Technology almost 4.0 application in developing a conveyor belt with low-cost, reused and accessible materials for bagging grains

With the technological development of a new class of wastes, the technological ones were created. Many times, this waste is not processed correctly, having its hazardous disposal. Thus, recycling these materials is an alternative to end specific equipment. This work used this approach to develop a low-cost, affordable second-row conveyor belt. The conveyor belt was designed to bag, weigh, and monitor different volumes in a grain silo. Such equipment is of interest to smallholder applications as well as the integration between different areas of the Biosystems engineering course

Data Acquisition Applications

Data acquisition systems have numerous applications. This book has a total of 13 chapters and is divided into three sections: Industrial applications, Medical applications and Scientific experiments. The chapters are written by experts from around the world, while the targeted audience for this book includes professionals who are designers or researchers in the field of data acquisition systems. Faculty members and graduate students could also benefit from the book

Self-management in Bronchiectasis: barriers and opportunities

A 2018 Cochrane systematic review of self-management for bronchiectasis found scarce, poor quality evidence. National Bronchiectasis Guidelines recommend self-management including ‘basic principles of disease management’, recognition of exacerbation through health changes requiring action - either by self-initiation of treatment (airway clearance or antibiotic therapy) or seeking healthcare assistance. Existing information sources and a new mixed-method randomised control trial were considered. The intervention aimed to improve self-efficacy in self-managing bronchiectasis. Outcomes were; quantitative patient reported outcomes; qualitative findings thematically analysed from participant focus groups, professional interviews and insights from participants during education. 220 people from 6 East of England hospitals with one or more exacerbations of bronchiectasis within 12 months participated. Randomisation was to treatment as usual alone or in addition to the Bronchiectasis Empowerment Tool (BET). Four brief telephone calls introduced BET which comprised an action plan, four educational sections: sputum, health changes, medications and health interactions (with notepads). Primary outcome at 12 months was the 6-item Self-Efficacy to Manage Chronic Disease Scale (SEMCD). Quantitative/economic data were collected quarterly via mailed self-reported questionnaires for one year. Participant focus groups investigated intervention acceptability and education comments exposed participants’ self-management experiences. Under-powered, with 12% greater than expected withdrawal the BET intervention did not measurably improve self-efficacy or secondary outcomes. BET did not affect SEMCD (mean difference (0.14 (95% confidence interval (95%CI) -0.37 to 0.64), p=0.59) and showed no significant difference in overall cost to NHS or in QALYs though participants valued the telephone education. Recruitment success illustrates participant requirement for self-management support, withdrawals raise methodological questions such as literacy burdens (intervention and trial outcome measures). My contribution questions current evaluation methods for quality of life and self-efficacy in bronchiectasis, examining participant motivational needs, their healthcare and social insights, to elucidate the barriers and opportunities for self-efficacy and empowerment in future collaborative self-management

Second Annual Workshop on Space Operations Automation and Robotics (SOAR 1988)

Papers presented at the Second Annual Workshop on Space Operation Automation and Robotics (SOAR '88), hosted by Wright State University at Dayton, Ohio, on July 20, 21, 22, and 23, 1988, are documented herein. During the 4 days, approximately 100 technical papers were presented by experts from NASA, the USAF, universities, and technical companies. Panel discussions on Human Factors, Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, and Space Systems were held but are not documented herein. Technical topics addressed included knowledge-based systems, human factors, and robotics

MUSME 2011 4 th International Symposium on Multibody Systems and Mechatronics

El libro de actas recoge las aportaciones de los autores a través de los correspondientes artículos a la Dinámica de Sistemas Multicuerpo y la Mecatrónica (Musme). Estas disciplinas se han convertido en una importante herramienta para diseñar máquinas, analizar prototipos virtuales y realizar análisis CAD sobre complejos sistemas mecánicos articulados multicuerpo. La dinámica de sistemas multicuerpo comprende un gran número de aspectos que incluyen la mecánica, dinámica estructural, matemáticas aplicadas, métodos de control, ciencia de los ordenadores y mecatrónica. Los artículos recogidos en el libro de actas están relacionados con alguno de los siguientes tópicos del congreso: Análisis y síntesis de mecanismos ; Diseño de algoritmos para sistemas mecatrónicos ; Procedimientos de simulación y resultados ; Prototipos y rendimiento ; Robots y micromáquinas ; Validaciones experimentales ; Teoría de simulación mecatrónica ; Sistemas mecatrónicos ; Control de sistemas mecatrónicosUniversitat Politècnica de València (2011). MUSME 2011 4 th International Symposium on Multibody Systems and Mechatronics. Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. http://hdl.handle.net/10251/13224Archivo delegad

Manipulador aéreo con brazos antropomórficos de articulaciones flexibles

[Resumen] Este artículo presenta el primer robot manipulador aéreo con dos brazos antropomórficos diseñado para aplicarse en tareas de inspección y mantenimiento en entornos industriales de difícil acceso para operarios humanos. El robot consiste en una plataforma aérea multirrotor equipada con dos brazos antropomórficos ultraligeros, así como el sistema de control integrado de la plataforma y los brazos. Una de las principales características del manipulador es la flexibilidad mecánica proporcionada en todas las articulaciones, lo que aumenta la seguridad en las interacciones físicas con el entorno y la protección del propio robot. Para ello se ha introducido un compacto y simple mecanismo de transmisión por muelle entre el eje del servo y el enlace de salida. La estructura en aluminio de los brazos ha sido cuidadosamente diseñada de forma que los actuadores estén aislados frente a cargas radiales y axiales que los puedan dañar. El manipulador desarrollado ha sido validado a través de experimentos en base fija y en pruebas de vuelo en exteriores.Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad; DPI2014-5983-C2-1-

Emergent Dynamics in Neocortical Microcircuits

Interactions among neurons can take place in a wide variety of forms. It is the goal of this thesis to investigate the properties and implications of a number of these interactions that we believe are relevant for information processing in the brain. Neuroscience has progressed considerably in identifying the diverse neuronal cell-types and providing detailed information about their individual morphological, genetic and electrophysiological properties. It remains a great challenge to identify how this diversity of cells interacts at the microcircuit level. This task is made more complex by the fact that the forms of interaction are not always obvious or simple to observe, even with advanced scientific equipment. In order to achieve a better understanding and envision possible implications of the concerted activity of multiple neurons, experiments and models must often be used jointly and iteratively. In this thesis I first present the development of a computer-assisted system for multi-electrode patch-clamp that enabled new kinds of experiments, allowing qualitatively different information to be obtained concerning the interaction of multiple neurons. In the following chapters I describe the different questions addressed and approaches utilized in the investigation of neuronal interactions using multi-electrode patch-clamp experiments. The principles behind the clustered organization of synaptic connectivity in Layer V of the somatosensory cortex are the first experimental finding presented. I then quantify the ephaptic coupling between neurons and how apparently minute signals might help correlate the activity of many neurons. Next, the ubiquity of a neocortical microcircuit responsible for frequency-dependent disynaptic inhibition is demonstrated and the summation properties of this microcircuit are then analyzed. Finally a model to explain the interactions between gap junctions and synaptic transmission in the olfactory bulb is proposed