The Measurement of Muscle Fiber Conduction Velocity Using a Gradient Threshold Zero-Crossing Method

The conduction velocity of myoelectric potential along muscle fiber is known to be an index of the degree of muscular fatigue or muscular disease. When detecting the myoelectric potential by means of surface electrodes, the conduction velocity must be extracted from an apparently random wave of a myoelectric signal. In this paper, a method for determining conduction velocity is proposed based upon a zero-crossing time delay measurement with reference to the derivative of a myoelectric signal. The slope value of the input signal provides an effective criterion for rejecting undesired zero crossing caused by noise. This method needs no spectral analysis nor correlation calculation. Compared to another previously reported zero-cossing approach using digital filter preprocessing, it shows a more accurate and rapid estimation of velocity.     

Electron microscopic observation of recombinant Escherichia coli cells overproducing human tumor necrosis factor-alpha mutant as inclusion bodies.

Escherichia coli C600 r-m- carrying plasmid pTNF483 (E. coli [pTNF483]) produces a tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) mutant protein in an insoluble form. A swollen region was observed in the SEM images to encircle the outside of most of the E. coli [pTNF483] cells just like a bandage. On the other hand, inclusion bodies of the TNF-alpha mutant as large as the short axis of the cell were observed in TEM images. This position was regarded as coinciding with the swollen region of SEM images. The inclusion bodies revealed in the swollen region of the cell envelopes were clearly observed in SEM images of isolated insoluble structures obtained by centrifugal sedimentation of a sonicated cell suspension.     

Stabilization of a new antiulcer drug (Lansoprazole) in the solid dosage forms

In the previous study, we clarified that enteric granules were appropriate dosage forms of lansoprazole. The establishment of these formulations, however, was difficult because some of the excipients needed for these formulations are incompatible with the drug. We examined the effects of adding magnesium carbonate as an alkaline stabilizer and could get stable enteric granules. We also discuss the mechanism of stabilization.     

Effect of annealing on properties of bismuth based highT c superconductors

A novel method to increase the amount of the 110 K phase in the Bi-Sr-Ca-Cu-O system was examined. After the sample with composition of Bi₂Sr₂CaCu₂O_x had been calcined, it was soaked in ethanol containing copper acetate and calcium acetate, the amounts of which were determined to give the composition of Bi₂Sr₂Ca₂Cu₃O_y after sintering. Subsequently, annealing at about 400 °C was conducted to examine the stability of the 110 K phase. The sample containing mainly the 80 K phase and a small amount of the 110 K phase showed an increase in the amount of the 110 K phase while that containing only the 80 K phase showed no change. Therefore, it is presumed that the 110 K phase may grow when the excess calcium and copper coexist adjacent to the 80 K phase at relatively low temperatures such as 400 °C.     

A Simple-Architecture Motion-Detection Analog VLSI Based on Quasi-Two-Dimensional Hardware Algorithm

Analog VLSI circuits have been developed aiming at real-time motion detection in a very simple hardware configuration. The chip handles motion pictures captured in a two-dimensional photo sensor array not by a pixel-wise processing but by projecting the pixel data onto principal axes. Since the data processing is carried out only for projected data sets, all computing circuits are placed at the periphery of the photo sensor array, thus achieving a very area-efficient implementation. By introducing the concept of time derivative to the projection data, the background scenery information is erased and the motion of objects can be detected robustly. In order to confirm the concept, test chips were fabricated in a 0.6-μm double-poly triple-metal CMOS technology and real time motion detection has been experimentally demonstrated.     

Variable frequency heavy-ion linac,RILAC: I. Design,construction and operation of its accelerating structure

A variable frequency linear accelerator at RIKEN (IPCR), which is named RILAC, is designed to accelerate ions of almost every element in the periodic table. In this report, the design, construction and performance of the resonator cavities of this linac are described. A new accelerating structure was developed for the variable frequency scheme. The principal aim of the development was to obtain a configuration within the cavity to keep a uniform voltage distribution along the accelerating axis over the wide range of resonant frequencies required. The final form adopted is a coaxial quarter-wave type resonator with a race-track-like cross section for its coaxial inner and outer conductors. It has a movable shorting device as a frequency tuner and its open end is enlarged and loaded with drift tubes, connected to the inner and outer conductors alternatingly. The structure can maintain the required uniformity of the accelerating voltage within 10% in spite of resonant frequency tuning between 17 and 45 MHz. A relatively modest accelerating gradient was chosen so that cw operation could be realized. The RILAC is composed of six such cavities which are independently excited and it succeeded in the acceleration of a beam through all the cavities in 1981.     

Oxygen evolution reaction on transition metal borides

The oxygen evolution reaction on the transition metal borides (mainly Co_xB and Ni_xB) was investigated with various composition ratio of BMetal and sintering temperature. The activity of oxygen evolution reaction became maximum at the composition range of BCo =$\text{1}\text{3}$ and BNi ? $\text{1}\text{3}$, respectively. The sintering temperature also affected largely the activity of oxygen evolution reaction and the metal borides with the composition ratio BMetal = $\text{1}\text{3}$ gave the highest activity at the sintering temperature lower than 300°C for nickel borides and 400 ～ 500°C for cobalt borides. The oxygen evolution reaction on iron boride and lanthanum hexaboride was also briefly discussed, and the order of the activity of oxygen evolution reaction was as follows:

The Tafel slope of oxygen evolution reaction on metal borides was varied from ca. 40 mV for Ni (ca 70 mV for Co) to ca. 120 mV with the increase in the activity of oxygen evolution reaction. The oxide formation became easier with the increase in the activity of oxygen evolution reaction and the differential capacity of the oxide formation in the range more cathodic than the oxygen evolution increased with the decrease in the apparent activation energy of oxygen evolution reaction at 0.60 V (HgHgO).     

Corrosion resistance of ultrasonic soldered aluminium joint using Zn-based solder alloy

In order to obtain high strength aluminium butt joints with high corrosion resistance, ultrasonic soldering of 1070 and 5056 rods was conducted using quasi-melting Zn–18Sn (mass%) alloy and Zn–38A1 alloy. Ultrasonic vibrations were applied at soldering temperature ranging 533–723 K through aluminium rods without using of a solder bath. To evaluate the corrosion resistance of solder joints, tensile tests were conducted after immersion in a 5% NaCl aqueous solution. Though joint strength decreased with an increase in immersion time in the NaCl aqueous solution because of corrosion in the joints, corrosion resistance of 5056 joints with Zn–38A1 alloy was higher than that of joints with Zn–18Sn alloy irrespective of aluminium base material. The strength of joints with Zn–18Sn alloy rapidly decreased by immersion in the NaCl aqueous solution. In these joints, corrosion occurred locally in the soldered interface. Corrosion potential of these joints was unusually lower than that of the solder alloy. In contrast, corrosion occurred slowly in the solder layer in 5056 joints with Zn–38A1 alloy. Corrosion potential of the joints was equivalent to that of the solder alloy.