Study On Optimization Of The Integrated Operation Of Dams Using Ensemble Prediction

Flood control is one of the most important issues of reservoir operation. Rivers in island countries like Japan, Philippines and Indonesia that have smaller reservoirs than continental countries needs short term reservoir operation for flood control. In Japan, typhoons give dominant amount of water to reservoirs. Pre-release of water which makes effective use of the capacity of a reservoir requires the rainfall amount forecast (hyetograph). Therefore, weather forecast of typhoons is indispensable for flood control. Masuda and Oishi (2013) developed the reservoir control operation model using stochastic dynamic programming with one week ensemble weather forecast. One week ensemble forecast consists of 51 members, gives many kinds of weather variables including rainfall amount, has lead time of one week. In fact, frequency of issue daily is a problem for using one week ensemble weather forecast. In the present study, we give a solution for the problem. For giving higher frequency, we propose to use typhoon forecast which issues four times a day but does not include rainfall amount. By using a similarity index with past typhoon and latest ensemble forecast result, a method to give typhoon ensemble reasonable forecasted rainfall amount has been developed. Four times a day is higher frequency than once a day but required to be improved for practical use. For such purpose, we propose a kind of Bayesian method to evaluate the probability of each ensemble member. The proposed method gives the better rainfall amount forecast by evaluation hourly. In the conference, explanation of the methods in detail as well as some case studies with comparison are discussed

An analytical representation of raindrop size distribution in a mixed convective and stratiform precipitating system as revealed by field observations

This study investigated a rainfall event under a typhoon influence using a 2D video disdrometer and weather radar observations to characterize raindrop size distribution (DSD) in a mixed convective and stratiform precipitating system. During the time period when both convective and stratiform rainfalls existed, the DSDs generally indicated a monotonically decreasing shape with increasing particle size, with a relatively gradual decrease at intermediate particle size observed at certain times; this feature is attributed to the combined effect of convective and stratiform rainfalls. During the transitional period between convective and stratiform rainfalls, the DSDs exhibited a bimodal shape. The DSDs were well approximated by a newly proposed gamma raindrop distribution combined with exponential (GRACE) distribution function, which was defined as the sum of the exponential distribution and the gamma distribution. A comparison of the volume ratio of the exponential and gamma components of the GRACE distribution revealed that the exponential component of the DSD was larger than the gamma component in the bimodal DSD. These results suggest that the DSD became bimodal during the period when stratiform rainfall predominated because of the weakening of convective rainfall. The GRACE distribution is useful for understanding cloud-microphysical processes in mixed stratiform and convective precipitation conditions

Room-temperature reduction at SrRuO₃– metal interface in hydrogenous atmosphere detected by interface-sensitive resistance measurement

Using interface-sensitive resistance measurement techniques, we detected the reducing reaction precursor at the interface between the metallic oxide SrRuO₃ and the electrodes under a hydrogenous atmosphere at room temperature. The interface resistance between this polycrystalline oxide and the electrodes (metallic pads or wires) clearly increased with the hydrogen present even at room temperature. In contrast, for bulk SrRuO₃, no increase in resistance was found. The rate of increase of the interface resistance depends on the electrode material. For example, that of SrRuO₃- Ag is larger than that of SrRuO₃-Cu, and the rate is related to the propensity for bulk oxide to reduce; Ag₂O is easier to reduce than CuO. The origin of the increase in interface resistance is posited to be the partial deficiency of oxygen in SrRuO₃. Our experiments suggest that the reduction at the interface of SrRuO₃ occurs at relatively low temperatures (room temperature) compared with the bulk reducing temperature of ～200℃ previously reported. In addition, electrode materials control the reducing reaction at the interface.ArticleJournal of Applied Physics,128(17):175306 (2020)journal articl

A Wireless Mesh Sensor Network Framework For River Flood Detection And Emergency Communications In Case Of Disaster

This study proposes an alternative network relatively simple and inexpensive that can be used for maintaining communications capabilities during major natural disasters and other emergency situations by introducing a system that utilizes Short Message Service(SMS) over Wireless Mesh Sensor Networks(WMSNs). To create this WMSN we propose a system using the water level sensors widely used in rivers throughout the world. Nowadays, most of the communication systems and their applications require a network infrastructure like cellular network or the Internet for communications between users. This communication links can become unavailable during a major disaster due to damaged infrastructure and power outages. This disadvantages raise the following problem; how can people communicate during a major natural disaster? It is imperative to find an alternative system that is capable and resilient enough for communications during a major natural disaster that also can be used in developing countries. Therefore we propose a system using the water level sensors widely used for river flood detection along with wireless technologies for creating a Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) that provides an alternative communication system that is independent from the mobile network infrastructure for sending SMS during emergency situations like natural disasters. The framework aims to establish the interconnections between the WSN inside the disaster area and the mobile network infrastructure. By first creating a medium in which devices communicate resiliently and independent from infrastructure (e.g. the internet or mobile network) in order to exchange data between networked objects and users in the disaster zone. Finally, with the objective of interconnecting with the mobile network infrastructure using multi-hop routing techniques. The major functionality includes data acquisition during normal operation and SMS communication during emergency situations

Probabilistic Prediction Method of Erosion Volume and Deposition Area from Rainfall Observation Data

We propose a methodology to estimate the spatial distribution of the probability of sediment deposition due to debris flow from rainfall data by combining the probability prediction of erosion volume based on an ordinal logistic regression and a sediment transport simulation. By using the Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve and Area Under Curve (AUC) we have selected the best combination of shortand long-term rainfall indices used as explanatory variables in the ordinal logistic model. The results showed that the regression model using 60-minute and 48-hour rainfall indices performed well and that the regression model using three events improved the predictability of local disasters in 2014. Furthermore, we performed Monte Carlo debris-flow simulations using rainfall data from 2014 using the model. We confirmed that the spatial distribution of disaster probability is consistent with the actual damage

Observations and Modeling of Rainfall and Sediment Runoff in the Lesti River Basin, Tributary of the Brantas River, Indonesia

Source: ICHE Conference Archive - https://mdi-de.baw.de/icheArchiv

Prenatal Torsion of Radial Polydactyly: A Gangrenous Mass at the Base of the Thumb

A patient was born with a mass at the base of the thumb approximately 1.5 cm in diameter on the radial side of the fingers. The mass had globular swelling filled with hemorrhagic fluid and was dark red. X-rays and histology of the excised specimen suggested the diagnosis of gangrene and torsion of polydactyly. Prenatal torsion of polydactyly is not a common occurrence; moreover, prenatal torsion of polydactyly has only been found in ulnar polydactyly. Our case is a novel case of radial polydactyly that was gangrenous at birth owing to prenatal torsion. Diagnosing such a mass at the base of the thumb is important

TRMT2A is a novel cell cycle regulator that suppresses cell proliferation

During the maturation of transfer RNA (tRNA), a variety of chemical modifications can be introduced at specific nucleotide positions post-transcriptionally. 5-Methyluridine (m5U) is one of the most common and conserved modifications from eubacteria to eukaryotes. Although TrmA protein in Escherichia coli and Trm2p protein in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which are responsible for the 5-methylation of uracil at position 54 (m5U54) on tRNA, are well characterized, the biological function of the U54 methylation responsible enzyme in mammalian species remains largely unexplored. Here, we show that the mammalian tRNA methyltransferase 2 homolog A (TRMT2A) protein harbors an RNA recognition motif in the N-terminus and the conserved uracil-C5-methyltransferase domain of the TrmA family in the C-terminus. TRMT2A predominantly localizes to the nucleus in HeLa cells. TRMT2A-overexpressing cells display decreased cell proliferation and altered DNA content, while TRMT2A-deficient cells exhibit increased growth. Thus, our results reveal the inhibitory role of TRMT2A on cell proliferation and cell cycle control, providing evidence that TRMT2A is a candidate cell cycle regulator in mammals

Training in the Departments of Urology and Surgery for Gynecologists in Japan

Background: The authors wanted to understand the current situation concerning Japanese obstetricians’ and gynecologists’ ideas for and against training in other departments. Methods: We sent questionnaires to obstetrics and gynecology (Ob-Gyn) specialists via a social networking service (SNS) in Japan. They answered anonymously using Google Forms over the internet. Results: The respondents comprised 120 Ob-Gyn specialists, and their age ranges of 28-29, 30-39, 40-49, and 50 or more, were 5.8%, 73.3%, 15.8%, and 5.0%, respectively. Only five Ob-Gyn specialists (4.2%) had experience in other departments, specifically gastrointestinal and urology. Ninety percent of them responded that they thought training in other departments was useful for developing clinical and surgical skills. In addition, 91.0% of respondents thought that surgical knowledge and skills were necessary in the clinical practice of gynecology, while 94% stated training in urology was also necessary. However, 49.2% of respondents answered that they may feel stress training in other departments where there were many issues, including a lack of personnel and difficulties securing cases. Conclusion: Many Ob-Gyn specialists think training in other departments is necessary, but potential problems include proper training implementation and stress management for residents. If additional training is enforced, greater flexibility in each facility will be required