30,664 research outputs found
Maria Bersani
No full textLa voce illustra la biografia e l'apporto letterario dato da Maria Bersani alla letteratura per l'infanziaThe headword explains the biography and the contribution of the author Maria Bersani to the children's literatur
Design of a bent beam electrothermal actuator for in situ tensile testing of ceramic nanostructures
No full textUltrathin organic membranes: Can they sustain the quest for mechanically robust device applications?
No full textSummary: Ultrathin polymeric films have recently attracted tremendous interest as functional components of coatings, separation membranes, and sensors, with applications spanning from environment-related processes to soft robotics and wearable devices. In order to support the development of robust devices with advanced performances, it is necessary to achieve a deep comprehension of the mechanical properties of ultrathin polymeric films, which can be significantly affected by confinement effects at the nanoscale. In this review paper, we collect the most recent advances in the development of ultrathin organic membranes with emphasis on the relationship between their structure and mechanical properties. We provide the reader with a critical overview of the main approaches for the preparation of ultrathin polymeric films, the methodologies for the investigation of their mechanical properties, and models to understand the primary effects that impact their mechanical response, followed by a discussion on the current trends for designing mechanically robust organic membranes
Slip knots and unfastening topologies enhance toughness without reducing strength of silk fibroin fibres
No full textVariations on the Author
No full text“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
Transient Stiffness Patterning in Hydrogels Driven by Dissipative Mechanochemical Coupling
No full textLiving systems adapt to mechanical forces through a series of biochemical feedback loops and dissipative signal transduction mechanisms across multiple length scales. By contrast, synthetic materials are static, closed systems with minimal interaction with their surroundings and lack the ability to adapt to mechanical deformations. Here, a strategy that enables a hydrogel to adapt to mechanical forces through the temporal modulation of its stiffness properties is reported. It is demonstrated that force-induced bond rupture at the disulfide linkages of the hydrogel, coupled with their chemical reoxidation leads to dissipative, transient stiffness functions. The electrochemical generation of the oxidant as the output of a feedback loop triggered by an externally applied force provides high spatiotemporal control over the dissipative process, enabling the engineering of hydrogels with out-of-equilibrium stiffness patterns. Additionally, dose-controlled, spatiotemporal transient release of model protein payloads from the hydrogel is demonstrated. The proposed concept has the potential to enhance the autonomous and interactive functionalities of hydrogels, advancing their applications in the biomedical field and soft robotics
Molecular Modelling Studies on Molecular Pathways Related to Tumorigenesis in the Discovery of New Lead Compounds.
No full textIndagini archeologiche nel villaggio neolitico di Masseria Pantano (Foggia). Primi risultati
No full textSi presentano i risultati delle indagini archeologiche svolte nel 2011 nell’insediamento di Masseria Pantano (Foggia), uno dei tipici villaggi trincerati che caratterizzano il popolamento del Neolitico antico e medio del Tavoliere di Puglia. Il villaggio si presenta cinto da tre fossati, ad eccezione del tratto meridionale, che racchiudono numerosi compound separati da spazi apparentemente vuoti. Il contributo analizza brevemente le caratteristiche dei fossati indagati, uno dei quali caratterizzato da una deposizione infantile in fase di defunzionalizzazione, e i resti ceramici e bioarcheologici (resti di fauna domestica e di cereali e leguminose) rinvenuti
Design and Finite Element Analysis of an Electrothermally Actuated Microgripper for Biomedical Applications
No full textMicromanipulation devices are becoming fundamental tools to study and understand cell biology and cell mechanics. Indeed, to study the individual cell behaviors and interactions, cell samples need to be grasped and moved to testing devices. In recent years, micromanipulators have been demonstrated as an effective means to provide precise sample manipulation. In this paper, a detailed overview of designing and simulation of a biocompatible electro-thermally actuated microgripper with rotary capacitive position sensor is presented. The microgripper is actuated by a chevron-shaped thermal actuator with thin hinges and a rotary capacitive position sensor is integrated with the links of the microgripper in order to sense the microgripper tweezers position. The microgripper herein reported can manipulate biological samples in the size range between 50 μm to 150 μm. Based on the sensitivity calculation of the rotary capacitive position sensors, the sensitivity of the displacement measurement is 102 fF/μm
Tightening slip knots in raw and degummed silk to increase toughness without losing strength
No full textNMP is supported by the European Research Council (ERC StG Ideas 2011 BIHSNAM n. 279985 on “Bio-Inspired hierarchical super-nanomaterials”, ERC PoC 2013-1 REPLICA2 n. 619448 on “Large-area replication of biological anti-adhesive nanosurfaces”, ERC PoC 2013-2 KNOTOUGH n. 632277 on “Super-tough knotted fibres”), by the European Commission under the Graphene Flagship (WP10 “Nanocomposites”, n. 604391) and by the Provincia Autonoma di Trento (“Graphene Nanocomposites”, n. S116/2012-242637 and reg.delib. n. 2266)
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