Address‐While‐Display technique combined with gas‐discharge AND logic for driving AC‐PDPs

A hybrid AWD/AND drive technique has been developed in which an Address‐While‐Display (AWD) scheme is combined with an AND logic characteristic that gas discharges demonstrate. The AWD technique enables AC‐PDPs to be driven at high luminance, while the AND logic reduces the number of scan drivers by an order of magnitude. A detailed analysis of the addressing operation has been made. The hybrid drive utilizes the AND logic in two ways: (1) a combination of two voltage pulses and (2) a combination of a voltage pulse and discharge‐priming particles. It was found that the addressing operation requires the establishment of a discharge between the scan and data electrodes, and also between the scan and display electrodes.     

MOSBY: a molecular structure viewer program with portability and extensibility

A molecular structure viewer program, MOSBY has been developed for studies that use atomic coordinates to understand the structures of protein molecules. The program is designed to be portable with a comprehensive user interface by our high-throughput graphics library. In addition, it cooperates with extension modules customized for individual research topics and analysis. For example, an electron density module loads and displays electron density maps derived in X-ray crystallographic analysis superimposed to an atomic model. A molecular dynamics module reads a trajectory file of the results of molecular dynamics calculations and animates the structure. These plug-in modules are devised to function without modification to the MOSBY program. For variations of analysis and calculations with atomic coordinates, the portability and extensibility illustrated by MOSBY play an important rule in scientific computational tools with active software development.     

A content search system considering the activity and context of a mobile user

People routinely carry mobile devices in their daily lives and obtain a variety of information from the Internet in many different situations. In searching for information (content) with a mobile device, a user’s activity (e.g., moving or stationary) and context (e.g., commuting in the morning or going downtown in the evening) often change, and such changes can affect the user’s degree of concentration on his or her mobile device’s display and information needs. Therefore, a search system should provide the user with an amount of information suitable for the current activity and a type of information suitable for the current context. In this study, we present the design and implementation of a content search system that considers a mobile user’s activity and context, with the goal of reducing the user’s operation load for content search. The proposed system switches between two kinds of content search systems according to the user’s activity: the location-based content search system is activated when the user is stationary (e.g., standing and sitting), while a menu-based content search system is activated when the user is moving (e.g., walking). Both systems present information according to user context. The location-based system presents detailed information via menus and a map according to location-based categories. The menu-based system presents only a few options to enable users to get content easily. Through user experiments, we confirmed that participants could get desired information more easily with this system than with a commercial search system.     

Effect of transition elements on the properties of MC carbides in IN-100 nickel-based superalloy

The effect of nine transition elements on the morphology, distribution and composition of MC carbides (MCs) in a nickel-base superalloy, IN-100, was investigated by differential thermal analysis (DTA), microstructural observation and X-ray microanalysis. The doping with tantalum, tungsten and molybdenum caused a significant change in the morphology and distribution of MCs as well as the profile of DTA curve of IN-100. The compositions of the MC in IN-100 were TiC and (Ti_0.80Mo_0.17V_0.03) C, and the doping with niobium, tantalum and tungsten changed significantly the composition of MC. On the other hand, the doping with chromium, vanadium, hafnium and zirconium scarcely changed the composition. In addition to TiC and (Ti, Mo, V) C, zirconium- and hafnium-rich MCs were found in the zirconium- and hafnium-doped alloys, respectively. The effect of the dopants on the composition of MCs could be explained by a relationship between the metallic radius and the free energy of formation for the MC.     

Sinterability of various high-purity magnesium oxide powders

The sinterability of high-purity MgO powders with different production histories was investigated to make clear the relationship between the powder characterization, the densification processes, and the changes in microstructure both with increasing temperature at a rate of 10° C min^–1 and at a fixed temperature of 1450° C for 5 h. The densification behaviour and the changes in microstructure of these compressed bodies were affected chiefly by their original surface activity and degree of agglomeration, depending on the production histories: (i) the ultra-fine and well-dispersed powder prepared by the vapour-phase oxidation process showed that densification proceeded with an appreciable grain growth with few closed pores remaining; (ii) powder derived from the sea-water magnesia process showed that the densification behaviour was affected by the species of magnesium salt, i.e. basic magnesium carbonate or magnesium hydroxide, used as a precursor; however, whichever magnesium salt was used, its sintered compact showed similar closed porosities and grain-size distributions; (iii) powder derived from the spark-discharge process contained skeletons of the original Mg(OH)₂ particles; however, the densification proceeded gradually with slow grain growth, reflecting the fact that the powder has a moderate surface area (36 m² g^–1). The sintered compact from (iii) had a small closed porosity and the smallest grain-size distribution among the compacts used in this investigation.     

Development of spectral band cloning techniques for soil nutrients estimation

Satellite‐based monitoring is an indispensable tool to guide soil‐specific crop management. However, it has attained little success in the estimation of soil nutrients due to the limitations incurred from inherent spectral characteristics. In this study, spectral band cloning (SBC) is developed and proposed to augment the soil nutrient predictive capabilities of broadband satellite data. Fine‐spectral channels of spectrometers were synchronized with coarse resolution of IRS satellite data to generate nutrient‐sensitive cloned IRS bands. Soil samples, collected at the time of satellite image acquisition in Lop Buri, Thailand, were analyzed both spectrally and chemically, viz., soil organic matter (OM), phosphorus, potassium and iron. The resulting SBC‐based models showed acceptable correlations, which otherwise were unattainable from raw IRS bands through prevailing models. Accuracy and validation measures showed good agreements between the measured and estimated nutrient surfaces. It is concluded that the SBC is a promising method of quantitative soil nutrient mapping, and could further be used for identification and mapping of other indiscernible biophysical parameters.     

Soil hydraulic parameters estimated from satellite information through data assimilation

Leaf area index (LAI) and actual evapotranspiration (ET_a) from satellite observations were used to estimate simultaneously the soil hydraulic parameters of four soil layers down to 60 cm depth using the combined soil water atmosphere plant and genetic algorithm (SWAP–GA) model. This inverse model assimilates the remotely sensed LAI and/or ET_a by searching for the most appropriate sets of soil hydraulic parameters that could minimize the difference between the observed and simulated LAI (LAI_sim) or simulated ET_a (ET_asim). The simulated soil moisture estimates derived from soil hydraulic parameters were validated using values obtained from soil moisture sensors installed in the field. Results showed that the soil hydraulic parameters derived from LAI alone yielded good estimations of soil moisture at 3 cm depth; LAI and ET_a in combination at 12 cm depth, and ET_a alone at 28 cm depth. There appeared to be no match with measurement at 60 cm depth. Additional information would therefore be needed to better estimate soil hydraulic parameters at greater depths. Despite this inability of satellite data alone to provide reliable estimates of soil moisture at the lowest depth, derivation of soil hydraulic parameters using remote sensing methods remains a promising area for research with significant application potential. This is especially the case in areas of water management for agriculture and in forecasting of floods or drought on the regional scale.     

Shear viscosity of the B phase of superfluid3He

The shear viscosity (T) in the Balian-Werthamer (BW) state of superfluid ³ He is calculated variationally throughout the region 0t 1(t=T/T _c) from the transport equation for Bogoliubov quasiparticles. Coherence factors are treated exactly in the calculation of the collision integral. The numerical result for =_s= _s(T)/_n(T_c) agree very well with experiment in the range 0.8t1.0. Analytic expressions = 0.577 (1–1.0008t) and =1–(23/64) [=(T)/k _B T] are obtained in the low-temperature region and in the vicinity ofT _c, respectively. From the numerical analysis it is shown that the latter equation is valid only in the temperature range 0.9997t1.0.Supported by the Research Institute for Fundamental Physics, Kyoto University.     

Super‐reflective color LCD with PDLC technology

Abstract— A novel reflective color LCD without polarizers has been developed using a PDLC film and a retro‐reflector. Bright color images including moving images are achievable with ambient light. This novel LCD will enable the new application area of electronic paper.     

Starting method of a superconducting generator in a combined‐cycle power plant

In the combined‐cycle power plant generators are started by using the igniting arrangement up to the ignition rotational speed of the gas turbine. On the other hand, in the case of using the superconducting generator, it is difficult to apply the igniting arrangement used to generate electricity on the combined cycle for the structure as is. We examined the induction motor starting method for the superconducting generator by using the 70‐MW‐class quick‐response excitation superconducting model generator and the VVVF power supply. From the examination, we confirmed the ability to raise the rotational speed from 6 to 360 rpm. Moreover, it was found to be able to start 200‐MW‐class superconducting generators by the induction motor starting method with the analysis. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 160(2): 30– 38, 2007; Published online in Wiley InterScience ( www.interscience. wiley.com ). DOI 10.1002/eej.20283