Path Smoothing Extension for Various Robot Path Planners

Abhijeet Ravankar,Ankit A. Ravankar,Yukinori Kobayashi,Takanori Emaru 제어로봇시스템학회 2016 제어로봇시스템학회 국제학술대회 논문집 Vol.2016 No.10

Many path planning algorithms have previously been proposed for mobile robots to navigate from a start to a goal location in a given map. These planners generate a path which keeps a safe distance from the obstacles in the map. However, most of the global path planners generate a path with sharp and angular turns which is not desired for robot motion as robots must stop at these turns. A smooth path is desired for robot motion which allows the robot to move at nearly constant velocity. We present a novel path smoothing extension which uses the geometry of hypocycloids to smooth out the sharp and angular turns of the robot’s path and generates a smooth path for the robot to traverse. The proposed technique works as an ‘extension’ and can be used in conjunction with any of the previously proposed global path planners like D<SUP>*</SUP>, A<SUP>*</SUP>, Dijkstra, or PRM (Probabilistic Roadmap) planners. The proposed extension also generates ‘nodes’ on the robot’s path which can be used as points of retreat for the robot to avoid collision with other robots. Unlike other path smoothing algorithms which generates a wavy path for the robot and brings them close to the walls, the proposed path smoothing extension keeps straight paths of the robot straight, and smooths only the turns. We discuss the results in both simulated and real environments about the smooth paths generated by the proposed extension with different global path planners along with multirobot collision avoidance.

A Single Nucleotide Polymorphism within the Acetyl-Coenzyme A Carboxylase Beta Gene Is Associated with Proteinuria in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes

Maeda, Shiro,Kobayashi, Masa-aki,Araki, Shin-ichi,Babazono, Tetsuya,Freedman, Barry I.,Bostrom, Meredith A.,Cooke, Jessica N.,Toyoda, Masao,Umezono, Tomoya,Tarnow, Lise,Hansen, Torben,Gaede, Peter,Jor Public Library of Science 2010 PLoS genetics Vol.6 No.2

<▼1><P>It has been suggested that genetic susceptibility plays an important role in the pathogenesis of diabetic nephropathy. A large-scale genotyping analysis of gene-based single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes identified the gene encoding acetyl-coenzyme A carboxylase beta (<I>ACACB</I>) as a candidate for a susceptibility to diabetic nephropathy; the landmark SNP was found in the intron 18 of <I>ACACB</I> (rs2268388: intron 18 +4139 C > T, p = 1.4×10<SUP>−6</SUP>, odds ratio = 1.61, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.33–1.96). The association of this SNP with diabetic nephropathy was examined in 9 independent studies (4 from Japan including the original study, one Singaporean, one Korean, and two European) with type 2 diabetes. One case-control study involving European patients with type 1 diabetes was included. The frequency of the T allele for SNP rs2268388 was consistently higher among patients with type 2 diabetes and proteinuria. A meta-analysis revealed that rs2268388 was significantly associated with proteinuria in Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes (p = 5.35×10<SUP>−8</SUP>, odds ratio = 1.61, 95% Cl: 1.35–1.91). Rs2268388 was also associated with type 2 diabetes–associated end-stage renal disease (ESRD) in European Americans (p = 6×10<SUP>−4</SUP>, odds ratio = 1.61, 95% Cl: 1.22–2.13). Significant association was not detected between this SNP and nephropathy in those with type 1 diabetes. A subsequent <I>in vitro</I> functional analysis revealed that a 29-bp DNA fragment, including rs2268388, had significant enhancer activity in cultured human renal proximal tubular epithelial cells. Fragments corresponding to the disease susceptibility allele (T) had higher enhancer activity than those of the major allele. These results suggest that <I>ACACB</I> is a strong candidate for conferring susceptibility for proteinuria in patients with type 2 diabetes.</P></▼1><▼2><P><B>Author Summary</B></P><P>Although cumulative epidemiological findings have suggested that genetic susceptibility plays an important role in the pathogenesis of diabetic nephropathy, no gene conferring susceptibility to diabetic nephropathy has been definitively identified. In a large-scale association study of 1,312 Japanese subjects with type 2 diabetes using SNPs from a Japanese SNP database, we show that the T-allele of <I>ACACB</I> rs2268388 is associated with diabetic nephropathy. We also show that the association is consistently observed in patients with type 2 diabetes and proteinuria across different ethnic groups, including populations of European descent. Because a DNA fragment corresponding to the disease susceptibility allele is shown to have higher enhancer activity, we hypothesize that the increase in the expression and/or activity of the encoded acetyl-coenzyme A carboxylase beta contributes to the development and progression of diabetic nephropathy. Our present analysis provides novel insight into the pathogenesis of diabetic nephropathy. This finding is important because diabetic nephropathy is a leading cause of end-stage renal disease and affects life expectancy in subjects with type 2 diabetes.</P></▼2>

Depth-Resolved Composition and Electronic Structure of Buried Layers and Interfaces in a LaNiO₃/SrTiO₃ Superlattice from Soft- and Hard- X-ray Standing-Wave Angle-Resolved Photoemission

Eiteneer, D.,Palsson, G.K.,Nemsak, S.,Gray, A.X.,Kaiser, A.M.,Son, J.,LeBeau, J.,Conti, G.,Greer, A.A.,Keqi, A.,Rattanachata, A.,Saw, A.Y.,Bostwick, A.,Rotenberg, E.,Gullikson, E.M.,Ueda, S.,Kobayashi Elsevier Scientific Pub. Co 2016 Journal of electron spectroscopy and related pheno Vol.211 No.-

LaNiO<SUB>3</SUB> (LNO) is an intriguing member of the rare-earth nickelates in exhibiting a metal-insulator transition for a critical film thickness of about 4 unit cells [Son et al., Appl. Phys. Lett. 96, 062114 (2010)]; however, such thin films also show a transition to a metallic state in superlattices with SrTiO<SUB>3</SUB> (STO) [Son et al., Appl. Phys. Lett. 97, 202109 (2010)]. In order to better understand this transition, we have studied a strained LNO/STO superlattice with 10 repeats of [4 unit-cell LNO/3 unit-cell STO] grown on an (LaAlO<SUB>3</SUB>)<SUB>0.3</SUB>(Sr<SUB>2</SUB>AlTaO<SUB>6</SUB>)<SUB>0.7</SUB> substrate using soft x-ray standing-wave-excited angle-resolved photoemission (SWARPES), together with soft- and hard- x-ray photoemission measurements of core levels and densities-of-states valence spectra. The experimental results are compared with state-of-the-art density functional theory (DFT) calculations of band structures and densities of states. Using core-level rocking curves and x-ray optical modeling to assess the position of the standing wave, SWARPES measurements are carried out for various incidence angles and used to determine interface-specific changes in momentum-resolved electronic structure. We further show that the momentum-resolved behavior of the Ni 3d e<SUB>g</SUB> and t<SUB>2g</SUB> states near the Fermi level, as well as those at the bottom of the valence bands, is very similar to recently published SWARPES results for a related La<SUB>0.7</SUB>Sr<SUB>0.3</SUB>MnO<SUB>3</SUB>/SrTiO<SUB>3</SUB> superlattice that was studied using the same technique (Gray et al., Europhysics Letters 104, 17004 (2013)), which further validates this experimental approach and our conclusions. Our conclusions are also supported in several ways by comparison to DFT calculations for the parent materials and the superlattice, including layer-resolved density-of-states results.

Search for sub-GeV dark matter by annual modulation using XMASS-I detector

Kobayashi, M.,Abe, K.,Hiraide, K.,Ichimura, K.,Kishimoto, Y.,Kobayashi, K.,Moriyama, S.,Nakahata, M.,Ogawa, H.,Sato, K.,Sekiya, H.,Suzuki, T.,Takeda, A.,Tasaka, S.,Yamashita, M.,Yang, B.S.,Kim, N.Y.,K North-Holland Pub. Co 2019 Physics letters. Section B Vol.795 No.-

<P><B>Abstract</B></P> <P>A search for dark matter (DM) with mass in the sub-GeV region (0.32–1 GeV) was conducted by looking for an annual modulation signal in XMASS, a single-phase liquid xenon detector. Inelastic nuclear scattering accompanied by bremsstrahlung emission was used to search down to an electron equivalent energy of 1 keV. The data used had a live time of 2.8 years (3.5 years in calendar time), resulting in a total exposure of 2.38 ton-years. No significant modulation signal was observed and 90% confidence level upper limits of 1.6 × <SUP> 10 − 33 </SUP> cm<SUP>2</SUP> at 0.5 GeV was set for the DM-nucleon cross section. This is the first experimental result of a search for DM mediated by the bremsstrahlung effect. In addition, a search for DM with mass in the multi-GeV region (4–20 GeV) was conducted with a lower energy threshold than previous analysis of XMASS. Elastic nuclear scattering was used to search down to a nuclear recoil equivalent energy of 2.3 keV, and upper limits of 2.9 × <SUP> 10 − 42 </SUP> cm<SUP>2</SUP> at 8 GeV was obtained.</P>

Oxygen storage properties of hexagonal HoMnO_3+δ

a,wierczek, Konrad,Klimkowicz, Alicja,Nishihara, Kengo,Kobayashi, Shuntaro,Takasaki, Akito,Alanizy, Maleeha,Kolesnik, Stanislaw,Dabrowski, Bogdan,Seong, Seungho,Kang, Jeongsoo The Royal Society of Chemistry 2017 Physical chemistry chemical physics Vol.19 No.29

<▼1><P>Structural and oxygen content changes of hexagonal HoMnO3+δ manganite at the stability boundary in the perovskite phase have been studied by X-ray diffraction and thermogravimetry using <I>in situ</I> oxidation and reduction processes at elevated temperatures in oxygen and air.</P></▼1><▼2><P>Structural and oxygen content changes of hexagonal HoMnO3+δ manganite at the stability boundary in the perovskite phase have been studied by X-ray diffraction and thermogravimetry using <I>in situ</I> oxidation and reduction processes at elevated temperatures in oxygen and air. The oxygen storage properties during structural transformation between stoichiometric Hex0 and oxygen-loaded Hex1 phases, transition temperatures and kinetics of the oxygen incorporation and release are reported for materials prepared by the solid-state synthesis and high-impact mechanical milling. Long-term annealing experiments have shown that the Hex0 (<I>δ</I> = 0) → Hex1 (<I>δ</I> ≈ 0.28) phase transition is limited by the surface reaction and nucleation of the new phase for HoMnO3+δ 15MM. The temperatures of Hex0 ↔ Hex1 transitions have been established at 290 °C and 250 °C upon heating and cooling, respectively, at a rate of 0.1° min<SUP>−1</SUP>, also indicating that the temperature hysteresis of the transition could possibly be as small as 10 °C in the equilibrium. Ball-milling of HoMnO3+δ has only a small effect on improving the speed of the reduction/oxidation processes in oxygen, but importantly, allowed for considerable oxygen incorporation in air at a temperature range of 220–255 °C after prolonged heating. The Mn 2p XAS results of the Mn valence in oxygen loaded samples support the oxygen content determined by the TG method. The magnetic susceptibility data of the effective Mn valence gave inconclusive results due to dominating magnetism of the Ho<SUP>3+</SUP> ions. Comparison of HoMnO3+δ with previously studied DyMnO3+δ indicates that a tiny increase in the ionic size of lanthanide has a huge effect on the redox properties of hexagonal manganites and that practical properties could be significantly improved by synthesizing the larger average size (Y,Ln)MnO3+δ manganites.</P></▼2>

The Genetic Variability and Relationships of Japanese and Foreign Chickens Assessed by Microsatellite DNA Profiling

Osman, S.A.M.,Sekino, M.,Nishihata, A.,Kobayashi, Y.,Takenaka, W.,Kinoshita, K.,Kuwayama, T.,Nishibori, M.,Yamamoto, Y.,Tsudzuki, M. Asian Australasian Association of Animal Productio 2006 Animal Bioscience Vol.19 No.10

This is the first study in which genetic variability and relationships of a large number of Japanese chicken breeds were revealed along with those of several foreign breeds by using microsatellite DNA polymorphisms. Twenty-eight breeds (34 populations) of native Japanese chickens and seven foreign breeds or varieties were analyzed. The mean number of alleles per locus, the proportion of the polymorphic loci, and the expected average heterozygosity ranged from 1.75 to 4.70, from 0.55 to 1.00, and from 0.21 to 0.67, respectively. Microsatellite alleles being unique to a particular population were detected in some populations. The $D_A$ genetic distance between populations was obtained from allele frequency for every pair of the populations to construct a neighbor-joining tree. According to the phylogenetic tree, excluding a few exceptions, native Japanese chicken breeds and foreign breeds were clearly separated from each other. Furthermore, the tree topology divided native Japanese chickens into four main classes, which was almost in accordance with the classification based on body morphology; that is, (1) Cochin type, (2) Malay type, (3) layer type, and (4) intermediate type between Malay and layer types. This is the first finding for native Japanese chickens.

Identification of ²¹⁰Pb and ²¹⁰Po in the bulk of copper samples with a low-background alpha particle counter

Abe, K.,Hiraide, K.,Ichimura, K.,Kishimoto, Y.,Kobayashi, K.,Kobayashi, M.,Moriyama, S.,Nakahata, M.,Norita, T.,Ogawa, H.,Sato, K.,Sekiya, H.,Takachio, O.,Takeda, A.,Tasaka, S.,Yamashita, M.,Yang, B.S Elsevier 2018 Nuclear Instruments & Methods in Physics Research. Vol.884 No.-

<P><B>Abstract</B></P> <P>We established a method to assay <SUP>210</SUP>Pb and <SUP>210</SUP>Po contaminations in the bulk of copper samples using a low-background alpha particle counter. The achieved sensitivity for the <SUP>210</SUP>Pb and <SUP>210</SUP>Po contaminations reaches a few mBq/kg. Due to this high sensitivity, the <SUP>210</SUP>Pb and <SUP>210</SUP>Po contaminations in oxygen free copper bulk were identified and measured for the first time. The <SUP>210</SUP>Pb contaminations of our oxygen free copper samples were 17–40 mBq/kg. Based on our investigation of copper samples in each production step, the <SUP>210</SUP>Pb in oxygen free copper was understood to be a small residual of an electrolysis process. This method to measure bulk contaminations of <SUP>210</SUP>Pb and <SUP>210</SUP>Po could be applied to other materials.</P>

Neutron occupancy of the 0 _{d 5 / 2} orbital and the N = 16 shell closure in ²⁴O

Tshoo, K.,Satou, Y.,Bertulani, C.A.,Bhang, H.,Choi, S.,Nakamura, T.,Kondo, Y.,Deguchi, S.,Kawada, Y.,Nakayama, Y.,Tanaka, K.N.,Tanaka, N.,Togano, Y.,Kobayashi, N.,Aoi, N.,Ishihara, M.,Motobayashi, T. Elsevier 2014 Physics letters: B Vol.739 No.-

<P><B>Abstract</B></P> <P>One-neutron knockout from <SUP>24</SUP>O leading to the first excited state in <SUP>23</SUP>O has been measured for a proton target at a beam energy of 62 MeV/nucleon. The decay energy spectrum of the neutron unbound state of <SUP>23</SUP>O was reconstructed from the measured four momenta of the <SUP>22</SUP>O fragment and emitted neutron. A sharp peak was found at <SUB> E decay </SUB> = 50 ± 3 keV , corresponding to an excited state in <SUP>23</SUP>O at 2.78 ± 0.11 MeV , as observed in previous measurements. The longitudinal momentum distribution for this state was consistent with <I>d</I>-wave neutron knockout, providing support for a <SUP> J π </SUP> assignment of 5 / <SUP> 2 + </SUP> . The associated spectroscopic factor was deduced to be <SUP> C 2 </SUP> S ( 0 <SUB> d 5 / 2 </SUB> ) = 4.1 ± 0.4 by comparing the measured cross section ( σ − 1 n exp = 61 ± 6 mb ) with a distorted wave impulse approximation calculation. Such a large occupancy for the neutron 0 <SUB> d 5 / 2 </SUB> orbital is in line with the N = 16 shell closure in <SUP>24</SUP>O.</P>

Direct dark matter search by annual modulation with 2.7 years of XMASS-I data

Abe, K.,Hiraide, K.,Ichimura, K.,Kishimoto, Y.,Kobayashi, K.,Kobayashi, M.,Moriyama, S.,Nakahata, M.,Norita, T.,Ogawa, H.,Sato, K.,Sekiya, H.,Takachio, O.,Takeda, A.,Tasaka, S.,Yamashita, M.,Yang, B. American Physical Society 2018 Physical Review D Vol.97 No.10

<P>An annual modulation signal due to the Earth orbiting around the Sun would be one of the strongest indications of the direct detection of dark matter. In 2016, we reported a search for dark matter by looking for this annual modulation with our single-phase liquid xenon XMASS-I detector. That analysis resulted in a slightly negative modulation amplitude at low energy. In this work, we included more than one year of additional data, which more than doubles the exposure to 800 live days with the same 832 kg target mass. When we assume weakly interacting massive particle (WIMP) dark matter elastically scattering on the xenon target, the exclusion upper limit for the WIMP-nucleon cross section was improved by a factor of 2 to 1.9 x 10(-41) cm(2) at 8 GeV/c(2) at 90% confidence level with our newly implemented data selection through a likelihood method. For the model-independent case, without assuming any specific dark matter model, we obtained more consistency with the null hypothesis than before with a p-value of 0.11 in the 1-20 keV energy region. This search probed this region with an exposure that was larger than that of DAMA/LIBRA. We also did not find any significant amplitude in the data for periodicity with periods between 50 and 600 days in the energy region between 1 to 6 keV.</P>

Nonlinear magneto - optical effects in all - garnet magneto - photonic crystals

A.A. Fedyanin,D. Kobayashi,K. Nishimura,H. Uchida,O.A. Aktsipetrov,M. Inoue 한국자기학회 2003 한국자기학회 학술연구발표회 논문개요집 Vol.13 No.2