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A simple method to investigate the velocity distributions of cluster beams is presented. Following photon absorption, excited clusters are removed from the beam. This results in a reduced signal at the detector. Using time-resolved detection, all the parameters of the velocity distribution can be extracted from the signal shape. The technique is demonstrated for a neutral sodium cluster beam. An analytical calculation of the signal shape is in excellent agreement with the data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil samples were investigated from three different climatic regions of Japan. The soil profiles were well drained and consisted of a number of buried soils. Organic matter and free iron oxides were removed from the samples which were then fractionated. Laminar opaline silica particles occurring in the 0.2 to 5 μm fractions were examined electron-optically following ultrasonic and cold 5 per cent sodium carbonate treatment. Four types of opaline silica particles were distinguished: circular, elliptical, rectangular, and rhombic. The opaline silica particles are extremely thin. They show fine-grained uneven surfaces and weathered and alkali-treated opaline silica particles appear to be very porous suggesting that the particles are actually composed of extremely fine silica spheres. Opaline silica panicles occur only in the 0.2 to 5 μm fractions and are most abundant in the 0.4 to 2 μm fractions. Of the four types the circular and elliptical types predominate. The elliptical type is the most common in the fine fraction and the circular type in the coarse fraction. Compared with B- or C-horizons, the A-horizon of a profile tends to be relatively rich in opaline silica. Opaline silica particles are abundant in recent volcanic ash soils, particularly in Hokkaido soils < 500 years old. Soils of this area more than 7000 years old contain opaline silica particles whereas they are rare in Kanto soils > 6000 years old and in Kyushu soils > 4000 years old. Hokkaido has much lower mean annual temperatures and rainfall than Kanto or Kyushu. This may have caused slower weathering of opaline silica in the Hokkaido soils. Conditions for formation of opaline silica may be less favourable in subsoils because supersaturation of silica and concentration of bases is less likely to occur in subsoils than in surface soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The novel corona virus (COVID-19) pandemic occurred worldwide. Although an excessive burden was placed on emergency medical institutions treating urgent and severe patients, its impact on patient outcome remains unknown. This study aimed to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021 on the emergency medical services (EMS) system and patient outcomes in Osaka Prefecture, Japan., Methods: This was a retrospective descriptive study with a study period from January 1, 2019 to December 31, 2021. We included patients who were transported by ambulance and had cleaned data that was recorded in the ORION system. The study endpoints were the number of patients transported by ambulance and the number of deaths among these patients in each month. To assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the EMS system, the incidence rate ratio (IRR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated using 2019 as the reference year. Mortalities were evaluated based on deaths in the emergency department and deaths at 21 days after hospitalization., Results: The numbers of patients transported by ambulance were 500,194 in 2019, 443,321 in 2020 (IRR: 0.88, 95% CI: 0.87-0.88), and 448,054 in 2021 (IRR: 0.90, 95% CI: 0.89-0.90). In 2019, the number of patients transported by ambulance and who died in the emergency departments was 4,980, compared to 5,485 in 2020 (IRR: 1.10, 95% CI; 1.06-1.44) and 5,925 in 2021 (IRR: 1.19, 95% CI: 1.15-1.24). In 2019, the number of patients who died within 21 days after hospitalization was 11,931, compared to 11,913 in 2020 (IRR; 1.00, 95% CI; 0.98-1.03) and 13,376 in 2021 (IRR; 1.12, 95% CI; 1.09-1.15)., Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic decreased the number of ambulance requests and worsened mortality of patients transported by ambulance in Osaka Prefecture during 2021., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Katayama, Tanaka, Domi, Masui, Nakao, Tachino, Hirose, Kitamura, Oda and Matsuoka.)