Postdoctoral fellows in Global COE program

Date: Wed, 29 Aug 2007 22:20:40 +0900
The starting date of postdocs emplyiment by Global COE http://www.ynu.ac.jp/jinji/jin75_E.html is hopefully between Sep 1st 2007 and April 1st 2008. Please clarify the starting date that you like.
Q: May you please explain me the procedure of selection?
A: We have a meeting to select the candidate on September and hereafter every month.
Q: Do you make decision to employ the applicants from time to time depends on the significant of the proposals?
A: If the applicant is outstanding and fit to our program, we will employ her/him. The number of postdocs that we can employ is limited (up to 8 postdoc at YNU). We do not pool the proposals AFTER the deadline.

windfarm birdstrike risk management

Date: Fri, 10 Aug 2007 17:17:47 +0900 (JST)

Thank you for sending the following email. I enjoyed jSMB much! I am a member of scientific committee for wind power plants and nature conservation by Japan Ministry of Environment and Japan Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (English name undetermined http://www.env.go.jp/press/press.php?serial=7988). I also analyze with another graduate student "Bird strike risk assessment of Awara Windfarm Plan on Anser albifrons frontalis (listed "endangered" species in Japan)". Yasuo and I visited Altamont windfarms on August 4. I realize eagles do not avoid windfarms when they are looking for their prey. (Abstract revised)

Wind power is one of the powerful power generation technologies for the control of global warming. From 2004 to 2007, nine white tailed sea eagle collided with wind power generation at Hokkaido in Japan. We think that it is important to promote the wind power business as controlling the influence on valuable birds. So, we propose bird collision risk management model (AMUSE = Adaptive Management for Uncertain Strike Estimate of birds ). This model refers to the adaptive management technique of fishery resources. This technique changes the fishing intensity in response to the assumed fishery resource. AMUSE is constructed by considering the target bird population size and operation rate of wind power generation as the estimated resource and fishery intensity, respectively. After simulation, we will be able to estimate extinction risk of target species and corrected utilized capacity of the wind power generation. AMUSE is a tool of the risk communications.

Thank you for organizing nice meeting (SMB/JSMB)!

Date: Sat, 4 Aug 2007 22:27:29 +0900 (JST)

Thank you for organizing a nice meeting. I enjoyed the meeting, reception, BBQ party, and banquet. I am sorry, I missed to say "thank you and see you" to all face to face yesterday. I look for the nect chance to have a joint meeting in anywhere, and will involve other Asian countries. I still stay in San Jose until the end of ESA meeting.I hope everyone will enjoy in the summer vacation.

Brief speech in the BBQ party of SMB/JSMB Meeting

Thank you for arrangement. I enjoy this joint meeting of Society for Mathematical Biology and Japanese Society for Mathematical Biology. This is the first time for me to participate the joint meeting of SMB/JSMB, because I did not visit the previous joint meeting at Hawaii in 2001. In 2001, JSMB was not yet established. We had JAMB, Japanese Association for Mathematical Biology, that was a more casual organization. JSMB is the thirdly important society for me. I think JSMB is not the most important society for the first generation of JSMB members. However, recently JSMB becomes the most important society for younger members. Therefore, we made JSMB. Unlike SMB, JSMB has no academic journal. We have not sought any academic power or authority. However, there are near 400 members in JSMB. This is mysterious. I think many members join JSMB because we can enjoy this society. We enjoy this joint meeting too. Thank you very much.
at San Jose State University, August 1 2008

Mistake of an Italian Soccer Team on the Niigata Earthquake

Niigata Prefecture Chuetsu Offshore Earthquake occurred on July 16 at very close to nuclear power plants. Not a few accidents and troubles occurred on this plant. The office of the plant did not inform these troubles appropriately or immediately. I share criticism of risk miscommunication by newspapers in the world. However, I first emphasize that the troubles were not more serious than the earthquake itself. According to the Yomiuri Newspaper of July 29 http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20070729TDY03004.htm, the radioactive leaks at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant in Niigata Prefecture was below the environmental standard. The security system against a big earthquake did work this time, despite of the fact that this does not guarantee any future earthquake on the nuclear power plants.

Now what we should first is to save victims who are damaged by the earthquake. Unfortunately, an Italian Serie-A soccer team Catania, which was scheduled to play a friendly game in other prefectures, canceled its trip. The soccer team misrecognized the earthquake victims as nuclear-contaminated people. Niigata Prefecture is known as one of the prefectures where the most soccer supporters exist in Japan. These supporters must be much disappointed. The Italian soccer players gave the earthquake victims discouragement instead of sympathy and encouragement.

Now I believe Catania shall never arrive at USA because more bridge collapses in USA are much more realizable. I shall share such a risk with American people if I have a chance to visit there (now I am visiting USA).

Minneapolis bridge collapse

Date: Thu, 2 Aug 2007 15:40:35 +0900
How are you doing now? I am now visiting San Jose for SMB/JSMB meeting and ESA meeting until August 11.Now I am watching CNN news. I am surprised the bridge collapse of I-35W accrossing Misissippi River. In 1991/92, I frequently accrossed this bridge! I hope you and your colleagues are OK.
I am now looking for 11 postdocs for Global COE program: http://www.ynu.ac.jp/jinji/jin75_E.html
Sincerely yours,
Hiroyuki Matsuda