Effect of Cilia Orientation in Metachronal Transport of Microparticles

A biomimetic approach is used to generate a directed transversal transportation of micron-sized particles in liquids based on the principle of cilia-type arrays in coordinated motion. Rows of flaps mimicking planar cilia are positioned off-centre along an array of cavities covered with membranes that support the flaps. These membranes are deflected from a concave to a convex shape and vice versa by pneumatic actuation applying positive and negative pressures (relative to the ambient) inside the cavities. As a result, the flap on top of the membrane tilts to the left or right within such a pressure cycle, performing a beat stroke. Since each cavity can be addressed in the device individually and in rapid succession, waves of coordinated flap motion can be run along the wall. Such metachronal waves are generated and transport of particles along the cilia surface is achieved in both symplectic and antiplectic direction. It is shown that the initial tilt of the flaps relative to the wall-normal determines the direction of transport

The Epigram of the Great Entablature of St. Polyeuktos and the Legacy of Anicia Juliana

This work examines the epigram of the Early Byzantine church of St. Polyeuktos, and the lineage of its patron, Anicia Juliana, in order to gain insight into the structure’s layout, decoration, and departure from architectural norms. By utilizing the epigram as a guide, it examines the design and decoration of the church. Topics covered include aspects of the structure such as its design connections to the Temple of Jerusalem, the vine and peacock iconography of its great entablature, the presence or absence of a domed roof, and a baptismal mosaic of Constantine. It also touches upon related commissions that lay outside the confines of St. Polyeuktos, such as the Vienna Dios corides medical treatise, and churches, such as St. Euphemia, also constructed by the patron. Anicia Juliana designed St. Polyeuktos to match the measurements of the Jerusalem Temple. Its distinct decorative program included imagery and an inscribed poem that made this theme clear. This study finds that the unique perspective of this female patron has not been fully explored. By reviewing the history of her female progenitors, it establishes the theory that the Anicia Juliana possessed personal knowledge that prompted her to custom design St. Polyeuktos in hope of it someday housing the Temple treasure. Although the interior location of the first half of the inscribed epigram has been firmly established within the nave of the St. Polyeuktos, the location of its second half remains a mystery. Sculptural fragments from its great entablature, bearing lines from the epigram, were accidentally unearthed in the quarter of Sarashane, Istanbul. A copy of the epigram, found in a tenth-century manuscript from the Palatine Anthology, AP 1.10, played a crucial role in identifying the church. This study examines the glosses, tie marks and signes-de-renvoi that surround the poem’s text, in an effort to establish the layout of the second half of the epigram for the exterior compound of the church

Communication in Collective Choice Environments

In this dissertation, I present three models of communication in collective choice environments. The first two models demonstrate how collective choice procedures provide opportunities for informed communicators to manipulate outcomes by strategically obfuscating information to appeal to different coalitions at different times. Paradoxically, the members of the collective choice institution are often better off gathering no information at all rather than relying on an expert who manipulates outcomes in this way. The final chapter characterizes the incentives of candidates to reveal information about their preferences to voters in an election when multiple policy issues are at stake. I show that candidates can credibly reveal directional information about their preferences but will leave the voters uncertain about which candidate is more extreme

Review of technology available to the underground mining industry for control of diesel emissions

"This report reviews the performance and applicability of technology for the control of emissions from diesel-powered equipment used in underground coal and metal/nonmetal mines. The methods discussed include Mine Safety and Health Administration-approved low-emission engines, engine derating, fuels, fuel additives, diesel oxidation catalysts, and diesel particulate filters. The potential of each of these technologies is examined individually and in combination. The performance estimates are derived from the published literature and presented in narrative and tabular form. The purpose of this report is to help the mining industry select the most appropriate method to reduce underground exposures of miners to diesel exhaust in the context of the recently developed diesel regulations. It is important to note that the control technologies discussed in this report have received limited evaluation in underground mines. Additional research is ongoing, and some engineering design changes may need to be implemented before all of these diesel emission control technologies can be safely and successfully used in underground mines." - NIOSHTIC-2by George H. Schnakenberg and Aleksandar D. Bugarski."August 2002."Also available via the World Wide Web.Includes bibliographical references (p. 42-47)

Measuring Mutual Dependence Between State Repressive Actions

This study explores the relationships between state violations of different human rights. Though most quantitative studies in international relations treat different types of repressive behaviors as either independent or arising from the same underlying process, significant insights are gained by conceptualizing different human rights violations as separate but dependent processes. We present a theoretical framework for conceptualizing the mechanisms relating human rights practices and produce a novel measurement strategy based on network analysis for exploring these relationships. We illustrate high levels of complementarity between most human rights practices. Substitution effects, in contrast, are occasionally substantial but relatively rare. Finally, using empirically informed Monte Carlo analyses, we present predictions regarding likely sequences of rights violations resulting in extreme violations of different physical integrity rights

Plant growth regulators for cotton (1994)

Several new plant growth regulators have come on the market for use in cotton in recent years. These plant growth regulators have given growers a new opportunity to influence cotton growth to their advantage. However, this opportunity goes only as far as the ability of the grower to understand and use them properly.David W. Albers (State Extension Specialist-Cotton, Delta Center), C. Tim Schnakenberg (Mississippi County)New March 1994Includes bibliographical reference

Pneumatically actuated biomimetic particle transporter

To prevent the adhesion of particles at surfaces by transporting them along the surface, a new type of pneumatically actuated particle transporter is introduced. The biomimetic approach is based on the transportation principle of particles by cilia arrays due to the generation of metachronal waves. Rows of flaps, which mimic the cilia, are asymmetrically positioned on flexible membranes. The membranes are individually deflected by applying a well-defined pressure profile to achieve a metachronal wave. Detailed simulations of the membrane and flap deflections as well as a description of the proof-of-concept by applying metachronal waves to the flap arrays are presented

The relationship between mirror-touch synaesthesia and empathy: new evidence and a new screening tool

People with mirror-touch synaesthesia (MTS) report experiencing tactile sensations on their own body when seeing another person being touched. Although this has been associated with heightened empathy and emotion perception, this finding has recently been disputed. Here, we conduct two experiments to explore this relationship further. In Study 1, we develop a new screening measure for MTS. We show that MTS is related to vicarious experiences more generally (including to itch and pain), but is not a simple exaggerated version of normality. For example, people with MTS report videos of scratching as ‘touch’ rather than ‘itchiness’ and have localized sensations when watching others in pain. In Study 2, we show that MTS is related to increased emotional empathy to others and better ability to read facial expressions of emotion, but other measures of empathy are normal-to-low. In terms of theoretical models, we propose that this is more consistent with a qualitative difference in the ability to selectively inhibit the other and attending to the self, which leads to heightened activity in shared self-other representations (including a mirror system for touch, but also includes other kinds of vicarious experience)

Работа узлов металлорежущих станков в условиях интенсивного износа инструмента

Рассматривается работа упругой системы цепи подач токарного станка под воздействием линейно возрастающей во времени силы резания. Приводится решение дифференциального уравнения движения системы, из которого следует, что в этих условиях подача в период установившегося процесса меньше номинальной

DESIGN CONCEPTS FOR PREVENTING GAS BUBBLE INTERFERENCE IN MICROFLUIDIC DEVICES

Unintendedly introduced gas bubbles in channels can significantly interfere with performance and behavior of microfluidic systems. Thus, there is a high demand for smart microfluidic system designs which are capable of preventing gas bubbles. In this work, we develop two different bubble interference preventing system designs:a degasser device that actively removes gas bubbles from the liquid based on pressure driven gas permeation, and a passive micro channel design that provides a guiding mechanism based on the gas bubbles’ effort to minimize their surface energy. The effective performances of the devices are demonstrated