Input/output facilities in LISP 1.9

LISP1.9 provides new input/output facilities, the conceptual channel and the current channel, which make program writing easier and execution faster. The channel attributes-column-setting, line number option, prompt-string, user-buffer, eol-handler, eof-handler and access rights-are useful for program writing; the channel interaction attributes-input-memo, output-memo and file I/O verification-are useful for system development. Random file I/O, array I/O, record handling, array-string conversion and Japanese character output are also provided.     

Computer-based extraction of the inferior alveolar nerve canal in 3-D space

Computed tomography (CT) is increasingly employed in orthodontic treatment. One of the most successful applications is in dental implantology, in which an artificial root is surgically inserted into the jawbone to provide anchorage for a dental prosthesis. For successful implant surgery, it is crucial to locate internal structures such as the inferior alveolar nerve canal (IAC). This paper presents a computerized technique for extracting the IAC. To facilitate the extraction, we first generate panoramic CT images (panoramics) by reformatting the original CT images. The panoramics are a series of cross-sectional images along curved planes through the mandible (lower jawbone). Hollow canals are subsequently detected by analyzing the voxel intensities and 3-D gradient orientations in the panoramics. The axis of the IAC is then traced out by a novel 3-D line-tracking technique. The method is effective for extracting the IAC despite the open structure of the surrounding bone.     

Polymer effect in electrochromic behavior of oligomeric viologens

A series of oligomeric viologens were synthesized in order to investigate the polymer effect in electrochromic behavior of viologen compounds. These materials have a lower first-step reduction potential and a higher second-step reduction potential compared with monomeric viologens. As a result, they have wider potential separation, where stable viologene radical salts are produced. Spectroscopic analysis suggests that stable monomeric viologen radical salts do not exist in water, but there is some intramolecular interaction between viologen radicals of the oligomers. This intramolecular interaction is responsible for the reduction behavior and the stability of radical films of oligomeric viologens.     

Purification and characterization of rice alpha-glucosidase, a key enzyme for alcohol fermentation of rice polish

Alpha-glucosidase, a key enzyme for nuka-sake brewing, was purified from Oryza sativa cv. Yamadanishiki, which is widely used for sake brewing. The molecular weight of the purified enzyme was 95 kDa. The optimum pH and temperature were 4.5 and 55 degrees C, respectively. The substrate specificity differed from that of Oryza sativa cv. Shinsetsu, which is a variety of rice consumed as a cereal. The extraction of alpha-glucosidase from the rice was stimulated by lactic acid, which suggests that lactic acid plays an important role not only in preventing bacterial contamination, but also in stimulating the parallel fermentation that occurs in nuka-sake brewing.     

Exact Analysis of a One-Dimensional Attractive δ-Function Fermi Gas with Arbitrary Spin Polarization

We study a one-dimensional integrable system of N spin-1/2 fermions with attractive δ-function interaction at zero temperature. The Gaudin integral equation describing the ground state with arbitrary spin polarization is solved in the form of power series. We also study the ground state energy as a function of the coupling constant and the polarization.     

Simultaneous Measurements of an Ultrasound and a Torsional Oscillator for 4He in a Nanoporous Glass

Previously, we carried out ultrasonic measurements for liquid ⁴He filled in a nanoporous glass (Gelsil), and observed an increase in the sound velocity due to decoupling of the superfluid component. At zero pressure, the superfluid transition temperature T _C is suppressed to 1.4 K from the bulk lambda point, 2.17 K. This behavior is the same as torsional oscillator measurements by Yamamoto et al. (Phys. Rev. Lett. 93:075302, 2004). However, the pressure dependence of T _C and the temperature dependence of the superfluid fraction are very different from the torsional oscillator measurements. In order to clarify the origin of the difference, we have developed a new technique of simultaneous measurement of an ultrasound and a torsional oscillator, and the system successfully works for a nanoporous glass. Here, we compare decoupling of the superfluid component for ⁴He films between an ultrasound and a torsional oscillator.     

Olfactometric characterization of aroma active compounds in fermented fish paste in comparison with fish sauce,fermented soy paste and sauce products

Aroma active compounds in commercial fermented fish meat paste product (fish miso), fermented soy paste (soy miso), fish sauce and soy sauces were characterized by using a dynamic headspace method for volatile isolation and GC olfactometry for odor perception. A total of 123 volatile compounds consisting mainly of aldehydes, alcohols, esters, ketones, furans, sulfur and nitrogen-containing compounds, aromatics and acids were consistently identified. A major 16 odor-active compounds were distinguished to contribute as key aroma compounds for the miso and sauce products. Olfactometric and sensory findings clearly differentiated miso products with caramelic, fruity aroma notes, whereas fish sauce products were characterized by ammoniacal, fishy, nutty and cheesy odor note. Soy sauce products, however, were dominated by nutty and cheese aroma. Use of koji for fish miso production was found effective to enhance sweet aroma to the product with a reduction of nutty, meaty and rancid nuance. Principal component analysis employed for statistical interpretations clearly elucidated the relationship among different types of fermented products.     

Preparation method for supported metal catalysts using w/o microemulsion: Study on immobilization conditions of metal particles by hydrolysis of alkoxide

It was previously found that the silica-supported rhodium catalyst prepared using water-in-oil microemulsion had rhodium particles partly, or wholly, embedded in silica. In this work, consequently, we investigated the effect of hydrolysis conditions of tetraethylorthosilicate, employed as the source of silica, on the atomic ratio of surface rhodium in contact with the gas phase, to total surface rhodium of nanoparticles. This ratio is denoted as R in this paper. R became higher when the catalyst was prepared under the following hydrolysis conditions: a shorter hydrolysis time and a smaller amount of tetraethylorthosilicate. On the other hand, R showed the minimum value when the water content in the preparation solution was 33 vol%. From these results, it is demonstrated that it was important to form silica as early as possible in hydrolysis of TEOS in order to increase R values. In addition, the effect of R on the catalytic behavior in CO hydrogenation was investigated. At R values below 30%, the turnover frequencies increased with a decrease in R.     

A geometric method of sector decomposition

We propose a new geometric method of IR factorization in sector decomposition. The problem is converted into a set of problems in convex geometry. The latter problems are solved using algorithms in combinatorial geometry. This method provides a deterministic algorithm and never falls into an infinite loop. The number of resulting sectors depends on the algorithm of triangulation. Our test implementation shows smaller number of sectors comparing with other existing methods with iterations.