<Note>Observation of Feeding Behavior of Termite Using CCD Camera and Its Relation to the Generation of Acoustic Emission (AE)

この論文は国立情報学研究所の学術雑誌公開支援事業により電子化されました。The feeding behavior of a worker of Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki was observed with CCD camera under AE monitering. Two types of feeding behavior, biting and nibbling using the mandible, were observed. AEs were detected only when the termites bited or nibbled at the wood surface

CO2 efflux from leaf litter focused on spatial and temporal heterogeneity of moisture

Leaf litter respiration (R [LL]) was directly measured in situ to evaluate relationships with the water content in leaf litter (WC), which is distributed heterogeneously under natural conditions. To do so, we developed a small, closed static chamber system using an infrared gas analyzer, which can measure instantaneous R [LL]. This study focuses on the measurement of CO2 effluxes from leaf litter using the chamber system in the field and examines the relationship between R [LL] and WC among seven broadleaf species in a temperate forest. The measurements focused on the position of leaves within the litter layer, finding that both R [LL] and WC were significantly higher in the lower layer. The value of R [LL] increased with increasing WC, and the response of R [LL] to WC was similar among all seven species. Moreover, the temporal variation in WC differed among three species and was associated with leaf litter thickness. The observed heterogeneity in WC induced by the physical environment (e.g., position and thickness of leaf litter) affects the variation in WC and, therefore, both R [LL] and the decomposition rates of organic matter in the litter layer

Effect of annealing and hydrogen on properties of electrodeposited platinum electrode and lead-zirconate-titanate films for ferroelectric random access memory applications

The selection of capacitor electrode materials for the nonvolatile ferroelectric random access memory is one of the most important issues because capacitor electrical characteristics are strongly influenced by the electrode materials. The lower Pt electrode was electrodeposited on the Ti seed/Pt seed layer. Two different thicknesses of Ti seed layer (5 and 15 nm) were adopted, and lead-zirconate-titanate (PZT) was deposited on the electrodeposited Pt. The Pt crystal orientation with a 5 nm Ti seed layer is much better than that with a 15 nm Ti seed layer, and the deposited PZT shows much better crystal orientation. Due to better crystal orientation of the PZT layer in the case of a 5 nm Ti seed layer, a Pt/PZT/Pt capacitor well-saturated D-V hysteresis loop was obtained whereas little current was observed in the large electric field. With the 15 nm Ti seed layer, numerous several-mu m-sized voids formed on the lower Pt electrode surface. With the 5 nm Ti seed layer, fewer voids formed on the lower Pt electrode surface. Glow discharge spectrometry measurement with a 15 nm Ti seed layer shows much higher H intensity than that with a 5 nm Ti seed layer, and the H peak coincides with the Ti peak. The H existing in the Ti seed layer must have transmitted into the PZT layer and deteriorated the PZT crystal orientation. (c) 2005 The Electrochemical Society. </p

Comprehensive Analysis of Inflammatory Immune Mediators in Vitreoretinal Diseases

Inflammation affects the formation and the progression of various vitreoretinal diseases. We performed a comprehensive analysis of inflammatory immune mediators in the vitreous fluids from total of 345 patients with diabetic macular edema (DME, n = 92), proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR, n = 147), branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO, n = 30), central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO, n = 13) and rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD, n = 63). As a control, we selected a total of 83 patients with either idiopathic macular hole (MH) or idiopathic epiretinal membrane (ERM) that were free of major pathogenic intraocular changes, such as ischemic retina and proliferative membranes. The concentrations of 20 soluble factors (nine cytokines, six chemokines, and five growth factors) were measured simultaneously by multiplex bead analysis system. Out of 20 soluble factors, three factors: interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-8 (IL-8), and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) were significantly elevated in all groups of vitreoretinal diseases (DME, PDR, BRVO, CRVO, and RRD) compared with control group. According to the correlation analysis in the individual patient's level, these three factors that were simultaneously increased, did not show any independent upregulation in all the examined diseases. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) was significantly elevated in patients with PDR and CRVO. In PDR patients, the elevation of VEGF was significantly correlated with the three factors: IL-6, IL-8, and MCP-1, while no significant correlation was observed in CRVO patients. In conclusion, multiplex bead system enabled a comprehensive soluble factor analysis in vitreous fluid derived from variety of patients. Major three factors: IL-6, IL-8, and MCP-1 were strongly correlated with each other indicating a common pathway involved in inflammation process in vitreoretinal diseases