2,367 research outputs found
Reversion phenomena of Cu-Cr alloys
Cu-Cr alloys which were given various aging and reversion treatments were investigated in terms of electrical resistivity and hardness. Transmission electron microscopy was one technique employed. Some results obtained are as follows: the increment of electrical resistivity after the reversion at a constant temperature decreases as the aging temperature rises. In a constant aging condition, the increment of electrical resistivity after the reversion increases, and the time required for a maximum reversion becomes shorter as the reversion temperature rises. The reversion phenomena can be repeated, but its amount decreases rapidly by repetition. At first, the amount of reversion increases with aging time and reaches its maximum, and then tends to decrease again. Hardness changes by the reversion are very small, but the hardness tends to soften slightly. Any changes in transmission electron micrographs by the reversion treatment cannot be detected
Two-loop Renormalization Factors of Dimension-six Proton Decay Operators in the Supersymmetric Standard Models
The renormalization factors of the dimension-six effective operators for
proton decay are evaluated at two-loop level in the supersymmetric grand
unified theories. For this purpose, we use the previous results in which the
quantum corrections to the effective Kahler potential are evaluated at
two-loop level. Numerical values for the factors are presented in the case of
the minimal supersymmetric SU(5) grand unified model. We also derive a simple
formula for the one-loop renormalization factors for any higher-dimensional
operators in the Kahler potential, assuming that they are induced by the gauge
interactions.Comment: 11 pages. Version accepted for publication in Phys. Lett.
PGI21 Cost-Effectiveness of Peginterferon and Ribavirin for Elderly Patients with Chronic Hepatitis C: Results Based on the Nationwide Hepatitis Registration in Japan
An Extended ISM for Globally Multimodal Function Optimization by Genetic Algorithms
When attempting to optimize a function where exists several big-valley structures, conventional GAs often fail to find the global optimum. Innately Split Model (ISM) is a framework of GAs, which is designed to avoid this phenomenon called UV-Phenomenon. However, ISM doesn't care about previously-searched areas by the past populations. Thus, it is possible that populations of ISM waste evaluation cost for redundant searches reaching previously-found optima. In this paper, we introduce Extended ISM (EISM) that uses search information of past populations as trap to suppress overlapping searches. To show performance of EISM, we apply it to some test functions, and analyze the behavior
Suppression of MIP-2 or IL-8 production by annexins A1 and A4 during coculturing of macrophages with late apoptotic human peripheral blood neutrophils
AbstractAnnexin A1 (ANXA1) is a well-known anti-inflammatory protein that is expressed on the surface of apoptotic cells. Annexin A4 (ANXA4) is also recruited from the nucleus to the cytoplasm in apoptotic cells, although it is not known whether or not ANXA4 is expressed on the surface of apoptotic cells. In this study, we obtained rabbit anti-human ANXA1 and ANXA4 antibodies, and then examined whether or not ANXA1 and ANXA4 are expressed on the surface of early and late human apoptotic cells. ANXA1 and, to a lesser extent, ANXA4 were detected on late but not early apoptotic HeLa cells, whereas ANXA1 and a small amount of ANXA4 were detected on both early and late apoptotic human neutrophils. We then examined the effects of the anti-human ANXA1 and ANXA4 antibodies on the mouse or human macrophage response to human apoptotic cells. Upon coculturing of mouse or human macrophages with late apoptotic human neutrophils, anti-human ANXA1 antibodies and, to a lesser extent, anti-human ANXA4 antibodies increased MIP-2 or IL-8 production significantly, suggesting that ANXA1 and ANXA4 suppress MIP-2 or IL-8 production by macrophages in response to late apoptotic human neutrophils
A lack of classical Cepheids in the inner part of the Galactic disk
Recent large-scale infrared surveys have been revealing stellar populations
in the inner Galaxy seen through strong interstellar extinction in the disk. In
particular, classical Cepheids with their period-luminosity and period-age
relations are useful tracers of Galactic structure and evolution. Interesting
groups of Cepheids reported recently include four Cepheids in the Nuclear
Stellar Disk (NSD), about 200 pc around the Galactic Centre, found by Matsunaga
et al. and those spread across the inner part of the disk reported by Dekany
and collaborators. We here report our discovery of nearly thirty classical
Cepheids towards the bulge region, some of which are common with Dekany et al.,
and discuss the large impact of the reddening correction on distance estimates
for these objects. Assuming that the four Cepheids in the NSD are located at
the distance of the Galactic Centre and that the near-infrared extinction law,
i.e. wavelength dependency of the interstellar extinction, is not
systematically different between the NSD and other bulge lines-of-sight, most
of the other Cepheids presented here are located significantly further than the
Galactic Centre. This suggests a lack of Cepheids in the inner 2.5 kpc region
of the Galactic disk except the NSD. Recent radio observations show a similar
distribution of star-forming regions.Comment: 8 pages, 4 figures, accepted for publication in MNRA
Cepheids and other short-period variables near the Galactic Centre
We report the result of our near-infrared survey of short-period variable
stars (P<60d) in a field-of-view of 20'x30' towards the Galactic Centre.
Forty-five variables are discovered and we classify the variables based on
their light curve shapes and other evidence. In addition to 3 classical
Cepheids reported previously, we find 16 type II Cepheids, 24 eclipsing
binaries, one pulsating star with P=0.265d (RR Lyr or delta Sct) and one
Cepheid-like variable whose nature is uncertain. Eclipsing binaries are
separated into the foreground objects and those significantly obscured by
interstellar extinction. One of the reddened binaries contains an O-type
supergiant and its light curve indicates an eccentric orbit. We discuss the
nature and distribution of type II Cepheids as well as the distance to the
Galactic Centre based on these Cepheids and other distance indicators. The
estimates of R0(GC) we obtained based on photometric data agree with previous
results obtained with kinematics of objects around the GC. Furthermore, our
result gives a support to the reddening law obtained by Nishiyama and
collaborators, A(Ks)/E(H-Ks)=1.44, because a different reddening law would
result in a rather different distance estimate.Comment: 13 pages, 10 figures, 7tables, accepted for publication in MNRA
A novel behavioral science-based health checkup program and subsequent metabolic risk reductions in a workplace: Checkup championship
The effectiveness of general health checkups and lifestyle counseling has been questioned. This study examined whether a workplace health promotion program implemented during a health checkup was associated with metabolic syndrome-related indicators. Hakuhodo DY group, one of Japan's largest advertising agencies, implemented a behavioral science-based program called "Checkup Championship" (Kenshin-sen in Japanese) in 2019, in which all employees could voluntarily participate. We studied 3697 employees (2818 men and 879 women, mean age: 40.7 years), consisting of 1509 program participants and 2188 non-participants. The characteristics of participants and non-participants were balanced using inverse probability weighting. We used their data from the health checkups in 2018 and 2019 together with other covariates and performed a difference-in-differences analysis using a linear mixed model. After program implementation, greater reductions were observed among participants compared with non-participants in weight (-0.66 kg, 95% confidence interval: -0.84 to -0.47), body mass index (-0.23 kg/m², -0.29 to -0.16), waist circumference (-0.67 cm, -0.91 to -0.43), systolic blood pressure (-1.13 mmHg, -2.10 to -0.16), and diastolic blood pressure (-0.84 mmHg, -1.53 to -0.15). In addition, we observed greater reductions in weight, body mass index, waist circumference, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol among participants who were with two or more risk factors for metabolic syndrome than other participants. We found that participation in a health checkup program based on behavioral science was associated with reduced metabolic syndrome-related indicators. There may be room for improvement in the effectiveness of general health checkups
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