This study examines the relationship between paternal height or body mass index (BMI) and birth weight of their offspring in a Japanese general population. The sample included 33,448 pregnant Japanese women and used fixed data, including maternal, paternal and infant characteristics, from the Japan Environment and Children’s Study (JECS), an ongoing nationwide birth cohort study. Relationships between paternal height or BMI and infant birth weight [i.e., small for gestational age (SGA) and large for gestational age (LGA)] were examined using a multinomial logistic regression model. Since fetal programming may be a sex-specific process, male and female infants were analyzed separately. Multivariate analysis showed that the higher the paternal height, the higher the odds of LGA and the lower the odds of SGA in both male and female infants. The effects of paternal BMI on the odds of both SGA and LGA in male infants were similar to those of paternal height; however, paternal height had a stronger impact than BMI on the odds of male LGA. In addition, paternal BMI showed no association with the odds of SGA and only a weak association with the odds of LGA in female infants. This cohort study showed that paternal height was associated with birth weight of their offspring and had stronger effects than paternal BMI, suggesting that the impact of paternal height on infant birth weight could be explained by genetic factors. The sex-dependent effect of paternal BMI on infant birth weight may be due to epigenetic effects.

NGC 3079 has very luminous water megamaser from the nucleus, the peak of the spectrum being blueshifted by 180 km s−1 from the systemic velocity of the galaxy (V sys = 1131 km s−1) (Henkel et al. 1984, Haschick & Baan 1985). Core-jet like continuum structure is also found in the nuclear region (Irwin & Seaquist 1988). No velocity drift for main features of water maser (VLSR = 941–975 km s−1) has been shown (Nakai et al. 1995). However, the drift was recently detected for the maser of 1190 km s−1 (Nakai 1997). HI and OH absorptions are detected in the nucleus (Haschick & Baan 1985, Irwin & Seaquist 1991). Thus this galaxy is very unique object to investigate water masers, continuum structure and absorption features all together with VLBI.

We conducted an observation of weak HI and OH absorption features in the parsec-scale nuclear region of NGC 3079 using a global VLBI network; the VLBA, the VLA and the Green Bank 43-m telescope of NRAO. One mas corresponds to 0.076 pc in NGC 3079.

NGC 660 is a gas-rich, peculiar polar ring RSBa-type starburst galaxy with two distinct morphological and kinematic components: an inner disc, seen almost edge-on, with a major axis position angle of 45° and a diameter of ~11 kpc [D=13 Mpc, Ho=75 kms−1 Mpc−1], and an outer polar ring (p.a. 170°) with a diameter of 31 kpc, inclined on average about 55° with respect to the major axis of the inner disc.

We obtained deep, 30 min. exposure CCD images of NGC 660 with the 105 cm Schmidt telescope of Kiso Observatory in the B, V, R, and I bands. A preliminary reduction shows that the inner disc is clearly redder than the polar ring and the nucleus.

Optical spectra indicate that the galaxy has a LINER-type spectrum, suggesting intense massive star formation in the nucleus. We obtained a long-slit Ha spectrum along the major axis of the inner disc at ESO, which shows a very steep gradient near the nucleus. Assuming an inclination of 80°, it implies a rotational velocity of about 150 km s−1 for the inner disc.

In Japan, there is a plan for Large Millimeter Array proposed by Nobeyama Radio Observatory. The proposed array may consist of 50 10-m antennas distributed in a 2 − 3 km area at very high altitude. In this paper, scientific directions, planned system, and site survey for the LMA are reported.

We present multi-frequency observations towards the nucleus of NGC 3079 using both Japan VLBI Network (J-Net) and the VLBA including phased VLA and Effelsberg. We detected two continuum components at 1.4 and 8.4 GHz, and determined the spectral indices for each component. Further, we found several H ɪ absorption features towards the continuum components whose velocity gradient is opposite to the galaxy rotation. Assuming rotation, the central mass is estimated to be 3 × 106 M ⊙. The water maser distribution extends in North-South direction along the galactic disk, while no clear indication of a Keplerian rotating disk was found.

A systematically peculiar molecular composition has been found in a nearby starburst galaxy M 82. Molecules related to grain surface formation and to production reactions favorable at high-temperature are deficient in M 82 among nearby galaxies with rich gas. These molecules are SO, SiO, NH3, HNCO, CH3OH, and CH3CN. Possible reasons for this peculiarity are discussed.

NGC 3079 has very luminous water megamaser from the nucleus, the peak of the spectrum being blueshifted by 180 km s-1 from the systemic velocity of the galaxy (Vsys = 1131 km s-1) (Henkel et al. 1984, Haschick & Baan 1985). Core-jet like continuum structure is also found in the nuclear region (Irwin & Seaquist 1988). No velocity drift for main features of water maser (VLSR — 941-975 km s1) has been shown (Nakai et al. 1995). However, the drift was recently detected for the maser of 1190 km s-1 (Nakai 1997). HI and OH absorptions were detected in the nucleus (Haschick & Baan 1985, Irwin & Seaquist 1991). Thus this galaxy is very unique object to investigate water masers, continuum structure and absorption features all together with VLBI.

IAU Commission 28 (IAU C28: Galaxies) was founded in the late 1930s at which time it had only a small membership (see the historical notes by Sadler et al. 2007). When C28 ended its existence in 2015 there were well over 1000 members on its books. The membership had grown to the point where the effort to keep track of active participants had become a major task. During the C28s tenure 27 IAU Symposia have been devoted to galaxies, the third highest number (Mickaelian 2014)

We prepared silicon hyperdoped with sulfur by ion-implantation followed by pulsed laser melting. Effects of laser fluence during pulsed laser melting and of post-annealing on the silicon hyperdoped with sulfur are investigated. The structure of hyperdoped layer changes from poly-to mono-crystal with increasing laser fluence. Interface between sulfur-implanted-layer and single-crystal substrate disappear above 1.1 J/cm2. The spectral intensity of mid-infrared (MIR) optical absorption increases with crystallinity and spectral shape depends on whether the melt depth during pulsed laser melting reaches interface between implanted layer and single-crystal silicon substrate or not. The MIR absorption intensity rapidly decreases with thermal annealing temperature and almost disappears at 750 °C. The activation energy of conductivity decreases with increasing laser fluence and further decreases with increasing post thermal-annealing temperature. The insulator-metal transition is observed for the sample annealed at 750 °C. These results indicate that there is no direct correlation between MIR optical absorption band and insulator-metal transition.

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 this study, we evaluate the electrical characteristics of the silicon on insulator (SOI) layer made by the wafer bonding method using a photoconductivity modulation method, in other words, noncontact laser beam induced conductivity/current (LBIC) method. The He-Ne laser pulse (λ= 633nm, pulse width=2ms) is used as the carrier-injection light source.

The detected signal intensity decreases at the void area as compared with at the center area of the SOI layer where there are no voids. The positions of the voids revealed by the proposed method are in good agreement with those by X-ray topography. We also measure the lifetime using the photoconductivity decay method using the laser diode. The lifetime at the void area is much shorter than that at the center area. It is considered that the decrease in the detected signal intensity at the void area is due to reduction in the minority carrier lifetime.

The membership of Commission 28 is so large, and the spread of research interests so broad, that the research highlights presented here of necessity represent just a small subset of the work carried out over the past three years. Progress in the area of galaxy evolution continues to be particularly rapid, driven by both the availability of new multi-wavelength survey data and the development of increasingly sophisticated simulations to model the complex behaviour of stars and gas (e.g. Agertz et al. 2011; Guo et al. 2011; Keres et al. 2009; Schaye et al. 2010).

The Zn-bearing beaverite of Sato et al. (2008) has been named ‘beaverite-(Zn)’ in accordance with the alunite supergroup nomenclature of Bayliss et al. (2010), and data for the mineral have been approved by the IMA-CNMNC. Beaverite-(Zn) occurs as a dark-brown secondary mineral in the hydrothermal Cu-Zn-Pb ore deposit of the Mikawa mine, Niigata Prefecture, Japan. Electron microprobe analysis gave an empirical formula of Pb0.95(Fe1.88Al0.10)(Zn0.83Cu0.03)(SO4)2[(OH)5.36O0.38] on the basis of S = 2. The Rietyeld analysis (Sato et al, 2008) indicated it to be trigonal, R3̄m, a = 7.3028(2), c = 17.0517(4) Å, V = 787.56(4) Å3.

Microstructure and plastic deformation behavior in duplex-phase silicides composed of the C40 and C11b phases were examined using pseudo-binary (Nb,Mo)Si2 crystals with a single set of lamellae. Single crystals of the C40 single-phase were grown from the master ingot with a composition of (Nb0.15Mo0.85)Si2 by a floating zone method and duplex-phase microstructure containing a single set of lamellae was obtained by subsequent heat treatment at 1400°C for no less than 6h. During the heat treatment, the C11b phase was precipitated from the C40 matrix by satisfying the crystallographic relationship of (0001)C40//(110)C11b, <1210]C40//[110]C11b and < [1010]C40//[001]C11b at the lamellar boundary, while randomly oriented C11b grains also appeared at further annealing. As a result, the duplex-phase silicides with a single set of lamellae contained the C40 phase with a single orientation and three variants of the C11b phase. The lamellar spacing and the volume fraction of their phases depended strongly on annealing time.

In compression tests, yield stress and fracture strain of the duplex-phase silicides depended strongly on angle (φ) between the loading axis and lamellar boundaries, similar to TiAl-PST crystals. At φ=0°, specimens fractured just after showing high fracture stress even at 1400°C. In contrast, at φ=45° where shear deformation in the C11b phase of lamellae occurred parallel to lamellar boundaries, low yield stress and significant plastic strain were achieved at 1400°C.

The nature and distribution of precipitates in Fe-doped InP crystals grown by metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy at 650°C are studied by transmission electron microscopy. The precipitates are spherical in shape, 4-20 nm in diameter, and uniformly distributed in the crystals. They are coherent FeP precipitates with certain orientation relationship to the InP. The precipitates are observed in crystals with Fe-doping gas flow rates of more than 20 ml/min. Their density increases from 8 × 1012 to 1 × 1014 cm-3, as the gas flow rate increases from 20-100 ml/min, while the size is almost constant. In crystals doped with less than 5 ml/min, precipitates are not observed. Crystals grown with a gas flow rate of 5 ml/min contain a Fe-concentration of about 1017 cm−3 which is the solubility limit of Fe in InP at 650°C. From these results, it is strongly suggested that when the doped Fe concentration exceeds the solubility limit, excess Fe atoms tend to condense in the matrix forming FeP precipitates.

The formation of grown-in defects degrading the gate oxide integrity (GOI) has been studied. The growth-halting experiments were carried out to investigate the temperature ranges at which the formation of the defects was promoted or suppressed. GOI is improved in the crystal regions slowly cooled above 1330°C and between 1060°C and 1100°C. It is degraded in the crystal regions held below 1060°C. In the peripheral of the crystals, those temperature ranges are about 30°C lower. The defects are formed and grown below 1060°C in the center part of the crystal. The defect density is decreased with cooling time between 1060°C and 1100°C. These phenomena are considered to be closely related with reactions of intrinsic point defects, that is, the pair annihilation or the aggregation. The temperatures at which the pair annihilation and the aggregation of the point defects occur are dependent upon the supersaturation of the point defects.

A highly sensitive laser probe for photo-acoustic displacement(PAD) has been developed and applied to the monitoring of low-level lattice damage in semiconductors. Since a photodisplacement laser probe with the sensitivity of 0.1 picometers is employed in this measurement, lower density damage for instance, formed by 50 keV B+ implantation with a dose of 5X109 ions/cm2 can be detected. Correlation of the PAD with damage density was obtained in B+ implantation. Therefore, quantitative damage density can be obtained from the relation for lightly damaged layers, such as formed by chemomechanical polishing and by electron cyclotron resonance plasma etching. This technique is useful-for monitoring of low damage density surface.

We evaluate the electrical properties of the silicon-on-insulator (SOI) layer made by the wafer bonding using a noncontact laser beam induced conductivity/current (LBIC) method. Since the thickness of the SOl layer used in this study is about 40μm, the He-Ne laser, whose penetration depth for Si is small (about 3μm), is used as the carrier-injection light source.

We use the SOI wafer with some voids which are revealed by the X-ray topography. We have reported that the LBIC signal intensity decreases in the void region. In this study, we measure the microscopic signal variation near the edge of the void. It is observed that the LBIC signal intensity decreases in the outside region within a distance of about 700μm from the void edge. The diffusion length of the injected carrier (100-150μm) is shorter than the width of the region where the signal intensity decreases. Thus the decrease is not due to the carrier diffusion to the void. These results show that the formation of the void degrades the electrical properties not only in the void region but also outside the void.

Pyrolytic local etching of GaAs using focused Ar laser beams in C12 or CCl4 gas atmospheres has been performed to investigate the possibility of maskless etching processes by laser beams. Etching rates from 0.3 to 40 μ/scan with an etched linewidth down to 5 μ were obtained. In the case of CC1 4 , a carbon line buried in GaAs was obtained for a single scan of a laser beam at a pressure above 80 Torr with low scanning speeds or at a pressure above 120 Torr.