DRS: a workstation-based document recognition system for text entry

Document recognition system (DRS), a workstation-based prototype document analysis system that uses optical character recognition (OCR), is described. The system provides functions for image capture, block segmentation, page structure analysis, and character recognition with contextual postprocessing, as well as a user interface for error correction. All the functions except image capture and character recognition have been implemented by means of software for the Japanese edition of OS/2     

Bacterial colonization of the upper respiratory tract of patients with primary lung cancer and nonmalignant lung disease

We examined the bacterial colonization of the upper respiratory tract of 110 patients with primary lung cancer (PLC), 75 patients with nonmalignant lung diseases (NMLD) and 45 healthy volunteers (HV), comparing the sensitivity of expectorated sputum, and throat and nasal swabs. The frequency of bacterial colonization of the upper respiratory tract was significantly higher in the PLC patients (59.1%) than in NMLD patients (37.3%, p < 0.01) and HV (37.8%, p < 0.01). The frequency of gram-negative colonization was significantly higher in PLC patients than in the other subjects (p < 0.01). Expectorated sputum and nasal swab were the most sensitive for detection of whole bacteria and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in the patients with PLC. Our results showed that PLC patients are significantly more frequently colonized by bacteria in their upper respiratory tracts and that a combination culture of expectorated sputum and nasal swab is suitable to estimate the bacterial colonization of the upper respiratory tract in the patients.     

Application of the "imaging plate" to TEM image recording

The "imaging plate" is a highly sensitive image recording plate for X-ray radiography, which is coated with photo-stimulable phosphor. The imaging plate is exposed to electrons in a transmission electron microscope. Its fundamental properties (sensitivity, dynamic range and sharpness) have been estimated in detail. Also, the image quality of the imaging plate for some specimens in a transmission electron microscope has been estimated. As a result, it has been ascertained that the imaging plate has superior properties and high practicability as an image recording material in a transmission electron microscope.     

Materials evaluation of diffusion bonded steel bar and its impact characteristics

When we apply non-destructive test for evaluating the soundness of weld joints it is necessary to know the mechanical properties of the joints by destructive test. In this paper we tried to obtain the correlation between the data by ultrasonic C-scope method and the absorbed energy by Charpy impact test for diffusion bonded steel bars. The surface roughness of specimens (materials: S25C, mild steel) used for the diffusion bonding was changed into several steps by machining and the diffusion bonding was performed on five kinds of combinations of the surface roughness. Through this process we obtained the diffusion bonds whose ratio of non-bonded area was different. In the ultrasonic test we used the frequency of 10 MHz and a transducer of 12.7 mm in diameter. The ratio of non-bonded area is obtained by using C-scope method by immersion testing, and this depended on the threshold echo level when we binarized the images of C-scope presentation and the surface roughness of the specimen. The lower the threshold echo level, the larger the ratio of non-bonded area. The absorbed energy depended on the ratio of non-bonded area. It is made clear that the proper threshold echo level should be selected for evaluating the soundness of diffusion bonds by ultrasonic test. Moreover, when the transition liquid phase diffusion bonding was performed on SD345 (deformed reinforcing steel bar) using Ni amorphous foil as an insert metal the absorbed energy also decreased with the increase in the ratio of flaw area obtained by ultrasonic test, though no change in the tensile strength was observed.     

Study on three-dimensional micromachining using synchrotron radiation etching

 In this paper, we proposed a new approach of three-dimensional (3-D) micromachining without using any masks. This approach is a direct writing using synchrotron radiation (SR) etching. Several approaches to fabricate 3-D microstructures using photo-lithography have been proposed. However, these approaches are limited to fabricate microstructures due to the using mask process. SR etching is a dry process, and the etching rate of PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene) is so high (100 μm/min) in vacuum using the SR white light. By utilizing a high processing speed and smoothness of the etched surfaces, SR etching might have a potential for 3-D micromachining by combining the direct writing with a stage having a high degree of freedom. Here, we reported the results of 3-D micromachining of PTFE using SR etching in vacuum and examined the dependence of SR etching of PTFE on the etching environment under an atmospheric pressure of He. Received: 10 August 2001/Accepted: 24 September 2001 This paper was presented at the Fourth International Workshop on High Aspect Ratio Microstructure Technology HARMST 2001 in June 2001.     

Development of a 300 L Calibration Bath for Oceanographic Thermometers

The Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC) has been developing a 300 L calibration bath to calibrate 24 oceanographic thermometers (OT) simultaneously and thereby reduce the calibration work load necessary to service more than 180 OT every year. This study investigated characteristics of the developed 300 L calibration bath using a SBE 3plus thermometer produced by an OT manufacturer. We also used 11 thermistor thermometers that were calibrated to be traceable to the international temperature scale of 1990 (ITS-90) within 1 mK of standard uncertainty through collaboration of JAMSTEC and NMIJ/AIST. Results show that the time stability of temperature of the developed bath was within \(\pm 1 \,\hbox {mK}\). Furthermore, the temperature uniformity was \(\pm 1.3 \,\hbox {mK}\). The expanded uncertainty (\(k=2\)) components for the characteristics of the developed 300 L calibration bath were estimated as 2.9 mK, which is much less than the value of 10 mK: the required specification for uncertainty of calibration for the OT. These results demonstrated the utility of this 300 L calibration bath as a device for use with a new calibration system.     

±800 kV特高压直流输电线路地线选型

利用解析法和数值法相结合的方式计算地线表面电场强度的变化情况。建立一个简单线路模型,分析地线表面电场强度变化规律,得出在满足设计规范要求下所需地线的截面积。在选择地线型号时应综合考虑地线截面积、导线极间距、地线保护角、对地距离等因素。从地线表面电场强度角度看,推荐±800 k V山西—江苏特高压直流输电线路工程一般段线路采用150 mm~2截面积地线。     

Bubble formation in flowing liquid

Initial bubbles in flowing liquid from a nozzle were observed from two mutually perpendicular directions. Two nozzles of 0.086 cm and 0.305 cm in diameter were used. The gas flow rate and the superficial liquid velocity ranged from 0.33 cm³/s to 36.2 cm³/s and from 0 cm/s to 154.9 cm/s, respectively. The bubble size formed in flowing liquid decreased with decreasing gas flow rate and with increasing superficial liquid velocity. Three types of bubble formation, i.e. single bubbles, coalescent bubbles and gas jets, were observed depending upon the gas rate and the liquid velocity. Two empirical equations of the bubble sizes are given.