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.

We initiated a long-term and highly frequent monitoring project toward 442 methanol masers at 6.7 GHz (Dec >−30 deg) using the Hitachi 32-m radio telescope in December 2012. The observations have been carried out daily, monitoring a spectrum of each source with intervals of 9–10 days. In September 2015, the number of the target sources and intervals were redesigned into 143 and 4–5 days, respectively. This monitoring provides us complete information on how many sources show periodic flux variations in high-mass star-forming regions, which have been detected in 20 sources with periods of 29.5–668 days so far (e.g., Goedhart et al. 2004). We have already obtained new detections of periodic flux variations in 31 methanol sources with periods of 22–409 days. These periodic flux variations must be a unique tool to investigate high-mass protostars themselves and their circumstellar structure on a very tiny spatial scale of 0.1–1 au.

The correlation of stress in Silicon Carbide (SiC) crystal and frequency shift in micro- Raman spectroscopy was determined by an experimental method. We applied uniaxial stress to 4H- and 6H-SiC single crystal square bar specimen shaped with (0001) and (11-20) faces by four point bending test, under measuring the frequency shift in micro-Raman spectroscopy. The results revealed that the linearity coefficients between stress and Raman shift were -1.96 cm-1/GPa for FTO(2/4)E2 on 4H-SiC (0001) face, -2.08 cm-1/GPa for FTO(2/4)E2 on 4H-SiC (11-20) face and -2.70 cm-1/GPa for FTO(2/6)E2 on 6H-SiC (0001) face. Determination of these coefficients has made it possible to evaluate the residual stress in SiC crystal quantitatively by micro-Raman spectroscopy. We evaluated the residual stress in SiC substrate that was grown in our laboratory by utilizing the results obtained in this study. The result of estimation indicated that the SiC substrate with a diameter of 6 inch remained residual stress as low as ±15 MPa.

Extended abstract of a paper presented at Microscopy and Microanalysis 2012 in Phoenix, Arizona, USA, July 29 – August 2, 2012.

We present VLBI maps of the 6.7 GHz methanol maser emission in 32 sources obtained using the Japanese VLBI Network (JVN) and the East-Asian VLBI Network (EAVN). All of the observed sources provide new VLBI maps, and the spatial morphologies have been classified into five categories similar to the results obtained from European VLBI Network observations (Bartkiewicz et al. 2009). The 32 methanol sources are being monitored to measure the relative proper motions of the methanol maser spots.

Extended abstract of a paper presented at Microscopy and Microanalysis 2010 in Portland, Oregon, USA, August 1 – August 5, 2010.

We propose a parallel resistance model (PRM) in which total resistance (Rtotal) is given by the parallel connection of resistance of a filament (Rfila) and that of a film excluding the filament (Rexcl)—that is, 1/Rtotal = 1/Rfila + 1/Rexcl—to understand direct current (dc) electric properties of resistive random-access memory (ReRAM). To prove the validity of this model, the dependence of the resistance on temperature, R(T), and the relative standard deviation (RSD) of RHRS of Pt/NiO/Pt on the area of a top electrode, S, are investigated. It is clarified that both the R(T) and RSD depended on S, and all such dependencies can be explained by the PRM. The fact that Rtotal is decided by the magnitude relation between Rfila and Rexcl makes transport properties S-dependent and hinders the correct understanding of ReRAM. Smaller S is essential to observe the intrinsic transport properties of ReRAM filaments.

Newly developed interferon-gamma release assays have become commercially available to detect tuberculosis (TB) infection in adults. However, little is known about their performance in children. We compared test results between the QuantiFERON-TB® Gold test (QFT) and tuberculin skin test (TST) in young children living with pulmonary TB patients in Cambodia. Of 195 children tested with both QFT and TST, the TST-positive rate of 24% was significantly higher than the QFT-positive rate of 17%. The agreement between the test results was considerable (κ-coefficient 0·63). Positive rates increased from 6% to 32% for QFT and from 15% to 43% for TST, according to the sputum smear grades of the index cases. The presence of Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) scars did not significantly affect the results of TST or QFT in a logistic regression analysis. In conclusion, QFT can be a substitute for TST in detecting latent TB infection in childhood contacts aged ⩽5 years, especially in those who may have a false-positive TST due to BCG vaccination or non-tuberculous mycobacterial infection.

In previous comparative studies of buffaloes and temperate cattle, a greater increase in rectal temperature (RT) and skin temperature (ST), and a greater decrease in haematocrit (Ht) have been observed in buffaloes than in temperate cattle with an increase in ambient temperature (AT). Our series of previous experiments suggested that great changes in RT, ST and Ht are induced in buffaloes by a marked increase in blood flow from the body core to the surface, which accelerates dissipation of heat from the skin surface. On the basis of these suggestions, the present study was undertaken to compare fluctuations in RT, ST and Ht between buffaloes and tropical cattle. Fluctuations in the aforementioned parameters, particularly RT and Ht, were greater in buffaloes than in cattle. Moreover, the correlation for RT or Ht v. AT was significant for buffaloes (r=0·33 and −0·37, respectively) but not for cattle. The correlation coefficient for ST v. AT was significant in both species, but was greater in buffaloes (r=0·63) than in cattle (r=0·56). These results demonstrate that with changes in ambient temperature, RT, ST and Ht fluctuate much more in buffaloes than in tropical cattle, as found previously for temperate cattle. Therefore, the distinctive thermoregulatory responses of buffalo are confirmed as being specific to this species.

Using deep level transient spectroscopy (DLTS) measurements with zero-bias and reverse-bias cooling, we have observed new metastable defects (EM1, EM2 and EM3) in n-type silicon by hydrogen implantation at temperature as low as 88 K. We have investigated the trap parameters of these metastable defects and their concentration depth profiles. Hydrogen ion implantation was performed with energies of 80 keV, 90 keV, and 100 keV to a dose of 2 × 1010 cm−2. The silicon substrate temperature was kept at as low as 88 K during hydrogen implantation and then was raised naturally to room temperature. From analysis of Arrhenius plots, the energy levels of EM1, EM2 and EM3 are obtained to be Ec-0.29 eV, Ec-0.41 eV and Ec-0.55 eV, respectively. The depth profiles of metastable defects in 90-keV samples have a peak in the concentration around the depth of 0.68 µm, which is shallow compared with the projected range of 90 keV hydrogen. The peak position becomes deeper as the energy of ion implantation increases. This indicates that the production of metastable defects is caused by ion implantation. Additionally, comparison with helium-implanted samples suggests that implanted hydrogen is included in these metastable defects.

We report on the transformation behaviour of metastable defects labelled EM1 (Ec-0.29 eV), EM2 (Ec-0.41 eV) and EM3 (Ec-0.55 eV) which are induced in n-type silicon by hydrogen implantation. Hydrogen implantation was performed at 88 K with an energy of 90 keV to a dose of 2 × 1010 cm−2. After fabrication of Schottky diodes on the implanted surfaces, deep level transient spectroscopy measurements were made to monitor metastable behaviour of defects. All three metastable defects are regenerated with reverse-bias cooling and removed with zero-bias cooling. 10-min isochronal annealing reveals that EM1 is regenerated around 270 K and is removed around 220 K. The EM2 (EM3) regeneration temperature is around 270 K (270 K) and its removal temperature 220 K (260 K). Isothermal annealing treatments for EM1 show that its transformation follows first order kinetics for both regeneration and removal. An activation energy is 0.94 eV and a frequency factor 6 × 1014 s−1 for regeneration of EM1, and 0.73 eV and 3 × 1013 s−1 for its removal.

Coin-shaped multicrystalline Si1-xGex crystals were grown using a Brigdman method combined with die-casting growth. Si1-xGex alloy is known as a candidate material for producing Auger generation, which creates more than one electron/hole pair per absorbed photon. Since Si1-xGex alloy shows a complete series of solid solutions, precipitating crystals with a certain composition of silicon or germanium by conventional selective growth methods is burdensome. Using die-casting combined with Bridgman growth brought about Si1-xGex precipitation in a form completely different from that predicted by the Si-Ge phase diagram. By combining this growth with subsequent heat treatment of the precipitated Si1-xGex sample, Si1-xGex (x= 0.5 ± 3 %) could be obtained. Indirect band-gap energy was estimated by measuring room-temperature optical absorption coefficient of the grown samples.

Initial nucleation of Al in chemical vapor deposition (CVD) using dimethyl-aluminum- hydride was observed in order to obtain a principle for enhancing the nucleation density. The analysis employed in situ surface reflectivity measurement combined with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy at the typical stage of reflectivity behavior. During the incubation period between the injection of DMAH and the nucleation of Al, a constant amount of Al existed on the surface while no nuclei was observed. The precursor of the nuclei seemed not DMAH itself but the reaction product of the adsorbed DMAH. The activation energy for reciprocal of the incubation period, which may be an index of the reaction rate of the adsorbed layer, is slightly larger than for the continuous growth of Al.

Optical properties of fully-strained wurtzite and zincblende InxGa1-xN/GaN multiple quantum well (MQW) structures were compared to discuss the origin of exciton localization. In contrast to the hexagonal InGaN MQWs, the photoluminescence (PL) peak energy of cubic InGaN MQWs showed a moderate blueshift with decreasing well thickness, L, and low-temperature PL decay time of the cubic MQWs did not depend strongly on L. The results imply that the wavefunction overlap in cubic InGaN MQWs was not reduced compared to the hexagonal ones, since they do not suffer from the electric field normal to the QW plane due either to spontaneous or piezoelectric polarization. Both MQWs exhibited a large and composition-dependent bandgap bowing, and time-resolved PL (TR-PL) signals showed a stretched-exponential decay even at room temperature. The exciton localization is considered to be an intrinsic property of InGaN.

Correlation between defect structures and light emission from Si-nanocrystal doped SiO2 films has been studied using electron spin resonance ( ESR ) and photoluminescence ( PL ) methods. The ESR analysis revealed the presence of three kinds of ESR centers in the film after annealing at above 900 °C in argon ( Ar ) atmosphere, i.e. Si dangling bond in amorphous Si cluster ( a-center: g=2.006 ), Si dangling bond at Si-nanocrystal/SiO2 interface ( Pb-center: g=2.003 ) and conduction electrons in Si-nanocrystal ( Pce-center: g=1.998 ). Moreover, visible light emission was observed in the annealed sample from the PL measurement. Both the PL intensity and the ESR signal intensity of the Pce-center were increased with an increase of annealing temperature. These results indicate that the Pce-center is strongly associated with the emission center.

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.