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Kusatsu-Shirane volcano has been a particular study field for hydrothermal system and phreatic eruptions with plenty of thermal springs, fumaroles, and a crater lake of Yugama. On 23 January 2018, a phreatic eruption occurred at the Motoshirane cone of Kusatsu-Shirane, where no considerable volcanic activity had been reported in observational and historical records. To understand the eruption process of such a unique event, we examined observed seismic, tilt, and infrasound records. The onset of surface activity accompanied by infrasound signal was preceded by volcanic tremor and inflation of the volcano for 2 minutes. Tremor signals with a frequency of 5–20 Hz remarkably coincide with the rapid inflation. We apply an amplitude source location method to seismic signals in the 5–20 Hz band to estimate tremor source locations. Our analysis locates tremor sources at 1 km north of Motoshirane and at a depth of 0.5–1 km from the surface. Inferred source locations correspond a conductive layer of impermeable cap-rock estimated by magnetotelluric investigations, and an upper portion of the seismogenic region, suggesting hydrothermal activity hosted beneath the cap-rock. Examined seismic signals in the 5–20 Hz band are typically excited by volcano-tectonic events with faulting mechanism. Based on the above characteristics and background, we interpret that excitation of examined volcanic tremor reflects small shear fractures induced by sudden hydrothermal fluid injection to the cap-rock layer. The horizontal distance of 1 km between inferred tremor sources and Motoshirane implies lateral migration of the hydrothermal fluid, although we have not obtained direct evidence. Kusatsu-Shirane has a series of unrest at the Yugama lake since 2014. However, inferred tremor source locations do not overwrap active seismicity beneath Yugama. Therefore, our result suggests that the 2018 eruption was triggered by hydrothermal fluid injection through an independent pathway that has driven unrest activities at Yugama.

Cancer remains a leading health threat in the United States, and cardiovascular drug toxicity is a primary cause to eliminate a drug from FDA approval. As a result, the demand to develop new anticancer drugs without cardiovascular toxicity is high. Human induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell-derived tissue chips provide potentially a cost-effective preclinical drug testing platform, including potential avenues for personalized medicine. We have developed a three-dimensional microfluidic device that simultaneously cultures tumor cell spheroids with iPS-derived cardiomyocytes (iPS-CMs) and iPS-derived endothelial cells (iPS-EC). The iPS-derived cells include a GCaMP6 fluorescence reporter to allow real-time imaging to monitor intracellular calcium transients. The multiple-chambered tissue chip features electrodes for pacing of the cardiac tissue to assess cardiomyocyte function such as the maximum capture rate and conduction velocity. We measured the inhibition concentration (IC(50)) of the anticancer drugs, Doxorubicin (0.1 μM) and Oxaliplatin (4.2 μM), on the tissue chip loaded with colon cancer cells (SW620). We simultaneously evaluated the cardiotoxicity of these anticancer drugs by assessing the drug effect on the spontaneous beat frequency and conduction velocity of iPS-derived cardiac tissue. Consistent with in vivo observations, Doxorubicin reduced the spontaneous beating rate and maximum capture rate at or near the IC(50) (0.04 and 0.22 μM, respectively), whereas the toxicity of Oxaliplatin was only observed at concentrations beyond the IC(50) (33 and 9.9 μM, respectively). Our platform demonstrates the feasibility to simultaneously assess cardiac toxicity and antitumor effects of drugs and could be used to enhance personalized drug testing safety and efficacy. IMPACT STATEMENT: Drug development using murine models for preclinical testing is no longer adequate nor acceptable both financially for the pharmaceutical industry as well as for generalized or personalized assessment of safety and efficacy. Innovative solutions using human cells and tissues provide exciting new opportunities. In this study, we report on the creation of a 3D microfluidic device that simultaneously cultures human tumor cell spheroids with cardiomyocytes and endothelial cells derived from the same induced pluripotent stem cell line. The platform provides the opportunity to assess efficacy of anticancer agents while simultaneously screening for potential cardiovascular toxicity in a format conducive for personalized medicine.

In this study, a procedure to measure the viscosity of multi-phase magma at high temperatures (>1000°C) was developed by using a simple apparatus comprising a commercially available desktop furnace and viscometer. In particular, the use of a disposable container enabled observations of the microstructure of an entire sample. The procedure was applied to basaltic andesite magma of the 1986 Izu–Oshima fissure eruption, Japan. The results show that reliable data, consistent with previous studies, were obtained and that the magma rheology became non-Newtonian with decreasing temperature, showing clear shear-thinning behavior. The rheological properties of the magma at 1180°C are quantitatively described as a function of shear rate based on three simple non-Newtonian fluid models. Sectional views of the sample confirm that plagioclase and Fe–Ti oxide crystals were nearly uniformly dispersed in the sample. The mean crystal volume fraction of 0.14 enabled crystal interactions inducing changes in crystal arrangement, affecting the rheology.

Rare-earth intermetallic compounds exhibit rich phenomena induced by the interplay between localized $f$ orbitals and conduction electrons. However, since the energy scale of the crystal-electric-field splitting is only a few millielectronvolts, the nature of the mobile electrons accompanied by collective crystal-electric-field excitations has not been unveiled. Here, we examine the low-energy electronic structures of CeSb through the anomalous magnetostructural transitions below the N$\'{e}$el temperature, $\sim$17 K, termed the 'devil's staircase', using laser angle-resolved photoemission, Raman and neutron scattering spectroscopies. We report another type of electron-boson coupling between mobile electrons and quadrupole crystal-electric-field excitations of the 4$f$ orbitals, which renormalizes the Sb 5$p$ band prominently, yielding a kink at a very low energy ($\sim$7 meV). This coupling strength is strong and exhibits anomalous step-like enhancement during the devil's staircase transition, unveiling a new type of quasiparticle, named the 'multipole polaron', comprising a mobile electron dressed with a cloud of the quadrupole crystal-electric-field polarization., Comment: 21 pages, 4 figures

Rare-earth intermetallic compounds exhibit rich phenomena induced by the interplay between localized f orbitals and conduction electrons. However, since the energy scale of the crystal-electric-field splitting is only a few millielectronvolts, the nature of the mobile electrons accompanied by collective crystal-electric-field excitations has not been unveiled. Here, we examine the low-energy electronic structures of CeSb through the anomalous magnetostructural transitions below the Néel temperature, ~17 K, termed the 'devil's staircase', using laser angle-resolved photoemission, Raman and neutron scattering spectroscopies. We report another type of electron-boson coupling between mobile electrons and quadrupole crystal-electric-field excitations of the 4f orbitals, which renormalizes the Sb 5p band prominently, yielding a kink at a very low energy (~7 meV). This coupling strength is strong and exhibits anomalous step-like enhancement during the devil's staircase transition, unveiling a new type of quasiparticle, named the 'multipole polaron', comprising a mobile electron dressed with a cloud of the quadrupole crystal-electric-field polarization.

Infrasonic stations are sparse at many volcanoes, especially those on remote islands and those with less frequent eruptions. When only a single infrasound station is available, the seismic-infrasonic cross-correlation method has been used to extract infrasound from wind noise. However, it does not work with intense seismicity and sometimes mistakes ground-to-atmosphere signals as infrasound. This paper proposes a complementary method to identify the seismic component and the infrasonic component using a single microphone and a seismometer. We applied the method to estimate the surface activity on the isolated volcanic island, Ioto. We focused on volcanic tremors during the phreatic eruption on April 11, 2013, and during an unconfirmed event on September 12, 2018. We used the spectral amplitude ratios of the vertical ground motion to the pressure oscillation and compared those for the tremors with those for known signals generated by volcano-tectonic earthquakes and airplanes flying over the station. We were able to identify the infrasound component in the part of the seismic tremor with the 2013 eruption. On the other hand, the tremor with the unconfirmed 2018 event was accompanied by no apparent infrasound. We interpreted the results that the infrasound with the 2013 event was excited by the vent opening or the ejection of ballistic rocks, and the 2018 event was not an explosive eruption either on the ground or in the shallow water. If there was any gas (and ash) emission, it might have occurred gently undersea. As the method uses the relative values of on-site records instead of the absolute values, it is available even if the instrument sensitivity and the station site effects are poorly calibrated.

Trastuzumab (Herceptin®), a monoclonal antibody against the ErbB2 (HER2) receptor, has significantly improved clinical outcomes for HER2+ breast cancer patients. However, the drug also has known cardiotoxic side effects through mechanisms that are not fully understood. Here we utilized human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (iPS-CMs) to model trastuzumab-related cardiotoxicity in vitro. We demonstrate that cardiotoxic effects of ErbB2 inhibition by trastuzumab can be recapitulated only when the cardioprotective effects of ErbB2/4 signaling is observed. We observed no cardioprotective effects of ErbB2/4 signaling without cellular stress (doxorubicin exposure in this study). In addition to neuregulin-1 (NRG-1), we show that heparin-binding epidermal growth factor-like growth factor (HB-EGF) also provides cardioprotective effects for iPS-CMs. Finally, we demonstrate a simple, high-throughput co-culture platform utilizing iPS-CMs and endothelial cells that is capable of detecting trastuzumab-related cardiotoxicity. We conclude that iPS-CMs can recapitulate trastuzumab-related cardiotoxicity, and may be used to elucidate additional modes of toxicity of trastuzumab and related compounds.

After ash-dominated Strombolian eruption, considerable amount of ash falls back to the volcanic conduit. By the fallback ash, the formation of a dense near-surface region is expected because it is compacted by weights of its own and other fallback clasts. The dense cap causes the gas pressure inside the conduit to increase, which promotes a forthcoming eruption. Under such conditions, the rheology of the fallback ash plays an important role in this cyclical eruption mechanism. However, little attention has been given to the point. We examined the rheology of ash collected at Stromboli volcano via intermittent compression experiments changing temperature and compression time/rate. The elastic modulus, the viscosity, and the relaxation time were estimated by a viscoelastic Maxwell model. The results show that the elasticity and the viscosity dominantly depend on the compression rate and the temperature respectively, although both of them vary with time. Thus, the ash behaves either elastically or viscously depending on the external conditions and time. The viscoelastic characteristics can be explained by magnitude relationships between the characteristic relaxation time and times for compression and rest processes. This indicates that the balance of the time scales is key to determining the rheological characteristics.

Human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC) derived angiogenesis models present a unique opportunity for patient-specific platforms to study the complex process of angiogenesis and the endothelial cell response to biomaterial and biophysical changes in a defined microenvironment . We present a refined method for differentiating hiPSCs into a CD31 + endothelial cell population (hiPSC-ECs) using a single basal medium from pluripotency to the final stage of differentiation. This protocol produces endothelial cells that are functionally competent in assays following purification . Subsequently, an in vitro angiogenesis model was developed by encapsulating the hiPSC-ECs into a tunable, growth factor sequestering hyaluronic acid (HyA) matrix where they formed stable, capillary-like networks that responded to environmental stimuli. Perfusion of the networks was demonstrated using fluorescent beads in a microfluidic device designed to study angiogenesis. The combination of hiPSC-ECs, bioinspired hydrogel, and the microfluidic platform creates a unique testbed for rapidly assessing the performance of angiogenic biomaterials.

The ability to accurately detect cardiotoxicity has become increasingly important in the development of new drugs. Since the advent of human pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes, researchers have explored their use in creating an in vitro drug screening platform. Recently, there has been increasing interest in creating 3D microphysiological models of the heart as a tool to detect cardiotoxic compounds. By recapitulating the complex microenvironment that exists in the native heart, cardiac microphysiological systems have the potential to provide a more accurate pharmacological response compared to current standards in preclinical drug screening. This review aims to provide an overview on the progress made in creating advanced models of the human heart, including the significance and contributions of the various cellular and extracellular components to cardiac function.

We have investigated the electronic properties of ${\mathrm{BiS}}_{2}$-based superconductors by using x-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS). In going from $x=0.3$ to 0.5 in ${\mathrm{PrO}}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}{\mathrm{F}}_{x}{\mathrm{BiS}}_{2}$, the Pr $3d$ and Pr $4d$ peaks are shifted by $\ensuremath{\sim}0.10\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.05$ eV from the Fermi level, partially consistent with the electron doping. In ${\mathrm{PrO}}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}{\mathrm{F}}_{x}{\mathrm{BiS}}_{2}$, the ${\mathrm{Pr}}^{3+}\ensuremath{-}{\mathrm{Pr}}^{4+}$ mixed valence remains unchanged with the electron doping from $x=0.3$ to 0.5. In ${\mathrm{CeO}}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}{\mathrm{F}}_{x}{\mathrm{BiS}}_{2}$, the doped electrons for $x=0.5$ almost suppress the ${\mathrm{Ce}}^{3+}\ensuremath{-}{\mathrm{Ce}}^{4+}$ valence fluctuation. Although the core-level peaks are also shifted by $\ensuremath{\sim}0.10\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.05$ eV towards the higher-binding-energy side with the electron doping from $x=0$ to 0.5 in ${\mathrm{CeO}}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}{\mathrm{F}}_{x}{\mathrm{BiS}}_{2}$, the Bi $4{f}_{7/2}$ binding-energy shift is higher in the Pr system compared with the Ce system. The present results suggest that the doped electrons increase orbital occupations in the rare-earth $4f$ orbitals at the valence band and show valence fluctuations differently in the two systems.

Lahars represent one of the most serious volcanic hazards, potentially causing severe damage to the surrounding environment, not only immediately after eruption but also later due to rainfall or snowfall. The flow of a lahar is governed by volcanic topography and its rheological behavior, which is controlled by its volume, microscale properties, and the concentration of particles. However, the effects of particle properties on the rheology of lahars are poorly understood. In this study, viscosity measurements were performed on water-ash mixtures from Sakurajima and Ontake volcanoes. Samples from Sakurajima show strong and simple shear thinning, whereas those from Ontake show viscosity fluctuations and a transition between shear thinning and shear thickening. Particle analysis of the volcanic ash together with a theoretical analysis suggests that the rheological difference between the two types of suspension can be explained by variations in particle size distribution and shape. In particular, to induce the complex rheology of the Ontake samples, coexistence of two particle size groups may be required since two independent behaviors, one of which follows the streamline (Stokes number St <

SUMMARYWe previously reported an association between human parechovirus type 3 (HPeV3) and epidemic myalgia with myositis in adults during summers in which an HPeV3 outbreak occurred in children. However, this disease association has not yet been reported elsewhere. We have since continued our surveillance to accumulate data on this disease association and to confirm whether myalgia occurs in children as well as adults. Between June and August 2014, we collected 380 specimens from children with infectious diseases. We also collected clinical specimens from two adult and three paediatric patients suspected of myalgia. We then performed virus isolation and reverse-transcription–PCR using the collected specimens. We detected HPeV3 in 26 children with infectious diseases, which we regarded as indicating an outbreak. We also confirmed HPeV3 infection in all patients suspected of myalgia. In particular the symptoms in two boys, complaining of myalgia and fever, closely matched the criteria for adult myalgia. Based on our findings from 2008, 2011 and 2014, we again urge that clinical consideration be given to the relationship between myalgia and HPeV3 infections during HPeV3 outbreaks in children. Furthermore, our observations from 2014 suggest that epidemic myalgia and myositis occur not only in adults but also in children.

Microphysiological systems (MPS), or "organ-on-a-chip" platforms, aim to recapitulate in vivo physiology using small-scale in vitro tissue models of human physiology. While significant efforts have been made to create vascularized tissues, most reports utilize primary endothelial cells that hinder reproducibility. In this study, we report the use of human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived endothelial cells (iPS-ECs) in developing three-dimensional (3D) microvascular networks. We established a CDH5-mCherry reporter iPS cell line, which expresses the vascular endothelial (VE)-cadherin fused to mCherry. The iPS-ECs demonstrate physiological functions characteristic of primary endothelial cells in a series of in vitro assays, including permeability, response to shear stress, and the expression of endothelial markers (CD31, von Willibrand factor, and endothelial nitric oxide synthase). The iPS-ECs form stable, perfusable microvessels over the course of 14 days when cultured within 3D microfluidic devices. We also demonstrate that inhibition of TGF-β signaling improves vascular network formation by the iPS-ECs. We conclude that iPS-ECs can be a source of endothelial cells in MPS providing opportunities for human disease modeling and improving the reproducibility of 3D vascular networks.

In this contribution a particular attention is being given to the strategic objective for the establishment of a North Africa (NA) countries cooperation on water and clean energy superhighway as the solution to regional energy challenges, water shortages, climate change and other environmental problems arising from the current fossil-fuel heavy global energy paradigm. Advanced and technical know-how and resources of Japan, through the Sahara Solar Breeder (SSB) project, can facilitate to achieve sustainable development in the region, cooperation to accelerate and expand its research activity with ambitious quantitative targets for solutions between the growing water crisis in NA and energy resources (fossil and renewables energies (RE)). With global energy demand set to rise significantly over the next 15 years, there will be a pressing need for fresh investment in new output capacity across the entire water/energy supply chain. It is still believed and emphasized that Photovoltaic (PV) will be a significant contributor within a portfolio of energy sources in the coming 10–20 years and that SSB is providing science and technology that are poised to play a transformative role in providing clean and sustainable water/energy for the whole world. Japan's energy/water innovative strategy for NA is encouraging since problems cannot be solved by one country alone hence local, regional and global cooperation is crucial.

UNLABELLED Zirconia sprayed coatings are widely used as thermal barrier coatings (TBC) for high temperature protection of metallic structures. However, their use in diesel engine combustion chamber components has the long run durability problems, such as the spallation at the interface between the coating and substrate due to the interface oxidation. Although zirconia coatings have been used in many applications, the interface spallation problem is still waiting to be solved under the critical conditions such as high temperature and high corrosion environment. The gas tunnel type plasma spraying developed by the author can make high quality ceramic coatings such as Al2O3 and ZrO2 coating compared to other plasma spraying method. A high hardness ceramic coating such as Al2O3 coating by the gas tunnel type plasma spraying, were investigated in the previous study. The Vickers hardness of the zirconia (ZrO2) coating increased with decreasing spraying distance, and a higher Vickers hardness of about Hv = 1200 could be obtained at a shorter spraying distance of L = 30 mm. ZrO2 coating formed has a high hardness layer at the surface side, which shows the graded functionality of hardness. In this study, ZrO2 composite coatings (TBCs) with Al2O3 were deposited on SS304 substrates by gas tunnel type plasma spraying. The performance such as the mechanical properties, thermal behavior and high temperature oxidation resistance of the functionally graded TBCs was investigated and discussed. The resultant coating samples with different spraying powders and thickness are compared in their corrosion resistance with coating thickness as variables. Corrosion potential was measured and analyzed corresponding to the microstructure of the coatings. KEYWORDS High Heat Resistant Coatings, Gas Tunnel Type Plasma Spraying, Hardness

This study investigates the types of subaqueous deposits that occur when hot pyroclastic flows turbulently mix with water at the shoreline through field studies of the Znp marine tephra in Japan and flume experiments where hot tephra sample interacted with water. The Znp is a very thick, pumice-rich density current deposit that was sourced from subaerial pyroclastic flows entering the Japan Sea in the Pliocene. Notable characteristics are well-developed grain size and density grading (lithic-rich base, pumice-rich middle, and ash-rich top), preponderance of sedimentary lithic clasts picked up from the seafloor during transport, fine ash depletion in coarse facies, and presence of curviplanar pumice clasts. Flume experiments provide a framework for interpreting the origin and proximity to source of the Znp tephra. On contact of hot tephra sample with water, steam explosions produced a gas-supported pyroclastic density current that advanced over the water while a water-supported density current was produced on the tank floor from the base of a turbulent mixing zone. Experimental deposits comprise proximal lithic breccia, medial pumice breccia, and distal fine ash. Experiments undertaken with cold, water-saturated slurries of tephra sample and water did not produce proximal lithic breccias but a medial basal lithic breccia beneath an upper pumice breccia. Results suggest the characteristics and variations in Znp facies were strongly controlled by turbulent mixing and quenching, proximity to the shoreline, and depositional setting within the basin. Presence of abundant curviplanar pumice clasts in submarine breccias reflects brittle fracture and dismembering that can occur during fragmentation at the vent or during quenching. Subsequent transport in water-supported pumiceous density currents preserves the fragmental textures. Careful study is needed to distinguish the products of subaerial versus subaqueous eruptions.

In thermal barrier coatings (TBC), failure occurs near or at the interface between the metallic bondcoat and topcoat. On high temperature conditions, an oxide scale which is named thermally grown oxide (TGO) occurs along the bond/topcoat interface. For diminishing the creation of TGO, a dense coating with low residual stress and thermal stress buffer layer was preferable. High hardness ceramic coatings could be obtained by gas tunnel type plasma spraying, and the deposited coating had superior property in comparison with those deposited by conventional type plasma spray method. In this study, the gas tunnel type plasma spraying system was utilized to produce a zirconia/alumina functionally graded thermal barrier coating and discussed its physical and mechanical properties, thermal behavior and high temperature oxidation resistance of the coating are discussed. Consequently, the proposed system exhibited superior mechanical properties and oxidation resistance at the expenses of a slightly lower thermal insulating effect. This interlayer is preferred in order to minimize the detrimental effect of the phase transformation of gamma-Al2O3 to alpha-Al2O3.

Summary The erythrocyte esterase-D (Es-D) of four European-American pig breeds, two Taiwan native pigs (Taoyuan and Short ear breeds), Philippine native pig and wild boar populations (Sus scrofa riukiuanus) in Japan was investigated by using starch gel electrophoresis. Analysis of parentage records of the pigs revealed that the phenotypic variation of erythrocyte esterase-D was controlled by two codomi-nant alleles Es-DA and Es-DB. The allele Es-Db was mostly found in three European -American pig breeds, Landrace (0.100), Hampshire (0.135) and Duroc (0.102). All of the wild boar populations were monomorphic for allele Es-DA.

Radio frequency (RF) plasma in water was used for the degradation of methylene blue. The fraction of decomposition of methylene blue and the intensity of the spectral line from OH radical increased with RF power. RF plasma in water also produced hydrogen peroxide. The density of hydrogen peroxide increased with RF power and exposure time. When pure water (300 mL) is exposed to plasma at 310 W for 15 min, density of hydrogen peroxide reaches to 120 mg/L. Methylene blue after exposed to plasma degraded gradually for three weeks. This degradation may be due to chemical processes via hydrogen peroxide and tungsten. The comparison between the experimental and calculated spectral lines of OH radical (A–X) shows that the temperature of the radical is around 3,500 K. Electron density is evaluated to be ≃3.5 × 1020 m−3 from the stark broadening of the Hβ line.

This paper describes the connected photovoltaic (PV) power generation system's grid overvoltage protection function and summarizes the occurrence of the output power loss due to the grid voltage rise. Power injection from the PV system will raise the voltage at the power distribution line. A power conditioning subsystem (PCS) needs to regulate its output if the voltage becomes higher than the upper limit in order to avoid the overvoltage at the power grid. Thus, a PV system cannot generate electricity under the high grid voltage. There are 553 residential PV systems installed in Ota, Japan, for the demonstration research project of clustered PV systems. Measurement data of these 2.1-MW grid-connected PV systems are used for the analysis. Only the limited number of PV systems experienced a significant amount of output energy loss due to the high grid voltage in a particular day, whereas the other system's outputs also raise the grid voltage. The causes of this maldistribution of the output energy loss are the difference of the line impedance, the difference of the starting voltage of the PCS's grid overvoltage protection function, and the imbalance of the load in single-phase three-wire power distribution systems. The present control of the PCS successfully avoids the overvoltage on the grid but cannot share the loss.

The results obtained in a previous paper are extended from bounded to unbounded spaces. To do so, a new term, simply structured, is introduced. The result is as follows. In a simply structured space, whether it is bounded or unbounded, a piecewise smooth divergence-free vector function of position is the curl of another vector function of position called a vector potential. With this extension, it becomes clear why one can claim the existence of magnetic vector potentials. Magnetic induction is piecewise smooth and divergence-free in a simply structured space called the universe. Seven examples are presented to facilitate the understanding of the present discussion. They are about the electric and magnetic fields in infinite straight coaxial cables and the electric field in modified Euclidean spaces.

Resonance shift, K 125 , spin-lattice relaxation time, T 1 and spin–spin relaxation time, T 2 for 125 Te nuclei in molten Ge 15 Te 85 and Te in deeply under-cooled state have been measured as a function of temperature. The temperature dependence of K 125 is compared with that of the extent of structural change, C , and it is shown that the rapid increase of K 125 with increasing temperature can be attributed to an increase of the density of states at the Fermi level proportional to the extent of structural change. At high temperatures, the dependences on the temperature of K 125 and T 1 conform to the Korringa relation with an enhancement factor or the relaxation mechanism expected metallic nature. At low temperatures, in contrast, the Redfield theory assuming localized spins of which the density is proportional to C can explain the overall temperature dependences of T 1 and T 2 . These results provide the first clear evidence for a crossover transition from extended to localized states in the electron system accompanying the rapid structural changes.

This paper presents a numerical analysis for the Class DE inverter with eliminated driving pulses. The harmonics, low-frequency components, and power conversion efficiency are calculated and shown. The Class DE inverter is one of the high-frequency high-efficiency resonant power sources that has the hybrid features of Class D and Class E circuits. To regulate the output power while maintaining high efficiency, various methods have been proposed. Thinned-out method is one of them, which regulates the output power by eliminating the driving pulses. The principle is quite simple and is seen suitable for digital control. However, the harmonics, low-frequency components, and discontinuous regulation have been pointed out. An aim of this paper is to clarify the characteristic of the Class DE inverter with thinned-out driving patterns. Basic models with three different Q-factors of 5, 10, and 20 are designed, built, tested, and analyzed. In a series of 16 cycles of switching pulses, 1-15 cycles are eliminated. The calculated waveforms show good agreement with circuit experiments. Various waveforms, harmonics, total harmonic distortion, low-frequency components, their total, and harmonics of the lowest frequency component are calculated and discussed

Current preclinical screening methods do not adequately detect cardiotoxicity. Using human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (iPS-CMs), more physiologically relevant preclinical or patient-specific screening to detect potential cardiotoxic effects of drug candidates may be possible. However, one of the persistent challenges for developing a high-throughput drug screening platform using iPS-CMs is the need to develop a simple and reliable method to measure key electrophysiological and contractile parameters. To address this need, we have developed a platform that combines machine learning paired with brightfield optical flow as a simple and robust tool that can automate the detection of cardiomyocyte drug effects. Using three cardioactive drugs of different mechanisms, including those with primarily electrophysiological effects, we demonstrate the general applicability of this screening method to detect subtle changes in cardiomyocyte contraction. Requiring only brightfield images of cardiomyocyte contractions, we detect changes in cardiomyocyte contraction comparable to – and even superior to – fluorescence readouts. This automated method serves as a widely applicable screening tool to characterize the effects of drugs on cardiomyocyte function.

The purpose of this paper is to develop a novel microcontroller for grid-connected photovoltaic (PV) systems. As a prototype model, a 100-W-class module-integrated converter composed of the proposed controller and a flyback inverter has been built and tested. The prototype model is designed to satisfy the Japanese grid-connection guideline. Basic functions as those of a grid-connected PV inverter, such as the maximum-power-point tracking and the anti-islanding protection, have been confirmed in the experiments using a distribution network simulator located in a laboratory. This paper presents the description of the controller and the experimental results. A microcontroller has been developed with a 50-MHz-class microcomputer and simple interfaces. By revising the program, the proposed controller can be applied to various types of PV systems or grid-connected equipment

This paper presents an analysis of Class D inverter when irregular driving patterns are given to the gate drive of the switch devices. The analysis has been carried out with focusing on the waveforms, harmonics, low-frequency components, output power, and equivalent dc resistance, which are numerically analyzed and discussed. Class D inverters with six different Q factors from 0.1 to 20 are analyzed about 216 driving patterns for each Q. Superior four models of the six inverters are built and tested in circuit experiments. The calculated waveforms are compared to the experimental results. Both of them are agreed well in time domain and frequency domain. Analytical results show a possibility of a novel control method with irregular driving patterns. In spite of discontinuous control, the output power or voltage can be strictly changed as if continuous using the selected driving patterns in some ranges

Objectives. This study sought to determine whether intraoperative electrical stimulation (IES) of pelvic splanchnic nerves (PSNs) while monitoring bladder contraction was useful to predict postoperative bladder function during conventional nerve-sparing radical hysterectomy. Methods. Seventeen patients with stage Ib or IIa cervical cancer underwent conventional radical hysterectomy. IES was performed in all cases, stimulating the roots of PSN, the posterior sheath of the vesicouterine ligament (PVL) and the dorsal area of the ligament. After resection of the uterus, the PSN roots were stimulated again. Bladder function was evaluated by urodynamic study (UDS) preoperatively and 3 months after surgery. Results. The results of IES were consistent with bladder function evaluated by postoperative UDS. In 13 of 17 cases, an increased intravesical pressure was observed with IES of the PSN roots after uterus resection. Nine of 13 cases showed marked detrusor contraction with UDS 3 months after surgery and were able to void without using abdominal pressure except in one case. In the remaining 4 of 17 cases, no response could be detected to IES on either side. Three cases voided using abdominal pressure and one used clean intermittent self-catheterization without spontaneous voiding. Conclusions. IES while monitoring intravesical pressure during radical hysterectomy represents a technically simple and useful procedure for the prediction of postoperative bladder function.

This paper describes a five-year research project aimed at developing a corpus-based language support tool able to respond to the English writing needs of Japanese software engineers who do not speak English natively. Our research was based on recent developments in corpus and text linguistics. Since foreign readers often complain that English text produced by Japanese authors is difficult to understand because it is poorly organized and incoherent, we focused on the possibility of designing a writing tool that would provide discourse-level as well as sentence-level assistance. We collected a total of 539 sample English abstracts from four well-known technical journals and tagged them with linguistic and rhetorical information. Using this tagged corpus, an initial prototype was developed on a Unix-based workstation and a second one on the Web. The Web-based prototype was then evaluated in terms of its usability by engineers in Ricoh's Software Research and Development Group. They evaluated the final product positively. However, they expressed uncertainty about its ability to address their weaknesses in using transition words effectively as cohesive devices. In spite of unexpected difficulties, product improvement continues.

Variational expressions of the eigenfrequencies for photonic crystals are presented. We demonstrate that, by combining the expression with the conventional FDTD algorithm, the features of photonic band structures can be obtained efficiently. The proposed method can also be applied to the dispersion curves of photonic crystal waveguides. By employing the Rayleigh-Ritz method, anti-crossing features of the dispersion curves caused by the coupling of eigenmodes can be also successfully treated.