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Abstracts of Oral Presentations Kansai Conference

Event Name Abstracts of Oral Presentations Kansai Conference

<O-01>
Survey on the propagation of Micrasterias hardy in Lake Biwa, Shiga Prefecture, Japan.

Principal Investigator: Ayane Kawai
Collaborative Researcher: Hotaka Matsuoka
Affiliation: Shiga Ishiyama High School

Research Field:04. Biology

<要旨>
The study subject, Micrasterias hardyi, is a phytoplankton species identified in Lake Biwa in 2011 and is an invasive alien species that has become dominant in recent years. Studying the subject is significant from the perspective of maintaining the unique ecosystem in Lake Biwa. In this study, we investigated the growth conditions of Micrasterias hardyi and compared them with those of native species that have often been dominant in Lake Biwa under the same conditions. The experimental results showed that Micrasterias hardyi multiplies best at 25-30°C and is more tolerant of harsh conditions than native species.

Research Outline>
The purpose of this study was to investigate the growth conditions of Micrasterias hardyi and to determine why Micrasterias hardyi became dominant. Micrasterias hardyi is an invasive alien species first identified in Lake Biwa in 2011, and is a large phytoplankton that has become dominant in Lake Biwa. Phytoplankton are primary producers and play a major role in the ecosystem, so the invasion of alien phytoplankton has a significant impact on the biodiversity of native organisms and ecosystem functions in the lake. We considered that Micrasterias hardyi has a higher survival rate than native phytoplankton in Lake Biwa because Micrasterias hardyi is larger than native phytoplankton in Lake Biwa and therefore cannot be preyed upon by large zooplankton such as Daphnia magna, which makes it easier to survive. When the growth curve of Micrasterias hardyi was compared with that of Staurastrum dorsidentiferum, a native species of the same family that has often been dominant in Lake Biwa, under the same conditions, the slope of the curve of Micrasterias hardyi was expected to be larger and it was more likely to increase.

<One of my favorite points
I first became interested in plankton research when I was in the fifth grade of elementary school. After observing the organisms in Lake Biwa for a while, I was fascinated by the beauty of Mikrasterias hardy when I saw it for the first time. However, its beauty has a prickly side, and I began to see the possibility that it could have a great impact on the biodiversity of Lake Biwa. Why has it increased so much? I find its beauty and mystery fascinating in this research.

<O-02>
Satoyama Environment in Comparison with Remote Islands and Urban Areas

Principal Investigator: Kengo Kishida
Joint Researchers: Kota Mizokami and Satoma Ito
Affiliation: Wakayama Koyo Junior High School

Research Field:04. Biology

<要旨>
For many years, our school has conducted biological surveys in the satoyama of Menkyo Fudo Valley. And last year, we also conducted surveys on remote islands and urban areas with the aim of comparing the organisms with those in other areas. Although we had expected that there would not be much difference between remote islands and the mainland, we found that satoyama is home to a greater diversity of organisms than remote islands or urban areas. One reason for this is that satoyama ecosystems have been preserved by humans. Through this study, we would like to continue to investigate the organisms in Menkyo Fudo Valley and other areas in the future.

Research Outline>
In recent years, there have been calls for the destruction of ecosystems and environmental preservation. Specifically, these include the problem of marine plastic waste, global warming and the resulting rise in sea levels, and the problem of alien species. Of these, the problem of invasive alien species (ecosystems) has received less attention than the other two. Hence, we may not fully understand what goals and processes we need to follow in order to solve this problem. This study was undertaken in the hope that it would be a first step toward understanding the above. The objective was then to study ecosystems in different environments and compare and discuss the biodiversity of these ecosystems. Specific hypotheses related to this study include: ? Compared to urban areas where development has progressed and there are few habitats for living organisms, remote islands and satoyama, where relatively little development has progressed and many natural environments can be found, may be richer in biological diversity. In addition, since remote islands in particular are largely untouched by humans, it is assumed that more natural ecosystems have been established and biological diversity is more pronounced there. These are two points.

<One of my favorite points
We have accepted as a challenge the fact that, although attention to environmental issues has been increasing, we may not understand what exactly we should do about them. We believe that this research theme can not only lead to early solutions to environmental problems by clarifying this, but also change the public's awareness of environmental issues. In addition, we aimed to collect more reliable and academically valuable data by conducting regular and continuous surveys of relatively close, yet very different environments.

<O-03>
For Genji Fireflies to live in a three-sided concrete channel

Principal Investigator: Matsuo
Collaborative Researchers: Tomotaka Ikegawa, Shohei Umekawa
Affiliation: Firefly Team, Science Department, Osaka Prefectural Tondabayashi High School

Research Field:04. Biology

<要旨>
In spite of the fact that the Hatada channel has three concrete surfaces, the luminescence of Genji fireflies can be observed there every year. We attempted to clarify how this species inhabits this concrete channel, which is considered to have poor habitat conditions. The shape of concrete units, flow velocity, gravel deposition, and habitat conditions of organisms including this species were investigated. The wider units had lower flow velocities, and the gravels were deposited and inhabited by many organisms including the Japanese firefly. These results suggest that the mechanisms of slowing down of water flow and gravel deposition are necessary for the habitat of this species in a concrete channel.

Research Outline>
Genji firefly larvae (Figure 1) are said to prefer areas with slow currents (1 cm/s to 30 cm/s or 10 cm/s to 40 cm/s). Genji botaru are carnivorous, feeding on river snails. They emerge from the river every May and burrow into the soil to form pupae, which emerge from the soil around June to become adults. On the other hand, river snails live on sandy gravel or sandy mud bottoms. In general, concrete revetments of rivers and waterways are considered unsuitable habitats for Genji botaru (fireflies) and kawanina because of the high flow velocity and the tendency of gravels to be washed away and not easily deposited. However, in the Hatada channel, which branches off from the Chihaya River (Yamato River system), adult glow worms can be seen every year around June, despite the three-sided concrete channel. We wondered why genji botaru inhabit this three-sided concrete channel, which is considered to be unsuitable for their habitat, and conducted research to clarify this question.

<One of my favorite points
The reason for my interest in this topic is that genji botaru live in a three-sided concrete canal. Genji fireflies are difficult to inhabit in a three-sided concrete channel, but small differences such as a 10-cm depression or the widening of a wall create a habitat in which many organisms can live. Thus, the creation of nature and biodiversity in a concrete unit with a little ingenuity is a good point of this theme.

<O-04>
Research on water purification using polyglutamic acid and its applications

Principal Investigator: Hoshie Kuratomi
Collaborative Researchers: Yunosuke Ito, Youto Kegawa, Harumu Chosa
Affiliation: Otemon Gakuin Otemae High School

Research Field: 01. environment, 08. engineering

<要旨>
Polyglutamic acid contained in Bacillus natto has adsorption properties and has been studied for water purification to date. Although we were able to obtain a qualitative experimental effect, quantitative verification has not been possible. Therefore, we verified the water purification ability of polyglutamic acid. We found that polyglutamic acid is effective not only in purifying polluted water in ponds, but also in purifying liquids such as cola. Using the robot technology they have developed so far, they also developed a system to collect heavy oil spilled into the sea, aiming to realize SDG No. 14, "Let's protect the abundance of the sea.

Research Outline>
In September 2018, a tanker collided with a connecting bridge leading to Kansai International Airport due to strong winds caused by Typhoon No. 21. Although there was no secondary damage from the tanker leaking heavy oil in that accident, we investigated the impact of heavy oil if it did spill. They found that if heavy oil leaked into the ocean, it would have a significant impact on the environment, ecosystems, humans, and local industries. It was also reported that in July of this year, a ship ran aground in Mauritius, one of the island nations in the Indian Ocean, causing a fuel spill that has caused significant damage. Also, in the past our club had done research on water purification. We therefore thought that a water purification agent using polyglutamic acid could be used to quickly recover spilled heavy fuel oil. In order to find out how much water purification ability the water purifier has, we conducted a water purification experiment using everyday liquids.

<One of my favorite points
I had the opportunity to meet and listen to Mr. Kanetoshi Oda, who has actually developed a water purification agent using polyglutamic acid and is working on water issues around the world. After hearing about the actual water purification process and Mr. Oda's philosophy, we wondered if we, as high school students, could tackle the problem and began this research and development. Our system purifies water without using power, so we can collect heavy oil leaks at any location. It is a revolutionary system that will bring clean water to the world and create a peaceful society.

<O-05>
Separation and identification of solid particles using permanent magnets under microgravity

Principal Investigator: Keita Maishi
Collaborative Researchers: Kyoya Okada, Kusunori Sumi, Ryota Iwamoto, Mai Fujitani, Asuka Iwamoto, Satoru Kitada, Takuya Hanasaki, Yuichiro Okuno, Hiiragi Matsuzaka, Akihisa Wada
Affiliation: Osaka Prefectural Kasugaoka High School, Regular Science Club

Research Field: 06. Physics, 12. Planetary Science

<要旨>
Solid particles released into a monotonically decreasing magnetic field under microgravity are in translational motion. Their velocity does not depend on the mass of the particles, but only on the intrinsic magnetic susceptibility of the material. Using this principle, we have demonstrated that small neodymium magnets and a home-made microgravity generator can be used to separate and collect antimagnetic solid particles by substance type. Particles of six inorganic substances and six organic substances were collected on a collection plate as different groups of particles for each substance. This is expected to be used as a solid version chromatography technology to separate solid mixtures by substance type prior to precise analysis.

Research Outline>
We have used the magnetic field gradient of a small neodymium magnet in a microgravity generator to induce translational motion of antimagnetic materials and measured their magnetic susceptibility. This experimental method is based on the conservation law of magnetic and kinetic energy and is independent of mass. In other words, the same sample will move in translational motion at the same speed regardless of the size of the sample. This experimental method confirmed the mass-independence. Therefore, we wondered if we could use this feature to magnetically separate solid particle mixtures by type of substance based on differences in magnetic susceptibility. In the fields of organic chemistry and biochemistry, gas chromatography and liquid chromatography techniques have been established to separate mixtures of organic molecules by molecular weight prior to precise analysis. For mixtures of solid particles, efficient separation methods have not yet been established. Our proposed method of magnetic separation can, in principle, be applied to all antimagnetic materials. We conducted experiments with the aim of establishing a new solid matter separation method as solid chromatography.

<One of my favorite points
This experimental method is based on the conservation law of magnetic and kinetic energy, where the magnetic susceptibility is determined by the velocity of the sample and is independent of its mass. In other words, the same sample will have the same translational motion at the same speed regardless of the size of the sample. The advantage of this experimental method is that the magnetic susceptibility χ can be determined without measuring mass. This means that even the smallest particle can be captured by a camera, and if its position can be confirmed on the collection plate, the sample can be identified. We would be happy if we could establish this as a new separation and analysis method.

<O-06>
A look at the origins of buoyancy in the water!

Principal Investigator: Riko Omoto
Collaborative researcher: Makoto Kanazawa, Seina Nishimura
Affiliation: Otani Junior & Senior High School

Research Field: 05. chemistry, 06. physics, 08. engineering, 13. education

<要旨>
Based on the molecular collision theory, a new theoretical model was proposed to explain the mechanism by which water pressure increases with depth. Taking a cue from van der Waals' equation of state, the volume of water molecules, intermolecular collisions, and intermolecular forces were considered. The number density increases with depth due to the effect of the gravity field, and the space in which water molecules can move freely decreases as the excluded volume increases, while the mean free path also shortens. As a result, it is suggested that the collision velocity approaches the maximum velocity because the collision coordinate to the wall surface approaches the most stable distance of the LJ potential.

Research Outline>
Why can giant tankers float on water? Buoyancy is discussed in high school physics in Archimedes' principle, where we learn that an object receives a buoyant force vertically upward equal in magnitude to the weight of the fluid it pushes away. Based on Pascal's principle, it is explained that the force is caused by the pressure difference between the top and bottom surfaces of the object due to the fluid. However, since the mechanism of pressure generation is conveniently explained in terms of the weight of the fluid, there are many misconceptions that buoyancy is also exerted on objects whose bottom surfaces are completely attached to the bottom of the water or on bridge girders. In fact, this type of argument over buoyancy has been controversial in Japan in the past. Our goal was to settle the controversy theoretically by showing that the pressure acting on an underwater object is caused by the collision of water molecules and that buoyancy is caused by the difference in the number of collisions of water molecules on the upper and lower surfaces of the object. We started with a consideration of simple molecular collision theory, and after sorting out its problems, we pursued a comprehensive model of molecular collision theory that takes intermolecular interactions into account.

<One of my favorite points
What sparked my interest in this research was a question posed by my science club advisor, "Can buoyancy work on an object that is perfectly and seamlessly submerged at the bottom of the water?" I heard that this question was once disputed in the Japanese scientific community, and I wanted to find the answer. I heard that this was once a controversial question in the Japanese scientific community, and I wanted to try to find an answer to this unproven question. I enjoyed thinking about many things through this research, such as how water molecules move in water. Ichioshi's research was not based on a simple collision theory, but used various mathematical formulas and considered intermolecular interactions such as intermolecular forces and intermolecular collisions from many different angles.

<O-07>
Antioxidant potential of inedible parts of flower myoga

Principal Investigator: Ai Kuroda
Collaborative Researchers: Yusuke Minamoto, Atsushi Noro, Kaeno Izumo, Airi Sen, Rei Oguri, Shin Ishigaki
Affiliation: Nishiyamato Gakuen High School

Research Field: 05. chemistry, 07. agriculture, 10. food

<要旨>
We have studied the antioxidant potential of the inedible part of Hanamyo-ga, a Yamato vegetable, in order to determine if the inedible part can be effectively utilized. At present, the results of thin-layer chromatography of extracts from Hanamyo-ga suggest that it contains several antioxidants. In the future, we will try to ensure the reliability of the experimental results by using positive controls, identify antioxidants based on Rf values, and measure antioxidant capacity by scavenging DPPH radicals.

Research Outline>
In recent years, antioxidants have been the focus of increasing attention as people become more health-conscious. Antioxidants work to suppress excessive oxidative action in the body. Excessive oxidative action is thought to place DNA and cells in a state of oxidative stress load and cause disease. We will extract antioxidants from the inedible parts of the Yamato vegetable Hanamyo-gui and measure their antioxidant capacity to clarify the antioxidant potential of Hanamyo-gui. Like many plants, it is thought to contain antioxidants, and we expect to make effective use of the inedible parts and increase the visibility of the Yamato vegetable.

<One of my favorite points
I became interested in this research because I saw descriptions of polyphenols on product packaging and learned that they oxidize the body, causing aging and making us more susceptible to disease. The point of this research is that it is differentiated from other similar studies by using Yamato vegetables, which are closely related to the region, as the subject matter and by taking up their inedible parts.

<O-08>
Development of agricultural house control system

Principal Investigator: Mitsuki Kannami
Joint Researchers: Akitoshi Akiyama, Tomoharu Ogata, Tokiya Katayama, Yuya Kageyama, and Yuma Nishida
Affiliation: Okayama Ichinomiya High School

Research Field: 08. Engineering, 11. Mathematical and Information Sciences

<要旨>
The purpose of this study was to reduce the burden on farmers using agricultural greenhouses and to be able to take immediate action in case of an emergency. Data was obtained from sensors installed in the greenhouses, and information on the greenhouses was made available on a website and sampled in a database. The website is also equipped with a function to give instructions, enabling remote control of lighting, ventilation fans, and other devices in the greenhouses. It is thought that the DB can be applied to AI development.

Research Outline>
We hypothesized that these causes are due to the greater physical burden on farmers compared to other occupations, as well as the time it takes to secure workers, which is largely dependent on the farmer's sensibilities. Therefore, in order to encourage an increase in the number of farmers, we will reduce the burden required for the production of agricultural products and simplify the work. (1) Machines (AI) will learn and reproduce the senses of farmers and serve as an alternative labor force. (2) The above two objectives are the goals of this project. However, it is difficult to immediately start the process for (2) because of the lack of data to create an AI. Therefore, while the main objective of this study is (1), we decided to develop a remote control system to lay the groundwork for (2) by actually collecting big data. In addition, by developing the system in cooperation with Okayama Prefectural Koyo High School, we were able to observe the actual greenhouses and receive data on previous research.

<One of my favorite points
When we were thinking about the theme of our research project, we had a growing interest in agriculture because a friend of mine comes from a farming family, and Koyo High School invited us to participate. We were motivated to create this project by the fact that it was an attempt to combine information with agriculture, which was unusual for an assignment research project at Ichinomiya High School. We had a gut feeling that this was it. So we invited our friend and other members to join us and started our activities.