A Sheet-Shaped Transforming Robot That Can Be Thrown from the Air.

In this paper, we describe a sheet-shaped throwable transforming robot. Sheet-type robots can change their shape to perform tasks according to the situation. Therefore, they are expected to be useful in places with many restrictions, such as disaster sites. However, most of them can only move slowly on the ground. Therefore, in order to actually deliver the robot to the disaster site, it must be carried manually. To solve this problem, we are developing a sheet-shaped robot that can be thrown from the sky. Previously developed prototypes could only move in the forward direction, and the transition from falling to walking was complicated and uncertain. In this paper, we report on a new prototype that improves on these shortcomings.

A Transformable Sheet Type Robot That Can Be Thrown from the Air.

This paper reports on a transformable sheet type robot that can be thrown from the air. Since sheet type robots can change their own shape and perform tasks according to the situation, they are expected to play an active role in situations with many restrictions, such as disaster-stricken areas. However, since most sheet type robots jump or crawl on the ground, the only way to deliver them to the site of a disaster is to transport them by vehicle or transporter. This research aims to develop a device that can be dispersed from the sky and perform activities on the ground after landing.

Comparison of Tactile Temporal Numerosity Judgments Between Unimanual and Bimanual Presentations.

In recent years a growing interest has emerged in numerosity perception in touch. Most of the studies on tactile numerosity perception have investigated its spatial aspect by testing the ability to count the number of items presented simultaneously. On the other hand, only a small number of studies have examined its temporal aspect, and the underlying mechanisms of tactile temporal numerosity judgments (TTNJs) remain elusive. In this study, we presented a rapid sequence of vibrations, each of which was presented to one of two bodily locations, and then compared the performance of the TTNJ between two stimulus-location conditions. In one condition, each of the vibration trains was presented to one of two fingers of the left hand (unimanual condition). In the other condition, each of the vibration trains was presented to the index finger of either the right or left hand (bimanual condition). With these conditions, we aimed to examine how the differences in stimulus locations and in types of tasks affect TTNJ performance. Our results showed that when the participants were asked to count the total number of vibrations presented at two locations, the performance (proportion of correct answers) was not so much different between the two conditions. In contrast, when the participants had to report the two numbers of vibrations presented at each location or to focus on the number of vibrations at a single location, the TTNJ performance in the bimanual condition was drastically better than in the unimanual condition. These results suggest that the underlying mechanism for tactile temporal numerosity perception can segregate the interhemispheric information (bimanual condition) more precisely than the within-hemispheric information (unimanual condition), when spatiotemporal tasks are performed.

New phenylpropanoid glycosides from Juniperus communis var. depressa.

Two new phenylpropanoid glycosides were isolated from the leaves and stems of Juniperus communis var. depressa (Cupressaceae) along with 14 known compounds. Their structures were determined by spectral analyses, in particular by 2D-NMR spectral evidence.

A new flavone xyloside and two new flavan-3-ol glucosides from Juniperus communis var. depressa.

A new flavone xyloside, 1, and two new flavan-3-ol glucosides, 3 and 4, were isolated together with three known flavones, 2, 11, and 12, five known flavans, 5-9, and a known dihydrochalcone, 10, from the stems and leaves of Juniperus communis var. depressa (Cupressaceae) collected in Oregon, U.S.A., and their structures were determined on the basis of spectral evidence. A novel flavone nucleus such as that in 1 is seldom found in nature today, and new methylcatechin glucosides 3 and 4 are also rare in nature. In addition, we investigated the inhibitory activity of individual components, i.e., 8-11, and others, that were abundantly isolated from the same plant material for the Maillard reaction.

A monoterpene glucoside and three megastigmane glycosides from Juniperus communis var. depressa.

A new monoterpene glucoside (1) and three new natural megastigmane glycosides (2-4) were isolated along with a known megastigmane glucoside (5) from twigs with leaves of Juniperus communis var. depressa (Cupressaceae) collected in Oregon, U.S.A., and their structures were determined on the basis of spectral and chemical evidence. In addition, the antibacterial activities of the isolated components against Helicobacter pylori were also investigated.

A new and known cytotoxic aryltetralin-type lignans from stems of Bursera graveolens.

A new 4alpha-aryltetralin-type lignan called burseranin (1) and a known analogous lignan picropolygamain (2) were isolated along with known triterpenes, lupeol and epi-lupeol from the methanol extract of stems of Bursera graveolens, which showed a remarkable inhibitory activity against human HT1080 fibrosarcoma cells. The whole structure of 1 was established based on combined spectral studies and the absolute structure for 2 was first confirmed by CD spectral evidence. In addition, cytotoxic activities of the stem (methanol) extract and its components are evaluated in this paper.

Neolignan and flavonoid glycosides in Juniperus communis var. depressa.

Two neolignan glycosides (junipercomnosides A and B) were isolated from aerial parts of Juniperus communis var. depressa along with two known neolignan glycosides and seven flavonoid glycosides. The structures of the isolated compounds were determined by spectral analysis, in particular by 2D-NMR analysis. The significance of distribution of flavonoids in the chemotaxonomy of genus Juniperus was also discussed.

Phytochemical study on American plants I. Two new phenol glucosides, together with known biflavones and diterpene, from leaves of Juniperus occidentalis Hook.

Two new phenol glucosides termed juniperosides I (1) and II (2) were isolated, together with known two biflavones, cupressuflavone and amentoflavone and a diterpene, 3beta-hydroxy sandaracopimaric acid, from leaves of Juniperus occidentalis HOOK. (Cupressaceae) collected in Oregon, U.S.A., and their structures were established as (1S)- and (1R)-1-(2'-hydroxy-6'-methylphenyl)ethanol 2'-O-beta-D-glucopyranosides (1, 2), respectively, on the basis of spectral, chemical, and synthetic evidence. The glycosides 1 and 2, as well as the corresponding aglycones 1a and 2a, are apparently novel types of naturally occurring compounds; to our knowledge, isolation of these types of natural phenol derivatives has only rarely been reported from the vegetable kingdom.