Computational and experimental study of interfacial bonding of single-walled nanotube reinforced composites

In the development of nanotube reinforced polymer composites, one of the fundamental issues that scientists and engineers are confronting is the nanotube/polymer interfacial bonding, which will determine load transfer capability from the polymer matrix to the nanotube. In this paper, the interfacial bonding of single-walled nanotube (SWNT) reinforced epoxy composites was investigated using a combination of computational and experimental methods. The interfacial bonding was predicted using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations based on a cured epoxy resin model, which was constructed by incorporating three-dimensional cross-links formed during curing reaction. Based on the pullout simulations, the interfacial shear strength between the nanotube and the cured epoxy resin was calculated to be up to 75 MPa, indicating that there could be an effective stress transfer from the epoxy resin to the nanotube. In the experiments, single-walled nanotube reinforced epoxy composites were fabricated, characterized and analyzed. The uniform dispersion and good interfacial bonding of the nanotubes in the epoxy resin resulted in a 250–300% increase in storage modulus with the addition of 20–30 wt% nanotubes. These experimental results provided evidence of stress transfer in agreement with the simulation results.     

Software-Based Video/Audio Processing for Cellular Phones

Nowadays, most cellular phones are used beyond voice communication. Although the processing power of cellular phones is sufficient for most data applications, it is difficult to play video and audio contents in software because of their computational complexity and lack of basic tools for multimedia processing, so software-based multimedia processing on cellular phones is a challenging issue. Several transcoding methods are introduced to address this issue, but they are mainly of the DCT-domain conversion. Hence, they are only applicable to high-end cellular phones. To develop a solution for low-end and mid-tier cellular phones, we begin this paper by analyzing the complexity of existing video standards to see if it is possible to play them on cellular phones by software. Next, various coding profiles as combinations of subalgorithms are studied, and we select a profile that adapts its complexity to the processing power of cellular phones. Also, an efficient dithering algorithm called out-of-order dithering is developed. We implement the profile with out-of-order dithering in an actual cellular phone software environment and present the performance results. The performance results show that software based video/audio processing is indeed possible on low-end cellular phones.     

A novel hybrid combination optimization algorithm based on search area segmentation and fast Fourier transform

A novel hybrid optimization algorithm combining search area segmentation technique and the fast Fourier transform (HSAS/FFT) is presented to solve the numerical optimization problems. Firstly, the spectrum of each dimension of the objective function can be acquired by the FFT. The search space is segmented by using the spectrum to ensure that each subspace is unimodal. Secondly, the population of subspaces is produced and the optimal individual can be obtained by gradient descent algorithm. Finally, the local optimal solution in the optimal subspace is generated by the binary search algorithm. Make the optimal individual the new search space and repeat the process until meeting the termination condition. The proposed HSAS/FFT was tested on the CEC2017 benchmark, which evaluates the performance of the proposed algorithm on solving global optimization problems. Results obtained show that HSAS/FFT has an excellent performance and better convergence speed in comparison with some of the state-of-the-art algorithms.     

Impact of protocol overheads on network throughput over high-speed interconnects: measurement,analysis, and improvement

Although extremely high-speed interconnects are available today, the traditional protocol stacks such as TCP/IP and UDP/IP are not able to utilize the maximum network bandwidth due to inherent overheads in the protocol stacks. Such overheads are a big obstacle for high-performance computing applications to exploit high-speed interconnects in cluster environments. To address this issue, many researchers have been presenting analyses of protocol overheads and suggesting a number of optimization approaches to harness the TCP/IP suite over high-speed interconnects. However, to the best of our knowledge, there is no study that analyzes and optimizes the protocol overheads thoroughly in an integrated manner. In this paper, we exploit a set of protocol optimization mechanisms in an integrated manner while dealing with the full spectrum of the protocol layers from the transport layer to the physical layer. To evaluate the impact of each protocol overhead, we apply the optimization mechanisms one by one and perform detailed analyses at each step. The thorough overhead measurements and analyses reveal the dependencies between protocol overheads. With our comprehensive optimizations, we show that UDP/IP can utilize more than 95% of the maximum network throughput a Myrinet-based experimental system can provide.

Quantitation of Human Whole‐Body Synthesis‐Secretion Rates of Docosahexaenoic Acid and Eicosapentaenoate Acid from Circulating Unesterified α‐Linolenic Acid at Steady State

The rate at which dietary α‐linolenic acid (ALA) is desaturated and elongated to its longer‐chain n‐3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) in humans is not agreed upon. In this study, we applied a methodology developed using rodents to investigate the whole‐body, presumably hepatic, synthesis‐secretion rates of esterified n‐3 PUFA from circulating unesterified ALA in 2 healthy overweight women after 10 weeks of low‐linoleate diet exposure. During continuous iv infusion of d5‐ALA, 17 arterial blood samples were collected from each subject at ?10, 0, 10, 20, 40, 60, 80, 100, 120, 150, 180, and 210 min, and at 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 h after beginning infusion. Plasma esterified d5‐n‐3 PUFA concentrations were plotted against the infusion time and fit to a sigmoidal curve using nonlinear regression. These curves were used to estimate kinetic parameters using a kinetic analysis developed using rodents. Calculated synthesis‐secretion rates of esterified eicosapentaenoate, n‐3 docosapentaenoate, docosahexaenoic acid, tetracosapentaenate, and tetracosahexaenoate from circulating unesterified ALA were 2.1 and 2.7; 1.7 and 5.3; 0.47 and 0.27; 0.30 and 0.30; and 0.32 and 0.27 mg/day for subjects S01 and S02, respectively. This study provides new estimates of whole‐body synthesis‐secretion rates of esterified longer‐chain n‐3 PUFA from circulating unesterified ALA in human subjects. This method now can be extended to study factors that regulate human whole‐body PUFA synthesis‐secretion in health and disease.     

Dissolution of uranium metal without hydride formation or hydrogen gas generation

This study shows that metallic uranium will cleanly dissolve in carbonate-peroxide solution without generation of hydrogen gas or uranium hydride. Metallic uranium shot, 0.5–1 mm diameter, was reacted with ammonium carbonate–hydrogen peroxide solutions ranging in concentration from 0.13 M to 1.0 M carbonate and 0.50 M to 2.0 M peroxide. The dissolution rate was calculated from the reduction in bead mass, and independently by uranium analysis of the solution. The calculated dissolution rate ranged from about 4 × 10⁻³ to 8 × 10⁻³ mm/h, dependent primarily on the peroxide concentration. Hydrogen analysis of the etched beads showed that no detectable hydrogen was introduced into the uranium metal by the etching process.     

Resin transfer molding process optimization using numerical simulation and design of experiments approach

The art of resin transfer molding (RTM) process optimization requires a clear understanding of how the process performance is affected by variations in some important process parameters. In this paper, maximum pressure and mold filling time of the RTM process are considered as characteristics of the process performance to evaluate the process design. The five process parameters taken into consideration are flow rate, fiber volume fraction, number of gates, gate location, and number of vents. An integrated methodology was proposed to investigate the effects of process prameters on maximum pressure and mold filling time and to find the optimum processing conditions. The method combines numerical simulation and design of experiments (DOE) approach and is applied to process design for a cylindrical composite part. Using RTM simulation, a series of numerical experiments were conducted to predict maximum pressure and mold filling time of the RTM process. A half‐fractional factorial design was conducted to identify the significant factors in the RTM process. Furthermore, the empirical models and sensitivity coefficients for maximum pressure and mold filling time were developed. Comparatively close agreements were found among the empirical approximations, numerical simulations, and actual experiments. These results were further utilized to find the optimal processing conditions for the example part.     

Magnetization transfer for the assessment of bowel fibrosis in patients with Crohn’s disease: initial experience

Object

To assess the feasibility of magnetization transfer (MT) imaging of the bowel wall in patients with Crohn’s disease (CD), and to evaluate its utility for the detection of intestinal fibrosis.

Materials and methods

In this prospective study, 31 patients (age 39.0 ± 13.2 years) with CD were examined in a 1.5T MR scanner. To establish a standard of reference, two independent readers classified the patients in different disease states using standard MR enterography, available clinical data and histological findings. In addition to the standard protocol, a 2D gradient-echo sequence (TR/TE 32 ms/2.17 ms; flip angle 25°) with/without 1,100 Hz off-resonance prepulse was applied. MT ratios (MTR) of the small bowel wall were computed off-line on a pixel-by-pixel basis.

Results

The MT sequences acquired images of sufficient quality and spatial resolution for the evaluation of the small bowel wall without detrimental motion artefacts. In normal bowel wall segments, an intermediate MTR of 25.4 ± 3.4 % was measured. The MTR was significantly increased in bowel wall segments with fibrotic scarring (35.3 ± 4.0 %, p < 0.0001). In segments with acute inflammation, the mean MTR was slightly smaller (22.9 ± 2.2 %).

Conclusion

MT imaging of the small bowel wall is feasible in humans with sufficient image quality and may help with the identification of fibrotic scarring in patients with CD.     

Synthesis and processing of PMMA carbon nanotube nanocomposite foams

Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) nanocomposites were synthesized by several methods using both pristine and surface functionalized carbon nanotubes (CNTs). Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy was used to characterize the presence and types of functional groups in functionalized MWCNTs, while the dispersion of MWCNTs in PMMA was characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The prepared nanocomposites were foamed using carbon dioxide (CO₂) as the foaming agent. The cell morphology was observed by SEM, and the cell size and cell density were calculated via image analysis. It was found that both the synthesis methods and CNTs surface functionalization affect the MWCNTs dispersion in the polymer matrix, which in turn profoundly influences the cell nucleation mechanism and cell morphology. The MWCNTs are efficient heterogeneous nucleation agents leading to increased cell density at low particle concentrations. A mixed mode of nucleation mechanism was observed in nanocomposite foams in which polymer rich and particle rich region co-exist due to insufficient particle dispersion. This leads to a bimodal cell size distribution. Uniform dispersion of MWCNTs can be achieved via synergistic combination of improving synthesis methodology and CNTs surface functionalization. Foams from these nanocomposites exhibit single modal cell size distribution and remarkably increased cell density and reduced cell size. An increase in cell density of ∼70 times and reduction of cell size of ∼80% was observed in nanocomposite foam with 1% MWCNTs.