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Emergence of spatial patterns in a mathematical model for the co-culture dynamics of epithelial-like and mesenchymal-like cells
No full textUsing Grounded Theory and Situational Analysis to fathom the Field of Architecture
No full textThis contribution is based on my actual Ph.D. research project 'The Quest for Meaning - A Situational Analysis of the Modell Steiermark', which I currently undertake at the Faculty of Architecture, Politecnico di Torino (Italy). It will critically reflect the methodological framework that constitutes the basis for this project
Synthesis of polymeric microcapsules by interfacial-suspension cationic photopolymerisation of divinyl ether monomer in aqueous suspension
No full textManifestation of Power: Toopkhaneh Square, Tehran
No full textUrban design and architecture are used as manifestations of power and control over a society. The city square is not just an architectural element; its structure has a nature that weaves together its contemporary social and political atmosphere and brings a new meaning and concept to the square. This paper aims to clarify the formation of Toopkhaneh Square ("The Place of Cannons," or "Artillery Barracks" Square) whose military function and ominous name were physical evidence of the use of urban design by the ruling authority to control the citizenry. The transformation of Toopkhaneh Square is an example of power relations and the struggle for power, which have been projected on the body of the city. This research concentrates on power relations and urban transformations in the spatial analysis of Toopkhaneh Square throughout different periods of its history. The transitional process of Toopkhane Square to an Artillery Square in the Qajar Era dynasty of Naser al-Din Shah (1888) until the Islamic Revolution (1978) shows that the structural elements of the traditional square were modified, as its name, political status, meaning, and functions were changed to fulfill the modern needs and reflect the power struggle. This study analyzes Toopkhaneh Square as the representation of the ruling power and its politico-religious ideology in Iranian urban form
A Continuous 3D-Graphene Network to Overcome Threshold Issues and Contact Resistance in Thermally Conductive Graphene Nanocomposites
No full textReduction of PbO loss in PZT-cobalt ferrite composites through quite-fast sintering and its quantification by means of XRD analysis
No full textNowadays, considerable efforts have been devoted to design and control the fabrication of multifunctional materials in order to fulfil the needs of modern technology for novel sensors, microwave devices, energy harvesting, photovoltaic technologies, solid-state refrigeration, data storage recording technologies and multiferroic random access multistate memories (MFRAM) [1]. Particulate ceramic composites are low cost, simple production technology, higher strain mediated magnetoelectric coupling (since electric order phase/magnetic phase interface density can be higher) and easy control of electrical and magnetic properties if the ferroelectric phase and the ferromagnetic one are mixed in a favourable proportion under the percolation threshold of the ferromagnetic phase. A great research effort is in progress to improve the fabrication of PZT-CoFe2O4 (PZT-CF) composites due to the excellent piezoelectric properties showed by the PZT material class and the large magnetostrictive coefficient of the CF. Unfortunately, during the sintering process particulate PZT-CF composites, side reactions do occur that are detrimental to the properties of the so-obtained material. In this study, we have avoided such reactions and PbO loss by setting a quite-fast sintering process [2]. The extent of PbO loss was determined by means of XRD analysis of the densified samples taking into account the amount of ZrO2 and the variations of the perovskite's tetragonality [2]. The calculated PbO loss values are in agreement with the final density and the microstructure of PZT-CF composites. In particular, microstructural characterization showed that CF grain size distribution can be mono- or bi-modal, and CF overgrowth was found to affect the coercivity of the material [3]. [1] M. M. Vopson, Fundamentals of Multiferroic Materials and Their Possible Applications. Crit. Rev. Solid State 4:40 (2015) 223-250 doi:10.1080/10408436.2014.992584 [2] P. Galizia, et al., PZT-cobalt ferrite particulate composites: Densification and lead loss controlled by quite-fast sintering. J. Eur. Ceram. Soc. (2016). doi:10.1016/j.jeurceramsoc.2016.08.025 [3] P. Galizia, C. Baldisserri, C. Capiani, C. Galassi, Multiple parallel twinning overgrowth in nanostructured dense cobalt ferrite. Mater. Design 109 (2016) 19-26. doi:10.1016/j.matdes.2016.07.05
Design, Analysis and Experimental Testing of a Morphing Wing
No full textThe aim of this work is to illustrate a new wing morphing concept and to compare its performance with the conventional wing-flap configuration. While there is no formal definition for the word "morphing", it is usually considered to mean large shape change or transfiguration. In the field of aeronautics, "shape morphing" has been used to identify those aircraft that undergo significant geometrical changes to enhance or adapt to their mission profiles. This investigation aims to find out more about non conventional solutions over the classical wing structural design. The main goal in this research is to replace the ordinary wing structure adopted on a model aircraft with a new morphing wing. In this way, aerodynamic performances during different flight conditions may be improved thanks to the prevention of typical aerodynamic losses caused by geometrical discontinuities in conventional designs. The ability of a wing surface to change its geometry during flight has interested researchers and designers over the years as this reduces the design compromises required. Conventional flap systems inevitably contain discontinuous sections that cause aerodynamic losses, and this is the point where using a morphing technology that would prevent those aerodynamic losses makes sense. Wing morphing concepts can be classified into three major shape changing types: planform alternation, out-of-plane transformation, and airfoil adjustment. An example of planform alteration is wing span resizing through telescopic structures. The morphing wing in the telescopic designs is sectioned longitudinally to form several segments with reducing cross sectional area, such that each segment can be accommodated in the adjacent inner segment with a minimum sliding clearance. Given the required length change, the number of segments can be determined. Neal et al. designed and demonstrated a variable planform aircraft capable of such wing span resizing. Airfoil profile adjustment has been the less explored way of morphing. Austin et al. examined variable length trusses to reshape the airfoil. They attached linear displacement actuators inside the wing section in a diagonal manner. The airfoil shape could therefore be modified by the expansion or contraction of the actuators. Although the idea of changing the wing camber was born with the first airplanes, it is far from simple to design devices capable of achieving the necessary deformation and suitable control systems. Airfoil adjustment is mainly concerned with camber variation, although there is also some research concerned with thickness change. In this research, a new morphing mechanism using rapidly prototyped structural elements and a bio-inspired geometry is proposed to perform an out of plane transformation through profile chord wise bending. A rotating mechanism created by means of a rod connected to a linear actuator positioned at the root of the wing, led each rib to de ect at least up to 40 degrees. This deflection carried downwards the wing trailing edge to enable the shape change
Phosphorus-Silica Sol-Gel Hybrid Coatings for Flame Retardant Cotton Fabrics
No full textThis work investigates the use of organic-inorganic sol-gel coatings based on silica and phosphorous compounds for providing cotton fabrics with fl ame retardant features. To this aim, diethylphosphatoethyltriethoxysilane precursor was employed for the synthesis of several sols in combination with different chemical additives. Sols were reacted with azo-based compounds and repeatedly applied onto the cellulosic substrate in a multilayer assembly, aiming at assessing the eff ect of the concurrent presence of Si, P and N on the overall fi re behaviour of the fabric. In order to evaluate the flame retardancy of treated cellulosic fabrics, flammability tests were carried out. The obtained results showed that the phosphorus-silica coating is able to promote the formation of a stable char that acts as insulator barrier. Finally, an additive P-N effect of the ceramic oxide coating in terms of increased residue and decreased heat release rate and total burning time was observed in cone calorimetry tests
Design of procedures for rare, new or complex processes: Part 1 - An iterative risk-based approach and case study
No full textThe paper describes a proposed approach for operationalizing the Common Operational Picture concept introduced in the EU FP 7 TOSCA (Total Operations Management for Safety Critical Activities) project, in order to jointly integrate and enhance safety, quality and productivity in the production environment. The approach combines different methods for the description and analysis of plant and operations, including Task Analysis, 4D process simulation, hazard analysis and Pareto optimization, and iterates through them to generate a final procedure. The proposed approach has been demonstrated on an industrial case study related to planning of infrequent cold water pressure testing of LPG storage tanks, and the process and results of this case study are presented and discussed. The plant management was provided with a detailed list of the main tasks (22), sub-tasks (115), the specific risks identified (26, considering procedural delays, occupational safety and process safety) and the specific recommendations (20) for safety and time optimization of the planned testing procedure. The approach was successfully demonstrated as a suitable vehicle for the analysis and planning of rare, complex, unconventional work tasks that are hard to visualize, where the establishment of a Common Operational Picture (COP) among all relevant personnel in the hazardous operations is a must
Magnetite and silica-coated magnetite nanoparticles are highly biocompatible on endothelial cells in vitro
No full textSuperparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles ( MNPs ) have recently been investigated for biological applications with promising results, owing to their ability to be targeted and heated by magnetic fi elds. Silica is a very suitable coating material for MNPs, facilitating the loading of targeting moieties and drug delivery. However, the potential toxicity of SiO2 -coated MNPs remains a major concern for clinical application. The synthesis, via wet-chemistry, and physico-chemical characterization of Fe3O4 and silica coated ( Fe3O4 -SiO2) MNPs are here described, examining in vitro cytocompatibility including viability, necrosis, intracellular reactive oxygen species ( ROS ) generation and apoptosis, in an endothelial cell model. The results showed that both types of SPION are spherical, 10 - 15 nm in diameter and can be dispersed in water-based media. In vitro characterization revealed both to be highly cytocompatible at 10 μ g ml− 1 concentration, suggesting their safe use in biomedical applications. Cytotoxicity, including ROS generation and expression of apoptosis activating enzymes ( caspase 3 ) , slightly increased at 80 μ g ml− 1, in a dose dependent manner. Fe3O4 -SiO2 nanoparticles induced a higher level of ROS and expression of caspase 3. In conclusion data suggest that both SPION types may be differently aimed in biomedical application in relation to the dose, acting as biocompatible materials, as component of scaffolds, or as a device for theranostics