Evaluation of direct light processing for the fabrication of bioactive ceramic scaffolds: Effect of pore/strut size on manufacturability and mechanical performance

Bioactive ceramic scaffolds for bone regeneration consisting of a three-dimensional mesh of interpenetrating struts with square section were fabricated via Digital Light Processing (DLP). The ability of the technique to manufacture 3D porous structures from β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) powders with different dimensions of struts and pores was evaluated, identifying the possibilities and limitations of the manufacturing process. Small pore sizes were found to seriously complicate the elimination of excess slurry from the scaffold’s innermost pores. The effect of the strut/pore size on the mechanical performance of the scaffolds under compressive stresses was also evaluated, but no significant influence was found. Under compressive stresses, the structures resulted weaker when tested perpendicularly to the printing plane due to interlayer shear failure. Interlayer superficial grooves are proposed as potential failure-controlling defects, which could also explain the lack of a Weibull size effect on the mechanical strength of the fabricated DLP scaffolds.     

Context-Processing Deficits in Schizotypal Personality Disorder.

Research suggests that schizotypal personality disorder (SPD) is a part of the spectrum of schizophrenia-related illnesses. This article hypothesizes that a deficit in the representation and maintenance of context is a core cognitive disturbance in schizophrenia and that SPD individuals should demonstrate context-processing deficits. To test this hypothesis, the authors administered 3 versions of their AX-CPT task, designed to assess context processing, to 35 healthy controls and 26 individuals with DSM-IV SPD. They also administered working memory and selective attention tasks. SPD individuals displayed context representation deficits similar to those found in schizophrenia but did not show the same additional deficits in context maintenance. Context processing was strongly associated with working memory and selective attention performance in the SPD individuals. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Investigation of Centreline Segregation and Centreline Porosity in CC ‐ Slabs

Improvements of solidification processing in conventional or near net shape casting depend on sophisticated methods of macroscopic examination of central unsoundness and inhomogeneity of the cast material. As long as remarkable deviations referring to the quality features exist between the slab centre and the bulk material such methods should be looked after. Two semi‐macroscopic methods of segregation analysis are discussed in this paper: firstly, the potential of the emission spectral analysis combined with sectioning of a sample and secondly, the computer aided micro‐probe analysis. Both methods are restricted to small local areas. The proneness of elements and steel grades with respect to micro‐ and macrosegregation as well as distribution‐ and segregation coefficients are determined. The effect of a diffusion anneal on homogenisation of segregation is studied. Last not least the precipitation of sulphides, phosphides or carbonitrides is estimated. Ultrasonic detection of the central unsoundness of conventional slabs or thin slabs is a new approach towards a quantitative macroscopic examination. The sample size is 400 mm x 300 mm x 30 mm. To achieve a low ultrasonic noise using a 5 MHz‐transducer the samples are heat treated for grain refinement. “Dog bone porosity”, macroscopic topographical misfit between the upper and lower solidifying shells, periodical corner cracks or systematic transverse centre cracks are detected. Obviously, segregations do not reflect the ultrasonic beam. However, it can be presumed that an interrelation exists between porosity and segregation, although these might be locally apart from each other. This new ultrasonic test of the central unsoundness of continuous cast (c.c.) slabs gives valuable arguments to machine builders and maintenance people to decide on the right concepts for strand guidance, support rollers and secondary cooling. Soft reduction can be optimized and variations in casting speed counteracted by dynamic means. R&D service of this kind can help steelmakers when decisions are impending to build new casting machines or revamp old ones.     

Putting it all together – Formal verification of the VAMP

In the verified architecture microprocessor (VAMP) project we have designed, functionally verified, and synthesized a processor with full DLX instruction set, delayed branch, Tomasulo scheduler, maskable nested precise interrupts, pipelined fully IEEE compatible dual precision floating point unit with variable latency, and separate instruction and data caches. The verification has been carried out in the theorem proving system PVS. The processor has been implemented on a Xilinx FPGA. A shorter version of this article with the title “Instantiating uninterpreted functional units and memory system: functional verification of the VAMP” appeared in [8]. The work reported here was done while all the authors were with Saarland University.     

Environmental Problems in Sao Paulo: The Challenge for Co-Responsibility and Innovative Crisis Management

This article describes and analyzes the main environmental problems that affect the city of Sao Paulo. The article views the impacts of the local dynamics of urbanization and its effects on daily life. The discussion is centered on the complexity of the environmental management processes and the implementation of conventional and non-conventional policies and programmes to prevent environmental degradation. Possible solutions to alleviate the effects of floods and climate factors on households are debated as well as the possibilities of formulating more participatory oriented policies to engage citizens in the knowledge of environmental risks. These issues represent a very complex challenge to the urban government of Sao Paulo.     

Stress Analysis of Elastic-Plastic Contact Damage in Ceramic Coatings on Metal Substrates

An elastic-plastic analysis of damage in ceramic coatings on metal substrates from contacts with spherical indenters is made using finite element modeling. Computations are carried out specifically for plasma-sprayed alumina:titania on a soft steel. The algorithm assumes an elastic sphere with frictionless contact on a flat elastic-plastic layered specimen, and incrementally evaluates the expanding contact field as a function of applied load. Two key aspects of the contact field are examined: (i) the indentation stress-strain curve; (ii) the damage zone geometry. Composite coating/substrate indentation stress-strain curves are computed for two coating thicknesses, using input material parameters from iterative fits to data from control tests on free-standing coating and substrate materials. Contours of principal shear stresses, most notably those contours corresponding to yield zone boundaries in both the softer substrate and the harder coating, are mapped out in the fully plastic region. Corresponding distributions of tensile stresses are also mapped out, and are shown to correlate with the locations of transverse fractures in the coating. General implications concerning material and geometrical design of ceramic-based layer structures are discussed.     

Synthesis and characterization of epoxidized styrene–butadiene rubber/silicon dioxide hybrid materials

Hybrid materials were synthesized from epoxidized (68, 43, or 14%) styrene–butadiene rubber (SBR) and the hydrolysis product of tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) in situ under ultrasonic irradiation. The products were characterized with thermal analysis (differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric analysis), stress–strain tests, scanning electron microscopy (including energy‐dispersive spectrometry), and swelling in tetrahydrofuran and water. The most transparent were those prepared from SBR with the highest degree of epoxidation, whereas those obtained from less epoxidized SBR and with larger amounts of TEOS showed distinct phases that could be considered two hybrid phases (one rich in TEOS and another rich in SBR). © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 92: 798–803, 2004