We have been monitoring the flux density of Sagittarius A* (Sgr A*) at 22 GHz since DOY=42 (11 Feb. 2013) with a sub-array of the Japanese VLBI Network in order to search the increase of 22-GHz emission from Sgr A* induced by the interaction of the G2 cloud with the accretion disk. The flux densities observed until DOY=322 (18 Nov. 2013) are consistent with the previously observed values before the approaching of the cloud. We have detected no large flare during this period.

In paediatric pulmonary embolism, cardiac findings and thromboembolic outcomes are poorly defined. We conducted a mixed retrospective-prospective cohort study of paediatric pulmonary embolism at the Children's Hospital Colorado between March, 2006 and January, 2011. A total of 58 consecutive children – age less than or equal to 21 years – with acute pulmonary embolism were enrolled. Data collection included clinical and laboratory characteristics, treatments, serial echocardiographic and electrocardiographic findings, and outcomes of pulmonary embolism non-resolution and recurrence. The median age was 16.5 years ranging from 0 to 21 years. The most prevalent clinical risk factors were oral contraceptive pill use (52% of female patients), presence of a non-infectious inflammatory condition (21%), and trauma (21%). Thrombophilias included heterozygous factor V Leiden in 21%; antiphospholipid antibody syndrome was established in 31% overall. Proximal pulmonary artery involvement was present in 34%. At presentation, nearly half of the patients had hypoxaemia and 37% had tachycardia. The classic electrocardiographic finding of S1Q3T3 was present in 12% acutely; tricuspid regurgitation greater than 3 metres per second, septal flattening, and right ventricular dilation were each present on acute echocardiogram in 25%. Nearly all patients received therapeutic anticoagulation, with initial systemic tissue plasminogen activator administered in 16% for occlusive iliofemoral deep venous thrombosis and/or massive pulmonary embolism. Pulmonary embolism resolution was observed in 82% by 6 months. Recurrent pulmonary embolism occurred in 9%. There were no pulmonary embolism-related deaths. Right ventricular dysfunction was rare in follow-up. These data indicate that acute heart strain is common, but chronic cardiac dysfunction is rare, following aggressive management of acute pulmonary embolism in children.

The current trends in stimulated Brillouin scattering and optical phase conjugation are overviewed. This report is formed by the selected papers presented in the “Fifth International Workshop on stimulated Brillouin scattering and phase conjugation 2010” in Japan. The nonlinear properties of phase conjugation based on stimulated Brillouin scattering and photo-refraction can compensate phase distortions in the high power laser systems, and they will also open up potentially novel laser technologies, e.g., phase stabilization, beam combination, pulse compression, ultrafast pulse shaping, and arbitrary waveform generation.

This paper summarizes research activities in National Institute of Radiological Sciences (NIRS) for evaluation of the radiation effects on selected terrestrial and aquatic organisms as well as the ecosystems. Seven organisms, conifers, fungi, earthworms, springtails, algae, daphnia and Medaka are presently selected to study. For the estimation of possible radiation dose, transfers of radionuclides and related elements from medium to organisms are evaluated. Dose-effect relationships of acute gamma radiation on the survival, growth, and reproduction of selected organisms have been studied. Studies on the effect of chronic gamma radiation at low dose rate were also started. In order to understand the mechanism of radiation effects and to find possible indicators of the effects, information of genome- and metagenome-wide gene expression has been collected. Evaluation of ecological effects of radiation is more challenging task. Study methods by using three-species microcosm were established, and an index for the holistic evaluation of effects on various ecological parameters was proposed. The microcosm has been simulated as a computer simulation code. Developments of more complicated and practical model ecosystems have been started. The Denaturant Gradient Gel Electrophoresis (DGGE) has been applied on soil bacterial community in order to evaluate the radiation effects on soil ecosystems.

Fatigue fracture under cyclic loading of single crystal silicon (SCS) is concerned and fatigue properties and mechanism are investigated widely. Surface oxide is considered to have an important role on fatigue fractures. In this paper, the tensile testing of SCS whose surface was intentionally oxidized and the effect of the oxide thickness on the mechanical properties were reported. After fabrication of SCS specimens, they were oxidized in dry oxidization at 1100 ºC. Quasi-static tensile testing of SCS specimens with no, 100-nm-oxide, and 200-nm-oxide thick oxide was performed. As the results, the deviation in fracture strain was decreased by oxidation, and the fracture origin was observed to be the inner silicon part. These results might be caused by the decrease of surface roughness and defects formation by oxygen precipitation during thermal oxidation.

Two patients who received supracricoid laryngectomy with cricohyoidoepiglottopexy to treat laryngeal cancers, underwent intra-operative electromyography analysis. After the lesion was removed and the electrodes were inserted into the remaining intrinsic laryngeal muscles, the depth of anaesthesia was carefully reduced. Gentle tactile stimulations were applied to the pharynx to trigger the reflex movement of the remaining arytenoids. Recordings were made when reflex movement was achieved.

Case one: Electromyography (EMG) of the remaining arytenoid demonstrated clear phase differences indicating reciprocal activities between the adductor group (lateral cricoarytenoid muscle, interarytenoid muscle) and the abductor muscle (posterior cricoarytenoid muscle). Case two: EMG of the remaining arytenoid demonstrated reciprocal activities between the interarytenoid muscle and the posterior cricoarytenoid muscle. Activity of the lateral cricoarytenoid muscle was not evident because the muscle was excised during removal of the paraglottic space. Mobility of the arytenoid was attributed to interaction between the interarytenoid muscle and posterior cricoarytenoid muscle. Reciprocal interaction between the interarytenoid muscle and posterior cricoarytenoid muscle alone is also capable of maintaining post-operative laryngeal functions after supracricoid laryngectomy with cricohyoidoepiglottopexy.

Mathematical computer model is developed to simulate the population dynamics and dynamic mass budgets of the microbial community realized as a self sustainable aquatic ecological system in the tube. Autotroph algae, heterotroph protozoa and saprotroph bacteria live symbiotically with interspecies' interactions as predator-prey relationship, competition for the common resource, autolysis of detritus and detritus-grazing food chain, etc. The simulation model is the individual-based parallel model, built in the demographic stochasticity, environmental stochasticity by dividing the aquatic environment into patches. Validity of the model is checked by the multifaceted data of the microcosm experiments. In the analysis, intrinsic parameters of umbrella endpoint regarding to lethality are manipulated at the individual level, and tried to find the population level, community level especially focused on predator-prey relationship, and revealed the indirect effect of chronic exposure of radiation on the probability of Tetrahymena's extinction.

Let $V$ be a commutative valuation domain of arbitrary Krull-dimension, with quotient field $F$, let $K$ be a finite Galois extension of $F$ with group $G$, and let $S$ be the integral closure of $V$ in $K$. Suppose that one has a 2-cocycle on $G$ that takes values in the group of units of $S$. Then one can form the crossed product of $G$ over $S$, $S\ast G$, which is a $V$-order in the central simple $F$-algebra $K\ast G$. If $S\ast G$ is assumed to be a Dubrovin valuation ring of $K\ast G$, then the main result of this paper is that, given a suitable definition of tameness for central simple algebras, $K\ast G$ is tamely ramified and defectless over $F$ if and only if $K$ is tamely ramified and defectless over $F$. The residue structure of $S\ast G$ is also considered in the paper, as well as its behaviour upon passage to Henselization.

The prospect of lattice structure and ferroelectricity of SnTiO3 have been studied by first-principles calculations within local density approximation. The results showed that the SnTiO3 has the minimum total energy within almost tetragonal perovskite structure of a=b=3.80 Å, c=4.09 Å. The calculated electronic structure of SnTiO3 resembles that of PbTiO3 because the Ti 3d states, Sn 5s and 5p states hybridize with the O 2p orbitals. The moment of spontaneous polarization of SnTiO3 was estimated as 73 μ C/cm2, which is as large as that of PbTiO3.

An energy loss of 240 MeV argon ions in a Z-pinch helium plasma has been for the first time observed throughout the entire pinching process. Standard Stark broadening analysis gives an electron density ranging from 4 to 6 × 1017 cm−3 during the pinch. To deduce stopping power from the energy loss, the target thickness of the helium plasma has been evaluated assuming the mean charge of helium based on thermal equilibrium. The observed electron density and the mean charge of helium give a target thickness of 30 ± 3 μg cm−2 from 1 μs to 1.8 μs after the discharge ignition. The measured stopping power exceeds a tabulated value for cold helium gas by a factor of 2 to 3 around the time of the first pinch. The experimental stopping power is compared with theoretical values calculated using an equation of stopping power for a partially ionized plasma.

Two barnacle species (Semibalanus cariosus and Chthamalus challengeri) were studied during two years at Hokkaido, northern Japan, to find the interspecies boundary and to determine whether interspecific competition (interference and pre-emption) is important in maintaining the zonation in our study system. Both barnacle species showed tide level dependent distribution patterns in the boundary zone. Semibalanus cariosus was dominant at lower levels; this pattern was determined by post-recruitment mortality. This mortality pattern seemed to be set by physical stress because recruitment density and survival rate were not correlated with the cover of other species, and mortality was higher in higher zones where physical stress is more severe. Chthamalus challengeri was dominant at higher levels; this pattern was determined by recruitment. The recruitment density and survival rate of this species were not affected by the covers of other species, thus, neither interference nor pre-emption significantly affected the distribution pattern. Interspecific competition appears to be less important in organizing barnacle communities in our study area than in previously studied areas, however, the recruitment process is of major importance.

Uniaxial compression tests were performed on samples of the Greenland Ice Gore Project (GRIP) deep ice core, both in the field and later in a cold-room laboratory, in order to understand the ice-flow behavior of large ice sheets. Experiments were conducted under conditions of constant strain rate (type A) and constant load (type B). Fifty-four uniaxial-compression test specimens from 1327-2922 m were selected. Each test specimen (25 mm x 25 mm x 90 mm) was prepared with its uniaxial stress axis inclined 45° from the core axis in order to examine the flow behavior of strong single-maximum ice-core samples with basal planes parallel to the horizontal plane of the ice sheet. The ice-flow enhancement factors show a gradual increase with depth down to approximately 2000 m. These results can be interpreted in terms of an increase in the fourth-order Schmid factor. Below 2000 m depth, the flow-enhancement factor increases to about 20-30 with a relatively high variability When the Schmid factor was > 0.46, the enhancement factor obtained was higher than expected from the .-axis concentrations measured. The higher values of flow-enhancement factor were obtained from specimens with a cloudy band structure. It was revealed that cloudy bands affect ice-deformation processes, but the details remain unclear.

We studied the characteristics of deep-level traps in p-type HgCdTe diodes using the Deep Level Transient Fourier Spectroscopy (DLTFS) method. For both holes and electrons, two types of traps were observed. The DLTFS signal intensity of one type of trap increased with the carrier density in the HgCdTe, while the other did not exhibit a monotonic increase. While measuring the stability of these traps during cooling cycles, the DLTFS signal intensity of the first group was almost constant while that of the latter fluctuated with every cooling cycle. Stable traps originated from Hg vacancies, unstable traps are attributed to vacancy-impurity complex defects.

We studied the characteristics of deep-level traps in p-type HgCdTe diodes using the Deep Level Transient Fourier Spectroscopy (DLTFS) method. For both holes and electrons, two types of traps were observed. The DLTFS signal intensity of one type of trap increased with the carrier density in the HgCdTe, while the other did not exhibit a monotonic increase. While measuring the stability of these traps during cooling cycles, the DLTFS signal intensity of the first group was almost constant while that of the latter fluctuated with every cooling cycle. Stable traps originated from Hg vacancies, unstable traps are attributed to vacancy-impurity complex defects.

Experiments are presented that demonstrate the high stopping power of fully ionized hydrogen plasma for low-energy heavy ions. A plasma with electron densities up to 7.1016 cm–3 at temperatures above 1 eV was created by an electrical discharge. In the described experiment, a stopping power of 1.08 GeV/(mg/cm2) was measured using singly charged krypton ions at 45–keV/u energy. The measured stopping power exceeds the corresponding value in cold hydrogen gas by a factor of 35. These measurements confirm the theoretical stopping power predictions close to the expected maximum in a fully ionized plasma.

The effects of dietary sucrose on the metabolic rate of plasma glucose and ruminal propionate as well as the change in nitrogen kinetics were examined in four mature wethers fitted with rumen fistulas in Tsukuba, Japan in 1990. Wethers were fed at 12 equal intervals daily on crushed lucerne hay cubes (1233 g DM/day), with or without 204 g/day of sucrose. Plasma urea and glucose kinetics were determined following a single intravenous injection of [I5N]urea and [U-13C]glucose respectively; and the kinetics of ruminal ammonia and propionate were determined following a single intraruminal injection of [15N]ammonium chloride and [2–13c]sodium propionate respectively. Following supplementation of sucrose to the diet, nitrogen retention was increased (P < 0·05) with a decrease in plasma urea concentration (P < 0·05) and urinary urea excretion (P < 0·05). Sucrose supplementation decreased (P < 005) the concentration and irreversible loss rate of ruminal ammonia. Urinary allantoin excretion did not change with sucrose treatment, but the flow rate of non-ammonia-nitrogen from the rumen was increased P < 0·05). The transfer rate of ruminal ammonia to plasma urea was also decreased (P < 0·01), whilst the transfer rate of plasma urea to ruminal ammonia was increased (P < 0·05) by dietary sucrose. Sucrose supplementation resulted in a higher concentration of propionate and butyrate (P < 0·05) in the rumen with no significant change in acetate or pH. The concentration of plasma glucose did not change with sucrose treatment, but the concentration of insulin, pool size (P < 0·05) and the irreversible loss rate of glucose (P < 0·01) were increased, reflecting the increase in the production rate of ruminal propionate (P < 0·05). It was concluded that the supplementation of sucrose affected the metabolism of urea and glucose in plasma via a change in ruminal production rate of ammonia and propionate, respectively.