Multilingual disaster information system: information delivery using graphic text for mobile phones

A multilingual disaster information system (MLDI) has been developed to overcome the language barrier during times of natural disaster. MLDI is a web-based system that includes templates in nine languages so that translated texts can be made available immediately. Mobile phone e-mail with graphic text is a useful tool for delivering multilingual disaster information. The visibility of graphic text on mobile phones was measured and found to be equivalent to the built-in font. However, visibility deteriorates as the character size becomes smaller, especially, on displays with poor resolution. This article also discusses the necessity of multilingual information and measures for a safe and barrier-free society.     

Illumination control system for adaptive dynamic range control

Abstract— We have developed an illumination control system for adaptive dynamic range control. This system satisfies several performance requirements for image quality and reliability. A projection system using the illumination control system can reproduce images with optimum brightness for each image.     

The RIKEN radioactive beam facility

A radioactive beam facility based on projectile fragmentation, RIPS, has been constructed at RIKEN to enable radioactive-beam experiments. The facility is characterized by the production of high-intensity beams and spin-polarized beams. Since the beginning of 1990, experiments on exotic nuclei have been extensively performed exploiting these useful features. The characteristics and the present status of the RIPS are described.     

Bioluminescence detection system of mutagen using firefly luciferase genes introduced in Escherichia coli lysogenic strain.

A rapid and convenient microbial sensing system for mutagens was developed based upon the induction of prophage from Escherichia coli lysogenic strain and bioluminescence. The system consisted of lysogenic E. coli encoding firefly luciferase genes and a photodetection system. Measurement of mutagen mitomycin C was achieved by measuring the luminescence intensity emitted from E. coli lysogenic strain for the recombinant phage in the presence of luminescence substrates. Approximately 1 h after addition of mitomycin C, the luminescence began to be observed, and 3 h after, it attained a level of 2 times greater than that of 1 h. Irradiation with ultraviolet light also produced light based on induction of phage from the E. coli lysogenic strain for the recombinant phage. On the other hand, when nonmutagenic toxic compounds like sodium azide were added to the reaction medium, luminescence was not observed. Mitomycin C could be detected within 1 h with this sensing system, at concentrations down to 10(2) ng/assay.     

Transmission line tower models in frequency domain

This paper proposes a transmission line tower model in frequency domain for back-flashover analysis, which has a uniform characteristic impedance and a uniform propagation constant. Most conventional tower models are constructed as a constant and uniform parameter transmission line that is independent of frequency. However, the authors' models have the frequency dependency of the characteristic impedance and the propagation constant to express the frequency characteristic of the transmission line tower. Two models, a cylinder model and a four-frames model, were investigated to simulate the tower. Their surge responses were computed by numerical electromagnetic field analysis based on the moment method. From the results, the two-port circuit constants were calculated in the frequency domain, and the characteristic impedance and the propagation constant are derived from them. The complex artificial oscillations appeared in frequency dependency of the parameters because the parameters were calculated numerically. The equations with analytical form were obtained by approximating with a smooth curve to the oscillations. It is possible for the equations to represent the transmission line constants as a function of geometrical parameters such as the tower height and the radius. Close agreement was found between the surge response computed by the numerical electromagnetic field analysis and the result calculated by inverse Laplace transformation of the analytical equations. To prove the model, the experimental results were compared with the computed ones of the cylinder model that has arms, and it was shown that the new model agrees closer with the experiment than conventional transmission line models.     

Protection of mammalian cells from the toxicity of bleomycin by expression of a bleomycin-binding protein gene from Streptomyces verticillus

PURPOSE: To investigate the effects of radiation on anorectal function in patients with carcinoma of the uterine cervix. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Anorectal manometry was carried out on 24 patients (complication group) with late radiation proctitis. All of the manometric data from these patients were compared with those from 24 age-matched female volunteers (control group), in whom radiation treatment had not yet been performed. RESULTS: Regardless of the severity of proctitis symptoms, 25% of patients demonstrated all their manometric data within the normal range, but 75% of patients exhibited one or more abnormal manometric parameters for sensory or motor functions. Six patients (25%) had an isolated sensory dysfunction, eight patients (33.3%) had an isolated motor dysfunction, and four patients (16.7%) had combined disturbances of both sensory and motor functions. The maximum tolerable volume, the minimal threshold volume, and the urgent volume in the complication group were significantly reduced compared with those in the control group. The mean squeeze pressure in the complication group was significantly reduced, whereas the mean resting pressure and anal sphincter length were unchanged. CONCLUSIONS: Physiologic changes of the anorectum in patients with late radiation proctitis seem to be caused by a variety of sensory and/or motor dysfunctions in which many different mechanisms are working together. The reduced rectal reservoir capacity and impaired sensory functions were crucial factors for functional disorder in such patients. In addition, radiation damage to the external anal sphincter muscle was considered to be an important cause of motor dysfunction.     

Scattering and mode conversion of guided modes by an arbitrary cross-sectional cylindrical object in an optical slab waveguide

The scattering and mode conversion of guided modes caused by a cylindrical scatterer of arbitrary cross section embedded in, or placed on, a dielectric slab waveguide are investigated theoretically. The method employed for the analysis is the surface current integral equation technique. The total scattered power, mode-conversion coefficients, and scattering patterns for the typical numerical examples are shown.     

Analysis of the guided modes in slab-coupled waveguides using a variational method

The waveguiding properties of the slab-coupled waveguides (i.e., the optical stripline and the rib waveguide) are investigated by the vector variational method. The slab-coupled waveguides are low-loss optical waveguides which are easy to fabricate and design. In this paper, the propagation constants and the field intensity distributions of the slab-coupled waveguides are presented, and the effects on the wave-guiding properties caused by changing their geometrical parameters are discussed. The results obtained by employing the variational method are compared with those obtained by using other methods.     

Efficient frequency doubling of 1-W continuous-wave Ti:sapphire laser with a robust high-finesse external cavity

We demonstrated an intrinsic conversion efficiency of 56% from the input fundamental power to the generated second-harmonic power. The second-harmonic power of 581 mW was obtained from the external cavity with a LiB3O5 crystal through the frequency doubling of a 1.17-W Ti:sapphire laser at 746 nm, when the finesse of the robust external cavity was 260.