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A preclinical prototype of a transcutaneous thermal therapy system has been developed for the targeted treatment of breast cancer cells using focused microwaves as an adjuvant to radiation, chemotherapy, and high-intensity-focused ultrasound. The prototype system employs a 2-D array of tapered microstrip patch antennas operating at 915 MHz to focus continuous-wave microwave energy transcutaneously into the pendent breast suspended in a coupling medium. Prior imaging studies are used to ascertain the material properties of the breast tissue, and these data are incorporated into a multiphysics model. Time-reversal techniques are employed to find a solution (relative amplitudes and phase) for focusing at a given location. Modeling tests of this time-reversal focusing method have been performed, which demonstrate good targeting accuracy within heterogeneous breast tissue. Experimental results using the laboratory prototype to perform focused heating in tissue-mimicking gelatin phantoms have demonstrated 1.5-cm-diameter focal spot sizes and differential heating at the desired focus sufficient to achieve an antitumor effect confined to the target region. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This study examined Chinese university students' conceptualization of the meaning of work. One hundred and ninety students (93 male, 97 female) from Beijing, China, participated in the study. Prototype research methodology (J. Li, 2001) was used to explore the meaning of work and the associations among the identified meanings. Cluster analysis was used to organize the identified meanings into a structure consisting of lateral and hierarchical levels. The themes that emerged fell into 2 large categories named "ideal" and "reality." A series of superordinate-level and basic-level prototypes were found under each of these 2 categories. These prototypes reflected influences from both Chinese traditional and Western value orientations, as well as perceptions that are to be understood in the contemporary social and economic contexts of China. Implications for career development theory, research, and practice are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on our low mask count top gate amorphous silicon process we have successfully developed a display prototype using our 3T1C pixel circuit with current feedback. In this paper we present some major aspects of this prototype. Also, we discuss a modification of our pixel circuit allowing blanking of individual lines or the whole display during addressing as required for high quality 3D displays. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents possibilities of using optical measurements for defining the geometric accuracy of gear wheels casts manufactured in the rapid prototyping and rapid tooling process. The tested gear wheel prototype was cast using an aluminum alloy. The casting mould was made by means of the three-dimensional print method (3DP) with the use of a Z510 Spectrum device. The aim of the tests was to determine the geometric accuracy of the cast made by the ZCast technology in the rapid tooling process. The tests were conducted with the use of the coordinate optical measuring method and a GOM measuring device. The prototype measurements were made in the scanning mode. The results of the measurements, saved in the STL format with the use of the scanning device software, were compared with the gear wheel 3D-CAD nominal model. The measurements enabled the determination of the real accuracy of prototypes manufactured in RP/RT process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prediction of wave overtopping is a key task in the design and safety assessment of coastal structures. In this study, M5′ model tree as a new soft-computing approach was used to develop a model for the prediction of the wave overtopping rate at rubble mound breakwaters. The main advantages of model trees are that they are easier to deploy and more importantly, they produce understandable formulas. Selected data from the CLASH database were used for training of the model, and the conventional governing parameters were used as the input parameters. The obtained results were also compared with those of previous models. The accuracy of the model was evaluated by statistical measures, and it was shown that the developed model is more accurate than previous models. Furthermore, the model was validated with the prototype overtopping measurements in three sites. Results indicated that the developed model outperforms the previous models in predicting the full scale overtopping rates as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing a domain specific language (DSL) to express business policies requires modeling tools for eliciting, applying, and maintaining the knowledge of business experts. This study defines a DSL meta-model and prototype to create visual business models that conform to the Resource, Event, Agent-Enterprise Ontology (REA-EO). The meta-model specifies REA-EO modeling components, and the prototype provides a visual interface to design operational and policy-level models. Code-generation templates then transform design models into executable code that supports business applications. The study describes the capabilities of the prototype and validates its use in the context of a business case. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Colombiana de Biotecnología is the property of Universidad Nacional de Colombia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In order to minimize the invasiveness of intestinal disease diagnosis and surgery, we propose an anchoring and extending micro-robot. The gait of the micro-robot was designed according to the biomechanical features of the intestinal tract. The locomotion condition showed that the anchoring capability and extending ability should be balanced to enhance locomotion efficiency. The mechanical and control system was designed and fabricated under the requirements of the locomotive model. The assembled micro-robot was 90 mm in length and 13 mm in diameter. The micro-robot prototype was tested in in vitro experiments; its locomotion efficiency was approximately 100% in an ideal environment, but around 50% in a pig's small bowel (20 mm in diameter). The in vitro experiment results demonstrated that the gait is feasible for locomotion in the small bowel although the diameter of the small bowel is a limiting factor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to describe the development, testing and scientific evaluation of a novel, load-cell-controlled reactive reconfigurable tooling (RRT) solution. This RRT not only addresses the underlying inherent problems with traditional reconfigurable tools but also potentially expands their use into the area of condition monitoring. Design/methodology/approach – The paper covers the design intent and methodology. The construction and evaluation of both a simple prototype and a fully functional tool are described. Findings – The tool was successfully demonstrated using friction stir welding (FSW) of fuselage panels as a demanding application and the full functionality of the tool was demonstrated. The condition and process monitoring system was also demonstrated and shown to be able to distinguish both between different types of weld and tool failure conditions. Research limitations/implications – Having successfully designed and tested the novel RRT system under the extreme conditions of FSW, it is apparent that there are many more applications and developments that this system could be used for. The same requirements for accurate control of geometry exist in processes such as water jet cutting, trimming and machining. However, there was not sufficient resource or time within the research programme to verify this. One disadvantage of the tool is the cost of the individual load cells and the associated charge amplifiers; however, this cost is offset by the opportunity to use them in a tool condition monitoring function as well. Practical implications – The tool developed not only has the potential to provide cost benefits but also time reductions due to the elimination of the need to move large and heavy tools in and out of the FSW machine when part production runs are changed. Originality/value – The originality of work described is the tool's ability to both adapt and monitor the component being held. This places it considerably beyond the state of the art in large-scale industrial reconfigurable tooling. The research's value lies in applicability and demonstration for real production parts and processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – In stereolithgraphy rapid prototyping, the support can constrain the model deformation and avoid a lot of problems such as collapse, shift, and imbalance of the model. The support automatic generation algorithm has become the key research of rapid prototyping technics software; however, presently the efficiency of support automatic generation algorithm is low, and its algorithm is complex. Thus, it is of great importance in improving the overall efficiency of rapid prototyping technics software through enhancing the support generation efficiency. This paper aims to address these issues. Design/methodology/approach – Based on this, this paper proposes a discrete-marking support algorithm for treatment of processing on manufactured part model of all triangle-based discrete-marking on the support plane, which realizes the three-dimensional computation of intersection for each line associated with the triangle automatically, and avoid invalid computation between all the support lines and other triangles. Findings – The algorithm efficiency has reached O(n). Meanwhile, the technics support generation speed has been improved. Furthermore, the new mesh discrete-marking and automatic support generation algorithm has been successfully applied to the sterolithography apparatus and selective laser melting of HRPS series. Practical implications – Practical application indicates that the new support generation algorithm based on discrete-marking considerably improves the support technics efficiency and stereolithgraphy rapid prototyping efficiency of the technics software. Originality/value – The research presents a Noval support fast generation algorithm based on discrete-marking in stereolithgraphy rapid prototyping. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The goal of this study is to carry out multi-objective optimization by considering minimization of surface roughness (Ra) and build time (T) in selective laser sintering (SLS) process, which are functions of "build orientation". Evolutionary algorithms are applied for this purpose. The performance comparison of the optimizers is done based on statistical measures. In order to find truly optimal solutions, local search is proposed. An important task of decision making, i.e. the selection of one solution in the presence of multiple trade-off solutions, is also addressed. Analysis of optimal solutions is done to gain insight into the problem behavior. Design/methodology/approach – The minimization of Ra and T is done using two popular optimizers – multi-objective genetic algorithm (non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm (NSGA-II)) and multi-objective particle swarm optimizers (MOPSO). Standard measures from evolutionary computation – "hypervolume measure" and "attainment surface approximator" have been borrowed to compare the optimizers. Decision-making schemes are proposed in this paper based on decision theory. Findings – The objects are categorized into groups, which bear similarity in optimal solutions. NSGA-II outperforms MOPSO. The similarity of spread and convergence patterns of NSGA-II and MOPSO ensures that obtained solutions are (or are close to) Pareto-optimal set. This is validated by local search. Based on the analysis of obtained solutions, general trends for optimal orientations (depending on the geometrical features) are found. Research limitations/implications – A novel and systematic way to address multi-objective optimization decision-making post-optimal analysis is shown. Simulations utilize experimentally derived models for roughness and build time. A further step could be the experimental verification of findings provided in this study. Practical implications – This study provides a thorough methodology to find optimal build orientations in SLS process. A route to decipher valuable problem information through post-optimal analysis is shown. The principles adopted in this study are general and can be extended to other rapid prototyping (RP) processes and expected to find wide applicability. Originality/value – This paper is a distinct departure from past studies in RP and demonstrates the concepts of multi-objective optimization, decision-making and related issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article argues for a reconsideration of what has been called 'model experiments' or 'mimetic experiments'. After providing a short overview of the historical developments and the occurences of such types of experiments, three aspects pertaining to their practical functions are discussed. First, the aspect of control: Model experiments are often employed to get a grasp on phenomena that are otherwise beyond the control of human actors. Second, their aesthetic dimension: Model experiments often employ aesthetic strategies that, far from being epistemic obstacles, establish their function as models and may generate new areas of research. Third, meta-theories: The practice of experimenting on models is often accompanied by discussions about their representativeness. Albeit triggered by problems in local contexts, this self-reflective discourse did acquire a more general relevance with the formulation of scaling laws in the 19th century. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zebrafish ( Danio rerio) are an important developmental and embryological model given the optical clarity of the embryos and larvae, which permits real-time viewing of developing pathologies. More recently, a broader scope for these vertebrates to model a range of human diseases, including some cancers, has been indicated. Zebrafish Drgal1-L2 has been identified as an orthologue of mammalian galectin-1, which is is a carbohydrate-binding protein that exhibits β-galactoside-binding specificity and which is overexpressed by many aggressive human cancers. This study describes the cloning, expression in Escherichia coli, purification and crystallization of recombinant Drgal1-L2 protein in the presence of lactose (ligand). X-ray diffraction data from these novel crystals of zebrafish Drgal1-L2 were collected to a resolution of 1.5 Å using a synchrotron-radiation source, enabling their characterization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Optimization of radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags often requires several iterations of antenna design/fabrication/testing to meet cost and performance targets. The use of a rapid prototyping approach for antenna development would allow the designer an inexpensive and fast route to the refinement process. In this study, the performance of a commercial-off-the-shelf ultrahigh frequency (UHF) etched copper antenna was compared to printed silver antennas prepared by the following three direct-write techniques: maskless mesoscale materials deposition; matrix-assisted pulsed laser evaporation direct-write; and, collimated aerosol beam direct-write. The morphologies of the antennas were analyzed using contact and optical profilers with sheet resistance also being measured. operational characteristics were determined by mounting silicon integrated circuits (IC) to the four different types of antennas. The performance of tags that utilized direct-write silver antennas was comparable to the copper-based commercial tag. To our knowledge, this is the first demonstration where some of the direct-write rapid prototyping attributes (e.g., slight overspray, overlap of written lines, overall thickness less than 500 nm) are shown to not seriously impede RFID tag performance. These results demonstrate the utility of direct-write for rapid prototyping studies for UHF RFID antennas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new low-temperature driving method of EEFLs (External Electrode Fluorescent Lamps) inverter for LCD TV backlights is proposed. The proposed driving scheme achieves a zero current switching (ZCS) of lower switches and dramatically reduces the temperature of the transformer at which the power loss mainly occurs. Moreover, the capacitance of EEFLs is calculated by the Q-V Lissajous analysis method and then the optimal switching interval for a low heating loss of the transformer is determined. To investigate the feasibility of the proposed driving method, various experimental results using a prototype 17-inch LCD TV backlight with 12 EEFLs are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a research paper which examines the influence of materials used in moulding blocks of hybrid moulds on injection moulding, and the dimensional properties of moulding. The study uses hybrid moulds with exchangeable moulding blocks for the production of polypropylene tubular mouldings. Result show that the processing in injection moulding and plastic parts properties were varied because of moulding block properties produced from rapid prototyping and tooling techniques (RPT).

During the Validation of the Aeroclipper System under Convective Occurrences (VASCO) test experiment in January and February 2007, eight Aeroclipper prototypes were launched from Mahé Island in the tropical Indian Ocean. The Aeroclipper is a streamlined balloon maintained in the atmospheric surface layer by a guide rope dragging on the ocean surface. While requiring some design improvements, these prototypes showed good potential for the exploration of the tropical air-sea interface, even under rough cyclonic conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A prototype readout system for the STAR PIXEL detector in the Heavy Flavor Tracker (HFT) vertex detector upgrade is presented. The PIXEL detector is a Monolithic Active Pixel Sensor (MAPS) based silicon pixel vertex detector fabricated in a commercial CMOS process that integrates the detector and front-end electronics layers in one silicon die. Two generations of MAPS prototypes designed specifically for the PIXEL are discussed. We have constructed a prototype telescope system consisting of three small MAPS sensors arranged in three parallel and coaxial planes with a readout system based on the readout architecture for PIXEL. This proposed readout architecture is simple and scales to the size required to readout the final detector. The real-time hit finding algorithm necessary for data rate reduction in the 400 million pixel detector is described, and aspects of the PIXEL system integration into the existing STAR framework are addressed. The complete system has been recently tested and shown to be fully functional. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have constructed a prototype, rapid-deployment portal monitor that uses visible-light and gamma-ray imaging to allow simultaneous monitoring of multiple lanes of traffic from the side of a roadway. Our Roadside Tracker uses automated target acquisition and tracking (TAT) software to identify and track vehicles in visible light images. The field of view of the visible camera overlaps with and is calibrated to that of a one-dimensional gamma-ray imager. The TAT code passes information on when vehicles enter and exit the system field of view and when they cross gamma-ray pixel boundaries. Based on this information, the gamma-ray imager "harvests" the gamma-ray data specific to each vehicle, integrating its radiation signature for the entire time that it is in the field of view. In this fashion we are able to generate vehicle-specific radiation signatures and avoid source confusion problems that plague nonimaging approaches to the same problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to illustrate the classification and coding system developed for the rapid prototyping (RP) industry. Design/methodology/approach - The similarities among RP part geometries and processes are identified and related for the development of rapid prototyping coding system (RPCS). Findings - RPCS forms a base for developing "prototyping philosophy" to take advantage of parts similarities in determination of optimal build orientation and optimization of part building cost. Research limitations/implications - Most of the examples are limited to parts built by fused deposition modelling process. But, the concept is applicable to any existing RP process. Practical implications - RPCS implementation is suitable in industries where variety of RP parts are in use. Originality/value - This is the first attempt towards development of a formal coding system for the RP industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Investigación y Postgrado is the property of Universidad Pedagogica Experimental Libertador and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In rapid prototyping (RP) technology, prototypes are constructed by the sequential deposition of material layers. When the deposition process involves temperature gradients, thermal stresses will develop. In this paper, the prototype deformation in fused deposition modeling (FDM) processes is studied, and the essence of the deformation and the interacting principles are analyzed. According to basic hypotheses and simplifications, the mathematical model of the prototype warp deformation is constructed, and each of the influencing factors concretely, including the deposition layers number n, the stacking section length L, the chamber temperature T e, and the material linear shrinkage rate α, is quantificationally analyzed. Based on the analysis results, some issues and phenomena in the FDM process are rationally explained. Furthermore, the improving methods for the reduction of the prototype warp deformation are proposed, and the applying effect is better. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on a study that compares an eccentricity-based method of building creative prototypes of 3-dimensional (3D) object classes described by structural signatures coded in an attributed graph. The graph summarizes the topological and geometrical aspects of the shape of the objects. The prototype building phase uses graph editing operations, which take into account both adjacency and attribute manipulation. It is evident from the study that the eccentricity-based prototype performs better than the atypicity-based prototype. The contribution produced by using the prototype, according to the study, is greater when the representative from which it is obtained does not provide good classification performance.

The nearest-neighbor classifier has been shown to be a powerful tool for multiclass classification. We explore both theoretical properties and empirical behavior of a variant method, in which the nearest-neighbor rule is applied to a reduced set of prototypes. This set is selected a priori by fixing its cardinality and minimizing the empirical misclassification cost. In this way we alleviate the two serious drawbacks of the nearest neighbor method: high storage requirements and time-consuming queries. Finding this reduced set is shown to be NP-hard. We provide mixed integer programming (MIP) formulations, which are theoretically compared and solved by a standard MIP solver for small problem instances. We show that the classifiers derived from these formulations are comparable to benchmark procedures. We solve large problem instances by a metaheuristic that yields good classification rules in reasonable time. Additional experiments indicate that prototype-based nearest-neighbor classifiers remain quite stable in the presence of missing values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Molecules with multiple sites of hydrogen bonding attached to suitable cores tend to crystallize as open networks. The resulting crystals can have the following unusual properties: They can include significant amounts of guest molecules; the guests are typically located in channels and can be exchanged without loss of crystallinity; and the geometry of the networks can change in response to new guests. We have found that DFT calculations can provide accurate simulations of the unusual structure and properties of such materials, represented by crystals of prototypic tetrapyridinone 1. These calculations have yielded three key insights that cannot be obtained directly from experiments. (1) The hypothetical porous network obtained by removing guests from crystals of compound 1 is highly flexible, and its deformations are inherently anisotropic, leading to lengthening or shortening of the channels along the c axis and no significant changes along the a and b axes. (2) Quantitative analysis of the total cohesive energy has revealed that hydrogen bonding within the network makes a dominant contribution, along with interactions of guests with the network. (3) Differences in the overall stability of crystals of compound 1 as the guests are varied do not arise primarily from significant changes in the cohesive energy of the network itself; instead, differences in guest-guest interactions play a key role, resulting from the nature of the guests and constraints imposed by the surrounding network. These insights, together with the results of ab initio molecular dynamics, help explain how hydrogen-bonded networks can be robust yet permit molecular movement that underlies the exchange of guests and adaptive porosity. These insights promise to be of general value to scientists studying ordered molecular materials in which strong directional interactions are prominent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A fundamental problem in managing product development is the optimal timing, frequency, and fidelity of sequential testing activities that are carried out to evaluate novel product concepts and designs. In this paper, we develop a mathematical model that treats testing as an activity that generates information about technical and customer-need related problems. An analysis of the model results in several important findings First, optimal testing strategies need to balance the tension between several variables, including the increasing cost of redesign, the cost of a test as function of fidelity, and the correlation between sequential tests. Second, a simple form of our model results in an EOQ-like result: The optimal number of tests (called the Economic Testing Frequency or ETF) is the square root of the ratio of avoidable cost and the cost of a test Third, the relationship between sequential tests can have an impact on optimal testing strategies If sequential tests are increasing refinements of one another, managers should invest their budgets in a few high-fidelity tests, whereas if the tests identify problems independently of one another it may be more effective if developers carry out a higher number of lower-fidelity tests Using examples, the implications for managerial practice are discussed and suggestions for further research undertakings arc provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aiming at the problem that the traditional stereoscopic video coding technology had lower compression rate, poor stability, higher color distortion, a new three-division video encoding technical method was proposed based on QNX. The scalable video encoding algorithm was used,field frequency division complementary color encoding prototype was designed. Video signal which was processed by the vertical frequency of the octave field was transmitted by sharing complementary color field. The experiments showed that this method could not only render picture frames smoothly to the left-right viewpoint, but also enhance the sense of immersion of stereoscopic television effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we discuss some difficulties for a touch panel embedded in IPS-LCD. We present a prototype of touch sensor embedded in 3.5′ IPS-LCD with some modification of its structure from commercial IPS-LCDs. This prototype is slimmer and lighter. Higher optical quality and lower cost are also the key features. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chemists usually synthesize molecules using stochastic bond-forming collisions of the reactant molecules in solution. Nature follows a different strategy in biochemical synthesis. The majority of biochemical reactions are driven by machine-type protein complexes that bind and position the reactive molecules for selective transformations. Artificial "molecular assemblers" performing "mechanosynthesis" have been proposed as a new paradigm in chemistry and nanofabrication. Here we present a simple non-proteinogenic machine-type molecule which drives the endergonic condensation of vanadate to cyclic tetravanadate using light as the energy source. The system combines selective binding of the reactants, accurate positioning, and active release of the product. Hydrolysis of the product prevents inhibition of further cycles. Our prototypic system demonstrates the prerequisites that are needed to selectively drive an endergonic reaction using an external energy source. Designing systems to drive endergonic reactions using light as an energy source is a major challenge. Here a photoswitchable ligand is used to generate unstable cyclic tetravanadate species in solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A very simple ring-oscillator voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) structure for use in VCO-ADC applications is presented. It has a greatly improved linearity compared with previously published VCOs. Measurement results of a 1 V, 65 nm CMOS prototype confirm the effectiveness of the proposed approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A rapid design approach to achieve the optimal efficiency in a magnetic resonant wireless power transfer (MR-WPT) system is presented. A concise design guideline is provided to determine the optimal efficiency condition and related coupling coefficients. Experimental validations are demonstrated by both simulation and measurement results of a 6.78 MHz MR-WPT system prototype with the maximum efficiency of 76.1% at a 50 mm distance between transmitter and receiver. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A two-stage iterative method is proposed to design prototype filters for a fast filter bank with low complexity, which is aimed at controlling the optimum ripple magnitude tolerance of each filter according to the overall specifications. This problem is formulated as an optimisation problem for which the total number of multiplications is to be minimised subject to the constrained ripple in the passband and stopband. A two-stage iterative solution is proposed to solve this optimisation problem for the purpose of obtaining impulse response coefficients with low complexity at each stage. Simulations have been conducted to verify the performance of the proposed scheme and show that compared with the original method the proposed scheme can reduce the number of multiplications by about 20.02%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses a study wherein researchers constructed a different kind of prototype of programmable matter, called the milli-motein, short for millimeter-scale motorized mechanical protein. It describes the process of designing the electric motor. The researchers found that each of the modules in a series of electropermanent motors connected with metal brackets need to do one of three specific things for it to form a shape.

Low-level outlet works through dams are typically used to provide irrigation, reservoir sediment flushing, reservoir draw down, and/or minimum downstream flows to meet biological needs. To reduce the likelihood of negative pressure development downstream of the control gate, which may lead to cavitation noise, vibration, and damage, air vents are typically installed downstream of the gate. Undersized air vents may allow vapor pressure and cavitation to occur; oversized air vents have a negative economic impact. Air demand design criteria have been developed for vertical control gates (common to larger dams). The guidance for sizing air vents for an inclined slide gate, which are common for small-to-medium-sized embankment dam geometries, however, is limited. This study compares laboratory-scale and prototype-scale air-demand data. The influences of conduit slope, hydraulic jump presence, and air delivery system geometry on air demand were found to influence air demand. A method for estimating the required air vent diameter for a low-level outlet with an inclined slide gate at the inlet is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers an overview of a research study into additive manufacturing for use in prototyping and producing plastic parts, conducted by Loughborough University in England for U.S.-based additive manufacturer Stratasys Inc.