D-brane States and Disk Amplitudes in OSp Invariant Closed String Field Theory

We construct solitonic states in the OSp invariant string field theory, which are BRST invariant in the leading order of regularization parameter $\epsilon$. We calculate the disk amplitudes using these solitonic states and show that they describe D-branes and ghost D-branes.Comment: 37 pages, 8 figure

Spacetime Fermions in Light-cone Gauge Superstring Field Theory and Dimensional Regularization

We consider the dimensional regularization of the light-cone gauge type II superstring field theories in the NSR formalism. In the previous work, we have calculated the tree-level amplitudes with external lines in the (NS,NS) sector using the regularization and shown that the desired results are obtained without introducing contact term interactions. In this work, we study the tree-level amplitudes with external lines in the Ramond sector. In order to deal with them, we propose a worldsheet theory to be used instead of that for the naive dimensional regularization. With the worldsheet theory, we regularize and define the tree-level amplitudes by analytic continuation. We show that the results coincide with those of the first quantized formulation.Comment: 28 pages, 5 figures; v2: more details of our manipulations in subsection 3.2 added, figures and references added; v3: clarifications adde

Estimation of postmortem interval using the blowfly Phaenicia (Lucilia) sericata (Diptera: Calliphoridae) in Kaduna, Northern Nigeria

Background: The period of insect activity (PIA) was experimentally estimated for a carcass of Cavia porcellus (guinea pig) using the blowfly Phaenicia sericata in Kaduna, northern Nigeria.Methods: Cavia porcellus (guinea pig) was killed and the carcass placed inside in a wire cage measuring 81x53x45 cm to prevent larger animals and birds from scavenging and allowed to decompose under ambient conditions and an average of 12hour light and darkness.Results: Six second-instar larvae of blowflies were collected from the decomposing carcass from which four adult flies emerged and identified (two each of P.  sericata and P. infernalis). Using P. sericata, the period of insect activity (PIA) was estimated as the difference between the total development time of the species and the time it required to become adult in the laboratory. The estimated minimum post mortem interval was 13.8 days with the probable day of oviposition between 9th and 10th January, 2016, coinciding with the actual period the animal was killedConclusions: Estimated time between death and discovery of corpse (PMI) based on the period of insect activity (PIA) may be a better alternative in some situations because it eliminate taking multiple temperature measurements at the crime scene, at the carcass as well in the maggot masses on the cadaver.

Returning to the homeland: The migratory patterns between Brazil and Japan for Japanese-Brazilians

Migration to well-off countries has been well documented. However, the reasons why migrants return to their home countries, which often face severe economic disadvantages, are examined less frequently. The return migration of Japanese-Brazilians (Brazilian citizens of ethnic Japanese descent) who migrate to Japan and return again to Brazil has not been studied to any great extent. To understand the factors associated with Japanese-Brazilians’ return migration, using Gmelch\u27s (1983) model of push and pull factors, we examined what motivated Japanese-Brazilian migrant laborers to return to Brazil from Japan. With a mixed method including in-person interviews, a total of n=47 Brazilian migrants to Japan were sampled in São Paulo, Brazil. The present examination resulted in a pattern similar to the one Gmelch (1983) observed in his study on Irish and Newfoundlander return migrants. In the current study, pull factors were more important than push factors in terms of repatriation. Personal and social pull factors were stronger reasons compelling migrants return to Brazil than were economic or familial factors. Nevertheless, familial and economic reasons were also reported as important motivators for returning to Brazil in our interviews. Limitations are also discussed

Adsorption of cadmium (II) from simulated wastewater using Albizia saman pod activated carbon in fixed bed columns

The possibility of using Albizia saman pod activated carbon (ASPAC) as an adsorbent in fixed down flow adsorption columns to remove Cd (II) from wastewater was investigated for the purpose of converting the waste to a valuable product. The effects of impregnation ratio, particle size, carbon height, pressure head and initial cadmium Cd (II) concentration on the adsorption of Cd (II) from wastewater were investigated. The obtained adsorption data from the experiment was then fitted into the Hutchin’s bed depth service time (BDST) model to study the columns performance at 15% and 90% breakthrough concentrations. The BDST model constants were determined. An optimal pressure head of 5 cm, impregnation ratio of 1:6, packing height of 3.5 cm, particle size of 75 μm and initial Cd (II) concentration of 0.029 mg/L were found to be the most effective combination, which removed 100 % of the Cd (II) within a service time of 14 hrs. There was a gradual decrease in the percentage of adsorbed Cd (II) with time; the percentage adsorbed became zero at 44, 56 and 86 hours respectively for 2.5 cm, 3 cm and 3.5 cm carbon heights. The breakthrough curves for Cd (II) adsorption maintained the characteristic S-curve for most dynamic studies. Chi-squared test performed on the developed BDST models revealed the goodness of fit of the models for the prediction of the columns performance at all breakthrough concentrations investigated. The use of ASPAC as adsorbent for the removal of Cd (II) from wastewater in adsorption columns is therefore recommended.Key words: Activated carbon, cadmium (II), fixed bed columns, Albizia saman pod, wastewater

Interaction network rewiring and species’ contributions to community-scale flexibility

「やわらかい」ネットワークを作るコア生物種 --生態系の柔軟性を支える種を探索する--. 京都大学プレスリリース. 2024-03-07.The architecture of species interaction networks is a key factor determining the stability of ecological communities. However, the fact that ecological network architecture can change through time is often overlooked in discussions on community-level processes, despite its theoretical importance. By compiling a time-series community dataset involving 50 spider species and 974 Hexapoda prey species/strains, we quantified the extent to which the architecture of predator–prey interaction networks could shift across time points. We then developed a framework for finding species that could increase the flexibility of the interaction network architecture. Those “network coordinator” species are expected to promote the persistence of species-rich ecological communities by buffering perturbations in communities. Although spiders are often considered as generalist predators, their contributions to network flexibility vary greatly among species. We also found that detritivorous prey species can be cores of interaction rewiring, dynamically interlinking below-ground and above-ground community dynamics. We further found that the predator–prey interactions between those network coordinators differed from those highlighted in the standard network-analytical framework assuming static topology. Analyses of network coordinators will add a new dimension to our understanding of species coexistence mechanisms and provide platforms for systematically prioritizing species in terms of their potential contributions in ecosystem conservation and restoration

Preparation and characterization of activated carbons from albizia saman pod

Activated carbon was prepared from the pods of Albizia saman for the purpose of converting the waste to wealth. The pods were thoroughly washed with water to remove any dirt, air- dried and cut into sizes of 2-4 cm. The prepared pods were then carbonised in a muffle furnace at temperatures of 4000C, 5000C, 6000C ,7000C and 8000C for 30 minutes. The same procedure was repeated for 60, 90, 120 and 150 minutes respectively. Activation was done using impregnationratios of 1:12, 1:6, 1:4, 1:3, and 1:2 respectively of ZnCl2 to carbonised Albizia saman pods by weight. The activated carbon was then dried in an oven at 1050C before crushing for sieve analysis. The following properties of the produced Albizia saman pod activated carbon (ASPAC) were determined: bulk density, carbon yield, surface area and ash, volatile matter and moisture contents. The highest surface area of 1479.29 m2/g was obtained at the optimum impregnation ratio, carbonization time and temperature of 1:6, 60 minutes and 5000C respectively. It was recommended that activated carbon should be prepared from Albizia saman pod with high potential for adsorption of pollutants given the high surface area obtained.Keywords: Albizia saman pod, activated carbon, carbonization, temperature, surface are

Complex Response Function of Magnetic Resonance Spectrometers

A vectorial analysis of magnetic resonance spectrometers, based on traveling wave resonators and including the reference arm and the automatic control of frequency, has been developed. The proposed model, valid also for stationary wave resonators, gives the response function of the spectrometer for any working condition, including scalar detectors with arbitrary response law and arbitrary excitation frequency. The purely dispersive and purely absorptive linear responses are discussed in detail for different scalar detectors. The developed approach allows for optimizing the performances of the spectrometer and for obtaining the intrinsic lineshape of the sample in a very broad range of working conditions. More complex setups can be modeled following the proposed scheme.Comment: PDF Acrobat 4.0 file, 15 pages, 2 figures, revised version with added reference and corrected typo

Recherche de polluants inorganiques sur un ancien site de décharge d’ordures ménagères érigé en aire de jeux : Cas de Bè-Aveto à Lomé au Togo

Les déchets ménagers des pays en développement ne connaissent pas en général des tris. Les poubelles des ménages reçoivent les déchets de tout genre et il en est de même des décharges publiques qui sont par voie de conséquence potentiellement polluées et polluantes. Ce travail porte sur l’évaluation du degré de pollution de l’ancien site de décharge des ordures ménagères de Bè-Aveto à Lomé (Togo) actuellement érigé en une airede jeux, en recherchant les teneurs des polluants chimiques. Ainsi, après avoir réalisé un zonage de l’aire de jeux, des échantillons représentatifs de sable ont été prélevés et analysés. Les résultats des analyses montrentque, l’actuelle aire de jeux renferme des éléments traces métalliques (ETM) tels que le plomb, le cadmium, l’arsenic, le mercure, de même que les nitrates et les phosphates dont les teneurs sont parfois plus de deux fois supérieures aux normes. Le taux de certains métaux comme le plomb laisse penser à d’autres sources telles que les pratiques cérémoniales au cours desquelles ce métal est souvent utilisé. En effet, le site ayant été auparavant une forêt sacrée, a pu recevoir des balles en plomb pour  célébrer les dieux de la chasse. Toutefois, le taux de matière organique a été évalué afin de pouvoir postuler sur le potentiel de rétention des  polluants organiques par ladite matière organique. Cette aire de jeux est donc polluée et nécessite des actions de dépollution. En marge des  approches de dépollution chimiques proposées, il est aussi possible de garnir le site en gazon afin de réduire les risques de contamination.Mots clés : Déchet, décharge, jeux, polluant, contamination, site pollué, ETM