Development and Evaluation of the 1/30U Small-Sized 3 Axis Attitude Control Module, and its Application for the JEM Internal Ball Camera Robot

In this paper, we propose the 1/30U small-sized 3-axis attitude control module. The idea of using an electrical circuit board as a structural component reduces the mass of the mechanical structure and the electrical wiring as well. Adapting the System-On-Chip (SoC) reduced the circuit area while maintaining the complexity of the electric circuit. We managed to develop an attitude control module measuring 31 mm in size and 88 g in weight. This module contains 3-axis reaction wheels, six MEMS-IMU sensors (18-axis acceleration and 18-axis gyro), and an attitude control computer. The module only requires a power supply and external serial communication. The module can also be connected to other navigation sensor. And by adding the extension circuit, this module can drive and control 12 actuators, such as micro thrusters. An on-orbit evaluation was conducted with the JEM Internal Ball Camera Robot as the control system for robot position and attitude. The robot is an autonomous maneuverable ball-shaped camera that is operated by ground operators. Twelve micro fans and the proposed module are integrated inside the robot to realize 6-axes maneuvering, and a navigation camera provides the robot’s relative position and attitude to a target marker. This paper discusses an evaluation of attitude control accuracy to reveal the module’s on-orbit performance

Neuropathology does not Correlate with Regional Differences in the Extent of Expansion of CTG Repeats in the Brain with Myotonic Dystrophy Type 1

Myotonic dystrophy (DM1) is known to be an adult-onset muscular dystrophy caused by the expansion of CTG repeats within the 3' untranslated region of the dystrophin myotonin protein kinase (DMPK) gene. The clinical features of DM1 include CNS symptoms, such as cognitive impairment and personality changes, the pathogenesis of which remains to be elucidated. We hypothesized that the distribution of neuropathological changes might be correlated with the extent of the length of the CTG repeats in the DMPK genes in DM1 patients. We studied the neuropathological changes in the brains of subjects with DM1 and investigated the extent of somatic instability in terms of CTG repeat expansion in the different brain regions of the same individuals by Southern blot analysis. The neuropathological changes included état criblé in the cerebral deep white matter and neurofibrillary tangles immunoreactive for phosphorylated tau in the hippocampus and entorhinal cortex, both of which were compatible with the subcortical dementia in DM1 patients. However, the length of the CTG repeats did not correlate with the regional differences in the extent of neuropathological changes. Our data suggested that pathomechanisms of dementia in DM1 might be more multifactorial rather than a toxic gain-of-function due to mutant RNA

On the Virulence of Mycoplasma gallisepticum Strain 1RF Artificially Induced into the Air Sac of Day-Old Chicks

in vivoでの抗菌剤効果の基礎的検討の為に,初生ヒナを用いた一実験感染系を確立する目的で,以下の実験を試みた。 供試菌Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG)1RF株の新鮮液体培養10倍段階希釈の0.4ml/ヒナを,ブロイラー初生ヒナ,雄の右後胸部気嚢内に接種し,4週間観察し,接種菌のvirulenceの程度を調べた。実験群は20羽/群とし,非感染対照を含む6群を設定した。接種菌数は4×10^1-5 CCUの5段階とした。各実験群のヒナについては,臨床症状を観察し,増体量,飼料要求率を調べて,毎週各群5羽ずつを殺して剖検し,MG分離,MG血清凝集素価の推移,肉眼ならびに組織病変等について経時的観察を試みた結果,下記の成績が得られた。 1) 全期間,全実験群において呼吸器症状はみられなかった。しかし,接種菌数の多い群で頸部捻転と脚麻痺を主徴とする死亡ヒナがみられ,これらのヒナの脳病変は病理組織学的検査の結果,脳軟化のそれに一致した。それらヒナの一部の脳からはMGが分離された。 2) 接種菌数の多い群では.ヒナの増体量は少なく飼料要求率は悪かった。 3) 接種菌数の少ない群での死亡率は極めて低く,接種菌数の多い群で14日令まで高く,その後28日令までは死亡ヒナはみられなかった。 4) 気嚢および気管の病変出現率は,MG接種菌数の多い群で高く,また病変の程度も強いものが多かった。なお低率ながら各群のヒナに肝の点状出血や,線維素性肝包膜炎,壊死巣などが,MG接種菌数の多少にかかわらず認められた。 5) MG分離率は,気嚢よりも気管において高く,またMG非接種側気嚢よりもMG接種側気嚢において高かった。 6) MG血清凝集素価は,1週令殺時のヒナ群では低く,2週令時以後の殺ヒナ群で上昇がみられた。MG接種群間では接種菌数の多少にかかわらず凝集素価に大きな差は認められなかった。 7) 供試菌株のAID50は10CCU前後とみられた。 結論として,供試1RF株はM. gallisepticumとしては,ヒナに対し比較的強毒な菌株である事が知られた。In order to establish an experimental system using chicks for the fundamental observation on efficacy in vivo of the antibacterial agents that control the avian respiratory mycoplasmosis, the present experiments were conducted to investigate the virulence of Mycoplasma gallisepticum strain 1RF26) induced artificially into the air sac of day-old chicks. The inocula of 0.4 ml/chick of ten-fold serial dilutions of broth culture of the organisms were artificially induced into the right posterior thoracic air sac of day-old male broiler chicks, and the chicks were observed during 4 weeks. The experimental groups were designed as group of 20 chicks each, 6 groups included a non-infected control and 5 infected groups. The inoculum sizes of the organisms to the chicks ranged from 4×10 to 10^5 CCU* in 5 dilutions of the broth culture. The following results were obtained. 1) Clinical symptoms were observed only death with characteristic findings of limberneck and leg weakness in the chicks inoculated with a large number of the organisms. According to the results of the histopathological examinations, the cerebral lesions appearing in these chicks were similar to those of the encephalomalacia. The inoculated organisms were recovered from the brain of some of those chicks. 2) Low weight gains and high feed conversions were observed in the group of chicks inoculated with a large number of the organisms. 3) The mortality rate was very low in the group of chicks inoculated with a small number of the organisms. In the group of chicks inoculated with a large number of the organisms, the mortality of chicks was comparatively high up to 14 days post inoculation, but no mortality was observed during the 15 to 28 days post inoculation. 4) Incidence and severity of macroscopic lesions in the air sac and the trachea of the chicks inoculated with a large number of the organisms were comparatively high and severe. Under low incidence of the macroscopic lesions including petechiae, fibrinous perihepatitis and necrotic foci etc. in the liver of chicks were observed to be not depending on the inoculum size of the organisms. 5) Recovery ratio of the organisms from the chicks was found to be higher in the trachea than that in the air sac, and furthermore was higher on the inoculated side than on the other side of air sac. 6) Serum agglutinins against M. gallisepticum were observed to be at a low titer in the chicks killed 1 week post inoculation, and increased titers were observed in the chicks killed after 2 weeks post inoculation. No remarkable difference of the serum agglutinin titers depending on inoculum size of the organisms was observed in the chicks. 7) The AID50 of the organisms was estimated as ca. 10 CCU. Consequently, it was proved that the strain 1RF examined is comparatively high virulent against chicks, among the strains of M. gallisepticum.本論文の要旨は，第85 回日本獣医学会(1978 年4月)で口頭発表した

Spin-transfer switching and thermal stability in an FePt/Au/FePt nanopillar prepared by alternate monatomic layer deposition

We fabricated a current-perpendicular-to-plane giant magnetoresistance (CPP-GMR) nanopillar with a 1-nm-thick FePt free layer having perpendicular anisotropy using the alternate monatomic layer deposition method. Nanopillars consisting of [Fe (1 monolayer (ML))/Pt (1 ML)]n (n: the number of the alternation period) ferromagnetic layers and an Au spacer layer showed spin-transfer induced switching at room temperature.Comment: 11 page

Pyridoxal 5′-phosphate and related metabolites in hypophosphatasia: Effects of enzyme replacement therapy

Objective To investigate the utility of serum pyridoxal 5′-phosphate (PLP), pyridoxal (PL), and 4-pyridoxic acid (PA) as a diagnostic marker of hypophosphatasia (HPP) and an indicator of the effect of, and patient compliance with, enzyme replacement therapy (ERT), we measured PLP, PL, and PA concentrations in serum samples from HPP patients with and without ERT. Methods Blood samples were collected from HPP patients and serum was frozen as soon as possible (mostly within one hour). PLP, PL, and PA concentrations were analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection after pre-column derivatization by semicarbazide. We investigated which metabolites are associated with clinical phenotypes and how these metabolites change with ERT. Results Serum samples from 20 HPP patients were analyzed. The PLP-to-PL ratio and PLP concentration were elevated in all HPP patients. They correlated negatively with serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and showed higher values in more severe phenotypes (perinatal severe and infantile HPP) compared with other phenotypes. PL concentration was reduced only in perinatal severe HPP. ERT reduced the PLP-to-PL ratio to mildly reduced or low-normal levels and the PLP concentration was reduced to normal or mildly elevated levels. Urine phosphoethanolamine (PEA) concentration did not return to normal levels with ERT in most patients. Conclusions The serum PLP-to-PL ratio is a better indicator of the effect of ERT for HPP than serum PLP and urine PEA concentrations, and a PLP-to-PL ratio of <4.0 is a good indicator of the effect of, and patient compliance with, ERT

Clonal hematopoiesis in adult pure red cell aplasia

Idiopathic pure red cell aplasia (PRCA) and secondary PRCA associated with thymoma and large granular lymphocyte leukemia are generally considered to be immune-mediated. The PRCA2004/2006 study showed that poor responses to immunosuppression and anemia relapse were associated with death. PRCA may represent the prodrome to MDS. Thus, clonal hematopoiesis may be responsible for treatment failure. We investigated gene mutations in myeloid neoplasm-associated genes in acquired PRCA. We identified 21 mutations affecting amino acid sequences in 11 of the 38 adult PRCA patients (28.9%) using stringent filtering of the error-prone sequences and SNPs. Four PRCA patients showed 7 driver mutations in TET2, DNMT3A and KDM6A, and 2 PRCA patients carried multiple mutations in TET2. Five PRCA patients had mutations with high VAFs exceeding 0.3. These results suggest that clonal hematopoiesis by stem/progenitor cells might be related to the pathophysiology of chronic PRCA in certain adult patients

Laughter and humor as complementary and alternative medicines for dementia patients

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The number of dementia patients has increased worldwide, with an estimated 13.7 million dementia patients in the Asia Pacific region alone. This number is expected to increase to 64.6 million by the year 2050.</p> <p>Discussion</p> <p>As a result of advances in research, there several pharmacological therapies available for the treatment of dementia patients. However, current treatments do not suppress the disease process and cannot prevent dementia, and it will be some time before these goals are realized. In the meantime, complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is an important aspect in the treatment of dementia patients to improve their quality of life throughout the long course of the disease. Considering the individuality of dementia patients, applicability of laughter and humor therapy is discussed. Even though there are many things that need to be elucidated regarding the mechanisms underlying the beneficial effects of laughter and humor, both may be good CAM for dementia patients if they are applied carefully and properly.</p> <p>Summary</p> <p>In this debate article, the physiological basis and actual application of laughter and humor in the treatment of dementia patients are presented for discussion on the applicability to dementia patients.</p

制御入力制約を考慮した宇宙機の相対軌道制御

京都大学0048新制・課程博士博士(工学)甲第17520号工博第3679号新制||工||1560(附属図書館)30286京都大学大学院工学研究科電気工学専攻(主査)教授 山川 宏, 教授 引原 隆士, 教授 泉田 啓学位規則第4条第1項該当Doctor of Philosophy (Engineering)Kyoto UniversityDFA