The relationship between land-surface temperature and rice quality in Tottori prefecture,Japan

Numerous studies have suggested that rice quality in Japan is affected by high temperatures during the ripening period, especially in summer. On the assumption that land-surface temperature (LST) can be substituted for air temperature, we examined rice quality using LST satellite data from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) during the ripening stage (August) in Tottori prefecture. Rice quality in Tottori was very low compared with Japan as a whole and to neighbouring prefectures. LST was correlated with minimum and average air temperatures in August at six meteorological stations in Tottori. Rice quality decreased with increasing LST, and the threshold LST value when the quality of rice was less than 50% was 307 K (33.9 °C). The spatial distribution of LST in August indicated that LST values over 307 K were widespread, especially in coastal and lowland areas, and areas with the highest rice quality corresponded with intermountain regions that had LSTs less than 307 K.     

Fast frequency-resolved terahertz imaging

We propose a fast, frequency-resolved, real-time, terahertz imaging method. With our method, images at two specific terahertz frequencies can be acquired in 1 min. Three kinds of drugs (L-histidine, maltose, and CBZ3), which have absorption peaks in the terahertz region, were distinguished in 3 min by using our method. This technique can be used in industrial applications, such as nondestructive testing.     

Bayesian selection probability estimation for probabilistic Boolean networks

A Bayesian approach to estimate selection probabilities of probabilistic Boolean networks is developed in this study. The concepts of inverse Boolean function and updatable set are introduced to specify states which can be used to update a Bayesian posterior distribution. The analysis on convergence of the posteriors is carried out by exploiting the combination of semi‐tensor product technique and state decomposition algorithm for Markov chain. Finally, some numerical examples demonstrate the proposed estimation algorithm.     

Kinetic boundary conditions for vapor–gas binary mixture

Using molecular dynamics simulations, the present study investigated the precise characteristics of the binary mixture of condensable gas (vapor) and non-condensable gas (NC gas) molecules creating kinetic boundary conditions (KBCs) at a gas–liquid interface in equilibrium. We counted the molecules utilizing the improved two-boundary method proposed in previous studies by Kobayashi et al. (Heat Mass Trans 52:1851–1859, 2016. doi: 10.1007/s00231-015-1700-6). In this study, we employed Ar for the vapor molecules, and Ne for the NC gas molecules. The present method allowed us to count easily the evaporating, condensing, degassing, dissolving, and reflecting molecules in order to investigate the detailed motion of the molecules, and also to evaluate the velocity distribution function of the KBCs at the interface. Our results showed that the evaporation and condensation coefficients for vapor and NC gas molecules decrease with the increase in the molar fraction of the NC gas molecules in the liquid. We also found that the KBCs can be specified as a function of the molar fraction and liquid temperature. Furthermore, we discussed the method to construct the KBCs of vapor and NC gas molecules.     

User study of a life-supporting humanoid directed in a multimodal language

This article describes a user study of a life-supporting humanoid directed in a multimodal language, and discusses the results. Twenty inexperienced users commanded the humanoid in a computer-simulated remote home environment in the multimodal language by pressing keypad buttons and speaking to the robot. The results show that they comprehended the language well and were able to give commands successfully. They often chose a press-button action in place of verbal phrases to specify a direction, speed, length, angle, and/or temperature value, and preferred multimodal commands to spoken commands. However, they did not think that it was very easy to give commands in the language. This article discusses the results and points out both strong and weak points of the language and our robot.     

A collaborative localization tolerant to recognition error by double-check particle exchange

Statistical algorithms using particle filters for collaborative multi-robot localization have been proposed. In these algorithms, by synchronizing every robot’s belief or exchanging particles of the robots with each other, fast and accurate localization is attained. These algorithms assume correct recognition of other robots, and the effects of recognition errors are not discussed. However, if the recognition of other robots is incorrect, a large amount of error in localization can occur. This article describes this problem. Furthermore, an algorithm for collaborative multi-robot localization is proposed in order to cope with this problem. In the proposed algorithm, the particles of a robot are sent to other robots according to measurement results obtained by the sending robot. At the same time, some particles remain in the sending robot. Particles received from other robots are evaluated using measurement results obtained by the receiving robot. The proposed method is tolerant to recognition error by the remaining particles and evaluating the exchanged particles in the sending and receiving robots twice, and if there is no recognition error, the proposed method increases the accuracy of the estimation by these two evaluations. These properties of the proposed method are argued mathematically. Simulation results show that incorrect recognition of other robots does not cause serious problems in the proposed method.     

Random field model for integration of local information and global information

This paper presents a proposal of a general framework that explicitly models local information and global information in a conditional random field. The proposed method extracts global image features as well as local ones and uses them to predict the scene of the input image. Scene-based top-down information is generated based on the predicted scene. It represents a global spatial configuration of labels and category compatibility over an image. Incorporation of the global information helps to resolve local ambiguities and achieves locally and globally consistent image recognition. In spite of the model's simplicity, the proposed method demonstrates good performance in image labeling of two datasets.     

Synthesis of polymers bearing azo-dye chromophore with photocrosslinkable moiety for nonlinear optics

Summary Novel photocrosslinkable second-order nonlinear optical(NLO) polymers were synthesized from radical homopolymerization of 4-[N-ethyl-N-(2-methacryloyloxyethyl)]amino-4-(2-cinnamoyloxyethyloxycarbonyl)-2-nitroazobenzene(MACN) or copolymerization of MACN with 2-(cinnamoxyloxy)ethyl methacrylate(CM), and from polycondensation of 4-[N,N-bis(2-hydroxyethyl)]amino-4-(2-cinnamoyloxyethyloxycarbonyl)-2-nitroazobenzene(HACN) with p-phenylenediacyloyl chloride(PD). For the purpose of obtaining an optimized condition of UV irradiation for poling treatment involving photocrosslinking, photoreactivity of these NLO polymer films was investigated. There was observed considerably different photoreaction behavior, especially in photofading of the NLO chromophore, between MACN polymer and HACNPD polycondensate; the latter faded more rapidly than the former. A reason for this phenomenon was considered.     

Etching characteristics of SiO2 in CHF3 gas plasma

The etching characteristics of SiO₂} have been investigated in the CHF₃} gas plasma using the planar type reactor with the 400 kHz rf power. The etch rate of SiO₂}, the SiO₂} /Si and SiO₂}/resist etch rate ratios, and the deterioration of photoresist films are studied with a variety of etching parameters. The etching characteristics depend strongly on the coupling mode. With the cathode coupling mode, the values of 300å/min and of larger than 100 are obtained for the etch rate of SiO₂} and the SiO₂}/Si etch rate ratio, respectively. Only 8 is given for the SiO₂} /Si etch rate ratio with the anode one. The deterioration of photoresist films less occurs with the cathode coupling mode than with the anode one. The dependences of the etching characteristics on the rf current, gas pressure, gas flow rate, and the electrode separations are also studied some in detail with the cathode coupling mode. Possible explanations for some of the experimental results are discussed.     

Photodegradable polymers. II. Preparation of styrene copolymers with alkyl and phenyl β-styryl ketones and their photodegradability

Photodegradable polymers having pendent carbonyl groups attached directly to the polymer chain were prepared by copolymerization of styrene (St) with alkyl and phenyl β-styryl ketones (RCOCH?CHC₆H₅), where R = CH₃, C₂H₅, n-C₅H₁₁, n-C₁₁H₂₃, t-C₄H₉, cyclo-C₆H₁₁, and C₆H₅. The photodegradability of these copolymers was traced by viscometric and IR spectroscopic measurements. The degradability of St–benzalacetophenone (BAPh) copolymer is greater than that of St–alkyl styryl ketone copolymers under the irradiation of a high-pressure Hg lamp. The photodecomposition behavior St–BAPh copolymer was investigated in detail by a spectoirradiation technique. The changes in molecular weight and its distribution by photodegradation were measured by gel permeation chromatography, and the quantum yield for bond scission along the main chains of the copolymer was estimated to be about 5 × 10^?3 by 328 nm irradiation in a benzene solution. Examination of the effect of wavelength of the radiation on the bond scission showed that 328-nm light is most effective. The photochemical degradation process was shown to occur chiefly via triplet state of carbonyl groups by the quenching technique using 1,3-cyclohexadiene as a triplet quencher. The quantum yield of decarbonylation process was also estimated to be about 4.2 × 10 ^?2 in benzene.