The World robot summit disaster robotics category – achievements of the 2018 preliminary competition

The World Robot Summit is a robot Olympics and aims to be held in a different country every four years from 2020. The concept of the Plant Disaster Prevention challenge is daily inspections, checks, and emergency response in industrial plants, and in this competition, robots must carry out these types of missions in a mock-up plant. The concept of the Tunnel Disaster Response and Recovery challenge is emergency response to tunnel disasters, and is a simulation competition whereby teams compete to show their ability to deal with disasters, by collecting information and removing debris. The Standard Disaster Robotics challenge assesses, in the form of a contest, the standard performance levels of a robot that are necessary for disaster prevention and emergency response. The World Robot Summit Preliminary Competition was held at Tokyo Big Sight in October 2018, and 36 teams participated in the Disaster Robotics Category. UGVs and UAVs contended the merits of new technology for solving complex problems, using core technologies such as mobility, sensing, recognition, performing operations, human interface, autonomous intelligence etc., as well as system integration and implementation of strategies for completing missions, gaining high-level results.     

AFM observation of polyethylene single crystals: selective handedness of screw dislocations in a chair type

The three-dimensional morphology of polyethylene single crystals grown from dilute solution has been examined by atomic force microscopy. Single crystals were deposited on a soft ground of aqueous solution of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) to avoid the collapse of thin lamellar crystals with thickness of 10 nm. The observation of single crystals on dried PVA clarifies the morphology of a chair type crystal as well as well-known hollow pyramidal type. It has been confirmed that the screw dislocations in the chair type follow a selection rule of the handedness in a manner to relieve the distortion in the chair type.     

Iodine-123-BMIPP myocardial washout and cardiac work during exercise in normal and ischemic hearts

Due to the changes in the frequency of penicillin-resistant strains of S. pneumoniae, it is necessary to perform surveillance studies of bacterial resistance. Isolates from the upper respiratory tract of asymptomatic children have been useful. There is no information about the difference between isolates from children with and without upper respiratory tract infection (URTI). The objective of the authors in this paper is to establish the prevalence of carrier-state, serotype and antimicrobial resistance of S. pneumoniae isolates from children with and without acute upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) in a rural area in Mexico. A cross-sectional comparative study was performed in Tlaxcala, Mexico. Children from one month 5 years of age were included. Nasopharyngeal swabs were obtained. Identification was done by international microbiology standards. Serotyping was done by the capsular Quellung test. The susceptibility testing was performed by the agar dilution method. Four-hundred and fifty patients were included. S. pneumoniae was isolated in 134 children (29.7%). Frequency of carriers was greater in patients with URTI (107/323) than without URTI (27/127) (33.1% vs. 21.1% p = 0.012, OR 1.84, IC 95% 1.1-3.08). The six most frequent serotypes were: 6B (16.4%); 19F (11.9%); 19A (6.7%); 14, 23F, and 35 (5.2% each), with no difference among the groups. Only 3% of the strains had high level resistance to penicillin, and 12.6% had intermediate resistance, and for ampicillin 4%, amoxicillin 4%, amoxicillin-clavulanate 4%, ceftriaxone 3%, cefotaxime 1.5%, erythromycin 6%, miocamycin 3%, chloramphenicol 4%, and vancomycin 0%. Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole resistance was very high (42%). In conclusion, colonization is higher in children with URTI. Five of the most frequent serotypes identified in this study were the same as those identified in patients with S. pneumoniae invasive diseases in Mexico City. In Tlaxcala, Mexico, beta-lactams could be the drug of choice for the treatment of S. pneumoniae lower respiratory tract infections. It is necessary to perform clinical assays to evaluate the efficacy of trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole due to the high resistance in vitro.     

Passivation effects of deuterium exposure on boron-doped CVD homoepitaxial diamond

The deuterium (hydrogen) passivation effect on acceptors in boron-doped CVD homoepitaxial diamond was studied by electrical (Hall-effect) and secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS) measurements. Deuterium was incorporated into the samples using microwave (MW) deuterium plasma at 673 K for 2–24 h. We observed the progress of acceptor passivation with p-type conduction, which finally resulted in a highly resistive state.     

A novel brain-derived member of the epidermal growth factor family that interacts with ErbB3 and ErbB4

The availability of an analgesic compound devoid of the side effects associated with the commonly used opioid and nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs would be useful during the perioperative period. Although adenosine has analgesic and anesthetic-sparing properties, it also produces dose-dependent cardiovascular depression. Inhibitors of adenosine kinase may be able to provide analgesia without producing acute cardiovascular or respiratory depression. This preliminary study investigated the effects of a novel adenosine kinase-inhibiting drug, GP683, on the minimum alveolar anesthetic concentration (MAC) of desflurane in dogs. Seven mongrel dogs were administered one of three different GP683 dose regimens (or the solvent) by intravenous infusion on separate occasions according to a cross-over study design. After determining the baseline desflurane MAC value, GP683 was infused at 75, 150, or 300 microg x kg(-1) x min(-1) for 5 min as a loading dose, followed by 15, 30, or 60 microg x kg(-1) x min(-1) for an additional 85 min to maintain a stable plasma drug level. The desflurane MAC was redetermined 30-90 min after starting the study drug or vehicle infusion, and 30-90 min and 120-180 min after termination of the infusion. Cardiovascular variables and plasma concentrations of GP683 were determined at specific intervals before, during, and after the MAC determinations. The three GP683 dose regimens produced 22%, 31%, and 50% decreases in the desflurane MAC, respectively. In addition, there was good correlation between the decrease in desflurane MAC and the plasma GP683 concentration (r = -0.78). Although the mean arterial pressure (MAP) was decreased up to 25% by the highest infusion rate of GP683, adjustments in the desflurane concentration to an equi-MAC value resulted in normalization of the MAP values. Furthermore, GP683 produced no changes in heart rate. In conclusion, the adenosine kinase-inhibiting drug, GP683, produced dose-dependent decreases in the desflurane MAC of dogs without producing untoward hemodynamic changes. IMPLICATIONS: An investigational drug (GP683) that can increase the levels of an important endogenous substance in the body (adenosine) has been found to decrease the anesthetic requirement in dogs without producing adverse effects on the cardiovascular system.     

Measurements of distribution of self-bias potential on an RF-plane electrode in plasma etching devices

The self-bias potential (V_dc) induced on an RF-powdered electrode (153 mm Ø) in a plasma is measured using electrical probes which are buried in, de-insulated from, and RF-connected to the electrode. The configuration of the probes allows to study the distribution of V_dc discretely on the electrode. The potential is homogeneous in the absence of external magnetic field. In the presence of a homogeneous magnetic field parallel to the electrode, it is reduced and a monotonous gradient takes place in its distribution due to the plasma shift induced by E × B drift. When the magnetic field is rotated along the axis of the RF-electrode at a frequency less than 50 Hz, the distribution, which is almost identical to the one in a static field, rotates with the magnetic field. On the coordinate system rotating with the magnetic field, the probes are regarded to be rotating. The potential distribution is obtained as a continuous function of the azimuthal angle. Thus the rotation of the field provides information for the experimental interpolation.     

Theoretical and Experimental Study of Water Transport in a Hollow Cylinder Applied to the Drying of Round Squid Mantle

Until now, attention has been focused solely in the drying of squid mantle from an experimental point of view, neglecting the transport phenomenon studies of water in squid muscle. This work studies the drying of squid mantle (Loligo brasiliensis), previously salted and smoked by liquid smoking (hickory extract), using a tubular dryer in closed cycle with a silicagel fixed bed in series. The mass transfer phenomenon during drying was studied, based on the Fick's second law, with the effective diffusivity supposed constant, which enabled an analytical solution to the problem. The drying curve calculated with the resulting equation was compared with experimental data. The model was applied to a hollow cylinder geometry (round squid mantle), with its internal surface isolated from the drying environment by a plastic film. The latter was given a tubular form and introduced inside the mantle cavity (impervious wall boundary condition).     

A rapid dot-blot method for species identification of bloodstains

A very simple and rapid test for species identification is reported. Extracts of bloodstains were applied to a synthetic porous membrane and dried. The membrane was then quenched with glycine buffered saline containing BSA and Tween 20. A suspension of colloidal gold particles (GP) coated with rabbit antiserum to human IgG was poured onto, gently whirled and aspirated through the membrane. Spots from the human and monkey bloodstains became red, whereas those from other species of animals remained unstained. This test was completed within 3 to 4 min, and the antibody-coated GP reagent was prepared within 20 min using a very small quantity of antiserum. Cellulose acetate membranes of 0.45 microns or more in pore size were appropriate to this test.     

A sensorless brushless dc motor system

This paper describes a brushless dc motor system without position or speed sensor. The brushless motor consists of a permanent magnet synchronous motor and a voltage-source inverter capable of controlling the amplitude and frequency of voltage. The rectangular-shaped stator current with a conducting interval of 120° (electrical) is controlled to be in phase with the trapezoidal back electromotive force. This results in producing maximum torque. Variable speed is achieved by adjusting the average motor voltage similarly to chopper control of dc motors. In this paper, two sensorless position detecting methods, i.e., an “indirect method” suited for the lower-speed range and a “direct method” suited for the higher-speed range are proposed. The combination of the two makes it possible to detect the rotor position over a wide-speed range. Furthermore, a speed-sen-sorless PLL control is proposed in applying the principle of the direct method. Experimental results obtained from a prototype brushless dc motor are shown to confirm the validity of the sensorless drive. The starting procedure of the motor also is discussed because it is impossible to detect the rotor position at a standstill.     

Successful surgical repair for a patient with atrial septal defect and severe pulmonary hypertension--its surgical indication and prostaglandin E1 use for postoperative pulmonary hypertensive crisis

A 45-year-old woman with atrial septal defect and pulmonary hypertension was admitted for surgical repair. Cardiac catheterization data revealed pulmonary to systemic flow ratio (Qp/Qs) of 1.81, pulmonary artery pressure (PAP) of 82/30 mmHg and pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) of 10.8 unit. Open lung biopsy was added to evaluate pulmonary vascular obstructive disease (PVOD) which was shown Heath-Edwards grade 3 PVOD. Following closure of the defect, PAP (systolic) exceeded momentarily systemic level after cardiopulmonary bypass. Prostaglandin E1 drip was remarkably effective to bring down PAP during early postoperative period. Although PAP has not been shown significant decrease on catheterization of one year after surgery, great symptomatic improvement has been achieved.