Classification of Reconfigurable Parallel Mechanisms

Russian Engineering Research - The theoretically possible reconfigurable parallel mechanisms are classified, in terms of the layout of guides on the base. Formulas are derived for the...     

The contrast enhancement of brain and spinal cord tumors using Gd-DTPA in magnetic resonance tomography with an extra-low magnetic-field intensity

The contrasting agent Gd-DTPA (Magnevist, Schering AG, Germany) was tested when used in magnetic resonance tomography using extra-low (0.04 T) magnetic field intensity in 68 patients with various brain and spine tumors. The agent was injected intravenously in a dose of 0.1 mmol/kg. No complications were found. The tests showed its high efficiency in the diagnosis of brain neoplasms (particularly in malignant intracerebral disorders, meningiomas and neurinomas). Benign astrocytomas induced no noticeable signal intensification on post-contrasting T1-weighed tomograms. In all cases of spinal tumors, the application of Gd-DTPA could specify the extent of tumor invasions, the presence of cysts and identify accessory tumor nodes in one case.     

Prophylactic effect of enteral feeding preparations during the chemotherapy of oncology patients

Altogether 124 patients were followed up for disseminated breast cancer (82) and hematosarcoma (42). The patients were divided into two groups: the main group was given 500 ml of 20% protein or low-lactose enteral feeding in addition to the hospital diet; the control group received only the hospital diet. Chemotherapy lasted 3 weeks. The patients on chemotherapy received enteral feeding every day throughout the entire treatment period. In the course of treatment, the patients were examined for blood characteristics, size of the tumor and affected lymph nodes, body weight, major metabolism, protein metabolism, vitamin metabolism, osmotic and peroxide resistance of red cells, and liver function. The research program covered more than 150 characteristics. The data obtained were processed by computer. It has been disclosed that inclusion of protein and low-lactose enteral feeding into the diet of cancer patients improves the alimentary status, decreases the leukopenia and thrombocytopenia incidence. It is advisable that specialized milk concentrates (enteral feeding) should be included into the diet of cancer patients as a necessary component of a complex of therapeutic measures used during chemotherapy.     

Objectivity in the Eye of the Beholder: Divergent Perceptions of Bias in Self Versus Others.

Important asymmetries between self-perception and social perception arise from the simple fact that other people's actions, judgments, and priorities sometimes differ from one's own. This leads people not only to make more dispositional inferences about others than about themselves (E. E. Jones & R. E. Nisbett, 1972) but also to see others as more susceptible to a host of cognitive and motivational biases. Although this blind spot regarding one's own biases may serve familiar self-enhancement motives, it is also a product of the phenomenological stance of naive realism. It is exacerbated, furthermore, by people's tendency to attach greater credence to their own introspections about potential influences on judgment and behavior than they attach to similar introspections by others. The authors review evidence, new and old, of this asymmetry and its underlying causes and discuss its relation to other psychological phenomena and to interpersonal and intergroup conflict. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A new type of gas sensor based on the thermovoltaic effect in zinc oxide inhomogeneously doped with mixed-valence impurities

We propose a new type of potentiometric gas sensor operating on the basis of the thermovoltaic effect in uniformly heated (without temperature gradients) ZnO/ZnO–Fe sandwich structures obtained by the sol–gel method. It is established that a significant contribution to the gas responsivity of sensors is related to the thickness of the upper doped layer of the structure.     

The volt-ampere characteristics of resistive gas sensors in multisensor implementation: Distinctive features

This paper considers the major factors affecting the nonlinearity in the volt-ampere characteristics of resistive gas sensors. The authors establish that, under small gaps between sensor electrodes (particularly, in multisensor systems), the dominating contribution to the nonlinearity is made by three factors, namely, the drift of chemisorbed ions to an anode, the drift of protons on the surface to a cathode and the drift of intrinsic defects through the sublattice.     

Cutting Force in the Machining of Quenched 40Kh and KhVG Steel by Ceramic Tools

The influence of the supply on the cutting force is established in the machining of quenched steel by VOK-60 cutting ceramic. The optimal machining conditions for quenched 40Kh and KhVG steel workpieces are determined.     

Effect of lead oxide on the dielectric characteristics of heterogeneous Pb(Zr, Ti)O3 + PbO films obtained by a two-stage method

We have studied changes in the dielectric properties of thin lead zirconate titanate Pb(Zr,Ti)O₃ (PZT) films, obtained using a two-stage ex-situ technology, as dependent on the microstructure of a perovskite phase and the content of microinclusions of excess lead oxide. The presence of these microinclusions leads to either anomalously low or high values of dielectric permittivity and anomalous pyroelectric response.