Seismic imaging in 3-D holds great potential for improving our understanding of ice sheet structure and dynamics. Conducting 3-D imaging in remote areas is simplified by using lightweight and logistically straightforward sources. We report results from controlled seismic source tests carried out near the West Antarctic Ice Sheet Divide investigating the characteristics of two types of surface seismic sources, Poulter shots and detonating cord, for use in both 2-D and 3-D seismic surveys on glaciers. Both source types produced strong basal P-wave and S-wave reflections and multiples recorded in three components. The Poulter shots had a higher amplitude for low frequencies (<10 Hz) and comparable amplitude at high frequencies (>50 Hz) relative to the detonating cord. Amplitudes, frequencies, speed of source set-up, and cost all suggested Poulter shots to be the preferred surface source compared to detonating cord for future 2-D and 3-D seismic surveys on glaciers.

Recently, the validity range of the approximations commonly used in neoclassical calculation has been reconsidered. One of the primary motivations behind this trend is observation of an impurity hole in LHD (Large Helical Device), i.e. the formation of an extremely hollow density profile of an impurity ion species, such as carbon $\text{C}^{6+}$, in the plasma core region where a negative radial electric field ($E_{r}$) is expected to exist. Recent studies have shown that the variation of electrostatic potential on the flux surface, $\unicode[STIX]{x1D6F7}_{1}$, has significant impact on neoclassical impurity transport. Nevertheless, the effect of $\unicode[STIX]{x1D6F7}_{1}$ has been studied with radially local codes and the necessity of global calculation has been suggested. Thus, we have extended a global neoclassical code, FORTEC-3D, to simulate impurity transport in an impurity hole plasma including $\unicode[STIX]{x1D6F7}_{1}$ globally. Independently of the $\unicode[STIX]{x1D6F7}_{1}$ effect, an electron root of the ambipolar condition for the impurity hole plasma has been found by global simulation. Hence, we have considered two different cases, each with a positive (global) and a negative (local) solution of the ambipolar condition, respectively. Our result provides another support that $\unicode[STIX]{x1D6F7}_{1}$ has non-negligible impact on impurity transport. However, for the ion-root case, the radial $\text{C}^{6+}$ flux is driven further inwardly by $\unicode[STIX]{x1D6F7}_{1}$. For the electron-root case, on the other hand, the radial particle $\text{C}^{6+}$ flux is outwardly enhanced by $\unicode[STIX]{x1D6F7}_{1}$. These results indicate that how $\unicode[STIX]{x1D6F7}_{1}$ affects the radial particle transport crucially depends on the profile of the ambipolar-$E_{r}$, which is found to be susceptible to $\unicode[STIX]{x1D6F7}_{1}$ itself and the global effects.

Effective communication is a critical part of managing an emergency. During an emergency, the ways in which health agencies normally communicate warnings may not reach all of the intended audience. Not all communities are the same, and households within communities are diverse. Because different communities prefer different communication methods, community leaders and emergency planners need to know their communities’ preferred methods for seeking information about an emergency. This descriptive report explores findings from previous community assessments that have collected information on communication preferences, including television (TV), social media, and word-of-mouth (WoM) delivery methods. Data were analyzed from 12 Community Assessments for Public Health Emergency Response (CASPERs) conducted from 2014-2017 that included questions regarding primary and trusted communication sources. A CASPER is a rapid needs assessment designed to gather household-based information from a community. In 75.0% of the CASPERs, households reported TV as their primary source of information for specific emergency events (range = 24.0%-83.1%). Households reporting social media as their primary source of information differed widely across CASPERs (3.2%-41.8%). In five of the CASPERs, nearly one-half of households reported WoM as their primary source of information. These CASPERs were conducted in response to a specific emergency (ie, chemical spill, harmful algal bloom, hurricane, and flood). The CASPERs conducted as part of a preparedness activity had lower percentages of households reporting WoM as their primary source of information (8.3%-10.4%). The findings in this report demonstrate the need for emergency plans to include hybrid communication models, combining traditional methods with newer technologies to reach the broadest audience. Although TV was the most commonly reported preferred source of information, segments of the population relied on social media and WoM messaging. By using multiple methods for risk communication, emergency planners are more likely to reach the whole community and engage vulnerable populations that might not have access to, trust in, or understanding of traditional news sources. Multiple communication channels that include user-generated content, such as social media and WoM, can increase the timeliness of messaging and provide community members with message confirmation from sources they trust encouraging them to take protective public health actions.

WolkinAF, SchnallAH, NakataNK, EllisEM. Getting the Message Out: Social Media and Word-of-Mouth as Effective Communication Methods during Emergencies. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2019;34(1):89–94.

A two-dimensional, finite-element calculation was performed to simulate the development of a snowdrift. The underlying two-dimensional topography was taken as the lower boundary, and this changed as the drift developed. The two-dimensional wind field was calculated from the Navier–Stokes equations. The calculation was performed until a quasi-steady state was reached, and the pattern of erosion and deposition was estimated by computing the divergence of snowdrift transport. Considering a snowdrift as a new surface, the wind field was then recalculated. Simulated results were compared with outdoor observations of the wind field and snowdrifts. The results were in fairly good agreement with each other, but more detailed research is regarded as being necessary.

Organic thin-film transistors (OTFTs) are the most promising candidates for flexible electronics owing to their flexible structures, the simplicity of processing large-area devices, and excellent compatibility with flexible substrates. To date, many studies have been reported that have aimed at developing a wide range of plastic electronics such as flexible displays, sensors. In this paper, we discuss our recent work, focusing on OTFT arrays and their application to flexible display. An active-matrix (AM) backplane using a low-temperature cross-linkable olefin-type polymer as the gatedielectric and an air-stable DNTT as the organic semiconductor (OSC) was successfully fabricated on a plastic substrate. The short-channel TFT array exhibited a high hole mobility of over 0.5 cm2/Vs, a low subthreshold slope of 0.31, and excellent environmental and operational stability. A 5-inch flexible OLED display exhibited a high luminescence of over 300 cd/m2 by driving of the DNTT-based OTFTs. Solution-processed OTFTs are also attracting considerable attention owing to both their simple manufacturing process and excellent transistor performance. We present a simple patterning process for a solution-processable OSC that can be used to develop a high-mobility short-channel TFT array. The OSC film was directly patterned on the confined active channel region by a simple lamination coating technique and the resulting TFTs showed a high mobility of up to 1.3 cm2/Vs. In the final section, we report on eco-friendly paper-based organic TFT array. A transparent cellulose nanofibers paper was firstly applied to a flexible substrate for the TFT backplane. A solution-processed TFT on the transparent paper exhibited a high mobility exceeding 1 cm2/Vs, good air stability, and excellent mechanical stability.

Changes in critical current properties depending on growth temperature (Ts) were clarified for Ba-Nb-O-doped YBa2Cu3Oy (Y123) films deposited by YAG- and excimer-PLD. Due to the introduction of Ba-Nb-O-nanorods, a vortex-Bose-glass-like behavior emerged as irreversibility lines and in-field critical current densities (Jcs) were improved. Crossover magnetic fields (Bcr) and in-field Jcs increased with the increase in Ts for the Y123 films with nanorods. These Ts-dependent critical current properties were attributable to the changes in morphology of the nanorods with Ts and were independent of laser source in PLD apparatuses. For the fabrication of RE123 coated conductors containing nanorods, optimization of Ts with taking both materials of RE123 matrix and nanorod into account is necessary to achieve higher in-field Jc.

In non-traditional, heat-stressed environments, wheat breeding programmes were mainly concerned with the introduction and adaptation of high-yielding, heat-tolerant cultivars regardless of the end-use quality. For the recently developed quality-oriented markets, new cultivars should combine the above-mentioned traits with good grain quality to improve economic feasibility of wheat production in these environments. This study aimed to examine the suitability of the conventional sodium dodecyl sulfate sedimentation (SDSS) test for predicting bread-making quality and to evaluate the effectiveness of a prolonged-swelling SDSS test in improving the predictability of end-use quality under heat stress conditions. Conventional and prolonged-swelling SDSS volumes were measured from whole meal of 15 bread wheat genotypes grown for two seasons under two sowing conditions at Gezira Research Farm, Wad Medani, Sudan. Results of correlations of SDSS volumes with total and insoluble protein contents, mixograph peak height and mixograph descending slope indicated the suitability of the SDSS test in predicting bread-making quality under heat-stress irrigated conditions. However, the absence of significant correlations with some quality attributes, such as mixograph peak time and mixograph curve width, demonstrated the non-exclusiveness of the SDSS test for predicting all bread-making quality attributes. The prolonged-swelling SDSS tests did not improve identification of differences among genotypes over the conventional test despite similarly predicting some quality attributes and showing relatively small increases in the correlation coefficient magnitudes with others. SDSS after 10 min from settlement (SDSS10) showed strong correlations with all other SDSS volumes at various times and with most of quality attributes. This suggested that SDSS10 could be used for evaluation of bread-making quality in early generations of the breeding programme in the hot irrigated conditions of Sudan and similar environments.

During 22–24 August 2004, an outbreak of Shigella sonnei infection affected air travellers who departed from Hawaii. Forty-seven passengers with culture-confirmed shigellosis and 116 probable cases who travelled on 12 flights dispersed to Japan, Australia, 22 US states, and American Samoa. All flights were served by one caterer. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis of all 29 S. sonnei isolates yielded patterns that matched within one band. Food histories and menu reviews identified raw carrot served onboard as the likely vehicle of infection. Attack rates for diarrhoea on three surveyed flights with confirmed cases were 54% (110/204), 32% (20/63), and 12% (8/67). A total of 2700 meals were served on flights with confirmed cases; using attack rates observed on surveyed flights, we estimated that 300–1500 passengers were infected. This outbreak illustrates the risk of rapid, global spread of illness from a point-source at a major airline hub.

Extended abstract of a paper presented at Microscopy and Microanalysis 2007 in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, USA, August 5 – August 9, 2007

Two innovative processes have been developed in order to produce ultra fine grained steel at the hot strip mill. One is based on high speed, large reduction forging, the other on combined rolling/bending strain accumulation. Both processes afford drastic reductions of the strip ferrite grain-size.

Extended abstract of a paper presented at Microscopy and Microanalysis 2005 in Honolulu, Hawaii, USA, July 31--August 4, 2005

The XAFS measurement of the MSQ type low-k dielectrics (LKD™) was conducted to clarify the structure change with and without the EB cure. Furthermore, three different types of other MSQ films, the ladder structure, the random structure and the CVD film, have been investigated as references. We have determined Si-O-Si bond angle and Si-O(Si-C) bond length by fitting the Fourier transformed EXAFS spectra.

The ladder structure and the random structure have Si-O-Si bond angle of 133 and 146, respectively.

Si-O-Si bond angle of LKD™ film is among that of the ladder and the random structure, and the XANES spectrum of LKD™ film displays two broad features, corresponding to the mixture of both structures. In contrast, Si-O-Si angles of the EB cured LKD™ film and the CVD film resemble each other, and the XANES features of both films are almost identical with that of the random structure.

We have confirmed that the EB cure process for LKD™ film makes drastic structure change from the mixture of ladder and random structure to the random network structure.

Samples of Ti and Zr metals have been carbonized or nitrided at high temperature by means of reactive plasma processing. Thickness and hardness of modified layers increased with the processing temperature and time in an experimental range below 1500°C for less 5h. The maximum hardness of TiC-layer modified at 1300°C for 3h was about 5000Hv(kg/mm2) and the maximum thickness of ZrC-layer formed at 1400°C for 5h reached about 100μm. A TiC-layer was analyzed with EPMA, XRD, EXAFS and PAS(Positron Annihilation Spectroscopy). It was confirmed that the sub-surface layer of Ti metal was the mixture of TiC ceramics and Ti metal, and that the thickness of TiC with NaCI type structure was very large.

Hydrogenated amorphous silicon was implanted with phosphorus ions to a uniform concentration of 3×1020 cm-3 and defect saturation. The implants were annealed isochronally up to 400°C in the dark or under additional illumination. This illumination had no effect on recovery. The Urbach energy remains higher than that of silicon-implants. The midgap defect density anneals to ˜ 1018 cm-3, typical of gas-phase doped samples. The dark conductvity remains lower and its thermal activation energy higher than in gas-phase doped samples. We surmise that the Si-Si network absorbs some of the donor electron-induced defect density by forming strained Si-Si bonds. These strained bonds widen the band tails, and thus reduce the effective electron mobility and pin the Fermi level.