A New Algorithm for Measuring and Optimizing the Manipulability Index

The estimation of the performance characteristics of robot manipulators is crucial in robot application and design. Furthermore, studying the manipulability index for every point within the workspace of any serial manipulator is considered an important problem. Such studies are required for designing trajectories to avoid singular configurations. In this paper, a new method for measuring the manipulability index is proposed, and then some simulations are performed on different industrial manipulators such as the Puma 560 manipulator, a six DOF manipulator and the Mitsubishi Movemaster manipulator.     

Book reviews

Alaska Water Exports: A Discussion Paper. Ric Davidge. Anchorage, Alaska, USA, Department of Natural Resources, State of Alaska.

Solar Pumping: An Introduction and Update on the Technology, Performance, Costs and Economics. Roy Barlow, Bernard McNelis & Anthony Derrick. World Bank, Washington, DC.     

Formal enforcement and management of obligation policies

Obligations are generally actions that users are required to take and are essential for the expression of a large number of requirements. For instance, obligation actions may represent prerequisites to gain some privilege (pre obligations), to satisfy some ongoing or post requirement for resource usage (ongoing and post obligations), or to adhere to some privacy or availability policy. Obligations may also define states of affairs which should be maintained. An example of such obligations is the obligation “doctors should remain alert while in the operating room”. In this paper, we introduce a formal framework for the management and enforcement of obligation policies. The framework is formalized using concepts from action specification languages and the Event Condition Action paradigm of active databases. Therefore, our framework allows reasoning about change in the state of obligations and, at the same time, provides declarative formal semantics for their enforcement. In this framework, we support many types of obligations and show how to manage obligation activation, fulfillment and violation.     

Design optimization of switchable multi-port spiral inductors

In this paper, we develop a design optimization methodology for switchable multi-port spiral inductors in fully integrated wireless systems. The methodology simultaneously maximizes the inductor’s performance for multiple inductance values and operating frequencies. We utilize multi-level optimization techniques to efficiently design the geometry of the switchable inductor structure. The methodology can produce designs with significantly larger quality factors than those obtained by optimizing the inductor design for a single inductance value and operating frequency.     

Narrow-band low-noise amplifier synthesis for high-performance system-on-chip design

In this paper, we present a systematic synthesis methodology for fully integrated narrow-band CMOS low-noise amplifiers (LNAs) in high-performance system-on-chip (SoC) designs. The methodology is based on deterministic gradient-based numerical nonlinear optimization and the normal boundary intersection (NBI) method for Pareto optimization. We simultaneously optimize transistor widths, bias voltages, and input and output matching network passive components, which yields integrated inductor values that are more than one order of magnitude less than those generated by several existing equation-based LNA design techniques. By generating significantly smaller inductor values, we enable the SoC integration of the complete LNA. When the synthesized LNAs are characterized using circuit-level simulation, our methodology yields up to 35% and 58% improvement in noise figure and gain, respectively.     

Interaction characteristics controlling catalytic performances of Ni (II) and Cu (II) phthalocyanines immobilized on bentonite clay surface in redox-initiated polymerization of methyl methacrylate in aqueous medium

Different catalytic performances have been shown for nickel (II) phthalocyanine (1.8 wt%)/bentonite/HSO₃ ^? and copper (II) phthalocyanine (1.8 wt%)/bentonite/HSO₃ ^? initiating systems in the early stage of methyl methacrylate polymerization in aqueous medium, in the temperature range, 40–60 °C. Redox–free radical mechanisms, suggesting dual-site initiation in presence of nickel phthalocyanine system and single-site initiation by using copper phthalocyanine system, were discussed in view of different interaction and dispersion profiles of the immobilized complex systems. Both complexes exhibited strong interaction with bentonite, assisted by n-butyl amine solvent, during the immobilization process. This amine could modify bentonite surface through eliminating its narrower pores, expanding its sheet structure and using up its strongest Brönsted acid sites. Nickel phthalocyanine molecules, intercalated into bentonite clay galleries by n-butyl amine, could be located parallel to silicate layer planes in an even distribution and higher dispersion. Cation exchange or substitution mechanism involving stronger interaction between Ni²⁺ ions and Al³⁺ sites in the octahedral sheet encouraged dual-site initiation; two active Ni sites, accessible from one side each, coordinated with two monomer molecules. Copper phthalocyanine molecules, drawn in an inclined edge-on orientation, displayed a strong interaction between N’s of the macro-ring system and the clay external edge OH sites (asymmetric Brönsted interactions). This allowed facile access of Cu sites to the monomer and HSO₃ ^? cocatalyst from both sides, resulting in smoother initiation effect.     

Factorial study of a certain parametric distribution

The general theory of factorial analysis of continuous correspondance (FACC) is used to investigate the binary case of a continuous probability measure defined as:T(xm,y)=ay ⁿ +b, (x,y)ɛD&nɛN=0, elsewhere Wheren≥0,a andb are the parameters of this distribution. While the DomainD is a variable trapezoidal inscribed in the unit square. The trapezoid depends on two parameters α and β. This problem is solved. As special cases of our problem we obtaine a complete solution fot two of them which correspondt to a particular form of the correlation matrix in the discrete case.     

Electronic band structure and spin-density maps of SmCo5

We present first-principles calculations on SmCo₅ using the self-consistent full-potential linearized augmented plane wave (FPLAPW) method. We systematically study the effect of considering the spin–orbit coupling and Coulomb correlations in the Sm f shell on the magnetic properties, electronic structure and spin-density maps. The calculated magnetic moment and magnetocrystalline anisotropy are in good agreement with experimental values when the LDA + U + SO scheme is used. This confirms the adequacy of using this scheme in SmCo₅. The spin-density maps in the (0 0 1) plane show that the effect of the spin–orbit coupling on the spin-density structure of Sm atoms is stronger than that of Coulomb correlation. The reverse however, is true for Co atoms. We also study the influence of the magnetization direction on the energy bands through comparing the features of band structure when magnetization direction is along or perpendicular to the c-axis.     

Comparative glycomic mapping through quantitative permethylation and stable-isotope labeling

Comparative glycan quantification has thus far been a challenging task due to the lack of sensitive and reproducible analytical techniques. We introduce here a combination of quantitative permethylation and isotope labeling of glycans as an approach (C-GlycoMAP) allowing precise comparison between different samples in a single MALDI-MS analysis. Samples are either methylated or deuteriomethylated prior to their mixing and mass spectrometric acquisitions. Comparative analyses are based on the ratio of the two isotopically distinct forms of the same glycan structure, thus allowing a direct absolute evaluation of the intensities of the two forms originating from two different biological samples (e.g., control and diseased). The direct comparison between the two forms eliminates a MALDI-MS low m/z bias commonly associated with this technique. These comparative analyses are highly reliable when the intensity ratios of the two forms lie between 0.125 and 6, an overall reproducibility better than 30% (RSD). The value of C-GlycoMAP is demonstrated here for N-glycans derived from human blood serum collected from a healthy individual and a breast cancer patient as well as for O-glycans derived from normal and cancer cell extracts.