To commercialize fuel cell vehicles and hydrogen filling stations, and to achieve a reliable and economical “hydrogen society”, international accordance of the material usage standard for high pressure gaseous hydrogen equipment is regarded as an important issue. Therefore, a precise method to evaluate the effect of gaseous hydrogen on structural metallic materials is required to qualify the materials compatibility for high pressure gaseous hydrogen equipment. For this purpose, our research group developed testing facilities such as slow strain rate tensile test, fracture toughness test, and delayed fracture test up to 120 MPa of gaseous hydrogen. We acquired operation expertise of the facilities and testing data of commercialized metallic materials. In particular, fracture testing methods of Cr-Mo standard steel in Japan and USA were compared in an international collaborative study between Sandia National Laboratories, Livermore and our research group. We concluded that estimating fracture toughness with a rising displacement is essential for testing method in a high pressure gaseous hydrogen environment.

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“NEDO Inside Products” are defined as products or processes using core technologies resulting from NEDO research and development projects. In this study, we analyzed and estimated the benefits of NEDO Inside Products to society, including recent and forecasted product sales, job creation, and CO₂ emission reductions. Our analysis revealed that NEDO Inside Products sales in 2010 amounted to 4.08 trillion yen while projected sales from 2011 to 2020 are estimated to increase to 69.1 trillion yen. Job creation estimates between 2011 and 2020 range from 109 to 185 thousand people per year, and CO₂ emission reductions are estimated to be 53 million tons per year. Furthermore, in-depth and systematic analysis showed that many NEDO Inside Products developed after 1999, including components and manufacturing technologies, are being utilized in the latest electric home appliances, computers, and automotive products. Lastly, we found that NEDO projects have contributed significantly to the establishment of various types of recycling systems, as another example of the extensive benefit to society brought about by NEDO's research and development projects.

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Laser Compton photon beams generated by a high-energy electron storage ring have energy in the gamma-ray range. X-ray radiography for industrial products using the laser Compton photon beam is expected to show good spatial and density resolutions, because of its monochromaticity and good beam property. A radiography and computerized tomography system was built using AIST's TERAS electron storage ring. The performance of the system was examined. A summary of the development process is outlined, which includes the processes of market survey and target setting, scenario planning, and integration of technologies. In conclusion, a general methodology for the translational research was discussed.

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We developed a highly sensitive sensor, based on optical waveguide modes, which was reported in the journal, Synthesiology_[1]. The first part of the present paper reports the method for reducing sensor size. Applications include identification of influenza virus A H3N2 and other subtypes of influenza viruses. We also found that sialic acid based detection using the waveguide sensor system analysis was very useful in distinguishing between H3N2 and H5N1 viruses. Using these techniques, H3N2 and H5N1 strains of influenza viruses have been successfully identified with the waveguide-mode sensor. Sensitivity comparison was also conducted for waveguide-mode sensor, immunochromatography, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and surface plasmon resonance (SPR). Of these techniques, waveguide mode sensor showed the greatest sensitivity for the H3N2 Udorn strain. The palmtop sized, high sensitive sensor will be useful in border control against intrusion of infections, for example, in aircraft, at airports, and arenas.

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