Improving control engineering education with TRIK cybernetic system

International audienceWe present our experience in the application of a new cybernetic system, TRIK, for control engineering education at university level. The TRIK system is composed of an embedded controller, analogue and digital input-output interface and an inertial measurement unit which can be easily programmed with visual and text based computer languages. The system can be efficiently used for robotic and control engineering prototyping and education. In the present paper, we describe and discuss various applications of the system in education covering basic control theory problems and advanced robotic system development. Our experience with TRIK has demonstrated that the developed system and corresponding curricula improves the efficiency of control engineering education at university level, and has significant potential to promote science and technology at secondary school level

Proton tree-dimensional radiotherapy and radiosurgery of intracranial targets at the Dubna.

Proton tree-dimensional radiotherapy and radiosurgery of intracranial targets at the Dubna. S.V. Shvidkij, A.V. Agapov, A.V. Iglin, Ye.I. Luchin, G.V. Mytsin, A.G. Molokanov, K.N Shipulin Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, 141980, Dubna, Russia Stereotactic radiosurgery with the usage of different kinds of radiation has been of great importance in the treatment of non-operating arteriovenous malformation (AVM) of the brain for the last three decades. Proton beams have unique physical properties that are favorable for stereotactic radiosurgery or conformal radiation therapy: small lateral divergence, sharp lateral penumbra, final and easy controlled range in tissue, depending of beam energy and tissue density, increasing of dose deposition at the end of range, so called Bragg peak. Modern and up-to-date technology of three-dimensional proton radiosurgery AVM of the brain which allows irradiating accurately AVM of the brain of any size, shape and location, was worked out and clinically approved in Medical Technical Complex after 2001 year. International report was used for the treatment of patients, according to it the target of irradiation was included into 70-80% isodose. The absorbed doses made 25 Gy-equivalent in the isocenter point (1 Grey-equivalent equals 1 Gy physical, multiplied by the relative biological effectiveness of the proton, which is 1.1). Irradiation treatment was conducted within 2 session for the two successive days. Proton radiosurgery based on this new technology was conducted on 39 patients suffering from AVM of the brain. The volume of the targets of irradiation was from 1.5 to 82.1 cm3 . Early result demonstrated that developed technique of proton irradiation allows to deliver proton dose to the target volume precisely

Variability of the Bering Sea circulation in the period 1992-2010

Sea surface height anomalies observed by satellites in 1992-2010 are combined with monthly climatologies of temperature and salinity to estimate circulation in the southern Bering Sea. The estimated surface and deep currents are consistent with independent velocity observations by surface drifters and Argo floats parked at 1,000 m. Analysis reveals 1-3-Sv interannual transport variations of the major currents with typical intra-annual variability of 3-7 Sv. On the seasonal scale, the Alaskan Stream transport is well correlated with the Kamchatka (0.81), Near Strait (0.53) and the Bering Slope (0.37) currents. Lagged correlations reveal a gradual increase of the time the lags between the transports of the Alaskan Stream, the Bering Slope Current and the Kamchatka Current, supporting the concept that the Bering Sea basin is ventilated by the waters carried by the Alaskan Stream south of the Aleutian Arc and by the flow through the Near Strait. Correlations of the Bering Sea currents with the Bering Strait transport are dominated by the seasonal cycle. On the interannual time scale, significant negative correlations are diagnosed between the Near Strait transport and the Bering Slope and Alaskan Stream currents. Substantial correlations are also diagnosed between the eddy kinetic energy and Pacific Decadal Oscillation