Description of Some Oceanic Hydromedusae from Japan

Based on zooplankton collections made by Fisheries Three species of oceanic hydromedusae, Sminthea eurygaster, Crossota alba, and Cytaeis tetrastyla, are described and illustrated based on the specimens collected in the Pacific Ocean, off central Honshu, Japan. Sminthea eurygaster is the first record in Japan. One out of the three specimens of Cytaeis tetrastyla bears both the polypoid and the medusa buds. This is the second record of such an asexual reproduction of the species and the first record in the Pacific Ocean

Vortex Fluid State below an Onset Temperature T_0 of Solid 4He

Detailed studies of AC velocity Vac and temperature dependence of torsional oscillator responses of solid 4He are reported. A characteristic onset temperature T0 about 0.5 K is found, below which a significant Vac dependent change occurs in the energy dissipation for the sample at 32 bar. A Vac dependence of the non-classical rotational inertia fraction, NCRIF also appears below about T0. This value of T0 excludes the possible explanation of supersolid by liquid superfluidity in grain boundaries or other liquid related origins. The log(Vac) linear dependence was found in NCRIF. Furthermore, this linear slope changes in proportion to 1/T 2 for 40 < Vac < 400 micro-m/s, then crosses over to about 1/T for larger Vac. We discuss properties of the vortex fluid state proposed by Anderson above Tc, below T0.Comment: 4pages,4 figure

Calibration of CRL all-sky imagers using an integrating sphere

As part of an international collaboration with the Geophysical Institute of the University of Alaska, we have developed two all-sky imagers (CRL-ASIs). A sensitivity calibration of the CRL-ASIs was performed using an integrating sphere belonging to the National Institute of Polar Research (NIPR). The two-dimensional sensitivities of the CRL-ASIs produced symmetrical distributions. Using this sensitivity data, we converted airglow/aurora images into two-dimensional distributions of absolute intensity. The sensitivity of the CRL-ASIs was measured for 13 wavelengths between 427.8 nm and 866.5 nm, and the relationship between the sensitivity and the wavelength was investigated for both imagers. The peak sensitivity occurred at about 550 nm

日本におけるAtorella vanhoeffeni(刺胞動物門,鉢虫綱,カンムリクラゲ目)の広範囲な地理的分布

Medusae of a rare, small scyphomedusa, Atorella vanhoeffeni Bigelow, 1909 (Cnidaria, Scyphozoa, Coronatae), were collected and/or photographed at three sites in Japan: Notojima, Ishikawa Prefecture, in the Sea of Japan; Osezaki, Shizuoka Prefecture, on the Pacific coast; and Yonaguni Island, Okinawa Prefecture, in the East China Sea. In Japanese waters this species has been previously reported only from Kakeroma Island, Kagoshima Prefecture. The detailed morphology is described based on a medusa from Yonaguni Island

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

Successful Treatment in a Case of Massive Hepatocellular Carcinoma with Paraneoplastic Syndrome

Paraneoplastic syndromes of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are not uncommon. However, the prognosis is poor and follow-up and improvement of paraneoplastic syndromes with treatment have been reported rarely. We report a successful case in an aged man of a massive HCC with paraneoplastic syndrome, treated by combined intraarterial chemotherapy and hepatic resection. Paraneoplastic syndrome (erythrocytosis and hyperlipidemia) was monitored throughout the treatment and erythropoietin (EPO) mRNA also was analyzed in the resected liver. The hemoglobin level and serum levels of EPO and total cholesterol (T-cho) decreased dramatically with treatment, along with a decrease in serum levels of α-fetoprotein and protein induced by vitamin vitamin K absence II (PIVKA-II). Semiquantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) revealed that the residual cancer expressed EPO RNA but the nontumor tissue did not. This was a rare case of paraneoplastic syndrome of HCC that was treated successfully. This case indicates that paraneoplastic syndrome reflected tumor progression and that serum levels of both EPO and T-cho might be used as tumor markers