Development of Grousers with a Tactile Sensor for Wheels of Lunar Exploration Rovers to Measure Sinkage

This paper presents a grouser developed for the wheels of lunar exploration rovers to measure sinkage. The wheels, which are intended to traverse loose soil such as lunar regolith, contain grousers that transfer thrust to the wheels and thus to the body of the rover. The interaction between the wheel (with grousers) and the loose soil can be described using a kinematic model. When traversing loose soil, the wheel sinks into the soil, which necessitates knowledge of the entrance angle needed in order to avoid this problem. If the entrance angle is known, the sinkage can be measured in real time before adverse conditions occur. Because of the importance and usefulness of detecting the entrance angle of the wheel, we herein propose a grouser with an embedded tactile sensor. A strain gauge on the surface of the grousers serves as the tactile sensor. In order to confirm the precision of the proposed grouser, we have performed tests on a rigid surface and loose soil surfaces.ArticleINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ADVANCED ROBOTIC SYSTEMS. 11:49 (2014)journal articl

Ectopic Varices Rupture in the Gastroduodenal Anastomosis Successfully Treated with N-butyl-2-cyanoacrylate Injection

The term &#34;ectopic varices&#34; is used to describe dilated portosystemic collateral veins in unusual locations other than the gastroesophageal region. We recently experienced a rare case of ectopic varices that developed in the gastroduodenal anastomosis after subtotal gastrectomy. A 70-year-old male with liver cirrhosis due to hepatitis C virus infection was admitted for hematemesis and tarry stool. He had received a subtotal gastrectomy with the Billroth-I method for gastric ulcer at 46 years of age. Although emergency endoscopy revealed esophageal and gastric fundal varices, there were no obvious bleeding points. After removal of the coagula, ectopic varices and a fibrin plug were observed on the gastroduodenal anastomosis. During the observation, blood began to spurt from the fibrin plug. N-butyl-2-cyanoacrylate with lipiodol injection succeeded in hemostasis. Splenic angiography showed gastric varices feeding from a short gastric vein and the posterior gastric vein. The blood flow around the bleeding point, as indicated by lipiodol deposition, had decreased, and no feeding vein was observed. Endoscopic and angiographic findings are shown and the treatment for such lesions is discussed.</p

Optical study of charge instability in CeRu2Al10 in comparison with CeOs2Al10 and CeFe2Al10

The anisotropic electronic structure responsible for the antiferromagnetic transition in CeRu2Al10 at the unusually high temperature of T0=28 K was studied using optical conductivity spectra, Ce 3d x-ray photoemission spectra, and band calculation. It was found that the electronic structure in the ac plane is that of a Kondo semiconductor, whereas that along the b axis has a nesting below 32 K (slightly higher than T0). These characteristics are the same as those of CeOs2Al10 [ S. Kimura et al. Phys. Rev. Lett. 106 056404 (2011)]. The c-f hybridization intensities between the conduction and 4f electrons of CeRu2Al10 and CeOs2Al10 are weaker than that of CeFe2Al10, showing no magnetic ordering. These results suggest that the electronic structure with one-dimensional weak c-f hybridization along the b axis combined with two-dimensional strong hybridization in the ac plane causes charge-density wave (CDW) instability, and the CDW state then induces magnetic ordering

Cytokine biomarkers to predict antitumor responses to nivolumab suggested in a phase 2 study for advanced melanoma

Promising antitumor activities of nivolumab, a fully humanized IgG4 inhibitor antibody against the programmed death-1 protein, were suggested in previous phase 1 studies. The present phase 2, single-arm study (JAPIC-CTI #111681) evaluated the antitumor activities of nivolumab and explored its predictive correlates in advanced melanoma patients at 11 sites in Japan. Intravenous nivolumab 2 mg/kg was given repeatedly at 3-week intervals to 35 of 37 patients enrolled from December 2011 to May 2012 until they experienced unacceptable toxicity, disease progression, or complete response. Primary endpoint was objective response rate. Serum levels of immune modulators were assessed at multiple time points. As of 21 October 2014, median response duration, median progression-free survival, and median overall survival were 463 days, 169 days, and 18.0 months, respectively. The overall response rate and 1- and 2-year survival rates were 28.6%, 54.3%, and 42.9%, respectively. Thirteen patients remained alive at the end of the observation period and no deaths were drug related. Grade 3–4 drug-related adverse events were observed in 31.4% of patients. Pretreatment serum interferon-γ, and interleukin-6 and -10 levels were significantly higher in the patients with objective tumor responses than in those with tumor progression. In conclusion, giving repeated i.v. nivolumab had potent and durable antitumor effects and a manageable safety profile in advanced melanoma patients, strongly suggesting the usefulness of nivolumab for advanced melanoma and the usefulness of pretreatment serum cytokine profiles as correlates for predicting treatment efficacy

Implementation of Data Analysis Platform for Efficiently Exploration of Climate Recipe in Plant Factory

学位の種別: 修士University of Tokyo(東京大学

術中digital subtraction angiography (DSA)使用下に直接穿刺法によって塞栓術を施行したクリップ困難な脳底部動脈瘤

大きな脳底動脈瘤のクリッピング術は,現在でも最も難しい脳外科手術のひとつと考えられる.動脈瘤の位置が深く,また周囲に重要な穿通枝や脳神経が多く存在するため,動脈瘤が巨大化する場合,特に外科的合併症の生じる危険性は高い.今回我々は,手術中にクリップ困難であると判定した脳底動脈瘤に対して,直接穿刺による塞栓術を行った症例を経験したので,そのテクニックおよび利点について言及した.術中直接穿刺法による塞栓術のテクニックとして,(1)現在のところ塞栓物質としてMandaiらの開発したcellulose acetate polymerが有用であること,(2)塞栓術中の血行遮断に対してmicroballoonによる親動脈の一時的閉塞または親動脈のtemporary clippingが必要なこと,(3)術中DSAによる動脈瘤の消失の有無の確認の必要性,を中心に実際の手技について報告した.また利点として他動脈瘤のクリッピングや血腫除去等の外科的手術を同時に行えることを報告した.A new strategy is described for treating unclippable aneurysms. The method is a combined approach consisting of operative exposure of an aneurysm and direct embolization under X-ray monitoring using digital subtraction angiography. The details and the advantages of this method are presented

術中digital subtraction angiography (DSA)使用下に直接穿刺法によって塞栓術を施行したクリップ困難な脳底部動脈瘤

大きな脳底動脈瘤のクリッピング術は,現在でも最も難しい脳外科手術のひとつと考えられる.動脈瘤の位置が深く,また周囲に重要な穿通枝や脳神経が多く存在するため,動脈瘤が巨大化する場合,特に外科的合併症の生じる危険性は高い.今回我々は,手術中にクリップ困難であると判定した脳底動脈瘤に対して,直接穿刺による塞栓術を行った症例を経験したので,そのテクニックおよび利点について言及した.術中直接穿刺法による塞栓術のテクニックとして,(1)現在のところ塞栓物質としてMandaiらの開発したcellulose acetate polymerが有用であること,(2)塞栓術中の血行遮断に対してmicroballoonによる親動脈の一時的閉塞または親動脈のtemporary clippingが必要なこと,(3)術中DSAによる動脈瘤の消失の有無の確認の必要性,を中心に実際の手技について報告した.また利点として他動脈瘤のクリッピングや血腫除去等の外科的手術を同時に行えることを報告した.A new strategy is described for treating unclippable aneurysms. The method is a combined approach consisting of operative exposure of an aneurysm and direct embolization under X-ray monitoring using digital subtraction angiography. The details and the advantages of this method are presented