Exploiting Context-Awareness in Cluster-Based Wireless Sensor Networks

Most of the wireless sensor network's (WSN's) applications require getting accurate information as well as uninterrupted, prolonged service life. Among the constituting elements of WSN, an efficient routing protocol plays a significant role in attaining such service requirements. In this article, an energy efficient routing protocol, context-aware clustering hierarchy (CACH), is proposed where cluster formation is based on the context of the environment. Moreover, a technique is utilized to avoid similar data traffic across the network. The performance in the simulation shows energy saving which ensures prolonged service life. Copyright © 2009 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Dendrimer-immobilized culture surface as a tool to evaluate formation of cellular cytoskeleton of anchorage-dependent cells

Anchorage-dependent cultivation of human epithelial and keratinocyte cells was carried out on surfaces modified with synthesized dendrimers. Notable elongation of the epithelial cells was recognized on the culture surface immobilized with a dendrimer having D-glucose as a functional ligand, but not when a dendrimer having L-glucose was used or when the dendrimer was ligand-free. This morphological change was attributable to a temporary grasping of the cells at the D-glucose moiety via a glucose transporter-mediated mechanism present in the cell membrane. Following visualization of the actin filaments of the cells, it was considered that the cellular elongation on the D-glucose-bound dendrimer surface reflected the degree of formation of the cellular cytoskeleton. The cellular roundness was calculated by means of image analysis of the individual cells and employed as a parameter to evaluate the formation of the cellular cytoskeleton. In the culture of keratinocytes on the D-glucose-bound dendrimer surface, it was demonstrated that the decrease in the ratio of elongated cells (i.e., cells with a low roundness value) was correlated with the deterioration in the growth potential associated with cellular senescence.     

Effect of addition of corrosion inhibitors on corrosion behaviors of PCV material under diluted artificial seawater environment

ABSTRACT

Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plants (1F) were damaged by unprecedented severe accident in the great east Japan earthquake, and seawater and freshwater had been injected as an emergency countermeasure for the core cooling. Although, the primary containment vessel (PCV) was not supposed to be exposed to diluted seawater, the PCV will be exposed to diluted seawater environment until fuel debris removal is completed. Therefore, it is necessary to establish a countermeasure of corrosion for the PCVs made of carbon steel. In this study, the effect of the addition of corrosion inhibitor, which is one of the corrosion countermeasures, was investigated by two types of corrosion tests. As a result of the immersion corrosion test, it was found that any of the three kinds of corrosion inhibitor could suppress corrosion of carbon steel. In addition, as a result of the inhibitor interim addition test, it was found that corrosion of carbon steel covered with corrosion products could be suppressed by optimizing the additive amount of corrosion inhibitor in the cooling water.     

广州国际会议展览中心标志系统设计

以广州国际会议展览中心标志系统的设计为例,对设计手法及理念进行了探讨,希望能对今后类似设施的设计有所启迪。     

Preparation of Porous Poly(vinyl alcohol)‐Silk Fibroin (PVA/SF) Blend Membranes

The relation of PVA/SF blending ratio and freezing temperature with the morphology, fine structure and properties of porous PVA/SF blend membranes prepared by means of freeze drying was investigated. It was indicated that the pore diameter of the blend membranes remarkably decreased and the pore density obviously increased with increasing proportion of PVA or decreasing freezing temperature. With increasing proportion of PVA, the crystallinity of the blend membrane increased. When the blend ratio of PVA/SF was larger than 25/75 or 50/50, the strength, the elongation and the initial tensile modulus of the blend membrane increased somewhat and the compressibility decreased a little with increasing proportion of PVA or decreasing freezing temperature. Therefore, by increasing the proportion of PVA or decreasing the freezing temperature, porous SF/PVA blend membranes could be prepared which had smaller pore diameter, larger pore density, higher crystallinity, strength and elongation.     

The measurement of hydrogen activities in molten copper using an oxide protonic conductor

We have developed a hydrogen sensor for in situ measurements of hydrogen activities in molten copper. The sensor consists of a concentration cell utilizing a proton conductor, CaZr_0.9In_0.1O_3-δ, as the solid electrolyte. The electromotive force (emf) of the cell was generated by both hydrogen and oxygen activity gradients across the cell in a high-temperature region simulating the fire refining processes of copper. However, accurate hydrogen activity in molten copper could be evaluated from the emf if oxygen activity in molten copper was determined simultaneously by another concentration cell and if the hydrogen and the oxygen activities at the reference electrode were known. The performance of the sensor was studied under various conditions. The observed good response and reliability of the sensor show that it should be a powerful tool for improvement of the fire refining process of the molten copper. Theoretical treatment of the calculation of the emf of the concentration cells using a mixed ionic conductor, i.e., protonic and oxide ionic conductor, as solid electrolytes is also discussed briefly.     

Synthesis, miscoding specificity, and thermodynamic stability of oligodeoxynucleotide containing 8-methyl-2'-deoxyguanosine

8-Methyl-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-MedG) was synthesized by reacting dG under the methyl radical generating system and incorporated into oligodeoxynucleotides using phosphoramidite techniques. The site-specifically modified oligodeoxynucleotide containing a single 8-MedG was then used as a template for primer extension reactions catalyzed by the 3' --> 5' exonuclease-free (exo-) Klenow fragment of Escherichia Coli DNA polymerase I and mammalian DNA polymerase alpha. Primer extension catalyzed by the exo- Klenow fragment readily passed the 8-MedG lesion in the template while that catalyzed by pol alpha was retarded opposite the lesion. The fully extended products formed during DNA synthesis were analyzed to quantify the miscoding specificities of 8-MedG. Both DNA polymerases incorporated primarily dCMP, the correct base opposite the lesion, along with small amounts of incorporation of dGMP and dAMP. In addition, two-base deletion was observed only when the exo- Klenow fragment was used. The thermodynamic stability of 8-MedG in the duplex was also studied. The duplex containing 8-MedG:dG was more thermally and thermodynamically stable than that of dG:dG. The duplex containing 8-MedG:dA was more thermodynamically stable than that of dG:dA. We conclude that 8-MedG is a miscoding lesion and capable of generating G --> C and G --> T transversions and deletion in cells.     

Evaluation of corrosion behaviors for reactor pressure vessels/primary containment vessels in Fukushima Daiichi units 1–3 nuclear power plant

Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plants (1F) were damaged by unprecedented severe accident in the Great East Japan Earthquake on 11 March 2011, and seawater has been injected as an emergency countermeasure for the core cooling. Although, the RPV and PCV were not supposed to be exposed to diluted seawater, they have been exposed to diluted seawater environment or high-moisture environment. Therefore, seawater corrosion has become an important issue. Immersion corrosion tests were performed for low-alloy steel of RPV material and carbon steel of PCV material in 1F cooling-water-simulated environment. As a result, the mass loss by corrosion was reduced with the decreasing temperature and chloride ion concentration. Moreover, the effects of nitrogen deaeration and Na₂WO₄ addition on corrosion protection were remarkable among the selected corrosion countermeasures. In addition, the integrity assessments of RPV and PCV were performed considering the reduction of plate thickness based on corrosion test data and the load condition based on earthquake response analysis results. It had been confirmed that primary stresses for RPV and PCV equipment satisfied with the allowable values until at least 15 years after the accident.     

Improvements in finite-element simulation for stamping and application to the forming of laser-welded blanks

During stamping-die design, the formability in sheet-metal forming process has been evaluated by the geometrical functions in ‘Die-Face CAD’, which has been developed and improved by Toyota Motor Corporation. When evaluation by these functions is difficult, formability has been estimated by performing experiments using test dies in which the forming defects are similar to those in the actual process.

A numerical method has been developed in order to substitute numerical analysis for experiments using test dies for the accurate prediction of defects in sheet-metal forming. The elastic-plastic FEM with the commercial code ‘JNIKE3D’ has been improved in the areas of: (1) the material constitutive equation; (2) the consideration of the pressure distribution on the blank-holder; and (3) the evaluation of breakage initiation. Using the improved method, the square-cup drawing process and the hemming process have been analyzed. Numerical results for strain, breakage initiation, and hemming deflection were in good agreement with experimental results. The formability of laser-welded blanks and the most efficient process to form them were evaluated also using the improved method.     

Thermoelectric properties of ternary and Al-containing quaternary Ru1−xRexSiy chimney–ladder compounds

The thermoelectric properties of ternary and Al-containing quaternary Ru_1?xRe_xSi_y chimney–ladder phases have been studied as a function of the Re concentration with the use of directionally solidified alloys. The Ru_1?xRe_xSi_y chimney–ladder phases exhibit n- and p-type semiconducting behaviors, respectively, at low and high Re concentrations, at which the X(=Si)/M(=Ru + Re) ratios are respectively, larger and smaller than those expected from the VEC (valence electron concentration) = 14 rule. The absolute values of both Seebeck coefficient and electrical resistivity increase as the extent of the deviation from the VEC = 14 rule increases, i.e. as the alloy composition deviates from that corresponding to the p–n transition (x ≈ 0.5), indicating that the carrier concentration can be controlled by changing the extent of compositional deviation from the ideal VEC = 14 composition. The highest values of the dimensionless figure of merit obtained are 0.47 for ternary (x = 0.60) and 0.56 for Al-containing quaternary alloys. The reasons for the systematic compositional deviation from the ideal VEC = 14 compositions observed for a series of chimney–ladder phases are discussed in terms of atomic packing.