Formation of Continuous Pore Structures in Si–C–O Fibers by Adjusting the Melt Spinning Condition of a Polycarbosilane–Polysiloxane Polymer Blend

A polymer blend containing polycarbosilane (PCS) and 15 mass% of polyhydromethylsiloxane (H-oil) was prepared and the properties of the polymer melt were investigated in order to clarify the mechanisms of continuous pore formation. Melt viscosity decreased as the H-oil content increased. Moreover, the saturation of the plasticizer effect of H-oil on the viscosity and apparent turbidity of the melting polymer suggested that the compatibility of H-oil to PCS in melting was limited at 15 mass%. Gas chromatography data after heating showed that an amount of evolved hydrogen at 573 K was increased by 15 mass% of H-oil addition. The fibers formed by the melt-spun of the polymer blend at 578 K mainly possessed a single pore at the center of the fibers' cross section. On the other hand, the fibers melt-spun at 543 K usually included multiple pores, and the fibers melt-spun at 538 K included a number of tiny pores. It is proposed that the evolved hydrogen can be dissolved in the polymer melt, and the desaturation process of the dissolved gas during the fiber spinning with a sudden temperature reduction likely determined the size and location of pores in the fibers.     

An experimental study of energy-saving pneumatic conveying system in a horizontal pipeline with dune model

In order to reduce power consumption and conveying velocity, a pneumatic conveying system where a dune model is mounted in a pipeline is proposed in this paper. The experimental study focuses on the effect of the mounted dune model in the horizontal pneumatic conveying system in terms of pressure drop, power consumption and conveying velocity. The test pipeline consisted of a horizontal smooth acrylic tube with an inside diameter of 80 mm and a length of about 5 m. Polyethylene spherical particles with a density of 952 kg/m³ and diameters of 2.3 and 3.3 mm are used as conveying materials. The mean air velocity is varied from 9 to 16 m/s, and the solid mass flow rate is from 0.25 to 0.45 kg/s. Firstly, the effect of the dune model location on pneumatic conveying is experimentally studied. It is found that in the lower air velocity range, the pressure drop of the pneumatic conveying with a mounted dune model is lower than that of a conventional pneumatic conveying system. A lower conveying velocity and energy-saving conveying can be realized by installing a dune model in the conveying pipe. Especially the case of fixing the dune model on the bottom of the pipe at the inlet of particle feed is more effective. The particle flow patterns also show that the dune model reduces the deposition of particles. Then, the effect of different surface materials of the dune model is examined. By using a surface material of the dune model with a large coefficient of restitution, the pressure drop of conveying large particles is the lowest. When conveying relatively small particles, however, the pressure drop becomes the lowest by a small coefficient of restitution. The maximum reduction rates of the minimum velocity and power consumption by the dune model are about 19% and 34%, respectively.     

Change in pore structure and composition of hardened cement paste during the process of dissolution

An understanding about the dissolution phenomena of cement hydrates is important to assess changes in the long-term performance of radioactive waste disposal facilities. To investigate the alteration associated with dissolution, dissolution tests of ordinary Portland cement (OPC) hydrates were performed.Through observation of the samples after leaching, it was confirmed that ettringite precipitation increased as the dissolution of the portlandite and the C-S-H gel progressed. EPMA performed on cross-sections of the solid phase showed a clear difference between the altered and unaltered parts. The boundary between the two parts was termed the portlandite (CH) dissolution front. As the leaching period became longer, the CH dissolution front shifted toward the inner part of the sample. A linear relationship was derived by plotting the distance moved by the CH dissolution front against the square root of the leaching time. This indicated Ca ion movement by diffusion.     

An Information-Spectrum Approach to Classical and Quantum Hypothesis Testing for Simple Hypotheses

The information-spectrum analysis made by Han for classical hypothesis testing for simple hypotheses is extended to a unifying framework including both classical and quantum hypothesis testing. The results are also applied to fixed-length source coding when loosening the normalizing condition for probability distributions and for quantum states. We establish general formulas for several quantities relating to the asymptotic optimality of tests/codes in terms of classical and quantum information spectra     

Noise rejection method for magnetic noise from wire using ICA for magnetocardiogram

In magnetocardiogram (MCG) measurements, magnetic noise from the wire used to suture the sternum after heart surgery becomes a problem. Independent component analysis is an effective method of noise rejection. In this study, MCG measurements were made on a normal subject with the wire attached and without the wire. We performed signal processing by independent component analysis in order to reduce the effect of magnetic noise from the wire. Comparison of the waveforms after this signal processing with waveforms without the wire clearly showed that magnetic noise caused by the wire was reduced. This result clearly shows that independent component analysis is effective for the removal of magnetic noise from the wire. ©2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 162(1): 7–14, 2008; Published online in Wiley InterScience ( www.interscience.wiley.com ). DOI 10.1002/eej.20589     

High‐precision positioning control for hard disk drives: 1st report: High‐precision simulator using differential iteration method

The paper proposes a high‐precision simulator for the following mode system design in hard disk drives (HDDs). The simulator is composed of two models: one is a precise mechanical plant which includes numerous high‐frequency vibration modes, and the other is a disturbance signal model which is separated into various disturbances. In the proposed approach, a differential iteration method is applied to identify the precise mechanical plant, providing accurate experimental model analyses. The effectiveness of the synthesized simulator was verified by the comparative studies for experiments and numerical simulations. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 159(1): 54–61, 2007; Published online in Wiley InterScience ( www.interscience.wiley.com ). DOI 10.1002/eej.20457     

Factors Involved in Morphogenesis in the Muscle–Tendon–Bone Complex

A decline in the body’s motor functions has been linked to decreased muscle mass and function in the oral cavity and throat; however, aging of the junctions of the muscles and bones has also been identified as an associated factor. Basic and clinical studies on the muscles, tendons and bones, each considered independently, have been published. In recent years, however, research has focused on muscle attachment as the muscle–tendon–bone complex from various perspectives, and there is a growing body of knowledge on SRY-box9 (Sox9) and Mohawk(Mkx), which has been identified as a common controlling factor and a key element. Myostatin, a factor that inhibits muscle growth, has been identified as a potential key element in the mechanisms of lifetime structural maintenance of the muscle–tendon–bone complex. Findings in recent studies have also uncovered aspects of the mechanisms of motor organ complex morphostasis in the superaged society of today and will lay the groundwork for treatments to prevent motor function decline in older adults.     

A neural network approach to predict tactile comfort of applying cosmetic foundation

An expert system has been developed to predict the degree of tactile comfort during the application of cosmetic foundation. A tribometer using compliant silicone-rubber surfaces was developed to perform 4 sliding tests and an oscillating test. From the tests for 20 different samples, 11 feature quantities were identified. The values of the feature quantities were used as the inputs to an artificial neural network, and the scores of tactile sensations were obtained as the outputs. The neural network, after supervised learning, could predict 5 types of emotional tactile comfort with high accuracy.