Spatial characteristics of residents’ discomfort with disseminated solar panels

Since the implementation of feed in tariffs (FIT: a subsidy policy to promote the spread of renewable energy), the external diseconomies of solar panels installed in excess, to earn income from the sale of electricity from photovoltaic power generation, have become apparent. The purpose of this study, therefore, is to identify the impact of the installation of photovoltaic power generation facilities on the living space of citizens. Using data collected through a web survey of residents living in five prefectures in the north-eastern Kanto region of Japan, a spatial autocorrelation analysis was conducted to identify the spatial distribution of discomfort caused by photovoltaic power generation facilities. The results clearly indicated that the spatial discomfort of these residents living in clusters, increased with the installation of the solar panels in their living space. Some of the residents intend making radical demands for corporate action to alleviate their discomfort; such actions can lead to environmental conflict. The results demonstrate that radical solutions are necessary to reduce the spread of this discomfort. By further utilizing the data obtained in this study, it will be possible to estimate the regions at risk of solar panel-related conflict more objectively

Polarized XRF Spectrometer with a 40-mW X-Ray Tube

A three-dimensional polarized X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrometer was assembled with a low-power X-ray tube of 40 milliwatts, and a sample of stainless steel was measured with an acrylic polarizer. Based on the Schr?dinger’s wave picture of Compton scattering, the dependence of the de Broglie wavelength and the scattering angle of a recoil electron on the incident X-ray energy were calculated. When the incident X-rays were scattered at an angle of 90°, the de Broglie of the recoil electron always went away at an angle of 45° with the incident X-rays and the de Broglie wavelength varied for any wavelength of the incident X-rays, i.e. we could select the scattering angle of the recoil electron to be 45°according to the incident X-ray energy and it could then be regarded as 45° Bragg diffraction that could produce highly polarized X-rays. The polarization measurement of scattered X-rays from an acrylic and lead plates substantiated that Compton scattered X-rays from the acrylic plate had higher degree of polarization than the elastically scattered X-rays from the lead plate. Highly polarized Compton scattered X-rays from the light-element polarizer led to the background reduction and the changes of the characteristic X-ray intensity in XRF spectra measured by our laboratory-made spectrometer.Трехмерный рентгеновский флуоресцентный спектрометр с поляризатором (РФА) был собран с использованием маломощной рентгеновской трубки. Размер спектрометра составлял 25 см в длину, ширина и высота по 10 см. Расстояние от рентгеновской трубки до поляризатора составляло 10 мм, между образцом и детектором ? 10 мм. Камера образцов не вакуумировалась. Образец устанавливали на дно акрилового блока. Рентгеновское излучение падало на поляризатор под углом 45? , и после отражения направлялось на образец под углом в 45? . Использовали рентгеновскую трубку с вольфрамовым анодом фирмы Moxtek (номинальная мощность 4 Вт, максимальное напряжение 50 кВ). В качестве поляризатора использовали акриловую (C5H2 O8 )n пластину площадью 80 мм2 и толщиной 30 мм. Излучение регистрировали детектором SDD (RES-Lab, Osaka) площадью 100 мм2 , толщина кремниевого кристалла составляла 450 мкм. Толщина бериллиевого окна ? 8 мкм. Холодильник Пельтье понижал температуру детектора до -30 ° С. Образец из нержавеющей стали измеряли c акриловым поляризатором. На основе волновой теории Шредингера комптоновского рассеяния рассчитана зависимость длины волны де Бройля и угла рассеяния электрона отдачи в зависимости от энергии падающего рентгеновского излучения. Измерение поляризации рассеянного рентгеновского излучения подтвердило, что некогерентно рассеянное на акриловой пластинке рентгеновское излучение имело более высокую степень поляризации, чем когерентно рассеянное рентгеновское излучение от свинцовой пластины. Высокополяризованное некогерентно рассеянное рентгеновское излучение от поляризатора из элемента с малым атомным номером привело к уменьшению фона и изменению интенсивности характеристического рентгеновского излучения в РФА спектрах, измеренных нашим лабораторным спектрометром

Spatially-resolved Radio-to-Far-infrared SED of the Luminous Merger Remnant NGC 1614 with ALMA and VLA

We present the results of Atacama Large Millimeter/Submillimeter Array (ALMA) 108, 233, 352, and 691 GHz continuum observations and Very Large Array (VLA) 4.81 and 8.36 GHz observations of the nearby luminous merger remnant NGC 1614. By analyzing the beam (1".0 * 1".0) and uv (> 45 k{\lambda}) matched ALMA and VLA maps, we find that the deconvolved source size of lower frequency emission (< 108 GHz) is more compact (420 pc * 380 pc) compared to the higher frequency emission (> 233 GHz) (560 pc * 390 pc), suggesting different physical origins for the continuum emission. Based on an SED model for a dusty starburst galaxy, it is found that the SED can be explained by three components, (1) non-thermal synchrotron emission (traced in the 4.81 and 8.36 GHz continuum), (2) thermal free-free emission (traced in the 108 GHz continuum), and (3) thermal dust emission (traced in the 352 and 691 GHz continuum). We also present the spatially-resolved (sub-kpc scale) Kennicutt-Schmidt relation of NGC 1614. The result suggests a systematically shorter molecular gas depletion time in NGC 1614 (average {\tau}_gas of 49 - 77 Myr and 70 - 226 Myr at the starburst ring and the outer region, respectively) than that of normal disk galaxies (~ 2 Gyr) and a mid-stage merger VV 114 (= 0.1 - 1 Gyr). This implies that the star formation activities in U/LIRGs are efficiently enhanced as the merger stage proceeds, which is consistent with the results from high-resolution numerical merger simulations.Comment: 10 pages, 6 figures, accepted for publication in PAS

POLARIZED XRF SPECTROMETER WITH A 40-mW X-RAY TUBE

A three-dimensional polarized X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrometer was assembled with a low-power X-ray tube of 40 milliwatts, and a sample of stainless steel was measured with an acrylic polarizer. Based on the Schrödinger’s wave picture of Compton scattering, the dependence of the de Broglie wavelength and the scattering angle of a recoil electron on the incident X-ray energy were calculated. When the incident X-rays were scattered at an angle of 90°, the de Broglie of the recoil electron always went away at an angle of 45° with the incident X-rays and the de Broglie wavelength varied for any wavelength of the incident X-rays, i.e. we could select the scattering angle of the recoil electron to be 45°according to the incident X-ray energy and it could then be regarded as 45° Bragg diffraction that could produce highly polarized X-rays. The polarization measurement of scattered X-rays from an acrylic and lead plates substantiated that Compton scattered X-rays from the acrylic plate had higher degree of polarization than the elastically scattered X-rays from the lead plate. Highly polarized Compton scattered X-rays from the light-element polarizer led to the background reduction and the changes of the characteristic X-ray intensity in XRF spectra measured by our laboratory-made spectrometer.Key words: polarized X-ray fluorescence  spectrometer, stainless steel, acrylic polarizer, Compton scattering, background.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15826/analitika.2018.22.2.010A three-dimensional polarized X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrometer was assembled with a low-power X-ray tube of 40 milliwatts, and a sample of stainless steel was measured with an acrylic polarizer. Based on the Schrödinger’s wave picture of Compton scattering, the dependence of the de Broglie wavelength and the scattering angle of a recoil electron on the incident X-ray energy were calculated. When the incident X-rays were scattered at an angle of 90°, the de Broglie of the recoil electron always went away at an angle of 45° with the incident X-rays and the de Broglie wavelength varied for any wavelength of the incident X-rays, i.e. we could select the scattering angle of the recoil electron to be 45°according to the incident X-ray energy and it could then be regarded as 45° Bragg diffraction that could produce highly polarized X-rays. The polarization measurement of scattered X-rays from an acrylic and lead plates substantiated that Compton scattered X-rays from the acrylic plate had higher degree of polarization than the elastically scattered X-rays from the lead plate. Highly polarized Compton scattered X-rays from the light-element polarizer led to the background reduction and the changes of the characteristic X-ray intensity in XRF spectra measured by our laboratory-made spectrometer.Key words: polarized X-ray fluorescence  spectrometer, stainless steel, acrylic polarizer, Compton scattering, background.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15826/analitika.2018.22.2.01

BCI training to move a virtual hand reduces phantom limb pain: A randomized crossover trial

Objective: To determine whether training with a brain–computer interface (BCI) to control an image of a phantom hand, which moves based on cortical currents estimated from magnetoencephalographic signals, reduces phantom limb pain. Methods: Twelve patients with chronic phantom limb pain of the upper limb due to amputation or brachial plexus root avulsion participated in a randomized single-blinded crossover trial. Patients were trained to move the virtual hand image controlled by the BCI with a real decoder, which was constructed to classify intact hand movements from motor cortical currents, by moving their phantom hands for 3 days (“real training”). Pain was evaluated using a visual analogue scale (VAS) before and after training, and at follow-up for an additional 16 days. As a control, patients engaged in the training with the same hand image controlled by randomly changing values (“random training”). The 2 trainings were randomly assigned to the patients. This trial is registered at UMIN-CTR (UMIN000013608). Results: VAS at day 4 was significantly reduced from the baseline after real training (mean [SD], 45.3 [24.2]–30.9 [20.6], 1/100 mm; p = 0.009 0.025). Compared to VAS at day 1, VAS at days 4 and 8 was significantly reduced by 32% and 36%, respectively, after real training and was significantly lower than VAS after random training (p < 0.01). Conclusion: Three-day training to move the hand images controlled by BCI significantly reduced pain for 1 week. Classification of evidence: This study provides Class III evidence that BCI reduces phantom limb pain

Spatially resolved CO SLED of the Luminous Merger Remnant NGC 1614 with ALMA

We present high-resolution (1".0) Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) observations of CO (1-0) and CO (2- 1) rotational transitions toward the nearby IR-luminous merger NGC 1614 supplemented with ALMA archival data of CO (3-2), and CO (6-5) transitions. The CO (6-5) emission arises from the starburst ring (central 590 pc in radius), while the lower-$J$ CO lines are distributed over the outer disk ($\sim$ 3.3 kpc in radius). Radiative transfer and photon dominated region (PDR) modeling reveal that the starburst ring has a single warmer gas component with more intense far-ultraviolet radiation field ($n_{\rm{H_2}}$ $\sim$ 10$^{4.6}$ cm$^{-3}$, $T_{\rm{kin}}$ $\sim$ 42 K, and $G_{\rm{0}}$ $\sim$ 10$^{2.7}$) relative to the outer disk ($n_{\rm{H_2}}$ $\sim$ 10$^{5.1}$ cm$^{-3}$, $T_{\rm{kin}}$ $\sim$ 22 K, and $G_{\rm{0}}$ $\sim$ 10$^{0.9}$). A two-phase molecular interstellar medium with a warm and cold ($>$ 70 K and $\sim$ 19 K) component is also an applicable model for the starburst ring. A possible source for heating the warm gas component is mechanical heating due to stellar feedback rather than PDR. Furthermore, we find evidence for non-circular motions along the north-south optical bar in the lower-$J$ CO images, suggesting a cold gas inflow. We suggest that star formation in the starburst ring is sustained by the bar-driven cold gas inflow, and starburst activities radiatively and mechanically power the CO excitation. The absence of a bright active galactic nucleus can be explained by a scenario that cold gas accumulating on the starburst ring is exhausted as the fuel for star formation, or is launched as an outflow before being able to feed to the nucleus.Comment: 20 pages, 19 figures, 2 tables, accepted for publication in Ap

Rice apoplastic CBM1-interacting protein counters blast pathogen invasion by binding conserved carbohydrate binding module 1 motif of fungal proteins

いもち病からイネを守る細胞外タンパク質 (CBMIP) の発見 --CBMIPはイネの細胞壁を守り、いもち病菌の感染を抑える--. 京都大学プレスリリース. 2022-09-30.When infecting plants, fungal pathogens secrete cell wall-degrading enzymes (CWDEs) that break down cellulose and hemicellulose, the primary components of plant cell walls. Some fungal CWDEs contain a unique domain, named the carbohydrate binding module (CBM), that facilitates their access to polysaccharides. However, little is known about how plants counteract pathogen degradation of their cell walls. Here, we show that the rice cysteine-rich repeat secretion protein OsRMC binds to and inhibits xylanase MoCel10A of the blast fungus pathogen Magnaporthe oryzae, interfering with its access to the rice cell wall and degradation of rice xylan. We found binding of OsRMC to various CBM1-containing enzymes, suggesting that it has a general role in inhibiting the action of CBM1. OsRMC is localized to the apoplast, and its expression is strongly induced in leaves infected with M. oryzae. Remarkably, knockdown and overexpression of OsRMC reduced and enhanced rice defense against M. oryzae, respectively, demonstrating that inhibition of CBM1-containing fungal enzymes by OsRMC is crucial for rice defense. We also identified additional CBM-interacting proteins (CBMIPs) from Arabidopsis thaliana and Setaria italica, indicating that a wide range of plants counteract pathogens through this mechanism

Spatially resolved radio-to-far-infrared SED of the luminous merger remnant NGC 1614 with ALMA and VLA

We present the results of Atacama Large Millimeter/Submillimeter Array (ALMA) 108-, 233-, 352-, and 691-GHz continuum observations and Very Large Array (VLA) 4.81- and 8.36-GHz observations of the nearby luminous merger remnant NGC 1614. By analyzing the beam (1′′.0 × 1′′.0) and uv (≥45 kλ) matched ALMA and VLA maps, we find that the deconvolved source size of lower-frequency emission (≤108 GHz) is more compact (420 pc × 380 pc) compared to the higher-frequency emission (≥233 GHz) (560 pc × 390 pc), suggesting different physical origins for the continuum emission. Based on a spectral energy distribution (SED) model for a dusty starburst galaxy, it is found that the SED can be explained by three components: (1) non-thermal synchrotron emission (traced in the 4.81- and 8.36-GHz continua), (2) thermal free–free emission (traced in the 108-GHz continuum), and (3) thermal dust emission (traced in the 352- and 691-GHz continua). We also present the spatially resolved (sub-kpc scale) Kennicutt–Schmidt relation of NGC 1614. The result suggests a systematically shorter molecular gas depletion time in NGC 1614 (average τ_(gas) of 49–77 Myr and 70–226 Myr at the starburst ring and the outer region, respectively) than that of normal disk galaxies (∼2 Gyr) and a mid-stage merger VV 114 (= 0.1–1 Gyr). This implies that the star formation activities in (ultra-)luminous infrared galaxies are efficiently enhanced as the merger stage proceeds, which is consistent with the results from high-resolution numerical merger simulations

Anti-inflammatory Effect of Ghrelin in Lymphoblastoid Cell Lines From Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder

The gut hormone ghrelin has been implicated in a variety of functional roles in the central nervous system through the brain-gut axis, one of which is an anti-inflammatory effect. An aberrant brain-gut axis producing immune dysfunction has been implicated in the pathobiology of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and elevated expression of inflammatory markers has been shown in blood and brain tissue from subjects with ASD. We hypothesized that ghrelin may mitigate this effect. Lymphoblastoid cell lines from typically developed children (TD-C) (N = 20) and children with ASD (ASD-C) (N = 20) were cultured with PBS or human ghrelin (0.01 μM) for 24 h, and mRNA expression levels of the inflammation-related molecules interleukin-1β (IL-1β), interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) were measured to examine the effects of ghrelin as an anti-inflammatory agent. Expression levels of TNF-α and NF-κB mRNA, but not IL-1β or IL-6, were significantly elevated in ASD-C compared to TD-C. Ghrelin showed a tendency to reduce the expression of TNF-α and NF-κB, but this was not statistically significant. Considering the heterogenous pathobiology of ASD, we examined the effects of ghrelin on TD-C and ASD-C with expression levels of TNF-α and NF-κB in the highest and lowest quartiles. We found that ghrelin markedly reduced mRNA expression of TNF-α and NF-κB s in ASD-C with highest-quartile expression, but there were no effects in ASD-C with lowest-quartile expression, TD-C with highest quartile expression, or TD-C with lowest quartile expression. Together, these findings suggest that ghrelin has potential as a novel therapeutic agent for ASD with inflammation and/or immune dysfunction