Finite Temperature QCD with Wilson Fermions

The nature of finite temperature transition in QCD is studied on a lattice with Wilson fermion. For massless quarks, the transition is smooth for two flavors, while it is of first order for three and six flavors. Form the study of transition in the case of non-degenerate as well as degenerate massive quark case,it is suggest that the finite temperature transition in the real world is first order.Comment: 7 pages, 7 Postscript figure

Improved gauge action on an anisotropic lattice II - Anisotropy parameter in the medium coupling region -

The quantum correction of the anisotropy parameter, $\eta$, is calculated for $\xi=2$ and 3 in the $\beta$ region where numerical simulations such as hadron spectroscopy are currently carried out, for the improved actions composed of plaquette and rectangular 6-link loops. The $\beta$ dependences of $\eta$ for the renormalization group improved actions are quite different from those of the standard and Symanzik actions. In Iwasaki and DBW2 actions, $\eta$ stays almost constant in a wide range of $\beta$, which also differs from the one-loop perturbative result, while in the case of Symanzik action, it increases as $\beta$ decreases, which is qualitatively similar to the perturbative result, but the slope is steeper. In the calculation of the $\eta$ parameter close to and in the confined phase, we have applied the link integration method to suppress the fluctuation of the gauge fields. Some technical details are summarized.Comment: 21 pages, 10 figure

Transport Coefficients of Gluon Plasma

Transport coefficients of gluon plasma are calculated for a SU(3) pure gauge model by lattice QCD simulations on $16^3 \times 8$ and $24^3 \times 8$ lattices. Simulations are carried out at a slightly above the deconfinement transition temperature $T_c$, where a new state of matter is currently being pursued in RHIC experiments. Our results show that the ratio of the shear viscosity to the entropy is less than one and the bulk viscosity is consistent with zero in the region, $1.4 \leq T/T_c \leq 1.8$.Comment: 10 pages, Late

A Randomized Placebo-controlled Trial of an Oral Preparation of High Molecular Weight Fucoidan in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes with Evaluation of Taste Sensitivity

[Background] Fucoidan is derived from seaweed widely used in Japanese cuisine, but little is known about its influence on glucose metabolism. To obtain information about the physiological effects of fucoidan on glucose metabolism, the digestive system, and the gustatory system controlling taste sensation in patients with type 2 diabetes, we conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. [Methods] Thirty patients with type 2 diabetes on diet therapy were recruited from an outpatient clinic (22 men and 8 women aged 59.10 ± 13.24 years, body mass index: 25.18 ± 3.88, hemoglobin A1c: 7.04 ± 1.24%). They were divided into 2 groups and underwent 2 interventions with a 4-week interval. One group received fucoidan for 12 weeks (a daily 60 mL test beverage containing 1,620 mg of fucoidan) and then placebo (60 mL) for the subsequent 12-week period, while the order was reversed in the other group. Evaluation was performed just before and after each intervention. Taste sensitivity was measured for 5 basic tastes by the filter paper disk method and food intake was evaluated with a validated diet questionnaire. [Results] No adverse events occurred during the study period. Despite no change of the diet, stool frequency increased during fucoidan intake (from 7.78 ± 4.64/week in Week 1 to 9.15 ± 5.03/week in Week 5, P < 0.001), and it increased more in lean subjects. In 11 subjects whose stool frequency exceeded the mean value, the thresholds for sweet, salty, bitter and umami tastes were significantly reduced (enhancement of sensitivity) after fucoidan intake. In 14 subjects with normal HOMA-IR (homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance, < 2.5), hemoglobin A1c decreased after fucoidan intake (from 6.73 ± 1.00 to 6.59 ± 1.00%, P < 0.05), as did the fasting plasma level of GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1, from 6.42 ± 3.52 to 4.93 ± 1.88 pmol/L, P < 0.05). [Conclusion] Sustained fucoidan intake led to alterations of gastrointestinal function, including increased stool frequency and enhanced taste sensitivity, which could contribute to better control of diabetes

The Effects of Pulsed Streamerlike Discharge on Cyanobacteria Cells

Recently, cyanobacteria blooms (or water blooms) occurred on the surface of water bodies frequently and extensively due to eutrophia of the water. That has posed more and more serious environmental problems worldwide. In this paper, the effects of pulsed streamerlike discharge on M. aeruginosa cells are reported, which are one genus of cyanobacteria and ease to form water blooms. A stainless needle with a diameter of 30 mum was employed as a point discharge electrode, which is 15-cm apart from the cylinder cathode, and a 2-mus 160-kV pulse was applied. A pulsed streamerlike discharge was obtained in the water filled with cyanobacteria cells (named as sample water in this paper). From the experimental result, it can be found that the discharge collapsed the intracellular-structure gas vesicles in the M. aeruginosa cells, and the colonies of the cells sank to the bottom of the discharge chamber and rotten gradually