Nanolattices - An Emerging Class of Mechanical Metamaterials

In 1903 Alexander Graham Bell developed a design principle to generate lightweight, mechanically robust lattice structures based on triangular cells; this has since found broad application in lightweight design. Over one hundred years later, the same principle is being used in the fabrication of nanolattice materials, namely lattice structures comprised of nanoscale constituents. Taking advantage of size-dependent properties typical of nanoparticles, nanowires, and thin films, nanolattices redefine the limits of the accessible material property space throughout different disciplines. We review the exceptional mechanical performance of nanolattices, including their ultra-high strength, damage tolerance, and stiffness, and examine their potential for multifunctional applications beyond mechanics. The efficient integration of architecture and size-affected properties is key to further develop nanolattices. The introduction of hierarchical architecture is an effective tool in enhancing mechanical properties, and the eventual goal of nanolattice design may be to replicate the intricate hierarchies and functionalities observed in biological materials. Additive manufacturing and self-assembly techniques enabled lattice design at the nanoscale, the scaling-up of nanolattice fabrication is currently the major challenge to their widespread use in technological applications.Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft. Grant Number: BA 5778/1-1 AFOSR. Grant Number: FA9550-14-1-035

Analysis Of Grain Yield In Thirty Years Of Soybean Cultivation In North-East Italy

This study analyses grain yields of soybean monitored in the variety trials performed in North-East Italy from 1983 to 2015 by ERSA FVG in order to evaluate the existence of yield trends and how inter-annual yield oscillation could be explained either by meteorological, genetic or agronomic factors. In this period, about 400 varieties have been tested and, despite of agricultural inputs reduction and little change of genotypes, statistical analysis underlines an average yield increase of about 30 kg ha-1 year-1. The regression analysis suggests that the average daily thermal excursion explains inter-annual yield variations much more than other environmental variables (rain and soil characteristics). In conclusion, the higher yields observed in the last years seem mostly due to both environmental conditions and improved cultivation techniques