Force

The use of static solution-assisted laser drilling can effectively improve hole roundness, decrease taper angle, and reduce recast layer thickness and hole wall slag adhesion. However, the enormous energy of the laser will evaporate the solution to form a suspension droplet and reduce the quality and efficiency of laser drilling. To deal with this defect, the mist-blowing method was used to reduce the influence of droplets on the taper angle and recast layer. In this work, the effect of wind speed on drilling quality was examined, and laser drilling in air, water, and NaCl solution was carried out to analyse the effect of solution composition on hole wall morphology...

Glycerol is employed as a functional component of heat-transfer fluids, which are of use in both bioreactors and various biosensor devices. At the same time, flowing glycerol was reported to cause considerable triboelectric effects. Herein, by using atomic force microscopy (AFM), we have revealed the long-term effect of glycerol flow, stopped in a ground-shielded coiled heat exchanger, on horseradish peroxidase (HRP) adsorption on mica. Namely, the solution of HRP was incubated in the vicinity of the side of the cylindrical coil with stopped glycerol flow, and then HRP was adsorbed from this solution onto a mica substrate...

Lower-limb rehabilitation exoskeletons offer a transformative approach to enhancing recovery in patients with movement disorders affecting the lower extremities. This comprehensive systematic review delves into the literature on sensor technologies and the control strategies integrated into these exoskeletons, evaluating their capacity to address user needs and scrutinizing their structural designs regarding sensor distribution as well as control algorithms. The review examines various sensing modalities, including electromyography (EMG), force, displacement, and other innovative sensor types, employed in these devices to facilitate accurate and responsive motion control...

The development of a high-performance, low-cost, and simply fabricated flexible three-dimensional (3D) force sensor is essential for the future development of electronic skins suitable for the detection of normal and shear forces for several human motions. In this study, a sandwich-structured flexible 3D force tactile sensor based on a polyethylene-carbon composite material (velostat) is presented. The sensor has a large measuring range, namely, 0-12 N in the direction of the normal force and 0-2.6 N in the direction of the shear force...

Fixed-diamond abrasive wire saw cutting is one of the most common methods for cutting hard and brittle materials. This process has unique advantages including a narrow kerf and the ability to use a relatively small cutting force. In the cutting process, controlling the main process parameters can improve the processing efficiency, obtaining a better processing surface roughness. This work designs the PI controller (Proportional-Integral controller) based on the reciprocating wire saw cutting process. The control objects are the workpiece feed rate and wire saw velocity, and the control objective is the normal cutting force...

This work presents the evaluation of the electrical behavior of a flexible photoconductor with a planar heterojunction architecture made up of organic semiconductor films deposited by high vacuum evaporation. The heterojunction was characterized in its morphology and mechanical properties by scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. The electrical characterization was carried out through the approximations of ohmic and SCLC (Space-Charge Limited Current) behaviors using experimental J-V (current density-voltage) curves at different voltages and under different light conditions...

Current optical tweezering techniques are actively employed in the manipulation of nanoparticles, e.g., biomedical cells. However, there is still huge room for improving the efficiency of manipulating multiple nanoparticles of the same composition but different shapes. In this study, we designed an array of high-index all-dielectric disk antennas, each with an asymmetric open slot for such applications. Compared with the plasmonic counterparts, this all-dielectric metasurface has no dissipation loss and, thus, circumvents the Joule heating problem of plasmonic antennas...

There is an increasing accumulation of data on the exceptional importance of mitochondria in the occurrence and treatment of cancer, and in all lines of evidence for such participation, there are both energetic and non-bioenergetic functional features of mitochondria. This analytical review examines three specific features of adaptive mitochondrial changes in several malignant tumors. The first feature is characteristic of solid tumors, whose cells are forced to rebuild their energetics due to the absence of oxygen, namely, to activate the fumarate reductase pathway instead of the traditional succinate oxidase pathway that exists in aerobic conditions...

The demand for robust yet lightweight materials has exponentially increased in several engineering applications. Additive manufacturing and 3D printing technology have the ability to meet this demand at a fraction of the cost compared with traditional manufacturing techniques. By using the fused deposition modeling (FDM) or fused filament fabrication (FFF) technique, objects can be 3D-printed with complex designs and patterns using cost-effective, biodegradable, and sustainable thermoplastic polymer filaments such as polylactic acid (PLA)...

This article presents the results of tests carried out to assess the condition of PP-modified concrete. The tests were carried out on samples previously stored at ambient temperature and exposed to temperatures corresponding to fire conditions-300 °C, 450 °C, and 600 °C. Axial compression tests of cube-shaped samples and three-point bending of beams were carried out. During strength tests, acoustic emission (AE) signals were recorded and the force and deformation were measured. Recorded AE events were clustered using the k-means algorithm...

This study aimed to investigate the sustainable use of recycled plastics, specifically polypropylene (PP) and high-density polyethylene (HDPE), in the manufacture of geogrids for geotechnical and civil engineering applications. Plastics were collected from a recycling center, specifically targeting containers used for food, cleaning products, and other domestic packaging items. These plastics were sorted according to the Möbius triangle classification system, with HDPE (#2) and PP (#5) being the primary categories of interest...

The addition of nanostructures to polymeric materials allows for a direct interaction between polymeric chains and nanometric structures, resulting in a synergistic process through the physical (electrostatic forces) and chemical properties (bond formation) of constituents for the modification of their properties and potential cutting-edge materials. This study explores a novel in situ synthesis method for PDMS-%SiO2 nanoparticle composites with varying crosslinking degrees (PDMS:TEOS of 15:1, 10:1, and 5:1); particle concentrations (5%, 10%, and 15%); and sol-gel catalysts (acidic and alkaline)...

The mechanical recycling of discarded plastic products as resources for environmental preservation has recently gained research attention. In this context, it is necessary to use waste materials for fiber-reinforced thermoplastics (FRTP). Glass and carbon fibers are often damaged by shear and compression during melt-forming processes. To achieve a sustainable society, it is necessary for thermal recycling to produce minimal to no residue and for mechanical recycling to maintain the length of fibers used in FRTP to preserve their performance as a reinforcing agent...

A non-pneumatic tire (NPT) overcomes the shortcomings of a traditional pneumatic tire such as wear, punctures and blowouts. In this respect, it shows great potential in improving driving safety, and has received great attention in recent years. In this paper, a carbon fiber-reinforced polyethylene terephthalate (PET/CF) honeycomb is proposed as a support structure for NPTs, which can be easily prepared using 3D printing technology. The experimental results showed that the PET/CF has high strength and modulus and provides excellent mechanical properties...

Injection molding is a highly nonlinear procedure that is easily influenced by various external factors, thereby affecting the stability of the product's quality. High-speed injection molding is required for production due to the rapid cooling characteristics of thin-walled parts, leading to increased manufacturing complexity. Consequently, establishing appropriate process parameters for maintaining quality stability in long-term production is challenging. This study selected a hot runner mold with a thin wall fitted with two external sensors, a nozzle pressure sensor and a tie-bar strain gauge, to collect data regarding the nozzle peak pressure, the timing of peak pressure, the viscosity index, and the clamping force difference value...

The entanglement of fibers can form physical and topological structures, with the resulting bending and stretching strains causing localized changes in pressure. In this study, a multi-layer polyurethane-fiber-prepared (MPF) sensor was developed by coating the CNT/PU sensing layer on the outside of an elastic electrode through a wet-film method. The entangled topology of two MPFs was utilized to convert the stretching strain into localized pressure at the contact area, enabling the perception of stretching strain...

We aimed to investigate the associations between maternal intake of folate, vitamin B12, B6, B2, methionine, choline, phosphatidylcholine and betaine during the period surrounding pregnancy and offspring weight outcomes from birth to early adulthood. These associations were examined among 2454 mother-child pairs from the Nurses' Health Study II and Growing Up Today Study. Maternal energy-adjusted nutrient intakes were derived from food frequency questionnaires. Birth weight, body size at age 5 and repeated BMI measurements were considered...

This paper focuses on the creation of an in vitro collection of grapevine hybrids from the breeding program of the Kazakh Scientific Research Institute of Fruit Growing and Viticulture and investigates the presence of Plasmopara viticola resistance mediated by Rpv3 and Rpv12 loci. We looked at the optimization of in vitro establishment using either shoots taken directly from field-grown plants or from budwood cuttings forced indoors. We further screened for the presence of endophyte contamination in the initiated explants and optimized the multiplication stage...

DNA damage causes the mutations that are the principal source of genetic variation. DNA damage detection and repair mechanisms therefore play a determining role in generating the genetic diversity on which natural selection acts. Speciation, it is commonly assumed, occurs at a rate set by the level of standing allelic diversity in a population. The process of speciation is driven by a combination of two evolutionary forces: genetic drift and ecological selection. Genetic drift takes place under the conditions of relaxed selection, and results in a balance between the rates of mutation and the rates of genetic substitution...

Gene duplication is a key biological process in the evolutionary history of plants and an important driving force for the diversification of genomic and genetic systems. Interactions between the calcium sensor calcineurin B-like protein (CBL) and its target, CBL-interacting protein kinase (CIPK), play important roles in the plant's response to various environmental stresses. As a food crop with important economic and research value, turnip ( Brassica rapa var. rapa ) has been well adapted to the environment of the Tibetan Plateau and become a traditional crop in the region...