Estimating Annual Available Amounts of Forest Biomass Resources with Total Revenues and Costs during the 60-Year Rotation in a Mountainous Region in Japan

This study extracted production forests and estimated the annual available amounts of forest biomass resources under profitable forest management. Production forests were extracted as sub-compartments where expected revenues surpassed all costs, from planting to final harvesting, for a 60-year rotation. These revenues and costs were estimated for two types of timber harvesting systems (a conventional operation system using a chainsaw and mini-forwarder, and a mechanized operation system using a processor and forwarder) and three types of forest biomass harvesting systems (normal extraction, landing sales, and no biomass extraction) in each sub-compartment using a geographic information system. Then, annual available amounts of forest biomass resources were estimated on the basis of annual supply potentials from production forests. The model was then applied to Nasushiobara City and the Kanuma area in Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. As a result, the number of profitable sub-compartments was estimated as 2,814 out of a total of 5,756 in Nasushiobara City, and 22,872 out of a total of 32,851 in the Kanuma area. The annual amounts of available forest biomass resources were estimated as 11,849 m3 y–1 and 115,213 m3 y–1 in Nasushiobara City and the Kanuma area, respectively. These amounts largely exceed the annual demands of a 500 kW woody biomass power generation plant planned in Nasushiobara City (6,000 m3 y–1) and a chip production factory located in the Kanuma area (12,000 m3 y–1), respectively. €1 = 143 yen on March 13, 201

THE DEVELOPMENT OF A MULTI-MEDIA LEARNING PACKAGE COMPOSED OF EDUCATIONAL TELEVISION AND SIMULATED CD-ROM

This study was a trial for developing a multi-media learning package which combines a broadcasting program with other media. NHK School Broadcasting Special Series, "Hearing a Story -Totto-chan-", was chosen for the study, and a learning system incorporating it was constructed. A personal computer connected to simulated CD-ROM was selected as the medium for making maximum use of the strengths and for compensating for the weaknesses of the TV program, which is to improve students\u27 listening ability. A CAI system for producing optimal learning was developed, and its effects were validated

Evidence-based Tool for Triggering School Closures during Influenza Outbreaks, Japan

Guidelines available to school administrators to support school closure decisions during influenza outbreaks are usually not evidence-based. Using empirical data on absentee rates of elementary school students in Japan, we developed a simple and practical algorithm for determining the optimal timing of school closures for control of influenza outbreaks

被虐待者のエンパワメントからの学び : 保健師学生と助産師学生の視点

保健師、助産師の基礎教育課程の中で虐待の当事者から直接学ぶ機会は乏しい。今回、音楽活動を行っている被虐待者の『コンサート&トーク』をとおして保健師および助産師学生がメッセージとして受け止めた内容や、その視点を分析し、リスクの高い健康課題を有する当事者のエンパワメントについて学習する意義を検討した。学生にとって当事者から直接学ぶことは、現実の理解につながることがわかった。また、人々の人生、生命、生活に関わる看護職者としての役割認識を高めた。特に虐待という健康リスクが高い課題について学ぶことにより、当事者のエンパワメントについて学習する良い機会となった

Smooth sectioning of biological samples by FIB-TOF-SIMS

Spheroids, which are three-dimensionally cultured cells that resemble actual living organisms, have been attracting attention. FIB-TOF-SIMS (Focused Ion Beam Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry) is capable of simultaneous mass imaging of multiple elements without the need for labeling. FIB-TOF-SIMS is expected to process the spheroid and image the cross-sectional components. However, FIB processing of spheroids larger than 100μm often results in uneven cross sections due to the so-called curtain effect. The unevenness of the cross-section affects the sputtering and hinders component imaging. In this experiment, we considered the processing of spheroids by FIB from multiple directions to suppress the curtain effect. The curtain effect was evaluated by comparing the processing from one direction and from multiple directions

Rare Influenza A (H3N2) Variants with Reduced Sensitivity to Antiviral Drugs

In 2007 and 2008 in Myanmar, we detected influenza viruses A (H3N2) that exhibited reduced sensitivity to both zanamivir and amantadine. These rare and naturally occurring viruses harbored a novel Q136K mutation in neuraminidase and S31N mutation in M2