Development of a Computationally Efficient Fabric Model for Optimization of Gripper Trajectories in Automated Composite Draping

An automated prepreg fabric draping system is being developed which consists of an array of actuated grippers. It has the ability to pick up a fabric ply and place it onto a double-curved mold surface. A previous research effort based on a nonlinear Finite Element model showed that the movements of the grippers should be chosen carefully to avoid misplacement and induce of wrinkles in the draped configuration. Thus, the present study seeks to develop a computationally efficient model of the mechanical behavior of a fabric based on 2D catenaries which can be used for optimization of the gripper trajectories. The model includes bending stiffness, large deflections, large ply shear and a simple contact formulation. The model is found to be quick to evaluate and gives very reasonable predictions of the displacement field

The Effect Of A Medical Decompression Protocol On The Use Of Antiemetics, Nasogastric Tube Usage And Diet Advance In Late Stage Cancer Patients With Functional Intestinal Obstruction

At the end of life, many patients suffer from a syndrome that simulates classic small bowel obstruction. The traditional approach to intestinal obstruction is relief of pressure in the gastrointestinal tract using mechanical methods such as naso-gastric tube insertion and suctioning. This relieves the distension of the hollow organs and thus the nausea.. Pharmacologic methods are also used in the care of these patients, however, there is debate as to which agents to use and when to use them. The Medical Decompression protocol is a non-invasive pharmacologic approach to this problem. It brings with it ease and economy of delivery, the ability to administer it in intravenous as well as oral form, and is a multi-agent protocol of tried and true drugs used at the end of life: 1/2 Metoclopramide, Dexamethasone, Diphenhydramine, and Pantoprazole Prior to initiating this intervention, patients and their families are educated and are aware that this intervention is most likely a temporary measure aimed at symptom relief, as well as an attempt to improve quality of life. Our sample contained 42 males and 62 females, with an average age of about 70 years. About 51% of participants received MD (n = 53). Results indicated that there was a statistically significant difference between the two groups related to days to progress diet. We propose that a pharmacologic method such as MD is strongly considered as first line treatments for the functional intestinal obstruction syndrome and indeed be considered as adjuncts to allow the removal of invasive mechanical interventions in the end of life patient

Tunneling control and localization for Bose-Einstein condensates in a frequency modulated optical lattice

The similarity between matter waves in periodic potential and solid-state physics processes has triggered the interest in quantum simulation using Bose-Fermi ultracold gases in optical lattices. The present work evidences the similarity between electrons moving under the application of oscillating electromagnetic fields and matter waves experiencing an optical lattice modulated by a frequency difference, equivalent to a spatially shaken periodic potential. We demonstrate that the tunneling properties of a Bose-Einstein condensate in shaken periodic potentials can be precisely controlled. We take additional crucial steps towards future applications of this method by proving that the strong shaking of the optical lattice preserves the coherence of the matter wavefunction and that the shaking parameters can be changed adiabatically, even in the presence of interactions. We induce reversibly the quantum phase transition to the Mott insulator in a driven periodic potential.Comment: Laser Physics (in press

Ground state energy of a homogeneous Bose-Einstein condensate beyond Bogoliubov

The standard calculations of the ground-state energy of a homogeneous Bose gas rely on approximations which are physically reasonable but difficult to control. Lieb and Yngvason [Phys. Rev. Lett. 80, 2504 (1998)] have proved rigorously that the commonly accepted leading order term of the ground state energy is correct in the zero-density-limit. Here, strong indications are given that also the next to leading term is correct. It is shown that the first terms obtained in a perturbative treatment provide contributions which are lost in the Bogoliubov approach.Comment: 6 pages, accepted for publication in Europhys. Lett. http://www.epletters.ch

Dynamics of one-dimensional tight-binding models with arbitrary time-dependent external homogeneous fields

The exact propagators of two one-dimensional systems with time-dependent external fields are presented by following the path-integral method. It is shown that the Bloch acceleration theorem can be generalized to the impulse-momentum theorem in quantum version. We demonstrate that an evolved Gaussian wave packet always keeps its shape in an arbitrary time-dependent homogeneous driven field. Moreover, that stopping and accelerating of a wave packet can be achieved by the pulsed field in a diabatic way.Comment: 8 pages, 6 figure

Spin Polarization and Magneto-Coulomb Oscillations in Ferromagnetic Single Electron Devices

The magneto-Coulomb oscillation, the single electron repopulation induced by external magnetic field, observed in a ferromagnetic single electron transistor is further examined in various ferromagnetic single electron devices. In case of double- and triple-junction devices made of Ni and Co electrodes, the single electron repopulation always occurs from Ni to Co electrodes with increasing a magnetic field, irrespective of the configurations of the electrodes. The period of the magneto-Coulomb oscillation is proportional to the single electron charging energy. All these features are consistently explained by the mechanism that the Zeeman effect induces changes of the Fermi energy of the ferromagnetic metal having a non-zero spin polarizations. Experimentally determined spin polarizations are negative for both Ni and Co and the magnitude is larger for Ni than Co as expected from band calculations.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, uses jpsj.sty, submitted to J. Phys. Soc. Jp