Stiffness measurement of nanosized liposomes using solid‐state nanopore sensor with automated recapturing platform

This paper describes a method to gauge the stiffness of nanosized liposomes – a nanoscale vesicle – using a custom‐made recapture platform coupled to a solid‐state nanopore sensor. The recapture platform electrically profiles a given liposome vesicle multiple times through automated reversal of the voltage polarity immediately following a translocation instance to re‐translocate the same analyte through the nanopore – provides better statistical insight at the molecular level by analyzing the same particle multiple times compared to conventional nanopore platforms. The capture frequency depends on the applied voltage with lower voltages (i.e., 100 mV) permitting higher recapture instances than at higher voltages (>200 mV) since the probability of particles exiting the nanopore capture radius increases with voltage. The shape deformation was inferred by comparing the normalized relative current blockade ( at the two voltage polarities to that of a rigid particle, i.e., polystyrene beads. We found that liposomes deform to adopt a prolate shape at higher voltages. This platform can be further applied to investigate the stiffness of other types of soft matters, e.g., virus, exosomes, endosomes, and accelerate the potential studies in pharmaceutics for increasing the drug packing and unpacking mechanism by controlling the stiffness of the drug vesicles.     

TOUGHENING AND STIFFENING EFFECTS OF T-ZnOw WHISKERS ON POLYSTYRENE

The main subject of this work is about the effect of T-ZnOw on the toughness and stiffness of polystyrene (PS).In order to avoid the rupture of T-ZnOw during the melt processing,T-ZnOw/PS composites were obtained via the combination of solution blending and injection moulding methods.Although the tensile strength of the composites decreases slightly,the impact strength and tensile modulus increase with the increase of the T-ZnOw content in the matrix.The stiffness and toughness of the composites are enha...     

A rheological method for selecting nano-kaolin powder as filler in SBR rubber

This paper shows that the stiffness of styrene-butadiene solid rubber with added kaolin powder is related to the yield stress of kaolin dispersion in liquid polybutadiene rubber up to the percolation threshold.For five kinds of kaolin powder,the value of τ spans the range of 100-430Pa,while the corresponding compressive elastic constant of SBR varies from 12 to 21MPa.A relationship between τ° and ΔE*i/E*R is proposed.Critical examination of these data infers that kaolin powder dispersed in solid rubber matrix acts as an additive which decreases the random movement of the polybutadiene chains.Consequently,dispersions of nano-particles in liquid and in solid SBR are considered to be related,thus leading to a rheological method for selecting nano-particles as fillers in solid SBR.     

Stiffness and excluded volume effects on conformation and dynamics of polymers: A simulation study

This work investigates the effects of the excluded volume and especially those of the chain stiffness on the structural and dynamical properties of a model polymer chain.The theoretical framework is the same as in the recent works by Steinhauser et al.,where a Rouse approach is adopted.Our model differs in that our chains have a finite average bending angle.As in the works by Steinhauser et al.,Langevin dynamic simulations were performed without hydrodynamic interactions.Whereas this doesn’t impact the static properties we obtain,it also allows us to compare our results on dynamic properties to those predicted by Rouse theory,where hydrodynamic interactions are also neglected.Our results show that the structural properties are very sensitive to the chain stiffness,whereas the dynamic scaling laws remain the same as those by Rouse theory,with the prefactor depending on the persistence length.     

A theoretical study of the propagation of Rayleigh waves in a functionally graded piezoelectric material (FGPM)

An exact approach is used to investigate Rayleigh waves in a functionally graded piezoelectric material (FGPM) layer bonded to a semi infinite homogenous solid. The piezoelectric material is polarized when the six fold symmetry axis is put along the propagation direction x₁. The FGPM character imposes that the material properties change gradually with the thickness of the layer. Contrary to the analytical approach, the adopted numerical methods, including the ordinary differential equation (ODE) and the stiffness matrix method (SMM), treat separately the electrical and mechanical gradients. The influences of graded variations applied to FGPM film coefficients on the dispersion curves of Rayleigh waves are discussed. The effects of gradient coefficients on electromechanical coupling factor, displacement fields, stress distributions and electrical potential, are reported. The obtained deviations in comparison with the ungraded homogenous film are plotted with respect to the dimensionless wavenumber. Opposite effects are observed on the coupling factor when graded variations are applied separately. A particular attention has been devoted to the maximum of the coupling factor and it dependence on the stratification rate and the gradient coefficient. This work provides with a theoretical foundation for the design and practical applications of SAW devices with high performance.     

Fast unsteady flow computations with a Jacobian-free Newton–Krylov algorithm

Despite the advances in computer power and numerical algorithms over the last decades, solutions to unsteady flow problems remain computing time intensive. Especially for large Reynolds number flows, nonlinear multigrid, which is commonly used to solve the nonlinear systems of equations, converges slowly. The stiffness induced by the large aspect ratio cells and turbulence is not tackled well by this solution method.     

Instability leading to coal bumps and nonlinear evolutionary mechanisms for a coal-pillar-and-roof system

This paper studies the unstable mechanisms of the mechanical system that is composed of the stiff hosts (roof and floor) and the coal pillar using catastrophe theory. It is assumed that the roof is an elastic beam and the coal pillar is a strain-softening medium which can be described by the Weibull’s distribution theory of strength. It is found that the instability leading to coal bump depends mainly on the system’s stiffness ratio k, which is defined as the ratio of the flexural stiffness of the beam to the absolute value of the stiffness at the turning point of the constitutive curve of the coal pillar, and the homogeneity index m or shape parameter of the Weibull’s distribution for the coal pillar. The applicability of the cusp catastrophe is demonstrated by applying the equations to the Mentougou coal mine. A nonlinear dynamical model, which is derived by considering the time-dependent property of the coal pillar, is used to study the physical prediction of coal bumps. An algorithm of inversion for determining the parameters of the nonlinear dynamical model is suggested for seeking the precursory abnormality from the observed series of roof settlement. A case study of the Muchengjian coal mine is conducted and its nonlinear dynamical model is established from the observation series using the algorithm of inversion. An important finding is that the catastrophic characteristic index D (i.e., the bifurcation set of the cusp catastrophe model) drastically increases to a high peak value and then quickly drops close to instability. From the viewpoint of damage mechanics of coal pillar, a dynamical model of acoustic emission (AE) is established for modeling the AE activities in the evolutionary process of the system. It is revealed that the values of m and the evolutionary path (D = 0 or D ≠ 0) of the system have a great impact on the AE activity patterns and characters.     

Experimental assessment of stiffness and energy dissipation properties of disk-shaped polymer-based composite specimens by in-plane torsion testing

Torsion testing machines are widely used either to measure the strength, stiffness and stress-strain properties of materials or to replicate real-life service conditions. In this paper, a novel experimental method is presented, based on the development of a dedicated steel structure to be used in conjunction with a universal testing machine. This equipment allows applying cyclic in-plane torsion loads on disk-shaped components. The proposed approach aims to enable the assessment of stiffness and damping properties on specimens enabling the application of higher loads in comparison with the traditional machines.Specifically, dynamic trials were performed by attaching the composite specimens and the steel structure to the testing machine, such that the uniaxial controlled displacements can be used to exert the desired cyclic loads onto the specimen. Both torsional stiffness and energy loss were measured from the steady-state load-displacement hysteresis cycles. Amplitudes of sine signals, from 0.05 to 0.2 mm, and a frequency ranging between 1 and 20 Hz, were used in the experiments. The results are presented comparing the behaviour of two polymer matrix composites, with the same number of identical laminae, but characterized by different stacking sequences, namely unidirectional and quasi-isotropic configurations.     

nmSiO2对聚合物光纤光栅封装材料的改性研究

分析了刚性纳米粒子改性聚合物的原理，重点分析了nmSiO₂/硅氧烷（硅橡胶）复合材料的改性机理,采用120号溶剂性汽油为分散剂，通过共混法制得nmSiO₂—乙烯基硅氧烷、含氢硅氧烷硫化而成的复合材料,用AJ-Ⅲ_a型原子力显微镜分析研究了该材料的组团结构并测试了其力学性能,结果表明，硅氧烷橡胶改性后，材料的弹性模量增加了15.4%；拉伸强度增加了19.4%；扯断伸长率增加了30%,用改性后的硅氧烷聚合物材料封装光纤Bragg光栅(FBG)压力传感器，可有效改善封装材料与光纤光栅的耦联性能；通过粒子含量控制可以增韧增强硅氧烷，从而可制作变量程压力传感器，同时可以延长传感器的使用寿命,     

Peculiarities of the Structure and Mechanical Properties of Biological Tissues*

Five basic principles that determine the structure and mechanical behavior of almost any biological tissue have been formulated. They are the principle of hierarchy, principle of helicality, principle of feedback, principle of universality, and principle of an optimum. It is shown that there are also two types of factors – biological and mechanical – that must be taken into account in determining the mechanical properties of biological tissue. As an example of complexity of the mechanical behavior of a biological tissue the data on compact bone tissue are presented.