In the late 1970s eight Balaenoptera specimens of unknown identity were caught in the lower latitudinal Indo-Pacific waters by Japanese research whaling vessels. The combination of the allozyme patterns and physical maturity of the eight specimens separated them from all acknowledged Balaenoptera species. In September 1998 we collected a medium-sized baleen whale carcass on a coastal island in the Sea of Japan. This specimen and the previously collected eight specimens resembled Balaenoptera physalus (fin whale) in external appearance but were much smaller. Comparison of external morphology, osteology and mitochondrial DNA data grouped the nine specimens as a single species but separated them from all known baleen whale species. Therefore, here we describe a new species of Balaenoptera, which is characterized by its unique cranial morphology, its small number of baleen plates, and by its distant molecular relationships with all of its congeners. Our analyses also separated Balaenoptera brydei (Bryde's whale) and Balaenoptera edeni (Eden's whale) into two distinct species, raising the number of known living Balaenoptera species to eight.

We investigated the reversible charge compensation mechanism of an Li2MnO3 electrode using soft XAS analysis. We concluded that both the Mn and O ions participated in the charge compensation reactions during the reversible redox cycles.

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The layered-to-spinel phase transformation in Li2MnO3 during the initial charge process occurs by a two-phase reaction process within a single particle.

The electronic structural changes of La0.6Sr0.4CoO3−δ cathodes with oxygen vacancy formation by reducing oxygen partial pressures, p(O2)'s were investigated in detail using X-ray absorption spectroscopy to understand metallic-like electronic conduction mechanism. The oxygen nonstoichiometry of La0.6Sr0.4CoO3−δ was controlled by annealing the samples under various p(O2)'s and quenched to room temperature. Co K-edge X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) spectra revealed that the Co average valence decreased with decreasing p(O2), which was also confirmed by iodometric titration. The Co L-edge XANES spectra were hardly changed with changing p(O2)'s. Meanwhile, the peak area of the O K-edge XANES spectra strongly depended on p(O2). This result revealed the strong hybridization between the O 2p and Co 3d states. It was concluded the introduction of oxygen vacancies narrowed the hybridized orbital of O 2p and Co 3d states, resulted in a decrease in the mobility as well as the concentration of electron holes with decreasing p(O2).

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