Biomineralization,strength and cytocompatibility improvement of bredigite scaffolds through doping/coating

Coprecipitation-derived, sacrificial polymeric (urethane) foam-fabricated bredigite (Ca₇MgSi₄O₁₆) scaffolds were processed by individual and combined treatments of fluoride doping and poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) coating and then studied in terms of structure, mechanical strength, bioactivity and cell biocompatibility in vitro. According to scanning electron microscopy and Archimedes porosimetry, the geometrical characteristics of pores for all the scaffolds are in the appropriate range for hard tissue regeneration applications. The apatite-formation ability of the samples immersed in a simulated body fluid is improved by doping for both the bare and coated conditions, based on microscopic and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopic analyses. Both the treatments advantageously buffer physiological pH changes imposed due to the fast bioresorption of the ceramic. Also, the biodegradable PLGA coating typically enhances the compressive strength of the scaffolds, which is critical for bone tissue engineering. In accordance with the MTT assay on osteoblast-like cells (MG-63) cultures, both the processes individually enhance the cell viability, while the highest improvement is obtained for the combined application of them. It is finally concluded that fluoride doping and PLGA coating are impressive approaches to improve the bioperformance of bredigite-based scaffolds.     

Assessment of the effectiveness of steel fibre reinforcement for the punching resistance of flat slabs by experimental research and design approach

The present paper deals with the experimental assessment of the effectiveness of steel fibre reinforcement in terms of punching resistance of centrically loaded flat slabs, and to the development of an analytical model capable of predicting the punching behaviour of this type of structures. For this purpose, eight slabs of 2550 × 2550 × 150 mm³ dimensions were tested up to failure, by investigating the influence of the content of steel fibres (0, 60, 75 and 90 kg/m³) and concrete strength class (50 and 70 MPa). Two reference slabs without fibre reinforcement, one for each concrete strength class, and one slab for each fibre content and each strength class compose the experimental program. All slabs were flexurally reinforced with a grid of ribbed steel bars in a percentage to assure punching failure mode for the reference slabs. Hooked ends steel fibres provided the unique shear reinforcement. The results have revealed that steel fibres are very effective in converting brittle punching failure into ductile flexural failure, by increasing both the ultimate load and deflection, as long as adequate fibre reinforcement is assured. An analytical model was developed based on the most recent concepts proposed by the fib Mode Code 2010 for predicting the punching resistance of flat slabs and for the characterization of the behaviour of fibre reinforced concrete. The most refined version of this model was capable of predicting the punching resistance of the tested slabs with excellent accuracy and coefficient of variation of about 5%.     

Liquid phase sintering and characterization of SiC ceramics

The present study focuses on the sintering of silicon carbide-based ceramics (SiC) by liquid phase sintering (LPS) followed by characterization of the produced ceramics. AlN/Re₂O₃ mixtures were used as additives in the LPS process. In the first step, the LPS-SiC materials were produced in a graphite resistance furnace in the form of discs at different temperatures. The conditions with the best results regarding real density and relative density were taken as reference for sintering in the form of prismatic bars. In the second step, these samples were evaluated regarding fracture toughness (K_IC), by the Single Edge V Notch Beam – SEVNB – method, and flexural strength. K_IC behavior was evaluated according to the depth and curvature radius of the notches. Reliable K_IC values were presented when the ceramic displayed a small curvature radius at the notch tip. When the radius was large, it did not maintain the square root singularity of the notch tip. Tests were carried out to determine K_IC values in atmospheric air and water. K_IC results were lower in water than air, with a decrease ranging between 2.56% and 11.26%. The observations indicated a direct grain size correlation between K_IC values and fracture strength of the SiC ceramics.     

Pull out of FRP reinforcement from masonry pillars: Experimental and numerical results

In this paper, debonding phenomena between carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) strips and masonry support were investigated on the basis of single-lap shear tests, considering different dimensions of the bond length. To capture the post-peak response of the CFRP–masonry joint, the slip between the support and the reinforcement strip was controlled using a clip gauge positioned at the end of the reinforcement. The tests were simulated by means of a finite element model able to capture the post-peak snap-back behavior due to the failure process. The numerical model is based on zero-thickness interface elements and on a proper non-linear cohesive law. The comparison between experimental and numerical results was performed in terms of overall response, measured by both the machine stroke and the clip gauge positioned at the free end of the reinforcement. The cases of effective bond length greater and lesser than the minimum anchorage length, suggested by the CNR Italian recommendation, were considered.     

Solidification morphology and phase selection in drop-tube processed Ni–Fe–Si intermetallics

Drop-tube processing was used to rapidly solidify droplets of Ni_64.7Fe₁₀Si_25.3 and Ni_59.7Fe₁₅Si_25.3 alloys. In the larger droplets, and therefore at low cooling rates, only two phases, γ-Ni₃₁Si₁₂ and β₁-Ni₃Si were observed. Conversely, in the smaller droplets, and therefore at higher cooling rates, the metastable phase Ni₂₅Si₉ was also observed. The critical cooling rate for the formation of Ni₂₅Si₉ was estimated as 5 × 10³ K s⁻¹. SEM and TEM analysis reveals three typical microstructures: (I) a regular structure, comprising single-phase γ-Ni₃₁Si₁₂ and a eutectic structure between γ-Ni₃₁Si₁₂ and β₁-Ni₃Si; (II) a refined lamellar structure with a lamellar spacing <50 nm comprising γ-Ni₃₁Si₁₂ and β₁-Ni₃Si; (III) an anomalous structure with a matrix of Ni₂₅Si₉ and only a very small proportion of a second, and as yet unidentified, phase. These results indicate that there is an extended stability field for Ni₂₅Si₉ in the Ni-rich part of the Ni–Fe–Si ternary system in comparison to the Ni–Si binary system. With an increase of cooling rate, an increasing fraction of small droplets experience high undercoolings and, therefore, can be undercooled into the Ni₂₅Si₉ stability field forming droplets consisting of only the anomalous structure (III). The Fe atoms are found to occupy different substitutional sites in different phase, i.e. Fe substitutes for Ni in the γ phase and Si in the L1₂ (β₁) phase respectively.     

面向消费类电子产品的自动化生产线成组技术

针对现代消费类电子产品快速更新换代的现状, 介绍了该类产品的自动化生产线成组技术,阐述了通过度量消费类电子产品相似性和派生性特征,对产线进行成组编码的原理,研究产线工位单元的建模方法,描述了建模内容,并通过有无装载板的产线结构,论述了产线成组编码集成的途径和方法.     

一种适合∑-△A／D转换器的FIR数字滤波器

讨论了一种用于∑-△A／D转换器的固定系数半带（half-band）FIR数字滤波器，分析了其线性相位特性和低通滤波特性，给出了频率仿真结果，以及在Cadence设计系统中的电路和版图实现。     

串行16位DAC转换芯片在流量手操器中的应用

本文介绍串行16位D／A转换芯片MAX541及其与AT89C52单片机的接口电路、相应的转换子程序，并给出其在过程流量手操器中的应用。     

水力射孔对套管强度的影响研究

水力射孔技术是一种新型的完井方式，深穿透水力射孔技术辅助定向水力压裂可以实现油气层改造和油气井增产。但是，水力射孔套管会在孔眼处造成应力集中，使得局部应力过大而削弱了套管和水泥环的强度，可能会影响套管的使用寿命。因此，文章利用有限元软件建立了射孔套管的三维有限元模型，分析了水力射孔后套管管体的应力分布，重点研究了水力射孔参数-孔密、孔径、孔深、射孔方位角等对套管强度的影响规律。分析结果表明，沿着最大水平地应力方向深穿透水力射孔，选择合适的孔密、孔径可将射孔对套管的损害降至最小。研究结果为提高水力射孔完井设计水平提供了一定的参数依据。     

基于实际井眼轨迹的抽油杆柱API设计方法

目前的抽油杆柱设计方法大都基于设计井眼轨迹或经验公式，因此设计的抽油杆柱与井眼的匹配性并没有达到最优，结果可能影响了抽油杆柱的受力特性和寿命。概述了目前现有的抽油杆柱设计方法，提出了基于实际井眼轨迹的抽油杆柱API设计方法，即考虑到在三维空间中井下粘滞阻力及动载的影响，利用微单元分析方法计算出轴向载荷与轴向应力，然后在此基础上进行杆柱组合设计，并给出了设计流程。以江苏油田永21-3井为例，对几种设计方法的设计结果进行了对比分析，结果表明，江苏油田目前采用的抽油杆柱设计方法包含了人为经验因素，并不是最优的杆柱设计结果，有待进一步改进。