Self-organizing technique for improving coverage in connected mobile objects networks

Despite the multiple benefits offered today by connected mobile objects networks (CMONs), some constraints continue to limit their development and to degrade their applications and services’ performance. Given their limited energy, some or many objects may stop functioning which leads to the deterioration of network functionalities such as monitoring, detection and transfer of data. It is in this context that our work is situated, namely the improvement of applications performance and the quality of service (QoS) within CMONs, by exploiting some communication environment parameters and geometry techniques. We propose a new technique called self-organization area coverage (SOAC) for CMONs which aims to ensure maximum coverage in the network while optimizing the exploited resources. SOAC has been evaluated and compared not only to the network without improvement but to two other solutions proposed in the literature. The obtained results show a clear improvement in terms of network coverage and several QoS parameters.     

Exploration of Electrochemical Reactions at Organic–Inorganic Halide Perovskite Interfaces via Machine Learning in In Situ Time‐of‐Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry

The instability of hybrid organic–inorganic perovskite (HOIP) devices is one of the significant challenges preventing commercialization. Exploring these phenomena is severely limited by the complexity of the intrinsic electrochemistry of HOIPs, the presence of multiple volatile and mobile ionic species, and the possible role of environmentally induced reactions at surfaces and triple‐phase junctions. Here, in situ studies of the electrochemistry of methylammonium lead bromide perovskite with the Au electrode interface are reported via light‐ and voltage‐dependent time‐of‐flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF‐SIMS) imaging of lateral perovskite heterostructures. While ToF‐SIMS allows for the visualization of the chemical composition along the surface and its evolution with light and electrical bias, the interpretation of the multidimensional data obtained is often limited due to strong correlations between chemical signatures and the need to track multiple peaks at once. Here, a machine learning workflow combining the Hough transform and non‐negative matrix factorization and non‐negative tensor decomposition is developed to avoid this limitation and extract salient features of associated chemical changes and to separate the light‐ and voltage‐dependent dynamics. Combining these in situ characterizations and the machine learning workflow provides comprehensive information on the chemical nature of moving species, ion accumulation, and interfacial electrochemical reactions in HOIP devices.     

Multimodal Precision Imaging of Pulmonary Nanoparticle Delivery in Mice: Dynamics of Application,Spatial Distribution,and Dosimetry

Targeted delivery of nanomedicine/nanoparticles (NM/NPs) to the site of disease (e.g., the tumor or lung injury) is of vital importance for improved therapeutic efficacy. Multimodal imaging platforms provide powerful tools for monitoring delivery and tissue distribution of drugs and NM/NPs. This study introduces a preclinical imaging platform combining X‐ray (two modes) and fluorescence imaging (three modes) techniques for time‐resolved in vivo and spatially resolved ex vivo visualization of mouse lungs during pulmonary NP delivery. Liquid mixtures of iodine (contrast agent for X‐ray) and/or (nano)particles (X‐ray absorbing and/or fluorescent) are delivered to different regions of the lung via intratracheal instillation, nasal aspiration, and ventilator‐assisted aerosol inhalation. It is demonstrated that in vivo propagation‐based phase‐contrast X‐ray imaging elucidates the dynamic process of pulmonary NP delivery, while ex vivo fluorescence imaging (e.g., tissue‐cleared light sheet fluorescence microscopy) reveals the quantitative 3D drug/particle distribution throughout the entire lung with cellular resolution. The novel and complementary information from this imaging platform unveils the dynamics and mechanisms of pulmonary NM/NP delivery and deposition for each of the delivery routes, which provides guidance on optimizing pulmonary delivery techniques and novel‐designed NM for targeting and efficacy.     

Mechanical properties of miscible polycarbonate-copolyester blends

Miscible blends of polycarbonate and the copolyester based on 1,4-cyclohexane-dimethanol and a mixture of terephthalic and isophthalic acids were melt processed into film and injection moulded into test bars. Wholly amorphous specimens of each type were mechanically tested directly after fabrication and after a variety of annealing conditions. As processed blends exhibited nearly additive responses versus blend composition for modulus, strength, elongation at failure, and notched lzod impact strength. Various annealing protocols caused maxima to appear in plots of modulus versus composition. Similar responses were observed for blend density, and good correlations were noted between density and modulus as both composition andhistory were varied. Sub-T_g annealing of injection moulded specimens was demonstrated to involve simultaneous relaxations of volume and molecular orientation. The individual effects of this combined process were separated by sequential super-T_g (or T_m) and sub-T_g annealing steps.     

Characterization of surface-modified polyurethane blends,poly(vinyl alcohol), and poly(4-hydroxybutyl acrylate) for biomedical application by electron spin resonance spectroscopy

Two polyurethane blends—poly(carbonate urethane)/poly(vinyl alcohol) [PCU/PVA] and the aliphatic poly(ether urethane) (Tecoflex?)/poly(pentanedioic acid mono-4-(acryloyloxy)butyl ester) [Tecoflex?/COOH]—were surface-modified. Poly(vinyl alcohol) [PVA] and poly(4-hydroxybutyl acrylate) [PHBA] were used as model surfaces. 4-Isocyanato butanoic acid methyl ester was coupled as a spacer molecule to PVA and the PVA-containing polyurethane blend. Saponification of the generated ester group was verified by means of Electron Spin Resonance (ESR) spectroscopy using the nitroxyl radical 4-amino-2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl (4-amino-TEMPO) as a reporter group. In the case of Tecoflex? and PHBA, glutaric anhydride served as a spacer molecule. 4-Amino-TEMPO was coupled to this spacer as well. ESR spectroscopy as a bulk method was used together with the surface-sensitive method X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) verifying the modification steps by elemental composition, ESR line shapes, and determination of the rotational correlation time τ_c. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Collection of soot particles into aqueous suspension using a particle-into-liquid sampler

Steam collection devices collecting aerosol particles into liquid samples are frequently used to analyze water-soluble particulate material. The fate of water-insoluble components is often neglected. In this work, we show that fresh soot particles can be suspended into pure water using a steam collection device, the particle-into-liquid sampler (PILS, Weber et?al. 2001). The overall collection efficiency of freshly generated soot particles was found to be on the order of 20%. This shows that, depending on the analytic technique employed, the presence of insoluble, and/or hydrophobic particles in liquid samples from steam collection cannot be neglected.

Copyright © 2018 The Author(s). Published with license by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC     

Recent Progress in the Development of Gamma Titanium Aluminide Alloys

Intermetallic titanium aluminides offer an attractive combination of low density and good oxidation and ignition resistance with unique mechanical properties. These involve high strength and elastic stiffness with excellent high temperature retention. Thus, they are one of the few classes of emerging materials that have the potential to be used in demanding high‐temperature structural applications whenever specific strength and stiffness are of major concern. However, in order to effectively replace the heavier nickel‐base superalloys currently in use, titanium aluminides must combine a wide range of mechanical property capabilities. Advanced alloy designs are tailored for strength, toughness, creep resistance, and environmental stability. These concerns are addressed in the present paper through global commentary on the physical metallurgy and associated processing technologies of γ‐TiAl‐base alloys. Particular emphasis is paid on recent developments of TiAl alloys with enhanced high‐temperature capability.