Finger Braille teaching system-teaching of prosody of finger Braille

Finger Braille is one of tactual communication media of deaf-blind people. Deaf-blind people who are skilled in Finger Braille can catch up with speech conversation, because of prosody of Finger Braille. Features of prosody are： （1） characters at the end of clauses are dotted long; （2） characters of voiced sounds and double consonants are dotted shortly. In this paper, we designed three teaching patterns which taught prosody of Finger Braille （dot conditions about duration of dotting）. Teaching pattern 1 indicated a dot pattern with colored solid background. Teaching pattern 2 indicated a dot pattern with colored empty background. Teaching pattern 3 indicated a dot pattern with colored arrow （long or short）. Every teaching pattern includes 6 colors （red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple）. In the questionnaire, the yellow pattern of teaching pattern 3 was selected as the most visible pattern. In the evaluation experiment, the yellow pattern of teaching pattern 3, the red and purple patterns of teaching pattern 1 （the least visible pattern） and the existing patterns without teaching of dot conditions are compared. As a result, every subject could dot long at the end of clauses and could dot shortly at the voiced sounds and double consonants. The answers of questionnaire indicated that the yellow pattern of teaching pattern 3 was also the most visible and easiest teaching pattern.     

Evaluation Results of the Signal Decomposition Technique for OFDM Transmission which Achieves the Power‐Added Efficiency Improvement and the SNR Enhancement Using the Noise Elimination

The authors have proposed the signal decomposition technique as one of the powerful solution to mitigate the large peak‐to‐average power ratio (PAPR) to be addressed in orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) transmitters especially on mobile terminals. In order to enhance the receiver SNR, the simple noise elimination techniques working together with the signal decomposition technique have also been proposed that eliminates the noise added on the decomposed constant amplitude on‐off‐signals taking advantage of the knowledge of their constant amplitude at the receiver. In this paper, we discuss the parameter design issue of the proposed techniques and their optimization. Then, demonstrate the PAPR, the power‐added efficiency (PAE), and also the BER performances operating on the optimized parameters. It is confirmed that the proposed signal decomposition technique improves the PAPR by 4 dB and doubles the PAE at the complementary cumulative distribution function of 1%. It is also confirmed that the proposed noise elimination technique improves the receiver SNR by 3 dB at the BER of 10 to 3, which is nearly equal to that of conventional OFDM, under the conditions that the decomposed signals are transmitted over the independent additive white Gaussian noise channels. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that the proposed techniques work properly when the decomposed signals are transmitted over 2 × 2 multi‐input multi‐output.     

Low‐Voltage‐Ride‐Through Performance of an HVDC Transmission System Using Two Modular Multilevel Double‐Star Chopper‐Cells Converters

This paper presents an intensive discussion on a long‐distance high‐voltage direct‐current (HVDC) transmission system that combines two modular multilevel cascade converters based on double‐star chopper cells (MMCC‐DSCC) with DC power cables. Hereinafter, a single MMCC‐DSCC is referred to as a DSCC converter or just as a DSCC for the sake of simplicity. The HVDC transmission system is required to provide low‐voltage‐ride‐through (LVRT) capability to enhance transmission system availability. This paper proposes a new LVRT method without any direct information exchange between the two DSCC converters. The validity of the method is verified, using simulated waveforms from the software package of “PSCAD/EMTDC” and experimental waveforms from a three‐phase 200‐V, 400‐Vdc, 10‐kW, 50‐Hz downscaled HVDC system with a set of 300‐meter‐long DC power cables.     

BIDIRECTIONAL TRANSMISSION OF ADDRESSED AUDIO SIGNAL THROUGH GI MULTIMODE OPTICAL FIBRES

This paper describes two types of bidirectional addressed audio signal transmission systems where the square-wave frequency modulation (SWFM) and intensity modulation (IM) are used to obtain the optical SWFM signals generated from LEDs at 850 nm. The first one is an addressed audio signal transmission network of tree structure. The sender and auxiliary receiver in the centre are connected to four terminals, each consisting of a receiver and an auxiliary sender, through pairs of optical fibres and an optical splitter used as an optical signal distributor. The second one is a new type of full-duplex one-to-one communication system. The sender and auxiliary receiver in one terminal are connected to the receiver and auxiliary sender in the other terminal through an optical fibre and a pair of directional couplers. Although LEDs in the second system deliver optical SWFM signals at the same wavelength of 850 nm at the same time, the communications are satisfactory because there is no interference from one LED to the other. In both the first and second experimental systems, the audio signal, address, and SWFM carrier occupy 10 Hz to 20 kHz, 65 kHz to 710 kHz, and 6 MHz, respectively. The SNR and distortion were 62 dB and 0.4 per cent, respectively.     

Simple evaluation of aortic arch calcification by chest radiography in hemodialysis patients

Vascular calcification is associated with a poor prognosis in dialysis patients. It can be assessed with computed tomography but simple inoffice techniques may provide useful information. We compared the results obtained with a simple noninvasive technique with those obtained using multidetector computed tomography for aortic arch calcification volume (AoACV) in chronic hemodialysis (HD) patients. The enrolled study subjects were 63 (32 men and 31 women) maintenance HD patients. Calcification of the aortic arch was semiquantitatively estimated with a AoAC score (AoACS) on plain chest radiology. The AoACV was increased, with a mean value of 6.6 ranging from 0% to 36.5%. The coefficient of intraobserver variation was less than 2.5%. Aortic arch calcification score was highly correlated with AoACV (r=0.635, P<0.001). Multiple regression analysis showed age (F value=12.62, P<0.001) and pulse pressure (F value=4.54, P=0.037) to be significant independent determinants of AoACS. In conclusion, a simple measurement of AoACS may be useful for inoffice imaging to choose a therapeutic regimen in HD patients.     

Control of Snow Falling Flow around NACA0015 Blade using a Plasma Electrode with Weather Resistant Design

The plasma actuation (PA) effect on the snow falling flow was investigated using a plasma electrode with weather resistant design and the natural snow wind facility of the Hokkaido University of Science. NACA0015 test blade with chord length c of 300 mm was used. Wind tunnel tests were carried out under the angle of the attack of the blade was fixed at 15 degrees, and the main flow velocity is U=5 m/s. PIV (Particle image velocimetry) measurements were conducted on various PA conditions using natural dry snowflakes as a tracer. When the actuator was driven under the condition of the fundamental frequency of F=50 kHz, and the pulsed modulated frequency f of fc/U=1 and Duty ratio (Ratio of plasma ON time to pulse duration time) =1%, movement of snowflakes was controlled the most effectively tested. It was clarified that the fundamental frequency of PA also affects the control of snow flow. Under snowfall conditions, the weather resistant designed plasma electrode has suffered no damage and operated successfully.     

局部干法水下Nd:YAG激光焊接技术

本文采用填丝热导焊的方法研究了水下激光焊接的基本物理现象,结果表明,利用气体喷嘴可形成局部干燥空间,其保护效果取决于喷嘴结构和气体流量等参数。喷嘴的外径大小对保护效果影响显著。当保护条件差时,局部干燥空间将有水浸入,导致焊缝由良好保护条件下的浅而表面光滑平整的形状变为深而表面起伏的形状。良好保护条件下的水下焊缝的力学性能和大气中一致。     

A Cooperative Control Algorithm for Multiple SVRs Using Correlation of Measurement Data of Distribution Line

In this paper, a cooperative control algorithm for multiple step voltage regulator (SVR) using correlation of measurement data of distribution line is proposed. Conventionally, the control time constant of a SVR placed on the feeder end side was set slower than a SVR placed on the substation side. The unnecessary tap movement of SVR was reduced by this setting. In this case, on the condition that “the photovoltaic power generation output of the feeder end fluctuates” and “only SVR of the end side works”, it is a problem that control of SVR becomes slow. By the proposed method, the SVR settled in end side of a feeder can change its tap rapidly only if the SVR settled in sending side of a feeder will not change its tap by using proposed method. The features of the method are followings: (1) to estimate tap change possibility of the sending side SVR using correlation model of both of the SVR, (2) only use local measurement data of the SVRs for tap change control. By the proposed method, unnecessary tap change operation and lag of tap control are reduced without communication networks.     

A Low‐Speed,High‐Torque Motor Drive Using a Modular Multilevel Cascade Converter Based on Triple‐Star Bridge Cells (MMCC‐TSBC)

This paper provides an experiment‐based discussion on a modular multilevel cascade converter based on triple‐star bridge cells (MMCC‐TSBC) for a low‐speed high‐torque motor drive. The TSBC is a direct ac‐to‐ac power converter capable of achieving bidirectional power flow as well as drawing and feeding three‐phase sinusoidal input (supply‐side) and output (motor‐side) currents with any power factor at both sides. This paper discusses active dc‐capacitor‐voltage control applied to the low‐speed, high‐torque motor drive. A specially designed downscaled system combining a 320‐V, 38‐Hz, 6‐pole, 15‐kW induction motor with a 400‐V, 15‐kW TSBC is constructed and tested to confirm the validity of the motor drive. Experimental waveforms obtained from the downscaled system confirm stable operation with the rated load torque across a range from a standstill to the rated speed, including satisfactory start‐up performance.     

Effects of storage temperature and water activity on the survival of bifidobacteria in powder form

Effects of water activity and storage temperature on survival of bifidobacteria in powder form were investigated and kinetic analyses were performed to reveal characteristics of the stability. A significant positive correlation was observed between water activity and natural logarithm of the inactivation rate constant of bifidobacteria powder, indicating that higher water activity induced lower stability of bifidobacteria in powder form. Also, higher temperature condition induced lower survival rate, which was supported by that the stability was followed the Arrhenius theory. These findings constructed a prediction model for bifidobacteria survival in powder form.