A development of humanoid robot HRP-2 is presented in this paper. "-2 is a humanoid robotics platform, which we developed in phase two of HRP. HRP was a humanoid robotics project, which bad run by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) of Japan from 1998FY to 2002FY for five years. The ability of the biped locomotion of HRP-2 is improved so that HRP-2 can cope with uneven surface, can walk at two third level of human speed, and can walk on a narrow path. The ability of whole body motion of HRP-2 is also improved so that HRP-2 can get up by a humanoid robot's own self if HRP-2 tips over safely. In this paper, the appearance design, the mechanisms, the electrical systems, specifications, and features upgraded from its prototype are also introduced 07803-8232-3/04/$17.00 WOO4 IEEE

Hyperlipidemia is an important complication of kidney transplantation affecting up to 74% of recipients. HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors are reported to provide safe and effective treatment for this problem. A recent study suggests that pravastatin, an HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor, also decreases the incidence of both clinically severe acute rejection episodes and natural killer cell cytotoxicity after orthotopic heart transplantation. We have performed a prospective randomized pilot study of the effect of pravastatin on these same parameters after cadaveric kidney transplantation. Graft recipients were randomized to receive pravastatin after transplantation or no pravastatin (24 patients in each group) in addition to routine cyclosporine and prednisone immunosuppression. Lipid levels, acute rejection episodes and serial natural killer cell cytotoxicities were followed for 4 months after the transplant. At the end of the study period, pravastatin had successfully controlled mean total cholesterol levels (202.6 +/- 9.3 vs. 236.5 +/- 11.9 mg/dl, P < 0.02), LDL levels (107.9 +/- 6.6 vs.149.6 +/- 10.7 mg/dl, P < 0.002), and triglyceride levels (118.8 +/- 14.2 vs. 157.2 +/- 13.8 mg/dl, P < 0.05). In addition, the pravastatin-treated group experienced a reduction in the incidence of biopsy-proven acute rejection episodes (25% vs. 58%, P = 0.01), the incidence of multiple rejections episodes (P < 0.05), and the use of both pulse methylprednisolone (P = 0.01) and OKT3 (P = 0.02). Mean natural killer cell cytotoxicity was similarly reduced (11.3 +/- 1.6 vs. 20.0 +/- 2.0% lysis of K562 target cells, P < 0.002). These data suggest that pravastatin exerts an additional immunosuppressive effect in kidney transplant recipients treated with cyclosporine-based immunosuppression.

ESD appears to be a safe and effective treatment for residual/local recurrent early gastric cancer lesions after EMR, and it is useful for histological confirmation of successful treatment.

A three-dimensional particle tracking velocimeter for measuring an instantaneous distribution of all the three velocity components in a liquid flow is developed using an automated digital image processing technique. The measurement system consists of three TV cameras, a digital image processor, a laser disk recorder and a 16-bit microcomputer. Motions of neutrally buoyant tracer particles introduced into the flow field are observed by the cameras, and the three-dimensional displacement of each particle is calculated from consecutive TV frames recorded on the laser disk. Instantaneous velocity profiles in an unsteady laminar Couette flow between two concentric cylinders are measured. The results are in good agreement with predictions within the measurement uncertainties evaluated systematically. Furthermore, the measurement of a decaying turbulence in a stirred water tank demonstrates that the present technique is applicable to turbulent flows.

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Direct numerical simulations (DNSs) of the fully developed turbulent flow between two parallel walls driven by a combination of a mean pressure gradient and the streamwise movement of one of the walls, i.e., turbulent Couette-Poiseuille flow, were carried out. The mean velocity gradient on the moving wall was reduced from that of an ordinary Poiseuille-type flow to almost zero. The turbulence statistics including the stress anisotropy and the budgets of the turbulence energy and Reynolds stresses are presented. The instantaneous flow fields visualized reveal that the structure of the near-wall turbulence under a weak mean shear does not exhibit any elongated streaks and is much different from that of the sheared wall layers.

A short review is given on our current anion-exchange studies of element 104, rutherfordium (Rf), in HCI and HNO3 solutions. The distribution coefficients of the Rf homologues Zr, Hf, and Th(IV), and Pu(IV) on an anion-exchange resin were measured in 1.0-11.5 M HC1 and 1.1-13.1 M HNO3 with a batch method using the radiotracers Zr, Hf, Th, and Pu. In experiments for the short-lived Rf, the isotopes Zr, Hf, and Rf were produced in the O-induced reactions on Ge, Gd, and Cm targets, respectively, and their anion-exchange behavior in 4.0-11.5 M HCI and 8.0 M HNO3 was investigated using the Automated Ion-exchange separation apparatus coupled with the Detection system for Alpha spectroscopy (AIDA). In the HCl system, the percent adsorption of Rf on the anion-exchange resin increases steeply with increasing HCl concentration from 7.0 M to 11.5 M. This adsorption behavior is similar to that of the group-4 elements Zr and Hf, and is quite different from that of the pseudo-homologue Th(IV). The percent adsorption decreases in the order Rf>Zr>Hf.In the HNO3 system, Rf behaves like Zr and Hf in 8.0 M HNO3 but not like Pu(IV) and Th(IV), implying the formation of cationic or neutral species.

Fluoride complexation of element 104, rutherfordium (Rf), produced in the 248Cm(18O,5n)261Rf reaction has been studied by anion-exchange chromatography on an atom-at-a-time scale. The anion-exchange chromatographic behavior of Rf was investigated in 1.9-13.9 M hydrofluoric acid together with those of the group-4 elements Zr and Hf produced in the 18O-induced reactions on Ge and Gd targets, respectively. It was found that the adsorption behavior of Rf on anion-exchange resin is quite different from those of Zr and Hf, suggesting the influence of relativistic effects on the fluoride complexation of Rf.