Development of Advanced Robotic Hand System for space application

The Advanced Robotic Hand System (ARH) is a precise telerobotics system with a semi dexterous hand for future space application. The ARH will be tested in space as one of the missions of the Engineering Tests Satellite 7 (ETS-7) which will be launched in 1997. The objectives of the ARH development are to evaluate the capability of a possible robot hand for precise and delicate tasks and to validate the related technologies implemented in the system. The ARH is designed to be controlled both from ground as a teleoperation and by locally autonomous control. This paper presents the overall system design and the functional capabilities of the ARH as well as its mission outline as the preliminary design has been completed

A three-finger multisensory hand for dexterous space robotic tasks

The National Space Development Agency of Japan will launch ETS-7 in 1997, as a test bed for next generation space technology of RV&D and space robot. MITI has been developing a three-finger multisensory hand for complex space robotic tasks. The hand can be operated under remote control or autonomously. This paper describes the design and development of the hand and the performance of a breadboard model

Influence of annealing on strength of ultrafine grained low carbon steels by ECAP

金沢大学大学院自然科学研究科In the present study, ultra fine-grained low carbon steel samples were processed by equal channel angular pressing (ECAP). Mechanical properties of the specimens annealed statically at several temperatures were evaluated by tensile and hardness test. In addition, grain sizes of the specimens were measured by SEM-electron back scattering pattern (SEM-EBSP) and X-ray diffraction analysis. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) measurement also evaluated thermal reactions in anneal process of the specimen. As a result, the grain size was changed at the temperature between 550°C and 600°C drastically and the tensile strength also became lower at the same temperature. The relation between yield stress and averaged grain diameter of specimens obeyed the Hall-Petch relation except the normalized specimen. Behavior of grain growth and recovery in structural observation by EBSP corresponded to reaction signal of the DSC curve. © (2010) Trans Tech Publications

Development of anionic bubble lipopolyplexes for efficient and safe gene transfection with ultrasound exposure in mice

Anionic bubble lipopolyplexes have been developed as anionic ultrasound (US)-responsive gene delivery carriers with biocompatible compounds for efficient and safe transfection in mice. The particles of the anionic bubble lipopolyplexes were approximately 450-600 nm with an anionic surface charge. In the absence of US exposure, the bubble lipopolyplexes showed extremely low gene expression in the human vascular endothelial cell line EAhy926. The anionic bubble lipopolyplexes, however, delivered pDNA into cells without endocytosis and showed markedly high gene expression following US exposure. The anionic bubble lipopolyplexes showed little cytotoxicity in EAhy926 cells and little aggregation with erythrocytes. Following intravenous administration into mice, the anionic bubble lipopolyplexes showed high levels of gene expression in the liver, kidney, and spleen only after US exposure to the abdominal area. The level of gene expression in liver non-parenchymal cells was significantly higher than that in parenchymal cells. In addition, the anionic bubble lipopolyplexes did not show any severe hepatic toxicity and did not enhance the production of proinflammatory cytokines. Overall, we have succeeded in preparing anionic bubble lipopolyplexes for efficient and safe transfection with US exposure in mice

Oxidation-Reduction Potential in Relation to Growth of Salmonella typhi I: Oxidation-Reduction Potential in Various Substrates

In order to study some metabolic aspects of Salmonella typhi, the author measured the innert electrode potential of the culture media at 37.5 C with the lapse of time. M/50 phosphate buffer and salt solution were used as the fundamental culture media; glucose, pyruvate, lactate, succinate, malate, glutamate, aspartate and alanine as the substrates; Salmonella typhi 57 S as the test organism. The results were as follows: 1) The most remarkable fall of potential was observed in the media of 10(-3) M glucose, pyruvate and malate, and in 10(-2) M acetate and succinate 2) In the media of lactate or aspartate of the concentration from 10(-1) to 10(-4) M, the potential falled with the decrease of concentration of substrate, while, in that of glutamate, the reverse interrelation was observed. In the media of alanine, no definite interrelation was observed. 3) The lowest potential was below 0 V in the media of glutamate, aspartate and glucose; 0 +100 mV in those of pyruvate, lactate and succinate; +100 +200 mV in those of acetate; +200 +300 mV in that of alanine. 4) When glucose, acetate and glutamate were used as the substrates, the fall of potential was less in phosphate buffer than in salt solution, while, when pyruvate, lactate, succinate, malate, aspartate and alanine were used, the fall of potential was less in salt solution than in phosphate buffer

Oral Sepsis due to Deciduous Caries

One hundred and sixteen children, aged 2 to 11 years, who visited Department of Oral Surgery. Okayama University Medical School from July, 1955 to June, 1956 and had more than one deciduous carious teeth of C(3) or higher grade, were investigated and summarized. Forty-three did not have any systemic symptom suspectedly due to deciduous caries, while 71 had some systemic symptoms. The latter group was analyzed accordting to their age and the seasons when they had visited. During the same period, nine cases complaining of unknown fever or some kind of systemic disturbance who visited Pediatric Department first were referred to our Department, suspecting the deciduous caries as their causes. These cases were diagnosed as nephritis, rheumatic fever or allergic sepsis in the Pediatric Department and they had many deciduous caries of C(3) or higher grade. Then it could be found that the systemic symptoms disappeared after these suspicious teeth had been treated. This fact may reveal that apical lesion was frequently seen following deciduous caries and gave sometimes an onset to the severe systemic diseases

Oral Sepsis due to Deciduous Caries

One hundred and sixteen children, aged 2 to 11 years, who visited Department of Oral Surgery. Okayama University Medical School from July, 1955 to June, 1956 and had more than one deciduous carious teeth of C(3) or higher grade, were investigated and summarized. Forty-three did not have any systemic symptom suspectedly due to deciduous caries, while 71 had some systemic symptoms. The latter group was analyzed accordting to their age and the seasons when they had visited. During the same period, nine cases complaining of unknown fever or some kind of systemic disturbance who visited Pediatric Department first were referred to our Department, suspecting the deciduous caries as their causes. These cases were diagnosed as nephritis, rheumatic fever or allergic sepsis in the Pediatric Department and they had many deciduous caries of C(3) or higher grade. Then it could be found that the systemic symptoms disappeared after these suspicious teeth had been treated. This fact may reveal that apical lesion was frequently seen following deciduous caries and gave sometimes an onset to the severe systemic diseases

Oxidation-Reduction Potential in Relation to Growth of Salmonella typhi II: Influence of Various Enzyme-Activators and -Inhibitors on Oxidation-Reduction Potential

In the present part, the influence of various enzyme-activators and -inhibitors on oxidation-reduction potential was studied. The salt solution (pH 7.2) was used as the fundamental culture medium; Salmonella typhi 57 S as the test organism. The results were as follows: 1) In the medium of glucose or pyruvate Mg(++) of the concentration over 10(-4)M accelerated the fall of potential. 2) 10(-2)M KCN inhibited the fall of potential in the media of all the substrates tested, whereas 10(-3)M inhibited it in those of the substrates other than pyruvate, succinate, aspartate and alanine, and 10(-4) M inhibited only in that of lactate. 3) NaF of the concentrations over 10(-3) M inhibited the fall of potential in the media of the substrates other than lactate, acetate and succinate. 10(-1) M NaF, however, showed some inhibition even in that of succinate. 4) NaN(3) of all concentrations inhibited the fall of potential in the media of all the substrates other than lactate, acetate and succinate. However, 10(-1)M in the medium of lactate, 10(-3) M in that of acetate, 10(-2) M in that of succinate inhibited the fall of potential. 5) Monoiodoacetic acid of the concentrations over 10(-3) M inhibited the fall of potential in the medium of lactate, that over 10(-4) M inhibited it in that of succinate. 6) 2, 4-Dinitrophenol of all the concentrations tested inhibited the fall of potential in the media of all the substrates tested. 7) The inhibitive action of these five sorts of inhibitors to the fall of potential resembled their action to the oxygen consumption of Salmonella typhi

Studies on Vascularization of Blood Vessels of the Oral Mucosa with Special Reference to Those of the Injured Gingiva

One hundred and fifty-nine normal premature dogs weighing about 1.5 to 3.0 kg., fed under the same conditions were used. Incision, contused wounds and cauterization were made over the oral mucosa by means of incision knife, curet, and electric cautery. Then the progress of the vascularization of blood vessels in each of these wounds was observed during the period of 14 days immediately after making the wounds. After being treated with Imagawa's Guttapercha Infusion Method, small pieces of tissue were taken these wounds 12 hours, 24 hours, 3 days, 7 days, and 14 days after making the wounds, and transparent specimens were prepared from these pieces for the steroscopie observations of the changes of blood vessels with a binocular microscope, while a part of these tissues was stained with haematoxylin-eosin by the routine paraffin method for histological obrervation. The results obtained are as follows: a) The fundamental principle of the vascularization in the process of wound healing of the buccal, lingual and gingival mucosae, was quite same regardless of the kind of wounds. b) The vascularization of injured regions was most rapid on the lingual mucosa in all cases of the wound, being followed by that on the gingival and on the cheek in the order. c) Disintegration of capillary networks due to successive degeneration in the early stage was most remarkably noticed in the case of cauterization and was decreased in the case of contusion and incision in the order and thus the regeneration was delayed. d) The vascularization of injured regions of the gingiva was progressively affected by the alveolar bone and the blood vessels of the periodontium at the alveolar margin and it also played the most important role in the blood supply for the gingiva. e) In the cases of contusion and cauterization the vascularization of the gingiva showed a marked difference in their rate according to the injured regions. The vascularization had the following five variations in its type: ellipse, triangle, inverted triangle, trapezoid and deepening or atrophy of gingival margin, showin a regularly definite pattern in each wound in its healing process. f) In the case of gingival detaching its margin showed a recovery up to the preoperative level and no formation of deep gingival pocket could be noticed. A tendency of regeneration of alveolar bone and re-attachment of epithelium to the cementum was seen on the fourteenth day and the periodontal capillaries played a very important part in vascularization of blood vessles of the gingival margin. g) The results from the experiments of the influence of Parotin on the regeneration of blood vessels could be summarized as follows: i) Vascularization of the injured region was most rapid in case of Parotin injection in normal premature dogs, being followed by the control cases and the cases of Parotin injection and removal of parotid gland. Vascularization was remarkably delayed in case of removal of parotid glands. ii) Injectione of one mg./Kg. of Parotin stimulated progrssively the vascularization of supporting structures of the teeth and the scar formation histologically