Visualization of Bubble Nucleation in Boiling 3He

The heat transfer properties of ³He bubbles in the nucleate boiling state have been investigated in liquid ³He below 1.0 K by using the shadowgraph method. The temperature difference between the copper surface and liquid ³He temperature was also measured as a function of heat flux in steady state. The size and number of bubbles departing from the surface in a specific time were compared using photograph recorded by a high-speed video camera at various heat flux and liquid ³He temperature of 0.5, 0.7 and 1.0 K.     

Trunk motion control during the flight phase while hopping considering angular momentum of a humanoid

In previous studies, various stabilizing control methods for humanoids during the stance phase while hopping and running were proposed. Although these methods contribute to stability while hopping and running, it is possibility that the control during the flight phase could also affect the stability. In this study, we investigated whether the control during the flight phase can affect the stability of a humanoid while running. To achieve stable hopping, we developed a control system that accounts for the angular momentum of the whole body during the flight phase. In this system, the angular momentum generated by the motion of the lower body in each time interval is calculated during the flight phase, and the trunk joints are controlled to generate the angular momentum necessary to compensate for the deviation of the waist posture, which is used as the reference point for the motion coordinate system of the robot. Once the proposed control system was developed and simulated, we found that the hopping duration in the unconstrained state was extended.     

The effects of a convex rear-view mirror on ocular accommodative responses

Convex mirrors are universally used as rear-view mirrors in automobiles. However, the ocular accommodative responses during the use of these mirrors have not yet been examined. This study investigated the effects of a convex mirror on the ocular accommodative systems. Seven young adults with normal visual functions were ordered to binocularly watch an object in a convex or plane mirror. The accommodative responses were measured with an infrared optometer. The average of the accommodation of all subjects while viewing the object in the convex mirror were significantly nearer than in the plane mirror, although all subjects perceived the position of the object in the convex mirror as being farther away. Moreover, the fluctuations of accommodation were significantly larger for the convex mirror. The convex mirror caused the 'false recognition of distance', which induced the large accommodative fluctuations and blurred vision. Manufactures should consider the ocular accommodative responses as a new indicator for increasing automotive safety.     

Amphiphilic Poly(Amino Acid) Nanoparticles Induce Size‐Dependent Dendritic Cell Maturation

Size‐regulated amphiphilic poly(amino acid) nanoparticles (NPs) composed of poly(γ‐glutamic acid) (γ‐PGA) and the hydrophobic amino acid derivative, L ‐phenylalanine ethyl ester (Phe) are prepared to evaluate the effects of particle size on dendritic cell (DC) uptake of NPs and their immune stimulatory activities as delivery carriers and adjuvants. The size of the Phe‐conjugated γ‐PGA NPs (γ‐PGA–Phe NPs) is easily controlled by regulating the aggregated γ‐PGA–Phe numbers. Each of the differently sized γ‐PGA–Phe NPs could efficiently encapsulate ovalbumin (OVA), and the amount of encapsulated OVA per milligram of NPs is almost the same despite the differences in size. The DC uptake of small NPs is lower than for the larger NPs, but the effect of DC activation by NPs is high in the small sizes. The DC activation is significantly affected by the size of the NPs, which suggests that not only the uptake process of the NPs, but also the surface interactions between the NPs and DCs, is important for the induction of DC maturation. The precisely size‐controllable γ‐PGA–Phe NPs have significant potential as an antigen carrier and vaccine adjuvant. These results should provide guidelines for adjuvant design in the development of an effective vaccine.     

First-Principles Investigation of the Atomic and Electronic Structures of α-Al2O3(0001)/Ni(111) Interfaces

Atomic and electronic structures of α-Al₂O₃(0001)/Ni(111) interfaces have been investigated using the first-principles pseudopotential method. Models with different rigid-body translations parallel to the interface for both the O-terminated and Al-terminated interfaces are examined in order to clarify the overall features. Results indicate that the interface stoichiometry as well as the interface configuration has significant effects on the adhesive and electronic properties. The bonding nature of the O-terminated interfaces is explained by strong ionic and Ni-3d/O-2p orbital hybridization interactions, and that of the Al-terminated interfaces is explained mainly by image-charge like electrostatic and Ni–Al hybridization interactions, although there is some Ni–O hybridization for the O-site model. Orbital hybridization and adhesive energies are larger than those in the corresponding Al₂O₃/Cu interfaces, because Ni has higher activity for making bonds with ceramics than Cu.     

Comparison of enteral nutrition with combined enteral and parenteral nutrition in post-pancreaticoduodenectomy patients: a pilot study

Background  

Many clinical studies have demonstrated that early postoperative enteral nutrition (EN) improved the postroperative course. Post-pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD), patients tend to suffer from postoperative nausea, abdominal distention, and diarrhoea, causing difficulty in the introduction of EN. In this pilot study, we investigated the appropriate nutritional mode post-pancreatic surgery.     

A feasibility study for the removal of copper from solid ferrous scrap

A new approach for the removal of copper from solid ferrous scrap is described. With this proposal, solid ferrous scrap intermingled with copper is brought into contact with molten aluminium, which preferentially dissolves copper. After a duration of 5 to 10 minutes at a temperature of 1018 ± 5 K, steel scrap is removed from the bath, resulting in being free of copper contamination. The present method offers the advantage of far lower costs than any other processes ever suggested for copper removal.     

Parallel processing of network calculations in order to speed up transient stability analysis

Power systems have become very large, and in addition the forthcoming open electricity market will make power system operation more complex. Therefore, power system operation must become more efficient and flexible. Very fast power system simulation is a means of achieving more sophisticated power system on‐line monitoring and control, and parallel computing is a key technology for very fast power system simulation. This paper proposes an efficient and fast parallel network calculation algorithm that will contribute to the development of fast power system simulation programs. Numerical examples show that the proposed method using six processors is about 4.0 times as fast as the usual serial algorithm when applied to a large‐scale radial power system and about 3.2 times as fast when applied to a large‐scale loop power system. © 2001 Scripta Technica, Electr Eng Jpn, 135(3): 26–36, 2001     

Analysis of electromagnetic force in wire-EDM

This paper clarifies the mechanism of how electromagnetic force applied to the wire electrode in wire electrical discharge machining (wire-EDM) is generated. This electromagnetic force is caused not only by DC component but also by AC components of the discharge current supplied to the wire. We therefore developed and used a two-dimensional finite element method (FEM) program to analyze the electromagnetic field taking into account electromagnetic induction. Assuming that trapezoidal pulse current is supplied to the wire, distributions of the current density and magnetic flux density were analyzed and changes in the electromagnetic force applied to the wire were calculated. Wire movement when the electromagnetic force alone was applied to the wire was also calculated. The calculated wire movement agreed with the measured wire movement when pulse current actually used in WEDM was supplied to the wire, clarifying the mechanism of electromagnetic force generation.     

A 250-Mb/s/pin, 1-Gb double-data-rate SDRAM with a bidirectionaldelay and an interbank shared redundancy scheme

This paper describes three circuit technologies indispensable for high-bandwidth multibank DRAM's. (1) A clock generator based on a bidirectional delay (BDD) eliminates the output skew. The BDD measures the cycle time as the quantity charged or discharged of an analog quantity, and replicates it in the next cycle. This achieves a 0.18-mm ², two-cycle-lock clock generator operating from 25 to 167 MHz with a 30-ps resolution. (2) A quad-coupled receiver eliminates the internal skew caused by the difference between a rise input and a fall input by 40%. (3) An interbank shared redundancy scheme (ISR) with a variable unit redundancy (VUR) efficiently increases yield in multibank DRAM's. The ISR allows redundancy match circuits to be shared with two or more banks. The VUR allows the number of units replaced to be variable. These circuit technologies achieved a 250-Mb/s/pin, 8-bank, 1-Gb double-data-rate synchronous DRAM