Bioassays using cells and bacteria have recently attracted great attention as new environmental toxicity tests or alternatives to animal experiments, since they can evaluate comprehensive influences to ecosystems or human in terms of toxicity. However, the target of almost all tests is water samples. We here described development and evaluation new toxicity test systems for gaseous samples from industry and its waste, exhaust gases from cars, and various gases in the environment.

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   In order to study the electronic states of proteins, we have developed the all-electron canonical wavefunction program of protein, ProteinDF, and updated the largest calculation record. It is important for the achievement of large-scale calculations to prepare the various processing such as the structural decision, the simulation control, and the analysis of the calculation result, etc. We have developed the integrated environment, ProteinEditor which unifies those processing and supplies an interactive controls to the users. In this report, we introduce the standard functions of ProteinEditor and a newly developed protein modeling function by VR technology.

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   We analysed time series data of sound which were observed during interactive calling behavior of two male Japanese tree frogs (Hyla japonica; Nihon-Ama-Gaeru) by the free and cross-platform sound editor Audacity. We extracted the calling data corresponding to each frog from the single time series data of calls of two frogs, and quantitatively examined inter-call intervals of respective frogs as well as their temporal relation. The results showed that a pair of male frogs called alternately in almost anti-phase synchronization with the phase difference 1.11π. [This abstract is not included in the PDF]

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   We developed functional materials, immobilized glycoconjugate polymers, and expanded further its function to the materials by modification of the immobilized glycoconjugate polymer to membrane filter.
   A glycoconjugate polymer containing lactose was synthesized and immobilized to cellulose membrane filter. The filter with immobilized glycoconjugate polymer was subjected to enzyme reaction using sialyltransferase and CMP-sialic acid to produce a glycoconjugate polymer containing sialyl lactose that as serve ligand of influenza virus. Influenza virus adsorption on the filter was evaluated and results showed that the sialylated filter has the ability to adsorb the virus. [This abstract is not included in the PDF]

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   Polyrotaxane was synthesized from the inclusion compound of β-cyclodextrin and poly (propylene glycol) derivative by the reaction with triphenylmethyl chloride. The polyrotaxane was crosslinked by the reaction with poly (ethylene adipate), 2,4-tolylene diisocyanate. The obtained compound was swollen by chloroform to give an organic gel, which has moving crosslinking points and whose swelling is controlled by the density of crosslinking. [This abstract is not included in the PDF]

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   A new three-dimensional digital image correlation method is proposed for the identification of displacement field within a biological soft tissue. The space of solution search is limited to cope with the indeterminacy of displacement field in line with the penalty function method employing the incompressibility constraint associated with moist soft tissue. Two sets of image data of a specimen are captured by X-ray CT for undeformed and deformed states under uniaxial compressive load. The displacement field within the specimen is identified to demonstrate the proposed method. [This abstract is not included in the PDF]

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   Skull of derived ornithopod dinosaurs had kinematical transverse grinding system called “pleurokinesis”. Pleurokinesis has been suggested from the morphological features of the skull, however pleurokinesis has not been analyzed from mechanical standpoint. Therefore we analyzed an ornithopod skull using finite element analysis to demonstrate the mechanical function of the pleurokinesis. The result showed that the flexibility of the suture releases the stress concentration, and indicates that the pleurokinesis disperse the stress in wider area of the skull. Morphological changes are caused not only by the physical constraint, but also by environments and evolutionary constraints. However the design optimization against the load shows new aspect in the evolutionary morphological changes. [This abstract is not included in the PDF]

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[in Japanese]

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   One-dimensional assembly of gold nanoparticles on double stranded DNA (dsDNA) template was realized using dsDNA-peptide-nanoparticle ternary system. Design of the peptide was based on a sequence of a known dsDNA-binding protein. Biotin, a streptavidin-binding molecule, was introduced to N-terminal. After the formation of a stable dsDNA-peptide complex was confirmed, the complex was treated with streptavidin-immobilized gold nanoparticles and the mixture was observed by using transmission electron microscope. A linear nanoparticle assembly was observed, and the number of the particles, along with the distance between each particle, reflected those of the predetermined binding sites placed in the template dsDNA. [This abstract is not included in the PDF]

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   It was found that coal-gasification-slag, which can foam to be reduced its density by high-temperature heating, discharged from integrated coal gasification combined cycle system power generation can be effectively applied to lightweight fine aggregate for concrete. From comparative tests on fresh, strength and durability properties among concretes with heat-foamed coal-gasification-slag, commercially produced lightweight fine aggregate and ordinary natural sand, respectively, it was clarified that concrete with heat-foamed coal-gasification-slag gave the same or more performance than with commercially produced lightweight fine aggregate. [This abstract is not included in the PDF]

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   Hydraulic model experiment is carried out to reproduce thermally-induced circulations in a model lake like Lake Biwa, including the effect of earth's rotation. In order to take the topographic heat accumulation effect into account, peltier devices are arranged along the coast of the distorted model for heating and cooling of coastal waters. As a result, the experiment reproduces the counterclockwise and clockwise gyres during heated and cooled durations, respectively. However, during cooled duration, the velocity of water current is smaller than that of observation and numerical simulation due to weak vertical mixing. Hence this experiment shows that complete vertical mixing of waters in winter may be ceased as atmospheric temperature rises due to global warming.[This abstract is not included in the PDF]

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