A total of 77 pottery shards originating from the Middle Jomon period (2500–1500 BC) were excavated from the Hinoki site in Tochigi, Japan. Fifty-five of those were Atamadai type pottery, which might contain some temper fragments from the manufacturing process. The pottery shards were analyzed by X-ray diffractometry (XRD). The mineral analyses were compared with the river sands around Mt. Tsukuba to demonstrate the temper's origin of the Atamadai type pottery. Their XRD profiles revealed the following solid solutions which could be fingerprint minerals: biotite for the temper and plagioclase, and hornblende for the clay and temper. These minerals might indicate the origin of each sample because their d-spacings depended on the solid solution composition reflecting their geological characteristics.

An outbreak of enterohaemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157 occurred in multiple prefectures of Japan in November 2009. We conducted two case–control studies with trace-back and trace-forward investigations to determine the source. The case definition was met by 21 individuals; 14 (66.7%) were hospitalised, but no haemolytic uraemic syndrome, acute encephalopathy or deaths occurred. Median age was 23 (range 12–48) years and 14 cases were male (66.7%). No significant associations with food were found in a case–control study by local public health centres, but our matched case–control study using Internet surveys found that beef hanging tender (or hanger steak), derived from the diaphragm of the cattle, was significantly associated with illness (odds ratio = 15.77; 95% confidence interval, 2.00–124.11). Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis analysis of isolates from patients and the suspected food showed five different patterns: two in faecal and food samples, and another three in patient faecal samples only, although there were epidemiological links to the meat consumed at the restaurants. Trace-back investigation implicated a common food processing company from outside Japan. Examination of the logistics of the meat processing company suggested that contamination did not occur in Japan. We concluded that the source of the outbreak was imported hanging tender. This investigation revealed that Internet surveys could be useful for outbreak investigations.

We explore the relationships between the 3.3 μm polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) feature and active galactic nucleus (AGN) properties of a sample of 54 hard X-ray selected bright AGNs, including both Seyfert 1 and Seyfert 2 type objects, using the InfraRed Camera (IRC) on board the infrared astronomical satellite AKARI. The sample is selected from the 9-month Swift/BAT survey in the 14-195 keV band and all of them have measured X-ray spectra at E ≲ 10 keV. These X-ray spectra provide measurements of the neutral hydrogen column density (NH) towards the AGNs. We use the 3.3 μm PAH luminosity (L3.3μm) as a proxy for star formation activity and hard X-ray luminosity (L14-195keV) as an indicator of the AGN activity. We searched for possible difference of star-formation activity between type 1 (un-absorbed) and type 2 (absorbed) AGNs. Our regression analysis of log L14-195keV versus log L3.3μm shows a positive correlation and the slope seems steeper for type 1/unobscured AGNs than that of type 2/obscured AGNs. The same trend has been found for the log (L14-195keV/MBH) versus log (L3.3μm/MBH) correlation. Our analysis show that the circum-nuclear star-formation is more enhanced in type 2/absorbed AGNs than type 1/un-absorbed AGNs for low X-ray luminosity/low Eddington ratio AGNs.

The 22q11.2 deletion is the most prominent known genetic risk factor forschizophrenia, but its penetrance is at most approximately 50% suggestingthat additional risk factors are required for disease progression. Weexamined a woman with schizophrenia with this deletion for such riskfactors. She had high plasma pentosidine levels (‘carbonyl stress’) and aframeshift mutation in the responsible gene, GLO1. She alsohad a constant exotropia, so we examined the PHOX2B geneassociated with both schizophrenia and strabismus, and detected a 5-alaninedeletion. We propose that the combination of these genetic defects may haveexceeded the threshold for the manifestation of schizophrenia.

A giant outburst occurred in A0535+262/V725 Tau in November 2009, which lasted approximately 30 days. We carried out spectroscopic monitoring at OAO and GAO from November 2009 to March 2010, from before the giant outburst to the rising phase of the normal outburst which occurred after the next periastron. The obtained H-alpha, H-beta and He I emission lines exhibited drastic profile variability during the observations.

C3H/HeN mice were each infected with 40 Echinostoma trivolvis metacercarial cysts on day 0, given intramuscular injections of dexamethasone (DEX) daily for 30 days, and necropsied on days 5, 8, 12, 15, 20 and 30 p. i. Control mice were each infected with 40 echinostome cysts on day 0, but were not treated with DEX and necropsied on the same days as the DEX-treated mice. DEX treatment caused an inhibition of worm expulsion and suppressed the increase in goblet cell numbers that peaked around day 12 p. i. in the untreated control mice. Increase in the number of mucosal mast cells and eosinophils in the control mice that peaked around day 15 and 12 p. i., respectively, was also suppressed by the DEX treatment. The mean body area of the worms from the DEX-treated mice was about the same as that of the control worms on day 5 p. i., and then significantly greater than the control worms on days 8 and 12 p. i. The worms in the treated mice continued to grow until the end of the experiment, on day 30 p. i. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) showed that serum IgM from the treated and control mice increased from day 12 p. i., peaked on day 15 p. i., and then decreased. An IgM titre of the treated mice was slightly higher than that of the controls. No marked rise in IgG and IgA titres occurred throughout the experiment in both groups.

The Josephson map describes the nonlinear dynamics of systems characterized by the standard map with a uniform external bias superposed. The intricate structures of the phase-space portrait of the Josephson map are examined here on the basis of the associated tangent map. A numerical investigation of stochastic diffusion in the Josephson map is compared with the renormalized diffusion coefficient calculated using the characteristic function. The global stochasticity of the Josephson map occurs at far smaller values of the stochastic parameter than is the case of the standard map.

Dome Fuji is potentially one of the best astronomical sites in Antarctic plateau. We have a plan to build a 2-m class infrared telescope at Dome Fuji, and have been evaluating the site since the 2006/2007 Antarctic summer. We present the outline of a 2-m class telescope project and some results of our SODAR measurements.

We investigated the atomic structure near the interface and the size dependence of the mean inner potential of gold in Au/TiO2 catalysts prepared by the deposition precipitation (DP) method and the vacuum evaporation (VE) method using high resolution electron microscopy (HREM) and electron holography. The TiO2 supports prepared by DP method and VE method are considered to have oxygen-rich surfaces and titanium-rich surfaces respectively. In case of the Au/TiO2 catalyst prepared by DP method, the mean inner potential of gold increased depending on the size of the particle. When the size of the gold particle is over 5nm, the mean inner potential of gold was the same as that of bulk Au. When the size is below 5nm, the mean inner potential became to increase. It increases suddenly over 40V, particularly in case of below 2nm. It indicates that the electronic state of gold on TiO2 changes from that of bulk state as the size decreases. On the other hand, the mean inner potential of gold in Au/TiO2 catalysts prepared by VE method also increased as the size decreased, but the behavior of the size dependence is different from that of DP method. The critical size of the mean inner potential change is around 3nm. The size of the gold particle was below 3nm, the mean inner potential of gold increased gradually. The mean inner potential of VE method is less than that of DP method with the same particle size in spite of the size below 3nm. The stoichiometry at the interface between Au and TiO2 should be one of the dominant reasons for the behavior difference of the size dependence of the mean inner potential between the preparations.

Catalytic properties of noble metal catalysts are often caused by their nanostructures. Gold catalysts are typical cases. It is especially interesting that the catalytic property of gold suddenly changes to resemble that of platinum when the mean size of gold dispersed on certain oxides is <2nm. This phenomenon should be owing to the change of the local electronic structure of the gold particle or the interface between the gold and the oxides, however its detail has not been cleared yet. We measured the mean inner potential of gold particles supported on TiO2 using electron holography and HREM, and found that the mean inner potential of gold depend largely on the size of the gold particles. When the size is >5nm, the mean inner potential is the same as the reported values of bulk gold (experimental: 21–23V, calculated: 25–30V). When the size is <5nm, it begins to increase >30V, and it begins to increase suddenly >40V at the size <2nm. It indicates that the electronic structure of the gold particle varies from that of the bulk state as the size of the gold reduces due to the nano-size effect or the interaction at the interface, since the mean inner potential is sensitive to the electronic state of the outer valence electron. On the other hand, the behavior of the platinum catalysts is different from that of gold catalysts. When the size of the platinum particle on the TiO2 support is >1.5nm, the mean inner potential of platinum is the same as that of the bulk (∼25V). In case of the particle with the size <1.5nm, it begins to increase and the increase rate is lower than that of the gold particles with the size <2nm. It is suggested to be due to the difference of the interaction with TiO2.

Materiomics is a new approach combining combinatorial surveys and precise structure analyses in order to develop new functional materials efficiently. In this paper, we show the first stage of materiomics applied to metal/metal oxide catalysts. The catalytic activities of various metal/metal oxide catalysts for hydrogen production have been examined by a combinatorial method, and TEM observations have been performed for the selected catalysts from the libraries in order to estimate the structures in the combinatorial surveys. A Pd/MnO2 catalyst shows the high activity for the water gas shift reaction, where thin Pd oxide layers about 1–2nm thickness are formed on the flat MnO2 surface. However, Pd oxide layers are reduced and metallic Pd particles 2–3nm in diameter with narrow size distribution are formed after hydrogen reduction. The structure of manganese oxide support also changes after hydrogen reduction. On the other hand, both Pd particles with diameters of 2–3nm and 10–20nm on SiO2 show low activity for the water gas shift reaction. Thus, it is concluded that the catalytic activity does not simply depend on the particle size of metals, but that the interaction between metals and metal oxide supports is also important for the catalytic performance.

The catalytic properties of nanostructured gold catalyst are known to depend on the size of the gold particles and to be activated when the size decreases to a few nanometers. We investigated the size dependence of the three-dimensional nanostructure on the mean inner potential of gold catalysts supported on titanium oxide using electron holography and high-resolution electron microscopy (HREM). The contact angle of the gold particles on the titanium oxide tended to be over 90° for gold particles with a size of over 5 nm, and below 90° for a size of below 2 nm. This decreasing change in the contact angle (morphology) acts to increase the perimeter and hence the area of the interface between the gold and titanium oxide support, which is considered to be an active site for CO oxidation. The mean inner potential of the gold particles also changed as their size decreased. The value of the inner potential of gold, which is approximately 25 V in bulk state, rose to over 40 V when the size of the gold particles was less than 2 nm. This phenomenon indicates the existence of a charge transfer at the interface between gold and titanium oxide. The 3-D structure change and the inner potential change should be attributed to the specific electronic structure at the interface, owing to both the “nano size effect” and the “hetero-interface effect.”

The size dependence of the catalytic property of the gold catalysts has been reported. It is especially interesting that the catalytic property of gold suddenly changes to show a platinum-like behavior when the mean size of gold is below 2nm. This phenomenon should be owing to the change of the electronic structure of the gold, however its detail has not been cleared yet. We investigated the size dependence of the mean inner potential of gold catalysts supported on TiO2, which is affected by the outer valence electron, using electron holography and high-resolution electron microscopy. We found the following tendency. When the size of the gold particle is over 5nm, the values of the mean inner potential are the same level as the reported experimental values of the bulk gold (21–23V) and the calculated values of the bulk gold (25–30V). When the size is below 5nm, the mean inner potential begins to increase over 30V, and it begins to increase suddenly over 40V at the size below about 2nm. It indicates that the electronic structure of the gold particles varies from that of the bulk state as the size of the gold particles reduces. Due to the size reduction, the volume fraction of the surface atoms and the interface atoms increases, e.g., almost half of the atoms locate on the surfaces or at the interface in case of the top half of the octahedron particle with the size 1.6nm. The surface dipole and the interface dipole should be formed owing to the electron out of the surface to the vacuum and the local charge transfer from the gold particles to the TiO2 surface. These dipole effects might be effective and one of the reasons for the increase of the mean inner potential of gold particles.

The accuracy of measurement of the Hubble constant depends not only on the accuracy of distance measurement but also on how small is the effect of local flows: The larger are redshifts of used galaxies, the higher is the accuracy of H 0, if the error in distance measurement is comparable. The HI Tully-Fisher relation has been the standard tool for distance measurement up to cz ∼ 10,000 km s–1 (Tully and Fisher 1977), where, however, the local flow is not negligible.

Near-infrared (NIR) emission in galaxies is mainly radiated by old population low temperature stars, which construct the basic stellar structure and keep the trails of past galaxy evolution. On the other hand, optical observations show recent star formation activity, especially in spiral galaxies. Therefore multi-color observations from optical to near-infrared wavelengths are very important to understand the past and recent star-formation history. Nearby large galaxies are well studied not only in optical but also in mid- and far-infrared by IRAS, CO and HI radio observations. However, the study in the near-infrared is still limited because large format arrays are not common. Here we show a wide-field, near-infrared imaging of nearby elliptical and spiral galaxies and discuss their star-formation history.

Sofue (1996, 1997) presented accurate rotation curves of nearby galaxies, which are almost completely sampled from the inner to outer regions. The conspicuous common feature of the rotation curves is a steep rise at the inner bulge. The rise suggests a compact massive concentration near the nucleus (Sofue 1996). The study of the light distribution at the inner bulge demands accurate surface photometry at near-infrared wavelengths, where dust extinction is much less effective than in the optical. Most of Sofue's samples are nearby large galaxies, so that observations with a wide field view is clue to constructing reliable light distribution models.