Robust vector control of induction motors using full-order observer in consideration of core loss

This paper proposes a method for designing a robust full-order observer for vector-controlled induction motors taking core loss into account. Although conventional research focuses on parameter identification, global stability of the identification remains questionable. Therefore, robustness against some parameters is required. This paper describes the design of a robust full-order observer which takes core loss into account, using both the gain-scheduled H/sub /spl infin// control and the linear matrix inequality technique. This design always results in a stable controller. The robustness of the proposed method against variations of resistances is evaluated by experiments.     

Evolution of the trappin multigene family in the Suidae

The purpose of the study was to examine the effects of manipulating lung volume (LV) on phonatory and articulatory kinematic behavior during sentence production in healthy adults. Five men and five women repeated the sentence "I sell a sapapple again" under five LV conditions. These included (1) speaking normally, (2) speaking after exhaling most of the air from the lungs, (3) speaking at end expiratory level (EEL), (4) speaking after a maximal inhalation, and (5) speaking after a maximal inhalation while attempting to maintain as normal a mode of speech as possible. From a multichannel recording, measures were made of LV, sound pressure level (SPL), fundamental frequency (F0) and semitone standard deviation (STSD), and upper and lower lip displacements and peak velocities. When compared with the reference condition, the sentence was spoken significantly more quickly at the lowest LV. SPL increased significantly for the high LV condition, as did the women's F0 and STSD. Upper lip displacements and peak velocities generally decreased for LVs other than the reference condition. Lower lip movements showed inconsistent changes as a function of LV. Adjustments to the LV for speech led to SPL and F0 changes consistent with a coordinated control of the respiratory system and the larynx. However, less consistent effects were observed in the articulatory kinematic measures, possibly because of a less direct biomechanical and neural control linkage between respiratory and articulatory structures.     

Bottom-up pyramid cellular acceptors with three-dimensional layers

In 1997, C.R. Dyer and A. Rosenfeld introduced an acceptor on a two-dimensional pattern (or tape), called the pyramid cellular acceptor, and demonstrated that many useful recognition tasks are executed by pyramid cellular acceptors in time proportional to the logarithm of the diameter of the input. They also introduced a bottom-up pyramid cellular acceptor which is a restricted version of the pyramid cellular acceptor, and proposed some interesting open problems of the bottom-up pyramid cellular acceptors. On the other hand, we think that the study of threedimensional automata has been meaningful as the computational model of three-dimensional information processing such as computer vision, robotics, and so forth. In this paper, we investigate about bottom-up pyramid cellular acceptors with three-dimensional layers, and show their some accepting powers. This work was presented in part at the 13th International Symposium on Artificial Life and Robotics, Oita, Japan, January 31–February 2, 2008     

Image restoration in chirp-pulse microwave CT (CP-MCT)

Chirp-pulse microwave computed tomography (CP-MCT) is a technique for imaging the distribution of temperature variations inside biological tissues. Even if resolution and contrast are adequate to this purpose, a further improvement of image quality is desirable. In this paper, we discuss the blur of CP-MCT images and we propose a method for estimating the corresponding point spread function (PSF). To this purpose we use both a measured and a computed projection of a cylindrical phantom. We find a good agreement between the two cases. Finally the estimated PSF is used for deconvolving data corresponding to various kinds of cylindrical phantoms. We use an iterative nonlinear deconvolution method which assures nonnegative solutions and we demonstrate the improvement of image quality which can be obtained in such a way.     

MALDI matrices for biomolecular analysis based on functionalized carbon nanomaterials

When used in small molar ratios of matrix to analyte, derivatized fullerenes and single wall nanotubes are shown to be efficient matrices for matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) mass spectrometry. The mixing of an acidic functionalized fullerene with a solution of bioanalyte, depositing a dried droplet, and irradiating with a pulsed nitrogen laser yields protonated or cationized molecular ions. Derivatized fullerenes could offer several advantages over conventional MALDI matrices: a high analyte ionization efficiency, a small molar ratios (less than 1) of matrix/analyte, and a broader optical absorption spectrum, which should obviate specific wavelength lasers for MALDI acquisitions. The major disadvantage to the use of fullerenes is the isobaric interference between matrix and analyte ions; however, it is overcome by using MALDI-ion mobility time-of-flight (IM-oTOF) mass spectrometry to preseparate carbon cluster ions from bioanalyte ions prior to TOF mass analysis. However, an alternative to the dried droplet preparation of fullerene MALDI samples is the aerosolization of matrix-analyte solutions (or slurries) followed by impacting the aerosol onto a stainless surface. We also demonstrate that the fullerene matrices can be used to acquire spectra from rat brain tissue.     

Regression analysis of amino acid substitutions and factor IX activity in hemophilia B

Hemophilia B is caused by a deficit or decreased activity of factor IX. Mutation in factor IX is made up of a majority of amino acid substitutions. We examined the relation between the activation level of factor IX and the category of amino acid substitution with regression analysis. As parameters, we used four physical-chemical parameters of amino acids and Dayhoff’s PAM matrix. In addition, the average of the activation level with the same amino acid substitution was used for the analysis. We analyzed the relationship between variations containing cysteine or factor IX’s seven regions and activity levels. This work was presented in part at the 13th International Symposium on Artificial Life and Robotics, Oita, Japan, January 31–February 2, 2008     

Physiological role of Ca2+-permeable nonselective cation channel in endothelin-1-induced contraction of rabbit aorta

The alpha-amylase of Streptomyces sp. IMD 2679 was subject to catabolite repression. Four different growth rates were achieved when the organism was grown at 40 degrees C and 55 degrees C in the presence and absence of cobalt, with an inverse relationship between alpha-amylase production and growth rate. Highest alpha-amylase yields (520 units/ml) were obtained at the lowest growth rate (0.062 h-1), at 40 degrees C in the absence of cobalt, while at the highest growth rate (0.35 h-1), at 55 degrees C in the presence of cobalt, alpha-amylase production was decreased to 150 units/ml. As growth rate increased, the rate of specific utilisation of the carbon source maltose also increased, from 46 to 123 micrograms maltose (mg biomass)-1 h-1. The pattern and levels of alpha-glucosidase (the enzyme degrading maltose) detected intracellularly in each case, indicate that growth rate effectively controls the rate of feeding of glucose to the cell, and thus catabolite repression.     

A 0.18-μm 256-Mb DDR-SDRAM with low-cost post-mold tuning methodfor DLL replica

A 200-MHz double-data-rate synchronous-DRAM (DDR-SDRAM) was developed. The chip contains a delay-locked loop (DLL) which performs over a wide range of operating conditions. Post-mold-tuning allows precise replica programming. A 200-MHz intra-chip data bus is suitable for DDR operation     

Melting attack of solid plates by a high temperature liquid jet — effect of crust formation

When a molten UO₂ jet impinges on a steel structure in a reactor vessel during a severe accident, the erosion rate of the steel by the molten UO₂ jet is expected to be limited considerably by a UO₂ crust layer forming on a molten steel substrate at the jet/steel plate interface. A series of simulation experiments was performed to study the melting behavior of solid plates by high temperature liquid jets and the effects of crust forming at jet/structure interface. In the first series of experiments, salt (NaCl) was selected as the jet material and tin (Sn) as the solid structure. The experiments were conducted with varying the jet diameter (10 30 mm) and jet temperature (900 1100°C). The jets were accelerated to a range of 3 5 m/s at the nozzle outlet by gravitational force and impinged perpendicularly to the solid plate underneath. Furthermore, to check the effects of the thermo-physical properties on the erosion behaviors, preliminary experiments were performed by using a molten Al₂O₃ jet ( 2200°C) impinging on stainless steel plate at room temperature. The erosion rates obtained in the present experiments were far less than the values predicted by an analytical solution that neglects the existence of a crust layer and its thermal effects. With the inclusion of the crust behavior in the model, the experimental results were predicted fairly well. From the present experiments, a Nusselt number of the turbulent heat transfer, which takes into account simultaneous melting and freezing in the impingement region of a molten jet, is correlated by a Reynolds number and a Prandtl number as follows: Nu_m = 0.0033 Re---Pr.In conclusion, the existence of a crust layer plays an important role in the erosion process of a solid plate by the molten fuel jet with high melting point as in a reactor situation.     

A case report of Erdheim-Chester disease

Erdheim-Chester disease is a rare and distinctive lipid granulomatosis with characteristic pattern of radiographic changes in bone. The characteristic radiographic finding is an unusual symmetrical sclerosis at the diametaphyseal portions of many long bones. This study demonstrates a case of Erdheim-Chester disease and mainly documents radiographic findings.