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Best response structure of n -person binary coordination games suggests that equilibrium selection outcome is determined by the balance of the ordinal aspects and the cardinal aspects of the game. This intuition inspires new equilibrium selection results for that class of games under the adaptive play with mistakes. Detailed comparison of the adaptive play and the single population random matching is made possible by these results. It turns out that stochastic stability in the adaptive play depends sharply on details of the ordinal, pure strategy best response structure that are indiscernible to the single population random matching.

Scattering velocity and angle of spatter were investigated by recognizing and tracking spatter with the high-speed video observation. The spatter movement was observed by two high-speed video cameras, and analyzed by two- direction tracking method, in which the 3D tracking lines of spatter were constructed in the forward and backward frames and the actual trajectory of individual spatter was obtained by averaging those tracking lines. It made clear that the initial velocity of spatter was less than the speed of sound and mainly ranged from 75m/s to 200m/s. The velocity of spatter showed the slight correlation with the angle.

We have succeeded in the rapid epitaxial growth of Si, Ge, and SiGe films on Si substrates below 670 ºC by reactive CVD utilizing the spontaneous exothermic reaction between SiH4, GeH4, and F2. Mono-crystalline SiGe epitaxial films with Ge composition ranging from 0.1 to 1.0 have been successfully grown by reactive CVD for the first time.This technique has also been successfully applied to the growth of these films on silicon-on-glass substrates by a 20 - 50 ºC increase of the heating temperature. Over 10 μm thick epitaxial films at 3 nm/s growth rate are obtained. The etch pit density of the 5.2 μm-thick Si0.5Ge0.5 film is as low as 5 x 106 cm-2 on top. Mobilities of the undoped SiGe and Si films are 180 to 550 cm2/Vs, confirming the good crystallinity of the epitaxial films.

Petroleum hydrocarbons scattering over the surface and the subsurface environment give degradation of the quality of soil and water resources, resulting in substantial health risks to the human beings, plants and animals. To remove petroleum from the ground, it is supposed that the petroleum be extracted directly from the site or the ground be remediated by decomposing petroleum using oxidizing agents. However, a problem involved in the work is to know how large and deep it is in the ground when taking care of petroleum as a pollutant in the ground. It is important to effectively track petroleum leaked into the environment in a simple and quick manner. On–site screening methods have been desired, therefore, across the world for wide application to the inspection of hydrocarbon contaminants in soil. We already reported an easy method based on a turbidity analytical technique to quickly and semi–quantitatively detect organic compounds through a simple procedure using ordinary chemicals and common equipment at a site (Sakai et al., 2011). Organic compounds can be detected at concentration levels of 2,000 to 15,000 mg kg –1 . The indication of the presence of petroleum suggests that the ground be polluted with the pollutant at the site. But the performance could be influenced by a variety of factors such as soil properties or texture, water contents and chemical characteristics of petroleum in soil samples. In this study, we compared the performance of the turbidity analysis with that of two other methods commonly used in laboratories or gravimetry and gas chromatography–flame ionization detection (GC–FID). We also evaluated the ability of a turbidity analysis–based screening method using a typically available test–kit in the market based on the turbidimetry analytical principle.

Wind load is the most dominant load for light-weight structures such as membrane roofs. Particularly since the horn-shaped (conic) membrane roof has a complicated shape and is generally composed of several numbers of horn-units, the basic data for the wind-force coefficient has not been reported.In this paper, the authors focus on the wind-force coefficients under the uniform-flow. The authors conducted many types of wind-tunnel tests and clarify the aerodynamic characteristics under several conditions.

The paper examines the current account of 41 major airports. When we exclude depreciation costs, only seven airports are profitable. When depreciation is excluded, only three airports are making profits. Airports managed by local governments are very difficult to sustain financially without subsidies. Airports with more than 5.2 million passengers are profitable when depreciation is taken into account, however most local airports have fewer than 2.5 million passengers. When depreciation costs are excluded, airports need at least 2.7 million passengers to be viable.

Problem statement: The miniaturization of components plays an important role for manufacturing in electrical and electronic industries. The joining technology of thin metal sheets has been strongly required. Laser welding with micro-beam and high-speed scanning is a promising solution in micro-welding, because it has high-potential advantages in welding heat sensitive components with precise control of heat input and minimal thermal distortion. Approach: In this study, the characteristics of laser micro-welding of thin stainless steel sheets by using a single-mode CW fiber laser with high-speed scanning system were experimentally investigated. Results: It was clarified that the welding bead width and depth increased with increasing the scanning velocity under a constant energy density condition and high efficient welding was expected by using high-speed laser scanning with Galvano scanner. The utilization of shielding gas was very effective to obtain smooth fusion bead and the combination of micro beam spot and high-speed laser scanning made it possible to obtain good overlap welding of ultra-thin stainless steel sheets. Conclusion: A faster and high quality welding could be achieved by using a single-mode fiber laser with micro-beam and high-speed scanning.

In this study we analyze the relationship between individuals’ ability to stop thinking and their strategy choices in dilemma-type games. The results show that individuals can be roughly divided into two groups, those with the ability to stop thinking and those without it, and that subjects with the ability to stop thinking generally have a tendency to express their opinions clearly. The results of the survey verify the relationship between the ability to stop thinking and the strategy choice in dilemma games. The dilemma games used in the survey were the hawk–dove game, the telephone game and the work game. In all of these, subjects were asked to choose between cooperative behavior and non-cooperative behavior. The survey results show that subjects without the ability to stop thinking had a tendency to choose cooperative behavior.

Cemented carbide has many excellent properties. However, it is sometimes difficult to apply conventional surface finishing or surface modification methods for the cemented carbide. The possibility of surface modification by large-area electron beam irradiation, namely EB polishing was discussed. The surface structure of the EB polished cemented carbide was observed by TEM. The hardness and the water repellency were tested. Also, the separation force of molded resin from the surface was measured for evaluating the releasability of the resin. The water repellency and the releasability of the molded resin could be improved by EB polishing, because the surface structure changed.

A Beam String Structure (BSS) is a hybrid structure consisting of a beam that has bending rigidity, a string and struts. The aim of this research is to investigate the in-plane buckling behavior of arched beams of BSS and to propose a rational evaluation method. Experimental and numerical analyses are performed using small-scale models in order to investigate the influence of rigidity ratios, boundary conditions and details regarding the ends of a beam on the buckling behavior of BSS. It is shown that the present numerical treatment is effective to evaluate and predict the buckling behavior of BSS.

We present a noncooperative foundation for the Nash bargaining solution for an n-person cooperative game in strategic form. The Nash bargaining solution should be immune to any coalitional deviations. Our noncooperative approach yields a new core concept, called the Nash core, for a cooperative game based on a consistency principle. We prove that the Nash bargaining solution can be supported (in every subgame) by a stationary subgame perfect equilibrium of the bargaining game if and only if the Nash bargaining solution belongs to the Nash core.

Glasses based on the K2O–Nb2O5–SiO2 system have been a subject of numerous studies thanks to promising electro-optical and non-linear optical properties. Most of the studies of Nb-containing glasses deal with compositions including not less than 40 mol% of SiO2 or B2O3. In the present work, we studied glass-forming and crystallization properties of (1 − х)KNbO3·xSiO2 glasses with x varying from 0 to 35 mol% by melt quenching between steel plates or by exposure to air or nitrogen flow. Thin transparent glassy plates can be obtained by quenching via pressing between metal plates for glasses with x ⩾ 0.12, and transparent glass-ceramics allowing a remarkable second harmonic generation (SHG) response can be formed by heat-treatment near the first exothermic differential thermal analysis (DTA) peak over a wide range of glass compositions. It is shown that in these glasses, the crystalline K4Nb6O17 phase and a small amount of ferroelectric KNbO3, along with ceolite-like, cristobalite and α-quartz SiO2 phases precipitate at low temperatures in the range between the glass transition point, Tg, and the first exothermic peak on DTA curve, whereas ferroelectric KNbO3 precipitates at temperatures above 800 °C. Ferroelectric crystals which precipitate in the glass bulk are shown to produce high SHG activity.

Wind loading is the most dominant load for light-weight structures such as membrane roofs. Since the multi-bay horn-shaped membrane roof has a complicated shape and is composed of several horn-units depending on the building type, basic data for the wind-force coefficient has not been reported yet. On the other hand, the multi-bay horn-shaped membrane roof is usually designed using the structural behavior of a one-unit system. Furthermore, the authors consider that the design method must be changed not only according to size and building type but also supporting systems. From the view of these problems, in this paper, the wind-force coefficients for design and analysis are clarified by the wind-tunnel test, and a design method considering the influence of supporting systems under wind loading is proposed.

In fine wire EDM using thin wire electrode, uniform distribution of spark location is necessary to achieve stable machining performance. However, it is difficult to precisely evaluate the distribution of spark location by the conventional branched electric current method when the workpiece is thin. A new evaluation method by using a high-speed video camera is proposed. The locations of spark are measured by analyzing the recorded images. Then the effects of machining parameters, such as servo voltage, pulse interval time, wire running speed and others on the distribution of spark location are investigated. The possibility of evaluating the wire vibration is also discussed.

Electrical discharge machining (EDM) is widely used for fabricating precise metal molds. Recently, EDM finishing technology has markedly progressed, and a very fine surface roughness like that of a mirror surface can be readily obtained. Therefore, the EDMed surface is highly expected to be applied to fabricating a metal mold as it requires no hand polishing. In this case, the lifetime of the metal mold depends on the surface characteristics of the EDMed surface. In this study, the releasability of molded resin from the EDMed surface is experimentally investigated by measuring force needed to separate them using a tensile tester. Experimental results clarified that the releasability of molded resin from the EDMed surface is influenced by the average inclination of the EDMed surface profile.

The supported Rh/MgO/Ce 0.5 Zr 0.5 O 2 catalysts were developed for autothermal reforming of methane. The effects of ceria–zirconia addition on the Rh catalyst were characterized with BET, XRD, SAED, HREM and TPR. The catalytic performance was evaluated on a flow through reactor. Results showed that the addition of ceria–zirconia enhanced the catalyst stability due to the interactions between ceria–zirconia, MgO promoter and the active component Rh. Meanwhile, the selectivity towards hydrogen in reformate was also boosted because of the increased water gas shift activity by the mixed oxides. The results also showed that the structural properties, the textural properties and the redox properties of ceria–zirconia had great influences on the catalyst performance, especially on the catalyst stability. Formations of single phase solid solution, larger pore size as well as Ce/Zr ratio at 1/1 were more desirable for ceria–zirconia dopant. As a result, one of the optimized honeycomb catalysts with the composition of 0.3% Rh/2.5% MgO/43.2% Ce 0.5 Zr 0.5 O 2 /54.0% cordierite (wt.%) has been continually operated at 800 °C up to 2000 h without deactivation.

Method: Eighteen boys with combined type ADHD, 10 boys with PDD with hyperactivity, and 18 control boys wore actigraphs for 1 week while attending elementary school. In addition to the average activity level, the standard deviation in the activity levels were compared for two continuous situations: (i) in-seat classes, in which the participants were expected to sit in their own seats and learn quietly; and (ii) free recess periods following the in-seat classes. Results: All the groups were affected by the situational shift, the average activity level of each the groups was higher and the standard deviation was smaller than those during the in-seat classes. The boys with ADHD exhibited a still smaller standard deviation than the controls and the boys with PDD and hyperactivity during the free recess period; no difference between the controls and the boys with PDD was seen. The boys with PDD exhibited a significantly lower average activity level than the other groups. No differences among the groups in the average activity levels and standard deviation were seen during the in-seat classes. Conclusions: The observed objective activity levels in each group reflect the degree to which the boys are able to tolerate changes in situations. Objective measurement of activity levels may be useful to differentiate hyperactivity in children with ADHD from that in children without ADHD.

The automotive industry has developed substantially through advances in mechanical technologies, and technologies such as electronics and advanced materials have also contributed to further advances in automobiles. The contribution of ceramic materials to automobile technologies ranges over driving performance, exhaust gas purification, and fuel efficiency improvements. Several ceramic components, such as knock sensors, oxygen sensors, exhaust gas catalysts, and silicon nitride parts for automotive engines, have been successfully applied to automobiles. This paper focuses on the contribution of ceramics to automotive technologies. It also mentions potential contributions in the future, including adiabatic turbo-compound diesels, ceramic gas turbines, fuel cells, and electric vehicles because ceramic technologies have been intensively involved in the challenge to achieve advanced power sources.

This paper deals with EDM characteristics of newly develops electrically conductive ceramics. Titanium boride (TiB2) is widely used as die and mold materials because of its high hardness, high-temperature resistance and so on. The EDM characteristics of the titanium boride, such as electrode wear rate, removal rate and surface roughness were investigated. Experimental results show that EDM with low electrode wear rate is possible when copper electrode is used with positive polarity. The removal rate becomes much higher when graphite electrode is used with negative polarity.

A new surface finishing method by large-area electron beam irradiation (EB-polishing) for stainless steels for orthopedic surgical tool was proposed in our previous paper, and it was shown that high-efficient surface finishing was possible by the EB-polishing. In this report, the surface structure of EB-polished stainless steel is analyzed by TEM and EDX. Also, surface modification effects such as resistance to corrosion and blood repellency are evaluated. Then, the applicability of the EB-polishing as a new surface modification method of stainless steel for orthopedic surgical tool is discussed.

Objective: To study the cause(s) of chronic dyspepsia among patients with no findings on general practice screening tests. Materials and Methods: A total of 272 consecutive patients at a general practice in Japan (125 males and 147 females, aged 14–89 years) who underwent abdominal ultrasound (US) and who had serum pancreatic enzyme (lipase or p-amylase) levels measured, were included in a 1-year study. Serum pancreatic enzyme levels were compared according to the duration of the symptoms and causes of dyspepsia, and then compared between two groups: a ‘known-cause group’ of 38 patients in whom the cause of the chronic (over 1 month) dyspepsia was determined by US or other diagnostic procedures; and an ‘unknown-cause group’ of 112 patients in whom no cause was found. Results: The mean lipase level in the unknown-cause group was significantly higher than that in the known-cause group (40.6 vs. 35.3 U/l, p = 0.008 after adjustment for age, sex, and serum creatinine). No difference between these groups was found for p-amylase. The proportion of patients with high lipase levels (above reference range) was higher in the unknown-cause group compared to the known-cause group, although this was not significant (21.4 vs. 10.5%). Conclusion: Our data showed that serum lipase levels were higher in patients with chronic dyspepsia of unknown than in those with a known cause. We therefore speculate that mild functional pancreatic disorder may underlie some cases with unexplainable chronic dyspepsia.

In wire EDM, better exclusion of debris from the machined kerf is very important to obtain a stable machining performance. The purpose of this study is to investigate the fluid flow in the kerf and better jet flushing conditions of working fluid from the nozzles. The flow field and the debris motion in the kerf were analyzed by computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation, comparing with the observation by high-speed video camera. The influence of flow rate of working fluid from nozzles and the nozzle stand-off distance on flow field in the kerf and debris particle motion were discussed.

The purpose of this study is to develop a new type of coated wire electrode for fine wire EDM. Piano wire with a very high tensile strength is coated with an electrically conductive brass layer to achieve high-speed and high-precision wire EDM. In our previous papers, using a thin wire of 50μm diameter, the thickness and quality of the brass coating layer were optimized and the effect of the tensile strength of the piano wire used as the core wire was discussed. In this report, the effect of unevenness of the brass wire electrode surface was experimentally investigated. As a result, it was found that by using wire with relatively large surface unevenness, the machining rate increased because of the high discharge frequency. Also, a more uniform distribution of the discharge location was confirmed by high-speed observation of the working gap during the process. In addition, the electrostatic field in the gap between the wire electrode and workpiece surface was analyzed and the reason for the high machining rate for the wire with relatively large surface unevenness was discussed from the viewpoint of the distribution of electric intensity distribution on the wire surface.

We investigate a rapid energy transfer (ET) process and its temperature dependence in a star-shaped stilbenoid phthalocyanine (SSS1Pc) dendrimer having π -conjugated light-harvesting (LH) antennas. In SSS1Pc, intense core-photoluminescence is observed under selective excitation on the LH-antenna as a result of the highly efficient ET from the LH-antenna. Pump-probe experiments show that ET occurs rapidly with a rising time constant (∼ 250 fs). To understand such rapid ET, we employ a simplified ET model through a π -conjugated network between the Lhantenna and the core that takes into account the steric hindrance between the LH-antenna subunits. Our model reveals that the highly efficient ET at room temperature in SSS1Pc takes place through the π -conjugated network mediated by a thermally activated torsional vibration of the aromatic ring subgroup in the LH-antenna. (© 2009 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

A total of 297 resected Japanese non-small cell lung cancers (74 squamous cell carcinomas and 223 adenocarcinomas) were analyzed to evaluate the validity of the p53 mutation spectrum as a fingerprint for mutagenic substances as etiological factors. Frequencies of GT transversions in smokers were significantly higher than in non-smokers (P = 0.003) and the average incidence of GT at hot spot codons of adduct formation was higher than that in other codons in smokers and in the hot spots in non-smokers. Further, the mutation showed a marked strand bias. GA transitions at CpG sites (CpGCpA) were equally distributed in smokers and non-smokers, and on both strands. AG transitions did not show any variation with smoking status in terms of frequency, but exhibited a marked strand bias. Taken together, the GT may be a fingerprint of direct mutagenic action of tobacco-related compounds, the AG being a new marker for other environmental chemicals, while the CpGCpA may be attributable to endogenous spontaneous mutation, for active in lung carcinogenesis. (Cancer Sci 2008; 99: 287–295)

This paper reviews the status of structural ceramics in Japan. Until around 1980, successful applications of these materials were limited to wear-resistant parts and structural components working under very low stresses. Considerable work has been done over the years on applying ceramics to mechanical parts used under higher stresses. This led to some successful applications of silicon nitride to automotive components, including turbocharger rotors and glow plugs. However, the recent market for silicon nitride automotive components has not been as large as was expected. Cordierite honeycombs for catalysts and diesel particulate filters made of silicon carbide are becoming more important applications in Japan. It is noteworthy that the Japanese market for structural ceramics has been steadily increasing since 1985, with the leading applications being apparatus for purifying the exhaust gas of automotive engines and parts for semiconductor manufacturing equipment. Alumina, for example, is widely used for vacuum process chambers. High-purity alumina is also used for the components of liquid crystal device manufacturing equipment and various mechanical parts. The recent applications of structural ceramics in Japan summarized in this review include vacuum process chambers for manufacturing semiconductor and liquid crystal devices, wear-resistant ceramics used for steel-making, optical lens forming and cutting tools, refractory tubes for casting aluminum alloys, and automotive applications.

We investigate rapid energy transfer (ET) and its temperature dependence in a star-shaped stilbenoid phthalocyanine (SSS1Pc) dendrimer having π-conjugated light-harvesting (LH) antennas, and develop an appropriate model. In SSS1Pc, an intense core photoluminescence (PL) band appears under the selective excitation of the absorption bands of the LH antenna due to highly efficient ET at room temperature (RT). The transient response of core-absorption bleaching and the temporal behaviours of the PL intensities of the core and antenna reveal that ET from the LH antenna occurs rapidly prior to achieving quasi-equilibrium in the photoexcited state of the LH antenna. In addition, it is also clarified that the ET quantum efficiency in SSS1Pc degrades at temperatures lower than ~100 K. To understand these results, we develop an ET model based on a π-conjugating network between the LH antenna and the core that accounts for steric hindrance between the LH antenna and the torsional vibration of the LH-antenna subunit. This model reveals that highly efficient ET occurs at RT through the π-conjugated network mediated by the thermally activated torsional vibration of the LH-antenna subunit.

In deep-hole electrical discharge machining, the exclusion of debris is difficult, which leads to debris stagnation in the side gap. Thus, the wall of the machined hole becomes concave owing to secondary discharges in the side gap, even with the use of a linear-motor-driven EDM system with high-speed electrode jump. In this paper, the EDM of a deep hole using a flange-type electrode is proposed in order to prevent secondary discharges in the side gap and to improve shape accuracy. The EDM characteristics such as shape accuracy, removal rate and surface roughness are compared between the use of a flange-type electrode and that of a conventional straight electrode. The fluid flow and debris movement around the flange part of the electrode during the electrode jump are also discussed in view of the results of high-speed camera observation and CFD analysis. In addition, the effects of electrode shape on hole shape are investigated. Experimental results show that the concavity of machined holes can be easily improved using a flange-type electrode, even when using a conventional EDM with a ball screw drive. EDM performance becomes stable with the use of a flange-type electrode, and consequently removal rate improves.

Surgical tools and jigs are initially machined by multi-axis milling. Then surface finishing is carried out mainly by hand lapping. As these tools undergo repeated use, the removal of burrs, scratches and rust from the surfaces is also performed manually after each operation. These finishing processes are time-consuming and costly. In this study, a new finishing method by large-area electron beam irradiation is proposed. Electron beam (EB) with high energy density can be obtained without focusing the beam, and large-area EB can be used for instantly melting or evaporating the metal surface. Stainless steel for surgical tools and jigs was treated by the large-area EB irradiation method. The experimental results show that highly efficient surface smoothing of stainless steels by large-area EB irradiation may be achieved. In addition, the resistance to corrosion and blood repellency can be improved simultaneously with surface smoothing.

Due to the expansion of cities and the increasing number of large-scale and complex public spaces, there is an increase in public signage. Moreover, the information described on these signs tends to be diverse and complicated. Complex signs that contain multiple destinations or other information must be considered to determine not only the proper size, color, etc. but also the most effective arrangement of design elements. In the previous research, the cognitive utility of complex public signs was estimated using computer simulation software. In the current research, we focused on the objective estimation of the effectiveness of the results obtained in the previous research utilizing an eye mark recording system. Two cognitive engineering experiments clarified five points for improvement in the usability of complex signs, as follows: 1) Parallel construction of characters and pictograms is more efficient. 2) Grouping elements result in rapid recognition of information chunks. 3) Visual characters and pictograms are effective, along with proper density of information. 4) Specific arrangement of sign arrows is effective. 5) Figures on signs influence the sequence of information searches.

「学校に行く」の英訳はgo to school, leave for school, set off to school, get to school など何通りもある。脈絡によって,これらの中の最も適当なものが選択される。換言すれば,特定の脈絡を英語という言語でいかに切り取るのかをわきまえておかねば,正しい英語表現とはならない。上記のフレーズのうちどれを選ぶかはしばしば副詞との共起の中で決定される。その考慮をしない日本人の書く英語が不自然になる一大原因は正にここにある。例えば I go to school on week days. とは言えても,I go to school at 9 o'clock. はかなり曖昧な表現で,きちんとした正確な英語とは言い切れない。日常のカジュアルな表現としては,使用される状況より判断して「学校に向けて家を出るのが9時だ」と解釈できないことはない。しかし,英米のジャーナリスト・作家などは,大抵 I [left for / got to] school at 9 o'clock. のように,出発時を言うのか到着時を言うのかを指定している。この小論では,「学校に行く」という表現がいかなる副詞とどのような結び付きで用いられるのか,またそのとき,どのようなニュアンスで用いられているのかコーパスを用いて探り当て,具体例を挙げて用法を検証する。

A feasibility study was carried out to determine whether water-soluble salmon meat could be manufactured by conjugating a glycosyl unit using the Maillard reaction. Spawned out salmon meat was washed, mixed with alginate oligosaccharide (AO) and sorbitol, lyophilized, and then heated at 60°C and 5–95% relative humidity (RH) to introduce AO (the mean degree of polymerization was six) into the myofibrillar proteins through the Maillard reaction. The reaction progressed with an increase in the reaction humidity and the amount of AO bound to the protein reached >150 μg/mg at RH 65 and 90%. However, the protein glycosylation under high humidity impaired protein solubility and the meat protein became effectively water-soluble with the conjugation with AO at reaction conditions of 60°C and RH 35%. The improved characteristics of the meat protein were highly stable at room temperature. Further, the water-soluble protein can be prepared from the frozen salmon meat stored at −25°C for 60–90 days. These results indicate that protein glycosylation has strong potential for use with spawned out chum salmon. The suppression of protein denaturation during processing is important to obtain the high water-soluble meat protein.