Suction feeding is pervasive among aquatic vertebrates, and our understanding of the functional morphology and biomechanics of suction feeding has recently been advanced by combining experimental and modeling approaches. Key advances include the visualization of the patterns of flow in front of the mouth of a feeding fish, the measurement of pressure inside their mouth cavity, and the employmen...

A common mode of limb suspension for transtibial amputees is the pin liner/shuttle lock system. Despite its popularity, some clinicians question its use because of observed daily and chronic changes to the residual limb. For this study, we measured limb interface pressures during ambulation with pin and suction suspension systems. No pressure differences were seen between the modes of suspensio...

As offshore exploration and development of oil fields reach water depths of 1,000 to 3,000 m, novel methods of anchoring production platforms become attractive due to cost savings associated with installation. Surface production systems that are viable in these water depths include Tension Leg Platforms (TLP), spar platforms, and laterally moored ship-shaped and semisubmersible vessels. Possibl...

TO THE EDITOR: I read with interest the Viewpoint article by Zhang et al. (5). The authors advocated dPLV (ventricular pressure)/dVLV (ventricular volume) 0 as the necessary and sufficient condition for definition of diastolic suction. This definition guarantees that suction manifests only when ESV (end-systolic volume) Veq [equilibrium volume (diastasis volume)] and naturally leads to the kine...

The advantages of the complementary use of suction sampling (Vortis) and pitfall trapping in estimating the species richness of arthropods in sown and semi-natural pastures were investigated on three recent isolated oceanic islands in the Azores. In addition, the ability of pitfall trapping and suction sampling to describe species composition and richness were tested in terms of taxonomic and e...

45 BACKGROUND: Conventional sputum suction is a routine clinical practice, but complications may 46 arise from the blind manipulation of the catheter. Recently, a visual sputum suction system (VSSS) was 47 developed. We hypothesized that this new system would be feasible and efficient for sputum suction in 48 a laboratory setting. 49 METHODS: We used 1.5% and 3.0% coagulant to simulate mucus an...

BACKGROUND Amalgam that is used for dental fillings contains approximately 50% elemental mercury. During dental student training, amalgam is often removed by drilling without the use of water spray and suction, which are protective measures in preventing mercury aerosol. In this study we measured mercury vapor levels in ambient air during amalgam removal as is typically performed in dental trai...

This paper discusses a fuzzy logic control system designed to determine, regulate and maintain the amount of suction needed by a robotic gripper system to perform reliable limp material manipulation. A neuro-fuzzy approach is followed to determine the amount of desired suction (depending on experimentally derived data and plant characteristics). A knowledge-based valve controller is then design...

This paper discusses position and suction control of a multi-degree-of-freedom reconfigurable robotic gripper system (RGS) consisting of four arms in a crossbar configuration, with a flat surface, fixed dimensions, suction unit (cup) mounted on each of the four arms. A fuzzy logic based controller has been implemented to regulate, coordinate and maintain the amount of suction generated through ...

Pumping stations play an important role in agriculture development projects. Performance of the pumping stations should satisfy water requirements, and management. There are many problems face these pumping stations affecting their reliability and stability. Hydraulic problems are the most important item in the field of pumping station operation and design. Motivation of this research was prese...