Study on the effect of focal position change on the expansion velocity and propagation mechanism of plasma generated by millisecond pulsed laser-induced fused silica

In this work, by controlling the positional relationship between the target and the focal point, the surface damage, shock wave phenomenon and propagation mechanism involved in the plasma generation of fused silica by millisecond pulsed laser irradiation at different focal positions were studied. Laser energy is an important experimental variable. The dynamic process of plasma was detected by optical shadow method, and the influence of surface film damage on plasma propagation and the propagation mechanism at different focal positions were discussed. The study found that the plasma induced by the pulsed laser at the focus position within 0–20 μs exploded, the micro-droplets formed around 20 μs. At the same time, a shock wave is formed by the compressed air, the micro-droplets are compressed under the action of the shock wave recoil pressure, and the micro-droplets channel phenomenon is observed in the micro-droplets. The peak velocities of plasma and combustion wave appear earlier in the pre-focus position than in the post-focus position. This research provides a reference for the field of laser processing using fused silica as the substrate.

Support and Positioning Mechanism of a Detection Robot inside a Spherical Tank

Large pressure equipment needs to be tested regularly to ensure safe operation;wall-climbing robots can carry the necessary tools to inspect spherical tanks,such as cameras and non-destructive testing equipment.However,a wall-climbing robot inside a spherical tank cannot be accurately positioned owing to the particularity of the spherical tank structure.This paper proposes a passive support and positioning mechanism fixed in a spherical tank to improve the adsorption capacity and positioning accuracy of the inspection robot.The main body of the mechanism was designed as a truss composed of carbon fiber telescopic rods and can work in spherical tanks with diameters of 4.6-15.7 m.The structural strength,stiffness,and stability of the mechanism are analyzed via force and deformation simulations.By constructing a mathematical model of the support and positioning mechanism,the influence of structural deformation on the supporting capacity is analyzed and calculated.The robot positioning method based on the support and positioning mechanism can effectively locate the robot inside a spherical tank.Experiments verified the support performance and robot positioning accuracy of the mechanism.This research proposes an auxiliary support and positioning mechanism for a detection robot inside a spherical tank,which can effectively improve the positioning accuracy of the robot and meet the robotic inspection requirements.

A Position and Orientation Compensation Mechanism for Automatic Docking Device of Launch Rocket

A position and orientation compensation mechanism for the automatic docking device of a launch rocketwas established.The docking process was simulated,and the maximum docking deviation was used for the prototype testing of the compensation mechanism.The compensation mechanism mainly comprises four column pairmotion branch chains with the same structure.When the position of the ground connector panel changes relative to the moving platform,the sliding rods in the four motion branch chains move and rotate to either compress or stretch the connected spring,thereby compensating the position and orientation.First,the dynamic simulation model of the compensation mechanism was established.The docking process was then simulated under the maximum docking deviation.Bench testing of the automatic docking device prototype was carried out.Afterwards,the device was manufactured,and a maximum load test and maximum deviation test were carried out.The results demonstrate that the compensation mechanism meets the design requirements,and the spring stiffness was found as the most important factor in determining the mechanical properties of the system.The proposed compensation mechanism has a number of advantages,including a simple structure,large load bearing capacity,small size,simple installation,and adjustment.

A Precision-Positioning Method for a High-Acceleration Low-Load Mechanism Based on Optimal Spatial and Temporal Distribution of Inertial Energy

High-speed and precision positioning are fund a mental requirements for high-acceleration low-load mechanisms in integrated circuit(IC) packaging equipment. In this paper, we derive the transient nonlinear dynamicresponse equations of high-acceleration mechanisms, which reveal that stiff ness, frequency, damping, and driving frequency are the primary factors. Therefore, we propose a new structural optimization and velocity-planning method for the precision positioning of a high-acceleration mechanism based on optimal spatial and temporal distribution of inertial energy. For structural optimization, we first reviewed the commonly flexible multibody dynamic optimization using equivalent static loads method(ESLM), and then we selected the modifled ESLM for optimal spatial distribution of inertial energy; hence, not only the stiff ness but also the inertia and frequency of the real modal shapes are considered. For velocity planning, we developed a new velocity-planning method based on nonlinear dynamic-response optimization with varying motion conditions. Our method was verifled on a high-acceleration die bonder. The amplitude of residual vibration could be decreased by more than 20% via structural optimization and the positioning time could be reduced by more than 40% via asymmetric variable veloci ty planning. This method provides an effective theoretical support for the precision positioning of high-acceleration low-load mechanisms.

Driving pressure in mechanical ventilation:A review

Driving pressure(ΔP)is a core therapeutic component of mechanical ventilation(MV).Varying levels ofΔP have been employed during MV depending on the type of underlying pathology and severity of injury.However,ΔP levels have also been shown to closely impact hard endpoints such as mortality.Considering this,conducting an in-depth review ofΔP as a unique,outcome-impacting therapeutic modality is extremely important.There is a need to understand the subtleties involved in making sureΔP levels are optimized to enhance outcomes and minimize harm.We performed this narrative review to further explore the various uses ofΔP,the different parameters that can affect its use,and how outcomes vary in different patient populations at different pressure levels.To better utilizeΔP in MV-requiring patients,additional large-scale clinical studies are needed.

Postoperative Mechanical Axis Alignment and Components Position after Conventional and Patient-Specific Total Knee Arthroplasty

Introduction: Accurate postoperative alignment and implant positioning are determinant factors for successful total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Patient-specific template (PST) is a technique that uses computer technology for the planning, deigning and production of cutting guides. This study aims to compare PST to conventional technique in terms of mechanical axis alignment and component positioning. Patients and method: 109 TKA were performed for 78 patients in 2 groups. Group A included 69 conventional TKA in 55 patients and Group B included 40 patient-specific TKA in 23 patient. Postoperative long-film X-rays were done for all patients to observe the mechanical axis, anatomical axis, lateral distal femoral mechanical angle and medial proximal tibial angle. Results: No statistically significant difference was found between the two groups regarding alignment or component positioning. Conclusion: Both techniques have shown similar results in restoring the mechanical axis and alignment after TKA. However, PST had the advantages of reduced blood loss and shorter operative time.

A Parametric Study of Mechanical Cross-Coupling in Parallel-Kinematics Piezo-Flexural Nano-Positioning Systems

Piezo-electric nano-positioning stages are being widely used in applications in which precision and accuracy in the order of nano, and high scanning speeds are paramount. This paper presents a Finite Element Analysis (FEA) of the parallel piezo-flexural nano-positioning (PPNP) stages to investigate motion interference between their different axes. Cross-coupling is one of the significant contributors to undesirable runouts in the precision positioning of PPNP actuators. Using ABAQUS/CAE 2018 software, a 3D model of a PPNP stage was developed. The model consists of a central elastic body connected to a fixed frame through four flexural hinges. A cylindrical stack of multiple piezoelectric disks is placed between the moving central body and the fixed frame. Extensive simulations were carried out for three different friction coefficients in the piezoelectric disks’ contact surfaces, different frame materials, and different geometrical configurations of the stage and the hinges. As a result, it was observed that the primary root cause of the mechanical cross-coupling effect could be realized in the combination of the slip and rotation of the piezoelectric disks due to their frictional behavior with the stage moving in the tangential direction, concurrent with changes in the geometry of the stage.

Efficacy of prone position in acute respiratory distress syndrome patients: A pathophysiology-based review

Acute respiratory distress syndrome(ARDS) is a syndrome with heterogeneous underlying pathological processes. It represents a common clinical problem in intensive care unit patients and it is characterized by high mortality. The mainstay of treatment for ARDS is lung protective ventilation with low tidal volumes and positive end-expiratory pressure sufficient for alveolar recruitment. Prone positioning is a supplementary strategy available in managing patients with ARDS. It was first described 40 years ago and it proves to be in alignment with two major ARDS pathophysiological lung models; the "sponge lung"- and the "shape matching"-model. Current evidence strongly supports that prone positioning has beneficial effects on gas exchange, respiratory mechanics, lung protection and hemodynamics as it redistributes transpulmonary pressure, stress and strain throughout the lung and unloads the right ventricle. The factors that individually influence the time course of alveolar recruitment and the improvement in oxygenation during prone positioning have not been well characterized. Although patients' response to prone positioning is quite variable and hard to predict, large randomized trials and recent meta-analyses show that prone position in conjunction with a lung-protective strategy, when performed early and in sufficient duration, may improve survival in patients with ARDS. This pathophysiology-based review and recent clinical evidence strongly support the use of prone positioning in the early management of severe ARDS systematically and not as a rescue maneuver or a last-ditch effort.

Methods for the Gear-Position Decision in AMT

Aimed at defects of the gear position decision in an automatic mechanical transmission, a method of synthetic shift schedule of 5 speed gear position is presented, which is based on the fuzzy discernment of the driver intention and the road characteristics. A contrastive experimental analysis between the synthetic gear position decision method and the traditional gear position decision method is given by analyzing Santana 2000.

Mechanism of Nickel-Aluminium Alloy Electroplating

The effect of operating conditions on the aluminium content of Ni-Al alloy deposit and the catalytic function of NaF on electrodeposition in the nonaqueous solution containing aluminium are investigated.The results indicate that the plated aluminuim content will be increased with the rise of current density in a given range.When the current density is 2.5A/dm 2,nickle aluminium alloy containing 13.1 wt% aluminium will be deposited.The plated aluminium content will be increased by 2wt% as 0.1mol/L NaF is added to the bath.

Position, Singularity and Workspace Analysis of 3-PSR-O Spatial Parallel Manipulator

Although the parallel mechanisms have the advantages of high accuracy, velocity, stiffness, and payload capacity, the shortcomings of the space utilization and workspace limit the applications in the confined space. A novel 3 degrees of freedom spatial parallel manipulator 3-PSR-O（prismatic-spherical-revolute） is proposed, which possesses a compact architecture and extended workspace while maintaining the inherent advantages of the parallel mechanisms. The direct-inverse position, singularity and workspace are investigated. The mapping method is adopted in the position analysis, and the closed form solution is derived in the form of a six order equation. The singularity analysis of the mechanism is also carried out based on the geometrical constraints, including six singularity boundaries. A feature boundary, which is independent of the prismatic joints＇ stroke limit, is obtained by integrating the six singularity boundaries. According to the formation of the reachable workspace, a concept of basic workspace is also introduced and presented in the analytical way. By demarcating the basic workspace along the central height with the feature boundary, the reachable workspace can be derived and analyzed more efficiently. Finally, a comparative study on the space utilization between the 3-PSP parallel mechanism and the new mechanism is also presented. The area of feature boundary of the new mechanism is about 140% of the 3-PSP parallel mechanism, while its installation radius is only 1/2 of the 3-PSP parallel mechanism. The proposed parallel mechanism shows great space utilization, and is ideally suited for applications in confined space occasions such as immersion lithography, nano-imprint etc.

Clinical evaluation of prone position ventilation in the treatment of acute respiratory distress syndrome induced by sepsis

BACKGROUND Acute respiratory distress syndrome(ARDS)is an acute,diffuse,inflammatory lung injury.Previous studies have shown prone position ventilation(PPV)to be associated with improvement in oxygenation.However,its role in patients with ARDS caused by sepsis remains unknown.AIM To analyze the clinical effects of PPV in patients with ARDS caused by sepsis.METHODS One hundred and two patients with ARDS were identified and divided into a control group(n=55)and a PPV treatment group(n=47).Outcomes included oxygenation index,lung compliance(Cst)and platform pressure(Pplat),which were compared between the two groups after ventilation.Other outcomes included heart rate(HR),mean arterial pressure(MAP),central venous pressure(CVP),left ventricular ejection fraction(LVEF),the length of mechanical ventilation time and intensive care unit(ICU)stay,and levels of C-reactive protein(CRP),procalcitonin(PCT),and interleukin-6(IL-6)after ventilation.Finally,mortality rate was also compared between the two groups.RESULTS On the first day after ventilation,the oxygenation index and Cst were higher and Pplat level was lower in the PPV group than in the conventional treatment group(P<0.05).There were no significant differences in oxygenation index,Cst,and Pplat levels between the two groups on the 2^(nd),4^(th),and 7^(th) day after ventilation(P>0.05).There were no significant differences in HR,MAP,CVP,LVEF,duration of mechanical ventilation and ICU stay,and the levels of CRP,PCT,and IL-6 between the two groups on the first day after ventilation(all P>0.05).The mortality rates on days 28 and 90 in the PPV and control groups were 12.77% and 29.09%,and 25.53% and 45.45%,respectively(P<0.05).CONCLUSION PPV may improve respiratory mechanics indices and may also have mortality benefit in patients with ARDS caused by sepsis.Finally,PPV was not shown to cause any adverse effects on hemodynamics and inflammation indices.

A New Class of Exactly Solvable Models within the Schrodinger Equation with Position Dependent Mass

The study of physical systems endowed with a position-dependent mass (PDM) remains a fundamental issue of quantum mechanics. In this paper we use a new approach, recently developed by us for building the quantum kinetic energy operator (KEO) within the Schrodinger equation, in order to construct a new class of exactly solvable models with a position varying mass, presenting a harmonic-oscillator-like spectrum. To do so we utilize the formalism of supersymmetric quantum mechanics (SUSY QM) along with the shape invariance condition. Recent outcomes of non-Hermitian quantum mechanics are also taken into account.

Characteristics and triggering mechanism of Xinmo landslide on 24 June 2017 in Sichuan, China

At 5: 39 AM on 24 June 2017, a huge landslide-debris avalanche occurred on Fugui Mountain at Xinmo village, Diexi town, Maoxian county, Sichuan province, China. The debris blocked the Songpinggou River for about 2 km, resulting in a heavy loss of both human lives and properties(10 deaths, 3 injuries, 73 missing, and 103 houses completely destroyed). The objectives of this paper are to understand the overall process and triggering factors of this landslide and to explore the affecting factors for its long term evolution before failure. Post event surveys were carried out the day after the landslide occurrence. Information was gathered from literature and on-site investigation and measurement. Topography, landforms, lithology, geological setting, earthquake history, meteorological and hydrological data of the area were analysed. Aerial photographs and other remote sensing information were used for evaluation and discussion. Eye witnesses also provided a lot of helpful information for us to understand the process of initiation, development and deposition. The depositional characteristics of the moving material as well as the traces of the movement,the structural features of the main scarp and the seismic waves induced by the slide are presented and discussed in detail in this paper. The results show that the mechanism of the landslide is a sudden rupture of the main block caused by the instability of a secondary block at a higher position. After the initiation, the failed rock mass at higher position overloaded the main block at the lower elevation and collapsed in tandem. Fragmentation of the rock mass occurred later, thus forming a debris avalanche with high mobility. This landslide case indicates that such seismic events could influence geological hazards for over 80 years and this study provides reference to the long term susceptibility and risk assessment of secondary geological hazards from earthquake.

TOPOLOGY OPTIMIZATION OF MULTIPLE INPUTS AND MULTIPLE OUTPUTS COMPLIANT MECHANISMS

An optimal topology design method for multiple inputs and multiple outputs compliant micro-manipulation system is presented. Firstly, the topology design problem is posed in terms of a multiple inputs load and several specified output deflections. The compliance and stiffness of the system are expressed by the mutual potential energy and strain energy, respectively, which can be controlled by a multi-critaria objective function. Secondly, based on the optimality criteria method, a model solution algorithm is presented. Finally, a numerical example is presented to show the validity oftbe presented technique. The optimal topology ofa 4 inputs and 4 outputs compliant mechanism is obtained by using the method, and the corresponding micro-positioning stage system is further designed.

Barom etric altim eter in wireless com m unication network indoor positioning system

A differential barometric altimetry technology based on the digital pressure sensors is put forward by using the existing mobile phone base station as reference. The height of known base sta- tion is precise. The pressure and temperature of the known base station is measured by sensors and transmitted to users. The absolute height value of user will be calculated by combining the baromet- ric pressure values and temperature values from the base station with the locally measured values. In order to decrease system errors caused by inconsistency between the measured pressure value at base station and the locally measured pressure value, weights correction is applied based on multiple reference stations. The calculated height value is accurate due to eliminating the measured errors caused by irregular changes of atmospheric pressure, with the error less than 1 m. Resolution of ele- vation positioning depends upon the resolution of the pressure sensor, the relationship between which is approximately linear. When the resolution of sensor is 0.01 hPa, the resolution of elevation positioning is about 0. 1 m. In addition, the data frame format at base station is designed in this arti- cle. Experimental results show that the method is accurate, reliable, stable and has the ability to distinguish floors and stair steps.

Optimal gear shift control strategy for positive independent mechanical split path transmission with automatic shift system

An improvement strategy which controls the shift effort and the power summing planetary gear set of steering clutches and brakes have been proposed based on the dynamic model of synchroniser in order to decrease the wear of synchroniser inserts, make gear shift easy and reduce the shock noise for a positive independent mechanical split path transmission which attached an auto- matic shift system when shifting. A kinetics model for the process of synchroniser engagement is built and analyzed in the paper. Thus for optimizing the gear shift process which is divided into three phases a model reference fuzzy self-adaption system is adopted. Through a 6 000 km road experiment, the control strategy has proved feasible and dependable.

Structural Effect on Electron Impact Decomposition of 1,3-and 1,4-Cyclohexane Dinitrites

Alkyl dinitrites have at-tracted attention as an im-portant type of nitrosating agent and a pollution source in atmosphere.The reac-tivity and chemistry of alkyl dinitrites induced by the two ONO functional groups are relatively unknown.In this work,decompositions of 1,3-cyclohexane dinitrite and 1,4-cyclohexane dinitrite are studied by electron impact ionization mass spectroscopy(EI-MS).Apart from NO^(+)(m=z=30),fragment ions m=z=43 and 71 are the most abundant for the 1,3-isomer.On the other hand,fragments m=z=29,57,85,and 97 stand out in the EI-MS spectrum of 1,4-isomer.Possible dissociation mechanisms of the two dinitrites are proposed by theoretical calculations.The results reveal that the ring-opening of 1,3-cyclohexane dinitrite mainly starts from the intermediate ion(M-NO)^(+)by cleavage of twoαC-βC bonds.For 1,4-cyclohexane dinitrite,in addition to the decomposition via intermediate(M-NO)^(+),cleavage ofβC-βC bonds can occur directly from the parent cation(M)^(+).The results will help to understand the structural related chemistry of alkyl dinitrites in atmosphere and in NO transfer process.

A New Type of Continuously Variable Displacement Mechanism Used for Hydraulic Motors

A continuously variable displacement mechanism, which is composed of a hydraulic control valve with mechanical-positional feedback to camshaft, was designed for changing the displacement of traditional camshaft connecting-rod low speed high torque (LSHT) hydraulic motor continuously. The new type of continuously variable displacement mechanism is simple and easy to be made. The structure and principle of a continuously variable displacement mechanism was introduced. The mathematic model of the continuously variable displacement mechanism was set up and its static and dynamic characteristics were analyzed with the help of computer simulation. It can be seen that the cam ring on camshaft of the traditional LSHT hydraulic motor can stop at any position between minimum and maximum eccentricity, according to an input fluid pressure signal. And it can also stay anywhere stably through self-adjusting. Besides, it can work stabilized when load impact or oil leakage exists.

Positioning in Dynamic Testing of Slender Bridges

The positioning combined with multi-functioning and interactive mechanics in dynamic testing of slender bridges are treated in present paper. The approach takes into account multiple functions in dynamic testing of slender bridges constructed of thin-walled structural members with their hierarchical configuration. Theoretical, numerical and experimental in situ assessments of the problem are presented. Some results of the application in situ are submitted.