Regional offsets from Northern Hemisphere radiocarbon (14C) calibration curves are widely recognized for monsoon Asia and often hinder accurate 14C dating. In this paper, we explore the possible linkage between summer monsoon intensity and 14C offsets using tree-ring δ18O and 14C data from Thailand. We developed a 297-yr floating tree-ring δ18O chronology comprising seven teak log-coffin samples from the Ban Rai rock shelter site, northwestern Thailand. The outermost ring of our chronology was estimated to date from 358–383 CE, within a 95.4% (2σ) probability range, based on a total of 10 14C measurements that were wiggle-matched against a mixed calibration curve evenly weighted from the IntCal20 and SHCal20 curves. Backward trajectory analysis showed that an intensified (weakened) summer monsoon detected in a modern tree-ring δ18O chronology was most likely to be induced by increased (decreased) air mass transport from the tropical Indian Ocean, which is an area of intense upwelling where the 14C concentration is lower than the atmospheric 14C level. However, partly because of the limited sample size and dating uncertainty, the direct linkage between the tree-ring δ18O series and 14C records obtained from our teak log-coffin samples could not be statistically verified.

Although better diet quality is inversely related to the risk of geriatric disorders, the association of adherence to dietary guidelines with oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) is unclear. We aimed to investigate this association in older Japanese adults. This cross-sectional study included 7984 Japanese participants aged ≥ 65 years from the population-based Kyoto–Kameoka study. Dietary intake was estimated using a validated self-administered FFQ. The scores for adherence to the Japanese Food Guide Spinning Top (range: 0 (worst) to 80 (best)) were calculated. These scores were stratified into quartiles (Qs). Poor OHRQoL was defined as a score ≤ 50 using a 12-item Geriatric Oral Health Assessment Index. The OR and 95 % CI were calculated using multivariable logistic regression and the spline model. Higher adherence score was associated with a lower prevalence of poor OHRQoL (Q1–Q4:36·0 %, 32·1 %, 27·9 % and 25·1 %, respectively). An inverse association was found between the score for adherence to the food-based Japanese dietary guidelines and the OR of poor OHRQoL among all the participants (Q1: reference; Q2: OR, 0·87 (95 % CI: 0·75, 1·00); Q3: OR, 0·77 (95 % CI: 0·66, 0·90); Q4: OR, 0·72 (95 % CI: 0·62, 0·85); P for trend < 0·001). These relationships were similar to the results in the spline model. Higher adherence to the food-based Japanese dietary guidelines is inversely associated with the prevalence of poor OHRQoL in older adults. Our results may provide useful insights to improve and maintain oral health.

Climate variables that control the annual cycle of the surface energy and mass balance on Zhadang glacier in the central Tibetan Plateau were examined over a 2 year period using a physically based energy-balance model forced by routine meteorological data. The modelled results agree with measured values of albedo, incoming longwave radiation, surface temperature and surface level of the glacier. For the whole observation period, the radiation component dominated (82%) the total surface energy heat fluxes. This was followed by turbulent sensible (10%) and latent heat (6%) fluxes. Subsurface heat flux represented a very minor proportion (2%) of the total heat flux. The sensitivity of specific mass balance was examined by perturbations of temperature (±1 K), relative humidity (±20%) and precipitation (±20%). The results indicate that the specific mass balance is more sensitive to changes in precipitation than to other variables. The main seasonal variations in the energy balance were in the two radiation components (net shortwave radiation and net longwave radiation) and these controlled whether surface melting occurred. A dramatic difference in summer mass balance between 2010 and 2011 indicates that the glacier surface mass balance was closely related to precipitation seasonality and form (proportion of snowfall and rainfall).

Dielectric anisotropy in ice Ih was investigated at 9.7 GHz with the waveguide method. The measurement of dielectric permittivity was made using single crystals collected from Mendenhall Glacier, Alaska. The result of the measurement shows that ϵ′‖c, the real part of dielectric permittivity parallel to the c axis, is larger than ϵ′⊥c the real part of dielectric permittivity perpendicular to the c axis. This tendency is similar to that at low frequencies in the region of the Debye relaxation dispersion. It can be proposed that ϵ′‖c>ϵ′⊥c in the HF, VHF and microwave frequency range. ϵ′‖c and ϵ′‖c depend slightly upon temperature but the dielectric anisotropy, ∆ϵ′=ϵ′‖c-ϵ′⊥c, is constant and becomes 0.037 (±0.007). Based on the present results, a simple caculation indicates that the maximum power reflection coefficient caused by the dielectric anisotropy is about −50 ∼ −80 dB, which is significantly larger than the power reflection coefficient observed in the ice sheet by radio-echo sounding, about −70 ∼ −80 dB. This leads to a conclusion that dielectric anisotropy is one of the dominant causes of internal reflections.

Introduction: When countermeasures are taken against an avian influenza (AI) pandemic in a hospital, it is essential to know the potential number of staff who would choose to be absent. The purpose of this study was to clarify how many medical staff would be willing to work during a pandemic, and requirements to secure adequate human resources.

Methods: From September to December 2008, a total of 3,152 questionnaires were sent to five private hospitals and one public hospital, which represent the core hospitals in the regions of Kyoto, Osaka, and Hyogo Prefectures. Participants consisted of hospital staff including: (1) physicians; (2) nurses; (3) pharmacists; (4) radiological technologists (RTs); (5) physical therapists (PTs); (6) occupational therapists (OTs); (7) clinical laboratory technologists (CLTs); (8) caregivers; (9) office clerks; and (10) others. They were queried about their attitude toward pandemics, including whether they would come to the hospital to work, treat patients, and what kinds of conditions they required in order to work.

Results: A total of 1,975 persons (62.7%) responded. A total of 204 persons (10.6%) would not come to the hospitals during a pandemic, 363 (18.8%) would perform their duties as usual, unconditionally, 504 (26.1%) would come to hospitals but not treat AI patients, and 857 (44.5%) would report to the hospital and treat AI patients with some essential conditions. These essential conditions were: (1) personal protective equipment (PPE) (80.0%); (2) receipt of workmen's compensation (69.3%); (3) receipt of anti-virus medication (58.2%); and (3) receipt of pre-pandemic vaccination (57.8%).

Conclusion: During a pandemic, all types of health professionals would be lacking, not only physicians and nurses. This study indicates that ensuring sufficient medical human resources would be difficult without the provision of adequate safety and compensation measures.

We have studied the effects of straining prior to annealing for lamellar structure formation in a Ti-39at%Al single crystal intending to accelerate the lamellar structure formation and decrease the resultant lamellar spacing via preferential nucleation of γ-TiAl phase at dislocations in α2-Ti3Al phase. In a crystal cold-rolled to 10% reduction before annealing, a fine lamellar structure with 88 nm average spacing was formed by annealing at 1073 K for 1×104 s whereas no lamella were observed in the crystal subjected to the same annealing without cold-rolling. In addition, it was also demonstrated that when the crystal is locally strained by indentation and annealed at 1073 K for 1×104 s, a lamellar structure with 43 nm average lamellar spacing is formed in areas near the indentation and there were no lamella beyond these areas. This means that distributions of lamellae can be controlled by controlling the distribution of strain before annealing.

Improvement of photovoltaic performance for dye sensitized solar cells (DSC) is discussed in terms of electron-path and ion-path. In order to make electron path, we focused on passivation of TiO2 surface states which are observed by thermally stimulated current (TSC). The TiO2 surface was well-passivated with dye molecules under pressurized CO2 atmosphere. It was found that DSC cells prepared by a CO2 process (Cell-CO2) had higher efficiency than those prepared by a conventional dipping process (Cell-DIP) and the higher efficiency was associated with low TiO2-surface state, high electron diffusion coefficient and long electron life time in TiO2 for the Cell-CO2. In addition, dye-staining under pressurized CO2 atmosphere had advantages over a conventional dipping process on rapid dye-uptake and less dye aggregation. In order to fabricate ion-path in solidified electrolyte, we focused on surface modification of nano-materials. Surface of nano-materials such as TiO2-nanoparticles and porous alumina films were modified with imidazolium iodide moieties consisting of long alkyl chains which render surface-molecules self-organized. Redox-species are concentrated on the self-organized molecules and make ion-path. We propose quasi-solid electrolyte system consisting of two layers having different charge carrier concentration to keep high photoconversion efficiencies even after solidification.

Poly(p-phenylenevinylene) (PPV) thin films were prepared by using drop casting under high gravity condition and p- and n-type PPV based field effect transistors (FET) have been fabricated. PPV FETs with gold source-drain electrodes showed the p-channel FET conduction. The FET characteristics of PPV were improved by annealing and the field-effect hole mobility was 8.8×10−4cm2V−1s−1. On the other hand, PPV FET with calcium source-drain electrodes showed the n-channel FET conduction and the field-effect electron mobility was 1.0×10−6cm2V−1s−1.

We report a simple and mild fabrication of flexible organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) by an electrode-peeling transfer method. Firstly, fine patterns of source-drain metal electrodes were formed on a solid substrate, where a micro-patterning process such as photolithography is applicable. An organic dielectric layer (poly-chloro-p-xylylene) was deposited by a chemical vapor deposition. Then patterned gate electrode was deposited using a shadow mask. On the top surface of the gate electrode, another adhesive flexible substrate was fixed and the stack of the flexible substrate/gate electrode /dielectric layer /source-drain electrode was peeled away from the solid substrate. The peeling-transfer was completed with a help of a self-assembled monolayer of n-decyl mercaptan as a connecting buffer layer between the gold electrodes and the dielectric layer. Then an organic semiconductor material was deposited on the fresh peeled-off surface on the flexible substrate. When pentacene was used as the semiconductor material, the OFETs exhibited a hole mobility of 0.1 cm2/Vs and a current on/off ratio of 105.