Ultrafast melting of charge-density wave fluctuations at room temperature in 1T−TiSe2{1T-TiSe_2} monitored under non-equilibrium conditions

We investigate the ultrafast lattice dynamics in ${1T-TiSe_2}$ using femtosecond reflection pump-probe and pump-pump-probe techniques at room temperature. The time-domain signals and Fourier-transformed spectra show the $A_{1g}$ phonon mode at 5.9 THz. Moreover, we observe an additional mode at $\approx$ 3 THz, corresponding to the charge-density wave (CDW) amplitude mode, which is generally visible below T$_c \approx 200\$K. We argue that the emergence of the CDW amplitude mode at room temperature can be a consequence of fluctuations of order parameters, based on the additional experiment using the pump-pump-probe technique, which exhibited suppression of the AM signal within the ultrafast time scale of $\sim$ 0.5 ps.Comment: 15 pages, 3 figures, Applied Physics Letters, in pres

The Study of "Unit planning, Practice, Evaluation (Plan-Do-See)" for an Integrated Curriculum

本論文では，総合的学習のカリキュラム開発について，以下の4つの視点から検討し，最新の事例を踏まえつつ，考察した．1．教科学習との関わり 2．単元における学習活動の構成 3．参与観察による学習活動と教師の意図の把握 4．評価と学力の関連This paper discusses on the school based curriculum development for an Integrated Curriculum. We generalized the current trend of curriculum development with schools\u27 case study reports or publications by examining the following 4 categories : 1.The Relationship between Compulsory Subjects and Integrated Curriculum, 2. The Composition of the Student Activities in the Units, 3. The Study Activities of student activities and teacher intention by Participated Observation in the class, 4.The Relationships between Evaluation and Academic Achievemen

Deep inelastic J/ψJ/\psi production at HERA in the kTk_T-factorization approach and its consequences for the nonrelativistic QCD

In the framework of the $k_T$-factorization approach, we analyse the inclusive and inelastic production of $J/\psi$ particles in deep inelastic $ep$ scattering. We take into account both colour-singlet and colour-octet production channels. We inspect the sensitivity of theoretical predictions to the choice of model parameters. Our theoretical results agree reasonably well with recent experimental data collected by the collaboration H1 at HERA.Comment: 14 pages, 6 figure

Physics of leptoquarks in precision experiments and at particle colliders

We present a comprehensive review of physics effects generated by leptoquarks (LQs), i.e., hypothetical particles that can turn quarks into leptons and vice versa, of either scalar or vector nature. These considerations include discussion of possible completions of the Standard Model that contain LQ fields. The main focus of the review is on those LQ scenarios that are not problematic with regard to proton stability. We accordingly concentrate on the phenomenology of light leptoquarks that is relevant for precision experiments and particle colliders. Important constraints on LQ interactions with matter are derived from precision low-energy observables such as electric dipole moments, (g-2) of charged leptons, atomic parity violation, neutral meson mixing, Kaon, B, and D meson decays, etc. We provide a general analysis of indirect constraints on the strength of LQ interactions with the quarks and leptons to make statements that are as model independent as possible. We address complementary constraints that originate from electroweak precision measurements, top, and Higgs physics. The Higgs physics analysis we present covers not only the most recent but also expected results from the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). We finally discuss direct LQ searches. Current experimental situation is summarized and self-consistency of assumptions that go into existing accelerator-based searches is discussed. A progress in making next-to-leading order predictions for both pair and single LQ productions at colliders is also outlined.Comment: 136 pages, 22 figures, typographical errors fixed, the Physics Reports versio

A Summary of Trends in Curriculums of Lower Secondary Schools : from the Standpoint of Integrated Study, Elective Study, and Information Study

本論文は，カリキュラム開発に先進的な取り組みをしてきた全国の中学校の研究紀要や出版物をデータの中心としつつ，実際の学校訪問も踏まえて，カリキュラムの動向を分析したものである．2002年度から新しい学習指導要領のもとで授業が行われるが，「総合的な学習の時間」の導入，選択履修幅の拡大，情報教育の実施などがキーワードとなり学校教育に抜本的な改革が迫られている．中学校においても各教科の時間数が削減される中，「総合的な学習の時間」は年間70時間から130時間の割合で純増し，選択教科の時数を含めると, 3年生では235時間と実に年間総時数の約24％を占めることになる．教科担任制をとってきた中学校ではこのようなカリキュラムへの対応が非常に難しく，事実，小学校と比べてみてもその改革は遅れているといっても過言ではない．しかしながらこのような状況の中，先進的にカリキュラム開発に取り組む学校が増えはじめ，ある一定の成果を収めるようになってきた．本論文ではこうした中学校をターゲットとし，研究紀要や出版物の分析を通して，広く全国的な動向を把握することを試みた．こうした分析はこれまで数多くされているが，中学校のみを対象としたものは数少ない．この点に本研究における新しさを主張できる．本研究では，全国219校の中学校に研究物の送付を依頼し，そのうち返送されてきたものを中心に55校（国立36校，公立18校，私立1校）を分析の対象とした．分析にあたっては，各自が数校ずつ分担して読み込み，カリキュラムの視点を持って整理したものをグループ内で討議にかけた．以下の5点は全体的な動向としてその結果を事例とともに比較検討しながら整理したものである： 1．総合的学習， 2．選択学習， 3．情報教育， 4．ティームテイーチング， 5．必修教科でねらう学力とその実践．This paper discusses the major findings in lower secondary schools\u27 curriculum development for the national curriculum standards reform, which will start from 2002 in Japan. The Japanese Ministry of Education will revise the course of study for secondary schools as well as for elementary schools by introducing topics such as "Period for Integrated Study (Sogotekina-gakushu no jikan)" and Information Study. It is pointed out, however, that most lower secondary schools have not prepared well for the new course of study compared with elementary schools. Therefore, we did this research to find out what preparations for the new course of study have currently been done in lower secondary schools. The purpose of our research is to summarize the preparations for the new course of study that have been made in lower secondary schools. We asked 55 lower secondary schools throughout Japan to send us their case study reports or publications. We generalized the current trend of preparations for the new course of study in lower secondary schools by examining the following 5 categories: 1. Integrated Study, 2. Elective Subjects, 3. Information Study, 4. Team Teaching, 5. Compulsory Subjects

Selective Transmission of R5 HIV-1 over X4 HIV-1 at the Dendritic Cell–T Cell Infectious Synapse Is Determined by the T Cell Activation State

Dendritic cells (DCs) are essential antigen-presenting cells for the induction of T cell immunity against HIV. On the other hand, due to the susceptibility of DCs to HIV infection, virus replication is strongly enhanced in DC–T cell interaction via an immunological synapse formed during the antigen presentation process. When HIV-1 is isolated from individuals newly infected with the mixture of R5 and X4 variants, R5 is predominant, irrespective of the route of infection. Because the early massive HIV-1 replication occurs in activated T cells and such T-cell activation is induced by antigen presentation, we postulated that the selective expansion of R5 may largely occur at the level of DC–T cell interaction. Thus, the immunological synapse serves as an infectious synapse through which the virus can be disseminated in vivo. We used fluorescent recombinant X4 and R5 HIV-1 consisting of a common HIV-1 genome structure with distinct envelopes, which allowed us to discriminate the HIV-1 transmitted from DCs infected with the two virus mixtures to antigen-specific CD4+ T cells by flow cytometry. We clearly show that the selective expansion of R5 over X4 HIV-1 did occur, which was determined at an early entry step by the activation status of the CD4+ T cells receiving virus from DCs, but not by virus entry efficiency or productivity in DCs. Our results imply a promising strategy for the efficient control of HIV infection

A novel biomarker TERTmRNA is applicable for early detection of hepatoma

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Backgrounds</p> <p>We previously reported a highly sensitive method for serum human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) mRNA for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). α-fetoprotein (AFP) and des-γ-carboxy prothrombin (DCP) are good markers for HCC. In this study, we verified the significance of hTERTmRNA in a large scale multi-centered trial, collating quantified values with clinical course.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>In 638 subjects including 303 patients with HCC, 89 with chronic hepatitis (CH), 45 with liver cirrhosis (LC) and 201 healthy individuals, we quantified serum hTERTmRNA using the real-time RT-PCR. We examined its sensitivity and specificity in HCC diagnosis, clinical significance, ROC curve analysis in comparison with other tumor markers, and its correlations with the clinical parameters using Pearson relative test and multivariate analyses. Furthermore, we performed a prospective and comparative study to observe the change of biomarkers, including hTERTmRNA in HCC patients receiving anti-cancer therapies.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>hTERTmRNA was demonstrated to be independently correlated with clinical parameters; tumor size and tumor differentiation (P < 0.001, each). The sensitivity/specificity of hTERTmRNA in HCC diagnosis showed 90.2%/85.4% for hTERT. hTERTmRNA proved to be superior to AFP, AFP-L3, and DCP in the diagnosis and underwent an indisputable change in response to therapy. The detection rate of small HCC by hTERTmRNA was superior to the other markers.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>hTERTmRNA is superior to conventional tumor markers in the diagnosis and recurrence of HCC at an early stage.</p

Synthetic strategies to nanostructured photocatalysts for CO2 reduction to solar fuels and chemicals

Artificial photosynthesis represents one of the great scientific challenges of the 21st century, offering the possibility of clean energy through water photolysis and renewable chemicals through CO2 utilisation as a sustainable feedstock. Catalysis will undoubtedly play a key role in delivering technologies able to meet these goals, mediating solar energy via excited generate charge carriers to selectively activate molecular bonds under ambient conditions. This review describes recent synthetic approaches adopted to engineer nanostructured photocatalytic materials for efficient light harnessing, charge separation and the photoreduction of CO2 to higher hydrocarbons such as methane, methanol and even olefins

A Next-Generation Liquid Xenon Observatory for Dark Matter and Neutrino Physics

The nature of dark matter and properties of neutrinos are among the mostpressing issues in contemporary particle physics. The dual-phase xenontime-projection chamber is the leading technology to cover the availableparameter space for Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs), whilefeaturing extensive sensitivity to many alternative dark matter candidates.These detectors can also study neutrinos through neutrinoless double-beta decayand through a variety of astrophysical sources. A next-generation xenon-baseddetector will therefore be a true multi-purpose observatory to significantlyadvance particle physics, nuclear physics, astrophysics, solar physics, andcosmology. This review article presents the science cases for such a detector.<br