Mass Production Method for Rice Protein Isolate and Nutritional Evaluation

We developed a method for mass production of rice protein isolate (RPI) and evaluated its nutritional quality in rats. To obtain thick slurry, rice flour was mixed with a 0.6% Termamyl 120L-solution (1:2, w/v) at room temperature (～23°C). The slurry was heated at 97°C for 2 hr with stirring. Gelatinization and liquefaction occurred simultaneously. RPI obtained by filtration and washing with boiling water, was more than 90% pure protein (dry matter basis). It also contained 6.4% dietary fiber, 1.3% ash, and 1.1% carbohydrate. RPI diets (40–50%) allowed the maximum growth in rats comparable to that with 25% casein diet.     

Development of High‐Power Density Interleaved dc/dc Converter with SiC Devices

We developed an interleaved dc/dc converter with SiC devices. We applied full‐SiC modules including MOSFETs and SBDs to the interleaved dc/dc converter to achieve a high‐power density. An SiC has a high temperature resistance, which facilitates an improvement in high‐frequency drives. We achieved a high‐power density by utilizing this high temperature resistance. We also fabricated a prototype and tested it with loads up to 65 kW.     

EFFECTS OF DIETARY PLANT CEREBROSIDE ON GENE EXPRESSION IN THE LARGE INTESTINE OF 1,2-DIMETHYLHYDRAZINE (DMH)-TREATED MICE DETERMINED BY DNA MICROARRAY ANALYSIS

The effects of dietary plant cerebroside on colon gene expression by DNA microarray analysis in 1,2-dimethylhydrazine (DMH)-treated mice were investigated. After 9 weeks of feeding with DMH, decreases and increases in the levels of expression of 110 and 145 genes were detected, respectively. Especially, the expression of Soggy-1, which suppresses the Wnt signaling pathway, was increased, while that of Ras-associated protein, which induces the mitogen-activated protein (MAP)-kinase pathway and is responsible for the development of aberrant crypt foci (ACF), was decreased. The results of the present study indicated that dietary cerebroside in DMH-treated mice regulates the Wnt signaling and MAP-kinase pathways, and prevents the development of ACF in the large intestine.

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

Dietary plant cerebroside increased expression of Soggy-1 mRNA, which suppresses the Wnt signaling pathway, and decreased expression ofRas-associated protein, which induces the MAP-kinase pathway in 1,2-dimethylhydrazine (DMH)-treated mice. The results of the present study indicated that dietary cerebroside in DMH-treated mice regulates the Wnt signaling and MAP-kinase pathways, and prevents the development of aberrant crypt foci in the large intestine, thus being of potential use for nutraceutical applications.     

A Proposal of Identifying Optimized Layout of Devices in Electromagnetic Resonant Coupling Type Wireless Power Transfer System

Recently, a system for wireless power transfer (WPT) using electromagnetic resonant coupling has been evaluated and developed for practical applications such as a wireless charge system for automobiles or electronic devices. However, the efficiency of an electromagnetic resonant coupling type WPT system with LC resonators is greatly affected by the layout of the LC resonators allocated in the system. This means that there is an optimum layout for the LC resonators for transferring wireless power at higher efficiency. This paper presents a new method for identifying the optimum layout for the LC resonators in a WPT system. One of the key ideas is that the problem of finding the optimum layout is replaced by the problem of calculating the equivalent current sources in the LC resonators. The amplitude of the equivalent current sources can be calculated to solve ill‐posed system equations by using inverse analysis. First, the proposed method is described. The system equations to be solved are formulated by means of equivalent circuit techniques. Second, the proposed method is applied to a simplified model to identify the optimum layout for the LC resonators in a WPT system. Then, the results found using the proposed method are verified by comparing the ratio of receiving power with the identified layout and without the LC resonator. Finally, in order to verify the validity of the proposed method, the calculated results are compared with the experiment results using the same model.     

High Precision On‐Line Offset Correction for Motor Angle Sensors

In this paper, an angle detecting system is proposed that calculates the offset correction values for the sine and cosine signals of angle sensors. The offset correction values are calculated not from the offset errors of the sine and cosine signals but from the 1f angle error (the fundamental frequency component of the sine and cosine signals) of the angle signals. Therefore, the system can correct the 1f angle error even when the sine and cosine signals contain the double‐frequency components of the sine and cosine signals, as well as the dc offset errors. Moreover, it is possible to use low‐cost microcomputers with low computing speed, because the offset correction values are dc quantities.     

Quality Evaluation of Fish Meat by 31 Phosphorus-Nuclear Magnetic Resonance

³¹Phosphorus-Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (³¹P-NMR) was used to evaluate degree of freshness of loach muscle depending on metabolic changes of high energy phosphate compounds. The phosphocreatine ([PCr])/inorganic phosphate ([Pi]) ratio was found to be a sensitive index of early metabolic hypofunction. Ratios of [PCr]/β-phosphate of ATP ([β-ATP]), and [Pi]/[β-ATP] were demonstrated to be appropriate indexes to estimate such metabolic changes in fresh fish. The intramuscular levels of creatine phosphate, ATP and pH were maintained at higher levels in blood-drained loach than in untreated fish. The freshness of fish which were bled and washed at lower temperatures were better preserved.     

316不锈钢热照射疲劳中的硬化行为

研究了316不锈钢在333—573K不同疲劳温度及不同应变振幅下热照射疲劳中的硬化行为,结果表明:在振幅E=1.17×10~(-4)下,热照射在333—573K温区内疲劳过程中,有大小几乎相同的软化产生;在(2.05—4.39)×10~(-4)应变振幅范围内,在333—503K温区内,热照射疲劳过程中出现软化,而在503—573K温区内,热照射疲劳过程中软化转变为硬化,此种由热照射引发的硬化所出现的疲劳温度随疲劳应变振幅的加大而提高。     

A High Immersive Telexistence System of the Moving Object with Full Circumference Image and Inertial Force Presentation

Currently, the remote control such as the bilateral control which enables transmitting the multimodal information has been studied. However, remote control has not been reached while perceiving the wind, gravity, and the condition of the ground on the moving object at the remote place. When it is possible to perceive the external force applied to the moving object, it is possible to perform an appropriate operation sensuously according to a remote place such as a slope or a gravel road. Therefore, we propose a high immersive telexistence system with head mounted display and the six‐axis motion base which enables transmitting the inertia and force information of the moving vehicle, and 360‐degree image of moving object's surroundings at real‐time.     

Scaling Law of Coupling Coefficient and Coil Size in Wireless Power Transfer Design via Magnetic Coupling

Wireless Power Transfer (WPT), such as magnetic resonant coupling using a magnetic field, is being studied and discussed for a wide variety of applications. When the transmission distances are large, very large transmitters and receivers need to be considered. However, in the early stages of an investigation, it might be prohibitive to manufacture and evaluate coils of such a large size. To reduce costs and effort, a scaling law can be used to estimate the WPT efficiency of very large coils using the results of smaller coils. In this paper, a scaling law is proposed that relates the coil size to the coupling coefficient, assuming the ratio between the coil diameter and coil length remains constant. The coupling coefficient is one of the parameters that determine the maximum efficiency of magnetic field WPT. The proposed method was verified by an electromagnetic field simulator and experiment. The results of this study provide an easy method for estimating the WPT efficiency of very large coils.     

Isolated Operation of Power System in Complex Housing Supplied by Battery Energy Storage System and Fuel Cells

Fuel cells, as components of cogeneration systems and battery energy storage systems, can be used as power sources in an isolated power system in complex housing at times of blackout. This paper reports study results on such isolated power systems. Simulation models are developed and the results are compared with measured values of active power, reactive power, and voltage. Good agreement is obtained. In this analysis, it is found that there is a stability limit in such inverter power source operation. The stability limit is expressed by a short circuit power ratio that is similar to the one in conventional ac systems. Nonlinear load switching is also studied to demonstrate stable operation.