Search

The Gangwon region (Korea) is severely affected by forest fires, where approximately sixty-six wildfires have occurred over the last three years, which in turn have damaged 1,299 ha of this region. Hence, it is necessary to develop schemes for reducing the damage caused by forest fires in Gangwon. In this study, we developed an algorithm for planning evacuation routes. The developed algorithm was applied to a virtual scenario for determining evacuation start points within the spread range of wildfires, fifteen evacuation routes were then determined for each start point, and the associated distance information was displayed. Furthermore, by employing the Naver Maps software, the obtained evacuation routes was compared and analyzed with respect to the route distance. We believe that the results obtained from this study can be used as basic data for making decisions to identify various evacuation routes.

The east coastal region in Gangwon-do, Korea, has a high risk of large forest fires in the spring owing to the local wind called Yangganjipung. The East Coast forest fire of April 2000, the Yangyang forest fire of April 2005, and the Goseong forest fire of April 2019 are examples of large-scale forest fires caused by Yangganjipung. In the spring, the low pressure in the south and the high pressure in the north in Korea result in a western wind. This western wind is called Yangganjipung, and it exhibits characteristics of high temperatures, dryness, and high wind speeds over the Taebaek Mountains. Given that the risk of large forest fires is high in the east coastal region, the local government has established a forest fire prevention center to respond efficiently to such events. However, limitations pertaining to controlling the natural environment and limited equipment and workforce exist. In this study, the characteristics of previous forest fires in the east coastal region were analyzed through case studies, and two-dimensional numerical simulations of the Goseong forest fire of April 2019 were performed. The spreads of the predicted and actual forest fires were similar. In addition, forest fire spreading can be predicted more accurately if the model is improved by clarifying the terrain and fuel details. An effective plan for providing evacuation routes and resource allocation to mitigate large forest fires can thus be achieved using numerical simulation results.

Due to strong wind and dry weather, forest fire disasters occur frequently from winter to spring in Korea. The 2005 forest fire in Yangyang, Kangwon-do caused signficant damage to the areas including Naksansa Temple, which disclosed a number of problems in fire response such as the lack of expertise, absence of manuals and integrative management systems. Meanwhile, the 2019 forest fire in Goseong was considered as an example of successful disaster response because of the central government’s active role in response. Nevertheless, there were still problems including low data reliability and delayed reporting from a fire site to headquarter. Therefore, this study comparatively analyzed the problems of the two forest fires using Root Cause Analysis Method. Based on the result, we developed the decision making support information checklist to help firefighting decisionmakers to make a proper decision during the forest fire response.

The topographical characteristics of South Korea are coupled with heavy rain and typhoons concentrated from July to September, which take up two-thirds of the country’s annual precipitation, causing substantial damage from slope failures, landslides, debris flows, and other mountain disasters. This study uses the Land-Atmosphere Modeling Package (LAMP) data to study the area, which has been affected by numerous landslides in the past. Specifically, to analyze the likelihood of slope failure, this study simulates the rainfall events in the area at the time of the landslides as well as changes in the volumetric water content in the soil layer and uses the changes in the volumetric water content per unit time, which are affected by the effective cumulative rainfall within the soil layer. To that end, this study assesses the risk of landslides based on how rainwater infiltration in the saturation depth changes the saturation depth ratio and compares the results with the landslide spots in the past. Moreover, this study analyzes the landslide risk by applying the saturation depth ratio (Ht) to an infinite slope stability analysis model. The landslide threshold proposed in this study was obtained by analyzing the rainfall events that caused the landslides in the study area using the LAMP model. It can then be concluded that, when compared with the spatial information on the previous landslides, if the change in the volumetric water content per unit time during the first and second rainfall events is 0.7, a landslide may occur. These results indicated that the landslide risk increases the volumetric water content in the soil layer, along with the congruence between past landslide risk points and spatial landslide risks.

Studies have been conducted to understand the physical characteristics of debris flows and quantitatively assess the vulnerability of the buildings nearby to mitigate damage from debris flow disasters. However, there remains a paucity of research on vulnerability assessments that discuss the impact force of debris flow and building resistance within certain sections, where debris flows spread from an outlet. In this regard, the study assesses the vulnerability of buildings to debris flows while considering the distance from an outlet. For this purpose, it selects the two sites of Chuncheon-shi in Gangwon-do and Cheongju-shi in Chungcheongbuk-do in South Korea, which are widely known for having experienced debris flow damage in 2011 and 2017, respectively. For the sites, the study conducts an inverse analysis through debris flow simulation to understand the physical characteristics of debris flows, including flow depth, flow velocity, and impact force. Then, the study assesses vulnerability by estimating the resistance of the materials of the buildings placed in the range where debris flows spread, which allows the calculation of a vulnerability index that a building material may have and the estimation of a safety distance from the outlet for each material of the buildings in the study sites. The result shows that with an increasing distance from the outlet, the flow depth, velocity, and impact force, which represent debris flow properties, tend to decrease. This again results in vulnerability being gradually reduced. The study also suggests that buildings are exposed to the risk of debris flow disasters at a sections 40 to 60 m from an outlet for wood material construction, 70 to 110 m for brick-masonry material construction, and all sections from an outlet for prefabricated material construction. Based on this result, the vulnerability index is estimated for the wood material (0.85), brick-masonry material (0.58), and prefabricated material (0.003).

The forest development has consistently increased that Korea is composed of almost 64% mountain area. The large-scale facilities, like a wind power system foundation, are planned along the top of mountain. As installation of the large-scale facilities, there is a potential risk in the mountain area like landslide, debris flow and so on. Therefore, we has performed some assessments to slopes and streams at mountain areas and roads of a wind power system foundation, which is being a large-scale change topography (1. Risk assessment using GIS analysis and design data, 2. Basic investigation research and detailed investigation research based on a standard from authorities, 3. Vulnerability analysis using a numerical analysis and a quantitative criteria). As a result, we are able to investigate a primary cause for a mountain disaster risk, and establish a planning of disaster mitigation facilities, which are consistent with a local and a geographical characteristic, for the mountain area involved potential risk.

Blood stain evidence obtained from a violent crime scene provides decisive clues that can enable a case to be solved through forensic analyses such as genetic identification. However, collected samples usually contain a mixture of biological material from different sources, making genetic identification difficult. To address this issue, we developed an activatable aptamer sensor targeting 17β-estradiol for detection of female-specific blood in mixed samples. With the sensor, we were able to detect blood originating from females using a variable light source (495 nm). The sensor was especially sensitive to blood from young females (10-40 years) but not to blood from older females (≥ 50 years). Genomic DNA was extracted from the female blood specimens identified by this method and used for quantification and short tandem repeat genotyping. We confirmed that there was no fluorescence interference from the aptamer sensor. These results indicate that this novel aptamer sensor can be used to analyze evidentiary blood samples and thereby facilitate subsequent genetic identification.

In South Korea, landslides are caused by localized heavy rainfall and typhoons, which often occur in the summer season at natural slopes in mountainous areas and artificial slopes in urban surroundings. Flow-type landslides frequently occur in mountainous areas. To evaluate flow-type landslides, it is essential to identify the physical characteristics of soil, giving focus to the soil on the top layers of various types of slope. This study conducts a survey and an analysis of the characteristics of landslides that occurred in the study area with different geological conditions of granite and gneiss. The characteristics of soil in the area and its surroundings that have or have not undergone landslides for every geological condition is also evaluated. Based on these characteristics and a statistics method, it extracts the triggering factors, permeability coefficients (k), and shearing strength with cohesion (c) and internal friction angel (φ) of soils that are highly related to landslides around weathered soil layers. As a result, the permeability coefficients show significant relevance with void ratio (e), the effective size of grains (D10), and uniformity coefficient (cu), while the shearing strength with the proportion of fine-grained soil (Fines), uniformity coefficient (cu), degree of saturation (S), dry weight density (rd), and void ratio (e). By obtaining this result, the study uses the regression analysis to suggest models to estimate the permeability coefficients and shearing strength. For the gneiss area, the statistics-based estimation model (SEM) is proposed as kgn = (1.488 × 10-02 × e) + (1.076 × D10) + (-1.629 × 10-04 × cu) - (1.893 × 10-02) for permeability coefficients; cgn = (-0.712 × Fines) + (-0.131 × cu) + 15.335 for cohesion; and φgn = (27.01 × rd) + (-12.594 × e) + 6.018 for internal frictional angle of soils. For the granite area, the statistics-based estimation model (SEM) is proposed as kgr = (8.281 × 10-03 × e) + (0.639 × D10) + (-2.766 × 10-05 × cu) - (9.907 × 10-03) for permeability coefficients; cgr = (-0.689 × Fines) + (-0.0744 × S) + 18.59 for cohesion; and φgr = (33.640 × rd) + (-0.875 × e) - 9.685 for internal frictional angle of soils. The use of statistics-based estimation models (SEMs) for landslide-triggering factors that trigger landslides will support the simple calculation of permeability coefficient and shearing strength (cohesion and internal frictional angle), only requiring information about the physical properties of soil at the natural slopes that have different geological features such as gneiss and granite areas.

Recently, human and property damages have often occurred due to various reasons&mdash, such as landslides, debris flow, and other sediment-related disasters&mdash, which are also caused by regional torrential rain resulting from climate change and reckless development of mountainous areas. Debris flows mainly occur in mountainous areas near urban living communities and often cause direct damages. In general, debris flows containing soil, rock fragments, and driftwood temporarily travel down to lower parts along with a mountain torrent. However, debris flows are also often reported to stream down from the point where a slope failure or a landslide occurs in a mountain directly to its lower parts. The impact of those debris flows is one of the main factors that cause serious damage to structures. To mitigate such damage of debris flows, a quantitative assessment of the impact force is thus required. Moreover, technologies to evaluate disaster prevention facilities and structures at disaster-prone regions are needed. This study developed two models to quantitatively analyze the damages caused by debris flows on structures: Type-1 model for calculating the impact force, which reflected the flow characteristics of debris flows and the Type-2 model, which calculated the impact force based on the topographical characteristics of mountainous regions. Using RAMMS a debris flow runoff model, the impact forces assessed through Type-1 and Type-2 models were compared to check reliability. Using the assessed impact forces, the damage ratio of the structures was calculated and the amount of damage caused by debris flows on the structures was ultimately assessed. The results showed that the Type-1 model overestimated the impact force by 10% and the Type-2 model by 4% for Mt. Umyeon in Seoul, compared to the RAMMS model. In addition, the Type-1 model overestimated the impact force by 3% and Type-2 by 2% for Mt. Majeok in Chuncheon, South Korea.

Seminal evidence obtained from a sexual crime scene provides clues for solving a case through forensic analysis. However, most evidence collected from sexual crime scenes is a mixture of sperm cells and vaginal discharge. Therefore, separating the sperm cells from the seminal evidence is very important. In this study, we developed a separation method for effectively separating sperm cells using differential extraction with commercially available sperm staining reagents such as hematoxylin and nigrosin. Hematoxylin (0.03 % v/v) effectively stained the sperm cells in ATL and TNE lysis buffer, while nigrosin did not. The loss of sperm cells during washing of the specimen was minimized using the differential extraction method. Subsequently, genomic DNA was extracted from the hematoxylin-stained sperm cells and subjected to short tandem repeat genotyping. We observed no interference from hematoxylin. These results indicate that hematoxylin can be used to stain sperm cells and thus facilitate subsequent genetic identification.

Landslides and debris flows that occur around residential areas are considered, globally, as significant disasters that cause damage to human life and property. With terrain slope defining the flow characteristics of debris flows, flow depth, flow velocity, and impact force vary by time and distance. In particular, when a structure is located in the flow path of debris flows, the flow characteristics of debris flows vary by terrain slope and direction angle. To simulate the flow characteristics of these debris flows, the simulation results obtained by FLO-2D were analyzed with six-stage conditions for the research area. In the analysis, the flow depth, flow velocity, and impact force were estimated on the basis of the outlet of the research area in the presence and absence of structure(s) at certain distances. With this, the variation of the impact force in accordance with the variation of the flow depth of the debris flows was highly similar to the simulation results obtained by FLO-2D, when the correction index (α) of the suggested dynamic impact force equation was 0.3–0.4. There were sections where the estimated value of the impact force was overestimated near the outlet, and it was judged that the fixed values of the terrain factors (width, roughness coefficient, slope, etc.) caused the impact force to be overestimated. However, the correlation analysis showed that the correlation index was above the normal ranges in the suggested dynamic impact force equation for debris flows with the application of the terrain factors.

Kim, Suk-Woo; Chun, Kun-Woo; Otsuki, Kyoichi; Shinohara, Yoshinori; Kim, Man–Il; Kim, Min–Seok; Lee, Dong–Kyun; Seo, Jung–Il; Choi, Byoung–Koo.February, 2015.Heavy rain types for triggering shallow landslides in South Korea,Article,[Fukuoka, Japan]Kyushu University

It is assumed that the groundwater dam under consideration is located in the lower Oshipcheon River along Yeongdeok-gun County, Gyeongsangbuk-do Province, eastern Korea. In this study, changes in groundwater level and construction effects of the groundwater dam were analyzed using a SWAT–MODFLOW model designed for integration of surface water and groundwater, and validity analysis before and after construction of the groundwater dam was evaluated. There are an average increase of 0.46 m and a maximum increase of 1.16 m, respectively, at the upstream region due to the groundwater dam. Groundwater levels at the upstream region show an average increase of 0.42 m by the groundwater dam when the water quantity of demand (10,080 m3/day) is pumped. The groundwater dam has potential as an alternative for the surface water dam to secure water resources in the study area.

Water Resources Business Division, Korea Water Resources Corporation본 연구는 기존에 제안된 무한사면 안정해석식을 바탕으로 불포화토 내에 강우침투 시 지표로부터 시간에 따른 토층의 포화깊이비를 새로운 변수로 삽입하여 무한사면 안정해석 수정식을 제안하고자 하였다. 이를 위해 기존에 고려하지못했던 시간에 따른 포화깊이비와 지표하 흐름 깊이의 개념을 새로이 도입하였으며, 유사동력학적 습윤지수 이론에서 도출되는 해석대상 지역의 유효상부기여면적, 지표하흐름 깊이, 포화깊이비를 계산하고, 이를 토대로 시간에 따른 포화깊이비를 반영한 무한사면 안정해석을 수행하도록 하였다. 이를 통해 실질적인 시간에 따른 강우의 변화양상과 사면 안전율변화를 계산할 수 있게 되었다. 한편, 본 연구에서는 Park et al. (2011 a)가 실시한 불포화토 칼럼시험을 통한 강우침투속도분석 결과를 바탕으로 본 연구에서 제안한 식을 이용하여 토층의 포화깊이비를 고려한 사면안정해석을 실시하였다.이 해석을 통해 편마암 풍화토의 토층 내 강우 침투속도를 고려하여 포화깊이비가 변화함에 따른 안전율의 변화를 파악할 수 있었다. 해석결과에 의하면, 연속강우의 경우 안전율이 1.3 이하로 감소하는 시간이 강우강도 20 mm/h 조건에서2.86 ~ 5.38시간이고, 강우강도 50 mm/h 조건에서는 1.34 ~ 2.92시간으로 나타났다. 반복강우의 경우, 안전율이 1.3 이하가 되는 시간은 강우조건별로 3.27 ~ 5.61시간으로 나타났다. 따라서, 토층 내 강우침투속도 차이에 따른 포화깊이비 변화를 고려한 무한사면의 안전율 변화 파악이 가능하였다.주요어

With the aim of remediating soils contaminated by heavy metals and oil, experimental research was conducted to evaluate the optimal design factors for remediation in terms of efficient soil washing methods and processes. The experiments employed absorptiometric analysis and gas chromatography methods to reduce the concentration of heavy metals such as cooper (Cu), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn), and total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) in contaminated soils. The experimental processes consisted of deciding on the washing solution, washing time, and dilution ratio for contaminated soils. A dissolution analysis of heavy metals was then performed by the addition of surfactant, based on the results of the decision experiments, and the injection processes of microbes and hydrogen peroxide were selected. The experimental results revealed that reduction effects in contaminated soils under the experimental conditions were most efficient with hydrochloric acid 0.1 mole, washing time 1 hour, and dilution ratio 1:3, individually. Additional reduction effects for heavy metals and TPH were found with the addition of a washing solution of 1% of surfactant. The addition of microbes and hydrogen peroxide caused a reduction in TPH concentration.

The uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) is an important factor in the design and construction of surface and underground structures. However, the method employed to measure UCS is time consuming and expensive to apply in the field. Therefore, we developed a model to estimate UCS based on a few properties using linear regression analysis, which is a statistical method. To develop the model, valid factors from the test results were selected from a correlation analysis using a statistical program, and the model was formulated by linear regression based on the relationships among factors. UCS estimates derived from the model were compared with the results of UCS tests, to assess the reliability of the model. The relationship between rock properties and UCS indicates that the factors with the greatest influence on UCS are point load strength and shape facto r. The UCS values obtained using the model are in good agreement with the results of the UCS test. Therefore, the developed model may be used to estimate the UCS of rocks in regions with similar conditions to those of the present study area.

In the present study, we report the 16 823-bp long complete mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) of a carabid beetle, Damaster mirabilissimus mirabilissim (Coleoptera: Carabidae), which is endangered in Korea. The gene arrangement of D. m. mirabilissim mitogenome is identical to the most common type found in insects. The start codon of the D. m. mirabilissim COI gene is a typical ATN codon. On the other hand, the initiation codon for ND1 gene is TTG, instead of ATN. All transfer RNAs (tRNAs) exhibit a stable canonical clover-leaf structure, except for tRNASer(AGN), the dihydrouridine arm of which forms a simple loop. The 1703-bp long A+T-rich region is the second longest among the complete adephagan mitogenome sequences, next to Macrogyrus oblongus belonging to Gyrinoidea. One of the unusual features of the genome is the presence of a tRNALeu(UUR)-like sequence in the A+T-rich region. This sequence displays the proper anticodon sequence and the potential to form secondary structures, but also harbors many mismatches in the stems.

An early warning system can be an effective measure to reduce the damage caused by landslides by facilitating the timely evacuation of residents from a landslide-prone area. Early detection of landslide triggering across a broad range of natural terrain types can be accomplished by monitoring rainfall and the physical property changes of soils in real time or near-real time. This study involved the installation of a real-time monitoring system to observe physical property changes in soils in a valley during rainfall events. This monitoring included the measurement of volumetric water content, which was compared with the results of laboratory flume tests to identify landslide indicators in the soils. The response of volumetric water content to rainfall events is more immediate than that of pore-water pressure, and volumetric water content retains its maximum value for some time before slope failure. Therefore, an alternative method for landslide monitoring can be based on the observation of volumetric water content and its changes over time at shallow soil depths. Although no landslide occurred, the field monitoring results showed a directly proportional relationship between the effective cumulative rainfall and the gradient of volumetric water content per unit time (t/t max). This preliminary study thus related slope failure to the volumetric water content gradient as a function of rainfall. Laboratory results showed that a high amount of rainfall and a high gradient of volumetric water content could induce slope failure. Based on these results, it is possible to suggest a threshold value of the volumetric water content gradient demarcating the conditions for slope stability and slope failure. This threshold can thus serve as the basis of an early warning system for landslides considering both rainfall and soil properties.

Landslides induced by debris flow have been discussed in relation to the geotechnical properties of soil developed on bedrock, together with an emphasis on the importance of mineralogy comprising precursor soils. Three areas composed of different types of geology were compared to relate landslide with soil compositions: Precambrian gneiss (Jangheung area), Jurassic granite (Sangju area), and Tertiary sedimentary rocks composed of shale and mudstone (Pohang area) in Korea. X-ray diffraction for mineral identification and quantitative analysis, Scanning Electron Microscope for observation of microtexture, and laser size analysis for very fine particles ranging from micrometer were performed, with conventional measurements of particle size, porosity, density, permeability, and consistency for the soils. Soils at landslide sites containing a large amount of finer particles have higher uniformity and gradation coefficients, but lower consistency than those at non-landslide sites. Landslide areas are characterized by higher porosity and lower density. Soil from the gneiss area shows a high plasticity index while that of mudstone has high water content. Main clay minerals contained in soils of the sites where landslides took place are illite, chlorite, kaolinite, and montmorillonite. Mineralogical information on the constituents and microtexture of soils aids in better understanding the causes and patterns of landslide, together with mechanical properties of soils.

A geophysical survey was undertaken at Wiri area of the Andong in southeastern Korea to delineate subsurface structure and to detect the fault zone, which affected the 1997 mountain–hill subsidence and subsequent road heaving initiated by the intense rainfall. Electrical resistivity methods of dipole–dipole array profiling and Schlumberger array sounding and seismic methods of refraction and reflection profiling were used to map a clay zone, which was regarded as the major factor for the landslide. The clay zone was identified in electrical resistivity and seismic sections as having low electrical resistivity (

A dielectric measurement device called a frequency domain reflectometry (FDR) has been designed and constructed for the dielectric measurement of unsaturated soil consisting of a volumetric soil water content of about 0.1, 0.2, and 0.3 m3/m3 with different soil porosity around 0.40–0.45, respectively. The dielectric constant is measured in the frequency range 1 GHz. Soil calibration tests and tracer injection tests on standard sand and river sand are carried out in the laboratory. FDR measurement probes at different soil depths allow volumetric soil water content and dielectric constant measurements. The tracer concentration in the pore water is monitored by determining the dielectric constant, from the soil impedance. From the relationship between volumetric soil water content and dielectric constant, the specific calibration equations for the unsaturated soils were derived, and one can easily estimate the volumetric soil water content from the response of the measured dielectric constant for the soils. In the study of dielectric mixture models using α-value of 0.5 which is dielectric geometric factor, the effective porosity for the soils was computed to a range of 87–92% compared with the soil porosity.

Root-knot nematode species, such as Meloidogyne hapla, M. incognita, M. arenaria, and M. javanica are the most economically notorious nematode pests, causing serious damage to a variety of crops throughout the world. In this study, DNA sequence analyses were performed on the D3 expansion segment of the 28S gene in the ribosomal DNA in an effort to characterize genetic variations in the three Meloidogyne species obtained from Korea and four species from the United States. Further, PCR-RFLP (Polymerase Chain Reaction-Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism), SCAR (Sequence Characterized Amplified Region) PCR and RAPD (Randomly Amplified Polymorphic DNA) were also utilized to develop methods for the accurate and rapid species identification of the root-knot nematode species. In the sequence analysis of the D3 expansion segment, only a few nucleotide sequence variations were detected among M. incognita, M. arenaria, and M, javanica, but not M. hapla. As a result of our haplotype analysis, haplotype 5 was shown to be common in M. arenaria, M. incognita, M. javanica, but not in the facultatively parthenogenetic species, M. hapla. PCR-RFLP analysis involving the amplification of the mitochondrial COII and large ribosomal RNA (lrRNA) regions yielded one distinct amplicon for M. hapla at 500 bp, thereby enabling us to distinguish M. hapla from M. incognita, M. arenaria, and M. javanica reproduced via obligate mitotic parthenogenesis. SCAR markers were used to successfully identify the four tested root-knot nematode species. Furthermore, newly attempted RAPD primers for some available root-knot nematodes also provided some species-specific amplification patterns that could also be used to distinguish among root-knot nematode species for quarantine purposes.

The bumblebee, Bombus ardens, is a valuable natural resource, and is most notably utilized for greenhouse pollination. In order to gain a greater understanding of the population genetic structure and the genetic diversity of this species, we sequenced a portion of the mitochondrial COI gene corresponding to the “DNA Barcode” region (658 bp) from 160 individuals collected over 15 Korean localities. Uncorrected pairwise distances among the eight haplotypes suggested low intraspecific genetic diversity, with a maximum sequence divergence of 0.3%. Such a low level of intraspecific genetic diversity was further reflected in local populations, particularly to islet populations, such as those of Youngheungdo, Jakyakdo, and Ulleugdo, which had zero genetic diversity. Geographically, one haplotype (BARBA01) was widespread and dominant, with a frequency of 90.6% (145 among 160 individuals). Other haplotypes were restricted to one to three localities and had low frequency. Overall, a very high rate of per generation female migration ratio (Nm = 4.6 to infinite) and a very low level of genetic fixation (FST = 0 to 0.099) were detected between pairs of localities, suggesting that the B. ardens populations on the Korean peninsula are panmictic, which is consistent with our understanding of their dispersal capability.

We have determined the complete mitochondrial genome of the yellow-spotted long horned beetle, Psacothea hilaris (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae), an endangered insect species in Korea. The 15,856-bp long P. hilaris mitogenome harbors gene content typical of the animal mitogenome and a gene arrangement identical to the most common type found in insect mitogenomes. As with all other sequenced coleopteran species, the 5-bp long TAGTA motif was also detected in the intergenic space sequence located between tRNA(Ser)(UCN) and ND1 of P. hilaris. The 1,190-bp long non-coding A+T-rich region harbors an unusual series of seven identical repeat sequences of 57-bp in length and several stretches of sequences with the potential to form stem-and-loop structures. Furthermore, it contains one tRNA(Arg)-like sequence and one tRNA(Lys)-like sequence. Phylogenetic analysis among available coleopteran mitogenomes using the concatenated amino acid sequences of PCGs appear to support the sister group relationship of the suborder Polyphaga to all remaining suborders, including Adephaga, Myxophaga, and Archostemata. Among the two available infraorders in Polyphaga, a monophyletic Cucujiformia was confirmed, with the placement of Cleroidea as the basal lineage for Cucujiformia. On the other hand, the infraorder Elateriformia was not identified as monophyletic, thereby indicating that Scirtoidea and Buprestoidea are the basal lineages for Cucujiformia and the remaining Elateriformia.

The 15,338-bp long complete mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) of the Japanese oak silkmoth, Antheraea yamamai (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae) was determined. This genome has a gene arrangement identical to those of all other sequenced lepidopteran insects, but differs from the most common type, as the result of the movement of tRNA(Met) to a position 5'-upstream of tRNA(Ile). No typical start codon of the A. yamamai COI gene is available. Instead, a tetranucleotide, TTAG, which is found at the beginning context of all sequenced lepidopteran insects was tentatively designated as the start codon for A. yamamai COI gene. Three of the 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs) harbor the incomplete termination codon, T or TA. All tRNAs formed stable stem-and-loop structures, with the exception of tRNA(Ser)(AGN), the DHU arm of which formed a simple loop as has been observed in many other metazoan mt tRNA(Ser)(AGN). The 334-bp long A + T-rich region is noteworthy in that it harbors tRNA-like structures, as has also been seen in the A + T-rich regions of other insect mitogenomes. Phylogenetic analyses of the available species of Bombycoidea, Pyraloidea, and Tortricidea bolstered the current morphology-based hypothesis that Bombycoidea and Pyraloidea are monophyletic (Obtectomera). As has been previously suggested, Bombycidae (Bombyx mori and B. mandarina) and Saturniidae (A. yamamai and Caligula boisduvalii) formed a reciprocal monophyletic group.

An accurate determination of the hydrological characteristics of porous media, such as the values of the porosity and effective porosity, are essential. This is important to understand the transport processes of infiltration and the movement of water and contaminants in the porous media. In this study, a laboratory soil column experiment to estimate the porosity and effective porosity of Toyoura standard sand samples, using a dielectric method termed the frequency domain reflectometry with vector network analyzer (FDR-V), was performed. The FDR-V device uses high-frequency microwaves, ranging from 0.1 to 3 GHz, to measure the complex dielectric constants of the sample. From the measured complex dielectric constant, the two parameters of the soil samples then were derived, using a proposed dielectric mixture model and tracer concentration model. The effective porosity of the soil sample is measured at 0.311 with the FDR-V dielectric method and 0.345 by the soil tracer column test. Comparing this with the calculated porosities of the soil sample, the ratio of effective porosity is approximately 78% for the dielectric method, and approximately 86% for the tracer concentration method. These different values can be explained to be within the measurement range with regard to the measurement volume for the soil column. These results indicate that measurement by the dielectric method using an FDR-V device is an efficient and useful tool for estimating the hydrological parameters of porous media because of the dielectric response of earth materials.

The behavior due to rainfall infiltrating the ground plays a role in landslides, groundwater recharge and various other ground responses. Most of these geotechnical behaviors have a correlation between soil pore space and soil volumetric water content in the unsaturated and saturated soil porous media. Therefore, the soil porosity associated with soil pores and the distribution of volumetric water content are significantly important hydrological characteristics. In the case of shallow slope failure such as landslide, the infiltration activity due to the connectivity of soil pore spaces in a porous media is induced. Slope failure may be attributed to the effect of a wetting front with the slope due to liquid infiltration, which changes the volumetric water content, soil matric suction and shear strength of the slope. This study was performed with an unsaturated injection test using a frequency domain reflectometry (FDR) dielectric device which measures the dielectric constant of unsaturated soil and the study then proposed the unsaturated dielectric mixing models to calculate soil porosity and effective porosity of unsaturated soils. From the experimental results the ratio of effective porosity to porosity of soils are measured in a range of 70–85%. These experimental results show a decrease of about 5–10% for unsaturated soil compared to the ratio of effective porosity to porosity of saturated soil. The infiltration passages of tracer material are restricted within the pore connectivity in the unsaturated soil which is caused by dead-pores in the soil. Using the FDR device and the unsaturated dielectric mixing models, we can consider the acquisition of physical properties to detect the infiltration activity, the response of the dielectric constant along with the injected tracer and hydrological parameters for the unsaturated soil porous media.

In the field of geotechnical environment, physical parameters of soil such as volumetric water content, degree of saturation, porosity and effective porosity are important hydrological factors. Especially, these parameters can be applied to the analysis of slope failure, groundwater recharge and infiltration of various substances into the ground by rainfall. In the case of a landslide induced by heavy rainfall, landslide monitoring is one of important technologies that detects the distribution of volumetric water content, wetting front movement, and infiltration characteristics for the earth materials. The infiltration of water mainly occurs through pores of porous media. Infiltration of fluid substances is controlled by the connectivity of pore spaces. Therefore, it is explained by the concepts of porosity and effective porosity. In this study, the applicability of dielectric methods and proposed dielectric mixing models (DMMs) are discussed, and a soil column laboratory test is performed for measuring effective porosity of fully saturated sand using the permittivity method. This study showed that the ratios of effective porosity to porosity of saturated standard sands and river sands were 0.856 and 0.843, respectively. Based on the experimental results, using the frequency domain reflectometry (FDR) and frequency domain reflectometry with vector network analyzer (FDR-V) systems, the relative effective porosity is almost over 85 % of the relative porosity in the saturated standard sands and river sands. Consequently, the dielectric measurement systems are considered to be effective in measuring the physical parameters of saturated soil. Moreover, this dielectric method can contribute to estimate porosity and effective porosity of saturated porous media because it is easier and faster than the previous in-situ methods.

Understanding the damage mechanism in materials is one of the very important subjects in the science and engineering field. The microstructural change, microcracking, which causes material strength deterioration, is usually termed as damage. We observed micro-damage localization and propagation, in a coarse-grained granite specimen under uniaxial compressive stress to better understand the fundamental problems of the true damage process at a micro to macro scale. With the use of an experimental system, the continuous observation of the damage process also enabled us to clarify micro-damage in great detail. The results indicate that the mechanisms of micro-damage initiation in a granite specimen under uniaxial compressive stress may be separated into two cases; the first in which two grains, such as quartz and feld-spar, contact each other in the same direction as the axial stress, and the second in which a biotite grain inclined to the axial stress direction is contained within a feldspar grain. The damage is strongly localized for both cases and some shear zones are found in the specimens.

The 15,389-bp long complete mitogenome of the endangered red-spotted apollo butterfly, Parnassius bremeri (Lepidoptera: Papilionidae) was determined in this study. The start codon for the COI gene in insects has been extensively discussed, and has long remained a matter of some controversy. Herein, we propose that the CGA (arginine) sequence functions as the start codon for the COI gene in lepidopteran insects, on the basis of complete mitogenome sequences of lepidopteran insects, including P. bremeri, as well as additional sequences of the COI start region from a diverse taxonomic range of lepidopteran species (a total of 53 species from 15 families). In our extensive search for a tRNA-like structure in the A+T-rich region, one tRNA(Trp)-like sequence and one tRNA(Leu) (UUR)-like sequence were detected in the P. bremeri A+T-rich region, and one or more tRNA-like structures were detected in the A+T-rich region of the majority of other sequenced lepidopteran insects, thereby indicating that such features occur frequently in the lepidopteran mitogenomes. Phylogenetic analysis using the concatenated 13 amino acid sequences and nucleotide sequences of PCGs of the four macrolepidopteran superfamilies together with the Tortricoidea and Pyraloidea resulted in the successful recovery of a monophyly of Papilionoidea and a monophyly of Bombycoidea. However, the Geometroidea were unexpectedly identified as a sister group of the Bombycoidea, rather than the Papilionoidea.

This paper presents the operation and performance evaluation of PV-wind hybrid systems installed at Gobi desert area of Mongolia in order to identity the key factors that determines system operation at a severe climate conditions. The installed hybrid systems consist of 5 kW PV, 3 kW wind systems, BOS (balance of systems), data acquisition and transmission equipments. The Naran soum of Sukhbaatar aimag, where main systems are installed, is located on the semi desert area of Mongolia, north 45/spl deg/ 3' east 113/spl deg/ 5' and 700 km away from Ulaanbaatar.