Navigation and interaction in a real-scale digital mock-up using natural language and user gesture

This paper tries to demonstrate a very new real-scale 3D system and sum up some firsthand and cutting edge results concerning multi-modal navigation and interaction interfaces. This work is part of the CALLISTO-SARI collaborative project. It aims at constructing an immersive room, developing a set of software tools and some navigation/interaction interfaces. Two sets of interfaces will be introduced here: 1) interaction devices, 2) natural language (speech processing) and user gesture. The survey on this system using subjective observation (Simulator Sickness Questionnaire, SSQ) and objective measurements (Center of Gravity, COG) shows that using natural languages and gesture-based interfaces induced less cyber-sickness comparing to device-based interfaces. Therefore, gesture-based is more efficient than device-based interfaces.FUI CALLISTO-SAR

Synthetic studies on biologically active natural products and related compounds

Thesis (Ph.D. in Science)--University of Tsukuba, (A), no. 986, 1992.3.2

Semaphorin 4D/Plexin-B1–mediated R-Ras GAP activity inhibits cell migration by regulating β1 integrin activity

Plexins are cell surface receptors for semaphorins and regulate cell migration in many cell types. We recently reported that the semaphorin 4D (Sema4D) receptor Plexin-B1 functions as a GTPase-activating protein (GAP) for R-Ras, a member of Ras family GTPases implicated in regulation of integrin activity and cell migration (Oinuma, I., Y. Ishikawa, H. Katoh, and M. Negishi. 2004. Science. 305:862–865). We characterized the role of R-Ras downstream of Sema4D/Plexin-B1 in cell migration. Activation of Plexin-B1 by Sema4D suppressed the ECM-dependent R-Ras activation, R-Ras–mediated phosphatydylinositol 3-kinase activation, and β1 integrin activation through its R-Ras GAP domain, leading to inhibition of cell migration. In addition, inactivation of R-Ras by overexpression of the R-Ras–specific GAP or knockdown of R-Ras by RNA interference was sufficient for suppressing β1 integrin activation and cell migration in response to the ECM stimulation. Thus, we conclude that R-Ras activity is critical for ECM-mediated β1 integrin activation and cell migration and that inactivation of R-Ras by Sema4D/Plexin-B1–mediated R-Ras GAP activity controls cell migration by modulating the activity of β1 integrins

Fundamental study of evaporation model in micron pore

As the demand for high performance small electronic devices has increased, heat removal from these devices for space use is approaching critical limits. A heat pipe is a promising device to enhance the heat removal performance due to the phase change phenomena for space thermal management system. Even though a heat pipe has a big potential to remove the thermal energy from a high heat flux source, the heat removal performance of heat pipes cannot be predicted well since the first principle of evaporation has not been established. The purpose of this study is to establish a method to apply the evaporation model based on the statistical rate theory for engineering application including vapor-liquid-structure intermolecular effect. The evaporation model is applied to the heat pipe performance analysis through a pressure balance and an energy balance in the loop heat pipe

Observation of a Dirac nodal line in AlB2

We have performed angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy of AlB2 which is isostructural to high-temperature superconductor MgB2. Using soft-x-ray photons, we accurately determined the three-dimensional bulk band structure and found a highly anisotropic Dirac-cone band at the K point in the bulk hexagonal Brillouin zone. This band disperses downward on approaching the H point while keeping its degeneracy at the Dirac point, producing a characteristic Dirac nodal line along the KH line. We also found that the band structure of AlB2 is regarded as a heavily electron-doped version of MgB2 and is therefore well suited for fully visualizing the predicted Dirac nodal line. The present results suggest that (Al,Mg)B2 system is a promising platform for studying the interplay among Dirac nodal line, carrier doping, and possible topological superconducting properties.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figure

Über die Reizleitung an Mimosa pudica

Wir haben seit sechs Jahren in jedem Sommer an Mimosa ihre Reizbarkeit und Reizleitung untersucht. Die nachstehende Résumés sind die Hauptzüge der Resultate. 1) Der wirksamste Reizmittel für Mimosa ist der thermische. 2) Bosescher Regel über Reizleitung gilt nicht ganz streng. Es weist sich ziemlich oft die Abweichung auf. 3) Wässeriger Extrakt von Mimosa wirkt erregend auf die Blätter und Blattstiele derselben Pflanze, obgleich die Erregungsweise etwas verschieden von der normalen ist. Zwischen dem Kaltwasser- und Heisswasser-extrakt bemerkt man keine nennenswerte Unterschied. 4) Hypertonische Lösung einiger neutralen Salze wirkt ähnlich wie der Mimosaextrakt. 5) Mimosa ist schwer narkotisierbar durch die gewöhnliche Narkose wie Alkohol, Aether und Chloroform oder deren Mischung. Aber im Kohlendioxydgas (über 30 vol. %), besonders im Dunkel geht die Pflanze ziemlich leicht zum unerregbaren Zustand uber. 6) In dem unvollständig narkotisierten Zustand der Mimosa mechanischer Reiz ist wirksamer als thermischer. 7) Die Reizleitung findet manchmal ohne Begleitung der Fallbewegung des Blattstieles statt. 8) Wir fanden niemals das Fortleiten des Reizes durch die zwischengeschaltete Wasserschicht. 9) Aufwärtsströmungsgeschwindigkeit (2.8-3.6mm/sek.) der Farbstofflösung im Stengel ist viel schneller als Abwärtsströmungsgeschwindigkeit (0.01-0.1mm/sek.). Jene entspricht ungefähr der Reizleitungsgeschwindigkeit im Stengel. 10) Von dem Aktionsstrom berechnete Reizleitungsgeschwindigkeit bei der starken thermischen Reizung beträgt 100-150mm/sek. Die scheinbare Reizleitungsgeschwindigkeit gemessen durch die Reaktionsbewegung bei der schwachen thermischen Reizung beträgt 3-13mm/sek. an der Abwärtsleitung. 11) Die Reizleitungsgeschwindigkeit des Stengels ist gewöhnlich kleiner als die des Blattstieles. 12) Feuchtigkeit der Luft macht keinen nennenswerthen Einfluss auf die Abwärtsreizleitungsgeschwindigkeit des Blattstieles, aber vermindert die Aufwärtsleitung. 13) Erniedrigung der Temperatur unterdrückt die Reizleitungsgeschwindigkeit des Blattstieles. 14) Lokale Abkühlung des Blattstieles oder des Stengels unterbricht sowohl die Auf- wie Ab-wärtsleitung. 15) Die Applikation der Cyankaliumlösung auf einem Teile des Stieles unterdrückt die Leitung der schwachen Erregung, aber nicht die der starken. 16) Die Reizleitungsgeschwindigkeit und die Leitungsstrecke ist grösser bei der starken Reizung als bei der schwachen. 17) Die Ordnung der Erholung der Blatt- und Stiel-gelenken ist umgekehrt der Ordnung der Reaktion. Die Erholung nach der starken Erregung braucht längere Zeitdauer als die Erholung nach der schwachen Erregung. 18) Reizleitung an der sekundären Blattstiel verläuft beschleungigend abwärts aber sich verzögernd (also mit Dekrement) aufwärts. 19) Saitengalvanometrisch aufgenommene elektrische Schwankung bei der Erregung des Blattstieles oder des Stengels ist zweiphasisch

Two Cases of Primary Malignant Fibrous Histiocytoma of the Liver: Immunohistochemical Expression of Ezrin and Its Relationship with Prognosis

Malignant fibrous histiocytoma (MFH) as soft tissue sarcoma would not be especially noteworthy, but primary hepatic MFH reports are extremely rare. Herein, we report ezrin expression in tumor tissues from two primary hepatic MFH cases with different prognoses. Cases 1 and 2 were both women, ages 45 and 70 years, respectively. Case 1 had an 11×10 cm liver tumor in segment (S) 3, and case 2 had two liver tumors, 12×8 cm in S5 and 10×7 cm in S8. Neither had any other systemic tumors. Cases 1 and 2 survived for two year and ten months and for eight and a half months, respectively, after the initial tumor resection. Microscopically, the tumors of these two cases were similar and showed proliferation of atypical cells, including spindle, pleomorphic and multi-nucleated giant cells arranged in storiform, sheet and/or fascicle patterns, with scattered foci of inflammatory cells, indicating MFH. Ezrin expression in tumor tissue from case 1 was sparse, whereas that of case 2 showed strong ezrin expression in many tumor cells. The present results indicate ezrin immunoreactivity in primary hepatic MFH to correlate possible with prognosis, which is consistent with reports on some other types of malignancies

Custom Unit Pump Development for the EVA PLSS

This paper describes the effort by the Texas Engineering Experiment Station (TEES) and Honeywell for NASA to design and test a pre-flight prototype pump for use in the Extra-vehicular activity (EVA) portable life support subsystem (PLSS). Major design decisions were driven by the need to reduce the pump s mass, power, and volume compared to the existing PLSS pump. In addition, the pump must accommodate a much wider range of abnormal conditions than the existing pump, including vapor/gas bubbles and increased pressure drop when employed to cool two suits simultaneously. A positive displacement, external gear type pump was selected because it offers the most compact and highest efficiency solution over the required range of flow rates and pressure drops. An additional benefit of selecting a gear pump design is that it is self priming and capable of ingesting non-condensable gas without becoming air locked. The chosen pump design consists of a 28 V DC, brushless, seal-less, permanent magnet motor driven, external gear pump that utilizes a Honeywell development that eliminates the need for magnetic coupling. The pump design was based on existing Honeywell designs, but incorporated features specifically for the PLSS application, including all of the key features of the flight pump. Testing at TEES verified that the pump meets the design requirements for range of flow rates, pressure drop, power consumption, working fluid temperature, operating time, gas ingestion, and restart capability under both ambient and vacuum conditions. The pump operated at 40 to 240 lbm/hr flow rate, 35 to 100 oF pump temperature, and 5 to 10 psid pressure rise. Power consumption of the pump controller at the nominal operating point in both ambient and vacuum conditions was 9.5 W, which was less than the 12 W predicted. Gas ingestion capabilities were tested by injecting 100 cc of air into the fluid line; the pump operated normally throughout this test

Change of Antiferromagnetic Structure near a Quantum Critical Point in CeRh1-xCoxIn5

The elastic neutron scattering experiments were carried out on the solid solutions CeRh_{1-x}Co_xIn_5 to clarify the nature of the antiferromagnetic (AF) state in the vicinity of the quantum critical point (QCP): x_c ~0.8. The incommensurate AF order with the wave vector of q_h=(1/2,1/2,~0.3) observed in pure CeRhIn_5 is weakly suppressed upon doping with Co, and a commensurate q_c=(1/2,1/2,1/2) and an incommensurate q_1=(1/2,1/2,~0.42) AF structures evolve at intermediate Co concentrations. These AF orders are enhanced at x=0.7, and furthermore the q_h AF order vanishes. These results suggest that the AF correlations with the q_c and q_1 modulations are significantly enhanced in the intermediate x range, and may be connected with the evolution of the superconductivity observed above x~0.3.Comment: 5 pages, 5 figures, accepted for publication in Phys. Rev.