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A safety margin must always be maintained between trains. To this end, position data of all trains must be provided to the railway system in real time. Basically, this data has been provided based on the infrastructure installed on the railway. However, enormous costs are required to install the infrastructure, and continuous maintenance is required. In addition, cases of accidents due to un-detection or false-detection of trains are being reported as news. Due to these problems, researches on infra-less navigation system for trains have been conducted. Taking into account the blocking phenomenon of Global Positioning System (GPS)/Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) signals in tunnels, the navigation system for trains should constitute an integrated navigation system. However, the accuracy and reliability of navigation solution provided by the integrated navigation system are not always satisfied. And this can lead to instability of the railway system. Therefore, the navigation solution for trains must have high accuracy and also the reliability information of the corresponding navigation solution must be provided. In this article, we construct an Inertial Navigation System (INS)/GPS/Non-Holonomic Constraints (NHC) integrated navigation system for trains with NHC motion. A simulation trajectory is generated considering the real trajectory, and the accuracy and reliability of the navigation information according to the trajectory and measurements are analyzed together. And based on this information, we propose a method to calculate the safety margin between trains. The performance of the proposed technology is verified through a real trajectory-based Monte Carlo simulation.

Nociceptin/orphanin FQ (N/OFQ) and its receptor, nociceptin opioid peptide (NOP) receptor, are localized in brain areas implicated in depression including the amygdala, bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, habenula, and monoaminergic nuclei in the brain stem. N/OFQ inhibits neuronal excitability of monoaminergic neurons and monoamine release from their terminals by activation of G protein-coupled inwardly rectifying K+ channels and inhibition of voltage sensitive calcium channels, respectively. Therefore, NOP receptor antagonists have been proposed as a potential antidepressant. Indeed, mounting evidence shows that NOP receptor antagonists have antidepressant-like effects in various preclinical animal models of depression, and recent clinical studies again confirmed the idea that blockade of NOP receptor signaling could provide a novel strategy for the treatment of depression. In this review, we describe the pharmacological effects of N/OFQ in relation to depression and explore the possible mechanism of NOP receptor antagonists as potential antidepressants.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is a severe disorder mainly affecting lungs. It occurs more frequently in smokers or former smokers with an average age of onset around 65. The first pathogenetic event leading to the complete derangement of lung parenchyma is the alveolar stem cell exhaustion due to intrinsic factors (genetic mutations or polymorphisms) and extrinsic insults (cigarette smoke, pollution). The histopathologic background is Usual Interstitial Pneumonitis. Transbronchial cryobiopsy allows harvesting of lung samples large enough to identify the characteristic of this morphologic pattern. The best strategy to maintain a high diagnostic yield is to biopsy at least two different segments.

The thermal conductivity of boron nitride/epoxy composite was increased by up to 45.4% through surface modification of BN. The silane coupling agents with different main carbon chain (C3 and C16) were introduced on the BN surface through sol-gel reaction to improve the affinity of BN with epoxy resin. The surface-modified BN exhibits the higher dispersibility in epoxy than as-prepared BN. In the case of the modified BN samples, the dispersion was more stable as increasing the length of carbon main chain of silane. It means that the higher interfacial adhesion of BN/epoxy composite could be obtained by introducing the longer carbon chain on BN surface. Using the surface modification, the thermal conductivity of the treated BN with HDTMS reached to 3.49 W/m K through decrease of the thermal contact resistance at the BN/epoxy interface. As a result, the enhancement of thermal conductivity could be controlled by varying the surface property of BN.

This paper aims to analyse the navigation performance that can be provided by the navigation system when applying the INS/GPS integrated navigation system to the train. The performance of the Kalman filter integrating INS and GPS can be summarized by the integrity of the measurement and the observability of the filter. Assuming the integrity of the GPS information used as a measurement is always satisfied, the performance of the filter can eventually be analysed by the observability. The observability of the filter depends on the dynamic trajectory of the train. Because the train has a non-holonomic constraint and one-dimensional motion, the filter design and the performance analysis are carried out considering this. We analyse the observability of the filter through simulation and explain the limit of the filter and the flaw of the observability. We also analyse the reliability of the navigation system and present additional research directions.

Metformin reduces body weight by decreasing food intake in humans and animals. However, the brain regions involved in metformin-induced anorexia remain unclear. Therefore, we investigated c-Fos expression (FOS), a marker of neuronal activity, in the appetite-regulating brain regions after oral administration of metformin (PO, 300mg/kg daily for 1 or 3days) or vehicle. The body weight and food intake decreased in mice treated with metformin for 3days (RM group) and mice that had the same amount of food as the RM group (Pair-fed group; PF) compared to the control group. FOS expression levels increased in the paraventricular nucleus, area postrema, and central amygdala of mice administered an acute single dose of metformin (SM group) compared to the control mice. In the nucleus tractus solitarius, the FOS expression levels increased in both the SM and RM groups compared to the control group. The FOS expression levels also increased in the nucleus accumbens of the RM group compared to other groups. The FOS expression levels decreased in the ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus in the PF group, but not the RM group, compared to the control group, suggesting a potential hypothalamic area involvement for metformin-induced anorexia. These results suggest that both the hypothalamic and extra-hypothalamic regions are associated with metformin-induced anorexia, which is dependent on metformin treatment duration.

Caffeine produces a variety of behavioral effects including increased alertness, reduced food intake, anxiogenic effects, and dependence upon repeated exposure. Although many of the effects of caffeine are mediated by its ability to block adenosine receptors, it is possible that other neural substrates, such as cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript (CART), may be involved in the effects of caffeine. Indeed, a recent study demonstrated that repeated caffeine administration increases CART in the mouse striatum. However, it is not clear whether acute caffeine administration alters CART in other areas of the brain. To explore this possibility, we investigated the dose- and time-dependent changes in CART immunoreactivity (CART-IR) after a single dose of caffeine in mice. We found that a high dose of caffeine (100 mg/kg) significantly increased CART-IR 2 h after administration in the nucleus accumbens shell (AcbSh), dorsal bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (dBNST), central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA), paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus (PVN), arcuate hypothalamic nucleus (Arc), and locus coeruleus (LC), and returned to control levels after 8 h. But this increase was not observed in other brain areas. In addition, caffeine administration at doses of 25 and 50 mg/kg appears to produce dose-dependent increases in CART-IR in these brain areas; however, the magnitude of increase in CART-IR observed at a dose of 50 mg/kg was similar or greater than that observed at a dose of 100 mg/kg. This result suggests that CART-IR in AcbSh, dBNST, CeA, PVN, Arc, and LC is selectively affected by caffeine administration.

Dynorphin in the nucleus accumbens shell plays an important role in antidepressant-like effect in the forced swimming test (FST), but it is unclear whether desipramine and citalopram treatments alter prodynorphin levels in other brain areas. To explore this possibility, we injected mice with desipramine and citalopram 0.5, 19, and 23 h after a 15-min pretest swim and observed changes in prodynorphin expression before the test swim, which was conducted 24 h after the pretest swim. The pretest swim increased prodynorphin immunoreactivity in the dorsal bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (dBNST) and lateral division of the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeL). This increase in prodynorphin immunoreactivity in the dBNST and CeL was blocked by desipramine and citalopram treatments. Similar changes in prodynorphin mRNA levels were observed in the dBNST and CeL, but these changes did not reach significance. To understand the underlying mechanism, we assessed changes in phosphorylated CREB at Ser(133) (pCREB) immunoreactivity in the dBNST and central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA). Treatment with citalopram but not desipramine after the pretest swim significantly increased pCREB immunoreactivity only in the dBNST. These results suggest that regulation of prodynorphin in the dBNST and CeL before the test swim may be involved in the antidepressant-like effect of desipramine and citalopram in the FST and suggest that changes in pCREB immunoreactivity in these areas may not play an important role in the regulation of prodynorphin in the dBNST and CeA.

Electroconvulsive shock (ECS) induces not only an antidepressant effect but also adverse effects such as amnesia. One potential mechanism underlying both the antidepressant and amnesia effect of ECS may involve the regulation of serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine) 6 (5-HT6) receptor, but less is known about the effects of acute ECS on the changes in 5-HT6 receptor expression in the hippocampus. In addition, as regulation of 5-HT receptor expression is influenced by the number of ECS treatment and by interval between ECS treatment and sacrifice, it is probable that magnitude and time-dependent changes in 5-HT6 receptor expression could be influenced by repeated ECS exposure. To explore this possibility, we observed and compared the changes of 5-HT6 receptor immunoreactivity (5-HT6 IR) in rat hippocampus at 1, 8, 24, or 72 h after the treatment with either a single ECS (acute ECS) or daily ECS for 10 days (chronic ECS). We found that acute ECS increased 5-HT6 IR in the CA1, CA3, and granule cell layer of hippocampus, reaching peak levels at 8 h and returning to basal levels 72 h later. The magnitude and time-dependent changes in 5-HT6 IR observed after acute ECS were not affected by chronic ECS. These results demonstrate that both acute and chronic ECS transiently increase the 5-HT6 IR in rat hippocampus, and suggest that the magnitude and time-dependent changes in 5-HT6 IR in the hippocampus appear not to be influenced by repeated ECS treatment.

Purpose To compare clinical findings and the aqueous levels of inflammatory mediators between toxic anterior segment syndrome (TASS) and endotoxin-induced uveitis (EIU) animal models and to evaluate the efficacy of systemic steroid pretreatment in both animal models. Methods Rats were used in this study. Ortho-phthalaldehyde solution was injected into the anterior chamber to produce TASS (n=30), and lipopolysaccharide was injected into one hind footpad to produce EIU (n=30). Clinical findings were evaluated under slit-lamp examination, and the aqueous levels of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were measured 24 hours after these procedures. Twelve of the rats in each animal model were pretreated with intraperitoneal injection of dexamethasone for 4 days before the development of TASS and EIU. Results Corneal haze scores were significantly higher for TASS than EIU, but clinical scores for anterior uveitis were not different between the two animal models. Although aqueous levels of PGE2 were markedly increased in both animal models, PGE2 levels were significantly higher for TASS than for EIU. However, an increase in aqueous levels of TNF-α was observed only in EIU. Dexamethasone pretreatment reduced the corneal haze score and clinical score for anterior uveitis in both animal models and inhibited the increase in aqueous levels of PGE2 and TNF-α. Conclusions Prostaglandin E2 and TNF-α in aqueous humor seem to be regulated differently in animal models of TASS and EIU. However, dexamethasone pretreatment improved the clinical findings and inhibited the increases in PGE2 and TNF-α in both animal models.

We propose here a method for compensating the Joule-heating effects in the current-induced domain wall motion (CIDWM). In CIDWM experiments, the current induces not only the spin-transfer torque (STT) effects but also the Joule-heating effects, and both effects influence the domain wall (DW) motion. It is thus desired to develop a way to compensate the Joule-heating effects, in order to determine the pure STT effects on the DW motion. Up to now, in studies of DW creeping motions, such Joule-heating effects have been eliminated based on the Arrhenius law by assuming the temperature-independent creep scaling constants. However, here we find that such scaling constants are sensitive to the temperature, from the DW creeping experiment in Pt/Co/Pt wires with temperature control in a cryostat. By accounting the temperature dependence of the scaling constants, we demonstrate that all the DW speeds with various temperatures are exactly collapsed onto a single universal curve, which enables us to examine the pure STT effects on the DW motion.

Logic devices based on magnetism show promise for increasing computational efficiency while decreasing consumed power. They offer zero quiescent power and yet combine novel functions such as programmable logic operation and non-volatile built-in memory. However, practical efforts to adapt a magnetic device to logic suffer from a low signal-to-noise ratio and other performance attributes that are not adequate for logic gates. Rather than exploiting magnetoresistive effects that result from spin-dependent transport of carriers, we have approached the development of a magnetic logic device in a different way: we use the phenomenon of large magnetoresistance found in non-magnetic semiconductors in high electric fields. Here we report a device showing a strong diode characteristic that is highly sensitive to both the sign and the magnitude of an external magnetic field, offering a reversible change between two different characteristic states by the application of a magnetic field. This feature results from magnetic control of carrier generation and recombination in an InSb p-n bilayer channel. Simple circuits combining such elementary devices are fabricated and tested, and Boolean logic functions including AND, OR, NAND and NOR are performed. They are programmed dynamically by external electric or magnetic signals, demonstrating magnetic-field-controlled semiconductor reconfigurable logic at room temperature. This magnetic technology permits a new kind of spintronic device, characterized as a current switch rather than a voltage switch, and provides a simple and compact platform for non-volatile reconfigurable logic devices.

We have studied the L10 ordering of FePtB layers assisted by the oxidation-induced stress of a capping layer. In the thermally oxidized Si substrate/MgO/CoFeB/FePtB/Ti structure, the oxidation of the Ti capping layer during post-deposition annealing exerts an in-plane tensile stress on the FePtB layer, which promotes L10 ordering of the FePtB layer. The diffusion of boron from the FePtB layer into the Ti layer also plays a crucial role in the L10 ordering. The CoFeB/FePtB composite layers can be used for the top electrode of perpendicular magnetic tunnel junctions.

Magnetic domain-wall (DW), interface between different magnetic domains, has received great attention due to its opportunities toward memory and logic devices as well as its abundant physical properties as a driven interface. Since recent advances of fabrication techniques allow us to scale down the devices, we are facing lower dimensional properties that should be elucidated undoubtedly. Here, we review recent progresses on DW dynamics in ferromagnetic nanowires and our recent experimental observation on the dimensionality transition of the DW dynamics driven by magnetic field and/or current. Our results show that the DW dynamics shows a transition from two to one dimensional behavior as the wire width decreases. In addition, we also demonstrate that the magnetic-field- and electric-current-driven DW dynamics in metallic ferromagnetic nanowires belong to the same universal class.

Objective Adipose tissue (AT) expansion requires AT remodeling, which depends on AT angiogenesis. Modulation of AT angiogenesis could have therapeutic promise for the treatment of obesity. However, it is unclear how the capacity of angiogenesis in each adipose depot is affected by over-nutrition. Therefore, we investigated the angiogenic capacity (AC) of subcutaneous and visceral fats in lean and obese mice. Methods We compared the AC of epididymal fat (EF) and inguinal fat (IF) using an angiogenesis assay in diet-induced obese (DIO) mice and diet-resistant (DR) mice fed a high-fat diet (HFD). Furthermore, we compared the expression levels of genes related to angiogenesis, macrophage recruitment, and inflammation using RT-qPCR in the EF and IF of lean mice fed a low-fat diet (LFD), DIO mice, and DR mice fed a HFD. Results DIO mice showed a significant increase in the AC of EF only at 22 weeks of age compared to DR mice. The expression levels of genes related to angiogenesis, macrophage recruitment, and inflammation were significantly higher in the EF of DIO mice than in those of LFD mice and DR mice, while expression levels of genes related to macrophages and their recruitment were higher in the IF of DIO mice than in those of LFD and DR mice. Expression of genes related to angiogenesis (including Hif1a, Vegfa, Fgf1, Kdr, and Pecam1), macrophage recruitment, and inflammation (including Emr1, Ccr2, Itgax, Ccl2, Tnf, and Il1b) correlated more strongly with body weight in the EF of HFD-fed obese mice compared to that of IF. Conclusions These results suggest depot-specific differences in AT angiogenesis and a potential role in the susceptibility to diet-induced obesity., Highlights • Angiogenic capacity (AC) of visceral fat is greater in DIO mice than in DR mice. • AC of subcutaneous fat is not different between DIO and DR mice. • AC of visceral fat correlated more strongly with body weight than subcutaneous fat. • Fat depot-specific differences in AC exist in mice. • The depot specificity may differentially contribute to the susceptibility to obesity.

Previously, the authors reported that zaprinast, an inhibitor of cGMP-selective phosphodiesterases, induced the secretions of TNF-α and IL-1β by microglia and enhanced the induction of iNOS by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). In this study, the signaling mechanism responsible for microglial activation by zaprinast was investigated and the effects of zaprinast and LPS on microglial activation were compared. Zaprinast was found to activate ERK1/2, p38 MAPK, JNK, NFκB, and PI3K/Akt, and subsequently, induce the mRNA expressions of IL-1α, IL-1β, TNF-α, CCL2, CCL4, CXCL1, CXCL2, and CD14. Associations between signaling pathways and gene expressions were examined by treating microglia with signal inhibitors. PDTC inhibited the induction of all the above genes by zaprinast, and SB203580 inhibited all genes except CXCL1. SP600125, PD98059, and LY294002 inhibited the induction of at least CCL2. Microglial activation by zaprinast was then compared with full-blown activation by LPS. The zaprinast-induced phosphorylations of MAPKs and IκB were less prompt than LPS-induced phosphorylations. IκB degradation by LPS was significant at 10min and did not return to normal, whereas zaprinast induced a later, transient degradation. LPS induced the mRNA expressions of IL-1β, TNF-α, IL-6, CCL2, iNOS, and COX-2, and although zaprinast significantly induced the expressions of all except IL-6 and iNOS, these inductions were far less than those induced by LPS. Collectively, zaprinast was found to upregulate microglial activity mainly via NFκB and p38 MAPK signaling and the subsequent expressions of inflammatory genes. Although, zaprinast was found to have obvious effects on microglia, these were weaker than the effects of LPS.

We have fabricated perpendicular magnetic tunnel junctions consisting of hcp Ru underlayer/hcp CoPt alloy/CoFeB/MgO/CoFeB/CoPt alloy (or Co)/Pt capping layer. By inserting the CoPt alloy (or Co) between the CoFeB and Pt capping layers, it is possible to increase a perpendicular magnetic anisotropy of the top electrode. Using a top electrode of , we have obtained an effective magnetic anisotropy of and a tunnel magnetoresistance (TMR) of 9.4%. The analysis of the crystal structure reveals that the low TMR is a consequence of the fcc (111) texture of CoFeB layers.

Kyung-Bu High Speed Railway is operated in train control system(tcs) of fixed block operated in a way of dividing track circuits into several blocks in accordance with operation circumstances such as rolling stocks, grade, curves and facilities. The TCS of fixed block system refers to a continuous train control system, which transfers operational information such as entry and exit speed, distance-to-go, and deceleration etc. into on-board train control equipment on the basis of block occupancy of a preceding train. It guarantees a safe operation of trains by giving an emergency braking order, in case that a train exceeds an entry and exit speed of a corresponding block. In this paper, we analyze the speed control code deducing in accordance with maximum operation speed and characteristics of rolling stocks by analyzing principles of generation of speed control code allocated in blocks for safe operation, then train operational efficiency was analyzed by means of analysis of operation headway in accordance with the deduced speed control code. This study will be used to design in case of getting an increase in speed for existing high speed line or new high speed line TCS.

The spin polarization of a high g-factor bulk semiconductor is theoretically investigated in the presence of a magnetic field parallel to a driving electric field. Calculations have been carried out using the energy-dependent relaxation time approximation in association with spin-flip scattering. As the magnitude of the magnetic field increases, the spin-polarized current alternates between the spin-up and spin-down states for the low spin-scattering system. This implies that the current polarization can be tuned by controlling the magnetic field strength, suggesting possible applications to spintronic devices. An experimental method for investigating alternative current polarization is also considered.

For the train positioning system currently applied in high-speed MAGLEV train systems, it is classified into absolute positioning systems which discontinuously detect train positions, and relative positioning systems which continuously detect train positions. In this paper we analyze the configuration model and the numerical model of the absolute positioning system applied in TRANSRAPID which is a representative high-speed MAGLEV train, and design the two configuration models specific to the recognition structures of absolute positioning systems. We also verify the compatibility of the design models of absolute positioning system through simulation using MATLAB and propose the optimal configuration model of absolute positioning systems for high-speed MAGLEV train system.

Cocaine and amphetamine regulated transcript (CART) has been implicated in the regulation of the stress response. Although the forced swimming test (FST), in which rats are forced to swim for 15 min (pretest swim) and then again for 5 min (test swim) 24 h later, has been used to study the effects of antidepressants, there have been few studies examining the effects of antidepressants on FST-induced changes in CART mRNA levels in the brain. To answer this question, we injected reboxetine and citalopram into male Sprague-Dawley rats 1, 5, and 23.5 h before the test swim and then sacrificed rats 2 h after the test swim, at the peak of the FST-induced increase in CART expression. The FST significantly increased CART mRNA levels in the nucleus accumbens, central nucleus of the amygdala, and locus ceruleus 2 h after the test session. Both reboxetine and citalopram pretreatment blocked FST-induced increases in CART mRNA levels in the nucleus accumbens, central nucleus of the amygdala, and locus ceruleus, despite the fact these antidepressants exert their therapeutic effect by different mechanisms. In addition, the FST significantly increased plasma corticosterone levels, and this effect was also blocked by reboxetine and citalopram pretreatment. These results suggest that inhibition of FST-induced increases in CART expression in the nucleus accumbens, central nucleus of the amygdala, and locus ceruleus may be a common mechanism of antidepressant effects during the FST.

Using current-perpendicular-to-plane (CPP) magnetoresistance measurements, we derive values of twice the enhanced interface resistance, 2ARF/N* and the interface scattering asymmetry, ?F/N, the ferromagnetic/non-magnetic (F/N) pairs Ni/Ru and Co90Fe10/Cu. For Ni/Ru, we find 2ARNI/Ru* = 1.7-0.3 +0.4 f?m2, similar to the value for Fe/Cr, but we estimate |?Ni/Ru| = 0.15 ± 0.03, much smaller than the value for Fe/Cr or the asymmetry found for Ni(Ru) alloys. For Co90Fe10 we find 2ARCoFe/Cu* = 1.1 ± 0.2 and ?CoFe/Cu = 0.8 ± 0.1, both similar to the values for Co/Cu.

We have quantitatively investigated the Hall effect in [Co, CoFe/Pt] multilayer films. The [Co, CoFe/Pt] multilayers exhibit large spontaneous Hall resistivity ( ρ H ) and Hall angle ( ρ H / ρ ). Even though the Hall resistivity in [Co, CoFe/Pt] multilayer films (2.7–4 × 10 −7 Ω cm) is smaller than that of amorphous RE–TM alloy films which show large spontaneous Hall resistivity ( −6 Ω cm), the Hall angle of multilayer (6–8%) is almost twice than that in amorphous rare earth–transition metal alloy films (∼3%). The Hall angle provides evidence of the effects of the exchange interaction of the Hall scattering. The exchange is between conduction electron spins and the localized spins of the transition metal. The large Hall angle of [Co, CoFe/Pt] multilayer can be considered due to the high spin polarization and high Curie temperature of Co and CoFe transition metal layers. Even though the role of interfaces and surfaces in the magnetic properties of multilayer films may dominate that of the bulk, the Hall effects in [Co, CoFe/Pt] multilayer may be mainly dominated by the bulk effect.

We investigated the I-V curves and differential tunneling conductance of two, CoFeB/MgO/CoFeB-based, magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs): one with a low tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR; 22%) and the other with a high TMR (352%). This huge TMR difference was achieved by different MgO sputter conditions rather than by different annealing or deposition temperature. In addition to the TMR difference, the junction resistances were much higher in the low-TMR MTJ than in the high-TMR MTJ. The low-TMR MTJ showed a clear parabolic behavior in the dI/dV-V curve. This high resistance and parabolic behavior were well explained by the Simmons’ simple barrier model. However, the tunneling properties of the high-TMR MTJ could not be explained by this model. The characteristic tunneling properties of the high-TMR MTJ were a relatively low junction resistance, a linear relation in the I-V curve, and conduction dips in the differential tunneling conductance. We explained these features by applying the coherent tunneling model.

We investigated the pulse-current-driven and magnetic-field-driven domain wall (DW) motion in permalloy nanowires with different shapes and wire widths. Two different nanowire types, 600 nm wide L- and 300 nm wide C- shaped, were considered by means of magnetic force microscope and anisotropic magnetoresistance measurement. We confirmed that every time head-to-head vortex DWs were placed at the specific places as we intended for both types of nanowires. We found similar critical current densities (~5 times 1011 A/m2) and DW velocity (~2.0 m/s) for both nanowires in spite of their different shapes and widths. Multiple vortex DWs were also observed when the applied current density exceeded only a few percent of the critical values. We also performed magnetic-field-driven DW propagations. From the pinning and depinning images and anisotropic magnetoresistance measurement, we found the magnetoresistance value of the single vortex type DW for the L-shaped permalloy nanowire.