Hydrocarbons with a homoconjugated polyene system and their monoepoxy derivatives: Sex attractants of geometrid and noctuid moths distributed in Japan

Although several sex pheromones of the family Geometridae have been characterized, investigations on Japanese species are limited. In order to obtain more information, screening using known sex pheromones and their analogs was carried out. The (Z,Z,Z)-3,6,9-triunsaturated and (Z,Z)-6,9-diunsaturated hydrocarbons with straight C¹⁹-C²¹ chains were synthesized by the Grignard coupling reaction as a key step starting from linolenic and linoleic acids, respectively. Oxidation of the homoconjugated trienes withm-chloroperoxybenzoic acid yielded a 111 mixture of three monoepoxy derivatives that could be separated by silica gel chromatography. The chemical structure of each positional isomer was confirmed using two-dimensional NMR techniques and MS measurements, which enabled characteristic fragment ions from the isomers to be identified. Field tests using lures incorporating only one of the above six hydrocarbons or nine epoxides were carried out in a forest in Tokyo. Consequently, attraction of male moths of 14 geometrid species in addition to four species in another family, the Noctuidae, was observed. It was concluded that hydrocarbons with a homoconjugated polyene system and the monoepoxy derivatives are important components of sex pheromones produced by Japanese lepidopterous insects, particularly the geometrid moths.     

Dynamic alternation of primate response properties during trial-and-error knowledge updating

Humans and animals seek appropriate solutions to novel problems through trial-and-error (TE) actions and observation of their outcomes. Once an individual has obtained the knowledge (rule) to solve a problem, knowledge-based (KB) actions may be applied in a stereotypical manner. Solutions can thus be based on TE or KB actions. To characterize this learning process at the behavioral level, we developed a new cognitive task for a laboratory monkey (Macaca fuscata) to perform. In this task, a search array consisting of six elements of different colors was presented, one of which was the behaviorally relevant target. The target color was changed unpredictably with no instruction or signal, requiring the monkey to use a TE search strategy to find the target color. We found that once the monkey identified the relevant color by chance after a color change, correct performance increased in a step-like manner and at the same time, other response properties (reaction time and color-choice tendency) also changed discontinuously. These step-like alternations in behavioral performance may be attributed to the subject’s switching between TE and KB search strategies in the two phases. The present study has therefore provided behavioral evidence for the timing and manner of switching between search strategies during the process of updating knowledge.     

Morphological characteristics of flood refugia of cobble-bed vegetation

Periodic flooding alters riverine vegetation community composition; moderate flood disturbance maintains communities at an early seral stage, whereas severe floods may remove entire communities. After disturbance, plants may recolonize riverbeds from refugia.Here, we investigated the morphological characteristics of refugia where riverine plants survived large floods. At three sites, plant communities growing on cobble-bars were surveyed, and the hydraulic characteristics of each site were analyzed. The populations of an indicator plant, Anaphalis margaritacea sub-species yedoensis (Franch. et Savat.) were assessed after major floods in 2004 and 2009. At each survey, the particle size and bed composition were measured, and the critical shear-stress required to move particles at each site was calculated. A one-dimensional flow and the average and local shear-stress at ten different discharges, including that of the largest flood were calculated. The results demonstrate that the A. margaritacea community is maintained at locations where the local shear-stress at peak discharge in large-floods does not exceed a critical value. These conditions were achieved in locations with particular morphological characteristics, where the river is not constrained by levees and is restricted by a downstream narrow-pass; in this reach river width increases with discharge thus limiting the increase in water depth with increasing discharge and allowing the establishment of refugia where plant species may survive large floods.Flooding and reestablishment from refugia maintain a characteristic riverbed community in equilibrium.     

粒子网格混合方法模拟液滴夹带起始点

环状流动的特性对反应堆事故工况分析具有重要意义,本研究基于粒子网格混合方法对这一现象中的液滴夹带起始点问题进行了数值分析,利用网格求解流场,利用粒子模拟液膜及液滴的运动,探讨了气水流动大密度比情况下,不同流动方向,不同流体粘度,不同液膜厚度下的液滴夹带所需的临界气相流速,结果同经典关系式进行了对比,吻合良好．这一方法对于反应堆事故中的两相流动研究具有参考意义．     

Triglyceride analysis by combined argentation/nonaqueous reversed phase high performance liquid chromatography

Full analysis of triglycerides of natural fats and oils has been investigated by the combination of argentation high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with nonaqueous reversed phase (NARP) HPLC. An infrared detector was used in argentation HPLC, because it indicated molar responsibility to all triglycerides. After peak trapping with argentation HPLC, each triglyceride fraction was analyzed with NARP chromatography using the glyceride-selective post-column reactor detector. The results of the analyses of triglycerides of palm oil and cocoa butter by the proposed method agreed well with those reported earlier.     

Chemical response of Picea glehnii seed-epiphytic Penicillium species to Pythium vexans under in vitro competitive conditions for mycelial growth

The potential protection of Picea glehnii seedlings from damping-off by seed-epiphytic Penicillium species was investigated. We studied the chemical response of seed-epiphytic Penicillium species (Pen. cyaneum, Pen. damascenum, and Pen. implicatum) to Pythium vexans, a damping-off fungus, in vitro. Penicillium species were cultured singly or cocultured with Pyt. vexans for 14 or 18 d, and mycelial growth, pH of culture filtrate, antifungal activity of the culture filtrate against Pyt. vexans, and the amount of antifungal compound produced by each Penicillium species, were examined. The filtrate of both the single culture of Penicillium and the coculture of Penicillium and Pyt. vexans showed antifungal activity against Pyt. vexans. In a coculture with Pyt. vexans, Pen. cyaneum produced an antifungal compound (patulin) as in the single culture. Pen. damascenum cocultured with Pyt. vexans produced an antifungal compound (citrinin), as it did in the single culture and in larger amounts on day 10. Pen. implicatum produced two antifungal compounds, frequentin and palitantin, and the ratio of frequentin (with higher antifungal activity than palitantin) to palitantin was higher in the coculture with Pyt. vexans than in the single culture. Our results indicate that these Penicillium species have the ability to produce antifungal compounds and to keep antifungal activity under competitive condition with Pyt. vexans. The chemical response of these Penicillium species to Pyt. vexans may contribute to protect P. glehnii seedlings from damage by Pyt. vexans.     

Comparison between SiO2 films deposited by atomic layer deposition with SiH2[N(CH3)2]2 and SiH[N(CH3)2]3 precursors

Thin SiO₂ layers were deposited by atomic layer deposition (ALD) using either Bis-dimethylamino-silane (BDMAS: SiH₂(N(CH₃)₂)₂) or Tris-dimethylamino-silane (TDMAS: SiH(N(CH₃)₂)₃) precursors. The purpose of this study is to evaluate these precursors for their suitability for ALD of hafnium (Hf)-silicate gate dielectrics. The advantages of these precursors are that the melting points and vapor pressures are moderate. The thickness of SiO₂ deposited using ALD process is controlled by the number of growth cycles and the growth rate was different for each precursor, that for BDMAS being 1.5 times that for TDMAS at the same reactor pressure. The carbon impurity in the SiO₂ film deposited using BDMAS was about half an order of magnitude less than that using for TDMAS. Furthermore, the carbon impurity was reduced to about the detection limit of secondary ion mass spectrometry after high temperature annealing at 1000 °C during 5 s.     

Theory of Three-Dimensional Discontinuous Deformation Analysis and Its Application to a Slope Toppling at Amatoribashi, Japan

A three-dimensional (3D) rock slope toppling occurred in a discontinuous rock mass. To simulate the failure process and study the mechanism of this rock failure with contact and large displacement in 3D, a new discrete numerical method has been developed called the 3D discontinuous deformation analysis (DDA). This article first introduces the basic principles and then derives the formulas in detail. Finally, the slope failure simulation is applied as an example to investigate the applicability of this new method to rock slope failure research. The simulation results indicate the advantages of using this new method to study the mechanism of a rock slope failure with 3D behavior.     

Development of specimen and test method for strength analysis of MEMS micromirror

Specimens and fracture test methods for strength analysis of MEMS micromirrors were proposed. Bending and combined loading tests were performed, and torsion strength was estimated from those results. Two-parameter Weibull distribution was used to evaluate the fracture stresses estimated from the FEM model. The resulting scale and shape parameters were 787 MPa and 7.77 for the bending test and 517 MPa and 5.28 for the combined loading test. There was a difference in strength between the results of the bending and combined loading tests. From the load factor analysis, it was found that both geometry and stress distribution have to be considered to estimate the strength of MEMS since flaws are non-uniformly distributed. It was also found that torsional strength can be estimated on the safe side using the results of the combined loading test.     

On-line neuro-expert monitoring system for Borssele Nuclear Power Plant

A new method for an on-line monitoring system for the nuclear power plants has been developed utilizing the neural networks and the expert system. The integration of them is expected to enhance a substantial potential of the functionality as operators support.

The recurrent neural network and the feed-forward neural network with adaptive learning are selected for the plant modeling and anomaly detection because of the high capability of modeling for dynamic behavior. The expert system is used as a decision agent, which works on the information space of both the neural networks and the human operators. The information of other sensory signals is also fed to the expert system, together with the outputs that the neural networks generate from the measured plant signals. The expert system can treat almost all known correlation between plant status patterns and operation modes as a priori set of rules.

From the off-line test at Borssele Nuclear Power Plant (PWR 480 MWe) in the Netherlands, it was shown that the neuro-expert system successfully monitored the plant status. The expert system worked satisfactorily in diagnosing the system status by using the outputs of the neural networks and a priori knowledge base from the PWR simulator. The electric power coefficient is simultaneously monitored from the measured reactive and active electric power signals.