A Method for Performance Degradation Modeling Based upon the Accelerated Experiment

Performance degradation modeling plays an important role in prognostics and health management of mechanical system. Influenced by the complex structure of the hydraulic pump and the limited experiment standards, it is hard to establish an appropriate performance degradation model. To fulfill current requirements, a method for establishing the performance degradation model based on accelerated experiment is proposed. In order to describe the general trend of the degradation, the double-stress exponential model is firstly established as the theoretical degradation model. On this basement, combined with the characteristics of the experiment, the accelerating coefficient is settled; meanwhile, the procedures for assuring the model parameters are presented. Furthermore, based on the accelerated experiment of the hydraulic pump under various stresses, the performance degradation model is finally established. Result of the experimental analysis indicates that the proposed method is applicable and the presented model is effective to measure the performance degradation of pump.     

Construction of Asymmetrical Hexameric Biomimetic Motors with Continuous Single‐Directional Motion by Sequential Coordination

The significance of bionanomotors in nanotechnology is analogous to mechanical motors in daily life. Here the principle and approach for designing and constructing biomimetic nanomotors with continuous single‐directional motion are reported. This bionanomotor is composed of a dodecameric protein channel, a six‐pRNA ring, and an ATPase hexamer. Based on recent elucidations of the one‐way revolving mechanisms of the phi29 double‐stranded DNA (dsDNA) motor, various RNA and protein elements are designed and tested by single‐molecule imaging and biochemical assays, with which the motor with active components has been constructed. The motor motion direction is controlled by three operation elements: (1) Asymmetrical ATPase with ATP‐interacting domains for alternative DNA binding/pushing regulated by an arginine finger in a sequential action manner. The arginine finger bridges two adjacent ATPase subunits into a non‐covalent dimer, resulting in an asymmetrical hexameric complex containing one dimer and four monomers. (2) The dsDNA translocation channel as a one‐way valve. (3) The hexameric pRNA ring geared with left‐/right‐handed loops. Assessments of these constructs reveal that one inactive subunit of pRNA/ATPase is sufficient to completely block motor function (defined as K = 1), implying that these components work sequentially based on the principle of binomial distribution and Yang Hui's triangle.     

Multicolor Photo‐Crosslinkable AIEgens toward Compact Nanodots for Subcellular Imaging and STED Nanoscopy

Aggregation induced emission (AIE) has attracted considerable interest for the development of fluorescence probes. However, controlling the bioconjugation and cellular labeling of AIE dots is a challenging problem. Here, this study reports a general approach for preparing small and bioconjugated AIE dots for specific labeling of cellular targets. The strategy is based on the synthesis of oxetane‐substituted AIEgens to generate compact and ultrastable AIE dots via photo‐crosslinking. A small amount of polymer enriched with oxetane groups is cocondensed with most of the AIEgens to functionalize the nanodot surface for subsequent streptavidin bioconjugation. Due to their small sizes, good stability, and surface functionalization, the cell‐surface markers and subcellular structures are specifically labeled by the AIE dot bioconjugates. Remarkably, stimulated emission depletion imaging with AIE dots is achieved for the first time, and the spatial resolution is significantly enhanced to ≈95 nm. This study provides a general approach for small functional molecules for preparing small sized and ultrastable nanodots.     

Uniform ordered mesoporous ZnCo2O4 nanospheres for super-sensitive enzyme-free H2O2 biosensing and glucose biofuel cell applications

Uniform,ordered mesoporous ZnCo2O4 (meso-ZnCo2O4) nanospheres were successfully synthesized using a sacrificing template method.The meso-ZnCo2O4 nanospheres were used for the first time for H2O2 biosensing and in glucose biofuel cells (GBFCs) as an enzyme mimic.The meso-ZnCo2O4 nanospheres not only exhibited excellent catalytic performance in the H2O2 sensor,achieving a high sensitivity (658.92 μA·mM-1·cm-2) and low detection limit (0.3 nM at signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) =3),but also performed as an excellent cathode material in GBFCs,resulting in an open circuit voltage of 0.83 V,maximum power density of 0.32 mW·cm-2,and limiting current density of 1.32 mA·cm-2.The preeminent catalytic abilities to H2O2 and glucose may be associated with the large specific surface area of the mesoporous structure in addition to the intrinsic catalytic activity of ZnCo2O4.These significant findings provide a successful basis for developing methods for the supersensitive detection of H2O2 and enriching catalytic materials for biofuel cells.     

Wire + Arc Additive Manufacturing

Depositing large components (>10?kg) in titanium, aluminium, steel and other metals is possible using Wire + Arc Additive Manufacturing. This technology adopts arc welding tools and wire as feedstock for additive manufacturing purposes. High deposition rates, low material and equipment costs, and good structural integrity make Wire+Arc Additive Manufacturing a suitable candidate for replacing the current method of manufacturing from solid billets or large forgings, especially with regards to low and medium complexity parts. A variety of components have been successfully manufactured with this process, including Ti–6Al–4V spars and landing gear assemblies, aluminium wing ribs, steel wind tunnel models and cones. Strategies on how to manage residual stress, improve mechanical properties and eliminate defects such as porosity are suggested. Finally, the benefits of non-destructive testing, online monitoring and in situ machining are discussed.