start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=63 cd-vols= no-issue=3 article-no= start-page=03SP03 end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2024 dt-pub=20240207 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Evaluation of transducer for cryogenic actuators by equivalent circuit model en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Cryogenic environments are increasingly used in scientific and industrial fields. Recently, cryogenic environments are also used for storage and supply of liquid hydrogen, which is considered essential for the realization of a decarbonized society. Actuators to drive a valve that controls such a low-temperature fluid are required. In this study, a piezoelectric transducer that can be driven in the cryogenic environment has been fabricated and evaluated. Although the performance of piezoelectric elements degrades at cryogenic temperatures in general, the application of a preload can suppress the degradation of performance. Equivalent circuits were used for evaluation, and force factors and figures of merit were compared. As a result, the force factor was as high as that at RT even at cryogenic temperatures, and a high figure of merit was obtained. The result indicates that the transducer can be used for the driving of micro actuator at cryogenic temperature. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=KuboKazuki en-aut-sei=Kubo en-aut-mei=Kazuki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=YagiKairi en-aut-sei=Yagi en-aut-mei=Kairi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=KandaTakefumi en-aut-sei=Kanda en-aut-mei=Takefumi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=YasudaKoa en-aut-sei=Yasuda en-aut-mei=Koa kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=YamaguchiDaisuke en-aut-sei=Yamaguchi en-aut-mei=Daisuke kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=WakimotoShuichi en-aut-sei=Wakimoto en-aut-mei=Shuichi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Graduate School of Environment, Life, Natural, Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Graduate School of Environment, Life, Natural, Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Graduate School of Environment, Life, Natural, Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Graduate School of Environment, Life, Natural, Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Graduate School of Environment, Life, Natural, Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Graduate School of Environment, Life, Natural, Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= en-keyword=cryogenic kn-keyword=cryogenic en-keyword=ultrasonic kn-keyword=ultrasonic en-keyword=piezoelectric kn-keyword=piezoelectric en-keyword=transducer kn-keyword=transducer END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=62 cd-vols= no-issue=12 article-no= start-page=125001 end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2023 dt-pub=20231121 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Photoelectron holographic evidence for the incorporation site of Se and suppressed atomic displacement of the conducting layer of La(O,F)BiSSe en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=La(O,F)BiS2-xSex is a layered material that is considered to be a candidate exotic superconductor as well as a promising thermoelectrical material. We performed soft X-ray photoelectron holography to study the Se incorporation site and the local atomic arrangement of the conducting layer. A comparison of the experimental holograms with the simulated holograms indicates that Se atoms preferentially occupy the S sites in the conducting Bi?S plane of La(O,F)BiS2. A comparison between the state-of-the-art holographic reconstructions of La(O,F)BiSSe and La(O,F)BiS2 suggests that Se substitution suppresses the displacement of S atoms in La(O,F)BiS2. These results provide photoelectron holographic evidence for the Se incorporation site and the Se-induced suppression of in-plane disorder. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=LiYaJun en-aut-sei=Li en-aut-mei=YaJun kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=SunZeXu en-aut-sei=Sun en-aut-mei=ZeXu kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=KataokaNoriyuki en-aut-sei=Kataoka en-aut-mei=Noriyuki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=SetoguchiTaro en-aut-sei=Setoguchi en-aut-mei=Taro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=HashimotoYusuke en-aut-sei=Hashimoto en-aut-mei=Yusuke kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=TakeuchiSoichiro en-aut-sei=Takeuchi en-aut-mei=Soichiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= en-aut-name=KogaShunjo en-aut-sei=Koga en-aut-mei=Shunjo kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=7 ORCID= en-aut-name=HoshiKazuhisa en-aut-sei=Hoshi en-aut-mei=Kazuhisa kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=8 ORCID= en-aut-name=MizuguchiYoshikazu en-aut-sei=Mizuguchi en-aut-mei=Yoshikazu kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=9 ORCID= en-aut-name=MatsushitaTomohiro en-aut-sei=Matsushita en-aut-mei=Tomohiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=10 ORCID= en-aut-name=WakitaTakanori en-aut-sei=Wakita en-aut-mei=Takanori kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=11 ORCID= en-aut-name=MuraokaYuji en-aut-sei=Muraoka en-aut-mei=Yuji kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=12 ORCID= en-aut-name=YokoyaTakayoshi en-aut-sei=Yokoya en-aut-mei=Takayoshi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=13 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Engineering Research Center of Integrated Circuit Packaging and Testing, Ministry of Education, Tianshui Normal University kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Nara Institute of Science and Technology (NAIST) kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Nara Institute of Science and Technology (NAIST) kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Nara Institute of Science and Technology (NAIST) kn-affil= affil-num=7 en-affil=Nara Institute of Science and Technology (NAIST) kn-affil= affil-num=8 en-affil=Department of Physics, Tokyo Metropolitan University kn-affil= affil-num=9 en-affil=Department of Physics, Tokyo Metropolitan University kn-affil= affil-num=10 en-affil=Nara Institute of Science and Technology (NAIST) kn-affil= affil-num=11 en-affil=Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=12 en-affil=Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=13 en-affil=Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= en-keyword=photoelectron holography kn-keyword=photoelectron holography en-keyword=La(O,F)BiS2-x Se x kn-keyword=La(O,F)BiS2-x Se x en-keyword=local structure kn-keyword=local structure en-keyword=dopant site kn-keyword=dopant site END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=35 cd-vols= no-issue=5 article-no= start-page=054001 end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2022 dt-pub=20220321 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Experiment and numerical simulation of the combined effect of winding, cool-down, and screening current induced stresses in REBCO coils en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=This paper overviews the combined effects of winding, cool-down, and screening current-induced stresses in REBCO coils. First, a simulation method to model the circumferential stress modification effect due to the screening-current is overviewed. The simulation includes coil winding, cooling down, and coil charge up to the operating current. Second, we will compare the numerical simulation results with the experimental results. The numerical simulations for a dry coil and an epoxy impregnated coil agree well with the experimental results. Third, the enhanced circumferential stress did not degrade the performance of a dry winding REBCO coil, but the improved increased compressive stress buckled the coil structure. Finally, it is demonstrated that epoxy impregnation has beneficial effects in reducing the stress modification effect. However, the circumferential stress is enormously enhanced at the coil ends, sometimes resulting in degradation of the coil performance. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=UedaHiroshi en-aut-sei=Ueda en-aut-mei=Hiroshi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=MaedaHideaki en-aut-sei=Maeda en-aut-mei=Hideaki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=SuetomiYu en-aut-sei=Suetomi en-aut-mei=Yu kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=YanagisawaYoshinori en-aut-sei=Yanagisawa en-aut-mei=Yoshinori kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Japan Science and Technology Agency kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research kn-affil= en-keyword=REBCO magnet kn-keyword=REBCO magnet en-keyword=screening current kn-keyword=screening current en-keyword=mechanical stress kn-keyword=mechanical stress en-keyword=combined effect kn-keyword=combined effect END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=62 cd-vols= no-issue=SJ article-no= start-page=SJ0803 end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2023 dt-pub=20230427 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Acoustic metasurfaces and topological phononics for acoustic/elastic device design en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=This paper reviews recent progress in acoustic metasurfaces and the novel concept of "topological acoustic/phononics" for designing compact yet efficient acoustic devices. After a brief review of this research area and its impact on ultrasonic technologies, some of the efforts to develop highly efficient sound absorption devices using acoustic metasurfaces are introduced. A resonance-based mechanism to achieve efficient absorption in metasurface structures thinner than the wavelength of the incident sound is briefly discussed, and its extensions to a broad spectrum are highlighted. Next, a valley topological phononic system is introduced, and its applications to the design of phononic waveguides are exemplified. The band structure design for extracting topologically protected edge modes is shown together with a numerical and experimental demonstration of the robustness of phononic waveguides constructed in both acoustic and elastic regimes. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=TsurutaKenji en-aut-sei=Tsuruta en-aut-mei=Kenji kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Okayama University kn-affil= END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=18 cd-vols= no-issue=4 article-no= start-page=045006 end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2021 dt-pub=202155 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Modelling the visual response to an OUReP retinal prosthesis with photoelectric dye coupled to polyethylene film en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Objective. Retinal prostheses have been developed to restore vision in blind patients suffering from diseases like retinitis pigmentosa. Approach. A new type of retinal prosthesis called the Okayama University-type retinal prosthesis (OUReP) was developed by chemically coupling photoelectric dyes to a polyethylene film surface. The prosthesis works by passively generating an electric potential when stimulated by light. However, the neurophysiological mechanism of how OUReP stimulates the degenerated retina is unknown. Main results. Here, we explore how the OUReP affects retinal tissues using a finite element model to solve for the potential inside the tissue and an active Hodgkin-Huxley model based on rat vision to predict the corresponding retinal bipolar response. Significance. We show that the OUReP is likely capable of eliciting responses in retinal bipolar cells necessary to generate vision under most ambient conditions. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=YamashitaKoichiro en-aut-sei=Yamashita en-aut-mei=Koichiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=SundaramPrathima en-aut-sei=Sundaram en-aut-mei=Prathima kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=UchidaTetsuya en-aut-sei=Uchida en-aut-mei=Tetsuya kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=MatsuoToshihiko en-aut-sei=Matsuo en-aut-mei=Toshihiko kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=WongWilly en-aut-sei=Wong en-aut-mei=Willy kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Toronto kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Graduate School of Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering in Health Systems, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Toronto kn-affil= en-keyword=retinal prosthesis kn-keyword=retinal prosthesis en-keyword=photoelectric dye kn-keyword=photoelectric dye en-keyword=boundary value problem kn-keyword=boundary value problem en-keyword=biophysical models of retinal cells kn-keyword=biophysical models of retinal cells END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=16 cd-vols= no-issue=4 article-no= start-page=045001 end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2021 dt-pub=202138 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Development of highly durable retinal prosthesis using photoelectric dyes coupled to polyethylene film and quantitative in vitro evaluation of its durability en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Retinal prostheses have been developed to restore vision in blind patients suffering from such diseases as retinitis pigmentosa. In our previous studies, we developed a retinal prosthesis called dye-coupled film by chemical coupling of photoelectric dyes, which absorb light and then generate electrical potential, with a polyethylene film surface. The dye-coupled film is nontoxic, and we recovered the vision of a monkey with macular degeneration. The amount of dye on the dye-coupled film, however, decreased to one-third after five months in the monkeyfs eye. The photoelectric dye consists of a cation with photoresponsivity and a bromide ion (Br?). Therefore, an anion-exchange reaction could be applied to the dye-coupled film to improve its durability. In this study, the anion-exchange reaction was conducted using bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide ion (TFSI?), which has lower nucleophilicity than Br?. First, the long-term durability was examined without using animal subjects and in a short period. Subsequently, an elemental analysis was performed to confirm the exchange between Br? and TFSI?, and chemical properties, such as photoresponsivity and durability, before and after the anion exchange, were evaluated. It was quantitatively confirmed that the long-term durability of dye-coupled films can be evaluated in an in vitro environment and in a short period of one-thirtieth by utilizing a saline solution at 60C, compared with an in vivo environment. In addition, the durability of the dye-coupled film with TFSI? was improved to 270%?320% compared with that of the dye-coupled film with Br?. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=YamashitaKoichiro en-aut-sei=Yamashita en-aut-mei=Koichiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=TanakaTenu en-aut-sei=Tanaka en-aut-mei=Tenu kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=MatsuoToshihiko en-aut-sei=Matsuo en-aut-mei=Toshihiko kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=UchidaTetsuya en-aut-sei=Uchida en-aut-mei=Tetsuya kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Graduate School of Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering in Health Systems kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= en-keyword=retinal prosthesis kn-keyword=retinal prosthesis en-keyword=photoelectric dye kn-keyword=photoelectric dye en-keyword=polyethylene film kn-keyword=polyethylene film en-keyword=retinitis pigmentosa kn-keyword=retinitis pigmentosa en-keyword=durability kn-keyword=durability END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=60 cd-vols= no-issue=SD article-no= start-page=SDDA01 end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2021 dt-pub=20210222 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Low-frequency sound absorbing metasurface using multilayer split resonators en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Among the acoustic metasurfaces that can control the propagation of sound waves with the structure far thinner than the wavelength at the operating frequency, the split tube structure has shown its effectiveness in the lower frequency band. Here we focus on multiply layered split tubes to broaden the absorption spectrum. By numerical analysis, we show up-to six-layer structure possessing wideband (1?1000 Hz) sound absorption. The absorbing peaks in the frequency band below 1000 Hz are shown to be multiplexed not only by simple superposition of vibrational modes of each layer, but also by hybridization of the modes indicating collective motion of tubes. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=TakasugiShota en-aut-sei=Takasugi en-aut-mei=Shota kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=WatanabeKeita en-aut-sei=Watanabe en-aut-mei=Keita kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=MisawaMasaaki en-aut-sei=Misawa en-aut-mei=Masaaki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=TsurutaKenji en-aut-sei=Tsuruta en-aut-mei=Kenji kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Okayama University kn-affil= END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=21 cd-vols= no-issue= article-no= start-page=093056 end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2019 dt-pub=20190924 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Superconductivity in a new layered triangular-lattice system Li2IrSi2 en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=We report on the crystal structure and superconducting properties of a novel iridium-silicide, namely Li2IrSi2. It has a Ag2NiO2-type structure (space group R-3m) with the lattice parameters a = 4.028 30(6) ? and c = 13.161 80(15) ?. The crystal structure comprises IrSi2 and double Li layers stacked alternately along the c-axis. The IrSi2 layer includes a two-dimensional Ir equilateral-triangular lattice. Electrical resistivity and static magnetic measurements revealed that Li2IrSi2 is a type-II superconductor with critical temperature (Tc) of 3.3 K. We estimated the following superconducting parameters: lower critical field Hc1(0) ~ 42 Oe, upper critical field Hc2(0) ~ 1.7 kOe, penetration depth 0 ~ 265 nm, coherence length 0 ~ 44 nm, and Ginzburg?Landau parameter GL ~ 6.02. The specific-heat data suggested that superconductivity in Li2IrSi2 could be attributed to weak-coupling Cooper pairs. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=HoriganeK en-aut-sei=Horigane en-aut-mei=K kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=TakeuchiK en-aut-sei=Takeuchi en-aut-mei=K kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=HyakumuraD en-aut-sei=Hyakumura en-aut-mei=D kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=HorieR en-aut-sei=Horie en-aut-mei=R kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=SatoT en-aut-sei=Sato en-aut-mei=T kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=MuranakaT en-aut-sei=Muranaka en-aut-mei=T kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= en-aut-name=KawashimaK en-aut-sei=Kawashima en-aut-mei=K kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=7 ORCID= en-aut-name=IshiiH en-aut-sei=Ishii en-aut-mei=H kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=8 ORCID= en-aut-name=KubozonoY en-aut-sei=Kubozono en-aut-mei=Y kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=9 ORCID= en-aut-name=OrimoS en-aut-sei=Orimo en-aut-mei=S kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=10 ORCID= en-aut-name=IsobeM en-aut-sei=Isobe en-aut-mei=M kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=11 ORCID= en-aut-name=AkimitsuJ en-aut-sei=Akimitsu en-aut-mei=J kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=12 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Science, Okayama University, kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Graduate School of natural science and technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Department of Physics and Mathematics, Aoyama Gakuin University kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Science, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Institute for Materials Research, Tohoku University kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Department of Engineering Science, University of Electro-Communications kn-affil= affil-num=7 en-affil=Department of Physics and Mathematics, Aoyama Gakuin University kn-affil= affil-num=8 en-affil=National Synchrotron Radiation Research Center kn-affil= affil-num=9 en-affil=Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Science, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=10 en-affil=Institute for Materials Research, Tohoku University kn-affil= affil-num=11 en-affil=National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS) kn-affil= affil-num=12 en-affil=Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Science, Okayama University kn-affil= en-keyword=supreconductivity kn-keyword=supreconductivity en-keyword=iridium-silicide kn-keyword=iridium-silicide en-keyword=spin?orbit coupling kn-keyword=spin?orbit coupling END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=33 cd-vols= no-issue=3 article-no= start-page=035501 end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2020 dt-pub=20201016 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Soft x-ray irradiation induced metallization of layered TiNCl en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=We have performed soft x-ray spectroscopy in order to study the photoirradiation time dependence of the valence band structure and chemical states of layered transition metal nitride chloride TiNCl. Under the soft x-ray irradiation, the intensities of the states near the Fermi level (EF) and the Ti3+ component increased, while the Cl 2p intensity decreased. Ti 2p?3d resonance photoemission spectroscopy confirmed a distinctive Fermi edge with Ti 3d character. These results indicate the photo-induced metallization originates from deintercalation due to Cl desorption, and thus provide a new carrier doping method that controls the conducting properties of TiNCl. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=KataokaNoriyuki en-aut-sei=Kataoka en-aut-mei=Noriyuki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=TanakaMasashi en-aut-sei=Tanaka en-aut-mei=Masashi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=HosodaWataru en-aut-sei=Hosoda en-aut-mei=Wataru kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=TaniguchiTakumi en-aut-sei=Taniguchi en-aut-mei=Takumi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=FujimoriShin-ichi en-aut-sei=Fujimori en-aut-mei=Shin-ichi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=WakitaTakanori en-aut-sei=Wakita en-aut-mei=Takanori kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= en-aut-name=MuraokaYuji en-aut-sei=Muraoka en-aut-mei=Yuji kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=7 ORCID= en-aut-name=YokoyaTakayoshi en-aut-sei=Yokoya en-aut-mei=Takayoshi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=8 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Graduate School of Engineering, Kyushu Institute of Technology kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Materials Sciences Research Center, Japan Atomic Energy Agency kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=7 en-affil=Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=8 en-affil=Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=465 cd-vols= no-issue= article-no= start-page=012001 end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2020 dt-pub=2020 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Animal Biotechnology Roles in Livestock Production en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Currently, meat and milk productions are significantly increasing especially in Asia. The supply of these products is vital to people's health and well-being, whereas the efficiency of beef production appears to be still lower than other meat productions. Improvements in the quality and functionality of their livestock products, as well as their production efficiency, are required for further production. Animal biotechnologies have contributed to genetic improvement, genetic diversity maintenance of domestic animals, etc. Basic animal biotechnologies, such as artificial insemination and embryo transfer, have been well established and applied as powerful tools for genetic improvement of livestock. In the applications of artificial insemination techniques, the use of sexed semen has been now widely spread, and also efforts are also made in the development of the technology using a small amount of sperm. For embryo transfer, several types of vitrification technologies have been applied to improve pregnancy rates and contributed to the international/domestic supply of livestock embryos. Conventional animal biotechnologies, such as in vitro fertilization and intracellular sperm injection, have been applied to not only livestock production and also human-assisted reproductive medicine. For in-vitro production of embryos in domestic animals, currently, oocytes have been collected from medium or large follicles (3-6 mm or larger in diameter) of ovaries. Although the oocytes derived from small follicles (less than 3 mm in diameter) exist more on the surface of ovaries, the developmental competence of the oocytes has been known to be significantly lower than those from medium follicles. If we could improve the competence of oocytes derived from small follicles significantly, we may be able to increase the number of female gamete resources for in vitro embryo production. Also, the development of techniques for producing transgenic and cloned animals has greatly contributed to the creation of pharmaceuticals and organs for xenotransplantation. Recently, furthermore, genome editing technologies, such as combined use of CRISPR/Cas9 and PiggyBac, have been developed and have made it possible to correct specific parts of the genome and introduce mutations by homologous recombination. In this review, I would like to discuss the application and progress of the above biotechnologies, including our recent research results. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=FunahashiHiroaki en-aut-sei=Funahashi en-aut-mei=Hiroaki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Department of Animal Science, Graduate School of Environmental and Life Science, Okayama University kn-affil= END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=1 cd-vols= no-issue=3 article-no= start-page=80 end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2020 dt-pub=20201217 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=On the Occurrence of Clathrate Hydrates in Extreme Conditions: Dissociation Pressures and Occupancies at Cryogenic Temperatures with Application to Planetary Systems en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=We investigate the thermodynamic stability of clathrate hydrates at cryogenic temperatures from the 0 K limit to 200 K in a wide range of pressures, covering the thermodynamic conditions of interstellar space and the surface of the hydrosphere in satellites. Our evaluation of the phase behaviors is performed by setting up quantum partition functions with variable pressures on the basis of a rigorous statistical mechanics theory that requires only the intermolecular interactions as input. Noble gases, hydrocarbons, nitrogen, and oxygen are chosen as the guest species, which are key components of the volatiles in such satellites. We explore the hydrate/water two-phase boundary of those clathrate hydrates in water-rich conditions and the hydrate/guest two-phase boundary in guest-rich conditions, either of which occurs on the surface or subsurface of icy satellites. The obtained phase diagrams indicate that clathrate hydrates can be in equilibrium with either water or the guest species over a wide range far distant from the three-phase coexistence condition and that the stable pressure zone of each clathrate hydrate expands significantly on intense cooling. The implication of our findings for the stable form of water in Titan is that water on the surface exists only as clathrate hydrate with the atmosphere down to a shallow region of the crust, but clathrate hydrate in the remaining part of the crust can coexist with water ice. This is in sharp contrast to the surfaces of Europa and Ganymede, where the thin oxygen air coexists exclusively with pure ice. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=TanakaHideki en-aut-sei=Tanaka en-aut-mei=Hideki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=YagasakiTakuma en-aut-sei=Yagasaki en-aut-mei=Takuma kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=MatsumotoMasakazu en-aut-sei=Matsumoto en-aut-mei=Masakazu kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Science, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Science, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Science, Okayama University kn-affil= END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=240 cd-vols= no-issue=3 article-no= start-page=032001 end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2019 dt-pub=2019 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Numerical study of air-entraining and submerged vortices in a pump sump en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Numerical detection of harmful vortices in pump sumps, such as an air-entraining vortex (AEV) and a submerged vortex (SMV), is crucially important to develop the drain pump machinery. We performed numerical simulations of the benchmark experiments of the pump sump conducted by Matsui et al. (2006 and 2016) using the OpenFOAM and compared the simulation results with the experimental data considering the effects of turbulence model, grid density and detection method of the vortices. We studied the threshold of the gas-liquid volume fraction of the VOF method and the second invariant of velocity gradient tensor to identify AEV and SMV. The methods proposed in the present paper were found to be very effective for the detection of the vortices, and the simulation results by RANS with the SST k-omega model successfully reproduced the experimental data. LES with the Smagorinsky model, however, was sensitive to the grid system and difficult to reproduce the experimental data even for the finest grid system having 3.7 million cells in the present study. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=YanaseShinichiro en-aut-sei=Yanase en-aut-mei=Shinichiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=YamasakiRyo en-aut-sei=Yamasaki en-aut-mei=Ryo kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=KouchiToshinori en-aut-sei=Kouchi en-aut-mei=Toshinori kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=HosodaShunsuke en-aut-sei=Hosoda en-aut-mei=Shunsuke kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=NagataYasunori en-aut-sei=Nagata en-aut-mei=Yasunori kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=ShunjiHiguchi en-aut-sei=Shunji en-aut-mei=Higuchi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= en-aut-name=KawabeToshihiko en-aut-sei=Kawabe en-aut-mei=Toshihiko kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=7 ORCID= en-aut-name=TakamiToshihiro en-aut-sei=Takami en-aut-mei=Toshihiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=8 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Department of Mechanical and Systems Engineering, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Technical Division, Tsurumi Manufacturing Co. kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Department of Mechanical and Systems Engineering, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Department of Mechanical and Systems Engineering, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Department of Mechanical and Systems Engineering, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Technical Division, Tsurumi Manufacturing Co. kn-affil= affil-num=7 en-affil=Technical Division, Tsurumi Manufacturing Co. kn-affil= affil-num=8 en-affil=Department of Mechanical and Systems Engineering, Okayama University of Science kn-affil= END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=2 cd-vols= no-issue=3 article-no= start-page= end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2019 dt-pub=20190603 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance study of setting mechanism of beta-tricalcium phosphate-inositol phosphate composite cements en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is a technique, which can be used to provide insight into the chemical structure of non-crystalline and crystalline materials. Hence, the present study aimed to elucidate the setting mechanism of CPC, which was fabricated using beta -tricalcium phosphate (beta -TCP)-inositol phosphate (IP6) composite powder using NMR In addition, the effect of IP6 on the local chemical structure of the beta -TCP-IP6 composite powder and its hardened cement would also be investigated. The H-1 -> P-31 heteronuclear correlation NMR spectrum revealed that an amorphous hydrated layer, along with small amount of hydroxyapatite (HA) was formed on the surface of beta -TCP during the ball-milling process. Results demonstrated that the IP6 in the hydrated layer on the surface of beta -TCP inhibited the formation of HA. Moreover, the setting reaction of the cement was mainly triggered by the dissolution of the amorphous hydrated layer on beta -TCP surface, and subsequent precipitation, followed by the inter-entanglement between the HA crystals on the beta -TCP. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=KonishiToshiisa en-aut-sei=Konishi en-aut-mei=Toshiisa kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=YamashitaKohei en-aut-sei=Yamashita en-aut-mei=Kohei kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=NagataKohei en-aut-sei=Nagata en-aut-mei=Kohei kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=LimPoon Nian en-aut-sei=Lim en-aut-mei=Poon Nian kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=ThianEng San en-aut-sei=Thian en-aut-mei=Eng San kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=AizawaMamoru en-aut-sei=Aizawa en-aut-mei=Mamoru kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Organization for the Strategic Coordination of Research and Intellectual Property, Meiji University kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Department of Mechanical Engineering, National University of Singapore kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Department of Mechanical Engineering, National University of Singapore kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Department of Applied Chemistry, School of Science and Technology, Meiji University kn-affil= en-keyword=beta-tricalcium phosphate kn-keyword=beta-tricalcium phosphate en-keyword=calcium-phosphate cement kn-keyword=calcium-phosphate cement en-keyword=inositol phosphate kn-keyword=inositol phosphate en-keyword=solid-state NMR kn-keyword=solid-state NMR en-keyword=setting mechanism kn-keyword=setting mechanism END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=7 cd-vols= no-issue=5 article-no= start-page=056402 end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2020 dt-pub=20200504 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Synthesis of solvent-free conductive and flexible cellulose-carbon nanohorn sheets and their application as a water vapor sensor en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=Carbon nanohorns (CNHs) are mixed with cellulose to make freestanding thin-film conductive sheets. CNHs, at different ratios (5, 10, 25, 50 wt%), form composites with cellulose (hydroxyethylcellulose). Freestanding cellulose-carbon nanohorn (CCN) sheets were fabricated using a 100 mu m-thick metal bar coater. Surfactants or any other chemical treatments to tailor the surface properties of CNHs were avoided to obtain composite sheets from pristine CNHs and cellulose. Utilizing the hygroscopic property of hydroxyethylcellulose and the electrical conductivity of CNHs paved a path to perform this experiment. The synthesis technique is simple, and the fabrication and drying of the sheets were effortless. As the loading concentration of CNH increased, the resistance, flexibility, and strength of the CCN composite sheets decreased. The maximum loading concentration possible to obtain a freestanding CCN sheet is 50 wt%. The resistance of the maximum loading concentration of CNH was 53 k omega. The response of the CCN sheets to water vapor was 4 s and recover time was 13 s, and it is feasible to obtain a response for different concentrations of water vapor. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, resistance measurement, tensile strength measurement, and thermogravimetric analysis were used to investigate the mechanical, morphological, electrical, and chemical properties of the CCN sheets. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=Paneer SelvamKarthik en-aut-sei=Paneer Selvam en-aut-mei=Karthik kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=NakagawaTomohiro en-aut-sei=Nakagawa en-aut-mei=Tomohiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=MaruiTatsuki en-aut-sei=Marui en-aut-mei=Tatsuki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=InoueHirotaka en-aut-sei=Inoue en-aut-mei=Hirotaka kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=NishikawaTakeshi en-aut-sei=Nishikawa en-aut-mei=Takeshi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=HayashiYasuhiko en-aut-sei=Hayashi en-aut-mei=Yasuhiko kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= en-keyword=carbon nanohorns kn-keyword=carbon nanohorns en-keyword=cellulose kn-keyword=cellulose en-keyword=conductive sheets kn-keyword=conductive sheets en-keyword=vapor sensor kn-keyword=vapor sensor END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=7 cd-vols= no-issue=3 article-no= start-page=036001 end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2020 dt-pub=20200316 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Inhomogeneous superconductivity in thin crystals of FeSe1-xTex (x=1.0, 0.95, and 0.9) en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=We investigated the temperature dependence of resistivity in thin crystals of FeSe1-xTex (x = 1.0, 0.95, and 0.9), though bulk crystals with 1.0 x 0.9 are known to be non-superconducting. With decreasing thickness of the crystals, the resistivity of x = 0.95 and 0.9 decreases and reaches zero at a low temperature, which indicates a clear superconducting transition. The anomaly of resistivity related to the structural and magnetic transitions completely disappears in 55- to 155-nm-thick crystals of x = 0.9, resulting in metallic behavior in the normal state. Microbeam x-ray diffraction measurements were performed on bulk single crystals and thin crystals of FeSe1-xTex. A significant difference of the lattice constant, c, was observed in FeSe1-xTex, which varied with differing Te content (x), and even in crystals with the same x, which was mainly caused by inhomogeneity of the Se/Te distribution. It has been found that the characteristic temperatures causing the structural and magnetic transition (T-t), the superconducting transition (T-c), and the zero resistivity (T-c(zero)) are closely related to the value of c in thin crystals of FeSe1-xTex. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=EguchiRitsuko en-aut-sei=Eguchi en-aut-mei=Ritsuko kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=SendaMegumi en-aut-sei=Senda en-aut-mei=Megumi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=UesugiEri en-aut-sei=Uesugi en-aut-mei=Eri kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=GotoHidenori en-aut-sei=Goto en-aut-mei=Hidenori kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=FujiwaraAkihiko en-aut-sei=Fujiwara en-aut-mei=Akihiko kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= en-aut-name=ImaiYasuhiko en-aut-sei=Imai en-aut-mei=Yasuhiko kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=6 ORCID= en-aut-name=KimuraShigeru en-aut-sei=Kimura en-aut-mei=Shigeru kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=7 ORCID= en-aut-name=NojiTakashi en-aut-sei=Noji en-aut-mei=Takashi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=8 ORCID= en-aut-name=KoikeYoji en-aut-sei=Koike en-aut-mei=Yoji kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=9 ORCID= en-aut-name=KubozonoYoshihiro en-aut-sei=Kubozono en-aut-mei=Yoshihiro kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=10 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil=Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Science, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=2 en-affil=Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=3 en-affil=Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=4 en-affil=Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Science, Okayama University kn-affil= affil-num=5 en-affil=Department of Nanotechnology for Sustainable Energy, Kwansei Gakuin University kn-affil= affil-num=6 en-affil=Japan Synchrotron Radiation Research Institute (JASRI) kn-affil= affil-num=7 en-affil=Japan Synchrotron Radiation Research Institute (JASRI) kn-affil= affil-num=8 en-affil=Department of Applied Physics, Tohoku University kn-affil= affil-num=9 en-affil=Department of Applied Physics, Tohoku University kn-affil= affil-num=10 en-affil=Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Science, Okayama University kn-affil= en-keyword=iron-based superconductor kn-keyword=iron-based superconductor en-keyword=thin crystals kn-keyword=thin crystals en-keyword=microbeam XRD kn-keyword=microbeam XRD END start-ver=1.4 cd-journal=joma no-vol=20 cd-vols= no-issue=10 article-no= start-page= end-page= dt-received= dt-revised= dt-accepted= dt-pub-year=2011 dt-pub=201110 dt-online= en-article= kn-article= en-subject= kn-subject= en-title= kn-title=Design of a variable-stiffness robotic hand using pneumatic soft rubber actuators en-subtitle= kn-subtitle= en-abstract= kn-abstract=In recent years, Japanese society has been ageing, engendering a labor shortage of young workers. Robots are therefore expected to be useful in performing tasks such as day-to-day support for elderly people. In particular, robots that are intended for use in the field of medical care and welfare are expected to be safe when operating in a human environment because they often come into contact with people. Furthermore, robots must perform various tasks such as regrasping, grasping of soft objects, and tasks using frictional force. Given these demands and circumstances, a tendon-driven robot hand with a stiffness changing finger has been developed. The finger surface stiffness can be altered by adjusting the input pressure depending on the task. Additionally, the coefficient of static friction can be altered by changing the surface stiffness merely by adjusting the input air pressure. This report describes the basic structure, driving mechanism, and basic properties of the proposed robot hand. en-copyright= kn-copyright= en-aut-name=NagaseJun-ya en-aut-sei=Nagase en-aut-mei=Jun-ya kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=1 ORCID= en-aut-name=WakimotoShuichi en-aut-sei=Wakimoto en-aut-mei=Shuichi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=2 ORCID= en-aut-name=SatohToshiyuki en-aut-sei=Satoh en-aut-mei=Toshiyuki kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=3 ORCID= en-aut-name=SagaNorihiko en-aut-sei=Saga en-aut-mei=Norihiko kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=4 ORCID= en-aut-name=SuzumoriKoichi en-aut-sei=Suzumori en-aut-mei=Koichi kn-aut-name= kn-aut-sei= kn-aut-mei= aut-affil-num=5 ORCID= affil-num=1 en-affil= kn-affil=School of Science and Technology, Kwansei Gakuin University affil-num=2 en-affil= kn-affil=Research Core for Interdisciplinary Sciences, Okayama University affil-num=3 en-affil= kn-affil=Faculty of Systems Science and Technology, Akita Prefectural University affil-num=4 en-affil= kn-affil=School of Science and Technology, Kwansei Gakuin University affil-num=5 en-affil= kn-affil=Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University END