A liquid Xenon Positron Emission Tomograph for small animal imaging : first experimental results of a prototype cell

A detector using liquid Xenon (LXe) in the scintillation mode is studied for Positron Emission Tomography (PET) of small animals. Its specific design aims at taking full advantage of the Liquid Xenon scintillation properties. This paper reports on energy, time and spatial resolution capabilities of the first LXe prototype module equipped with a Position Sensitive Photo- Multiplier tube (PSPMT) operating in the VUV range (178 nm) and at 165 K. The experimental results show that such a LXe PET configuration might be a promising solution insensitive to any parallax effect.Comment: 34 pages, 18 pages, to appear in NIM

Annealing Effect for Supersolid Fraction in 4^4He

We report on experimental confirmation of the non-classical rotational inertia (NCRI) in solid helium samples originally reported by Kim and Chan. The onset of NCRI was observed at temperatures below ~400 mK. The ac velocity for initiation of the NCRI suppression is estimated to be ~10 $\mu$m/sec. After an additional annealing of the sample at $T= 1.8$ K for 12 hours, ~ 10% relative increase of NCRI fraction was observed. Then after repeated annealing with the same conditions, the NCRI fraction was saturated. It differs from Reppy's observation on a low pressure solid sample.Comment: to be published in J. of Low Temp. Phys. (QFS2006 proceedings

Design and Evaluation of English Oral Communication Course at Kansai University

Educators, linguists, and anthropologists recognize that language reflects societalvalues, culture, and attitudes of the country where the language is spoken. The use of　technology provides numerous　activities where students can learn about the values, culture, and lifestyles of people living in other countries while practicing their English communication skills. This paper examines the use of videoconferencing between students at Kansai University and the University of Hawaii to develop language skills and increaseintercultural understanding. The authors describe learning activities to prepare students for the videoconferences, examine learning styles related to the use of technology, provide observations about technology use, and discuss changes in students’ intercultural sensitivity over one semester

A Climatological Analysis of the Monsoon Break Following the Summer Monsoon Onset Over Luzon Island, Philippines

This study investigates the climatology of the monsoon break following the onset of the summer rainy season over Luzon Island (120–122.5°E, 13–22°N) in the Philippines from 1979–2017. The first post-onset monsoon break is remarkable in stations located over the north and central Luzon Island and occurs climatologically in early June. Composite analysis of the large-scale circulation features during the monsoon break period shows that this break is associated with the westward extension of the western North Pacific Subtropical High (WNPSH), which weakened the monsoon southwesterlies and induced enhanced low-level divergence over Luzon Island. The westward extension of the WNPSH may be facilitated by the phase change of the boreal summer intraseasonal oscillation (BSISO). About 59% (23/39) of the monsoon break cases occurred when suppressed convection, associated with the dry phases of the BSISO, is apparent over the western North Pacific. This suppressed convection favours the westward expansion of the WNPSH. With the occurrence of the monsoon break in early summer, the seasonal march of the early summer monsoon over the Philippines can be divided into three phases: (1) the monsoon onset phase, which occurs between mid to late May under the influence of the westerly/southwesterly low-level winds, (2) the monsoon break phase, when rainfall decreases over Luzon Island in early June, and (3) the monsoon revival phase, when rainfall increases again due to the intrusion of monsoon southwesterlies over the Philippines. This study highlights the complex features of the summer monsoon onset and the impact of the WNPSH on the local climate of the Philippines in early summer

Page charge of D-branes and its behavior in topologically nontrivial B-fields

The RR Page charges for the D(2p+1)-branes with B-field in type IIB supergravity are constructed consistently from brane source currents. The resulting Page charges are B-independent in the nontrivial and intricate way. It is found that in topologically trivial B-field the Page charge is conserved, but in the topologically nontrivial B-field it is no longer to be conserved, instead there is a jump between two Page charges defined in each patch, and we interpret this jump as Hanany-Witten effect.Comment: 25 pages, 4 figures, typos corrected and reference adde

ICT & Collaborative Learning ～Collaborative Learning between Kansai University & University of Hawaii～

Kansai University students majoring in educational technology are provided opportunities to increase their teamwork skills and intercultural competencies through authentic learning, group work and collaborative projects, including a collaborative video project with University of Hawaii graduate students. These experiences are integrated into the ICT For Learning class taught each fall semester in the Faculty of Informatics