サーフボードストリンガーによるパフォーマンスへの影響の評価

A stringer in a competitive surfboard provides strength while still allowing the surfboard to flex. The flex of a surfboard affects the speed, maneuverability, and feel of the surfboard, ultimately influencing the board\u27s performance. With various stringer materials and configurations being used in the surfboards of pro-surfers, research on surfboard stringers may provide valuable insight into understanding and improving surfboard performance. This research attempts to evaluate the role that stringer materials and stringer configurations play in the performance of surfboards. Three high-performance shortboards of approximately the same size were manufactured with different stringer materials and/or configurations. These boards were tested and evaluated by a pro-surfer. The results show that stringer materials and configurations do influence the performance of surfboards. In addition, valuable insights were gained about the challenging process of manufacturing surfboards of the same size for research purposes

WTC2005-64346 RAIL CORRUGATIONS CAUSED BY LOW COEFFICIENT OF FRICTION IN A SUBMARINE RAILWAY TUNNEL

ABSTRACT One of some types of rail corrugations is caused on railway rail surface in a submarine tunnel. It poses a large problem from the aspects of railway vehicle and railway track deterioration. In this paper, the mechanism of the rail corrugations was studied with the focus placed on roll-slip of wheel and rail interface. Traction and vertical force interacting between wheel and rail were investigated by a vehicle/track interaction model, and the coefficient of friction (COF) on rail surface was measured. Also, the rail surface was analysed with infrared to understand the chemical composition of surface layer influenced by salty and very humid atmosphere in the submarine tunnel. ß-FeOOH was found out as a cause of reducing COF on rail surface

Tracking changes in touch desire and touch avoidance before and after the COVID-19 outbreak

Touch is essential for social interactions, environmental exploration, and wellbeing. However, human touch behavior has been greatly restricted by COVID-19 prevention measures, and this is expected to impact people’s attitude toward touch. Here we examined the transition of people’s touch desire and touch avoidance before and after the COVID-19 outbreak, using data from millions of public Twitter posts over an eight-year span. We found that people's desire for touching the human body and pet animals increased significantly after the COVID-19 outbreak and remained high afterward. In contrast, the avoidance of touching everyday objects increased immediately after the outbreak but gradually returned to the pre-COVID-19 levels. Our findings highlight the sign of “skin hunger”, a public health crisis due to social distancing, and call attention to the trend that people are becoming less aware of infection control as COVID-19 persists

WTC2005-64346 RAIL CORRUGATIONS CAUSED BY LOW COEFFICIENT OF FRICTION IN A SUBMARINE RAILWAY TUNNEL

ABSTRACT One of some types of rail corrugations is caused on railway rail surface in a submarine tunnel. It poses a large problem from the aspects of railway vehicle and railway track deterioration. In this paper, the mechanism of the rail corrugations was studied with the focus placed on roll-slip of wheel and rail interface. Traction and vertical force interacting between wheel and rail were investigated by a vehicle/track interaction model, and the coefficient of friction (COF) on rail surface was measured. Also, the rail surface was analysed with infrared to understand the chemical composition of surface layer influenced by salty and very humid atmosphere in the submarine tunnel. ß-FeOOH was found out as a cause of reducing COF on rail surface

Nontransmissible Virus-Like Particle Formation by F-Deficient Sendai Virus Is Temperature Sensitive and Reduced by Mutations in M and HN Proteins

The formation of nontransmissible virus-like particles (NTVLP) by cells infected with F-deficient Sendai virus (SeV/ΔF) was found to be temperature sensitive. Analysis by hemagglutination assays and Western blotting demonstrated that the formation of NTVLP at 38°C was about 1/100 of that at 32°C, whereas this temperature-sensitive difference was only moderate in the case of F-possessing wild-type SeV. In order to reduce the NTVLP formation with the aim of improving SeV for use as a vector for gene therapy, amino acid substitutions found in temperature-sensitive mutant SeVs were introduced into the M (G69E, T116A, and A183S) and HN (A262T, G264R, and K461G) proteins of SeV/ΔF to generate SeV/M(ts)HN(ts)ΔF. The use of these mutations allows vector production at low temperature (32°C) and therapeutic use at body temperature (37°C) with diminished NTVLP formation. As expected, the formation of NTVLP by SeV/M(ts)HN(ts)ΔF at 37°C was decreased to about 1/10 of that by SeV/ΔF, whereas the suppression of NTVLP formation did not cause either enhanced cytotoxicity or reduced gene expression of the vector. The vectors showed differences with respect to the subcellular distribution of M protein in the infected cells. Clear and accumulated immunocytochemical signals of M protein on the cell surface were not observed in cells infected by SeV/ΔF at an incompatible temperature, 38°C, or in those infected by SeV/M(ts)HN(ts)ΔF at 37 or 38°C. The absence of F protein in SeV/ΔF and the additional mutations in M and HN in SeV/M(ts)HN(ts)ΔF probably weaken the ability to transport M protein to the plasma membrane, leading to the diminished formation of NTVLP