Tapping Device Research Articles

Multispectral harvesting rare-earth oxysulphide based highly efficient transparent luminescent solar concentrator

Transparent luminescent solar concentrator (LSC) is extensively regarded as the most promising sunlight tapping device for its application in buildings integrated with photovoltaics (BIPV) or as solar window glass. Conventional LSCs doped with organic dyes suffered from high reabsorption losses with no transparency; whereas, recently reported heavy metal-doped quantum dots avoided such losses but possessed the risk of high toxicity and low ambient stability. Thus, luminophores with massive spectral shifts and cordial relationships with the environment are very much desirable. In this paper, we report the fabrication of PMMA based transparent LSC embedded with nanocrystals of environmental friendiness and multispectral harvesting gadolinium oxysulphide (Gd2O2S:Er,Yb) fluorophore. The Gd2O2S:Er,Yb nanofluorophore absorbs various excitation wavelengths ranging from UV to NIR and emits in the visible region offering huge Stoke's and anti-Stoke's shift concurrently. The non-existent reabsorption losses and overlapping maxima of Gd2O2S:Er,Yb nanofluorophore generated photon flux with solar cells' responsivity enhance the efficiency characteristics of the LSC waveguide. Performance analysis of LSC as a function of varying nanofluorophore dispersion ratio and changing edge width optimizes the fabrication process and exhibits high power conversion efficiency of ∼6.93% and optical efficiency of ∼8.57%. The LSC slab demonstrates high photostability under irradiation for prolonged hours without any dip in the emission characteristics. The Gd2O2S:Er,Yb nanofluorophore diffused LSC waveguide offering spectral tunability, cost-reduction, efficiency enhancement, and high concentration factor whilst being sustainable for long term use makes it a fascinating transparent solar window.

Voltage regulation and power loss reduction by integration of SVC in distribution networks via PSSE

Voltage stability is necessary in order to maintain the health of the grid system. In recent years, the load demand is increasing from time-to-time which compromised the stability of the system. On that purpose, several methods on enhancing the voltage stability of the system was introduced such as the transformer tap and FACTS devices. In a general overview, this study is to propose a several power compensation techniques on the base case of an IEEE-33 bus whereby power flow analysis using Netwon- Raphson in PSS/E software is performed. Afterwards, distributed generation (DG) and Static VAR Compensator (SVC) will be implemented within the distribution network to compensate the voltage instability losses based on the weakest index from the bus system. From both the cases which is proposed earlier, a comparison study is conducted on the performance on both DG and SVC within the proposed network.

Graphene Oxide Papers in Nanogenerators for Self-Powered Humidity Sensing by Finger Tapping

Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) offer an emerging market of self-sufficient power sources, converting the mechanical energy of the environment to electricity. Recently reported high power densities for the TENGs provide new applications opportunities, such as self-powered sensors. Here in this research, a flexible graphene oxide (GO) paper was fabricated through a straightforward method and utilized as the electrode of TENGs. Outstanding power density as high as 1.3 W.m−2, an open-circuit voltage up to 870 V, and a current density of 1.4 µA.cm−2 has been extracted in vertical contact-separation mode. The all-flexible TENG has been employed as a self-powered humidity sensor to investigate the effect of raising humidity on the output voltage and current by applying mechanical agitation in two forms of using a tapping device and finger tapping. Due to the presence of superficial functional groups on the GO paper, water molecules are inclined to be adsorbed, resulting in a considerable reduction in both generated voltage (from 144 V to 14 V) and current (from 23 µA to 3.7 µA) within the range of relative humidity of 20% to 99%. These results provide a promising applicability of the first suggested sensitive self-powered GO TENG humidity sensor in portable/wearable electronics.

Statistical Inter-stimulus Interval Window Estimation for Transient Neuromodulation via Paired Mechanical and Brain Stimulation.

For achieving motor recovery in individuals with sensorimotor deficits, augmented activation of the appropriate sensorimotor system, and facilitated induction of neural plasticity are essential. An emerging procedure that combines peripheral nerve stimulation and its associative stimulation with central brain stimulation is known to enhance the excitability of the motor cortex. In order to effectively apply this paired stimulation technique, timing between central and peripheral stimuli must be individually adjusted. There is a small range of effective timings between two stimuli, or the inter-stimulus interval window (ISI-W). Properties of ISI-W from neuromodulation in response to mechanical stimulation (Mstim) of muscles have been understudied because of the absence of a versatile and reliable mechanical stimulator. This paper adopted a combination of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and Mstim by using a high-precision robotic mechanical stimulator. A pneumatically operated robotic tendon tapping device was applied. A low-friction linear cylinder achieved high stimulation precision in time and low electromagnetic artifacts in physiological measurements. This paper describes a procedure to effectively estimate an individual ISI-W from the transiently enhanced motor evoked potential (MEP) with a reduced number of paired Mstim and sub-threshold TMS trials by applying statistical sampling and regression technique. This paper applied a total of four parametric and non-parametric statistical regression methods for ISI-W estimation. The developed procedure helps to reduce time for individually adjusting effective ISI, reducing physical burden on the subject.

Secure Green-Oriented Multiuser Scheduling for Wireless-Powered Internet of Things

In this paper, we consider the secure green-oriented multiuser scheduling for the wireless-powered Internet of Things (IoT) scenario, in which multiple source sensors communicate with a controller assisted by an intermediate sensor with the existence of a passive tapping device. Due to the limited energy, all sensors must acquire energy from external power beacons (PBs). Specifically, for the security improvement, we introduce two multiuser scheduling schemes possessing the optimal PB chosen by the relay, i.e., the best source sensor is scheduled in a random way (BSR), while the best source sensor is decided by the best PB (BSBP). Furthermore, for every scheme, we derive the analytical expressions for the secrecy outage probability (SOP) and investigate the secure energy efficiency (SEE) optimization problem with constricted transmission power in PBs. Simulation results reveal that the BSBP scheme provides better secrecy performance, and elevating the PBs quantity or reducing both the ratio of distance from PBs to source users and the total communication distance to some extent is helpful for improving SEE. In addition, the time-switching factor shows an important effect upon secrecy performance of the considered system.

Mechanised Rubber Tapping Devices

Kerala is the leading State in India for rubber plantations and grows to 92% of the Country’s total rubber production. Rubber is an important agricultural plantation, rapidly expanding in to both climatically optimal and suboptimal environmental conditions. Tapping of rubber trees is a skill oriented work and the labors availability in this field is a big problem faced today, which affected the natural rubber productivity in the plantations of Kerala. The unskilled labors cannot be used for traditional method of rubber tapping. This condition warrants the need of a semi-automatic or mechanised rubber tapping machine, which doesn’t need labor skill. The present study explains the Designs and other specifications of four Models of mechanised Rubber Tapping Devices

Automated Variable Stimulus Tendon Tapping Modulates Somatosensory Evoked Potentials.

Somatosensory Evoked Potentials (SSEPs) are an important tool for both basic neuroscience research and evaluation of therapeutic techniques. While a large body of work exists in the study of electrically induced SSEPs both as a metric for therapeutic performance and tool for physiological research, comparatively little work has explored stretch response SSEPs evoked via tendon tapping. The measurement of SSEPs necessitates both timing and stimulation intensity consistency. This work presents an evaluation of a simple tapping device for automating this procedure and a comparison to manual tendon tapping demonstrating significantly reduced variability in both timing and intensity. The variable intensity nature of automated tapping is then used to measure SSEPs in a single subject, with apparent modulation of peak-peak amplitude by stimulation intensity.

ACOUSTIC ANALYSIS AND MEASUREMENTS OF MEGA YACHTS DURING CONSTRUCTION

Noise is a critical parameter for super/mega yachts which can be verified only in the final stage of a mega yacht building project. Although there are more and more advanced methods to predict noise prior to the sea trials, verification has to be delayed until the noise survey is conducted during the sea trial. A new methodology is proposed based on measurements during construction to determine the transmission losses of both airborne and structure borne noise and propagation of the sound from the source to the receiver using these measurements. A 66 meter mega yacht case study is presented with measurements of airborne noise emitted through an omni-directional dodecahedron loudspeaker and measurements of structure borne noise generated by a tapping device. Both sound pressure levels and vibrations are measured to derive the transmission losses. A source-path-receiver method-based prediction tool, SNoPP, is employed to project the measurements into the final noise predictions. Comparisons between the measurements and the predictions are also presented.

A Rubber-Tapping Robot Forest Navigation and Information Collection System Based on 2D LiDAR and a Gyroscope.

Natural rubber is widely used in human life because of its excellent quality. At present, manual tapping is still the main way to obtain natural rubber. There is a sore need for intelligent tapping devices in the tapping industry, and the autonomous navigation technique is of great importance to make rubber-tapping devices intelligent. To realize the autonomous navigation of the intelligent rubber-tapping platform and to collect information on a rubber forest, the sparse point cloud data of tree trunks are extracted by the low-cost LiDAR and a gyroscope through the clustering method. The point cloud is fitted into circles by the Gauss–Newton method to obtain the center point of each tree. Then, these center points are threaded through the Least Squares method to obtain the straight line, which is regarded as the navigation path of the robot in this forest. Moreover, the Extended Kalman Filter (EKF) algorithm is adopted to obtain the robot’s position. In a forest with different row spacings and plant spacings, the heading error and lateral error of this robot are analyzed and a Fuzzy Controller is applied for the following activities: walking along one row with a fixed lateral distance, stopping at fixed points, turning from one row into another, and collecting information on plant spacing, row spacing, and trees’ diameters. Then, according to the collected information, each tree’s position is calculated, and the geometric feature map is constructed. In a forest with different row spacings and plant spacings, three repeated tests have been carried out at an initial speed of 0.3 m/s. The results show that the Root Mean Square (RMS) lateral errors are less than 10.32 cm, which shows that the proposed navigation method provides great path tracking. The fixed-point stopping range of the robot can meet the requirements for automatic rubber tapping of the mechanical arm, and the average stopping error is 12.08 cm. In the geometric feature map constructed by collecting information, the RMS radius errors are less than 0.66 cm, and the RMS plant spacing errors are less than 11.31 cm. These results show that the method for collecting information and constructing a map recursively in the process of navigation proposed in the paper provides a solution for forest information collection. The method provides a low-cost, real-time, and stable solution for forest navigation of automatic rubber tapping equipment, and the collected information not only assists the automatic tapping equipment to plan the tapping path, but also provides a basis for the informationization and precise management of a rubber plantation.

SAT-194 Correlation of Capillary and Venous Plasma Measurements of Anti-Müllerian Hormone

Anti-Müllerian Hormone (AMH) is a member of the transforming growth factor β superfamily which regulates gonadal development and differentiation. AMH is a biomarker for ovarian age and reserve used to assess fertility and predict ovulation induction outcome. It is also a marker for diagnosis and treatment of polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), menopausal transition, and gonadal function. As diagnostic testing begins to expand into self-collection and point-of-care capabilities, there is a need to minimize sample volume requirements and include additional sample types. The TAP device, manufactured by Seventh Sense Biosystems (Medford, MA), is a small, easy to use, single push device that collects approximately 100 µL whole blood from the upper arm. As the blood travels through the channels of the device it is mixed with lithium heparin anticoagulant. The device collects capillary blood and is FDA approved for use in hemoglobin A1c measurements. In this study, AMH levels in venous and capillary plasma were compared. AMH was measured by an electrochemiluminescent immunoassay requiring only 40 µL plasma. The performance characteristics of the assay including accuracy, precision, linearity, and limits of quantitation were assessed. The stability of samples stored in the TAP device was also evaluated. Twenty-one female volunteers ages 24 to 67 donated paired venous and capillary blood samples. Venous plasma from donors with undetectable AMH levels was used as a matrix for spike and recovery studies to verify acceptable accuracy and precision across the analytical measurement range (AMR) and establish the lower (LLOQ) and upper (ULOQ) limits of quantitation. The ULOQ and LLOQ were 15 and 0.15 ng/mL, respectively. Accuracy was within 20% and precision within 15% across the AMR. Linearity was evaluated by serially diluting samples with high levels of AMH in AMH-negative pooled plasma. The maximum acceptable dilution was 8-fold. Correlation of venous and capillary results was excellent. A linear least square model resulted in a coefficient of determination (R2) of 0.998. Four capillary blood samples were collected from each of three donors for stability analysis. One was processed immediately and used as the baseline. The remaining three samples were stored at 2-8°C in the TAP device for 3, 5 and 7 days before processing. Plasma collected after 5 and 7-day storage in the TAP device was moderately hemolyzed and smaller volumes were retrieved. The hemolysis did not impact AMH measurement. AMH was stable at all time points tested with mean recovery of 104% compared to baseline values. This study shows that very small volumes of venous and capillary plasma can be used to accurately measure AMH levels. The ability to measure AMH in capillary blood via the TAP device allows for quick and reproducible blood collection, potentially outside the healthcare setting, improving access to diagnostic information.

On the Emerging Class of Non-Isolated Modular Multilevel DC–DC Converters for DC and Hybrid AC–DC Systems

Explosive levels of research into modular multilevel dc–dc converters (dc–dc MMCs) for dc and hybrid ac–dc systems are currently being witnessed. A new class of dc–dc MMCs has recently emerged that obviates the traditional intermediate ac link with galvanic isolation by internally circulating ac power among the converter switching cells. This novel power transfer mechanism opens the door to an array of new non-isolated converter structures with broad application in MVDC and HVDC systems. This paper gives a comprehensive overview of dc–dc MMCs that exploit the circulating ac power concept. Emergent topologies suitable for use in dc and hybrid ac–dc grids are identified and collated into the following categories: 1) two-terminal and multi-terminal dc–dc MMCs; 2) dc–dc MMCs with ac grid interface; 3) dc line power tapping devices; and 4) dc line power flow controllers. The survey provides researchers with an overall snapshot of technology development for this promising new class of converters in key areas relevant to smart grids.

Validity and reliability of a 10-second foot-tap test in older adults

The purposes of this study were to: (1) compare differences in foot-tap speed between younger and older adults; (2) examine the relationship between foot-tap time and foot-activated reaction time (RT); and (3) assess test-retest reliability of the foot-tap test. Number of Subjects: 115 adults (F=70, M4=5) were recruited from local schools and churches; the sample included 72 young adults (18-64 yo) and 43 older adults (65-92 yo). Subjects with known cognitive, visual, or lower extremity motor deficits were excluded. Methods: After signing an informed consent, subjects were seated at a table where they performed a computerized reaction time test by depressing a foot pedal when a stoplight changed colour. SRTs for 5 trials were averaged for each foot. Subjects then performed the foot-tap test using an electronic tapping device (Western Psychological Services, Los Angeles, CA) which recorded the number of foot taps performed during a 10-sec interval. The subjects’ dominant foot was tested first, followed by a test of the non-dominant foot, and a repeat test of the dominant foot (to assess reliability). A 1-min rest was provided between tests. An independent t-test compared the mean number of foot-taps (on each foot) between age groups, and a paired t-test compared the number of foot-taps between subjects’ dominant and non-dominant feet. A Pearson correlation coefficient was used to analyze the relationship between SRT and number of foot-taps, and an intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC3,1) and Limits of Agreement (LOA) graph were used to assess test-retest reliability. All data were analyzed at the .05 alpha level using SPSS 23 statistical software. Results: The mean number of foot taps differed significantly (p≤.001) between age groups with younger subjects averaging 41.45 (±10.91) taps with the dominant foot and 40.65 (±11.44) taps with the non-dominant foot. Older subjects averaged 28.29 (±10.21) taps with the dominant foot and 26.81 (±11.20) with the non-dominant foot. A mean difference of ≈ 3 taps was found between the dominant and non-dominant feet across all subjects (t=4.616, p≤.001). A moderate, inverse correlation (r=-.451,p=.001) was found between SRT and number of foot taps on the dominant foot. A significant correlation was found between the 2 foot-tap tests performed with the dominant foot (ICC=.793, p≤.001). Conclusions: Younger adults averaged 13 to 14 more foot-taps during the 10-sec test than older adults. Additionally, all subjects demonstrated slightly more foot taps using their dominant foot. Faster reaction times were moderately associated with a higher number of foot taps, and test-retest reliability of the foot-tap test was acceptable. Clinical Relevance: This study demonstrates the moderate effect that normal aging has on foot-tap speed and provides normal values that clinicians may use as a reference when testing individuals with various neurological pathologies. However, the moderate correlation found between reaction time and foot taps suggests that these tests do not necessarily measure the same psychomotor attribute.

Synthesis, physical-chemical and biological properties of 8-aminoderivatives of 7-alkyl-3-methylxanthines

The search for new high-performance antimicrobial compounds remains one of the most important tasks of modern pharmaceutical chemistry, despite the wide range of modern natural, synthetic and semi-synthetic drugs for the treatment of infectious diseases.This is especially true for the naturally occurring compounds, new non-toxic and effective drugs can be created by their chemical modification for the treatment of various infectious pathologies. Recent researches in this area point to significant prospect of new synthetic derivatives of xanthine.
 The aim of this work is to develop simple laboratory methods for synthesizing 8-aminoderivatives of 7-alkyl-3-methylxanthines and to study their physical and chemical peculiarities and antimicrobial properties.
 The meltingpoint has been determined with the help of an open capillary method with TAP device (M). Elemental analysis has been performed with the help of the instrument ElementarVario L cube, NMR-spectra have been taken on a spectrometer Bruker SF-400 (operating frequency of 400 MHz, solvent DMSO-d6, internal standard – TMS). These data correspond to the calculated elemental analysis.
 For the initial screening study of the newly-synthesized substances benchmark testing-cultures of both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria have been used, which belong to clinically significant groups of infections agents which are differing by their morpho-physiological properties.
 Through the reaction of 7-alkyl-3-methylxanthines with primary and secondary amines in water, water-ethanol, water-dioxane or cellosolve environment a range of 8-aminoderivativeshas been obtained which was not described earlier.
 Developing accessible laboratory methods to synthesize new 8-aminoderivatives of 7-alkyl-3-methylxanthines, which are potential bioactive compounds. Studying NMR-spectral characteristics of the obtained substances.
 Initial screening research of antimicrobial activity of the synthesized compounds has shown that 8-aminoxanthines (4, 6–12) can be used in medical practice as antistaphylococcal drugs, and 3-methyl-8-(4-methylpiperidine-1-yl)-7-n-propilxanthine (5)– antifungal agentafter additional studies.

Design and fabrication of a prototype solar tapping device

Fossil fuel based energy sources are most commonly used because of the ease of availability and affordability, but have many long lasting negative effects, due to which a shift must be made to renewable and clean energy sources such as solar energy. Efficiency of the photovoltaic cells have increased by 1% every ten months, resulting in reduced costs and increased number of users. The project will explore the design and fabrication of an improved and efficient solar tapping device. An effort will be made to incorporate an architectural concept called “barrel vault” that is primarily used for natural lighting, over a Fresnel lens plate setup to act as a collector. The tracking mechanism incorporated is unique and can be modified to either have single axis or dual axis tracking depending on the requirements. Keeping in mind the environment and cost, an attempt has been made to fabricate the product with higher energy conversion rate, at an affordable cost using the above techniques. Upon analysing the results, the conclusion could be drawn that there was an increase in conversion rate of up to twice the traditional setup.

A tapping device for recording and quantitative characterization of rhythmic/auditory sequences.

The processing of auditory stimuli is essential for the correct perception of language and deficits in this ability are often related to the presence or development of language disorders. The motor imitation (e.g. tapping or beating) of rhythmic sequences can be a very sensitive correlate of deficits in auditory processing. Thus, the study of the tapping performance, with the investigation of both temporal and intensity information, might be very useful. The present work is aimed at the development and preliminary testing of a tapping device to be used for the imitation and/or the production of rhythmic sequences, allowing the recording of both tapping duration and intensity. The device is essentially made up of a Force Sensing Resistor and an Arduino UNO board. It was validated using different sampling frequencies (fs) in a group of 10 young healthy adults investigating its efficacy in terms of touch and intensity detection by means of two testing procedures. Results demonstrated a good performance of the device when programmed with fs equal to 50 and 100Hz. Moreover, both temporal and intensity parameters were extracted, thus supporting the potential use of the device for the analysis of the imitation or production of rhythmic sequences. This work represents a first step for the development of a useful, low cost tool to support the diagnosis, training and rehabilitation of language disorders.

Assessment of finger motor skills in individuals with mild cognitive impairment and patients with Alzheimer's disease: Relationship between finger-to-thumb tapping and cognitive function

Suzumura S, Osawa A, Nagahama T, Kondo I, Sano Y, Kandori A. Assessment of finger motor skills in individuals with mild cognitive impairment and patients with Alzheimer's disease: Relationship between finger-to-thumb tapping and cognitive function. Jpn J Compr Rehabil Sci 2016; 7: 19-28.Objective: Decreased finger dexterity can impede a person's daily activities. The present study examined finger dexterity in individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) compared with healthy older adults using a magnetic sensing finger tapping device (UB-1).Methods: Finger-to-thumb tapping tasks were carried out by 23 patients who were diagnosed with AD or MCI at the authors' hospital (AD/MCI group) and 22 members of their families (healthy control group), and measurement parameters were calculated. Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) was carried out to assess cognitive function and the association between finger function and the results of MMSE was evaluated. Additionally, the measurement parameters were compared between the AD/MCI group (n = 14) and the healthy control group (n = 13) after adjusting for age.Results: A correlation between finger function and MMSE results was observed in five measurement parameters (r ≥ 0.6). Additionally, in the AD/MCI group, the total traveling distance was shorter compared to that in the healthy control group and rhythm perturbations were observed (p < 0.05).Discussion: In the present study, the AD/MCI group showed decreased finger dexterity, which was also found to be associated with decline in cognitive function. It is suggested that assessment of finger dexterity can be used as an indicator of cognitive function.

Lumbosacral pedicle screw placement using a fluoroscopic pedicle axis view and a cannulated tapping device.

BackgroundPedicle screw insertions are commonly used for posterior fixation to treat various spine disorders. However, the misplacement of pedicle screws can lead to disastrous complications. Inaccurate pedicle screw placement is relatively common even when placement is performed under fluoroscopic control. In order to improve the accuracy of the screw placement, we applied a technique using guide wires and a cannulated tapping device with the assistance of a fluoroscopic pedicle axis view.MethodsFrom 2006 to 2011, 854 pedicle screws were placed in 176 patients in lumbosacral spinal fusion surgeries. The accuracy of screw placement was evaluated using postoperative reconstructed computed tomography images. Screw misplacement was classified as minor (cortical perforation <3 mm), moderate (cortical perforation 3–6 mm), or severe (cortical perforation >6 mm). Using logistic regression analysis, we also investigated the potential risk factors associated with screw misplacement.ResultsPedicle screw misplacement was observed in 37 screws (4.3 %) in 34 patients. In the sub-classification analysis, 28 screws (3.3 %) were determined to be minor perforations, 7 screws (0.8 %) were considered to be moderate perforations, and 2 screws (0.2 %) was judged to be a severe perforation (cortical perforation >6 mm). None of the 28 screws that were considered to be minor perforations were associated with any significant symptoms in the patients. However, 2 of the 9 screws that were determined to be moderate or severe perforations caused neurological symptoms (1 of which required revision). No significant differences were observed in the incidence of screw misplacement among the vertebral levels. Significant risk factors for screw misplacement were obesity and degenerative scoliosis. The odds ratios of these significant risk factors were 3.593 (95 % confidence interval (CI), 1.061–12.175) for obesity and 8.893 for degenerative scoliosis (95 % CI, 1.200–76.220).ConclusionsA modified fluoroscopic technique using a pedicle axis view and a cannulated tapping instrument can achieve safe and accurate pedicle screw placement. In addition, obesity and degenerative scoliosis were identified as significant risk factors for screw misplacement.

Correlation between Powder Flow Properties Measured by Shear Testing and Hausner Ratio

Shear testing provides rigorous estimates of flow properties relevant to the characterization, handling, and processing of powders, and is a necessary test procedure in the formal design of powder storage facilities. However, despite the automation of modern test equipment, it can be time consuming and expensive. In contrast, measurement of bulk density is straightforward and less laborious, and tapping devices are cheaper. Here we explore the relationship between Hausner ratio and cohesion and also examine correlation between Hausner ratio, σc/σy, and σpre for a suite of 13 milled and 2 spray-dried lactose powders, 3 sand samples and 3 samples of refractory dust; Hausner ratio is the ratio of tapped bulk density to loose bulk density, σc is major consolidation stress, σy is unconfined yield stress and σpre is preconsolidation stress. Cohesion and flow function were measured with an annular shear cell at values of σpre up to 5kPa. Loose poured bulk density was measured following a modified New Zealand standard and tapped density measurement was based on a method for dry dairy products and the European Pharmacopoeia; Hausner ratio at 1250 taps was used. Our results show that cohesion at σpre of 0.31kPa, 0.61kPa, 1.20kPa, 2.41kPa, and 4.85kPa correlates linearly with Hausner ratio; the slope and intercept of the correlation are functions of σpre. A plot of σc/σy against Hausner ratio shows an exponential decay trend and regression yields two fitting parameters that correlate well with σpre. These correlations are potentially useful for assessing flow characteristics when shear testing cannot be performed.

Finger-tapping Motion Analysis in Cervical Myelopathy by Magnetic-Sensor Tapping Device

Case-control study. The purpose of this study is to determine finger motion of patients with cervical myelopathy during finger-tapping cycles. A major symptom of patients with compressive cervical myelopathy is finger clumsiness. Therefore, understanding finger motion is prerequisite in assessing the severity of myelopathy. The popular grip-and-release test evaluates only the number of motion cycles, which is insufficient to fully describe complex finger motion. Forty-three patients with cervical myelopathy and 41 healthy controls tapped their index fingers against their thumbs as rapidly as possible for 30 seconds and the motion was recorded by a magnetic-sensor coil attached to the nail surface. Output signals were stored in a computer, which automatically calculated tapping frequency, distance moved, ratio of opening/closing velocity and the SD of the tapping interval. The SD of the tapping interval was significantly greater and all other measures were significantly smaller in patients with cervical myelopathy, than in healthy controls. All indices significantly improved after surgical decompression of the cervical spine. Distance moved (Pearson correlation coefficient: r=0.590, P<0.001) and the SD of the tapping interval (r=-0.451; P=0.002) were significantly correlated with the Japanese Orthopedic Association score (neurological scale). The quantitative evaluation of finger paralysis was performed by this tapping device. Speed and regularity in repetitive motion of fingers were correlated with the severity of cervical myelopathy.

Power Tapping Function in Near Infra-Red Region Based on 45&amp;#176; Tilted Fiber Gratings

We report an efficient power tapping device working in near infra-red (800 nm) wavelength region based on UV-in- scribed 45° tilted fiber grating (45°-TFG) structure. Five 45°-TFGs were UV-inscribed in hydrogenated PS750 fiber using a custom-designed phase mask with different grating lengths of 3 mm, 5 mm, 9 mm, 12 mm and 15 mm, showing polarization dependent losses (PDLs) of 1 dB, 3 dB, 7 dB, 10 dB and 13 dB, respectively. The power side-tapping efficiency is clearly depending on the grating strength. It has been identified that the power tapping efficiency increases with the grating strength and deceases along the grating length. The side-tapped power profile has also been examined in azimuthal direction, showing a near-Gaussian distribution. These experimental results clearly demonstrated that 45°- TFGs may be used as in-fiber power tapping devices for applications requiring in-line signal monitoring.