Top Rail Research Articles

Wooden furniture design based on physiological-psychological measurement technology and Kansei engineering: Taking Ming-style chair as an example

Psychological and physiological cognitive measurements were combined with Kansei engineering theory to study the shape of the traditional Chinese official-hat chair, a kind of Ming-style chairs, while investigating people’s perceptual cognitive process. This work employed focus groups to obtain 5 groups of representative words and 22 typical samples for evaluation experiments. After data preprocessing, principal component analysis (PCA) was used to extract three main components: “Concise-Ornate”, “Soft-Strong”, and “Elegant-Vulgar”. In terms of component weight calculation, the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) was initially used to calculate the subjective cognitive weight of different components, and then eye-tracking technology was used to assist in calculating the physiological cognitive weight. Finally, combining the subjective and objective weights, the weights of the components were determined as: backrest (41.02%) > stretcher (18.29%) > handrail (11.64%) > top rail (11.14%) > outside stick (8.64%) > inside stick (5.32%) > foot rail (3.95%). The four main components—backrest, stretcher, handrail, and top rail—along with perceptual image evaluations, were selected to establish a multivariate linear regression equation, thereby constructing a mathematical mapping relationship between perceptual image and main design elements. This provides theoretical support for designers in creating different perceptual images.

Morbidity and Mortality of Birds of Prey Admitted to Rehabilitation Centers for Barbed Wire Injuries, New Mexico, USA, 2016-2021.

Interest in the role of fences in wildlife movement and injuries is growing, especially in the western US, where many miles of barbed wire fences crisscross the landscape. However, literature is limited on the effect of barbed wire on avian populations. From 2016 to 2021, six New Mexico, USA, rehabilitation centers accepted 49 raptors injured by barbed wire. Eight species were represented; the majority were Great Horned Owls (Bubo virginianus). Other owls, buteos, and a single falcon were also affected. Most of the injured birds came from counties with low human population density. The injuries tended to be severe, and most birds died or were euthanized; 11 survived, and only eight birds were released. During the study period, barbed wire injuries accounted for over 12% of Great-horned Owl admissions to rehabilitation centers and 7% of all owl admissions. At one New Mexican wildlife rehabilitation center, raptors admitted for barbed wire-associated injuries were more likely to die or be euthanized compared with those admitted for other reasons. Given the welfare effects to these birds, more research is needed to determine whether wildlife-friendly fence modifications, such as a smooth top wire or rail, would mitigate injuries to birds of prey.

ALAT PROYEK MIKRO KONTROL PENGHAPUS PAPAN TULIS OTOMATIS MENGGUNAKAN REMOTE BERBASIS ARDUINO

The development of automation technology on blackboard erasers can increase the level of hygiene and health, because with an automation system the activity of erasing the blackboard can be carried out automatically without inhaling marker ink which has an impact on health and does not dirty hands. The purpose and working mechanism of making an automatic blackboard eraser using a remote and Arduino. The method of designing an automatic whiteboard eraser is made using an arduino uno as a microcontroller and an infrared remote that controls a stepper motor to drive the eraser. The assembly of the blackboard eraser mechanism is done by preparing a blackboard prototype that has been mounted on an iron frame. Then, install the top rail and bottom rail. Followed by installing the upper and lower wheels on the upper and lower rails that have been glued to the eraser clamp. The results of the design of an automatic whiteboard eraser based on Arduino Uno, can facilitate teachers and students in the learning process. The conclusion of this design is that the automatic whiteboard eraser can work according to the program that has been entered into the arduino uno and is controlled by an infrared remote and the whiteboard eraser working mechanism functions properly to erase the marker ink on the blackboard with a power of 26.67 watts

Experimental investigations with Neodymium – Iron – Boron magnets with aluminum circular plates to find deceleration, time taken and stopping distance

There are quite a lot of problems in friction brake like squealing, peddle pulsation, structural failure due to high heat, circular plate distortions. Hence, the present work tries to focus on developing no contact brakes by applying induced magnetization principles. Aluminum circular plate along with Neodymium – Iron – Boron (NdFeB) rare earth magnets are chosen for the work. Thickness of circular plates considered are 4, 6 and 8 mm. Chosen Aluminum circular plates are rotated at velocities of 20.94 m/s, 31.39 m/s, 41.89 m/s and 52.36 m/s. Considered brake parameters are brake deceleration, time elapsed for braking and stopping distance. In solitary magnet situation under steady application, aforesaid brake parameters are inferior as compared to those in solitary magnet with swift application situation. Brake parameters were found to be quite superior in 4 mm thick circular plate in solitary magnet with swift application. Considering the parameters such as time elapsed for braking and stopping distance, no contact brakes with permanent magnets are very suitable for top velocity rail applications.

Nondestructive Forensic Investigation of a Scissor Lift Fatality

After a worker was found fatally pinned between the top rail of a scissor lift and an overhead beam, rescue attempts were frustrated by unresponsive lift controls. In the investigation of this fatal accident, certain lift controls did not function or functioned intermittently. The intermittent nature of the malfunction indicated that the evidence was sensitive — likely to be disturbed if the device was disassembled using typical destructive techniques. Therefore, nondestructive techniques were required. This study discusses how X-ray imaging, computed tomography (CT), electrical testing, and engineering analysis of the lift and control system were used to investigate the causes and contributing factors of this fatal accident without disturbing sensitive evidence.

Algorithm for simulation of vibration effects during track tests of aircraft and missile technology

Track high-speed ground tests of products of aviation and rocket technology make it possible to experimentally confirm the aerodynamic and strength characteristics of new aircraft or their components. Experimental installation Rocket rail track 3500, located on the territory of the Federal State Enterprise Scientific Test Range of Aviation Systems named after L. K. Safronov (FKP GkNIPAS named after L.K. Safronov), is a complex hydro-gas-dynamic engineering structure. The main part of this installation is a rail track placed on a special concrete base, which is based on piles to eliminate the influence of viscoelastic ground vibrations. Between the rails, taking into account the profile of the track, a hydrodynamic multi-level tray is made, designed for hydraulic braking of the stored track sled. The movable rocket track sled rests on slip shoes covering the top rail head. On the track sleigh, solid propellant rocket engines and the object of study are placed. The article describes the approach to the calculation of determining the dynamic loads acting on the elastic structure of the track sled with the test object. The design is represented by a schematic spatial model of elastic beams in the form of rods, plates, pipes with equivalent mass and stiffness, interconnected by elastic links. A model of non-stationary aerodynamic forces is formulated taking into account viscosity for numerical calculations of the flow around the sled structure. Programs have been developed and modeling of the aerodynamic interaction in the case of a supersonic air flow around the structure of a rocket sled has been carried out. The results of vibrational accelerations of elements, components of the sled and the test object, depending on the speed of movement, were obtained by calculation. The forms and frequencies of natural free vibrations of the sled structure are determined, and the densities of the vibration acceleration spectra are calculated.

Instrumentation Results of New Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware Crash Tested Barriers for William P. Lane, Jr. Bridge

Two new bridge barriers were crash tested in accordance with AASHTO Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware (MASH) guidelines for future use on the William P. Lane Bridge over the Chesapeake Bay: (1) a combination barrier consisting of a reinforced concrete parapet with a top steel rail evaluated for Test Level 4 (TL-4); and (2) a combination barrier consisting of a steel parapet with a top steel rail evaluated for test levels TL-4 and TL-5. For the first test configuration, the reinforced concrete barrier was attached to a representative overhang deck slab using anchor rods. In the vicinity of the vehicle impact points, load cells were installed to measure forces in anchor bolts, and strain gauges were attached to reinforcing bars to resolve measured strain data into forces through the overhang deck slab. In the second test configuration, the steel barrier was supported by evenly spaced representative floorbeams using a bolted base plate connection. Strain gauges were attached to elements of the barrier at support locations adjacent to the vehicle impact point to evaluate force transfer through the barrier system into the base plate connections. Linear potentiometers were installed to measure lateral dynamic deflection of the barrier near the vehicle impact region. This paper presents the analysis results of the force, strain, and displacement data measured in the barrier and deck structural components during crash load testing.

Eddy Current Probe Configuration for Full Rail Top Surface Inspection

In this paper, we have carried out an experimental study of the detection of top rail surface cracks. Firstly, we have highlighted the inability to inspect the entire rail head surface by a single sensor with a single scan. To overcome this inspection inability, we have proposed a multisensor system composed of three differential probes arranged within a specific configuration. The yielded results showed the efficiency and the robustness of the proposed configuration in the detection of cracks regardless its size, orientation and location.

Crash Testing and Evaluation of Culvert-Mounted Midwest Guardrail System

Concrete box culverts are usually installed under roadways to allow water drainage without affecting the motoring public. Culvert openings can represent a hazard on the roadside when they do not extend outside of the clear zone, and often require safety treatments in the form of roadside barriers. In this study, a modified design of Midwest Guardrail System (MGS) was evaluated for installation on a low-fill culvert with the strong-post attachment using through-bolts and epoxy anchorage through full-scale crash testing. The test installation consisted of MGS with a 31 in. top rail height, supported by W6 × 9 posts, spaced at 37½ in., attached to a low-fill culvert’s top slab with a 12 in. offset from the back of the post to the culvert headwall. Two crash tests were conducted according to the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials’ (AASHTO) Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware (MASH) 2016 Test Level 3 impact safety criteria. In test number CMGS-1, a 2,428-lb car impacted the MGS attached to the culvert at a speed of 61.3 mph and at an angle of 25.1°. In test number CMGS-2, a 5,013-lb pickup truck impacted the MGS attached to the culvert at a speed of 62.8 mph and an angle of 25.7°. In both tests, the vehicle was safely redirected and captured. Both tests were deemed acceptable according to TL-3 safety criteria in MASH. Recommendations were made for the safe installation of MGS atop low-fill culverts as well as transitions from the standard MGS to the culvert-mounted MGS.

New recommendations for self-locking barriers to reduce skin injuries in dairy cows

The design of self-locking barriers can affect cows’ skin injuries and impair welfare. This study aimed to propose and refine recommendations, expressed relatively to the cows’ dimensions, for self-locking barrier design to reduce risks for skin injuries on the neck/shoulder/back and on carpus of dairy cows. We recorded individual body dimensions and the dimensions of self-locking barriers (e.g. top rail height) and assessed skin injuries on 3801 cows from 131 loose-housing dairy farms. We explored the significant associations between presence/absence of skin injuries and self-locking barrier dimensions using weighted multivariable logistic regression, taking into account the diversity of feeding barriers within each farm. The robustness of the models was assessed by cross-validation. Cows had skin injuries mainly on the neck/shoulder/back (29.0%) and, to a lesser extent, on the carpus (14.0%). The final multivariable logistic regression models comprised 13 factors for skin injuries on the neck/shoulder/back, and 11 factors for skin injuries on the carpus. Skin injuries were significantly reduced when the self-locking barriers were inclined (neck/shoulder/back) and when the cows used a feeding table (i.e. flat) instead of a feeding manger or cribs (i.e. hollow) (carpus). A top rail height >1.05 × cow height (measured at withers) was significantly associated with fewer skin injuries on the neck/shoulder/back and on carpus. Skin injuries on the neck/shoulder/back and carpus were significantly reduced when the bottom rail was on the food side relative to the wall, and at a height <0.39 of cow height. Skin injuries were significantly less frequent when the separation wall had no sharp edges on the food side (neck/shoulder/back), was >0.4 of cow height (carpus), was thinner than 15 cm (neck/shoulder/back and carpus) and when the height of the feeding step was 0.04 to 0.1 of cow height (neck/shoulder/back) and the length of the feeding step was <0.2 of cow length (carpus). A headlock articulation nut positioned between 0.62 and 0.78 of cow height significantly reduced skin injuries on the neck/shoulder/back. Here, by combining the diversity of on-farm self-locking barriers and their respective dimensions, we were able to refine the International Commission of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering recommendations for self-locking barrier design and to propose new ones. This information now needs to be confirmed on other datasets, but can already help farmers and dairy industry stakeholders improve the design of self-locking barriers to improve dairy cow welfare.

Ten-Year Performance of Shell-Treated Wooden Deck

The performance of a wooden deck made of refractory materials that have difficulties in achieving target penetrations as stipulated in the specification and quality standards for treated wood in Korea, was assessed via a case study in this research. A wooden deck built in Jinju in 2009 was selected for this study because of its fabrication method using pressure and treated refractory materials. The penetration and retention analysis did not satisfy the domestic standard for treated wood. Inspection of the deck in 2019 revealed that the deck had been attacked by decay fungi. Cap rails showed much deeper and wider checking on their surface compared with the top and base rails, resulting in a severe fungal attack. The decking boards exhibited severe fungal decay primarily in the end parts. However, the rails and balusters without checks and posts were virtually free of fungal attack irrespective of the preservative penetration measures. Copper content in the soil 5 cm away from the deck was less than 150 mg/kg, implying that copper movement in the soil was very limited. These results suggest that the inhibition of surface propagation and the protection of end surfaces are essential factors in increasing the longevity of treated wooden decks; further, the results also showed that the deck was within an acceptable range from the point of copper contamination.

Do International Commission of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering (CIGR) dimension recommendations for loose housing of cows improve animal welfare?

Design of cubicles and self-locking barriers can affect cow skin alterations, lameness, and dirtiness. We investigated whether the International Commission of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering (CIGR, Gainesville, FL)-recommended cattle housing design and dimensions actually improve cow welfare. We recorded individual cow body dimensions and assessed skin alterations, dirtiness, and lameness on 3,841 cows from 131 loose housing dairy farms (76 farms with cubicles and 55 straw-yard systems). We recorded the dimensions of cubicles (e.g., width, length, and so on) and of the self-locking barrier (e.g., top rail height and so on) for each farm. We then compared whether these dimensions would match with the individual cow body dimensions and whether compliance was associated with the occurrence of skin alterations, lameness, and dirtiness. Most cows (69.2%) had at least one skin alteration, on the tarsus (41.2%); neck, shoulder, or back (28.2%); hindquarters (22.0%); carpus (21.2%); and flank, side, or udder (11.6%). Lameness prevalence reached 17.9%. Most cows (83.1%) were scored dirty in at least one body region, mainly on the lower hind legs including hocks (81.4%), hindquarters (41.8%), and udder (21.0%). Cubicle recommendations were mostly met for cubicle resting length (75.9% of cubicles) and neck rail distance (NRD, 60.7%) but less so for overall cubicle length (CL, 38.8%), cubicle width (CW, 30.9%), neck rail height (NRH, 22.5%), head space (HS, 15.8%), partition zone for controlling lying position (ii zone, 15.7%), head and lunging space (HLS, 10.6%), partition head zone (i zone, 9.4%), and partition zone for pelvis freedom (iii zone, 6.0%). Compliance with design recommendations was associated with fewer skin alterations on neck (recommendation met for CW, CL, HS, and NRD and i zone), hindquarters (CW, CL, NRD), tarsus (CW, i and ii zones), and carpus (CW, HS, i and ii zones); less lameness (CW, NRH, i zone); and less dirtiness on the hindquarters (CW, HLS, NRD), lower hind legs (iii zone), and udder (CW, CL, HLS, NRD). Compliance with recommended i zone and ii zone design was associated with less injury and lameness but more dirtiness, whereas the opposite was true for the iii zone. Self-locking barrier recommendations were mostly met for bottom rail height (68.2%), separation wall width (SWW, 68.3%), and top rail height (TRH, 56.9%) and less often met for separation wall height (36.3%) and height difference between feeding floor and walking alley (26.5%). Risk for skin alterations on carpus and neck only decreased when SWW and TRH met recommendations. In conclusion, compliance with CIGR recommendations for some cubicle dimensions and neck rail position was associated with lower risk for cow welfare. However, the CIGR recommendations on cubicle partitions and self-locking barriers still leave welfare at risk and so need to be refined through further research with close observation of cow lying and feeding behavior.

Experimental investigation and Finite Element (FE) analysis of the load-deformation response of PVC fencing structures

Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) posts and rails are increasingly being used as components of fencing structures because of their good mechanical properties, which include long service life, good chemical resistance, ability to be processed into complex geometry and good aesthetics. However, there has been no experimental or Finite Element (FE) study on the load-deformation response of PVC fencing structures. In addition, currently, no stiffness or structural load-bearing design standards exist for these types of fencing structures. Therefore, this study describes an investigation of the load-deformation response of a two-bay PVC post and rail fencing structure. The fencing structure was loaded experimentally at the top of the centre post and mid-bay points of the top rail. The load-deflection responses recorded during the tests on the fencing structure are presented and shown to be both linear and repeatable (i.e. three load-unload tests were carried out and showed identical responses). Based on the transverse deflection at the maximum applied load, the transverse stiffness of the two-bay PVC fencing structure was calculated to be 12.7–14 N/mm. A comparison of the transverse stiffness of the PVC fence with a similar timber fence showed the timber fence was approximately 262% stiffer than the PVC fence. Furthermore, FE modelling using a commercial software (ANSYS) was carried out on the PVC fencing structure to supplement the experimental work, and good agreement between the FE analyses and experimental test results was demonstrated. Hence, this paper provides initial knowledge and understanding of the linear elastic load-transverse deflection response of PVC fencing structures, and constitutes useful structural design guidance for what may be regarded as the in-service or practical deformation limit. The results of this study also provide useful benchmarks for future composite materials and components for fencing and other structural applications.

Affective images of the top rails in China traditional rosewood chairs

In order to adapt to the developing personalised customisation market, product designs should consider the changed affective images of products in the current customer mind. Kansei engineering is an effective method to analysis and setup affective images of products. Rosewood furniture is the typical representative of China traditional culture. But with the change of time, its affective images in people's mind have changed and so its affective word space and images is a valuable research subject for modern furniture designers. Taking the top rails in China traditional rosewood chairs as the research subject, this paper setup the affective word semantic space of the top rails using questionnaire survey, semantic differential method and principal component analysis method, studied their affective word semantic images and tried to apply these traditional design elements in modern chair design according to their different affective images.

Curation Conservation

Curation Conservation Andrea Appleton (bio) I Feral cats can jump as high as six feet. Juvenile mice can fit through a hole smaller than an aspirin tablet. Stoats move so quickly they can scale an electric fence between high voltage pulses and land on the other side unscathed. We have learned these things by trying to fence these animals out. We are fencing them out to atone for our mistakes. Human beings have rearranged the matrix of life on Earth, sometimes on purpose and sometimes by accident. In the nineteenth century, the British wanted to blow bugles and hunt foxes in Australia just like they did on their Yorkshire estates, so they shipped some over. The foxes still live there in vast numbers, devouring numbats and wallabies. Captain Cook accidentally left rats on tropical islands throughout the Pacific. Rats love nothing better than the egg of a ground-nesting bird. Whalers and explorers like Cook often had cats on board to control the rats; many disembarked and discovered that naïve island birds made for an easier supper. Invasive predators have contributed to more than half of all bird, mammal, and reptile extinctions. What can we do? We cannot herd together all the foxes and dispose of them. We cannot poison all the rats. Only very brave souls dare propose killing that most beloved of creatures, the cat. So we are beginning to fence in natural areas and fence out invaders. In Australia, a new enclosure to protect native animals from hungry cats, foxes, and other invaders goes up every year, on average. Federal, state, and municipal governments, NGOs, local environmental groups, and even individuals erect them. Last year, a nonprofit organization completed the world's largest, encompassing an area thirty times the size of Central Park. New Zealand, South Africa, and the United States have installed miles of predator-proof fencing. There are fences in the city and fences in remote deserts. There are fences to protect lizards and fences to protect snails. One fence crosses forty-two streams, with special gates to let fish in and out. The predators patrol the perimeter of these enclosures, sniffing, waiting. A tree could fall and break a fence, someone might leave a gate open, a kangaroo could [End Page 181] jump on the top rail and crush a fence section like a tin can. It takes less than twenty-four hours after a fence break for the rats to start streaming in. II When I was a kid, I watched a lot of "bear shows." That's what my family called television shows about nature, like Marty Stouffer's Wild America. At the time, Marty Stouffer was a celebrity among nerds, but his reputation isn't so great anymore. PBS did an investigation and discovered that he staged a lot of episodes. Once, his team filmed wolves chasing and killing a deer. The animals turned out to be within an enclosure, so the deer couldn't get out. A prey-proof fence, I guess. Filmmakers still regularly trick wildlife into camera-friendly behaviors. They put M&Ms in the carcass of a dead animal and send in trained "wild" animals to find them. They pester wild animals until they do something interesting. (One team of filmmakers reportedly smeared Bengay cream on a beaver's anus to get it to move around.) They rearrange footage to give it drama and a narrative arc. And they produce a lot of sound effects in the studio. In the right hands, a pair of gloves can sound like the flapping wings of a bird. III Here are a few things technology currently allows us to know about a tagged wild animal without leaving the office: Where the animal is at all times How warm or cold the animal is When an animal is pregnant or giving birth When an animal is interacting with another tagged animal When an animal has begun hibernating When an animal has died Here are a few of the tools we use to control invasive predators: Artificial perfumes designed to attract specific predators Poison bait targeted at specific predators Traps powered by gas-fired pistons that can kill twenty...

Affective images of the top rails in China traditional rosewood chairs

In order to adapt to the developing personalised customisation market, product designs should consider the changed affective images of products in the current customer mind. Kansei engineering is an effective method to analysis and setup affective images of products. Rosewood furniture is the typical representative of China traditional culture. But with the change of time, its affective images in people's mind have changed and so its affective word space and images is a valuable research subject for modern furniture designers. Taking the top rails in China traditional rosewood chairs as the research subject, this paper setup the affective word semantic space of the top rails using questionnaire survey, semantic differential method and principal component analysis method, studied their affective word semantic images and tried to apply these traditional design elements in modern chair design according to their different affective images.

Effectiveness of wearing a bicycle helmet for impacts against the front of a vehicle and the road surface

Objective: To assess the effect of wearing a bicycle helmet using an adult headform in terms of the head injury criterion (HIC) when the frontal and lateral parts of the helmet impact a vehicle body and also when the frontal part of the helmet impacts the road surface.Methods: The adult headform was made to impact the hood, windscreen, roof top, and roof side rail of a vehicle body at an impact velocity of 35 km/h, which is a common head-to-vehicle impact velocity in real-world cyclist–vehicle collisions, in which the vehicle impacts the cyclist at 40 km/h. For the road surface impact experiments, we set a drop height of 1.5 m (impact velocity of 20 km/h).Results: Helmet usage helped to reduce the HIC when the frontal and lateral parts of the helmet impacted vehicle parts other than the hood. The HIC reduction for the frontal impact was greater than that for the lateral impact. Moreover, the higher the stiffness index of the vehicle structure, the greater was the HIC reduction. However, helmet usage was ineffective for reducing skull fracture risk (HIC 2558) when the lateral part of the helmet impacted stiffer parts of the vehicle, such as the roof side rail close to the B-pillar. Helmet usage helped to reduce the HIC by 91% when the frontal part of the helmet impacted the road surface.Conclusions: Wearing a helmet reduces skull fracture risk when the frontal and lateral parts of the helmet impact vehicle parts (excluding the hood) at 35 km/h and the road surface at 20 km/h. However, when the lateral part of the helmet impacts the B-pillar, the helmet cannot effectively reduce the skull fracture risk at these real-world velocities.

Large-radius curved guardrail installations for intersecting roadways

ABSTRACTShort-radius guardrail systems were developed to protect motorists from hazards at intersecting roadways. For some intersecting roadway locations, the use of a curved system with radii larger than 10 m is required. Nonlinear finite element simulation, using LS-DYNA, was performed to investigate large-radius, curved guardrail systems with various heights. A calibrated finite element simulation model of a short-radius guardrail system was modified to accommodate 7.3-, 14.6-, and 21.8-m radii, and with top rail heights of 686-, 737-, and 787-mm. Impacts were simulated using a 2,000-kg pickup truck impacting at 72 km/h and 25 degrees relative to the roadway. The system performance was considered acceptable if the vehicle was captured with no over-ride (vaulting), under-ride, or end anchorage failure. Impacts with every 686-mm tall systems resulted in vaulting and over-ride in at least one impact location. Vaulting was reduced by adding blockouts to the posts, which maintained rail height as posts deflected. Guardrail top mounting heights were increased to 737 and 787 mm, and the systems captured or redirected the 2,000-kg pickup truck with no vaulting or over-ride. Further investigation including full-scale crash testing is recommended before seeking acceptance according to MASH.

SU‐E‐T‐449: Clinical Impact of Couch Top and Couch Rails on Treatment Dose for IMRT and Arc Therapy

Purpose: To evaluate the dosimetric impact of the Varian Exact Couch top and rails on dose and relative volume coverage to target and critical structures for 6 MV IMRT and Arc Therapy. Methods: Five prostate patients were planned with both 6 MV 8‐field IMRT and 2‐field RapidArc per clinical practice at MDACC for target and normal tissue constraints using the Eclipse treatment planning system. The dose distributions were then re‐calculated with inclusion of the couch top and rails in varying configurations. DVH analysis of the target and critical structures for dose and relative volume coverage loss were evaluated and compared to MDACC clinical plan requirements (98% and 95% coverage of prostate and PTV, respectively, at prescription dose). To isolate the effects of the couch top and rails individually, the dose distribution was re‐calculated for the treatment plans with the couch top only. Calculated dose perturbations were verified through measurements in an IMRT QA phantom. Results: The average dose loss to the prostate and relative volume coverage (at prescription dose) were: 3.2 Gy/35% and 1.5 Gy/84% for IMRT with rails out and in, respectively, and 2.4 Gy/18% and 2.2 Gy/17% for RapidArc with rails out and in, respectively. The couch top accounted for 1.5 Gy/84% for IMRT and 1.5 Gy/40% for RapidArc, the remainder was from the rails. Conclusions: Dose and volume coverage loss for IMRT plans is primarily due to the rails while the couch top is the primary cause for RapidArc. Both the couch top and rails contribute to dose and coverage loss to a degree that, if included, would cause the plan to fail clinical approval. Therefore, the couch top and rails should be accounted for in treatment planning.

Development of the Small-Sized Equipment for Detecting Short-Wave Irregularity of the Top Rail

Short-wave irregularity of top rail has great influence on status of both train operation and rail track. Based on the non-contact measurement principle and the virtual instrument development platform with powerful function, the paper designs the system for detecting short-wave irregularity of the top rail based on virtual instrument with the eddy current displacement sensor. The system can realize online real-time display, analysis, processing, storage and search of historical data and printing. With this method, we can detect the smoothness of rails and provide a better scientific basis for making a plan to guide the daily work of track maintenance.