Erratum to: Grain Refinement by Cyclic Displacive Forward/Reverse Transformation in Fe-High-Ni Alloys

Metallurgical and Materials Transactions A -     

Preference index for Japanese complexion under illuminations

This article proposes a useful evaluation method based on preferred complexion as one of color‐rendering methods of light sources. A relational equation between subjective evaluation values of preferred Japanese complexion under various illuminations and the D65 corresponding colors by adopting CIE94 chromatic adaptation transform on the CIE 1976 u′v′ chromaticity diagram was derived by using multiple regression. Then, preference index of skin color or PS was developed in order to evaluate quantitatively the degrees of preferred complexion from the equation. Furthermore, a new index PS_(ac,bc) was derived by using CAM02 color appearance model instead of the CIE94. Each relationship of R_a, R₁₅, CQS, MCRI, FCI, CCRI, and HCR to PS was examined. Then, the PS was found as an independent index which was quite different from the other indices when the PS was more than or equal to 80. Therefore, it is useful to develop and evaluate light sources to realize more comfortable lighting environments by applying the concept of the PS. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Col Res Appl, 41, 143–153, 2016     

AN ARCHITECTURE OF EMOTION-BASED BEHAVIOR SELECTION FOR MOBILE ROBOTS

We designed consciousness-based architecture (CBA), a six-layered hierarchy of consciousness to link emotion-based behaviors including reflex action, approach, detour to symbolic behaviors, such as ambush with use of media in an environment. The design principle of CBA is that it should have a function/structure that easily makes it possible to reflect the user's own subjective experiences in behavior design. On this principle, CBA enables a designer to map his/her subjective reflection about his/her behavior selection process to CBA in terms of emotion. In CBA, therefore, while the use of objective knowledge about human/animal behaviors is limited to the evolutionary framework of CBA, we follow Husserlian phenomenology to describe internal states of the architecture using components of human consciousness, such as emotion and perception, rather than physical, endogenous parameters. In CBA, a level of behavior is chosen at which an emotion-based degree of the consciousness is maximal, and a behavior at the chosen level is selected to maximize the criterion of pleasure. Model design was tested using two Khepera robots, and ambush with a limited use of temporal and spatial information of an environment was shown.     

Development and evaluation of a loop-mediated isothermal amplification assay for rapid and sensitive detection of Vibrio parahaemolyticus

Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assays targeting the rpoD and toxR genes were developed to detect Vibrio parahaemolyticus. All 78 tested V. parahaemolyticus strains yielded positive results within 40 min, while negative results were obtained for 69 strains of other organisms even at 60 min. For V. parahaemolyticus ATCC 17802 in pure culture, the detection limits of LAMP assays targeting rpoD and toxR were 3.7 and 450 CFU per test, respectively. Due to the higher sensitivity of rpoD-LAMP, it was further evaluated for the ability to detect V. parahaemolyticus in seafood samples. V. parahaemolyticus populations spiked in short-necked clams were enumerated by the most-probable-number (MPN) method combined with the rpoD-LAMP assay and the MPN method with a culture method using agar medium. The MPN-rpoD-LAMP method had better sensitivity and was more rapid than the conventional method. These results indicate that the MPN-LAMP assay targeting the rpoD gene is a specific, sensitive, and rapid method to enumerate V. parahaemolyticus organisms.     

Scanning and negative-staining electron microscopy of protoplast regeneration of a wild-type and two chitin synthase mutants in the pathogenic yeast Candida glabrata

Protoplast regeneration of a wild-type and two mutant strains of Candida glabrata defective in CHS3 homologues encoding class IV chitin synthase in Saccharomyces cerevisiae was examined by scanning and negative-staining electron microscopy. In the wild-type strain, small particles and short filaments appeared on the protoplast surface at 10?min, filamentous materials covered the entire surface of the protoplast at 1?h, granular materials started filling interspaces of filamentous materials at 2?h and regeneration was completed at 6?h. The filamentous materials consisted of microfibrils of various widths ranging from ≤5 to 40?nm, and composed of β-glucan. Protoplasts of the two chitin synthase mutant strains of Δchs3A and Δchs3B completed regeneration essentially by the same process as wild-type strain, although it took more time. These results suggest that CHS3A and CHS3B genes may have important roles in cell wall formation during protoplast regeneration, but can be compensated by other cell wall enzymes.     

Improved preservation of fine structure of deep-sea microorganisms by freeze-substitution after glutaraldehyde fixation

A method was proposed for improving preservation of ultrastructures of deep-sea microorganisms by using rapid-freeze freeze-substitution after glutaraldehyde fixation. This method produced clear high-resolution images of cells appearing in their natural state, close to the quality of images obtained by rapidly freezing freeze-substituted specimens of living cells. The method may be useful for observing any microorganism when rapid freezing of living samples is difficult and only glutaraldehyde fixation can be carried out.     

A lithium superionic conductor

Batteries are a key technology in modern society. They are used to power electric and hybrid electric vehicles and to store wind and solar energy in smart grids. Electrochemical devices with high energy and power densities can currently be powered only by batteries with organic liquid electrolytes. However, such batteries require relatively stringent safety precautions, making large-scale systems very complicated and expensive. The application of solid electrolytes is currently limited because they attain practically useful conductivities (10(-2) S cm(-1)) only at 50-80 °C, which is one order of magnitude lower than those of organic liquid electrolytes. Here, we report a lithium superionic conductor, Li(10)GeP(2)S(12) that has a new three-dimensional framework structure. It exhibits an extremely high lithium ionic conductivity of 12 mS cm(-1) at room temperature. This represents the highest conductivity achieved in a solid electrolyte, exceeding even those of liquid organic electrolytes. This new solid-state battery electrolyte has many advantages in terms of device fabrication (facile shaping, patterning and integration), stability (non-volatile), safety (non-explosive) and excellent electrochemical properties (high conductivity and wide potential window).     

Plasma Nitriding Behavior of Fe-C-M (M = Al, Cr, Mn, Si) Ternary Martensitic Steels

Change in surface hardness and nitrides precipitated in Fe-0.6C binary and Fe-0.6 mass pct C-1 mass pct M (M = Al, Cr, Mn, Si) ternary martensitic alloys during plasma nitriding were investigated. Surface hardness was hardly increased in the Fe-0.6C binary alloy and slightly increased in Fe-0.6C-1Mn and Fe-0.6C-1Si alloys. On the other hand, it was largely increased in Fe-0.6C-1Al and Fe-0.6C-1Cr alloys. In all the Fe-0.6C-1M alloys except for the Si-added alloy, fine platelet alloy nitrides precipitated inside martensite laths. In the Fe-0.6C-1Si alloy, Si-enriched film was observed mainly at a grain boundary and an interface between cementite and matrix. Crystal structure of nitrides observed in the martensitic alloys was similar to those in Fe-M binary ferritic alloys reported previously. However, there was a difference in hardening behavior between ferrite and martensite due to a high density of dislocations acting as a nucleation site of the nitrides and partitioning of an alloying element between martensite and cementite changing the driving force of precipitation of the nitrides.     

The effect of epiphytic lactic acid bacteria with or without different byproduct from defatted rice bran and green tea waste on napiergrass (Pennisetum purpureum Shumach) silage fermentation

A fermented juice from macerated napiergrass containing epiphytic lactic bacteria (FJLB) and napiergrass was prepared, mixed with defatted rice bran (FJLB + DRB) or dried green tea waste (FJLB + DTW) and freeze‐dried. Silage was treated with FJLB + DRB, FJLB + DTW, DRB or DTW in powder form at levels of 2, 10 and 50 g kg^?1 fresh matter (FM). FJLB in liquid form was added at a level of 10 mL kg^?1 FM. All treated silages were well preserved, with lower pH, acetic acid and NH₃‐N content and higher lactic acid content than that of the control. Butyric acid was present only in the control silage and those treated with DRB or DTW. Without powdered FJLB additives, napiergrass silages had higher pH values, butyric acid and NH₃‐N content, but low lactic acid content compared with powdered FJLB silages. Increasing the amount of all powdered additives had effect on lactic acid and NH₃‐N content. It may thus be concluded that the powder form of FJLB was as effective in improving the fermentative quality of napiergrass as the liquid form. Copyright © 2006 Society of Chemical Industry     

Intestinal Permeability Is a Mechanical Rheostat in the Pathogenesis of Liver Cirrhosis

Recent studies have suggested that an alteration in the gut microbiota and their products, particularly endotoxins derived from Gram-negative bacteria, may play a major role in the pathogenesis of liver diseases. Gut dysbiosis caused by a high-fat diet and alcohol consumption induces increased intestinal permeability, which means higher translocation of bacteria and their products and components, including endotoxins, the so-called “leaky gut”. Clinical studies have found that plasma endotoxin levels are elevated in patients with chronic liver diseases, including alcoholic liver disease and nonalcoholic liver disease. A decrease in commensal nonpathogenic bacteria including Ruminococaceae and Lactobacillus and an overgrowth of pathogenic bacteria such as Bacteroidaceae and Enterobacteriaceae are observed in cirrhotic patients. The decreased diversity of the gut microbiota in cirrhotic patients before liver transplantation is also related to a higher incidence of post-transplant infections and cognitive impairment. The exposure to endotoxins activates macrophages via Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), leading to a greater production of proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines including tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin (IL)-6, and IL-8, which play key roles in the progression of liver diseases. TLR4 is a major receptor activated by the binding of endotoxins in macrophages, and its downstream signal induces proinflammatory cytokines. The expression of TLR4 is also observed in nonimmune cells in the liver, such as hepatic stellate cells, which play a crucial role in the progression of liver fibrosis that develops into hepatocarcinogenesis, suggesting the importance of the interaction between endotoxemia and TLR4 signaling as a target for preventing liver disease progression. In this review, we summarize the findings for the role of gut-derived endotoxemia underlying the progression of liver pathogenesis.