Theoretical and numerical analysis of a heat pump model utilizing Dufour effect

A heat pump model utilizing the Dufour effect is proposed and studied by numerical and theoretical analysis. Numerically, we perform MD simulations of this system and measure the cooling power and the coefficient of performance (COP) as figures of merit. Theoretically, we calculate the cooling power and the COP from the henomenological equations describing this system by using the linear irreversible thermodynamics and compare the theoretical results with the MD results.Comment: 13 pages, 16 figures(10 captions), published versio

Development of a Geant4 Solid for Stereo Mini-jet Cells in a Cylindrical Drift Chamber

Stereo mini-jet cells will be indispensable components of a future $e^+e^-$ linear collider central tracker such as JLC-CDC. There is, however, no official Geant4 solid available at present to describe such geometrical objects, which had been a major obstacle for us to develop a full Geant4-based simulator with stereo cells built in. We have thus extended Geant4 to include a new solid ({\tt TwistedTubs}), which consists of three kinds of surfaces: two end planes, inner and outer hyperboloidal surfaces, and two so-called twisted surfaces that make slant and twisted $\phi$-boundaries. Design philosophy and its realization in the Geant4 framework are described together with algorithmic details. We have implemented stereo cells with the new solid, and tested them using geantinos and Pythia events ($e^{+}e^{-}\to ZH$ at $\sqrt{s} = 350 {\rm GeV}$). The performance was found reasonable: the stereo cells consumed only 25% more CPU time than ordinary axial cells.Comment: 24 pages, 15 figures, to be published in Computer Physics Communication

Redescriptions of Three Species of the Genus Scydmaenus (Coleoptera: Scydmaenidae) from Japan and Taiwan

Three species of the genus Scydmaenus (Coleoptera: Scydmaenidae), S. (Nepaloscydmaenus) taiwanensis Franz, 1985, S. (Mascarensia) kasuganus Franz, 1976, and S. (Scydmaenus) taiwanicus Franz, 1985 are redescribed

Development of spherical ultrasonic motor for pipe inspection robot

We present a pipe inspection robot using a newly developed spherical ultrasonic motor (SUSM) as a camera actuator. The novel SUSM has improved the range of movement compared to previous SUSMs, and the robot can point a camera in any direction. In this study, we determined a method for controlling the rotational direction and strategic control from the kinematics and characteristics of ultrasonic motors. The rotational directions were defined by the phase differences of the applied voltages, and the rotational speeds were changed with the frequencies. Additionally, we developed a very small position sensing system using rotary potentiometers. In the control experiment performed using the sensing system, the SUSM showed the returnability to the default position from several specified points, within an accuracy of 1°

Photofragment emission yield spectroscopy of acetylene in the D̃ ¹Πu, Ẽ ¹A, and F̃¹Σu⁺ states by vacuum ultraviolet and infrared vacuum ultraviolet double-resonance laser excitations

The photodissociation process of Rydberg states of acetylene was investigated by vacuum ultraviolet and infrared vacuum ultraviolet double-resonance laser excitations. The high-resolving power of the method enabled to discuss absorption peak profiles characteristic of molecules which dissociate in an ultrashort time scale. The term values and homogeneous bandwidths of the vibrational levels in the three overlapping electronic states were determined with high precision from least squares fits to the observed peaks profiles broadened by a fast dissociation process.The present work has been supported by the CREST (Core Research for Evolutionary Science and Technology) fund from Japan Science and Technology Corporation

Early-onset and late-onset group B streptococcal disease in Japan: a nationwide surveillance study, 2004–2010

SummaryObjectivesTo clarify the incidence and prognosis of early-onset (EOD) and late-onset (LOD) GBS disease in Japan. To evaluate the influence of national guidelines issued in 2008 on the epidemiology of GBS disease.MethodsRetrospective nationwide questionnaire surveillance on culture-confirmed GBS infections between 2004 and 2010.ResultsEighty-eight EOD and 162 LOD cases were reported from 152 participating hospitals. The case fatality of EOD was 13.6% and of LOD was 8.0%. Premature birth <37 weeks (p<0.001) and low birth weight <2500g (p<0.001) were significantly associated with EOD mortality. A high rate of neurological sequelae was noted in meningitis in EOD (8/24) and LOD (29/85) cases. Based on a live-birth number of 438 359 and inborn case numbers of 36 EOD and 42 LOD, the incidence of EOD and LOD were estimated to be 0.08 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.06–0.11)/1000 and 0.10 (95% CI 0.07–0.12)/1000 live-births, respectively. Before (2004–2008) and after (2009–2010) the issue of guidelines, the mortality of EOD (from 14.8% to 11.8%) and LOD (from 9.8% to 2.5%) improved, but the incidence was unchanged.ConclusionsThe incidence of EOD and LOD is apparently low in Japan, but the mortality and morbidity rates remain substantial. The issue of national guidelines did not affect the incidence