Detection of Damaged Distribution Surge Arresters Using an Impulse Generator

Distribution surge arresters with an internal series gap have been installed on Japanese distribution lines at high density to reduce lightning‐related overvoltages. In contrast, surge arresters are sometimes damaged by direct lightning strokes, particularly in winter. Measurement of the insulation resistance between the terminals of the surge arrester and measurement of the dc discharge voltage of the surge arrester are generally adopted to detect damaged arresters. However, if metal‐oxide (MO) varistors are damaged and the internal series gap is not damaged, it is difficult to detect damaged arresters by the two conventional methods. Therefore, this paper presents a proposed detection method that can accurately detect damaged arresters. In the proposed method, first, the voltage between the terminals of the surge arrester is measured when the output of an impulse generator is applied to the surge arrester. Second, the damaged arrester is detected by comparison between its voltage waveform and the voltage waveform of the nondamaged arrester. The detection rate of damaged arresters by the proposed method is markedly higher than the rates of detection by the two conventional methods.     

Genetic algorithm approach to a production ordering problem in an assembly process with constant use of parts

An optimal production scheduling problem for an assembly process with buffers at the input and output sides of a machine is dealt with. The problem has two kinds of constraints. One constraint is that the buffers' capacity is limited. The other constraint is that the cycle time of the worker is constant without waiting time. An optimal production ordering is determined, subject to these constraints, in such a way that the rate of use of parts to produce each product should be as constant as possible. A procedure to apply the genetic algorithm to this problem is shown. The operations of reproduction, crossover and mutation are presented. It is observed from numerical results that the genetic algorithm gives a better suboptimal solution than the greedy method.     

Influence of the microenvironment on gene and protein expression of odontogenic-like and osteogenic-like cells

Progenitor cells play an important biological role in tooth and bone formation, and previous analyses during bone and dentine induction have indicated that they may be a good alternative for tissue engineering. Thus, to clarify the influence of the microenvironment on protein and gene expression, MDPC23 cells (mouse dental papilla cell line) and KUSA/A1 cells (bone marrow stromal cell line) were used, both in vitro cell culture and in intra-abdominal diffusion chambers implanted in 4-week-old male immunodefficient mice (SCID mice). Our results indicate that KUSA/A1 cells differentiated into osteoblast-like cells and induced bone tissue inside the chamber, whereas, MDPC-23 showed odontoblast-like characteristics but with a low ability to induce dentin formation. This study shows that MDPC-23 cells are especial cells, which possess morphological and functional characteristics of odontoblast-like cells expressing dentin sialophosphoprotein in vivo. In contrast, dentin sialophosphoprotein gene and protein expression was not detected in both cell lines in vitro. The intra-abdominal diffusion chamber appears as an interesting experimental model for studying phenotypic expression of dental pulp cells in vivo.     

High-pressure synthesis of diamond from phenolic resin

Two kinds of phenolic resin, novolak and resols, have been studied with an addition of cobalt at pressures between 2 and 4 GPa and at temperatures from 1300 to 1900 °C, all under thermodynamically graphite-stable conditions. Diamond was synthesized from these resins which had been pre-fired at 500–1000 °C. From such resins, carbon precursors carrying a great number of radicals, being nearly free of hydrogen and oxygen, and turbostratic in structure, can be constructed. The pressure–temperature conditions suitable for the diamond synthesis were dependent on the pre-firing temperatures. The cobalt served as a catalyst–solvent, similar to the case of conventional diamond synthesis from graphite under diamond-stable conditions. Well-defined single crystals cubo-octahedral in shape, measuring 0.3–0.7 mm across and classified as type Ib were obtained. This revised version was published online in November 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

结合ELID磨削与磁流变光整加工的单晶硅反射镜超精密制造技术

分析了在线电解修整（ELID）磨削和磁流变光整加工（MRF）的加工原理与特点，充分结合这2种技术的优点对单晶硅反射镜进行纳米级精度的组合加工．首先进行ELID高效率磨削，在线检测工件表面误差后进行补偿磨削，使反射镜面加工成形，并获得较好的形状精度和表面质量．然后，利用磁流变技术进行确定性的光整加工，以减少反射镜的亚表面损伤，使加工表面的形状精度与表面粗糙度得到很大提高与改善．利用该组合工艺，对硅反射镜进行了系列的加工实验，高效率地得到了低于1nmRMS的表面粗糙度和69nmp-V形状精度的工件表面．     

SAFETY EXAMINATION OF SOME EDIBLE OR MEDICINAL PLANTS AND PLANT CONSTITUENTS, PART 3

The carcinogenicity of vicia, galanga, lathyrus and lycium, which are plants used as human food or in folk medicine, and of caffeic acid and prunasin, which are plant constituents, was examined in an inbred strain of ACI rats. Fresh plant materials were dried, milled and mixed with the rat basal diet in the ratio of 16% and 33% of the total. The plant constituents, caffeic acid and prunasin, were mixed with the basal diet in the ratio of 0.5% and 0.03%, respectively. These diets were administered to rats for periods ranging upward from 180 days. Carcinogenic activity was not observed with any of the plants or plant constituents.     

通过测量电力输入预测磨料/工件界面的条件变化

A monitoring system is proposed in order to detect the condition changes at abrasive/workpiece interface in abrasive cutoff operation.The system can detect the condition changes from the electric power change consumed by the driving motor of lapping tool.The electric power is strongly related with the abrasive effectiveness.When the abrasive effectiveness has been kept a normal state,the electric power also has been kept a constant value.The bodily removal of abrasive leads to reduce the electric power monotonously.The piling up of cutting chips leads to a peculiar electric power change;the electric power increased gradually at the beginning and then began to fluctuate periodically.The severe adhesion of cutting chips to the cutting edges leads to the loss of nominal function in the cutting edges and the electric power input was thus descended suddenly at an early stage of lapping.     

Protein Content in Milk by Near-Infrared Spectroscopy

A corrected equation for the determination of protein content in oil/ water emulsions, developed previously, was applied for determination of protein content in milk and standard errors were satisfactory for the determination. This corrected equation can be used for determination of protein content in milk.     

Sapid Components in Carrot

SUMMARY: The relationship between various substances present in carrot to its taste was studied. Nucleic acid derivatives found in hot water extracts of carrot were adenine, adenosine, inosine, hypoxanthine, 5'-AMP, 5'-UMP, UDP, but 5'-IMP and 5'-GMP were absent. The contents of these derivatives were extremely small. Silica gel chromatography showed the presence of small quantities of succinic acid, α-ketoglutaric acid, lactic acid, pyroglutamic acid, citric acid and glycolic acid.
Amino acids in hot water extracts of carrot were detected by two-dimensional thinlayer chromatography and automatic amino acid analyzer. Identified were glutamic acid, valine, leucine, aspartic acid, lysine, and serine etc. Glutamic acid content was relatively large. Sucrose, maltose and glucose were detected in carrot and these carbohydrates were responsible for the sweetness of carrot. The taste of carrot was due mainly to the presence of glutamic acid and the buffer action of various amino acids.