Objectives: We examined the washing evaluation method of the flusher disinfector installed in the medical site by visual evaluation using an ISO test soil and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) measurement. Methods: The test soil shown in ISO15883-5 was applied to the bedpan using 2 methods (N = 10) and was then visually evaluated using a 4-step scale. The ATP value on the surface of the bedpan corresponding to each scale was measured, and the correlation with the visual scale was confirmed. In addition, a visual evaluation was performed using a different flusher disinfector and bedpan (N = 3). Results: In the visual evaluation, when the test soil was applied to the entire surface of the bedpan, it remained in the parts where the water flow was hard to hit. When the test soil was applied to the surface of the bedpan except the lid, no soil remained. The 4-step visual evaluation scale and the logarithm of ATP value showed a positive correlation. In visual evaluations with different flusher disinfector and bedpan combinations, the residual soil patterns tended to be different. Some bedpans showed washing failure related to improper design. Conclusions: Poor cleaning of flusher disinfectors may occur when the amount of water used is insufficient or when the bedpan is significantly contaminated. It is important to carry out flusher disinfector washing evaluation at medical sites to evaluate the function of flusher disinfectors. An appropriate program must be utilized for staff education and appropriate management. Because flusher disinfectors and bedpans differ, flusher disinfector cleaning evaluations should be carried out at all facilities.

We report a very rare case of monochorionic dizygotic twins conceived spontaneously. The fetuses were sex-discordant in ultrasonography despite being monochorionic twins. After birth, the girl and boy showed normal phenotypes but they showed blood chimerism in karyotype and blood group type.

Implantable neural interfaces are important tools to accelerate neuroscience research and translate clinical neurotechnologies. The promise of a bidirectional communication link between the nervous system of humans and computers is compelling, yet important materials challenges must be first addressed to improve the reliability of implantable neural interfaces. This perspective highlights recent progress and challenges related to arguably two of the most common failure modes for implantable neural interfaces: (1) compromised barrier layers and packaging leading to failure of electronic components; (2) encapsulation and rejection of the implant due to injurious tissue–biomaterials interactions, which erode the quality and bandwidth of signals across the biology–technology interface. Innovative materials and device design concepts could address these failure modes to improve device performance and broaden the translational prospects of neural interfaces. A brief overview of contemporary neural interfaces is presented and followed by recent progress in chemistry, materials, and fabrication techniques to improve in vivo reliability, including novel barrier materials and harmonizing the various incongruences of the tissue–device interface. Challenges and opportunities related to the clinical translation of neural interfaces are also discussed.

We calculate the spectral energy distribution of the first galaxies which contain pre-main-sequence stars by using the stellar evolution code Modules for Experiments in Stellar Astrophysics, the spectra model BT-Settl, and the stellar population synthesis code PEGASE. We calculate the galaxy spectral energy distribution for Salpeter Initial Mass Function. We find that very young first galaxies are bright also in mid-infrared, and the contribution of pre-main-sequence stars can be significant over 0.1 Myr after a star-formation episode.

In recent years, the discovery of massive quasars at $z\sim7$ has provided a striking challenge to our understanding of the origin and growth of supermassive black holes in the early Universe. Mounting observational and theoretical evidence indicates the viability of massive seeds, formed by the collapse of supermassive stars, as a progenitor model for such early, massive accreting black holes. Although considerable progress has been made in our theoretical understanding, many questions remain regarding how (and how often) such objects may form, how they live and die, and how next generation observatories may yield new insight into the origin of these primordial titans. This review focusses on our present understanding of this remarkable formation scenario, based on the discussions held at the Monash Prato Centre from November 20 to 24, 2017, during the workshop ‘Titans of the Early Universe: The Origin of the First Supermassive Black Holes’.

A method to remove small CuKβ peaks and step structures caused by NiK-edge absorption as well as CuKα2 sub-peaks from powder diffraction intensity data measured with Cu-target X-ray source and Ni-foil filter is proposed. The method is based on deconvolution–convolution treatment applying scale transform of abscissa, Fourier transform, and a realistic spectroscopic model for the source X-ray. The validity of the method has been tested by analysis of the powder diffraction data of a standard LaB6 powder (NIST SRM660a) sample, collected with the combination of CuKα X-ray source, Ni-foil Kβ filter, flat powder specimen and one-dimensional Si strip detector. The diffraction intensity data treated with the method have certainly shown background intensity profile without CuKβ peaks and NiK-edge step structures.

Four series of small parasite peaks observed in powder diffraction data recorded with a Cu-target X-ray tube and a Ni filter on the diffracted beam side in Bragg–Brentano geometry are investigated. One series of the parasite peaks is assigned to the tungsten Lα-emission. Other three types of the parasite peak series are likely to be caused by the K-emissions of Ni, but the peak locations are deviated from those predicted by the Bragg's law. An empirical formula to locate the parasite peaks and a method to remove them from observed powder diffraction data are proposed. The method is based on the whole-pattern deconvolution–convolution treatment on the transformed scale of abscissa. The parameters optimized for the diffraction data measured for Si powder has been applied on treatment of the data of LaB6 powder recorded under the same experimental conditions. It has been confirmed that the parasite peaks in the observed data can effectively be removed by the deconvolution treatment with parameters determined by a reference measurement.

An improved method to correct observed shift and asymmetric deformation of diffraction peak profile caused by the axial-divergence aberration in Bragg–Brentano geometry is proposed. The method is based on deconvolution–convolution treatment applying scale transform of abscissa, Fourier transform, and cumulant analysis of an analytical model for the axial-divergence aberration. The method has been applied to the powder diffraction data of a standard LaB6 powder (NIST SRM660a) sample, collected with a one-dimensional Si strip detector. The locations, widths and shape of the peaks in the deconvolved–convolved powder diffraction data have been analyzed. The finally obtained whole powder diffraction pattern ranging from 10° to 145° in diffraction angle has been simulated by the Pawley method applying a symmetric Pearson VII peak profile model to each peak with ten background, two peak-shift, three line-width, and two peak-shape parameters, and the Rp value of the best fit has been estimated at 4.4%.

Stable iodine tablets are effective in reducing internal exposure to radioactive iodine, which poses a risk for thyroid cancer and other conditions. After the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant accident, the Japanese government shifted its policy on stable iodine tablet distribution from “after-the-fact” to “before-the-fact” and instructed local governments to pre-distribute stable iodine tablets to residents living within a 5-km radius of nuclear facilities. The nation’s first pre-distribution of stable iodine tablets was carried out in June and July of 2014 in Kagoshima Prefecture. Health surveys were conducted so that the medication would not be handed out to people with the possibility of side effects. Of the 4715 inhabitants in the area, 132 were found to require a physician’s judgment, mostly to exclude risks of side effects. This was considered important to prevent the misuse of the tablets in the event of a disaster. The importance of collective and individualized risk communication between physicians and inhabitants at the community health level was apparent through this study. Involvement of physicians through the regional Sendai City Medical Association was an important component of the pre-distribution. Physicians of the Sendai City Medical Association were successfully educated by using the Guidebook on Distributing and Administering Stable Iodine Tablets prepared by the Japan Medical Association and Japan Medical Association Research Institute with the collaboration of the National Institute of Radiological Sciences and the Japanese government. Thus, the physicians managed to make decisions on the dispensing of stable iodine tablets according to the health conditions of the inhabitants. All physicians nationwide should be provided continuing medical education on stable iodine tablets. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2017;11:365–369)

Molecular dynamics simulations of compression deformation of $\left[ {11\bar 20} \right]$-textured 2-dimensional polycrystalline pure Mg, Mg–0.1 at.%Al, and Mg–1.0 at.%Al models were performed at 5 and 300 K. A $\left\{ {10\bar 11} \right\}$ twin nucleated before formation of a $\left\{ {10\bar 12} \right\}$ twin in the simulations at 5 K, while a $\left\{ {10\bar 11} \right\}$ twin nucleated after formation of a $\left\{ {10\bar 12} \right\}$ twin in the simulations at 300 K. The formation of a $\left\{ {10\bar 11} \right\}$ twin was the result of the glide of pyramidal 〈c + a〉 partial dislocations of ${1 \mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {1 6}} \right. \kern-\nulldelimiterspace} 6}\left\{ {10\bar 11} \right\}\left[ {\bar 2023} \right]$. $\left\{ {10\bar 11} \right\}$ twin formation was suppressed at the sites around the Al atoms because the strong Mg–Al bond suppresses atomic shuffling. However, formation was not suppressed at the sites away from the Al atoms because the effect of strong Mg–Al bond is short range. On the other hand, because $\left\{ {10\bar 12} \right\}$ twinning requires the simultaneous glide of zonal dislocations, Al inevitably suppressed $\left\{ {10\bar 12} \right\}$ twinning.

In this study, we investigated the influence of line defects consisting of pentagon-heptagon (5-7) pairs on the electronic transport properties of zigzag-edged and armchair-edged graphene nanoribbons (GNRs). Using the first-principles density functional theory, we study their electronic properties. To investigate their current-voltage (I-V) characteristics at low bias voltage (∼ 1 meV), we use the nonequilibrium Green’s function method. As a result, we found that the conductance of the GNRs having a connected line defect between source and drain shows better performance than that of the ideal zigzag-edged GNRs (ZGNRs). A detailed investigation of the transmission spectra and the wave function around the Fermi level reveals that the line defects arranged along the transport direction work similar to an edge state of the ZGNRs and can be an additional conduction channel. Our results suggest that such a line defect can be effective for low-resistance GNR interconnects.

The three most iron-poor stars known until now are also known to have peculiar enhancements of intermediate mass elements. Under the assumption that these iron-deficient stars reveal the nucleosynthesis result of Pop III stars, we show that a weak supernova model successfully reproduces the observed abundance patterns. Moreover, we show that the initial parameters of the progenitor, such as the initial masses and the rotational property, can be constrained by the model, since the stellar yields result from the nucleosynthesis in the outer region of the star, which is significantly affected by the initial parameters. The initial parameter of Pop III stars is of prime importance for the theoretical study of the early universe. Future observation will increase the number of such carbon enhanced iron-deficient stars, and the same analysis on the stars may give valuable information for the Pop III stars that existed in our universe.