Sliding mode-like fuzzy logic control with self-tuning the deadzone parameters

In this paper, a fuzzy logic controller (FLC) is designed based on the similarity between the FLC and the sliding mode control (SMC). The proposed scheme provides the sliding mode-like FLC with fast self-tuning the dead-zone parameters (boundary layer thickness) under parameter variations of the controlled system. To show the validity and the effectiveness of the proposed control method, simulations are performed for the position control of a rotary inverted pendulum     

Pseudo Y-Junction Single-Walled Carbon Nanotube Based Ambipolar Transistor Operating at Room Temperature

A nanoscale field-effect transistor (FET) was fabricated based on pseudo Y-junction single-walled carbon nanotubes (Y-SWNTs). The Y-junction transistor was modulated by a metallic branch of the Y-SWNTs, and exhibited ambipolar FET characteristics at room temperature. A subthreshold swing of 700 mV/decade and an on/off ratio of 10⁵ with a low off-state current of ~10^-13 A were obtained. Analysis of the electrical transport of pseudo Y-SWNTs is fundamental to the study of transport properties in a carbon nanotube mat (CNT-mat)     

Quantification of glistenings in intraocular lenses using a ballistic-photon removing integrating-sphere method

An alternative method for quantification of glistenings in intraocular lenses (IOLs) using an integrating sphere with an adjustable back aperture to remove ballistic photons is presented. Glistenings in soft IOLs have been known for more than a decade; however, their severity and visual impact are still under investigation. A number of studies have been made to quantitatively describe glistenings in IOLs. Quantization and precise grading of IOLs will provide needed information to evaluate the severity and visual impact of glistenings in patients. We investigated the use of a simple modification of an integrating-sphere method to eliminate ballistic photons to quantitatively measure scattered light from glistenings in IOLs. The method described in this paper provides a simple and effective way to quantitatively characterize glistenings in vitro. It may be especially useful to quantify scattering associated with low-grade glistenings where the density of the scattering centers is low. Finally, the modified integrating-sphere method may also be generally applicable to quantitatively characterize scattering from other optical media.     

Voltage, frequency, and phase-difference angle control of PWMinverters-fed two-phase induction motors

A phase-difference angle (PDA) controlled pulsewidth-modulated (PWM) inverter is proposed for a two-phase induction motor adjustable speed drive. Output waveforms are fixed over the whole operating range of the motor. The motor torque is controlled not by the modulation of the phase voltage, but by the PDA. Based on the selected harmonic elimination (SHE) PWM technique, the commutation angles of the output voltage are calculated. Several characteristics of the two-phase induction motor driven by the PDA inverter are analyzed. A hybrid PWM inverter is also proposed to compensate for the degradation of the efficiency at small PDA. Not only the PDA but also the voltage amplitude and frequency are used as the parameters for controlling the torque of the motor in the hybrid inverter. The speed characteristics of the two-phase induction motor driven by the hybrid PWM inverter are more flexible than when the motor is driven by the conventional PWM inverter, which requires adjustable communication angles     

Experimental investigation of hybrid buckling-restrained braces

Though a buckling-restrained brace (BRB) has good seismic performance, it cannot dissipate energy under wind loads or weak earthquakes because its core does not yield. A hybrid buckling-restrained brace (H-BRB), which is a type of hybrid damping system consisting of a BRB member and a viscoelastic damper, has been proposed to improve the wind-resisting performance of the standard BRB. In order to evaluate the wind and seismic performance of the H-BRB system, two H-BRB specimens and one BRB specimen were tested in this study. The variable for the wind performance test was the shear action mechanism of the viscoelastic damper with and without a side connection plate, and the variable for the seismic performance test was whether a separation occurred between the steel tube and a stopper after the yielding of the steel core. The wind performance test showed that H-BRB’s mechanism could be realized only when the viscoelastic damper operated with double shear action. Also, the seismic performance test demonstrated that H-BRB could satisfy the required performance when the tube and stopper were separated after the core’s yielding.     

RETRACTED ARTICLE: Using multimedia based big data for child abuse prevention system (Based on the establishment of e-child welfare support system)

Multimedia Tools and Applications - With the case of a child’s death by child abuse in 2013, public attention has grown on child abuse cases and a variety of policies to protect child abuse...     

Transport phenomena and conduction mechanism of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) at Y- and crossed-junctions

This letter illustrates the transport phenomena associated with single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT) junctions of Y- and cross-configurations. Localized gating effect exhibited by Y- and crossed-junctions suggests the resemblance of their electrical characteristics with ambipolar and unipolar p-type FETs, respectively. Temperature dependence of the I-V characteristics reveals that the conduction mechanism in the said SWNT junctions is governed by thermionic emission at temperatures above 100 K and by tunneling at T < 100 K. In-depth analysis of current transport through the crossed- and Y-junction SWNTs is significant in view of their predominant influence on the electrical performance of carbon nanotube networks (CNT-mat).     

Introducing/reproducing of welding distortion and residual stress in analysis for elastic-plastic behaviors of steel plates under compressive loads

A series of analyses was carried out to elucidate treatment of welding imperfection for simulating elastic-plastic behaviors of steel plates under compressive loads. A thermal elastic-plastic analysis based on infinitesimal deformation theory was carried out on a single-pass butt-welding of thin steel plates to predict welding distortion and welding residual stress. The obtained welding distortion and welding residual stress were introduced into an elastic-plastic large deformation analysis as initial imperfection. However, it was elucidated that welding distortion and welding residual stress could not be reproduced precisely due to unbalanced force caused by the difference between both analysis theories. Therefore, it should be confirmed whether the introduced welding distortion and welding residual stress were reproduced with high accuracy. Consequently, if welding distortion and welding residual stress cannot be reproduced, the treatment such as the convergence calculation method applied in this study should be done for precise elucidation of the elastic-plastic behavior of plates under compressive loads.     

Fiberoptic Confocal Microscopy Using a 1.55-μm Fiber Laser for Multimodal Biophotonics Applications

We have experimentally demonstrated a fiberoptic confocal microscope using a 1.55-mum laser source. A compact and efficient Er-doped fiber laser source and conventional single-mode fiber components were used to construct a near-infrared fiberoptic confocal microscope system with 3-D scanning capability. A broadband 1.55-mum light source was used to reduce fringe patterns and interferences that occur when a highly coherent source is used. Our system showed a lateral resolution as high as 1.1 mum with a 60times objective lens, which is close to the theoretical limit. The system can be used in various multimodal biophotonics platforms including precise 3D imaging, biosensing, and laser tissue ablation due to its high water absorption characteristics while maintaining low thermomechanical and self-focusing damage from high-power lasers.