Intelligent manipulator system with nonsymmetric and redundant master-slave

Some work is so complicated and unsteady that it is not possible to use automatic robots, such as FA robots. In such a case, a teleoperated manipulation system is applied. In this research, the authors aim at a reduction in the operator's physical and mental burdens. An artificially intelligent manipulator system has been developed with nonsymmetric and redundant master-slave. This system has five features: (1) a polar coordinates master arm; (2) a highly operational articulated slave arm with 7 degrees of freedom; (3) a nonsymmetric configuration and different degrees of freedom master-slave control; (4) an expert system; and (5) a new master-slave control motion, which makes the operator's task easier with automatic force/position control. The system was experimentally produced and its performance tested and evaluated. A qualitative evaluation was carried out by conducting a comparative test on the conventional master-slave control and the new master-slave control. It was found to be effective in reducing operating time, as well as work-induced fatigue.     

Narrow spectral linewidth characteristics of monolithic integrated-passive-cavity InGaAsP/InP semiconductor lasers

The spectral linewidth of 1.3 ?m monolithic integrated-passive-cavity (IPC) semiconductor laser is measured by a delayed self-heterodyne technique. It is found that the line-width is narrowed when longitudinal submode is suppressed. The narrowest linewidth obtained so far is 900 kHz at 6 mW output power.     

Electrophoretic Deposition Behavior of Aqueous Nanosized Zinc Oxide Suspensions

The rheological behavior and electrophoretic deposition (EPD) of ZnO nanopowder (nano-ZnO) in aqueous media have been described. A cationic polyelectrolyte (polyethylenimine, PEI) was used to disperse and modify the surfaces of the ZnO nanoparticles. The rheological properties of the ZnO aqueous suspension were investigated by measuring the viscosity versus the pH and amount of dispersant. The EPD processing was conducted via cathodic electrodeposition, using stable suspensions with low viscosity, and the depositional behavior was investigated. Bubble-free nano-ZnO deposits with uniform microstructures were successfully obtained, which was an indication of good sintering behavior.     

The oxidation properties of fourth generation single-crystal nickel-based superalloys

The fourth-generation nickel-based single-crystal superalloys, which contain large amounts of refractory metals for strengthening and platinum group metals for topologically close-packed phase prevention, show excellent high-temperature strength. However, these alloying elements seem to decrease high-temperature oxidation resistance. In this study, nickel-based superalloys with various amounts of tantalum, rhenium, and ruthenium were examined in isothermal and cyclic exposures at 1,100°C to investigate the effect on the oxide growth rate and resistance to scale spallation. Ruthenium and rhenium were found to degrade the oxidation resistance by the vaporization of their oxide. Tantalum-rich oxide in the spinel layer acts to stabilize ruthenium and rhenium oxide in the scale. The addition of hafnium and yttrium is effective in improving the oxidation resistance of ruthenium-containing nickel-based superalloys.     

Interconnected power systems with superconducting magnetic energy storage

The objective of this work is to discuss the concept of back‐to‐back interconnection systems with energy storage, especially with a Superconducting Magnetic Energy Storage (SMES) incorporated into a back‐to‐back DC link. In this case, each converter of the back‐to‐back system is used as a power conditioning system for the SMES coils. Since the AC–DC converter can be designed independently of the frequency of the power system, a two‐way switch is connected to the AC side of each converter. This two‐way switch can select the interconnected power systems. By using the two‐way switches, this system can provide the stored energy in the SMES system to each interconnected power system through two AC–DC converters. For instance, lower‐cost power of each power network can be stored through two converters during the off‐peak hours and made available for dispatch to each power network during periods of demand peak. Then this system increases the reliability of electric power networks and enables the economical operations depending on the power demand. This paper describes the unique operations of the back‐to‐back interconnection with SMES and discuses the optimal SMES configuration for a 300‐MW‐class back‐to‐back interconnection. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 164(2): 37–43, 2008; Published online in Wiley InterScience ( www.interscience.wiley.com ). DOI 10.1002/eej.20482     

Granular Reasoning Using Zooming In & Out: Part 2. Aristotle's Categorical Syllogism

The concept of granular computing is applied to Aristotle's categorical syllogism. Such kind of reasoning is called granular reasoning in this paper. For the purpose, two operations called zooming in & out are introduced to reconstruct granules of possible worlds.     

Micro-computerized tomographic observation of the spinning apparatus in Bombyx mori silkworms

Silkworms and spiders have evolved complex spinning apparatus thought to use highly controlled conditions to optimize protein folding and crystallization to provide a tough fiber. Accordingly, the structure and function of the natural spinning apparatus has been studied with great attention as an interesting piece of biological engineering with potential for mimicry in an industrial process. However it is still not well understood. Here we used Micro-Computerized Tomographic equipment (mCT) to visualize the three-dimensional structure of the spinning apparatus in Bombyx mori silkworms. Multidirectional tomograms obtained by X-ray radioscopy provided valuable information on the detailed arrangement of each muscle of the silk press. It is suggested that the duct in the silk press part plays a part as an extrusion die whose cross-sectional area can be controlled by muscles to optimize applied stresses in the partially gelled silk within its lumen.     

Accelerator Analysis of Tributyltin Adsorbed onto the Surface of a Tributyltin Resistant Marine Pseudoalteromonas sp. Cell

Tributyltin (TBT) released into seawater from ship hulls is a stable marine pollutant and obviously remains in marine environments. We isolated a TBT resistant marine Pseudoalteromonas sp. TBT1 from sediment of a ship’s ballast water. The isolate (10^{9.3 ± 0.2} colony-forming units mL⁻¹) adsorbed TBT in proportion to the concentrations of TBTCl externally added up to 3 mM, where the number of TBT adsorbed by a single cell was estimated to be 10^8.2. The value was reduced to about one-fifth when the lysozyme-treated cells were used. The surface of ethanol treated cells became rough, but the capacity of TBT adsorption was the same as that for native cells. These results indicate that the function of the cell surface, rather than that structure, plays an important role to the adsorption of TBT. The adsorption state of TBT seems to be multi-layer when the number of more than 10^6.8 TBT molecules is adsorbed by a single cell.     

The process dependence on positive bias temperature aginginstability of p+(B) polysilicon-gate MOS devices

During positive bias temperature (BT) aging, a large number of interface traps on p⁺(B) polysilicon MOS devices are generated in the upper half of the bandgap without an increase in the charges trapped in the gate oxide. The increase in interface traps can be reduced by processes which exclude the hydrogen included during fabrication. The increase in the interface-state density is explained as follows. The generation of the interface traps is caused by hydrogen ions reaching at the SiO₂/Si interface through the gate oxide from the polysilicon-gate electrode. The hydrogen ions combine with activated boron and are released from the boron under positive BT aging. The increase in interface traps is formulated by equations which are derived from the above model     

Inhibition of natural killer cell cytotoxicity by cell growth-related molecules

Certain MHC class I molecules on target cells are known to inhibit the cytotoxic action of NK cells. By using monoclonal antibody (mAb) Cho-1, we have found inhibitory non-MHC class I cell surface molecules that are noncovalently-associated with 200 kDa and 40 kDa antigens. Poly I-C-induced rat NK cells were not cytotoxic to rat fetus-derived fibroblast WFB cell line. In contrast, NK cells were cytotoxic to H-ras oncogene-induced transformants of WFB, W14 and W31. FACS analysis indicated that mAb Cho-1 reacts with WFB, but not with W14 and W31 cells. Thus, this antigen may disappear concomitantly with cell growth and transformation. Cho-1 antigens were also expressed on other NK-resistant lines, such as mouse BALB3T3 fibroblast, EL-4 lymphoma and human fibroblast HEPM. However, they were not expressed on NK-sensitive mouse YAC-1 and H-ras transformant (Brash) of BALB3T3 cells. Furthermore, treatment of target cells with IFN-gamma clearly induced the cell surface expression of Cho-1 antigens, and conferred a resistance to NK cytolysis on target cells. These data strongly suggest that Cho-1 antigen expression may correlate with target cell susceptibility to NK cells. Indeed, treatment of NK-resistant WFB as well as HEPM cells with F(ab')2 fragments of mAb Cho-1 resulted in the acquisition of susceptibility to NK cytolysis. Cho-1 antigens may be novel molecules that regulate the NK resistance of cells.