Development of ultra-small lightweight optical range sensor system

Abstract -We have developed a 2-D laser range sensor suitable for mobile robot platforms. The sensor features compactness, lightweight, high precision and low power consumption, and provides the wide scan angle with high resolution, which is very important for environment recognition by mobile robots. The basic technology for measuring the distance between the sensor and objects are; using amplitude modulation of light waves and detecting the phase difference between transmitted and the received one. This paper explains the specification of the proto-type sensor, the method of distance measurement and examples of experimental results

Pharmacological discrimination between effects of carbamazepine on hippocampal basal, Ca(2+)- and K(+)-evoked serotonin release

1. To elucidate mechanisms of hippocampal serotonin release and possible mechanisms of clinical action of carbamazepine (CBZ), we determined interaction between antagonists of N-type (ω-conotoxin GVIA:GVIA), P-type (ω-agatoxin IVA:IVA) Ca(2+) channels, Na(+) channel (tetrodotoxin: TTX) and CBZ on hippocampal basal, Ca(2+)- and K(+)-evoked serotonin releases, using microdialysis in freely moving rats. 2. Basal release was reduced by TTX, GVIA and IVA (GVIA>IVA). Ca(2+)-evoked release was reduced by GVIA but unaffected by TTX and IVA. K(+)-evoked release was reduced by TTX, GVIA and IVA (GVIA<IVA). 3. TTX inhibited actions of IVA and GVIA on respective basal and K(+)-evoked releases, without affecting Ca(2+)-evoked release. 4. Perfusion with 100 μM CBZ (estimated-concentration in hippocampal tissue: 19±2 μM) enhanced basal and Ca(2+)-evoked releases, but reduced K(+)-evoked release, whereas 1000 μM CBZ (estimated-concentration in hippocampal tissue: 188±16 μM) reduced three types of releases. 5. Under condition of pretreatment with 100 and 1000 μM CBZ, TTX unaffected basal and K(+)-evoked releases. Under condition of pretreatment with 100 μM CBZ, IVA and GVIA unaffected basal and K(+)-evoked releases, respectively, but GVIA reduced basal, Ca(2+)-evoked releases and IVA also reduced K(+)-evoked release. Under condition of pretreatment with 1000 μM CBZ, GVIA unaffected three types of releases, and IVA unaffected basal release but reduced K(+)-evoked release. 6. These findings contribute towards the possible mechanisms of concentration-dependent antiepileptic action of CBZ, which possibly inhibits Na(+) channel related neurotransmitter release mechanisms during K(+)-evoked stage, and simultaneously enhances N-type Ca(2+) channel related basal serotonin release at the resting stage