Metalevel programming in robotics: Some issues

Computing in robotics has two important requirements: efficiency and flexibility. Algorithms for robot actions are implemented usually in procedural languages such as VAL and AL. But, since their excessive bindings create inflexible structures of computation, it is proposed that Logic Programming is a more suitable language for robot programming due to its non-determinism, declarative nature, and provision for metalevel programming. Logic Programming, however, results in inefficient computations. As a solution to this problem, researchers discuss a framework in which controls can be described to improve efficiency. They have divided controls into: (1) in-code and (2) metalevel and discussed them with reference to selection of rules and dataflow. Researchers illustrated the merit of Logic Programming by modelling the motion of a robot from one point to another avoiding obstacles

Total synthesis, structural, and biological evaluation of stylissatin A and related analogs

The natural product cyclic peptide stylissatin A (1a) was reported to inhibit nitric oxide production in LPS-stimulated murine macrophage RAW 264.7 cells. In the current study, solid-phase total synthesis of stylissatin A was performed by using a safety-catch linker and yielded the peptide with a trans-Phe7-Pro6 linkage, whereas the natural product is the cis rotamer at this position as evidenced by a marked difference in NMR chemical shifts. In order to preclude the possibility of 1b being an epimer of the natural product, we repeated the synthesis using d-allo-Ile in place of l-Ile and a different site for macrocyclization. The resulting product (d-allo-Ile2)-stylissatin A (1c) was also found to have the trans-Phe7-Pro6 peptide conformations like rotamer 1b. Applying the second route to the synthesis of stylissatin A itself, we obtained stylissatin A natural rotamer 1a accompanied by rotamer 1b as the major product. Rotamers 1a, 1b, and the epimer 1c were separable by HPLC, and 1a was found to match the natural product in structure and biological activity. Six related analogs 2–7 of stylissatin A were synthesized on Wang resin and characterized by spectral analysis. The natural product (1a), the rotamer (1b), and (d-allo-Ile2)-stylissatin A (1c) exhibited significant inhibition of NO.. Further investigations were focused on 1b, which also inhibited proliferation of T-cells and inflammatory cytokine IL-2 production. The analogs 2–7 weakly inhibited NO. production, but strongly inhibited IL-2 cytokine production compared with synthetic peptide 1b. All analogs inhibited the proliferation of T-cells, with analog 7 having the strongest effect. In the analogs, the Pro6 residue was replaced by Glu/Ala, and the SAR indicates that the nature of this residue plays a role in the biological function of these peptides. Copyright © 2016 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd

COMPARISON OF CONVENTIONAL DRAWING, INVERTED DRAWING AND WARM FORMING PROCESSES FOR DEEP DRAWING OF ALUMINIUM CUPS

Cup drawing is one of the important operations in sheet metal forming. Manufacturing of the aluminium base cup involves several stages such as blanking, first drawing, second drawing, taper formation and trimming. This increases the process time. An attempt has therefore, been made to develop a comprehensive, rigorous, yet easily-workable method of analysis for designing a die set to combine the intermediate stages of drawing process. Conventional drawing, inverted drawing and warm forming processes are experimented for yielding successful drawing in single setup. Die sets are separately designed for above said processes. The die sets, thus designed is simulated using DEFORM-F2 to analyze the successful Drawability of the die sets. From the simulations conducted, the die set designed for warm forming process yields greater Limiting Draw Ratio (LDR). Using warm forming process, the LDR of 2.0 was achieved which is much higher when compared with the conventional drawing

ThaiOne-Thai Quick Service Restaurant

泰灣 - 泰國快速服務餐廳The main objective of this study is to make a business plan that outlining the necessary measures taken to create ThaiOne, a Thai quick service restaurant in Taipei, Taiwan R.O.C of which the first restaurant location is in Neihu Technology park. It aims to provide authentic, delicious and healthy Thai food with the convenience of fast-food with rapid response time. In the study, global and local market information was acquired from available sources to determine the future growth of global food industry and food industry in Taiwan in general. Interviews with potential customers and site visits were also conducted in Neihu business area with the aim to find out consumer behaviour and expectations on the new food outlet or restaurant in the area. Financial analysis such as net present value, sensitivity and break-even analysis were conducted to determine if the project is worth investing or not and what is major risk of the project. The result of the study show positive net present value of the proposed business. However sensitivity analysis reveals that sale volume is the major factor that could affect the business cash flow and success of the investment

Noise exposure immediately activates cochlear mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling

Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is a major public health issue worldwide. Uncovering the early molecular events associated with NIHL would reveal mechanisms leading to the hearing loss. Our aim is to investigate the immediate molecular responses after different levels of noise exposure and identify the common and distinct pathways that mediate NIHL. Previous work showed mice exposed to 116 decibels sound pressure level (dB SPL) broadband noise for 1 h had greater threshold shifts than the mice exposed to 110 dB SPL broadband noise, hence we used these two noise levels in this study. Groups of 4-8-week-old CBA/CaJ mice were exposed to no noise (control) or to broadband noise for 1 h, followed by transcriptome analysis of total cochlear RNA isolated immediately after noise exposure. Previously identified and novel genes were found in all data sets. Following exposure to noise at 116 dB SPL, the earliest responses included up-regulation of 243 genes and down-regulation of 61 genes, while a similar exposure at 110 dB SPL up-regulated 155 genes and down-regulated 221 genes. Bioinformatics analysis indicated that mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling was the major pathway in both levels of noise exposure. Nevertheless, both qualitative and quantitative differences were noticed in some MAPK signaling genes, after exposure to different noise levels. Cacna1b , Cacna1g , and Pla2g6 , related to calcium signaling were down-regulated after 110 dB SPL exposure, while the fold increase in the expression of Fos was relatively lower than what was observed after 116 dB SPL exposure. These subtle variations provide insight on the factors that may contribute to the differences in NIHL despite the activation of a common pathway