Observation of spin-exchange dynamics between itinerant and localized ¹⁷¹Yb atoms

We report on the observation of the spin-exchange dynamics of ¹⁷¹Yb atoms in the ground state ¹S₀ and in the metastable state ³P₀. We implement the mixed-dimensional two-orbital system using near-resonant and magic-wavelength optical lattices, where the ¹S₀ and ³P₀ atoms are itinerant in a one-dimensional tube and localized in three dimensions, respectively. By exploiting an optical Stern-Gerlach method, we observe the spin depolarization of the ¹S₀ atoms induced by the spin-exchange interaction with the ³P₀ atom. Our work could pave the way to the quantum simulation of the Kondo effect

暗所閾値電位の臨床応用: 錐体-杆体ジストロフィおよび糖尿病性網膜症

金沢大学医学部附属病院我々は平成4年度までに暗所閾値電位(scotopic threshold response,STR)記録装置を開発することにより、人眼STRの記録に成功し、眼底白点症、無betaリポ蛋白血症などの病眼においてその所見を検討してきた。STRは杆体系の網膜内層に由来する網膜電図(electroretinogram,ERG)の一成分であり、自覚的暗順応絶対閾値に極めて近い閾値を有する唯一のERG応答であることから、STRを指標とすれば夜盲性疾患あるいは網膜内層に障害を来たす可能性のある疾患において客観的に杆体系の網膜内層の障害の有無およびその程度を評価することが可能であると考えられる。本年度我々は錐体-杆体ジストロフィおよび糖尿病網膜症におけるSTRの所見を検討した。錐体-杆ジストロフィでは錐体の障害は必発であるが杆体の障害の程度は様々であるとされている。本症においてはこれまでERGbs波を用いて杆体系の機能の評価が行われてきたが、STRを指標として加えることにより従前の検査法では杆体系の障害ができなかった本症症例においてSTRに異常を呈する症例があることがみいだされ、本症の発症機序および病態を考察する上でSTRは非常に有用であると考えられた。糖尿病網膜症においては、STRと同じく網膜内層に由来するERG応答である律動様小波が早期より減弱あるいは消失することが当教室でみいだされ既に臨床で広く応用されている。本症においてSTR所見を検討したところ、律動様小波が正常であるのにSTRが減弱していた症例および律動様小波が減弱しているのにSTRが正常である症例がみいだされたことから、本症における網膜内層の障害には複数のパターンがあることが示唆された。(未発表)研究課題/領域番号:05771392, 研究期間(年度):1993出典：研究課題「暗所閾値電位の臨床応用-錐体-杆体ジストロフィおよび糖尿病性網膜症-」課題番号05771392（KAKEN：科学研究費助成事業データベース（国立情報学研究所）） （https://kaken.nii.ac.jp/ja/grant/KAKENHI-PROJECT-05771392/）を加工して作

Combining course- and program-level outcomes assessments through embedded performance assessments at key courses: A proposal based on the experience from a Japanese dental education program

This paper addresses how to combine the course- and program-level assessments and presents a new method illustrated by a case of dental education program in Japan. Performance assessments are considered effective for evaluating knowledge integration and higher-order skills, while placing a burden on faculty, hence their feasibility as the program-level assessment is regarded lower than standardized tests or questionnaire surveys. We have developed several performance assessments at the course level, such as Modified Triple Jump for the PBL course. Based on this experience, we propose Pivotal Embedded Performance Assessment (PEPA) as a method for combining assessment at the course and program levels. The method limits the range of performance assessment to key courses directly linked to program goals and placed at the critical juncture points of curriculum, while entrusting the assessment of other courses to expert judgment of individual teachers. PEPA consists of the following procedures: systematization of curriculum and selection of key courses; design and implementation of performance assessments by a faculty team; setting passing criteria with incorporating the function of formative assessment; certifying the completion of the degree program. PEPA thus enables maintaining assessment feasibility and compatibility with a credit system, while ensuring assessment validity and reliability.Received: 27 September 2018Accepted: 13 November 2018Published online: 29 November 2018</p

Association of pneumococcal and influenza vaccination with patient-physician communication in older adults: A nationwide cross-sectional study from the JAGES 2016

BACKGROUND: Increasing the coverage of vaccinations recommended by the World Health Organization in the older adult population is an urgent issue, especially in the context of avoiding co-epidemics during the current coronavirus disease 2019 crisis. The aim of this study was to examine factors associated with the quality of perceived patient-physician communication and whether this variable was associated with increased odds of vaccination. METHODS: We used cross-sectional data from the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study conducted from October 2016 to January 2017. The participants were 22, 253 physically and cognitively independent individuals aged 65 or older living in 39 municipalities in Japan. Multilevel logit models were used to estimate the odds of vaccination. RESULTS: Among the participants, 40.0% and 58.8% had received pneumococcal and influenza vaccinations as per the recommended schedule, respectively. People with low educational levels were more likely to have a family physician but rate their experience in asking questions lower than those with higher educational levels. Having a family physician and high rating for physicians' listening attitude were positively associated with increased odds of pneumococcal and influenza vaccinations. High rating for patients' questioning attitude and shared decision-making, compared to an ambiguous attitude toward medical decision-making, were positively associated with increased odds of pneumococcal vaccination. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that promotion of having a family physician, better patient-physician communication, and shared decision-making may encourage older adults to undergo recommended vaccinations

Observation of spin-space quantum transport induced by an atomic quantum point contact

冷却原子の量子状態を制御し新たな「流れ」を実現 --「原子回路」で電子の流れをシミュレーションする--. 京都大学プレスリリース. 2021-11-22.Quantum transport is ubiquitous in physics. So far, quantum transport between terminals has been extensively studied in solid state systems from the fundamental point of views such as the quantized conductance to the applications to quantum devices. Recent works have demonstrated a cold-atom analog of a mesoscopic conductor by engineering a narrow conducting channel with optical potentials, which opens the door for a wealth of research of atomtronics emulating mesoscopic electronic devices and beyond. Here we realize an alternative scheme of the quantum transport experiment with ytterbium atoms in a two-orbital optical lattice system. Our system consists of a multi-component Fermi gas and a localized impurity, where the current can be created in the spin space by introducing the spin-dependent interaction with the impurity. We demonstrate a rich variety of localized-impurity-induced quantum transports, which paves the way for atomtronics exploiting spin degrees of freedom

Electronic structures of B-2p and C-2p of boron-doped diamond film by soft X-ray absorption and emission spectroscopy

X-ray absorption (XAS) and emission (XES) spectroscopy near B-K and C-K edges have been performed on metallic (~1at%B, B-diamond) and semiconducting (~0.1at%B and N, BN-diamond) doped-diamond films. Both B-K XAS and XES spectra shows metallic partial density of state (PDOS) with the Fermi energy of 185.3 eV, and there is no apparent boron-concentration dependence in contrast to the different electric property. In C-K XAS spectrum of B-diamond, the impurity state ascribed to boron is clearly observed near the Fermi level. The Fermi energy is found to be almost same with the top of the valence band of non-doped diamond, E_V, 283.9 eV. C-K XAS of BN-diamond shows both the B-induced shallow level and N-induced deep-and-broad levels as the in-gap states, in which the shallow level is in good agreement with the activation energy (E_a=0.37 eV) estimated from the temperature dependence of the conductivity, namely the change in C-2p PDOS of impurity-induced metallization is directly observed. The electric property of this diamond is mainly ascribed to the electronic structure of C-2p near the Fermi level. The observed XES spectra are compared with the DVX-alpha cluster calculation. The DVX-alpha result supports the strong hybridization between B-2p and C-2p observed in XAS and XES spectra, and suggests that the small amount of borons (<1at%) in diamond occupy the substitutional site rather than interstitial site.Comment: submitted to Phys. Rev. B, 5 pages and 5 figure