Japan is still a medium-burden tuberculosis (TB) country. We aimed to examine trends in newly notified active TB incidence and TB-related mortality in the last two decades in Japan. This is a population-based study using Japanese Vital Statistics and Japan Tuberculosis Surveillance from 1997 to 2016. We determined active TB incidence and mortality rates (per 100 000 population) by sex, age and disease categories. Joinpoint regression was applied to calculate the annual percentage change (APC) in age-adjusted mortality rates and to identify the years showing significant trend changes. Crude and age-adjusted incidence rates reduced from 33.9 to 13.9 and 37.3 to 11.3 per 100 000 population, respectively. Also, crude and age-adjusted mortality rates reduced from 2.2 to 1.5 and 2.8 to 1.0 per 100 000 population, respectively. Average APC in the incidence and mortality rates showed significant decline both in men (−6.2% and −5.4%, respectively) and women (−5.7% and −4.6%, respectively). Age-specific analysis demonstrated decreases in incidence and mortality rates for every age category, except for the incidence trend in the younger population. Although trends in active TB incidence and mortality rates in Japan have favourably decreased, the rate of decline is far from achieving TB elimination by 2035.

The interactions between homogeneous turbulence and a planar shock wave are analytically investigated using rapid distortion theory (RDT). Analytical solutions in the solenoidal modes are obtained. Qualitative answers to unsolved questions in a report by Andreopoulos et al. (Annu. Rev. Fluid Mech., vol. 524, 2000, pp. 309–345) are provided within the linear theoretical framework. The results show that the turbulence kinetic energy (TKE) is increased after interaction with a shock wave and that the contributions to the amplification can be interpreted primarily as the combined effect of shock-induced compression, which is a direct consequence of the Rankine–Hugoniot relation, and the nonlinear effect, which is an indirect consequence of the Rankine–Hugoniot relation via the perturbation manner. For initial homogeneous axisymmetric turbulence, the amplification of the TKE depends on the initial degree of anisotropy. Furthermore, the increase in energy at high wavenumbers is confirmed by the one-dimensional spectra. The enstrophy is also increased; its increase is more significant than that of the TKE because of the significant increase in enstrophy at high wavenumbers. The vorticity components perpendicular to the shock-induced compressed direction are amplified more than the parallel vorticity component. These results strongly suggest that a high resolution is needed to obtain accurate results for the turbulence–shock-wave interaction. The integral length scales ($L$) and the Taylor microscales ($\unicode[STIX]{x1D706}$) are decreased for most cases after the interaction. However, $L_{22,3}(=\,L_{33,2})$ and $\unicode[STIX]{x1D706}_{22,3}(=\,\unicode[STIX]{x1D706}_{33,2})$ are amplified. Here, the subscripts 2 and 3 indicate the perpendicular components relative to the shock-induced compressed direction. The dissipation length and TKE dissipation rate are amplified.

The decay characteristics and invariants of grid turbulence were investigated by means of laboratory experiments conducted in a wind tunnel. A turbulence-generating grid was installed at the entrance of the test section for generating nearly isotropic turbulence. Five grids (square bars of mesh sizes $M= 15$, 25 and 50 mm and cylindrical bars of mesh sizes $M= 10$ and 25 mm) were used. The solidity of all grids is $\sigma = 0. 36$. The instantaneous streamwise and vertical (cross-stream) velocities were measured by hot-wire anemometry. The mesh Reynolds numbers were adjusted to $R{e}_{M} = 6700$, 9600, 16 000 and 33 000. The Reynolds numbers based on the Taylor microscale $R{e}_{\lambda } $ in the decay region ranged from 27 to 112. In each case, the result shows that the decay exponent of turbulence intensity is close to the theoretical value of ${- }6/ 5$ (for the $M= 10~\mathrm{mm} $ grid, ${- }6(1+ p)/ 5\sim - 1. 32$) for Saffman turbulence. Here, $p$ is the power of the dimensionless energy dissipation coefficient, $A(t)\sim {t}^{p} $. Furthermore, each case shows that streamwise variations in the integral length scales, ${L}_{uu} $ and ${L}_{vv} $, and the Taylor microscale $\lambda $ grow according to ${L}_{uu} \sim 2{L}_{vv} \propto {(x/ M- {x}_{0} / M)}^{2/ 5} $ (for the $M= 10~\mathrm{mm} $ grid, ${L}_{uu} \propto {(x/ M- {x}_{0} / M)}^{2(1+ p)/ 5} \sim {(x/ M- {x}_{0} / M)}^{0. 44} $) and $\lambda \propto {(x/ M- {x}_{0} / M)}^{1/ 2} $, respectively, at $x/ M\gt 40{\unicode{x2013}} 60$ (depending on the experimental conditions, including grid geometry), where $x$ is the streamwise distance from the grid and ${x}_{0} $ is the virtual origin. We demonstrated that in the decay region of grid turbulence, ${ u}_{\mathit{rms}}^{2} { L}_{uu}^{3} $ and ${ v}_{\mathit{rms}}^{2} { L}_{vv}^{3} $, which correspond to Saffman’s integral, are constant for all grids and examined $R{e}_{M} $ values. However, ${ u}_{\mathit{rms}}^{2} { L}_{uu}^{5} $ and ${ v}_{\mathit{rms}}^{2} { L}_{vv}^{5} $, which correspond to Loitsianskii’s integral, and ${ u}_{\mathit{rms}}^{2} { L}_{uu}^{2} $ and ${ v}_{\mathit{rms}}^{2} { L}_{vv}^{2} $, which correspond to the complete self-similarity of energy spectrum and $\langle {\boldsymbol{u}}^{2} \rangle \sim {t}^{- 1} $, are not constant. Consequently, we conclude that grid turbulence is a type of Saffman turbulence for the examined $R{e}_{M} $ range of 6700–33 000 ($R{e}_{\lambda } = 27{\unicode{x2013}} 112$) regardless of grid geometry.

We present new, wide, and deep images in the AzTEC/ASTE 1.1 mm continuum and the 12 CO (J = 1–0) emission toward the northern part of the Orion-A GMC. We have found evidence for interactions between molecular clouds and the external forces that may trigger star formation. Two types of possible triggers were revealed: (1) Collisions of the diffuse gas on the cloud surface, particularly at the eastern side of the OMC-2/3 region, and (2) Irradiation of UV on the pre-existing filaments and dense molecular cloud cores. Our wide-field and high-sensitivity imaging has provided the first comprehensive view of the potential sites of triggered star formation in the Orion-A GMC.

Extended abstract of a paper presented at Microscopy and Microanalysis 2009 in Richmond, Virginia, USA, July 26 – July 30, 2009

Leucaena leucocephala (Lam.) de Wit, a leguminous shrub, has come into use as a fodder plant for animals in the Ryukyu Islands as it provides highly palatable, high quality feed (Kitamura, 1985). It is superior to other feeds available in this regard (Higashiohmine, Aramoto & Yamashiro, 1971; Isa et al. 1982).

The process of target ablation induced by pulsed ion beams is investigated. The beam power density of 0.01–0.1 GW/cm2 is around the sublimation energy of the target material. The thickness of the layer to be removed from the target is estimated from the temperature distribution calculated numerically with a diffusion equation. The emitted particles are collected with C collectors, which are later subjected to RBS and SEM/EPMA analyses. It is found that ablated particles forming a film on the collector amount to only 10% of the target atoms within the maximum range of the ions, while a significant amount of the ablated material is observed as macroscopic particles with equivalent diameters up to several tens of micrometers. TOF measurements of the ablation plume together with RBS measurements of thin-film targets after irradiation suggest that the formation of the film is predominated by vaporization from the surface of the ablated mass, which is recondensed on the collector before completing the vaporization.

Plasmodium falciparum thymidylate kinase (PfTMK) can tolerate a range of substrates, which distinguishes it from other thymidylate kinases. The enzyme not only phosphorylates TMP and dUMP but can also tolerate bulkier purines, namely, dGMP, GMP, and dIMP. In order to probe the flexibility of PfTMK in accommodating ligands of various sizes, we developed 6 mutant enzymes and subjected these to thermodynamic, inhibitory and catalytic evaluation. Kinase activity was markedly affected by introducing a larger lysine residue instead of A111. The lack of the hydroxyl group after inducing mutation of Y107F affected enzyme activity, and had a more severe impact on dGMP kinase activity. PfTMK can be inhibited by both purine and pyrimidine nucleosides, raising the possibility of developing highly selective drugs. Thermodynamic analysis revealed that enthalpic forces govern both purine and pyrimidine nucleoside monophosphate binding, and the binding affinity of both substrates was highly comparable. The heat produced due to dGMP binding is lower than that attributable to TMP. This indicates that additional interactions occur with TMP, which may be lost with larger dGMP. Targeting PfTMK not only affects thymidine nucleotide synthesis but may also affect purine nucleotides, and thus the enzyme represents an attractive antimicrobial target.

Radiocarbon concentrations in the northernmost region of the Japan Sea were observed during the summer of 2002. The averaged surface δ14C (above 100 m depth) was 52 ± 8%, which is significantly higher compared with the values of the Pacific Ocean and Okhotsk Sea. The δ14C in the deep water decreased with density, and the minimum value was −70%. By analyzing 14C and other hydrographic data, we found that i) the Tsushima Warm Current Water reaches to the surface layer in the southern Tatarskiy Strait; ii) deep convection did not occur in the northernmost region, at least not after the winter of 2001–2002; and iii) the bottom water that was previously formed in this region may step down southward along the bottom slope and mix with the Japan Sea Bottom Water. Furthermore, a new water mass characterized by high salinity (>34.09 psu) was found in the subsurface layer in the area north of 46°N.

Summary

Background and objective: Although midazolam is commonly given orally to infants and small children for premedication, the taste is sometimes unacceptable even when mixed with syrup. We tested the efficacy and safety of oral fentanyl compared with oral midazolam in a randomized open-label study.

Methods: Fifty-one children, aged 12–107 months and weighing 10–25 kg, were randomly assigned to fentanyl or midazolam treatment groups. Midazolam (5 mg) or fentanyl (0.1 mg) was given orally from a small bottle with a small orifice 30 min before transfer to the preoperative holding room. The excitation–sedation conditions of the patients were assessed before and after general anaesthesia.

Results: The preoperative scores did not differ significantly between the two groups. No major complications were observed in either group. Postoperative vomiting occurred in 5 of 27 (18.5%) patients treated with oral fentanyl and in none of 24 of those treated with midazolam.

Conclusions: Oral administration of fentanyl 30 min before entrance to the holding room for an operation from a bottle with a small orifice is a premedication option for children between 1 and 8 yr of age.

Haplotype analysis is important for mapping traits. Recently, methods for estimating haplotype frequencies from genotypes of unrelated individuals based on the expectation-maximization (EM) algorithm have been developed. Our program estimates haplotype frequencies in the population and determines the posterior probability distribution of diplotype configuration (diplotype distribution) for each subject based on the estimated haplotype frequencies. Samples from three ethnic groups for the smoothelin gene (SMTN) and those from three Japanese groups for serum amyloid A genes (SAA@) were analyzed. The estimated diplotype distribution for each individual was concentrated, in most cases, in a single diplotype configuration. The diplotype configuration thus determined was the same as that determined in in vitro experiments, with one exception. Thus, the diplotype configurations determined using the estimated haplotype frequencies from unrelated individuals are reliable. Using this method, the risk of a subject developing a phenotype may be estimated from the diplotype distribution when the phenotype is associated with diplotype configurations.

GaN layers were grown on a (001) rutile TiO2 substrate by electron cyclotron resonance plasma-excited molecular beam epitaxy. For the first time, c-GaN with a preferential growth orientation was obtained. Based on the results from electron diffraction and X-ray diffraction analysis, we found that c-GaN with the growth direction of [110] was grown on the TiO2 substrate. The formation of c-GaN was also confirmed by cathodoluminescence, in which a luminescence peak was observed at 3.24eV.

We have made aperture synthesis observations of 2 mm continuum emission from the dust particles around pre-main-sequence stars with the Nobeyama Millimeter Array (NMA). We observed HL Tau, DO Tau, and GM Aur in the Taurus-Auriga dark clouds. By using the sparsest configuration of the NMA, we achieved a 1” resolution which corresponds to 140 AU at the region. As a result, we have resolved disklike structures toward all the objects. The flux densities and beam deconvolved sizes of the disks are 150 mJy and 1.12”x0.82” for HL Tau, 37 mJy and 0.79”x0.38” for DO Tau, and 31 mJy and 1.39” x0.76” for GM Aur. Using the disk sizes and the inclination angles which derived from our images and past studied SEDs, we determined the physical parameters of the disks.

The hypotensive and vasorelaxing peptides adrenomedullin (AM) and its gene-related peptide, proadrenomedullin N-terminal 20 peptide (PAMP), were found to be distributed on the surface of the colonic mucosa. AM and PAMP showed dose-dependent antimicrobial activity against E. coli. The results suggest that the novel vasoactive peptides AM and PAMP play an important role in mucosal defence. Experimental Physiology (2001) 86.5, 543-545.

In this paper we review studies aiming at elucidation of the mechanisms responsible for anomalously low pressure coefficients of the light emission energy, dEE/dP, observed in quantum structures of InGaN/GaN and GaN/AlGaN. We have established that in hexagonal InGaN/GaN and GaN/AlGaN structures the main mechanism involved is related to the pressure induced increase of the piezoelectric field which determines also the strong red shift of the emission energy with thickness of the quantum well. To reproduce the experimental findings in InGaN/GaN case, it is necessary to take into account the dependence of the piezoelectric constants on the volume-conserving strain. Whereas the experimental results on a decrease of dEE/dP in GaN/AlGaNstructures can be fully accounted for within the linear elasticity theory. In contrast to these findings, dEE/dP magnitude measured in cubic InGaN/GaN quantum structures shows value close to changes of the InGaN bangap with pressure obtained from first principle calculations. The latter result is consistent with the absence of the built-in electric fields in the cubic nitride structures.

Optical properties of fully-strained wurtzite and zincblende InxGa1-xN/GaN multiple quantum well (MQW) structures were compared to discuss the origin of exciton localization. In contrast to the hexagonal InGaN MQWs, the photoluminescence (PL) peak energy of cubic InGaN MQWs showed a moderate blueshift with decreasing well thickness, L, and low-temperature PL decay time of the cubic MQWs did not depend strongly on L. The results imply that the wavefunction overlap in cubic InGaN MQWs was not reduced compared to the hexagonal ones, since they do not suffer from the electric field normal to the QW plane due either to spontaneous or piezoelectric polarization. Both MQWs exhibited a large and composition-dependent bandgap bowing, and time-resolved PL (TR-PL) signals showed a stretched-exponential decay even at room temperature. The exciton localization is considered to be an intrinsic property of InGaN.