Flexible Positioning Research Articles

The three-dimensional positioning system at the VINETA.II experiment—a multipurpose tool for in situ plasma diagnostics

The manipulator systems installed at the VINETA.II magnetic reconnection experiment are essential elements for experimental investigation of local plasma parameters. A novel three-dimensional (3D) probe manipulator has been designed, implemented and successfully operated at VINETA.II. This work presents its design and performance for three-dimensional measurements of VINETA.II plasmas. Its design consists of three vertically stacked independent and mutually perpendicular linear motion stages which allow flexible positioning of diagnostic tools such as electrical and magnetic probes or optical diagnostics within the vacuum vessel. Its design features include a wide spatial coverage, sub-millimeter positioning accuracy and the capability to operate in a harsh environment under the influence of microwaves, radio-frequency waves and direct contact with plasma. Manipulator performance is assessed by measuring a volumetric distribution of plasma parameters by a B-dot probe. A typical discharge of the magnetic reconnection setup in VINETA.II with a pulse time of τ=600 μs is chosen for this purpose. The azimuthal magnetic field distribution measured with the 3D manipulator agrees favorably with measurements obtained by the two-dimensional (2D) manipulator, used at VINETA.II as a standard reference diagnostic tool, thereby demonstrating its reliability and performance. A programmable stepper motor controller (TMCM-1110) that is operated remotely by a PC drives all possible features of the manipulator system.

Optimal design of the main support structure of space camera aiming at the RMS value of random response

To explore the optimal design method for main support structure of micro satellite, this paper proposed a method targeting the random acceleration response RMS value of the space camera installation position when design the main support structure of LQ-video satellite in Jilin-1 group satellites. Camera main support structure optimization mathematical model was established, and the thickness and flexible beam position of the flexible beam support structure has been optimized in the establishment of the optimization mathematical model. When the flexible beam thickness is 2.5 mm, and the distance between it and the support structure mounting surface is 94.5 mm, the camera installation point acceleration response root mean square (RMS) value is minimal. Engineering analysis showed that the maximal random response RMS of the camera installation point is 19.6 grms and the maximal relative magnification is 0.93. The camera mechanics test showed that the maximal relative error of finite element analysis and experimental measurements is 4.0 % and the maximal relative magnification of the response is 1.2 which is less than the overall index 1.5. It proved that the optimization method is effective and feasible.

남은 배아와 만든 배아 구분에 있어서의 윤리적 쟁점: “손실 없음의 원리”를 중심으로

Stem cell research raises many ethical issues, including the possible harms that are done to early embryos in the process of deriving stem cells. There are two basic stances concerning human embryonic stem cell research: one supports the research and regards the destruction of embryos as an acceptable cost; the other rejects the research and foregoes the potential benefits that the research might offer. In this article, I examine each of these stances and consider a flexible middle-ground position. Additionally, I introduce the Nothing-is-Lost Principle as one element of this middle-ground position and examine whether or not it justifies the discarded-created distinction. I suggest that there is a need for improved guidelines and regulations concerning stem cell research.

Comparison of the Effect of Flexible Barbell Weight Position on Max Ground Reaction Force

Previous research reported that force production of a flexible barbell (FB) to that of a steel Olympic barbell (SB) resulted in the FB generating greater maximum ground reaction forces (GRFmax) for experiments with a lifting machine and human subjects lifting at 1.73 ft/s at an inner position. No studies have shown that the same trend is true for other lifting speeds (LS) at various inner and outer positions of the FB. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to compare maximum ground reaction force production (GRFmax) of the FB at various physiologically relevant LSs at an inner-most and outer-most position for the loaded weight plates. METHODS: Using a bar-lifting machine, FB were lifted at various speeds of 2.04 ft/s, 2.21 ft/s, and 2.38 ft/sec. The weight of each bar was set to 63lbs and placed at an inner-most (in) and outer-most (out) position on the FB. The GRFmax of FB in and out positions were compared with independent-samples t-tests. RESULTS: The FB had significantly higher GRFmax for all speeds for the out position (see table below). CONCLUSIONS: These results may provide a physiological mechanism to recruit more type IIx muscle fibers compared to the SB under these conditions. Future studies need to be conducted to validate these results with human subjects for different types of lifts.Table: No title available.

Disulfide bridges as essential elements for the thermostability of lytic polysaccharide monooxygenase LPMO10C from Streptomyces coelicolor.

Lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases (LPMOs) are crucial components of cellulase mixtures but their stability has not yet been studied in detail, let alone been engineered for industrial applications. In this work, we have evaluated the importance of disulfide bridges for the thermodynamic stability of Streptomyces coelicolor LPMO10C. Interestingly, this enzyme was found to retain 34% of its activity after 2-h incubation at 80°C while its apparent melting temperature (Tm) is only 51°C. When its three disulfide bridges were broken, however, irreversible unfolding occurred and no residual activity could be detected after a similar heat treatment. Based on these findings, additional disulfide bridges were introduced, as predicted by computational tools (MOdelling of DIsulfide bridges in Proteins (MODiP) and Disulfide by Design (DbD)) and using the most flexible positions in the structure as target sites. Four out of 16 variants displayed an improvement in Tm, ranging from 2 to 9°C. Combining the positive mutations yielded additional improvements (up to 19°C) but aberrant unfolding patterns became apparent in some cases, resulting in a diminished capacity for heat resistance. Nonetheless, the best variant, a combination of A143C-P183C and S73C-A115C, displayed a 12°C increase in Tm and was able to retain and was able to retain no less than 60% of its activity after heat treatment.

A 2-in-1 single-element coil design for transcranial magnetic stimulation and magnetic resonance imaging.

To demonstrate the feasibility of turning transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) coil for MRI signal reception. A critically coupled network was formed by using a resonated turn of TMS coil as the secondary and a regular radiofrequency (RF) coil as the primary. A third coil was positioned between the two coils for detuning during RF transmission. Bench measurement, numerical simulation, and MRI experiment were performed for validation. The signal-to-noise ratio of the proposed 2-in-1 coil is 35% higher in its field of view, compared with a MRI-only reference coil of the same size, made by the same material, and backed up by an untuned TMS coil, but lower than a RF surface coil of the same size without any TMS coil nearby. Spin-echo images of the human brain further validated its performance. The proposed method can transform TMS coil for MRI signal acquisition with virtually no modifications on the TMS side. It not only enables flexible and close positioning of TMS coil inside MRI scanner, but also improves the signal-to-noise ratio compared with conventional implementations. It can be applied as a building block for developing advanced concurrent TMS/MRI hardware. Magn Reson Med 79:582-587, 2018. © 2017 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.

Intrinsically Disordered Protein Dynamics Uncovered through Dynamic Flexibility Index (DFI) Analysis

Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) and islet amyloid polypeptide (IAPP) are two intrinsically disordered proteins (IDP) of the calcitonin peptide family. CGRP is an important new target for antimigraine drugs, it is involved in vasodilation and transmission of pain signals. IAPP regulates blood glucose levels and forms amyloid fibers in type II diabetes. They share up to 40% sequence similarity and bind to very similar receptors, but are found in different types of tissue and carry out different functions. Recent experimental studies measuring end-to-end contact formation by tryptophan triplet quenching, show a significant difference in the conformational dynamics of CGRP and IAPP. We investigate this through Dynamic Flexibility Index (DFI). DFI quantifies the resilience of a given position to the perturbations that occur at different parts of the chain, using linear response theory. This captures multi-dimensional effects when the chain is displaced out of equilibrium. Thus, it identifies flexible and rigid positions that govern the function. Our DFI profiles obtained from equilibrated atomistic MD simulations reveal distinct patterns for CGRP and IAPP. We investigate the effect of amino acid substitutions on the conformational dynamics of the unbound disordered IDP, and pinpoint the positions that give a significant difference in dynamics.

Osmium tetroxide as a probe of RNA structure.

Structured RNAs have a central role in cellular function. The capability of structured RNAs to adopt fixed architectural structures or undergo dynamic conformational changes contributes to their diverse role in the regulation of gene expression. Although numerous biophysical and biochemical tools have been developed to study structured RNAs, there is a continuing need for the development of new methods for the investigation of RNA structures, especially methods that allow RNA structure to be studied in solution close to its native cellular conditions. Here we use osmium tetroxide (OsO4) as a chemical probe of RNA structure. In this method, we have used fluorescence-based sequencing technologies to detect OsO4 modified RNA. We characterized the requirements for OsO4 modification of RNA by investigating three known structured RNAs: the M-box, glycine riboswitch RNAs, and tRNAasp. Our results show that OsO4 predominantly modifies RNA at uracils that are conformationally exposed on the surface of the RNA. We also show that changes in OsO4 reactivity at flexible positions in the RNA correlate with ligand-driven conformational changes in the RNA structure. Osmium tetroxide modification of RNA will provide insights into the structural features of RNAs that are relevant to their underlying biological functions.

Fringe projection profilometry using rigid and flexible endoscopes

Abstract Quality control is an important aspect of modern production processes. Obtaining quantitative information not only helps to ensure the function of machinery and products, but also enables cost reduction by feedback control of process parameters. A multitude of modern industrial applications feature an increasing amount of highly integrated machinery, resulting in a requirement for new measuring devices. Two new measuring systems are presented for in-situ inspection tasks in confined spaces. A combination of endoscopy techniques with structured illumination enables capturing areal 3-D geometry information of functional elements in integrated machinery. Depending on the requirements for inspection, either rigid or flexible image guides may be used to transport the structured light patterns. While a flexible endoscope allows for a more flexible positioning of the sensor head, its resolution is limited by the number of individual fiber cores. Alternatively, if constraints on the versatility of sensor positioning can be accepted, rigid endoscopes feature higher image quality. Both approaches are described in detail and compared based on evaluations on features of a calibrated micro contour standard.

ТРИ ОПОРЫ РОССИЙСКО-ПОРТУГАЛЬСКИХ ОТНОШЕНИЙ

Russia and Portugal established diplomatic relations in the last quarter of the 18th century. Since that time, they experienced natural periods of rise and fall. Russia and Portugal are not comparable on many parameters: size of territory, population and workforce, the volume of economy, etc. In its turn, the Portuguese nation also can boast of considerable achievements. Political or ideological considerations have always dominated in bilateral relations, which for a long time have prevented building cooperation in accordance with strategic interests. The membership of Portugal in NATO and accession to the European Communities in 1986 obliged Lisbon to form its relations with Moscow in line with overall negotiation processes of these international associations and with an eye on the partners’ position. In certain periods, this fact made it difficult to engage in a constructive dialogue, forcing both sides to see each other through the prism of global confrontation between two hostile social and political systems. At the same time, there has never been acute, intractable disagreements or open conflicts between the two countries. High-level visits and the ruling elites’ interest degree were of great importance for the development of the bilateral relations. In this respect, the period of 1990s and 2000s belonged to the most fruitful. The legal base of cooperation was expanded, important treaties were signed, an exchange of the heads of state visits took place during this time. However, in the following years of the global financial and economic crisis, the Russia–Portugal political relations stalled, later hampered by the consequences of the Ukrainian crisis and the sanctions war. Largely due to the change of political power in Portugal in 2015, contacts between Moscow and Lisbon have a chance to restart. The current government and the President hold a more flexible position towards Russia, seek new opportunities for development of a mutually beneficial dialogue. However, even the years of political difficulties did not stop cooperation in trade, tourism and culture. These areas have become the three pillars for resumption of the dialogue today.

Fuzzy Logic Controller Implementation of Power Quality Improvement Using UPQC

This paper presents a gross examination about Unified Power Quality Conditioner (UPQC) to invigorate the power issues at the distribution level of the electrical system. Nowadays power electronics research has added the importance of power quality studies, for concrete illustration, Custom Power Devices (CPD) and Flexible AC Transmission position (FACTS) devices. The approach offered in this paper utilizes the series and shunt compensator of Unified Power Quality Conditioner (UPQC) to inject a compensation voltage in-phase with the source current over voltage fluctuations. The execution of two structures of UPQC, left-shunt (L-UPQC) and right-shunt (R-UPQC) are investigated under diverse operating conditions based on the fuzzy logic controller to raise the value of power quality of a single feeder distribution system by MATLAB/Simulink programming. Various power quality issues have been analyzed in this study. Finally, the right shunt UPQC is outperformed in this proposed power system.

Azimuth DOA Estimation in Y-bend Antenna Array

In smart antenna system, it is extremely crucial to estimate the direction of incoming signals in order to achieve better reception. Reliability of DOA estimation depends on several factors such as the choice of DOA algorithm, size of antenna array as well as array geometry. Therefore, it is particularly desirable to have a configuration of antenna array that could produce an accurate azimuth estimation. In this work, a new planar array is proposed to address the problem of azimuth estimation. This is achieved by having a flexible element position on the x- y plane that improves the steering vector, hence significantly enhances the accuracy of DOA estimation. Besides, a fair distribution of the antenna elements on the x-y plane also helps to eliminates estimation failure in the azimuth range between 240° and 360°. A comparison study between the proposed array and V-shape array is performed in order to gauge the performance of the proposed array in DOA estimation. Simulation results show that the proposed array has acquired better estimation resolution than V-shape array. On top of that, the proposed array has reduced estimation error in V-shape array. It is concluded that the proposed array has shown potential as an excellent choice of antenna array geometry for smart antenna system.

ILONA: indoor localization and navigation system

Indoor positioning is a hot topic these days and there is a growing need for it in public buildings such as airports, hospitals, universities or shopping malls. Indoor positioning systems should be accurate, easily available for the users, with low installation and maintenance cost, which makes development challenging. Existing systems are based on various technologies such as ultrasonic, RFID, WiFi or light encoding. Moreover, these systems are tailored to a given environment and usually rely on a single technology. This paper presents the indoor localization and navigation (ILONA) System, a flexible hybrid indoor positioning and navigation framework. The ILONA System was not designed to be a solution for a single indoor positioning task but to be a standard core component of various systems. The ILONA System provides easily available positioning and navigation services for the end users. The system can manage data from the most commonly available sensors of modern smart phones. Thus, the ILONA System can perform positioning based on various technologies. ILONA System can be established at low cost because it only requires a connection between the server and the clients and WLAN is usually available. Hence, the presented ILONA System provides a widely available, hybrid indoor positioning framework at low cost to the developers of other indoor positioning solutions.

Hardening the Hard, Softening the Soft: Assertiveness and China’s Regional Strategy

ABSTRACTThere is a growing view that the emerging brand of Chinese regional diplomacy in recent years is increasingly assertive. This article attempts to make better sense of this perceived more forceful Chinese diplomacy. It argues that Chinese regional behavior is more profitably understood through the lens of a two-pronged foreign policy strategy that combines two particular aspects. One is a tougher and more uncompromising approach toward issues that China regards as concerning its core interests. The other is a more flexible and cooperative position toward interests that, while significant, are of secondary importance.

Perineal injuries and birth positions among 2992 women with a low risk pregnancy who opted for a homebirth.

BackgroundWhether certain birth positions are associated with perineal injuries and severe perineal trauma (SPT) is still unclear. The objective of this study was to describe the prevalence of perineal injuries of different severity in a low-risk population of women who planned to give birth at home and to compare the prevalence of perineal injuries, SPT and episiotomy in different birth positions in four Nordic countries.MethodsA population-based prospective cohort study of planned home births in four Nordic countries. To assess medical outcomes a questionnaire completed after birth by the attending midwife was used. Descriptive statistics, bivariate analysis and logistic regression were used to analyze the data.ResultsTwo thousand nine hundred ninety-two women with planned home births, who birthed spontaneously at home or after transfer to hospital, between 2008 and 2013 were included. The prevalence of SPT was 0.7 % and the prevalence of episiotomy was 1.0 %. There were differences between the countries regarding all maternal characteristics. No association between flexible sacrum positions and sutured perineal injuries was found (OR 1.02; 95 % CI 0.86–1.21) or SPT (OR 0.68; CI 95 % 0.26–1.79). Flexible sacrum positions were associated with fewer episiotomies (OR 0.20; CI 95 % 0.10–0.54).ConclusionA low prevalence of SPT and episiotomy was found among women opting for a home birth in four Nordic countries. Women used a variety of birth positions and a majority gave birth in flexible sacrum positions. No associations were found between flexible sacrum positions and SPT. Flexible sacrum positions were associated with fewer episiotomies.

SU-F-T-350: Continuous Leaf Optimization (CLO) for IMRT Leaf Sequencing

Purpose: To study a new step-and-shoot IMRT leaf sequencing model that avoids the two main pitfalls of conventional leaf sequencing: (1) target fluence being stratified into a fixed number of discrete levels and/or (2) aperture leaf positions being restricted to a discrete set of locations. These assumptions induce error into the sequence or reduce the feasible region of potential plans, respectively. Methods: We develop a one-dimensional (single leaf pair) methodology that does not make assumptions (1) or (2) that can be easily extended to a multi-row model. The proposed continuous leaf optimization (CLO) methodology takes in an existing set of apertures and associated intensities, or solution “seed,” and improves the plan without the restrictiveness of 1or (2). It then uses a first-order descent algorithm to converge onto a locally optimal solution. A seed solution can come from models that assume (1) and (2), thus allowing the CLO model to improve upon existing leaf sequencing methodologies. Results: The CLO model was applied to 208 generated target fluence maps in one dimension. In all cases for all tested sequencing strategies, the CLO model made improvements on the starting seed objective function. The CLO model also was able to keep MUs low. Conclusion: The CLO model can improve upon existing leaf sequencing methods by avoiding the restrictions of (1) and (2). By allowing for more flexible leaf positioning, error can be reduced when matching some target fluence. This study lays the foundation for future models and solution methodologies that can incorporate continuous leaf positions explicitly into the IMRT treatment planning model. Supported by Cancer Prevention & Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) - ID RP150485

Planar Position Sensor Based on Mono Sensing Electrode and Hybrid-Frequency Excitation.

A new way of measuring planar position for micrometric and sub-micrometric applications is presented with a mono sensing electrode and hybrid-frequency excitation. The sensing theory and operation principle are described and summarized, and a printed circuit board (PCB) sensor prototype is built and tested. It is shown by the experimental results that a very simple structure and geometric relationship are achieved. Meanwhile, displacement sensitivity on an order of 1.50 mV per micron and measurement repeatability better than 0.002 mm are easily fulfilled for a square zone of 256 mm2, making it a valuable alternative measurement device candidate for flexible and low-cost planar position detection.

Computational multi-projection display.

A computational multi-projection display is proposed by employing a multi-projection system combining with compressive light field displays. By modulating the intensity of light rays from a spatial light modulator inside a single projector, the proposed system can offer several compact views to observer. Since light rays are spread to all directions, the system can provide flexible positioning of viewpoints without stacking projectors in vertical direction. Also, if the system is constructed properly, it is possible to generate view images with inter-pupillary gap and satisfy the super multi-view condition. We explain the principle of the proposed system and verify its feasibility with simulations and experimental results.

Long‐term electromagnetic exposure of developing neuronal networks: A flexible experimental setup

Neuronal networks in vitro are considered one of the most promising targets of research to assess potential electromagnetic field induced effects on neuronal functionality. A few exposure studies revealed there is currently no evidence of any adverse health effects caused by weak electromagnetic fields. Nevertheless, some published results are inconsistent. Particularly, doubts have been raised regarding possible athermal biological effects in the young brain during neuronal development. Therefore, we developed and characterized a flexible experimental setup based on a transverse electromagnetic waveguide, allowing controlled, reproducible exposure of developing neuronal networks in vitro. Measurement of S-parameters confirmed very good performance of the Stripline in the band of 800-1000 MHz. Simulations suggested a flexible positioning of cell culture dishes throughout a large exposure area, as specific absorption rate values were quite independent of their position (361.7 ± 11.4 mW/kg) at 1 W, 900 MHz. During exposure, thermal drift inside cellular medium did not exceed 0.1 K. Embryonic rat cortical neurons were cultivated on microelectrode array chips to non-invasively assess electrophysiological properties of electrogenic networks. Measurements were taken for several weeks, which attest to the experimental setup being a reliable system for long-term studies on developing neuronal tissue.

Gendering migration narratives

The present study is an attempt to explore gendered construction of agency in and through personal narratives in the context of migration with a group of young Turks in the UK. Narratives relating the initial phase of migration were analysed via a systematic comparison regarding the construction of themes, the structure of narratives and performance in male and female migration stories. In men’s narratives, protagonists’ personal agency -their capacity to act on resources to adapt- appears to centre on their ability to distance themselves from vulnerabilities. However, preserving the protagonist from vulnerabilities to assign him an agentic position restricts the narrator’s ability to tell varied stories. In young women’s narratives, vulnerabilities are constructed as the main basis for their present identities and capabilities. Although this construction provides young women with a flexible position as a narrator and a protagonist, personal agency is constructed in a split manner.