Koei Chemical (Japan)

The Joganji River basin in Toyama Prefecture, Japan, has experienced numerous sediment-related disasters due to the considerable sediment yield of approximately 0.1 billion m3 attributed to mountain collapse following the Hietsu Earthquake of 1858. Over the past 100 years, the sabo facilities that have been constructed in the basin have reduced the sediment runoff from the surrounding mountainous region. However, it is becoming increasingly important to balance appropriate sediment runoff for bed variation with countermeasures against the large volumes of sediment in runoff from upstream reaches. Monitoring of bedload and debris flow has been conducted since the 1960 s in this basin, and a comprehensive monitoring network has been established to evaluate sediment movement using data collected by a variety of sensors. A sabo dam with a movable shutter and a slit dam was installed in the middle reaches of the Joganji River to control sediment runoff from the catchment. An effective control of sediment runoff tries to be found by operations during a flood and be evaluated measured data using sensors. This approach allows both the capture of transported sediment at the beginning of a flood and the release of deposited sediment from the storage area of the dam as the flood recedes. Pilot operations have been conducted in successive floods since July 2016, following several operational rules. The present study introduces the sediment runoff data that have been collected by sensors, such as the Japanese pipe-hydrophone, and provides several examples of applied sediment control using the movable shutter.

Abstract We fabricated c -axis oriented YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-x (YBCO) thin films on Si substrates using a self-oriented LaNiO 3 (LNO) film as a conductive template layer formed by chemical solution deposition. The crystallinity and orientation of self-oriented LNO film on Si substrate was relatively stable during annealing under vacuum; however, the films partially decomposed into La 2 NiO 4 and La 3 Ni 2 O 7 . To suppress Ni diffusion from the self-oriented LNO layer, we inserted a conductive SrRuO 3 buffer layer between the YBCO and LNO layers. The YBCO thin film deposited on the SRO/LNO/Si substrate indicated good crystallinity and c -axis orientation. The multi-layered film structure demonstrated good superconducting properties. These results demonstrate that a self-oriented LNO film combined with an SRO buffer can serve as an effective template for the growth of YBCO thin film on Si substrates.

A large gyromagnetic ratio is crucial for the improvement of high-frequency magneto-optical properties, and it is expected to be achievable near the angular momentum compensation composition. In this study, Eu0.5Bi2.5Fe5-xGaxO12 thin films with varying gallium (Ga) substitution amounts were fabricated on Gd3Ga5O12(GGG)(100) substrates using the metal-organic decomposition (MOD) method. These thin films were evaluated using magneto-optical spectroscopy and ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) measurement. Magneto-optical measurements revealed large Faraday rotation angle, accompanied by a reversal in the Faraday rotation spectrum between Ga substitution amounts of 1.1 and 1.2, indicating the presence of a magnetization compensation composition. Additionally, FMR analysis showed an increased gyromagnetic ratio as Ga substitution increased from 1.0 to 1.1, suggesting the existence of an angular momentum compensation composition at room temperature.

In recent years, molds made by additive manufacturing (AM) are increasingly applied to build prototypes and small-quantity casting products. Technological development aiming to use mass-produced castings is advancing with the emergence of high speed AM molding technology. Mass production is expected to improve the potential of the entire casting product, such as the realization of complicated internal structures, thinness, and weight reduction by the improvement of cavity accuracy.

Layered Double Hydroxides (LDHs) have been studied by many researchers for their interesting properties such as ion exchangers, adsorbents, polymer stabilizer, catalyst, and so on. LDHs are well known as anionic clays include anion species and water molecules in the interlayer which consist of positively charged metal hydroxide layers. It was reported that some types of LDHs prepared by co-precipitated method have high OH- conductivity and high performance as electrolyte for Alkaline Fuel Cells (AFCs)1). On the other hand, it is necessary to develop a newly industrial LDH synthesis method which enables to synthesize the particle and the composition uniformly. Homogeneous precipitation method with Urea is one of the general and promising LDH synthesis method to prepare the uniform LDH, in which pH controlled by hydrolysis of Urea. However only CO3 2- type LDHs are formed by the method. Therefore, we developed the new type synthesis named “decarboxylation method” that enables to synthesize LDH with high crystallinity and selective anion species in inner layer from precursor compounds in one pot. Prepared samples were measured by ICP and XRD to determine the compositions and structures, respectively, and observed by FE-SEM. Several intercalated anion (CO3 2-, SO4 2-, NO3 -, and Cl-) type M(II) (Zn2+, Co2+, and Ni2+)-Al(III)LDHs were successfully prepared by the decarboxylation method with highly crystallinity and uniform particle size distribution. The ionic conductivities on prepared LDHs were measured by the AC impedance method. Each NO3 - type LDH has remarkably higher ionic conductivity than another type LDHs. The NO3 - type Zn-Al LDH has highest conductivity than another cation type LDHs, and its conductivity is via 16 mS/cm at 80 oC under R.H.80%. 1) Y. Furukawa, K. Tadanaga, A. Hayashi, and M. Tatsumisago, Solid State Ionics, 192, 185-187 (2011).

Control of the carrier density with high doping levels is a fundamental technology in semiconductor processing. However, unavoidable structural disorder in organic semiconductors can be introduced by chemical doping methods. Here, we synthesize a novel class of ionic polymers that generate a quasi-permanent electric field, and demonstrate that organic semiconductors in proximity to the ionic polymer can be electrostatically doped with significantly high carrier densities up to 5.6 × 1013 cm−2, which results in a low sheet resistance of ca. 60 kΩ. Electret doping presented here is expected to lead to an in-depth understanding of electric phase transitions in organic semiconductors.

Cartilage and bone metabolism (type II collagen degradation) is increased by endurance exercise with intense joint loading. Interestingly, glucosamine-containing diet exhibits a chondroprotective action on osteoarthritis by inhibiting type II collagen degradation and improves the symptoms. Thus, in the present study, we evaluated the effect of glucosamine on cartilage metabolism in collegiate soccer players and professional rugby players with intense joint loading.

In this study, we devised a method for the in vitro regeneration and subsequent genetic transformation of male sterile marigold. To our knowledge, this is the first report of generation of transgenic plants with a single genotype of marigold via Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. We obtained four transgenic lines from two independent experiments with 496 leaf explants, which were inoculated by an Agrobacterium strain LBA4404 harboring the plasmid, pIG121-Hm. Although the efficiency of the transformation in our system was low, stable expression of uidA gene in adventitious shoots and compound leaves could be detected in β-glucuronidase histochemical analysis. This protocol contributes to the progress of genetic studies and molecular breeding of this species.