Beyond intuitive microstructures for 3D printed composites

3D printed composites marry the worlds of lightweight and tough composite materials with the detailed and programmable geometries of 3D printing. This combination gives rise to a new class of interesting grand challenges to deliver on the net promise of the field. A summary of the current state of 3D printed composites will be provided with a focus on stereolithography (SLA) printing of filled resins that offers high resolution and speed. SLA printing of ceramic filled resins presents many challenges include dispersion issues, poor light penetration, particle alignment, and viscosity handling. Here we offer routes to SLA print resin systems with doped ceramics to exploit magnetic fields to induce programmable alignment within every voxel of a printed 3D part. We offer a vision for implementing numerical simulations of anticipated loads to understand expected internal stress states that inform our design of optimum microstructures within printed composite parts. In addition to optimizing mechanics, we have investigated tuning conduction pathways within 3D printed thermally conductive dielectric parts that have application in the realm of radiofrequency (RF) electronics. Finally, we have found surprising mechanical enhancements through the use of non-intuitive microstructures that can’t be simply predicted through finite element analysis of parts under expected loads. These new classes of reinforcing microstructures improve the toughness of printed composites significantly beyond the conventional wisdom for “optimal” microstructure designs Please click Additional Files below to see the full abstract

Welcome to 310 Environmental Working Group! A Group Project That Places Students in the Role of Consultants Helping Businesses Choose the Most Climate Friendly Fluorinated Gas

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“I really thought nothing could be done”: help-seeking behaviour among women with urinary incontinence

Background: This study explores help-seeking behaviour among women with Urinary Incontinence (UI). Help-seeking behaviour is interpreted as the result of a process which is influenced by several factors, such as the appraisal of symptoms, individual characteristics, experiences within the health-care system, especially with regard to health professionals’ reactions to personal needs, social norms, and information about health issues.Methods: The study was carried out between 2012 and 2014 in Northern Germany and followed an exploratory qualitative study design. Four semi-structured focus group interviews were undertaken with women affected by involuntary loss of urine. 49 women, aged 41 to 86 years old, participated in the focus groups. Thorough sampling of study participants was carried out to warrant demographic and cultural variation and, resultantly, the completeness of perspectives relevant to this field. The verbatim transcripts of the interviews were analyzed following the content analysis method of Mayring. The analysis combined deductive and inductive approaches.  Results: Important barriers to seeking medical help were identified: women’s interpretation of UI as a non-medical problem, the lack of knowledge about the causes and treatment of UI, shame and taboo, and the problem of naming “it”. Also, the study results showed factors which supported women’s decision to seek medical help, notably the severity of symptoms or the women’s feeling of losing control of her bodily functions and significant parts of everyday life.Conclusion: The results of the study allow recommendations about measures that can be taken to improve the situation of women affected with UI.

Pre-vaccine serotype composition within a lineage signposts its serotype replacement – a carriage study over 7 years following pneumococcal conjugate vaccine use in the UK

Serotype replacement has been reported in carriage and disease after pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) introductions in the UK and globally. We previously described concurrent expansion and decline of sequence types associated with serotype replacement over 5 years following PCV introductions in the UK. Here we use whole-genome sequencing to fully characterise the population structure of pneumococcal isolates collected over seven winters encompassing PCV7 and PCV13 introductions in the UK, investigating the importance of lineages in serotype replacement. We analysed 672 pneumococcal genomes from colonised children of 4 years old or less. The temporal prevalence of 20 lineages, defined by hierarchical Bayesian analysis of population structure (BAPS), was assessed in the context of serotype replacement. Multiple serotypes were detected in the primary winter of sampling within three vaccine-type (VT) lineages BAPS4, BAPS10 and BAPS11, in which serotype replacement were observed. In contrast, serotype replacement was not seen in the remaining three VT lineages (BAPS1, BAPS13 and BAPS14), that expressed a single serotype (6B, 6A and 3, respectively) in the primary winter. One lineage, BAPS1 serotype 6B was undetectable in the population towards the end of the study period. The dynamics of serotype replacement, in this UK population, was preceded by the presence or absence of multiple serotypes within VT lineages, in the pre-PCV population. This observation could help predict which non-vaccine types (NVTs) may be involved in replacement in future PCV introductions here and elsewhere. It could further indicate whether any antibiotic resistance associated with the lineages is likely to be affected by replacement.</p

New calibration techniques for the Airborne Visible/Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS)

Recent laboratory calibrations of the Airborne Visible/Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS) include new methods for the characterization of the geometric, spectral, temporal and radiometric properties of the sensor. New techniques are desired in order to: (1) increase measurement accuracy and precision, (2) minimize measurement time and expense, (3) prototype new field and inflight calibration systems, (4) resolve measurement ambiguities, and (5) add new measurement dimensions. One of the common features of these new methods is the use of the full data collection and processing power of the AVIRIS instrument and data facility. This allows the collection of large amounts of calibration data in a short period of time and is well suited to modular data analysis routines

The Grizzly, September 27, 2012

Ursinus Partners With Columbia • Family Day Coming Soon • Berman Search • Bi-Textual Poetry Series Kicked Off Sept. 18 • Big Brothers, Sisters Program • Internship Event • Services at Wellness • Opinion: Ursinus Should Disclose Annual Budget; Changes in Dining Services are Justified • UC Recap: Field Hockey Falls to F&M • Behind the Scenes: Kip and Sean Lacyhttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/grizzlynews/1864/thumbnail.jp

Approaches and challenges to the study of loess—Introduction to the LoessFest Special Issue

In September 2016, the annual meeting of the International Union for Quaternary Research's Loess and Pedostratigraphy Focus Group, traditionally referred to as a LoessFest, met in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, USA. The 2016 LoessFest focused on thin loess deposits and loess transportation surfaces. This LoessFest included 75 registered participants from 10 countries. Almost half of the participants were from outside the United States, and 18 of the participants were students. This review is the introduction to the special issue for Quaternary Research that originated from presentations and discussions at the 2016 LoessFest. This introduction highlights current understanding and ongoing work on loess in various regions of the world and provides brief summaries of some of the current approaches/strategies used to study loess deposits