TRIZ effect exploitation on engineering students thinking skills in product design

Product design is a creative and multidisciplinary activity that often necessitates the application of analytical and innovative support tools to enhance the concept research phase and solutions development. The TRIZ theory, a highly effective innovation method, has demonstrated its efficacy in supporting innovation across various fields. In this context, our focus has been on integrating TRIZ into the product design process involving engineering designers. This article provides a descriptive and critically assessed evaluation of the operational impact of TRIZ on the design activity, specifically in the development of a "Wastewater Screening and Filtration System" during the preliminary design phases. The objective of this research is to assess the influence of TRIZ utilization on the engineering designers' ability to address a design problem. The ultimate goal is to establish an innovative design support approach based on the use of TRIZ tools that is easily comprehensible and applicable to future designers. Within this article, we present both quantitative and qualitative results of the exploitation of TRIZ tools combined with an energy analysis of the requirement in the product design field

Porous hydroxyapatite-TiO

Titanium dioxide-hydroxyapatite nanopowders were prepared by the simultaneous gelation of a titanium alkoxide and precipitation of a redisolved natural phosphate mineral. Evolution of the crystallinity, porous features and surface reactivity of these powders as a function of Ti content and heating was studied. Optimal conditions were found for the preparation of a low-cost nanocomposite powder that was as effective as pure titania for the decolorization of methylene blue solutions

Porous hydroxyapatite-TiO2 nanocomposites from natural phosphates and their decolorization properties

Titanium dioxide-hydroxyapatite nanopowders were prepared by the simultaneous gelation of a titanium alkoxide and precipitation of a redisolved natural phosphate mineral. Evolution of the crystallinity, porous features and surface reactivity of these powders as a function of Ti content and heating was studied. Optimal conditions were found for the preparation of a low-cost nanocomposite powder that was as effective as pure titania for the decolorization of methylene blue solutions

Low-cost composites based on porous titania–apatite surfaces for the removal of patent blue V from water: Effect of chemical structure of dye

Hydroxyapatite/titania nanocomposites (TiHAp) were synthesized from a mixture of a titanium alkoxide solution and dissolution products of a Moroccan natural phosphate. The simultaneous gelation and precipitation processes occurring at room temperature led to the formation of TiHAp nanocomposites. X-ray diffraction results indicated that hydroxyapatite and anatase (TiO2) were the major crystalline phases. The specific surface area of the nanocomposites increased with the TiO2 content. Resulting TiHAp powders were assessed for the removal of the patent blue V dye from water. Kinetic experiments suggested that a sequence of adsorption and photodegradation is responsible for discoloration of dye solutions. These results suggest that such hydroxyapatite/titania nanocomposites constitute attractive low-cost materials for the removal of dyes from industrial textile effluent

Parameters influencing ciprofloxacin, ofloxacin, amoxicillin and sulfamethoxazole retention by natural and converted calcium phosphates

International audienceThe retention of four antibiotics, ciprofloxacin, ofloxacin, amoxicillin and sulfamethoxazole by a natural phosphate rock (francolite) was studied and compared with a converted hydroxyapatite powder. The maximum sorption capacities were found to correlate with the molecular weight of the molecules. The mechanisms of sorption depended mostly on the charge of the antibiotic whereas the kinetics of the process was sensitive to their hydrophobic/hydrophilic character. The two materials showed slightly distinct affinities for the various antibiotics but exhibited similar maximum sorption capacities despite different specific surface areas. This was mainly attributed to the more pronounced hydrophobic character of the francolite phase constituting the natural phosphate. These data enlighten that the retention properties of these mineral phases depend on a complex interplay between the inter-molecular and molecule-solid interactions. These findings are relevant to understand better the contribution of calcium phosphates in the fate and retention of antibiotics in soils

Polyurethane scaffold in lateral meniscus segmental defects: Clinical outcomes at 24months follow-up

BACKGROUND: Segmental tissue loss in the lateral meniscus is associated with pain and increased risk of osteoarthritis even when indications have been carefully considered. HYPOTHESIS: Repairing the defect using a novel biodegradable scaffold will reduce pain and restore the knee function. METHODS: In this prospective multicenter study, a total of 54 patients (37 males/17 females; mean age: 28 years [16-50]) were enrolled. All patients presented with postmeniscectomy syndrome and segmental lateral meniscus loss, and were treated with a polyurethane biodegradable scaffold (Actifit(\uae), Orteq) implanted arthroscopically. Clinical outcomes were assessed at 6, 12 and 24 months using Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), International Knee Documentation Committee Score (IKDC) and Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS). RESULTS: VAS decreased from 5.5 at baseline to 3.6 at 6 months, 3.4 at 12 months and 2.9 at 24 months. IKDC improved from 47.0 at baseline to 60.2, 67.0 and 67.0 at 6, 12 and 24 months. All KOOS subscores improved between baseline and 24 months. DISCUSSION: Clinical results of this study demonstrate clinically and statistically significant improvements of pain and function scores (VAS, IKDC, and all KOOS subscales except sport), at the 6 months follow-up and on all clinical outcomes at the 2-year follow-up. The Actifit(\uae) scaffold is safe and effective in treating lateral meniscus defects. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE IV: continuous prospective multicenter study

Non-decoupled Locomotion and Manipulation Planning for Low-Dimensional Systems

International audienceWe demonstrate the possibility of solving planning problems by inter-leaving locomotion and manipulation in a non-decoupled way. We choose three low-dimensional minimalistic robotic systems and use them to illustrate our paradigm: a basic one-legged locomotor, a two-link manipulator with a manipulated object, and a simultaneous locomotion-and-manipulation system. Using existing motion planning and control methods initially designed for either locomotion or manipulation tasks, we see how they apply to both our locomotion-only and manipulation-only systems through parallel derivations, and extend them to the simultaneous locomotion-and-manipulation system. Motion planning is solved for these three systems using two different methods : (i) a geometric path-planning-based one, and (ii) a kinematic control-theoretic-based one. Motion control is then derived by dynamically realizing the geometric paths or kinematic trajectories under the Couloumb friction model using torques as control inputs. All three methods apply successfully to all three systems, showing that the non-decoupled planning is possible