Partial order in a frustrated Potts model

We investigate a 4-state ferromagnetic Potts model with a special type of geometrical frustration on a three dimensional diamond lattice by means of Wang-Landau Monte Carlo simulation motivated by a peculiar structural phase transition found in $\beta$-pyrochlore oxide KOs$_2$O$_6$. We find that this model undergoes unconventional first-order phase transition; half of the spins in the system order in a two dimensional hexagonal-sheet-like structure, while the remaining half stay disordered. The ordered sheets and the disordered sheets stack one after another. We obtain a fairly large residual entropy at $T = 0$ which originates from the disordered sheets.Comment: 7 pages, 8 figures, submitted to PR

Electrodeposition of platinum and silver into chemically modified microporous silicon electrodes

Electrodeposition of platinum and silver into hydrophobic and hydrophilic microporous silicon layers was investigated using chemically modified microporous silicon electrodes. Hydrophobic microporous silicon enhanced the electrodeposition of platinum in the porous layer. Meanwhile, hydrophilic one showed that platinum was hardly deposited within the porous layer, and a film of platinum on the top of the porous layer was observed. On the other hand, the electrodeposition of silver showed similar deposition behavior between these two chemically modified electrodes. It was also found that the electrodeposition of silver started at the pore opening and grew toward the pore bottom, while a uniform deposition from the pore bottom was observed in platinum electrodeposition. These electrodeposition behaviors are explained on the basis of the both effects, the difference in overpotential for metal deposition on silicon and on the deposited metal, and displacement deposition rate of metal

Sequential scale-up scheme to describe graphene-flow-interaction: from atomistic to sub-continuum

No proper simulation method exists in between the molecular simulation method at nanometer scale using the first principles or empirical inter-molecular interaction and the continuum simulation method at micrometer-plus scale. The nanotechnology deals principally with those systems whose characteristic scales reside in such a scale-gap. Considering this, we develop a sequential scale-up scheme starting from the atomistic up to micrometer-plus scales. In the present paper we take, as an example, the system of graphenes that may or may not be fluttering in airflow, and apply to it our sequential scale-up scheme to see its capability. The graphene is unique in that it has both nanometer (i.e., the single atomic layer depth) and micrometer-plus (i.e., the width) scales. Therefore, present application of our scale-up scheme to the graphenes in airflow may be one of the most critical tests to check its capability. Our scheme consists of the following three steps: Firstly we perform the molecular dynamics simulation in a realistic setting to find the inelastic reflection of the fluid atoms from the graphene [1]. Secondary the graphenes are coarse-grained to the collection of interacting virtual-particles using the recursive coarse-grained particles method [2]. Thirdly the coarse-grained graphenes are placed in the airflow described with the lattice Boltzmann method, in which the fluid-solid interaction is modeled by the immersed boundary method with the inelastic reflection coefficient [3-5]. Details of the simulation results will be presented

The resolution sensitivity of the Asian summer monsoon and its inter-model comparison between MRI-AGCM and MetUM

In this study, we compare the resolution sensitivity of the Asian Summer Monsoon (ASM) in two Atmospheric General Circulation Models (AGCMs): the MRI-AGCM and the MetUM. We analyze the MetUM at three different resolutions, N96 (approximately 200-km mesh on the equator), N216 (90-km mesh) and N512 (40-km mesh), and the MRI-AGCM at TL95 (approximately 180-km mesh on the equator), TL319 (60-km mesh), and TL959 (20-km mesh). The MRI-AGCM and the MetUM both show decreasing precipitation over the western Pacific with increasing resolution, but their precipitation responses differ over the Indian Ocean. In MRI-AGCM, a large precipitation increase appears off the equator (5–20°N). In MetUM, this off-equatorial precipitation increase is less significant and precipitation decreases over the equator. Moisture budget analysis demonstrates that a changing in moisture flux convergence at higher resolution is related to the precipitation response. Orographic effects, intra-seasonal variability and the representation of the meridional thermal gradient are explored as possible causes of the resolution sensitivity. Both high-resolution AGCMs (TL959 and N512) can represent steep topography, which anchors the rainfall pattern over south Asia and the Maritime Continent. In MRI-AGCM, representation of low pressure systems in TL959 also contributes to the rainfall pattern. Furthermore, the seasonal evolution of the meridional thermal gradient appears to be more accurate at higher resolution, particularly in the MRI-AGCM. These findings emphasize that the impact of resolution is only robust across the two AGCMs for some features of the ASM, and highlights the importance of multi-model studies of GCM resolution sensitivity

高齢者における視機能と認知機能障害の関連 : 藤原京アイスタディより

Both visual impairment and cognitive impairment are essential factors that determine the quality of life in the aged population. The aim of this study was to determine if a correlation existed between visual acuity and cognitive impairment in an elderly Japanese population. The Fujiwara-kyo Eye Study was a cross-sectional study of individuals aged ≥68 years who lived in Nara Prefecture of Japan. Participants underwent ophthalmological examinations and cognitive function test. A mild visual impairment was defined as having a best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) >0.2 logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (logMAR) units in the better eye. Cognitive impairment was defined as having a Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score of ≤23 points. A total to 2818 individuals completed the examinations. The mean age of the participants was 76.3 ± 4.8 years (mean ± standard deviation). The mean BCVA of the better eye was -0.02 ± 0.13 logMAR units and 6.6% subjects were classified as being mildly visually impaired. The mean MMSE score was 27.3 ± 2.3 and 5.7% subjects were classified as being cognitively impaired. The proportion of subjects with cognitive or moderate visual impairment increased with age, and there was a significant correlation between the visual acuity and MMSE score (r = -0.10, p < 0.0001). Subjects with mild visual impairments had 2.4 times higher odds of having cognitive impairment than those without visual impairment (odds ratio 2.4, 95% confidence interval, 1.5-3.8, p < 0.001) after adjusting for age, sex, and length of education. We conclude that it may be important to maintain good visual acuity to reduce the risk of having cognitive impairment.博士（医学）・乙第1396号・平成29年3月15日© Masashi Mine et al. 2016; Published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. This Open Access article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly credited

Primary ciliary dyskinesia in a Japanese woman caused by a novel RSPH4A variant

Primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) is a rare genetic disorder characterized by ciliary dysfunction. We report the case of a 50-year-old Japanese woman with chronic cough, sinusitis, hearing loss, and bronchiectasis. High-speed video analysis of the nasal mucosa revealed reduced ciliary beat frequency and amplitude. Electron microscopy revealed normal cilia mixed with cilia lacking central microtubules. Genetic testing identified a homozygous RSPH4A variant (NM_001010892.3: c.1484C > A). RSPH4A variants account for approximately 3–4 % and A variant.Respiratory Investigation, 63(4), pp.507-509; 2025journal articl

Peripheral Cold Sensation in Patients with Chronic Heart Failure

In patients with chronic heart failure (CHF), blood is redistributed to the major organs and blood perfusion of peripheral tissues decreases. Consequently, the skin temperature decreases, and patients experience a peripheral cold sensation (PCS). Blood reallocation involves autonomic nervous system control. In other words, a decrease in skin temperature and variation in autonomic nervous activity may be predictors of CHF severity. Forty-five patients with CHF were identified by New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional classification and divided into NYHA class I and NYHA class II-III groups. The temperature of the eardrum, toe, and skin were measured and the autonomic nervous activity was estimated by heart rate variability. We compared the results between the NYHA groups. The temperature of the left dorsum pedis and right pollex pedis were significantly lower in the NYHA class II-III group than in the NYHA I group. The difference in temperature between the eardrum and the left dorsum pedis and that between eardrum and right pollex pedis was significantly greater in the NYHA class II-III group than in the NYHA I group. However, there was no significant intergroup difference in autonomic nervous activity was noted. Body surface versus deep body temperature in patients with CHF were significantly lower in those with NYHA class II-III versus NYHA class I disease. Thus, PCS might be associated with CHF severity.journal articl