Structure and electrical characteristics of Ce4+-doped Ba2In2O5

The In-site of Ba₂In₂O₅ with Brownmillerite structure was partially substituted for Ce⁴⁺ ions in order to examine the doping effect on the order-disorder transition. Ba₂In_{2 – x} Ce _x O_{5 + x/2} (x = 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5) were prepared by solid state reaction. X-Ray diffraction analyses of these powder samples demonstrated that Ba₂In_{2 – x} Ce _x O_{5 + x/2} (x = 0.1 and 0.2) possesses Brownmillerite structure. With increasing content of Ce⁴⁺ ion the crystal system of Ba₂In_{2 – x} Ce _x O_{5 + x/2} (x = 0.3, 0.5, and 1.0) changed to cubic perovskite structure above the order-disorder transition temperature of Ba₂In₂O₅. Arrhenius plots of the electrical conductivities of Ba₂In_{2 – x} Ce _x O_{5 + x/2} (x = 0.2, 0.3, and 1.0) exhibited no discontinuity. These compounds had high transference numbers of oxide ion above 973 k.     

Markedly compressible behaviors of gellan hydrogels in a constrained geometry at ultraslow strain rates

The fracture behaviors of gellan hydrogels under compression remarkably depend on the strain rate as well as the boundary conditions for lateral expansion. In the geometry with no constraint for lateral expansion (conventional uniaxial compression), the gels rupture at relatively small strains independently of the compression rates. In contrast, when the gels are compressed extremely slowly (at a strain rate of ca. 10⁻⁵ s⁻¹) in the geometry prohibiting the lateral expansion at their top and bottom surfaces, they are remarkably compressible down to 2% of the initial height without macroscopic fracture and they are accompanied by a large amount of water release. In such markedly compressed gels, many microscopic cracks are formed around the central layer, where strain concentration occurs due to the nonuniform deformation arising from the constrained geometry. In the highly compressible case, the formation of macroscopic cracks is prevented by the localization of microscopic cracks as well as the enhancement in mechanical toughness by a significant increase in polymer concentration due to water release.     

Functioning survival rate of fixtures and superstructures of osseointegrated implants: ten years of progress in Tokyo Dental College Hospital (second report)

Endoglucanase production was measured in culture filtrates of four species of Saccobolus growing in media containing glucose or crystalline cellulose as the only carbon sources. Enzyme activity was four to seven times higher in the presence of cellulose than glucose. S. saccoboloides showed maximal growth and enzyme production. The extracellular proteins secreted during growth on cellulose were separated by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and stained for proteins. A zymogram technique was used to visualize bands with endoglucanase activity. The four species showed different protein and isoenzyme patterns.     

Infiltrating the zebrafish swarm: design,implementation and experimental tests of a miniature robotic fish lure for fish–robot interaction studies

Robotic fish are nowadays developed for various types of research, such as bio-inspiredrobotics, biomimetics and animal behavior studies. In the context of our research on the social interactions of the zebrafish Danio Rerio, we developed a miniature robotic fish lure for direct underwater interaction with the living fish. This remotely controlled and waterproof device has a total length of 7.5 cm with the same size ratio as zebrafish and is able to beat its tail with different frequencies and amplitudes, while following the group of living animals using a mobile robot moving outside water that is coupled with the robotic lure using magnets. The robotic lure is also equipped with a rechargeable battery and can be used autonomously underwater for experiments of up to 1 h. We performed experiments with the robot moving inside an aquarium with living fish to analyze its impact on the zebrafish behavior. We found that the beating rate of the tail increased the attractiveness of the lure among the zebrafish shoal. We also demonstrated that the lure could influence a collective decision of the zebrafish shoal, the swimming direction, when moving with a constant linear speed inside a circular corridor. This new robotic fish design and the experimental results are promising for the field of fish–robot interaction.     

Thermodynamics of oxygen,nitrogen and sulfur in liquid iron equilibrated with CaO-TiOx and CaO-Al2O3-TiOx melts

Equilibria between CaO-TiO_x or CaO-Al₂O₃-TiO_x melts and liquid iron with respect to O, N and S were studied at 1873 K as a function of Ti (or Al) content in metal, using a CaO or an Al₂O₃ crucible. The Al-O and Ti-O relations in liquid iron were studied, and nitride and sulfide capacities defined by and , respectively, were obtained from nitrogen and sulfur distribution ratios, coupled with the analyzed oxygen content in liquid iron or the P_O2 determined by Ti/TiO₂ equilibrium. Based on these results, activities of Al₂O₃ and activity coefficients of TiO₂ and TiO_1.5 were evaluated.     

Data-driven dual-rate cascade control and application to pitch angle control of UAV

A data-driven design method for a cascade control system is proposed. The cascade control system consists of inner and outer loops, where the control interval of the outer loop is an integer multiple of the inner loop; hence, the system is a dual-rate system. In the proposed method, controllers in the inner and outer loops are designed based on one-shot data. In such a dual-rate cascade system, since the controllers are designed using different data-rate signals, the lifting technique is applied to align the dual-rate data. To show its effectiveness, the proposed method is compared with a conventional single-rate cascade control method, and numerical simulations and experiments are presented to examine servo and regulation performance.     

Development and Evaluation of a Robust Sandwich Immunoassay System Detecting Serum WFA-Reactive IgA1 for Diagnosis of IgA Nephropathy

Aberrant glycosylation of IgA1 is involved in the development of IgA nephropathy (IgAN). There are many reports of IgAN markers focusing on the glycoform of IgA1. None have been clinically applied as a routine test. In this study, we established an automated sandwich immunoassay system for detecting aberrant glycosylated IgA1, using Wisteria floribunda agglutinin (WFA) and anti-IgA1 monoclonal antibody. The diagnostic performance as an IgAN marker was evaluated. The usefulness of WFA for immunoassays was investigated by lectin microarray. A reliable standard for quantitative immunoassay measurements was designed by modifying a purified IgA1 substrate. A validation study using multiple serum specimens was performed using the established WFA-antibody sandwich automated immunoassay. Lectin microarray results showed that WFA specifically recognized N-glycans of agglutinated IgA1 in IgAN patients. The constructed IgA1 standard exhibited a wide dynamic range and high reactivity. In the validation study, serum WFA-reactive IgA1 (WFA+-IgA1) differed significantly between healthy control subjects and IgAN patients. The findings indicate that WFA is a suitable lectin that specifically targets abnormal agglutinated IgA1 in serum. We also describe an automated immunoassay system for detecting WFA+-IgA1, focusing on N-glycans.     

Phosphorus flame retardants in indoor dust and their relation to asthma and allergies of inhabitants

Organophosphate esters are used as additives in flame retardants and plasticizers, and they are ubiquitous in the indoor environment. Phosphorus flame retardants (PFRs) are present in residential dust, but few epidemiological studies have assessed their impact on human health. We measured the levels of 11 PFRs in indoor floor dust and multi‐surface dust in 182 single‐family dwellings in Japan. We evaluated their correlations with asthma and allergies of the inhabitants. Tris(2‐butoxyethyl) phosphate was detected in all samples (median value: 580 μg/g in floor dust, 111 μg/g in multi‐surface dust). Tris(2‐chloro‐iso‐propyl) phosphate (TCIPP) was detected at 8.69 μg/g in floor dust and 25.8 μg/g in multi‐surface dust. After adjustment for potential confounders, significant associations were found between the prevalence of atopic dermatitis and the presence of TCIPP and tris(1,3‐dichloro‐2‐propyl) phosphate in floor dust [per log₁₀‐unit, odds ratio (OR): 2.43 and 1.84, respectively]. Tributyl phosphate was significantly associated with the prevalence of asthma (OR: 2.85 in floor dust, 5.34 in multi‐surface dust) and allergic rhinitis (OR: 2.55 in multi‐surface dust). PFR levels in Japan were high compared with values reported previously for Europe, Asia‐Pacific, and the USA. Higher levels of PFRs in house dust were related to the inhabitants' health status.     

A Study of Mutual Coupling between Vertical Grounding Electrodes

This paper investigates the mutual grounding impedance between vertical grounding electrodes based on field measurements and FDTD simulations. In the case of vertical electrodes, the mutual impedance between the electrodes is almost completely independent of the electrode length, and thus the induced voltage is nearly constant as the electrode length becomes longer. This characteristic is different from that of an overhead conductor, where the electromagnetic‐induced voltage is proportional to the conductor length. The greater the separation distance between the electrodes, the smaller the induced voltage, as in the case of an overhead conductor. The propagation speed increases as the separation increases. It is found that the speed is not necessarily proportional to the inverse of the relative permittivity of the earth.