Corporate bonds’ book-to-market ratios predict returns computed from transaction prices. Senior bonds (even investment grade) with the 20% highest ratios outperform the 20% lowest by 3%–4% annually after non-parametrically controlling for numerous liquidity, default, microstructure, and priced-risk attributes: yield-to-maturity, bid–ask spread, duration/maturity, credit spread/rating, past returns, coupon, size, age, industry, and structural model equity hedges. Spreads for all-bond samples are larger. An efficient bond market would not exhibit the observed decay in the ratio’s predictive efficacy with implementation delays, small yield-to-maturity spreads, or similar-sized spreads across bonds with differing risks. A methodological innovation avoids liquidity filters and censorship that bias returns.

Medium frequency radars with multiple receivers are able to track the movement of the interference pattern on the ground from echoes from irregularities in refractive index. In particular, refractive index in the mesosphere is determined by electron density – commonly known as the ionospheric D-region. Thus using this technique it is possible to determine winds in the height regime 70-90 km, depending on the degree of ionization throughout the year. In addition, by examining the fading times of the passage of these structures, it is possible to deduce metrics pertaining to neutral air turbulence. Here, we employ a well-established method to this effect. Thereafter, comparing the turbulent intensity to the kinematic viscosity of the neutral atmosphere, we determine the turbopause altitude. Above this height, atmospheric constituents behave independently, whereas below, all components are mixed. Contrary to earlier analyses, we present evidence the turbopause altitude has been constant since approximately 2004.

Recently huge amount of dust Mdust ≃ 106−7M⊙ in galaxies at z = 7–8 has been discovered by ALMA observations. The suggested timescale of the dust production was a few–several×108 yr, while the stellar mass was several × 109M⊙. This amount of dust cannot be easily explained only by a supply from supernovae if we consider the dust destruction by reverse shocks. We propose that these values can be consistently explained if we take into account the grain growth in the interstellar medium (ISM). This scenario successfully reproduces the evolution of the dust mass, as well as the SFR, and stellar mass simultaneously. We conclude that even at such an early epoch of the Universe, the dust grain growth in the ISM plays a significant role in galaxies.

Numerous studies have investigated the risk of developing asthma due to early-life experiences and environmental exposures. However, the influence of intrauterine growth restriction and postnatal undernutrition on childhood wheezing/asthma remains unclear. Thus, we examined the effects of both small for gestational age (SGA) and postnatal stunted growth on ever asthma among children in the rural areas in Bangladesh.

Multiple follow-up studies were conducted in a cohort of randomized clinical trial of nutrition interventions during pregnancy (the MINIMat trial). Overall, 1208 and 1697 children were followed-up for asthma at 4.5 and 10 years, respectively. Anthropometric measurements were obtained at various intervals from birth to 10 years of age. Ever asthma was identified using the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) questionnaire.

Results showed that SGA was significantly associated with increased risk of ever asthma at 4.5 and 10 years after adjusting for sex, body mass index, socioeconomic status, family history of asthma, gestational age at birth, mother’s parity, mother’s age at birth and intervention trial arm [odds ratio (OR)=1.97 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.34–2.90) and 1.86 (95% CI: 1.18–2.72)]. For the postnatal effect of undernutrition, stunting at 1 and 2 years was significantly associated with ever asthma at 4.5 and 10 years [1 year: OR=1.77 (95% CI: 1.22–2.57) and OR=1.72 (95% CI: 1.16–2.56), 2 years: OR=1.49 (95% CI: 1.06–2.10) and OR=1.41 (95% CI: 1.02–1.96)].

In conclusion, SGA and undernutrition during infancy has an influence on childhood asthma among children in Bangladesh, indicating the need for nutritional interventions early in life.

Corporate bond returns exhibit predictability in a manner consistent with efficient pricing. Many equity characteristics, such as accruals, standardized unexpected earnings, and idiosyncratic volatility, do not impact bond returns. Profitability and asset growth are negatively related to corporate bond returns. Because firms that are profitable or have high asset growth (and hence more collateral) should be less risky, with lower required returns, the evidence accords with the risk–reward paradigm. Past equity returns are positively related to bond returns, indicating that equities lead bonds. Cross-sectional bond return predictors generally do not provide materially high Sharpe ratios after accounting for trading costs.

Recent far-infrared (FIR) observations have revealed the presence of freshly formed dust with the masses exceeding 0.1 M ⊙ in young remnants of core-collapse supernovae (CCSNe) such as SN 1987A and Cassiopeia A. Meanwhile, dust masses derived from near- to mid-infrared (N/MIR) observations of CCSNe a few years after explosions are on the order of 10−5–10−3M ⊙. Here, we demonstrate that such small dust masses as seen from N/MIR observations would not necessarily reflect the formation history of dust but could be just limited by the luminosity of the SN that can heat up dust formed in the ejecta.

Group A Streptococcus (GAS) are globally distributed bacterial pathogens. We examined the emm genotypes, which are important indicators of virulence, of 349 clinical GAS isolates collected using two surveillance systems, i.e. Invasive Bacterial Infection Surveillance (IBIS) from 2010 to 2011 (234 isolates) and routine surveillance of clinically isolated bacteria from various hospitals during 1996–2011 (115 isolates) in Thailand. The major emm genotypes in IBIS samples were emm44 (12·0%), emm104 (6·8%), emm22 (5·6%), and emm81 (5·6%), whereas only one isolate (0·4%) had the emm1 genotype, which is significantly more common in invasive cases in the Western world. In samples collected during routine surveillance, emm238 (10·4%), emm44 (8·7%), and emm165 (7·0%) were dominant. The major superantigen gene profiles were similar between the groups, and 30·1% of isolates did not possess the phage-encoded superantigens (speA, speC, speH, speI, speK, speL, speM, ssa). Although most isolates exhibited limited gene profiles, emm44 isolates had highly variable gene profiles (15 patterns). We conclude that emm44 is the predominant GAS genotype in Thailand, and isolates varied in superantigen gene profiles.

Lissoclinum midui was collected from Lyudao (Green Island), Taiwan. This is the first record outside of the type locality, Kumejima Island (Ryukyu Archipelago, Japan), of this species. The colonies in Lyudao were found on non-geniculate coraline algae covering the coral limestones in the reef crest (0.5–1 m deep). They were not rare at the collection sites, and it is uncertain why this species has only been recorded in the two sites in Taiwan–Ryukyus. It may be that the shallow, wave-exposed reef crest is a poorly investigated habitat for small benthic invertebrates.

Graphene growth by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) was studied on three types of epitaxial metal films with different crystal structures on sapphire. Nickel (face-centered-cubic: fcc), Ru (hexagonal-closed-pack: hcp), and Co (fcc at temperature for graphene growth and hcp at R.T.) were deposited on c-face sapphire substrates and annealed in a furnace for solid phase epitaxial growth. Graphene layers were grown by CVD with methane gas on the epitaxial metal film. The graphene layer uniformity was consistent with the structural simplicity of the metal film. The Ru sample had a single domain in the metal film and the highest graphene uniformity. The Co sample had a very complex crystal structure in the metal film and the poorest uniformity in graphene. The Ni sample had two types of stacking domains in the metal film and the graphene layer was uniform on each domain, but inhomogeneity was observed at domain boundaries.

We investigate the evolution of dust formed in Population III supernovae (SNe) by considering its transport and processing by sputtering within the SN remnants (SNRs). We find that the fate of dust grains within SNRs heavily depends on their initial radii aini. For Type II SNRs expanding into the ambient medium with density of nH,0 = 1 cm−3, grains of aini < 0.05 μm are detained in the shocked hot gas and are completely destroyed, while grains of aini > 0.2 μm are injected into the surrounding medium without being significantly destroyed. Grains with aini = 0.05–0.2 μm are finally trapped in the dense shell behind the forward shock. We show that the grains piled up in the dense shell enrich the gas up to 10−6–10−4Z⊙, high enough to form low-mass stars with 0.1–1 M⊙. In addition, [Fe/H] in the dense shell ranges from −6 to −4.5, which is in good agreement with the ultra-metal-poor stars with [Fe/H] < −4. We suggest that newly formed dust in a Population III SN can have great impact on the stellar mass and elemental composition of Population II.5 stars formed in the shell of the SNR.

The new molecular image obtained by NANTEN telescope in the galactic center has revealed the existence of the two loop like structures, loop 1 and loop 2, which have never been seen before toward l = 355° to 358°. The velocities of loop 1 and loop 2 are −180 to −90 km s−1 and −90 and −40 km s−1, respectively, and these two loops have strong velocity gradients. The foot points of the loops show a very broad linewidth of ~40 to 80 km s−1 whose large velocity spans are characteristic of the molecular gas near the galactic center. Therefore, we classified the loops as being located in the galactic center and adopt a distance of 8.5 kpc. Then, the projected lengths of loop 1 and loop 2 were estimated as ~500 and ~300 pc, respectively and velocity gradients corresponds to ~80 km s−1 per 250 pc along loop 1 and ~60 km s−1 per 150 pc along loop 2. The heights of these loops are also estimated as ~220 to ~300 pc from the galactic plane, significantly higher than the typical scale height in the nuclear disk.

Background: Branchiogenic carcinoma occurs only rarely. A pathologic description and post-operative adjuvant therapy with carboplatin (CBDCA) and daily oral 5-fluorouracil (UFT) are analysed.

Case report: We present the case of a 52-year-old man with a lateral neck mass lesion. A fine-needle aspiration was performed and cytological examination showed class IV disease. The patient underwent excision of the mass and an intra-operative rapid pathological diagnosis of squamous cell carcinoma was made; we then went on to perform neck dissection. The patient received post-operative radiation therapy (total 64 Gy) and chemotherapy (CBDCA 100 mg/week and UFT 300 mg/day). He was followed up for 62 months after surgery without any evidence of recurrence of cancer.

Conclusion: This case satisfies the histological criteria established by Martin and Khafif for a primary branchiogenic carcinoma. The management would be wide surgical excision of the tumour, including neck dissection, followed by adjuvant therapy, such as chemoradiation. As post-operative adjuvant therapy for primary branchiogenic carcinoma, chemoradiotherapy with carboplatin and UFT was a safe and well tolerated regimen.

Epidemiological surveys suggest that a higher intake of tea may be associated with a lower risk of CHD. There is accumulating evidence that postprandial lipaemia makes a substantial contribution to the incidence of CHD. Our aim was, therefore, to evaluate the effect of tea catechins (major ingredients in green tea) on postprandial lipid responses in human subjects after the consumption of test meals. In a randomized triple-crossover design, nine male subjects with mild or borderline hypertriacylglycerolaemia consumed 10 (control), 224 (moderate dose) and 674 mg (high dose) of the assigned tea catechins three times each along with a standardized light meal consisting of a piece of bread spread with 20 g butter. Plasma lipids were measured in the fasting state and 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6 h after consuming the light meal. Results showed that, compared with the control, moderate and high doses of tea catechins reduced the incremental area under the plasma triacylglycerol curves by 15·1 and 28·7 %, respectively. Next, the rapid elevation of remnant-like particle cholesterol was significantly inhibited by a high dose of tea catechins 2 h after consuming the light meal (P<0·01). In the range of tea catechin dosages, no significant differences were observed in the postprandial responses for plasma total cholesterol or NEFA at any time point. In conclusion, this trial demonstrated that tea catechins attenuated the postprandial increase in plasma triacylglycerol levels following a fat load. These results may provide evidence for one of the possible mechanisms involved in lowering the incidence of CVD, and may prove useful in further studies on the beneficial health effects of tea drinking.

First-principles structural optimization is carried out for cubic Cd6Ca crystal with 168 atoms in a unit cell. The unit cell of Cd6Ca involves two four-layered icosahedral atomic clusters and 36 glue Cd atoms. Calculations are performed to determine energy cost owing to different orientations of the Cd tetrahedron, which is the innermost shell of the icosahedral cluster. Energetically favorable ordering of central Cd tetrahedra is such that the nearest neighboring tetrahedra is oriented in an anti-parallel fashion. As a result of the structural optimization, significant changes of atomic positions are observed in the first and second shells. The optimal nearest neighbor interatomic distance between the first and second shells is found to be close to the nearest neighbor distance of pure Cd. It is found that the pseudogap in the total density of states is enhanced as a result of the structural relaxation.

Electronic structures of hexagonal Zn-Mg-Y and Cd58Y13 compounds are studied by first-principles calculations. Both of the systems show deep pseudogap in the electronic density of states near the Fermi level and considered to be stabilized electronically. To illustrate bonding nature of electronic wavefunctions, the crystal orbital Hamilton population (COHP) is calculated for neighboring pairs of atoms in the unit cell. It is found that the bonding nature is changed from bonding to anti-bonding almost exactly at the Fermi level for Zn-Zn and Cd-Cd bonds. On the contrary, for Zn/Cd-Y bonds, both of the states below and above the pseudogap behave as bonding ones. Possible effects of the p-d hybridization are discussed.

High dielectric and low loss capacitor thin films of Sr2Nb2O7 (SN), Sr2Ta2O7 (ST), and their solid solution Sr2(Nbx, Ta1−x)2O7 (SNT) were investigated using the sol-gel technique. The SN film grows with the (0n0) orientation in the case of heating at over 700 °C. Heat treatment at a lower temperature results in the polycrystal ST-type structure. The SNT at x < 50% also resulted in the ST type. The dielectric constant for the SN film was 45, within 10% variation at ±0.5 MV/cm. Dielectric loss (tan δ) was 0.3–0.5%. The small variation in dielectric constant and the paraelectricity with low loss are suitable for capacitor applications.