The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between field-based simplified approaches and knee extensor muscle strength/size in young men. Knee extensor muscle thickness （MT） of 104 healthy university ...The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between field-based simplified approaches and knee extensor muscle strength/size in young men. Knee extensor muscle thickness （MT） of 104 healthy university freshmen was measured at the anterior half of thigh length; maximal voluntary isometric contraction （MVIC） was measured when subjects performed knee extension. Field-based simplified approaches [sit-to-stand, standing long jump （SLJ）, handgrip and upper-leg-50% （thigh） girth] were also measured. MVIC was correlated with SLJ （r = 0.361, P 〈 0.001）, handgrip （r = 0.523, P 〈 0.001） and thigh girth （r = 0.401, P 〈 0.001）, but not with the sit-to-stand test （r = 0.126, P 〉 0.05）. MT was correlated with handgrip （r = 0.317, P 〈 0.001） and thigh girth （r = 0.632, P 〈 0.001）, but not with SLJ （r = 0.038, P 〉 0.05） or the sit-to-stand test （r = 0.145, P 〉 0.05）. A stepwise multiple-regression analysis was applied to the predictor thigh girth to predict knee extensor MT （R2 = 0.399）. To predict knee extensor MVIC, the predictor handgrip, thigh girth and SLJ were applied （R2 = 0.381）. In conclusion, knee extensor muscle strength/size could be evaluated by the field-based simplified approaches, in particular by the thigh girth measurement, which may be major determinant to maintain activities of daily living for healthy young men. However, the 4 field-based simplified approaches appear to be still not of high impact.展开更多
In this paper, we calculate the absolute tensor square of the Dirichlet L-functions and show that it is expressed as an Euler product over pairs of primes. The method is to construct an equation to link primes to a se...In this paper, we calculate the absolute tensor square of the Dirichlet L-functions and show that it is expressed as an Euler product over pairs of primes. The method is to construct an equation to link primes to a series which has the factors of the absolute tensor product of the Dirichlet L-functions. This study is a generalization of Akatsuka’s theorem on the Riemann zeta function, and gives a proof of Kurokawa’s prediction proposed in 1992.展开更多
The evolving dynamics of drug resistance due to tumor heterogeneity often creates impediments to traditional therapies making it a challenging issue for cancer cure.Breast cancer often faces challenges of current ther...The evolving dynamics of drug resistance due to tumor heterogeneity often creates impediments to traditional therapies making it a challenging issue for cancer cure.Breast cancer often faces challenges of current therapeutic interventions owing to its multiple complexities and high drug resistivity,for example against drugs like trastuzumab and tamoxifen.Drug resistance in the majority of breast cancer is often aided by the overtly expressed P-glycoprotein(P-gp)that guides in the rapid drug efflux of chemotherapy drugs.Despite continuous endeavors and ground-breaking achievements in the pursuit of finding better cancer therapeutic avenues,drug resistance is still a menace to hold back.Among newer therapeutic approaches,the application of phytonutrients such as alkaloids to suppress P-gp activity in drug-resistant cancers has found an exciting niche in the arena of alternative cancer therapies.In this work,we would like to present a black pepper alkaloid derivative known as Bio Perine-loaded chitosan(CS)-polyethylene glycol(PEG)coated polylactic acid(PLA)hybrid polymeric nanoparticle to improve the bioavailability of Bio Perine and its therapeutic efficacy in suppressing P-gp expression in MDA-MB 453 breast cancer cell line.Our findings revealed that the CS-PEG-Bio PerinePLA nanoparticles demonstrated a smooth spherical morphology with an average size of316 nm,with improved aqueous solubility,and provided sustained Bio Perine release.The nanoparticles also enhanced in vitro cytotoxicity and downregulation of P-gp expression in MDA-MB 453 cells compared to the commercial inhibitor verapamil hydrochloride,thus promising a piece of exciting evidence for the development of Bio Perine based nano-drug delivery system in combination with traditional therapies as a crucial approach to tackling multi-drug resistance in cancers.展开更多
In this study, we use a thin rotating plate to generate propulsion and lift for a paper plate. And the thin plate rotates along the spanwise axis. We numerically determine the influence on aerodynamic characteristics ...In this study, we use a thin rotating plate to generate propulsion and lift for a paper plate. And the thin plate rotates along the spanwise axis. We numerically determine the influence on aerodynamic characteristics with a rotational velocity of the thin plate. The rotational velocity is obtained with spin parameter which is the ratio of the peripheral speed of the plate to the main flow velocity. And the numerical simulations based on the discrete vortex method show that the autorotation mode of the plate in a uniform flow appears naturally when the spin parameter is unity. Vortex formed from the backward-rotating edge is weaker than those generated from the forward-rotating edge of thin plate. The maximum lift generated at S = 0.75 if S < 1. The negative moment becomes negative for the nondimensional rotating speed S ≤ 1.75. The most negative moment appears when S = 1;at that time, autorotation occurs naturally.展开更多
Samarium-doped anatase TiO2 (A-TiO2:Sm) and rutile (R-TiO2:Sm) single phase thin films are fabricated by laser ablation and post-annealing at different temperatures. A-TiO2:Sm samples exhibit intense PL emission, whil...Samarium-doped anatase TiO2 (A-TiO2:Sm) and rutile (R-TiO2:Sm) single phase thin films are fabricated by laser ablation and post-annealing at different temperatures. A-TiO2:Sm samples exhibit intense PL emission, whilst R-TiO2:Sm samples exhibit weak PL emission. The local crystal structure of Sm-dopants is investigated using X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) measurements. The thin films showing strong PL emission have lower crystal symmetry than the other samples, which show weak PL emission. We report the relationship between changing the symmetry of the local structure and activation of the luminescent center. The local structure of Sm3+ thin films annealed at 600°C to 800°C, which possess an activated semi-stable Sm3+ ions luminescent center, dramatically changes from having high symmetry to low symmetry. While the phase transitioned R-TiO2:Sm and fabricated as R-TiO2:Sm samples showed highly symmetric. Hence, the coordination around the doped-Sm3+ ions is the key factor for exhibiting an intense PL emission. Therefore, activation of the luminescent center is strongly connected with the distorted local crystal symmetry, which is proposed as one of the factors defining the transfer probability. In this work, we discuss the connection between coordination around Sm3+ ions and PL intensity, and optical and electrical properties of a n+-ITO/TiO2:Sm/p-NiO/p+-Si hetero junction LED preparing with optimal fabricating condition.展开更多
Herein, we present the results of our experimental investigation of splashes formed by a frog diving into water from the ground or from a leaf and the accompanying sound generated by the impact of the frog on the wate...Herein, we present the results of our experimental investigation of splashes formed by a frog diving into water from the ground or from a leaf and the accompanying sound generated by the impact of the frog on the water. The experiments are performed by visualizing the flow with a high-speed camera. In addition, we used physical models comprising hydrophilic bodies made from hydrogel or acrylic resin to experimentally study how hydrophilicity affects the splash. In these experiments, we use the degree of swelling to define the hydrophilicity degree. The results show that different splashes are caused by the increase in water-film velocity upon an increase in hydrophilicity. For a body with strong hydrophilicity, at a relatively high film velocity, the water film forms when the body impacts the water surface separates from the body surface. In addition, an aircavity forms when the film separates from the body. We empirically examine the relation between the hydrophilicity degree and film velocity. The results indicate that increased hydrophilicity does not reduce the splash. Therefore, we conclude that reducing of the formation of water from the biomimetic point of view is related to the shape of body.展开更多
Steganography is a technique hiding secret information within innocent-looking information (e.g., text, audio, image, video, and so on). In this paper, we propose a quantum steganography protocol using plain text as i...Steganography is a technique hiding secret information within innocent-looking information (e.g., text, audio, image, video, and so on). In this paper, we propose a quantum steganography protocol using plain text as innocent-looking information called cover data. Our steganograpy protocol has three features. First, we can use any plain text that is inde-pendent of any secret message sent between parties. When we make stego data, we do not need to change the content of plain text at all. Second, embedded messages are not included in opened information (innocent-looking messages), but are included as phases of the entangled states. Finally, in quantum states shared between parties in advance, i.e., as quantum keys used when the parties recover secret messages from stego data, neither innocent-looking information nor the information of any secret message is included.展开更多
This study examined Japanese patents in terms of the quantitative characteristics of application documents that resulted in the acquisition of rights in order to clarify the relationship between the features and paten...This study examined Japanese patents in terms of the quantitative characteristics of application documents that resulted in the acquisition of rights in order to clarify the relationship between the features and patentability of applications. The groups of approved applications and those that had not been approved were compared for 12 variables： publication time lag; numbers of inventors, classifications, pages, figures, tables, claims, priority claims, countries for priority claims, cited patents, and cited non-patent documents; and median of citation age. Furthermore, the authors carried out the experiments in which patent applications were automatically classified into two groups by the machine learning method, random forests. As a result, statistically significant differences between the two groups were observed for the following variables （p 〈 .001）： the numbers of inventors, pages, figures, claims, priority claims, and countries for priority claims were significantly larger in the group of approved applications, while the time lag until publication was smaller. In particular, the publication time lag and the numbers of inventors, pages, and figures were variables representing the features that largely contribute to discriminating approved applications in the classification using random forests, which implies that these have relatively strong relationships with patentability.展开更多
The drag on a cylinder with an apple-shaped cross section was studied numerically in this paper. This cross section is adopted because the drag on an apple is known to be lower than that of a sphere. Since the hollows...The drag on a cylinder with an apple-shaped cross section was studied numerically in this paper. This cross section is adopted because the drag on an apple is known to be lower than that of a sphere. Since the hollows of an apple seem to be points of drag reduction, two-dimensional numerical simulations of cylinders with hollows of several shapes are carried out at a Reynolds number of 6.7 × 104 by using the vortex method to check their effects. The cylinder with hollows like those of a real apple attained a 13% reduction in drag compared with a circular cylinder. Other geometrical hollow-shapes, namely, V-shaped and U-shaped grooves, also reduced drag from the circular model, but these effects were less pronounced than those of the apple-shaped cross section. It was concluded that an apple-like hollows were effective for drag reduction of a cylin-der as well as a sphere.展开更多
This paper addresses a fundamental question in conservation ecology, which is the balance between rebuilding of a species’ population and exploiting them, by examining an appropriate sustainable management regulation...This paper addresses a fundamental question in conservation ecology, which is the balance between rebuilding of a species’ population and exploiting them, by examining an appropriate sustainable management regulation for Pacific Bluefin tuna. The population of Pacific Bluefin tuna has been heavily depleted to just 2.6% of its historic unfished size by many years of overfishing. In order to rebuild the population, an immediate implementation of a moratorium on all commercial fishing was proposed by NGOs such as the Pew Charitable Trusts and Greenpeace. The primary objective of this paper is to examine the necessity of the moratorium as a sustainable stock management regulation. The paper concludes that an additional 10% reduction in catch limit of fish less than 30 kg could be a better alternative management regulation than a total ban on all fishing. This option can increase the probability of the stock recovery, while allowing to catch as many large fishes as under the current management regulation. Through the examination of sustainable stock management for Pacific Bluefin tuna, it can be said that it is important to consider the balance between the recovery of the population and utilization of them. Since millions of people rely on the consumption of the species, it is more realistic to gradually rebuild the population with an intermediate target and an efficient additional catch limit. This consideration can be applied to conservation of other species such as whales and eels.展开更多
To determine the type of surface roughness pattern that is suitable for adaptive suppression of the drag of an obstacle, we observed flow structures introduced by such obstacles. Several roughness patterns were tested...To determine the type of surface roughness pattern that is suitable for adaptive suppression of the drag of an obstacle, we observed flow structures introduced by such obstacles. Several roughness patterns were tested: geometric patterns, fractal patterns, reptile-skin patterns, and patterns of circular cylinders arranged in a lattice and in a zigzag manner. A suitable pattern for adaptive control of flow is one that generates longitudinal vortices with nonconstant distances. The preferred instability mode of a laminar boundary layer is expected to be selected automatically from fluctuations involving many frequencies and caused by fractal patterns. Snake- and reptile-skin patterns may have a similar ability as fractal patterns because they consist of multiscale patterns. The longitudinal vortices generated from peculiar positions and concave corners in patterns were observed. The distance between these vortices is not constant because the onset of vortices is at concave corners in fractal patterns. These vortices have differing strengths and easily cause nonlinear interactions, so they can disturb a laminar boundary layer with several higher-harmonic frequencies. The velocity profiles of the laminar boundary-layer flow over the fractal patterns were measured by using hydrogen bubbles. The results show the down-wash flow between the longitudinal vortices, which means that the vortices may effectively suppress the boundary layer separation in an adverse pressure gradient.展开更多
This paper is to present a framework to analyse international relations regarding protection and exploitation of an endangered species. The question of how to balance conservation and consumption in order to maintain ...This paper is to present a framework to analyse international relations regarding protection and exploitation of an endangered species. The question of how to balance conservation and consumption in order to maintain the sustainability of resources and nature is not only the central challenge of conservation ecology, but also an international political and economic issue that frequently leads to confrontation between countries. In relation to whales, for example, Japan has long been subjected to criticism by anti-whaling countries such as the United States and Australia, and has faced off against them on the international stage. And, more recently, similar confrontations have begun to appear in relation to tuna and eel. It has been highlighted in recent years that Pacific Bluefin Tuna are becoming endangered, and there is considerable national and international concern with regard to their resource management. This paper first obtains an implication about the course of events that led to the fishing ban. The implication is applied to the case of Pacific Bluefin Tuna. Pacific Bluefin Tuna and the whaling issue reveals points of commonality. The conclusion is that history of the whaling issue implies that Japan will lose the support not only of countries opposed to fishing but also of neutral countries, if Tokyo continues to adopt policies which make light of resource conservation. Even a total ban on the fishing of Pacific Bluefin Tuna may result. This implication from the whaling issue is potentially helpful to predict the development of international relations and conservation regarding other endangered species.展开更多
We developed a planetary-type rod mill that can improve the comminution working efficiency, prevent the generation of soil dust, and make it easy to clean the used jars. Clods are broken by this device into fine-grain...We developed a planetary-type rod mill that can improve the comminution working efficiency, prevent the generation of soil dust, and make it easy to clean the used jars. Clods are broken by this device into fine-grained soil particles with sizes of less than 2 mm in diameter within 2 min. One objective of this study is to evaluate the performance of the mill by observing the fragmentation process of the clods. The process is visualized experimentally via a high-speed camera installed on a rotating jar of the device. The breakage of the clods in the rod mill is considered morphologically according to the crushing patterns obtained by previous studies. The rod moves together with the clods in the jar. Therefore, violent collisions are not thought to be a major reason for the breakage of the clods. The surfaces of the clods are first scraped and then appear to become fragile. However, if there are no rods in the jar, the clods never break into small pieces. Therefore, it is likely that collisions with the rod trigger the catastrophic fragmentation of the clods into small pieces. This suggests that the design of the device could be modified to improve its performance in the near future.展开更多
Waterside creatures or aquatic organisms use a fin or web to generate a thrust force. These fins or webs have a non-convex section, referred to as a non-convex shape. We investigate the drag force acting on ...Waterside creatures or aquatic organisms use a fin or web to generate a thrust force. These fins or webs have a non-convex section, referred to as a non-convex shape. We investigate the drag force acting on a non-convex plate during unsteady motion. We perform the experiment in a water tank during free fall. We fabricate the non-convex plate by cutting isosceles triangles from the side of a convex hexagonal plate. The base angle of the triangle is between 0° to 45°. The base angle is 0 indicates the convex hexagonal thin plate. We estimate the drag coefficient with the force balance acting on the model based on the image analysis technique. The results indicate that increasing the base angle by more than 30° increased the drag coefficient. The drag coefficient during unsteady motion changed with the growth of the vortex behind the model. The vortex has small vortices in the shear layer, which is related to the Kelvin-Helmholtz instabilities.展开更多
Increased microbial activity leads to biological clogging (or bioclogging), i.e., the pore space is clogged by microbes and saturated hydraulic conductivity of porous media decreases. A series of column experiments we...Increased microbial activity leads to biological clogging (or bioclogging), i.e., the pore space is clogged by microbes and saturated hydraulic conductivity of porous media decreases. A series of column experiments were carried out to study the bioclogging of sand columns. Hydraulic conductivity remained unchanged when a sterilizing agent was applied;however, it decreased when a glucose solution was applied. In most cases, bioclogging proceeded from the inlet of the solution;but, in some cases, it started from the bottom or outlet of the column. In this experiment, the reduction of hydraulic conductivity was better explained by microcolony models compared to biofilm models.展开更多
A multifunctional nanoparticle based on carboxymethyl cellulose was developed. Folate group was attached to nanoparticle for specific recognition of cancerous cells and 5FU was encapsulated for delivering cytotoxicity...A multifunctional nanoparticle based on carboxymethyl cellulose was developed. Folate group was attached to nanoparticle for specific recognition of cancerous cells and 5FU was encapsulated for delivering cytotoxicity. The whole system was able to track by the semiconductor quantum dots that were attached to the nanoparticle. The multifunctional nanoparticle was characterized by UV-VIS spectra, PL spectra, FTIR, TEM, SEM etc and was targeted to human breast cancer cell, MCF7. The biocompatibility of nanoparticle without drug and cytotoxicity rendered by nanoparticle with drug was studied with MCF7 and L929 cell lines. The epifluorescent images suggest that the folate-conjugated nanoparticles were more internalized by folate receptor positive cell line, MCF7 than the noncancerous L929 cells.展开更多
Japan experienced the retrenchment of the welfare state. The purpose of this study was to deepen the understanding of the impact these policy changes had on citizens’ organized activities. It focused on the 2016 revi...Japan experienced the retrenchment of the welfare state. The purpose of this study was to deepen the understanding of the impact these policy changes had on citizens’ organized activities. It focused on the 2016 revision of Long-Term Care Insurance （LTCI） system, which urged citizens to organize activities to support the frail seniors in their communities. Researchers conducted interviews in the Tokyo from February-March 2016. The subjects were six local officers in charge of LTCI implementation and 10 community members who led the voluntary activities organized as a response to the 2016 systemic revision. This study found that those leading voluntary activities were primarily baby boomers, who were born between 1947 and 1949. They were actively involved in “new voluntary activity movements” in the 1980s, as interacting with a wide range of citizens. However, as they reached the age of 65 or older, they became more focused on developing a comfortable space and collaborating with those similar to them： those who were college graduates, middle- to upper-class, and held white-collar jobs. The disparity based on income level seemed to be emphasized also because the way the 2016 revision of LTCI system was designed.展开更多
Municipal amalgamation has been done in many countries in recent years as the result of a push to enlarge the size and coverage of local government units, which in turn is driven mainly by the prospect of economies of...Municipal amalgamation has been done in many countries in recent years as the result of a push to enlarge the size and coverage of local government units, which in turn is driven mainly by the prospect of economies of scale. However, while municipality amalgamation or boundary reform raises population size, it introduces organizational changes in the local government that might increase administrative inefficiency. The choice for the method of integration of administrative functions before amalgamation might affect to public expenditure after amalgamation. This study uses Japanese municipal-level data and argues for a relation between the choice for the method of integration of administrative functions and cost inefficiency after amalgamation. The results show that the fully distributed facility method is more likely to be adopted in a larger administrative jurisdiction and in one with large differences in finances or political structures between amalgamated sub-regions. Moreover, the results of stochastic frontier regression show that new municipality adopting fully distributed facility method can possibly increase inefficiency by expanding organizational slack because the new administration system will be insufficient integration of administrative functions.展开更多
This paper demonstrates how channel coding can improve the robustness of spatial image watermarks against signal distortion caused by lossy data compression such as the JPEG scheme by taking advantage of the propertie...This paper demonstrates how channel coding can improve the robustness of spatial image watermarks against signal distortion caused by lossy data compression such as the JPEG scheme by taking advantage of the properties of Gray code. Two error-correction coding (ECC) schemes are used here: One scheme, referred to as the vertical ECC (VECC), is to encode information bits in a pixel by error-correction coding where the Gray code is used to improve the performance. The other scheme, referred to as the horizontal ECC (HECC), is to encode information bits in an image plane. In watermarking, HECC generates a codeword representing watermark bits, and each bit of the codeword is encoded by VECC. Simple single-error-correcting block codes are used in VECC and HECC. Several experiments of these schemes were conducted on test images. The result demonstrates that the error-correcting performance of HECC just depends on that of VECC, and accordingly, HECC enhances the capability of VECC. Consequently, HECC with appropriate codes can achieve stronger robustness to JPEG—caused distortions than non-channel-coding watermarking schemes.展开更多
文摘The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between field-based simplified approaches and knee extensor muscle strength/size in young men. Knee extensor muscle thickness （MT） of 104 healthy university freshmen was measured at the anterior half of thigh length; maximal voluntary isometric contraction （MVIC） was measured when subjects performed knee extension. Field-based simplified approaches [sit-to-stand, standing long jump （SLJ）, handgrip and upper-leg-50% （thigh） girth] were also measured. MVIC was correlated with SLJ （r = 0.361, P 〈 0.001）, handgrip （r = 0.523, P 〈 0.001） and thigh girth （r = 0.401, P 〈 0.001）, but not with the sit-to-stand test （r = 0.126, P 〉 0.05）. MT was correlated with handgrip （r = 0.317, P 〈 0.001） and thigh girth （r = 0.632, P 〈 0.001）, but not with SLJ （r = 0.038, P 〉 0.05） or the sit-to-stand test （r = 0.145, P 〉 0.05）. A stepwise multiple-regression analysis was applied to the predictor thigh girth to predict knee extensor MT （R2 = 0.399）. To predict knee extensor MVIC, the predictor handgrip, thigh girth and SLJ were applied （R2 = 0.381）. In conclusion, knee extensor muscle strength/size could be evaluated by the field-based simplified approaches, in particular by the thigh girth measurement, which may be major determinant to maintain activities of daily living for healthy young men. However, the 4 field-based simplified approaches appear to be still not of high impact.
文摘In this paper, we calculate the absolute tensor square of the Dirichlet L-functions and show that it is expressed as an Euler product over pairs of primes. The method is to construct an equation to link primes to a series which has the factors of the absolute tensor product of the Dirichlet L-functions. This study is a generalization of Akatsuka’s theorem on the Riemann zeta function, and gives a proof of Kurokawa’s prediction proposed in 1992.
基金the Ministry of Education,Culture,Sports,Science and Technology(MEXT),JapanInoue Enryo Research Grant,Toyo University respectively for the financial support provided to carry out this work。
文摘The evolving dynamics of drug resistance due to tumor heterogeneity often creates impediments to traditional therapies making it a challenging issue for cancer cure.Breast cancer often faces challenges of current therapeutic interventions owing to its multiple complexities and high drug resistivity,for example against drugs like trastuzumab and tamoxifen.Drug resistance in the majority of breast cancer is often aided by the overtly expressed P-glycoprotein(P-gp)that guides in the rapid drug efflux of chemotherapy drugs.Despite continuous endeavors and ground-breaking achievements in the pursuit of finding better cancer therapeutic avenues,drug resistance is still a menace to hold back.Among newer therapeutic approaches,the application of phytonutrients such as alkaloids to suppress P-gp activity in drug-resistant cancers has found an exciting niche in the arena of alternative cancer therapies.In this work,we would like to present a black pepper alkaloid derivative known as Bio Perine-loaded chitosan(CS)-polyethylene glycol(PEG)coated polylactic acid(PLA)hybrid polymeric nanoparticle to improve the bioavailability of Bio Perine and its therapeutic efficacy in suppressing P-gp expression in MDA-MB 453 breast cancer cell line.Our findings revealed that the CS-PEG-Bio PerinePLA nanoparticles demonstrated a smooth spherical morphology with an average size of316 nm,with improved aqueous solubility,and provided sustained Bio Perine release.The nanoparticles also enhanced in vitro cytotoxicity and downregulation of P-gp expression in MDA-MB 453 cells compared to the commercial inhibitor verapamil hydrochloride,thus promising a piece of exciting evidence for the development of Bio Perine based nano-drug delivery system in combination with traditional therapies as a crucial approach to tackling multi-drug resistance in cancers.
文摘In this study, we use a thin rotating plate to generate propulsion and lift for a paper plate. And the thin plate rotates along the spanwise axis. We numerically determine the influence on aerodynamic characteristics with a rotational velocity of the thin plate. The rotational velocity is obtained with spin parameter which is the ratio of the peripheral speed of the plate to the main flow velocity. And the numerical simulations based on the discrete vortex method show that the autorotation mode of the plate in a uniform flow appears naturally when the spin parameter is unity. Vortex formed from the backward-rotating edge is weaker than those generated from the forward-rotating edge of thin plate. The maximum lift generated at S = 0.75 if S < 1. The negative moment becomes negative for the nondimensional rotating speed S ≤ 1.75. The most negative moment appears when S = 1;at that time, autorotation occurs naturally.
文摘Samarium-doped anatase TiO2 (A-TiO2:Sm) and rutile (R-TiO2:Sm) single phase thin films are fabricated by laser ablation and post-annealing at different temperatures. A-TiO2:Sm samples exhibit intense PL emission, whilst R-TiO2:Sm samples exhibit weak PL emission. The local crystal structure of Sm-dopants is investigated using X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) measurements. The thin films showing strong PL emission have lower crystal symmetry than the other samples, which show weak PL emission. We report the relationship between changing the symmetry of the local structure and activation of the luminescent center. The local structure of Sm3+ thin films annealed at 600°C to 800°C, which possess an activated semi-stable Sm3+ ions luminescent center, dramatically changes from having high symmetry to low symmetry. While the phase transitioned R-TiO2:Sm and fabricated as R-TiO2:Sm samples showed highly symmetric. Hence, the coordination around the doped-Sm3+ ions is the key factor for exhibiting an intense PL emission. Therefore, activation of the luminescent center is strongly connected with the distorted local crystal symmetry, which is proposed as one of the factors defining the transfer probability. In this work, we discuss the connection between coordination around Sm3+ ions and PL intensity, and optical and electrical properties of a n+-ITO/TiO2:Sm/p-NiO/p+-Si hetero junction LED preparing with optimal fabricating condition.
文摘Herein, we present the results of our experimental investigation of splashes formed by a frog diving into water from the ground or from a leaf and the accompanying sound generated by the impact of the frog on the water. The experiments are performed by visualizing the flow with a high-speed camera. In addition, we used physical models comprising hydrophilic bodies made from hydrogel or acrylic resin to experimentally study how hydrophilicity affects the splash. In these experiments, we use the degree of swelling to define the hydrophilicity degree. The results show that different splashes are caused by the increase in water-film velocity upon an increase in hydrophilicity. For a body with strong hydrophilicity, at a relatively high film velocity, the water film forms when the body impacts the water surface separates from the body surface. In addition, an aircavity forms when the film separates from the body. We empirically examine the relation between the hydrophilicity degree and film velocity. The results indicate that increased hydrophilicity does not reduce the splash. Therefore, we conclude that reducing of the formation of water from the biomimetic point of view is related to the shape of body.
文摘Steganography is a technique hiding secret information within innocent-looking information (e.g., text, audio, image, video, and so on). In this paper, we propose a quantum steganography protocol using plain text as innocent-looking information called cover data. Our steganograpy protocol has three features. First, we can use any plain text that is inde-pendent of any secret message sent between parties. When we make stego data, we do not need to change the content of plain text at all. Second, embedded messages are not included in opened information (innocent-looking messages), but are included as phases of the entangled states. Finally, in quantum states shared between parties in advance, i.e., as quantum keys used when the parties recover secret messages from stego data, neither innocent-looking information nor the information of any secret message is included.
文摘This study examined Japanese patents in terms of the quantitative characteristics of application documents that resulted in the acquisition of rights in order to clarify the relationship between the features and patentability of applications. The groups of approved applications and those that had not been approved were compared for 12 variables： publication time lag; numbers of inventors, classifications, pages, figures, tables, claims, priority claims, countries for priority claims, cited patents, and cited non-patent documents; and median of citation age. Furthermore, the authors carried out the experiments in which patent applications were automatically classified into two groups by the machine learning method, random forests. As a result, statistically significant differences between the two groups were observed for the following variables （p 〈 .001）： the numbers of inventors, pages, figures, claims, priority claims, and countries for priority claims were significantly larger in the group of approved applications, while the time lag until publication was smaller. In particular, the publication time lag and the numbers of inventors, pages, and figures were variables representing the features that largely contribute to discriminating approved applications in the classification using random forests, which implies that these have relatively strong relationships with patentability.
文摘The drag on a cylinder with an apple-shaped cross section was studied numerically in this paper. This cross section is adopted because the drag on an apple is known to be lower than that of a sphere. Since the hollows of an apple seem to be points of drag reduction, two-dimensional numerical simulations of cylinders with hollows of several shapes are carried out at a Reynolds number of 6.7 × 104 by using the vortex method to check their effects. The cylinder with hollows like those of a real apple attained a 13% reduction in drag compared with a circular cylinder. Other geometrical hollow-shapes, namely, V-shaped and U-shaped grooves, also reduced drag from the circular model, but these effects were less pronounced than those of the apple-shaped cross section. It was concluded that an apple-like hollows were effective for drag reduction of a cylin-der as well as a sphere.
文摘This paper addresses a fundamental question in conservation ecology, which is the balance between rebuilding of a species’ population and exploiting them, by examining an appropriate sustainable management regulation for Pacific Bluefin tuna. The population of Pacific Bluefin tuna has been heavily depleted to just 2.6% of its historic unfished size by many years of overfishing. In order to rebuild the population, an immediate implementation of a moratorium on all commercial fishing was proposed by NGOs such as the Pew Charitable Trusts and Greenpeace. The primary objective of this paper is to examine the necessity of the moratorium as a sustainable stock management regulation. The paper concludes that an additional 10% reduction in catch limit of fish less than 30 kg could be a better alternative management regulation than a total ban on all fishing. This option can increase the probability of the stock recovery, while allowing to catch as many large fishes as under the current management regulation. Through the examination of sustainable stock management for Pacific Bluefin tuna, it can be said that it is important to consider the balance between the recovery of the population and utilization of them. Since millions of people rely on the consumption of the species, it is more realistic to gradually rebuild the population with an intermediate target and an efficient additional catch limit. This consideration can be applied to conservation of other species such as whales and eels.
文摘To determine the type of surface roughness pattern that is suitable for adaptive suppression of the drag of an obstacle, we observed flow structures introduced by such obstacles. Several roughness patterns were tested: geometric patterns, fractal patterns, reptile-skin patterns, and patterns of circular cylinders arranged in a lattice and in a zigzag manner. A suitable pattern for adaptive control of flow is one that generates longitudinal vortices with nonconstant distances. The preferred instability mode of a laminar boundary layer is expected to be selected automatically from fluctuations involving many frequencies and caused by fractal patterns. Snake- and reptile-skin patterns may have a similar ability as fractal patterns because they consist of multiscale patterns. The longitudinal vortices generated from peculiar positions and concave corners in patterns were observed. The distance between these vortices is not constant because the onset of vortices is at concave corners in fractal patterns. These vortices have differing strengths and easily cause nonlinear interactions, so they can disturb a laminar boundary layer with several higher-harmonic frequencies. The velocity profiles of the laminar boundary-layer flow over the fractal patterns were measured by using hydrogen bubbles. The results show the down-wash flow between the longitudinal vortices, which means that the vortices may effectively suppress the boundary layer separation in an adverse pressure gradient.
文摘This paper is to present a framework to analyse international relations regarding protection and exploitation of an endangered species. The question of how to balance conservation and consumption in order to maintain the sustainability of resources and nature is not only the central challenge of conservation ecology, but also an international political and economic issue that frequently leads to confrontation between countries. In relation to whales, for example, Japan has long been subjected to criticism by anti-whaling countries such as the United States and Australia, and has faced off against them on the international stage. And, more recently, similar confrontations have begun to appear in relation to tuna and eel. It has been highlighted in recent years that Pacific Bluefin Tuna are becoming endangered, and there is considerable national and international concern with regard to their resource management. This paper first obtains an implication about the course of events that led to the fishing ban. The implication is applied to the case of Pacific Bluefin Tuna. Pacific Bluefin Tuna and the whaling issue reveals points of commonality. The conclusion is that history of the whaling issue implies that Japan will lose the support not only of countries opposed to fishing but also of neutral countries, if Tokyo continues to adopt policies which make light of resource conservation. Even a total ban on the fishing of Pacific Bluefin Tuna may result. This implication from the whaling issue is potentially helpful to predict the development of international relations and conservation regarding other endangered species.
文摘We developed a planetary-type rod mill that can improve the comminution working efficiency, prevent the generation of soil dust, and make it easy to clean the used jars. Clods are broken by this device into fine-grained soil particles with sizes of less than 2 mm in diameter within 2 min. One objective of this study is to evaluate the performance of the mill by observing the fragmentation process of the clods. The process is visualized experimentally via a high-speed camera installed on a rotating jar of the device. The breakage of the clods in the rod mill is considered morphologically according to the crushing patterns obtained by previous studies. The rod moves together with the clods in the jar. Therefore, violent collisions are not thought to be a major reason for the breakage of the clods. The surfaces of the clods are first scraped and then appear to become fragile. However, if there are no rods in the jar, the clods never break into small pieces. Therefore, it is likely that collisions with the rod trigger the catastrophic fragmentation of the clods into small pieces. This suggests that the design of the device could be modified to improve its performance in the near future.
文摘Waterside creatures or aquatic organisms use a fin or web to generate a thrust force. These fins or webs have a non-convex section, referred to as a non-convex shape. We investigate the drag force acting on a non-convex plate during unsteady motion. We perform the experiment in a water tank during free fall. We fabricate the non-convex plate by cutting isosceles triangles from the side of a convex hexagonal plate. The base angle of the triangle is between 0° to 45°. The base angle is 0 indicates the convex hexagonal thin plate. We estimate the drag coefficient with the force balance acting on the model based on the image analysis technique. The results indicate that increasing the base angle by more than 30° increased the drag coefficient. The drag coefficient during unsteady motion changed with the growth of the vortex behind the model. The vortex has small vortices in the shear layer, which is related to the Kelvin-Helmholtz instabilities.
文摘Increased microbial activity leads to biological clogging (or bioclogging), i.e., the pore space is clogged by microbes and saturated hydraulic conductivity of porous media decreases. A series of column experiments were carried out to study the bioclogging of sand columns. Hydraulic conductivity remained unchanged when a sterilizing agent was applied;however, it decreased when a glucose solution was applied. In most cases, bioclogging proceeded from the inlet of the solution;but, in some cases, it started from the bottom or outlet of the column. In this experiment, the reduction of hydraulic conductivity was better explained by microcolony models compared to biofilm models.
文摘A multifunctional nanoparticle based on carboxymethyl cellulose was developed. Folate group was attached to nanoparticle for specific recognition of cancerous cells and 5FU was encapsulated for delivering cytotoxicity. The whole system was able to track by the semiconductor quantum dots that were attached to the nanoparticle. The multifunctional nanoparticle was characterized by UV-VIS spectra, PL spectra, FTIR, TEM, SEM etc and was targeted to human breast cancer cell, MCF7. The biocompatibility of nanoparticle without drug and cytotoxicity rendered by nanoparticle with drug was studied with MCF7 and L929 cell lines. The epifluorescent images suggest that the folate-conjugated nanoparticles were more internalized by folate receptor positive cell line, MCF7 than the noncancerous L929 cells.
文摘Japan experienced the retrenchment of the welfare state. The purpose of this study was to deepen the understanding of the impact these policy changes had on citizens’ organized activities. It focused on the 2016 revision of Long-Term Care Insurance （LTCI） system, which urged citizens to organize activities to support the frail seniors in their communities. Researchers conducted interviews in the Tokyo from February-March 2016. The subjects were six local officers in charge of LTCI implementation and 10 community members who led the voluntary activities organized as a response to the 2016 systemic revision. This study found that those leading voluntary activities were primarily baby boomers, who were born between 1947 and 1949. They were actively involved in “new voluntary activity movements” in the 1980s, as interacting with a wide range of citizens. However, as they reached the age of 65 or older, they became more focused on developing a comfortable space and collaborating with those similar to them： those who were college graduates, middle- to upper-class, and held white-collar jobs. The disparity based on income level seemed to be emphasized also because the way the 2016 revision of LTCI system was designed.
文摘Municipal amalgamation has been done in many countries in recent years as the result of a push to enlarge the size and coverage of local government units, which in turn is driven mainly by the prospect of economies of scale. However, while municipality amalgamation or boundary reform raises population size, it introduces organizational changes in the local government that might increase administrative inefficiency. The choice for the method of integration of administrative functions before amalgamation might affect to public expenditure after amalgamation. This study uses Japanese municipal-level data and argues for a relation between the choice for the method of integration of administrative functions and cost inefficiency after amalgamation. The results show that the fully distributed facility method is more likely to be adopted in a larger administrative jurisdiction and in one with large differences in finances or political structures between amalgamated sub-regions. Moreover, the results of stochastic frontier regression show that new municipality adopting fully distributed facility method can possibly increase inefficiency by expanding organizational slack because the new administration system will be insufficient integration of administrative functions.
文摘This paper demonstrates how channel coding can improve the robustness of spatial image watermarks against signal distortion caused by lossy data compression such as the JPEG scheme by taking advantage of the properties of Gray code. Two error-correction coding (ECC) schemes are used here: One scheme, referred to as the vertical ECC (VECC), is to encode information bits in a pixel by error-correction coding where the Gray code is used to improve the performance. The other scheme, referred to as the horizontal ECC (HECC), is to encode information bits in an image plane. In watermarking, HECC generates a codeword representing watermark bits, and each bit of the codeword is encoded by VECC. Simple single-error-correcting block codes are used in VECC and HECC. Several experiments of these schemes were conducted on test images. The result demonstrates that the error-correcting performance of HECC just depends on that of VECC, and accordingly, HECC enhances the capability of VECC. Consequently, HECC with appropriate codes can achieve stronger robustness to JPEG—caused distortions than non-channel-coding watermarking schemes.
