Wreath products and projective system of non Schurian association schemes

A wreath product is a method to construct an association scheme from two association schemes. We determine the automorphism group of a wreath product. We show a known result that a wreath product is Schurian if and only if both components are Schurian, which yields large families of non-Schurian association schemes and non-Schurian $S$-rings. We also study iterated wreath products. Kernel schemes by Martin and Stinson are shown to be iterated wreath products of class-one association schemes. The iterated wreath products give examples of projective systems of non-Schurian association schemes, with an explicit description of primitive idempotents

Speech-like Emotional Sound Generator by WaveNet

In this paper, we propose a new algorithm to generate Speech-like Emotional Sound (SES). Emotional information plays an important role in human communication, and speech is one of the most useful media to express emotions. Although, in general, speech conveys emotional information as well as linguistic information, we have undertaken the challenge to generate sounds that convey emotional information without linguistic information, which results in making conversations in human-machine interactions more natural in some situations by providing non-verbal emotional vocalizations. We call the generated sounds “speech-like”, because the sounds do not contain any linguistic information. For the purpose, we propose to employ WaveNet as a sound generator conditioned by only emotional IDs. The idea is quite different from WaveNet Vocoder that synthesizes speech using spectrum information as auxiliary features. The biggest advantage of the idea is to reduce the amount of emotional speech data for the training. The proposed algorithm consists of two steps. In the first step, WaveNet is trained to obtain phonetic features using a large speech database, and in the second step, WaveNet is re-trained using a small amount of emotional speech. Subjective listening evaluations showed that the SES could convey emotional information and was judged to sound like a human voice

Visualization of Charge Migration in Conductive Polymers via Time-Resolved Electrostatic Force Microscopy

Charge dynamics play an important role in numerous natural phenomena and artificial devices, and tracking charge migration and recombination is crucial for understanding the mechanism and function of systems involving charge transfer. Tip-synchronized pump–probe electrostatic force microscopy simultaneously permits highly sensitive detection, microsecond time resolution, and nanoscale spatial resolution, where the spatial distribution in static measurement (usual EFM) reflects differences in the carrier density and the time evolution reveals the surface carrier mobility. By using this method, carrier injection and ejection in sulfonated polyaniline (SPAN) thin films were visualized. Comparison of tr-EFM results of SPAN thin films with different doping levels revealed the individual differences in carrier density and mobility

Safe and curative modified two-stage operation for T4 esophageal cancer after definitive chemoradiotherapy: a case report

Background　The prognosis of esophageal cancer (EC) with organ invasion is extremely poor. In these cases, definitive chemoradiotherapy (CRT) followed by salvage surgery can be planned; however, the issue of high morbidity and mortality rates persists. Herein, we report the long-term survival of a patient with EC and T4 invasion who underwent a modified two-stage operation after definitive CRT. Case presentation　A 60-year-old male presented with type 2 upper thoracic EC with tracheal invasion. First, definitive CRT was performed, which resulted in tumor shrinkage and improvement in the tracheal invasion. However, an esophagotracheal fistula subsequently developed, and the patient was treated with fasting and antibiotics. Although the fistula recovered, severe esophageal stenoses made oral intake impossible. To improve quality of life and cure the EC, a modified two-stage operation was planned. In the first surgery, an esophageal bypass was performed using a gastric tube with cervical and abdominal lymph node dissections. After confirming improved nutritional status and absence of distant metastasis, the second surgery was performed with subtotal esophagectomy, mediastinal lymph node dissection, and tracheobronchial coverage of the fistula. The patient discharged without major complications after radical resection and has been recurrence-free for 5 years since the start of treatment. Conclusion　A standard curative strategy could be difficult for EC with T4 invasion due to differences in the invaded organs, presence of complications, and patient condition. Therefore, patient-tailored treatment plans are needed, including a modified two-stage operation

Fully Digital Ternary Content Addressable Memory using Ratio-less SRAM Cells and Hierarchical-AND Matching Comparator for Ultra-low-voltage Operation

A 36-bit x 32-entry fully digital ternaly content addressable memory (TCAM) using the Ratio-less 12-transistor SRAM (RL-12T-SRAM) technology and fully complementary hierarchical-AND matching comparators (HAMCs) was developed for ultra-low-voltage operation. The minimum operating supply voltage of 0.25V which is the less than half of the conventional TCAM was experimentally confirmed by the developed test chip.2017 International Conference on Solid State Devices and Materials (SSDM 2017), September 19-22, 2017, Sendai, Miyagi, Japa

Design and measurement of fully digital ternary content addressable memory using ratioless static random access memory cells and hierarchical-AND matching comparator

A 36-bit × 32-entry fully digital ternary content addressable memory (TCAM) using the ratioless static random access memory (RL-SRAM) technology and fully complementary hierarchical-AND matching comparators (HAMCs) was developed. Since its fully complementary and digital operation enables the effect of device variabilities to be avoided, it can operate with a quite low supply voltage. A test chip incorporating a conventional TCAM and a proposed 24-transistor ratioless TCAM (RL-TCAM) cells and HAMCs was developed using a 0.18 µm CMOS process. The minimum operating voltage of 0.25 V of the developed RL-TCAM, which is less than half of that of the conventional TCAM, was measured via the conventional CMOS push–pull output buffers with the level-shifting and flipping technique using optimized pull-up voltage and resistors

Model experiment of magnetic field amplification in laser-produced plasmas via the Richtmyer-Meshkov instability

A model experiment of magnetic field amplification (MFA) via the Richtmyer-Meshkov instability (RMI) in supernova remnants (SNRs) was performed using a high-power laser. In order to account for very-fast acceleration of cosmic rays observed in SNRs, it is considered that the magnetic field has to be amplified by orders of magnitude from its background level. A possible mechanism for the MFA in SNRs is stretching and mixing of the magnetic field via the RMI when shock waves pass through dense molecular clouds in interstellar media. In order to model the astrophysical phenomenon in laboratories, there are three necessary factors for the RMI to be operative: a shock wave, an external magnetic field, and density inhomogeneity. By irradiating a double-foil target with several laser beams with focal spot displacement under influence of an external magnetic field, shock waves were excited and passed through the density inhomogeneity. Radiative hydrodynamic simulations show that the RMI evolves as the density inhomogeneity is shocked, resulting in higher MFA

Differential Antihypertensive Effects of Oral Doses of Acetylcholine between Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats and Normotensive Rats

Acetylcholine (ACh) is a novel antihypertensive food component. Here, we demonstrate the differential effects of oral ACh on high and normal blood pressure in rats. Spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) and Wistar–Kyoto (WKY) rats were administered ACh orally. The blood pressure and heart rate of SHRs were significantly lowered with ACh doses of 10−5 and 10−3 mol/kg body weight (b.w.), and the urinary catecholamine levels were significantly decreased with 10−3 mol/kg b.w. In contrast, oral ACh administration had no effect on WKY rats. This difference was likely caused by differences in sympathetic nervous activity and the baroreflex between strains. Comparison of gene sequences between the two strains revealed Chga mutations, suggesting that changes in the expression of chromogranin A might be involved in the baroreflex in SHRs. Oral ACh had an antihypertensive effect under hypertension but not normotension, indicating that this may be used safely to prevent hypertension