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Deployable structures composed of hinge joints (revolute joints) with inclined axis have a potential to realize a rich variety of deformation with a small number of members, which enables it to be lightweight with low risk of failure. In this article, a systematic method is proposed to obtain new hinge-jointed structures that have N-dihedral symmetry and can be folded into a straightly bundled shape. The proposed structure, which we call N-gonal multilayer symmetric revolute linkage (N-MLSRL), is composed of some layers. Each layer is an assemblage of 2N bars and 2N inclined hinges, which can be deformed from a regular 2N-gonal frame into an entirely straight rod shape, which is a generalization of a 4-bar Bennett linkage. For the case N is less than or equal to 3, the N-MLSRL has a single degree-of-freedom. For an application to design of deployable structures, a method is introduced to generate the structure expanded to a predefined target surface of revolution. For designing the realistic detail considering the finite sizes of the joints, a technique called hinge offsets is used. The proposed method is applied to a horn-shaped structure, a ball-shaped structure, and a dome-shaped structure as its numerical examples. The validity of the proposed method is confirmed by a physical model of a dome-shaped structure including hinge offsets.

Since the new Administrative Political Division put into effect in January 2011, Pinar del Río province ceded three municipalities to the current province of Artemisa: San Cristóbal, Bahía Honda and Candelaria; losing the highest altitude at that time was Pan de Guajaibón. This is located in the municipality of San Cristóbal. For this reason and at the request of the National Commission of Geographical Names, the Technical Advisory Group on Geographic Names of the province of Pinar del Río at the end of 2014, was given the task of conducting an investigation with the objective of determining a new Nomination of the Greater Height of its mountainous system. The integration of the work carried out by the Oronimia subgroup integrated by: CITMA (ECOVIDA) (group leader). Provincial Direction of Physical Planning, Provincial Office of Hydrography and Geodesy, MININT (Ranger Corps), Institute of Pedagogical Sciences Rafael M. de Mendive, MINTUR, GEOCUBA Provincial Office of Normalization, Provincial Speleological Committee and Mountain Region favored the fulfillment of the proposed objectives. As a result, Seboruco Hill is proposed, an oronym located in the easternmost mountain range of the Guaniguanico mountain range. This investigation was carried out in accordance with the Methodological Instructions of the National Commission of Geographical Names. Complying with Article 11, paragraph a), of Decree No. 150 of Geographical Names, the commission is asked to evaluate and approve said proposal based on a research fact sheet where elements that favor the designation are proposed., A partir de la nueva División Política Administrativa puesta en vigor en enero del 2011, la provincia Pinar del Río cedió tres municipios a las actuales provincias de Artemisa: San Cristóbal, Bahía Honda y Candelaria; perdiendo su altura mayor que en aquel momento era Pan de Guajaibón; que se localiza en el municipio de San Cristóbal. Por tal motivo y a solicitud de la Comisión Nacional de Nombres Geográficos y el Grupo Técnico Asesor de Nombres Geográfico de la provincia de Pinar del Río a finales del año 2014, se dio a la tarea de realizar una investigación con el objetivo de determinar una nueva Nominación de la Altura Mayor de su sistema montañoso. La integración del trabajo realizado por el subgrupo de Oronimia integrado por: El Centro de Investigaciones y Servicios Ambientales (jefe de grupo), Dirección Provincial de Planificación Física, Oficina Provincial de Hidrografía y Geodesia, Cuerpo de Guardabosques, Dirección Provincial de Normalización, Comité Espeleológico Provincial, Región Montañosa entre otros, favoreció el cumplimiento de los objetivos propuestos. Como resultado se propone Loma Seboruco la nueva altura, orónimo que se ubica en la más oriental de las sierras de la cordillera de Guaniguanico (Sierra del Rosario). Esta investigación se llevó a cabo según las Instrucciones Metodológicas de la Comisión Nacional de Nombres Geográficos. Cumpliendo con el Artículo 11, inciso a), del Decreto Número. 150 se solicitó la evaluación y aprobación de dicha propuesta a partir de una ficha técnica de investigación donde se proponen elementos que favorecen la designación.

Detta projekt gick ut på att undersöka möjligheterna för integrerade gångjärn till köksluckor samt att försöka ta fram en möjlig lösning. Under projektets inledande fas faktainsamlingen undersöktes dagens lösningar, diverse material och tillverkningsmetoder samt tribologi. Kundkrav identifierades som sedan låg till grun-den för funktionsanalysen, dessa funktioner rangordnades. De tre högst prioriterade egenskaperna var dold öppning, monteringsmöjlighet och justeringsmöjlighet. Dessa rangordnade funktionerna användes till idégenereringen och olika koncept togs fram, bland dessa koncept valdes ett som sedan bearbetades i flera iterationer med hjälp av CAD-program och prototyping till ett förfinat koncept som blev projektets resultat., This project intended purpose was to examine the possibilities with integrated hinges for kitchen cabinet doors and try to develop a plausible solution. The project started with benchmarking and thereafter researching different materials, manufacturing methods and lubricants. Customer demands was also identified and these demands where used for the function analysis. These functions where the backbone of the morphological matrix used in the concept generating process that led to sex different concept ideas, one concept idea was chosen and developed in to one nearly finished product.

Detta projekt gick ut på att undersöka möjligheterna för integrerade gångjärn till köksluckor samt att försöka ta fram en möjlig lösning. Under projektets inledande fas faktainsamlingen undersöktes dagens lösningar, diverse material och tillverkningsmetoder samt tribologi. Kundkrav identifierades som sedan låg till grun-den för funktionsanalysen, dessa funktioner rangordnades. De tre högst prioriterade egenskaperna var dold öppning, monteringsmöjlighet och justeringsmöjlighet. Dessa rangordnade funktionerna användes till idégenereringen och olika koncept togs fram, bland dessa koncept valdes ett som sedan bearbetades i flera iterationer med hjälp av CAD-program och prototyping till ett förfinat koncept som blev projektets resultat., This project intended purpose was to examine the possibilities with integrated hinges for kitchen cabinet doors and try to develop a plausible solution. The project started with benchmarking and thereafter researching different materials, manufacturing methods and lubricants. Customer demands was also identified and these demands where used for the function analysis. These functions where the backbone of the morphological matrix used in the concept generating process that led to sex different concept ideas, one concept idea was chosen and developed in to one nearly finished product.

The thesis will assess the error in ductility demand estimated through the double-linear-analysis method for seismic design when compared against non-linear time-history analysis. A representative set of irregular structures will be considered for design and assessment. The statistics of the error of the model will be determined. Finally, a suitable safety factor will be calibrated for target reliability factor.

Виконано аналіз наявних елементних баз для проектування систем гідро- і пневмоприводів. Досліджено архітектуру і склад елементних баз та визначено їх вплив на формування функціональних можливостей систем гідро- і пневмоприводів. Розроблена принципово нова елементна база систем гідро- і пневмоприводів, що включає комплектні гідро- і пневмоприводи агреговані із приводами мікропереміщень, пружно-деформовані приводи, гідростатичні та аеростатичні шарніри, в тому числі регульовані та магнітні шарніри та інерційні демпфери коливань. В запропонованій елементній базі використані нові матеріали та технології: кераміка, фото полімери, феромагнітні металполімерні композити. Застосовані комп’ютерно-інтегровані технології машинобудування, що включають лазерну обробку. Досліджені робочі процеси в інноваційних елементах приводів, зокрема визначені характеристики течії в щілинах шарнірів, течії феромагнітної рідини та процеси в пневматичних пристроях. Досліджено динамічні властивості розроблених систем приводів. Інерційні характеристики приводів описані стохастичними тензорними полями тензорів моментів інерції із введенням тензора-градіента поля. Використані планарні та просторові лінійні та нелінійні динамічні моделі. Розроблені математичні моделі для розрахунку ланцюгових парціальних динамічних підсистем сферичного руху та встановлені особливості їх динамічних характеристик. Основні результати досліджень апробовані виготовленням та дослідженням конкретних систем приводів, побудованих на новій елементній базі., The analysis of existing elemental base for design of hydraulic and pneumatic drives was done. Architecture and structure of elemental bases was studied and their impact on the functional abilities of hydraulic and pneumatic drive systems were determined. In this study a fundamentally new element base of hydraulic and pneumatic drive systems that include complex hydraulic and pneumatic drives aggregated with micromovement system, elastically-deformed drives, hydrostatic and aerostatic hinges, including adjustable and magnetic hinges and inertial fluctuations dampers was developed . In the proposed element base we used new materials and technologies: ceramics, photo polymers, metalpolymer and ferromagnetic composites. Computer integrated Manufacturing Engineering, including laser processing were applied. The workflows in the innovative drives elements , including characteristics of flow in gaps of a hinges, ferromagnetic fluid flowing and processes in pneumatic devices were researched. The dynamic properties of the developed drive systems were investigated. The inertia characteristics of a drives were described using stochastic tensor fields of the moments of inertia with introducing tensor-gradient of a field. The planar and spatial linear and nonlinear dynamic models were used. The mathematical models for calculating the dynamic chain partial spherical motion subsystems were developed and the features of their dynamic characteristics were established. The main results of research were tested by manufacturing of drive systems, built on new element base., Выполнен анализ имеющихся элементных баз проектирования систем гидро- и пневмоприводов. Исследовано архитектуру и состав элементных баз и определено их влияние на формирование функциональных возможностей пространственных систем гидро- и пневмоприводов. Разработана принципиально новая элементная база систем гидро- и пневмоприводов, включающая комплектные гидро- и пневмоприводы агрегированные с приводами микроперемещений, упруго-деформированные приводы, гидростатические и аэростатические шарниры, в том числе регулируемые и магнитные шарниры. Предложены принципиально новые магнитные сферические шарниры, в том числе шарниры с ферромагнитной жидкостью в качестве рабочего тела. Для улучшения динамических характеристик систем приводов предложены инерционные демпферы колебаний, в том числе эффективные демпферы с ферромагнитной жидкостью. В элементах устройств применены новые материалы и технологии: керамика, фотополимеры, ферромагнитные металполимерные композиты, мощные постоянные магниты (неодим), сплавы с памятью формы, композитная ферромагнитная жидкость. Для изготовления деталей шарниров рекомендованы компьютерно-интегрированные технологии машиностроения, включающих лазерную и гидроструйную обработку. Исследованы рабочие процессы в инновационных элементах приводов. Установлены особенности течения жидкости и газа в малоразмерных щелях шарниров изготовленных из фотополимера методом лазерной стереолитографии и в шарнирах из ферромагнитного металполиметрного композита. Характеристики течения описаны тензорными величинами и нечетко определенными зависимостями. Исследованы динамические характеристики разработанных пространственных систем приводов. Инерционные свойства приводов описаны стохастическими тензорными полями тензоров моментов инерции с введением характеристики поля в виде тензора-градиента. Динамика поводов описана моделями разного уровня сложности. Предложены упрощенные планарные модели на основе линейных зависимостей. В более сложных моделях учтены нелинейные хара

Detta examensarbete har gjorts I samarbete med Tylö AB, ett bastuföretag med säte i Halmstad. De hade behov av att utreda möjligheten att använda universella, gärna likadana, gångjärn på alla sina bastudörrar i glas. Idag används flera olika typer av gångjärn beroende på var dörren ska monteras och alla olika gångjärn kräver olika typer av bearbetning på glasdörren för att kunna monteras. Tylö vill kunna minska antalet gångjärn och glasdörrar i lager, vilket kan göras med ett universellt gångjärn. Kan gångjärnet dessutom göras oberoende av bearbetning i glasdörren kapas stora kostnader för denna bearbetning. Produktutvecklingsarbetet har gått från brainstorming och idéletande till belastnings- och funktionsanalyser av lösningsförslag. Den akademiskt lagda utvecklingsprocessen från Ulrich & Eppinger har kombinerats med de praktiska metoderna som används på Tylö. En välfungerande prototyp har tagits fram. Den består av två huvuddelar, en hållare och ett fäste. Hållarna limmas på två av glasdörrens hörn. Varje hållare har ett vertikalt hål i vilket en axeltapp från fästet sätts in. Gångjärnen roterar runt denna axel. Fästena fästs i dörrkarmen. Dessutom har ett mer avancerat koncept tagits fram eftersom prototypen saknar vissa essentiella egenskaper när det kommer till tillverkning och montering. Exempelvis har limytorna räfflats, ett glidlager i form av en hylsa runt axeltappen har tagits fram (för att förhindra nötning vis rotationen) och axeltappen har gjorts fjädrande för att kunna montera gångjärnen med ett enkelt klick. Den slutliga produkten är helt oberoende av bearbetning i glasdörren och universell tack vare en modulär lösning med olika fästen beroende på var dörren ska monteras., Development of hinges for sauna glass doors 42 doors – one hinge. Our solution makes it possible to replace the three hinges currently used at Tylö AB with a single one and use it on all of the 42 door types at Tylö. This master thesis was performed in collaboration with the Swedish sauna company Tylö AB. They were in need of a new type of universal hinge for their sauna glass doors. Today, they use several different types of hinges, which all require different processing on the glass doors. This means a universal hinge would not only decrease the number of hinges in store, but also the number of glass doors kept in store. Furthermore, the processing on the glass doors is expensive and thus a universal hinge independent of processing would be the optimal solution. The product development work has gone from brainstorming and benchmarking to computer analysis and function testing. The rather academic Ulrich & Eppinger (Product Development and Design) way of developing products has been combined with the hands on, practical method used at Tylö. A well-functioning prototype has been developed from scratch. It consists of two parts, a bracket and a carrier. The carriers are glued to two of the door’s corners, the upper and the lower corner on the side around which the door rotates. They have one vertical hole each, in which a pivot axis on the bracket is inserted. The hinges rotate around this axis. The brackets are attached to the door frame. In addition, a more advanced concept with improvements to the prototype is presented as the prototype lack some essential properties when it comes to manufacturing and assembly. A few examples of improvements are rifled surfaces where the glue is applied, a plain bearing cap on the axis (to prevent wearing) and a spring that makes it possible to assemble the hinges with a quick click. The final product is universal thanks to modularity and completely independent of processed glass doors. The final concept is presented in the images

The thesis puts forward a new interpretation of Ludwig Wittgenstein’s On Certainty and contrasts it with the standard reading of the book, also known in literature as the Framework Reading. The Framework Reading sees hinge propositions, that is our most basic and indubitable beliefs, as framing our practice of talking about the world, and, therefore, external to this practice. As such, they are seen as not truth-apt, purely regulative in character and our relation to them as non-epistemic. According to the interpretation put forward in this thesis, we should instead see hinges as uncontroversially correct moves in our practice of talking about the world, and, therefore, we should see them as obviously true and playing both a regulative and a descriptive role.

The thesis puts forward a new interpretation of Ludwig Wittgenstein’s On Certainty and contrasts it with the standard reading of the book, also known in literature as the Framework Reading. The Framework Reading sees hinge propositions, that is our most basic and indubitable beliefs, as framing our practice of talking about the world, and, therefore, external to this practice. As such, they are seen as not truth-apt, purely regulative in character and our relation to them as non-epistemic. According to the interpretation put forward in this thesis, we should instead see hinges as uncontroversially correct moves in our practice of talking about the world, and, therefore, we should see them as obviously true and playing both a regulative and a descriptive role.

The thesis puts forward a new interpretation of Ludwig Wittgenstein’s On Certainty and contrasts it with the standard reading of the book, also known in literature as the Framework Reading. The Framework Reading sees hinge propositions, that is our most basic and indubitable beliefs, as framing our practice of talking about the world, and, therefore, external to this practice. As such, they are seen as not truth-apt, purely regulative in character and our relation to them as non-epistemic. According to the interpretation put forward in this thesis, we should instead see hinges as uncontroversially correct moves in our practice of talking about the world, and, therefore, we should see them as obviously true and playing both a regulative and a descriptive role.

The thesis puts forward a new interpretation of Ludwig Wittgenstein’s On Certainty and contrasts it with the standard reading of the book, also known in literature as the Framework Reading. The Framework Reading sees hinge propositions, that is our most basic and indubitable beliefs, as framing our practice of talking about the world, and, therefore, external to this practice. As such, they are seen as not truth-apt, purely regulative in character and our relation to them as non-epistemic. According to the interpretation put forward in this thesis, we should instead see hinges as uncontroversially correct moves in our practice of talking about the world, and, therefore, we should see them as obviously true and playing both a regulative and a descriptive role.

Detta examensarbete har gjorts I samarbete med Tylö AB, ett bastuföretag med säte i Halmstad. De hade behov av att utreda möjligheten att använda universella, gärna likadana, gångjärn på alla sina bastudörrar i glas. Idag används flera olika typer av gångjärn beroende på var dörren ska monteras och alla olika gångjärn kräver olika typer av bearbetning på glasdörren för att kunna monteras. Tylö vill kunna minska antalet gångjärn och glasdörrar i lager, vilket kan göras med ett universellt gångjärn. Kan gångjärnet dessutom göras oberoende av bearbetning i glasdörren kapas stora kostnader för denna bearbetning. Produktutvecklingsarbetet har gått från brainstorming och idéletande till belastnings- och funktionsanalyser av lösningsförslag. Den akademiskt lagda utvecklingsprocessen från Ulrich & Eppinger har kombinerats med de praktiska metoderna som används på Tylö. En välfungerande prototyp har tagits fram. Den består av två huvuddelar, en hållare och ett fäste. Hållarna limmas på två av glasdörrens hörn. Varje hållare har ett vertikalt hål i vilket en axeltapp från fästet sätts in. Gångjärnen roterar runt denna axel. Fästena fästs i dörrkarmen. Dessutom har ett mer avancerat koncept tagits fram eftersom prototypen saknar vissa essentiella egenskaper när det kommer till tillverkning och montering. Exempelvis har limytorna räfflats, ett glidlager i form av en hylsa runt axeltappen har tagits fram (för att förhindra nötning vis rotationen) och axeltappen har gjorts fjädrande för att kunna montera gångjärnen med ett enkelt klick. Den slutliga produkten är helt oberoende av bearbetning i glasdörren och universell tack vare en modulär lösning med olika fästen beroende på var dörren ska monteras., Development of hinges for sauna glass doors 42 doors – one hinge. Our solution makes it possible to replace the three hinges currently used at Tylö AB with a single one and use it on all of the 42 door types at Tylö. This master thesis was performed in collaboration with the Swedish sauna company Tylö AB. They were in need of a new type of universal hinge for their sauna glass doors. Today, they use several different types of hinges, which all require different processing on the glass doors. This means a universal hinge would not only decrease the number of hinges in store, but also the number of glass doors kept in store. Furthermore, the processing on the glass doors is expensive and thus a universal hinge independent of processing would be the optimal solution. The product development work has gone from brainstorming and benchmarking to computer analysis and function testing. The rather academic Ulrich & Eppinger (Product Development and Design) way of developing products has been combined with the hands on, practical method used at Tylö. A well-functioning prototype has been developed from scratch. It consists of two parts, a bracket and a carrier. The carriers are glued to two of the door’s corners, the upper and the lower corner on the side around which the door rotates. They have one vertical hole each, in which a pivot axis on the bracket is inserted. The hinges rotate around this axis. The brackets are attached to the door frame. In addition, a more advanced concept with improvements to the prototype is presented as the prototype lack some essential properties when it comes to manufacturing and assembly. A few examples of improvements are rifled surfaces where the glue is applied, a plain bearing cap on the axis (to prevent wearing) and a spring that makes it possible to assemble the hinges with a quick click. The final product is universal thanks to modularity and completely independent of processed glass doors. The final concept is presented in the images

This paper presents a new simplified model of the nonlinear dynamic behavior of a steel column subjected to impact loading. In this model, the impacted column, which undergoes large displacement, consists of two rigid bars connected by generalized elastic–plastic hinges where the deformation of the entire steel column as well as the connections is concentrated. The effect of the rest of the structure on the column is modeled by an elastic spring and a point masse both attached to the top end of the column which is also loaded by a compressive force. The plastification of the hinges follows the normality rule with a yield surface that accounts for the interaction between M and N. The latter is described by a super-elliptic yield surface that allows ones to consider a wide range of convex yield criterion by simply varying the roundness factor that affects the shape of the limit surface. By including these features, the model captures both geometry and material nonlinearities. Both the flow rule and the equations of motion are integrated using the midpoint scheme that conserves energy. The non-smooth nature of impact is considered by writing the equations of motion of colliding masses using differential measures. Contact conditions are written in terms of velocity and combined with Newton's law to provide the constitutive law describing interactions between masses during impact. Numerical applications show that the model is able to capture the behavior of a column subjected to impact., QC 20161117

Mechanical compliance is one of the primary properties of structures in nature playing a key role in their efficiency. This study investigates a number of commonly used flexure hinges to determine a flexure hinge morphology, which generates large displacements under a lowest possible force input. The aim of this is to design a soft and monolithic robotic finger. Fused deposition modeling, a low-cost 3D printing technique, was used to fabricate the flexure hinges and the soft monolithic robotic fingers. Experimental and finite element analyses suggest that a nonsymmetric elliptical flexure hinge is the most suitable type for use in the soft monolithic robotic finger. Having estimated the effective elastic modulus, flexion of the soft monolithic robotic fingers was simulated and this showed a good correlation with the actual experimental results. The soft monolithic robotic fingers can be employed to handle objects with unknown shapes and are also potential low-cost candidates for establishing soft and one-piece prosthetic hands with light weight. A three-finger gripper has been constructed using the identified flexure hinge to handle objects with irregular shapes such as agricultural products.

Mechanical compliance is one of the primary properties of structures in nature playing a key role in their efficiency. This study investigates a number of commonly used flexure hinges to determine a flexure hinge morphology, which generates large displacements under a lowest possible force input. The aim of this is to design a soft and monolithic robotic finger. Fused deposition modeling, a low-cost 3D printing technique, was used to fabricate the flexure hinges and the soft monolithic robotic fingers. Experimental and finite element analyses suggest that a nonsymmetric elliptical flexure hinge is the most suitable type for use in the soft monolithic robotic finger. Having estimated the effective elastic modulus, flexion of the soft monolithic robotic fingers was simulated and this showed a good correlation with the actual experimental results. The soft monolithic robotic fingers can be employed to handle objects with unknown shapes and are also potential low-cost candidates for establishing soft and one-piece prosthetic hands with light weight. A three-finger gripper has been constructed using the identified flexure hinge to handle objects with irregular shapes such as agricultural products.

Mechanical compliance is one of the primary properties of structures in nature playing a key role in their efficiency. This study investigates a number of commonly used flexure hinges to determine a flexure hinge morphology, which generates large displacements under a lowest possible force input. The aim of this is to design a soft and monolithic robotic finger. Fused deposition modeling, a low-cost 3D printing technique, was used to fabricate the flexure hinges and the soft monolithic robotic fingers. Experimental and finite element analyses suggest that a nonsymmetric elliptical flexure hinge is the most suitable type for use in the soft monolithic robotic finger. Having estimated the effective elastic modulus, flexion of the soft monolithic robotic fingers was simulated and this showed a good correlation with the actual experimental results. The soft monolithic robotic fingers can be employed to handle objects with unknown shapes and are also potential low-cost candidates for establishing soft and one-piece prosthetic hands with light weight. A three-finger gripper has been constructed using the identified flexure hinge to handle objects with irregular shapes such as agricultural products.

This paper offers a philosophical outlook on the subject of the communication ofcertainty and uncertainty, by focusing on the later Ludwig Wittgenstein’s image of“hinges”. Hinges are basic common sense certainties which ordinarily “go withoutsaying”. In a sense, they even require not to be said. Lingering over the debate onthe ineffability of hinges which is at the core of the Wittgensteinian secondary literature,but also hinting at some studies in psychopathology, the paper argues thatin extraordinary contexts to assert explicitly a hinge-certainty is possible and maybe important, while in ordinary contexts certainty can only be communicatedthrough silence: when a certainty which “goes without saying” is explicitly said, thesituation paradoxically results in uncertainty.

In this thesis I examine the concept of certainty in the work of Ludwig Wittgenstein, with a focus on the collection of remarks entitled On Certainty. In the first part I examine two essays of G.E. Moore that initiated Wittgenstein’s discussion of certainty and critique of Moore’s two essays. As I show, Wittgenstein believes that Moore misunderstood the use of the expression of I know in relation to the propositions of common sense. Instead, Wittgenstein believes that the common sense propositions stand for a certainty that belongs to the language-game itself, a certainty that stands fast for everyone who participates in the language-game, like hinges on which the rest of our knowledge and doubt turn. The rest of my thesis is spent examining three different interpretations of this notion of hinge certainty. The first is hinges as presuppositions to combat skeptical arguments, offered by the philosophers Crispin Wright and H.J. Glock. The second is that hinges are Wittgenstein’s version of foundationalism, serving as the foundational framework of human language, a notion primarily advocated by the philosophers Avrum Stroll and Danièle Moyal-Sharrock. I then examine the interpretation of hinges as learned norms of judging and acting that we must display certainty in if we are to learn a language. This is the interpretation of Rush Rhees and Meredith Williams, and is the position that I support. Finally, I show that contrary to some the remarks in On Certainty express a unified theme, rather than a series of disjointed and contradictory ideas., Master of Philosophy (MA)

The behavior of buried masonry arches is studied in this article using the Discontinuous Deformation Analysis (DDA), a numerical method that allows for the physical simulation of the intrinsic structure dis- continuities since it is based on contact and friction among pseudo-rigid blocks. Two types of arches (or vaults) are studied with a specially developed computer program, one of semicircular and another of ovoidal shape. The loads are self-weight, lateral filling, embankment thrusts and concentrated (through a short distribution) forces close to the peak. These loads are transformed into point forces applied to the center of gravity of each block with simple formulae from classical mechanics. Equilibrium is reached in the whole structure through contact forces calculated with a standard contact algorithm: penalty plus Coulomb friction. DDA-macroblocks composed of linked (through penalty contact springs) pseudo-rigid blocks are for- mulated. This linkage allows for the simulation of collapse by instability or by stress compressive failure more accurately than traditional DDA analyses, for instance funicular polygons. The numerical results are compared with those of the experiments taken from the literature with, for most cases, very good agreement given the uncertainties on geometry and material properties and given the intrinsic quality dispersion of masonry structures. Collapse loads as function of number of joints, safety factors and limit point forces from the numerical and experimental results are compared. The hinges that appear prior to collapse are also compared, obtaining again for most cases very good agreement.

The behavior of buried masonry arches is studied in this article using the Discontinuous Deformation Analysis (DDA), a numerical method that allows for the physical simulation of the intrinsic structure dis- continuities since it is based on contact and friction among pseudo-rigid blocks. Two types of arches (or vaults) are studied with a specially developed computer program, one of semicircular and another of ovoidal shape. The loads are self-weight, lateral filling, embankment thrusts and concentrated (through a short distribution) forces close to the peak. These loads are transformed into point forces applied to the center of gravity of each block with simple formulae from classical mechanics. Equilibrium is reached in the whole structure through contact forces calculated with a standard contact algorithm: penalty plus Coulomb friction. DDA-macroblocks composed of linked (through penalty contact springs) pseudo-rigid blocks are for- mulated. This linkage allows for the simulation of collapse by instability or by stress compressive failure more accurately than traditional DDA analyses, for instance funicular polygons. The numerical results are compared with those of the experiments taken from the literature with, for most cases, very good agreement given the uncertainties on geometry and material properties and given the intrinsic quality dispersion of masonry structures. Collapse loads as function of number of joints, safety factors and limit point forces from the numerical and experimental results are compared. The hinges that appear prior to collapse are also compared, obtaining again for most cases very good agreement.

A recovery stabilizing pole includes a tube having a passageway formed therethrough, and a handle pivotally joined to the tube. A fixed claw member and a hinged claw member are joined to a distal end of the tube, the hinged claw member being capable of pivoting with respect to the fixed claw member. One end of a cable is joined to the handle and the other is joined to the hinged jaw member. Increased tension in the cable causes pivoting of the hinged jaw member with respect to the fixed jaw member. Embodiments include an adjustment means at the distal end of the tube for angling the claw members with respect to the tube and different tensioning means for the cable.

We present a unified framework for online learning of structured classifiers that handles a wide family of convex loss functions, properly including CRFs, structured SVMs, and the structured perceptron. We introduce a new aggressive online algorithm that optimizes any loss in this family. For the structured hinge loss, this algorithm reduces to 1-best MIRA; in general, it can be regarded as a dual coordinate ascent algorithm. The approximate inference scenario is also addressed. Our experiments on two NLP problems show that the algorithm converges to accurate models at least as fast as stochastic gradient descent, without the need to specify any learning rate parameter., Sponsored in part by NSF grant IIS-0844507, NRF no. NPRP-08-485-1-083. AFOSR grant no. FA9550010247, NSF grant no. DBI-0546594, IIS-0713379.

On 6 January 2009, SIGIR performed an on-site assessment of the Roll-On/Roll-Off Berth project at the North Port of Umm Qasr, Iraq. This $2.7 million project was funded by the Iraq Relief and Reconstruction Fund. Because of security concerns, the total time available on site was approximately 45 minutes; therefore, an in-depth review was not possible. Although SIGIR could not inspect the underwater requirements, SIGIR inspected the steel deck structure and abutment, pontoon and pontoon decking, guide rail/roller assemblies, mooring and berthing dolphins, the steel walkway to the dolphins, and the adjacent parking and sidewalk area. On 17 December 2005, Gulf Region South of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers awarded the contract and was responsible for oversight of the project's construction. The objective of the project was to increase the operational efficiency and capacity of the Port of Umm Qasr. The project would allow additional vessels to dock at the Port of Umm Qasr, which would increase the amount of imports and exports flowing through the port and reduce the time for loading and unloading freight. The project would also result in an increase in local employment. SIGIR reviewed the contractor's 90% design package. The contract required 60% and 90% designs, but only the 90% drawings were located. After reviewing the 90% drawings, SIGIR determined that the project was adequately designed and the initial construction was satisfactory. During the on-site inspection SIGIR identified damage to the pontoon guide rail/roller assemblies, damage to the hinges that connect the steel structure decking and the pontoon decking, and two rubber fenders that need to be replaced on the berthing dolphins. SIGIR concluded that the construction of the Roll-On/Roll-Off Berth facility was adequate; aside from the minor damage noted, the project was operating at the capacity provided for in the contract. The Roll-On/Roll-Off Berth had been operational for approximately two years.

Pulse detonation engines (PDEs) have the potential to significantly improve the efficiency of a variety of internal combustion engine designs. This efficiency improvement hinges on the ability of the engine to detonate fuel/air mixture through deflagration-to-detonation transitions at 60 to 100 times a second. A major break through in reducing the cycle time of a pulse detonation device is through the use of a Transient Plasma Ignition (TPI) system vice the normal Capacitive Discharge Ignition (CDI) system. The TPI system deposits an equivalent amount of energy as the CDI system but in a fraction of the time and over a larger combustor volume. The TPI also creates high quantities of OH due to the high density of energetic electrons produced by the TPI event. The combination of decreased energy deposition time, larger ignition volume, and a high density of free radicals reduces the flame kernel growth time which in turn creates a choked flame condition more rapidly. This thesis characterized the flame kernel growth following a transient plasma ignition event for various combustor inlet configurations so as to better understand the flame patterns within the combustion chamber. High speed images of the combustor were taken from a side profile and end view to observe the flame growth. Time from ignition event until initial flame kernel observation and from ignition event until fully developed flame were gathered from the images and plotted to find the most favorable inlet condition., The original document contains color images.

The nuclear receptor (NR) superfamily in humans contains 48 distinct ligand-activated transcription factors in humans. These receptors rely on inter-connected functional domains to mediate their function in transcriptional regulation. The N-terminal A/B domain of the NR family is poorly conserved in size and sequence. The DNA-binding domain (DBD) is highly conserved resides in the center of the polypeptide and binds to DNA response elements upstream of target genes. A hinge region connects the DBD to the ligand binding domain (LBD). This region is not conserved in size or sequence. The LBD is responsible for binding to the hydrophobic ligands, consisting of steroids or dietary lipids, as well as to distinct coregulator proteins. The isolated DBDs and LBDs of the NR family have been studied by X-ray crystallography in many cases. However, the only existing 3-D structure of any intact nuclear receptor is that of the PPAR/RXR complex, which we published last year. In the case of the Estrogen Receptor (ER)-alpha, crystals structures are available for the LBD and DBD as single domains, and again unavailable with the intact protein. Therefore, there is no conceptual framework to help understand their domain-domain interactions and how these interactions shape the overall physiology and pharmacology of the Estrogen Receptor, including its response to drugs used for breast cancer, such as Tamoxifen . We are employing the first studies to crystallize full-length nuclear receptors including the ER-alpha , ideally in several different states with ER bound ligands as well as in a DNA complex with the estrogen response element., The original document contains color images.

Planning modern military operations requires an accurate intelligence assessment of potential threats, combined with a detailed assessment of the physical theater of operations. This information can then be combined with equipment and manpower resources to set up a logistically supportable operation that mitigates as much of the enemy threat as possible. Given such a daunting challenge, military planners often turn to intelligent software agents to support their efforts. The success of the mission often hinges on the accuracy of these plans and the integrity of the security umbrella provided. The purpose of this project is to provide a comprehensive assessment of the Joint Forces Protection Advanced Security System (JFPASS) Joint Concept Technology Demonstration (JCTD) to better meet forceprotection needs. It will also address the adaptability of this technology to an ever-changing enemy threat by the use of intelligent software. This project will collect and analyze data pertaining to the research, development, testing, and effectiveness of the JFPASS and develop an operational effectiveness model to quantify overall system performance., The original document contains color images.

The primary objective of this thesis is to provide the Marine Corps with a thorough bottom up System Analysis of the next generation billet advertisement system that will replace Reserve Duty Online (RDOL). The study includes a detailed systems analysis, a generic architecture, logical data models, process models and a system model which provides the Marine Corps with a blueprint of the requirements for the next system of record. The secondary objective of this thesis was to analyze current system architectures that advertise and fill job vacancies within the Department of Defense (DoD), as well as commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) products in order to identify what architecture should be leveraged by the Marine Corps during its next build. In the midst of the long war, it is clearly evident that the reserve is an integral part of the Marine Corps total force. This integration hinges on the recognition that the ability for our reservists to be able to easily search and identify available opportunities is of the utmost importance. The proposed architecture and requirements analysis presented in this thesis will provide a solid foundation for the development of a next generation system., The original document contains color images.

This paper presents a new level set-based method to realize shape and topology optimization of hinge-free compliant mechanisms. A quadratic energy functional used in image processing applications is introduced in the level set method to control the geometric width of structural components in the created mechanism. A semi-implicit scheme with an additive operator splitting (AOS) algorithm is employed to solve the Hamilton-Jacobi partial differential equation (PDE) in the level set method. The design of compliant mechanisms is mathematically represented as a general non-linear programming with a new objective function augmented by the high-order energy term. The structural optimization is thus changed to a numerical process that describes the design as a sequence of motions by updating the implicit boundaries until the optimized structure is achieved under specified constraints. In doing so, it is expected that numerical difficulties such as the Courant-Friedrichs-Lewy (CFL) condition and periodically applied re-initialization procedures in most conventional level set methods can be eliminated. In addition, new holes can be created inside the design domain. The final mechanism configurations consist of strip-like members suitable for generating distributed compliance, and solving the de-facto hinge problem in the design of compliant mechanisms. Two widely studied numerical examples are studied to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method in the context of designing distributed compliant mechanisms.

This paper presents a new level set-based method to realize shape and topology optimization of hinge-free compliant mechanisms. A quadratic energy functional used in image processing applications is introduced in the level set method to control the geometric width of structural components in the created mechanism. A semi-implicit scheme with an additive operator splitting (AOS) algorithm is employed to solve the Hamilton-Jacobi partial differential equation (PDE) in the level set method. The design of compliant mechanisms is mathematically represented as a general non-linear programming with a new objective function augmented by the high-order energy term. The structural optimization is thus changed to a numerical process that describes the design as a sequence of motions by updating the implicit boundaries until the optimized structure is achieved under specified constraints. In doing so, it is expected that numerical difficulties such as the Courant-Friedrichs-Lewy (CFL) condition and periodically applied re-initialization procedures in most conventional level set methods can be eliminated. In addition, new holes can be created inside the design domain. The final mechanism configurations consist of strip-like members suitable for generating distributed compliance, and solving the de-facto hinge problem in the design of compliant mechanisms. Two widely studied numerical examples are studied to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method in the context of designing distributed compliant mechanisms.

This paper presents a new level set-based method to realize shape and topology optimization of hinge-free compliant mechanisms. A quadratic energy functional used in image processing applications is introduced in the level set method to control the geometric width of structural components in the created mechanism. A semi-implicit scheme with an additive operator splitting (AOS) algorithm is employed to solve the Hamilton-Jacobi partial differential equation (PDE) in the level set method. The design of compliant mechanisms is mathematically represented as a general non-linear programming with a new objective function augmented by the high-order energy term. The structural optimization is thus changed to a numerical process that describes the design as a sequence of motions by updating the implicit boundaries until the optimized structure is achieved under specified constraints. In doing so, it is expected that numerical difficulties such as the Courant-Friedrichs-Lewy (CFL) condition and periodically applied re-initialization procedures in most conventional level set methods can be eliminated. In addition, new holes can be created inside the design domain. The final mechanism configurations consist of strip-like members suitable for generating distributed compliance, and solving the de-facto hinge problem in the design of compliant mechanisms. Two widely studied numerical examples are studied to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method in the context of designing distributed compliant mechanisms.

The performance of a smart material canard actuator has been investigated using coupled computational fluid dynamics, guidance navigation and control, and structural models. The predictions show that the open-loop response of the smart material actuator does not produce the commanded deflection due to the interaction of the externally applied aerodynamic hinge moment with the flexible actuator structure. A closed-loop feedback control law with integral control is applied in order for the canard to attain the commanded deflection. However, the predictions show that the gain for the integral controller must be correctly selected to obtain the proper response of the canard. The selected gain is dependent on both the structural characteristics of the actuator and the applied aerodynamics., The original document contains color images.

The work in this thesis includes the design, modeling, and testing of motors and rotor blades to be used on a millimeter-scale helicopter style flying micro air vehicle (MAV). Three different types of motor designs were developed and tested, which included circular scratch drives, electrostatic motors, and comb drive resonators. Six different rotor designs were tested; five used residual stress while one design used photoresist to act as a hinge to achieve rotor blade deflection. Two key parameters of performance were used to evaluate the motor and rotor blade designs: the frequency of motor rotation and the angle of deflection achieved in the rotor blades. One successful design utilized a scratch drive motor with four attached rotor blades to try to achieve lift. While the device rotated successfully, the rotational frequency was insufficient to achieve lift-off. The electrostatic motor designs proved to be a challenge, only briefly moving before shorting out; nonetheless, lessons were learned. Comb drive designs operated over a wide range of high frequencies, lending them to be a promising method of turning a rotary MAV. None of the fabricated devices were able to achieve lift, due to insufficient rotational rates and low angles of attack on the rotor blades. With slight modifications to the current designs, the required rotational rates and rotor blade deflections would yield a viable MAV. The ultimate objective of this effort was to create an autonomous MAV on the millimeter scale, able to sense and act upon targets in its environment. Such a craft would be virtually undetectable, stealthily maneuvering and capable of precision engagement., The original document contains color images.

The next generation of military capabilities will hinge on systems of systems technologies, entailing the integration of numerous large scale systems into a complex system of systems whose capability exceeds the capabilities of the individual systems. The increase in capability is due to the emergent properties of the system of systems. However, these emergent properties also introduce hazards that must be adequately dealt with before the system of systems can be employed. The current state of hazard analysis processes is insufficient to deal with the complexity and size of a system of systems. This thesis aims to define the nature and types of hazards associated with systems of systems and to define a technique for identifying specific hazards within a system of systems. In addition to developing a theoretical process, this thesis applies it to a real world case study, the Ballistic Missile Defense System. A software application was developed to prove the concept of the hazard analysis technique. The technique has been designed from the top down to be compatible with current system safety processes and as such, is directly compatible with systems of systems currently in development and familiar to practicing system safety engineers.

A ricochet model for long rods developed by the author has been revisited in search of solution efficiencies. By replacing a moment-of-momentum governing equation in the original model with a simpler minimization constraint, a solution technique has been developed that avoids the complexity of an iterative solution that characterized the original work. The revised model retains key elements of the original model, including: ricochet by way of plastic hinge formation; rod rebound from the target's ricochet surface; and target gouging as a means to redirect the target force,s line of action. Finally, the ricochet equations are analytically rendered so as to give a keen sense of how the critical obliquity for ricochet varies as a function of the initial conditions of the ballistic engagement., A reprint from the International Journal of Impact Engineering, v34 p899-925, 2007.

With the end of the Cold War, NATO began to reassess its collective defense strategy and to anticipate possible new missions. The conflicts in the Balkans highlighted the need for more mobile forces, for technological equality between the United States and its allies, and for interoperability. In 1999, NATO launched the Defense Capabilities Initiative (DCI), an effort to enable the alliance to deploy troops quickly to crisis regions, to supply and protect those forces, and to equip then to engage an adversary effectively. The conflict in Afghanistan marked a new development in modern warfare through the extensive use of precision-guided munitions, directed by ground-based special forces; many believe that this step widened the capabilities breach between the United States and its European allies. At its 2002 summit in Prague, NATO approved a new initiative, the Prague Capabilities Commitment (PCC), touted as a slimmed-down, more focused DCI, with quantifiable goals. Analysts have cautioned that the success of PCC will hinge upon increased spending and changed procurement priorities particularly by the European allies. At NATO's 2004 Istanbul summit and its 2006 Riga summit, the alliance reaffirmed the goals of PCC and, in light of NATO missions, particularly in Afghanistan, stressed the urgency of acquiring specific capabilities such as airlift. During the 100th Congress, lawmakers are likely to review the alliance's progress in boosting NATO capabilities, especially in the context of the appropriations process. This report will be updated as events warrant. See also CRS Report RS22529, The NATO Summit at Riga, 2006, by Paul Gallis., The original document contains color images.

Maximum margin clustering (MMC) is a recent large margin unsupervised learning approach that has often outperformed conventional clustering methods. Computationally, it involves non-convex optimization and has to be relaxed to different semidefinite programs (SDP). However, SDP solvers are computationally very expensive and only small data sets can be handled by MMC so far. To make MMC more practical, we avoid SDP relaxations and propose in this paper an efficient approach that performs alternating optimization directly on the original non-convex problem. A key step to avoid premature convergence is on the use of SVR with the Laplacian loss, instead of SVM with the hinge loss, in the inner optimization subproblem. Experiments on a number of synthetic and real-world data sets demonstrate that the proposed approach is often more accurate, much faster and can handle much larger data sets.

Maximum margin clustering (MMC) is a recent large margin unsupervised learning approach that has often outperformed conventional clustering methods. Computationally, it involves non-convex optimization and has to be relaxed to different semidefinite programs (SDP). However, SDP solvers are computationally very expensive and only small data sets can be handled by MMC so far. To make MMC more practical, we avoid SDP relaxations and propose in this paper an efficient approach that performs alternating optimization directly on the original non-convex problem. A key step to avoid premature convergence is on the use of SVR with the Laplacian loss, instead of SVM with the hinge loss, in the inner optimization subproblem. Experiments on a number of synthetic and real-world data sets demonstrate that the proposed approach is often more accurate, much faster and can handle much larger data sets.

Maximum margin clustering (MMC) is a recent large margin unsupervised learning approach that has often outperformed conventional clustering methods. Computationally, it involves non-convex optimization and has to be relaxed to different semidefinite programs (SDP). However, SDP solvers are computationally very expensive and only small data sets can be handled by MMC so far. To make MMC more practical, we avoid SDP relaxations and propose in this paper an efficient approach that performs alternating optimization directly on the original non-convex problem. A key step to avoid premature convergence is on the use of SVR with the Laplacian loss, instead of SVM with the hinge loss, in the inner optimization subproblem. Experiments on a number of synthetic and real-world data sets demonstrate that the proposed approach is often more accurate, much faster and can handle much larger data sets.

For use in landmine clearing, a hitch system providing backup with anti-jack knife and anti-dive, the system includes a hitch assembly and a roller assembly. The hitch assembly has a hinge axis housing containing a hinge shaft and a connector shaft housing containing a stop block having a first side that engages a flat region on the hinge shaft and a second side that engages a biasing spring that is held in the connector shaft housing using an end cap. The roller assembly includes a roller frame that is rigidly mechanically coupled to the hinge shaft. The biasing spring is selected to provide a compressive bias to the stop block such that the roller assembly selective rotates about the hinge axis housing when the roller assembly is subjected to a landmine detonation, and such that rotation of the hinge shaft is prevented during normal forward, reverse, and turning maneuvers.

A CH-47D horizontal hinge pin assembly was examined to determine the root cause of ring and roller fracture and spalling. Chemical analyses, metallography, and hardness testing indicated that the rings and rollers conformed to the material requirements of the governing drawing. Metallography and visual and scanning electron microscopy indicated the failure likely initiated in the lag ring due to rolling contact fatigue because of high-service loads., The original document contains color images.

United States Transportation Command's ability to project and sustain military forces and equipment anywhere in the world with overwhelming speed and efficiency is unmatched, and ensures America's ability to influence events on a global scale in support of the National Security Strategy. Through superb collaboration and coordination, our component commands Air Mobility Command, Military Sealift Command, and Military Traffic Management Command (renamed Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command in 2004) consistently deliver the right people and equipment, in the proper sequence, to the exact place, at the precise moment. Our talented team of military, civilian, and commercial partner professionals are the best our nation has to offer. While directing, scheduling, or operating the Defense Transportation System's planes, trains, trucks, and ships, these miracle workers achieved outstanding operational results in the recent Operations ENDURING FREEDOM and IRAQI FREEDOM conflicts moving almost three million tons of cargo and more than one million troops from Sep 2001 to date. Our current processes and capabilities are the world's gold standard for logistics and transportation and we are not resting on our laurels. We have implemented dramatic organizational changes at the headquarters and component levels and on 16 Sep 2003, the Secretary of Defense designated United States Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM) as Distribution Process Owner (DPO) for Department of Defense (DOD). As DPO, USTRANSCOM is tasked with integrating peace and wartime logistics into one seamless, synchronized process. This designation provides flexible, reliable, responsive support to the warfighter from factory to foxhole. The DPO serves as the single entity to direct and supervise the execution of the strategic distribution system. We are not attacking this alone. Success hinges on the collaborative efforts involving the Services, combatant commands, and logistics partners., The original document contains color images.

An electrically-actuated flexible tab was tested on a model of a submarine sternplane comprised of a fixed stabilizer with a hinged flap. The tab was built into the trailing edge of the flap and was tested for its ability to control overall lift and reduce the torque required to rotate the flap itself. Shape memory alloy wires, embedded in a flexible silicone compound along the length of the tab, pulled on the tab's rear edge to curl it to one side or the other. The fixed portion (stabilizer) and flap were mounted on balances that measured the six forces and moments on each of those sections to measure the overall and individual element forces. These tests were performed in the 36-inch Water Tunnel at the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock Division, over a range of angles of attack and flap that are typical of submarine operations. In addition to the effect of the tab on the flap torque and overall sternplane performance, the electrical power and response rates of the wire actuators were measured along with the contour of the flexible tab while under load. The predictions of a numerical control surface optimization scheme using two RANS codes were compared to the experimental results to test the code's fidelity. This report presents the experimental results, describes the design of the SMA actuators and their control system, and presents the CFD calculations of the sternplane characteristics using the numerical optimization scheme., The original document contains color images. All DTIC reproductions will be in black and white.

New generations of highly-maneuverable aircraft, such as Uninhabited Combat Air Vehicles (UCAV) or Micro Air Vehicles (MAV), are likely to feature very flexible lifting surfaces. In order to enhance their stealth properties and maneuverability, the possibility of using smart wings and morphing airfoils instead of conventional, hinged control surfaces is investigated. This task requires a fundamental understanding of the interaction between fluid, structure and control system, in a coded form that is fast enough to design with. This DARPA-funded project takes a fundamental approach to understanding the relevant physical phenomena using different models of a flying wing vehicle in flight. We have developed a model that is consistent with distributed control, and have exercised this model to determine what progress is possible in terms of flight control (lift, drag, and maneuver performance) with morphing wings. For this purpose, different modeling levels are examined and combined with a variety of distributed control approaches to determine exactly what types of maneuvers and flight regimes may be possible, and to determine the forces, moments, and deflections that would be needed from the actuation community in order to fly an aircraft completely without the use of discrete control surfaces. This year's progress has been to bring together several elements (aerodynamics, flight dynamics, shape generation, and control) to determine bounds on the required forces, moments and strokes for flying by morphing.

Thank you for inviting me to participate in today s hearing on security technologies to protect federal facilities. The terrorist attacks of September 11 on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon have intensified concerns about the physical security of our federal buildings and the need to protect those who work in and visit these facilities. These concerns have been underscored by reports of long-standing vulnerabilities, including weak controls over building access. As you requested, today I will discuss commercially available security technologies that can be deployed to protect these facilities, ranging from turnstiles, to smart cards, to biometric systems. While many of these technologies can provide highly effective technical controls, the overall security of a federal building will hinge on establishing robust risk management processes and implementing the three integral concepts of a holistic security process: protection, detection, and reaction., "The original document contains color images"

Splice junction classification in a Eukaryotic cell is an important problem because the splice junction indicates which part of the DNA sequence carries protein%coding information, The major issue in building a classifier for this classification task is how to represent the DNA sequence on computers since the accuracy of any classification technique critically hinges on the adopted representation, This paper presents the experimental results on seven representation schemes, The first three representations interpret each DNA sequence as a series of symbols, The fourth and fifth representations consider the sequence as a series of real numbers, Moreover, the first, second and fourth representations do not consider the influence of the neighbors on the occurrence of a nucleotide, whereas the third and fifth representations take the influence of the neighbors into considerations, To capture certain regularity in the apparent randomness in the DNA sequence, the sixth representation treats the sequence as a variant of random walk The seventh representation uses Hurst coefficient, which quantifies the roughness of the DNA sequence, The experimental results suggest that the fourth representation scheme makes sequences from the same class close and the sequences from the different classes far, and thus finds a structure in the input space to provide the best classification result, Papers from the 23rd Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society, October 25-28, 2001, held in Istanbul, Turkey. See also ADM001351 for entire conference on cd-rom., The original document contains color images.

One method of MEMS manufacturing is surface micromachining. The challenge of this method is its inability to produce structures with high aspect ratio due to its planar fabrication. The surface micromachined structures, however, can be assembled out of the plane of the substrate to achieve a 3-dimensional function. A common solution for assembly of highly 3-D MEMS is the fabrication of hinged components that can be lifted or "popped-up" into assembled structures. The hinged structures then can be combined with microactuators for positioning and operating MEMS. Hinged devices are commonly assembled manually, a time consuming and delicate process which leads to low yield and inability to produce devices in large quantities. The research objective of our work focused on elimination of fabrication limitations by using two novel self-assembly techniques for MEMS: assembly using integrated micromechanisms (MEMS Self-Assembly), and assembly using a solder re-flow process (Solder Self-Assembly). The self-assembly of MEMS eliminates the need for manual assembly or adjustment, thus making batch fabrication feasible. In addition to manufacturability, the self-assembly of MEMS may be particularly important for applications which require reliable deployment and remote assembly of delicate structures in the operating environment or readjustment of components to align a system for optimal performance. This work was divided into eight sections: The study and development of self-assembled corner cube reflectors, self assembled 3-D switches, 3-D micro-robot leggs, hybrid assembly structures, and advanced structures, design for MEMS mechanism driven self-assembly, design for surface tension driven self-assembly, and quality and reliability of self-assembled MEMS.

Using the surface tension of molten solder to assemble micro-sized structures or micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS), otherwise known as "solder self-assembly" is a recent development. Complex three-dimensional assemblies, previously not realizable, can now be realized using surface micromachined MEMS and solder assembly. Not only can complex or non-complex assemblies be realized using solder self-assembly, but realized by adopting means already established commercially for mass production. This work is the first in the world to quantify or address the known entirety of major issues that go into realizing multiple joint solder self-assembled polysilicon surface micromachined MEMS. An assembly process for multiple joint solder self- assembled MEMS is developed with a yield of 94.3%. Chemical, temperature, and timing issues are detailed for the assembly process. Guidelines on the proper design of hinges, solder pads, and connecting structures for multiple joint solder self- assembled MEMS are developed. 259 two joint test structures were designed, assembled, and measured. An assembly model of series connected n-solder joint, microstructures is developed. The experimental results are compared to the model predictions.

A clamp for cylindrical objects uses a plurality of split-rings, each of which has a first half-ring and a second half-ring. Each first half-ring is hingedly coupled to a corresponding second half-ring at a hinge point. Means, coupled to each first half-ring at a distance from. the hinge point, are couple to a control assembly. The control assembly is operated to apply one of a pulling force to each first half-ring to simultaneously open each of the split-rings, or a pushing force to each first half-ring to simultaneously close each of the split-rings.

ELECTRONIC FILE CHARACTERISTICS: 360 files; programs, images, photos and graphics files (color) (some compressed). PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: 1 computer laser optical disc (CD-ROM); 4 3/4in.; 54.7MB. SYSTEMS DETAIL NOTE: IBM-clone PC-compatible; requires CD-ROM drive, video driver, Windows9X+, MS Office programs, and WinZip software. ABSTRACT: This study is concerned with the synthesis of the passively-damped strain-energy hinge for solar array. The viscoelastic strain-energy hinge (VSEH) is made of strip measures and viscoelastic material embedded between the layers of the Strip measures. Due to its structural simplicity, the VSEH hinge has been considered as an alternative to the torsional spring type deployment mechanism. However, theoretical modeling of the VSEH is extremely difficult because of its nonlinear pre- and post-buckling dynamic behavior. A series of accurate buckling tests on the SEH and VSEH have been conducted by using the custom-built testing machine, which consists of Load Cell and LVDT. Experimental results show nonlinear behavior which needs further investigation. We also performed theoretical modeling of the spacecraft with deployable solar array structure. To this end, we considered a floating rigid body with deployable rigid bodies connected by SEH. Based on the experiments on the VSEH, an equivalent one-dimensional torsional spring model is used for numerical simulations. Simulation results show that deployment affects the global motion of the platform. The theoretical results will be compared to the full scale experiment using the test facility of KARI., The CD-ROM contains the report file, figures, and the programs which are included in the report as the appendix (MATLAB programs). A hard copy of the report accompanies the disc.

The present invention relates to a precision hinge apparatus. To accurately and reproducibly set the angle of a hinge, especially a very small hinge, a precision hinge and angled mounting stops are provided. The device comprises a hinge joint having a fastener, such as a screw, connecting two bodies. A flat C-shaped mounting stop fits over the fastener and has two straight outer edges that contact each of the two bodies, respectively. The relative angle between the outer edges determines the set angle of the hinge.