The development of a new viscometer based on rotating crucible method and the viscosity measurement of SiO2-CaO-CaF2 system were carried out. The viscometer was hermetically closed, and the atmosphere around the melts was highly controllable. In the viscosity measurement, an inner cylinder made of graphite was immersed into the melts in a graphite crucible under Ar at elevated temperatures (1 467-1 782 K). The torque given to the inner cylinder by rotating the crucible was measured by means of a supersensitive torque sensor, and the viscosity was determined. The minimum limit of the viscosity determined was 20 mPa•s. A special attention was paid to keep the temperature uniformity inside the furnace for precise measurement by placing tungsten plates as the thermal shield, and the excellent temperature uniformity (±0.2 K in a whole crucible) was obtained. The basicity (= CCaO/CSiO 2 in mass) of the melts was 0.79 or 1.25, and the concentrations of CaF2 were 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 mass%. As the results, the viscosity of the melts showed a good Arrhenian type linearity in any samples. The loss of fluoride from the melts after the measurement was very small which suggests the consistency of melt composition. The viscosity of the melt decreased with increasing the concentration of CaF2, but the degree of decrease was smaller than literature values. The decrease in the viscosity of the melts with the addition of CaF2 in acid region is slightly greater than that in basic region.

Aims: To determine the relationship between adhesive ability of probiotics and acidic residues in human colonic mucin, we developed a new screening method using Biacore to evaluate adherence of bacteria before and after sialic acid or sulphate residues were blocked or removed from mucin. Methods and Results: Ten strains of lactobacilli and three strains of bifidobacteria isolated from human faeces were evaluated for their adhesive properties to soluble human colonic mucin (sHCM) using the Biacore binding assay. Three strains (Lactobacillus strain ME-522, Lact. gasseri ME-527 and Bifidobacterium bifidum MCC1092) showing significant adherence were selected. Decreased binding activities were observed after removing sialic acid of sHCM using sialidase. However, after removing the sulphate residue using sulphatase, the adhesion of ME-527 decreased; whereas the remaining two strains had increased adhesion. The adhesion of three probiotics significantly decreased after the sulphate residue was blocked by elution with barium chloride. Conclusions: A new evaluation method using the Biacore assay was developed to observe binding properties to the acidic residues of sHCM. Results indicated that there was a strong relationship between probiotic adhesion and acidic residues of sHCM. Significance and Impact of the Study: This is the first report showing a screening method that quantitatively measures the binding between bacteria and acidic residues in sHCM using the Biacore binding assay; and provides a new method for the selection of probiotics in the future.

In developing mobile robots for exploration on the planetary surface, it is crucial to evaluate the robot's performance, demonstrating the harsh environment in which the robot will actually be deployed. Repeatable experiments in a controlled testing environment that can reproduce various terrain and gravitational conditions are essential. This paper presents the development of a minimal and space-saving indoor testbed, which can simulate steep slopes, uneven terrain, and lower gravity, employing a three-dimensional target tracking mechanism (active xy and passive z) with a counterweight.

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