京都大学 / 0048 / 新制・課程博士 / 博士(工学) / 甲第22894号 / 工博第4791号 / 新制||工||1749(附属図書館) / 京都大学大学院工学研究科原子核工学専攻 / (主査)教授 横峯 健彦, 教授 佐々木 隆之, 講師 河原 全作 / 学位規則第4条第1項該当 / Doctor of Philosophy (Engineering) / Kyoto University / DGAM

The Alice Project investigates the problem behind the lack of provision for children in developing areas. The project recognises the potential in formal educational facilities as being the most important designed children’s space in townships [as developed transit camps]. The study will aim to address school environments in an extroverted or interactive manner. This will be done in order to transform the school grounds into a community children’s ‘city of learning’ [H.Hertzberger.2008:127]. The study questions the one dimensional identity of current educational environments, while focusing on Olievenhoutbosch as the main research area [Olievenhoutbocsh Ministerial Housing Estate: July 2005] The study identifies the problem behind the dystopian institutional character of current educational facilities as; introverted layouts, isolation, mono function and functionally dominant and intimidating spaces [H.Zeither.1996:16; H.Hertzberger.2008:71]. In order to address dissertation elements of spatial alienation, the dissertation will investigate counter theories of contextual inclusion and humane places of interaction, using contextual informants of community use of spaces to assist in program allocation and determinants of spatial hierarchy, supported with theories by Jane Jacobs [1961] and Jan Gehl [2010 and 2011] on qualities of a humane compact city space. These theories will then be combined with educational design theories of learning spaces implemented as a city in miniature, ultimately allowing the educational environment to socially extrovert to include community life and achieve a social academic atmosphere through an interactive educational environment . / Dissertation MArch(Prof)--University of Pretoria, 2012. / Architecture / MArch(Prof) / Unrestricted

The effect of 1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-9-aminoacridine (THA) on quantal transmitter release was examined at the frog neuromuscular junction. THA (3 μM) caused an increase in m (no. of quanta released) as measured by K+-evoked miniature endplate potential (MEPP) frequency. This was due to an increase in p (probability of release), as n (no. of functional release sites) was unchanged. The increase in p was dose-dependent over a range of 0.3-10 μM. By contrast, physostigmine (3 μM) caused a decrease in p, and neostigmine, which does not cross the nerve membrane, had no consistent effect on p. At the postsynaptic site, neostigmine produced the largest increase in MEPP size (79.2%), and THA produced the smallest (17.5%). The divergent effects of THA and physostigmine on p indicate a fundamental difference in their actions at the nerve terminal.

Intracellular recordings were made from isolated frog sciatic-sartorius nerve-muscle preparations, and the effects of sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1-P) on miniature endplate potentials (MEPPs) were studied. Extracellular application of S1-P (1 and 30 μM) had no significant effects on the frequency and amplitude of MEPPs. Delivery into nerve terminals by liposomes containing 10-5, 10-4 or 10-3 M S1-P was associated with a concentration-dependent increase in MEPP frequency of 37, 63 and 86%. The per cent of median MEPP amplitude was not significantly changed, but there was an increase in the number of 'giant' MEPPs. Pre-exposure of the preparations to S1-P 10-5 but not 10-8 M entrapped in liposomes for 15 min blocked the effects of subsequent superfusion of S1-P (10-4 M)-filled liposomes on MEPP frequency. Thus, intracellular S1-P receptors seem to undergo 'desensitization' to higher concentrations of S1-P. The result provides the first evidence that S1-P acting intracellularly but not extracellularly enhances spontaneous transmitter release at the frog neuromuscular junction.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Metabolic syndrome (MetS) affects 1/3 of all Americans and is the clustering of three or more of the following cardiometabolic risk factors: obesity, hypertension, dyslipidemia, glucose intolerance, and insulin resistance. MetS drastically increases the incidence of coronary artery disease (CAD), which is the leading cause of mortality globally. A cornerstone of CAD is arterial remodeling associated with coronary smooth muscle (CSM) cytodifferentiation from a contractile phenotype to proliferative and osteogenic phenotypes. This cytodifferentiation is tightly coupled to changes in intracellular Ca2+ handling that regulate several key cellular functions, including contraction, transcription, proliferation, and migration. Our group has recently elucidated the time course of Ca2+ dysregulation during MetS-induced CAD development. Ca2+ transport mechanisms, including voltage-gated calcium channels, sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca2+ store, and sarco-endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ ATPase (SERCA), are enhanced in early, mild disease and diminished in late, severe disease in the Ossabaw miniature swine. Using this well-characterized large animal model, I tested the hypothesis that this Ca2+ dysregulation pattern occurs in multiple etiologies of CAD, including diabetes and aging. The fluorescent intracellular Ca2+ ([Ca2+]i) indicator fura-2 was utilized to measure [Ca2+]i handling in CSM from lean and diseased swine. I found that [Ca2+]i handling is enhanced in mild disease with minimal CSM phenotypic switching and diminished in severe disease with greater phenotypic switching, regardless of CAD etiology. We are confident of the translatability of this research, as the Ca2+ influx, SR Ca2+ store, and SERCA functional changes in CSM of humans with CAD are similar to those found in Ossabaw swine with MetS. Single-cell RNA sequencing revealed that CSM cells from an organ culture model of CAD exhibited many different phenotypes, indicating that phenotypic modulation is not a discreet event, but a continuum. Transcriptomic analysis revealed differential expression of many genes that are involved in the osteogenic signaling pathway and in cellular inflammatory responses across phenotypes. These genes may be another regulatory mechanism common to the different CAD etiologies. This study is the first to show that CSM Ca2+ dysregulation is common among different CAD etiologies in a clinically relevant animal model.

Miniature air vehicles (MAVs) are particularly well suited for short-distance, over-the-horizon, low-altitude surveillance and reconnaissance tasks. New camera and battery technologies have greatly increased a MAVs potential for these tasks. This thesis focuses on aerial surveillance of borders and roads, where a strap-down camera is used in-the-loop to track a border or road pathway. It is assumed that quality tracking requires that the pathway always remain in the footprint of the camera. The objective of this thesis is to explore roll-angle and altitude-above-ground-level constraints imposed on a bank-to-turn MAV due to the requirement to keep the pathway in the footprint of a downward-looking strap-down camera. This thesis derives the required altitude to maintain the pathway in the footprint of the camera and associated bank-angle constraints. Constraints are derived for both roads whose geometry is unknown a priori and roads with known geometry obtained from digital elevation map (DEM) data. MAV geometry and camera localization are used to derive these constraints. The thesis also discusses simple computer vision techniques for pathway following and a corresponding guidance law. The pixels of the captured color video are statistically classified into road and non-road components. Standard computer vision functions are used to eliminate classification noise and obtain a road heading direction. The effectiveness of the result is explored using a high fidelity simulator. Flight test results on small UAVs demonstrate the practicality of the road-following method.

Utilizing the Euler-Rodrigues symmetric parameters (attitude quaternion) to describe vehicle orientation, we develop a multiplicative, nonlinear (extended) variation of the Kalman filter (MEKF) to fuse data from low-cost sensors. The sensor suite is comprised of gyroscopes, accelerometers, and a GPS receiver. In contrast to the common approach of using the complete vehicle attitude as the quantities to be estimated, our filter states consist of the three components of an attitude error vector. In parallel with the time update of the attitude error estimate, we utilize the gyroscope measurements for the time propagation of the attitude quaternion. The accelerometer and the GPS sensors are used independently for the measurement update portion of the Kalman filter. For both sensors, a vector arithmetic approach is used to determine the attitude error vector. Following each measurement update, a multiplicative reset operation moves the attitude error information from the filter state into the attitude estimate. This reset operation utilizes quaternion algebra to implicitly maintain the unity-norm constraint. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our attitude estimation algorithm through flight simulations and flight tests of aggressive maneuvers such as loops and small-radius circles. We implement an approach to aerobatic maneuvering for miniature air vehicles (MAVs) using time-parameterized attitude trajectory generation and an associated attitude tracking control law. We designed two methodologies, polynomial and trigonometric, for creating functions that specify pitch and roll angles as a function of time. For both approaches, the functions are constrained by the maneuver boundary conditions of aircraft position and velocity. We construct a trajectory tracking feedback control law to regulate aircraft orientation throughout the maneuvers. The trajectory generation algorithm was used to construct several maneuvers and trajectory tracking control law successfully executed the maneuvers in the flight simulator. In addition to the simulation results, MAV flight tests verified the performance of the maneuver generation and control. To achieve obstacle avoidance maneuvering, the time parameterized trajectories were converted to spatially parameterized paths, which allowed for inertial reference frame position error to be included in the control law feedback loop. We develop a novel method to achieve the spatial parameterization using a prediction and correction approach. Additionally, the first derivative of position of the desired path is modified using a corrective parameter scheme prior to being used in the control. Using the path position error and the corrected derivative, we utilize a unit-norm quaternion framework to implement a proportional-derivative (PD) control law. This control law was demonstrated in simulation and hardware on maneuvers designed specifically to avoid obstacles, namely the Immelmann and the Close-Q, as well as a basic loop.

This thesis investigates a typology of interiors that evoke the sensation of containing the whole world in miniature. It explores the reverie of something being able to expand as you go deeper; that is, something which seems like it is a complete world, or appears larger than it is. It is about making a space for the mind to rest in, and as it rests, go deeper and thus reach outside of the walls of the space. In a way, it might be about achieving complexity and great depth through small means. The questions that this thesis poses are the following: What kind of spatial reality is being miniaturized? How can something small be large, something flat be deep, somethings imple be complex? How can a whole be greater than its parts? What are the appropriate means of representation for these types of interiors? As a side effect, I think this investigation is ultimately also about the pure joy of creating, and about genuine warmth, empathy, atmosphere, and an inclusive sense of humour, which allows for quirks and flights of fancy.

From the twelfth to the nineteenth centuries, a corpus of didactic Persian texts circulated across Central and South Asian courts, functioning as a ‘mirror for princes’ or didactic manuals of ethical comportment. Numerous such manuscripts were embellished with meticulously detailed and laboriously created paintings. But what was the role of manuscript illustrations in shaping ethical and moral transformation? Though we now understand paintings through the frameworks of taxonomy and connoisseurship, how did illustrations make meaning to their intended audience, who read the text and were steeped in textual traditions? Contemporary sources are silent on the role of paintings in didactic texts, but, as my dissertation demonstrates, an in-depth evaluation of paintings and their accompanying text reveals how painted manuscripts engendered specific reading practices. These reading practices involved listening, visualizing mental images, viewing paintings, anticipating, recollecting, confusion and wonder, exercising patience, and even stilling our minds – experiences that made the reader-viewer dwell on the manuscript’s contents for an extended period. Focusing on painted manuscripts commissioned and collected by the Qutb Shahis in sixteenth-century Golconda, this dissertation’s chapters explore how writers, scribes, painters, and illuminators deployed allegory, repetition, and narrative plot, to attract and sustain their intended audience's attention.

Wedas rengöringsrobot W2000 för bassänger har i nuläget ett styrsystem där roboten inte vet vart den är i bassängen. På grund av detta kan den inte känna av om den hamnar ur kurs, eller om den fastnat. Syftet med detta projekt är att i miniatyr skapa ett alternativt styrsystem som använder sig av en ultraljudssensor. För att göra detta skapades en miniatyr i LEGO Mindstorms som sedan testades i en miniatyr inhängnad som symboliserar en bassäng. Roboten skall med ultraljudssensorn kunna följa och hålla en viss distans till väggarna och därav inte hamna ur kurs, samtidigt känner datorn av hur långt den kör och kan vid fel känna av och larma. Resultaten var lyckade och påvisar ett fungerande styrsystem i miniatyr som utan hjälp kör i ett mönster som täcker hela bassängytan. Programmet som tagits fram bör med vissa ändringar i koden kunna implementeras för att styra en fullskalig rengöringsrobot. / Weda’s Cleaning robot W2000, meant for underwater use, currently has a control system that does not know its own position in the pool. Due to this it cannot know if it deviates of the planned course, or if it gets stuck. The purpose of this project is to, in miniature, create an alternative control system that uses an ultrasonic sensor. For this to be achieved, a miniature was created using LEGO Mindstorms that could be tested in a miniature enclosure acting as a pool. The robot should, using the ultrasonic sensor, follow along the wall keeping a set distance, and thereby stay on course. It should also estimate the driven distance to be able to sense and signal when something is wrong. The results of this project were successful as it shows a working control system in miniature that can drive in a way that covers the pool bottom surface efficiently. The program should, with some changes, be able to control a full-size cleaning robot.