Repair of notched beam under dynamic load using piezoelectric patch

In this paper, the repair of a cracked beam under an external dynamic load employing the electro-mechanical characteristic of piezoelectric material to induce a local moment is presented. Conceptually, an external voltage is applied to actuate a piezoelectric patch bonded on the beam to effect closure of a crack so that the singularity at the crack tip under dynamic load may be decreased. Globally, this has the effect of altering the resonant frequency of the cracked beam towards that of the healthy beam, which is the criterion used for the repair. To demonstrate the repair methodology, a cantilever beam is used as an illustration, where the repair moment coefficient and the voltage required are mathematically derived. The relationship between repair moment coefficient, crack parameters and length of piezoelectric patch is investigated. The difference between the proposed repair criterion and an earlier published criterion for cracked beam under static load is also shown. A numerical example is used to study the effectiveness of the proposed repair methodology and its results are compared with those from 3-D finite element analyses using ABAQUS 6.4 as one means of verification.     

Preparation and structure of fluorinated/non-fluorinated polyacrylate gradient emulsion blend film

The emulsion blend method, which is environmentally friendly and energy saving, was used to prepare a compositional gradient film of fluorinated/non-fluorinated polyacrylate in this paper. The size and glass-transition temperature (T_g) of the emulsion particles were designed to enhance the driving force of their selective congregation and promote the formation of gradient structure. The structures and surface properties of the obtained films were characterized. The results showed that when the fluorinated components have much smaller particle size and higher T_g than those of fluorine-free polyacrylate components, the gradient structures formed in the direction across the film thickness of the films. The concentration of the fluorinated component increased gradually from film-glass interface to film-air interface in the blend film, making the surface free energies of the two sides of the gradient film distinctively different.     

Effects of Anti-Oxidant Migration on Friction and Wear of C/C Aircraft Brakes

The surfaces of carbon-carbon (C/C) aircraft brakes are usually coated with anti-oxidant to protect them from oxidation. These surfaces do not include the friction surfaces since it is known that when anti-oxidant get onto the friction surface, the friction coefficient decreases. The anti-oxidant migration (AOM), however, happens during processing, heat treatment and application. In this study, phosphorus based anti-oxidants inhibited 3-D C/C aircraft brake system was investigated. The effects of their migration on friction and wear in the 3-D C/C brakes were revealed by sub-scale dynamometer tests and microscopic analysis. Dynamometer results showed that when AOM occurred, both landing and taxi coefficients decreased in humid environment and the wear was slightly lowered. Microscopic study showed that under high humidity conditions there was no formation of the friction film.     

The Effect of Formulation on Radioiodide Thyroid Uptake in the Hyperthyroid Cat

This investigation was designed to compare in vitro dissolution profiles from sodium iodide capsules with radioiodide thyroid uptake in hyperthyroid cats using sodium iodide capsules prepared with a formulation exhibiting a complete release of radioiodide (I-123) in vitro and a formulation with an incomplete release of radioiodide. In vitro dissolution profiles for I-123 sodium iodide capsules with two different formulations were determined using the USP XXIII dissolution test. The two formulations studied in vitro were sodium phosphate dibasic powder with 1% magnesium stearate and calcium phosphate dibasic powder with 3% magnesium stearate. By 20 min after initiation of the dissolution test, over 95% of the I-123 was released from capsules of sodium phosphate dibasic powder. The capsules of calcium phosphate dibasic powder reached 75% at 65 min, with no further release occurring thereafter. There was a statistically significant difference in the dissolution profiles of the two formulations. The thyroid uptake of I-123 from capsules exhibiting complete release and incomplete release of radioiodide was determined in hyperthyroid cats. At 4 hr, the mean percentage thyroid uptake value for sodium phosphate dibasic powder with 1% magnesium stearate (complete release formulation) was 12.0% compared to 9.4% for calcium phosphate dibasic powder with 3% magnesium stearate (incomplete release formulation); at 24 hr, the values were 34.4% compared to 23.7%. The data suggest that the incomplete dissolution profile observed in vitro may correlate with a reduction in the bioavailability of the radioiodide in vivo. However, using the Wilcoxon signed rank test, statistically significant differences did not occur between the complete release formulation and incomplete release formulation at either 4 hr or 24 hr (p >. 05). The results of the in vivo study with five hyperthyroid cats were not conclusive due to the variability in response between individual cats.     

Novel transparent and flexible nanocomposite film prepared from chrysotile nanofibres

In the present study, chrysotile nanofibres, obtained from physicochemical dispersion of natural chrysotile, were used to prepare nanofibre sheets by vacuum filtration. As-prepared sheets were then impregnated by UV-curable resin and cured by ultraviolet light to fabricate the flexible and transparent nanocomposite films. Observed from SEM, the transparent films showed a smooth surface and a typical sandwich structure in cross section, viz. nanofibre sheet filled with resin was sandwiched by two layers of resin. XRD patterns indicated the amorphous nature of cured resin and characteristic crystallographic structure of chrysotile in nanocomposite films. Though the nanofibre sheets were white in colour, and nanofibre contents in nanocomposites were as much as 43.4 wt%, the nanocomposite films displayed an excellent optical transparency with about 85% light transmittance in the visible light range. Tensile tests showed that the addition of nanofibres resulted in a great improvement in mechanical strength of the nanocomposite films; with the increase of nanofibre contents, the modulus and tensile strength of nanocomposite films increased gradually.     

复合包装材料剥离强度的检测方法

本文介绍了包装复合材料的分类、包装复合包装材料剥离强度的定义、检测方法及注意事项。     

Grain‐Boundary “Patches” by In Situ Conversion to Enhance Perovskite Solar Cells Stability

The power conversion efficiency of organic–inorganic hybrid perovskite solar cells has increased rapidly, but the device stability remains a big challenge. Previous studies show the grain boundary (GB) can facilitate ion migration and initiate device degradation. Herein, methimazole (MMI) is employed for the first time to construct a surface “patch” by in situ converting residual PbI₂ at GBs. The resultant MMI–PbI₂ complex can effectively suppress ion migration and inhibit diffusion of the metal electrodes. The origin of the surface “patch” effect and their working mechanisms are investigated experimentally and theoretically at the microscopic level. It hence demonstrates a simple and effective method to prolong the device stability in the context of GB engineering, which could be extensively applied to perovskite‐based optoelectronics.     

Technology adoption as process: A case of integrating an information-intensive website into a patient education helpline

This study followed the introduction of the Arthritis Source website into the existing teaching practices of Arthritis Foundation Helpline volunteers. The goal was to examine what factors may affect a particular group of educators adopt a potentially valuable Internet tool into an existing instructional environment. Defining the possible uses of the website in reference to the volunteers' actual job duties helped provide a clearer understanding of how the volunteers might use this new technology. The researchers used qualitative techniques to focus on three volunteers who experienced different physical, environmental and cognitive means that impacted their use of the new tool. Each volunteer experienced varying levels of motivation in areas of learning, satisfaction and responses to outside influences. Each volunteer also had varying amounts of opportunity prompts in which to interact or refer the website. Consequently, Helpline volunteers experienced different rates of adopting the information-intensive website into their traditional work system.     

Immunological Pathomechanisms of Spongiotic Dermatitis in Skin Lesions of Atopic Dermatitis

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic pruritic skin disease with a complex pathogenesis underlying its heterogeneous clinical phenotypes and endotypes. The skin manifestation of AD reflects the cytokine milieu of a type-2-dominant immunity axis induced by genetic predisposition, innate immunity dysregulation, epidermal barrier defects, and allergic inflammation. However, the detailed pathomechanism of eczematous dermatitis, which is the principal characteristic of AD, remains unclear. This review examines previous studies demonstrating research progress in this area and considers the immunological pathomechanism of “spongiotic dermatitis”, which is the histopathological hallmark of eczematous dermatitis. Studies in this field have revealed the importance of IgE-mediated delayed-type hypersensitivity, the Fas/Fas-ligand system, and cell-mediated cytotoxicity in inducing the apoptosis of keratinocytes in spongiotic dermatitis. Recent studies have demonstrated that, together with infiltrating CD4 T cells, IgE-expressing dendritic cells (i.e., inflammatory dendritic epidermal cells and Langerhans cells) that capture specific allergens (i.e., house dust mites) are present in the spongiotic epidermis of lichenified eczema in patients with IgE-allergic AD. These findings suggest that IgE-mediated delayed-type hypersensitivity plays a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of spongiotic dermatitis in the skin lesions of AD.     

Altered Distribution and Expression of Syndecan-1 and -4 as an Additional Hallmark in Psoriasis

Syndecans act as independent co-receptors to exert biological activities and their altered function is associated with many pathophysiological conditions. Here, syndecan-1 and -4 were examined in lesional skin of patients with psoriasis. Immunohistochemical staining confirmed altered syndecan-1 distribution and revealed absence of syndecan-4 expression in the epidermis. Fibronectin (FN)—known to influence inflammation and keratinocyte hyperproliferation via α5β1 integrin in psoriasis—was also decreased. Syndecan-1 and -4 expression was analyzed in freshly isolated lesional psoriatic human keratinocytes (PHK) characterized based on their proliferation and differentiation properties. mRNA levels of syndecan-1 were similar between healthy and PHK, while syndecan-4 was significantly decreased. Cell growth and release of the pro-inflammatory Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha (TNFα) were selectively and significantly induced in PHKs plated on FN. Results from co-culture of healthy keratinocytes and psoriatic fibroblasts led to the speculation that at least one factor released by fibroblasts down-regulate syndecan-1 expression in PHK plated on FN. To assay if biological treatments for psoriasis target keratinocyte proliferation, gelatin-based patches enriched with inteleukin (IL)-17α or TNFα blockers were prepared and tested using a full-thickness healthy epidermal model (Phenion^®). Immunohistochemistry analysis showed that both blockers impacted the localisation of syndecan-1 within the refined epidermis. These results provide evidence that syndecans expression are modified in psoriasis, suggesting that they may represent markers of interest in this pathology.