Interaction Forces Between Multiple Bodies in a Magnetic Field

Some of the results from experiments to determine the interaction forces between multiple bodies in a magnetic field are presented in this paper. It is shown how the force values and the force directions depend on the configuration of the bodies, their relative positions to each other, and the vector of the primary magnetic field. A number of efficient new automatic loading and assembly machines, as well as manipulators and robots, have been created based on the relationship between bodies and magnetic fields. A few of these patented magnetic devices are presented. The concepts involved open a new way to design universal grippers for robot and other kinds of mechanisms for the manipulation of objects. Some of these concepts can be used for space applications

Magnetically Attached Multifunction Maintenance Rover

A versatile mobile telerobot, denoted the magnetically attached multifunction maintenance rover (MAGMER), has been proposed for use in the inspection and maintenance of the surfaces of ships, tanks containing petrochemicals, and other large ferromagnetic structures. As its name suggests, this robot would utilize magnetic attraction to adhere to a structure. As it moved along the surface of the structure, the MAGMER would perform tasks that could include close-up visual inspection by use of video cameras, various sensors, and/or removal of paint by water-jet blasting, laser heating, or induction heating. The water-jet nozzles would be mounted coaxially within compressed-air-powered venturi nozzles that would collect the paint debris dislodged by the jets. The MAGMER would be deployed, powered, and controlled from a truck, to which it would be connected by hoses for water, compressed air, and collection of debris and by cables for electric power and communication (see Figure 1). The operation of the MAGMER on a typical large structure would necessitate the use of long cables and hoses, which can be heavy. To reduce the load of the hoses and cables on the MAGMER and thereby ensure its ability to adhere to vertical and overhanging surfaces, the hoses and cables would be paid out through telescopic booms that would be parts of a MAGMER support system. The MAGMER would move by use of four motorized, steerable wheels, each of which would be mounted in an assembly that would include permanent magnets and four pole pieces (see Figure 2). The wheels would protrude from between the pole pieces by only about 3 mm, so that the gap between the pole pieces and the ferromagnetic surface would be just large enough to permit motion along the surface but not so large as to reduce the magnetic attraction excessively. In addition to the wheel assemblies, the MAGMER would include magnetic adherence enhancement fixtures, which would comprise arrays of permanent magnets and pole pieces that could be adjusted to maximize or minimize the overall attractive magnetic force. Even with a paint thickness of 2 mm, a preliminary design provides a safety factor of 5 in the magnetic force in the upside- down, water-jets-operating condition, in which the total load (including the weight of the MAGMER and cables and the water-jet force) would be about 260 lb (the weight of 118 kg). Optionally, the MAGMER could carry magnetic shielding and/or could be equipped with a demagnetizing module to remove residual magnetism from the structure. The MAGMER would carry four charge-coupled-device cameras for visual inspection, monitoring of operation, navigation, and avoidance of collisions with obstacles. The control system of the MAGMER would include navigation and collision-avoidance subsystems that would utilize surface features as landmarks, in addition to direct images of obstacles

Ovid\u27s Pentheus: An In-Depth Guide for Students and Teachers to a King\u27s Anger and Fiery Oration

Born out of my years of using traditional commentaries for Latin and Greek texts, both for myself as a student learning the language anew and then as a teacher sharing my experience with others &mdash and still learning the language years later &mdash this in&ndashdepth guide to Ovid\u27s version of the story of Pentheus I have conceived as a reimagining of the genre, at once a vehicle designed to allow students to navigate their own ways through the literature and also a tool for building their analytical skills to apply liberally, earnestly, and enthusiastically to other Latin and Greek texts, and really to any piece of writing, art, or other form of expression. Here in Vol. 1, my own exploration of the text brought me to notice a striking parallel between Pentheus\u27 speech to the Thebans that dominates the first seventy&ndashodd lines of Ovid\u27s telling of the myth and the guidelines to oration in general put forth by the Rhetorica ad Herrenium, a text that predates the Metamorphoses by enough time for Ovid to have read it and to have been influenced by its handy approach. I share the details of that observation later in the book, so as to allow other readers to engage with the text on their own first. Additionally, years of reading, rereading, writing about and discussing with others Ovid\u27s beleaguered main character have allowed me to form a relationship with the mythical Pentheus, and so in this volume and in the two to come, I invite my readers to empathize with him, to understand his anger, and to allow him the space to be upset at the arrival of Bacchus at Thebes. In this way, when we can join him in his experience, his lamentable fate truly can become a tragedy

Multifunction automated crawling system

The present invention is an automated crawling robot system including a platform, a first leg assembly, a second leg assembly, first and second rails attached to the platform, and an onboard electronic computer controller. The first leg assembly has an intermittent coupling device and the second leg assembly has an intermittent coupling device for intermittently coupling the respective first and second leg assemblies to a particular object. The first and second leg assemblies are slidably coupled to the rail assembly and are slidably driven by motors to thereby allow linear movement. In addition, the first leg assembly is rotary driven by a rotary motor to thereby provide rotary motion relative to the platform. To effectuate motion, the intermittent coupling devices of the first and second leg assemblies alternately couple the respective first and second leg assemblies to an object. This motion is done while simultaneously moving one of the leg assemblies linearly in the desired direction and preparing the next step. This arrangement allows the crawler of the present invention to traverse an object in a range of motion covering 360 degrees

Compact, precision duplex bearing mount for high vibration environments

A duplex bearing mount including at least one duplex bearing having an inner race and an outer race, the inner race disposed within the outer race and being rotatable relative to the outer race about an axis, the inner race having substantially no relative movement relative to the outer race in at least one direction along the axis, the inner and outer races each having first and second axial faces which are respectively located at the same axial end of the duplex bearing. The duplex bearing is radially supported by a housing, and a shaft extends through the inner race, the shaft radially and axially supported by the inner race. A first retainer is connected to the housing and engages the first axial surface of a bearing race, the movement of which race in a first direction along the axis being constrained by the first retainer. A second, resilient retainer is connected to the housing or the shaft and is deflected through engagement with the second axial face of a bearing race, the movement of which race in a second direction along the axis, opposite to the first direction, being constrained by the deflected second retainer. The bearing is preloaded by its being clamped between the first and second retainers, and the second retainer forms at least a portion of a spring having the characteristic of a substantially constant force value correlating to a range of various deflection values, whereby the preload of the bearing is substantially unaffected by variations in the deflection of the second retainer

Clinical Trials and Medical Care: Defining the Therapeutic Misconception

A key component of informed consent to participate in medical research includes understanding that research is not the same as treatment

Drivers of advanced stage at breast cancer diagnosis in the multicountry African breast cancer - disparities in outcomes (ABC-DO) study.

Breast cancer (BC) survival rates in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) are low in part due to advanced stage at diagnosis. As one component of a study of the entire journey of SSA women with BC, we aimed to identify shared and setting-specific drivers of advanced stage BC. Women newly diagnosed in the multicountry African Breast Cancer-Disparities in Outcomes (ABC-DO) study completed a baseline interview and their stage information was extracted from medical records. Ordinal logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for advanced stage (I, II, III, IV) in relation to individual woman-level, referral and biological factors. A total of 1795 women were included from Nigeria, Uganda, Zambia, and the multiracial populations of Namibia and South Africa, 1091 of whom (61%) were stage III/IV. Stage was lower in women with greater BC knowledge (OR 0.77 (95% CI: 0.70, 0.85) per point on a 6 point scale). More advanced stage was associated with being black (4.00 (2.79, 5.74)), having attended <secondary education (1.75 (1.42, 2.16)), having never heard of BC (1.64 (1.31, 2.06)), an unskilled job (1.77 (1.43, 2.20)) and pregnancy in the past 3 years (30% of ≤45 year olds) (1.63 (1.15, 2.31)), and were mediated through delays to diagnosis: symptom duration of ≥ 1 year (OR 2.47 (1.93, 3.15)). These findings provide further evidence that late-stage BC in SSA is largely attributed to modifiable factors and strategies to improve BC education and awareness in women and the health system should be intensified

Preexisting morbidity profile of women newly diagnosed with breast cancer in sub-Saharan Africa: African Breast Cancer-Disparities in Outcomes study.

The presence of preexisting morbidities poses a challenge to cancer patient care. There is little information on the profile and prevalence of multi-morbidities in breast cancer patients across middle income countries (MIC) to lower income countries (LIC) in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). The African Breast Cancer-Disparities in Outcomes (ABC-DO) breast cancer cohort spans upper MICs South Africa and Namibia, lower MICs Zambia and Nigeria and LIC Uganda. At cancer diagnosis, seven morbidities were assessed: obesity, hypertension, diabetes, asthma/chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, heart disease, tuberculosis and HIV. Logistic regression models were used to assess determinants of morbidities and the influence of morbidities on advanced stage (stage III/IV) breast cancer diagnosis. Among 2189 women, morbidity prevalence was the highest for obesity (35%, country-specific range 15-57%), hypertension (32%, 15-51%) and HIV (16%, 2-26%) then for diabetes (7%, 4%-10%), asthma (4%, 2%-10%), tuberculosis (4%, 0%-8%) and heart disease (3%, 1%-7%). Obesity and hypertension were more common in upper MICs and in higher socioeconomic groups. Overall, 27% of women had at least two preexisting morbidities. Older women were more likely to have obesity (odds ratio: 1.09 per 10 years, 95% CI 1.01-1.18), hypertension (1.98, 1.81-2.17), diabetes (1.51, 1.32-1.74) and heart disease (1.69, 1.37-2.09) and were less likely to be HIV positive (0.64, 0.58-0.71). Multi-morbidity was not associated with stage at diagnosis, with the exception of earlier stage in obese and hypertensive women. Breast cancer patients in higher income countries and higher social groups in SSA face the additional burden of preexisting non-communicable diseases, particularly obesity and hypertension, exacerbated by HIV in Southern/Eastern Africa