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The East Sea (Sea of Japan) is a unique marginal sea because it exhibits features of oceanic dynamics of much larger ocean basins. This semi-enclosed basin may be considered as a model or microcosm for understanding of how biological processes and distributions in pelagic ecosystem are interacting with physical processes in highly dynamic ocean regions. This overview summarizes the recent progresses concerning spatial and temporal variability of pelagic ecosystem components form an interdisciplinary point of view. Spatial characteristics of physical environments and biogeography in the region are distinguished mainly by the subpolar front. It was also found that long-term changes in biomass and community structure as well as those in the physical and biological environments are associated with climate variability in the region. We conclude by identifying main needs for the information and researches, particularly regular and long-term sampling, and permanent monitoring if possible.

A new approach towards the recycling of waste ground rubber tire (WGRT) powder was demonstrated in this study by introducing the polypropylene/ waste ground rubber tire (PP/WGRT) foaming method by using CO2 as the foaming agent in an extrusion foaming process. The regression models were constructed to study the relationships between the foam structure (i.e., void fraction, average cell size, and cell density) of foamed PP/WGRT blends, the processing parameters (extruder’s die temperature and CO2 concentration), and WGRT content by applying a three-factor central composite design (CCD) statistical approach. The response surface plots generated using the regression models allow the rapid selection of the proper process parameters to obtain microcellular PP/WGRT blends with the desired density and morphology.

PLA biodegradable composites reinforced with various silk fibroin powder contents (0, 1, 3, 5 and 7 wt.-%) were prepared by solution processing technique using CH 2 Cl 2 as solvent. After that the composites and virgin PLA were foamed by using supercritical CO 2 . The influence of silk contents on PLA/silk fibroin powder composite foams were investigated by using SEM, XRD and DSC. Compared with PLA foam, the composite foams exhibited a reduction in cell size and increase in cell density at high silk content. With an increase in saturation temperature and pressure, the cell size was increasing and both the cell density and foam density were decreased simultaneously.

We have named the sea surrounded by the Korean Peninsula, Primorye of Russia, and Japanese Islands as the East Sea. Historically this region has been variously named the East Sea, Chosun Sea, and, more recently, Japan Sea and Sea of Japan. Since the scientific research papers can play important roles on the naming the sea, the status of naming the East Sea in international scientific journals was investigated. Among 472 papers in 46 international journals that we assessed, Japan Sea (or Sea of Japan) was used in 322 papers (68.2%), East Sea was used in 21 papers (4.4%), and parallel usage of East Sea and Japan Sea accounted for 27.3% (129 papers). In all scientific papers before the early 1980s, East Sea was not used. Since the first parallel usage of East Sea and Japan Sea in 1985, these designations has been increasingly used. After 2004, the parallel usage has replaced the single designation of Japan Sea.

Novel thermoplastic composites made from two major industrial and consumer wastes, fly ash and waste tire powder, have been developed. The effect of increasing fly ash loadings on performance characteristics such as tensile strength, thermal, dynamic mechanical and magnetic properties has been investigated. The morphology of the blends shows that fly ash particles have more affinity and adhesion towards the rubbery phase when compared to the plastic phase. The fracture surface of the composites shows extensive debonding of fly ash particles. Thermal analysis of the composites shows a progressive increase in activation energy with increase in fly ash loadings. Additionally, morphological studies of the ash residue after 90% thermal degradation shows extensive changes occurring in both the polymer and filler phases. The processing ability of the thermoplastics has been carried out in a Monsanto processability testing machine as a function of shear rate and temperature. Shear thinning behavior, typical of particulate polymer systems, has been observed irrespective of the testing temperatures. Magnetic properties and percolation behavior of the composites have also been evaluated.

With the increased adoption of thermoplastic vulcanizates (TPVs) in automotive weather seal systems, the foams of TPVs present an important milestone in providing key applications such as trunk and door seals. In this study, microcellular foams of TPV based on waste ground rubber tire powder (WGRT) were investigated. In order to investigate the relationship between processing conditions and structure of TPV foams, we first prepared the thermoplastic vulcanizates of PP-g-MA/WGRT, then the samples were saturated with carbon dioxide and the saturated specimens were expanded during the pressure-quench process. The results indicated that the microcellular structure was dependent on the processing conditions. Cell size increased with saturation temperature, whereas cell density and relative density decreased. Different nucleation processes were produced with saturation pressure.

Recent findings on water masses, biogeochemical tracers, deep currents and basin-scale circulation in the East/Japan Sea, and numerical modeling of its circulation are reviewed. Warming continues up to 2007 despite an episode of bottom water formation in the winter of 2000–2001. Water masses have definitely changed since the 1970s and further changes are expected due to the continuation of warming. Accumulation of current data in deep waters of the East/Japan Sea reveals that the circulation in the East/Japan Sea is primarily cyclonic with sub-basin scale cyclonic and anticyclonic cells in the Ulleung Basin (Tsushima Basin). Our understanding of the circulation of intermediate water masses has been deepened through high-resolution numerical studies, and the implementation of data assimilation has had initial success. However, the East/Japan Sea is unique in terms of the fine vertical structures of physical and biogeochemical properties of cold water mass measured at the highest precision and their rapid change with the global warming, so that full understanding of the structures and their change requires in-depth process studies with continuous monitoring programs.

Inductively coupled plasma reactive ion etching (ICP-RIE) of sapphire wafers using C2F6- and NF3-based plasma was investigated as a function of ICP power, bias power, pressure, and plasma chemistry. Etch rate of about 150 nm/min in the case of C2F6 plasma and about 260 nm/min in the case of NF3 plasma was obtained at the optimum condition, with anisotropic profiles and smooth surfaces. No chamber corrosion was observed after the etching, indicating that ICP-RIE using the fluorine-related gases is a promising technique for sapphire patterning.

Introduction.- History.- Geography.- Physical Oceanography.- Introduction.- Circulation.- Water masses.- Inflow-outflow system.- Air-Sea Interaction.- High frequency variation.- Remote Sensing.- Chemical Oceanography.- Introduction.- Nutrients and dissolved oxygen.- Carbon cycle.- Trace elements.- Tracer geochemistry.- Sediment Geochemistry.- Mass Balance and Box Model.- Biology & Fisheries.- Introduction.- Phytoplankton & Primary Production.- Microbiology.- Zooplankton.- Benthic Algae.- Fish & Fisheries.- Benthos & Benthic Process.- Mammals.- Food Web.- Marine Geology.- Introduction.- Physiography.- Geophysics.- Stratigraphy.- Paleoceanography.- Sedimentary environments.

This paper introduces a new type push-push harmonic dielectric resonator oscillator. Proposed oscillators are utilized by HDRO(Harmonic Dielectric Resonator Oscillator) which are combined in push-push structure. As a result, fundamental signal suppression ratio and output power of harmonic signal has been improved. The increase of phase noise is compensated by improving coupling characteristic between resonator and parallel microstrip line. The proposed push-push HDRO shows the output power of 9.32 dBm, the fundamental signal suppression of -47.2 dBc and phase noise of -99.86 dBc at 100 kHz offset frequency and 18.7 GHz center frequency.

We isolated four new ammonia-oxidizing bacterial strains from leucaena (Leucaena leucocephala) grown in fields of an acid sulfate soil (ASS) in Thailand; 17SS from the surface soil and 17RS from the rhizoplane of a non-limed plot; 9SS from the surface soil and 9RS from the rhizoplane in a limed plot. The cells of all strains had the typical lobate shape of the genus Nitrosospira (“Nitrosolobus”). The percentage similarity of the 16S rRNA genes of these strains to that of Nitrosospira (“Nitrosolobus”) multiformis ATCC25196T (ATCC25196T) was 99.52% (strains 17SS, 17RS and 9SS) and 99.66% (strain 9RS). These newly isolated bacteria were all identified as Nitrosospira sp. Each strain, especially 17SS isolated from ASS, had higher urease activity than that of ATCC25196T. The o-acetylserine(thiol)lyase activity of 17SS was the highest of all the isolates. At pH 6.0, every isolate and ATCC25196T were able to utilize urea as the sole nitrogen source, in particular, strain 17SS grew best. The isolates fro...

Evaluation of physiological performance of trehalose-producing transgenic rice line was conducted to investigate drought tolerance at early growth stage. Under artificially induced drought condition of 8% polyethylene glycol 6000, this transgenic rice line had leaf photosynthetic rate of 11.08 uml CO , leaf transpiration rate of 8.38 mmol and leaf water potential of -1.12 MPa after 96 hours of treatment. Nakdongbyeo, the parent of this tyansgenic rice line, had photosynthetic rate of 15.42 mol CO , leaf transpiration rate of 8,04 mmol and leaf water potential of -0.88 MPa. The other variety used in this experiment for comparison, IR 72, showed higher values than both tyansgenic rice line and variety Nakdonbyeo on all three parameters; leaf photosynthetic rate of 20.61 mol CO , leaf transpiration rate of 12.88 mmol , and leaf water potential of -0.82 MPa. So this transgenic rice line did not show superior performance in leaf transpiration rate, leaf photosynthetic rate and leaf water potential compared to variety Nakdongbyeo. This result along with visual observation on leaf rolling and drying during the experimental period indicated poor physiological performance of this transgenic rice line. Further studies on metabolic status of stress-induced trehalose, along with study on physiological response of this transgenic rice line during drought stress would shed more light on overall physiological performance of this transgenic rice line.

Aluminum (Al) is a major phytotoxic mineral in the soil at low pH conditions (Jones and Kochian, 1996). Pellet et al. (1995) reported that Al would damage the roots by making the plants more sensitive to other abiotic stresses such as defi ciency of water and nutrients, and eventually reduce the crop yield. One of the Al-tolerance mechanisms in plants would be Al exclusion from the root apices. In several upland plants, Al tolerance is closely associated with an increased ability of roots to release organic acids, such as citrate (de la Fuente et al., 1997; Ma et al., 1997a; Pineros et al., 2002), malate (Osawa and Matsumoto, 2001; Tesfaye et al., 2001), and oxalate (Ma et al., 1997b; Wenzl et al., 2001), which may prevent Al uptake by chelating Al. Rice, a lowland plant, has been identifi ed as a high Al-excluder at root apex (Osaki et al., 1997), but the mechanism of Al exclusion in rice plants has not been fully elucidated. The purpose of the present study is to confi rm that the varietal difference of the Al tolerance in rice is associated with organic acid formation in the intact root apices when Al was added to the low pH nutrient solution, and furthermore, to identify the sort of organic acid formed in the root exposed to Al.

A Navier-Stokes code has been developed to simulate the flow through a cross flow fan. It is based on an unstructured finite volume method and uses moving grid technique to model the rotation of the fan. A low Reynolds number turbulence model is used to calculate eddy viscosity. The basic algorithm is SIMPLE. Numerical simulations over a wide range of flow rate are carried out to validate the code. Comparison of all numerical solutions with experimental data confirms the validity of the present code. Present numerical solutions show a noticeable improvement over a previous numerical method which is based on a model of body force to simulate the rotation of the impeller.

The deep interior of the East/Japan Sea is governed by its unique thermohaline circulation which is far smaller but much faster than the Great Ocean Conveyer Belt. Analysis of oxygen profiles confirms that, at present, less dense waters no longer penetrate to the bottom. Instead they start to generate intermediate waters. Consequently, the volume of each water mass is changing with time. Recently, a Moving-Boundary Box Model (MBBM) of the region, which can accommodate this feature, has been proposed. The model predicts that the current bottom water will be replaced by deep water by the year 2040. The physical supply of dissolved oxygen into the deep waters and the biological oxygen utilization rates in the East Sea are estimated using the MBBM under the structural change of ventilation scenario. The oxygen utilization rates of the deep water masses [Central Water (CW), Deep Water (DW), and Bottom Water (BW)] in the East Sea are estimated as 2.0, 1.1, and 0.8 μmol kg−1 year−1, respectively. This study also confirms that the dissolved oxygen concentration of the deep waters in the East Sea has decreased over the years, as recent studies have claimed. However, this trend can only be extended until the year 2040 since the Bottom Water will disappear by then and the deep layer structure will be changed into a two-layer system. Our model suggests that the previous predictions of the imminent anoxic interior of the East Sea will not be realized because the current structural change will replace the bottom water before it becomes hypoxic.

The East/Japan Sea is a mid-latitude marginal sea that has undergone dramatic changes during the last 50–60 years. One of the most prominent characteristics of these changes is a rapid decrease in the amount of dissolved oxygen in deep waters. As a consequence of these changes, some investigators have even argued that the East/Japan Sea might become an anoxic sea in the next 200 years. While the causes of these changes are still under investigation, it has been shown that they are mainly due to modifications in the mode of the deep water ventilation system in the East/Japan Sea: a slowdown and complete cessation of bottom water formation accompanied by an enhancement of upper water formation instead. A simple moving-boundary box model (MBBM) was developed in order to analyze and quantify the processes involved in such changes over the last 50–60 years. Using a MBBM, we estimated the levels of several conservative chemical tracers (CFCs, Tritium, SF6, 137Cs) and bioactive tracers (oxygen and phosphate) in the deep water masses of the East/Japan Sea, comparing these with the historical data available, and making predictions for the near future. The model predicts that the East/Japan Sea should remain well-oxygenated, despite recent rapid oxygen decreases in its deep waters, accompanied by such structural changes as a shrinking of its oxygen-depleted deeper waters and an expansion of its oxygen-rich upper waters over the next few decades.

Hydrographic properties from CTD and discrete bottle sample profiles covering the Japan (East) Sea in summer, 1999, are presented in vertical sections, maps at standard depths, maps on isopycnal surfaces, and as property–property distributions. This data set covers most of the Sea with the exception of the western boundary region and northern Tatar Strait, and includes nutrients, pH, alkalinity, and chlorofluorocarbons, as well as the usual temperature, salinity, and oxygen observations.

The understanding on the chemistry of the East (Japan) Sea, a typical mid-latitude marginal sea, has been dramatically improved through the CREAMS expeditions, an international cooperative study, carried out during 1990s. The CREAMS studies confirmed that the East Sea has undergone dramatic changes during the last 50–60 years. One of the most prominent characteristics of these changes is a rapid decrease of dissolved oxygen in deep waters. There even has been a claim that the East Sea might become an anoxic sea by next 200 years. While the causes for these changes are still under investigation, it has been shown that these changes are mainly due to the modification in the mode of deep water ventilation system in the East Sea: a slow down and complete stop of bottom water formation accompanied by an enhancement of upper water formation instead. A simple moving-boundary box model (MBBM) was developed in order to quantify the processes involved in such changes for the last 50–60 years. The model predicts that the East Sea may remain as a well-oxygenated sea despites recent rapid oxygen decreases in deep waters in association with structural changes such as a shrinking of oxygen-depleted deeper waters and an expansion of oxygen-rich upper in the East Sea in next few decades. The sedimentary record, however, shows that the East Sea has undergone oscillation between well-oxygenated environment and anoxic environment during last glacial period in association with the eustatic sea-level change. Several flooding processes such as intrusion of cold Oyashio Current and less saline, nutrient-rich seawaters from East China Sea and Yellow Sea has been proposed. Being a semi-closed basin, the carbon cycle of the East Sea has been a subject of CREAMS investigation. The East Sea serves as a strong sink of atmospheric CO2; penetration of anthropogenic CO2 all the way to the bottom is clear with its very rapid conveyor-belt system.

The alignment mechanism of a polyimide surface bombarded with an atomic beam is investigated. Atomic beam treatment of polyimide films allows a liquid crystal (LC) to align parallel to the beam direction. This alignment mechanism is demonstrated by the selective destruction of double bonds in polyimide. The optical retardation measurement using a photoelastic modulator (PEM) indicates that the in-plane crystalline order of the polyimide chain that occurred by rubbing is not created by atomic beam exposure. The atomic force microscopy (AFM) image of the polyimide surface modified by atomic beam exposure shows that its directional topography does not appear. The binding energy of core electrons of each element measured by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) describes the variation of the chemical bonding state on the polyimide surface exposed to atomic beam. These experimental results illustrate that LC alignment is achieved from the overlap of the p-orbitals of polyimide and LC.

本研究は, 酸性硫酸塩土壌を有するタイ南部ナラチワ県を研究対象地とし, 酸性土壌地域でのイネ収量を向上させることを目的として行ったものである. 第1報として, まず, 人工的に作った強酸性土壌にイネ (Oryza sativa L.) 48品種を移植し, 4週間後の個体の生存率によって14品種を選抜した. なお, 参考として, 酸性土壌に強いとされるアフリカイネ (Oryza glaberrima Steud.) 29品種もイネと同様に栽培し, 耐酸性を調べた. その結果, イネ14品種とアフリカイネ10品種が選抜された. 選抜されたイネ品種14のうち, 強酸性土壌で最も高い生長速度を示した4品種と, タイ南部ですでに耐酸性があるとされている2品種, それに本研究で耐酸性がないとされた3品種を比較することによって, イネの耐酸性機構を生理学的側面から検討した. 対照区に対する酸性土壌区の相対根長は, 耐性品種で大きく, 非耐性品種で小さかった. 葉面積においても根長と同様な傾向が見られた. さらに, 酸性土壌条件下での作物生長の阻害は, アルミニウム (Al) に起因することから, 酸性土壌条件下で栽培された植物体の葉身Al濃度を調べた. その結果, 葉身Al濃度は耐性品種よりも非耐性品種の方で高くなっていた. そこで, 葉身の光合成速度を測定したところ, 葉身の光合成速度は耐性品種の方が非耐性品種よりも有意に高い値を示した. これらのことから, Alが葉身にまで移行しにくく, その結果高い光合成能力が維持されていることが, 酸性土壌耐性の大きな原因の一つと考えられた.

本研究はフェーン現象下の気象を風洞装置を用いて再現し, 高温乾燥風に対する耐性イネ品種と感受性品種との水分状態とクロロフィル含量の差を調べたものである. 耐性品種として韓国農村振興庁嶺南農業試験場の盈徳出張所で選抜した日本型Naepung-byeo (NP), 感受性品種として同定されたオーストラリア原産の日本型Ilabong (IB) を供試し, それぞれ水田土壌をつめた1/1250aポットに移植し, 屋外自然条件下の湛水状態で生育させた. 3時間の高温乾燥風処理は出穂後4日目に行った. 穂の水ポテンシャルの変化は処理終了直後から顕著に現れ, NPでは処理開始前の-0.25 MPaに比べ, -0.75 MPaと大きく低下した. 一方, IBではさらに著しく, 処理開始前の-0.34 MPaから-1.53 MPaに大きく低下した. NPの穂の水ポテンシャルは, 処理終了後2時間目までは低下したが, 処理終了後6時間目には回復する傾向を示した. 葉身における水ポテンシャルは低下する傾向があったものの, 高温乾燥風処理による差は小さく, 品種間で有意な差は認められなかった. また, 穂の相対水分含量は水ポテンシャルと同様, NPでは高温乾燥風処理による低下はほとんど見られず, 処理終了後6時間目には回復する傾向を示した. しかし, IBでは処理終了直後の相対水分含量は処理開始前に比べて大きく低下し, 処理終了後6時間目では22%と極めて低かった. 穂のクロロフィル含量もNPで高く維持され, IBでは顕著に低下し, 処理終了後6時間目にはほとんどが白穂となった. このことから, 耐性品種であるNPは高温乾燥風に対し, 頴花で水分損失を防ぐ何らかの防御機構を有し, 時間の経過とともに回復したと考えられた.

The low mechanical durability of polymer solar cells (PSCs) has been considered as one of the critical hurdles for their commercialization. We described a facile and powerful strategy for enhancing the mechanical properties of PSCs while maintaining their high power conversion efficiency (PCE) by using monodispersed polystyrene nanoparticles (PS NPs). We prepared highly monodispersed, size-controlled PS NPs (60, 80, and 100 nm), and used them to modify the poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) anode buffer layer (ABL). The PS NPs played two important roles; i.e., they served as (1) binders in the PEDOT:PSS films, and (2) interfacial modifiers between ABL and the active layer, resulting in remarkable improvement of the mechanical integrity of the PSCs. The addition of PS NPs enhanced the inherent mechanical toughness of the PEDOT:PSS ABL due to their elastic properties, allowing the modified ABL to tolerate higher mechanical deformations. In addition, the adhesion energy (Gc) between the active layer and the modified PEDOT:PSS layer was enhanced significantly, i.e., by a factor of more than 1.5. The Gc value has a strong relationship with the sizes of the PS NP, showing the greatest enhancement when the largest size PS NPs (100 nm) were used. In addition, PS NPs significantly improve the air-stability of the PSCs by suppressing moisture adsorption and corrosion of the electrodes. Thus, the modification of ABL with PS NPs effectively enhances both the mechanical and the long-term stabilities of the PSCs without sacrificing their PCE values, demonstrating their great potential as applications in flexible organic electronics.

Effects of the reduced frequency of upstream wake on downstream unsteady boundary layer flow were simulated by using a Navier-Stokes code. The Navier-Stokes code is based on an unstructured finite volume method and uses a low Reynolds number turbulence model to close the momentum equations. The geometry used in this paper is the MIT flapping foil experimental set-up and the reduced frequency of the upstream wake is varied in the range of 0.91 to 10.86 to study its effect on the unsteady boundary layer flow. Numerical solutions show that they can be divided into two categories. One is so called the low frequency solution, and behaves quite similar to a Stokes layer. Its characteristics is found to be quite similar to those due to either a temporal or spatial wave. The low frequency solutions are observed clearly when the reduced frequency is smaller than 3.26. The other one is the high frequency solution. It is observed for the reduced frequency larger than 7.24. It shows a sudden shift of the phase angle of the unsteady velocity around the edge of the boundary layer. The shift of phase angle is about 180 degree, and leads to separation of the boundary layer flow from corresponding outer flow. The high frequency solution shows the characteristics of a temporal wave whose wave length is half of the upstream frequency. This characteristics of the high frequency solution is found to be caused by the strong interaction between unsteady vortices. This strong interaction also leads to destroy of the upstream wake strips inside the viscous sublayer as well as the buffer layer.

東海/日本海が劇的な変化をしている。国際共同研究CREAMS(Circulation Research of East Asian Marginal Seas)によって,過去数十年の間に全層の水温が持続的に上昇し,特に溶存酸素の極小層は1,000m以上深くなる等,東海では非常に急激な構造変化が起きていることが確認された(Kim and Kim,1996;Kim et al.,1999;Kim et al.,2001)。溶存酸素の解析結果はこういう変化が東海内の海水循環形態の変化に起因していることを強く示唆している。すなわち,過去に活発であった底層水の形成が弱まり,代わりに中央水の形成が強化されるに伴って現れた現象であることが示唆される。特に注目すべきは東海でのこのような海水循環形態の変化は将来の地球温暖化によって予想される全地球的な海洋循環系(グローバル コンベアーベルト)の変化の様相(Manabe and Stouffer,1993)に酷似していることから,ミニ大洋である東海は地球規模海洋の将来を予測するための絶好の実験場を提供していると思われる。

In this paper, we report and discuss our successful synthesis of monodispersed, polystyrene-coated gold core-shell nanoparticles (Au@PS NPs) for use in highly efficient, air-stable, organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) and organic photovoltaics (OPVs). These core-shell NPs retain the dual functions of (1) the plasmonic effect of the Au core and (2) the stability and solvent resistance of the cross-linked PS shell. The monodispersed Au@PS NPs were incorporated into a poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) film that was located between the ITO substrate and the emitting layer (or active layer) in the devices. The incorporation of the Au@PS NPs provided remarkable improvements in the performances of both OLEDs and OPVs, which benefitted from the plasmonic effect of the Au@PS NPs. The OLED device with the Au@PS NPs achieved an enhancement of the current efficiency that was 42% greater than that of the control device. In addition, the power conversion efficiency was increased from 7.6% to 8.4% in PTB7:PC71BM-based OPVs when the Au@PS NPs were embedded. Direct evidence of the plasmonic effect on optical enhancement of the device was provided by near-field scanning optical microscopy measurements. More importantly, the Au@PS NPs induced a remarkable and simultaneous improvement in the stabilities of the OLED and OPV devices by reducing the acidic and hygroscopic properties of the PEDOT:PSS layer.

The present study reports the remediation of radiocesium-137 (137Cs) using napiergrass in Cs-contaminated soils of Fukushima Prefecture. Two field experiments were performed to examine the remediation effects in two different land-use soils (lowland and upland soils) using two different cutting frequencies (cut once or twice a year). Plant growth in the upland soil was significantly greater than that in the lowland soil. The 137Cs concentration (Bq kg−1 dry weight basis) in the aboveground parts and total Cs-removal ratio (CR) in the upland soil were also significantly higher than those in the lowland soil. In the lowland soil, cutting twice a year [at 12 and 24 weeks after transplanting (WAT)] was more effective for CR (P

During CREAMS expeditions, fCO2 for surface waters was measured continuously along the cruise tracks. The fCO2 in surface waters in summer varied in the range 320–440 µatm, showing moderate supersaturation with respect to atmospheric CO2. In winter, however, fCO2 showed under-saturation of CO2 in most of the area, while varying in a much wider range from 180 to 520 µatm. Some very high fCO2 values observed in the northern East Sea (Japan Sea) appeared to be associated with the intensive convection system developed in the area. A gas-exchange model was developed for describing the annual variation of fCO2 and for estimating the annual flux of CO2 at the air-sea interface. The model incorporated annual variations in SST, the thickness of the mixed layer, gas exchange associated with wind velocity, biological activity and atmospheric concentration of CO2. The model shows that the East Sea releases CO2 into the atmosphere from June to September, and absorbs CO2 during the rest of the year, from October through May. The net annual CO2 flux at the air-sea interface was estimated to be 0.032 (±0.012) Gt-C per year from the atmosphere into the East Sea. Water column chemistry shows penetration of CO2 into the whole water column, supporting a short turnover time for deep waters in the East Sea.

Dissolved oxygen (DO) is one of the most important oceanographic parameters measured for understanding various physicochemical processes in the ocean. This situation has been particularly true for the East Sea study ever since the first extensive investigation in the area during the 1930s (Uda, 1934). Uda found very high and uniform concentrations of DO, around 250 µM (5.6 ml/l), for waters below a few hundred meters over entire basins, and assumed that a very fast ventilation system was operating in the East Sea. The Circulation Research of the East Asian Marginal Seas (CREAMS), Japan-Korea-Russia international cooperative studies on the East Sea have provided a unique opportunity to investigate the entire East Sea for the first time since Uda’s study. A spectrophotometrically modified Winkler method (Pai et al., 1993) and a DO sensor (Sea Bird Model SBE 13) were tested successfully during the CREAMS studies for improving the precision and accuracy of DO measurement. The study further confirmed an earlier observation by Gamo et al. (1986) that DO structures in the East Sea have been changing drastically in such a way that the DO minimum depths have deepened by more than 1000 meters during the last 30 years. While the causes for these changes are not known at the present time, the analysis of DO profiles strongly suggests that the mode of deep water ventilation system in the East Sea has shifted from bottom water formation in the past to intermediate water formation at the present time (Kim and Kim, 1996). Studies of precise and accurate DO monitoring, along with other chemical tracers, deserve the highest priority for future research in the East Sea.

Surface and subsurface water samples for 137 Cs and 239,240 Pu analysis were collected in the East Sea (Sea of Japan) during August 1993. The 137 Cs levels of the surface waters are quite homogeneous in the East Sea (average = 3.1±0.2 mBq kg −1 ). The 239,240 Pu levels vary from 6 to 10 μBq kg −1 in the surface. 239,240 Pu to 137 Cs ratios in the surface water are within 0.002 to 0.003. The East Sea may be regarded as a part of the North Pacific Ocean in terms of 137 Cs dispersal in the surface, where the 137 Cs contents of the surface seawater seem to be controlled primarily by the atmospheric input. However, since our sampling was made just two months prior to the widely publicized Russian dumping incident on the 17th October 1993, our measurements may provide background data to assess the immediate impact of the Russian dumping on the levels of 137 Cs and 239,240 Pu in the East Sea.

Recent sediment accumulation rates are 18–230 mg cm-2 yr-1 (0.02–0.2 cm yr-1) based on excess 210Pb activity profiles in the southwestern part of the East Sea (Sea of Japan). Assuming no mixing beneath surface mixed layers, 210Pb-derived sediment accumulation rates are 18–32 mg cm-2 yr-1 in the northern part of the Yamato Ridge and the Ulleung Basin, 29–136 mg cm-2 yr-1 in the Korea Plateau, and 230 mg cm-2 yr-1 in the southern shelf. These values generally agree with long-term sedimentation rates estimated from dated ash layers.

The randomly nanotextured back electrode provides a simple and efficient route for enhancing photocurrent in polymer solar cells (PSCs) by light trapping, which can increase light absorption within a finite thickness of the active layer. In this study, we incorporated mono-disperse 60 nm polystyrene nanoparticles (PS NPs) into a 50 nm thick poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) anode buffer layer (ABL) to create a randomly nanotextured back electrode with 10 nm height variations in inverted-type PSCs. The roughened interface between the PS NP-PEDOT:PSS ABL and the Ag electrode scatters light in the visible range, leading to efficient light trapping within the device and enhanced light absorption in the active layer. Inverted PSCs with randomly nanotextured electrodes (φ(NP) = 0.31) showed short-circuit current density (J(SC)) and power conversion efficiency (PCE) values that were 15% higher than those of control devices with flat electrodes. External quantum efficiency, reflectance, and optical light scattering as a function of ϕ(NP) were examined to determine the origin of the enhancement in J(SC) and PCE.

Nanometer-sized monodisperse polystyrene nanospheres (PS NS) were designed as an opal template for the formation of three-dimensionally continuous poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) films. The resultant films were successfully applied as the anode buffer layer (ABL) to produce highly efficient polymer solar cells (PSCs) with enhanced stability. The conductivity of the PS NS-PEDOT:PSS films was maintained up to ø(PS) = 0.75-0.80, indicating that the formation of continuous PEDOT:PSS films using PS NS templates was successful. To demonstrate the applicability of the PS NS-PEDOT:PSS film for organic electronics, the PS NS-PEDOT:PSS films were used as ABLs in two different PSCs: P3HT:PCBM and P3HT:OXCBA. The photovoltaic performances of both PSCs were maintained up to ø(PS) = 0.8. In particular, the power conversion efficiency of the P3HT:OXCBA PSC with a PS NS-PEDOT:PSS ABL (ø(PS) = 0.8) was greater than 5% and the air stability of the device was significantly enhanced.

The present study reports the potential remediation of cesium (Cs) using napiergrass, which produces the largest biomass among the herbaceous plants in hydroponic culture containing stable Cs (Cs-133) at concentrations of 50, 150, 300, 1000, and 3000 μM using cesium chloride (CsCl), with 0 μM Cs as a control concentration. Plant height was significantly decreased in higher Cs-treated conditions (300, 1000, and 3000 μM Cs) at 7 weeks after treatment (WAT), but tiller numbers tended to increase compared with the control plant. No significant difference was observed in the aboveground dry matter weight in all Cs treatments throughout the study period. Cs content in the roots, leaf blades, and leaf sheaths clearly increased with increasing Cs concentration in the solutions. Cs content in the aboveground parts (leaf blades and leaf sheaths) was consistently higher than in the roots at concentration of 3000 μM. Total Cs contents in the aboveground parts were 6305 and 26,365 mg kg−1 at 7 WAT in 1000- and 3000-μM Cs treatments, respectively. Mean values of transfer factors (TFs) in the aboveground parts were 50 μM=0.78, 150 μM=1.02, 300 μM=0.86, 1000 μM=0.68, and 3000 μM=0.94, respectively at 7 WAT. Due to its high Cs content and high TF in the aboveground parts, napiergrass may be a candidate plant with high potential for phytoremediation of Cs from Cs-137-contaminated soil.

We propose a novel and robust strategy for creating continuous conducting polymer films with ultralow percolation thresholds using polymer-coated gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) as surfactant. Continuous poly(triphenylamine) (PTPA) films of high internal phase polymeric emulsions were fabricated using an assembly of cross-linked polystyrene (PS) colloidal particles as template. Polymer-coated Au NPs were designed to be thermally stable even above 200 °C and neutral to both the PS and PTPA phases. Therefore, the Au NPs localize at the PS/PTPA interface and function as surfactant to efficiently produce a continuous conducting PTPA polymer film with very low percolation thresholds. The volume fraction threshold for percolation of the PTPA phase with insulating PS colloids (as measured by electron microscopy and conductivity measurements) was found to be 0.20. In contrast, with the addition of an extremely low volume fraction (φ(p) = 0.35 vol %) of surfactant Au NPs, the volume fraction threshold for percolation of the PTPA phase was dramatically reduced to 0.05. The SEM and TEM measurements clearly demonstrated the formation of a continuous PTPA phase within the polyhedral phase of PS colloids. To elucidate the influence of the nanoparticle surfactant on the blend films, the morphology and conductivity of the blends at different PS colloid/PTPA volume ratios were carefully characterized as a function of the Au NP concentration. Our approach provides a methodology for a variety of applications that require a continuous phase for the transport of molecular species, ions, or electrons at low concentrations and a second phase for mechanical support or the conduction of a separate species.

High-frequency in situ measurements at Gosan (Jeju Island, Korea) during November 2007 to December 2008 have been combined with interspecies correlation analysis to estimate national emissions of halogenated compounds (HCs) in East Asia, including the chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), halons, hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs), sulfur hexafluoride (SF(6)), and other chlorinated and brominated compounds. Our results suggest that overall China is the dominant emitter of HCs in East Asia, however significant emissions are also found in South Korea, Japan and Taiwan for HFC-134a, HFC-143a, C(2)F(6), SF(6), CH(3)CCl(3), and HFC-365mfc. The combined emissions of CFCs, halon-1211, HCFCs, HFCs, PFCs, and SF(6) from all four countries in 2008 are 25.3, 1.6, 135, 42.6, 3.6, and 2.0 kt/a, respectively. They account for approximately 15%, 26%, 29%, 16%, 32%, and 26.5% of global emissions, respectively. Our results show signs that Japan has successfully phased out CFCs and HCFCs in compliance with the Montreal Protocol (MP), Korea has started transitioning from HCFCs to HFCs, while China still significantly consumes HCFCs. Taiwan, while not directly regulated under the MP, is shown to have adapted the use of HFCs. Combined analysis of emission rates and the interspecies correlation matrix presented in this study proves to be a powerful tool for monitoring and diagnosing changes in consumption of HCs in East Asia.

[1] High-frequency in-situ measurements of a wide range of halogenated compounds including chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), halons, hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorinated compounds (PFCs), sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), and other chlorinated and brominated compounds have been made at Gosan (Jeju Island, Korea). Regional emissions of HCFC-22 (CHClF2) calculated from inverse modeling were combined with interspecies correlation methods to estimate national emissions for China, a major emitter of industrial halogenated gases. Our results confirm the signs of successful phase-out of primary ozone-depleting species such as CFCs, halons and many chlorinated or brominated compounds, along with substantial emissions of replacement HCFCs. Emissions derived for HFCs, PFCs, and SF6 were compared to published estimates and found to be a significant fraction of global totals. Overall, Chinese emissions of the halogenated compounds discussed here represent 19(14–17)% and 20(15–26)% of global emissions when evaluated in terms of their Ozone Depletion Potentials and 100-year Global Warming Potentials, respectively.

The area of acid sulfate soil (ASS) is distributed on a coastal plain in Southeast Asia. If improved, the area is useful for agriculture. One of major improvement methods of ASS is leaching with a large amount of fresh water. But in some case, it may be difficult to secure enough water. In this study, column experiments and a solute transport model, Hydrus-1D, were used for suggesting the most suitable reclamation method using minimum water. In column experiments, efficiencies of leaching, percolation and inundation, were compared. In addition, soil water quality in the field was measured at Banna Experimental Station in Thailand for estimating the difference between the result of the laboratory and field experiments. In this survey, soil water was collected from the area treated by an amendment and from the area without amendment. As a result, the sulfate leaching efficiency by percolation was better than that by inundation. From model calculation, sulfate transport was also estimated to be leached more efficienctly by percolation. A survey of soil water quality in the field showed similar results from the column experiment of using the percolation method.

In this article, the possibility of obtaining the recycled material based on waste polypropylene (WPP) and waste ground rubber tire powder (WGRT) has been studied. It has been proved that partially replacing WPP with PP-g-MA increased the elongation at break of WPP/WGRT blends, whereas decreased the thermal stability. The presence of compatibilizer increased the elongation at break and thermal stability of WPP/WGRT blends, whereas decreased the processing flowability, as revealed by using universal testing machine (UTM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and capillary rheometer. Moreover, the tendency of the change became more obvious with the content of PP-g-MA and compatibilizer or with the combination of PP-g-MA and compatibilizer. In addition, the improvement of the nonpolar compatibilizer (SEBS) in properties of WPP/WGRT blends was better than that of the polar compatibilizer (SEBS-g-MA).

Purpose: To analyze the structural and morphological characteristics of retinal astrocytic hamartomas in tuberous sclerosis patients using fundus autofluorescence, fluorescein angiography and spectral-domain optical coherence tomography. Case summary: Fundus examination, fundus autofluorescence, fluorescein angiography and spectral-domain optical coherence tomography were performed in three patients with tuberous sclerosis and the morphological and structural characteristics of retinal astrocytic hamartomas were analyzed. In the fundus autofluorescence, type 1 retinal astrocytic hamartoma showed hypofluorescence and type 3 showed central hyperfluorescence and surrounding hypofluorescence. Spectral domain optical coherence tomography showed dome-shaped hyper-reflectivity within the nerve fiber layer and focal adhesion of the vitreous cortex in the type 1 retinal astrocytic hamartoma. No abnormalities were observed in the outer retinal layer and retinal pigment epithelium. In the type 3 retinal astrocytic hamartoma, optical coherence tomography showed disorganization of retinal tissue and posterior shadowing. Intratumoral cavitation and moth-eaten appearance caused by intratumoral calcification were observed and the vitreous cortex adhered to the top of the tumor and showed traction. Retinal arterial sheathing was observed in all cases and hyper-reflectivity of the arterial wall was noted on optical coherence tomography. Conclusions: Fundus autofluorescence, fluorescein angiography and spectral-domain optical coherence tomography are helpful for the classification and diagnosis of retinal astrocytic hamartomas found in tuberous sclerosis patients as well as for differentiation from other lesions. J Korean Ophthalmol Soc 2016;57(1):134-140

In this paper, a passive frequency tripler using APDP (anti-parallel diode pair) in which a new structure of bandpass filter (BPF) with low insertion loss and small size is presented. The tripler using the new small-size BPF is measured and compared with one using a conventional coupled line BPF. This BPF shows the insertion loss of less than 0.7 dB within the bandwidth of 16.41~19.23 GHz. The conversion loss of the tripler is about 16.6 ~18.5 dB with flatness of less than plusmn1 dB at the fundamental frequency of 5.72 ~ 6.28 GHz. The suppression characteristics for the 1st and 5th harmonic signals at 6.1 GHz are -32.16 dBc and -44.6 dBc, respectively, and its phase noise attenuation is about 9.5 dB at 100 kHz offset.

Received 19 December 2005; revised 10 July 2006; accepted 26 July 2006; published 22 November 2006. [1] This paper reports on a basin-wide inventory of anthropogenic CO2 in the East (Japan) Sea determined from high-quality alkalinity, chlorofluorocarbon, and nutrient data collected during a summertime survey in 1999 and total dissolved inorganic carbon data calculated from pH and alkalinity measurements. The data set comprises measurements from 203 hydrographic stations and covers most of the East Sea with the exception of the northwestern boundary region. Anthropogenic CO2 concentrations are estimated by separating this value from total dissolved inorganic carbon using a tracerbased (chlorofluorocarbon) separation technique. Wintertime surface CFC-12 data collected in regions of deep water formation off Vladivostok, Russia, improve the accuracy of estimates of anthropogenic CO2 concentrations by providing improved airsea CO2 disequilibrium values for intermediate and deep waters. Our calculation yields a total anthropogenic CO2 inventory in the East Sea of 0.40 ± 0.06 petagrams of carbon as of 1999. Anthropogenic CO2 has already reached the bottom of the East Sea, largely owing to the effective transport of anthropogenic CO2 from the surface to the ocean interior via deep water formation in the waters off Vladivostok. The highest specific column inventory (vertically integrated inventory per square meter) of anthropogenic CO2 of 80 mol C m � 2 is found in the Japan Basin (40N� 44N). Comparison of this inventory with those for other major basins of the same latitude band reveal that the East Sea values are much higher than the inventory for the Pacific Ocean (20� 30 mol C m � 2 ) and are similar to the inventory for the North Atlantic (66� 72 mol C m � 2 ). The substantial accumulation of anthropogenic CO2 in the East Sea during the industrial era has caused the aragonite and calcite saturation horizons to move upward by 80� 220 m and 500� 700 m, respectively. These upward movements are approximately 5 times greater than those found in the North Pacific. Both the large accumulation of anthropogenic CO2 and its significant impact on carbonate chemistry in the East Sea suggest that this sea is an important site for monitoring the future impact of the oceanic invasion of anthropogenic CO2.

This paper suggests an evolutionary Web page classification method that originated from the need to enhance today's classification performance of Web pages. Words that are utilized in certain Web pages are used to characterize that specific Web page. However, treating every word as a possible feature in a Web page classification does not guarantee a better classification performance. In response to this demand, this paper introduces one of the statistical analysis methods known as the principal component analysis (PCA) in order to reduce a large-scaled feature vector down to a smaller scaled feature vector containing a few chief elements and presents a result of simulation experiments to verify the reduction of feature vector size and the improvements of Web page classification-ability. For the classification-ability experiment, Yahoo, com's sports News Web page section was experimented under the Naive Bayesian classification algorithm. The results of this experiment verified that the suggested method of news Web page classification algorithm used in this paper was indeed providing satisfactory accuracy in Web page classification among the sports-news database

The use of an ontology in order to provide a mechanism to enable machine reasoning has continuously increased during the last few years. This paper proposed an automated method for document classification using an ontology, which expresses terminology information and vocabulary contained in Web documents by way of a hierarchical structure. Ontology-based document classification involves determining document features that represent the Web documents most accurately, and classifying them into the most appropriate categories after analyzing their contents by using at least two pre-defined categories per given document features. In this paper, Web documents are classified in real time not with experimental data or a learning process, but by similarity calculations between the terminology information extracted from Web documents and ontology categories. This results in a more accurate document classification since the meanings and relationships unique to each document are determined.

[1] The origin of the Tsushima Current (TC) is still under debate since direct current observation data are rare and spatial differences in temperature and salinity are too minor to determine the path of the TC. Oxygen isotope is proved to be powerful for tracing the origin of the TC. Oxygen isotope data suggest that there are two water sources of the TC. The TC water could be classified into two water masses with different paths. The depleted oxygen isotope water originates from the Taiwan Strait (T-TC), whereas the enriched oxygen isotope water originates directly from the Kuroshio (K-TC).

[1] The East/Japan Sea has undergone dramatic changes during the last 50–60 years as the result of a shift in its ventilation system from bottom water formation to intermediate water formation. A moving-boundary box model (MBBM) was developed to quantify these changes. The model consists of three boxes for deep waters representing Central, Deep, and Bottom Waters, respectively, and two boundaries in between, which are moving according to the volume changes of these water masses. The model calibrated with CFC-11 and tritium distribution shows the bottom water formation of ∼0.02 Sv in magnitude in the past slowed down and came to a complete halt in mid-1980s and late-1990s. Furthermore, this model predicts the Bottom Water will disappear completely in 2040 as Central Water penetrates deeper. Considering the recent observations that many oceans are in change, a MBBM could be a valuable tool to investigate the nature of such changes.

Globally, types of the inscription of World Heritage have diverged from monuments, group of buildings, and sites, but spread to concepts of living heritage, cultural landscape, and industrial heritage. Moreover, as new concepts like series heritage and trans-national heritage emerged, the inscription of world heritage turned into an essential issues of national competitiveness. In this kind of the stream of times, this paper has 3stages which have focus on industrial heritage. First it draws ambiguous arguments of the inscription of World Heritage found in ‘Sites of Japan’s Meiji Industrial Revolution -Kyushu·Yamaguchi and Related Areas’, which Japan aims for the inscription in 2015. These are as follows; What constitutes industrial heritage? Is a certain period of time the only criterion for the inscription? How should we define a buffer zone? Can some parts of complex type industrial heritage be intended for the inscription? Can we inscribe the industrial facilities which are still working today as a World Heritage site? The second stage investigates and evaluates the criteria and grounds of the inscription of 59 industrial heritage sites which have been inscribed as World Heritage after 1978. Based on these 2 stages, the third stage reasons out abjective principles that industrial heritage should have as World Heritage. This study may not be the results which reflected the views of international experts of industrial heritage or passed the discussion stage, however it is judged to be the expansion of the province and th grounds of both quantity and quality level of activation of industrial heritage as World Heritage.