[en] Rice grain protein contents that play an important role in the eating quality of rice can be estimated from leaf color in maturing stage. In order to investigate the distribution of paddy rice grain protein of a wide area, we employed SPOT/HRV data from August to September for successive 4 years, selecting the Naganuma town, Hokkaido as the study area. The relationship between each spectral bands and ground survey data were examined. The result showed that the grain protein contents could be estimated using the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) with the absolute root mean square error less than 0.4% under the condition that the time lag between the satellite observation date and the maturing stage was within 20 days. In this period, we would have enough chance to get clear observation data every year under the weather conditions in the study area using the SPOT/HRV sensors that has pointing ability. For major rice varieties cultivated in Hokkaido, the same relationship between NDVI and protein contents was observed. Thus, we conclude that the method proposed in this study is operational in rice production

[en] UV treatments of plug transplants of muskmelon, cucumber and squash were performed in greenhouse to control seedling height and improve their adaptation to outdoor conditions. UVB sources, Philips TL12-40W, were placed 0.6 m above the seedlings. UV treatments were repeated daily, 0.5-2 h/day [4.3 - 25.8 kJm*[-2) d*[-1)] in the middle of the night, for one week and started when cotyledons emerged from the soil. Plant height, leaf area and stem and leaf dry weights were significantly lowered by UV treatments in all species investigated. Cucumber was the most and muskmelon the least sensitive to the UV treatments

[en] Layer cladding technology was developed to mitigate the fretting wear damages occurred at fuel spacers in Hanaro reactor. The detailed experimental procedures are as follows. 1) Analyses of fretting wear damages and fabrication process of fuel spacers 2) Development and analysis of spherical Al 6061 T-6 alloy powders for the laser cladding 3) Analysis of parameter effects on laser cladding process for clad bids, and optimization of laser cladding process 4) Analysis on the changes of cladding layers due to overlapping factor change 5) Microstructural observation and phase analysis 6) Characterization of materials properties (hardness wear tests) 7) Development of a vision system and revision of its related software 8) Manufacture of prototype fuel spacers. As a result, it was confirmed that the laser cladding technology could increased considerably the wear resistance of Al 6061 alloy which is the raw material of fuel spacers.

[en] This project aims to promote the participation from Korea in the IAEA CRP, and provide the CRP projects being undertaken in Korea with R and D funds. In order to achieve these goals, this project supported 24 CRP projects with 50,000,000 won in total. In addition, an analysis on the IAEA CRP announcement for 2003 was undertaken by this project, and promoted participation in the the CRP. As a result, 29 new CRP proposals for 2003 were submitted to the IAEA Finally, some recommendations on the CRP strategy of Korea were proposed

No abstract available

[en] The development of new compounds which have affinity for the β-amyloid fibril would lead to the new compounds that could have therapeutic effects on AD. Previously, we generated new amyloid-phillic amide derivative of Chrysamine G and found that this compound protect human astrocyte cells against Aβ-induced toxicity. As conjugation of amyloid-philic molecules with suitable metal chelating ligands could lead to new diagnostic molecules for in vivo quantification of amyloid deposition and new probes for amyloid structure, we designed the compound, which was conjugate of 1,4,7-triazacyclo-nonane and the amyloid-philic compound 1. Here, we would like to report the synthesis of compound 2 and its binding property of β-amyloid fibril. The synthesis of compound was achieved by combining three fragments the biphenyl amine, isophthalic acid 5 and 1,4,7-triazacyclononane. The synthesis of isophthalic acid part 5 commenced with esterfication of isophthalic acid in methanol with HCl to produce the monoester 4 in 38% yield. Treatment of the monoester 4 with oxalyl chloride afforded the acyl chloride 5 in 95% yield

[en] The simultaneous determination of As(III), As(V), and DMA has been performed by ion chromatography (IC) coupled with inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The separation of the three arsenic species was achieved by an anionic separator column (AS 7) with an isocratic elution system. The separated species were directly detected by ICP-MS as an element-selective detection method. The IC-ICP-MS technique was applied for the determination of arsenic species in a NIST SRM 1643d water sample. An As(III) only was detected in the sample. The detection limits of As(III), As(V) and DMA were 0.31, 0.45, and 2.09 ng/mL, respectively. It was also applied for the determination of arsenic species in a human urine obtained by a volunteer, and three arsenic species were identified. The determination of total As in human urines that were obtained from 25 volunteers at the different age was also carried out by ICP-MS

[en] Li⁺ and H⁺ co-exchanged LSXs (Li-H-LSX) with various ratios of Li⁺ and H⁺ were prepared, and those adsorption characteristics of nitrogen and oxygen were compared with Li-Na-LSX and Li-Ca-LSX. Li-H-LSX showed higher nitrogen capacity and selectivity than that of Li-Na-LSX in the wide range of Li-exchanged ratio. The nitrogen capacity of Li-Ca-LSX was slightly higher than that of fully Li- or Ca-exchanged LSX (Li- LSX or Ca-LSX). However, Li-Ca-LSX showed low nitrogen/oxygen adsorption selectivity until the Li content reached about 80%, which was a tendency near that of Ca-LSX

[en] This is the program and the proceedings of the 2nd annual meeting of Japanese Society of Radiation Safety Management held from December 3rd through the 5th of 2003. The sessions held were: (1) Research on Low-level Waste, (2) Topics related to Detector, Measurement, and Instrument, (3) Dose Level and Imaging Plate, (4) Radiation, (5) Safety Education and Safety Evaluation. The poster sessions held were: (1) Safety Education, Safety Evaluation, Shielding, and so on, (2) Control System and Control Technology, (3) Detector and Radiation Measurement, (4) Topics Related to Imaging Plate, (5) Environment and Radiation Measurement, and (6) Radiation Control. Symposia held were: (1) 'Regarding Basic Concept to Incorporate International Exemption Level in Regulation' as the keynote lecture and (2) 'Regarding Correspondence Associated with Legal Revision and Radiation Safety Regulation'. Regarding these topics, after the explanation from each area, panel discussions were held. (S.K.)

[en] Turnover of several regulatory proteins results from targeted destruction via ubiquitination and subsequent degradation through the proteosome. The timely and irreversible degradation of critical regulators is essential for normal cellular function. The precise biochemical mechanisms that are involved in protein turnover by ubiquitin-mediated degradation have been elucidated using in vitro assays and cell culture systems. However, pathways that lead to ubiquitination of critical regulatory proteins in vivo are more complex, and have both temporal and tissue-specific differences. In vivo models will allow identification of substrates and enzymes of the ubiquitin–proteosome pathway that play important roles in selected tissues and diseases. In addition, assessment of the therapeutic efficacy of drugs designed to inhibit or enhance protein turnover by ubiquitination requires in vivo models. In the present review we describe selected examples of transgenic and knockout models of proteins that are known either to be regulated by ubiquitin-mediated degradation or to have a catalytic function in this process, and to play an important role in breast cancer. We outline the functions of these proteins in vivo and focus on knowledge gained in the comparison of in vivo behavior predicted from cell-free in vitro data or from experiments conducted in cell culture systems