Additively manufactured Ti–Ta–Cu alloys for the next-generation load-bearing implants

Bacterial colonization of orthopedic implants is one of the leading causes of failure and clinical complexities for load-bearing metallic implants. Topical or systemic administration of antibiotics may not offer the most efficient defense against colonization, especially in the case of secondary infection, leading to surgical removal of implants and in some cases even limbs. In this study, laser powder bed fusion was implemented to fabricate Ti3Al2V alloy by a 1:1 weight mixture of CpTi and Ti6Al4V powders. Ti-Tantalum(Ta)–Copper(Cu) alloys were further analyzed by the addition of Ta and Cu into the Ti3Al2V custom alloy. The biological,mechanical, and tribo-biocorrosion properties of Ti3Al2V alloy were evaluated. A 10 wt.% Ta(10Ta) and 3 wt.% Cu(3Cu) were added to the Ti3Al2V alloy to enhance biocompatibility and impart inherent bacterial resistance. Additively manufactured implants were investigated for resistance against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus strains of bacteria for up to 48 h. A 3 wt.% Cu addition to Ti3Al2V displayed improved antibacterial efficacy, i.e.78%–86% with respect to CpTi. Mechanical properties for Ti3Al2V–10Ta–3Cu alloy were evaluated, demonstrating excellent fatigue resistance, exceptional shear strength, and improved tribological and tribo-biocorrosion characteristics when compared to Ti6Al4V. In vivo studies using a rat distal femur model revealed improved early-stage osseointegration for alloys with10 wt.% Ta addition compared to CpTi and Ti6Al4V. The 3 wt.% Cu-added compositions displayed biocompatibility and no adverse infammatory response in vivo. Our results establish the Ti3Al2V–10Ta–3Cu alloy’s synergistic effect on improving both in vivo biocompatibility and microbial resistance for the next generation of load-bearing metallic implants.

Load-bearing characteristics and energy evolution of fractured rock masses after granite and sandstone grouting

Experiments on grouting-reinforced rock mass specimens with different particle sizes and features were carried out in this study to examine the effects of grouting reinforcement on the load-bearing characteristics of fractured rock mass.The strength and deformation features of grouting-reinforced rock mass were analyzed under different loading manners;the energy evolution mechanism of grouting-reinforced rock mass specimens with different particle sizes and features was investigated;the energy dissipation ratio and post-peak stress decreasing rate were employed to evaluate the bearing stability of grouting-reinforced rock mass.The results show that the strength and ductility of granite-reinforced rock mass(GRM)under biaxial loading are higher than that of sandstone-reinforced rock mass(SRM)under uniaxial loading.Besides,the energy evolution characteristics of grouting-reinforced rock mass under uniaxial and biaxial loading mainly could be divided into early,middle,and late stages.In the early stage,total,elastic,and dissipation energies were quite small with flatter curves;in the middle stage,elastic energy increased rapidly,whereas dissipation energy increased slowly;in the late stage,dissipation energy increased sharply.The energy dissipation ratio was used to represent the pre-peak plastic deformation.Under uniaxial loading,this ratio increased as the particle size increased and the pre-peak plastic deformation of grouting-reinforced rock mass became larger;under biaxial loading,it dropped as the particle size increased,and the pre-peak plastic deformation of grouting-reinforced rock mass became smaller.The post-peak stress decline rate A_(v) was used to assess the post-peak bearing performance of grouting-reinforced rock mass.Under uniaxial loading,parameter A_(v) exhibited reduction as the particle size kept increasing,and the ability of post-peak of grouting-reinforced rock mass to allow deformation development was greater,and the bearing capacity was greater;under biaxial loading,A_(v) increased with the particle size,and the ability of post-peak of grouting-reinforced rock mass to allow deformation development was low and the bearing capacity was reduced.The findings are considered instrumental in improving the stability of the roadway-surrounding rock by granite and sandstone grouting.

ULTIMATE LOAD-BEARING CAPACITY OF CYLINDER DERIVED FROM AUTOFRETTAGE UNDER IDEAL CONDITION

According to the basic theory on autofrettage and according to the 4th strength theory, several parameters and their relations are studied under ideal condition, including σej/σy, the equivalent stress of total stresses at elastoplastic juncture; σei/σy, the equivalent stress of total stresses at inside surface; σej＇/σy, the equivalent stress of residual stresses at elastoplastic juncture; σei＇/σy, the equivalent stress of residual stresses at inside surface; and p/σy, load-bearing capacity of an autofrettaged cylinder. By theoretical study on relations between the parameters, noticeable results and laws are achieved： to satisfy ｜σei＇｜=σy. the relation between kj and k is, k^2lnkj^2-k^2-kj^2＋2=0, when k→∞, kj = √e = 1.648 72, as based on the 3rd strength theory, where k is the outside/inside radius ratio of a cylinder, kj is the ratio of elastoplastic juncture radius to inside radius of a cylinder; If the plastic region covers the whole wall of a cylinder, for compressive yield not to occur after removing autofrettage pressure, the ultimate k is k=-2.218 46 as based on the 3rd strength theory; With k=2.218 46, a cylinder＇s ultimate load-bearing capacity equals its entire yield pressure, or p/σy=21nk/√3; The maximum and optimum load-bearing capacity of an autofrettaged cylinder is just 2 times the loading which an unautofrettaged cylinder can bear elastically, or p/σy=2（k^2-1）/√3 k^2, and the limit of the load-bearing capacity of an autofrettaged cylinder is also just 2 times that of an unautofrettaged cylinder. The conclusions are the same as based on the 3rd strength theory, but some equations are different from each other.

Effect of Optimum Plastic Depth on Stresses and Load-bearing Capacity of Autofrettaged Cylinder

Autofrettage is an effective measure to even distribution of stresses and raise load-bearing capacity for （ultra-）high pressure apparatus. Currently, the research on autofrettage has focused mostly on specific engineering problems, while general theoretical study is rarely done. To discover the general law contained in autofrettage theory, by the aid of the authors’ previous work and according to the third strength theory, theoretical problems about autofrettage are studied including residual stresses and their equivalent stress, total stresses and their equivalent stress, etc. Because of the equation of optimum depth of plastic zone which is presented in the authors’ previous work, the equations for the residual stresses and their equivalent stress as well as the total stress and their equivalent stress are simplified greatly. Thus the law of distribution of the residual stresses and their equivalent stress as well as the total stress and their equivalent stress and the varying tendency of these stresses are discovered. The relation among various parameters are revealed. The safe and optimum load-bearing conditions for cylinders are obtained. According to the results obtained by theoretical analysis, it is shown that if the two parameters, namely ratio of outside to inside radius, k, and depth of plastic zone, kj, meet the equation of optimum depth of plastic zone, when the pressure contained in an autofrettaged cylinder is lower than two times the initial yield pressure of the unautofrettaged cylinder, the equivalent residual stress and the equivalent total stress at the inside surface as well as the elastic-plastic juncture of a cylinder are lower than yield strength. When an autofrettaged cylinder is subjected to just two times the initial yield pressure of the unautofrettaged cylinder, the equivalent total stress within the whole plastic zone is just identically equal to the yield strength, or it is a constant. The proposed research theoretically depicts the stress state of ultra-）high pressure autofrettaged cylinder more accurately and more reasonably and provides the reference for design of （ultra-）high pressure apparatus.

Experimental Study on Improving Seismic Behavior of Load-Bearing Masonry Wall Made of Autoclaved Aerated Concrete

To investigate the seismic behavior of autoclaved aerated concrete load-bearing masonry wall(AACLMW), a piece of control block wall without constructional measures and five pieces of block walls with different constructional measures were tested under low reversed cyclic loading which imitated low to moderate earthquake force. The seismic behavior of AACLMW with different constructional measures in terms of failure mode, hysteretic curve, deformation capacity and displacement ductility was studied and compared with that without constructional measures. The experimental results indicate that the constructional measures comprising constructional columns and horizontal concrete strips are effective for improving the seismic behavior of AACLMW. The study in this paper can provide a reliable experimental basis for further analysis and engineering application of AACLMW in the future.

Miniature tunable Airy beam optical meta-device

Tunable Airy beams with controllable propagation trajectories have sparked interest in various fields,such as optical manipulation and laser fabrication.Existing research approaches encounter challenges related to insufficient compactness and integration feasibility,or they require enhanced tunability to enable real-time dynamic manipulation of the propagation trajectory.In this work,we present a novel method that utilizes a dual metasurface system to surpass these limitations,significantly enhancing the practical potential of the Airy beam.Our approach involves encoding a cubic phase profile and two off-axis Fresnel lens phase profiles across the two metasurfaces.The validity of the proposed strategy has been confirmed through simulation and experimental results.The proposed meta-device addresses the existing limitations and lays the foundation for broadening the applicability of Airy beams across diverse domains,encompassing light-sheet microscopy,laser fabrication,optical tweezers,etc.

Fully automatic AI segmentation of oral surgery-related tissues based on cone beam computed tomography images

Accurate segmentation of oral surgery-related tissues from cone beam computed tomography(CBCT)images can significantly accelerate treatment planning and improve surgical accuracy.In this paper,we propose a fully automated tissue segmentation system for dental implant surgery.Specifically,we propose an image preprocessing method based on data distribution histograms,which can adaptively process CBCT images with different parameters.Based on this,we use the bone segmentation network to obtain the segmentation results of alveolar bone,teeth,and maxillary sinus.We use the tooth and mandibular regions as the ROI regions of tooth segmentation and mandibular nerve tube segmentation to achieve the corresponding tasks.The tooth segmentation results can obtain the order information of the dentition.The corresponding experimental results show that our method can achieve higher segmentation accuracy and efficiency compared to existing methods.Its average Dice scores on the tooth,alveolar bone,maxillary sinus,and mandibular canal segmentation tasks were 96.5%,95.4%,93.6%,and 94.8%,respectively.These results demonstrate that it can accelerate the development of digital dentistry.

Properties of focused Laguerre–Gaussian beam propagating in anisotropic ocean turbulence

We analyze the properties of a focused Laguerre–Gaussian(LG)beam propagating through anisotropic ocean turbulence based on the Huygens–Fresnel principle.Under the Rytov approximation theory,we derive the analytical formula of the channel capacity of the focused LG beam in the anisotropic ocean turbulence,and analyze the relationship between the capacity and the light source parameters as well as the turbulent ocean parameters.It is found that the focusing mirror can greatly enhance the channel capacity of the system at the geometric focal plane in oceanic turbulence.The results also demonstrate that the communication link can obtain high channel capacity by adopting longer beam wavelength,greater initial beam waist radius,and larger number of transmission channels.Further,the capacity of the system increases with the decrease of the mean squared temperature dissipation rate,temperature-salinity contribution ratio and turbulence outer scale factor,and with the increase of the kinetic energy dissipation rate per unit mass of fluid,turbulence inner scale factor and anisotropy factor.Compared to a Hankel–Bessel beam with diffraction-free characteristics and unfocused LG beam,the focused LG beam shows superior anti-turbulence interference properties,which provide a theoretical reference for research and development of underwater optical communication links using focused LG beams.

Generation of structured light beams with polarization variation along arbitrary spatial trajectories using tri-layer metasurfaces

Conventionally,the spatially structured light beams produced by metasurfaces primarily highlight the polarization modulation of the beams propagating along the optical axis or the beams'spatial transmission trajectory.In particular,along the optical axis,the polarization state is either constant or varies continuously in each output plane.Here,we develop innovative spatially structured light beams with continually changing polarization along any arbitrary spatial transmission trajectories.With tri-layer metallic metasurfaces,the geometric characteristics of each layer structure can be adjusted to modulate the phase and polarization state of the incident terahertz(THz)wave.The beam will converge to the predefined trajectory along several paths to generate a Bessel-like beam with longitudinal polarization changes.We demonstrate the versatility of the approach by designing two THz-band structured light beams with varying polarization states along the spatial helical transmission trajectory.Continuous linear polarization changes and linear polarization to right circular polarization(RCP)and back to linear polarization changes are realized respectively.The experimental results are basically consistent with the simulated results.Our proposal for arbitrary trajectory structured light beams with longitudinally varying polarization offers a practical method for continuously regulating the characteristics of spatial structured light beams with non-axial transmission.This technique has potential uses in optical encryption,particle manipulation,and biomedical imaging.

Development of in situ characterization techniques in molecular beam epitaxy

Ex situ characterization techniques in molecular beam epitaxy(MBE)have inherent limitations,such as being prone to sample contamination and unstable surfaces during sample transfer from the MBE chamber.In recent years,the need for improved accuracy and reliability in measurement has driven the increasing adoption of in situ characterization techniques.These techniques,such as reflection high-energy electron diffraction,scanning tunneling microscopy,and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy,allow direct observation of film growth processes in real time without exposing the sample to air,hence offering insights into the growth mechanisms of epitaxial films with controlled properties.By combining multiple in situ characterization techniques with MBE,researchers can better understand film growth processes,realizing novel materials with customized properties and extensive applications.This review aims to overview the benefits and achievements of in situ characterization techniques in MBE and their applications for material science research.In addition,through further analysis of these techniques regarding their challenges and potential solutions,particularly highlighting the assistance of machine learning to correlate in situ characterization with other material information,we hope to provide a guideline for future efforts in the development of novel monitoring and control schemes for MBE growth processes with improved material properties.

Analysis model for damage of reinforced bars in RC beams under contact explosion

The load-bearing capacity of reinforced concrete(RC) beams primarily relies on internal reinforced bars.However, limited research has been conducted on the dynamic response of these bars. To address this gap, this study has established an analytical model using dimensional analysis for calculating the deformation of reinforced bars within RC beams subjected to contact explosion. Comparison with experimental data reveals that the model has a relative error of 5.22%, effectively reflecting the deformation of reinforced bars. Additionally, based on this model, the study found that while concrete does influence the deformation of reinforced bars, this influence can be disregarded in comparison to the material properties of the bars themselves. The findings of this study have implications for calculating the residual load-bearing capacity of damaged RC beams, evaluating the extent of damage to RC beams after blast loading, and providing guidance for the blast-resistant design of RC structures.

Co-doped BaFe_(2)As_(2) Josephson junction fabricated with a focused helium ion beam

Josephson junction plays a key role not only in studying the basic physics of unconventional iron-based superconductors but also in realizing practical application of thin-film based devices,therefore the preparation of high-quality iron pnictide Josephson junctions is of great importance.In this work,we have successfully fabricated Josephson junctions from Co-doped BaFe_(2)As_(2)thin films using a direct junction fabrication technique which utilizes high energy focused helium ion beam(FHIB).The electrical transport properties were investigated for junctions fabricated with various He^(+)irradiation doses.The junctions show sharp superconducting transition around 24 K with a narrow transition width of 2.5 K,and a dose correlated foot-structure resistance which corresponds to the effective tuning of junction properties by He^(+)irradiation.Significant J_c suppression by more than two orders of magnitude can be achieved by increasing the He^(+)irradiation dose,which is advantageous for the realization of low noise ion pnictide thin film devices.Clear Shapiro steps are observed under 10 GHz microwave irradiation.The above results demonstrate the successful fabrication of high quality and controllable Co-doped BaFe_(2)As_(2)Josephson junction with high reproducibility using the FHIB technique,laying the foundation for future investigating the mechanism of iron-based superconductors,and also the further implementation in various superconducting electronic devices.

Unraveling the efficacy network: A network meta-analysis of adjuvant external beam radiation therapy methods after hepatectomy

BACKGROUND Primary liver cancer is a malignant tumor with a high recurrence rate that significantly affects patient prognosis.Postoperative adjuvant external radiation therapy(RT)has been shown to effectively prevent recurrence after liver cancer resection.However,there are multiple RT techniques available,and the differ-ential effects of these techniques in preventing postoperative liver cancer re-currence require further investigation.AIM To assess the advantages and disadvantages of various adjuvant external RT methods after liver resection based on overall survival(OS)and disease-free survival(DFS)and to determine the optimal strategy.METHODS This study involved network meta-analyses and followed the PRISMA guidelines.The data of qualified studies published before July 10,2023,were collected from PubMed,Embase,the Web of Science,and the Cochrane Library.We included relevant studies on postoperative external beam RT after liver resection that had OS and DFS as the primary endpoints.The magnitudes of the effects were determined using risk ratios with 95%confidential intervals.The results were analyzed using R software and STATA software.RESULTS A total of 12 studies,including 1265 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)after liver resection,were included in this study.There was no significant heterogeneity in the direct paired comparisons,and there were no significant differences in the inclusion or exclusion criteria,intervention measures,or outcome indicators,meeting the assumptions of heterogeneity and transitivity.OS analysis revealed that patients who underwent stereotactic body radiotherapy(SBRT)after resection had longer OS than those who underwent intensity modulated radiotherapy(IMRT)or 3-dimensional conformal RT(3D-CRT).DFS analysis revealed that patients who underwent 3D-CRT after resection had the longest DFS.Patients who underwent IMRT after resection had longer OS than those who underwent 3D-CRT and longer DFS than those who underwent SBRT.CONCLUSION HCC patients who undergo liver cancer resection must consider distinct advantages and disadvantages when choosing between SBRT and 3D-CRT.IMRT,a RT technique that is associated with longer OS than 3D-CRT and longer DFS than SBRT,may be a preferred option.

Developing of Load-bearing Bones Replacement Based on Cerium Compounds/Nano-hydroxyapatite Composites

The importance of implantable biomaterials is growing up in recent days for modern medicine,especially fixation,replacement,and regeneration of load-bearing bones.Through the past several years,metals,ceramics,polymers,and their composites,have been used for the reconstruction of hard tissues.Special standards such as adequate mechanical and biocompatible properties are required to avoid rejection reactions of the tissues.Recently,a number of novel advanced biomaterials are developed as promising candidates.Amongst those,cerium-based biomaterials acquired attention as a substitution material for hard tissues reconstruction because of cerium antioxidative properties,which enabled it to be used to decrease mediators of inflammation.In addition,the eminent mechanical properties,as well as the perfect chemical and biological compatibilities,make cerium-based biomaterials attractive for biomedical application.

Beam Training and Tracking in mmWave Communication:A Survey

Communicating on millimeter wave(mmWave)bands is ushering in a new epoch of mobile communication which provides the availability of 10 Gbps high data rate transmission.However,mmWave links are easily prone to short transmission range communication because of the serious free space path loss and the blockage by obstacles.To overcome these challenges,highly directional beams are exploited to achieve robust links by hybrid beamforming.Accurately aligning the transmitter and receiver beams,i.e.beam training,is vitally important to high data rate transmission.However,it may cause huge overhead which has negative effects on initial access,handover,and tracking.Besides,the mobility patterns of users are complicated and dynamic,which may cause tracking error and large tracking latency.An efficient beam tracking method has a positive effect on sustaining robust links.This article provides an overview of the beam training and tracking technologies on mmWave bands and reveals the insights for future research in the 6th Generation(6G)mobile network.Especially,some open research problems are proposed to realize fast,accurate,and robust beam training and tracking.We hope that this survey provides guidelines for the researchers in the area of mmWave communications.

Natural vibration and critical velocity of translating Timoshenko beam with non-homogeneous boundaries

In most practical engineering applications,the translating belt wraps around two fixed wheels.The boundary conditions of the dynamic model are typically specified as simply supported or fixed boundaries.In this paper,non-homogeneous boundaries are introduced by the support wheels.Utilizing the translating belt as the mechanical prototype,the vibration characteristics of translating Timoshenko beam models with nonhomogeneous boundaries are investigated for the first time.The governing equations of Timoshenko beam are deduced by employing the generalized Hamilton's principle.The effects of parameters such as the radius of wheel and the length of belt on vibration characteristics including the equilibrium deformations,critical velocities,natural frequencies,and modes,are numerically calculated and analyzed.The numerical results indicate that the beam experiences deformation characterized by varying curvatures near the wheels.The radii of the wheels play a pivotal role in determining the change in trend of the relative difference between two beam models.Comparing the results unearths that the relative difference in equilibrium deformations between the two beam models is more pronounced with smaller-sized wheels.When the two wheels are of equal size,the critical velocities of both beam models reach their respective minima.In addition,the relative difference in natural frequencies between the two beam models exhibits nonlinear variation and can easily exceed 50%.Furthermore,as the axial velocities increase,the impact of non-homogeneous boundaries on modal shape of translating beam becomes more significant.Although dealing with non-homogeneous boundaries is challenging,beam models with non-homogeneous boundaries are more sensitive to parameters,and the differences between the two types of beams undergo some interesting variations under the influence of non-homogeneous boundaries.

Nonlinear vibration of Timoshenko FG porous sandwich beams subjected to a harmonic axial load

In this study,the instability and bifurcation diagrams of a functionally graded(FG)porous sandwich beam on an elastic,viscous foundation which is influenced by an axial load,are investigated with an analytical attitude.To do so,the Timoshenko beam theory is utilized to take the shear deformations into account,and the nonlinear Von-Karman approach is adopted to acquire the equations of motion.Then,to turn the partial differential equations(PDEs)into ordinary differential equations(ODEs)in the case of equations of motion,the method of Galerkin is employed,followed by the multiple time scale method to solve the resulting equations.The impact of parameters affecting the response of the beam,including the porosity distribution,porosity coefficient,temperature increments,slenderness,thickness,and damping ratios,are explicitly discussed.It is found that the parameters mentioned above affect the bifurcation points and instability of the sandwich porous beams,some of which,including the effect of temperature and porosity distribution,are less noticeable.

A Non-Stationary Beam-Enabled Stochastic Channel Model and Characterization over Non-Reciprocal Beam Patterns

The multiple-input multiple-output(MIMO)-enabled beamforming technology offers great data rate and channel quality for next-generation communication.In this paper,we propose a beam channel model and enable it with time-varying simulation capability by adopting the stochastic geometry theory.First,clusters are generated located within transceivers'beam ranges based on the Mate?rn hardcore Poisson cluster process.The line-of-sight,singlebounce,and double-bounce components are calculated when generating the complex channel impulse response.Furthermore,we elaborate on the expressions of channel links based on the propagation-graph theory.A birth-death process consisting of the effects of beams and cluster velocities is also formulated.Numerical simulation results prove that the proposed model can capture the channel non-stationarity.Besides,the non-reciprocal beam patterns yield severe channel dispersion compared to the reciprocal patterns.

Chebyshev polynomial-based Ritz method for thermal buckling and free vibration behaviors of metal foam beams

This study presents the Chebyshev polynomials-based Ritz method to examine the thermal buckling and free vibration characteristics of metal foam beams.The analyses include three models for porosity distribution and two scenarios for thermal distribution.The material properties are assessed under two conditions,i.e.,temperature dependence and temperature independence.The theoretical framework for the beams is based on the higher-order shear deformation theory,which incorporates shear deformations with higher-order polynomials.The governing equations are established from the Lagrange equations,and the beam displacement fields are approximated by the Chebyshev polynomials.Numerical simulations are performed to evaluate the effects of thermal load,slenderness,boundary condition(BC),and porosity distribution on the buckling and vibration behaviors of metal foam beams.The findings highlight the significant influence of temperature-dependent(TD)material properties on metal foam beams'buckling and vibration responses.

Optical Mode Entanglement Generation from an Optomechanical Nanobeam

Nano-optomechanical systems,capable of supporting enhanced light-matter interactions,have wide applications in studying quantum entanglement and quantum information processors.Yet,preparing optical telecomband entanglement within a single optomechanical nanobeam remains blank.We propose and design a triply resonant optomechanical nanobeam to generate steady-state entangled propagating optical modes and present its quantum-enhanced performance for teleportation-based quantum state transfer under realistic conditions.Remarkably,the entanglement quantified by logarithmic negativity can obtain E_(N)=1.Furthermore,with structural imperfections induced by realistic fabrication processes considered,the device still shows great robustness.Together with quantum interfaces between mechanical motion and solid-state qubit processors,the proposed device potentially paves the way for versatile nodes in long-distance quantum networks.