Ultrasonic effects on electroorganic processes: Part 24. Rate and saturated amount of the self-assembled adsorption of thiolate species on a gold surface

The rate and saturated amount of the self-assembled adsorption of aromatic thiolate species such as 4-pyridinethiolate and phenylthiolate on a polycrystalline gold surface were clearly increased under ultrasonic irradiation with an intensity higher than the ultrasonic cavitation threshold. On the other hand, in the case of the self-assembled adsorption of an aliphatic thiolate species like carboxy ethane thiolate, only the adsorption rate was increased under the irradiation, while the saturated amount was not. This fact suggests that the adsorption of carboxy ethane thiolate results in the most closely packed and ordered monolayer, regardless of ultrasonic irradiation.     

STORY GENERATION BASED ON DYNAMICS OF THE MIND

A story generation system based on dynamics of the mind is presented. Semantic theories until now avoided discussing a linkage of language with encyclopedic human knowledge. This paper attacks the problem of how to make clear the complicated, wide-ranging dynamics of the mind and how to connect it to language.
First, the background of this study is shown, in which our model of the mind, with both five levels along the concept formation process and eight domains according to the contents of mental activities, is surveyed.
Based on this model, then, the dynamics of mind are discussed, along an Aesop fable. A unit of data processing in the mind is called a "module," and the mental dynamics are considered as a chain activation of those modules, represented by a dynamic network. Next, a method for story generation is discussed. Propositional information of a sentence is embedded in a slot of activated, frame-structured modules, and the discourse structure of a generated story basically depends on the dynamic network. Both the chain activation and the generation processes are verified by experiments.
Lastly, residual problems of our research, a comparison with related research, and its applications are discussed.
This case study would be expected to give a basis to integrated systems for problem solving, natural language and image understandings, their generations, and intelligent robots.     

An optoelectronic self-oscillatory circuit with an optical fiber delayed feedback and its injection locking technique

An optoelectronic self-oscillatory circuit with a constant time delay and its injection locking have been theoretically and experimentally described. The oscillation circuit incorporates a delayed feedback path by utilizing an optical fiber and is characterized by a differential-difference equation. The oscillation waveform and amplitude have been investigated by computing the equation. It is also shown that a stable frequency locking region exists and expands with an increase in the injection amplitude. By employing a carrier signal, two methods for optoelectronic oscillation, an AM and an FM type, are proposed and have been demonstrated to obtain more stable oscillation.     

Finite element incremental contact analysis with various frictional conditions

The use of contacting components such as gear teeth in mesh and shrink-fitted shafts is very common in engineering practice. This paper deals with the development of a theoretical method which gives a solution for non-linear contact problems with irreversibility resulting from stick-slip phenomenon. The method is based on the finite element method and load incremental theory. The geometrical and the statical boundary conditions on contact surfaces are treated as additional conditions being independent of stiffness equations. As a result, the algorithm of calculation is simplified and only a part of the simultaneous equations related to the contact surfaces is required to be solved instead of the overall stiffness equations at each step. Furthermore, the magnitude of load causing a change in a contact condition of one contact nodepair is taken as a load increment, in analogy with the incremental iterative procedure for elastic-plastic problems. Therefore, the method provides a general and efficient method for analysis and design of such problems. As illustrative examples, the stick-slip behaviour of turbo-alternator end-bells and other problems are discussed. The calculated results show a reasonable agreement with experimental data and other solutions.     

Efficient selection of hybrids by protoplast fusion using drug resistance markers and reporter genes in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

We have developed a selection system for hybrids by protoplast fusion using dominant selective drug resistance markers, Tn601(903) against geneticin and AUR1-C against aureobasidin A, and reporter genes, ADH1p-PHO5-ADH1t and CLN2p-CYC1-lacZ, in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. To examine the effectiveness of this system, plasmids with each marker and reporter gene were introduced into auxotrophic sake yeasts. From the resulting transformants, eight colonies were screened by protoplast fusion in combination with the drug resistance markers and the reporter genes. Among them, seven strains were judged as hybrids between parental strains by analysis of growth on a minimal medium. This selection system was applied to wine yeasts having no genetic markers. Six strains were regarded as hybrids between parental strains by polymerase chain reaction/restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR/RFLP) analysis of the MET2 gene and by karyotype analysis using a contour-clamped homogeneous electric field (CHEF). We propose that the plotoplast fusion using dominant selective geneticin- and aureobasidin A-resistance markers and reporter genes is useful for the selection of hybrids from wine yeasts, which are homothallic and have low sporulation ability.     

Metabolic disturbance of tryptophan-nicotinamide conversion pathway by putative endocrine disruptors, bisphenol A and styrene monomer

Bisphenol A, a monomer of polycarbonate plastics, disturbed the conversion pathway of the amino acid tryptophan to the vitamin nicotinamide. The conversion ratio of tryptophan to nicotinamide was reduced to 1/15 by feeding a diet containing 1% bisphenol A. A putative disturbing reaction is kynurenine-->3-hydroxykynurenine, which is catalyzed by kynurenine monohydroxylase. This is an FAD-enzyme and requires NADPH as a coenzyme. Styrene monomer (1% addition to a normal diet) did not affect the food intake or the body weight, but slightly reduced the conversion ratio of tryptophan-nicotinamide.