A System for Three-Dimensional Interactive Simulation of Hand Biomechanics

A real-time interactive graphics simulation of the mechanics of the human thumb has been developed. The simulation utilizes a realistic data structure for the bones of the thumb which may be expanded to include the hand and forearm. This is coupled to a model of the kinematics of the joints in a concurrent processing arrangement in which the dynamic graphical transformations for scaling, translation, rotation, perspective, and clipping are all performed on a special-purpose display processor. The model and the control functions are distributed between this processor and a separate general-purpose superminicomputer. The resulting system presents the user with a realistic simulation of the movements of the thumb in normal and impaired states. The user may choose from a menu of options, including an interactive tendon transfer simulation for the current hand being simulated. He may control (interactively and in real time) the view, observation position, skeletal motion, and parameters for use in the model of joint mechanics. This type of computer modeling, utilizing a realistic three-dimensional data structure, models of musculoskeletal kinematics, and interactive programming, shows great potential for bringing mathematical modeling into useful clinical, research, and educational applications.     

On a theorem of Shchepin and Repovš concerning the smoothness of compacta

We show that a theorem of Shchepin and Repovš concerning the smoothness of compacta follows from the theory of semicontinuous relations.     

Feasibility Study of Batteryless Temperature Transponders Using Miniature Microwave Cavity Resonators

Batteryless temperature transponders have been constructed and tested. The design employs a sensing element consisting of a miniature cavity resonator loaded with a ceramic material of high dielectric constant and large temperature coefficient of resonant frequency. This is connected by thin coaxial cable to a small dipole or sector antenna. Prototypes with sensors 3 mm in diameter have been fabricated and can resolve temperature differences of 0.1°C in air. Signals have been obtained from transponders implanted in anesthetized rats, but antenna orientation is a critical and limiting factor that will require further efforts before a system is capable of operating in freely roaming animals.     

P-V-T-C equation for epoxy molding compound

The isothermal and isobaric volume shrinkage is measured by a single-plunger-type dilatometer for epoxy molding compound (EMC). This device has been found suitable for measuring volume change of thermosetting materials such as commercial EMC under isothermal and isobaric conditions. Moreover, the degree of cure (conversion) was determined by a differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Combining volume change and conversion, a mathematic pressure-volume-temperature-cure (P-V-T-C) model is proposed to describe the relationship between volume shrinkage, pressure, temperature and conversion. The P-V-T-C equation can be simply expressed as VS(P,T,C)=F/sub 1/(P,T)/spl middot/C/sup F2(P,T)/. This equation can well describe historical profiles of volume shrinkage under specified isothermal and isobaric states. From the predicted results, volume shrinkage under different pressure levels in any specified temperature can be approximated as and it obeys the principle of linearity. With the help of this model, together with three-dimensional mold filling simulation, engineers will be able to predict warpage and residual stresses for a package after molding.     

Steric effects on nascent vibrational distributions of the HCN product produced in CN radical reactions with ethane, propane and chloroform

Time-resolved IR emission spectroscopy (TRIES) has been used to study infrared emission in the 3400–3100 cm⁻¹ region from HCN molecules produced when CN radicals abstract a hydrogen atom from ethane, propane, and chloroform. From these observations the nascent vibrational distributions of the HCN produced were derived. The nascent vibrational population distributions of the product HCN in all of the reactions are non-statistical and inverted in both the pure CH stretch (00p) and CH stretch—bend (0np) series.     

Counterion and solvent effects on the dilute solution viscosity of polystyrene ionomers

We present an analysis of data on the intrinsic viscosity [η] of sulfo-polystyrene ionomers in several solvents for a variety of sulfonation levels and counterions. For solvents of low dielectric constant, 2 < ε < 18, [η] decreases from the base polymer value [η]₀ with increasing substitution level. This behavior was attributed to intramolecular association of ionic dipoles. The ratio [η]/[η]₀ was found to depend on a single reduced variable α_Aα_Sx, where x is the fractional substitution, α_A depends only on the counterion, and α_S ∝ ε^?1 depends only on the solvent. For solvents of high dielectric constant, 36 < ε < 47, [η] increases approximately as x³, and counterion effects are small. This behavior was attributed to ionic dissociation, giving rise to a polyelectrolyte effect. Implications of the low ε results are discussed in relation to association-induced gelation behavior and possible generalizations of the reduced variables approach.     

Orderly stimulation of skeletal muscle motor units with tripolarnerve cuff electrode

An electrical nerve stimulation technique, using single tripolar electrode, was shown to be capable of recruiting motor units according to their size, while allowing simultaneous but independent control of firing rate in the active units. Test paradigms consisting of established fundamental physiological concepts of soleus-gastrocnemius architecture, motor units conduction velocity, firing rate behavior of motor units of different sizes, and their susceptibility to fatigue were employed to validate the technique and demonstrate its utility as a basic and applied research tool.