Mid-term outcomes of a kinematically designed cruciate retaining total knee arthroplasty

BACKGROUND Advances in implant material and design have allowed for improvements in total knee arthroplasty(TKA)outcomes.A cruciate retaining(CR)TKA provides the least constraint of TKA designs by preserving the native posterior cruciate ligament.Limited research exists that has examined clinical outcomes or patient reported outcome measures(PROMs)of a large cohort of patients undergoing a CR TKA utilizing a kinematically designed implant.It was hypothesized that the studied CR Knee System would demonstrate favorable outcomes and a clinically significant improvement in pain and functional scores.AIM To assess both short-term and mid-term clinical outcomes and PROMs of a novel CR TKA design.METHODS A retrospective,multi-surgeon study identified 255 knees undergoing a TKA utilizing a kinematically designed CR Knee System(JOURNEY™II CR;Smith and Nephew,Inc.,Memphis,TN)at an urban,academic medical institution between March 2015 and July 2021 with a minimum of two-years of clinical follow-up with an orthopedic surgeon.Patient demographics,surgical information,clinical outcomes,and PROMs data were collected via query of electronic medical records.The PROMs collected in the present study included the Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score for Joint Replacement(KOOS JR)and Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System(PROMIS■)scores.The significance of improvements in mean PROM scores from preoperative scores to scores collected at six months and two-years postoperatively was analyzed using Independent Samples t-tests.RESULTS Of the 255 patients,65.5%were female,43.8%were White,and patients had an average age of 60.6 years.Primary osteoarthritis(96.9%)was the most common primary diagnosis.The mean surgical time was 105.3 minutes and mean length of stay was 2.1 d with most patients discharged home(92.5%).There were 18 emergency department(ED)visits within 90 d of surgery resulting in a 90 d ED visit rate of 7.1%,including a 2.4%orthopedic-related ED visit rate and a 4.7%non-orthopedic-related ED visit rate.There were three(1.2%)hospital readmissions within 90 d postoperatively.With a mean time to latest follow-up of 3.3 years,four patients(1.6%)required revision,two for arthrofibrosis,one for aseptic femoral loosening,and one for peri-prosthetic joint infection.There were significant improvements in KOOS JR,PROMIS Pain Intensity,PROMIS Pain Interference,PROMIS Mobility,and PROMIS Physical Health from preoperative scores to six month and two-year postoperative scores.CONCLUSION The evaluated implant is an effective,novel design offering excellent outcomes and low complication rates.At a mean follow up of 3.3 years,four patients required revisions,three aseptic and one septic,resulting in an overall implant survival rate of 98.4%and an aseptic survival rate of 98.8%.The results of our study demonstrate the utility of this kinematically designed implant in the setting of primary TKA.

体育品牌体验与消费者品牌忠诚的关系研究——基于Designed to Move活动

本文以Designed to move活动为基础,分析体育品牌体验对消费者行为(品牌忠诚)的影响,这种形式的品牌体验能够给消费者的生命资产和生活价值观带来影响,具有研究价值。本文采用Brakus的SEMs模型测量品牌体验,通过实证分析,探究了感官体验、情感体验、行为体验和智力体验与品牌忠诚之间的作用关系。分析发现,感官体验、行为体验和智力体验对品牌忠诚有显著的正向影响作用,与以往研究不同的是,在体育品牌体验中情感体验对品牌忠诚影响不显著,这对体育企业的营销活动和体验手段具有现实的指导意义。

水田动力底盘逆向建模与质心验证——基于Geomagic Design X

针对目前农业机械仿真和优化模型精度不高的问题,提出了一种构建精确模型的逆向建模方法。应用光学扫描仪采集点云数据,基于Geomagic Design X处理点云数据并重构零部件模型,在SolidWorks中完成水田动力底盘的装配。以VP6D-CQ型水田动力底盘为例,将测得的实际质心位置与所建的模型质心位置进行比较,并对提出的逆向建模方法进行了试验验证以及误差分析。结果表明:总质量、x坐标、y坐标、z坐标的误差值分别为4.55%、3.62%、2.23%、4.81%,误差值均在5%内。此方法可构建准确的三维模型,为后续仿真优化数据精确性奠定了基础,与传统的研发相比较,可缩短农业机械研发周期、降低设计成本。

App Designer辅助教学方法探索与实践——以软件无线电课程为例

软件无线电作为通信学科的必修课程,具有承上启下的重要作用。因课程原理抽象、理论公式复杂,学员在学习过程存在理解掌握难、实践应用难等问题。通过对当前软件无线电教学过程中存在的不足与困难进行分析,提出利用MATLAB App Designer辅助课程教学,从教学准备、课堂互动、自主实验、反馈提升四个方面开展课程教学改革。实践表明,该方法对于提升学员的工程思维、系统思维具有显著效果,同时可以增强学员理论联系实际的能力。

Seismic fragility assessment of RC frame structure designed according to modern Chinese code for seismic design of buildings

Following several damaging earthquakes in China, research has been devoted to find the causes of the collapse of reinforced concrete （RC） building sand studying the vulnerability of existing buildings. The Chinese Code for Seismic Design of Buildings （CCSDB） has evolved over time, however, there is still reported earthquake induced damage of newly designed RC buildings. Thus, to investigate modern Chinese seismic design code, three low-, mid- and high-rise RC frames were designed according to the 2010 CCSDB and the corresponding vulnerability curves were derived by computing a probabilistic seismic demand model （PSDM）.The PSDM was computed by carrying out nonlinear time history analysis using thirty ground motions obtained from the Pacific Earthquake Engineering Research Center. Finally, the PSDM was used to generate fragility curves for immediate occupancy, significant damage, and collapse prevention damage levels. Results of the vulnerability assessment indicate that the seismic demands on the three different frames designed according to the 2010 CCSDB meet the seismic requirements and are almost in the same safety level.

Parameters Distribution Along the Channel Axis in the Scaling Designed Stationary Plasma Thruster

The study of the parameters＇ distribution along the channel axis in a stationary plasma thruster（SPT） helps One to understand the physical characteristics of the SPT＇s operation. In this paper, the axial distribution of the desired SPT parameters are predicted by combining the improved scaling theory and a one-dimensional hybrid model. The simulation indicates that the SPT parameters＇ distribution along the channel axis changes with scaling index variable ~. If ~ is set properly, the similarity of the parameters~ axial distribution between the model and a desired thruster can be ensured. In addition, the operation characteristics of the desired thruster, such as the ionization and acceleration processes, are also similar to those of the model. When ζ is set, the improved SPT scaling theory and the one-dimensional hybrid model can be used to predict the axial distribution of the desired SPT parameters with the same propellant （such as Xe）.

Seismic performance evaluation of typical dampers designed by Chinese building code

Adding dampers is a commonly adopted seismic risk mitigation strategy for modern buildings, and the corresponding design procedure of dampers has been well established by the Chinese Building Code. Even though all types of dampers are designed by the same procedure, actual seismic performance of the building may differ from one to the others. In this study, a nine-story benchmark steel building is established, and three different and typical types of dampers are designed according to the Chinese Building Code to realize structural vibration control under strong earthquake excitation. The seismic response of the prototype building equipped with a viscoelastic damper, viscous damper and buckling-restrained brace(BRB) subjected to 10 earthquake records are calculated, and Incremental Dynamic Analysis(IDA) is performed to describe progressive damage of the structure under increasing earthquake intensity. In the perspective of fragility, it shows that the viscoelastic damper has the highest collapse margin ratio(CMR), and the viscous damper provides the best drift control. Both the BRB and viscoelastic dampers can effectively reduce the floor acceleration responses in the mid-rise building.

Seismic resilience assessment of corroded reinforced concrete structures designed to the Chinese codes

The natural landscape in China exposes many existing RC buildings to aggressive environments.Such exposure can lead to deterioration in structural performance with regard to resisting events such as earthquakes.Corrosion of embedded reinforcement is one of the most common mechanisms by which such structural degradation occurs.There has been increasing attention in recent years toward seismic resilience in communities and their constituent construction;however,to date,studies have neglected the effect of natural aging.This study aims to examine the effect of reinforcement corrosion on the seismic resilience of RC frames that are designed according to Chinese seismic design codes.A total of twenty RC frames are used to represent design and construction that is typical of coastal China,with consideration given to various seismic fortification levels and elevation arrangements.Seismic fragility relationships are developed for case frames under varying levels of reinforcement corrosion,i.e.,corrosion rates are increased from 5%to 15%.Subsequently,the seismic resilience levels of uncorroded and corroded RC frames are compared using a normalized loss factor.It was found that the loss of resilience of the corroded frames is greater than that of their uncorroded counterparts.At the Rare Earthquake hazard level,the corrosioninduced increase in loss of resilience can be more than 200%,showing the significant effect of reinforcement corrosion on structural resilience under the influence of earthquakes.

A Wireless Sensor Network Ad-Hoc Designed as Anti-Theft Alarm System for Photovoltaic Panels

Photovoltaic (PV) systems have attracted increasing attention in last years as well as Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs), which have been used in many application fields. In PV plants, especially in ground installations, a lot of thefts and damages occur due to the still high cost of the modules. A new experimental WSN ad-hoc has been designed to be an anti-theft alarm system. Each node of the network is directly installed under each PV string and it is equipped with an accelerometer sensor capable to detect a minimum displacement of the panel from its steady position. The WSN presents a star topology: a master node cyclically interrogates the slave nodes through RF link. It collects all the nodes responses and communicates though a RS-232 interface with a control PC checking the network status. When a slave node detects an alarm, continuous messages are sent to the control PC which turns on all the alarm signaling systems. The control PC is equipped with an open source operative system and software and provides for SMS, e-mail and sound-light signaling in case of alarm. It also communicates with a remote server where all the WSN information is stored. A first low cost experimental WSN has been already installed and it is working properly.

High-strength Ti-Al-V-Zr cast alloys designed using α and β cluster formulas

Ti-Al-V-Zr quaternary titanium alloys were designed followingα-{[Al-Ti12](AlTi2)}17-n+β-{[Al-Ti12Zr2](V3)}n,where n=1-7(the number ofβunits),on the basis of the dual-cluster formula of popular Ti-6Al-4V alloy.Such an alloying strategy aims at strengthening the alloy via Zr and V co-alloying in theβ-Ti unit,based on the originalβformula[Al-Ti14](V2Ti)of Ti-6Al-4V alloy.The microstructures of the as-cast alloys by copper-mold suction-casting change from pureα(n=1)toα+α’martensite(n=7).When n is 6,Ti-5.6Al-6.8V-8.1Zr alloy reaches the highest ultimate tensile strength of 1,293 MPa and yield strength of 1,097 MPa,at the expense of a low elongation of 2%,mainly due to the presence of a large amount of acicularα’martensite.Its specific strength far exceeds that of Ti-6Al-4V alloy by 35%.

Numerical and Experimental Analysis of A Ducted Propeller Designed by A Fully Automated Optimization Process Under Open Water Condition

A fully automated optimization process is provided for the design of ducted propellers under open water conditions, including 3D geometry modeling, meshing, optimization algorithm and CFD analysis techniques. The developed process allows the direct integration of a RANSE solver in the design stage. A practical ducted propeller design case study is carried out for validation. Numerical simulations and open water tests are fulfilled and proved that the optimum ducted propeller improves hydrodynamic performance as predicted.

Reliability and sensitivity analysis of loop-designed security and stability control system in interconnected power systems

Security and stability control system(SSCS)in power systems involves collecting information and sending the decision from/to control stations at different layers;the tree structure of the SSCS requires more levels.Failure of a station or channel can cause all the execution stations(EXs)to be out of control.The randomness of the controllable capacity of the EXs increases the difficulty of the reliability evaluation of the SSCS.In this study,the loop designed SSCS and reliability analysis are examined for the interconnected systems.The uncertainty analysis of the controllable capacity based on the evidence theory for the SSCS is proposed.The bidirectional and loop channels are introduced to reduce the layers and stations of the existing SSCS with tree configuration.The reliability evaluation and sensitivity analysis are proposed to quantify the controllability and vulnerable components for the SSCS in different configurations.By aiming at the randomness of the controllable capacity of the EXs,the uncertainty analysis of the controllable capacity of the SSCS based on the evidence theory is proposed to quantify the probability of the SSCS for balancing the active power deficiency of the grid.

A novel Ti-5.55Al-6.70Zr-1.50V-0.70Mo-3.41Nb-0.21Si alloy designed using cluster-plus-glue-atom model for laser additive manufacturing

A novel Ti-5.55Al-6.70Zr-1.50V-0.70Mo-3.41Nb-0.21Si alloy was designed using the cluster formula approach(cluster-plus-glue-atom model)and prepared by laser melting deposition(LMD).Its composition formula 12[Al-Ti_(12)](AlTi_(2))+5[Al_(0.8)Si_(0.2)-Ti_(12)Zr_(2)](V_(0.8)Mo_(0.2)Nb_(1)Ti)features an enhancedβ-Ti via co-alloying of Zr,V,Mo,Nb and Si.The experimental results show that the cluster formula ofαandβphases in the novel alloy are respectivelyα-[Al-Ti_(11.5)Zr_(0.5)](Al_(1)Ti_(2))andβ-[Al_(0.8)Si_(0.2)-Ti_(13.2)Zr_(0.8)](V_(1)Mo_(0.4)Nb_(1.6)),both containing Zr elements.The fitted composition via the α andβphase cluster formulas has little difference with the actual alloy composition,suggesting that the validity of cluster-plus-glue-atom model in the alloy composition design.After hot isostatic pressing(HIP),both the Ti-6Al-4V and the novel alloy by LMD are characterized by prior-βcolumnar grains,while the typical<100>texture disappears.Compared with Ti-6Al-4V,Ti-5.55Al-6.70Zr-1.50V-0.70Mo-3.41Nb-0.21Si alloy exhibits a combination of higher strength(1,056 MPa)and higher ductility(14%)at room temperature and higher strength(580 MPa)at 550℃ after HIP,and can potentially serves as LMD materials.

Inelastic displacement ratio of low-to mid-rise BRBFs designed under variable levels of seismicity

Buckling-restrained braces(BRBs)have shown their capability to provide building structures with stiffness,strength,and ductility.Estimating the seismic drifts of buckling-restrained braced frames(BRBFs)is an important design step to control structural and non-structural damage.In current practice of seismic design,the estimation of seismic drifts of BRBFs is performed by using empirical calculations that are independent upon either the type of the structural system or the design level of seismicity.In these empirical calculations,the seismic drifts are estimated by amplifying the reduced elastic drifts obtained under design lateral loading with a displacement amplification factor(DAF).The value of DAF is considered equal to the product of the response modification factor R and the inelastic displacement ratioρ.The goal of the current research is to assess the value ofρfor low-to mid-rise BRBFs designed under low and high levels of seismicity.This goal has been achieved by conducting a series of elastic and inelastic time-history analyses pertaining to an ensemble of earthquake records on 3-,6-and 9-story BRBFs.The results indicate that theρ-ratio increases with an increase in design seismic intensity and an increase in experienced inelasticity.The range ofρfor low seismicity designs ranges from 0.63 to 0.9,while for high seismicity designs this range stretches from 0.83 to 1.29.It has been found that the consideration of a generalρ-ratio of 1.0 is a reasonable estimation for the design of the BRBFs considered in this study.

Mechanical and Acoustic Performance Test of New Designed Metal Noise Barrier Unit Plate with No Riveted Connection

The modern transportation system is increasingly developed during recent years.It is an effective solution to set the noise barriers to reduce the traffic noise pollution caused by different kinds of transportation systems.Many deficiencies on concrete noise barriers and metal noise barriers with rivet structure can be eliminated by a new kind of noise barrier with no-riveted structure.The mechanical performance examination and acoustic performance test are conducted on the new-designed noise barrier with no-riveted structure.The results indicate that the maximum stress is 1.74 MPa and the maximum deformation is 1.04 mm with load acting on the unit plate.The noise reduction coefficient of this kind of no-riveted noise barrier unit plate is 0.75 and its noise insulation is 40 dB,which were conform to or superior to the standard requirements.Therefore,this new designed noise barrier meets the field application requirements of mechanical and acoustic performance,which demonstrates the noise barriers can be widely promoted.

Characterization of Elastic Modulus of Granular Materials in a New Designed Uniaxial Oedometric System

A simple uniaxial oedometric system is developed to test the elastic modulus of granular materials. The stress- strain relationship is first measured under conditions of uniaxial compression with additional lateral stress and strain, then the elastic modulus of the material is determined by the linear fitting method. It is found that the modulus is positively correlated to the grain size and negatively correlated to the container size. Arching and dragging are revealed to be the mechanism of such correlations by using the digital image correlation method and the pressure film technology based on the statistical method.

Hydrogen-based direct reduction of industrial iron ore pellets:Statistically designed experiments and computational simulation

As part of efforts to reduce anthropogenic CO_(2) emissions by the steelmaking industry,this study investigated the direct reduction of industrially produced hematite pellets with H_(2) using the Doehlert experimental design to evaluate the effect of pellet diameter(10.5-16.5 mm),porosity(0.36-0.44),and temperature(600-1200℃).A strong interactive effect between temperature and pellet size was observed,indicating that these variables cannot be considered independently.The increase in temperature and decrease in pellet size considerably favor the reduction rate,while porosity did not show a relevant effect.The change in pellet size during the reduction was negligible,except at elevated temperatures due to crack formation.A considerable decrease in mechanical strength at high temperatures suggests a maximum process operating temperature of 900℃.Good predictive capacity was achieved using the modified grain model to simulate the three consecutive non-catalytic gas-solid reactions,considering different pellet sizes and porosities,changes during the reaction from 800 to 900℃.However,for other temperatures,different mechanisms of structural modifications must be considered in the modeling.These results represent significant contributions to the development of ore pellets for CO_(2)-free steelmaking technology.

Development of the 3D-Designed Lathe Fixture of a Float Brake Caliper

According to the technique requests of the brake caliper in the process of production, a special fixture of float brake caliper has been developed based on 3 D design in this paper. The development process and verified data from 3D modeling and kinematics simulation for this special fixture show that this 3D-designed process can conveniently forecast the assembly interference of the fixture and accurately add the mass of lead brick before the prototype is made. In this way the flutter caused by the unbalanced lathe fixture can be eliminated and the precision of run-out tolerance in cylinder hole compared with machine tool spindle can be improved, thus the processing quality of the cylinder hole in a brake caliper can be greatly guaranteed.

Alloy design for laser powder bed fusion additive manufacturing:a critical review

Metal additive manufacturing(AM)has been extensively studied in recent decades.Despite the significant progress achieved in manufacturing complex shapes and structures,challenges such as severe cracking when using existing alloys for laser powder bed fusion(L-PBF)AM have persisted.These challenges arise because commercial alloys are primarily designed for conventional casting or forging processes,overlooking the fast cooling rates,steep temperature gradients and multiple thermal cycles of L-PBF.To address this,there is an urgent need to develop novel alloys specifically tailored for L-PBF technologies.This review provides a comprehensive summary of the strategies employed in alloy design for L-PBF.It aims to guide future research on designing novel alloys dedicated to L-PBF instead of adapting existing alloys.The review begins by discussing the features of the L-PBF processes,focusing on rapid solidification and intrinsic heat treatment.Next,the printability of the four main existing alloys(Fe-,Ni-,Al-and Ti-based alloys)is critically assessed,with a comparison of their conventional weldability.It was found that the weldability criteria are not always applicable in estimating printability.Furthermore,the review presents recent advances in alloy development and associated strategies,categorizing them into crack mitigation-oriented,microstructure manipulation-oriented and machine learning-assisted approaches.Lastly,an outlook and suggestions are given to highlight the issues that need to be addressed in future work.

Web Layout Design of Large Cavity Structures Based on Topology Optimization

Large cavity structures are widely employed in aerospace engineering, such as thin-walled cylinders, blades andwings. Enhancing performance of aerial vehicles while reducing manufacturing costs and fuel consumptionhas become a focal point for contemporary researchers. Therefore, this paper aims to investigate the topologyoptimization of large cavity structures as a means to enhance their performance, safety, and efficiency. By usingthe variable density method, lightweight design is achieved without compromising structural strength. Theoptimization model considers both concentrated and distributed loads, and utilizes techniques like sensitivityfiltering and projection to obtain a robust optimized configuration. The mechanical properties are checked bycomparing the stress distribution and displacement of the unoptimized and optimized structures under the sameload. The results confirm that the optimized structures exhibit improved mechanical properties, thus offering keyinsights for engineering lightweight, high-strength large cavity structures.