Partial scan design and test sequence generation based on reduced scan shift method

This paper presents a partial scan algorithm, calledPARES (PartialscanAlgorithm based onREduced Scan shift), for designing partial scan circuits. PARES is based on the reduced scan shift that has been previously proposed for generating short test sequences for full scan circuits. In the reduced scan shift method, one determines proch FFs must be controlled and observed for each test vector. According to the results of similar analysis, PARES selects these FFs that must be controlled or observed for a large number of test vectors, as scanned FFs. Short test sequences are generated by reducing scan shift operations using a static test compaction method. To minimize the loss of fault coverage, the order of test vectors is so determined that the unscanned FFs are in the state required by the next test vector. If there are any faults undetected yet by a test sequence derived from the test vectors, then PARES uses a sequential circuit test generator to detect the faults. Experimental results for ISCAS'89 benchmark circuits are given to demonstrate the effectiveness of PARES.     

Generation of adaptive gait patterns for quadruped robot with CPG network including motor dynamic model

This paper describes the generation of adaptive gait patterns using new Central Pattern Generators (CPGs) including motor dynamic models for a quadruped robot under various environments. The CPGs act as the flexible oscillators of the joints and adjust joint angles to required values. The CPGs are interconnected with each other and sets of their coupling parameters are adjusted by a genetic algorithm so that the quadruped robot can realize stable and adequate gait patterns. Generation of gait patterns results in the formation of the CPG networks suitable for the formation of not only a straight walking pattern but also of rotating gait patterns. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed CPG networks are effective for the automatic adjustment of the adaptive gait patterns for the tested quadruped robot under various environments. Furthermore, the target tracking control based on image processing is achieved by combining the general gait patterns. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 155(1): 35–43, 2006; Published online in Wiley InterScience ( www.interscience.wiley.com ). DOI 10.1002/eej.20225     

Satoyoshi's syndrome in an adult: a review of the literature of adult onset cases

Satoyoshi syndrome consists of painful intermittent muscle spasms, alopecia and diarrhea. The age of onset is commonly less than 20 years of age. Adult onset of this syndrome is rare. We report a 65-year-old Japanese woman with Satoyoshi's syndrome of adult onset. Satoyoshi's syndrome of adult onset shows no skeletal abnormalities, in comparison with the classical pediatric cases. The clinical features in our patient revealed the benign and long-term course of muscle spasm and alopecia. This progression differed markedly from the other patients of adult onset. Thus, the severity of Satoyoshi's syndrome is variable in adult onset cases, and this diagnosis should be considered in adults with various and unexplained muscle spasms.     

Transformation and fragmentation behavior of molten metal drop in sodium pool

In order to clarify the fragmentation mechanism of a metallic alloy (U–Pu–Zr) fuel on liquid phase formed by metallurgical reactions (liquefaction temperature = 650 °C), which is important in evaluating the sequence of core disruptive accidents for metallic fuel fast reactors, a series of experiments was carried out using molten aluminum (melting point = 660 °C) and sodium mainly under the condition that the boiling of sodium does not occur. When the instantaneous contact interface temperature (T_i) between molten aluminum drop and sodium is lower than the boiling point of sodium (T_c,bp), the molten aluminum drop can be fragmented and the mass median diameter (D_m) of aluminum fragments becomes small with increasing T_i. When T_i is roughly equivalent to or higher than T_c,bp, the fragmentation of aluminum drop is promoted by thermal interaction caused by the boiling of sodium on the surface of the drop. Furthermore, even under the condition that the boiling of sodium does not occur and the solid crust is formed on the surface of the drop, it is confirmed from an analytical evaluation that the thermal fragmentation of molten aluminum drop with solid crust has a potential to be caused by the transient pressurization within the melt confined by the crust. These results indicate the possibility that the metallic alloy fuel on liquid phase formed by the metallurgical reactions can be fragmented without occurring the boiling of sodium on the surface of the melt.     

A sub-2.0 V BiCMOS logic circuit with a BiCMOS charge pump

A BiCMOS logic circuit with very small input capacitance has been developed, which operates at low supply voltages. A High-beta BiCMOS (Hβ-BiCMOS) gate circuit which fully utilizes the bipolar transistor features achieves 10 times the speed of a CMOS gate circuit with the same input capacitance and operating at 3.3 V supply voltage. In order to lower the minimum supply voltage of Hβ-BiCMOS, a BiCMOS circuit configuration using a charge pump to pull up the output high level of the BiCMOS gate circuit is proposed. By introducing a BiCMOS charge pump, Hβ-BiCMOS achieves very high speed operation at sub-2.0 V supply voltage. It has also been demonstrated that only a very small number of charge pump circuits are required to drive a large number of Hβ-BiCMOS gate circuits     

Identification of Tumor Suppressive Genes Regulated by miR-31-5p and miR-31-3p in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma

We identified the microRNA (miRNA) expression signature of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) tissues by RNA sequencing, in which 168 miRNAs were significantly upregulated, including both strands of the miR-31 duplex (miR-31-5p and miR-31-3p). The aims of this study were to identify networks of tumor suppressor genes regulated by miR-31-5p and miR-31-3p in HNSCC cells. Our functional assays showed that inhibition of miR-31-5p and miR-31-3p attenuated cancer cell malignant phenotypes (cell proliferation, migration, and invasion), suggesting that they had oncogenic potential in HNSCC cells. Our in silico analysis revealed 146 genes regulated by miR-31 in HNSCC cells. Among these targets, the low expression of seven genes (miR-31-5p targets: CACNB2 and IL34; miR-31-3p targets: CGNL1, CNTN3, GAS7, HOPX, and PBX1) was closely associated with poor prognosis in HNSCC. According to multivariate Cox regression analyses, the expression levels of five of those genes (CACNB2: p = 0.0189; IL34: p = 0.0425; CGNL1: p = 0.0014; CNTN3: p = 0.0304; and GAS7: p = 0.0412) were independent prognostic factors in patients with HNSCC. Our miRNA signature and miRNA-based approach will provide new insights into the molecular pathogenesis of HNSCC.     

Thermal properties of ethylene ionomers

The annealing effect of ethylene ionomers annealed at various temperatures and for various periods was studied by differential scanning calorimetry. Two endothermic melting peaks were observed for all the ethylene ionomers annealed. The melting peak at the lower temperature, which was assigned to bundlelike crystal owing to a Hoffman-Weeks relationship, shifted to a higher temperature with the annealing temperature and period, indicative of recrystallization. There is physical cross-linking consisting of ionic aggregates, such as multiplets and clusters in ethylene ionomers. The crystallization kinetics of ethylene ionomers was fundamentally similar, but different from that of low-density polyethylene. Crystallization and recrystallization suggested a mobile ethylene chain in both amorphous regions and ionic aggregates even in the presence of cross-linking.     

Poly(L‐lactide). X. Enhanced surface hydrophilicity and chain‐scission mechanisms of poly(L‐lactide) film in enzymatic,alkaline, and phosphate‐buffered solutions

Attempts were carried out to enhance the surface hydrophilicity of poly(L ‐lactide), that is, poly(L ‐lactic acid) (PLLA) film, utilizing enzymatic, alkaline, and autocatalytic hydrolyses in a proteinase K/Tris–HCL buffered solution system (37°C), in a 0.01N NaOH solution (37°C), and in a phosphate‐buffered solution (100°C), respectively. Moreover, its chain‐scission mechanisms in these different media were studied. The advancing contact‐angle (θ_a) value of the amorphous‐made PLLA film decreased monotonically with the hydrolysis time from 100° to 75° and 80° without a significant molecular weight decrease, when enzymatic and alkaline hydrolyses were continued for 60 min and 8 h, respectively. In contrast, a negligible change in the θ_a value was observed for the PLLA films even after the autocatalytic hydrolysis was continured for 16 h, when their bulk M_n decreased from 1.2 × 10⁵ to 2.2 × 10⁴ g mol^?1 or the number of hydrophilic terminal groups per unit weight increased from 1.7 × 10^?5 to 9.1 × 10^?5 mol g^?1. These findings, together with the result of gravimetry, revealed that the enzymatic and alkaline hydrolyses are powerful enough to enhance the practical surface hydrophilicity of the PLLA films because of their surface‐erosion mechanisms and that its practical surface hydrophilicity is controllable by varying the hydrolysis time. Moreover, autocatalytic hydrolysis is inappropriate to enhance the surface hydrophilicity, because of its bulk‐erosion mechanism. Alkaline hydrolysis is the best to enhance the hydrophilicity of the PLLA films without hydrolysis of the film cores, while the enzymatic hydrolysis is appropriate and inappropriate to enhance the surface hydrophilicity of bulky and thin PLLA materials, respectively, because a significant weight loss occurs before saturation of θ_a value. The changes in the weight loss and θ_a values during hydrolysis showed that exo chain scission as well as endo chain scission occurs in the presence of proteinase K, while in the alkaline and phosphate‐buffered solutions, hydrolysis proceeds via endo chain scission. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 87: 1628–1633, 2003