Plasmodium of slime mould Physarum polycephalum is a large single celled organism visible unaided by the eye. This slime mould is capable of optimising the shape of its protoplasmic networks in spatial configurations of attractants and repellents. Such adaptive behaviour can be interpreted as computation. When exposed to attractants and repellents, Physarum changes patterns of its electrical ac...

In recent years, the open fit hearing aids have been used widely as they are less prominent and more acceptable to patients. The ear mould is replaced with a dome, which manufacturers claim can reduce the occlusive effect compared to a regular ear mould. The receiver-in-the-canal (RIC) aid, which is a type of open fit aid, also gives a more natural sound quality with better signal to noise rati...

A novel method for transferring thin, large-area polymer layers from a mould and its subsequent bonding to a destination substrate is presented here. Buoyancy is used for transfer via floatation to allow the release of internal stress in the polymer and to avoid induced strain. Additionally, floatation leads to wrinkle-free contact between the polymer layer and its destination substrate, an imp...

The main goal of this work is the characterization of the power quality (PQ) in the mould industry in the centre region of Portugal and the effects of the PQ disturbances in their production processes and their worldwide competitiveness. First a panorama of the mould industry in Portugal is described pointing key figures of the sector, some history and present needs. Then the classification of ...

Riddle, H. F. V. (1974). British Journal of Industrial Medicine, 31, 31-35. Prevalence of respiratory symptoms and sensitization by mould antigens among a group of maltworkers. The prevalence of allergic alveolitis, chronic respiratory symptoms, and sensitization by antigens from mould spores was investigated in 114 men employed at five maltings. Twentyfive carpet workers were used as a control...

Orbiting EDM has the advantages of superior machining quality over static EDM due to advanced flushing. However, improper tool correction to the relative motion in orbiting EDM will result in dimension errors of the product. As features vary in morphology, tool design for orbiting EDM is a challenging task, particularly for mould comprises assorted features. A strategy for correcting the orbita...

High Performance Manufacturing (HPM) technology comprises new developments to reduce primary process times and lead times significantly by the means of enhanced cutting abilities, adapted tooling and machine concepts combined with integrated examination and optimization of the process chain. The overall objective of High Performance Manufacturing is to increase efficiency and quality of product...

This paper presents an automated vision based defect inspection and sorting system for a plastic injection mould component called a Retractor Retaining Bush, which is an automotive safety critical component. The system identifies defects which usually occur in a plastic injection mould component. Various types of sensors and actuators were interfaced with the vision hardware and the part handli...

BACKGROUND Carefully conducted, community-based, longitudinal studies are required to gain further understanding of the nature and timing of respiratory viruses causing infections in the population. However, such studies pose unique challenges for field specimen collection, including as we have observed the appearance of mould in some nasal swab specimens. We therefore investigated the impact o...

BACKGROUND The mould Alternaria alternata is an important source of respiratory allergens. A. alternata extracts show great variations regarding allergenic potency. The aim of this study was to generate antibody probes specific for important Alternaria allergens and to use them to study allergen expression, depending on different culture conditions, as well as to search for cross-reactive aller...