Control of indoor thermal environment based on concept of contribution ratio of indoor climate

The contribution ratio of indoor climate (CRI) derived from computational fluid dynamics (CFD) was developed to estimate the individual contribution of heat factors to any location inside a room. The CRI index indicates the structure of the temperature field and allows the CFD results to be applied to analysis and design, with more efficient application. In this study, the concept and calculation method for CRI is introduced first. As an example of the application of CRI, a method for predicting temperatures at any point in a room with a small number of temperature sensors based on CRI is developed. The accuracy of the method is examined by comparing the prediction with a coupled simulation of CFD and radiation.     

Hydroxypropyl-Distarch Phosphate from Potato Starch Increases Fecal Output, but Does Not Reduce Zinc, Iron, Calcium, and Magnesium Absorption in Rats

The physiological effects of hydroxypropyl‐distarch phosphate (HDP) were examined in rats. Male rats were fed a fiber‐free purified diet containing gelatinized potato starch (PS, 50 g/kg diet) that was not modified chemically or gelatinized, chemically modified potato starch (CMS, 50 g/kg diet) for 21 d. PS was used as the control. Six kinds of gelatinized HDP from potato with 2 different degrees of hydroxypropylation and 3 different degrees of cross‐linking were used as CMS. The wet weight and moisture of the fecal output of the rats fed highly hydroxypropylated HDP was 70% and 30% greater, respectively, than that in the control rats. The weights of the cecal wall and content of the rats fed highly hydroxypropylated HDP were 15% and 30% higher, respectively, than those of the control rats. The apparent absorption of Mg was 15% higher in the rats fed highly hydroxypropylated HDP than in the control rats. On the other hand, the apparent absorptions of Ca, Zn, and Fe were not affected by the diet. Cross‐linking did not influence the above‐mentioned physiological effects of HDP. Fecal excretion of bile acids and the plasma cholesterol concentration were not affected by the diet. These results show that the physiological effects of HDP depend on the hydroxypropylation but not the cross‐linking.     

Syntheses of alpha-arbutin-alpha-glycosides and their inhibitory effects on human tyrosinase

Alpha-arbutin is a tyrosinase inhibitor. We synthesized alpha-arbutin-alpha-glycosides by the transglycosylation reaction of cyclomaltodextrin glucanotransferase from Bacillus macerans using alpha-arbutin and starch as acceptor and donor molecules, respectively. We isolated and characterized two major products from the reaction mixture. The structural analyses using 13C- and 1H-NMR spectroscopy proved that they were 4-hydroxyphenyl alpha-maltoside (alpha-Ab-alpha-G1) and 4-hydroxyphenyl alpha-maltotrioside (alpha-Ab-alpha-G2). Both alpha-Ab-alpha-G1 and alpha-Ab-alpha-G2 exhibited competitive-type inhibition on human tyrosinase as alpha-arbutin does. Their K(i) values were calculated to be 0.6 mM and 2.8 mM, respectively, which is slightly and significantly higher than that of alpha-arbutin (0.2 mM).     

A system for synchronizing the nods of a CG character and a human using thermal image processing and a moving-average model

The purpose of this study was to develop a system for communication between a human and a computer generated (CG) character to make him or her more peaceful and cheerful. Nonverbal communication using such things as facial expression, a nod, or a hand gesture is very important for reciprocal communication between humans. In this study, an image registered by infrared rays which describes the thermal distribution of the face and neck has been used to develop a system for communication between a human and a CG character. The CG character can synchronize its nod with a person’s nod by predicting his or her nod angle. The measured feature parameter is input to a fuzzy algorithm system to obtain the nod angle of a person in front of an infrared camera, and then a moving-average model is used to predict the nod angle of the person. The average error of the nod angle obtained by the system has been estimated as about 5°. The CG character nods its head, not only when the human nods his or her head, but also when the human shakes his or her head to the left or right.     

Batch estimation of statistical errors in the Monte Carlo calculation of local powers

Batch methodology is among the techniques for computing the standard deviation of sample mean and is applicable to any output series from stationary iteration cycles. In the present article, three forms of the methodology are investigated: non-overlapping batch means (NBM), which dates back to Conway (1963), overlapping batch means (OBM) by Meketon and Schmeiser (1984), and standardized time series (STS) by Schruben (1983). In particular, they are applied to the MC calculation of local powers of a pressurized water reactor. The numerical results reveal that the performance of NBM is equivalent to that of OBM, whereas STS performs poorly for small batch sizes. It is also shown that OBM can be improved based on the method of autocovariance bias correction. For a computational condition leading to 0.5–1.5% statistical errors, the improved OBM for a batch size of 10% of the stationary iteration cycle length yields 88–103% of the reference value of standard deviation at tally cells where the sample standard deviation yields 22–36% of the same reference value.     

The growth of carbon coating layers on iron particles and the effect of alloying the iron with silicon

Magnetic fine particles of metallic Fe coated with graphitic carbon layers were synthesized by annealing Fe₂O₃ particles with carbon powders at 1673 K in nitrogen atmosphere. For comparison, SiC was added to Fe₂O₃. X-ray diffraction measurement showed that the lattice constants of Fe changed depending on the Si contents. Mössbauer spectroscopy confirmed that Fe-Si alloys were formed by the Si addition and that the iron carbide disappeared. Electron microscope images revealed that the thickness of carbon coating layers increased from 24 nm to 36 nm as a result of the Si addition. Soaking tests showed that the corrosion resistance of the carbon-coated Fe particles was improved by the addition of Si. The results suggest that Si caused C to leave the Fe cores and move to the surface to form a carbon coating.     

Influence of cardiac motion on diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging of the liver

Purpose  

To assess cardiac motion-induced signal loss in diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DWI) of the liver using dynamic DWI.     

Relationship between weight change in young adulthood and the risk of NIDDM. The Sotetsu Study

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the independent effect of weight change in young adulthood on the risk of prevalent NIDDM among middle-aged Japanese men. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: A case-control study was carried out in 895 male employees aged > or = 30 years of a railway company located in the vicinity of Tokyo. Adjusted odds ratios (ORs) were calculated for prevalent diabetes in each category of weight change (obtained from subjects' medical records) in young adulthood and adulthood. Adjustment for current age, initial BMI, and weight change in each age stratum was performed by the Mantel-Haenszel method or multiple logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Weight change between 20 years of age and the age at maximum weight was not associated with the risk of NIDDM. Weight gain between 20 and 25 years of age was significantly and positively associated with the risk of NIDDM (OR 3.87 for gains > or = 10.0 kg, 2.53 for gains of 5.0-9.9%, and 3.73 for gains > or = 10.0%). On the other hand, moderate weight gain after 30 years of age was significantly inversely associated with NIDDM (OR 0.44 for gains of 5.0-9.9 kg, 0.15 for gains of 10.0-19.9%, and 0.38 for gains of 20.0-29.9%). CONCLUSIONS: Extreme weight gain between 20 and 25 years of age is a significant predictor of NIDDM, independent of current age, BMI at 20 years of age, and weight change within other age strata.     

The use of intraoperative ultrasonography for detecting tumor extension in bile duct carcinoma

This study examined the intraoral changes of the elastic properties and roughness of a tissue conditioner after treatment with a fluorinated copolymer coating agent developed by the authors. The surface of the conditioner was treated with the agent on half of the internal surface of five maxillary complete dentures and was compared with the untreated half on the other side. The cushioning effects of the conditioners were evaluated by measuring the creep compliance strain-to-stress ratio. The value of compliance on the treated half was significantly greater than that on the untreated half. There was significantly less roughness on the treated side than on the untreated side. It was found that the coating provides an improved, glossy surface to the conditioner and may increase its useful life.