Quantitative risk assessment using a Japanese hydrogen refueling station model

Although hydrogen refueling stations (HRSs) are becoming widespread across Japan and are essential for the operation of fuel cell vehicles, they present potential hazards. A large number of accidents such as explosions or fires have been reported, rendering it necessary to conduct a number of qualitative and quantitative risk assessments for HRSs. Current safety codes and technical standards related to Japanese HRSs have been established based on the results of a qualitative risk assessment and quantitative effectiveness validation of safety measures over ten years ago. In the last decade, there has been much development in the technologies of the components or facilities used in domestic HRSs and much operational experience as well as knowledge to use hydrogen in HRSs safely have been gained through years of commercial operation. The purpose of the present study is to conduct a quantitative risk assessment (QRA) of the latest HRS model representing Japanese HRSs with the most current information and to identify the most significant scenarios that pose the greatest risks to the physical surroundings in the HRS model. The results of the QRA show that the risk contours of 10^?3 and 10^?4 per year were confined within the HRS boundaries, whereas the risk contours of 10^?5 and 10^?6 per year are still present outside the HRS. Comparing the breakdown of the individual risks (IRs) at the risk ranking points, we conclude that the risk of jet fire demonstrates the highest contribution to the risks at all of the risk ranking points and outside the station. To reduce these risks and confine the risk contour of 10^?6 per year within the HRS boundaries, it is necessary to consider risk mitigation measures for jet fires.     

Binary Adsorption Isotherms of Water and Ethyl Acetate Vapor for Materials Contained in a Box of a Tobacco Product

An experimental study has been carried out on the characteristics of binary adsorption isotherms of water and volatile flavor for typical materials used in a box of a tobacco product or cigarettes. Ethyl acetate chosen as a model for water-soluble volatile flavor. Binary adsorption isotherms for the tobacco, papers, filters, and activated carbons were measured with a flow-type multi-component adsorption system under the canstant conditions of temperature a t 303 K and vapor pressure of water a t 2.5 kPain the vapor pressure range of ethyl acetate from 0 to 4.2 kPa. A linear equation was applied to express the binary adsorption isotherms for the tobacco, papers and filters, while a Dubinin-Astakhov equation was applied for the activated carbons. The binary adsorption was characterized into three groups, depending on the selectivity as well as the mechanism of adsorption; i.e.(l) for tobacco and papers, water was adsorbed much greater rather than ethyl acetate, (2) for filters, ethyl acetate was adsorbed on the surface as great as water, (3) for activated carbons, ethyl acetate was adsorbed much greater onto their micropores rather than water. The results showed that ethyl     

Artificial retina chips for image processing

Artificial retina chips which can simultaneously sense and process real world images are described. The comparison between artificial retinal systems and conventional image processing systems is described. Variable sensitivity photodetection, which is an essential technology for the artificial retina chips, is introduced in detail. The concept, structure, fundamental performance, operating principle, and processing functions for the fabricated artificial retinal chips are described. Applications including interactive games by gesture-input are also introduced. This work was presented, in part, at the International Symposium on Artificial Life and Robotics, Oita, Japan, February 18–20, 1996.     

Simultaneous determination of acrolein, malonaldehyde and 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal produced from lipids oxidized with Fenton's reagent

Ethyl linoleate, ethyl linolenate, ethyl arachidonate and cod liver oil were oxidized with Fenton's reagent. Acrolein, malonaldehyde and 4-hydroxynonenal formed were derivatized to N-methylpyrazoline, N-methylpyrazole and 5-(1'-hydroxyhexyl)-1-methyl-2-pyrazoline with N-methylhydrazine, respectively. The derivatives were simultaneously analysed by gas chromatograph equipped with a fused silica capillary column and a nitrogen-phosphorus detector. The maximum amounts of acrolein (9.7 +/- 2.11 nmol/ml) and malonaldehyde (61.18 +/- 6.51 nmol/ml) were formed from cod liver oil. The highest amount of 4-hydroxynonenal (6.83 +/- 0.53 nmol/ml) was produced from ethyl arathidonate.     

Measurements of interdiffusion coefficients in metallic melts at high temperature under horizontal static magnetic field

Application of a uniform magnetic field is expected to be a promising substitute for utilization of the microgravity environment from the view point of damping of convection in electrically conductive fluid. Measurements of interdiffusion coefficients in In₈₀Sn₂₀, Sn₉₅Pb₅, and Ge_97.5Si_2.5 melts were performed in a wide temperature range up to 1473 K under a uniform and horizontal static magnetic field of 1 T by utilizing the magnetohydrodynamics effect in these melts.     

An important factor affecting synergism on coprocessing of Taiheiyo coal with Athabasca oil sand bitumen

A series of mixtures of Japanese subbituminous Taiheiyo coal and Athabasca oil sand bitumen (AOB) with various coal concentrations (0–100 wt%) was coprocessed in a 70 ml autoclave at 420°C for 1 h in the presence of H₂ (50 kg/cm² at room temperature) and sulfided Ni---Mo/Al₂O₂ catalyst. The mixture containing 2 wt% coal produced the largest amount of hexane soluble fraction (HS) and the smallest amount of benzene insoluble fraction (BI). Thus, a synergistic liquid production occurred for this mixture with 2 wt% coal by suppressing the retrogressive reactions which proceeded for pure AOB. The HS obtained from mixtures with 2–30 wt% showed higher H/C ratios and lower heteroatom contents than those obtained from pure AOB and the mixtures with more than 30 wt% coal. The amounts of transferable hydrogen contained in the mixtures were estimated using anthracene as a hydrogen acceptor. The mixtures with 2–10 wt% coal contained higher amounts of donor hydrogen than pure AOB. The HS yield from the various mixtures was correlated with the amount of donor hydrogens contained in the mixtures, except for the mixture with 10 wt% coal. Thus, the important factor which results in synergism is suggested to be the amount of donor hydrogens contained in the feed mixtures.     

Lipid-Lowering Effect of Eriocitrin, the Main Flavonoid in Lemon Fruit, in Rats on a High-Fat and High-Cholesterol Diet

ABSTRACT:  Eriocitrin (eriodictyol 7- O -β-rutinoside) is the main flavonoid in lemon fruit. In this study, eriocitrin was investigated for its lowering effect on serum and hepatic lipids in high-fat and high-cholesterol fed rats. Rats in the control group ( N = 6) were fed a 20% lard and 1% cholesterol diet for 21 d, and rats in the 0.35% eriocitrin group ( N = 6) and 0.70% eriocitrin group ( N = 6) were fed a diet supplemented with eriocitrin 0.35% and 0.70%, respectively. The content of hepatic total cholesterol and triglyceride in the eriocitrin group was no different from that of the control group. The total cholesterol, VLDL+LDL, triglyceride, and phospholipid in the serum of the 0.35% eriocitrin group showed significantly lower concentrations than the control group ( P < 0.05), although there was no difference in the HDL concentrations among the groups. The lowering effect of eriocitrin for serum total cholesterol was thought to be caused by a decrease in VLDL+LDL. The 0.35% eriocitrin group was shown to have a significant increase in excretion of fecal bile acid ( P < 0.05) and a tendency for enhanced hepatic m-RNA levels of LDL receptor in comparison with the control group.     

NC-1900, a [pGlu4,Cyt6]AVP(4-9) analogue, facilitates the learning performance of rats on delayed nonmatching to sample task in Y-water maze

The effect of a novel peptide, NC-1900 (pGlu-Asn-Ser-Pro-Arg-Gly-NH2) on learning behavior in normal animals was studied in delayed nonmatching to sample tasks in rats using a Y-water maze. In the acquisition tests, a nonmatching to sample task, a delayed nonmatching to sample task with a delay time of 10 min (10-min DNMTS task), and a 20-min DNMTS task were performed for 15 sessions. NC-1900 was administered subcutaneously 1 h prior to the start of the acquisition test once a day. In the retention tests, the 10-min DNMTS task (on days 3, 10 and 17) and 20-min DNMTS task (on days 4, 11, 19 and 26) were conducted over time in the absence of administration of NC-1900 following completion of the acquisition test of the 10-min DNMTS task. In the acquisition of the 10- and 20-min DNMTS tasks, the NC-1900 100 pg/kg group exhibited significantly higher correct choice percentages or percentages of rats that achieved the criteria (mean correct choice percentage for 3 days of 90% or higher) in comparison with the control group. In the retention tests, in contrast to the correct choice percentages on each test day for the 20-min DNMTS task of the control group being approximately 50%, rats administered NC-1900 demonstrated high correct choice percentages at all dose levels, although there were some variations on each test day. These results demonstrate that NC-1900 clearly facilitated acquisition and retention of DNMTS tasks in rats using a Y-water maze.     

New classification of capsular block syndrome

PURPOSE: To propose a new classification of capsular block syndrome (CBS) to improve understanding of the etiology and provide effective treatment. SETTING: Shohzankai Medical Foundation, Miyake Eye Hospital, Nagoya, and Japanese Red Cross Society, Wakayama Medical Center, Wakayama, Japan. METHODS: Three groups of eyes with CBS were reviewed: eyes originally reported and diagnosed as having CBS; eyes experiencing CBS after hydrodissection and luxation of the lens nucleus; and eyes with CBS accompanying liquefied aftercataract or capsulorhexis-related lacteocrumenasia. RESULTS: In all 3 groups, the CBS occurred in eyes with a continuous curvilinear capsulorhexis (CCC). It was characterized by accumulation of a liquefied substance within a closed chamber inside the capsular bag, formed because the lens nucleus or the posterior chamber intraocular lens (IOL) optic occluded the anterior capsular opening created by the CCC. Depending on the time of onset, CBS can be classified as intraoperative (CBS seen at the time of lens luxation following hydrodissection), early postoperative (original CBS), and late postoperative (CBS with liquefied aftercataract or lacteocrumenasia). The etiology of the accumulated substance and the method of treatment are different in each type. CONCLUSION: Capsular block syndrome is a complication of cataract/IOL surgery that can occur during and after surgery. Correctly identifying the type of CBS is crucial to understanding the nature and effective treatment of this disorder.     

Modified quadratic discriminant functions and the application to chinese character recognition

Issues in the quadratic discriminant functions (QDF) are discussed and two types of modified quadratic disriminant functions (MQDF1, MQDF2) which are less sensitive to the estimation error of the covariance matrices are proposed. The MQDF1 is a function which employs a kind of a (pseudo) Bayesian estimate of the covariance matrix instead of the maximum likelihood estimate ordinarily used in the QDF. The MQDF2 is a variation of the MQDF1 to save the required computation time and storage. Two discriminant functions were applied to Chinese character recognition to evaluate their effectiveness, and remarkable improvement was observed in their performance.