Photovoltaic (PV) systems are prone to irradiance variation caused by cloud shadows leading to fluctuations in generated power. Since these fluctuations can be harmful to the operation of power grids, there is a need to restrict the largest PV power ramp rates (RR). This article proposes a method to estimate the largest expected PV power RRs. The only inputs of the method are the minimum PV system dimension and the measurements of point irradiance and cloud shadow velocity. Since cloud shadows cause the largest power RRs for well-designed large-scale PV power plants, the relation between the largest RRs in irradiance and power during partial cloud shading events was studied based on irradiance measurements. The largest RRs in PV power are estimated from RRs in the average irradiance across the PV system. The proposed method was validated using measured data of 57 days from two PV systems. It showed superior performance compared to an existing method enveloping the RR in the measured power over 99.99% of the time. The method can be used in design and component sizing of PV power plants.

Tribocorrosion behaviour of tin bronze was examined in NaCl environments using two counterbodies: inert alumina and reactive bearing steel. The results with inert counterbody disclosed growing alloy losses with increasing potential, due to wear-influenced corrosion. Degradation progressed through the development, modification and removal of corrosion products, exposing fresh surface for the environment. With reactive counterbody, galvanic coupling between the two metals played an important role in the behaviour of the tribopair. At the lowest potential, where counterbody corrosion progressed slowly, the metals were in a direct mechanical contact, introducing wear in the ploughing mode in tin bronze. At anodic potentials, counterbody provided cathodic protection to tin bronze, with most material losses occurring in the counterbody by corrosion and wear-influenced corrosion.

Robot object grasping and handling requires accurate grasp pose estimation and gripper/end-effector design, tailored to individual objects. When object shape is unknown, cannot be estimated, or is highly complex, parallel grippers can provide insufficient grip. Compliant grippers can circumvent these issues through the use of soft or flexible materials that adapt to the shape of the object. This letter proposes a 3D printable soft gripper design for handling complex shapes. The compliant properties of the gripper enable contour conformation, yet offer tunable mechanical properties (i.e., directional stiffness). Objects that have complex shape, such as non-constant curvature, convex and/or concave shape can be grasped blind (i.e., without grasp pose estimation). The motivation behind the gripper design is handling of industrial parts, such as jet and Diesel engine components. (Dis)assembly, cleaning and inspection of such engines is a complex, manual task that can benefit from (semi-)automated robotic handling. The complex shape of each component, however, limits where and how it can be grasped. The proposed soft gripper design is tunable by compliant cell stacks that deform to the shape of the handled object. Individual compliant cells and cell stacks are characterized and a detailed experimental analysis of more than 600 grasps with seven different industrial parts evaluates the approach.

The purpose of this study was to investigate how internal convection in loose-fill insulations affects the insulation properties of highly insulated roof structures. This study consists of laboratory measurements of roof structures insulated by two different blown-in insulations. The measurements are repeated with two temperature differences and air velocities for 300 mm and 600 mm thick insulation layers both with and without trusses, making a total of 24 case studies. The measurements were conducted with equipment using the calibrated hot-box method. The results of the tests show that internal convection can reduce insulation capacity significantly, especially with low-density loose-fill insulations, such as blown-in glass wool. A critical evaluation should be performed as to whether international standards and national building regulations take internal convection into account adequately. According to this study, 5 should be used as a critical modified Rayleigh number for horizontal roof structures with an open upper surface when used insulation material is loose-fill glass wool or wood fibre insulation as in this study.

Microelectrode array (MEA) is a tool used for recording bioelectric signals from electrically active cells in vitro. In this paper, ion beam assisted electron beam deposition (IBAD) has been used for depositing indium tin oxide (ITO) and titanium nitride (TiN) thin films which are applied as transparent track and electrode materials in MEAs. In the first version, both tracks and electrodes were made of ITOto guarantee full transparency and thus optimal imaging capability. In the second version, very thin (20 nm) ITO electrodes were coated with a thin (40 nm) TiN layer to decrease the impedance of O30 μm electrodes to one third (1200 kΩ → 320 kΩ) while maintaining (partial) transparency. The third version was also composed of transparent ITO tracks, but the measurement properties were optimized by using thick (200 nm) opaque TiN electrodes. In addition to the impedance, the optical transmission and electric noise levels of all three versions were characterized and the functionality of the MEAs was successfully demonstrated using human pluripotent stem cell-derived neuronal cells. To understand more thoroughly the factors contributing to the impedance, MEAs with higher IBAD ITO thickness as well as commercial sputter-deposited and highly conductive ITO were fabricated for comparison. Even if the sheet-resistance of our IBAD ITO thin films is very high compared to the sputtered one, the impedances of the MEAs of each ITO grade were found to be practically equal (e.g., 300-370 kΩ for O30 μm electrodes with 40 nm TiN coating). This implies that the increased resistance of the tracks, either caused by lower thickness or lower conductivity, has hardly any contribution to the impedance of the MEA electrodes. The impedance is almost completely defined by the double-layer interface between the electrode top layer and the medium including cells.

A novel algorithm for reconstruction of hyperspectral 3D complex domain images (phase/amplitude) from noisy complex domain observations has been developed and studied. This algorithm starts from the SVD (singular value decomposition) analysis of the observed complex-valued data and looks for the optimal low dimension eigenspace. These eigenspace images are processed based on special non-local block-matching complex domain filters. The accuracy and quantitative advantage of the new algorithm for phase and amplitude imaging are demonstrated in simulation tests and in processing of the experimental data. It is shown that the algorithm is effective and provides reliable results even for highly noisy data.

Optical circular dichroism (CD) is an important phenomenon in nanophotonics, that addresses top level applications such as circular polarized photon generation in optics, enantiomeric recognition in biophotonics and so on. Chiral nanostructures can lead to high CD, but the fabrication process usually requires a large effort, and extrinsic chiral samples can be produced by simpler techniques. Glancing angle deposition of gold on GaAs nanowires can (NWs) induces a symmetry breaking that leads to an optical CD response that mimics chiral behavior. The GaAs NWs have been fabricated by a self-catalyzed, bottom-up approach, leading to large surfaces and high-quality samples at a relatively low cost. Here, we investigate the second harmonic generation circular dichroism (SHG-CD) signal on GaAs nanowires partially covered with Au. SHG is a nonlinear process of even order, and thus extremely sensitive to symmetry breaking. Therefore, the visibility of the signal is very high when the fabricated samples present resonances at first and second harmonic frequencies (i.e., 800 and 400 nm, in our case).

An initial study to investigate the effect of controlled deposition of nanoparticles at multilayer interfaces was conducted to explore the mechanical effect of particles on laminate structures. Nanoparticles with diameter of about 4.5 nm were specifically deposited at the interface between Cu and Ni laminates by forced agglomeration of magnetron sputtered ions using a Mantis Ltd. Nanogen50 nanoparticle generator and the hardness of these films were measured using the nanoindentation technique. Cu/Ni laminates without W nanoparticles have an average modulus value of approximately 120 ± 3.7 GPa and hardness value of 2.23 ± 0.07 GPa, while the hardness values of the particle-containing films are greater, regardless of particle density. The areas with the lowest particle density at the interfaces (0.9 at.% W) show the greatest increase in hardness, with an increase of about 1.3 GPa greater than the particle-free sample. However, as the particle density increases, there is a corresponding decrease in hardness. In-situ x-ray diffraction of these films was also conducted to observe the annealing behavior of these films. For all samples, the Cu and Ni layered structure remained intact; however, there is evidence of Ni diffusion along grain boundaries and interaction with the oxygen, likely creating NiO. After annealing, a significant number of the W nanoparticles dissolved into the Ni matrix to create NiW solid-solution. The ability to deposit particles with such precise control has the potential to open up an exciting new field of research.

In this study, the local electrochemical activity of untreated and passivated (natural or chemical passivation) zinc specimens was observed during immersion in a 0.1-M NaCl solution. The localized anodic activity during the exposure, measured with the scanning vibrating electrode technique, was linked to zinc dissolution by the pitting corrosion mechanism. It was correlated to specific corrosion products characterized by Fourier transmission infrared (FTIR) microscopy. FTIR molecule maps were produced from individual pitting corrosion sites (100–200 µm in width). With argon ion beam milling and latest energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) technology, element maps with a high spatial resolution (≪100 nm) were recorded from abrasion- and beam-sensitive corrosion products, showing a residual layer structure. This study demonstrates the capability of FTIR mapping, cross-section polishing, and state-of-the-art scanning electron microscopy imaging, and EDS element mapping to produce high-resolution elemental, molecular, and visual information about pitting corrosion mechanisms on a hot-dip galvanized steel sample.

In this paper we continue our earlier investigations into the asymptotic behaviour of infinite systems of coupled differential equations. Under the mild assumption that the so-called characteristic function of our system is completely monotonic we obtain a drastically simplified condition which ensures boundedness of the associates semigroup. If the characteristic function satisfies certain additional conditions we deduce sharp rates of convergence to equilibrium. We moreover address the important and delicate issue of the role of the infinite system in understanding the asymptotic behaviour of large but finite systems, and we provide a precise way of obtaining size-independent rates of convergence for families of finite-dimensional systems. Finally, we illustrate our abstract results in the setting of the well-known platoon problem.

Fretting fatigue and wear may exist if two parts have small amplitude relative rubbing between the contacting surfaces. A peak in the coefficient of friction typically occurs during the first thousands of loading cycles in dry fretting contact with quenched and tempered steel. This peak is related to adhesive friction and wear causing non-Coulomb friction and high local contact stresses possibly leading to cracking. The focus of the study is the effect of different experimental methods on the frictional behavior of the fretting contact between the steel surfaces. The use of pre-corroded specimens and contact lubrication delayed and reduced the initial peak. However, a pre-added third body layer removed the peak completely.

Particle and vapor measurements typically include sampling tubing causing sampling losses therein. Correcting measured concentrations from the sampling losses using the calculated penetration efficiencies of straight tubes is a satisfactory approximation if sub-micrometer particles are of interest. However, in addition to inertial impaction of larger particles, bends in the tubing can cause a significant increase in diffusional losses of particles smaller than 5 nm or of condensing vapor, such as sulfuric acid. Here, the effects of 90° bends with various curvatures (dimensionless curvatures of 1.3−67) on the diffusional losses in a wide range of Reynolds (25−10000) and Schmidt (0.48−1400) numbers were simulated using computational fluid dynamics. The results were parametrized to output the functions for the penetration efficiencies of a bend.

Utilizing quantum effects in complex oxides, such as magnetism, multiferroicity and superconductivity, requires atomic-level control of the material’s structure and composition. In contrast, the continuous conductivity changes that enable artificial oxide-based synapses and multiconfigurational devices are driven by redox reactions and domain reconfigurations, which entail long-range ionic migration and changes in stoichiometry or structure. Although both concepts hold great technological potential, combined applications seem difficult due to the mutually exclusive requirements. Here we demonstrate a route to overcome this limitation by controlling the conductivity in the functional oxide hexagonal Er(Mn,Ti)O₃ by using conductive atomic force microscopy to generate electric-field induced anti-Frenkel defects, that is, charge-neutral interstitial–vacancy pairs. These defects are generated with nanoscale spatial precision to locally enhance the electronic hopping conductivity by orders of magnitude without disturbing the ferroelectric order. We explain the non-volatile effects using density functional theory and discuss its universality, suggesting an alternative dimension to functional oxides and the development of multifunctional devices for next-generation nanotechnology.

This article presents a robust Finite-Element-Method-based wear simulation method, particularly suitable for fretting contacts. This method utilizes the contact subroutine in a commercial finite element solver Abaqus. It is based on a user-defined contact formulation for both normal and tangential directions. For the normal contact direction, a nodal gap field is calculated by using a simple Archard's wear equation to describe the depth of material removal due to wear. The wear field is included in the contact pressure calculation to allow simulation of wear and contact stress evolution during the loading cycles. The main advantage of this approach is that all contact variables are accessible inside the routine, which allows full coupling between normal and tangential contact variables. Also, there is no need for mesh modifications during the solution. This makes the implementation flexible, robust and particularly suitable for fretting cases where friction and tangential contact stiffness play an essential role. The method is applied to the bolted joint type fretting test case. The methodology is also fully applicable to complex real component simulations.

Organoids can shed light on the dynamic interplay between complex tissues and rare cell types within a controlled microenvironment. Here, we develop gut organoid cocultures with type-1 innate lymphoid cells (ILC1) to dissect the impact of their accumulation in inflamed intestines. We demonstrate that murine and human ILC1 secrete transforming growth factor β1, driving expansion of CD44v6⁺ epithelial crypts. ILC1 additionally express MMP9 and drive gene signatures indicative of extracellular matrix remodelling. We therefore encapsulated human epithelial–mesenchymal intestinal organoids in MMP-sensitive, synthetic hydrogels designed to form efficient networks at low polymer concentrations. Harnessing this defined system, we demonstrate that ILC1 drive matrix softening and stiffening, which we suggest occurs through balanced matrix degradation and deposition. Our platform enabled us to elucidate previously undescribed interactions between ILC1 and their microenvironment, which suggest that they may exacerbate fibrosis and tumour growth when enriched in inflamed patient tissues.

SrAl₂O₄: Eu, Dy, B particles were added in a phosphate glass (90NaPO₃-10NaF (in mol%)) using the direct doping method. For the first time, the composition of the particles prior to and after embedding them in the glass was analysed using EPMA analysis. Boron was found to be incorporated in already distorted surroundings creating new trapping centers in the particles which are thought to be favourable for the tunnelling process and so for the afterglow at 10K. Despite the partial decomposition of the particles, the glass exhibit afterglow at low temperature confirming to be promising materials for low temperature applications.

3D scene models are useful in robotics for tasks such as path planning, object manipulation, and structural inspection. We consider the problem of creating a 3D model using depth images captured by a team of multiple robots. Each robot selects a viewpoint and captures a depth image from it, and the images are fused to update the scene model. The process is repeated until a scene model of desired quality is obtained. Next-best-view planning uses the current scene model to select the next viewpoints. The objective is to select viewpoints so that the images captured using them improve the quality of the scene model the most. In this letter, we address next-best-view planning for multiple depth cameras. We propose a utility function that scores sets of viewpoints and avoids overlap between multiple sensors. We show that multi-sensor next-best-view planning with this utility function is an instance of submodular maximization under a matroid constraint. This allows the planning problem to be solved by a polynomial-Time greedy algorithm that yields a solution within a constant factor from the optimal. We evaluate the performance of our planning algorithm in simulated experiments with up to 8 sensors, and in real-world experiments using two robot arms equipped with depth cameras.

The role of fluorine in bioactive glasses is of interest due to the potential of precipitating fluorapatite, a phase with higher chemical resistance than the typical hydroxyapatite precipitated from oxide bioactive glasses. However, the introduction of fluorine in silicate bioactive glasses was found deleterious to the bioactivity of the glass. Here, phosphate glasses with the composition 75NaPO₃-(25-x) CaO-xCaF₂ (in mol%), with x = 0–20 and glass-ceramics were investigated to evaluate their potential as substitutes to the traditional silicate bioactive glass. An increase in CaF₂ substitution for CaO led to an increase in the glass solubility, due to an increase in highly soluble F(M)n species (where M is a cation) and to an increased polymerization of the phosphate network. Structural analysis reveals the formation of F[sbnd]P bonds, in addition to the F(M)n species, in the glass with the higher CaF₂ content. Furthermore, with heat treatment, CaF₂ crystals precipitate within the bulk in the newly developed glass, when x = 20. This bulk crystallization reduces the glass dissolution without compromising the precipitation of a reactive layer at the glass surface. Finally, in vitro cell tests were performed using MC3T3 pre-osteoblastic cells. While the substitution of CaF₂ for CaO led to an increased cytotoxicity, the controlled crystallization of the fluorine containing glasses decreased such cytotoxicity to similar values than traditional bioactive phosphate glass (x0). This study reports on new oxyfluorophosphate glass and glass-ceramics able, not only, to precipitate a Ca-P reactive layer but also to be processed into glass-ceramics with controlled crystal size, density and cellular activity. Statement of significance: Uncontrolled crystallization of bioactive glasses has negative effect on the materials' bioactivity. While in silicate glass the bioactivity is solely reduced, in phosphate glasses it is often completely suppressed. Furthermore, the need for fluorine containing bioactive glasses, not only for use in bone reconstruction but also in toothpaste as emerged. The addition of F in both silicate and phosphate has led to challenges due the lack of Si-F or P-F bonds, generally leading to a decrease in bioactivity. Here, we developed a bioactive invert phosphate glass where up to 20 mol% of CaO was replaced with CaF₂. In the new developed glasses, NMR demonstrated formation of P-F bonds. The content of fluorine was tailored to induce CaF₂ bulk crystallization. Overall an increase in F was associated with an increase network connectivity. In turns it led to an increased dissolution rate which was linked to a higher cytotoxicity. Upon (partial to full) surface crystallization of the F-free glass, the bioactivity (ability to form a reactive layer) was loss and the cytotoxicity again increased due to the rapid dissolution of one crystal phase and of the remaining amorphous phase. On another hand, the controlled bulk precipitation of CaF₂ crystals, in the F-containing glass, was associated with a reduced cytotoxicity. The new oxyfluorophosphate glass-ceramic developed is promising for application in the biomedical field.

Physically disentangling entangled objects from each other is a problem encountered in waste segregation or in any task that requires disassembly of structures. Often there are no object models, and especially with cluttered irregularly shaped objects, the robot cannot create a model of the scene due to occlusion. One of our key insights is that based on previous sensory input we are only interested in moving an object out of the disentanglement around obstacles. That is, we only need to know where the robot can successfully move in order to plan the disentangling. Due to the uncertainty we integrate information about blocked movements into a probability map. The map defines the probability of the robot successfully moving to a specific configuration. Using as cost the failure probability of a sequence of movements we can then plan and execute disentangling iteratively. Since our approach circumvents only previously encountered obstacles, new movements will yield information about unknown obstacles that block movement until the robot has learned to circumvent all obstacles and disentangling succeeds. In the experiments, we use a special probabilistic version of the Rapidly exploring Random Tree (RRT) algorithm for planning and demonstrate successful disentanglement of objects both in 2-D and 3-D simulation, and, on a KUKA LBR 7-DOF robot. Moreover, our approach outperforms baseline methods.

Extensive research over the past decades has identified integrins to be the primary transmembrane receptors that enable cells to respond to external mechanical cues. We reveal here a mechanism whereby syndecan-4 tunes cell mechanics in response to localized tension via a coordinated mechanochemical signalling response that involves activation of two other receptors: epidermal growth factor receptor and β1 integrin. Tension on syndecan-4 induces cell-wide activation of the kindlin-2/β1 integrin/RhoA axis in a PI3K-dependent manner. Furthermore, syndecan-4-mediated tension at the cell–extracellular matrix interface is required for yes-associated protein activation. Extracellular tension on syndecan-4 triggers a conformational change in the cytoplasmic domain, the variable region of which is indispensable for the mechanical adaptation to force, facilitating the assembly of a syndecan-4/α-actinin/F-actin molecular scaffold at the bead adhesion. This mechanotransduction pathway for syndecan-4 should have immediate implications for the broader field of mechanobiology.

Herein, it is discussed whether the complex biological concepts of (associative) learning can inspire responsive artificial materials. It is argued that classical conditioning, being one of the most elementary forms of learning, inspires algorithmic realizations in synthetic materials, to allow stimuli-responsive materials that learn to respond to a new stimulus, to which they are originally insensitive. Two synthetic model systems coined as “Pavlovian materials” are described, whose stimuli-responsiveness algorithmically mimics programmable associative learning, inspired by classical conditioning. The concepts minimally need a stimulus-triggerable memory, in addition to two stimuli, i.e., the unconditioned and the originally neutral stimuli. Importantly, the concept differs conceptually from the classic stimuli-responsive and shape-memory materials, as, upon association, Pavlovian materials obtain a given response using a new stimulus (the originally neutral one); i.e., the system evolves to a new state. This also enables the functionality to be described by a logic diagram. Ample room for generalization to different stimuli and memory combinations is foreseen, and opportunities to develop future adaptive materials with ever-more intelligent functions are expected.

This review looks at the main types of magnetic Barkhausen noise (BN) probes that have been developed. The aim of this review is to summarize the existing knowledge of magnetic Barkhausen noise probes and the magnetic modelling of them. The BN probes have been the focus of many previous studies, but no sufficient review or conclusions have been made so far. This review focuses on combining information regarding the different types of BN probes and their modelling. The review is divided into two sections; in the first part the different designs and types of Barkhausen noise probes are introduced. The second part of the review deals with the BN probe modelling with various modelling software. Finally, a comparison of the experimental measurements is made and BN sensitivity is discussed.

The use of fossil fuels in traffic is a significant source of air pollutants and greenhouse gases in rapidly growing and densely populated cities. Diesel exhaust emissions including particle number concentration and size distribution along with the particles’ chemical composition and NOx were investigated from a Euro 4 passenger car with a comprehensive set of high time-resolution instruments. The emissions were compared with three fuel standards – European diesel (EN590), Indian diesel (BS IV) and Finnish renewable diesel (Neste MY) – over the New European Driving Cycle (NEDC) and the Worldwide harmonized Light vehicles Test Cycle (WLTC). Fuel properties and driving conditions strongly affected exhaust emissions. The exhaust particulate mass emissions for all fuels consisted of BC (81–88%) with some contribution from organics (11–18%) and sulfate (0–3%). As aromatic-free fuel, the MY diesel produced around 20% lower black carbon (BC) emissions compared to the EN590 and 29–40% lower compared to the BS IV. High volatile nanoparticle concentrations at high WLTC speed conditions were observed with the BS IV and EN590 diesel, but not with the sulfur-free MY diesel. These nanoparticles were linked to sulfur-driven nucleation of new particles in cooling dilution of the exhaust. For all the fuels non-volatile nanoparticles in sub-10 nm particle sizes were observed during engine braking, and they were most likely formed from lubricant-oil-originated compounds. With all the fuels, the measured particulate and NOx emissions were significantly higher during the WLTC cycle compared to the NEDC cycle. This study demonstrated that renewable diesel fuels enable mitigations of particulate and climate-warming BC emissions of traffic, and will simultaneously help tackle urban air quality problems.

A simulation method to predict the reliability of clamped metal contacts under cyclic loading is presented. The main idea is to predict the development of contact condition of a joint by simulating a spatially variable coefficient of friction (COF) and wear. Frictional energy dissipation drives the COF evolution rule, and classic Archard's equation is employed as the evolution rule for wear depth. As both the COF and wear evolution are considered, the presented approach is capable of predicting changes in the contact condition over time. The approach is based on the Finite Element Method (FEM) and is generally applicable to industrial cases. The method is implemented as a subroutine to a FEM solver Abaqus to define a contact formulation in both normal and tangential directions. The subroutine allows full coupling between normal and tangential contact variables, which makes the approach robust also in complex industrial applications. As the effect of wear is described in the contact pressure calculation, there is no need for mesh modification. The presented approach was validated by simulating cylinder-on-plane configuration. The presented method provides similar results obtained with a simulation where geometry is updated due to wear. The results of the case study were qualitatively verified against a bolted joint type fretting experiment. The area of slip after stabilized COF distribution corresponds well with the experimental fretting scars. However, Archard's wear law seems to be limited, at least in partial slip cases, as it overestimates the amount of wear without considering entrapment of wear debris in the contact. A case study of medium speed combustion engine component is presented to show how the simulation method can be used in engine development to ensure reliable contact interfaces.

It has been shown that quenched and tempered steel in gross-sliding fretting conditions, with tens of microns of slip amplitude, leads to fretting induced cracking and high and non-Coulomb friction. At low tangential load levels, there was only insignificant cracking. However, the running condition tends to change from stick to gross-sliding with a slip amplitude of a few micrometres. In this study, novel two-phase fretting experiments were done where quenched and tempered steel contact is run first at low loads that are initially in stick (running-in phase), followed by a gross-sliding phase with a slip amplitude of 35μm. The results show that gross-sliding phase friction was reduced and the fretting induced cracks were shorter when the running-in phase was done at high enough load level and lasted more than 10⁶ load cycles. At the highest running-in load levels, the resulting crack lengths were approximately halved in comparison to experiments without running-in, and it was possible to achieve nearly ideal Coulomb friction in the gross-sliding phase when the running-in duration was 10.2×10⁶ load cycles. It is concluded that it is possible to control fretting-induced friction and cracking by carefully controlled running-in.

The tribocorrosion behaviour of two low-alloy steels not previously investigated, was examined in a Pin-on-Disc test device, both in the presence and absence of mechanical wear and/or corrosion in simulated waste solution. Volume losses through wear, corrosion and synergy processes were calculated and changes in the material surfaces investigated. The tribocorrosion behaviour and the volume losses caused by the synergy processes were found to be dependent on the steel grade, instead of applied potential. For both steel grades, material losses were caused by two main degradation mechanisms: wear and wear-induced corrosion. Total material losses and the percentage of wear-corrosion synergy were higher for the ferritic grade than for the martensitic grade. These results are presented and discussed in this paper.

Detailed knowledge of passenger context is essential for developing intelligent transportation systems. For example, automated ticket sales and personal routing require more information about used means of transportation than traditional time tables can offer. Here, the authors contribute to this topic by using measurements from smartphone sensors to predict (i) whether a person is inside a bus, (ii) if the person is travelling in a diesel or an electric bus, and (iii) how the person is rating the quality of the bus ride. All three tasks are worked out by using a selection of machine learning (ML) algorithms. In tandem with sensor data, collecting a digital passenger survey was conducted to add passengers' own evaluation of the quality of their bus ride. The tests showed that the context of a passenger can be predicted relatively well. However, the prediction of passenger satisfaction is a complex task that requires further research. This research aims to give a good premise for such efforts.

Resonant metasurfaces are devices composed of nanostructured subwavelength scatterers that generate narrow optical resonances, enabling applications in filtering, nonlinear optics, and molecular fingerprinting. It is highly desirable for these applications to incorporate such devices with multiple high-quality-factor resonances; however, it can be challenging to obtain more than a pair of narrow resonances in a single plasmonic surface. Here, we demonstrate a multiresonant metasurface that operates by extending the functionality of surface lattice resonances, which are the collective responses of arrays of metallic nanoparticles. This device features a series of resonances with high-quality factors (Q ∼ 40), an order of magnitude larger than what is typically achievable with plasmonic nanoparticles, as well as a narrow free spectral range. This design methodology can be used to better tailor the transmission spectrum of resonant metasurfaces and represents an important step toward the miniaturization of optical devices.

Cavitation erosion is a concern for most hydraulic machinery. An especially damaging type of cavitation is cloud cavitation. This type of cavitation is characterized by a growth-collapse cycle in which a group of vapor bubbles first grows together in a low-pressure region and then collapses almost simultaneously when the pressure recovers. Measuring the frequency of these collapse events is possible by acoustic emission (AE), as demonstrated in this study, in which a cavitation tunnel is utilized to create cloud cavitation in the vicinity of a sample surface. These samples were equipped with AE sensors, and the initially high frequency AE signal was demodulated to detect the relatively low frequency cloud cavitation shedding. It was found that when the cavitation number is increased, AE successfully detects the changes in this frequency, confirmed by comparing the results to video analysis and to simulations from literature. Additionally, the frequency increases when cavitation erosion progresses, thus providing means to track the erosion stage. It is concluded that the presented method is suitable for both detecting the transition from cloud to sheet cavitation and the erosion evolution in the experimental cavitation tunnel. The method could probably be extended to non-intrusive hydraulic machine monitoring, as this type of cloud cavitation is common in hydrofoils.

Two different analytical approaches—collinear photofragmentation and atomic absorption spectroscopy (CPFAAS) and chemical ionization atmospheric pressure interface time-of-flight mass spectrometer (CI-APi-TOF)—were applied to detect and identify the online gaseous KOH and HCl formed in the addressed high-temperature reactions. Samples of pure KCl, KCl+Cr, KCl+Fe, and KCl+316 L were studied at 550°C under dry and humid conditions with varying oxygen concentrations. The goal was to shed more light on the gas-phase chemistry during KCl-induced corrosion under conditions relevant to biomass combustion. CI-APi-TOF proved to be a valuable tool for high-temperature corrosion studies: HCl was identified to have formed during the reactions under humid conditions. On the contrary, despite the known sensitivity of CPFAAS, the formation of KOH could not be verified in any of the performed measurements.

In this paper, we present a transparent mechanical stimulation device capable of uniaxial stimulation, which is compatible with standard bioanalytical methods used in cellular mechanobiology. We validate the functionality of the uniaxial stimulation system using human-induced pluripotent stem cells-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs). The pneumatically controlled device is fabricated from polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and provides uniaxial strain and superior optical performance compatible with standard inverted microscopy techniques used for bioanalytics (e.g., fluorescence microscopy and calcium imaging). Therefore, it allows for a continuous investigation of the cell state during stretching experiments. The paper introduces design and fabrication of the device, characterizes the mechanical performance of the device and demonstrates the compatibility with standard bioanalytical analysis tools. Imaging modalities, such as high-resolution live cell phase contrast imaging and video recordings, fluorescent imaging and calcium imaging are possible to perform in the device. Utilizing the different imaging modalities and proposed stretching device, we demonstrate the capability of the device for extensive further studies of hiPSC-CMs. We also demonstrate that sarcomere structures of hiPSC-CMs organize and orient perpendicular to uniaxial strain axis and thus express more maturated nature of cardiomyocytes.

The mechanical properties of multilayer films consisting of alternating layers of magnesium and niobium are investigated through micropillar compression experiments across a broad range of temperatures. The data collected from the variable temperature micropillar compression tests and strain rate jump tests are used to gain insight into the operative deformation mechanisms within the material. At higher temperatures, diffusion-based deformation mechanisms are shown to determine the plastic behavior of the multilayers. Diffusion occurs more readily along the magnesium–niobium interface than within the bulk, acting as pathway for magnesium diffusion. When individual layer thicknesses are sufficiently small, diffusion can remain the dominant deformation mechanism down to room temperature. Multilayer strengthening models historically rely solely on dislocation-based arguments; therefore, consideration of diffusion-based deformation in nanolaminates with low melting temperature components offers improved understanding of multilayer behavior.

Er ³⁺ doped phosphate glasses with the composition 75NaPO _3- 25CaF ₂ (mol%)were prepared at different melting temperatures to demonstrate the importance to quantify the fluorine content when preparing oxyfluoride glasses. Indeed, increasing the melting temperature from 900 to 1000 °C leads to a small reduction in the fluorine content from 9.4 at % to 8.8 at % as quantified using EPMA. Whereas this loss of fluorine can be suspected from small changes in the thermal properties of the glass, it increases significantly the glass crystallization tendency in this glass system. This means that a heat treatment of the as-prepared glass should be performed when evaporation of fluorine during the glass melting is suspected. Sample preparation for the characterization of the spectroscopic properties of the glasses is discussed here as well; bulk glasses should be used when measuring the spectroscopic properties of oxyfluoride glasses, which are known to be hygroscopic. It is shown, in this work, that a heat treatment of the glass within the investigated glass system leads to transparent glass-ceramics with volume precipitation of Er ³⁺ doped CaF ₂ crystals with strong upconversion.

We investigate the spectral evolution in different metal phthalocyanine molecules on NbSe2 surface using scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM) as a function of the coupling with the substrate. For manganese phthalocyanine (MnPc), we demonstrate a smooth spectral crossover from Yu-Shiba-Rusinov (YSR) bound states to spin-flip excitations. This has not been observed previously and it is in contrast to simple theoretical expectations. We corroborate the experimental findings using numerical renormalization group calculations. Our results provide fundamental new insight on the behavior of atomic scale magnetic/SC hybrid systems, which is important, for example, for engineered topological superconductors and spin logic devices.

Fretting fatigue may lead to severe damage in machines. Adhesive material transfer spots in millimeter scale have previously been observed on fretted surfaces, which have been related to cracking. In this study, fretting-induced cracks formed in a large annular flat-on-flat contact are characterized. Optical and scanning electron microscopy of the fretting scar cross-section samples of self-mated quenched and tempered steel specimens revealed severe cracking and deformed microstructure. Two major cracks typically formed around an adhesion spot, which propagated at an oblique angle, regardless of the test parameters used. Millimeter-scale cracks were observed already within a few thousand loading cycles.

Second-harmonic generation (SHG) in resonant dielectric Mie-scattering nanoparticles has been hailed as a powerful platform for nonlinear light sources. While bulk-SHG is suppressed in elemental semiconductors, for example, silicon and germanium due to their centrosymmetry, the group of zincblende III-V compound semiconductors, especially (100)-grown AlGaAs and GaAs, have recently been presented as promising alternatives. However, major obstacles to push the technology toward practical applications are the limited control over directionality of the SH emission and especially zero forward/backward radiation, resulting from the peculiar nature of the second-order nonlinear susceptibility of this otherwise highly promising group of semiconductors. Furthermore, the generated SH signal for (100)-GaAs nanoparticles depends strongly on the polarization of the pump. In this work, we provide both theoretically and experimentally a solution to these problems by presenting the first SHG nanoantennas made from (111)-GaAs embedded in a low index material. These nanoantennas show superior forward directionality compared to their (100)-counterparts. Most importantly, based on the special symmetry of the crystalline structure, it is possible to manipulate the SHG radiation pattern of the nanoantennas by changing the pump polarization without affecting the linear properties and the total nonlinear conversion efficiency, hence paving the way for efficient and flexible nonlinear beam-shaping devices.

Background: Due to unmet need for bone augmentation, our aim was to promote osteogenic differentiation of human adipose stem cells (hASCs) encapsulated in gellan gum (GG) or collagen type I (COL) hydrogels with bioactive glass (experimental glass 2-06 of composition [wt-%]: Na₂O 12.1, K₂O 14.0, CaO 19.8, P₂O5 2.5, B₂O₃ 1.6, SiO₂ 50.0) extract based osteogenic medium (BaG OM) for bone construct development. GG hydrogels were crosslinked with spermidine (GG-SPD) or BaG extract (GG-BaG). Methods: Mechanical properties of cell-free GG-SPD, GG-BaG, and COL hydrogels were tested in osteogenic medium (OM) or BaG OM at 0, 14, and 21 d. Hydrogel embedded hASCs were cultured in OM or BaG OM for 3, 14, and 21 d, and analyzed for viability, cell number, osteogenic gene expression, osteocalcin production, and mineralization. Hydroxyapatite-stained GG-SPD samples were imaged with Optical Projection Tomography (OPT) and Selective Plane Illumination Microscopy (SPIM) in OM and BaG OM at 21 d. Furthermore, Raman spectroscopy was used to study the calcium phosphate (CaP) content of hASC-secreted ECM in GG-SPD, GG-BaG, and COL at 21 d in BaG OM. Results: The results showed viable rounded cells in GG whereas hASCs were elongated in COL. Importantly, BaG OM induced significantly higher cell number and higher osteogenic gene expression in COL. In both hydrogels, BaG OM induced strong mineralization confirmed as CaP by Raman spectroscopy and significantly improved mechanical properties. GG-BaG hydrogels rescued hASC mineralization in OM. OPT and SPIM showed homogeneous 3D cell distribution with strong mineralization in BaG OM. Also, strong osteocalcin production was visible in COL. Conclusions: Overall, we showed efficacious osteogenesis of hASCs in 3D hydrogels with BaG OM with potential for bone-like grafts.

Climate change is expected to increase the frequency and duration of hot weather and its associated adverse health effects. In dense urban areas, these phenomena will be exacerbated by the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect and indoor overheating. This paper assesses population exposure and vulnerability to high summer temperatures by exploring the geospatial connection between the UHI, housing energy efficiency and overheating risk, and social vulnerability indicators, such as income and the elderly population. Focusing on Madrid and London, two European cities with strong UHIs but contrasting drivers of indoor heat risk, the spatial distribution of selected indicators were analysed by means of Geographical Information Systems, and areas with the highest vulnerability towards summer energy poverty were identified. It was found that while ‘hot and vulnerable’ areas are present in both Madrid and London, there are significant differences in climate, socioeconomic distribution and housing between the two cities. In warmer climates such as Madrid, energy poverty—traditionally defined by wintertime heating—requires its definition to be broadened to include summertime cooling needs; in the context of climate change and urban warming trends, this may soon also be the case in northern cities such as London.

This paper describes a novel circuit-wide control scheme that addresses the challenging problem of mass balance control of crushing circuits. The control objective is to ensure 100% utilization at the circuit bottleneck and hence push the realized performance towards the theoretical maximum. The present control problem is challenging due to long transport delays, complex circuit layout, under-actuated process, several uncontrolled disturbance flows, varying number of active equipment, varying downstream demand, and changing bottleneck location. The proposed mass balance control scheme involves feeding the circuit according to actual demand and realized circuit throughput, whilst maintaining the amount of material accumulated into the circuit and ensuring the physical integrity of the circuit. Therefore, the circuit feeding is based on the realized processing capacity, rather than an individual bin level or an operator decision. To ensure the efficient use of available surge capacity, a limiting control structure is proposed to simultaneously realize the in-circuit multi-objective limit violation control and loose bin level control strategy. The proposed scheme offers a simple solution for the otherwise complex control problem, which can be easily and efficiently implemented using classic control methods. The paper details an entire design procedure, from the fundamental theory, through dynamic modeling and controller tuning, to the complete circuit control system design and implementation. The proposed scheme is evaluated under extensive full-scale and simulated experiments at various production scenarios and equipment combinations. The rigorous control experiments revealed that the proposed scheme delivered the desired behavior in every possible scenario. This enables the circuit to reach its true potential.

With the increasing design dimensionality, it is more difficult to solve multidisciplinary design optimization (MDO) problems. Many MDO decomposition strategies have been developed to reduce the dimensionality. Those strategies consider the design problem as a black-box function. However, practitioners usually have certain knowledge of their problem. In this paper, a method leveraging causal graph and qualitative analysis is developed to reduce the dimensionality of the MDO problem by systematically modeling and incorporating the knowledge about the design problem into optimization. Causal graph is created to show the input-output relationships between variables. A qualitative analysis algorithm using design structure matrix (DSM) is developed to automatically find the variables whose values can be determined without resorting to optimization. According to the impact of variables, an MDO problem is divided into two subproblems, the optimization problem with respect to the most important variables, and the other with variables of lower importance. The novel method is used to solve a power converter design problem and an aircraft concept design problem, and the results show that by incorporating knowledge in form of causal relationship, the optimization efficiency is significantly improved.

In this article, we devise a nonlinear model predictive control framework for the energy management of nonhybrid hydrostatic drive transmissions. The controller determines the optimal control commands of the actuators by minimising a cost function over a receding horizon. With our approach, the velocity-tracking error is minimised while keeping the fuel economy of the system high. The hydrostatic drive transmission system studied in this article is a typical commercial work machine, that is, there is no energy storage or alternative power source in the system (a nonhybrid hydrostatic drive transmission). We evaluate success with a validated simulation model of the hydrostatic drive transmission of a municipal tractor. In our experiments, a detailed system model is used both in the system simulation and in the prediction phase of the nonlinear model predictive control. The use of a detailed model in the nonlinear model predictive control framework places our design as a benchmark for controlling nonhybrid hydrostatic drive transmissions, when compared to solutions using simplified models or computationally less intensive control methods as in earlier work by the authors. Our nonlinear model predictive control approach enables numerically robust optimisation convergence with the utilised complex nonlinear model. Above all, this is accomplished with stabilising terminal constraints and distinctive terminal cost, both based on an optimal steady-state solution. In addition, a simple method to generate initial guesses for optimisation is introduced. When compared with the performance of a controller based on quasi-static models, our results show notable improvement in velocity tracking while maintaining high fuel economy. Furthermore, our experiments demonstrate that framing energy management as a nonlinear model predictive control provides a flexible and rigorous framework for fast velocity tracking and high energy efficiency. We also compare the results with those of an industrial baseline controller.

Designing contacts susceptible to fretting is a challenging task due to uncertainties related to friction. For example, coefficient of friction has shown to vary as a function of load cycles and so-called non-Coulomb friction can exist during individual load cycles. Concepts of stable and unstable friction are presented in this manuscript. Based on experiments, no fretting is to be expected if the utilization of friction is kept below unstable friction threshold. If contact is subjected to tangential load above this threshold, reciprocating slippage, fretting, is to be expected even if the contact was initially in stick. Experimental evidence for existence of such threshold is presented in form of friction data, slip data and fretting scars.

Fretting movement is dangerous for machines, because it can cause cracking and surface degradation. The aim of this work was to characterize fretting-induced material degradation in large flat-on-flat contacts without edge effects in a sliding direction using quenched and tempered steel 34CrNiMo6. The focus was on the adhesive contact spots, which were formed under a wide variety of operating conditions. Characterization methods were optical microscopy, Vickers hardness tests and scanning electron microscopy. Three different degradation areas were observed: a general deformation layer, a tribologically transformed structure and a third body layer. All the degradation phases have high hardness and low ductility compared to the base material. The formation and behavior of the degradation layers in different operating conditions were discussed.

Development of battery technology is making battery electric heavy duty trucks technically and commercially viable and several manufacturers have introduced battery electric trucks recently. However, the national and sectoral differences in freight transport operations affect the viability of electric trucks. The aim of this paper is to develop a methodology for estimating the potential of electric trucks and demonstrate the results in Switzerland and Finland. Commodity-level analysis of the continuous road freight survey data were carried out in both countries. As much as 71% of Swiss road freight transport tonne-kilometers may be electrified using battery electric trucks but Finland has very limited potential of 35%, due to the use of long and heavy truck-trailer combinations. Within both countries the electrification potential varies considerably between commodities, although in Finland more so than in Switzerland. Commodities which are constrained by payload volume rather than weight and are to large extent carried using medium duty or <26t rigid trucks trucks seem to provide high potential for electrification even with the current technology. Electric trucks increase the annual electricity consumption by only 1–3%, but truck charging is likely to have a large impact on local grids near logistics centres and rest stations along major roads. A spatial analysis by routing the trips reported in the datasets used in this study should be carried out. Future research should also include comparison between the alternate ways of electrifying road freight transport, i.e. batteries with charging, batteries with battery swapping and electrified road systems.

Historical dwellings make up a significant fraction of the French building stock and require substantial retrofitting to reduce their energy consumption and improve their thermal comfort. In the city center of Cahors, France, the old medieval dwellings are considered as valuable cultural heritage and internal insulation is often the only insulation technique that can be used when the architectural value of the exterior façade is to be preserved. However, internal insulation may have an impact upon the hygrothermal performance of the wall, leading to lowered drying capacity, with possible interstitial condensation and mold growth. Hygrothermal models may be used to assess the risk of failure, but the accuracy of the results depends on how reliable the input data is, including external boundary conditions, which may vary significantly in dense medieval cities such as Cahors. In this study, a Geographical Information System model of Cahors is used to develop EnergyPlus models of individual dwellings. The boundary conditions output by these models are, in turn, used to model the hygrothermal performance of façades with different internal insulations, using the hygrothermal tool Delphin. The Delphin outputs are then analyzed with the VTT model, a mold growth assessment model. Results highlight a quantitative correlation between some urban morphology characteristics and the hygrothermal performance of refurbished walls, with some configurations raising the risk of damage patterns. We find that bio-based insulation presents a better hygrothermal performance than mineral wool in most of the configurations.

We have measured the kinetics and thermochemistry of the reaction of 3-methylpropargyl radical (but-2-yn-1-yl) with molecular oxygen over temperature (223-681 K) and bath gas density ( ^{_{1.2-15.0×1016 cm-3}} ) ranges employing photoionization mass-spectrometry. At low temperatures (223-304 K), the reaction proceeds overwhelmingly by a simple addition reaction to the _^-CH2 end of the radical, and the measured _{^{CH3CCCH2•+O2}} reaction rate coefficient shows negative temperature dependence and depends on bath gas density. At intermediate temperatures (340-395 K), the addition reaction equilibrates and the equilibrium constant was determined at different temperatures. At high temperatures (465-681 K), the kinetics is governed by O₂ addition to the third carbon atom of the radical, and rate coefficient measurements were again possible. The high temperature _{^{CH3CCCH2•+O2}} rate coefficient is much smaller than at low T, shows positive temperature dependence, and is independent of bath gas density. In the intermediate and high temperature ranges, we observe a formation signal for ketene (ethenone). The reaction was further investigated by combining the experimental results with quantum chemical calculations and master equation modeling. By making small adjustments ( ^_2-3kJmol-1 ) to the energies of two key transition states, the model reproduces the experimental results within uncertainties. The experimentally constrained master equation model was used to simulate the _{^{CH3CCCH2•+O2}} reaction system at temperatures and pressures relevant to combustion.

Beyond their colorful appearances and versatile geometries, flowers can self-shape-morph by adapting to environmental changes. Such responses are often regulated by a delicate interplay between different stimuli such as temperature, light, and humidity, giving rise to the beauty and complexity of the plant kingdom. Nature inspires scientists to realize artificial systems that mimic their natural counterparts in function, flexibility, and adaptation. Yet, many of the artificial systems demonstrated to date fail to mimic the adaptive functions, due to the lack of multi-responsivity and sophisticated control over deformation directionality. Herein, a new class of liquid-crystal-network (LCN) photoactuators whose response is controlled by delicate interplay between light and humidity is presented. Using a novel deformation mechanism in LCNs, humidity-gated photoactuation, an artificial nocturnal flower is devised that is closed under daylight conditions when the humidity level is low and/or the light level is high, while it opens in the dark when the humidity level is high. The humidity-gated photoactuators can be fueled with lower light intensities than conventional photothermal LCN actuators. This, combined with facile control over the speed, geometry, and directionality of movements, renders the “nocturnal actuator” promising for smart and adaptive bioinspired microrobotics.

The optimisation of load shares between parallel power sources is essential for fuel-efficient propulsion systems. A more complete power management problem can be formulated by including the propeller and its propulsion control. Not only does this allow for a reduction in the propeller load under the changing operating conditions of the vessel, but also it enables the minimisation of the machinery’s fuel consumption at load- and speed-dependent efficiency models. The need to optimise the design of the machinery in marine vessels has motivated the authors of the current article to develop a design tool for this purpose. The present case study gives an overview of the tool’s features and compares the optimal power management of a fishing boat with different propulsion control variants. Compared with a controllable pitch propeller, which is operated at a fixed speed, reductions in fuel consumption were achieved with reduced propeller speeds. The best fuel savings, approximately 11%, were achieved using a two-speed gearbox with a controllable pitch propeller.

Corrosion, wear and tribocorrosion behaviours of leaded tin bronze were examined in simulated seawater using alumina counterbody for tribological contact. Active dissolution of alloy and corrosion product development on surfaces were the dominant corrosion mechanisms. Tribological contact with counterbody removed majority of the products, thus contributing to active dissolution of freshly exposed surface. This wear-induced corrosion mechanism contributed to 45% and 60% of total material losses at the two highest potentials, 50 mV and 250 mV vs. Ag/AgCl. Pure wear of alloy occurred in the form of abrasive wear. At anodic potentials under tribological contact, corrosion raised the friction coefficient as compared to pure wear and increased wear of the alloy. These results are presented and discussed in this paper.

In this study, a novel computational model is utilized for investigating fouling of two commonly encountered heat exchanger fin shapes in an air-conditioning application. The computational method utilizes the discrete element method (DEM) coupled with a large-eddy simulation (LES) framework. The fin-and-tube heat exchangers (FTHE) are investigated for three different Reynolds numbers (Re_Dh =243, 528, 793), three different particle sizes (D_p= 5, 10, 20 µm) and two different adhesive particle types based on the experimental values in the literature. The code is first benchmarked from the CFD and DEM viewpoints. A comprehensive fouling study of the FTHE's, consisting of altogether 36 simulations, is then carried out. The major numerical findings of the paper consist of the following four features. First, with low adhesive particles, the plain fin shape has a 3.45 higher volume fouling rate with Re_Dh =793 than at Re_Dh =264. With the herringbone fin shape, and the low adhesive particles, the volume fouling rate is 1.76 higher with Re_Dh =793 than at Re_Dh =264. Second, for the high adhesive particles, the plain fin has a 5.4 times higher volume fouling rate at Re_Dh =793 than for Re_Dh =264. The herringbone fin shape has a 3.92 times higher volume fouling rate with the highest Reynolds number of Re_Dh =793 compared to Re_Dh =264. Third, high adhesive particles have 3.0 times higher volume fouling rate than low adhesive particles for both fin shapes, all particle sizes and all Reynolds numbers combined. And finally, herringbone fins have 1.74 times higher volume fouling rate than plain fins for low adhesive particles. For high adhesive particles, herringbone has 1.8 times higher volume fouling rate and when both particle types are summed together, herringbone has a 1.78 times higher volume fouling rate than the plain fin shape. As a major finding of the study, the high adhesive particle collection efficiency increases monotonously with the Stokes and Reynolds numbers while low adhesive particle collection efficiency poses a non-monotonous trend.

Bioactive glass (BAG)/Poly (Lactic Acid) (PLA) composites have great potential for bone tissue engineering. The interest in these materials is to obtain a scaffold with tailorable properties bringing together the advantages of the composites’ constituents such as the biodegradability, bioactivity and osteoinduction. The materials studied are PLA/13–93 and PLA/13-93B20 (20% of SiO₂ is replaced with B₂O₃ in the 13–93 composition). To characterize them, they were dissolved in TRIS buffer and Simulated Body Fluid (SBF) in vitro. Over the 10 weeks of immersion in TRIS, the ion release from the composites was constant. Following immersion in SBF for 2 weeks, the hydroxyapatite (HA) layer was found to precipitate at the composites surface. By adding Boron, both these reactions were accelerated, as the borosilicate glass dissolves faster than pure silicate glass alone. Polymer degradation was studied and showed that during immersion, the pure PLA rods maintained their molecular weight whereby the composites decreased with time, but despite this the mechanical properties remained stable for at least 10 weeks. Their ability to induce osteogenic differentiation of myoblastic cells was also demonstrated with cell experiments showing that C2C12 cells were able to proliferate and spread on the composites. The Myosin Heavy Chain and Osteopontin were tracked by immunostaining the cells and showed a suppression of the myosin signal and the presence of osteopontin, when seeded onto the composites. This proves osteoinduction occurred. In studying the mineralization of the cells, it was found that BAG presence conditions the synthesizing of mineral matter in the cells. The results show that these composites have a potential for bone tissue engineering.

Hardness has been considered the main factor controlling the abrasive wear of steels. However, microstructure also affects the wear behavior. Four steels with different microstructures were produced with a Gleeble 3800 thermomechanical simulator and tested for abrasive wear behavior. Different cooling rates and heat treatments were applied to obtain a surface hardness of approximately 450 HV. Mainly tempered martensite, pearlite and some bainite could be observed in the microstructures. Scratch testing with a CETR UMT-2 tribometer was conducted to produce wear tracks. The results revealed that each steel showed distinct wear behavior.

In this study, the deformation behavior of three steels was studied at Arctic temperatures by controlled single and multiple oblique angle impacts. The results were compared with the mechanical properties of the steels determined at the corresponding temperatures. At subzero temperatures, the hardness and strength of the studied steels increased and their ability to deform plastically steadily decreased. In the martensitic steels, adiabatic shear bands were observed to form during the impacts at subzero temperatures, indicating that the deformation ability of the steels was critically impaired. At −60 °C, the adiabatic shear bands commonly acted as initiation sites for subsurface cracks. Moreover, the surface characterization of the test samples revealed formation of cracks and wear particles, which was connected to the opening of grain boundaries and martensite laths at low temperatures. Finite Element Modeling was also used to obtain more information about the impact event.

This article concerns high accuracy positioning control with switching optimization for an equal coded digital valve system. Typically, pulse number modulation control cannot realize micro-positioning due to the characteristics of step-wise flow variation, therefore, a new position controller consisting of a model-based pulse number modulation and a differential pulse width modulation strategy is proposed to control the position of a hydraulic cylinder at high and low velocity cases, respectively. In addition, in order to solve several problems caused by the pulse number modulation and differential pulse width modulation, such as increased number of switchings and large difference among number of switchings of valves, a switching optimization consisting of a switching cost function, a circular buffer and a circular switching method is proposed. An adaptive weight of the switching cost function is proposed for the first time to reduce the total number of switchings under different pressure differences and its design criterion is presented. A circular buffer and a new circular switching method are used to improve the degree of equal distribution of switchings when the pulse number modulation and differential pulse width modulation are used, respectively. Comparative experimental results indicated that the average and the minimum positioning error for the proposed controller are only 10 and 1 μm, respectively. The number of switchings and the degree of equal distribution of switchings are significantly optimized. Moreover, the pressure fluctuations caused by the proposed controller remain acceptable.

The development of stimuli-responsive soft actuators, a task largely undertaken by material scientists, has become a major driving force in pushing the frontiers of microrobotics. Devices made of soft active materials are oftentimes small in size, remotely and wirelessly powered/controlled, and capable of adapting themselves to unexpected hurdles. However, nowadays most soft microscale robots are rather simple in terms of design and architecture, and it remains a challenge to create complex 3D soft robots with stimuli-responsive properties. Here, it is suggested that kirigami-based techniques can be useful for fabricating complex 3D robotic structures that can be activated with light. External stress fields introduce out-of-plane deformation of kirigami film actuators made of liquid crystal networks. Such 2D-to-3D structural transformations can give rise to mechanical actuation upon light illumination, thus allowing the realization of kirigami-based light-fuelled robotics. A kirigami rolling robot is demonstrated, where a light beam controls the multigait motion and steers the moving direction in 2D. The device is able to navigate along different routes and moves up a ramp with a slope of 6°. The results demonstrate a facile technique to realize complex and flexible 3D structures with light-activated robotic functions.