Biomedical microsystems for minimally invasive diagnosis and treatment

Great significant progress has been made in the development of biomedical microdevices in recent years, and these devices are now playing an important role in diagnosis and therapy. This paper presents a review of applications of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) devices for in vivo diagnosis and therapy, and endoscopic- and catheter-based interventions. MEMS technology has enabled the further development of advanced biomedical microdevices for use in the human body by integration of sensors, actuators, and electronics into small medical devices for use in the body. In this paper, we discuss three categories of such devices: navigation systems, sensors and actuators for catheters and endoscopes, and other minimally invasive techniques. A brief introduction to principles, device structures, packaging, and related issues is presented.     

Testing Composite Hypotheses for Locally Stationary Processes

For a class of locally stationary processes introduced by Dahlhaus, this paper discusses the problem of testing composite hypotheses. First, for the Gaussian likelihood ratio test (GLR), Wald test (W) and Lagrange multiplier test (LM), we derive the limiting distribution under a composite hypothesis in parametric form. It is shown that the distribution of GLR, W and LM tends to a χ² distribution under the hypothesis. We also evaluate their local powers under a sequence of local alternatives, and discuss their asymptotic optimality. The results can be applied to testing for stationarity. Some examples are given. They illuminate the local power property via simulation. On the other hand, we provide a nonparametric LAN theorem. Based on this result, we obtain the limiting distribution of the GLR under both null and alternative hypotheses described in nonparametric form. Finally, the numerical studies are given.     

SAFETY EXAMINATION OF SOME EDIBLE OR MEDICINAL PLANTS AND PLANT CONSTITUENTS, PART 3

The carcinogenicity of vicia, galanga, lathyrus and lycium, which are plants used as human food or in folk medicine, and of caffeic acid and prunasin, which are plant constituents, was examined in an inbred strain of ACI rats. Fresh plant materials were dried, milled and mixed with the rat basal diet in the ratio of 16% and 33% of the total. The plant constituents, caffeic acid and prunasin, were mixed with the basal diet in the ratio of 0.5% and 0.03%, respectively. These diets were administered to rats for periods ranging upward from 180 days. Carcinogenic activity was not observed with any of the plants or plant constituents.     

Relation between Shot Peening Process and Fatigue Life in the Case of Hardening Steels

Nowadays, in the auto industry, the need for improvement of fuel efficiency is getting increased more and more in terms of the global warming, as well as the need of light-weighting of gears, transmission parts. Hence, we‘ve studied the relation between the shot peening working conditions and factors for improvement of gear‘s fatigue life, and also the relation between the factors for improvement and the fatigue life, applying shot peening to a gear of SNCM220. Also, we examined the relation between the fatigue life and arc height that is utilized as a substitute characteristic for shot peening working conditions, adding its observation here.     

High Efficiency Drive Method of an Open‐Winding Induction Machine Driven by Dual Inverter Using Capacitor Across dc Bus

This paper proposes a highly efficient drive method for an open‐winding induction machine with a single constant voltage source and a single capacitor. By focusing on the phase voltage of the open‐winding machine, which is determined by the phase difference and the dc voltage of each power converter, it is possible to control the peak value of the phase voltage by controlling the voltage of the capacitor. Thus, a reduction in the iron loss due to harmonic voltage in the open‐winding machine is expected. In the proposed method, the voltage of the capacitor is controlled by the difference between the two reference voltages of the power converter, which depends on the machine power factor and the phase difference of the power converter connected to both ends of the winding. Based on experimental results, the converter loss and the machine loss can be reduced by controlling the voltage of the capacitor in accordance with the machine speed using the proposed method.     

A Method to Predict the Minimum Fluidization Velocity of Binary Mixtures Based on Particle Packing Properties

An approach was made to predict the minimum fluidization velocity for binary mixtures of spherical particles differing in size and/or density. The spherical multiparticle model proposed by Panigrahi and Murty was employed to describe the relationship between the bed pressure drop and the gas velocity; the voidage at minimum fluidization was estimated by the Westman equation, which was originally used to calculate the packing voidage of mixtures. The predictions agree fairly well with the reported experimental data in the range of Re = 0.12 ? 156, covering both the regions of laminar flow and intermediate flow.     

Experimental study on dynamic pipe fracture in consideration of hydropower plant model

In the case of sudden valve closure, water hammer creates the most powerful pressure and damage to pipeline systems. The best way to protect the pipeline system is to eliminate water hammer. The main reasons for water hammer occurrence are valve closure, high initial velocity, and static pressure. However, it is difficult to eliminate water hammer. Water hammer tends to occur when the valve is being closed. In this study, the pipe fracture caused by static water pressure, gradually increasing pressure, and suddenly increasing pressure were compared experimentally in a breaking PVC test pipe. The quasi-static zone, the dynamic zone, and the transition zone are defined through the results of those experiments, with consideration of the fracture patterns of test pipes and impulses. The maximum pressure results were used to design the pipeline even though it is in the dynamic zone.     

ELASTIC MODULUS of ORANGE JUICE ICE

The elastic modulus of orange juice ice as well as pure water ice was measured at temperatures between ? 10°C and ? 196°C by compression tests. the elastic modulus of pure water ice was almost constant in the whole range of the tested temperatures: 5.6 × 10⁹ N/m² at ? 196°C and 4.0 × 10⁹ N/m² at ? 10°C. In contrast, the elastic modulus of orange juice ice changed greatly with temperature: 11 × 10⁹ N/m² at ? 196°C and 0.2 × 10⁹ N/m² at ? 10°C. Orange juice ice was considered to consist of pure water ice particles which are dispersed in a matrix of concentrated amorphous solution (CAS). the elastic modulus of CAS was calculated using an equation for a disperse system.