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An investigation was made of the effects of tracheid dimensions on variations in the maximum density of Picea glehnii Mast., which were associated with climatic changes. Radial cell diameter and the thickness of the tangential cell walls of the last-formed cells in 90 annual rings of nine trees with different annual ring widths were analyzed by image analysis. Correlations between maximum density and tracheid dimensions indicated that changes in maximum density were due mainly to changes in cell wall thickness of the last-formed cells in annual rings and were not due to changes in radial cell diameter. The effects of climatic factors on tracheid dimensions were examined by application of dendroclimatological techniques. A chronology of cell wall thickness that represented common signals among trees was established. Simple correlation and response function analyses of the chronology revealed that cell wall thickness was influenced positively by summer temperature and negatively by precipitation in August, and these responses were similar to those of maximum density. The study demonstrated that variations in maximum density were due to variations in the cell wall thickness of the lastformed cells, which varied depending on the weather in summer.

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The circular dichroic (CD) spectra of a type lambda Bence Jones protein (Tod), its variable (VL) fragment, and the constant (CL) fragment of a type lambda protein (Nag) were measured under various conditions. In the pH region from 5.5 to 7.5, the CD spectra of Tod protein with intact interchain disulfide bond (L(SS)) and and CL did not change with pH, while the spectra of Tod protein in which the interchain disulfide bond had been reduced and alkylated (L(RA)) and VL did not change with pH. The dimerization reactions of L(RA) and VL were studied by following the CD change with protein concentration. The CD spectrum of CL did not change with the protein concentration. The dimerization constant for L(RA) was 4 X 10(4) M-1 at at pH 7.5 and 25 degrees C, which was smaller than that for VL (1 X 10(5) M-1). The ellipticity at 278 nm for the L(RA) dimer was different from that for the L(SS) dimer and changed with pH. These findings indicate that the L(RA) dimer and L(SS) dimer have different conformations. The differences in the conformation and L-L interaction between the L(RA) dimer and L(SS) dimer are discussed on the basis of the conformations of VL and CL and the interactions between the paired domains.

This study aims at development of a cost-effective, floating offshore wind turbine. The prototype model considered herein is composed of (1) 2-MW horizontal-axis wind turbine (HAWT) of downwind type, (2) steel monotower with 55-m hub height above sea level, (3) steel-prestressed concrete (PC) hybrid SPAR-type foundation with 70-m draft, and (4) catenary mooring system using anchor chains. In order to demonstrate the feasibility of the concept, an at-sea experiment using a 1/10-scale model of the prototype has been made. The demonstrative experiment includes (1) construction of the hybrid SPAR foundation using PC and steel, the same as the prototype; (2) dry-towing and installation to the at-sea site at 30-m distance from the quay of the Sasebo shipbuilding yard; (3) generating electric power using a 1 kW HAWT; and (4) removal from the site. During the at-sea experiment, wind speed, wind direction, tidal height, wave height, motion of the SPAR, tension in a mooring chain, and strains in the tower and the SPAR foundation have been measured. Motion of the SPAR has been numerically simulated and compared with the measured values, where basically good agreement is observed.

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