Praktična sinteza regulatora za precizno pozicioniranje sustava pomične podloge

This paper presents a practical feedback controller design of a ball screw-driven table system for the microdisplacement positioning. Friction of the mechanism in the micro-displacement region has nonlinear elastic properties, unlike Coulomb and/or viscous friction in the macro-displacement, resulting in different positioning responses and frequency characteristics of the plant depending on the regions. In this paper, at first, a numerical simulator with a rolling friction model is adopted to reproduce the positioning behaviors in the micro-displacement region. Based on the simulator, the stability condition of positioning in the region is clarified on the basis of frequency characteristics and, then, appropriate parameters of feedback controller are practically designed to satisfy the required positioning performance. Effectiveness of the proposed design has been verified by a series of experiments using a prototype of ball screw-driven table positioning device.U radu je prikazana sinteza regulatora s povratnom vezom u sustavu za precizno linearno pozicioniranje pomične podloge pomoću kugličnih ležajeva. Za razliku od uobičajenih modela Coulombova i/ili viskoznog trenja, trenje razmatranog sustava ima izrazito nelinearna svojstva u području mikro-pomaka, što za posljedicu ima različite odzive pozicioniranja i frekvencijski karakteristike, ovisno o radnom području. U radu je prvo razvijeno numeričko simulacijsko okruženje zasnovano na modelu trenja kotrljanja u svrhu simuliranja ponašanja sustava pozicioniranja u području mikropomaka. Potom je, zasnivajući se na simulacijskom okruženju, pomoću frekvencijske karakteristike razjašnjen problem stabilnosti sustava u promatranom radnom području te su odabrani odgovarajući parametri regulatora koji poštuju uvjet stabilnosti i zadovoljavaju željenu kvalitetu odziva. Sinteza regulatora provedena je vodeći računa o praktičnoj primjenjivosti postupka. Učinkovitost predložene sinteze potvr.ena je nizom eksperimenata na prototipu sustava za precizno linearno pozicioniranje pomične podloge pomoću kugličnih ležajeva

An Experimental Method for Stereolithic Mandible Fabrication and Image Preparation

Reproduction of anatomical structures by rapid prototyping has proven to be a valid adjunct for craniofacial surgery, providing alternative methods to produce prostheses and development of surgical guides. The aim of this study was to introduce a methodology to fabricate asymmetric human mandibles by rapid prototyping to be used in future studies for evaluating mandibular symmetries. Stereolithic models of human mandibles were produced with varying amounts of asymmetry in the condylar neck, ramus and body of the mandible by means of rapid prototyping. A method for production of the synthetic mandibles was defined. Model preparation, landmark description and development of the experimental model were described. A series of synthetic mandibles ranging in asymmetry were accurately produced from a scanned human mandible. A method for creating the asymmetries, fabricating, coating and landmarking the synthetic mandibles was formulated. A description for designing a reproducible experimental model for image acquisition was also outlined. Production of synthetic mandibles by stereolithic modeling is a viable method for creating skeletal experimental models with known amounts of asymmetry

Evolutionary continuous cellular automaton for the simulation of wet etching of quartz

Anisotropic wet chemical etching of quartz is a bulk micromachining process for the fabrication of micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS), such as resonators and temperature sensors. Despite the success of the continuous cellular automaton for the simulation of wet etching of silicon, the simulation of the same process for quartz has received little attention-especially from an atomistic perspective-resulting in a lack of accurate modeling tools. This paper analyzes the crystallographic structure of the main surface orientations of quartz and proposes a novel classification of the surface atoms as well as an evolutionary algorithm to determine suitable values for the corresponding atomistic removal rates. Not only does the presented evolutionary continuous cellular automaton reproduce the correct macroscopic etch rate distribution for quartz hemispheres, but it is also capable of performing fast and accurate 3D simulations of MEMS structures. This is shown by several comparisons between simulated and experimental results and, in particular, by a detailed, quantitative comparison for an extensive collection of trench profiles. © 2012 IOP Publishing Ltd.We are grateful to D Cheng and K Sato (Nagoya University, Japan) for providing part of the experimental data. We acknowledge support by the JAE-Doc grant form the Junta para la Ampliacion de Estudios program co-funded by FSE, the Ramon y Cajal Fellowship Program by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation, NANO-IKER Project (IE11-304) from the ETORTEK program by the Basque Government and the Professor Partnership Program by NVIDIA Corporation.Ferrando Jódar, N.; Gosalvez Ayuso, MA.; Colom Palero, RJ. (2012). Evolutionary continuous cellular automaton for the simulation of wet etching of quartz. Journal of Micromechanics and Microengineering. 22(2). https://doi.org/10.1088/0960-1317/22/2/025021S222Hida, H., Shikida, M., Fukuzawa, K., Murakami, S., Sato, K., Asaumi, K., … Sato, K. (2008). Fabrication of a quartz tuning-fork probe with a sharp tip for AFM systems. Sensors and Actuators A: Physical, 148(1), 311-318. doi:10.1016/j.sna.2008.08.021Oh, H., Kim, G., Seo, H., Song, Y., Lee, K., & Yang, S. S. (2010). Fabrication of micro-lens array using quartz wet etching and polymer. Sensors and Actuators A: Physical, 164(1-2), 161-167. doi:10.1016/j.sna.2010.10.003Xing, Y., Gosálvez, M. A., & Sato, K. (2007). Step flow-based cellular automaton for the simulation of anisotropic etching of complex MEMS structures. New Journal of Physics, 9(12), 436-436. doi:10.1088/1367-2630/9/12/436Zhou, Z., Huang, Q., Li, W., & Deng, W. (2007). A cellular automaton-based simulator for silicon anisotropic etching processes considering high index planes. Journal of Micromechanics and Microengineering, 17(4), S38-S49. doi:10.1088/0960-1317/17/4/s03Gosalvez, M. A., Yan Xing, & Sato, K. (2008). Analytical Solution of the Continuous Cellular Automaton for Anisotropic Etching. Journal of Microelectromechanical Systems, 17(2), 410-431. doi:10.1109/jmems.2008.916339Zhou, Z., Huang, Q., & Li, W. (2009). Modeling and Simulations of Anisotropic Etching of Silicon in Alkaline Solutions with Experimental Verification. Journal of The Electrochemical Society, 156(2), F29. doi:10.1149/1.3031485Rangsten, P., Hedlund, C., Katardjiev, I. V., & Bäcklund, Y. (1998). Etch rates of crystallographic planes inZ-cut quartz - experiments and simulation. Journal of Micromechanics and Microengineering, 8(1), 1-6. doi:10.1088/0960-1317/8/1/001Tellier, C. R., & Leblois, T. G. (2000). Micromachining of quartz plates: determination of a database by combined stereographic analysis and 3-D simulation of etching shapes. IEEE Transactions on Ultrasonics, Ferroelectrics and Frequency Control, 47(5), 1204-1216. doi:10.1109/58.869067Hedlund, C., Lindberg, U., Bucht, U., & Soderkvist, J. (1993). Anisotropic etching of Z-cut quartz. Journal of Micromechanics and Microengineering, 3(2), 65-73. doi:10.1088/0960-1317/3/2/006Liang, J., Kohsaka, F., Matsuo, T., & Ueda, T. (2007). Wet Etched High Aspect Ratio Microstructures on Quartz for MEMS Applications. IEEJ Transactions on Sensors and Micromachines, 127(7), 337-342. doi:10.1541/ieejsmas.127.337Gosálvez, M. A., Xing, Y., Sato, K., & Nieminen, R. M. (2009). Discrete and continuous cellular automata for the simulation of propagating surfaces. Sensors and Actuators A: Physical, 155(1), 98-112. doi:10.1016/j.sna.2009.08.012Zhenjun Zhu, & Chang Liu. (2000). Micromachining process simulation using a continuous cellular automata method. Journal of Microelectromechanical Systems, 9(2), 252-261. doi:10.1109/84.846706Gosálvez, M. A., Xing, Y., Sato, K., & Nieminen, R. M. (2008). Atomistic methods for the simulation of evolving surfaces. Journal of Micromechanics and Microengineering, 18(5), 055029. doi:10.1088/0960-1317/18/5/055029Ferrando, N., Gosálvez, M. A., Cerdá, J., Gadea, R., & Sato, K. (2011). Octree-based, GPU implementation of a continuous cellular automaton for the simulation of complex, evolving surfaces. Computer Physics Communications, 182(3), 628-640. doi:10.1016/j.cpc.2010.11.004Mühlenbein, H., & Schlierkamp-Voosen, D. (1993). Predictive Models for the Breeder Genetic Algorithm I. Continuous Parameter Optimization. Evolutionary Computation, 1(1), 25-49. doi:10.1162/evco.1993.1.1.25Kohsaka, F., Liang, J., Matsuo, T., & Ueda, T. (2007). High Sensitive Tilt Sensor for Quartz Micromachining. IEEJ Transactions on Sensors and Micromachines, 127(10), 431-436. doi:10.1541/ieejsmas.127.43

A multi-targeted approach to suppress tumor-promoting inflammation

Cancers harbor significant genetic heterogeneity and patterns of relapse following many therapies are due to evolved resistance to treatment. While efforts have been made to combine targeted therapies, significant levels of toxicity have stymied efforts to effectively treat cancer with multi-drug combinations using currently approved therapeutics. We discuss the relationship between tumor-promoting inflammation and cancer as part of a larger effort to develop a broad-spectrum therapeutic approach aimed at a wide range of targets to address this heterogeneity. Specifically, macrophage migration inhibitory factor, cyclooxygenase-2, transcription factor nuclear factor-κB, tumor necrosis factor alpha, inducible nitric oxide synthase, protein kinase B, and CXC chemokines are reviewed as important antiinflammatory targets while curcumin, resveratrol, epigallocatechin gallate, genistein, lycopene, and anthocyanins are reviewed as low-cost, low toxicity means by which these targets might all be reached simultaneously. Future translational work will need to assess the resulting synergies of rationally designed antiinflammatory mixtures (employing low-toxicity constituents), and then combine this with similar approaches targeting the most important pathways across the range of cancer hallmark phenotypes

A histological and micro-CT investigation in to the effect of NGF and EGF on the periodontal, alveolar bone, root and pulpal healing of replanted molars in a rat model - a pilot study

Background: This study aims to investigate, utilising micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) and histology, whether the topical application of nerve growth factor (NGF) and/or epidermal growth factor (EGF) can enhance periodontal, alveolar bone, root and pulpal tissue regeneration while minimising the risk of pulpal necrosis, root resorption and ankylosis of replanted molars in a rat model. Methods: Twelve four-week-old male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into four groups: sham, collagen, EGF and NGF. The maxillary right first molar was elevated and replanted with or without a collagen membrane impregnated with either the growth factors EGF or NGF, or a saline solution. Four weeks after replantation, the animals were sacrificed and the posterior maxilla was assessed using histological and micro-CT analysis. The maxillary left first molar served as the control for the corresponding right first molar. Results: Micro-CT analysis revealed a tendency for all replanted molars to have reduced root length, root volume, alveolar bone height and inter-radicular alveolar bone volume. It appears that the use of the collagen membrane had a negative effect while no positive effect was noted with the incorporation of EGF or NGF. Histologically, the incorporation of the collagen membrane was found to negatively affect pulpal, root, periodontal and alveolar bone healing with pulpal inflammation and hard tissue formation, extensive root resorption and alveolar bone fragmentation. The incorporation of EGF and NGF did not improve root, periodontal or alveolar bone healing. However, EGF was found to improve pulp vascularisation while NGF improved pulpal architecture and cell organisation, although not to the level of the control group.Conclusions: Results indicate a possible benefit on pulpal vascularisation and pulpal cell organisation following the incorporation of EGF and NGF, respectively, into the alveolar socket of replanted molars in the rat model. No potential benefit of EGF and NGF was detected in periodontal or root healing, while the use of a collagen membrane carrier was found to have a negative effect on the healing response

The RNA-binding protein Rbm38 is dispensable during pressure overload-induced cardiac remodeling in mice

The importance of tightly controlled alternative pre-mRNA splicing in the heart is emerging. The RNA binding protein Rbm24 has recently been identified as a pivotal cardiac splice factor, which governs sarcomerogenesis in the heart by controlling the expression of alternative protein isoforms. Rbm38, a homolog of Rbm24, has also been implicated in RNA processes such as RNA splicing, RNA stability and RNA translation, but its function in the heart is currently unknown. Here, we investigated the role of Rbm38 in the healthy and diseased adult mouse heart. In contrast to the heart- and skeletal muscle-enriched protein Rbm24, Rbm38 appears to be more broadly expressed. We generated somatic Rbm38 -/- mice and show that global loss of Rbm38 results in hematopoietic defects. Specifically, Rbm38 -/- mice were anemic and displayed enlarged spleens with extramedullary hematopoiesis, as has been shown earlier. The hearts of Rbm38 -/- mice were mildly hypertrophic, but cardiac function was not affected. Furthermore, Rbm38 deficiency did not affect cardiac remodeling (i.e. hypertrophy, LV dilation and fibrosis) or performance (i.e. fractional shortening) after pressure-overload induced by transverse aorta constriction. To further investigate molecular consequences of Rbm38 deficiency, we examined previously identified RNA stability, splicing, and translational targets of Rbm38. We found that stability targets p21 and HuR, splicing targets Mef2d and Fgfr2, and translation target p53 were not altered, suggesting that these Rbm38 targets are tissue-specific or that Rbm38 deficiency may be counteracted by a redundancy mechanism. In this regard, we found a trend towards increased Rbm24 protein expression in Rbm38 -/- hearts. Overall, we conclude that Rbm38 is critical in hematopoiesis, but does not play a critical role in the healthy and diseased heart