Root endophytic bacterial and fungal communities in a natural hot desert are differentially regulated in dry and wet seasons by stochastic processes and functional traits

Taniguchi, Takeshi*; Isobe, Kazuo*; Imada, Shogo*; Eltayeb, M. M.*; Akaji, Yasuaki*; Nakayama, Masataka; Allen, M. F.*; Aronson, E. L.*

Science of the Total Environment, 899, p.165524_1 - 165524_13, 2023/11

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.165524

Dryland ecosystems experience seasonal cycles of severe drought and moderate precipitation. Desert plants typically have patchy distributions, and many may develop symbiotic relationships with root endophytic microbes to survive under the repeated wet and extremely dry conditions. Although community coalescence has been found in many systems, the colonization by functional microbes and its relationship to seasonal transitions in arid regions are not well understood. Here we examined root endophytic microbial taxa, and their traits in relation to their root colonization, during the dry and wet seasons in a hot desert of the southwestern United States. We used high-throughput DNA sequencing of 16S rRNA and ITS gene profiling of five desert shrubs, and analyzed the seasonal change in endophytic microbial lineages. In summer, Actinobacteria increased, although this was not genus-specific. For fungi, Glomeraceae selectively increased in summer. In winter, Gram-negative bacterial genera, including those capable of nitrogen fixation and plant growth promotion, increased. Neutral model analysis revealed a strong stochastic influence on endophytic bacteria but a weak effect for fungi, especially in summer. The taxa with higher frequency than that predicted by the neutral model shared environmental adaptability and symbiotic traits, whereas the frequency of pathogenic fungi was at or under the predicted value. These results suggest that community assembly of bacteria and fungi is regulated differently. The bacterial community was affected by stochastic and deterministic processes via the bacterial response to drought (response trait) and beneficial effect on plants (effect trait). For fungi, mycorrhizal fungi were selected by plants in summer. The regulation of beneficial microbes by plants in both dry and wet seasons suggests the presence of plant-soil positive feedback in this natural desert ecosystem.

Spallation and fragmentation cross sections for 168 MeV/nucleon Xe ions on proton, deuteron, and carbon targets

Sun, X. H.*; Wang, H.*; Otsu, Hideaki*; Sakurai, Hiroyoshi*; Ahn, D. S.*; Aikawa, Masayuki*; Fukuda, Naoki*; Isobe, Tadaaki*; Kawakami, Shunsuke*; Koyama, Shumpei*; et al.

Physical Review C, 101(6), p.064623_1 - 064623_12, 2020/06

https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevC.101.064623

The spallation and fragmentation reactions of Xe induced by proton, deuteron and carbon at 168 MeV/nucleon were studied at RIKEN Radioactive Isotope Beam Factory via the inverse kinematics technique. The cross sections of the lighter products are larger in the carbon-induced reactions due to the higher total kinetic energy of carbon. The energy dependence was investigated by comparing the newly obtained data with previous results obtained at higher reaction energies. The experimental data were compared with the results of SPACS, EPAX, PHITS and DEURACS calculations. These data serve as benchmarks for the model calculations.

Pyroelectric power generation from the waste heat of automotive exhaust gas

Kim, J.*; Yamanaka, Satoru*; Murayama, Ichiro*; Kato, Takanori*; Sakamoto, Tomokazu*; Kawasaki, Takuro; Fukuda, Tatsuo; Sekino, Toru*; Nakayama, Tadachika*; Takeda, Masatoshi*; et al.

Sustainable Energy & Fuels (Internet), 4(3), p.1143 - 1149, 2020/03

https://doi.org/10.1039/C9SE00283A

Electrical and crystallographic study of an electrothermodynamic cycle for a waste heat recovery

Kim, J.*; Yamanaka, Satoru*; Nakajima, Akira*; Kato, Takanori*; Kim, Y.*; Fukuda, Tatsuo; Yoshii, Kenji; Nishihata, Yasuo; Baba, Masaaki*; Takeda, Masatoshi*; et al.

Advanced Sustainable Systems (Internet), 2(11), p.1800067_1 - 1800067_8, 2018/11

https://doi.org/10.1002/adsu.201800067

Pyroelectric power generation with ferroelectrics (1-x)PMN-xPT

Kim, J.*; Yamanaka, Satoru*; Nakajima, Akira*; Kato, Takanori*; Kim, Y.*; Fukuda, Tatsuo; Yoshii, Kenji; Nishihata, Yasuo; Baba, Masaaki*; Takeda, Masatoshi*; et al.

Ferroelectrics, 512(1), p.92 - 99, 2017/08

https://doi.org/10.1080/00150193.2017.1349991

Horonobe Underground Research Laboratory Project; Synthesis of Phase II (Construction Phase) investigations to a depth of 350m

Sato, Toshinori; Sasamoto, Hiroshi; Ishii, Eiichi; Matsuoka, Toshiyuki; Hayano, Akira; Miyakawa, Kazuya; Fujita, Tomoo*; Tanai, Kenji; Nakayama, Masashi; Takeda, Masaki; et al.

JAEA-Research 2016-025, 313 Pages, 2017/03

JAEA-Research-2016-025.pdf:45.1MB

The Horonobe Underground Research Laboratory (URL) Project is being pursued by the Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) to enhance the reliability of relevant disposal technologies through investigations of the deep geological environment within the host sedimentary formations at Horonobe, northern Hokkaido. This report summarizes the results of the Phase II investigations carried out from April 2005 to June 2014 to a depth of 350m. Integration of work from different disciplines into a "geosynthesis" ensures that the Phase II goals have been successfully achieved and identifies key issues that need to made to be addressed in the Phase II investigations Efforts are made to summarize as many lessons learnt from the Phase II investigations and other technical achievements as possible to form a "knowledge base" that will reinforce the technical basis for both implementation and the formulation of safety regulations.

Synthesized research report in the second mid-term research phase, Mizunami Underground Research Laboratory Project, Horonobe Underground Research Laboratory Project and Geo-stability Project (Translated document)

Hama, Katsuhiro; Sasao, Eiji; Iwatsuki, Teruki; Onoe, Hironori; Sato, Toshinori; Fujita, Tomoo; Sasamoto, Hiroshi; Matsuoka, Toshiyuki; Takeda, Masaki; Aoyagi, Kazuhei; et al.

JAEA-Review 2016-014, 274 Pages, 2016/08

JAEA-Review-2016-014.pdf:44.45MB

We synthesized the research results from the Mizunami/Horonobe Underground Research Laboratories (URLs) and geo-stability projects in the second midterm research phase. This report can be used as a technical basis for the Nuclear Waste Management Organization of Japan/Regulator at each decision point from siting to beginning of disposal (Principal Investigation to Detailed Investigation Phase).

User's guide of cement solidification test for incinerated ash

Nakayama, Takuya; Kawato, Yoshimi; Osugi, Takeshi; Shimazaki, Takejiro; Hanada, Keiji; Suzuki, Shinji; Sakakibara, Tetsuro; Nakazawa, Osamu; Meguro, Yoshihiro

JAEA-Technology 2014-046, 56 Pages, 2015/03

JAEA-Technology-2014-046.pdf:7.61MB

The combustible and flame-retardant radioactive wastes generated as a result of the research activities in Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) are incinerating to reduce their volume. The incinerated ash is planned to be solidified using cement for disposal. Since the properties of ashes generated in each institute of JAEA are varied with the type of incinerator and the wastes to be incinerated, it is necessary to do fundamental solidification tests in each institute to decide operating conditions of the planning cement solidification facility. It is important to standardize evaluating methods of cement and solidified waste because some characters depend on measuring method. This user's guide have been prepared how to decide the cement solidifying conditions of ash to design the cement solidification facility in JAEA. Requirements on the regulations of solidified radioactive waste have been examined and seven technical criteria, e.g. compressive strength, fluidity, have been selected as characters to be evaluated. Some empirical notes about selection of cement, admixtures, procedure on making a test piece, evaluation of expanding, compressive strength, solubility have been described. The strategy of tests and tips for finding optimized solidification condition has been summarized. Finally the example of optimized conditions satisfied the requirements and some problems to be solved have been described.

Study on applicability of low alkaline cement in Horonobe Underground Research Laboratory Project, 2 (Contract research)

Nakayama, Masashi; Kobayashi, Yasushi; Matsuda, Takeshi*; Noda, Masaru*; Iriya, Keishiro*; Takeda, Nobufumi*

JAEA-Research 2009-035, 70 Pages, 2009/11

JAEA-Research-2009-035.pdf:11.27MB

In Horonobe Underground Research Center construction of underground facility began in 2005 and construction practicality test with HFSC (Highly Fly-ash contained Silica-fume Cement) is planned in a part of the gallery. Before HFSC will be placed in the gallery it is necessary to validate that HFSC has performance under the actual construction. The research results in 2007 were as follows. As corrosion behavior in HFSC, reinforced concrete specimen with HFSC 226 have been exposed to off-shore condition at in saline water and splashed zone and analyzed corrosion rate and chloride intrusion, and they were summarized. Service life time of HFSC reinforced concrete was assessed more than 50 years until cracking due to corrosion is generated. pH and components of solid and liquid phase which were made in 2002, and stored in water were analyzed. And cement paste of shotcrete which are made in 2006 were also analyzed. In this pH of shotcrete is lower than other in situ concrete since accelerating agent may act as decreasing factor of pH. The results obtained from this ten year's study were summarized on shotcerete, in situ concrete and grouting. Based on the summery, method of quality control, such as testing method, frequency, and standards so on, were investigated.

Speed-up of hybrid Monte Carlo and path integral hybrid Monte Carlo simulations by using an auxiliary potential energy surface

Nakayama, Akira*; Taketsugu, Tetsuya*; Shiga, Motoyuki

Chemistry Letters, 38(10), p.976 - 977, 2009/10

https://doi.org/10.1246/cl.2009.976

Efficiency of the ab initio hybrid Monte Carlo and path integral hybrid Monte Carlo methods is enhanced by employing an auxiliary potential energy surface that is used to update the system configuration via molecular dynamics scheme. As a simple illustration of this method, a dual-level approach is introduced where potential energy gradients are evaluated by computationally less expensive ab initio electronic structure methods.