We have analyzed the column-averaged CH4 concentration (xCH4) using scanning imaging absorption spectrometer for atmospheric chartography (SCIAMACHY) and compared the data with the bottom–up emission ...inventory data sets and other satellite-derived indices such as the land-surface water coverage (LSWC) and the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI). The geographical distribution of high CH4 values corresponds to strong emissions from regions where rice is cultivated, as indicated in the inventory maps. The Pearson's correlation coefficients (r) between xCH4 and the rice emission inventory data are observed to be greater than ~0.6 over typical rice fields, with outstanding r-values of ~0.8 in the Ganges Basin, Myanmar, and Thailand. This suggests that the emission of CH4 from rice cultivation mainly controls the seasonality of the CH4 concentration over such regions. The correlation between xCH4 and LSWC and NDVI is also as large as 0.6. In Southeast Asia, the r-values of xCH4 with bottom–up inventory data that includes all categories are not as high as those with the emission, as estimated from the rice category only. This is indicative of the relative importance of rice emissions among all other emission categories in Southeast Asia.
•SCIAMACHY revealed seasonal variation of CH4 over Monsoon Asia.•The CH4 concentration over Monsoon Asia enhances in wet season.•Enhancement of the methane correlates to the land-surface water coverage.•Strong CH4 emission from rice paddies is suggested in wet season.
In this study, we investigated the magnetic properties of Si-gradient steel sheet produced by CVD (chemical vapor deposition) siliconizing process, comparing with 6.5% Si steel sheet. The Si-gradient ...steel sheet having silicon concentration gradient in the thickness direction, has larger hysteresis loss and smaller eddy current loss than the 6.5% Si steel sheet. In such a loss configuration, the iron loss of the Si-gradient steel sheet becomes lower than that of the 6.5% Si steel sheet at high frequencies. The experiment suggests that tensile stress is formed at the surface layer and compressive stress is formed at the inner layer in the Si gradient steel sheet. The magnetic anisotropy is induced by the internal stress and it is considered to affect the magnetization behavior of the Si-gradient steel sheet. The small eddy current loss of Si-gradient steel sheet can be explained as an effect of magnetic flux concentration on the surface layer.
A new Si-gradient steel (JNRFTM) with a combination of low iron loss and high magnetic flux density was developed by controlling the Si distribution in the thickness direction and the crystal ...orientation. Drone motors made of conventional Si-gradient steel (JNHFTM), new Si-gradient steel, and 3% Si steel were evaluated. As a result, the motor using the new Si-gradient steel showed both high efficiency and high torque. In conclusion, the new Si-gradient steel is a suitable core material for motors that require both high power and high efficiency, such as drone motors.
This study explores the effect of priming rhesus monkeys with an Ad5/35 vector expressing simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) gag and gp120, and then boosting the animals with an modified vaccinia ...virus Ankara (MVA) vector encoding the same antigens after a 2-month interval. The animals were intravenously challenged with 100 TCID50 of highly pathogenic SIVmac239 virus 2 months after the booster vaccination. The priming vaccination induced robust SIV-specific cell-mediated and humoral immune responses, and boosting further enhanced the cellular immunity. Vaccination reduced peak and long-term viral loads by 1-2 logs for a period of >6 months, as reflected by a reduction in both the SIV RNA and DNA levels. Of considerable interest, the immunized monkeys did not suffer from loss of CD4 T cells, particularly central memory CD4 T cells. These results demonstrate that prophylactic vaccination with Ad5/35 followed by MVA reduces viral replication and prevents CD4 T-cell loss, and that these effects may decrease the likelihood of disease progression.
We have characterized the diamond-based photodetectors (DBPs) fabricated using high-quality single crystalline diamond film. The diamond film was homoepitaxially grown at high growth rate of ∼2 μm/h ...by high-power microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition (CVD). The grown film had a substantially flat surface without non-epitaxial crystallites and gave strong free-exciton recombination emission from almost whole homoepitaxial region. Planar-type DBPs with interdigitated electrodes were fabricated using the diamond film with 20-μm thickness by standard photolithograph techniques. The DBP with 43-μm electrode spacing revealed small noise equivalent power (NEP), <1 pW, for 220-nm ultraviolet (UV) light. The NEP was four orders smaller than that for UV-sensitive Si photodetector (SP), that means high performance to faint UV light detection. Photo responsivity of the DBP for 400-nm visible light was at least four orders smaller than that for 220-nm UV light. The low NEP for UV light and high spectral selectivity of the present DBPs reflects high crystalline quality of the diamond film.
We show that a dicistronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) genome of genotype 1b supports the production and secretion of infectious HCV particles in two independent three-dimensional (3D) culture systems, ...the radial-flow bioreactor and the thermoreversible gelation polymer (TGP), but not in monolayer cultures. Immunoreactive enveloped particles, which are 50–60 nm in diameter and are surrounded by membrane-like structures, are observed in the culture medium as well as at the endoplasmic reticulum membranes and in dilated cytoplasmic cisternae in spheroids of Huh-7 cells. Infection of HCV particles is neutralized by anti-E2 antibody or patient sera that interfere with E2 binding to human cells. Finally, the utility of the 3D-TGP culture system for the evaluation of antiviral drugs is shown. We conclude that the replicon-based 3D culture system allows the production of infectious HCV particles. This system is a valuable tool in studies of HCV morphogenesis in a natural host cell environment.
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