Compressible and Electrically Conducting Fibers for Large‐Area Sensing of Pressures

Flexible pressure sensors offer a wide application range in health monitoring and human–machine interaction. However, their implementation in functional textiles and wearable electronics is limited because existing devices are usually small, 0D elements, and pressure localization is only achieved through arrays of numerous sensors. Fiber‐based solutions are easier to integrate and electrically address, yet still suffer from limited performance and functionality. An asymmetric cross‐sectional design of compressible multimaterial fibers is demonstrated for the detection, quantification, and localization of kPa‐scale pressures over m²‐size surfaces. The scalable thermal drawing technique is employed to coprocess polymer composite electrodes within a soft thermoplastic elastomer support into long fibers with customizable architectures. Thanks to advanced mechanical analysis, the fiber microstructure can be tailored to respond in a predictable and reversible fashion to different pressure ranges and locations. The functionalization of large, flexible surfaces with the 1D sensors is demonstrated by measuring pressures on a gymnastic mat for the monitoring of body position, posture, and motion.     

Modeling of Solutionizing and Solute Redistribution in a Co-Cast Bi-Layer Al Alloy System

The effect of high-temperature treatment on solutionizing and solute diffusion in a co-cast X609-AA3003 alloy system is examined via a coupled dissolution and diffusion model using finite-element analysis. The model describes the kinetics of the dissolution of intermetallic particles of Mg₂Si and Si along with the diffusion of alloying elements of Mg, Si, and Cu across the interface between the two alloy layers. The results are verified using electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) measurements.     

Collagen-g-poly(Sodium Acrylate-co-Acrylamide)/sodium montmorillonite superabsorbent nanocomposites: synthesis and swelling behavior

Nanocomposite superabsorbents were synthesized by graft copolymerization of mixture of acrylamide (AAm) and acrylic acid (AA) onto collagen using potassium persulfate (KPS) as a free radical initiator and methylenebisacrylamide (MBA) as a crosslinker. Nanoclay sodium montmorillonite (MMt) was introduced as filler into superabsorbent. The chemical structure of the Collagen-g-poly(Sodium Acrylate-co-Acrylamide)/MMt nanocomposite was characterized by means of FTIR spectroscopy, XRD patterns, and TGA thermal methods. Morphology of the sample was examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The effects of reaction variables were systematically optimized to achieve a superabsorbent with swelling capacity as high as possible. Under the optimized conditions concluded, the maximum swelling capacity in distilled water was 950 g/g. Dewatering of nanocomposite and clay-free superabsorbent revealed that inclusion of nanoclay into superabsorbents can improve water retention of superabsorbent under heating. The swelling ratio in various salt solution and kinetic of dewatering was also determined and additionally, the swelling of nanocomposite superabsorbent was measured in solution with pH ranged 1–13. The synthesized nanocomposite exhibited a pH-responsive characteristic.     

Synthesis, characterization and catalytic oxidation of ethylbenzene over “neat” and host (nanocavity of zeolite-Y)/guest (tetraza tetraone macrocyclic copper(II) complexes) nanocomposite materials (HGNM)

Copper(II) complexes of [12]aneN₄: 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-2,3,8,9-tetraone; [14]aneN₄: 1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradecane-2,3,9,10-tetraone; Bzo₂[12]aneN₄: dibenzo-1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-2,3,8,9-tetraone and Bzo₂[14]aneN₄: dibenzo-1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradecane-2,3,9,10-tetraone have been encapsulated in the nanopores of zeolite-Y by the in situ one pot template condensation reaction. Copper(II) complexes with azamacrocyclic ligand were entrapped in the nanocavity of zeolite-Y by a two-step process in the liquid phase: (i) adsorption of [bis(diamine)copper(II)]; [Cu(N-N)₂]-NaY; in the supercages of the zeolite, and (ii) in situ condensation of the copper(II) precursor complex with diethyloxalate. The new host guest nanocomposite materials (HGNM) have been characterized by FTIR, DRS and UV–Vis spectroscopic techniques, XRD and elemental analysis, as well as nitrogen adsorption. The “neat” and encapsulated complexes exhibited good catalytic activity in the oxidation of ethylbenzene at 333 K, using tert-butyl hydroperoxide (TBHP) as the oxidant. Acetophenone was the major product though small amounts of o- and p-hydroxyacetophenones were also formed revealing that C–H bond activation takes place both at benzylic and aromatic ring carbon atoms. Ring hydroxylation was more over the “neat” complexes than over the encapsulated complexes.     

R2T-DSDN: reliable real-time distributed controller-based SDN

The Journal of Supercomputing - Software-defined network (SDN) is an emerging network architecture in which the network control task is separated from packet forwarding. This architecture can be...     

Predictive Mitigation of Timing Channels - Threat Defense for Machine Codes

The security of software systems can be threatened by many internal and external threats, including data leakages due to timing channels. Even if developers manage to avoid security threats in the source code or bytecode during development and testing, new threats can arise as the compiler generates machine codes from representations at the binary code level during execution on the processor or due to operating system specifics. Current approaches either do not allow the neutralization of timing channels to be achieved comprehensively with a sufficient degree of security or require an unjustifiable amount of time and/or resources. Herein, a method is demonstrated for the protected execution of software based on a secure virtual execution environment (VEE) that combines the results from dynamic and static analyses to find timing channels through the application of code transformations. This solution complements other available techniques to prevent timing channels from being exploited. This approach helps control the appearance and neutralization of timing channels via just-in-time code modifications during all stages of program development and usage. This work demonstrates the identification of threats using timing channels as an example. The approach presented herein can be expanded to the neutralization of other types of threats.     

Characterization of the evolution of the volume fraction of precipitates in aged AlMgSiCu alloys using DSC technique

Differential scanning calorimetry is used to quantify the evolution of the volume fraction of precipitates during age hardening in AlMgSiCu alloys. The calorimetry tests are run on alloy samples after aging for various times at 180 °C and the change in the collective heat effects from the major precipitation and dissolution processes in each run are used to determine the precipitation state of the samples. The method is implemented on alloys with various thermal histories prior to artificial aging, including commercial pre-aging histories. The estimated values for the relative volume fraction of precipitates are compared with the results from a newly developed analytical method using isothermal calorimetry and a related quantitative transmission electron microscopy work. Excellent agreement is obtained between the results from various methods.     

In-situ laser-fabrication and characterization of TiC-containing Ti–Co composite on pure Ti substrate

This work presents the in-situ fabrication of a layered metal-matrix composite coating on a pure Ti substrate. The coating consists of a matrix of cobalt-titanium intermetallics and the reinforcement phase of titanium carbide. The fabrication process is laser cladding, conducted using a pre-placed powder mixture of elemental titanium, cobalt, and graphite. Several materials characterization methods including microscopy, microhardness and nano-indentation are used to study the coating and coating–substrate interface. The intermetallic phases in the matrix vary from Co-rich phases at the coating surface to Ti-rich compounds near the substrate. The interface is revealed to have a smooth profile, free of any porosity or cracks, with good metallurgical bonding to the substrate. A relatively uniform hardness in the range of 1200–1300 HVN is achieved through a depth of 200 μm into the coating. The hardness then gradually decreases to 480 HVN at the substrate interface, approximately 300 μm from the surface. The hardness evolution, which is predictable using the Rule of Mixtures, is explained by the fraction of the carbide particles and the type of intermetallic compounds in the matrix.