A novel method for induction and detection of anaphylactic reaction using the mouse abdominal wall (AW method)

We found that an antigen-specific anaphylaxis was induced by antigen challenge to the abdominal wall, ear auricle, or subcutaneous tissue in mice sensitized 9 days previously with antigen and adjuvant. The anaphylactic reaction was detected by vascular permeability at the injected site 7 minutes after challenge, which was the best time for estimation. A novel method (AW method) for induction and detection of the anaphylactic reaction in mice was established using the abdominal wall as the challenge site. This method could detect the anaphylactic response in mice 1 to 3 weeks after sensitization. The increase in vascular permeability was completely inhibited by administration of diphenhydramine.     

Capacitance-voltage characteristics of Semiconductor-Insulator-Semiconductor (SIS) structure

The ideal low- and high-frequency capacitance-voltage curves of a semiconductor(2)-insulator-semiconductor(1) (SIS) structure were first calculated with the insulator thickness, conductivity types and doping concentrations in semiconductor(1) and semiconductor(2) as parameters. The effects of fixed oxide charge and interface trap charge on the low and high frequency capacitance-voltage curves were also calculated. It was found that the fixed oxide sheet charge density with its centroid and the order estimation of the interface trap charge density with its effective type in addition to the insulator thickness, conductivity types and doping concentrations in semiconductor(1) and semiconductor(2) could be estimated from measured low and high frequency capacitance-voltage curves of an SIS structure.     

Ceramic Dental Molds for the Precision Casting of Titanium and Titanium Alloys: I, Relationship between Particle-Size Distribution of Aggregates and Mold Expansion

A new ceramic dental mold can cast excellent Ti restoratives by controlling expansion due to the oxidation of additive metal particles. The packing structure of the metal and aggregate particles in the mold can be considered a function of the size distribution of the aggregate grains. An investigation of the expansion mechanism reveals three different relationships of void fraction versus linear thermal expansion for the molds at the high temperature under which oxidation of the metal particles occurs. Room-temperature casting, favorable for making high-quality Ti restoratives, can also be achieved by precisely controlling both the amount of additive metal powder and the compositional distribution of aggregate grain sizes in the mold.     

A new blind deconvolution algorithm based on the probability distribution method

Blind deconvolution is a method of recovering transmitted signals from only received signals. The probability distribution method is one of the blind deconvolution methods. This method has two problems: it has slower convergence and its reliability is lower. In this paper, we propose a new algorithm for solving these two problems. The proposed algorithm is as follows. (1) It is based on the adaptive processing with each sample. (2) Kurtosis is adaptively estimated by recovered signals with each sample. (3) Cost function is decided by kurtosis. (4) Transmitted signals are recovered by received signals using decided cost function on the sample time. We confirm the validity of the new algorithm by computer simulation. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 162(1): 56–65, 2008; Published online in Wiley InterScience ( www.interscience.wiley.com ). DOI 10.1002/eej.20317     

Optical triode switch module with a nonlinear etalon

An all-optical device in which a nonlinear etalon is operated stably as a triode switch at a high on-off ratio is discussed. A nonlinear etalon is sandwiched between two quarter-pitch GRIN (graded index) lenses. Detuning is adjusted by using the position-to-angle conversion feature of the lens. Two orthogonally polarized beams are used to obtain a high on-off ratio (~10:1) even for a weak signal beam by completely separating a control beam from an output beam     

The selective sorption of D,L-amino acids by chemically modified chitosan gels and its application to liquid chromatography

The sorption of D ,L -amino acids, DNP-L -amino acids and dipeptides by N-octanoyl- and N-benzoyl-chitosan gels was investigated under various conditions. The results indicate that optical resolution of D ,L -amino acids by liquid column chromatography has been achieved, using the chemically modified chitosan gels as a stationary phase.     

Proposal of a Simple Method for Assessing the Susceptibility of Naturally Deposited Clay Grounds to Large Long-Term Settlement due to Embankment Loading

A simple method that utilizes the results of laboratory tests has been proposed for determining the susceptibility of soft clay grounds to large residual consolidation settlement due to embankment loading. It was found that there is a possibility of large long-term settlement if the sensitivity and compression index ratios of the clay material that constitutes the ground are equal to or more than 8.0 and 1.5, respectively. The compression index ratio is defined in this paper as the ratio (Cc/Ccr) of the steepest gradient of the compression curve of an undisturbed sample to that of the remolded sample. Through the SYS Cam-clay model, an elasto-plastic constitutive model that describes the actions of the soil skeleton structure, it was found that clays with large sensitivity and compression index ratios are characterized by initially highly structured soils and that decay/upgradation of the structure can easily occur due to plastic deformation. In addition, by following Schmertmann's graphic method for in-situ compression curve (1953), this paper proposes a method of deducing the in-situ initial conditions from the results of laboratory consolidation tests on undisturbed samples. These investigations revealed not only that large delayed settlement is facilitated in clays, which have higher degrees of structure and faster rates of structural decay, but also that the Δe method and other simple methods of predicting settlement may underestimate the amount of settlement.     

Resonance surface X-ray scattering technique to determine the structure of electrodeposited Pt ultrathin layers on Au(1 1 1) surface

It is demonstrated that resonance surface X-ray scattering (RSXS), in which incident X-ray energy close to the Pt L_III absorption edge (11.55 keV) is used, is very useful for the determination of the structure of electrodeposited Pt thin layers on a Au(1 1 1) surface. This technique was applied to characterize the structure of electrodeposited Pt layers on Au(1 1 1) substrates prepared under two extreme conditions, which are known to provide rough and atomically flat layers. Detailed structural information was obtained by RSXS measurements and it was confirmed that the structures of the Pt layers were as reported. Pt atoms of the atomically flat monolayer were found to be situated at the threefold hollow cubic closest packing (ccp) sites of the Au(1 1 1)-(1 × 1) surface.