Effects of minimizing hydrodynamic pressure in ultra-precision mirror grinding

This paper describes an investigation about the fluid delivery method that minimizes the generation of hydrodynamic pressure and that improves grinding accuracy. Traditionally, grinding fluid is delivered for the purpose of cooling, chip flushing and lubrication. Hence, numbers of conventional investigations are focused on the delivery method to maximize fluid flux into the contact arc between grinding wheel and workpiece. It is already known that hydrodynamic pressure generates due to this fluid flux, and that it affects overall grinding resistance and machining accuracy. Especially in the ultra-precision mirror grinding process that requires extremely small amount of cut per each pass, its influence on the machining accuracy becomes more significant. Therefore, in this paper, a new delivery method of grinding fluid is proposed on the point of minimizing hydrodynamic pressure effect. Experimental data indicate that the proposed method is effective not only to minimize the hydrodynamic pressure but also to improve machining accuracy.     

Rotation invariant image matching by interpolated eight‐direction block matching

Template image matching is a method for seeking a target image area that is similar to a registered template image. However, template matching is a general‐purpose technique for various image applications, and the image under consideration must generally have the right position with respect to the template image. Therefore, the computational cost is large when both the location and inclination of the target image area are unknown. This paper proposes a method of searching for a target image area with arbitrary location and inclination by multiple matching using separated block template images. In the method, the template image is divided into small block areas with a size of 3 × 3 pixels. The image pattern in each block is rotated by 45^° and matching is performed between the rotated blocks and the image under consideration. The experimental results show that the proposed method has higher matching reliability than the conventional methods. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 154(1): 66–73, 2006; Published online in Wiley InterScience ( www.interscience.wiley.com ). DOI 10.1002/eej.20107     

Electron microscopy and phase analysis of fly ash from pressurized fluidized bed combustion

The characterization of the typical fly ashes from pressurized fluidized bed combustion system (PFBC) in Japan and Europe was carried out by electron microscopy and phase analysis using energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). The purity of limestone as in-bed sulfur removal sorbent influences the desulfurization reaction. The high-purity limestone yielded both hydroxyl ellestadite and anhydrite in Japanese PFBC ashes, while dolomite-rich limestone yielded anhydrite in European PFBC ashes. When the high-purity limestone was used, hydroxyl ellestadite particles were observed as the independent particles or the rim around limestone particles. The Al₂O₃ content in the glassy phase was inversely proportional to the CaO content in the glassy phase, suggesting that the glassy phases were formed from metakaoline and calcite as end members. Since hydroxyl ellestadite, glassy phase and metakaoline are reactive under hydrothermal conditions, PFBC ashes are expected to be used as raw materials for autoclaved products.     

Role of transforming growth factor-beta1 in the pathogenesis of moyamoya disease

N-Nitroso propoxur (NP) can be synthesized from a widely used N-methylcarbamate insecticide, propoxur, in vitro in the laboratory. Because of the extensive use of aerosol propoxur, the adverse effect on cells of respiratory origin is worth elucidating. In this report, two mammalian cell cultures from respiratory tissues [a hamster lung fibroblast, V79, and a primary rat tracheal epithelial cell (RTE)], were used to investigate the genotoxicity of propoxur and NP. NP was more cytotoxic than propoxur, with LC50s (20 and six times smaller, respectively in V79 and RTE cells. NP significantly induced sister chromatid exchange (> or = 0.01 microg/ml), chromosome aberration (> or = 2.5 microg/ml) and hprt gene mutation (> or = 0.5 microg/ml) in V79 cells, and cell transformation (> or = 0.2 microg/ml) in RTE cells. Results of chromosome aberration and hprt gene mutation indicated that the major pre-mutagenic lesion induced by NP must be the O6-methylguanine adduct, which frequently mispairs with thymine and thus gives rise to a GC-->AT transition. Propoxur was not mutagenic to either type of cells. However, it inhibited gap-junctional intercellular communication in V79 cells, which indicates that propoxur could act through some epigenetic mechanisms, such as tumor promotion or cell proliferation, in the multiple process of chemical carcinogenesis.     

Semiconducting Layer impedance and its effect on cable wave-propagation and transient Characteristics

This paper has derived an impedance formula for conductor's semiconducting layer based on a conventional circuit theory. The formula is confirmed to be identical to an accurate one derived by solving Maxwell's equation. A wave-propagation characteristic and a transient voltage on a cable having the semiconducting layer on the conductor's surface are evaluated by applying the derived formula, and are compared with those on a cable with no semiconducting layer. The semiconducting layer increases the conductor impedance, and thus, the attenuation constant is increased, and the propagation velocity and the characteristic impedance are decreased for a coaxial mode by the semiconducting layer, but the inter-phase mode of propagation is not affected. A transient voltage is attenuated more and its oscillating period becomes greater than those on a cable with no semiconducting layer. The effect of the semiconducting layer impedance on the wave-propagation characteristic and the transient voltage is rather minor when the layer thickness is small and the resistivity is high, and the semiconducting layer effect is dominated by its admittance.     

Improved large-scale isolation of breeder porcine islets: possibility of harvesting from nonheart-beating donor

Previous studies of the effect of carbonation on taste perception have suggested that it may be negligible, manifesting primarily in increases in the perceived intensity of weak salt and sour stimuli. Assuming CO2 solutions in the mouth stimulate only trigeminal nerve endings, this result is not altogether surprising; however, there are neurophysiological data indicating that CO2 stimulates gustatory as well as trigeminal fibers. In that case, carbonation might alter the quality profile of a stimulus without producing substantial changes in overall taste intensity--much as occurs when qualitatively different taste stimuli are mixed. To address this possibility, subjects were asked to rate the total taste intensity of moderate concentrations of stimuli representing each of the basic tastes and their binary combinations, with an without added carbonation. They then subdivided total taste intensity into the proportions of sweetness, saltiness, sourness, bitterness and 'other taste qualities' they perceived. The addition of carbonation produced only small increases in ratings of total taste intensity. However, rather dramatic alterations in the quality profiles of stimuli were observed, particularly for sweet and salty tastes. The nature of the interaction is consistent with a direct effect of carbonation/CO2 on the gustatory system, although the possibility that at least some of the observed effects reflect trigeminal-gustatory interactions cannot be ruled out.     

Discovery of a novel thrombopoietin mimic agonist peptide

A random phage peptide library was constructed for the filamentous bacteriophage fuse5. The library was made by inserting a degenerate oligonucleotide which encodes 15 variable amino acids into the NH2-terminal region of the phage gene III protein. This library, containing 1x10(9) different phages, was screened with a human immunoglobulin fusion protein containing the extracellular region of human thrombopoietin receptor. Several phages were isolated following four cycles of enrichment and amplification. These phages specifically bound to the fusion protein. One phage peptide acted as an agonist of the thrombopoietin receptor, since it stimulated the proliferation of thrombopoietin-dependent cells and the differentiation of mouse bone marrow cells to megakaryocytes. The amino acid sequence of this peptide is not present in the primary amino acid sequence of thrombopoietin. This discovery may lead to the design of a small-molecular mimic of thrombopoietin.