Design and control of 3-DOF needle positioner for MRI-guided laser ablation of liver tumours

This article presents the design and control of a pneumatic needle positioner for laser ablation of liver tumours under guidance by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The prototype was developed to provide accurate point-to-point remote positioning of a needle guide inside an MR scanner with the aim of evaluating the potential advantages over the manual procedure. In order to minimise alterations to the MR environment, the system employs plastic pneumatic actuators and 9 m long supply lines connecting with the control hardware located outside the magnet room. An improved sliding mode control (SMC) scheme was designed for the position control of the device. Wireless micro-coil fiducials are used for automatic registration in the reference frame of the MR scanner. The MRI-compatibility and the accuracy of the prototype are demonstrated with experiments in the MR scanner

The appraisal of sustainable materials

This paper seeks to understand how users appraise and perceive sustainable material s . Using th inking aloud sessions , appraisals of sustainable materials embodied in commercial products were collected from users and categorised . To account for the appraisal of systemic features of materials w e have extended a previous categorisation of material appraisals . We have also investigated the relationships between the appraisal themes of sustainable materials . The results stress the influence of material origin in the appraisal. This understanding is useful to facilitate the uptake of the materials

Contaminated interaction: another barrier to circular material flows

Contamination poses a significant problem to the circular economy (CE), which derives much of its value from maintaining pure material flows. The aim of this article is to frame contaminated interaction among other forms of contamination and investigate its effects on the CE. The research is based on a review of the contamination literature and case studies. We differentiate between three types of contamination influencing circular material flows: technical, which deals with fitness for use; systemic, which deals with efficiency in processing; and interaction, which deals with user-object interaction and decision making. Our focus is on developing a foundational understanding of contaminated interaction and how it influences circular processes. Through multiple examples, contaminated interaction is shown to create three barriers to the CE: downcycling, disposal, and hindered circulation. Among other proposals to address contaminated interaction, the research calls for the development of experientially transferrable design—products that can move between users and uses without negative consequences

Optimal logistics planning for modular construction using two-stage stochastic programming

The construction sector is currently undergoing a shift from stick-built construction to modular building systems that take advantage of modern prefabrication techniques. Long established in-situ construction practices are thus being replaced by processes imported from the manufacturing sector, where component fabrication takes place within a factory environment. As a result of this transformation, current construction supply chains, which have focused on the delivery of raw materials to sites, are no longer apt and need to make way to new, strengthened, and time-critical logistics systems. The aim of this study is to establish a mathematical model for the optimisation of logistics processes in modular construction covering three tiers of operation: manufacturing, storage and assembly. Previous studies have indicated that construction site delays constitute the largest cause of schedule deviations. Using the model outlined in this paper we seek to determine how factory manufacturing and inventory management should react to variations in the demand on construction sites. A two-stage stochastic programming model is developed to capture all possible demand variations on site. The model is evaluated using a case study from the residential construction sector. The application shows that the model is effective and can serve as decision support to optimise modular construction logistics

Identification of the Thyroid Transcription Factor-1 as a Target for Rat MST2 Kinase

Abstract Thyroid transcription factor-1 (TTF-1) is a homeodomain-containing transcription factor that is required for thyroid-specific expression of the thyroglobulin and thyroperoxidase genes as well as for lung-specific expression of the surfactant protein A, B, and C and the CC10 and the HNF-3α genes. TTF-1 is a phosphoprotein, and the phosphorylation of TTF-1 has been studied already. However, the kinase(s) that could be responsible for this phosphorylation have not been known. In this paper we report the identification by in-gel kinase assay of a 56-kDa serine/threonine kinase that is able to phosphorylate TTF-1 in thyroid cells. The cloning of this kinase revealed that we had identified the rat homolog of the human MST2 kinase. The pathway in which human MST2 functions is not known; however, it does not appear to involve either mitogen-activated protein kinases such as Erk1 and Erk2 nor the stress-activated protein kinases such as JNK and p38. We show that the activity responsible for TTF-1 phosphorylation is constitutive in thyroid cells. Furthermore, we demonstrate that TTF-1 is phosphorylatedin vivo by rMST2 at the same residues that had been identified previously as the major phosphorylation sites. Thus, TTF-1 represents the first identified target of this class of protein kinases

Using functional analysis diagrams to improve product reliability and cost

Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) and Value Engineering (VE) are well-established methods in the manufacturing industry, commonly applied to optimize product reliability and cost respectively. Both processes, however, require cross-functional teams to identify and evaluate the product/process functions and are resource-intensive, hence their application is mostly limited to large organizations. In this paper, we present a methodology involving the concurrent execution of FMEA and VE, assisted by a set of hierarchical Functional Analysis Diagram (FAD) models, along with the outcomes of a pilot application in a UK-based manufacturing Small-Medium Enterprise (SME). Analysis of the results indicate that this new approach could significantly enhance the resource efficiency and effectiveness of both FMEA and VE processes

Decontaminating experiences with circular offerings

Keeping a product offering in the system through continued use and between multiple users creates the potential for interactions which become contaminated. These contaminated interactions can cause a barrier to material circulation and extended product lifetimes. This study seeks to identify the underlying design strategies useful in addressing contaminated interaction. Strategies were identified through an exploration of possible solutions to negative ontamination in two phases. Phase I involved identifying 70 existing solutions to instances of negative contaminated interaction and abstracting these to identify a more fundamental underlying principle. In Phase II, designers participated in a brainstorming session to identify as many solutions as possible to several contaminated interaction design briefs. The resulting 155 solutions were analysed together with the other data to generate a final set of strategies. In the end, eight strategies distilled from the analysis which are used to address contaminated interaction. The strategies represent preventative and responsive solutions applicable to various elements of the contamination process.Marketing and Consumer Researc

Development and evaluation of a methodology to integrate technical and sensorial properties in materials selection.

In the materials selection process, the use of different tools, languages and perspectives frequently causes disagreement between engineers and industrial designers. The aim of the paper is to define an integrated method for materials selection that provides industrial designers with measurable data to support and explain aesthetic decisions on materials. A new method for materials selection consisting of multiple tools structured in a two-step framework is presented. The method is tested through a case study of professional kitchen appliances where metal components are replaced with polymers. The first step involved the application of an established technique to identify polymeric bulk solutions, based on their technical properties. The second step employed a sensory analysis test to choose suitable finishes. Thirty-seven individuals performed the test: the subjects highlighted their main perceptions of metal and metal-look polymer finishes. The research demonstrates that the proposed method is suitable for the evaluation of both technical and sensorial properties of materials. In particular, Mapping test represents a rapid, low cost and effective tool to help industrial designers justify Colour Materials and Finish (CMF) choices with quantifiable information