Impedance-step phenomenon of thin-film GMI element with inclined magnetic stripe domain

An extraordinary impedance-step phenomenon of GMI (giant magnetoimpedance) effect was studied. It is observed for a thin-film GMI element with an inclined magnetic stripe domain. The “inclined stripe domain” means a domain structure that has inclined domain walls against the width direction of the GMI strip. An observation of magnetic domain reveals that a sudden change of domain structure, such as stripe-domain vanishing or occurrence, happens simultaneously with the impedance step. A theoretical consideration, based on the bias-susceptibility model of a single-domain magnetic thin film with uniaxial anisotropy, qualitatively shows that the existence of an inclined stripe domain makes the impedance lower than that characteristic of a single-domain structure.     

IMPROVEMENT OF TYPE IV CRACKING RESISTANCE OF 9Cr HEAT RESISTING STEEL WELDMENT BY BORON ADDITION

Creep lives of high Cr ferritic heat resisting steel weldments decrease due to Type Ⅳ fracture, which occurs as a result of formation and growth of creep voids and cracks on grain boundaries in fine-grained heat affected zone (HAZ). Because boron is considered to suppress the coarsening of grain boundary precipitates and growth of creep voids, we have investigated the effect of boron addition on the creep properties of 9Cr steel weldments. Four kinds of 9Cr3WSCoVNb steels with boron content varying from 4.7×10-5 to 1.8×10-4 and with nitrogen as low as 2.0×10-5 were prepared. The steel plates were welded by gas tungsten arc welding and crept at 923K. It was found that the microstructures of HAZ were quite different from those of conventional high Cr steels such as P91 and P92, namely the fine-grained HAZ did not exist in the present steel weldments. Boron addition also has the effect to suppress coarsening of grain boundary carbides in HAZ during creep. As a result of these phenomena, the welded join     

A full‐color eyewear display using planar waveguides with reflection volume holograms

Abstract— A full‐color eyewear display with over 85% see‐through transmittance with a 16° horizontal field of view was developed. Very low color crosstalk, less than 0.008 Δu′v′ uniformity, and 120% NTSC color gamut were achieved. Waveguides with two in‐ and out‐coupling reflection volume hologram elements enabled a simple configuration that has an optical engine beside the user's temples. The reflection volume hologram elements used on the waveguides realized a small thickness of 1.4 mm for each waveguide, and an out‐coupling reflection volume hologram used as an optical combiner contributed a high see‐through transmittance of 85% due to its wavelength selectivity. However, there are technical challenges in achieving a reasonable screen size and quality color images with optics that utilize holographic waveguides because holograms have large chromatic dispersions compared to conventional optical elements such as lenses and mirrors. Approaches to overcome these issues are described.     

RUNA: a multimodal command language for home robot users

This article describes a multimodal command language for home robot users, and a robot system which interprets users’ messages in the language through microphones, visual and tactile sensors, and control buttons. The command language comprises a set of grammar rules, a lexicon, and nonverbal events detected in hand gestures, readings of tactile sensors attached to the robots, and buttons on the controllers in the users’ hands. Prototype humanoid systems which immediately execute commands in the language are also presented, along with preliminary experiments of faceto-face interactions and teleoperations. Subjects unfamiliar with the language were able to command humanoids and complete their tasks with brief documents at hand, given a short demonstration beforehand. The command understanding system operating on PCs responded to multimodal commands without significant delay. This work was presented in part at the 13th International Symposium on Artificial Life and Robotics, Oita, Japan, January 31–February 2, 2008     

Detection of a brain aneurysm and a way to search for a brain aneurysm aimed at the development of a system to simulate an operation

In this article, a system is proposed for a simulated operation which would help a trainee surgeon to perform a medical operation to ensure that a cerebral aneurysm does not burst. The physician will have acquired empirical medical technologies from operations in traditional clinical teaching. However, there is a problem with safety and the burden to the patient. Therefore, recently a new training approach for a simulated medical operation using virtual reality has been explored. With the aim of developing a simulated system for a medical operation for a cerebral aneurysm, we considered the necessary functions such as detecting the brain aneurysm that is the target of the operation, and searching for a suitable blood vessel to make a plan for the operation.     

Construction of a robot control system which understands a voice and pointing actions

This research was aimed at making a robot that can go and get an object designated by the user. We produced a robot control system that uses pointing and voice control. This control system is composed of two systems. One system is the object instruction system that uses pointing, and the other is the object instruction system that uses voice. The approximate position of a designated object is recognized by the object instruction system that uses pointing, and information about the object and instructions about the operation are conveyed by the object instruction system that uses voice. This time, the object instruction system that uses pointing has been designed and verified as the first step. A calculation resource to calculate the approximate position of the designated object is obtained when the user points directly at the object. A robot can be moved around a designated object by using this system. The object instruction system that uses voice will be constructed in future work.     

Success rates in a multimodal command language for home robot users

This article considers the success rates in a multimodal command language for home robot users. In the command language, the user specifies action types and action parameter values to direct robots in multiple modes such as speech, touch, and gesture. The success rates of commands in the language can be estimated by user evaluations in several ways. This article presents some user evaluation methods, as well as results from recent studies on command success rates. The results show that the language enables users without much training to command home robots at success rates as high as 88%–100%. It is also shown that multimodal commands combining speech and button-press actions included fewer words and were significantly more successful than single-modal spoken commands.     

Revolving Vernier Mechanism Controls Size of Linear Homomultimer

A new kind of the Vernier mechanism that is able to control the size of linear assembly of DNA origami nanostructures is proposed. The mechanism is realized by mechanical design of DNA origami, which consists of a hollow cylinder and a rotatable shaft in it connected through the same scaffold. This nanostructure stacks with each other by the shape complementarity at its top and bottom surfaces of the cylinder, while the number of stacking is limited by twisting angle of the shaft. Experiments have shown that the size distribution of multimeric assembly of the origami depends on the twisting angle of the shaft; the average lengths of the multimer are decamer, hexamer, and tetramer for 0°, 10°, and 20° twist, respectively. In summary, it is possible to affect the number of polymerization by adjusting the precise shape and movability of a molecular structure.     

A 63-year-old man with progressive cauda equina/conus medullaris syndrome

BACKGROUND: This article presents results of the acute treatment phase of a 2-site study comparing cognitive behavioral group therapy (CBGT) and treatment with the monoamine oxidase inhibitor phenelzine sulfate for social phobia. METHODS: One hundred thirty-three patients from 2 sites received 12 weeks of CBGT, phenelzine therapy, pill placebo administration, or educational-supportive group therapy (an attention-placebo treatment of equal credibility to CBGT). The "allegiance effect," ie, the tendency for treatments to seem most efficacious in settings of similar theoretical orientation and less efficacious in theoretically divergent settings, was also examined by comparing responses to the treatment conditions at both sites: 1 known for pharmacological treatment of anxiety disorders and the other for cognitive behavioral treatment. RESULTs: After 12 weeks, phenelzine therapy and CBGT led to superior response rates and greater change on dimensional measures than did either control condition. However, response to phenelzine therapy was more evident after 6 weeks, and phenelzine therapy was also superior to CBGT after 12 weeks on some measures. There were few differences between sites, suggesting that these treatments can be efficacious at facilities with differing theoretical allegiances. CONCLUSIONS: After 12 weeks, both phenelzine therapy and CBGT were associated with marked positive response. Although phenelzine therapy was superior to CBGT on some measures, both were more efficacious than the control conditions. More extended cognitive behavioral treatment and the combination of modalities may enhance treatment effect.     

Clinical experience of functional electrical stimulation in complete paraplegia

In the Riordan (bridle) transfer, the posterior tibialis muscle as motor is routed through the interosseous membrane and anastomosed into a "bridle" formed by the distal tibialis anterior and peroneus longus muscles. In theory, the bridle provides inversion/eversion balance even if the transfer effects only tenodesis. However, the procedure has been criticized because its insertion is not into bone. This review analyzes the use of bridle transfer in flaccid paresis involving musculature innervated by the peroneal nerve. Surgery was performed 1 to 3 years after injury for patients with traumatic etiology. Ten patients are reviewed at 61 months' mean follow-up. Eight patients had traumatic peroneal nerve loss. Two had neuromuscular etiology. Evaluation included review of records, telephone interviews, and physical examinations. Data on functional status included walking barefoot running, need for bracing, return to duty, and patient satisfaction. Physical examination recorded ankle position and motions, gait findings, and results of static electromyograms. All patients were able to walk barefoot, but 6 of 10 had a mild to moderate limp. Five patients returned to running initially; only two were able to keep running. Nine patients were brace-free initially (polio sequela required bracing initially), and four others returned to bracing. Of these, two experienced an acute "tearing" and dorsiflexion loss, one sustained a prolonged gradual loss of dorsiflexion, and one sustained a contralateral cerebrovascular accident. Only three of seven patients returned to active duty, and one is on jump status. All patients were satisfied with their initial result. Only two patients had no detectable swing phase problems (both returned to active duty). Five patients had peroneal nerve exploration with repair or neurolysis; two of them sustained complete transections. Postoperative electromyograms showed insignificant, if any, nerve return. The Riordan transfer works well for neuromuscular flaccid paresis and in patients with peroneal nerve injuries with low demands. It may stretch out over time to the point of acute failure in patients with high demands. Concurrent peroneal nerve exploration and repair did not seem to be beneficial in this small study.