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東濃地科学センターでは、高レベル放射性廃棄物の地層処分技術に関する研究開発のうち、深地層の科学的研究(地層科学研究)として広域地下水流動研究(1992$\sim$2019年度)を実施してきた。本研究はその一環として、広域を対象とした地質環境特性調査において、特に重要と考えられる地下水の地表への流動経路となりうる地層境界や断層破砕帯等の存在を推定する調査手法の構築を目標に、従来、地質分野での適用が困難とされてきた日本のような温暖湿潤地域の森林域を対象に、衛星リモートセンシングによる地下水流出点等の高地下水面地点の推定手法の開発に取り組んだ。開発に当たり、「地下水からの水分供給を受けている樹木は、干ばつ等による水分ストレスの程度が小さく、水分供給を受けていない樹木と比べ成長度が高い」及び「樹木の生育に関する影響因子の状態が同一の場合、同様な生育状態を示すとすれば、地下水以外の影響因子の状態が同じ環境下で生育状態が異なる場合、その原因は地下水の状態差にある」との作業仮説を設定した。これに基づき、地下水からの水分供給に起因する樹木の生育状態の差異を検出するため、NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index)等の既存の植生指標に比べ、植被率等の植生物理量に対する応答の直線性・耐飽和性に優れ、植生の水分ストレスにも感度を持つ新たな植生指標(AgbNDVI: Added green band NDVI)を考案した。また、対象領域を樹木の生育に関する影響因子(標高・斜面傾斜角・斜面方位角・林相)の組み合わせによって区分した微小領域(セグメント)ごとに植生指標値の統計量から林分の平均的な生育状態(植生指標値)を求め、それを上回る地点を植生指標値の異常点(高植生指標地点)として抽出するセグメント解析手法を考案した。本手法の妥当性を検証するため、岐阜県東濃地域の約5km四方の範囲を研究対象に、衛星データ(SPOT HRV)を用いて本手法を適用した。その結果、研究対象領域を555のセグメントに区分し、AgbNDVI画像(57600画素)から3768画素の高植生指標地点を抽出した。高植生指標地点における樹木の生育状態及び地形・地質状況を確認した結果、樹木(アカマツ: {\it Pinus densiflora})は他の地点に比べ成長度が高いこと、また、高植生指標地点は地下水流出が発生しやすい斜面の傾斜変換点や地質境界付近及び既知の湧水点の近傍や地下水面の高い地点に分布していることが明らかになった。, This study developed a geobotanical remote sensing method for estimating high water table areas such as groundwater discharge points using differences in the growth conditions of forest trees induced by moisture supply from groundwater in a humid warm-temperate forest area. A new vegetation index (VI) termed AgbNDVI (Added green band NDVI) was proposed to discriminate the differences. The AgbNDVI proved to be more sensitive to water stress on green vegetation than existing VIs: SAVI and EVI2, and possessed a strong linear correlation with the vegetation fraction. To validate the proposed method, a 23 km$^{2}$ study area was selected in the Tono region of Gifu Prefecture, central Japan. The AgbNDVI values were calculated from atmospheric corrected SPOT HRV data. To correctly detect high VI points, the influence factors on tree growth were identified using the AgbNDVI values, DEM and forest type data; the study area was then divided into 555 segments according to combinations of the influence factors: elevation, slope gradient, slope aspect and forest type. Thresholds for detecting high VI points were defined for each segment based on a histogram of AgbNDVI values. By superimposing the high VI points on topographic and geologic maps, most of the high VI points are clearly located on the concave/convex slopes and near the geologic boundaries prone to groundwater runoff. In addition, field investigations support the correctness of the high VI points, because the growth increments and biomass of trees ({\it Pinus densiflora}) are greater than at points other than the high VI points, and they are located around known groundwater seeps and in a high water table area. Consequently, the proposed method can be expected to provide useful information for characterizing hydrogeological structures by combining with conventional photo-geological interpretation.

Background: Mouthguard should be worn to decrease orofacial trauma. Custom-made mouthguards are usually fabricated using ethylene vinyl acetate sheet or polyolefin sheet. However, the difference of the characteristics of the mouthguard formed by polyolefin sheet has not been cleared enough. The aim of this study was to investigate the characteristics of the mouthguard fabricated by polyolefin sheet with the vacuum-forming method and the pressure-forming method. Material and methods: Mouthguard sheets of polyolefin (3.0 mm thickness) were formed on working model using a vacuum former and a pressure former. Mouthguard thickness was measured at the central incisor (labial surface) and the first molar (buccal surface). The thickness at the first molar (occlusal surface) was also measured. The mouthguard fit was examined at the right central incisor and the right first molar by investigating the distance between the cervical part of the working model and the fabricated mouthguard. Differences in the mouthguard thickness and mouthguard fit fabricated by the vacuum-forming method and the pressure-forming method were analyzed by two-way analysis of variance. Results: Mouthguard thickness was different among the measurement parts on both the central incisors and the first molars (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). The mouthguard formed by the pressure-forming method showed smaller thickness on the central incisor (labial surface) than that formed by the vacuum-forming method (P < 0.01). The mouthguard formed by the vacuum-forming method showed smaller thickness on the first molar (buccal and occlusal surface) than that formed by the pressure-forming method (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). The mouthguard fabricated by the pressure-forming method showed greater fit than that fabricated by the vacuum-forming method (P < 0.01). Conclusions: The results of this study suggest that the vacuum-forming method was easy to decrease the mouthguard thickness at the first molar, and the pressure-forming method was easy to decrease the mouthguard thickness at the central incisor but obtain better fit when using polyolefin sheet.

日本原子力研究開発機構東濃地科学センターでは、高レベル放射性廃棄物の地層処分技術に関する研究開発のうち、深地層の科学的研究(地層科学研究)の一環として、結晶質岩(花崗岩)を対象とした超深地層研究所計画を進めている。本研究所計画では、2014年度に原子力機構改革の一環として抽出された三つの必須の課題(地下坑道における工学的対策技術の開発、物質移動モデル化技術の開発、坑道埋め戻し技術の開発)の調査研究を進めている。本報告書は、2016年度に実施した超深地層研究所計画のそれぞれの研究分野における調査研究、共同研究、施設建設などの主な研究成果を示したものである。, The Mizunami Underground Research Laboratory (MIU) project is being pursued by the Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) to enhance the reliability of geological disposal technologies through investigations of the deep geological environment in the crystalline host rock (granite) at Mizunami, Gifu Prefecture, central Japan. On the occasion of the research program and management system revision of the entire JAEA organization in 2014, JAEA identified three important issues on the geoscientific research program: "Development of countermeasure technologies for reducing groundwater inflow", "Development of modeling technologies for mass transport" and "Development of drift backfilling technologies", based on the latest results of the synthesizing research and development (R\&D). The R\&D on three important issues have been carrying out on the MIU project. In this report, the current status of R\&D activities and construction in 2016 is summarized.