Periodic DOS modulation in underdoped Bi2223

In this report, we show the results of the STM/STS study on the Bi2223 single crystals whose doping levels were ranging from an optimally doped to an underdoped region. Bi2223 single crystals were grown by a TSFZ method and their doping levels were adjusted with annealing in an oxygen deficient atmosphere. Single crystals were cleaved in an UHV at around 77 K and STM/STS measurements were carried out in the same conditions. We successfully obtained the tunneling spectrum maps as well as topographic images. We found that the superconducting gap was much more homogeneous than in the case of the Bi2212 in optimal doping, but becomes inhomogeneous with decreasing a doping level. This suggests the decoupling of the three Cu-O layers in terms of the SC correlation. More importantly, we found a new periodic modulation in the LDOS map with periods about 2a0, which was almost dispersion-less and observed only in the underdoped TC=85 K sample. This modulation is possibly related to the charge/spin order in the inner plane, which is supposed to be highly undrerdoped.Comment: 4pages, 3 Figures. PD

In-plane Anisotropy on Resistivity and Thermopower in The Misfit Layered Oxide Bi2-xPbxSr2Co2Oy

We investigated the in-plane anisotropy on the resistivity and thermopower of Bi2-xPbxSr2Co2Oy single crystals, which have a misfit structure between the hexagonal CoO2 layer and the rock salt Bi2Sr2O4 layer. The resistivity and thermopower show significantly large anisotropy, which exceeds two at maximum. This anisotropy would come from the anisotropic pseudogap formation enhanced by the misfit structure. The thermopower changes with Pb doping to take a maximum at x=0.4. The misfit structure improves the thermoelectric properties through chemical pressure. The power factor is as large as 9 muW/cmK2 at 100 K for x=0.6, which is the highest value for thermoelectric oxides at 100 K.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, submitted to Jpn. J. Appl. Phy

Legalization, Moralization, and Disciplination in Modern Japanese Education System

After the defeat of the World War II, Japanese people tried to rebuild their society by relying on humanistic and democratic values. It was the renewal of education system that constituted one of the key aspects of the reform. Teachers and scholars gathered together to find, a way to construct an autonomous realm of education with the aim to get rid of militaristic and ultra-nationalistic ideology which was precisely the fundamental principle of education during the imperial period of Japan. However, their effort ended up succumbing to political power, seeking to control education for a more efficient governance of people. The main purpose of this article is to consider the following questions: Why has Japanese school become once again a place of indoctrination of values and norms conforming to the government at the time? How did teachers at school lose their freedom to determine what to teach? From interdisciplinary perspective, this paper tries to answer these questions through analyzing the following three important processes realized in modem Japanese education: Legalization, Moralization, and Disciplination. 1> I) This paper is based on oral presentation at the Asian Law & Society Association 4th Annual Meeting (Osaka, Japan, 2019)

Doping Dependence of Anisotropic Resistivities in Trilayered Superconductor Bi2Sr2Ca2Cu3O10+delta (Bi-2223)

The doping dependence of the themopower, in-plane resistivity rho_ab(T), out-of-plane resistivity rho_c(T), and susceptibility has been systematically measured for high-quality single crystal Bi2Sr2Ca2Cu3O10+delta. We found that the transition temperature Tc and pseudogap formation temperature T_rho_c*, below which rho_c shows a typical upturn, do not change from their optimum values in the "overdoped" region, even though doping actually proceeds. This suggests that, in overdoped region, the bulk $T_c$ is determined by the always underdoped inner plane, which have a large superconducting gap, while the carriers are mostly doped in the outer planes, which have a large phase stiffness.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures. to be published in PR

The effect of pegylated interferon-alpha2b and ribavirin combination therapy for chronic hepatitis C infection in elderly patients

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The clearance of hepatitis C virus infection by interferon therapy significantly reduces the incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma and death in elderly chronic hepatitis patients. However, there are few reports concerning the efficacy and safety of pegylated interferon-alpha2b plus ribavirin combination therapy in elderly patients. The aims of the present study were to examine the effect and safety of pegylated interferon-alpha2b plus ribavirin combination therapy in 427 patients with chronic hepatitis C infection. We compared the rates of sustained virological response--defined as the absence of detectable hepatitis C virus in serum 24 weeks after the treatment ended--and the treatment discontinuation rate between 319 younger patients aged < 65 years and 108 elderly patients aged ≥ 65 years. We also examined the factors contributing to a sustained virological response.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>There was no significant difference in the sustained virological response rate between younger patients and elderly patients according to their hepatitis C virus genotype (41.5% (100/241) and 40.7% (35/86) for genotype 1; <it>P </it>= 0.899, 89.7% (70/78) and 86.4% (19/22) for genotype 2; <it>P </it>= 0.703, respectively). There was also no significant difference in the treatment discontinuation rate between the two age groups (10.3% (33/319) and 13.9% (15/108), respectively; <it>P </it>= 0.378). There were no serious adverse events requiring hospitalization. The factors contributing significantly to a sustained virological response in elderly patients were gender, hepatitis C virus genotype, platelet count, and the presence of a rapid or early virological response (undetectable hepatitis C virus in serum at weeks 4 or 12 of treatment, respectively). However, upon multivariate analysis, the presence of an early virological response was the only significant factor (odds ratio: 0.115, 95% confidence interval: 0.040- 0.330, <it>P </it>< 0.001).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The efficacy and safety of pegylated interferon-alpha2b plus ribavirin combination therapy in elderly patients are not always inferior to those in younger patients. Obtaining an early virological response may be essential to achieve a sustained virological response in elderly patients with chronic hepatitis C infection.</p

Comparison of percutaneous radiofrequency thermal ablation and surgical resection for small hepatocellular carcinoma

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The purpose of this investigation was to compare the outcome of percutaneous radiofrequency thermal ablation therapy (PRFA) with surgical resection (SR) in the treatment of single and small hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We conducted a retrospective cohort study on 231 treatment naive patients with a single HCC ≤ 3 cm who had received either curative PRFA (162 patients) or curative SR (69 patients). All patients were regularly followed up after treatment at our department with blood and radiologic tests.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The 1-, 3- and 5-year overall survival rates after PRFA and SR were 95.4%, 79.6% and 63.1%, respectively in the PRFA group and 100%, 81.4% and 74.6%, respectively in the SR group. The corresponding recurrence free survival rates at 1, 3 and 5 years after PRFA and SR were 82.0%, 38.3% and 18.0%, respectively in the PRFA group and 86.0%, 47.2% and 26.0%, respectively in the SR group. In terms of overall survival and recurrence free survival, there were no significant differences between these two groups. In comparison of PRFA group patients with liver cirrhosis (LC) (n = 127) and SR group patients with LC (n = 50) and in comparison of PRFA group patients without LC (n = 35) and SR group patients without LC (n = 19), there were also no significant differences between two groups in terms of overall survival and recurrence free survival. In the multivariate analysis of the risk factors contributing to overall survival, serum albumin level was the sole significant factor. In the multivariate analysis of the risk factors contributing to recurrence free survival, presence of LC was the sole significant factor. The rate of serious adverse events in the SR group was significantly higher than that in the PRFA group (P = 0.023). Hospitalization length in the SR group was significantly longer than in the PRFA group (P = 0.013).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>PRFA is as effective as SR in the treatment of single and small HCC, and is less invasive than SR. Therefore, PRFA could be a first choice for the treatment of single and small HCC.</p