Learning Novel Objects for Extended Mobile Manipulation

We propose a method for learning novel objects from audio visual input. The proposed method is based on two techniques: out-of-vocabulary (OOV) word segmentation and foreground object detection in complex environments. A voice conversion technique is also involved in the proposed method so that the robot can pronounce the acquired OOV word intelligibly. We also implemented a robotic system that carries out interactive mobile manipulation tasks, which we call “extended mobile manipulation”, using the proposed method. In order to evaluate the robot as a whole, we conducted a task “Supermarket” adopted from the RoboCup@Home league as a standard task for real-world applications. The results reveal that our integrated system works well in real-world applications.     

Optical Faraday rotator using Ce-substituted fibrous YIG singlecrystal grown by floating-zone method with YAG laser heating

A new optical Faraday rotator using a fibrous Ce-substituted yttrium-iron-garnet (Ce:YIG) single crystal was developed. The fibrous Ce:YIG single crystal was successfully grown by the floating-zone method with infrared-assisted YAG laser heating at a fast growth rate. This crystal has a good quality and shows a better figure-of-merit for an optical Faraday rotator at wavelength λ=1.55 μm compared with commonly used Bi-substituted YIG films. Ce:YIG single crystals grown by our method are expected to reduce the cost of optical isolators     

Histological evaluation of coronary plaque in patients with variant angina: relationship between vasospasm and neointimal hyperplasia in primary coronary lesions

OBJECTIVES: This study was designed to determine whether coronary vasospasm in patients with variant angina pectoris (VAP) may produce focal organic lesions at the site of vasospasm that would contribute to disease progression. BACKGROUND: Recent clinical angiographic and experimental studies have demonstrated the potential role of vasospasm in the worsening of organic coronary stenosis. METHODS: We studied histologically the coronary plaques obtained at atherectomy in 202 patients with moderate to severe coronary stenosis. This population included 22 patients with VAP, 100 patients with chronic stable angina and 80 patients with restenosis following angioplasty or atherectomy. Diagnosis of VAP was based on both the clinical feature of angina at rest associated with ST elevation and a positive response to acetylcholine provocation test. RESULTS: The most common histological appearance in 92% of patients with stable angina was hypocellular fibroatheromatous plaques, whereas neointimal hyperplasia was the characteristic feature of the plaque observed in 90% of patients with restenosis. The coronary specimens at the site of spasm in 15 of the 22 patients (68%) with VAP demonstrated intimal injuries such as neointimal hyperplasia (15), thrombus formation (2), and intimal hemorrhage (3). Neointimal hyperplasia was significantly more common in the patients with VAP as compared with those with stable angina (68% vs. 8%; p < 0.0001). A rapid progression of organic stenosis within three years was angiographically found in 5 of the 22 patients with variant angina. In all five cases, neointimal hyperplasia was the main contributor to the worsening of the organic lesion at the site of spasm. These histological findings in patients with VAP extremely resembled those in restenosis. Except for vasospasm, no factors significantly predicted the presence of neointimal formations in primary coronary lesions. CONCLUSIONS: Coronary vasospasm may provoke vascular injury that leads to the formation of neointima in VAP patients similar to that seen with restenosis. Coronary spasm may thus play a key role in the rapid coronary stenosis progression in certain patients with VAP.     

Chemokine-like Receptor 1 in Brain of Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats Mediates Systemic Hypertension

Adipocytokine chemerin is a biologically active molecule secreted from adipose tissue. Chemerin elicits a variety of functions via chemokine-like receptor 1 (CMKLR1). The cardiovascular center in brain that regulates blood pressure (BP) is involved in pathophysiology of systemic hypertension. Thus, we explored the roles of brain chemerin/CMKLR1 on regulation of BP in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). For this aim, we examined effects of intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) injection of CMKLR1 small interfering (si)RNA on both systemic BP as measured by tail cuff system and protein expression in paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of SHR as determined by Western blotting. We also examined both central and peripheral protein expression of chemerin by Western blotting. Systolic BP of SHR but not normotensive Wistar Kyoto rats (WKY) was decreased by CMKLR1 siRNA. The decrease of BP by CMKLR1 siRNA persisted for 3 days. Protein expression of CMKLR1 in PVN of SHR tended to be increased compared with WKY, which was suppressed by CMKLR1 siRNA. Protein expression of chemerin in brain, peripheral plasma, and adipose tissue was not different between WKY and SHR. In summary, we for the first time revealed that the increased protein expression of CMKLR1 in PVN is at least partly responsible for systemic hypertension in SHR.     

Measurement and numerical simulation of a small centrifugal compressor characteristics at small or negative flow rate

For centrifugal compressors used in automotive turbochargers,the extension of the surge margin is demanded because of lower engine speed.In order to estimate the surge line exactly,it is required to acquire the compressor characteristics at small or negative flow rate.In this paper,measurement and numerical simulation of the characteristics at small or negative flow rate are carried out.In the measurement,an experimental facility with a valve immediately downstream of the compressor is used to suppress the surge.In the numerical work,a new boundary condition that specifies mass flow rate at the outlet boundary is used to simulate the characteristics around the zero flow rate region.Furthermore,flow field analyses at small or negative flow rate are performed with the numerical results.The separated and re-circulated flow fields are investigated by visualization to identify the origin of losses.     

Characterization of styrene–methyl methacrylate–n-butyl acrylate terpolymers. I. Average diad concentration determined by 1H-NMR

The average diad concentrations of methyl methacrylate (MMA) unit, P ₂{M_iM_j}, of the title terpolymer prepared by radical polymerization with various conversions were studied by ¹H-NMR measurements. Several methoxy proton peaks of MMA resolved by the diamagnetic shielding effects of styrene were assigned to the individual microstructures of MMA-centered triads. The P ₂{M_iM_j} were determined from these peak ratios according to the terminal copolymerization model and the Ham's assumption of statistical simplification for a multicomponent copolymer (P₂{M_iM_j} = P₂{M_jM_i}), The observed values, P ₂{M_iM_j}, agreed with the values calculated from the monomer reactivity ratios for each conversions, and agreement with the copolymerization theory was evident.     

Behaviour of cobalt infiltration and abnormal grain growth during sintering of diamond on cobalt substrate

The infiltration behaviour of molten cobalt into a diamond powder compact was examined when the latter was placed on a cobalt disc and held at high pressure of 5.8 GPa and high temperature of 1350 to 1500° C. The larger the grain size of the starting diamond powder and the higher the holding temperature, the more easily cobalt infiltrated into the diamond compact. The infiltration is considered to occur because of the negative pressure in the voids formed between diamond grains. Although diamond powder was consolidated in this process of cobalt infiltration, abnormal grain growth was also observed in the boundary between cobalt and diamond compact because of the dissolution and precipitation process of the compact into molten cobalt.On leave from Chengdu University of Science and Technology, Chengdu, China.     

Static and kinetic studies of polystyrene/poly(vinylmethylether) blends

A systematic study of static and kinetic phase behavior of deuterated polystyrene/poly(vinylmethylether) blends is presented in this paper. The static properties are studied by the small angle neutron scattering techniques and the kinetics of phase decomposition are studied by the temperature jump light scattering; technique. This procedure provides detailed information about phase behavior with regard to both thermodynamics and kinetics.     

Effect of Viscosity on Preparation of Foamed Silica Ceramics by a Rapid Gelation Foaming Method

An environmentally benign preparation method for silica foam (the rapid gelation foaming method) was developed by combining sol-gel reactions and mechanical foaming without using organic polymers or monomers, in order to generate less CO₂ and harmful gases from the decomposition of organic compounds contained in the raw material. The viscosity of the silica sol during foaming affects the porous properties of the silica foam, i.e. the porosity and average pore size decrease with increasing viscosity. The pore structure of the silica foams depend on the viscosity of silica sol, two types of pore structure being formed. An open-pore structure is obtained by foaming low-viscosity sols, while a closed-pore structure is obtained by foaming high-viscosity sols. Since the viscosity of the silica sol affects the stability and foaming ability of the foam, the porous properties of the product can be controlled by controlling the viscosity of the silica during foaming.