Dietary CLA and DHA modify skin properties in mice

This study investigated the influence of PUFA on the properties of mouse skin. Mice (3 wk old) were given free access to oils high in linoleic acid, CLA, or DHA for 4 wk. At the end of the experiment, their skins were compared by both biochemical and histological methods. No significant differences in lipid and collagen contents were detected among treatments, although the FA composition in the skin was altered depending upon the FA composition of the supplemented oils. Electron microscopy revealed that the subcutaneous tissue layers in the CLA and DHA groups were significantly thinner than that in the high linoleic acid group, whereas no differences in the thickness of dermis layers were observed among the three groups. These results suggest that skin properties in mice are readily modified by dietary FA sources within 4 wk of dietary oil supplementation.     

高灰熔点煤高温下煤焦CO2/水蒸汽气化反应特性的实验研究

我国煤炭年产量中，1400℃以上的高灰熔点煤约占50％以上。为探索固态排渣方式的高灰熔点煤气流床气化，本文选出具有代表性的三种高灰熔点煤种和一种低灰熔点煤种，在TGA-51H型高温热天平上进行了煤焦-CO2和煤焦-水蒸汽气化反应特性的实验研究，并利用SEM考察了气化条件下煤焦及灰的微观结构。实验结果表明：在煤焦-CO2、H2O反应过程中，反应速度明显表现出高温区域的扩散反应和低温区域的化学反应；无论在1273K～1573K的低温区域，还是在高于1573K的高温区域，反应速率随燃料比（FC/V）的增加而减小。     

Informative patches sampling for image classification by utilizing bottom-up and top-down information

In image classification based on bag of visual words framework, image patches used for creating image representations affect the classification performance significantly. However, currently, patches are sampled mainly based on processing low-level image information or just extracted regularly or randomly. These methods are not effective, because patches extracted through these approaches are not necessarily discriminative for image categorization. In this paper, we propose to utilize both bottom-up information through processing low-level image information and top-down information through exploring statistical properties of training image grids to extract image patches. In the proposed work, an input image is divided into regular grids, each of which is evaluated based on its bottom-up information and/or top-down information. Subsequently, every grid is assigned a saliency value based on its evaluation result, so that a saliency map can be created for the image. Finally, patch sampling from the input image is performed on the basis of the obtained saliency map. Furthermore, we propose a method to fuse these two kinds of information. The proposed methods are evaluated on both object categories and scene categories. Experiment results demonstrate their effectiveness.     

Design principle of micromechanical probe with an electrostatic actuator for friction force microscopy

It is important to understand friction force in micro/nano mechanical devices both at high sliding speed and with high lateral resolution. Dual-axis friction force microscopes that can provide high lateral resolution and accuracy have been proposed; however, the sliding speed is limited by the probe scan speed. While a micro mechanical probe (MMP) with an electrostatic actuator can overcome this problem, details of probe design have not been established yet. This paper presents the principle of the mechanical design for an MMP with high force sensitivity and sufficient drive force. The dimensions of the double cantilever beam control the spring constants, resonant frequencies, and drive force. The use of an actuated MMP enables accurate friction force microscopy at high sliding speeds, which is required for the design of micro/nano mechanical devices.     

EFFECT OF INTERMITTENT HEATING ON DRYING-INDUCED STRAIN-STRESS OF MOLDED CLAY

ABSTRACT

Parametric analyses of the strain-stress in the drying process are performed to study the influence of the intermittent drying on the behaviors of drying-induced strain-stress and deformation as well as the drying characteristic. The transient three-dimensional problem of strain-stress and heat and moisture transfer in a slab is solved simultaneously by the finite element method. The dimensionless parameters are introduced to generalize the problem in the conservation equations of heat and moisture transfer. The intermittent drying is modeled by applying periodically smaller and larger Biot numbers to the boundary conditions. The maximum tensile and compressive stresses fluctuate, and fall remarkably during the smaller Biot number period when a slab is heated intermittently. The peak stress of the fluctuation exceeds beyond the case in the continuous healing where the overall drying rate is almost equivalent to that in the intermittent beating, but the reduction of the stresses takes place rapidly in the low heating period.     

Organic LED full-color passive-matrix display

Abstract— A full-color 5.2-inch 1/4-VGA passive-matrix organic LED display has been developed, adopting selective deposition for the different emitting materials. The display features 320 (×3) × 240 pixels with an equivalent pixel size of 0.33 × 0.33 mm, white peak luminance of over 150 cd/m², and power consumption of 6 W.     

Experimental verification for stability improvement of sensorless vector control system of induction motor using real‐time tuning of observer gain

This paper proposes a method for the design of the adaptive rotor flux observer gain to improve stability at low speed and in regenerating mode. The method is based on stability analysis, which utilizes a linearized model considering all systems, including each control loop. Therefore, the proposed method considers the effects of motor constants and control circuit constants. The stability analysis using the transfer function for the rotor speed considers the arrangement of poles and zeros and the steady‐state error. The rotor flux observer gain which improves the stability for each operating condition is ascertained. This paper also proposes a real‐time tuning method for the observer gain. The validity of the proposed method was confirmed by simulation using Matlab Simulink and by experiment. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 166(1): 67–81, 2009; Published online in Wiley InterScience ( www.interscience.wiley.com ). DOI 10.1002/eej.20715     

Preparation of Ba(Mg1/3Ta2/3)O3 Using Oxine

A solution containing Mg²⁺ and Ta⁵⁺ was added to an aqueous ammonia solution of oxine, resulting in a precipitate. After the precipitate was thermally decomposed and fired, it was mixed with BaCO₃ powder and fired again at high temperatures to obtain Ba(Mg_1/3Ta_2/3)O₃ (BMT). This method resulted in BMT formation at temperatures lower than those used in the conventional mixed-oxide method, and single-phase BMT formed directly at 1300°C without intermediates.