Relation of Superconducting Pairing Symmetry and Non-Magnetic Impurity Effects in Vortex States

Non-magnetic impurity scattering effects on the vortex core states are theoretically studied to clarify the contributions from the sign-change of the pairing function in anisotropic superconductors. The vortex states are calculated by the Eilenberger theory in superconductors with px-wave pairing symmetry, as well as the corresponding anisotropic s-wave symmetry. From the spatial structure of the pair potential and the local electronic states around a vortex, we examine the differences between anisotropic superconductors with and without sign-change of the pairing function, and estimate how twofold symmetric vortex core images change with increasing the impurity scattering rate both in the Born and the unitary limits. We found that twofold symmetric vortex core image of zero-energy local density of states changes the orientation of the twofold symmetry with increasing the scattering rate when the sign change occurs in the pairing function. Without the sign change, the vortex core shape reduces to circular one with approaching dirty cases. These results of the impurity effects are valuable for identifying the pairing symmetry by observation of the vortex core image by the STM observation

Investigation of the Coefficient of Earth Pressure for Improved Ground by Compaction Grouting in the Full-Scale Field Liquefaction Experiment

This paper describes the effect of countermeasures for liquefaction by compaction grouting, which was investigated by the experiment of full-scale field liquefaction by controlled blast technique. The experiment was conducted to assess the performance of airport facilities subjected to liquefaction, to investigate damage mechanism, and to estimate the effect of countermeasures for liquefaction by compaction grouting applied to liquefiable sand layer under runway pavement. In this study, before and after grouting and after artificial liquefaction caused by in-situ blasting, self boring pressure-meter tests at the center and the edge of a grouted area were carried out to investigate the coefficient of earth pressure, K, for evaluation of the improved ground because it is generally known that compaction grouting makes K-value increase in and around the grouted area. Additionally, to estimate the continuation of improving effect after liquefaction, K-values after blast were also investigated at same points. As the results of investigation, it was found that post-liquefaction K-value was higher than that of untreated ground before improvement and compaction grouting with cost-reduction design examined in this study, that is, the cost-reduction design is effective

Methods for Estimating Effective Diffusivity of Substrate and Kinetic Parameters of Immobilized Enzyme

Two methods were presented for estimating simultaneously the kinetic parameters in the Michaelis-Menten equation, Kₘ and Vₘₐₓ, and the intraparticle effective diffusivity of substrate, Dₑᴀ, from the results of the transient changes in a batch reactor. The methods were applied to the estimation of the Kₘ and Vₘₐₓ values of α-chymotrypsin immobilized into firebrick particles or acrylamide gel, and the Dₑᴀ values of substrate through the supports. The experimental data of conversions both in the batch and tubular reactors were found to be calculated successfully by using the kinetic and transport parameters estimated by the proposed methods

Writing and Speaking Activities based on Swain's 'Output Hypothesis' : Teaching Procedures and Analysis of Pre-tests and Post-tests

This study first delineates the theoretical background of the teaching approach employed. It partly draws on Swain’s ‘Output Hypothesis.’ Although Swain’s original hypothesis includes four features, the approach developed specifically aiming at teaching Japanese learners reduces the features to two. In addition, the use of chunks as discussed, for example, by Widdowson is referred to as well. As a result, Swain’s hypothesis was altered to a modified version with three features: (1) fluency, (2) hypothesis testing, and (3) Widdowson’s idea of chunks which is called ‘approximation’ in this study. The second part of this study explains how a series of experimental lessons are organized and carried out. Then the pre-tests and the post-tests are illustrated. Both pre-tests and post-tests include four different types of questions. The first three are written tests while the last one is an oral interview. The results and the statistical analyses thereof show that the approach is useful in developing certain levels of both writing and speaking skills in the participants

Functional Differentiation of Memory Retrieval Network in Macaque Posterior Parietal Cortex

SummaryHuman fMRI studies revealed involvement of the posterior parietal cortex (PPC) during memory retrieval. However, corresponding memory-related regions in macaque PPC have not been established. In this monkey fMRI study, comparisons of cortical activity during correct recognition of previously seen items and rejection of unseen items revealed two major PPC activation sites that were differentially characterized by a serial probe recognition paradigm: area PG/PGOp in inferior parietal lobule, along with the hippocampus, was more active for initial item retrieval, while area PEa/DIP in intraparietal sulcus was for the last item. Effective connectivity analyses revealed that connectivity from hippocampus to PG/PGOp, but not to PEa/DIP, increased during initial item retrieval. The two parietal areas with differential serial probe recognition profiles were embedded in two different subnetworks of the brain-wide retrieval-related regions. These functional dissociations in the macaque PPC imply the functional correspondence of retrieval-related PPC networks in macaques and humans

Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Macaque Monkeys Performing Visually Guided Saccade Tasks Comparison of Cortical Eye Fields with Humans

AbstractThe frontal and parietal eye fields serve as functional landmarks of the primate brain, although their correspondences between humans and macaque monkeys remain unclear. We conducted fMRI at 4.7 T in monkeys performing visually-guided saccade tasks and compared brain activations with those in humans using identical paradigms. Among multiple parietal activations, the dorsal lateral intraparietal area in monkeys and an area in the posterior superior parietal lobule in humans exhibited the highest selectivity to saccade directions. In the frontal cortex, the selectivity was highest at the junction of the precentral and superior frontal sulci in humans and in the frontal eye field (FEF) in monkeys. BOLD activation peaks were also found in premotor areas (BA6) in monkeys, which suggests that the apparent discrepancy in location between putative human FEF (BA6, suggested by imaging studies) and monkey FEF (BA8, identified by microstimulation studies) partly arose from methodological differences