Kinematic optimal design of a paramill: A multi‐SP device

In this paper, a manipulability analysis of a new parallel‐type rolling mill, named “paramill,” in its conceptual design stage is investigated. The paramill considered uses two Stewart platforms (SPs) in opposite directions for the generation of 6 degree‐of‐freedom motions of individual work‐rolls. The objective of this new approach is to pursue an integrated control of the strip thickness, strip shape, pair‐crossing angle, uniform wear of the rolls, and tension of the strip. The forward/inverse kinematics problems are formulated. Two main kinematic parameters, the size of the base and the acute angle made by two neighboring joints for a given size of the work‐roll, have been determined in the way that the force and moment transmission from the actuators to the work‐rolls is maximized. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Modeling and control for a Gough‐Stewart platform CNC machine

In this paper, a complete dynamic model on task space for a 6 degrees of freedom (DOF) Gough‐Stewart platform‐type computer numerical control (CNC) machine is derived. The rotation terms of the legs are included for those inertia effects cannot be negligible in the machine tool applications. The formulation derived by means of the Euler‐Lagrange method is convenient for designing the adaptive control law. Also, the average‐type force model for end milling process is derived and included in the dynamic model and control. A composite adaptive control scheme is developed by use of filtering dynamics technique. An appropriate estimator gain is designed in the parameter adaptation law that is useful for estimating the selected important cutting parameters. Experimental results verify the proposed adaptive control scheme can achieve good tracking performance. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

In Vitro hydrodynamic evaluation of prosthetic polymer heart valves in steady flow

Hydrodynamic comparison of two polymer valves with two mechanical valves is presented. The valves were perfused in a steady flow system, and comparisons between the valves were made on the transvalvular pressure distribution and drop, opening area, and leakage volume. Particular emphasis was placed on a slit-type bileaflet polymer valve which was newly designed and fabricated in our research group. The results showed that the functional characteristics of a slit-type bileaflet polymer valve compared favorably with that of mechanical valves. This valve may be a viable and inexpensive alternative, especially for short-term use in TAH or VAD systems.     

Design of parts and manufacturing systems for reliability and maintainability

The design of parts and manufacturing systems can be viewed from different perspectives. This paper discusses the design of parts and manufacturing systems from reliability and maintainability perspectives. A convenient method of considering reliability and maintainability is through the use of design rules which are based on empirical and theoretical knowledge. Four design rules for improvement of reliability and maintainability of systems are presented. The design rules are proven and substantiated with numerical results. The relationship between the design for reliability and maintainability rules and design for manufacturing process rules is discussed.     

Ultra-precision lapping of machinable ceramic Si3N4-BN by in-process electrolytic dressing

The machinable ceramic Si₃N₄-BN is a material which is increasingly being employed for automobile bearings and machinable ceramics. This material is very hard and has high resistance against volatile temperature and wear. It's efficient quality and accurate surfaces have always been of high demand for many applications in the industrial field. Besides, this material is varied by the percentage of BN contained in it, and the characteristics of lapping also varies according to this percentage of BN. Hence, in-process electrolytic dressing for ultra-precision lapping was introduced and used to experiment with the differing BN percentages in machinable ceramic Si₃ N₄. Metal-bonded super-abrasive diamond lapping wheels have superior qualities such as high bond strength, high stability and high machinability. The major problems encountered are wheel loading and glazing, which impedes the effectiveness of the cast-iron bonded diamond lapping wheel and, therefore, dressing should be considered. In this respect, in-process electrolytic dressing (IED) is proposed as an effective method regarding continuous protruding abrasives on the surface of wheels, whereby loading and glazing phenomena can apparently disappear. In this paper, the machining characteristics of machinable ceramic Si₃N₄-BN have been studied by adapting the IED lapping process in terms of the percentage of h-BN material.     

Selective Coloration of Melanin Nanospheres through Resonant Mie Scattering

Black melanin inks are prepared to selectively exhibit colors under strong light, inspired by human hair. High absorbance of melanin suppresses multiple scattering, causing resonant Mie scattering predominant. Various colors can be developed as the resonant wavelength dictated by nanosphere diameter. Therefore, the melanin inks can be used to encrypt and selectively disclose multicolor patterns for anticounterfeiting applications.     

Genipin,an Inhibitor of UCP2 as a Promising New Anticancer Agent: A Review of the Literature

Genipin is a protein cross-linking agent extracted from Gardenia (Gardenia jasminoides Ellis) fruits. This fruit has conventionally been used as a Chinese herbal medicine for the treatment of inflammation and jaundice and as an edible colorant in oriental countries. Uncoupling protein (UCP)-2 is a member of the family of uncoupling proteins, which are anion transporters positioned in the mitochondrial inner membrane. Genipin has been shown to have hepatoprotective activity, acting as an effective antioxidant and inhibitor of mitochondrial UCP2, and is also reported to exert significant anticancer effects. In this review, the author presents the latest progress of genipin as an anticancer agent and concisely describes its various mechanisms of action. In brief, genipin inhibits UCP2 to attenuate generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), leading to ROS/c-Jun N-terminal kinase-dependent apoptosis of cancer cells. Genipin also increases the tissue inhibitors of matrix metalloproteases (MMP)-2, a kind of tumor promoter in a variety of cancers, as well as induces caspase-dependent apoptosis in in vitro and in vivo models. These findings suggest that genipin can serve as a promising novel antitumor agent that could be applicable for chemotherapy and/or chemoprevention for cancers.     

Trans-Reduction of Cerebral Small Vessel Disease Proteins by Notch-Derived EGF-like Sequences

Cysteine oxidation states of extracellular proteins participate in functional regulation and in disease pathophysiology. In the most common inherited dementia, cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy (CADASIL), mutations in NOTCH3 that alter extracellular cysteine number have implicated NOTCH3 cysteine states as potential triggers of cerebral vascular smooth muscle cytopathology. In this report, we describe a novel property of the second EGF-like domain of NOTCH3: its capacity to alter the cysteine redox state of the NOTCH3 ectodomain. Synthetic peptides corresponding to this sequence (NOTCH3 N-terminal fragment 2, NTF2) readily reduce NOTCH3 N-terminal ectodomain polypeptides in a dose- and time-dependent fashion. Furthermore, NTF2 preferentially reduces regional domains of NOTCH3 with the highest intensity against EGF-like domains 12–15. This process requires cysteine residues of NTF2 and is also capable of targeting selected extracellular proteins that include TSP2 and CTSH. CADASIL mutations in NOTCH3 increase susceptibility to NTF2-facilitated reduction and to trans-reduction by NOTCH3 produced in cells. Moreover, NTF2 forms complexes with the NOTCH3 ectodomain, and cleaved NOTCH3 co-localizes with the NOTCH3 ectodomain in cerebral arteries of CADASIL patients. The potential for NTF2 to reduce vascular proteins and the enhanced preference for it to trans-reduce mutant NOTCH3 implicate a role for protein trans-reduction in cerebrovascular pathological states such as CADASIL.     

Advanced Code-Division Multiplexers for Superconducting Detector Arrays

Multiplexers based on the modulation of superconducting quantum interference devices are now regularly used in multi-kilopixel arrays of superconducting detectors for astrophysics, cosmology, and materials analysis. Over the next decade, much larger arrays will be needed. These larger arrays require new modulation techniques and compact multiplexer elements that fit within each pixel. We present a new in-focal-plane code-division multiplexer that provides multiplexing elements with the required scalability. This code-division multiplexer uses compact lithographic modulation elements that simultaneously multiplex both signal outputs and superconducting transition-edge sensor (TES) detector bias voltages. It eliminates the shunt resistor used to voltage bias TES detectors, greatly reduces power dissipation, allows different dc bias voltages for each TES, and makes all elements sufficiently compact to fit inside the detector pixel area. These in-focal plane code-division multiplexers can be combined with multi-GHz readout based on superconducting microresonators to scale to even larger arrays.