Multicriteria optimization of laminated composite material structures

The search for the optimum design of a given structure is a basic aspect of structural analysis. In recent years there has been a renewed interest in structural optimization, particularly in the field of composite material structures. The aim is often to obtain the best solution that is able to respect both the technical and the economic requirements. In this paper, the optimization process is pursued as the determination of the Pareto-optimal curves for composite material structures. The problem has been tackled by means of an analytical optimization methodology (trade-off method) appropriately transformed into a design procedure. A sensitivity analysis is also performed, in order to try out the measure in which the optimal solutions are affected by the variation of the design variables. Two examples are presented, concerning a hemispherical shell and a cylindrical shell.

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Sommario Molti problemi della ricerca dell'ottimo progettuale presentano la difficoltà di coinvolgere nella soluzione più obiettivi da considerare simultaneamente. Il problema risulta piuttosto complesso (in particolare nel caso di strutture in materiale composito) quando gli obiettivi, spesso contrastanti, hanno natura diversa e quindi risultano non facilmente combinabili fra loro. Tale problema si pone spesso quando si vuole da un lato aumentare l'affidabilità strutturale e dall'altro diminuire i costi della struttura. Nel presente articolo, vengono affrontati alcuni aspetti dell'ottimizzazione di strutture in materiale composito: a tale scopo viene presentata una procedura di ottimizzazione per problemi multi-obiettivo che, avvalendosi del Trade-off method, è in grado di determinare la curva degli ottimi di Pareto. Successivamente viene effettuata un analisi di sensitività allo scopo di valutare la sensibilità delle soluzioni ottimali nei confronti della aleatorietà delle variabili di progetto. Vengono presentati in tal senso due esempi relativi a strutture in materiale composito.

     

Drug–Polymer Interactions in Hydrogel‐based Drug‐Delivery Systems: An Experimental and Theoretical Study

In drug‐delivery systems, drug transport is a key step, but the interpretation of the transport mechanism is still controversial. Here, we investigated a promising hydrogel library loaded with the anticonvulsant drug ethosuximide (ESM). The self‐diffusion coefficient of ESM was measured using two methods: a direct and advanced measurement with a pulsed field gradient spin‐echo (PFGSE) method, using an NMR spectrometer equipped with high‐resolution magic angle spinning (HR‐MAS) probe, and an indirect one based on fitting in vitro drug‐delivery data. Starting from the experimental data a mathematical model without fitted parameters was developed and all the phenomena involved, that is, adsorption and diffusion, were considered. At low drug concentrations, adsorption prevails and consequently the diffusivity in the gels is lower than that in water. At high drug concentrations, where all adsorption sites are saturated, the diffusion in the gels is similar to that in a water solution. This study may pave the way for better device design.     

The communication complexity of addition

Suppose each of k≤n ^o(1) players holds an n-bit number x _i in its hand. The players wish to determine if ∑ _i≤k x _i =s. We give a public-coin protocol with error 1% and communication O(k logk). The communication bound is independent of n, and for k≥3 improves on the O(k logn) bound by Nisan (Bolyai Soc. Math. Studies; 1993).     

A complement to potential theory in the Cosserat elasticity

In this paper, we investigate the internal second, third, and fourth boundary value problems of the three‐dimensional Cosserat elasticity by means of potential theory. The obtained integral representations differ from the classical ones. These results complete the ones related to the first BVP, which have recently been obtained by the authors. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Fruchtsirupe, Marmeladen und Fruchtpr?parate

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

Factorization Properties in d-Dimensional Spin Glasses. Rigorous Results and Some Perspectives

In this paper we show that d-dimensional Gaussian spin glass models are strongly stochastically stable, fulfill the Ghirlanda-Guerra identities in distribution and the ultrametricity property.     

Phosphinates and layered silicates in charring polymers: The flame retardancy action in polyurethane foams

Nanocomposites of a charring polymer (like polyurethane foam) filled with aluminum phosphinate (AlPi) with or without melamine cyanurate (MelCy) have been prepared by microwave processing and their thermal stability and fire behavior have been studied. Results on the interaction between flame retardants and layered silicates were provided as well as detailed investigation of the char strength, which has been carried out using a suitably developed method based on dynamic-mechanic analysis.     

Synthesis and characterization of poly(methylmethacrylate)/silica nanocomposites: Study of the interphase by solid‐state NMR and structure/properties relationships

Organic/inorganic nanocomposites were synthesized from poly(methylmethacrylate) (PMMA) and properly modified silica nanoparticles by in situ polymerization. Methacryloylpropyltrimethoxysilane was selected as nanoparticle surface modifier because it is characterized by unsaturated end groups available to radical reactions, making possible to suppose their participation in the acrylic monomer polymerization. As a result of the above hypothesized reactions, a phase constituted by polyacrylic chains grafted onto modified silica surface was isolated. ²⁹Si and ¹³C solid‐state nuclear magnetic resonance experiments permitted to analyze this phase in terms of composition and chain mobility as well as to highlight interaction mechanisms occurring between growing PMMA oligoradicals and functional groups onto silica surface. It was demonstrated that this PMMA grafted onto silica surface acts as an effective coupling agent and assures a good dispersion of nanoparticles as well as a strong nanoparticle/matrix interfacial adhesion. As a result of strong interactions occurring between phases, a significant increase of the glass transition temperature was recorded. Finally, the abrasion resistance of PMMA in the hybrids was significantly improved as a result of a different abrasion propagation mechanism induced by silica particles thus overcoming one of the most serious PMMA drawback. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2010     

Improved Preparation of β‐d‐ManNAc‐(1→4)‐d‐Glc and β‐d‐TalNAc‐(1→4)‐d‐Glc Disaccharides and Evaluation of Their Activating Properties on the Natural Killer Cells NKR‐P1 and CD69 Receptors

This article has been retracted.