Real-Time Expression Control System for Wearable Animatronics

The animatoronics is used for the expression of the character with many pic-ture works which includes movies. As for the animatronics mask that the per-son wears of the lively character, the expression of lively character is truly possible because the actor\u27s performance is reflected directly. In this research, I suggest using an animatronics mask in order to reflect the character\u27s feelings and expressions real time by the actor wearing the mask.Conventionally, it is necessary for the actor to look good with the movements and facial expressions beforehand in order to determine if the actor can intuitively play the character but thinks that an actor can play a character intuitively by using this system.Art and Design Research for Sustainable Development ; September 22, 2018Conference: Tsukuba Global Science Week 2018Date: September 20-22, 2018Venue: Tsukuba International Congress Center Sponsored: University of Tsukub

Outsourcing transportation infrastructure maintenance : a theoretical approach with application to JR East

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 2004.Includes bibliographical references (p. 96-98).In transportation agencies, how to reduce maintenance and operation cost is one of the biggest and most common concerns, because their revenue is not expected to increase drastically in the future. One of the solutions undertaken nowadays is contracting out and utilizing contractors' efficiency for cost cutting and performance improvements. Actually, highway agencies in the US have already tried several pilot programs, employing performance-based contract, aiming at reducing their cost of maintenance and rehabilitation of their assets. It has been reported that these agencies achieved huge cost-reduction and performance improvement at the same time by implementing these strategies. Railway infrastructure maintenance is not outsourced as much as highway maintenance in the US. However, a theoretical discussion about outsourcing and contracting shows that railway track maintenance can be outsourced to enhance operating efficiency. Exploring the cases in several railway organizations and highway agencies, fixed-price contract with incentive schemes turn out to be mainly utilized. Evaluating maintenance contractor's performance by several comprehensive performance metrics is also a useful tool to manage and control the contractor's performance, which is linked to reward or penalty payments.(cont.) Considering the lessons learned in the discussions above, applications for railway maintenance in JR East is discussed. Its maintenance contract structure is in the midst of transition, but still imbues a traditional style. Instead, a long-term, performance-based contract with incentive scheme is suggested to improve the efficiency of infrastructure maintenance and adjust the future environmental changes JR East faces.by Jun Hirano.S.M

Submillimeter Array Observation of the Proto-Planetary Nebula CRL 618 in the CO J=6-5 Line

We report on the results of a Submillimeter Array interferometric observation of the proto-planetary nebula CRL 618 in the 12CO J=6-5 line. With the new capability of SMA enabling us to use two receivers at a time, we also observed simultaneously in the 12CO J=2-1 and 13CO J=2-1 lines. The 12CO J=6-5 and 13CO J=2-1 lines were first interferometrically observed toward CRL 618. The flux of the high velocity component of the 12CO J=6-5 line is almost fully recovered, while roughly 80% of the flux of the low velocity component is resolved out. The low recovery rate suggests that the emission region of the low velocity component of the 12CO J=6-5 line is largely extended. Continuum emission is detected both at 230 and 690 GHz. The flux of the 690 GHz continuum emission seems to be partially resolved out, suggesting dust emission partly contaminates the 690 GHz continuum flux. The cavity structure, which has been confirmed in a previous observation in the 12CO J=2-1 line, is not clearly detected in the 12CO J=6-5 line, and only the south wall of the cavity is detected. This result suggests that the physical condition of the molecular envelope of CRL 618 is not exactly axial symmetric.Comment: 24 pages, 9 figures, 1 table, accepted for publication in AJ. Full resolution version available at http://www.asiaa.sinica.edu.tw/~junichi/paper

Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome in a Patient With Mitochondrial Encephalopathy, Lactic Acidosis and Stroke-Like Episodes Syndrome

Mitochondrial encephalopathy, lactic acidosis and stroke-like episodes (MELAS) syndrome is a multisystem disorder, which is clinically characterized by encephalopathy, dementia, seizures and stroke-like episodes. Multiple organs can be affected and cardiac involvement often dominates the clinical picture because of its high energy requirement. We report a case of a 21-year-old woman with MELAS syndrome who had pre-excitation ECG and one episode of tachycardia attack