Study of electrical conductivity and hardness of the alloys of ternary Bi-Sb-Zn system and calculation of isothermal section at 298 K

Considering the importance of the lead-free solders, alloys of ternary Bi-Sb-Zn system were characterized by microstructural SEM-EDS and optical microscopy analysis, Brinell hardness tests and electrical conductivity measurements. Isothermal cross section at 298 K was calculated using CALPHAD method and PANDAT 8.1 software package. The phases on calculated cross sections were found to be in a good agreement with experimentally determined phase compositions in analyzed microstructures

Smart processes for smart buildings : ‘sustainable processes’, ‘recyclable processes’ and ‘building seeds’ in parametric design

The rapid evolution of digital technologies and the resulting emergence of novel design methodologies are coinciding with climate change, population growth and increased pressure on global resources. This concurrence evokes opportunities to harness the new design methods to develop smart design solutions and processes that respond effectively to sustainability requirements. Meanwhile, parametric design is emerging as an ideal design methodology to support sustainably in design, whereby the associative parameters in parametric design systems enable automation and synchronicity in generating design forms and evaluating these forms against their environmental performance. This research explores the multifaceted way in which parametric design supports sustainability, and how this can lead to a more holistic understanding of sustainability by shifting the focus from sustainable buildings to sustainable processes. In addition, the work shows how the reusability of parametric definitions in parametric design applications can enable designers to recycle the design process, where a parametric definition acts as a building seed that can be ’planted’ in different projects to automatically generate different forms. This may enable practitioners from all over the world to collectively develop a ‘seed library’ that has the potential for architects to empower, automate and enhance the environmental values of their processes. To achieve this, the main changes and shifts in computational design are reviewed, together with the impact of parametric design and its related applications on the architectural design process. In addition, a case study is conducted to explore how parametric design can significantly accelerate processes in real practice, and how the overlooked potential of reusing parametric definitions can make distinctive results in real architectural projects. Finally, the efficiency of the seed library is discussed as opposed to the apparent issues such as validity of seeds, motivation for sharing, and copyright

Stress Impairs Skin Barrier Function and Induces α2-3 Linked N-Acetylneuraminic Acid and Core 1 O-Glycans on Skin Mucins in Atlantic Salmon, Salmo salar

The skin barrier consists of mucus, primarily comprising highly glycosylated mucins, and the epithelium. Host mucin glycosylation governs interactions with pathogens and stress is associated with impaired epithelial barrier function. We characterized Atlantic salmon skin barrier function during chronic stress (high density) and mucin O-glycosylation changes in response to acute and chronic stress. Fish held at low (LD: 14–30 kg/m3) and high densities (HD: 50-80 kg/m3) were subjected to acute stress 24 h before sampling at 17 and 21 weeks after start of the experiment. Blood parameters indicated primary and secondary stress responses at both sampling points. At the second sampling, skin barrier function towards molecules was reduced in the HD compared to the LD group (Papp mannitol; p < 0.01). Liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry revealed 81 O-glycan structures from the skin. Fish subjected to both chronic and acute stress had an increased proportion of large O-glycan structures. Overall, four of the O-glycan changes have potential as indicators of stress, especially for the combined chronic and acute stress. Stress thus impairs skin barrier function and induces glycosylation changes, which have potential to both affect interactions with pathogens and serve as stress indicators. View Full-TextpublishedVersio

Gridshell as Formwork: Proof of Concept for a New Technique for Constructing Thin Concrete Shells Supported by Gridshell as Formwork

This paper documents an empirical experiment conducted in August 2014 as proof of concept for a new method of constructing concrete shells. An idea initially presented by the first author in 2012, it uses redeployable gridshells onto which fabric is midstressed and concrete applied. Primarily, this system addresses key issues that led to their decline in use: construction methods/formwork systems were not reusable, nor were they easily customizable to create different shapes. Employing 27 man-hours over seven days, two concrete shells were achieved using the same reusable and reconfigurable formwork. Lightweight (0.6 kg) PVC gridshell formwork supported 106.92 kg of concrete to create a concrete shell that covered 1.11 m2 (floor area). The construction verifies a low-cost (£6.06/m2) efficiency and material utilization in the construction of very strong wide-spanning thin concrete structures. Detailed analysis of formwork behavior during construction and detailed measurements of resultant shell results prove this new method of deployable gridshells as a reusable and reconfigurable formwork to construct very strong concrete shells very quickly. Whilst the emphasis of the research focused on the construction process, the vaults were tested and sustained a failure load of 4.2 kN (4.32 times their deadweight), applied as a point load at the crown

Negotiated matter: a robotic exploration of craft-driven innovation

This paper introduces a novel approach to craft-driven robotic innovation in architectural research. Here craft is not portrayed as a source of ornamental or historical inspiration, but instead as an open-ended process described by a framework involving material properties, diverging modes of knowledge production and representation, emergent tectonic configurations and embodied interaction with technology. To do so, this paper firstly contrasts a definition of craft (Pye 1968) with practices of robotic architectural production. Additionally, the notion of emergent tectonics resulting from negotiated material and technological processes is addressed by critically situating the theories of architectural tectonics by Kenneth Frampton (2001) and digital tectonics by Leach, Turnbull and Williams (2004) in the context of robotic fabrication in architecture. Finally, the ongoing project “Computing Craft” is presented as a case study illustrating a proposed framework for robotic craft-driven innovation

Grand Challenges in Shape-Changing Interface Research

Shape-changing interfaces have emerged as an new method for interacting with computers, using dynamic changes in a device’s physical shape for input and output. With the advances of research into shape-changing interfaces, we see a need to synthesize the main, open research questions. The purpose of this synthesis is to formulate common challenges across the diverse fields engaged in shape-change research, to facilitate progression from single prototypes and individual design explorations to grander scientific goals, and to draw attention to challenges that come with maturity, including those concerning ethics, theory-building, and societal impact. In this article we therefore present 12 grand challenges for research on shape-changing interfaces, derived from a three-day workshop with 25 shape-changing interface experts with backgrounds in design, computer science, human-computer interaction, engineering, robotics, and material science