A learning method for dynamic Bayesian network structures using a multi-objective particle swarm optimizer

In this article, we present a multi-objective discrete particle swarm optimizer (DPSO) for learning dynamic Bayesian network (DBN) structures. The proposed method introduces a hierarchical structure consisting of DPSOs and a multi-objective genetic algorithm (MOGA). Groups of DPSOs find effective DBN sub-network structures and a group of MOGAs find the whole of the DBN network structure. Through numerical simulations, the proposed method can find more effective DBN structures, and can obtain them faster than the conventional method.     

Microporous Glass-Ceramics in NASICON-Type Copper(II) Titanium Phosphate

A novel porous glass-ceramic with a skeleton of a NASICON-type copper(II) titanium phosphate was prepared via the controlled crystallization of a glass and the subsequent chemical leaching of the resulting dense glass-ceramic. A volume-crystallized dense glass-ceramic comprised of CuTi₂(PO₄)₃ and Cu₃(PO₄)₂, whose surface was covered by a thin layer of CuO, was prepared by reheating a glass with a nominal composition of 50CuO20TiO₂30P₂O₅ (in mol%) in air. When the resulting glass-ceramic was leached with dilute HCl, the Cu₃(PO₄)₂ and CuO phases were dissolved out selectively, and a cuprous NASICON crystal of CuTi₂(PO₄)₃ was converted to its cupric type, CuTi₄(PO₄)₆, which was left as a skeleton of the porous materials. The specific surface area and the average pore radius of the porous glass-ceramic obtained were ∼70 m²/g and ∼7 nm, respectively. The porous glass-ceramic showed high catalytic activities for the dehydration of 2-propanol.     

Solvent extraction coupled on-line to a reversed micellar mediated chemiluminescence detection system for trace-level determination of atropine

A fast and sensitive method for the determination of atropine, an alkaloid closely related to cocaine, is proposed. The principles of on-line ion-pair formation of alkaloid-metal complexes and liquid-liquid extraction are applied to the chemiluminescence determination of atropine. On mixing with a reversed micellar medium of cetyltrimethylammonium chloride in dichloromethane-cyclohexane (1:1 v/v)-water (0.3 M Na2CO3) containing luminol, the ion-pair complex of tetrachloroaurate(III) with atropinium produced an analytical chemiluminescence signal when it entered the reversed micellar water pool. Using the reverse-flow injection and chemical conditions optimized for atropine in aqueous samples, a detection limit of 1 ng/mL was achieved and a linear calibration graph was obtained with a wide dynamic range from 10 ng/mL to 100 micrograms/mL. The proposed method is simple and provides a good precision with a relative standard deviation (n = 6) of ca. 3% at the atropine concentration of 100 ng/mL. After a preliminary study involving the potential interference from species of organic, inorganic, and metallic nature, the method was applied to the determination of atropine in artificial urine samples and of atropine and scopolamine in pharmaceutical formulations.     

An Optical Fiber Video System

A general discussion is made of optical fiber video systems from the viewpoint of system design concepts, transmission schemes, etc. Among possible analog CATV systems, the Higashi-Ikoma Project is reviewed as an optical fiber video system application. The essential components and basic technologies required for optical fiber video systems are reviewed. System performance is reviewed by considering some of the typical field trial conditions.     

A 2D–3D integrated tabletop environment for multi‐user collaboration

This paper proposes a novel tabletop display system for natural communication and flexible information sharing. The proposed system is specifically designed to integrate two‐dimensional (2D) and three‐dimensional (3D) user interfaces by using a multi‐user stereoscopic display, IllusionHole. The proposed system takes awareness into consideration and provides both 2D and 3D information and user interfaces. On the display, a number of standard Windows desktop environments are provided as personal workspaces, as well as a shared workspace with a dedicated graphical user interface. In the personal workspaces, users can simultaneously access existing applications and data, and exchange information between personal and shared workspaces. In this way, the proposed system can seamlessly integrate personal, shared, 2D, and 3D workspaces with conventional user interfaces and effectively support communication and information sharing. To demonstrate the capabilities of the proposed display system, a modeling application was implemented. A preliminary experiment confirmed the effectiveness of this system. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Load dependence of sticking-domain distribution in two-dimensional atomic scale friction of NaF(100) surface

Remarkable transitions were found in atomic-scale friction-images of the NaF(100) surface and the corresponding sticking-domain distribution by detailed investigation of the load dependence using the two-dimensional frictional force microscope. The tip-position map reveals a new type of sticking-domain distribution pattern, which is different from the simple lattice periodicity.     

New design and development of size‐selected gas cluster SIMS

A new cluster time‐of‐flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF‐SIMS) was developed, using a size‐selected gas cluster ion as a projectile. Because a large gas cluster ion can generate numerous low‐energy constituent atoms during a collision with the surface, multiple and ultralow‐energy sputterings are induced. Dividing the acceleration energy of a gas cluster ion by the number of constituent atoms provides the mean kinetic energy of the constituent atoms. Hence, sputtering can be controlled to minimize decomposition of the sample molecules by precisely adjusting the number of constituent atoms (the cluster size) and/or the acceleration energy of the gas cluster ions. The cluster size was selected by the time‐of‐flight method using two ion deflectors attached along the ion‐beam line. A high resolution of 11.7 was achieved for the cluster size/size width (m/Δm) of the Ar‐cluster ions. The SIM spectra of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) were measured using the size‐selected gas‐cluster SIMS machine. The large fragment ions emitted from PMMA are enhanced as the cluster size increases. This result suggests that a large cluster ion projectile in which each constituent atom within the cluster has decreased kinetic energy inhibits the decomposition of the polymer structure. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 176(3): 52–58, 2011; Published online in Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com). DOI 10.1002/eej.21159     

Application of generalized grating imaging to pattern projection in three-dimensional profilometry

The theory of generalized grating imaging for a one-dimensional grating is applied to a pattern projection system in pattern projection profilometry. Contrast of the projected grating image is calculated under various conditions. The results help to determine the conditions suitable for obtaining high contrast grating images in a large space. Although the gratings required for the profilometry are hexagonal, the theory for two-dimensional gratings is prohibitively complex. Therefore, the projection system was designed using the one-dimensional theory. The projection system using two-dimensional hexagonal gratings was constructed and experiments were done with it. The result agrees approximately with the theoretical calculations for one-dimensional gratings. This suggests that the one-dimensional theory may be used for estimating the approximated behavior for hexagonal gratings for use in pattern projection profilometry. Some discussions are given for the application of the projection system for profiling the mannequin or human body.     

Structure characterization of Pd/Co/Pd tri-layer films epitaxially grown on MgO single-crystal substrates

Pd/Co/Pd tri-layer films were prepared on MgO substrates of (001), (111), and (011) orientations at room temperature by ultra high vacuum rf magnetron sputtering. The detailed film structures around the Co/Pd and the Pd/Co interfaces are investigated by reflection high energy electron diffraction. Pd layers of (001)_fcc, (111)_fcc, and (011)_fcc orientations epitaxially grow on the respective MgO substrates. Strained fcc-Co(001) single-crystal layers are formed on the Pd(001)_fcc layers by accommodating the fairly large lattice mismatch between the Co and the Pd layers. On the Co layers,, Pd polycrystalline layers are formed. When Co films are formed on the Pd(111)_fcc and the Pd(011)_fcc layers, atomic mixing is observed around the Co/Pd interfaces and fcc-CoPd alloy phases are coexisting with Co crystals. The Co crystals formed on the Pd(111)_fcc layers consist of hcp(0001) + fcc(111) and Pd(111)_fcc epitaxial layers are formed on the Co layers. Co crystals epitaxially grow on the Pd(011)_fcc layers with two variants, hcp(11?00) and fcc(111). On the Co layers, Pd(011)_fcc epitaxial layers are formed.