A review of motion planning algorithms for intelligent robots

Journal of Intelligent Manufacturing - Principles of typical motion planning algorithms are investigated and analyzed in this paper. These algorithms include traditional planning algorithms,...     

3-D Degradation analysis of railroad ballast

Degradation behaviour of aggregate particles of the size of railroad ballast (32–63 mm) is examined using Los Angeles (LA) milling and 3-D scanning techniques. Seven different rock types were tested at four stages of milling. For the analytical geometry and topography characterization, a new method based on Fourier and power spectra was used. The results are compared with those obtained using geometrical methods and traditional manual measurements. Diminishing of surface roughness and dimensions is evident. The change in roughness was 20–35% and for maximum dimensions of less than 10% in the case of hard rock types. The LA value was less than 15. For the weaker particles values of more than 40% and more than 20%, respectively, were obtained. The fractal dimension approached a value of 2 as a function of milling rates. Electronic Publication     

Teachers' work-related non-literature-known building-related symptoms are also connected to indoor toxicity: A cross-sectional study

A previous study showed that classical building-related symptoms (BRS) were related to indoor dust and microbial toxicity via boar sperm motility assay, a sensitive method for measuring mitochondrial toxicity. In this cross-sectional study, we analyzed whether teachers’ most common work-related non-literature-known BRS (nBRS) were also associated with dust or microbial toxicity. Teachers from 15 schools in Finland completed a questionnaire evaluating 20 nBRS including general, eye, respiratory, hearing, sleep, and mental symptoms. Boar sperm motility assay was used to measure the toxicity of extracts from wiped dust and microbial fallout samples collected from teachers’ classrooms. 231 teachers answered a questionnaire and their classroom toxicity data were recorded. A negative binomial mixed model showed that teachers’ work-related nBRS were 2.9-fold (95% CI: 1.2-7.3) higher in classrooms with highly toxic dust samples compared to classrooms with non-toxic dust samples (p = 0.024). The RR of work-related nBRS was 1.8 (95% CI: 1.1-2.9) for toxic microbial samples (p = 0.022). Teachers’ BRS appeared to be broader than reported in the literature, and the work-related nBRS were associated with toxic dusts and microbes in classrooms.     

Effect of Austenite Pancaking on the Microstructure,Texture, and Bendability of an Ultrahigh-Strength Strip Steel

The effect of austenite pancaking in the non-recrystallization regime on microstructure and texture evolution and thereby on bendability was investigated in an ultrahigh-strength strip steel with a martensitic-bainitic microstructure. The results indicate that an increase in rolling reduction (R _tot) below the non-recrystallization temperature, which improves the strength and toughness properties, increases the intensities of the ~{554}〈225〉 _α and ~{112}〈110〉 _α texture components along the strip centerline and of the ~{112}〈111〉 _α component at the surface region. Even with the highest R _tot of 79 pct, the bendability along the rolling direction was good, but the preferred alignment of rod-shaped MA constituents along the rolling direction led to a dramatic decrease in the bendability transverse to the rolling direction, with severe cracking occurring even at small bending angles. The early cracking is attributed to localization of the strain in narrow shear bands. It is concluded that the R_tot value has to be limited to guarantee successful bendability.     

Rigorous and approximate analysis of metallic gratings in soft X-ray and EUV regions

Abstract

In deep ultraviolet and soft X-ray regions the complex refractive indices of metals differ substantially from their values in the visible region of the spectrum. The implications of this fact are analysed for metallic gratings illuminated by electromagnetic fields with wavelengths ranging from soft X‐rays to near infrared, concentrating on short wavelengths. In particular, we study metal-stripe gratings (linear polarizers for visible light) by rigorous diffraction theory to determine the short-wavelength region in which a combination of the geometrical thin-element approximation and the theory of single-layer films can be applied. Then we study inductive grid filters for protection of X-ray detectors from infrared radiation in space applications.     

Crystallographic Analysis of Martensite in 0.2C-2.0Mn-1.5Si-0.6Cr Steel using EBSD

The crystallography of martensite formed in 0.2C-2.0Mn-1.5Si-0.6Cr steel was studied using the electron backscattered diffraction(EBSD) technique.The results showed that the observed orientation relationship(OR) was closer to that of Nishiyama-Wassermann(N-W) than Kurdjumov-Sachs.The martensite consisted of parallel laths forming morphological packets.Typically,there were three different lath orientations in a morphological packet consisting of three specific N-W OR variants sharing the same {111} austenite plane.A packet of martensite laths with a common {111} austenite plane was termed a crystallographic packet.Generally,the crystallographic packet size corresponded to the morphological packet size,but occasionally the morphological packet was found to consist of two or more crystallographic packets.Therefore,the crystallographic packet size appeared to be finer than the morphological packet size.The relative orientation between the variants in crystallographic packets was found to be near 60 /<110>,which explains the strong peak observed near 60 in the grain boundary misorientation distribution.Martensite also contained a high fraction of boundaries with a misorientation in the range 2.5-8.Typically these boundaries were found to be located inside the martensite laths forming sub-laths.     

A flexible multi criteria information filtering model

In this paper, a flexible multi criteria information filtering model is presented. This model is flexible since it allows choosing several distinct criteria, such as content aboutness, coverage, novelty, trust, timeliness, and combining them by a soft aggregation to define a personalized filter. The personal filter is encoded into the user profile that also contains the representations of the user interests that can evolve over time. An implementation of the system applying a combination of the aboutness and coverage criteria has been evaluated and compared to other filtering systems, showing its superior effectiveness. Finally, the possible use of the other criterion is discussed.     

Effects of Ospemifene on Drug Metabolism Mediated by Cytochrome P450 Enzymes in Humans in Vitro and in Vivo

The objective of these investigations was to determine the possible effects of the novel selective estrogen receptor modulator, ospemifene, on cytochrome P450 (CYP)-mediated drug metabolism. Ospemifene underwent testing for possible effects on CYP enzyme activity in human liver microsomes and in isolated human hepatocytes. Based on the results obtained in vitro, three Phase 1 crossover pharmacokinetic studies were conducted in healthy postmenopausal women to assess the in vivo effects of ospemifene on CYP-mediated drug metabolism. Ospemifene and its main metabolites 4-hydroxyospemifene and 4′-hydroxyospemifene weakly inhibited a number of CYPs (CYP2B6, CYP2C9, CYP2C19, CYP2C8, and CYP2D6) in vitro. However, only CYP2C9 activity was inhibited by 4-hydroxyospemifene at clinically relevant concentrations. Induction of CYPs by ospemifene in cultured human hepatocytes was 2.4-fold or less. The in vivo studies showed that ospemifene did not have significant effects on the areas under the plasma concentration-time curves of the tested CYP substrates warfarin (CYP2C9), bupropion (CYP2B6) and omeprazole (CYP2C19), demonstrating that pretreatment with ospemifene did not alter their metabolism. Therefore, the risk that ospemifene will affect the pharmacokinetics of drugs that are substrates for CYP enzymes is low.