Various types of suprameatal spines and depressions in the human temporal bone

Since it covers the lateral wall of the mastoid air system, the suprameatal triangle is of importance to otologic surgeons during mastoidectomy. Because of this clinical importance, topographic anatomy of the suprameatal spine and depression was studied on Anatolian skulls. In all, 363 male and 231 female skulls were studied. The most prevalent type of suprameatal spine resembled a crest and was found in both sexes on the right (77.6%) and left (80%) sides. The absence of a suprameatal depression was significantly higher in females (right 9.1%; left 8.7%) than in males (right 1.7%; left 2.5%). Suprameatal depressions were mostly shallow in female subjects, but were mostly observed in males to be at a medium depth or deep.     

Real-time implementation of finite control set model predictive control for matrix converter based solid state transformer

Solid state transformer formed by back-to-back connection of two three-to-single-phase matrix converter, so called MC-SST, owns ac–ac power conversion in a single stage and an absence of the bulky line-frequency transformer when linking ac sources of different voltage amplitudes and frequencies. Current modulation methods for this topology include sophisticated computation of current and voltage vectors besides duty cycle composition. Moreover, extra control design is required to manage the power exchange. In this paper, the easy-to-perform finite control set model predictive control (FCS-MPC) for this type of MC-SST is implemented in real-time platform and compared with the proportional–integral control strategy. The active power changes, different voltage amplitudes and phases, and parameter variations are investigated. Simulation and real-time implementation results demonstrate the simplicity and validity of the MPC approach for power management of the MC-SST system.     

An examination of the relationship between foot length, T1, T2, T3, T4, T5 (toe lengths), ankle circumference and calf circumference of Turkish University students aged between 17 and 25

In this study, the relationship, between Foot Length, Toe Lengths, Ankle Circumference and Calf Circumference of the students aged 17-25 was examined. When looked at the correlation coefficients, a significant relationship between Foot Length, Ankle Circumference, Calf Circumference and T1, T2, T3, T4, T5 (Toe Lengths) was discovered (p < 0.05). However, from the statistical point of view the relationship between only Foot Length and Ankle Circumference in the Males was discovered to be bigger than the Females (p < 0.05). Whereas, the other measurement in both Males and Females were relatively close to each other. During the study it was discovered that while the relationship between Ankle Circumference and Calf Circumference in both sexes was statistically significant (p < 0.05), the relationship between Ankle Circumference and T1, T2, T3, T4 was also statistically significant, but this relationship in Males were bigger than that of Females (p < 0.05). When the regression analyse was carried out, it was observed that there was a linear relationship between Foot Length and T1-T5. This indicated that Turkish people has bigger Ankle & Calf Circumferences and Foot Length than Japanese people.     

Signal detection based on empirical mode decomposition and Teager–Kaiser energy operator and its application to P and S wave arrival time detection in seismic signal analysis

Neural Computing and Applications - Determining P and S wave arrival times while minimizing noise is a major problem in seismic signal analysis. Precise determination of earthquake onset arrival...     

Time series labeling algorithms based on the K-nearest neighbors’ frequencies

In the current paper, time series labeling task is analyzed and some solution algorithms are presented. In these algorithms, fuzzy c-means clustering, which is one of the unsupervised learning methods, is used to obtain the labels of the time series. Then K-nearest neighborhood (KNN) rule is performed on the labels to obtain more relevant smooth intervals.As an application, the handled labeling algorithms are performed on bispectral index (BIS) data, which are time series measures of brain activity. Finally, smoothing process is found useful in the estimation of sedation stage labels.     

Bond-coating in plasma-sprayed calcium-phosphate coatings

In the online and printed versions of the original article, there was a typographical error in I. Peker’s name. His name is spelled correctly above. This error occurred in both the html and pdf versions of the online article. The online version of the original article can be found at     

Quantitative autoradiography using a radioimager based on a multiwire proportional chamber

Determination of the biodistribution of radiopharmaceuticals is an important issue for the evaluation of their performance in diagnosis and therapy. In this study, we evaluated a digital radioimager (RI) based on a multiwire proportional chamber for quantitative autoradiography (AR). The RI allows direct detection of electronic emissions of gamma emitters. Its qualitative and quantitative performances were tested on 99mTc and (111)In labelled sections and compared with conventional film AR. Linearity of count rate versus activity was verified over a 104 range of activity. As compared with film AR, a substantial improvement of the detection limit was obtained even for acquisition periods up to 20 times less than film exposure times. We provided the basis for quantitative analysis with tissue equivalent paste standards: the 99mTc and (111)In RI counting efficiencies were respectively 1.19% and 2.35%. We illustrated the respective values of RI and film AR in two rat studies: 99mTc-DMSA in kidney and dual-isotope 99mTc-MIBI and (111)In-antimyosin in heart. Calculated activity concentrations on sections of rat organs confirmed good correlation to gamma counting (deviation less than 12%). We suggest RI as a convenient technique for fast localization of single or dual-isotope tracers and determination of activity distribution.     

Effect of interfacial instabilities and hydrodynamic interaction on liquid-liquid mass transfer

Mass transfer rate between two liquid phases with a plane interface has been studied in a modified Lewis stirred cell. The time interval between the successive concentration determinations was reduced to thirty seconds by the use of a continuous flow refractometer. The mass transfer coefficients were found to correlate satisfactorily with the surface renewal model unless interfacial motion is opposed by the change in physical properties of the system or interfacial shear stresses. Under these conditions Levich-Davies model could successfully explain the experimental mass transfer coefficients found in this work.Due to the effect of the shear stresses and the changes in the physical properties, bulk Reynolds numbers were not sufficient alone to explain the hydrodynamics at the interface which control the mass transfer rate. Instead, another dimensionless quantity such as the ratio of interfacial stresses to kinetic energies of the eddies should be used as a criterion of the hydrodynamics at the interface.     

Effects of process parameters on tungsten boride production from WO3 by self propagating high temperature synthesis

In the present study, the production parameters of tungsten boride compounds by self-propagating high-temperature synthesis (SHS) method and following leaching process were investigated. In the SHS stage, the products consisting of tungsten borides, magnesium oxide, magnesium borate, and also minor compounds were obtained by using different initial molar ratios of WO₃, Mg and B₂O₃ as starting materials. In the leaching step, Mg containing byproducts, i.e. MgO and Mg₃B₂O₆, existed in the selected SHS product synthesized at 1:8:2.5 initial molar ratio of WO₃:Mg:B₂O₃ were leached out by using aqueous HCl solution to obtain clean tungsten boride compounds at different experimental parameters which are time, acid concentration and temperature. The acid leaching experiments of the SHS product showed that optimum leaching conditions could be achieved by using 5.8 M HCl at 1/10 S/L ratio and the temperature of 80 °C for 60 min.