One method currently being considered for the disposal of high level radio-active waste is burial in the seabed. When a hot object is buried in soil, the temperature of the soil adjacent to the object is raised and there is transient heat flow away from the object. The rise in the temperature of the soil causes excess pore pressures to be generated and transient pore water diffusion also takes place. A finite element formulation of the coupled heat flow and consolidation problem is presented. The computer implementation of this formulation is found to compare favourably with analytical solutions based on the same physical principles.

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From the fronds of Polystichum tripteron (KUNZE) P_R. a new norcarotenoid glycoside was isolated and shown to be (6R, , R)--hydroxy-megastigma-, -dien-3-one--O-β--glucoside. The fronds of Dennstaedtia wilfordii (MOORE) CHRIST. contain the same glucoside.

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Stereoselective synthesis of , - and , Z-β-ionylideneacetaldehydes was accomplished from the β-ionone tricarbonyl iron complex, and the latter was converted to Z-retinoic acid.

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The ability of Climacodon septentrionalis to immobilize and kill a mycophagous nematode (Aphelenchoides sp.) in vitro is described for the first time. Two isolates produced droplets (20–45 μm in diameter) that formed at the apices of tall, stalked, and branching secretory cells (700–1,500 μm tall). On 2% modified malt extract agar, nematodes became enveloped in the droplets, which restricted their ability to move and resulted in complete immobilization and death within several hours of contact. The rate of decomposition of the nematodes varied considerably, with most individuals persisting for weeks whereas others were degraded within several days and appeared to be colonized by dense hyphal growth. This study provides the first documentation of a non-agaricoid fungus producing secretory cells that are able to immobilize nematodes.

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Activity-directed isolation of the ethyl acetate, methylene chloride and n-hexane fractions of Gloiopeltis furcata resulted in the isolation of 18 compounds. Their structures were elucidated as 2-(3-hydroxy--oxotetrahydrofuran-3-yl)acetic acid (1), glutaric acid (2), succinic acid (3), nicotinic acid (), ()--hydroxyhex-2-enoic acid (), cholesterol (6), -hydroxycholesterol (), uridine (8), glycerol (), -(hydroxymethyl)-2-methoxybenzene-1,3-diol (10), (,)--oxodeca-,-dienoic acid (11), (Z)-3-ethylidene--methylpyrrolidine-2,-dione (12), dehydrovomifoliol (13), loliolide (14), cholesteryl stearate (15), palmitic acid (16), cis-,8,11,14,17-eicosapentaenoic acid (17) and α-linolenic acid (18) on the basis of spectroscopic and chemical evidences. Their anticholinesterase and antioxidant activities were evaluated via inhibitory activities on acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) as well as scavenging activities on 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical and peroxynitrite (ONOO⁻). All isolated compounds (1—18) exhibited moderate AChE inhibitory activities with IC₅₀ values ranging from 1.14—12.50 μg/ml, whereas 1, , , 17, and 18 showed mild BChE inhibitory activities with IC₅₀ values ranging from .57—15.89 μg/ml. Although most of the compounds isolated were lacking the scavenging activity on DPPH radical and ONOO⁻, and 10 showed good DPPH radical scavenging activity, and , 10, and 16 showed potent ONOO⁻ scavenging activity.

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The small strain stiffness and anisotropic nature of two sands with different geological origin have been determined via laboratory seismic tests performed in a triaxial cell. Dry triaxial reconstituted specimens of Ticino river silica sand (TS) and of Kenya carbonatic sand (KS) were subjected to isotropic and anisotropic states of effective stress ; then both shear and constrained compression waves were propagated in vertical, horizontal and oblique directions by means of five couples of piezoelectric transducers especially arranged in the specimens. The propagated compression and shear waves allow the assessment of the constrained M₀ and shear G₀ moduli respectively, at very small strains where, as a first approximation many soils can be assumed, from an engineering point of view, to behave as an elastic cross-anisotropic medium with a vertical axis of symmetry. This paper, after a brief description of the novel measuring technique adopted and of the tested materials, summarises the test results and their interpretation in order to separate the effects of the fabric anisotropy from those produced by the state of effective stresses on soil stiffness. The stiffness and anisotropic response of the two tested sands are compared. Finally the results enable us to establish five independent constants of the cross-anisotropic elasticity model, which appears to be appropriate to reproduce the behaviour at small strain of the two sands.

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A new analytical method is proposed for determining the inextensible grid reinforcement pullout resistance and pullout force/pullout displacement curve by using basic backfill soil and grid reinforcement properties. The pullout skin friction resistance/pullout displacement relationship is simulated by linear elastic-perfectly plastic model. A hyperbolic model has been proposed to represent the pullout bearing resistance/pullout displacement relationship in which the maximum bearing resistance of a single bearing member is determined using a new bearing capacity equation proposed in this paper. The influences of the grid bearing member spacing ratio, S/, the bearing member deflection rigidity, and the pullout softening behavior on the mobilization of pullout bearing resistance are explicitly included in the proposed model. Good agreement has been obtained between calculated values and laboratory test results.

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The objective of this paper is to develop a new vibro-compaction machine by investigating experimentally the effects of the frequency of an oscillator mounted on a tracked vehicle on the vibro-compaction of a high lifted decomposed granite sandy soil. By measuring the amount of depression of the ground surface, the dry density distribution in depth using a cone penetrometer, the normal earth pressure distribution in depth using a soil stress transducer, and the vertical and horizontal acceleration distribution in depth, the effects of the tracked vehicle on the increment of the soil compacting dry density in a deep stratum were considered theoretically for various kinds of frequency. It was observed that an oscillator frequency of 16 Hz with a constant amplitude of exciting force of .8 kN showed the maximum amount of depression of the ground surface and the maximum dry density distribution at deep stratum for the range of frequency from 16 Hz to 51 Hz. The ratio of dynamic shear stress to normal stress at 16 Hz proved to be large enough at deep stratum, so that an optimal alternative shear strain due to the impact force was developed on the whole range of the high lifted stratum. It was assumed that the increment in soil compacting density was the result of the effective dilatancy phenomenon.

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Two new partially saturated tricyclic ring systems, 6, 6a, , 8, , 10, 10a, 11-octahydro-11-oxodibenz [, ] oxepins (3a and 3), and -thiepins (a and ) were synthesized. Compounds a and were desulfurized to give a pair of isomeric 2-methylbenzoylcyclohexanes (10a and 10). Deuterated a and (11a and 11) were prepared starting from butadiene- (12). The stereochemical features of 3a (trans), 3 (cis), a (trans) and (cis) are compared with those of 10a, 10, 11a and 11 on the basis of proton nuclear magnetic resonance data.

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Walking rehabilitation machines have drawn great attentions with more and more people suffering from walking disabilities in an aging society. However, most of the developed walking rehabilitation machines aim at enhancing muscle strength, neglecting the recovery of the neural system. 58% of walking disabilities are caused by problems in the neural system. Therefore, we propose a rehabilitation system which includes both muscle strength enhancement by a walking rehabilitation machine and neurological rehabilitation by imaginary walking. In this paper we compared the activation in motor area of the brain during real walking and imaginary walking by means of fNIRS (functional Near-InfraRed Spectroscopy). Two subjects participated in the experiment. During imaginary walking, the subjects were instructed to imagine that they were walking with the same pace to a person in the video being shown to the subjects. As a result, the concentration of oxygenated hemoglobin in motor area during imaginary walking was higher than that during real walking in both of the subjects. This was because that it was not necessary to pay attention to the movements of the legs and feet during normal walking on the plain road without any obstacles, while movement planning was required when the subjects imagined their walking in the same way to another person. The experiment result indicated that it is possible to quicken walking rehabilitation by imaginary walking.

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This paper outlines a mathematical description of the stress dilatancy behaviour of granular materials which accounts for stress level and void ratio dependencies. The consideration of these aspects has important implications in the modelling of granular material behaviour. In fact, granular material mechanical response is largely dominated by the evolution of dilatancy, fabric and void ratio histories. The starting point in this study is the well established Rowe's theory which is revisited and ultimately modified by introducing a factor linked to governing state parameters in order to describe the complete behaviour of granular materials during deformation. Numerical simulations of triaxial tests on granular materials at different void ratios and stress levels are herein presented to illustrate the model.

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　The stability of

-tetrahydrocannabinol acetate (-THC-OAc) in the presence of diluents or during vaping was investigated. Laboratory-made pure -THC-OAc and glycerol, propylene glycol (PG), or polyethylene glycol 400 (PEG400) were dissolved in ethanol and subjected to the quantification method for -tetrahydrocannabinol (-THC) recommended by UNODC. The pure -THC-OAc diluted by glycerol, PG, or PEG400 was stored at 40°C for 27 days. A retail liquid product of -THC-OAc containing -THC as an impurity was stored at 80°C for 28 days in the presence of glycerol, PG, or PEG400. A cartridge containing the -THC-OAc liquid was installed in an -cigarette device, which was heated and vaporized using a syringe connected to the cartridge through a silicone tube. The -THC-OAc liquid was put into a test tube and heated at 200 or 400°C for  min. The relative concentrations of cannabinoids in the test solution before and after each operation were measured by liquid chromatography with photodiode array detection or by gas chromatography with flame ionization detection. -THC was not detected in any cases of pure -THC-OAc, and it decreased or disappeared in all cases of -THC-OAc liquid. The present result showed that -THC-OAc does not decompose into -THC during each process.

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To develop truly autonomous and intelligent mobile robots, the developmental approach is indispensable. Considering the development of human beings, internal rewards which are related to the instinctive desire, motivation, curiosity, novelty, etc., are important factors contributing to the development. For the robots, there are several studies in which curiosity and novelty are used to promote the progress of learning. In this paper we propose an internal reward called "appetitive reword" and a function to control it, for the robots which have to acquire an action policy for a mission to "survive and perform a instructed task effectively". The "appetitive reword" is inspired by "appetite" of human beings, which is known to be well regulated by a mechanism between the digestive tract and the brain. By using an example of a security guard robot, we show the effectiveness of the proposed reward.

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(6,)-2,3-エポキシ-3,,11,11-テトラメチルシクロウンデカ-6,-ジエン(2)をフムレン1((2,6,)-3,,11,11-テトラメチルシクロウンデカ-2,6,-トリエン)より合成する既知の合成法は実際に牧率が低く合成的に問題がある.さらに,2の合成はその反応性や物性の研究のために簡単に高牧率で行われることが望まれる.今回,2の新たな合成法と簡便な精製法を見いだし,2を高牧率で1から合成することができたので報告する.1のジエポキシ化,続く再結晶により得られたジエポキシド(8)は二価のチタンにより還元されて,1(273%)と8(25%)と少量の3を含む2を主生成物(42.%)として与えた.1と3は原料として再利用できる.2の精製は1と同様硝酸銀(AgNO₃)錯体の結晶で行い,純粋な2は1から通算牧率32.0%で得られた.2の既知方法による合成は段階の反応と数回のカラム分離及び10%AgNO₃含浸シリカゲルカラム分離を必要とし牧率が極端に低い.今回,新しい2の合成法は2段階の反応で1回のカラム分離と再結晶により高い通算牧率を示す.

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The main objective of this paper is to compare safety factors obtained from Morgenstern-Price, Janbu and Spencer methods with the factors calculated from the modified variational approach (Leshchinsky and Huang, 1992a). Such comparison is essential since there is no mathematical proof that the variational analysis indeed yields a minimum and thus, physically produce significant results. The safety factors compared well, indicating the variational analysis is on a par with acceptable existing rigorous methods. Availability of a user-friendly computer code may make the variational analysis useful to practicing engineers. However, its greatest potential at the moment is in 3- applications; i.., unlike other methods, its extension to 3- is straightforward.

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