原型炉のための技術基盤確立に向けた日本の取組

The establishment of technology bases required for the development of a fusion demonstration reactor (DEMO) has been discussed by a joint effort throughout the Japanese fusion community. The basic concept of DEMO premised for investigation has been identified and the structure of technological issues to ensure the feasibility of this DEMO concept has been examined. The Joint-Core Team, which was launched along with the request by the ministerial council, has compiled analyses in two reports to clarify technology which should be secured, maintained, and developed in Japan, to share the common targets among industry, government, and academia, and to activate actions under a framework for implementation throughout Japan. The reports have pointed out that DEMO should be aimed at steady power generation beyond several hundred thousand kilowatts, availability which must be extended to commercialization, and overall tritium breeding to fulfill self-sufficiency of fuels. The necessary technological activities, such as superconducting coils, blanket, divertor, and others, have been sorted out and arranged in the chart with the time line toward the decision on DEMO. Based upon these Joint-Core Team reports, related actions are emerging to deliberate the Japanese fusion roadmap

Development of Strategic Establishment of Technology Bases for a Fusion DEMO Reactor in Japan

The strategic establishment of technology bases required for the development of a fusion demonstration reactor (DEMO) has been discussed by joint endeavors throughout the Japanese fusion community. The mission of Fusion DEMO is to demonstrate the technological and economic feasibility of fusion energy. The basic concept of Fusion DEMO has been identified and the structure of technological issues to ensure the feasibility of this DEMO concept has been examined. The Joint-Core Team consisting of experts from the Japanese fusion community including industry has pointed out that DEMO should be aimed at steady power generation beyond several hundred thousand kilowatts, availability which must be extensible to commercialization, and overall tritium breeding sufficient to achieve fuel-cycle self-sufficiency. The necessary technological issues and activities have been sorted out along with 11 identified elements of DEMO, such as superconducting coils, blanket, divertor, and others. These will be arranged within a time line to lead to the Japanese fusion roadmap

革新的未来エネルギー技術に関する社会受容性研究

In the 21st century global environment and energy issues become very important, and this is characterized by the long-term (in the scale of a few tens years) and world-wide issue. In addition, future prospect of these issues might be quite uncertain, and scientific prediction could be very difficult. For these issues vigorous researches and various efforts have been carried out from various aspects; e.g., world-wide discussion such as COP3 in Kyoto, promotion of the energy-saving technology and so on.Development of environment-friendly energy has been promoted, and new innovative technologies are explored. Nuclear fusion is, of course, a promising candidate. While, there might be some criticism for nuclear fusion from the socio-economic aspect; e.g., it would take long time and huge cost for the fusion reactor development. In addition, other innovative energy technologies might have their own criticism, as well. Therefore, socio-economic research might be indispensable for future energy resources.At first we have selected six items as for the characteristics, which might be important for future energy resources; i.e., energy resource, environmental load, economics, reliability/stability, flexibility on operation and safety/security. Concerning to innovative energy technologies, we have nominated seven candidates; i.e., advanced coal technology with CO2 recovery system, SOFC top combined cycle, solar power, wind power, space solar power station, advanced fission and fusion.Based on questionnaires for ordinary people and fusion scientists, we have tried to assess the fusion energy development, comparing with other innovative energy technologies

Enhanced expression of insulin-like growth factor-binding proteins in human osteoarthritic cartilage detected by immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization

SummaryObjectiveTo determine the roles of insulin-like growth factor (IGF) and IGF-binding protein (IGFBP) in the pathogenesis of osteoarthritis (OA).DesignCartilage tissues were obtained from the femoral heads of patients with OA, and those from patients with femoral neck fractures were used as a control. The expression of IGFBP-3, -4, and -5 was examined using immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization, and IGF-I and IGF-I receptors were also immunohistochemically detected. The percentages of positive chondrocytes were determined by counting the total number of chondrocytes over the area of the surface, middle, and deep zones of the cartilage.ResultsThere was a marked increase in the percentage of positive chondrocytes in all IGFBPs on protein and messenger RNA levels for OA compared to that of the control cartilage. Furthermore, enhanced expression of IGFBPs and the IGF-I/IGF-I receptor was positively correlated with the histologic score for cartilage lesions.ConclusionUp-regulation of IGFBPs as well as IGF-I and its receptor was observed for OA cartilage tissue, suggesting the involvement of IGFBPs in the pathogenesis of OA

Seismometric Observations of Matsushiro Swarm Earthquakes

This paper is the report of seismometric observations of Matsushiro swarm earthquakes made by Abuyama Seismological Observatory and Disaster Prevention Research Institute, independently or co-operatively. Continuous observation at Shinko has been carried out to investigate the time variation of the seismic activity since the joint observation of ultramicro-earthquakes at the end of 1965. As the seismicity became active, continuous observation was started at Sanada, too, on June, 1966, with the main purpose of investigating the "Ishimoto-Iida's relation" and the time variation of seismic activity, but it was abandoned on September, 1966 because of overlapping the station with that of the Earthquake Research Institute. For studying the attenuation of seismic wave in short hypocentral distance and formulating the equation for calculating the magnitude of an earthquake, the Matsushiro swarm earthquakes are a very good source observations. On the basis of this idea, we picked out four observation points on the array line from Matsushiro to Komoro, and installed completely equipped low magnification seismographs of displacement type. The observations were begun on June, 1966. Further, on November the same year, the array line turned about 90 degrees for the first line which was extended from Matsushiro to Toyoshina through Akashina. The observations are still being continued at present. As had been planned in the earthquake prediction program in Japan, mobile observations were carried out three times from June to November, 1966, for the purpose of investigating the field problems of this observation system and the seismic activity outside the so-called seismic region of Matsushiro swarm earthquakes. Although this is a simple method by which only the frequency distribution of S-P duration times were observed, notwithstanding its simplicity the mobile observation system for the purpose of surveying the seismic activity was proved useful in the region where the dense observation network had not then been set up. Though the idea that the earthquakes are almost always generated in the vicinity of the fault is exceedingly Americanized, we carried out the observation of ultramicro-earthquakes by the seismometer-array, with an expectation that some relation between the cracks around Mt. Minakami and ultramicro-earthquakes may exist. However this expectation has been proved completely to the contrary