Topology optimization of flexure hinges with a prescribed compliance matrix based on the adaptive spring model and stress constraint

This paper focuses on the configuration design of flexure hinges with a prescribed compliance matrix and preset rotational center position. A new method for the topology optimization of flexure hinges is proposed based on the adaptive spring model and stress constraint. The hinge optimization model is formulated by maximizing the bending displacement with a spring while optimizing the compliance matrix to a prescribed value. To avoid numerical instability, an artificial spring is used as an auxiliary calculation, and a new strategy is developed for adaptively adjusting the spring stiffness according to the prescribed compliance matrix. The maximum stress of flexure hinge is limited by using a normalized P-norm of the effective von Mises stress, and a position constraint of rotational center is proposed to predetermine the position of the rotational center. In addition, to reduce the error of the stress measurement, a simple but effective filtering method is presented to obtain a complete black-and-white design. Numerical examples are used to verify the proposed method. Topology results show that the obtained flexure hinges have the prescribed compliance matrix and preset rotational center position while also meeting the stress requirements.     

Understanding the asymmetric perceptions of smartphone security from security feature perspective: A comparative study

Smartphones are being used and relied on by people more than ever before. The open connectivity brings with it great convenience and leads to a variety of risks that cannot be overlooked. Smartphone vendors, security policy designers, and security application providers have put a variety of practical efforts to secure smartphones, and researchers have conducted extensive research on threat sources, security techniques, and user security behaviors. Regrettably, smartphone users do not pay enough attention to mobile security, making many efforts futile. This study identifies this gap between technology affordance and user requirements, and attempts to investigate the asymmetric perceptions toward security features between developers and users, between users and users, as well as between different security features. These asymmetric perceptions include perceptions of quality, perceptions of importance, and perceptions of satisfaction. After scoping the range of smartphone security features, this study conducts an improved Kano-based method and exhaustively analyzes the 245 collected samples using correspondence analysis and importance satisfaction analysis. The 14 security features of the smartphone are divided into four Kano quality types and the perceived quality differences between developers and users are compared. Correspondence analysis is utilized to capture the relationship between the perceived importance of security features across different groups of respondents, and results of importance-satisfaction analysis provide the basis for the developmental path and resource reallocation strategy of security features. This article offers new insights for researchers as well as practitioners of smartphone security.     

Modeling Sialidosis with Neural Precursor Cells Derived from Patient-Derived Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

Sialidosis, caused by a genetic deficiency of the lysosomal sialidase gene (NEU1), is a systemic disease involving various tissues and organs, including the nervous system. Understanding the neurological dysfunction and pathology associated with sialidosis remains a challenge, partially due to the lack of a human model system. In this study, we have generated two types of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) with sialidosis-specific NEU1^G227R and NEU1^V275A/R347Q mutations (sialidosis-iPSCs), and further differentiated them into neural precursor cells (iNPCs). Characterization of NEU1^G227R- and NEU1^V275A/R347Q- mutated iNPCs derived from sialidosis-iPSCs (sialidosis-iNPCs) validated that sialidosis-iNPCs faithfully recapitulate key disease-specific phenotypes, including reduced NEU1 activity and impaired lysosomal and autophagic function. In particular, these cells showed defective differentiation into oligodendrocytes and astrocytes, while their neuronal differentiation was not notably affected. Importantly, we found that the phenotypic defects of sialidosis-iNPCs, such as impaired differentiation capacity, could be effectively rescued by the induction of autophagy with rapamycin. Our results demonstrate the first use of a sialidosis-iNPC model with NEU1^G227R- and NEU1^V275A/R347Q- mutation(s) to study the neurological defects of sialidosis, particularly those related to a defective autophagy–lysosome pathway, and may help accelerate the development of new drugs and therapeutics to combat sialidosis and other LSDs.     

Water vapor volatilization and oxidation induced surface cracking of environmental barrier coating systems: A numerical approach

A numerical model is developed for surface crack propagation in brittle ceramic coatings, aiming at the intrinsic failure of rare-earth silicate environmental barrier coating systems (EBCs) under combustion conditions in advanced gas turbines. The main features of progressive degradation of EBCs in such conditions are captured, including selective silica vaporization in the top coat due to exposure to water vapor, diffusion path-dependent bond coat oxidation, as well as crack propagation during cyclic thermal loading. In light of these features, user-defined subroutines are implemented in finite element analysis, where surface crack growth is simulated by node separation. Numerical results are validated by existing experimental data, in terms of monosilicate layer thickening, thermal oxide growth, and fracture behaviors. The experimentally observed quasi-linear oxidation in the early stage is also elucidated. Furthermore, it is suggested that surface crack undergoes rapid propagation in the late stage of extended thermal cycling in water vapor and leads to catastrophic failure, driven by both thermal mismatch and oxide growth stresses. The latter is identified as the dominant mechanism of penetration. Based on detailed analyses of failure mechanisms, the optimization strategy of EBCs composition is proposed, balancing the trade-off between mechanical compliance and erosion resistance.     

An ultrasonic study on ternary xPbO–(45-x)CuO–55B2O3 glasses

A series of xPbO–(45-x)CuO–55B₂O₃ glasses (5 ≤ x ≥ 40 mol %) were prepared by the melt-quenching technique. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns of the prepared glasses are found to have amorphous structure. An extensive ultrasonic study has been made to explore the structural role of PbO and CuO in the borate network. Various elastic properties were calculated from the measured data of density and ultrasonic velocity. Ultrasonic velocity and elastic moduli revealed broad humps at about 20 mol % PbO, which are attributed to the borate anomaly. Below 20 mol % PbO, all Pb²⁺ ions are considered to be entering the borate network as a glass modifier. This results in the transforms the borate network from an open structure to a denser three-dimensional structure due to BO₃ → BO₄ conversion. Beyond 20 mol, addition of PbO results in the formation of metaborate, pyroborate, and orthoborate units with NBOs. This weakness the glass structure and decrease both ultrasonic velocity and elastic moduli. The elastic properties were predicted and quantitatively analyzed by taking into account the effect of boron coordination number on the compositional and structural parameters involved in Makishima–Mackenzie's theory, ring deformation model and bond compression model. An excellent agreement between the computed theoretical and experimental elastic moduli, micro-harness and Poisson's ratio was achieved for majority of samples.     

跨行政区游憩空间柔性一体化研究 ——以高莱茵河沿岸地区为例

随着城市化与区域一体化的迅速发展,不同行政区之间的联动关系越来越紧密,这种联动关系在城市各功能空间的设计上有所体现,更渗透到了与市民息息相关的游憩空间建构之中。受制于行政管理等方面的原因,在跨行政区的游憩空间一体化实施过程中,往往会采取一系列柔性措施。以欧洲高莱茵河沿岸地区为研究对象,分析高莱茵河沿岸地区游憩空间的发展与现状,总结其游憩空间体系的构建特点,为中国跨城市河流沿岸的游憩空间柔性一体化建构提供策略与建议。     

Effects of the joining process on the microstructure and properties of liquid-phase-sintered SiC-SiC joints formed with Ti foil

The joining of liquid-phase sintered SiC (LPS-SiC) ceramics was conducted using spark plasma sintering (SPS), through solid state diffusion bonding, with Ti-metal foil as a joining interlayer. Samples were joined at 1400 °C, under applied pressures of either 10 or 30 MPa, and with different atmospheres (argon, Ar, vs. vacuum). It was demonstrated that the shear strength of the joints increased with an increase in the applied joining pressure. The joining atmosphere also affected on both the microstructure and shear strength of the SiC joints. The composition and microstructure of the interlayer were examined to understand the mechanism. As a result, a SiC-SiC joining with a good mechanical performance could be achieved under an Ar environment, which in turn could provide a cost-effective approach and greatly widen the applications of SiC ceramic components with complex shape.     

Patterns in environmental priorities revealed through government open data portals

The ways in which environmental priorities are framed are varied and influenced by political forces. One technological advance--the proliferation of government open data portals (ODPs)--has the potential to improve governance through facilitating access to data. Yet it is also known that the data hosted on ODPs may simply reflect the goals and interests of multiple levels of political power. In this article, I use traditional statistical correlation and regression techniques along with newer natural language processing and machine learning algorithms to analyze the corpus of datasets hosted on government ODPs (total: 49,066) to extract patterns that relate scales of governance and political liberalism/conservatism to the priorities and meaning attached to environmental issues. I find that state-level and municipal-level ODPs host different categories of environmental datasets, with municipal-level ODPs generally hosting more datasets pertaining to services and amenities and state-level ODPs hosting more datasets pertaining to resource protection and extraction. Stronger trends were observed for the influences of political conservatism/liberalism among state-level ODPs than for municipal-level ODPs.     

Spirobifluorene Dimers: Understanding How The Molecular Assemblies Drive The Electronic Properties

Spirobifluorene (SBF) is one of the most important scaffolds used in the design of organic semi-conductors (OSCs) for electronics. In recent years, among all the structures developed for these applications, SBF dimers have been highlighted due to their great potential in thermally activated delayed fluorescence and in phosphorescent organic light-emitting diodes. Attaching two SBF units generate 10 dimers, each possessing its own structural specificity, which in turn drives its electronic properties. These ten SBF dimers are gathered herein. Understanding how the molecular assembly determines the electronic properties has been one of the pillars of organic electronics. This is the goal of this article. As positional isomerism is a key tool to design OSCs, defining the design guidelines for the SBF scaffold appears of interest for the future of this building block. Herein, the importance of the two main parameters involved in the electrochemical and photophysical properties, namely the nature of the phenyl linkages and the steric congestion between the two SBF units is discussed. The combination of these two parameters drives the electronic properties but their respective weight is different as a function of the regioisomer involved or of the property considered (frontier orbitals energy level, absorption, fluorescence, phosphorescence).