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Backgrounds Heart failure (HF) is a risk factor for new onset atrial fibrillation (AF), and the new onset AF is associated with a worse prognosis in HF patients. It has been reported that renin-angiotensin system inhibitor (RASi), β-blocker and mineral-corticoid receptor antagonist (MRA) prevent the new onset AF in HF patients. However, the effect of combined pharmacotherapy including angiotensin receptor neprilysin inhibitor (ARNI) and sodium glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitor (SGLT2i) on AF is unknown. We investigated the impact of contemporary regimen of combined pharmacotherapy for HF (RASi/ARNI+β-blocker+MRA+SGLT2i) on new onset AF. Methods and results We retrospectively studied rEF and mrEF patients without AF admitted to our hospital due to decompensated HF between 2015 and 2021 (n=366). Long-term (The mean follow-up was 635±421 days) incidence of new onset AF was investigated with regard to medical therapies. Patients were divided into 2 groups; patients with ≤2 HF drugs (n=181) and patients with ≥3 HF drugs (n=185). Patients with ≤2 HF drugs group were older (77.3 vs 67.0 years old, P Conclusion Aggressive combined pharmacotherapy for HF may be associated with fewer new onset AF in patients with HF. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding sources: None.

Background/Introduction Atrial fibrillation (AF) and heart failure (HF) frequently coexist in the elderly people, leading to worse clinical outcomes. HF with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is the most common form of HF in the elderly, particularly in women, associated with AF. Ablation of AF in younger patients with HF with reduced EF (HFrEF) has become an established treatment option. However, clinical impact of ablation for persistent AF accompanying with HF in the elderly remains unclear. Purpose This study aimed to evaluate the effect of catheter ablation of persistent AF with heart failure in the elderly. Methods Consecutive 70 patients who underwent catheter ablation of persistent AF accompanying with HF (NYHA class> II, mean LVEF 51.7%) in our institution were retrospectively analyzed with regards to their 1-year clinical outcomes, HF markers such as BNP, renal function and transthoracic echocardiographic findings. Patients were dichotomized by age of 75-year-old (31 elderly vs 39 younger subjects) and separately analyzed. Results Mean age of the studied population was 70.5 year-old; 79.6±3.8 in the elderly group and 63.2±8.5 in the younger group. The elderly patients were more frequently females (45% vs 21%). Longstanding persistent AF was observed in 32% in the elderly and 28% in the younger group. Circumferential pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) was performed in all patients, with additional ablations of liner lesions and/or non-PV foci as needed. PVI alone was observed in 54.8% in the elderly and 41% in the younger group. There were no serious complications associated with the procedure. During 1 year after ablation, recurrence of AF was observed in 15 patients [6/31 (19%) in the elderly, 9/39 (23%) in the younger]. Readmission due to HF was observed in only 1 patient in the elderly and 2 patients in the younger group (3% vs. 5%, respectively). Cardiovascular events were observed in 3 patients [2/31 (6%) in the elderly, 1/39 (3%) in the younger], but there was no death. The BNP level as well as the NYHA class significantly decreased at 1-year follow-up compared to baseline in the both groups (Figure A and B). There was no change in serum creatinine level in the both groups (Figure C). The left atrial dimension and the LA volume index decreased at 1-year follow-up in the both groups (Figure D and E). The LVEF improved only in the younger group (Figure F). Conclusions Ablation of persistent AF in the elderly with HF (mostly with preserved EF) was associated with hemodynamic and functional improvements without deteriorating renal function in a mid-term, which was mostly comparable to the results in the younger. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding sources: None.

Background Epidemiology of non-pulmonary vein (PV) triggers of atrial fibrillation (AF) is not fully known. Purpose This study aimed to clarify the prevalence and distribution of non-PV triggers in real-world clinical settings of AF catheter ablation. Methods One-thousand and twenty patients undergoing AF ablations were retrospectively analyzed (mean age 65 years old, 702 males (69%), 506 paroxysmal and 514 non-paroxysmal). Induction and observation of AF triggers were attempted using intravenous isoproterenol/adenosine triphosphate and repeated direct current cardioversion during AF in each session. Documentable non-PV AF triggers were characterized in the studied population. Premature atrial contractions that did not initiate AF were excluded. Results A hundred and twenty-six non-PV triggers were documented in 108 patients (10.6%). Non-PV trigger was documented in 6.3% of 1st session cases, whereas 30.9% of recurrent cases undergoing multiple sessions (p Conclusions Prevalence of non-PV trigger in cases undergoing multiple sessions is extremely high, suggesting a particular importance of non-PV trigger targeting in patients with recurrent AF undergoing 2nd or 3rd ablation sessions. Progressive nature of AF with newly generated AF triggers should be under consideration. Distributions of non-PV triggers are largely different between paroxysmal and non-paroxysmal AF. These findings may help ablation strategy regarding non-PV trigger targeting in practice. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding sources: None.

Background Immunocomplex capture fluorescence analysis has recently been applied as a method for detection of intragraft donor-specific anti–major histocompatibility complex (MHC) antibodies (DSA) in humans. Although intragraft DSA in humans is an intense topic of investigation, there is no report to assess intragraft DSA in murine organ transplantation. Methods A model of presensitized mouse cardiac transplantation by donor splenocytes was used. To capture mouse MHC, anti-MHC class I/II antibodies were immobilized on Luminex beads. The MHC/DSA complexes were captured by the Luminex beads followed by detection of phycoerythrin-conjugated antimouse IgG antibodies where DSA had already reacted with the allograft in vivo. Results Luminex beads were capable of detecting class I DSA in the cardiac allograft, though results for class II DSA were negative. Immunohistochemical investigation revealed that cardiac allografts had abundant MHC class I expression but only minor expression of MHC class II. Furthermore, MHC/class II DSA complexes were successfully detected in splenocytes and serum from a presensitized recipient. Conclusions These data suggested that graft immunocomplex capture fluorescence analysis can be also applied in murine cardiac transplantation. This novel application in mice would accelerate our comprehension of DSA through mechanistic studies.

BACKGROUND Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) has become a common practice in breast cancer care since it not only expands the opportunity for breast conservation surgery, but also allows in vivo assessment of individual cancer biology. Patients who achieved pathological complete response (pCR) after NAC are known to have significantly improved outcomes than those who did not. To date, there has been no large study of factors that associate with tumor recurrence after patients had pCR following NAC. To identify such factors, we examined a cohort of 394 patients. METHODS Patients diagnosed during 2007-16 with clinical stage I-III breast cancer who achieved pCR following NAC were identified from clinical records at four hospitals in urban Japan. Nearly 70% of patients received standard NAC regimen, which was a combination of anthracycline and taxane, with trastuzumab added as needed. pCR was defined as no pathological evidence of invasive cancer in the breast; residual ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) and residual axillary lymph node metastasis were included in this study. The median follow-up time was 63 months (range = 16-161 months). Outcomes were assessed by 5-year disease-free survival (DFS) and 5-year overall survival (OS). RESULTS Among the 394 patients with pCR, the breast cancer subtype was as follows: Luminal – 49 (12.4%), Luminal-HER2 – 97 (24.6%), HER2 – 117 (29.7%), and TNBC – 131 (33.2%). During follow up, 28 (7.1%) of the 394 patients had experienced tumor recurrence. In univariate Cox regression analysis, each of HER2-receptor status, pre-NAC tumor size, and pre-NAC axillary lymph node status were associated with recurrence. The hazard ratios, and their 95% confidence intervals (CI) and P values for these significant factors were as follows. HER2-receptor negative vs. positive: 2.5 (CI = 1.0-5.8; P = 0.036); cT1/2 vs. cT3/4: 2.2 (CI = 1.3-6.1; P = 0.008); cN0 vs. cN1-3: 9.5 (2.2-40.7; P = 0.002). However, age ( CONCLUSION Axillary lymph node metastasis before rather than after NAC, and HER2-receptor positivity are associated with tumor recurrence in patients who achieved pCR in breast cancer. HER2-receptor positive patients had higher risk for brain metastasis and shorter survival. Given the extreme rarity of local recurrence after pCR, we cannot help but speculate that omitting surgical removal of pCR tissue may be permissible when pCR has been diagnosed accurately. Citation Format: Asaoka M, Narui K, Suganuma N, Chishima T, Yamada A, Kawai S, Uenaka N, Sato E, Katsuta E, Kawaguchi T, Takabe K, Ishikawa T. Axillary lymph node metastasis and HER2-receptor positivity significantly associate with recurrence and worse survival in breast cancer patients who achieved pathological complete response after neoadjuvant chemotherapy [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2018 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2018 Dec 4-8; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P1-15-12.

Objective: Trimethoprim–sulfamethoxazole (TMP/SMX) prophylaxis against Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PJP) is routinely administered to patients with rheumatic diseases in Japan. The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of TMP/SMX prophylaxis on PJP and non-central line-associated bloodstream infections (BSIs) in patients receiving high-dose glucocorticoids for the treatment of rheumatic diseases. Method: This study enrolled patients who were admitted between 1 October 2003 and 31 March 2018 and began high-dose glucocorticoid therapy for rheumatic diseases during hospitalization. The observation period was 4 months from the commencement of high-dose glucocorticoid therapy. The effect of TMP/SMX prophylaxis on PJP and non-central line-associated BSI was analysed. Results: Of the 437 patients included in the study, 376 received TMP/SMX prophylaxis and 61 patients did not. During the observation period, TMP/SMX prophylaxis was discontinued in 76 patients (20.2%). Three PJP cases (0.7%) occurred. Among the 399 patients included in our analysis of non-central line-associated BSI, eight experienced non-central line-associated BSI (2.0%). Among the covariates, TMP/SMX prophylaxis was associated with reduced PJP and non-central line-associated BSI incidence [odds ratio (OR) 0, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.00–0.38, and OR 0.08, 95% CI 0.01–0.42, respectively]. Conclusion: Routine TMP/SMX prophylaxis reduced the incidence of both PJP and BSI in patients with rheumatic diseases undergoing high-dose glucocorticoid therapy.

Paraneoplastic pemphigus (PNP) is a frequently fatal autoimmune blistering disease of the skin and mucous membranes.1 PNP is commonly associated with malignant neoplasms or haematological disorders like Castleman disease (CD). The eruptions may resemble those seen in various other conditions such as lichen planus (LP), graft-versus-host disease, erythema multiforme (EM), bullous pemphigoid and pemphigus vulgaris (PV).2 This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Background Few studies have been conducted on patterns of recurrence after resection for distal cholangiocarcinoma (DCC). The aim of this study was to investigate the incidence and pattern of recurrence after resection of DCC, and to evaluate prognostic factors for time to recurrence and recurrence-free survival (RFS). Methods Patients who underwent pancreatoduodenectomy with curative intent for DCC between 2001 and 2010 at one of 30 hospitals in Japan were reviewed retrospectively, with special attention to recurrence patterns. The Cox proportional hazards model was used for multivariable analysis. Results In the study interval, 389 patients underwent pancreatoduodenectomy for DCC with R0/M0 status. Recurrence developed in 213 patients (54·8 per cent). The estimated cumulative probability of recurrence was 54·3 per cent at 5 years. An initial locoregional recurrence occurred in 55 patients (14·1 per cent) and initial distant recurrence in 168 (43·2 per cent), most commonly in the liver. Isolated initial locoregional recurrence occurred in 45 patients (11·6 per cent). Independent prognostic factors for time to recurrence and RFS were perineural invasion (P = 0·001 and P = 0·009 respectively), pancreatic invasion (both P < 0·001) and lymph node metastasis (both P < 0·001). RFS worsened as the number of risk factors increased: the 5-year RFS rate was 70·6 per cent for patients without any risk factors, 50·3 per cent for patients with one factor, 31·8 per cent for those with two factors, and 13·4 per cent when three factors were present. Conclusion More than half of patients with DCC experienced recurrence after R0 resection, usually within 5 years. Perineural invasion, pancreatic invasion and positive nodal involvement are risk factors for recurrence.

Background Little is known about the value of portal vein (PV) resection in distal cholangiocarcinoma. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical significance of PV resection in distal cholangiocarcinoma. Methods Patients who underwent pancreatoduodenectomy (PD) for distal cholangiocarcinoma between 2001 and 2010 at one of 31 hospitals in Japan were reviewed retrospectively with special attention to PV resection. Short- and long-term outcomes were evaluated. Results In the study interval, 453 consecutive patients with distal cholangiocarcinoma underwent PD, of whom 31 (6·8 per cent) had combined PV resection. The duration of surgery (510 versus 427 min; P = 0·005) and incidence of blood transfusion (48 versus 30·7 per cent; P = 0·042) were greater in patients who had PV resection than in those who did not. Postoperative morbidity and mortality were no different in the two groups. Several indices of tumour progression, including high T classification, lymphatic invasion, perineural invasion, pancreatic invasion and lymph node metastasis, were more common in patients who had PV resection. Consequently, the incidence of R1/2 resection was higher in this group (32 versus 11·8 per cent; P = 0·004). Survival among the 31 patients with PV resection was worse than that for the 422 patients without PV resection (15 versus 42·4 per cent at 5 years; P < 0·001). Multivariable analyses revealed that age, blood loss, histological grade, perineural invasion, pancreatic invasion, lymph node metastasis and surgical margin were independent risk factors for overall survival. PV resection was not an independent risk factor. Conclusion PV invasion in distal cholangiocarcinoma is associated with locally advanced disease and several negative prognostic factors. Survival for patients who have PV resection is poor even after curative resection.

Both electrolyte flow and cupric ion concentration fields have been numerically calculated with the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model in an industrial-scale copper electrorefining cell. In this CFD model, both of the natural convection induced by the electrochemical reactions and the forced convection caused by the electrolyte circulation are taken into account. In order to examine how the difference in the ways of the electrolyte circulation affects the electrolyte flow pattern associated with the concentration field, three different ways of the electrolyte circulation, “bottom inlet to top outlet”, “top inlet to bottom outlet”, and “side inlet to top outlet”, have been modeled. Calculation results have revealed that both “bottom inlet to top outlet” and “top inlet to bottom outlet” circulations have characteristic flow patterns that are locally formed near the inlet. On the other hand, “side inlet to top outlet” circulation forms the inherent two vortex tubes in the space below the electrodes. It is also found that the electrolyte flow patterns in the inter-electrode spaces are formed mainly by the natural convection, and they are insensitive to kinds of the electrolyte circulation way.

The potential of oxidation pretreated Hastelloy tube as a hydrocarbon steam reforming catalyst was assessed using tetradecane, toluene, and naphthalene as model compounds. Surface characterization showed that Fe2O3, Cr2O3, MoO3, and NiO were formed on the surface of the alloy after oxidation at 1000°C for 2 hours. Catalytic evaluation showed good activity and stability with tetradecane while lower activity with increased rate of carbon formation was observed with naphthalene.

Noncentral distributions appear in two sample problems and are often used in several fields, for example, in biostatistics. A higher order approximation for a percentage point of the noncentral t-distribution under normality is given by Akahira (1995) and is also shown to be numerically better than others. In this article, without the normality assumption, we obtain a higher order approximation to a percentage point of the distribution of a noncentral t-statistic, in a similar way to Akahira (1995) where the statistic based on a linear combination of a normal random variable and a chi-statistic takes an important role. Its application to the confidence limit and the confidence interval for a noncentrality parameter are also given. Further, a numerical comparison of the higher order approximation with the limiting normal distribution is done and the former one is shown to be more accurate. As a result of the numerical calculation, the higher order approximation seems to be useful in practical situations, when the size of sample is not so small., Journal online 著者版(author) Table 1 ⇒ Table 4.1 Table 2 ⇒ Table 4.2 Table 3 ⇒ Table 4.3 Table 4 ⇒ Table 4.4 Table 5 ⇒ Table 4.5 Table 6 ⇒ Table 4.6 Table 7 ⇒ Table 4.7 Table 8 ⇒ Table 4.8 Table 9 ⇒ Table 5.1 Table 10 ⇒ Table 5.2 Table 11 ⇒ Table 5.3

The feasibility of oxidation pretreated SUS304 alloy tube as a hydrocarbon reforming catalyst was investigated. It was hypothesized that preoxidation resulted in the dispersion of the active component and the formation of mixed metal oxides on the surface of the alloy which consequently rendered the alloy tube catalytically active towards reforming reaction. Oxidation pretreatment was done in O2 at 1000°C for 2 hours followed by a catalytic evaluation at 730°C for 2 hours. Tetradecane was used as a model compound for steam, partial oxidation, and CO2 reforming experiments. According to the collected XRD pattern, α-Fe2O3 and Cr2O3 were formed after oxidation pretreatment. In addition, SEM-EDX analysis showed a very rough surface composed of oxygen, chromium, iron, and nickel. Catalytic evaluation of the sample displayed activity towards partial oxidation and CO2 reforming which led to the conclusion that oxidation pretreated SUS304 alloy tube has a potential as a catalyst for partial oxidation and CO2 reforming of hydrocarbons. However, the varying activity observed suggested that each reforming reaction requires a specific formulation and morphology.

The 16C nucleus has been investigated by the neutron knockout reaction of 17C on a liquid hydrogen target. Applying the invariant mass method in inverse kinematics and γ-ray spectroscopy, the energy spectrum was reconstructed by triple-coincidence measurement, in which neutrons, charged fragments, and γ rays from the decay of the reaction residue (16C*) were detected. A peak at 0.47 MeV was observed in the invariant mass spectrum in coincidence with a peak at 0.74 MeV in the γ-ray spectrum, which indicates the presence of an unbound state with an excitation energy of 5.46 MeV. Comparison of the experimental cross section with the value derived by a theoretical calculation provided evidence that the spin-parity of this state is 2−.

This study evaluated the surgical performance of a 405-nm diode laser in vivo, using living rat liver tissue. Tissue was incised by irradiation with the laser at low output power ranging from 1 W (722 W/cm2) to 3 W (2165 W/cm2) on a manual control at a rate of 1 mm/s. As a control, incisions using a stainless scalpel were compared. Immediately after operation, the surface of the incisions was macroscopically observed and histopathologically evaluated by microscopy. Laser-ablated liver tissue was smooth with observable signs of remnant carbonization and easily acquired hemostasis. The thickness of the denatured layer increased in proportion to the output power; the coagulation layer did not thicken accordingly. Bleeding could not be stopped for tissues incised with the stainless scalpel. The 405-nm diode laser thus proved to be effective for ablating soft tissue with high hemostatic ability at low power.

A Gamow–Teller (GT) transition from the drip-line nucleus 14Be to 14B was studied via the ( p , n ) reaction in inverse kinematics using a secondary 14Be beam at 69 MeV/nucleon. The invariant mass method is employed to reconstruct the energy spectrum. A peak is observed at an excitation energy of 1.27(2) MeV in 14B, together with bumps at 2.08 and 4.06(5) MeV. The observed forward peaking of the state at 1.27 MeV and a good description for the differential cross section, obtained with a DWBA calculation provide support for the 1 + assignment to this state. By extrapolating the cross section to zero momentum transfer the GT-transition strength is deduced. The value is found to compare well with that reported in a β-delayed neutron emission study.

Summary In the present work, we established a rapid, cost-effective and high-throughput method for genotyping using a multiplexed microsphere-based suspension array platform – Luminex® × MAP™, which enabled us to analyse two SNPs in the promoter of IL-6 gene, determining haplotypes associated with different levels of expression. Using this system, IL-6 diversity in four different ethnic groups – East Asians, Caucasians, Hispanic and African Americans – was assessed. Results showed a significant variability in terms of allele, genotype and haplotype distribution. Considering the important immunoregulatory role of this cytokine and as a clinically relevant marker, this genotyping approach will provide a powerful tool for disease association or transplant outcome studies.

An experimental study for the unbound nucleus 13Be has been performed by means of the invariant mass method via the one-neutron removal reaction H 1 ( Be 14 , Be 12 + n ) . A resonance has been observed at 0.51(1) MeV in the relative energy ( E rel ) spectrum of the Be 12 + n system. The transverse momentum distribution of the Be 12 + n system as well as the resonance width of 0.45(3) MeV gives evidence for the p-wave nature of the resonance. A d-wave resonance has also been observed at 2.39(5) MeV in the E rel spectrum. The observation of the low-lying p-wave resonance indicates the disappearance of the N = 8 magicity in the vicinity of the neutron drip line region.

The critical current densities of polycrystalline bulk SmFeAsO$_{1-x}$F$_x$ prepared by the powder-in-tube (PIT) method and by a conventional solid-state reaction were investigated using the remnant magnetic moment method and Campbell's method. Two types of shielding current, corresponding to global and local critical current densities $J_{\rm c}$ were observed using both measurement methods. The global and local $J_{\rm c}$ were on the order of $10^7$ A/m$^2$ and $10^{10}$ A/m$^2$ at 5 K, respectively. The local $J_{\rm c}$ decreased slightly with increasing magnetic field. The global $J_{\rm c}$ was independent of the preparation method, while the local $J_{\rm c}$ was larger for samples prepared by PIT than for those prepared by solid-state reaction., 20 pages, 5 figures. to be published in Physica C

Critical current density was measured for oxygen-controlled (Bi, Pb)-2223 single crystals before and after the irradiation with gold ions in a magnetic field parallel to the irradiation-induced defects along the c-axis. Eleven specimens prepared in different annealing conditions were measured. The condensation energy density of each specimen was evaluated from the observed critical current density by using the summation theory of pinning forces of columnar defects and the flux creep theory. It was found that the specimen heat-treated at 1 atm in oxygen atmosphere has the highest condensation energy density among all specimens. Hence, it is speculated that the optimum oxygen pressure for the anneal is around 1 atm.

DLC films were deposited by a new pulsed DC discharge plasma chemical vapour deposition (CVD) using hydrogen and methane gas mixture. When methane concentration (Cm) i.e. CH 4 /(H 2 + CH 4 ) was increased from 3 to 40%, the graphitization of the carbon film increases as evident from Raman study. When Cm was increased to 30%, DLC film shows photoconducting property. The white light photoconductivity ( S = I l / I d , where I l is light current and I d is dark current) measured with solar simulator under AM 1.5 condition was approximately 20 at room temperature. The photoconductivity was not clear when Cm was lower than 20%. ESR measurements also show that the electron spin density was slightly decreased with decreasing concentration of methane. Thus we can conclude here that at higher concentrations of methane at 30%, Sp 2 content of the film increases and the DLC film becomes photoconducting.

DLC films were deposited on silicon and quartz glass substrates by pulsed discharge plasma chemical vapor deposition (CVD), where the plasma was generated by pulsed DC discharge in H2–CH4 gas mixture at about 90 Torr in pressure, and the substrates were located near the plasma. The repetition frequency and duty ratio of the pulse were 800 Hz and 20%, respectively. When CH4 / (CH4 + H2) ratio, i.e. methane concentration (Cm), increased from 3 to 40%, C2 species in the plasma was increased, and corresponding to the increase of C2, deposition rate of the film was increased from about 0.2 to 2.4 μm/h. The absorption peaks of sp3C–H and sp2C–H structures were observed in the FT-IR spectra, and the peak of sp2C–H structure was increased with increasing Cm, showing that sp2 to sp3 bonding ratio was increased when Cm was increased. Corresponding to these structural changes due to the increase of Cm, optical band gap (Eg) was decreased from 3 to 0.5 eV continuously when Cm was increased from 3 to 40%.

The neutron-rich carbon isotopes 19,17C have been investigated via proton inelastic scattering on a liquid hydrogen target at 70 MeV/nucleon. The invariant mass method in inverse kinematics was employed to reconstruct the energy spectrum, in which fast neutrons and charged fragments were detected in coincidence using a neutron hodoscope and a dipole magnet system. A peak has been observed with an excitation energy of 1.46(10) MeV in 19C, while three peaks with energies of 2.20(3), 3.05(3), and 6.13(9) MeV have been observed in 17C. Deduced cross sections are compared with microscopic DWBA calculations based on p-sd shell model wave functions and modern nucleon-nucleus optical potentials. Jpi assignments are made for the four observed states as well as the ground states of both nuclei., 20 pages

This paper reports on the 1H(28Ne,28Ne) and 1H(28Ne,27Ne) reactions studied at intermediate energy using a liquid hydrogen target. From the cross section populating the first 2+ excited state of 28Ne, and using the previously determined B(E2) value, the neutron quadrupole transition matrix element has been calculated to be Mn=13.8 ±3.7 fm2. In the neutron knock-out reaction, two low-lying excited states were populated in 27Ne. Only one of them can be interpreted by the sd shell model while the additional state may intrude from the fp shell. These experimental observations are consistent with the presence of fp shell configurations at low excitation energy in 27,28Ne nuclei caused by a vanishing N=20 shell gap at Z=10.

The avalanche photodiode (APD) is a high-performance and compact light sensor recently applied in various fields of experimental physics. Among several types of APDs, the reach-through APD offers an advantage in direct X-ray detection, thanks to its thick depletion layer ( ⩾ 100 μ m ) in front of the amplification region. This type of APD is also sensitive to weak scintillation light from gamma-ray scintillators with a high quantum efficiency of ∼ 80 % (at λ ≃ 500 nm ). In this paper, we propose a novel design of a compact X-ray-to-gamma-ray detector widely applicable between 1 keV and several hundreds of keV. The prototype consists of a reach-through APD (transmission type) optically coupled with a cubic CsI(Tl) crystal 4 × 4 × 4 mm 3 in size. By applying the pulse shape discrimination technique to the APD output, we successfully discriminated the X-ray signals directly detected within the APD (1–40 keV), and gamma-ray signals absorbed in a CsI(Tl) scintillator (10–800 keV) located immediately behind the APD. Optimum FWHM energy resolutions of 15.1 ± 0.2 % , 6.6 ± 0.4 % , and 7.6 ± 0.1 % were obtained for 5.9 keV X-rays, 32 keV X-rays, and 662 keV gamma rays, respectively, measured at + 20 ∘ C . This stacked configuration is viable for various future applications in space science and nuclear medicine.

Highly spin-polarized ferromagnetic materials have attracted much attention for high-performance spintronic devices. Recently, antiperovskite 3d ferromagnetic nitirides such as Fe 4 N and Co x Fe 4−x N are focused because they do not contain rare earth elements and harmful elements. Recent first-principle calculation suggests that Co 3 FeN has a high negative spin polarization (P = −1), hence Co 3 FeN is most promising material for spintronics [1]. Up to now, epitaxial growth and properties of Co 3 FeN thin films on SrTiO 3 substrates (lattice mismuch = −3.9%) by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) were reported[2]. Recently, we succeeded in epitaxial growth of Co 3 FeN thin films on (La 0.18 Sr 0.82 )(Al 0. 59 Ta 0.41 )O 3 (LSAT) substrates (lattice mismatch = −2.8 %) by reactive magnetron sputtering in Ar+N 2 atmosphere (volume concentration of N 2 gas N 2 % = 8∼15% and substrate temperature T s = 350 °C) [3]. The sign and the absolute value of AMR ratio are considered to be strong related to spin polarization [4]. We obtained the anisotropic magnetoresistance (AMR) ratio of −0.88% [3], so that our Co 3 FeN thin film is expected high spin polarization. In this study, we report a systematical study by changing T s on growth of Co 3 FeN thin films on LSAT substrate and its magnetic properties including AMR ratio. As a result, we obtain larger absolute value of the AMR ratio than our previous report. In addition, we succeeded in measuring the spin polarization of Co 3 FeN by point contact Andreev reflection. Finally, we would like to discuss the relationship between AMR ratio and spin polarization.

Recently, current-induced spin transfer torque is attracting interest because it affects not only a FM but also an AFM [1, 2]. Furthermore, the critical current for AFM switching is more than 10−2 times smaller than typical value for a FM [1]. Therefore, FM/AFM bilayers containing half-metallic FMs are desirable for studying current-induced magnetization switching and spin torque in AFM materials. Up to now, we focused on antiperovskite nitride [3, 4] because there are many combinations of elements that form the antiperovskite nitride such a AFM materials and half-metallic FM. Anti-perovskite FM nitride Co 3 FeN is predicted that it has high negative spin polarization [3, 4]. Anti-perovskite AFM nitride Mn 3 GaN exhibits many interesting properties, such as piezomagnetic [5]. For Mn 3 GaN/Co 3 FeN bilayer, we expect application to the new devices controlling magnetic moments of Mn 3 GaN by spin transfer torque. In this study, we investigated current-induced magnetization switching in Mn 3 GaN/Co 3 FeN epitaxial exchange-coupled bilayers by employing AMR effect. We shall discuss spin transfer torque in antiferromagnetic Mn 3 GaN.

Confinements of both electron (e−) and Lithium ion (Li+) plasmas in the BX-U machine are improved experimentally. For the e− plasma, the longest confinement time so far has been ∼ 10 s, which is much longer than the classical electron-electron collision time: τee ∼ 0.6 s. On the other hand, for the Li+ plasma, the longest confinement time has been about 0.5 s, which is still much shorter than the classical ion-ion collision time.

Stucture of N = 17,18 nuclei has been investigated via proton inelastic scattering and neutron removal reactions up to the neutron dripline in inverse kinematics by use of radioctive ion beams provided by the RIKEN isotope separator, RIPS. Low energy excited states have been found in all the 26,27F and 27Ne nuclei, which are out of the neutron sd shell configuration space and are considered as intruder states arisng from cross shell excitations. Monte-Carlo shell model calculations with the sdpf-m interaction predict low energy negative parity excited states from neutron cross shell excitation at N = 17,18, which is in agreement with our experimental results. Observation of intruder states even at N = 17, especially the p3/2 state in 27Ne at 765 keV is a clear indication of a vanishing N = 20 shell gap at Z = 8 as predicted by the sdpf-m shell model calculations.

The ant Acropyga sauteri Forel has an obligate, mutualistic symbiosis with a mealybug, Eumyrmococcus smithii Silvestri, on Okinawa Island, southern Japan. The mealybugs live inside ant nests nearly all their lives, and the ants depend on them for food. Alate foundress queens carry mealybugs during their nuptial flights, using them to establish new colonies at new sites. However, important aspects of the symbiosis have not yet been elucidated. The present study characterizes the basic biology of the symbiosis and describes for the first time the morphologies of all growth stages of E. smithii. Our study suggests that E. smithii has only one nymphal stage, followed by a female pupal stage or male prepupal stage. Intensive sampling of ant nests across seasons showed that A. sauteri prefers nest sites 5–20 cm underground. Acropyga sauteri produced reproductive stages mainly in mid‐March or early April, and numbers of both ant workers and mealybugs increased from spring to summer. Experimental determination of...

The neutron and proton excitations in 16 C nucleus have been investigated by use of the Coulomb-nuclear interference method applied to the 208 Pb+ 16 C inelastic scattering. Angular distribution of the 16 C nuclei in the inelastic channel populating the first 2 + state has been measured. The neutron and proton transition matrix elements, M n and M p , have been determined from the “Coulomb” and “matter” deformation-length parameters obtained by distorted wave calculations. The M p or its corresponding B (E2;2 + 1 →0 + ) value was found to be extremely small: 0.28±0.06 Weisskopf units consistent with a recent lifetime measurement. Furthermore, the extracted M n / M p ratio has an unexpectedly large value of 7.6±1.7. These results suggest that the 2 + 1 state in 16 C is a nearly pure valence neutron excitation.

The performance of a new structure plasma display panel (PDP) cell with counter sustain electrodes was diagnosed by optical emission and laser absorption spectroscopic measurements of the spatiotemporal behaviours of the microplasma. Two different types of panels were prepared: one with sustain electrodes only and the other with additional data and auxiliary electrodes on the rear and front plates. By using cells of the former type, the basic performance was measured as the dependences on the Xe concentration in Ne, the total pressure and the applied sustain voltage. It was seen that a higher Xe concentration was advantageous for the luminous efficiency although the required minimum sustain voltage became larger. By using the latter type of cell, the effects of driving schemes were investigated by varying the applied potentials onto the auxiliary and data electrodes. It was found that the role of the auxiliary electrode is remarkable; the discharge expands largely in the cell when the voltage and the width of the pulses applied to the auxiliary electrode are optimized to be 200 V and 0.3 µs, respectively, while the data electrode is grounded. The production efficiency of Xe atoms in the metastable (1s5) and resonance (1s4) states was derived from the measured absolute densities normalized by the input power per cell and the decay rates of those densities. The vacuum ultraviolet emission efficiency estimated from the results was compared between the tested conditions, and a noticeable improvement was recognized in the optimized condition, about 40% larger than a conventional driving condition without additional pulses. It was also seen that this cell structure is potentially superior in luminous efficiency to the conventional coplanar structure currently used in commercial PDPs.

NESTER; $^{17,19}$C nuclei have been investigated by proton inelastic scattering on a liquid hydrogen target at intermediate energies. Two peaks were observed in the Doppler-corrected $\gamma$-ray spectra with energies of 210(6), 331(6) keV in $^{17}C and 72(4), 197(6) keV in $^{19}C corresponding to the decay of two excited states in both nuclei. Analyzing the reaction cross sections, tentative spin values were determined for the states. The experimental results are in reasonable agreement with the predictions by shell model calculations.

Two different types of microdischarge-integrated plasma sources have been operated at around the atmospheric pressure range. The discharge characteristics were diagnosed by optical emission spectroscopy (OES), laser absorption spectroscopy (LAS) and microwave transmission (MT) techniques. The dynamic spatiotemporal behaviour of excited atoms was analysed using OES and LAS and the temporal behaviour of the electron density was estimated using the MT method. In Ar and Xe/Ne gases, waveforms of the MT signal followed the current waveform in the rise period and lasted longer according to the recombination losses. However, in He the waveform followed the density of metastable atoms, reflecting the production of a large amount of electrons by the Penning ionization process with impurities. The estimated peak electron density in those plasma sources is of the order of 1012 cm−3, and the metastable atom density can reach 1013 cm−3. Thus, it is suggested that these sources can be potentially applied to convenient material processing tools of large area operated stably at atmospheric pressure.

We propose a compact model for a Flash memory cell that is suitable for circuit simulation. The model includes a hot-electron gate current model that considers not only channel hot electron injection but also channel initiated secondary electron injection to express properly substrate bias dependence of gate current. Tunneling gate current for erasing is expressed by the BSIM4 tunneling gate current model. Good agreement between measured and simulated results of both programming and erasing characteristics for 130-nm technology Flash memory cells indicates that our model is useful in designing and optimizing circuit for Flash memories.

Mao-Bushi-Saishin-To (MBST, Ma-Huang-Fu-Zi-Xin-Tang) and Hochu-Ekki-To (HET, Bu-Zhong-Yi-Qi-Tang), traditional oriental medicines, were orally administered to 1-year-old C3H/HeN female mice once a day for 5 days. The day after the last administration, the mice were vaccinated with 1 μl of commercial influenza HA vaccine subcutaneously. Three weeks later, the same quantity of vaccine was inoculated. After the 2nd inoculation, blood samples were collected from the jugular vein for 20 weeks, and HI titers to each vaccine strain were measured. In the MBST and HET administered group, the HI titer for B/Mie/1/93 was higher than that of the control group from 1 to 4 weeks after the 2nd inoculation, and it was significantly higher at 2 and 4 weeks after the 2nd inoculation. However, no significant differences were observed for A/Yamagata/32/89 and A/Wuhan/359/95 strains. From these results, it became clear that antibody production to the vaccine B strain was increased by oral administration of MBST or HET before influenza vaccination.

At the initial stage of influenza virus infection in aged mice, the oral administration of Mao-Bushi-Saishin-To (MBST, Ma-Huang-Fu-Zi-Xin-Tang) decreased the virus titer in the lung and suppressed the discharge of virus from the upper respiratory tract. In the present work, the activating effect of MBST on the function of alveolar macrophages in aged mice was investigated. MBST was found to increase the phagocytic activities and cytokine production of alveolar lavage cells in aged mice. Therefore, MBST seemed to contribute to protection from influenza virus infection in aged mice through these mechanisms.