syst.) calculating the detector acceptance by a Monte Carlo simulation with the assumption of $\mu$-$e$ universality in $K_{l3}^+$ decay. The coefficient of the $q^2$ dependent term of the $f_0$ form factor was also determined to be $\lambda_0$=0.022$\pm$0.005(stat.)$\pm$0.004(syst.).

A search for charm hadron decays into two muons plus one or more hadrons has been carried out using a hybrid emulsion spectrometer. This technique is sensitive to modes with missing neutrals, e.g. π0μ+μ− and ϱ±μ+μ−, as well as to constrained modes having visible invariant masses equal to those of charm states. No evidence for any such decays has been found, which allows upper limits at the 90% confidence level as low as 1.8 × 10−4 to be placed on the branching fractions for charm-changing neutral-current and lepton-number violating decay modes.

The relative branching fraction RK = Γ(D0 → K−μ+v)/Γ(D0 → μ−X) has been measured by Fermilab experiment E653, using D0 mesons produced by 600 GeV π−. The semimuonic decay sample of 232 events was identified by the decay chain D ∗+ → D 0 π + , D 0 → μ + h − X , where h is a hadron. The Kμv component was extracted from the joint distribution of these events in the D0 decay variables Mmin and pTh. We find RK = 0.472 ± 0.051 (stat) ± 0.040 (sys), and use a world average of the D0 → Klv branching fraction to obtain the D0 inclusive semimuonic branching fraction B(D0 → μ+X) = (7.67 ± 1.13)%.

A new method, called graphic scanning, was developed by the Nagoya University Group for emulsion analysis in a hybrid experiment. This method enhances both speed and reliability of emulsion analysis. Details of the application of this technique to the analysis of Fermilab experiment E653 are described.

We report the first observation of the Cabibo disfavored semileptonic decay mode D+ → ρ(770)0 μ+v and measure its decay rate relative to the Cabibbo favored mode D + → K ∗ (892) 0 μ + v to be Λ(D + → ρ(770) 0 μ + v Λ(D + → K ∗ (892) 0 μ + v) = 0.044 0.031 −0.025 ( stat. ) ± 0.014 ( syst. ) . The results are compared to theoretical predictions and to previous experimental upper limits.

A search for charm production in the coherent diffractive dissociation reaction pSi→XSi was carried out for the modes D0→K−π+, D0→K−π+π+π−, and D+→K−π+π+. No charm signals were observed, and the 90% confidence level upper limit for coherent charm pair production was determined to be 26 μb per silicon nucleus. The results are interpreted as an upper limit of 0.2% on the amount of intrinsic charm in the proton.

Upper limits at the 90% confidence level are presented for four- and five-prong semimuonic decays of charm mesons. From a study of four-prong vertices we find B ( D 0 → K − π + π − μ + ν )/ B ( D 0 → K − μ + ν ) B (D 0 → ( K ∗ (892)π) − μ + ν)/B(D 0 → K − μ + ν) . The five-prong vertices yield the result B ( D S + → η ′ μ + ν ) / B ( D S + → φμ + ν )

We present a study of the Cabibbo-allowed semimuonic decay modes of the DS+ produced in 600 GeV c π − -emulsion interactions. From a signal of 18.7±4.9−0.7+0.4 events in the DS+ → oμ+υ channel, the product of production cross section and partial width is measured with respect to that for D + → K ∗0 μ + υ to be ( σ(D S + ) σ(D + )) . (Λ(D S + → oμ + ν)Λ(D + → K ∗0 μ + ν)) = 0.56 ± 0.14 ± 0.12. The form factor ratios in the decay, obtained by fitting to the decay angles and q2, are A 2 (0) 1 (0) = 2.1 −0.5 +0.6 ± 0.2 and V (0) A 1 (0) = 2.3 −0.9 +1.1 ± 0.4 , where A1 (0) and A2 (0) are the axial vector form factors and V(0) is the vector form factor, evaluated at q2 = 0. The first observation of DS+ → (ημ+υ + η'μ+υ) is also reported, and Γ (D S + → (ημ + υ + η'μ + υ)) Γ (D S + → oμ + υ) is determined to be 3.9 ± 1.6.

We report on the production characteristics and total cross section for 9 beauty hadron pairs produced by a 600 GeV/ c π − beam, the first such information in this energy region. The events were detected in the hybrid emulsion spectrometer of Fermilab Experiment E653. The measured pair cross section for all χ F , assuming linear A dependence, is 33±11 (stat.)±6(syst.) nb/nucleon. Fits of the inclusive single-hadron production distribution to the forms d σ d χ F ∝ (1−|χ F −χ 0 |) n and d σ d p T 2 ∝ exp (−bp t 2 ) give n=5.0 −2.1−1.7 +2.7+1.7 , χ 0 =0.06 −0.07−0.03 +0.06+0.02 , and b=0.13 −0.04−0.02 +0.05+0.02 ( GeV /c −2 . .The pairs tend to be produced back-to-back.

The branching ratio for the decay mode D + → K ∗0 μ + ν has been measured with two methods. The first uses D0→K−μ+ν for normalization, and yields the result B( D + → K ∗0 μ + ν)=(3.25±0.71±0.75)% . From this method we also obtain the direct measurement Γ( D + → K ∗0 μ + ν)/Γ( D 0 → K − μ + ν)=0.43±0.09±0.09 . The second method uses the mode D+→K−π+π+ for normalization and yields B( D + → K ∗0 μ + ν)=(4.18±0.66±0.96)% . Combining the results of the two methods yields B( D + → K ∗0 μ + ν)=(3.57±0.96)% .

We present total and differential cross sections for charm mesons produced in 600 GeV/c π- emulsion interactions. Fits to d2σ/dxF dpT2∞ (1−|xF|)nexp (-bpT2) for 676 electronically reconstructed D mesons with xF>0 give n=4.25±0.24 (stat.)±0.23 (syst.) and b=0.76±0.03±0.03 (GeV/c)-2. The total inclusive D+ and D0 cross sections are σ(π-N→D±; xF>0) = 8.66±0.46±1.96μb nucleon and σ(π - N→D 0 D 0 ; x F >0)=22.05±1.37±4.82μb nucleonk, where a linear dependence on the mean atomic weight of the target is assumed. These results are compared to next-to-leading order QCD predictions.

A measurement of the form factor ratios in the decay D + → K ∗ (892) 0 μ + ν is obtained by fitting to the decay angles and q2 of 305 events. The results, evaluated at q2 = 0, are A2(0)/A1(0) = 0.82+0.22−0.23 (stat.)±0.11 (sys.) and V(0)/A1(0) = 2.00+0.34−0.32±0.16, where A1 and A2 are the axial vector form factors and V is the vector form factor. The corresponding ratio of the longitudinal to transverse polarization of the K ∗0 is 1.18±0.18±0.08. These results are compared with other experimental results and with theoretical predictions.

A high statistics measurement of the cosmic muon flux has been made in search for the solar-terrestrial phenomena during a shutdown period of our search for the rare neutral kaon decay at KEK-PS (E391a). A barrel-shape photon detector composed of the stacked lead-plastic scintillator layers was utilized. In the period of our observation, a large coronal mass ejection event has occurred several times, and a disturbance of terrestrial magnetic field resulted in a measurable deficit of the muon flux, i.e. the Forbush decrease. A change in the counting rate of cosmic rays is proportionally related to the change in atmospheric pressure. After correcting for the observed ratio of -0.08%/hPa, and applying a normalization with the trailing average of the preceding counting rates, the muon deficit was detected almost in coincidence with the geomagnetic disturbance. Its information, the time and the strength of magnetic storm expressed in Kp index, was obtained from the GeoForschungs Zentrum

This paper describes a new economical sag/swell voltage generator suitable for the evaluation of high power custom power devices such as DVR (dynamic voltage restorer) and DSTATCOM (distribution static compensator). Proposed system was designed to generate the several power quality disturbances in MVA power ratings-sag, swell, under voltage, over voltage and harmonic distortions. The sag and the under voltage can be generated by voltage drop across a reactor, while its magnitude and durations can be controlled by the firing angle of TCR (thyristor controlled reactor). In the case of the swell and the over voltage, we need a step-up transformer. Output of the step-up transformer is regulated by TCR to obtain nominal voltage level. At any given instant, if the firing angle of TCR is retarded or stopped, then we can obtain the swell voltage or the over voltage disturbance. Also we can generate harmonic current by controlling firing angles of TCR, while keeping the system voltage level within the specified limits. In this paper, two identical three-phase wye-connected TCRs are connected to the secondary windings of two step-down transformers, one operated from wye-wye transformer, the other from delta-wye transformer. Harmonic filters (11/sup th/ and 13/sup th/) are added to reduce the voltage distortion when TCRs are operated. Simulation results are given for several cases of voltage sag and swell generations. Design guidelines are given for the TCR. Finally, conclusions are given.

The detector built at KEK to search for T-violating transverse muon polarization in K+ --> pi0 mu+ nu (Kmu3) decay of stopped kaons is described. Sensitivity to the transverse polarization component is obtained from reconstruction of the decay plane by tracking the mu+ through a toroidal spectrometer and detecting the pi0 in a segmented CsI(Tl) photon calorimeter. The muon polarization was obtained from the decay positron asymmetry of muons stopped in a polarimeter. The detector included features which minimized systematic errors while maintaining high acceptance., Comment: 56 pages, 30 figures, submitted to NIM

Thermal stress analysis were carried out to study the residual bending stresses in a flip-chip-on-board (FCOB) assembly during the underfill encapsulation curing process, generated in the package due to mismatches in the coefficients of thermal expansion (CTE) of the various materials in the assembly. The solder joint stress-strain behaviour under thermal cycling loading were also investigated. In this paper, parametric finite element studies were conducted on 2D plane-strain models of the FCOB assembly to investigate the development of the curing induced bending stresses in the silicon die for a selected set of design parameters. In the first exercise, the parameters that were varied include the PCB thickness and die thickness. Results of die bending curvature were correlated to simple beam bending theory with reasonable accuracy. It was also verified that 2D plane strain FE simulation provides adequate results as compared to the more complicated 3D simulation. In the second exercise, the underfill encapsulant properties were varied for a specific geometry. Curing induced stresses on the die were then compared. Lastly, the elasto-plastic and creep deformation behaviour of solder was simulated under temperature cycling conditions to obtain the stress and strain results.