Deployment behavior control using cables and bi-shape memory alloy convex tape booms

This study aims to demonstrate the synchronous and stable deployment of a newly proposed boom system that consists of cables, a rotary damper, and shape memory alloy with a memorized convex tape shape. Through a shaft, a rotary damper is connected to a reel, and cables wound around the reel are connected to the shape memory alloy boom tips. The deployed part consists of bi-shape memory alloy convex tape booms in which two shape memory alloy convex tapes are combined to form a convex lens cross section, and the outside of the bi-shape memory alloy convex tape is wrapped by a sheet-type heater and polyimide film. The boom is deployed using only the shape recovery force of the shape memory alloy. By installing cables and a rotary damper, the deployment behavior of each boom is controlled, and each boom is deployed synchronously owing to the resistance force of the damper to a leading deploy boom. Moreover, the structural stiffness control concept of the proposed shape memory alloy bi-convex tape boom is discussed considering that Young’s modulus becomes almost half in the martensitic phase

Incremental Data Migration for Multi-Database Systems

Nowadays, database systems are one of the most popular and essential software programs in computer systems. Many computers are installed a database system and users maybe want to use these database systems as one system. The multi-database system is one of the solutions to this request. The multi-database system is a kind of the distributed database system. It is a cluster of independent database systems. As the distributed database system, the multi-database system has some problems. One of these problems is data migration among individual database systems in the multi-database system. Many reorganization techniques for distributed database systems already proposed. But these techniques are not always adaptive to the data migration in the multidatabase system. In order to overcome this problem, we adapt the incremental scheme to the data migration in the multidatabase system. In our new scheme, a large data migration operation is divided into small ones, and other operations are inserted between them. The experimental result proves the improvement of the turn-around times of other operations

Surface Shape Measurement by Grating Projection Method in Aerospace Structures

To improve the accuracy of the grating projection method of a surface shape measurement method without contact, several attempts are proposed and verified. A whole-space tabulation method (WSTM) is demonstrated to measure a translucent glittering metallic mesh of a parabolic antenna for a radio astronomy satellite. A transparence method of the grating projection method is proposed to measure a glossy polymer film often used in space structures. An extrapolation method is proposed to measure a larger object than the reference planes. A pre-calibration can be used to adjust the measured value to the real values. The extrapolation method and the pre-calibration are demonstrated to measure a displacement of a wing of a developing airplane under loading.特集 : 航空宇宙機システム研究センターにおける開発研究2 : 5. オオワシII飛行にむけて並びに関連技術の研究開発（関連研究開発分野

Combined treatment with dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP4) inhibitor sitagliptin and elemental diets reduced indomethacin-induced intestinal injury in rats via the increase of mucosal glucagon-like peptide-2 concentration.

The gut incretin glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and the intestinotropic hormone GLP-2 are released from enteroendocrine L cells in response to ingested nutrients. Treatment with an exogenous GLP-2 analogue increases intestinal villous mass and prevents intestinal injury. Since GLP-2 is rapidly degraded by dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP4), DPP4 inhibition may be an effective treatment for intestinal ulcers. We measured mRNA expression and DPP enzymatic activity in intestinal segments. Mucosal DPP activity and GLP concentrations were measured after administration of the DPP4 inhibitor sitagliptin (STG). Small intestinal ulcers were induced by indomethacin (IM) injection. STG was given before IM treatment, or orally administered after IM treatment with or without an elemental diet (ED). DPP4 mRNA expression and enzymatic activity were high in the jejunum and ileum. STG dose-dependently suppressed ileal mucosal enzyme activity. Treatment with STG prior to IM reduced small intestinal ulcer scores. Combined treatment with STG and ED accelerated intestinal ulcer healing, accompanied by increased mucosal GLP-2 concentrations. The reduction of ulcers by ED and STG was reversed by co-administration of the GLP-2 receptor antagonist. DPP4 inhibition combined with luminal nutrients, which up-regulate mucosal concentrations of GLP-2, may be an effective therapy for the treatment of small intestinal ulcers

Chemogenetic sensory fMRI reveals behaviorally relevant bidirectional changes in primate somatosensory network

手と足の感覚は、実は脳の中でつながっていた --脳障害による活動変化の広がりを見ることで常識を覆す発見、脳機能・疾患機序の理解へ前進--. 京都大学プレスリリース. 2021-10-21.Concurrent genetic neuromodulation and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in primates has provided a valuable opportunity to assess the modified brain-wide operation in the resting state. However, its application to link the network operation with behavior still remains challenging. Here, we combined chemogenetic silencing of the primary somatosensory cortex (SI) with tactile fMRI and related behaviors in macaques. Focal chemogenetic silencing of functionally identified SI hand region impaired grasping behavior. The same silencing also attenuated hand stimulation-evoked fMRI signal at both the local silencing site and the anatomically and/or functionally connected downstream grasping network, suggesting altered network operation underlying the induced behavioral impairment. Furthermore, the hand region silencing unexpectedly disinhibited foot representation with accompanying behavioral hypersensitization. These results demonstrate that focal chemogenetic silencing with sensory fMRI in macaques unveils bidirectional network changes to generate multifaceted behavioral impairments, thereby opening a pivotal window toward elucidating the causal network operation underpinning higher brain functions in primates

Solubility Enhancement of Steviol Glycosides and Characterization of Their Inclusion Complexes with Gamma-Cyclodextrin

Steviol glycosidesrebaudioside (reb) A, C and D have low aqueous solubilities. To improve their aqueous solubilities, inclusion complex of steviol glycosides, reb A, C and D and gamma cyclodextrin were prepared by freeze drying method and further characterized by means of differential scanning calorimetry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy. The effect of gamma cyclodextrin on chemical shifts of the steviol glycosides was also studied in proton NMR experiments as well as in solid state 13C CP/MAS NMR experiments. These results indicated that the steviol glycosides were clearly in inclusion complex formation with the gamma cyclodextrin which also results in solubility enhancement of these steviol glycosides. Phase solubility studies showed that amounts of soluble reb A, C and D increased with increasing amounts of gamma cyclodextrin indicating formation of 1:1 stoichiometric and higher order inclusion complexes

Deployment Characteristics of Braid Coated Bi-Convex Tape and Bi-SMA Convex Tape Booms for Deployable Membrane Structures

The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate and investigate the concepts of new deployable boom systems, which consist of the BCON (braid coated bi-convex tape) boom and the SMA-BCON (braid coated bi-shape memory alloy convex tape) boom. Both booms are developed for the deployable membrane structures such as solar sails, thin membrane solar array panels, deorbit mechanisms for small satellites and reflectors of space solar power satellite, etc. BCON booms can store around polygonal or cylindrical center hub, and the booms can deploy by the stepwise manner by releasing a constraint mechanism which pins the boons into two or three points for the total length. SMA-BCON booms are mainly developed for a square center body systems, and SMA is adapted on the bent points of the booms where stored around each edge of the center hub. Through the deployment experiments of both booms, the stepwise deployment behavior and its tendency are obtained. The design concept of BCON boom and SMA-BCON boom is demonstrated through this study