Satellite-driven estimation of terrestrial carbon flux over Far East Asia with 1-km grid resolution

The terrestrial carbon cycle is strongly affected by natural phenomena, terrain heterogeneity, and human-induced activities that alter carbon exchange via vegetation and soil activities. In order to accurately understand terrestrial carbon cycle mechanisms, it is necessary to estimate spatial and temporal variations in carbon flux and storage using process-based models with the highest possible resolution. We estimated terrestrial carbon fluxes using a biosphere model integrating eco-physiological and mechanistic approaches based on satellite data (BEAMS) and observations with 1-km grid resolution. The study area is the central Far East Asia region, which lies between 30° and 50° north latitude and 125° and 150° east longitude. Aiming to simulate terrestrial carbon exchanges under realistic land surface conditions, we used as many satellite-observation datasets as possible, such as the standard MODIS, TRMM, and SRTM high-level land products. Validated using gross primary productivity (GPP), net ecosystem production (NEP), net radiation and latent heat with ground measurements at six flux sites, the model estimations showed reasonable seasonal and annual patterns. In extensive analysis, the total GPP and NPP were determined to be 2.1 and 0.9 PgC/year, respectively. The total NEP estimation was + 5.6 TgC/year, meaning that the land area played a role as a carbon sink from 2001 to 2006. In analyses of areas with complicated topography, the 1-km grid estimation could prove to be effective in evaluating the effect of landscape on the terrestrial carbon cycle. The method presented here is an appropriate approach for gaining a better understanding of terrestrial carbon exchange, both spatially and temporally.     

Identification of types of obstacles for mobile robots

For service robots coexisting with humans, both safety and working efficiency are very important. In order for robots to avoid collisions with surrounding obstacles, the robots must recognize obstacles around them. In dynamic environments, not only currently moving obstacles but also movable obstacles should be recognized. In this paper, three types of obstacles, such as stationary, movable and moving, are defined, and a method to identify the type of obstacles is proposed. The experiments using a mobile robot were conducted to evaluate the usefulness of the method.     

Synthesis of silver nanorods and application for die attach material in devices

Silver nanorods have been successfully synthesized in high yield by a polyol process in the presence of FeCl₃. The yield and morphology of the silver particles from these conditions were dependant on the concentration of FeCl₃, and the molar ratio of the capping agent to AgNO₃. The optimized conditions for the synthesis of the nanorods were: 20 μM of FeCl₃ and a molar ratio of 1.8:1 of capping agent to AgNO₃. The nanorods produced were used to form a silver layer at 400 °C with a low electrical resistivity of 6.1 × 10⁻⁶ Ω cm. The silver layer was applied as die-attachment films to connect a SiC chip to a copper substrate. This formed a porous structure, which was evaluated for structure and strength.     

A Study of Ozone Formation on the Surfaces of Electrodes

It had been previously thought that ozone production occurred in gaseous space, especially the space between electrodes. However, based on our research, we believe that may only be one of the ozone-producing processes. In this study, we aimed to confirm that a third body, which is present at the interface between oxygen gas and a metal electrode, works to compose ozone. Ozone was not observed in pure oxygen (400x10^?6 Nm³/min flow rate) when electrical discharge was supplied after approximately 6 months. The concentration of ozone increased (approximately 0.07 ppm) when nitrogen (approximately 20x10^?6 Nm³/min flow rate) was added to a gas-mixing chamber. A third body was required to produce ozone when an oxygen molecule and an oxygen atom collided. The same phenomenon was observed on the surface of a copper anode. A simulation confirmed this. Using an industrial ozone generator which utilized ceramic dielectrics and expanded metal electrodes, an increase in the temperature of the cooling water led to a proportional decrease in ozone concentration. After changing from the titanium electrode to a nickel electrode and an antimony electrode, we observed the difference in the enthalpy changes which were calculated using van't Hoff's formula. The antimony electrode increases the efficiency of the ozone generator to produce ozone. We have come to believe that ozone can be composed on the surface of a metal electrode.     

Recombinant expression and characterization of N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase I derived from Nicotiana tabacum

The C-terminal catalytic domain of tobacco N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase I fused to maltose-binding protein was produced in Escherichia coli as a soluble form with significant activity. The protein was affinity-purified using amylose resin, and its enzymatic properties were investigated, including its divalent cation requirements, optimal temperature, optimal pH, and substrate specificity.     

Structural phase transition in the perovskite-type tantalum oxynitrides, Ca1−xEuxTa(O,N)3

Pure Ca_1−xEu_xTa(O,N)₃ were successfully synthesized in the whole range of Ca/Eu compositions by means of ammonia nitridation via a citrate precursor route. As-nitrided products with x < 0.4 were apparently orthorhombic, while those with x ≥ 0.4 crystallized in a cubic structure. The anionic composition was found to be essentially O₂N and independent of Eu content (x). The as-nitrided EuTaO₂N possessed a cubic perovskite-type structure, while high-temperature post-annealing led to a tetragonal EuTaO₂N phase with better crystallinity. The re-nitridation transformed the post-annealed product into the original cubic lattice, which might be an average of the tetragonal micro-domains.     

Bacteriolysis by vancomycin-conjugated acryl nanoparticles and morphological component analysis

Nanoparticles are currently attracting considerable attention because of their ability to conjugate to various substances. As such, these nanoparticles can assist the transfer of the conjugated substance to target tissues where they are gradually released. In this study, vancomycin-conjugated nanoparticles (VCM NPs) were prepared. The antibacterial activity of VCM NPs was compared with that of VCM alone by exposure to vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE). The morphology of the cells was then analyzed by electron microscopy. VCM NPs were found to have more potent antibacterial activity against VRE compared to VCM alone, but the activity against vancomycin-sensitive enterococci (VSE) remained the same. The antibacterial activity of nanoparticles alone was the same against VSE and VRE. The nanoparticles were found to induce characteristic morphological changes in the bacteria based on scanning and transmission electron microscopy. The results suggest that the strong antibacterial activity of VCM NPs against VRE may be attributable not only to the well-known control release carrier property of the nanoparticles but to an additional mechanism that involves VCM NPs avoiding the drug resistant mechanism of VRE.