Man-machine interface for modular robot systems

A modular robot is composed of multiple modules, each comprising a sensor, an actuator, and a control system. Each module accumulates information about its own sensor, actuator, and connections to other modules, as well as communication information between adjoining modules. The user obtains this information via an interface, and can thus recognize the state of the robot and issue commands. However, when the number of modules becomes large, the amount of information sent from the modules becomes too much for the user to deal with effectively. Naturally, it also becomes more difficult for the user to issue commands to the modular robot as the number of modules increases. In this study, we developed an interface to present, in a simple manner, information aggregated in a certain module from other modules, and we examined its effectiveness in a modular robot composed of these modules.     

Autonomous reconfiguration of robot shape by using Q-learning

A modular robot can be built with a shape and function that matches the working environment. We developed a four-arm modular robot system which can be configured in a planar structure. A learning mechanism is incorporated in each module constituting the robot. We aim to control the overall shape of the robot by an accumulation of the autonomous actions resulting from the individual learning functions. Considering that the overall shape of a modular robot depends on the learning conditions in each module, this control method can be treated as a dispersion control learning method. The learning object is cooperative motion between adjacent modules. The learning process proceeds based on Q-learning by trial and error. We confirmed the effectiveness of the proposed technique by computer simulation.     

Plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition of carbon films using dibromoadamantane

Carbon thin films are prepared from adamantane and dibromoadamantane by using a plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition method. Deposition rate for dibromoadamantane is approximately two times higher than that for pure adamantane. Infrared spectra of the films indicate that adamantane units are incorporated in the films, although higher electron temperature results in disorder in the films. The films prepared from dibromoadamantane have higher thermal stability, higher hardness and Young modulus than those from pure adamantane. Permittivity (= 3-4) of the dibromoadamantane films is higher than that (= 2-3) of pure adamantane films, which is regarded as a result of incorporation of bromine atoms and C=C bonds having higher polarizability according to the structural analysis of the films. Possible solution methods are proposed for reducing inclusion of such unfavorable chemical species and chemical bonds.     

Electronic band structure calculations on thin films of the L21 full Heusler alloys X2YSi (X, Y = Mn, Fe, and Co): Toward spintronic materials

To design half-metallic materials in thin film form for spintronic devices, the electronic structures of full Heusler alloys (Mn₂FeSi, Fe₂MnSi, Fe₂FeSi, Fe₂CoSi, and Co₂FeSi) with an L2₁ structure have been investigated using density functional theory calculations with Gaussian-type functions in a periodic boundary condition. Considering the metal composition, layer thickness, and orbital symmetries, a 5-layered Co₂FeSi thin film, whose surface consists of a Si layer, was found to have stable half-metallic nature with a band gap of ca. 0.6 eV in the minority spin state. Using the group theory, the difference between electronic structures in bulk and thin film conditions was discussed.     

Electrodeposited Co‐Pt thin films with high coercivity

Co‐Pt alloy film magnets were prepared by electrodeposition. After annealing as‐deposited films with face‐centered‐cubic (fcc) crystal structure, the structure of films with 24 to 50 at.% Co content transformed from disordered fcc phase to ordered face‐centered‐tetragonal (fct) L1₀ phase. It was clarified that Co‐Pt film magnets with a Co content of 43 at.% have high coercivity of approximately 880 kA/m. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 157(4): 7–12, 2006; Published online in Wiley InterScience ( www.interscience.wiley.com ). DOI 10.1002/eej.20216     

Shorter P1m Response in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder without Intellectual Disabilities

(1) Background: Atypical auditory perception has been reported in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Altered auditory evoked brain responses are also associated with childhood ASD. They are likely to be associated with atypical brain maturation. (2) Methods: This study examined children aged 5–8 years old: 29 with ASD but no intellectual disability and 46 age-matched typically developed (TD) control participants. Using magnetoencephalography (MEG) data obtained while participants listened passively to sinusoidal pure tones, bilateral auditory cortical response (P1m) was examined. (3) Results: Significantly shorter P1m latency in the left hemisphere was found for children with ASD without intellectual disabilities than for children with TD. Significant correlation between P1m latency and language conceptual ability was found in children with ASD, but not in children with TD. (4) Conclusions: These findings demonstrated atypical brain maturation in the auditory processing area in children with ASD without intellectual disability. Findings also suggest that ASD has a common neural basis for pure-tone sound processing and language development. Development of brain networks involved in language concepts in early childhood ASD might differ from that in children with TD.     

Anti-human immunodeficiency virus activity of 3,4,5-tricaffeoylquinic acid in cultured cells of lettuce leaves

3,4,5-Tricaffeoylquinic acid (TCQA) that is not found in intact plant of lettuce leaves was isolated from the cultured cells. The intact plant produced chicoric acid (dicaffeoyl tartaric acid: L-CCA) as well as chlorogenic acid (3-caffeoylquinic acid: 3-CQA) as the major metabolites. After subculturing of the cells for 40 days, the amount of 3,4,5-TCQA reached to 0.14 mg/g fresh weight. The inhibitory effect of 3,4,5-TCQA for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) Type 1 integrase was assayed. Anti-HIV activity using HIV and MT-2 cells was 1.15 microM and IC(50) against HIV integrase was 0.063 microM whereas cell toxicity of this chemical was expressed as 5% death of all living cells to be 18.4 microM. The HIV inhibitory effect of 3,4,5-TCQA was the highest in values among L-CCA, and other dicaffeoylquinic acids. This data will provide a new possibility for creating a new drug design for HIV.     

A shaE deletion mutant showed lower Na+ sensitivity compound to other deletion mutants in the Bacillus subtilis sodium/hydrogen antiporter (Sha) system

The sodium/hydrogen antiporter (Sha, identical to multiple resistance and pH adaptation: Mrp) encoded by shaABCDEFG is considered to be the major Na+ excretion system in Bacillus subtilis. We constructed deletion mutants of each sha (=mrp) gene and found that a shaE mutant showed lower Na+ sensitivity compared to the other mutants with respect to the growth, sporulation and Na+ efflux activity. ShaE may have a dissimilar role to other Sha proteins in transport functions.     

Citrus auraptene reduces Helicobacter pylori colonization of glandular stomach lesions in Mongolian gerbils

We examined the efficacy of auraptene (AUR), an antioxidant agent of a citrus coumarin derivative, for suppressing gastric inflammation introduced by Helicobacter pylori (Hp) infection in Mongolian gerbils (MGs). Hp-infected MGs were placed on diets containing 100 or 500 ppm AUR for 7 weeks. Real-time PCR was used to estimate the Hp population in glandular stomach lesions, and a histological assessment of inflammation was performed. At a dose of 500 ppm, AUR reduced the Hp population to 21.9+/-12.0% of the control group (p<0.05). However, no apparent differences were seen in hematoxylin and eosin sections between AUR-administered and control groups. We conclude that dietary supplementation with 500 ppm of AUR suppresses Hp colonization, but does not reduce gastric inflammation.