Odd-parity superconductivity by competing spin-orbit coupling and orbital effect in artificial heterostructures

We show that odd-parity superconductivity occurs in multilayer Rashba systems without requiring spin-triplet Cooper pairs. A pairing interaction in the spin-singlet channel stabilizes the odd-parity pair-density-wave (PDW) state in the magnetic field parallel to the two-dimensional conducting plane. It is shown that the layer-dependent Rashba spin-orbit coupling and the orbital effect play essential roles for the PDW state in binary and tricolor heterostructures. We demonstrate that the odd-parity PDW state is a symmetry-protected topological superconducting state characterized by the one-dimensional winding number in the symmetry class BDI. The superconductivity in the artificial heavy-fermion superlattice CeCoIn_5/YbCoIn_5 and bilayer interface SrTiO_3/LaAlO_3 is discussed.Comment: To be published in Phys. Rev.

A venous occlusion plethysmography using a load cell as the sensing element

An application of the load cell as a sensor in venous occlusion plethysmography is presented. In this method the limb volume changes that follow venous occlusion are converted into water volume changes using a water tank for volume change detection. The hydrostatic pressure, as well as the water surface level, is measured and used for the calculation of the volume change. By using this method the influence of water pressure on limb blood flow, as well as drift and leakage of the sensing element, is avoided. The load cell has the advantage of measuring the weight of the displaced water volume, which simplifies the design principles of the plethysmography. The plethysmography is found to be sensitive, highly linear, and easy to handle. It has been evaluated in several subjects, and the results of these studies are in agreement with earlier results </p

Regardless-of-Speed Superconducting LSM Controlled-Repulsive MAGLEV Vehicle

This paper proposes a new repulsive Maglev vehicle which a superconducting linear synchronous motor (LSM) can levitate and propel simultaneously, independently of the vehicle speeds. The combined levitation and propulsion control is carried out by controlling mechanical-load angle and armature-current. Dynamic simulations show successful operations with good ride-quality by using a compact control method proposed here

The Relationship between the Efficacy of Tonsillectomy and Renal Pathology in the Patients with IgA Nephropathy

Objective. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of tonsillectomy as a treatment for IgA nephropathy in relation to renal pathological findings. Methods. This is a retrospective analysis of 13 patients having IgA nephropathy treated by tonsillectomy. Results. UP/UCre levels decreased from 820.8 to 585.4 one month postsurgery and then showed slight worsening to 637.3 at the most recent follow-up. There was no significant difference in the improvement rate between pathological grades I–III and IV. There was positive correlation between Pre-UP/UCre level and the reduction rate of UP/UCre, which was statistically significant (R = 0.667, R2 = 0.445, and P=0.01). Conclusions. Reduction of UP/UCre at one month postsurgery is considered to be an overall prognostic factor, and tonsillectomy is considered to be an effective therapy for IgA patients regardless of the grade of renal pathology

Singular behavior of the macroscopic quantities in the free molecular gas

Steady behavior of the free molecular gas is studied with a special interest in the behavior around a convex body. Two types of singular behavior are shown to occur at the level of the macroscopic quantities. Their occurrence and the strength of singularity are discussed in detail both numerically and analytically. A universal law behind them is revealed by the consideration of the local geometry of the boundary

Effect of the surface geology on strong ground motions due to the 2016 Central Tottori Earthquake, Japan

On October 21, 2016, an earthquake with Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) magnitude 6.6 hit the central part of Tottori Prefecture, Japan. This paper demonstrates two notable effects of the surface geology on strong ground motions due to the earthquake. One is a predominant period issue observed over a large area. A seismic intensity of 6 lower on the JMA scale was registered at three sites in the disaster area. However, the peak ground acceleration ranged from 0.3 to 1.4 G at the three sites because of the varying peak periods of observed strong ground motions. The spectral properties of the observations also reflect the damage around the sites. Three-component microtremors were observed in the area; the predominant ground period distributions based on horizontal to vertical spectral ratios were provided by the authors. The peak periods of the strong motion records agree well with predominant periods estimated from microtremor observations at a rather hard site; however, the predominant periods of the microtremors are slightly shorter than those of the main shock at the other two soft sites. We checked the nonlinear effect at the sites by comparing the site responses to small events and the main shock. The peak periods of the main shock were longer than those of the weak motions at the sites. This phenomenon indicates a nonlinear site effect due to large ground motions caused by the main shock. A horizontal component of the accelerogram showed rather pulsating swings that indicate cyclic mobility behavior, especially at a site close to a pond shore; ground subsidence of ~20 cm was observed around the site. The peak periods of weak motions agree well with those of the microtremor observations. This implies an important issue that the predominant periods estimated by microtremors are not sufficient to estimate the effect of surface geology for disaster mitigation. We have to estimate the predominant periods under large ground motions considering the nonlinear site response of soft sediment sites