The World robot summit disaster robotics category – achievements of the 2018 preliminary competition

The World Robot Summit is a robot Olympics and aims to be held in a different country every four years from 2020. The concept of the Plant Disaster Prevention challenge is daily inspections, checks, and emergency response in industrial plants, and in this competition, robots must carry out these types of missions in a mock-up plant. The concept of the Tunnel Disaster Response and Recovery challenge is emergency response to tunnel disasters, and is a simulation competition whereby teams compete to show their ability to deal with disasters, by collecting information and removing debris. The Standard Disaster Robotics challenge assesses, in the form of a contest, the standard performance levels of a robot that are necessary for disaster prevention and emergency response. The World Robot Summit Preliminary Competition was held at Tokyo Big Sight in October 2018, and 36 teams participated in the Disaster Robotics Category. UGVs and UAVs contended the merits of new technology for solving complex problems, using core technologies such as mobility, sensing, recognition, performing operations, human interface, autonomous intelligence etc., as well as system integration and implementation of strategies for completing missions, gaining high-level results.     

Fine-tuned,molecular-composite,organosilica membranes for highly efficient propylene/propane separation via suitable pore size

Fine-tuned, molecular-composite, organosilica membranes were fabricated via the co-condensation of organosilica precursors bis(triethoxysilyl)acetylene (BTESA) and bis(triethoxysilyl)benzene (BTESB). Fourier transform infrared and UV–vis spectra confirmed the co-condensation behaviors of BTESA and BTESB. The evolution of the network structure indicated that the incorporated BTESB decreased the membrane pore size, which was determined by a modified gas translation model according to the steric effect of the phenyl groups. The incorporation of BTESB to BTESA finely tuned the membrane structure and endowed the resultant composite membrane with improved separation properties. The BTESAB 9:1 membrane (molar ratio of BTESA/BTESB was 9:1) exhibited high C₃H₆ permeance at 4.5 × 10⁻⁸ mol m⁻² s⁻¹ Pa⁻¹ and a C₃H₆/C₃H₈ permeance ratio of 33 at 50°C. One of the most important developments of this study involved clearly defining the relationship between membrane pore size and C₃H₆/C₃H₈ separation performance for organosilica membranes in single and binary separation systems.     

Computation of mutual entropy in quantum markov chains

There are several damping phenomena in quantum optics. Such phenomena have been usually explained by open systems. In statistical physics, open system dynamics have been used to study the irreversibility and the approach to equilibrium. In this paper, the dynamical change of the mutual entropy for an open system, frequently studied in the quantum optics literature, is rigorously computed through a model of quantum Markov chain. In particular, the concrete formula of Stinespring expression for such a model is obtained and applied to the derivation of the mutual entropy, and some computational results are presented.     

Chronic ocular ischemia associated with the Eisenmenger's syndrome

We studied the ocular findings of two adult patients with the Eisenmenger's syndrome who had atrial septal defects that were diagnosed before the age of 10 years but not operated on and pulmonary hypertension. Both eyes of these patients showed microaneurysms, multiple small blot hemorrhages, or capillary dilation in the temporal peripheral fundus. Multiple microaneurysms and retinal collaterals were confirmed by fluorescein angiography. One of the patients developed bilateral rubeosis iridis with slow progression. These retinal lesions and the rubeosis iridis are probably related to chronic ocular ischemia caused by chronic systemic hypoxia.     

Effect of Milling on Slip Casting of Partially Stabilized Zirconia

Specimens of partially stabilized zirconia were slip cast from aqueous suspensions and sintered at 1500°C for 3 h. The relative density of the cast specimens and the firing shrinkage of the sintered specimens depend on the milling time for the suspension. Vickers hardness and K_IC values of 11.46±s0.07 GN/m² and 6.10 ±0.04 MN.m^3/2, respectively, were obtained for all sintered specimens. The dispersion of the suspension is important in increasing the relative density of the cast specimens.     

Circulating platelet-derived endothelial cell growth factor increases in hepatocellular carcinoma patients

BACKGROUND: Platelet-derived endothelial cell growth factor (PD-ECGF) is an angiogenic factor that is expressed in various cancer tissues. Little is known regarding plasma PD-ECGF levels in patients with chronic liver disease such as chronic hepatitis (CH), cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with cirrhosis. The expression of PD-ECGF in HCC tissues also remains to be clarified. METHODS: Plasma PD-ECGF levels in patients with chronic liver disease were determined with an enzyme-linked immunoadsorbent assay system using the mouse monoclonal antibodies specific to PD-ECGF. These were cross-sectionally compared among groups of normal persons, CH, cirrhosis, and HCC patients. The HCC patients were classified into two groups based on TNM stage: early and advanced stage disease groups. PD-ECGF expressions in HCC tissues were immunohistologically examined. RESULTS: The plasma PD-ECGF levels from the normal individuals and those with CH, cirrhosis, and HCC specimens were 4.2+/-0.5, 4.3+/-0.6, 4.6+/-1.1, and 6.0 +/-2.5 U/mL, respectively. The plasma PD-ECGF concentration was highest in HCC (P < 0.05). No significant difference was found among the normal subjects, CH, and cirrhosis specimens. Plasma PD-ECGF concentrations were significantly higher in the advanced stage disease HCC group compared with the early stage disease group (6.75+/-2.62 U/mL vs. 4.19+/-0.34 U/mL) (P < 0.05). Immunohistochemical expression of PD-ECGF in HCC cells increased significantly compared with normal liver cells (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Circulating PD-ECGF plasma level might be a new tumor marker for progression in patients with HCC. Immunohistological findings correspond to elevation of the plasma PD-ECGF in HCC patients. It is possible that increased production of PD-ECGF in HCC cells causes abundant neovascularization.     

A 13-week subchronic toxicity study of josamycin in F344 rats

A 13-week subchronic toxicity study of josamycin was performed in male and female F344 rats to determine the maximum tolerable dose (MTD) for subsequent investigation of the carcinogenicity. As animals refused to take diet containing 5.0% josamycin in our preliminary study, dose levels in the present study were determined as 0, 0.16, 0.32, 0.63, 125 and 2.5% in diet. Rats were randomly allocated to 6 groups, each consisting of 10 males and 10 females. No animal died during the administration period and no group showed significant changes in body weight gain. Definite toxicity of josamycin was not noted in hematological and serum biochemical examinations. Histopathological examinations revealed no particular findings related to josamycin administration except cecal enlargement in the 1.25 and 2.5% groups. based on the results of the present study, it was concluded that the MTD of josamycin in 2.5% in diet, because the dietary dose level of 2.5% proved to exert no significant toxicological signs.     

Bias-stress-induced increase in parasitic resistance of InP-based InAlAs/InGaAs HEMTs

The reliability of InP-based HEMTs is studied, focussing on how it is affected by the doped layer material and gate recess structure. Bias-and-temperature stress tests reveal that fluorine-induced donor passivation in the recess region, formed adjacent to the gate electrode, causes the source resistance (R_s) to increase at large drain bias voltages. The increase in R_s can be prevented by using InP or InAlP as the carrier supply layer material instead of InAlAs. On the other hand, the increase in the drain resistance (R_d) does not depend on the material of the carrier supply layer, which suggests that a mechanism different from that in the case of R_s should be considered. It is also found that a deep gate recess suppresses the increase in R_d after long-term stressing.     

STRUCTURE FORMATION OF COATED FILMS WITH DISPERSED PIGMENTS DURING DRYING

In the drying of coated films with dispersed pigments, such as floppy disks, the structure of the film is formed during the drying process and depends on the drying condition. It is important to understand the structure formation during drying for the design of the dryer and die better quality of the product. We measured die drying characteristics of the film and determined the structure of dried film experimentally. A qualitative model for the structure formation during drying of the coated film is suggested.