Biophysical Research Articles

A Review of Retrieving of Land Surface Parameters Using the Land Surface Temperature-Vegetation Index Feature Space

Using remotely sensed land surface temperature ( Ts) and vegetation index ( VI) feature space combined with models to estimate land surface energy fluxes and surface soil moisture is increasingly important as this method is simple and independent on ground observations. With the development of methods for using the feature space,many researchers propose other feature spaces based on physical and ecological meanings of the Ts/VI feature space. The basic idea behind all these techniques is that surface radiant temperature is sensitively dependent on the surface soil water content. The paper aims to offer a comprehensive and systematic review of the feature spaces and their applications in retrieving land surface parameters. Prior to the review,the biophysical meanings and properties encapsulated in the Ts/VI feature space is elucidated since these represent the building block upon which all the Ts/VI methods described herein are based,and the drought monitoring approaches are summarized by using the Ts/VI feature space. Then,the evaporative fraction estimation using the Ts/albedo feature space,evapo-transpiration estimation using the DSTV/VI ( Diurnal Surface Temperature Variation) feature space and the feature space of the difference of surface temperature to air temperature ( Ts-Ta) and soil adjusted vegetation index ( SAVI) are all discussed. Finally the coupling of the Ts/VI feature space and microwave remote sensing data are discussed for soil surface moisture monitoring,and the further studies are proposed.

Physiologist, biophysicist, and embryologist Levon Mikhailovich Chailakhyan

Physiologist, biophysicist, and embryologist Levon Mikhailovich Chailakhyan

Socio-Economic Factors Influencing Adoption Of Improved Fallow Practices Among Smallholder Farmers In Western Tanzania

Declining soil fertility is recognized as one of the major biophysical constraints affecting agricultural production in Sub-Saharan Africa. “Improved fallows” technology, a leguminous trees-based soil replenishment technology was introduced in smallholder farming system in Tanzania to address this problem. The objective of this study was to identify the factors that influence the adoption of the technology among smallholder farmers in Western Tanzania. The results revealed that lack of farmer awareness of the technology, inability of farmers to wait for two years before obtaining direct benefits from the technology were the major constraints to planting improved fallows. The study identifies farmer training through workshops and seminars, enforcement of village by-laws on animal grazing, and facilitation of farmers’ access to credit as the major approaches to enhance the adoption of the technology. Key words: Agroforestry, leguminous trees, soil fertility, sustainable agriculture, Tanzania.

104 poster: A Biophysical Transport Model for Predicting Targeted Macromolecule Transport in Solid Tumors

THE OPTIMAL WINDOW SETTING OF PET CO-REGISTERED WITH CT AND MRI IN TARGET LOCALIZATION FOR NASOPHARYNGEAL CARCINOMA V. Lee1, D. L. W. Kwong1, P. L. Khong2, D. Chua1, S. Ng1, K. W. Wong1, K. S. Chan2, T. W. Leung1, G. Au1 1 QUEEN MARY HOSPITAL, Department of Clinical Oncology, Hong Kong, Hong Kong (SAR) China 2 QUEEN MARY HOSPITAL, Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Hong Kong, Hong Kong (SAR) China

World-wide Biophysics Now II. (2) Biophysics in US and Europe

World-wide Biophysics Now II. (2) Biophysics in US and Europe

World-wide Biophysics Now II. (1) Biophysics in the Developing Countries

World-wide Biophysics Now II. (1) Biophysics in the Developing Countries

2P171 マイコプラズマモービレの滑走タンパク質Gli521,Gli123のネガティブ染色を用いた電子顕微鏡による構造解析(分子モーター,第48回日本生物物理学会年会)

2P171 マイコプラズマモービレの滑走タンパク質Gli521,Gli123のネガティブ染色を用いた電子顕微鏡による構造解析(分子モーター,第48回日本生物物理学会年会)

1P345 NMRメタボロミクスの医療への応用 : 透析患者血漿と廃液の解析(その他,第48回日本生物物理学会年会)

1P345 NMRメタボロミクスの医療への応用 : 透析患者血漿と廃液の解析(その他,第48回日本生物物理学会年会)

My Biophysics Started from Study of G-F Transformation of Actin

My Biophysics Started from Study of G-F Transformation of Actin

3P020 新規蛋白質結晶作製プラットフォームとしてのB型肝炎ウィルス様粒子蛋白質複合体の発現系構築(蛋白質-構造,第48回日本生物物理学会年会)

3P020 新規蛋白質結晶作製プラットフォームとしてのB型肝炎ウィルス様粒子蛋白質複合体の発現系構築(蛋白質-構造,第48回日本生物物理学会年会)

1P252 1分子計測とモデル計算によるErbB受容体へのリガンド結合のキネティクス解析(生体膜・人工膜-情報伝達,第48回日本生物物理学会年会)

1P252 1分子計測とモデル計算によるErbB受容体へのリガンド結合のキネティクス解析(生体膜・人工膜-情報伝達,第48回日本生物物理学会年会)

1P188 キネシンヘッド間張力の全原子シミュレーションによる評価(分子モーター,第48回日本生物物理学会年会)

1P188 キネシンヘッド間張力の全原子シミュレーションによる評価(分子モーター,第48回日本生物物理学会年会)

Biophysics and "What is Life?"

Biophysics and "What is Life?"

Comments to ‘Biophysics and “What is Life?”’

Comments to ‘Biophysics and “What is Life?”’

2P193 ミオシン首振り運動の分子動力学シミュレーション(分子モーター,第48回日本生物物理学会年会)

2P193 ミオシン首振り運動の分子動力学シミュレーション(分子モーター,第48回日本生物物理学会年会)

Origin of Biophysics and Prof. Fumio Osawa

Origin of Biophysics and Prof. Fumio Osawa

Compound-Induced Block of Ion Channel Pore Function: Inward-Rectifier Potassium Channels as a Model

Small chemical compounds modulate ion channel functions. This is the reflection of ligand interactions with ion channels at their various sites. Many biophysical and biochemical researches have been performed on this subject and have provided important basic concepts on the structure-functional relationships of ion channels. Especially, ion channel blockers have been excellent tools for biophysical studies of ion channels and some of them are actually used for treating various diseases. The mechanisms underlying the blocking action of various chemical compounds, however, remain largely unknown at the atomic level, partly because of the promiscuous nature of the reaction. As one of the attempts to overcome the problem, we have adopted a novel approach combining molecular pharmacology and in silico analyses in the study of block of astroglial Kir4.1 channel by various antidepressants, including nortriptyline and fluoxetine. In molecular pharmacology experiments, we have demonstrated that Thr128 and Glu158 of Kir4.1 facing the central cavity play an important role in determining the sensitivities of the Kir channel to the antidepressants. On the other hand, we abstracted common sets of features from Kir4.1 channel blockers by the computer-aided technique that quantitatively correlates their chemical structures with IC 50 values for Kir4.1 channel current block. By combining these two lines of studies, we modeled the channel-drug interaction for Kir4.1-block, showing that the compound is accommodated between Thr128 and Glu158 within the central cavity of the channel. This combined approach may be useful to obtain some insights in the structure-function relationship of various ion channels and will shed light on the basic understandings of ion permeation and block.

나노 금 입자생성에 HAuCl4용액의 농도와 UV 조사시간이 미치는 영향

― The importance of nano gold particles has been increased in the field of bio physics and medicine, recently. In this regard, the study aims to analyze how the harmless nano gold pa rticles can be transformed by respective variables. In this stu dy, electrospun PU nano-webs were impregnated with aqueous HAuCl ₄solution and UV light was irradiated on the webs. Au-ions were reduced to nano particles by photocatalytic reduction and these nano gold particles were characterized by SEM, UV-vis, Zetasiz er, Spectrophotometer, EDS. HAuCl ₄solution concentration and UV irradiation time have heen examin ed to change the amount of absorption. Nano gold particles size and UV-Vis absorbances wer e increased with HAuCl₄solution concentration and UV irradiation time.

Beneficial effects of low-magnitude high-frequency vibration on fracture healing in rats

Objective To investigated the effects of whole-body low-magnitude high-frequency vibration (LMHFV), a form of biophysical intervention, on fracture healing. Methods Closed femoral shaft fracture with intramedullary fixation was established in 55 SD rats. Effects of LMHFV treatment on fracture healing were assessed through comparison with the sham control. Assessments included two- and three-dimensional quantification of mineralized callus formation using plain radiography and micro-CT.Mechanical outcomes were checked with four-point-bending tests. Results Radiography as well as micro-CT showed significantly larger amount of mineralized callus in the treatment group, together with a significantly faster remodeling process of the callus into mature bone. The mechanical strength of the healed fracture was significantly greater after 4 weeks of treatment compared with the control. Conclusions LMHFV enhances healing of the closed femoral shaft fracture in rats. Its potential clinical advantages shall be confirmed in the subsequent clinical trials. Key words: Low-magnitude high-frequency vibration; Fracture healing; Callus; Mechanical testing

The 2009 Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting: Erwin Neher, Physiology or Medicine 1991

Erwin Neher, born in 1944 in Landsberg Germany, shared the 1991 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with Bert Sakmann for their pioneering work measuring the activity of single ion channels in cells. Their techniques have been developed into an array of cell recording methods, including cell-attached and whole cell recording patch clamp recordings. Inspired in part by Hodgkin and Huxley s work modeling action potentials in the squid giant axon, Neher pursued a career in biophysics, a field that had not yet been fully established. Following completion of his Ph.D. and post-doctoral work under H.D. Lux at the Max Planck Institute f r Psychiatrie, he joined a physical chemistry lab to learn how to perform single channel recordings in artificial membranes. Wishing to perform these types of recordings in living cells, Neher, with his friend and colleague Bert Sakmann, modified existing recording methods in hopes of significantly reducing background noise. Instead of puncturing the cell membrane, they placed the pipette onto the surface of the cell. This isolated a small patch of membrane, which they hoped would decrease the size of the signal source and increase impedance. As it turned out, getting a seal to form between the patch pipette and the cell proved to be somewhat difficult. After systematically adjusting the system, they finally achieved a high enough impedance and thus low enough background noise level and produced the first recordings of single ion channel activity in cells, which were published in 1976. Years later, they found by chance that the application of a small amount of suction to the pipette resulted in the formation of a giga-ohm seal. This represented a 100-fold increase in impedance, which drastically lowered the background noise and allowed them to perfect the technique and develop several recording methods. The technique was picked up by a vast number of laboratories that have since shaped it into what it is today: a versatile method to study ion channels, membrane turnover, and the downstream processes controlled by them. Dr. Neher is now a director at the Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, where he heads the Department for Membrane Biophysics. In his current work he focuses on short-term synaptic plasticity, applying his techniques to obtain simultaneous pre-synaptic and post-synaptic whole-cell recordings to study the molecular mechanisms that fine tune synaptic responses.