Transmittance and cathodoluminescence of AlN ceramics sintered with Ca3Al2O6 as sintering additive

Aluminum nitride ceramics were prepared by sintering with 0–4.8 mass% of Ca₃Al₂O₆ (C₃A) as a sintering additive. The transmittance in the range of 260–550 nm increased with increasing amount of C₃A. The cathodoluminescence intensity attributed to oxygen-induced defects decreased with increasing amount of C₃A. From the results, the increase of the transmittance in the range of 260–550 nm was considered to be related to the decrease of the oxygen-induced defect density.     

Generation of adaptive gait patterns for quadruped robot with CPG network including motor dynamic model

This paper describes the generation of adaptive gait patterns using new Central Pattern Generators (CPGs) including motor dynamic models for a quadruped robot under various environments. The CPGs act as the flexible oscillators of the joints and adjust joint angles to required values. The CPGs are interconnected with each other and sets of their coupling parameters are adjusted by a genetic algorithm so that the quadruped robot can realize stable and adequate gait patterns. Generation of gait patterns results in the formation of the CPG networks suitable for the formation of not only a straight walking pattern but also of rotating gait patterns. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed CPG networks are effective for the automatic adjustment of the adaptive gait patterns for the tested quadruped robot under various environments. Furthermore, the target tracking control based on image processing is achieved by combining the general gait patterns. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 155(1): 35–43, 2006; Published online in Wiley InterScience ( www.interscience.wiley.com ). DOI 10.1002/eej.20225     

Effects of Particle Size of Bulk Drug and food on the Bioavailability of U-78875 in Dogs

The effects of particle size and food on the absolute bioavailability of U-78875 in dogs after oral administration of either a suspension or tablet dosage form were investigated. A reduction of particle size caused a significant increase in bioavailability along with an increase in dissolution rate. Additionally, both suspension and tablet dosage forms administered after food caused an increase in bioavailability. Thus, to accelerate drug dissolution, a reduction of U-78875 particle size from the unmilled state is important for the optimization of formulation compositions. To increase the bioavailability of U-78875, postprandial dosing should be considered.     

高速气流冲击式粉体表面改性装置——HYBRIDIZATION系统及应用

利用高速气流冲击法进行粉体/粉体系表面改性技术,是迄今为止各种粉体材料开发中最为引人注目的技术之一。HYBRIDIZATION(下称HYB)系统是利用高速气流冲击法对微粉体进行干式/机械化处理,是使材料复合化的最实用的装置,可对各类有机物、无机物、金属等进行广泛组合,通用性很强,适用于许多行业领域。从本文所述的系统构成、型式,有关的典型球形化处理的运转特性,利用复合化高温粉体测定被处理粉体表面温度,利用颜料改变色调等的处理特点及该系统的适用性等(一部分是从已发表的学术论文及专利上摘录的),可以说明HYB系统的概况。     

High-temperature oxidation of pure titanium in CO2 and Ar-10%CO2 atmospheres

The oxidation behavior of pure titanium has been investigated in the temperature range of 1000 K to 1300 K in CO₂ or Ar-10%CO₂. Optical microscopy, electron probe microanalyses, and X-ray measurements on the oxide scales formed during oxidation indicate that their structures are nearly independent of temperature and the corrosion atmosphere. The scales consisted of two layers, an external one and an internal one, having a rutile (TiO₂) structure. The parabolic rate law was confirmed for growth of the external scale and the permeation depth of oxygen in titanium with apparent activation energies of 266 and 226 kJ/mol, respectively. The rate-determining diffusion species in the oxidation processes are discussed.     

Probabilistic calibration of discrete element simulations using the sequential quasi-Monte Carlo filter

The calibration of discrete element method (DEM) simulations is typically accomplished in a trial-and-error manner. It generally lacks objectivity and is filled with uncertainties. To deal with these issues, the sequential quasi-Monte Carlo (SQMC) filter is employed as a novel approach to calibrating the DEM models of granular materials. Within the sequential Bayesian framework, the posterior probability density functions (PDFs) of micromechanical parameters, conditioned to the experimentally obtained stress–strain behavior of granular soils, are approximated by independent model trajectories. In this work, two different contact laws are employed in DEM simulations and a granular soil specimen is modeled as polydisperse packing using various numbers of spherical grains. Knowing the evolution of physical states of the material, the proposed probabilistic calibration method can recursively update the posterior PDFs in a five-dimensional parameter space based on the Bayes’ rule. Both the identified parameters and posterior PDFs are analyzed to understand the effect of grain configuration and loading conditions. Numerical predictions using parameter sets with the highest posterior probabilities agree well with the experimental results. The advantage of the SQMC filter lies in the estimation of posterior PDFs, from which the robustness of the selected contact laws, the uncertainties of the micromechanical parameters and their interactions are all analyzed. The micro–macro correlations, which are byproducts of the probabilistic calibration, are extracted to provide insights into the multiscale mechanics of dense granular materials.     

Plan for first phase of safety demonstration tests of the High Temperature Engineering Test Reactor (HTTR)

Safety demonstration tests using the High Temperature Engineering Test Reactor (HTTR) will be conducted for the purpose of demonstrating inherent safety features of High Temperature Gas-cooled Reactors (HTGRs) as well as providing the core and plant transient data for validation of HTGR safety analysis codes. The first phase safety demonstration test items include the reactivity insertion test and the coolant flow reduction test. In the reactivity insertion test, which is the control rod withdrawal test, one pair out of 16 pairs of control rods is withdrawn, simulating a reactivity insertion event. The coolant flow reduction test consists of the partial loss of coolant flow test and the gas circulators trip test. In the partial loss of coolant flow test, primary coolant flow rate is slightly reduced by control system. In the gas circulators trip test one and two out of three gas circulators are run down, simulating coolant flow reduction events. The gas circulators trip tests, in which position of control rods are kept unchanged, are simulation tests of anticipated transients without scram (ATWS).     

Dimethyl Fumarate Induces Apoptosis via Inhibition of NF-κB and Enhances the Effect of Paclitaxel and Adriamycin in Human TNBC Cells

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) has the poorest prognosis of all breast cancer subtypes. Recently, the activation of NF-κB, which is involved in the growth and survival of malignant tumors, has been demonstrated in TNBC, suggesting that NF-κB may serve as a new therapeutic target. In the present study, we examined whether dimethyl fumarate (DMF), an NF-κB inhibitor, induces apoptosis in TNBC cells and enhances the apoptosis-inducing effect of paclitaxel and adriamycin. Cell survival was analyzed by the trypan blue assay and apoptosis assay. Protein detection was examined by immunoblotting. The activation of NF-κB p65 was correlated with poor prognosis in patients with TNBC. DMF induced apoptosis in MDA-MB-231 and BT-549 cells at concentrations that were non-cytotoxic to the normal mammary cell line MCF-10A. Furthermore, DMF inhibited NF-κB nuclear translocation and Survivin, XIAP, Bcl-xL, and Bcl-2 expression in MDA-MB-231 and BT-549 cells. Moreover, DMF enhanced the apoptosis-inducing effect of paclitaxel and adriamycin in MDA-MB-231 cells. These findings suggest that DMF may be an effective therapeutic agent for the treatment of TNBC, in which NF-κB is constitutively active. DMF may also be useful as an adjuvant therapy to conventional anticancer drugs.