Blood flow and coherent vortices in the normal and aneurysmatic aortas: a fluid dynamical approach to intra-luminal thrombus formation

Abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) are frequently characterized by the development of an intra-luminal thrombus (ILT), which is known to have multiple biochemical and biomechanical implications. Development of the ILT is not well understood, and shear–stress-triggered activation of platelets could be the first step in its evolution. Vortical structures (VSs) in the flow affect platelet dynamics, which motivated the present study of a possible correlation between VS and ILT formation in AAAs. VSs educed by the λ₂-method using computational fluid dynamics simulations of the backward-facing step problem, normal aorta, fusiform AAA and saccular AAA were investigated. Patient-specific luminal geometries were reconstructed from computed tomography scans, and Newtonian and Carreau–Yasuda models were used to capture salient rheological features of blood flow. Particularly in complex flow domains, results depended on the constitutive model. VSs developed all along the normal aorta, showing that a clear correlation between VSs and high wall shear stress (WSS) existed, and that VSs started to break up during late systole. In contrast, in the fusiform AAA, large VSs developed at sites of tortuous geometry and high WSS, occupying the entire lumen, and lasting over the entire cardiac cycle. Downward motion of VSs in the AAA was in the range of a few centimetres per cardiac cycle, and with a VS burst at that location, the release (from VSs) of shear-stress-activated platelets and their deposition to the wall was within the lower part of the diseased artery, i.e. where the thickest ILT layer is typically observed. In the saccular AAA, only one VS was found near the healthy portion of the aorta, while in the aneurysmatic bulge, no VSs occurred. We present a fluid-dynamics-motivated mechanism for platelet activation, convection and deposition in AAAs that has the potential of improving our current understanding of the pathophysiology of fluid-driven ILT growth.     

Out-of-plane deformation and pull-in voltage of cantilevers with residual stress gradient: experiment and modelling

The out-of-plane deformation and the pull-in voltage of electrostatically actuated cantilevers with a residual stress gradient, is investigated in the length range 100–300 µm. Measured pull-in voltages are compared with calculations, which are obtained using previously proposed analytical expressions and a finite element method (FEM) modelling. In particular, a simplified model of the residual stress distribution inside cantilevers is formulated that enables FEM simulation of measured out-of-plane deformations and pull-in voltages for all lengths of fabricated cantilevers. The presented experimental results and FEM model are exploitable in the design of cantilever-based microelectromechanical systems, in order to provide a reliable prediction of the influence of residual stress gradient on device shape and pull-in voltage.

     

Nonvolatile Reconfigurable Phase‐Change Metadevices for Beam Steering in the Near Infrared

The development of flat, compact beam‐steering devices with no bulky moving parts is opening up a new route to a variety of exciting applications, such as LIDAR scanning systems for autonomous vehicles, robotics and sensing, free‐space, and even surface wave optical signal coupling. In this paper, the design, fabrication and characterization of innovative, nonvolatile, and reconfigurable beam‐steering metadevices enabled by a combination of optical metasurfaces and chalcogenide phase‐change materials is reported. The metadevices reflect an incident optical beam in a mirror‐like fashion when the phase‐change layer is in the crystalline state, but reflect anomalously at predesigned angles when the phase‐change layer is switched into its amorphous state. Experimental angle‐resolved spectrometry measurements verify that fabricated devices perform as designed, with high efficiencies, up to 40%, when operating at 1550 nm. Laser‐induced crystallization and reamorphization experiments confirm reversible switching of the device. It is believed that reconfigurable phase‐change‐based beam‐steering and beam‐shaping metadevices, such as those reported here, can offer real applications advantages, such as high efficiency, compactness, fast switching times and, due to the nonvolatile nature of chalcogenide phase‐change materials, low power consumption.     

Origin of the Exclusive Ternary Electroluminescent Behavior of BN‐Doped Nanographenes in Efficient Single‐Component White Light‐Emitting Electrochemical Cells

White‐light‐emitting electrochemical cells (WLECs) still represent a significant milestone, since only a few examples with moderate performances have been reported. Particularly, multiemissive white emitters are highly desired, as a paradigm to circumvent phase separation and voltage‐dependent emission color issues that are encountered following host:guest and multilayered approaches. Herein, the origin of the exclusive white ternary electroluminescent behavior of BN‐doped nanographenes with a B₃N₃ doping pattern (hexa‐perihexabenzoborazinocoronene) is rationalized, leading to one of the most efficient (≈3 cd A^?1) and stable‐over‐days single‐component and single‐layered WLECs. To date, BN‐doped nanographenes have featured blue thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF). This doping pattern provides, however, white electroluminescence spanning the whole visible range (x/y CIE coordinates of 0.29–31/0.31–38 and average color rendering index (CRI) of 87) through a ternary emission involving fluorescence and thermally activated dual phosphorescence. This temperature‐dependent multiemissive mechanism is operative for both photo‐ and electroluminescence processes and holds over the device lifespan, regardless of the device architecture, active layer composition, and operating conditions. As such, this work represents a new stepping‐stone toward designing a new family of multiemissive white emitters based on BN‐doped nanographenes that realizes one of the best‐performing single‐component white‐emitting devices compared to the prior‐art.     

Object interaction and task programming by demonstration in visuo-haptic augmented reality

A visuo-haptic augmented reality system is presented for object manipulation and task learning from human demonstration. The proposed system consists of a desktop augmented reality setup where users operate a haptic device for object interaction. Users of the haptic device are not co-located with the environment where real objects are present. A three degrees of freedom haptic device, providing force feedback, is adopted for object interaction by pushing, selection, translation and rotation. The system also supports physics-based animation of rigid bodies. Virtual objects are simulated in a physically plausible manner and seem to coexist with real objects in the augmented reality space. Algorithms for calibration, object recognition, registration and haptic rendering have been developed. Automatic model-based object recognition and registration are performed from 3D range data acquired by a moving laser scanner mounted on a robot arm. Several experiments have been performed to evaluate the augmented reality system in both single-user and collaborative tasks. Moreover, the potential of the system for programming robot manipulation tasks by demonstration is investigated. Experiments show that a precedence graph, encoding the sequential structure of the task, can be successfully extracted from multiple user demonstrations and that the learned task can be executed by a robot system.     

Bounded model checking of software using SMT solvers instead of SAT solvers

C bounded model checking (cbmc) has proved to be a successful approach to automatic software analysis. The key idea is to (i) build a propositional formula whose models correspond to program traces (of bounded length) that violate some given property and (ii) use state-of-the-art SAT solvers to check the resulting formulae for satisfiability. In this paper, we propose a generalisation of the cbmc approach on the basis of an encoding into richer (but still decidable) theories than propositional logic. We show that our approach may lead to considerably more compact formulae than those obtained with cbmc. We have built a prototype implementation of our technique that uses a satisfiability modulo theories (SMT) solver to solve the resulting formulae. Computer experiments indicate that our approach compares favourably with—and on some significant problems outperforms—cbmc.     

RF MEMS packaged switch evaluation tests up to 25 GHz

This article presents the results of the series of experimental tests of a packaged RF MEMS switch manufactured as a chip on a silicon substrate in the Center for Materials and Microsystems of Fondazione Bruno Kessler. Experiments have been performed up to 25 GHz and included S-parameters check in different operation and environmental conditions, including variation of input power, ambient temperature and number of switching cycles. Presented RF MEMS SPST switch is a basic element of more complex reconfigurable networks such as SPxT switches, phase shifters, power attenuators etc.

     

Synergy between shear-induced migration and secondary flows on red blood cells transport in arteries: considerations on oxygen transport

Shear-induced migration of red blood cells (RBCs) is a well-known phenomenon characterizing blood flow in the small vessels (micrometre to millimetre size) of the cardiovascular system. In large vessels, like the abdominal aorta and the carotid artery (millimetre to centimetre size), the extent of this migration and its interaction with secondary flows has not been fully elucidated. RBC migration exerts its influence primarily on platelet concentration, oxygen transport and oxygen availability at the luminal surface, which could influence vessel wall disease processes in and adjacent to the intima. Phillips'' shear-induced particle migration model, coupled to the Quemada viscosity model, was employed to simulate the macroscopic behaviour of RBCs in four patient-specific geometries: a normal abdominal aorta, an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA), a normal carotid bifurcation and a stenotic carotid bifurcation. Simulations show a migration of RBCs from the near-wall region with a lowering of wall haematocrit (volume fraction of RBCs) on the posterior side of the normal aorta and on the lateral-external side of the iliac arteries. A marked migration is observed on the outer wall of the carotid sinus, along the common carotid artery and in the carotid stenosis. No significant migration is observed in the AAA. The spatial and temporal patterns of wall haematocrit are correlated with the near-wall shear layer and with the secondary flows induced by the vessel curvature. In particular, secondary flows accentuate the initial lowering in RBC near-wall concentration by convecting RBCs from the inner curvature side to the outer curvature side. The results reinforce data in literature showing a decrease in oxygen partial pressure on the inner curvature wall of the carotid sinus induced by the presence of secondary flows. The lowering of wall haematocrit is postulated to induce a decrease in oxygen availability at the luminal surface through a diminished concentration of oxyhaemoglobin, hence contributing, with the reported lowered oxygen partial pressure, to local hypoxia.     

Post-Impact Mechanical Characterisation of Glass and Basalt Woven Fabric Laminates

Two woven fabric laminates, one based on basalt fibres, the other on E-glass fibres, as a reinforcement for vinylester matrix, were compared in terms of their post-impact performance. With this aim, first the non-impacted specimens were subjected to interlaminar shear stress and flexural tests, then flexural tests were repeated on laminates impacted using a falling weight tower at three impact energies (7.5, 15 and 22.5J). Tests were monitored using acoustic emission analysis of signal distribution with load and with distance from the impact point. The results show that the materials have a similar damage tolerance to impact and also their post-impact residual properties after impact do not differ much, with a slight superiority for basalt fibre reinforced laminates. The principal difference is represented by the presence of a more extended delamination area on E-glass fibre reinforced laminates than on basalt fibre reinforced ones.