Soft Supersymmetry Breaking at Heavy Chiral Threshold

We discuss the structure of threshold corrections to soft supersymmetry-breaking parameters at the mass threshold of heavy chiral superfields. Nontrivial dependence on soft parameters of heavy matter fields originates from the `physical' definition of the threshold scale, at which the general form of soft supersymmetry breaking is derived in the superfield coupling formalism.Comment: 7 pages, no figur

Long-Term Field Experiment for Monitoring Soil Carbon Content in Japanese Grasslands: Initial Data from 2010 to 2012

A long-term field experiment for monitoring soil carbon content in Japanese grasslands started in 2010 to investigate the changes in soil carbon content and the effect of composted livestock manure application. We established grassland plots with 3 levels of manure application treatment at 10 sites. Bulk density values in many sites had wide inter-replicate and inter-annual variability. It is reasonable to suppose that the variability in the bulk density reflect spatial variability of physical properties within the grasslands because the annual trends of the bulk density values were not consistent. Organic carbon concentration tended to increase yearly in the surface layer (0–5 cm), whereas those for the subsoil layer (5–30 cm) stayed relatively constant. The organic carbon concentration in the surface layer tended to increase with increasing latitude and the amount of manure applied. When data from all the sites were taken into account, carbon content also tended to increase over time following grassland renovation. These results indicate that Japanese grasslands have the potential to sequester organic carbon. The monitoring has just begun, and it is important to continue the effort to achieve the goals of this study

Roentgenographic Study of the Chest of the Aged: special reference to "senile lung" and the paraspinal line

The characteristics of the changes of "senile lung" and normal values of the width of the paraspinal shadows on the chest roentgenographs were studied among 235 subjects aged from 70 to 97 without frank chest diseases. The ratio of upper transverse diameter (at the level of posterior 6th rib) to lower transverse diameter (at the top of right hemidiaphragm) on the frontal radiographs was significantly higher over the age of 85 than under 84, only in the female subjects. However, a lack of differences could be found in males. Therefore, "senile lung" was considered to be characteristic of the aging process, only for women. The width of the paraspinal shadow over the age of 70 was estimated to be normal in up to 19.9mm, and the index divided by the distance of descending aorta was up to 0.61, obtained from the value of 99% confidence limits

AKARI/FIS Mapping of the ISM-Wind Bow Shock around Alpha Ori

We present 10' x 50' scan maps around an M supergiant Alpha Ori at 65, 90, 140 and 160 microns obtained with the AKARI Infrared Astronomy Satellite. Higher spatial resolution data with the exact analytic solution permit us to fit the de-projected shape of the stellar wind bow shock around Alpha Ori to have the stand-off distance of 4.8', position angle of 55 degrees and inclination angle of 56 degrees. The shape of the bow shock suggests that the peculiar velocity of Alpha Ori with respect to the local medium is v_* = 40 (n_H)^(-1/2), where n_H is the hydrogen nucleus density at Alpha Ori. We find that the local medium is of n_H = 1.5 to 1.9 cm^(-3) and the velocity of the local flow is at 11 km s^(-1) by using the most recent astrometric solutions for Alpha Ori under the assumption that the local medium is moving away from the Orion OB 1 association. AKARI images may also reveal a vortex ring due to instabilities on the surface of the bow shock as demonstrated by numerical models. This research exemplifies the potential of AKARI All-Sky data as well as follow-up observations with Herschel Space Telescope and Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy for this avenue of research in revealing the nature of interaction between the stellar wind and interstellar medium.Comment: 8 pages, 2 figures, to be published in PASJ Vol. 60 Special Issue on Recent Results from AKAR

A Case of Acquired Leucoderma, Associated with Hashimoto's Thyroiditis

A 67-year-old female diagnosed as Hashimoto's thyroiditis in company with acquired leucoderma was reported. She first noticed the enlarged thyroid at the age of 36, and thereafter leucoderma made its appearance 30 years later. Though a significant association between these two diseases has been found in the literature thus far and they are considered to be of autoimmune origin, their coexistence is not so common clinically. In spite of PUVA treatment, a benefit effect was not obtained completely

Transient Regional Wall Motion Abnormality and Increased Wall Thickness of the Left Ventricle in Acute Myopericarditis Occurring in the Puerperium

An unusual sequence of echocardiographic abnormalities of a 25-year-old female with acute myopericarditis was described. She presented with shortness of breath and a high body temperature after the birth of her first child. Regional asynergy and increased thickness of the left ventricle were transiently observed by echocardiography. It is considered that these abnormalities resulted from inflammatory changes in heart muscle such as edema, which was ascribable to acute myopericarditis in the puerperium

Pacemaker Inhibition During Cardioplegia in Open Heart Surgery

A 53-year-old patient underwent mitral valve replacement after implantation of permanent pacemaker. During cardioplegia in open heart surgery, we performed the inhibition of permanent pacemaker to obtain complete myocardial preservation and quiet heart, using stimulations of an external pulse generator. This procedure is considered available, when the patient who has had a permanent pacemaker undergoes open heart surgery more safely