Sea ice thickness estimated from passive microwave radiometers

This study presents the findings of research into the correlation between sea ice thickness and passive microwave radiation. In-situ sea ice thickness samples were obtained from video observations by the icebreaker Soya during 1996-1998 and surface feature observations in 1997 by the visible and near-infrared radiometer AVNIR mounted on the ADEOS satellite. These sea ice thickness data were binned into grid cell data of the satellite microwave radiometer SSM/I for the same location, and averaged to provide an average ice thickness for a grid cell. In order to survey the relationship between sea ice thickness and microwave radiation, two sea ice classification parameters for SSM/I were investigated as to their ability to estimate sea ice thickness. One sea ice classification parameter is the Polarization Ratio (PR), which was developed for a seasonally ice covered area and can distinguish three ice types: new ice, young ice, and first-year ice. Another parameter is the ratio between 37GHz vertical polarization and 85GHz vertical polarization (R_). It can distinguish fast ice in addition to the three ice types that can be distinguished by the PR. These parameters showed correlation coefficients with in-situ sea ice thickness, -0.77 and 0.67, respectively, in this study. Estimated sea ice thickness derived from multiple regression analysis using PR and R_ showed good correlation (R=0.81) with in-situ sea ice thickness

Donor−acceptor pair luminescence in compensated Si for solar cells

A broad band with a fine structure on the higher energy side has been commonly observed in photoluminescence at 4.2 K from compensated Si for solar cells involving P donors and B acceptors on the order of 1016 cm⁻³. We calculated the theoretical spectrum of donor−acceptor (DA) pair luminescence from the density distribution of pairs as a function of the transition energy of respective pairs with separations ranging from 1.9 to 3.3 nm. A close agreement was obtained between the observed spectral structure and the theoretical curve using the generally accepted P donor and B acceptor ionizationenergies, where a systematic deviation was explained by the Van der Waals interaction between shallow P donors and B acceptors. This allows us to conclude that the band with the fine structure is due to the P-donor−B-acceptor pair recombination. This identification was confirmed by the observation of As-donor−B-acceptor pair luminescence in an As-doped sample. The present findings indicate that P and B impurities with concentrations on the order of 1016 cm⁻³ are unlikely to form complexes and that their ionizationenergies are not changed from those in the low concentration range.This work was partly supported by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) under the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI)

Solid state diffusion bonding of doped tungsten alloys with different thermo-mechanical properties

To develop joints using W materials with different thermo-mechanical properties, solid state diffusion bonding involving two different W materials (pure W, K-doped W, or K-doped W-3%Re) and using a pure V interlayer (1.5 mm, 0.5 mm, or 0.05 mm thick) were carried out at 1250 °C for 1 h. The use of a thin interlayer was found to be effective from the point of optimizing the strength and thermal diffusivity. Diffusion bonding at lower temperatures or utilizing W materials with higher recrystallization temperatures were also determined to be effective because pure W can recrystallize at 1250 °C. Further evaluation of a wide range of interlayer thicknesses and thermo-mechanical test conditions is necessary based on the present work to obtain optimum W/V/W joints

Adaptability and selectivity of human peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) pan agonists revealed from crystal structures

The structures of the ligand-binding domains (LBDs) of human peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARα, PPARγ and PPARδ) in complexes with a pan agonist, an α/δ dual agonist and a PPARδ-specific agonist were determined. The results explain how each ligand is recognized by the PPAR LBDs at an atomic level

Characterization of stability of benchmark organic photovoltaic films after proton and electron bombardments

Organic solar cells have attractive potential for space applications as they have very high specific power (power generated per weight) and ultra-high flexibility (to reduce stowed volume). However, one critical issue is whether they are stable under the harsh space environment, particularly their stability under high energy, high flux, electron and proton bombardment. In this paper, the stability of benchmark organic photovoltaic layers under proton bombardment (150 keV with a fluence of 1 × 1012/cm2) and electron bombardment (1 MeV with a fluence of 1 × 1013/cm2) under vacuum is investigated. Raman spectroscopy, photoluminescence spectroscopy, and optical reflectance spectroscopy are applied to study their chemical/structural, photo-chemical/morphological, and optical stability after the bombardments. The results show that all the benchmark organic photovoltaic films are stable under the radiation, implying that organic solar cells could be feasible for space applications

トクシマシ イシカイ ガ ウンエイ スル トクシマシ チイキ ホウカツ シエン センター ノ トリクミ

The Tokushima City Integrated Community Care Support Center, a public institution responsible for the Long-Term Care Insurance and welfare administration of Tokushima City, has high business operations fair and neutrality. The only support center in Tokushima City has been entrusted to the Tokushima City Medical Association and is a large center unusual in Japan. We are working to cooperation with relevant organizations to support the medical and health, welfare and care of the community. We try to establish an Integrated Community Care system, as elderly can continue to live so long and dignified. We divided a daily living area of Tokushima City into four, and have placed the staff for each area. The current number of staff is ５４ people in total, including public health nurses, social workers, chief care managers, and so on. Number of consultations reaches ３６，０００ per year. Occasionally, we received over １６０ consultations a day. There are a wide variety of consultation contents such as Dementia and long-term care services, elder abuse and consumer damage. Because of Medical Association’s operation, we are able to easily construct cooperation with the healthcare and the long-time care system. Therefore, the all citizens of Tokushima City can receive standard services equally, fair, and neutrally. There is no regional disparity, there is no user of the enclosure. Because we have１４branches of the support center in the city, they can bring a high level convenience to the citizens. It seems necessary to focus on the development of four promotions for the future citizens, ① Enhancement of the center output ② Cooperation of the healthcare and the long-term care ③ Improvement of the area community care conference ④ Increase of measures against Dementia

Genome-wide DNA methylation profiles in both precancerous conditions and clear cell renal cell carcinomas are correlated with malignant potential and patient outcome

To clarify genome-wide DNA methylation profiles during multistage renal carcinogenesis, bacterial artificial chromosome array-based methylated CpG island amplification (BAMCA) was performed. Non-cancerous renal cortex tissue obtained from patients with clear cell renal cell carcinomas (RCCs) (N) was at the precancerous stage where DNA hypomethylation and DNA hypermethylation on multiple bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) clones were observed. By unsupervised hierarchical clustering analysis based on BAMCA data for their N, 51 patients with clear cell RCCs were clustered into two subclasses, Clusters AN (n = 46) and BN (n = 5). Clinicopathologically aggressive clear cell RCCs were accumulated in Cluster BN, and the overall survival rate of patients in Cluster BN was significantly lower than that of patients in Cluster AN. By unsupervised hierarchical clustering analysis based on BAMCA data for their RCCs, 51 patients were clustered into two subclasses, Clusters AT (n = 43) and BT (n = 8). Clinicopathologically aggressive clear cell RCCs were accumulated in Cluster BT, and the overall survival rate of patients in Cluster BT was significantly lower than that of patients in Cluster AT. Multivariate analysis revealed that belonging to Cluster BT was an independent predictor of recurrence. Cluster BN was completely included in Cluster BT, and the majority of the BAC clones that significantly discriminated Cluster BN from Cluster AN also discriminated Cluster BT from Cluster AT. In individual patients, DNA methylation status in N was basically inherited by the corresponding clear cell RCC. DNA methylation alterations in the precancerous stage may generate more malignant clear cell RCCs and determine patient outcome

Copy number alterations in urothelial carcinomas: their clinicopathological significance and correlation with DNA methylation alterations

The aim of this study was to clarify the genetic backgrounds underlying the clinicopathological characteristics of urothelial carcinomas (UCs). Array comparative genomic hybridization analysis using a 244K oligonucleotide array was performed on 49 samples of UC tissue. Losses of 2q33.3–q37.3, 4p15.2–q13.1 and 5q13.3–q35.3 and gains of 7p11.2–q11.23 and 20q13.12–q13.2 were correlated with higher histological grade, and gain of 7p21.2–p21.12 was correlated with deeper invasion. Losses of 6q14.1–q27 and 17p13.3–q11.1 and gains of 19q13.12–q13.2 and 20q13.12–q13.33 were correlated with lymph vessel involvement. Loss of 16p12.2–p12.1 and gain of 3q26.32–q29 were correlated with vascular involvement. Losses of 5q14.1–q23.1, 6q14.1–q27, 8p22–p21.3, 11q13.5–q14.1 and 15q11.2–q22.2 and gains of 7p11.2–q11.22 and 19q13.12–q13.2 were correlated with the development of aggressive non-papillary UCs. Losses of 1p32.2–p31.3, 10q11.23–q21.1 and 15q21.3 were correlated with tumor recurrence. Unsupervised hierarchical clustering analysis based on copy number alterations clustered UCs into three subclasses: copy number alterations associated with genome-wide DNA hypomethylation, regional DNA hypermethylation on C-type CpG islands and genome-wide DNA hypo- and hypermethylation were accumulated in clusters A, B1 and B2, respectively. Tumor-related genes that may encode therapeutic targets and/or indicators useful for the diagnosis and prognostication of UCs should be explored in the above regions. Both genetic and epigenetic events appear to accumulate during urothelial carcinogenesis, reflecting the clinicopathological diversity of UCs