Acoustic Location of Fracture Origin in Optical Glass Fibers

During strength measurements on plastic-coated optical glass fibers, the positions of fracture origins were determined by an acoustic technique. For samples other than those in which fracture was initiated at or very near the fixed ends, Weibull plots of the strength data exhibited a single-mode distribution with low variability (m=20 to 25, corresponding to a coefficient of variation of 6.6 to 10.6%).     

Optimal design of linear control systems by an interactive optimization method

When designing linear control systems, one of the most difficult problems is that the designer almost has no theoretical basis for the determination of proper parameters in order to obtain a system with desired specifications. Poles and directions of eigenvectors in the pole assignment method or weighting matrices of the quadratic criterion function in the optimal regulator method are such parameters. The designer has to determine them by trial-and-error using computer simulation. The purpose of this paper is to propose an approach to helping determine proper parameters in linear control system design by the state space methods. In the case where the desired specifications are not given explicitly, the approach applies an interactive optimization method called the Interactive Simplex method to search the most suitable parameters directly in the parameter space. But, if the specifications are given explicitly, the design problem can be formulated as a multiobjective optimization problem. In this case, weights which indicate relative importance of different specifications are introduced and the Interactive Simplex method is applied in the weight space to indirectly find the most appropriate parameters. The approach is implemented as part of a CAD system. The designer has only to make pairwise comparisons of response curves which are shown on a graphics display terminal in order to obtain the most preferred control system. Two illustrative examples are demonstrated to indicate the efficiency of the approach.     

Two-dimensional thickness measurements based on internal reflection ellipsometry

An imaging ellipsometer technique on internal reflection geometry that can measure the thickness distribution of a thin film possessing an assumed refractive index is described. Because a prism is used for the internal reflection geometry, it was theoretically predicted that angular derivation from the normal incidence on the prism surface affects only the psi value by a factor of 0.97 at maximum. Measurements were carried out for an optical system of silica substrate-TiO2 layer-silica layer-protein film-air, with a thin-film array of dried protein as the sample film. Thickness of the protein films was two-dimensionally estimated only from the measured map of the delta value by use of the simulated relationship between the thickness and the delta value. The thickness map obtained was coincident on the whole with the results according to a mechanical scanning. The detection limit was approximately +/- 0.2 nm. These findings validate the optical effect of a high-index additional layer to improve the sensitivity and precision of thickness measurements of the sample film on transparent substrates.     

Some generalized sufficient convergence criteria for nonlinear continuous neural networks

A reason for applying the direct method of Lyapunov to artificial neural networks (ANNs) is to design dynamical neural networks so that they exhibit global asymptotic stability. Lyapunov functions that frequently appear in the ANN literature include the quadratic function, the Persidskii function, and the Luré-Postnikov function. This contribution revisits the quadratic function and shows that via Krasovskii-like stability criteria, it is possible to have a very simple and systematic procedure to obtain not only new and generalized results but also well-known sufficient conditions for convergence established recently by non-Lyapunov methods, such as the matrix measure and nonlinear measure.     

Inorganic-organic hybrid molecular architectures of cyanometalate host and organic guest systems: specific behavior of the guests

Molecular architectures built of inorganic cyanometalate building blocks provide variegated host structures with several organic guest molecules. The strategies to derive novel structures are presented briefly. The formation of a charge-transfer (CT) complex as the guest inside the cavity and the photochemistry of the CT complexes are discussed. The chemical pressure that the guest experiences inside the cavity is also discussed based on the vibrational spectroscopic results.     

In situ observation of freeze-fractured and deep-etched red blood cells with a high-vacuum low-temperature atomic force microscope

A high-vacuum low-temperature atomic force microscope (AFM) for the direct observation of freeze-fracture samples has been developed. This AFM has a freeze-fracture mechanism inside the vacuum chamber. With this AFM it is possible to observe the fractured surface directly without both fabricating a replica and exposure to the ambient atmosphere. Both sandwich and knife fracture methods have been achieved to obtain freeze-fracture surfaces and after deep etching. A fine structure of the fractured red blood cell membrane has been observed using both methods. These are relatively quick and easy methods for the observation of freeze-fracture surfaces without introducing replica artifacts.     

Development of a novel system to quantify the spatial–temporal parameters for crutch-assisted quadrupedal gait

Abstract

Patients with gait disorders often use bilateral crutches along with their own two legs. It is a kind of quadrupedalism. Crutch-assisted gait is usually described and evaluated qualitatively. In this study, we developed a system to quantify the spatial and temporal parameters for crutch-assisted quadrupedalism. Our system consists of walkway hardware and our originally developed software. We specifically extended the measurable area to 1200 mm × 4800 mm, large enough to measure crutch gait. Using our system, we could describe crutch gait precisely. Our system has a capability to evaluate differences between patients and changes within a patient.     

Effect of humidity on human comfort and productivity after step changes from warm and humid environment

Subjective experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of humidity on human comfort and productivity under transient conditions from hot and humid environment to thermally neutral condition. Two climate chambers, “Chamber 1” and “Chamber 2”, adjoined each other were used for this study. Subjects were exposed to 30 °C/70%RH air in Chamber 1 for 15 min with 2.0 met of metabolic rate. Then they moved into Chamber 2, where 4 humidity conditions, 30, 40, 50 and 70%RH were examined. Air temperature was adjusted to keep SET* constant at 25.2 °C for all conditions. Subjects were exposed in Chamber 2 for 180 min performing 2 kinds of simulated office work.

Positive effects of low humidity on subjective pleasantness were found under transient condition at low humidity due to more evaporation from human body, while no significant difference in thermal sensation and humidity sensation among 4 relative humidity levels was obtained. Subjective performance was found to be at the same level under all conditions. However, subjects reported to be more tired at 70%RH after humidity step change.     

Experimental visualization of lithium diffusion in LixFePO4

Chemical energy storage using batteries will become increasingly important for future environmentally friendly ('green') societies. The lithium-ion battery is the most advanced energy storage system, but its application has been limited to portable electronics devices owing to cost and safety issues. State-of-the-art LiFePO4 technology as a new cathode material with surprisingly high charge-discharge rate capability has opened the door for large-scale application of lithium-ion batteries such as in plug-in hybrid vehicles. The scientific community has raised the important question of why a facile redox reaction is possible in the insulating material. Geometric information on lithium diffusion is essential to understand the facile electrode reaction of LixFePO4 (0相似文献