Koji Nakamura

Super-Kamiokande is the world's largest water Cherenkov detector, with net mass 50,000 tons. During the period April, 1996 to July, 2001, Super-Kamiokande I collected 1678 live-days of data, observing neutrinos from the Sun, Earth's atmosphere, and the K2K long-baseline neutrino beam with high efficiency. These data provided crucial information for our current understanding of neutrino oscillations, as well as setting stringent limits on nucleon decay. In this paper, we describe the detector in detail, including its site, configuration, data acquisition equipment, online and offline software, and calibration systems which were used during Super-Kamiokande I.

We have observed 277 fully contained events in the KAMIOKANDE detector. The number of electron-like single-prong events is in good agreement with the predictions of a Monte Carlo calculation based on atmospheric neutrino interactions in the detector. On the other hand, the number of muon-like single-prong events is 59±7% (statistical error) of the predicted number of the Monte Carlo calculation. We are unable to explain the data as the result of systematic detector effects or uncertainties in the atmospheric neutrino fluxes.

We present results for νμ oscillation in the KEK to Kamioka (K2K) long-baseline neutrino oscillation experiment. K2K uses an accelerator-produced νμ beam with a mean energy of 1.3 GeV directed at the Super-Kamiokande detector. We observed the energy-dependent disappearance of νμ, which we presume have oscillated to ντ. The probability that we would observe these results if there is no neutrino oscillation is 0.0050% (4.0σ).Received 9 November 2004DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.94.081802©2005 American Physical Society

A data sample of 1040 days from the Kamiokande II detector, consisting of subsamples of 450 days at electron-energy threshold Ee≥9.3 MeV and 590 days at Ee≥7.5 MeV, yields a clear directional correlation of the solar-neutrino-induced electron events with respect to the Sun and a measurement of the differential electron-energy distribution. These provide unequivocal evidence for the production of B8 by fusion in the Sun. The measured flux of B8 solar neutrinos from the two subsamples relative to a prediction of the standard solar model is 0.46±0.05(stat)±0.06(syst). The total data sample is tested for short-term time variation; within the statistical error, no significant variation is observed.Received 5 June 1990DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.65.1297©1990 American Physical Society

We present limits on sterile neutrino mixing using 4,438 live-days of atmospheric neutrino data from the Super-Kamiokande experiment. We search for fast oscillations driven by an eV2-scale mass splitting and for oscillations into sterile neutrinos instead of tau neutrinos at the atmospheric mass splitting. When performing both of these searches we assume that the sterile mass splitting is large, allowing sin2(Δm2L/4E) to be approximated as 0.5, and we assume that there is no mixing between electron neutrinos and sterile neutrinos (|Ue4|2=0). No evidence of sterile oscillations is seen and we limit |Uμ4|2 to less than 0.041 and |Uτ4|2 to less than 0.18 for Δm2>0.1 eV2 at the 90% C.L. in a 3+1 framework. The approximations that can be made with atmospheric neutrinos allow these limits to be easily applied to 3+N models, and we provide our results in a generic format to allow comparisons with other sterile neutrino models.5 MoreReceived 8 October 2014DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.91.052019© 2015 American Physical Society

Searches for possible day-night and semiannual variations of the $^{8}\mathrm{B}$ solar neutrino flux are reported based on 1040 days of Kamiokande-II data. Within statistical error, no such short-time variations were observed. The limit on the day-night difference sets a constraint on neutrino-oscillation parameters. A region defined by ${\mathrm{sin}}^{2}$2\ensuremath{\theta}>0.02 and 2\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}6}$\ensuremath{\lesssim}\ensuremath{\Delta}${\mathit{m}}^{2}$\ensuremath{\lesssim}${10}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}5}$ ${\mathrm{eV}}^{2}$ is excluded at 90% C.L. without any assumption on the absolute value of the expected solar neutrino flux.

We report the result from a search for charged-current coherent pion production induced by muon neutrinos with a mean energy of 1.3 GeV. The data are collected with a fully active scintillator detector in the K2K long-baseline neutrino oscillation experiment. No evidence for coherent pion production is observed, and an upper limit of is set on the cross section ratio of coherent pion production to the total charged-current interaction at 90% confidence level. This is the first experimental limit for coherent charged pion production in the energy region of a few GeV.

A search for the appearance of tau neutrinos from nu(mu) <--> nu(tau) oscillations in the atmospheric neutrinos has been performed using 1489.2 days of atmospheric neutrino data from the Super-Kamiokande-I experiment. A best fit tau neutrino appearance signal of 138+/-48(stat)-32(+15)(syst) events is obtained with an expectation of 78+/-26(syst). The hypothesis of no tau neutrino appearance is disfavored by 2.4 sigma.

We present a real-time supernova neutrino burst monitor at Super-Kamiokande (SK). Detecting supernova explosions by neutrinos in real time is crucial for giving a clear picture of the explosion mechanism. Since the neutrinos are expected to come earlier than light, a fast broadcasting of the detection may give astronomers a chance to make electromagnetic radiation observations of the explosions right at the onset. The role of the monitor includes a fast announcement of the neutrino burst detection to the world and a determination of the supernova direction. We present the online neutrino burst detection system and studies of the direction determination accuracy based on simulations at SK.

We have searched for nucleon decay signals using data from the KAMIOKANDE-II detector. No evidence for nucleon decay has been found. Limits on the nucleon partial lifetime for various decay modes are obtained combining KAMIOKANDE-I and -II data (3.76 kt yr in total). The background subtracted limits at 90% CL range from 0.1×1032yr to 2.6×1032yr depending on the decay modes. For the decay modes p→e+π0, p→vK+ and n→vK0, the limits are 2.6×1032yr, 1.0×1032yr and 0.9×1032yr, respectively.

Abstract A monolithic silicon pixel prototype produced for the MONOLITH ERC Advanced project was irradiated with 70 MeV protons up to a fluence of 1 × 10 16 1 MeV n eq /cm 2 . The ASIC contains a matrix of hexagonal pixels with 100 μm pitch, readout by low-noise and very fast SiGe HBT frontend electronics. Wafers with 50 μm thick epilayer with a resistivity of 350 Ωcm were used to produce a fully depleted sensor. Laboratory tests conducted with a 90 Sr source show that the detector works satisfactorily after irradiation. The signal-to-noise ratio is not seen to change up to fluence of 6 × 10 14 n eq /cm 2 . The signal time jitter was estimated as the ratio between the voltage noise and the signal slope at threshold. At -35°C, sensor bias voltage of 200 V and frontend power consumption of 0.9 W/cm 2 , the time jitter of the most-probable signal amplitude was estimated to be σ t 90 Sr = 21 ps for proton fluence up to 6 × 10 14 n eq /cm 2 and 57 ps at 1 × 10 16 n eq /cm 2 . Increasing the sensor bias to 250 V and the analog voltage of the preamplifier from 1.8 to 2.0 V provides a time jitter of 40 ps at 1 × 10 16 n eq /cm 2 .

We have been developing a novel radiation-tolerant n+-in-p silicon microstrip sensor for very high radiation environments, aiming for application in the high luminosity large hadron collider. The sensors are fabricated in 6 in., p-type, float-zone wafers, where large-area strip sensor designs are laid out together with a number of miniature sensors. Radiation tolerance has been studied with ATLAS07 sensors and with independent structures. The ATLAS07 design was developed into new ATLAS12 designs. The ATLAS12A large-area sensor is made towards an axial strip sensor and the ATLAS12M towards a stereo strip sensor. New features to the ATLAS12 sensors are two dicing lines: standard edge space of 910 μm and slim edge space of 450 μm, a gated punch-through protection structure, and connection of orphan strips in a triangular corner of stereo strips. We report the design of the ATLAS12 layouts and initial measurements of the leakage current after dicing and the resistivity of the wafers.

Labor productivity growth in major advanced countries has been experiencing a slowdown in recent years. This paper examines the background of recent low labor productivity growth in Japan. There are two reasons behind the productivity slowdown in Japan. First, technology and ideas accumulated by research and development (R&D) as well as management resources such as capital and labor are not utilized efficiently. Second, these resources are not efficiently reallocated across corporations. In order to improve Japan's productivity in the medium to long-term, it is desirable to encourage the flexible reallocation of management resources such as capital and labor by changing working process at the corporate level in accordance with changes in the socio-economic environment and the advent of new technologies, as well as by improving efficiency in the labor and capital markets.

Abstract We present measurements of AC-LGADs performed at the Fermilab's test beam facility using 120 GeV protons. We studied the performance of various strip and pad AC-LGAD sensors that were produced by BNL and HPK. The measurements are performed with our upgraded test beam setup that utilizes a high precision telescope tracker, and a simultaneous readout of up to 7 channels per sensor, which allows detailed studies of signal sharing characteristics. These measurements allow us to assess the differences in designs between different manufacturers, and optimize them based on experimental performance. We then study several reconstruction algorithms to optimize position and time resolutions that utilize the signal sharing properties of each sensor. We present a world's first demonstration of silicon sensors in a test beam that simultaneously achieve better than 6–10 μm position and 30 ps time resolution. This represents a substantial improvement to the spatial resolution than would be obtained with binary readout of sensors with similar pitch.

Neutral current single pi0 production induced by neutrinos with a mean energy of 1.3 GeV is measured at a 1000 ton water Cherenkov detector as a near detector of the K2K long baseline neutrino experiment. The cross section for this process relative to the total charged current cross section is measured to be 0.064 +- 0.001 (stat.) +- 0.007 (sys.). The momentum distribution of produced pi0s is measured and is found to be in good agreement with an expectation from the present knowledge of the neutrino cross sections.

KamLAND-Zen reports on a preliminary search for neutrinoless double-beta decay with 136Xe based on 114.8 live-days after the purification of the xenon loaded liquid scintillator. In this data, the problematic 110mAg background peak identified in previous searches is reduced by more than a factor of 10. By combining the KamLAND-Zen pre- and post-purification data, we obtain a preliminary lower limit on the 0νββ decay half-life of T1/20ν>2.6×1025 yr at 90% C.L. The search sensitivity will be enhanced with additional low background data after the purification. Prospects for further improvements with future KamLAND-Zen upgrades are also presented.

AC-LGADs, also referred to as resistive silicon detectors, are a recent development of low-gain avalanche detectors (LGADs), based on a sensor design where the multiplication layer and n+ contact are continuous, and only the metal layer is patterned. In AC-LGADs, the signal is capacitively coupled from the continuous, resistive n+ layer over a dielectric to the metal electrodes. Therefore, the spatial resolution is not only influenced by the electrode pitch, but also the relative size of the metal electrodes. Signal propagation between the metallized areas and charge sharing between electrodes plays a larger role in these detectors than in conventional silicon sensors read out in DC mode. AC-LGADs from two manufacturers were studied in beam tests and with infrared laser scans. The impact of n+ layer resistivity and metal electrode pitch on the charge sharing and achievable position resolution is shown. For strips with 100 μm pitch, a resolution of ¡ 5 μm can be reached. The charge sharing between neighboring strips is investigated in more detail, indicating the induction of signal charge and subsequent re-sharing over the n+ layer. Furthermore, an approach to identify signal sharing over large distances is presented.

We describe the construction and performance of a scintillating fiber detector used in the near detector for the K2K (KEK to Kamioka, KEK E362) long baseline neutrino oscillation experiment. The detector uses 3.7 m long and 0.692 mm diameter scintillating fiber coupled to image-intensifier tubes (IIT), and a CCD camera readout system. Fiber sheet production and detector construction began in 1997, and the detector was commissioned in March, 1999. Results from the first K2K runs confirm good initial performance : position resolution is estimated to be about 0.8 mm, and track finding efficiency is $98 \pm 2$ % for long tracks (i.e., those which intersect more than 5 fiber planes). The hit efficiency was estimated to be $92 \pm 2$ % using cosmic-ray muons, after noise reduction at the offline stage. The possibility of using the detector for particle identification is also discussed.

We report the development of a proton identification method for the Super-Kamiokande (SK) detector. This new tool is applied to the search for events with a single proton track, a high purity neutral current sample of interest for sterile neutrino searches. After selection using a neural network, we observe 38 events in the combined SK-I and SK-II data corresponding to 22 85.1 days of exposure, with an estimated signal-to-background ratio of 1.6 to 1. Proton identification was also applied to a direct search for charged-current quasielastic (CCQE) events, obtaining a high precision sample of fully kinematically reconstructed atmospheric neutrinos, which has not been previously reported in water Cherenkov detectors. The CCQE fraction of this sample is 55%, and its neutrino (as opposed to antineutrino) fraction is $91.7\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}3%$. We selected $78\ensuremath{\mu}$-like and 47 $e$-like events in the SK-I and SK-II data set. With this data, a clear zenith angle distortion of the neutrino direction itself is reported in a sub-GeV sample of $\ensuremath{\mu}$ neutrinos where the lepton angular correlation to the incoming neutrino is weak. Our fit to ${\ensuremath{\nu}}_{\ensuremath{\mu}}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{\ensuremath{\nu}}_{\ensuremath{\tau}}$ oscillations using the neutrino $\frac{L}{E}$ distribution of the CCQE sample alone yields a wide acceptance region compatible with our previous results and excludes the no-oscillation hypothesis at 3-sigma.

The ATLAS group has evaluated the charge collection in silicon microstrip sensors irradiated up to a fluence of 1×1016 neq/cm2, exceeding the maximum of 1.6×1015 neq/cm2 expected for the strip tracker during the high luminosity LHC (HL-LHC) period including a safety factor of 2. The ATLAS12, n+-on-p type sensor, which is fabricated by Hamamatsu Photonics (HPK) on float zone (FZ) substrates, is the latest barrel sensor prototype. The charge collection from the irradiated 1×1 cm2 barrel test sensors has been evaluated systematically using penetrating β-rays and an Alibava readout system. The data obtained at different measurement sites are compared with each other and with the results obtained from the previous ATLAS07 design. The results are very consistent, in particular, when the deposit charge is normalized by the sensor's active thickness derived from the edge transient current technique (edge-TCT) measurements. The measurements obtained using β-rays are verified to be consistent with the measurements using an electron beam. The edge-TCT is also effective for evaluating the field profiles across the depth. The differences between the irradiated ATLAS07 and ATLAS12 samples have been examined along with the differences among the samples irradiated with different radiation sources: neutrons, protons, and pions. The studies of the bulk properties of the devices show that the devices can yield a sufficiently large signal for the expected fluence range in the HL-LHC, thereby acting as precision tracking sensors.

A search was made for anomalous γ-rays in the energy range 19 and 50 MeV in the large underground water Cherenkov detector Kamiokande. We found no significant excess above the known backgrounds. The result was used to set a limit on invisible nucleon decay through n→νμνμνμ, n→νeνeνe and n→ντντντ. A lower limit on the partial life time τB is given by τB/Br(γ)=1.8×1031 yr(90% CL), where Br(γ)=Γγ/Γtot is the branching fraction of the γ-decay to the particle emission of the deexcitation of 15O∗. The life time limit becomes τB=4.9×1026 yr(90% CL) for a conservative estimate of Br(γ)=2.7×10−5 assuming a nuclear single particle model. The result was also used for studying forbidden transitions in the 16O nucleus. The limit for the relative strength of the forbidden transition to the normal transition is <2.3×10−57 (90% CL).

We have searched for possible high-energy neutrino signals expected from massive neutrino dark matter captured by the earth and the sun, by making use of upward-going muon samples collected in the seven years of operation of the Kamiokande detector. No excess of events was found from the earth or the sun, thus giving an excluded mass range of Dirac-(Majorana-) type neutrinos, 6 (24) ⩽mν⩽ several hundred GeV, as the dark matter which consitutes the halo of the galaxy. The upper bounds extend to a mass range never before analyzed in previous indirect searches.

Tenuipesine A (1), a novel trichothecane with an unprecedented carbon-migrated skeleton that embodies of a cyclopropane ring, was isolated from cultivated fruiting bodies of Paecilomyces tenuipes (Isaria japonica), a popular entomopathogenic fungi employed in folk medicine and health foods in China, Korea, and Japan. The structure was determined on the basis of two-dimensional NMR data. Its stereochemistry was elucidated by spectroscopic data and the chemical transformation of the coexisting trichothecene, 4beta-acetoxy-12,13-epoxytrichothec-9-ene-3alpha,15-diol (2). [structure: see text]

We study a class of models in which the Higgs pair production is enhanced at hadron colliders by an extra neutral scalar. The scalar particle is produced by the gluon fusion via a loop of new colored particles, and decays into di-Higgs through its mixing with the Standard Model Higgs. Such a colored particle can be the top/bottom partner, such as in the dilaton model, or a colored scalar which can be triplet, sextet, octet, etc., called leptoquark, diquark, coloron, etc., respectively. We examine the experimental constraints from the latest Large Hadron Collider (LHC) data, and discuss the future prospects of the LHC and the Future Circular Collider up to 100 TeV. We also point out that the $$2.4\,\sigma $$ excess in the $$b \bar{b} \gamma \gamma $$ final state reported by the ATLAS experiment can be interpreted as the resonance of the neutral scalar at 300 GeV.

The detectors with $\mathcal{O}$(10) $\mu$m spatial resolution and $\mathcal{O}$(10) ps timing resolution construct powerful particle trackers for future hadron or lepton collider experiments. LGAD: Low-Gain-Avalanche-Diode is a semiconductor detector technology to improve timing resolution. Capacitive Coupled LGAD (AC-LGAD) detectors have been developed with HPK in order to meet both spatial and timing resolution requirements. Prototype samples with finely segmented electrodes have been produced and tested with various sensor fabrication parameters: doping concentrations, active thickness and electrode coupling capacitance. Timing resolution and signal height were evaluated with beta-ray. As a result, 100 $\mu$m pitch pixel detector has been successfully developed achieving a good signal to noise ratio and 30 ps timing resolution for beta-ray. The detectors have to meet radiation hardness requirements as well. Radiation hardness of LGAD detectors has to be improved to use the detectors as inner trackers for hadron colliders. One of the major mechanisms of radiation damage of LGAD detectors is acceptor removal: shallow dopants in the gain layer of LGAD detectors are reduced by radiation damage. Two novel ideas are tested on effectiveness of delaying the acceptor removal.

Samples of the monolithic silicon pixel ASIC prototype produced in 2022 within the framework of the Horizon 2020 MONOLITH ERC Advanced project were irradiated with 70 MeV protons up to a fluence of 1 x 1016 neq/cm2, and then tested using a beam of 120 GeV/c pions. The ASIC contains a matrix of 100 \mu m pitch hexagonal pixels, readout out by low noise and very fast frontend electronics produced in a 130 nm SiGe BiCMOS technology process. The dependence on the proton fluence of the efficiency and the time resolution of this prototype was measured with the frontend electronics operated at a power density between 0.13 and 0.9 W/cm2. The testbeam data show that the detection efficiency of 99.8% measured at sensor bias voltage of 200 V before irradiation becomes 96.5% after a fluence of 1 x 1016 neq/cm2. An increase of the sensor bias voltage to 300 V provides an efficiency to 99.5% at that proton fluence. The timing resolution of 20 ps measured before irradiation rises for a proton fluence of 1 x 1016 neq/cm2 to 48 and 44 ps at HV = 200 and 300 V, respectively.

A muon range detector (MRD) has been constructed as a near detector for the KEK-to-Kamioka long-baseline neutrino experiment (K2K). It monitors the neutrino beam properties at the near site by measuring the energy, angle and production point of muons produced by charged-current neutrino interaction. The detector has been working stably since the start of the K2K experiment.

TheTADAlafil treatment for Fetuses with early-onset growth Restriction: multicentrer, randomizsed, phase II trial (TADAFER II) study showed the possibility of prolonging the pregnancy period in cases of early-onset fetal growth restriction; however, it was an open-label study. To establish further evidence for the efficacy of tadalafil in this setting, we planned a multicentre, randomised, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial.This trial will be conducted in 180 fetuses with fetal growth restriction enrolled from medical centres in Japan; their mothers will be randomised into three groups: arm A, receiving two times per day placebo; arm B, receiving one time per day 20 mg tadalafil and one time per day placebo and arm C, receiving 20 mg two times per day tadalafil. The primary endpoint is the prolongation of gestational age at birth, defined as days from the first day of the protocol-defined treatment to birth. To minimise bias in terms of fetal baseline conditions and timing of delivery, a fetal indication for delivery as in TADAFER II will be established in this trial. The investigator will evaluate fetal baseline conditions at enrolment and decide the timing of delivery based on this indication.This study has been approved by Mie University Hospital Clinical Research Review Board on 22 July 2019 (S2018-007). Written informed consent will be obtained from all mothers before recruitment. Our findings will be widely disseminated through peer-reviewed publications.jRCTs041190065.

The upgrade to the High-Luminosity LHC foreseen in about ten years represents a great challenge for the ATLAS inner tracker and the silicon strip sensors in the forward region. Several strip sensor designs were developed by the ATLAS collaboration and fabricated by Hamamatsu in order to maintain enough performance in terms of charge collection efficiency and its uniformity throughout the active region. Of particular attention, in the case of a stereo-strip sensor, is the area near the sensor edge where shorter strips were ganged to the complete ones. In this work the electrical and charge collection test results on irradiated miniature sensors with forward geometry are presented. Results from charge collection efficiency measurements show that at the maximum expected fluence, the collected charge is roughly halved with respect to the one obtained prior to irradiation. Laser measurements show a good signal uniformity over the sensor. Ganged strips have a similar efficiency as standard strips.

The "ATLAS ITk Strip Sensor Collaboration" R&D group has developed a second iteration of single-sided n+-in-p type micro-strip sensors for use in the tracker upgrade of the ATLAS experiment at the High-Luminosity (HL) LHC. The full size sensors measure approximately 97×97mm2 and are designed for tolerance against the 1.1×1015neq/cm2 fluence expected at the HL-LHC. Each sensor has 4 columns of 1280 individual 23.9mm long channels, arranged at 74.5μm pitch. Four batches comprising 120 sensors produced by Hamamatsu Photonics were evaluated for their mechanical, and electrical bulk and strip characteristics. Optical microscopy measurements were performed to obtain the sensor surface profile. Leakage current and bulk capacitance properties were measured for each individual sensor. For sample strips across the sensor batches, the inter-strip capacitance and resistance as well as properties of the punch-through protection structure were measured. A multi-channel probecard was used to measure leakage current, coupling capacitance and bias resistance for each individual channel of 100 sensors in three batches. The compiled results for 120 unirradiated sensors are presented in this paper, including summary results for almost 500,000 strips probed. Results on the reverse bias voltage dependence of various parameters and frequency dependence of tested capacitances are included for validation of the experimental methods used. Comparing results with specified values, almost all sensors fall well within specification.

Abstract The high-luminosity upgrade of the Large Hadron Collider, scheduled to become operational in 2029, requires the replacement of the ATLAS Inner Detector with a new all-silicon Inner Tracker. Radiation hard n + -in-p micro-strip silicon sensors were developed by the ATLAS Inner Tracker strip collaboration and are produced by Hamamatsu Photonics K.K. Production of the total amount of 22000 strip sensors has started in 2020 and will continue until 2025. The ATLAS strip sensor collaboration has the responsibility to monitor the quality of the fabricated devices by performing detailed measurements of individual sensor characteristics and by comparing the obtained results with the tests done by the manufacturer. Dedicated Quality Control procedures were developed to check whether the delivered large-format sensors adhere to the ATLAS specifications. The institutes performing the Quality Control testing of the pre-production and production ATLAS ITk strip sensors had to initially be qualified for multiple high-throughput tests by successfully completing the Site Qualification process. The Quality Control procedures and the qualification process are described in this paper.

For the ATLAS detector upgrade for the high luminosity LHC (HL-LHC), an n-in-p planar pixel sensor-module is being developed with HPK. The modules were irradiated at the Cyclotron RadioIsotope Center (CYRIC) using 70 MeV protons. For the irradiation, a novel irradiation box has been designed that carries 16 movable slots to irradiate the samples slot-by-slot independently, to reduce the time for replacing the samples by hand, thus reducing the irradiation to human body. The box can be moved horizontally and vertically to scan the samples for a maximum area of 11 cm × 11 cm. Tests were subsequently carried out with beam at CERN by using 120 GeV pions and at DESY with 4 GeV electrons. We describe the analyses of the testbeam data of the KEK/HPK sensor-modules, focussing on the comparison of the performance of old and new designs of pixel structures, together with a reference of the simplest design (no biasing structure). The novel design has shown comparably good performance as the no-structure design in detecting passing-through charged particles.

Two sets of rainfall records previously published by Indonesian institutions were summarized to examine regional difference and seasonality of rainfall in Java, especially sites in and around Bogor.

Low-gain avalanche detectors (LGADs) are attractive because of their fast response to realize a 4-dimensional (4D) tracker in future experiments in high energy physics and other applications. We fabricated LGAD diodes and strip sensors. Their responses before and after irradiation to gamma rays or neutrons were evaluated with light-emitting diodes (LEDs) of various wave lengths and with an infrared laser. The sensors showed a gain of more than 10 before irradiation. Little reduction of gain was observed with gamma irradiation. A substantial reduction of gain was observed after neutron irradiation. A gain increase observed in the interstrip region after neutron irradiation, whereas the gain was equal to one before irradiation.

We have developed n+-in-p pixel sensors to obtain highly radiation tolerant sensors for extremely high radiation environments such as those found at the high-luminosity LHC. We have designed novel pixel structures to eliminate the sources of efficiency loss under the bias rails after irradiation by removing the bias rail out of the boundary region and routing the bias resistors inside the area of the pixel electrodes. After irradiation by protons with the fluence of approximately 3×1015neq/cm2, the pixel structure with the polysilicon bias resistor and the bias rails removed far away from the boundary shows an efficiency loss of <0.5% per pixel at the boundary region, which is as efficient as the pixel structure without a biasing structure. The pixel structure with the bias rails at the boundary and the widened p-stop's underneath the bias rail also exhibits an improved loss of approximately 1% per pixel at the boundary region. We have elucidated the physical mechanisms behind the efficiency loss under the bias rail with TCAD simulations. The efficiency loss is due to the interplay of the bias rail acting as a charge collecting electrode with the region of low electric field in the silicon near the surface at the boundary. The region acts as a “shield” for the electrode. After irradiation, the strong applied electric field nearly eliminates the region. The TCAD simulations have shown that wide p-stop and large Si–SiO2 interface charge (inversion layer, specifically) act to shield the weighting potential. The pixel sensor of the old design irradiated by γ-rays at 2.4 MGy is confirmed to exhibit only a slight efficiency loss at the boundary.

Authors have been studying Fluency Information Theory that generalizes Shannon’s sampling theorem and its applications. Among the practical application of the research, the Fluency DAC that is developed as the Digital-to-analog converter for CD audio could have received objective valuation including receipt Golden Sound Award in 1988. In recent, DVD-Audio that deal with maximum sampling rate of 192 kHz has appeared. Due to the introduction of DVD audio that requires four times the sampling rate of nowadays CD audio, the request for developing a new Fluency DAC for DVD audio was initiated. From such requirements, the research for developing the Fluency DAC for DVD-Audio has been started. The result of the research could revive awards in local contest in Japan audio apparatus at 2000 and 2001. As the initial report on our project in developing the Fluency DAC that is capable of dealing with a maximum sampling rate of 192kHz, in this paper we aimed to derive the sampling function that acts as the impulse response for such a D/A converter.

A Low Gain Avalanche Diode (LGAD) is a semiconductor device that amplifies signals inside a sensor, using an avalanche mechanism. As the charge multiplication occurs within a thin p–n junction and the sensor can be made thin, it can achieve a superior time resolution. For example, a resolution of 30 ps was obtained in our previous beam-test study. In combination with the excellent 3-D spatial information achievable by semiconductor devices, we are aiming to develop a 4-D detector. Although high-energy beams are extremely useful for evaluating the time resolution of LGADs, desktop measurement systems are also helpful for the swift evaluation of LGAD samples under development. Therefore, we are developing a time measurement system using β-rays from a 90Sr source. We have obtained a slightly degraded time resolution than the beam-test results, but the system is found to be useful for our development. In the development of 4-D detectors, the readout needs to be finely segmented (to sub-100μm) while maintaining a uniform gain over the wider area, and a high fill factor. One such device with the required segmentation is the AC-LGAD, in which the gain layer is implanted over the entire sensor area, and the signal is read out via segmented AC pads interleaved with an insulating layer. Several AC-LGAD structures were created in a TCAD simulation, and the optimal sensor design parameters were extracted.

The K2K long-baseline neutrino oscillation experiment uses a Scintillating Fiber Detector (SciFi) to reconstruct charged particles produced in neutrino interactions in the near detector. We describe the track reconstruction algorithm and the performance of the SciFi after 3 years of operation.

The silicon microstrip detector type with n+ readout fabricated on p bulk, n+-on-p, is a candidate to be operational in radiation environments much severer than in LHC. We characterized n+-on-p detectors which were irradiated up to 1.1×1014protons/cm2 10 years ago. The noise level and charge collection were evaluated using the ATLAS SCT readout electronics system. Radiation-induced increase in the noise and loss in the charge collection are not significant. The charge collection is not degraded in any particular point in the inter-strip region when the detector is operated under partial depletion.

A small set of final prototypes of the ATLAS Inner Detector silicon tracking system (Pixel Detector and SemiConductor Tracker), were used to take data during the 2004 Combined Test Beam. Data were collected from runs with beams of different flavour (electrons, pions, muons and photons) with a momentum range of 2 to 180 GeV/c. Four independent methods were used to align the silicon modules. The corrections obtained were validated using the known momenta of the beam particles and were shown to yield consistent results among the different alignment approaches. From the residual distributions, it is concluded that the precision attained in the alignment of the silicon modules is of the order of 5 μm in their most precise coordinate.

Sampling functions are used to reconstruct an analog signal from a set of sampled values obtained by digitizing the signal in the field of multimedia communications such as audio processing, image processing, and so on. However, conventional sampling functions are not useful for reconstructing television signals with high-speed processing, because they are not compactly supported. This paper proposes practical new sampling functions which are compactly supported.

In digital signal processing, a method for obtaining the output signal by convoluting sampled-values as an input signal with the sampling functions which are typical impulse responses is usually used to reconstruct multimedia signals such as audio, images, and movies. In our past research, we have researched about generalizing sampling functions including Shannon's sampling functions and their application. Especially, the sampling functions of degree 2, with only one time continuously differentiability, have been able to demonstrate their practicality for some systems such as CD-Player and DTP systems. On the other hand, signals which are dealt with in the recent multimedia communication field, tend to be high sampling rate signals such as DVD-Audio with maximum sampling rate of 192 kHz. Therefore, the conventional sampling function whose oscillation follows to infinity is not practical for reproducing these signals that require high speed processing. We derive the compactly supported sampling functions of degree 2 that are applicable to reproducing DVD-Audio with maximum sampling rate of 192 kHz.

This paper summarizes recent discussion on labor productivity which is the source of medium- to long-term economic growth and observes the characteristics of recent productivity developments using relevant statistical data. Furthermore, the paper examines the background of recent Japan's low labor productivity growth and analyzes issues regarding Japan's sustainable growth.Labor productivity in major advanced countries has been experiencing a slowdown in recent years. This is mainly affected by the slowdown of Total Factor Productivity (TFP). In Japan, there are two reasons behind the slowdown: first, technology and ideas accumulated by research and development (RD and second, these resources are not efficiently reallocated among corporations.In order to improve Japan's productivity in the medium to long-term, it is desirable to encourage the flexible reallocation of management resources such as capital and labor by changing working process at the corporate level in accordance with changes in the socio-economic environment and the advent of new technologies, as well as by improving efficiency in the labor and capital markets.

Design of a Segmented LGAD SensorSayaka Wada and U.

Silicon semiconductor detector technology has been adopted in experiments using the high-luminosity upgrade of the CERN Large Hadron Collider (HL-LHC), to perform precision tracking in the inner region surrounding the collision point, where the traversing particle fluence reaches 1×1016 1-MeV neq∕cm2. In the future, hadron colliders should provide even higher luminosities for rare physics searches, with detectors that exhibit even better radiation hardness. Fabricated by Hamamatsu Photonics, n+-in-p microstrip detectors developed for the HL-LHC were irradiated with 70 MeV protons up to a fluence of 1017neq∕cm2, and the changes in the characteristics were evaluated to estimate the performance and possible improvements in the design of the silicon detector for future experiments. The characterization was conducted based on the methods developed for the characterization of the ATLAS Inner Tracker strip sensors; the charge collection measured with penetrating 90Sr β-rays, the interstrip capacitance and aluminum strip resistance, the poly-silicon bias resistance, the implant strip resistance, and the punch-through protection.

Capacitively-coupled Low-Gain Avalanche Diode (AC-LGAD) sensors are being developed for high-energy particle physics experiments as a detector which provides fast time information with fine spatial resolution. This paper describes optimizations of AC-LGAD sensor fabrication parameters, such as doping concentrations of the gain and electrode layers as well as the AC insulator capacitance, to realize O(10) μm spatial resolution, small charge cross talk to the neighboring electrodes, detection efficiency higher than 99% at a 10−4 noise rate and time resolution of about 30 ps. The radiation tolerance of the sensor is presented. In addition, further application to a device capable of visible and infra-red light detection is discussed.

The High-Luminosity LHC upgrade necessitates a complete replacement of the ATLAS Inner Detector with a larger all-silicon tracker.The strip portion of it covers 165 m 2 area, afforded by the strip sensors.Following several prototype iterations and a successful pre-production, a full-scale production started in 2021, to finish in 2025.It will include about 21,000 wafers and a factor of 5 higher throughput than pre-production, with about 500 sensors produced and tested per month.The transition to production stressed the need to evaluate the results from the Quality Control (QC) and Quality Assurance (QA) tests quickly to meet the monthly delivery schedule.The test data come from 15 collaborating institutes, therefore a highly distributed system with standardized interfaces was required.Specialized software layers of QA and QC Python code were developed against the backend of the ITk database (DB) for this purpose.The developments included particularities and special needs of the Strip Sensors community, such as the large variety of different test devices and test types, the necessary test formats, and different workflows at the test sites.Special attention was paid to techniques facilitating the development and user operations, for example creation of "parallel" sets of dummy DB objects for practice purposes, iterative verification of operability, and the automatic upload of test data.The scalability concerns and automation of the data handling were included in the system architecture from the very inception.The full suite of functionalities includes data integrity checks, data processing to extract and evaluate key parameters, cross-test comparisons, and summary reporting for continuous monitoring.We will also describe the lessons learned and the necessary evolution of the system.

In the ATLAS detector upgrade for the High-Luminosity LHC (HL-LHC), the current Inner Detector will be replaced with an all-silicon Inner Tracker (ITk), to operate under higher occupancy (instantaneous luminosity 7.5 × 10 34 cm -2 s -1 , which corresponds to about 200 inelastic pp collisions per bunch crossing) and radiation damage (particle fluence up to 2 × 10 16 n eq /cm 2 ).The data taking is planned to start in 2029 and last for 10 years.The innermost part of the ITk will be equipped with pixel modules, consisting of pixel sensors and novel ASICs, implemented in 65 nm CMOS technology.The ITk project is currently in pre-production stage.To assure that specifications will be met during production, sensors and test structures from different vendors were sent to different sites for irradiation, hybridisation and follow-up testing.This paper presents the results of the characterisation of the pre-production planar sensor for ITk.

&lt;div&gt;Abstract&lt;p&gt;The prolongation of progression-free survival (PFS) in patients with advanced ovarian cancer by antiangiogenic therapy has been shown in several clinical trials. However, although an anti-VEGF antibody (bevacizumab) is the only option currently available, its efficacy is limited and it is not cost effective for use in all patients. Therefore, the development of a novel antiangiogenic drug, especially composed of small-molecule compounds, could be a powerful armament for ovarian cancer treatment. As NF-κB signaling has the potential to regulate VEGF expression, we determined to identify whether VEGF expression is associated with NF-κB activation and to investigate the possibility of a novel IKKβ inhibitor, IMD-0354 (IMMD Inc.), as an antiangiogenic drug. Tissue microarrays from 94 ovarian cancer tissues were constructed and immunohistochemical analyses performed. We revealed that IKK phosphorylation is an independent prognostic factor (PFS: 26.1 vs. 49.8 months, &lt;i&gt;P&lt;/i&gt; = 0.011), and is positively correlated with high VEGF expression. In &lt;i&gt;in vitro&lt;/i&gt; analyses, IMD-0354 robustly inhibited adhesive and invasive activities of ovarian cancer cells without impairing cell viabilities. IMD-0354 significantly suppressed VEGF production from cancer cells, which led to the inhibition of angiogenesis. In a xenograft model, the treatment of IMD-0354 significantly inhibited peritoneal dissemination with a marked reduction of intratumoral blood vessel formation followed by the inhibition of VEGF expression from cancer cells. IMD-0354 is a stable small-molecule drug and has already been administered safely to humans in other trials. Antiangiogenic therapy targeting IKKβ is a potential future option to treat ovarian cancer. &lt;i&gt;Mol Cancer Ther; 14(4); 909–19. ©2015 AACR&lt;/i&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/div&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Supplementary Figure 1. MMP-9 activity is involved in EOC invasion through HPMC. Supplementary Figure 2. Inhibition of exosome secretion attenuates CD44 uptake by HPMCs and suppresses TYK-nu cell invasion. Supplementary Figure 3. Inhibition of exosome uptake attenuates CD44 expression in HPMCs. Supplementary Figure 4. Immunofluorescent analyses. Supplementary Figure 5. Not only CD44 but MMP-9 are strongly expressed in peritoneal mesothelial cells interacting with ovarian cancer cells. Supplementary Figure 6. Acquisition of CD44 of mouse omental tissues from ovarian cancer cells is dose-dependent. Supplementary Table 1. Clinical characteristics of ovarian cancer patients with stage III-IV consecutively treated at Osaka University Hospital between 2011 and 2015.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;div&gt;Abstract&lt;p&gt;Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) cells metastasize within the peritoneal cavity and directly encounter human peritoneal mesothelial cells (HPMC) as the initial step of metastasis. The contact between ovarian cancer cells and the single layer of mesothelial cells involves direct communications that modulate cancer progression but the mechanisms are unclear. One candidate mediating cell–cell communications is exosomes, 30–100 nm membrane vesicles of endocytic origin, through the cell–cell transfer of proteins, mRNAs, or microRNAs. Therefore, the goal was to mechanistically characterize how EOC-derived exosomes modulate metastasis. Exosomes from ovarian cancer cells were fluorescently labeled and cocultured with HPMCs which internalized the exosomes. Upon exosome uptake, HPMCs underwent a change in cellular morphology to a mesenchymal, spindle phenotype. CD44, a cell surface glycoprotein, was found to be enriched in the cancer cell–derived exosomes, transferred, and internalized to HPMCs, leading to high levels of CD44 in HPMCs. This increased CD44 expression in HPMCs promoted cancer invasion by inducing the HPMCs to secrete MMP9 and by cleaning the mesothelial barrier for improved cancer cell invasion. When CD44 expression was knocked down in cancer cells, exosomes had fewer effects on HPMCs. The inhibition of exosome release from cancer cells blocked CD44 internalization in HPMCs and suppressed ovarian cancer invasion. In ovarian cancer omental metastasis, positive CD44 expression was observed in those mesothelial cells that directly interacted with cancer cells, whereas CD44 expression was negative in the mesothelial cells remote from the invading edge. This study indicates that ovarian cancer–derived exosomes transfer CD44 to HPMCs, facilitating cancer invasion.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Implications:&lt;/b&gt; Mechanistic insight from the current study suggests that therapeutic targeting of exosomes may be beneficial in treating ovarian cancer. &lt;i&gt;Mol Cancer Res; 15(1); 78–92. ©2016 AACR&lt;/i&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/div&gt;

Abstract CUB domain containing protein 1 (CDCP1) is a single transmembrane protein that is highly expressed in a broad range of solid cancers, including lung, breast, colorectal, pancreas, prostate, and ovarian cancers. Although no soluble ligand for CDCP1 is known, CDCP1 transduces signals resulting in cancer cell motility, epithelial mesenchymal transition, and metastasis by activating downstream signaling via homodimerization or heterodimerization with other cell surface molecules such as EGFR, HER2, and ITGB1. Owing to its important roles in cancer, CDCP1 has been reported as a promising therapeutic target for the treatment of solid cancers. While it is overexpressed in many of the abovementioned solid cancer types, several normal tissues such as esophagus, skin, and bone marrow hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) also express CDCP1. To minimize the risk of toxicity, we generated novel anti-CDCP1 antibodies that bind weakly to bone marrow HSCs. Three isolated anti-CDCP1 monoclonal antibodies and their humanized versions showed weak binding to HSCs compared to other anti-CDCP1 antibodies reported from other groups. Although they only showed moderate binding activity to cancer cell lines, rapid internalization and efficient lysosomal trafficking was observed following CDCP1 binding. Subsequently, we generated antibody drug conjugates (ADCs) of the 3 anti-CDCP1 antibodies using PBD, MMAE, and MMAF as a cytotoxic payload with both a cleavable and non-cleavable linker. All constructed ADCs showed strong anti-tumor activity in multiple cancer cell lines in vitro. The cytotoxic activities of these ADCs were correlated to CDCP1 surface expression levels and internalization activity. The anti-CDCP1 ADCs showed strong anti-tumor efficacy in multiple cell line xenograft models. We selected the clone h14A043 for further evaluation owing to its observed potent anti-tumor activity both in vitro and in vivo. We then constructed h14A043-ATAC (Antibody Targeted Amanitin Conjugate), which has a site-specifically conjugated amanitin derivative with DAR 2 and an Fc domain mutation that reduces the effector function of human IgG1. h14A043-ATAC showed good anti-tumor potency both in vitro and in vivo. In human prostate cancer PC3 cell line xenograft model, we observed significant tumor growth delay following treatment by h14A043-ATAC with a single administration of 0.1 mg/kg. Furthermore, we observed complete tumor remission in 3 out of 8 mice at 40 days after a single administration of 1 mg/kg. In the non-GLP single dose toxicity study using cynomolgus monkeys, h14A043-ATAC showed good serum stability and no hematological toxicity. Our results suggest that ADC using an anti-CDCP1 mAb with weak binding to bone marrow HSC and sufficient internalization activity could provide a new treatment option for refractory solid cancer patients. Citation Format: Shu-ichi Hashimoto, Shiori Miyamoyo, Aki Takaiwa, Koji Nakamura, Yukihito Tsukumo, Yoshinori Yamashita. Antibody drug conjugate using a novel anti-CDCP1 antibody with low hematopoietic stem-cell binding and rapid internalization showed high efficacy for solid cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2023; Part 1 (Regular and Invited Abstracts); 2023 Apr 14-19; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(7_Suppl):Abstract nr 438.

Abstract 5T4 oncofetal tumor-associated antigen (also known as TPGB or WAIF1) is over-expressed in a wide range of solid tumors but shows very limited expression in normal adult tissues thus suggesting 5T4 as an attractive target for antibody therapy. CBA-1535, originally developed by Biotecnol (UK), is a novel trivalent biological construct named a Tribody™ with two binding sites to the tumor associated antigen 5T4 and one to the T cell expressed antigen CD3ε. CD-3 based T cell engagers (TCE) is one of the attractive strategy to treat cancer patients resistant to conventional therapies, however, the effects of TCE on solid tumors are limited due to the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. To overcome this limitation, CBA-1535 is designed to have stronger binding activity to 5T4 with two binding sites, and to have the lower affinity to CD3 than to 5T4 to prevent non-specific T cell activation.CBA-1535 does not have a Fc region with a molecular weight of ~100 kDa and it has a low nM Kd for bivalent binding to 5T4, a 20 to 30 nM Kd for monovalent binding to CD3ε. CBA-1535 efficiently induced T cell activation in human PBMCs as exemplified as CD25 and CD69 expressions and showed cytokine release, i.e., IL-2, IL-6, TNFα, and IFN-ɤ, at the concentration between 0.01 and 10 nM only when co-cultured with target cancer cells, however, those T cell activation and cytokine release were not observed under the conditions without target cancer cells, even at the concentration of 1 µM. In the presence of activated human PBMCs as effector cells, CB-1535 elicited 5T4 expressing target cell cytotoxicity with an EC50 of approximately 1-30 pM in a variety of cancer cells. The anti-tumor efficacy of CB-1535 has examined in immunocompromised mice bearing human lung mesothelioma (MSTO-211H) and alveolar epithelial adenocarcinoma (A549) xenografts (such as the 5T4 expressing target cell) and human PBMCs (as effector cells). Anti-tumor efficacy was observed with complete suppression of tumor growth at doses as low as 1 mg/kg in both xenograft models. No abnormalities related to CBA-1535 administration were observed regarding to body weight and clinical signs. Importantly, CBA-1535 showed a synergistic cytotoxicity against 5T4 expressing target cancer cells in vitro when combined with PD-1 antibody Pembrolizumab in a co-culture experiment. In conclusion, we demonstrated encouraging preclinical profile of CBA-1535 as a novel CD-3 based T-cell engager antibody. These results provide the strong rationale for further clinical evaluation of CBA-1535 in 5T4 positive tumors. CBA-1535 is now under the phase 1 trial in Japan (jRCT2031210708), with 2 parts, the monotherapy and the combination with Pembrolizumab. Citation Format: Fumitake Takizawa, Kotaro Yamamoto, Koji Nakamura, Ana R. Richard, Philip J. Cunnah, Nico Mertens, Pedro D. Pissarra, Yukihito Tsukumo. Preclinical characterization of CBA-1535, a novel bi-specific tribody, with two binding sites to 5T4 and one site to CD3ε [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2023; Part 1 (Regular and Invited Abstracts); 2023 Apr 14-19; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(7_Suppl):Abstract nr 2937.

&lt;p&gt;Supplementary Figure 1. MMP-9 activity is involved in EOC invasion through HPMC. Supplementary Figure 2. Inhibition of exosome secretion attenuates CD44 uptake by HPMCs and suppresses TYK-nu cell invasion. Supplementary Figure 3. Inhibition of exosome uptake attenuates CD44 expression in HPMCs. Supplementary Figure 4. Immunofluorescent analyses. Supplementary Figure 5. Not only CD44 but MMP-9 are strongly expressed in peritoneal mesothelial cells interacting with ovarian cancer cells. Supplementary Figure 6. Acquisition of CD44 of mouse omental tissues from ovarian cancer cells is dose-dependent. Supplementary Table 1. Clinical characteristics of ovarian cancer patients with stage III-IV consecutively treated at Osaka University Hospital between 2011 and 2015.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Supplemental Figure Legend.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Dose finding in vivo study of IMD-0354.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Multivariate analysis for progression free survival of patients.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Characteristics of 94 ovarian cancer patients.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Supplemental Figure Legend.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Dose finding in vivo study of IMD-0354.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Characteristics of 94 ovarian cancer patients.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Multivariate analysis for progression free survival of patients.&lt;/p&gt;

Abstract The successful pre-production delivery of strip sensors for the new Inner Tracker (ITk) for the upgraded ATLAS detector at the High Luminosity LHC (HL-LHC) at CERN was completed and based on their performance full production has commenced. The overall delivery period is anticipated to last 4 years to complete the approximately 22000 sensors required for the ITk. For Quality Assurance (QA), a number of test structures designed by the collaboration, along with a large area diode and miniature version of the main sensor, are produced in every wafer by the foundry Hamamatsu Photonics K.K (HPK). As well as Quality Control (QC) checks on every main sensor, samples of the QA pieces from each delivery batch are tested both before and after irradiation with results after exposure to neutrons, gammas or protons to fluences and doses corresponding to those anticipated after operation at the HL-LHC to roughly 1.5 times the ultimate integrated luminosity of 4000 fb -1 . In this paper the procedures are presented and the studies carried out to establish that the seven ITk QA Strip Sensor irradiation and test sites meet all the requirements to support this very extensive programme throughout the strip sensor production phase for the ITk project.

Low-Gain Avalanche Diode (LGAD) sensor is one of candidate sensors for the tracker at future hadron collider experiments. To use this sensor as a tracking detector, AC-LGAD sensor is being developed which has both timing and spatial resolutions. In high luminosity environments, good timing resolution (typically 30 ps) together with $\mathcal{O}$(10) ${\mathrm{\mu}}$m spatial resolution helps to reduce pileup effect and reconstruct tracks correctly. By optimizing fabrication parameters, 80 ${\mathrm{\mu}}$m pitch strip and 100 ${\mathrm{\mu}}$m pitch pixel sensors are successfully produced. The signal height (MPV) was 39.26$\pm$0.08 mV and 128.9$\pm$3.3 mV, respectively, for penetrating $\beta$ particles. The observed 60% of signal reduction of the strip sensor is explained by a larger inter-electrode capacitance compared with the pixel sensor. In this paper, we present the performance of fine electrode pitch AC-LGAD sensors including the pulse height and cross-talk of pixel and strip type sensors evaluated using a $\beta$-ray source and the detection efficiency measured in an 800 MeV electron beam.

A monolithic silicon pixel prototype produced for the MONOLITH ERC Advanced project was irradiated with 70 MeV protons up to a fluence of 1 x 10^16 1 MeV n_eq/cm^2. The ASIC contains a matrix of hexagonal pixels with 100 {\mu}m pitch, readout by low-noise and very fast SiGe HBT frontend electronics. Wafers with 50 {\mu}m thick epilayer with a resistivity of 350 {\Omega}cm were used to produce a fully depleted sensor. Laboratory tests conducted with a 90Sr source show that the detector works satisfactorily after irradiation. The signal-to-noise ratio is not seen to change up to fluence of 6 x 10^14 n_eq /cm^2 . The signal time jitter was estimated as the ratio between the voltage noise and the signal slope at threshold. At -35 {^\circ}C, sensor bias voltage of 200 V and frontend power consumption of 0.9 W/cm^2, the time jitter of the most-probable signal amplitude was estimated to be 21 ps for proton fluence up to 6 x 10 n_eq/cm^2 and 57 ps at 1 x 10^16 n_eq/cm^2 . Increasing the sensor bias to 250 V and the analog voltage of the preamplifier from 1.8 to 2.0 V provides a time jitter of 40 ps at 1 x 10^16 n_eq/cm^2.

&lt;div&gt;Abstract&lt;p&gt;The prolongation of progression-free survival (PFS) in patients with advanced ovarian cancer by antiangiogenic therapy has been shown in several clinical trials. However, although an anti-VEGF antibody (bevacizumab) is the only option currently available, its efficacy is limited and it is not cost effective for use in all patients. Therefore, the development of a novel antiangiogenic drug, especially composed of small-molecule compounds, could be a powerful armament for ovarian cancer treatment. As NF-κB signaling has the potential to regulate VEGF expression, we determined to identify whether VEGF expression is associated with NF-κB activation and to investigate the possibility of a novel IKKβ inhibitor, IMD-0354 (IMMD Inc.), as an antiangiogenic drug. Tissue microarrays from 94 ovarian cancer tissues were constructed and immunohistochemical analyses performed. We revealed that IKK phosphorylation is an independent prognostic factor (PFS: 26.1 vs. 49.8 months, &lt;i&gt;P&lt;/i&gt; = 0.011), and is positively correlated with high VEGF expression. In &lt;i&gt;in vitro&lt;/i&gt; analyses, IMD-0354 robustly inhibited adhesive and invasive activities of ovarian cancer cells without impairing cell viabilities. IMD-0354 significantly suppressed VEGF production from cancer cells, which led to the inhibition of angiogenesis. In a xenograft model, the treatment of IMD-0354 significantly inhibited peritoneal dissemination with a marked reduction of intratumoral blood vessel formation followed by the inhibition of VEGF expression from cancer cells. IMD-0354 is a stable small-molecule drug and has already been administered safely to humans in other trials. Antiangiogenic therapy targeting IKKβ is a potential future option to treat ovarian cancer. &lt;i&gt;Mol Cancer Ther; 14(4); 909–19. ©2015 AACR&lt;/i&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/div&gt;

The paper proposes a new publishing system using PC and large-sized printer that can produce high quality printed matter comprising text, charts, illustrations, etc. As the core component of this system, a coding method that can ensure the quality of decoded images even on affine-transformed enlargement or reduction is needed. Conventional coding methods, however, cannot claim to have satisfied such a requirement. The paper presents a novel method for encoding and decoding binary images via adaptive approximation of the object contours using fluency functions, in the form of straight lines, arcs, and curved lines, that were proposed by one of the authors and others (see Kamada, M. et al., J. Approx. Theory, vol.55, no.1, p.27-34, 1988). Based on experimental results, we demonstrate that the quality of the decoded images is maintained without jaggy-noise, even on resizing. Furthermore, signboards produced by this publishing system have been used in several live events.

For the construction of the Inner Tracker (ITk) as part of the phase-II upgrade programme of the ATLAS detector for the High-Luminosity (HL) LHC, batches of Long Strip (LS) and Short Strip (SS) n+-in-p type micro-strip sensors have been produced by Hamamatsu Photonics and Infineon. The full size sensors measure approximately 98 × 98 mm2 and are designed and engineered for tolerance against the 9.7 × 1014 1 MeV neq/cm2 fluence expected at the HL-LHC, including a safety factor of 1.5. Each sensor has 2 or 4 columns of 1280 individual channels arranged at 75.5 μm horizontal pitch. To ensure the sensors comply with their specifications, a Quality Control (QC) procedure has been implemented, comprising measurements on every individual sensor as well as on a sample basis. Every sensor is subjected to an initial visual inspection, after which the full surface of the sensor is captured with very high resolution by an automated camera setup. Non-contact metrology is performed to obtain the sensor surface profile. Electrical measurements establishing the reverse bias leakage current and depletion voltage are then conducted automatically. Sample sensors from every batch are subjected to 40 h of leakage stability checks in controlled atmosphere, and tests on every channel measuring leakage current, coupling capacitance and bias resistance are done. The recorded results are uploaded to a production database following data quality checks. In this paper, QC test validation data and the compiled results for the first batches of production grade sensors are presented. The QC protocol was validated, and the first production sensors were confirmed to be within specification. The results are compared to those from the previous generation of prototype sensors.

FIR filter can perfectly realize linear phase, and it has an important role in some applications such as transmission, measurement and reproducing audio. However, FIR filter requires a large number of coefficients as compared with IIR filter in order to satisfy desired characteristics. In this paper, we propose a design method of FIR filter that maintain linear phase and can realize with small number of coefficients by an easy algorithm. In the proposed method, a basic low-pass filter is designed based on the compactly supported fluency sampling function that converges to 0 both left and right 2nd sampling points from the origin and is represented in the form of piecewise polynomials of degree 2. Also, this compactly supported fluency sampling function is an irregular function that has singular points at each 0.5 sampling interval from the origin. The values of sampling function at these singular points are then used in filter coefficients. Next, a basic high-pass filter and an upsampled filter based on the basic low-pass filter is defined. Then, a number of upsampled low-pass and high-pass filters are connected in series to satisfy the specifications. As such, since the proposed method uses a kind of filter, the procedure of designing filter is easy algorithm. In addition, the filter designed by the proposed method requires a small number of coefficients as compared with conventional methods such as the Remez exchange method.

The kernel of international education is to create peace-loving citizens capable of participating in building a peaceful and sustainable society. Integrated and systematic education for peace can achieve a shared culture of peace. In the new millennium, as the world has become increasingly interdependent and interactive, peace education seeks to harness the power and intellect of future generations in the hope of building a sustainable culture of peace together. International education for peace is largely responsible for saving subsequent generations from the scourge of war. Influenced by the consequences of positive and negative globalization, peace education for university students is highly significant. It allows them to commit themselves to building a sustainable and peaceful community. It is clear that their experiential and received knowledge they have acquired through peace education will sow the seeds of a culture of peace for future generations. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the significance of peace education for university students as part of international education. Firstly, it will ask a question of Japan, a nation at risk, as a peace-loving global partner. Then, it will redefine peace and violence by explaining the history of and the prospects for peace education. Next, it will present the framework for international education for peace, followed by the knowledge, necessary skills and attitudes to promote cultures of peace. Finally, it will discuss the necessity of global literacy as can be gained from peace education. International education for peace is an invitation to be challenged and enlightened and all students and teachers aspiring for peace are invited. Language: ja

In the recent development of pixel detectors for the inner part of the ATLAS detector upgrade of the High Luminosity LHC, a thin, typically 150 μm, planar pixel detector has been developed. To reduce hit occupancy, the pixel size is smaller compared to the currently operating pixel detector in ATLAS and the 2 pitch options, 50 μm×50μm and 25μm×100μm, are readout by the same 50μm×50μm pitch readout ASIC. To evaluate the performance of the fine pitch pixel detector, two methods are tested, a) emulated using the current ASIC (FE-I4) using non-uniform size of pixel, where two 50μm×250μm pixels are spitted to 50μm×50μm and 50μm×450μm, (b) used new ASIC (FE65p2) with full 50μm×50μm pitch. The FE65p2 is the prototype ASIC produced by TSMC using 65 nm CMOS process, with an expected lower noise than FE-I4. In this paper, basic devices performance and testbeam results before and after irradiation are presented.

In this paper, a Trademark Application Assistant (TAST) that aims to speed up the process of a successful trademark application is proposed. The core of TAST is a similarity-based image retrieval system that makes use of relaxation matching on extracted contour segments. A novelty of this research lies in the processing architecture introduced for adapting the highly effective but computation expensive relaxation matching algorithm to real-time image retrieval. Preliminary results illustrating the quality of matching and the scalability of the processing architecture in terms of response time are included. The proposed architecture is not limited to using relaxation matching based servers, but is also applicable to other types of matching server as well.

Following successive upgrades of the CERN Large Hadron Collider (LHC) until approximately 2025, the High Luminosity LHC (HL-LHC) is expected to deliver pp collisions of centre-of-mass energy s=14TeV with a levelled peak luminosity in excess of 5×1034cm−2s−1 and an integrated luminosity of order 300fb−1 per year. The ATLAS Collaboration intends to replace the existing Inner Tracking Detector by a new tracker, with readout electronics as well as silicon pixel and strip sensor technology capable of maintaining the excellent mechanical and electrical performance of the existing tracker in the severe radiation and high collision rate environment of the HL-LHC. The super-module integration concept extends the proven design of the existing barrel silicon strip tracker to the HL-LHC, with double-sided stereo silicon micro-strip modules assembled into a low mass local support structure. The first phase of the Super-Module R&D programme has been successfully completed, demonstrating the feasibility of the Super-Module concept. A summary is made up of the key prototype mechanical and electrical results of the R&D, as well as a short perspective of future developments.

This report presents case study results to apply “Path Analysis” to “Cause & Effect Relationship” among attributes in product test This shows a way of thinking concerning the treatment of problems to be considered through the analysis of product test results, such as “Way of Analyzing Perceptions & Evaluations by product attributes” popularly used in product tests, “Occurrence of Correlation by External Factors” and “Choosing Variables”. They were obtained based on product test results of Instant Coffee.

*Department of Anesthesiology, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, Maebashi; †Department of Nursing, Faculty of Health and Welfare, Kawasaki University of Medical Welfare, Kurashiki; and ‡Department of Anesthesiology, Saisekai-Hita Hospital, Hita, Japan.

A search for the Standard Model (SM) Higgs boson decaying into a pair of τ leptons is presented. The results are based on data samples of proton-proton collisions accumulated by ATLAS experiment at the LHC and corresponding to integrated luminosities of 4.6 fb−1 and 13.0 fb−1 at center-of-mass energies of √s = 7 TeV and 8 TeV, respectively. The observed (expected) upper limit at 95% C.L. on the cross-section times the branching ratio for SM H → τ+τ− is found to be 1.9 (1.2) times the SM prediction for a Higgs boson with mass mH = 125 GeV. For this mass the observed (expected) deviation from the background-only hypothesis corresponds to a local significance of 1.1 (1.7) standard deviations.

Interpolation of nonuniform samples is required for various cases of signal processing. In such a case, we often use sampling functions to interpolate signals. We show one example of sampling functions to interpolate signals from nonuniform samples, inheriting the properties of the C-type Fluency sampling functions introduced by Toraichi et al. The proposed sampling function is locally supported and composed with piecewise polynomial functions of degree 2 as the C-type Fluency sampling function. In this paper, we extend the C-type Fluency sampling function and derive the nonuniform sampling function which has a favorable property such that it can interpolate flat signal from samples that are constant. By using this sampling function, we get smooth and small undulate signal from samples of arbitrary.

This document describes requirements for the caverns to house the cyclotron, beam transport line, and target systems; issues associated with transport and assembly of components on the site; electrical power, cooling and ventilation; as well as issues associated with radiation protection of the environment and staff of KamLAND who will be interfacing with IsoDAR during its operational phases. Specifics of IsoDAR operations at the KamLAND site are not addressed. Recent developments in planning for deployment of IsoDAR include the identification of a potential new site for the experiment, where the target can be placed directly on the equatorial plane of the KamLAND detector, and also, an upgrade of the detector resolution to 3\%/$\sqrt{E(MeV)}$. The option of the new site might allow, depending on the results of shielding and background evaluations in KamLAND, for an increase in event rate by about a factor of 1.6 owing to increased solid angle for the detector, improving the physics reach for a same period of the experiment. Alternatively, it raises the option of reducing technical risk and cost by reducing beam intensity to maintain the originally planned event rates. This new siting option is described, and aspects the physics reach of the sterile neutrino search are updated to reflect this second option, as well as the higher resolution of the experiment. A full update of the physics capability given the new site and resolution is beyond the scope of this CDR and will be published later.

East Nippon Expressway Company Limited (hereafter NEXCO East) Niigata branch introduced a snow vehicle monitoring system for greater efficiency in dealing with snow and ice. The purpose is to gain a round-the-clock understanding of the snow work situation and to respond immediately and without fail to the changing snowfall situation. This system uses road management radio and GPS. The terminal mounted on the vehicle displays the position of the vehicle visually on a simple chart. Operation is via an easy-to-use touch panel. There is also a working data storage function. At the snow work base the position of each vehicle on the map and the details of the work are available and this information is automatically recorded. In addition, when there is a report of an accident it is possible to order a response by the nearest vehicle. With this system it is planned to make snow work more efficient and improve the on-the-ground work environment.

Although regional informatization has advanced due to the Internet, a problem remains: not all people can use such services. Data broadcasting is expected to serve as infrastructure to advance regional informatization, because it is safer and easier to use for all the people including senior citizens than internet infrastructure. We are promoting regional informatization based on data broadcasting. However, there are problems such as only information on each genre can be inspected, so the interface must be improved to present information region-wide. Moreover, published information is not managed uniformly, so maintaining the current state that recycles valuable information is difficult. In this study, we propose a map-oriented information model that focuses on maps as information interfaces.

We report the results of a search for MeV-scale astrophysical neutrinos in KamLAND presented as an excess in the number of coincident neutrino interactions associated with the publicly available high-energy neutrino datasets from the IceCube Neutrino Observatory. We find no statistically significant excess in the number of observed low-energy electron antineutrinos in KamLAND, given a coincidence time window of $\pm$500s, $\pm$1,000s, $\pm$3,600s, and $\pm$10,000s around each of the IceCube neutrinos. We use this observation to present limits from 1.8 MeV to 100 MeV on the electron antineutrino fluence, assuming a mono-energetic flux. We then compare the results to several astrophysical measurements performed by IceCube and place a limit at the 90% confidence level on the electron antineutrino isotropic thermal luminosity from the TXS 0506+056 blazar.

Capacitive-coupled Low-Gain Avalanche Diode (AC-LGAD) sensors are being developed for high-energy particle physics experiments as a detector which provides fast time information with fine spatial resolution. This paper describes optimizations of AC-LGAD sensor fabrication parameters, such as doping concentrations of the gain and electrode layers as well as the AC insulator capacitance, to realize $\mathcal{O}$(10)~\um{} spacial resolution, small charge cross talk to the neighboring electrodes, detection efficiency higher than 99\% at a 10$^{-4}$ fake rate and time resolution of about 30~ps. The radiation tolerance of the sensor is presented. In addition, further application to a device capable of visible and infra-red light detection is discussed.