Computer model of catalytic combustion/Stirling engine heater head

The basic Acurex HET code was modified to analyze specific problems for Stirling engine heater head applications. Specifically, the code can model: an adiabatic catalytic monolith reactor, an externally cooled catalytic cylindrical reactor/flat plate reactor, a coannular tube radiatively cooled reactor, and a monolithic reactor radiating to upstream and downstream heat exchangers

A Simple Low-Profile Coaxially-Fed Magneto-Electric Dipole Antenna Without Slot-Cavity

A simple coaxially-fed magneto-electric dipole (ME dipole) antenna is designed and experimentally evaluated. The proposed antenna does not require the conventional quarter-wavelength slot cavity for generating the magnetic dipole mode, and only consists of two simple rectangular horizontal patches, a vertical semi-rigid coaxial cable and a square ground plane. It makes the fabrication easier and can reduce the production cost. Also, as the quarter-wavelength slot cavity is removed in the proposed design, the thickness of the antenna can be reduced to 21 mm, i.e., 16.4% of the free space wavelength at the center frequency. The low-profile antenna shows comparable wide impedance bandwidth of 41.03% (S11 ≤ −10 dB), and a more stable and higher realized gain from 7.90 - 9.74 dBi (± 0.92 dB variation) over the operating frequency band from 1.86 GHz to 2.82 GHz (centered at 2.34 GHz). The maximum gain has increased around 9.4% when compare with that of the highest reported. While the gain variation in the passband of the proposed antenna is about 58% lower than that of those ME dipole antennas reported in the literature. The radiation mechanism and the effects of the critical parameters of the antenna are also explained with the assistance of the parametric study presented

Functional Electrical Stimulation mediated by Iterative Learning Control and 3D robotics reduces motor impairment in chronic stroke

Background: Novel stroke rehabilitation techniques that employ electrical stimulation (ES) and robotic technologies are effective in reducing upper limb impairments. ES is most effective when it is applied to support the patients’ voluntary effort; however, current systems fail to fully exploit this connection. This study builds on previous work using advanced ES controllers, and aims to investigate the feasibility of Stimulation Assistance through Iterative Learning (SAIL), a novel upper limb stroke rehabilitation system which utilises robotic support, ES, and voluntary effort. Methods: Five hemiparetic, chronic stroke participants with impaired upper limb function attended 18, 1 hour intervention sessions. Participants completed virtual reality tracking tasks whereby they moved their impaired arm to follow a slowly moving sphere along a specified trajectory. To do this, the participants’ arm was supported by a robot. ES, mediated by advanced iterative learning control (ILC) algorithms, was applied to the triceps and anterior deltoid muscles. Each movement was repeated 6 times and ILC adjusted the amount of stimulation applied on each trial to improve accuracy and maximise voluntary effort. Participants completed clinical assessments (Fugl-Meyer, Action Research Arm Test) at baseline and post-intervention, as well as unassisted tracking tasks at the beginning and end of each intervention session. Data were analysed using t-tests and linear regression. Results: From baseline to post-intervention, Fugl-Meyer scores improved, assisted and unassisted tracking performance improved, and the amount of ES required to assist tracking reduced. Conclusions: The concept of minimising support from ES using ILC algorithms was demonstrated. The positive results are promising with respect to reducing upper limb impairments following stroke, however, a larger study is required to confirm this

Genetic variation of indigenous chicken breeds in China and a Recessive White breed using AFLP fingerprinting

Amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) using six marker combinations were applied to detect genetic variation and phylo genetic relationships among 12 indigenous Chinese chicken breeds and a Recessive White chicken breed introduced from France. The DNA was pooled for each group. Polymorphic bands, breed-specific bands and genetic similarity coefficients of 13 chicken breeds were derived from the AFLP data. A total of 280 polymorphic bands was generated from which nine specific bands were observed for the Shouguang and the Dongxiang Dark chicken. One specific band was observed in the pooled DNA of the Jiuyuan Dark chicken, the Xingyi Bantam chicken and the Recessive White chicken. The genetic similarity coefficients among the 12 indigenous Chinese chicken breeds varied between 0.635 - 0.860, and 0.188 - 0.360 between the Recessive White and the indigenous Chinese chicken breeds. The UPGMA based tree yielded two clusters for the 13 chicken breeds, with the Recessive White chickens forming a distinct cluster. In summary, the genetic similarity coefficients and the UPGMA tree of the 13 chicken breeds were consistent with their breeding history and geographical distribution. These results provide useful data with regard to the genetic diversity, genetic relationships and identification of chicken breeds in China. Keywords: Indigenous chicken breeds, AFLP markers, genetic variation, genetic relationshipsSouth African Journal of Animal Science Vol. 38 (3) 2008: pp. 193-20

Phosphorus(p) migration behavior in the process of converter slag gasification dephosphorization

The high P content in steel slag limits its recycling during the smelting process, and the P can be effectively removed from the steel slag by gasification dephosphorization. In this experiments, the effects of temperature, basicity, and FeO for gasification dephosphorization rate are studied through thermodynamic calculations. The Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and Energy Dispersive Spectrometer (EDS) analysis that microscopic morphology of slag before and after reduction. In addition, a model is established to describe the phosphorus migration behavior of gasification dephosphorization process

Panle Discussion: The Impact of U.S. Trade Law Actions on Business Decisions in Taiwan

Transcript of the panel discussion on the impact of United States trade law on business decisions in Taiwan