A multi-spectral non-local method for retrieval of boundary layer cloud properties from optical remote sensing data

A multi-spectral non-local (MSN) method is developed for advanced retrieval of boundary layer cloud properties from remote sensing data, as an alternative to the independent pixel approximation (IPA) method. The non-local method uses data at both the target pixel and neighboring pixels to retrieve cloud properties such as pixel-averaged cloud optical thickness and effective droplet radius. Radiance data to be observed from space were simulated by a three-dimensional (3D) radiation model and a stochastic boundary layer cloud model with two-dimensional (horizontal and vertical) variability in cloud liquid water and effective radius. An adiabatic assumption is used for each cloud column to model the geometrical thickness and vertical profiles of cloud liquid water content and effective droplet radius, neglecting drizzle and cloud brokenness for simplicity. The dependence of radiative smoothing and roughening on horizontal scale, optical thickness and single scattering albedo are investigated. Then, retrieval methods using 250-m horizontal resolution data onboard new generation satellites are discussed. The regression model for the MSN method was trained based on datasets from numerical simulations. The training was performed with respect to various domain averages of optical thickness and effective radius, because smoothing and roughening effects are strongly dependent on the two variables. Retrieval accuracy is discussed here with datasets independent of those used in the training, towards assessing the generality of the technique. It is demonstrated that retrieval accuracy of cloud optical thickness, which is often retrieved from single-spectral visible-wavelength data, is improved the most using neighboring pixel data and secondly using multi-spectral data, and ideally with both. When the IPA retrieval method is applied to optical thickness and effective radius, the root-mean-square relative errors can be 15-90%, depending on solar and view directions. In contrast, the MSN method has errors of 4-10%, which is smaller than IPA by a factor of 2-10. It is also suggested that the accuracy of the MSN method is insensitive to some assumptions in the inhomogeneous cloud input data used to train the regression model.     

Future prospect of remote Cat-CVD on the basis of the production, transportation and detection of H atoms

The future prospect of remote Cat-CVD, in which the decomposition and the deposition chambers are separated, is discussed on the basis of the absolute density measurements of H atoms. It is now well recognized that uniform deposition is possible on a large area without plasma damages by Cat-CVD. However, we may not overlook the demerits in Cat-CVD. One of the demerits is the poisoning of the catalyzer surfaces by the material gases, both temporary and permanent. One technique to overcome this problem is remote Cat-CVD. The question is how to separate the decomposition and deposition areas. If the separation is not enough, there should be back diffusion of the material gases, which will poison the catalyzers. If the separation is too tight, radicals may not effuse out from the decomposition chamber. These problems are discussed and it is shown that SiO₂ coating to reduce the radical recombination rates on walls is promising. The possibility of the polytetrafluoroethene coating by Cat-CVD is also discussed.     

Difference in the detection limits of flaws in the depths of multi-layered and continuous aluminum plates using low-frequency eddy current testing

We examined the difference in the detection limits of flaws in the depths of multi-layered and continuous aluminum plates using low-frequency eddy current testing. The detection limits were measured by using a magneto-resistive sensor. Comparing the frequency of an applied magnetic field, the detection limit at 50 Hz is deeper than that at 1 kHz. Comparing the sample structure, the detection limit in the multi-layered samples is deeper than that in the continuous samples. These results are likely due to the differences in the skin depth and conductivity of the sample.     

Effects of steroid hormones on vascular functions

The purpose of this review is to present reported findings of effects of steroids on vascular function and to discuss the biological significance in vascular physiology and pathology. Steroid hormones play various roles in vascular functions through the specific receptor localized in the endothelium and underlying vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). Estrogen replacement therapy in postmenopausal women is in general associated with a reduction in mortality from cardiovascular disease and the beneficial effects of estrogens are caused by modulation of lipid metabolism, expression of leukocyte adhesion molecules, and migration of VSMCs in the vascular wall. Estrogens also play a role as vasodilators through an increment in nitric oxide (NO) production in endothelium or modulation of calcium homeostasis in VSMCs. Some progestin molecules partially oppose the effects of estrogens on vascular functions, but striking differences exist among the types of molecules. Testosterone shows a vasorelaxant response, but detailed actions of androgens on vascular functions remain unknown. Glucocorticoids act on vasoconstriction through reduced prostacyclin production, increased alpha-adrenoceptor numbers, and inhibition of NO synthase, while mineralocorticoids induce hypertrophy and hyperplasia of VSMCs and perivascular fibrosis and cause peripheral vascular resistance, in addition to changes in vascular electrocyte permeability. Some rapid actions of steroids are mediated by "nongenomic" responses in vascular tissues. Recent studies have also demonstrated that steroid-producing or -metabolizing enzymes are expressed in the vascular wall, suggesting the local regulation of steroids in the vascular system. Thus, steroid hormones greatly influence vascular functions and an understanding of the mechanisms may provide new means to prevent vascular diseases.     

Computed tomography reconstruction from two transmission measurements for iodine-marked cancer detection

The authors invented the transXend detector, which measures X-rays as electric currents, and then gives the energy distribution of the X-rays after an unfolding process. In a previous paper, it was shown that the material thickness distributions can be estimated with the transXend detector by using reference points plotted from the electric current ratios, such as the I ₂/I ₁ ? I ₃/I ₁ graph, where I_i denotes the electric current measured by the i-th segment of the transXend detector. In this paper, the tomographic images of iodine, aluminum, and the acrylic those surround the other two materials are reconstructed from their material thickness distributions, which are estimated from two X-ray incidence directions. The X-ray event ratios are also used to estimate the material thickness distributions.     

Transport properties of porous media from the microgeometry of a three-dimensional voronoi network

In this work a way of calculating effective transport coefficients from the microgeometry of a porous medium is presented. The model material consists of a random packing of uniform spheres, and by applying the Voronoi—Delaunay tessellation technique the void between the spheres is simulated as a network of cylindrical pores. The tessellation yields all the necessary information for the structural characterization, such as the pore diameter, pore angle and pore length distribution functions and the topological interconnection. The effective transport coefficients of ordinary diffusion, Knudsen flow and viscous flow are calculated numerically by mass balancing at each network node and over all nodes of the system. The results obtained agree very well with the experimental ones, especially for ordinary diffusion. For Knudsen and viscous flow, inaccuracies in the estimation of the pore overlapping volume cause a relative error between the numerical and experimental results of the order of 16%–33%.     

Evaluation of the Anti-Proliferative Activity of Rare Aldohexoses against MOLT-4F and DU-145 Human Cancer Cell Line and Structure-Activity Relationship of D-Idose

D-Allose (D-All), a C-3 epimer of D-glucose (D-Glc), is a naturally rare monosaccharide, which shows anti-proliferative activity against several human cancer cell lines. Unlike conventional anticancer drugs, D-All targets glucose metabolism and is non-toxic to normal cells. Therefore, it has attracted attention as a unique “seed” compound for anticancer agents. However, the anti-proliferative activities of the other rare aldohexoses have not been examined yet. In this study, we evaluated the anti-proliferative activity of rare aldohexoses against human leukemia MOLT-4F and human prostate cancer DU-145 cell lines. We found that D-All and D-idose (D-Ido) at 5 mM inhibited cell proliferation of MOLT-4F cells by 46 % and 60 %, respectively. On the other hand, the rare aldohexoses at 5 mM did not show specific anti-proliferative activity against DU-145 cells. To explore the structure–activity relationship of D-Ido, we evaluated the anti-proliferative activity of D-sorbose (D-Sor), 6-deoxy-D-Ido, and L-xylose (L-Xyl) against MOLT-4F cells and found that D-Sor, 6-deoxy-D-Ido, and L-Xyl showed no inhibitory activity at 5 mM, suggesting that the aldose structure and the C-6 hydroxy group of D-Ido are important for its activity. Cellular glucose uptake assay and western blotting analysis of thioredoxin-interacting protein (TXNIP) expression suggested that the anti-proliferative activity of D-Ido is induced by inhibition of glucose uptake via TXNIP-independent pathway.     

Reaction between magnesium ammine complex compound and lithium hydride

The possibility of using ammonia as a hydrogen carrier is examined for the reaction between magnesium ammine complex MgCl₂(NH₃)₆ and lithium hydride LiH. Sample was milled at low temperature of −40 °C to avoid decomposition of MgCl₂(NH₃)₆ during the milling. The effects of milling time, milling speed (revolutions per minute), and catalysts on hydrogen storage properties were investigated by thermogravimetry, thermal desorption mass spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction experiments. Experimental results indicated that a milled composite of Mg(NH₃)₆Cl₂ and catalyzed-LiH desorbed the ∼100% H₂ gas even at 125 °C in a closed system. The reverse reaction also proceeded by separately cooling MgCl₂ at lower temperature than 100 °C and heating LiNH₂ at 300 °C in the closed system.     

Effects of polyglycerol esters of fatty acids and ethylene‐vinyl acetate co‐polymer on crystallization behavior of biodiesel

Biodiesel fuels (BDF) have many problems in the cold due to their crystallization properties. In particular, precipitation of large crystals of high‐melting fractions in BDF at low temperatures remarkably changes cold flow property of BDF and, thereby, it increases the values of cold filter plugging point. In this study, we evaluated polyglycerol esters of fatty acids (PGE) and ethylene‐vinyl acetate co‐polymer (EVA) as chemical additives to improve the cold flow property of palm oil‐based FAME (PFME). The results of solid fat content measurement indicate that the simultaneous addition of PGE and EVA showed synergistic effects on suppression of crystallization of PFME, however such effect was not observed when EVA was used alone. DSC thermograms indicated that the PGE additives not only decreased the crystallization temperature but also kinetically suppressed the crystal growth. Polarized light microscopy showed that the simultaneous addition of PGE and EVA led to the formation of considerably small and fine‐dispersed crystals of PFME. These results indicate that combined effects of PGE and EVA caused the formation of fine‐dispersed PFME crystals, which could improve the viscous properties of palm oil‐based BDF at relatively cold temperatures.