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This study analysed four records of questionable authenticity of total solar eclipses between the fourth and sixth centuries CE in Byzantine narrative sources. As it has been difficult to evaluate their credibility, they have not been utilised in modern astronomical studies. Three records originated in the fourth century, all of which have problems with accurate dating and provenance. The one remaining record concerns the total solar eclipse on 512 June 29. This study first reveals the problems with and questions around the reliability of all these records from astronomical perspectives based on the latest Δ T spline curve and recently proposed Δ T constraints. It then explores their philological and historical contexts to understand how and why these records were written.

To identify predictors of severe adverse events (≥grade 3) in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma treated with lenvatinib.Of 41 patients, 25 and 16 were stratified into the severe and non-severe adverse events groups, respectively. Of these, 19 formed a lactulose-mannitol test subgroup, which was divided into severe adverse events (n=11) and non-severe adverse events (n=8) groups. Severe adverse events were assessed by liver disease etiology and modified albumin-bilirubin grade. Intestinal permeability by lactulose-mannitol test and serum soluble CD163, soluble mannose receptor, and zonulin levels.Severe adverse event incidence rates were higher in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma related to alcoholic liver disease and nonalcoholic fatty-liver disease than in those with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma of other etiologies (p=0.014). The rates were higher for modified albumin-bilirubin grades 2a and 2b compared to modified albumin-bilirubin grade 1 (p=0.0104). Zonulin levels were higher in the severe adverse event group (p=0.0331) and were independently associated with severe adverse events (odds ratio=140, 95% confidence interval=1.66-11800; p=0.029). Patients with high zonulin levels (≥0.518 ng/ml) experienced more severe adverse events than those with low levels (0.518 ng/ml) (p=0.0137). In the lactulose-mannitol test subgroup, the urine lactulose:mannitol ratio was higher in the severe vs. non-severe adverse event group (p=0.0164). Moreover, it was higher in patients with alcoholic liver disease and nonalcoholic fatty-liver disease-related advanced hepatocellular carcinoma compared to those with other advanced hepatocellular carcinoma etiologies (p=0.0108).Serum zonulin levels predict severe adverse events in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma treated with lenvatinib.

Although gut-derived lipopolysaccharide (LPS) affects the progression of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) pathogenesis, few studies have focused on this relationship to develop treatments for NASH.To explore the effects of combination with rifaximin and lubiprostone on NASH liver fibrosis through the modulation of gut barrier function.To induce steatohepatitis, F344 rats were fed a choline-deficient l-amino acid-defined (CDAA) diet for 12 weeks and received oral administration of rifaximin and/or lubiprostone. Histological, molecular, and fecal microbial analyses were performed. Barrier function in Caco-2 cells were assessed by in vitro assays.Combination rifaximin/lubiprostone treatment significantly suppressed macrophage expansion, proinflammatory responses, and liver fibrosis in CDAA-fed rats by blocking hepatic translocation of LPS and activation of toll-like receptor 4 signaling. Rifaximin and lubiprostone improved intestinal permeability via restoring tight junction proteins (TJPs) with the intestinal activation of pregnane X receptor and chloride channel-2, respectively. Moreover, this combination increased the abundance of Bacteroides, Lactobacillus, and Faecalibacterium as well as decreased that of Veillonella resulting in an increase of fecal short-chain fatty acids and a decrease of intestinal sialidase activity. Both agents also directly suppressed the LPS-induced barrier dysfunction and depletion of TJPs in Caco-2 cells.The combination of rifaximin and lubiprostone may provide a novel strategy for treating NASH-related fibrosis.

Somatic polyploidization often increases cell and organ size, thereby contributing to plant biomass production. However, as most woody plants do not undergo polyploidization, explaining the polyploidization effect on organ growth in trees remains difficult. Here we developed a new method to generate tetraploid lines in poplars through colchicine treatment of lateral buds. We found that tetraploidization induced cell enlargement in the stem, suggesting that polyploidization can increase cell size in woody plants that cannot induce polyploidization in normal development. Greenhouse growth analysis revealed that radial growth was enhanced in the basal stem of tetraploids, whereas longitudinal growth was retarded, producing the same amount of stem biomass as diploids. Woody biomass characteristics were also comparable in terms of wood substance density, saccharification efficiency, and cell wall profiling. Our results reveal tetraploidization as an effective strategy for improving woody biomass production when combined with technologies that promote longitudinal stem growth by enhancing metabolite production and/or transport.

Background/Aim: Sarcopenia increases the mortality in patients with cirrhosis. Approximately 60% of zinc is accumulated in skeletal muscle. We aimed to determine the role of subclinical zinc deficiency on sarcopenia development in patients with cirrhosis. Patients and Methods: We enrolled 151 patients with cirrhosis and divided them into the group with normal serum zinc levels (Group N: 80-130 μg/dl; n=38) and group with subclinical zinc deficiency (Group D

BACKGROUND Hepatic overload of gut-derived lipopolysaccharide dictates the progression of alcoholic liver disease (ALD) by inducing oxidative stress and activating Kupffer cells and hepatic stellate cells through toll-like receptor 4 signaling. Therefore, targeting the maintenance of intestinal barrier integrity has attracted attention for the treatment of ALD. Zinc acetate and rifaximin, which is a nonabsorbable antibiotic, had been clinically used for patients with cirrhosis, particularly those with hepatic encephalopathy, and had been known to improve intestinal barrier dysfunction. However, only few studies focused on their efficacies in preventing the ALD-related fibrosis development. AIM To investigate the effects of a combined zinc acetate with rifaximin on liver fibrosis in a mouse ALD model. METHODS To induce ALD-related liver fibrosis, female C57BL/6J mice were fed a 2.5% (v/v) ethanol-containing Lieber-DeCarli liquid diet and received intraperitoneal carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) injection twice weekly (1 mL/kg) for 8 wk. Zinc acetate (100 mg/L) and/or rifaximin (100 mg/L) were orally administered during experimental period. Hepatic steatosis, inflammation and fibrosis as well as intestinal barrier function were evaluated by histological and molecular analyses. Moreover, the direct effects of both agents on Caco-2 barrier function were assessed by in vitro assays. RESULTS In the ethanol plus CCl4-treated mice, combination of zinc acetate and rifaximin attenuated oxidative lipid peroxidation with downregulation of Nox2 and Nox4. This combination significantly inhibited the Kupffer cells expansion and the proinflammatory response with blunted hepatic exposure of lipopolysaccharide and the toll-like receptor 4/nuclear factor kB pathway. Consequently, liver fibrosis and hepatic stellate cells activation were efficiently suppressed with downregulation of Mmp-2, -9, -13, and Timp1. Both agents improved the atrophic changes and permeability in the ileum, with restoration of tight junction proteins (TJPs) by decreasing the expressions of tumor necrosis factor α and myosin light chain kinase. In the in vitro assay, both agents directly reinforced ethanol or lipopolysaccharide-stimulated paracellular permeability and upregulated TJPs in Caco-2 cells. CONCLUSION Dual therapy with zinc acetate and rifaximin may serve as a strategy to prevent ALD-related fibrosis by maintaining intestinal barrier integrity.

Serial pancreatic juice aspiration cytological examination (SPACE) via endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography is a useful diagnostic method for early-stage pancreatic cancer, such as carcinoma in situ that are difficult to diagnose by endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration (EUS-FNA). However, the diagnostic accuracy of SPACE is low, which is attributed to problems regarding specimen treatment. Hence, we evaluated the diagnostic efficacy of liquid-based cytology (LBC) in pancreatic juice cytology for pancreatic cancer.We retrospectively analyzed 24 patients with suspected pancreatic cancer that was difficult to diagnose by endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration who underwent SPACE using LBC between April 2017 and April 2021.The most common reason for performing SPACE was localized stenosis of the main pancreatic duct without a mass. Eleven patients were diagnosed with malignancy after surgical resection, nine of whom had pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Ten patients were diagnosed as benign after a follow-up of more than 1 year. The nine cases of malignancy were diagnosed before surgical resection by SPACE using LBC, with a sensitivity of 81.8% and specificity of 100%. The overall diagnostic accuracy was 91.7%. A total of 152 LBC examinations were performed via SPACE, with an adequate sample collection rate of 88.9%. No adverse events, including acute pancreatitis, occurred after endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography.SPACE with LBC offers good diagnostic efficacy in patients with pancreatic cancer that is difficult to diagnose by endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration.

The current study evaluated the efficacy and toxicity of atezolizumab plus bevacizumab in patients with advanced-stage hepatocellular carcinoma in a real-world setting.This retrospective study enrolled 23 patients. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS). Antitumor responses 6 weeks after initiation of atezolizumab plus bevacizumab were assessed using the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) version 1.1 and the modified RECIST (mRECIST). The Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events version 5.0 was used to evaluate the severity of adverse events. Relative changes in hepatic function and nutritional status were investigated.The median PFS was 119 days. The objective response rate (ORR) and disease control rate (DCR) at 6 weeks based on RECIST were 21.7% and 60.9%, respectively. The ORR and DCR based on mRECIST were 26.1% and 69.6%, respectively. The group with hepatitis B/C-related HCC had a higher ORR based on mRECIST than the non-hepatitis B and C-related group. Patients with Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) stage A and B disease had a higher DCR based on RECIST than those with BCLC stage C disease. The incidence rates of any grade and grade ≥3 adverse events were 65.2% and 21.7%, respectively. The albumin-bilirubin and Child-Pugh scores, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and skeletal muscle index did not significantly worsen within 6 weeks after treatment initiation.Atezolizumab plus bevacizumab is effective and safe and can help achieve complete remission in patients with advanced-stage hepatocellular carcinoma in a real-world setting. Nevertheless, large-scale studies must be conducted to validate its outcomes in this patient group.

The gut‑liver‑muscle axis is associated with the development of sarcopenia in liver cirrhosis. The present study aimed to illustrate the combined effects of rifaximin and L‑carnitine on skeletal muscle atrophy in cirrhotic rats with steatohepatitis. For this purpose, a total of 344 Fischer rats were fed a choline‑deficient L‑amino acid‑defined (CDAA) diet with the daily oral administration of rifaximin (100 mg/kg) and/or L‑carnitine (200 mg/kg), and measurements of psoas muscle mass index and forelimb grip strength were performed. After feeding for 12 weeks, blood samples, and liver, ileum and gastrocnemius muscle tissues were harvested. The effects of L‑carnitine on rat myocytes were assessed using

Two specimen types, each from walnut and cherry wood, were prepared for tangential-radial (TR) and radial-tangential (RT) crack propagation systems at 65% of RH and 20°C before mode I and mode II fracture toughness was determined through Arcan tests. It was found that fracture toughness in mode I is in agreement with literature data. In the mode II test, however, the crack propagated in the direction normal to the shear plane and not parallel to it. The release rate of strain energy in terms of the opening failure in mode II was lower than that in mode I. It can be concluded that it is difficult to determine the fracture toughness of RT or TR propagation in hardwood specimens in mode II., Holzforschung, 71 (12), ISSN:0018-3830, ISSN:1437-434X

We aimed to prospectively identify the risk factors of sarcopenia in patients with cirrhosis. Patients (n = 193) included in a discovery cohort (January 2011 and December 2014) were categorized into alcoholic (A1; n = 55) and non-alcoholic cirrhosis (NA; n = 138) groups, and those (n = 235) in a validation cohort (January 2015 to December 2019) were categorized into alcoholic (n = 92), non-alcoholic steatohepatitis-related (n = 27), and hepatitis C virus-related cirrhosis groups (n = 116). Skeletal muscle mass index (SMI) was determined using computed tomography (SMI-CT) and bioelectrical impedance analysis (SMI-BIA). Endotoxin activity (EA) was measured with an EA assay. SMI-CT correlated with grip strength in all the groups but significantly correlated with SMI-BIA of the men in group A1 (R = 0.64, P

The study involved proposing a tuned mass damper (TMD) system with a novel mechanism for supporting the mass, which is called the two‐phase support (TPS) mechanism. The system can make the configuration of a TMD compact with low frictional characteristics; the TMD can operate effectively during not only earthquakes, but also strong winds in the interior of an existing building. The TPS mechanism consists of multi‐stage rubber bearings (MRBs) and linear motion bearings (LMBs). Each LMB is equipped with a vertical clearance of a few millimeters in its block portion. LMBs do not support the mass under small deformations of the MRBs so that the TMD can achieve low friction. Conversely, LMBs support the mass under large deformations of the MRBs, hence slender MRBs do not buckle and function as horizontal springs. We describe two types of experiments, namely experiments using a small specimen and tests using an actual TMD with a large mass of 7000 kN. We verified that the slender MRBs functioned without buckling and stably as restoring springs through the TPS mechanism even when large deformations occurred. Furthermore, we confirmed that the frictional and dynamic characteristics of the TMD agreed with the desired ones.

As one of the greatest astronomical spectacles, total solar eclipses have long been a subject of scientific interest and have been recorded by numerous civilizations over the millennia. These records are an essential reference for constraining and reconstructing Earth’s variable rotation (ΔT) prior to the 17th century. However, ΔTreconstructions for the 4th–7th centuries have significant uncertainties, mainly owing to a data scarcity. Here, we analyze Byzantine historical sources with reports of total solar eclipses along the Eastern Mediterranean coasts and add probable ΔTconstraints on their basis. We examined five cases of total solar eclipses in 346, 418, 484, 601, and 693 CE, identified times and locations of the observations, and compared them with the existing ΔTspline curve to derive new ΔTconstraints. Our results probably tighten ΔTvariability in 346 CE, show a larger ΔTrange in 418 CE, and give smaller ΔTranges in 484, 601, and 693 CE. Our study tightens the existing ΔTvariations and occasionally support some ΔTconstraints that slightly depart from the ΔTspline curve in the latest reconstructions. Our results are consistent with contemporary ΔTconstraints from other studies and offer an improved understanding of Earth’s variable rotation.

Background: This study aimed to compare the diagnostic performance of carbohydrate-deficient transferrin (CDT) and gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase (γ-GTP) to assess the single and combined benefits of these biological markers for the detection of chronic excessive alcohol consumption in patients with alcoholic cirrhosis. Methods: Biological markers were determined in blood samples from patients with alcoholic cirrhosis (drinking group, n = 35, nondrinking group, n = 81). The prediction accuracy of %CDT alone, γ-GTP alone, and their combination for the detection of excessive alcohol consumption was determined in patients with alcoholic cirrhosis. Results: Serum total bilirubin, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, γ-GTP, and alkaline phosphatase levels and %CDT were significantly higher and serum albumin levels were significantly lower in the drinking group than in the nondrinking group. The combination of %CDT and γ-GTP compared with %CDT or γ-GTP alone showed a higher prediction accuracy. The combination of %CDT and γ-GTP exhibited a higher specificity than γ-GTP alone. However, in terms of sensitivity, no significant difference was found between single or combined markers. Conclusions: The combination of %CDT and γ-GTP is considered a useful biomarker of chronic excessive alcohol consumption in patients with alcoholic cirrhosis.

The sunspot groups have been observed since 1610 and their numbers have been used for evaluating the amplitude of solar activity. Daniel M\"ogling recorded his sunspot observations for more than 100 days in 1626 - 1629 and formed a significant dataset of sunspot records before the Maunder Minimum. Here, we have analysed his original manuscripts in the Universit\"ats- und Landesbibliothek Darmstadt (ULBD) to review M\"ogling's personal profile and observational instruments and derive number and positions of the sunspot groups. In his manuscript, we have identified 134 days with an exact sunspot group number and 3 days of additional descriptions. Our analyses have completely revised their observational dates and group number, added 19 days of hitherto overlooked observations, and removed 8 days of misinterpreted observations. We have also revisited sunspot observations of Schickard and Hortensius and revised their data. These results have been compared with the contemporary observations. Moreover, we have derived the sunspot positions from his sunspot drawings and located them at 2{\deg}-23{\deg} in the heliographic latitude in both solar hemispheres. Contextualised with contemporary observations, these results indicate their temporal migration to lower heliographic latitudes and emphasise its location in the declining phase of Solar Cycle -12 in the 1620s. His observations were probably conducted using a pinhole and camera obscura, which made M\"ogling likely underestimate the sunspot group number by >~ 33% - 52 %. This underestimation should be noted upon their comparison with the modern datasets., Comment: 17 pages, 4 figures, and accepted for publication in the ApJ

Eirene Laskarina, empress of John III Batatzes of the exiled Byzantine Empire of Nicaea (1204--1261 CE), was an important Eastern Mediterranean figure in the first half of the thirteenth century. We reassess the date of Eirene's death, which has been variously dated between late 1239 and 1241, with the understanding that narrowing the range in which this event occurred contributes much to understanding the political situation in the area around 1240. George Akropolites, a famous official of the Empire, gives an account that connects Eirene's death to a comet that appeared "six months earlier", thus pointing to two comet candidates that were visible from the Eastern Mediterranean between 1239 and 1241, one recorded on "3 June 1239" and the other on "31 January 1240". Recent historians prefer the former, based on historical circumstances and without a critical assessment of the comet records. We revisit the historical records and reveal that the "3 June 1239" candidate was not a comet. On the other hand, the other candidate, sighted on "31 January 1240", was a comet, as supported by multiple historical records in multiple regions, and is also a good fit with Akropolites's narrative. Therefore, we conclude that Eirene died six months after the comet that was seen on 31 January 1240, which places her death in the summer of 1240. Given that the date of her death is crucial for determining some other contemporary events across the Eastern Mediterranean, our results offer a solid basis for further research on the thirteenth-century Eastern Mediterranean., 14 pages, 3 figures, accepted for publication in PASJ

A potential restriction of the Baveno VI consensus, which helps to avoid unnecessary endoscopies, is the limited availability of FibroScan. We aimed to identify serum fibrosis indices that might aid in ruling out the presence of high-risk varices in cirrhotic patients. This retrospective study included 541 consecutive patients with cirrhosis who underwent endoscopy and had data available for nine serum fibrosis indices, including platelet count, hyaluronic acid, 7S fragment of type 4 collagen, procollagen type III N-terminal peptide, tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases 1, Mac-2 binding protein glycosylation isomer, fibrosis index based on four factors (FIB-4), aspartate transaminase/platelet ratio index and enhanced liver fibrosis score. Optimal index cutoffs for predicting high-risk varices were calculated in an estimation cohort (n = 127) and evaluated in a validation cohort (n = 351). The diagnostic performance of the indices was assessed by receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. In the estimation cohort, a FIB-4 cutoff of 2.78 provided the greatest diagnostic accuracy in predicting both all-grade and high-risk varices. FIB-4 had a negative predictive value of 1.00 for high-risk varices in both cohorts, and 21.3% (27/127) and 14.8% (52/351) of the estimation and validation cohorts, respectively, avoided esophagogastroduodenoscopy, no high-risk varices were missed in either cohort. FIB-4 correctly identifies the absence of high-risk varices in patients with cirrhosis. Therefore, those with a FIB-4 of &ge, 2.78 should undergo esophagogastroduodenoscopy, and FIB-4 determination should be recommended every 6&ndash, 12 months concurrently with the other blood tests until the index value reaches 2.78 in those with a FIB-4 of &lt, 2.78.

Both autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) and eosinophilic fasciitis (EF) are known to be complicated by other autoimmune diseases. However, AIH complicated by EF has never been reported. We experienced a 58-year-old man with AIH complicated by EF. He was admitted to our hospital with acute hepatic injury and edema of the legs in April 201X. The etiologies of these symptoms were histologically proven as AIH and EF. The administration of prednisolone (PSL) drastically improved his liver injury and edema of the legs. When we make a diagnosis of AIH, we should carefully evaluate the physical findings, including the appearance of the legs, in order to detect other coexisting autoimmune diseases.

Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is recommended in Japan for patients with hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) one to three in number and ≤3 cm in size. The arfa® and VIVA® RFA systems are widely used for patients with HCC and this retrospective observational study aims to compare their performances. The study included 365 patients with HCCs one to three in number and ≤3 cm in size who underwent RFA using the arfa® system (arfa® group) or the VIVA® system (VIVA® group). The total bilirubin (T-Bil) level after RFA was higher in the arfa® group than in the VIVA® group. With a 3-cm electrode needle, the longest diameter (Dmax) and the shortest diameter were analyzed and found to be greater in the arfa® group than in the VIVA® group. Furthermore, Dmax with the 2.5-cm electrode needle was greater in the arfa® group than in the VIVA® group. Statistically significant differences in the ablation area and in the T-Bil value after RFA were observed between the groups; however, these differences are not considered clinical problems because the difference in the ablation area was only slight and the Child–Pugh score was the same between the groups. Thus, hepatologists can use either of the RFA systems based on their preference.

SCOPE This study investigated the combined effect of the angiotensin II (AT-II) receptor blocker losartan and branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) on skeletal muscle atrophy in rats with cirrhosis and steatohepatitis. METHOD AND RESULTS Fischer 344 rats are fed a choline-deficient l-amino acid-defined (CDAA) diet for 12 weeks and treated with oral losartan (30 mg kg-1 day-1 ) and/or BCAAs (Aminoleban EN, 2500 mg kg-1 day-1 ). Treatment with losartan and BCAAs attenuated hepatic inflammation and fibrosis and improved skeletal muscle atrophy and strength in CDAA-fed rats. Both agents reduced intramuscular myostatin and pro-inflammatory cytokine levels, resulting in inhibition of the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) through interference with the SMAD and nuclear factor-kappa B pathways, respectively. Losartan also augmented the BCAA-mediated increase of skeletal muscle mass by promoting insulin growth factor-I production and mitochondrial biogenesis. Moreover, losartan decreased the intramuscular expression of transcription factor EB (TFEB), a transcriptional inducer of E3 ubiquitin ligase regulated by AT-II. In vitro assays illustrated that losartan promoted mitochondrial biogenesis and reduced TFEB expression in AT-II-stimulated rat myocytes, thereby potentiating the inhibitory effects of BCAAs on the UPS and caspase-3 cleavage. CONCLUSION These results indicate that this regimen could serve as a novel treatment for patients with sarcopenia and liver cirrhosis.

The presence of bridging fibrosis predicts survival of primary biliary cholangitis (PBC). This study aimed to compare serum parameters for the estimation of liver fibrosis and prediction of clinical outcomes in PBC. Out of 392 patients with PBC, 102 who underwent liver biopsy and in whom fibrosis indices, platelet count, hyaluronic acid, type IV collagen 7 second domain, procollagen type III amino-terminal peptide, tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases 1, Mac-2 binding protein glycosylation isomer, N-terminal type III collagen propeptide levels; fibrosis index based on 4 factors, aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index, and enhanced liver fibrosis (ELF) score were determined, were included. The correlation of histological stages based on both Scheuer and Nakanuma classifications with fibrosis indices was investigated. The Nakanuma system comprises grading for liver fibrosis and bile duct loss. Diagnostic performances of 10 fibrosis indices were evaluated to identify patients with poor prognosis. Moreover, correlations of those with PBC clinical manifestation and survival were also investigated. Enhances liver fibrosis (ELF) score had the highest correlation coefficient for liver fibrosis evaluated according to either the Scheuer or Nakanuma classification among 10 serum fibrosis indices. It also had the highest diagnostic performance in estimating Scheuer stage III and Nakanuma fibrosis score 2, both of which represent portal-bridging fibrosis. Patients with an ELF score of ≥10.0 had shorter survival and presented more frequently clinical complications than those with an ELF score of

We experimentally demonstrate see-through detection and 3D reconstruction using terahertz leaky-wave radar based on sparse signal processing. The application of terahertz waves to radar has received increasing attention in recent years for its potential to high-resolution and see-through detection. Among others, the implementation using a leaky-wave antenna is promising for compact system integration with beam steering capability based on frequency sweep. However, the use of a leaky-wave antenna poses a challenge on signal processing. Since a leaky-wave antenna combines the entire signal captured by each part of the aperture into a single output, the conventional array signal processing assuming access to a respective antenna element is not applicable. In this paper, we apply an iterative recovery algorithm “CoSaMP” to signals acquired with terahertz leaky-wave radar for clutter mitigation and aperture synthesis. We firstly demonstrate see-through detection of target location even when the radar is covered with an opaque screen, and therefore, the radar signal is disturbed by clutter. Furthermore, leveraging the robustness of the algorithm against noise, we also demonstrate 3D reconstruction of distributed targets by synthesizing signals collected from different orientations. The proposed approach will contribute to the smart implementation of terahertz leaky-wave radar.

A digital image correlation (DIC) method was applied to measure strain which arose and remained beneath the finished surface in slow-speed orthogonal cutting of hinoki (Chamaecyparis obtusa), to evaluate the damage in the subsurface cell layers. While the quarter-sawn surface was cut parallel to the grain, the side surface, flat-sawn surface, was captured by a high-speed camera. The images were analyzed to calculate strain in a region of 0.67 × 0.22 mm allocated beneath the finished surface. Almost no strain normal to the cutting direction was detected for the depth of cut and cutting angles, 0.05 mm and smaller than 60°, respectively. For the depths of cut and cutting angles, larger than 0.1 mm and smaller than 60°, respectively, the fore-split induced tensile strain normal to the cutting direction, although it hardly remained after the cutting. The compression strain normal to the cutting direction clearly remained for the cutting angles larger than 70°, regardless of the depths of cut employed in this study. The subsurface damage assumed from the residual strain distribution corresponded to the appearance of the subsurface layer in the X-ray computed tomography (CT) images. It was also revealed, and the DIC program could not always measure excessively large strain correctly.