Search results for " potential"
showing 10 items of 2713 documents
Microstructural, mechanical and energy demand characterization of alternative WAAM techniques for Al-alloy parts production
2020
Abstract Additive manufacturing (AM) processes are gathering momentum as an alternative to conventional manufacturing processes. A research effort is being made worldwide to identify the most promising AM approaches. Within this category, wire arc additive manufacturing (WAAM) is among the most interesting, especially when large parts must be manufactured. In this paper, two different WAAM deposition techniques suitable for the deposition of Aluminum alloys, Cold Metal Transfer (CMT) and CMT mix drive, are analyzed and compared. With the aim of obtaining a clear picture concerning the two different techniques, microstructural analyses, mechanical property evaluation and electrical energy de…
An insight into the electrical energy demand of friction stir welding processes: the role of process parameters, material and machine tool architectu…
2018
The manufacturing sector accounts for a high share of global electrical energy consumption and CO 2 emissions, and therefore, the environmental impact of production processes is being more and more investigated. An analysis of power and energy consumption in friction stir welding processes can contribute to the characterization of the process from a new point of view and also provide useful information about the environmental impact of the process. An in-depth analysis of electrical energy demand of friction stir welding is here proposed. Different machine tool architectures, including an industrial dedicated machine, have been used to weld aluminum and steel sheets under different process …
Water retention and swelling behaviour of granular bentonites for application in Geosynthetic Clay Liner (GCL) systems
2016
Geosynthetic Clay Liner (GCL) systems are used as efficient hydraulic barriers in landfills for the disposal of hazardous municipal wastes. Along with geotextiles, bentonite materials are chosen as one of the primary components of GCLs due to their high retention, adsorption, and swelling capacities. GCLs are manufactured using bentonites at a high total suction and hydrated through the uptake of liquid from the subsoil and the confined material as soon as they are installed. Bentonites may exhibit considerable volume change upon wetting. Depending on the confinement stress, the void ratio may significantly increase with a decrease in suction, particularly at higher degrees of saturation. T…
Detecting differences with magnetoencephalography of somatosensory processing after tactile and electrical stimuli.
2018
Abstract Background Deviant stimuli within a standard, frequent stimulus train induce a cortical somatosensory mismatch response (SMMR). The SMMR reflects the brain’s automatic mechanism for the detection of change in a somatosensory domain. It is usually elicited by electrical stimulation, which activates nerve fibers and receptors in superficial and deep skin layers, whereas tactile stimulation is closer to natural stimulation and activates uniform fiber types. We recorded SMMRs after electrical and tactile stimuli. Method 306-channel magnetoencephalography recordings were made with 16 healthy adults under two conditions: electrical (eSMMR) and tactile (tSMMR) stimulations. The SMMR proto…
Intracortical facilitation within the migraine motor cortex depends on the stimulation intensity. A paired-pulse TMS study
2018
Abstract Introduction Connectivity within the primary motor cortex can be measured using the paired-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) paradigm. This evaluates the effect of a first conditioning stimulus on the motor evoked potential (MEP) elicited by a second test stimulus when different interstimulus intervals are used. Aim of the present study was to provide, in patients suffering from migraine without aura (MwoA), additional information on intracortical facilitation (ICF), short intracortical inhibition (SICI), and long intracortical inhibition (LICI), using different intensities of the test stimulus (TS). Methods We enrolled 24 patients with episodic MwoA and 24 age- and sex…
Long-term physical activity modulates brain processing of somatosensory stimuli: Evidence from young male twins.
2016
Leisure-time physical activity is a key contributor to physical and mental health. Yet the role of physical activity in modulating cortical function is poorly known. We investigated whether precognitive sensory brain functions are associated with the level of physical activity. Physical activity history (3-yr-LTMET), physiological measures and somatosensory mismatch response (sMMR) in EEG were recorded in 32 young healthy twins. In all participants, 3-yr-LTMET correlated negatively with body fat%, r = −0.77 and positively with VO2max, r = 0.82. The fat% and VO2max differed between 15 physically active and 17 inactive participants. Trend toward larger sMMR was seen in inactive compared to ac…
Obesity impairs leukocyte‐endothelium cell interactions and oxidative stress in humans
2018
Background:To evaluate the relationship between leukocyte‐endothelial cellinteractions and oxidative stress parameters in non‐diabetic patients with differentgrades of obesity.Material and methods:For this cross‐sectional study, 225 subjects wererecruited from January 1, 2014 to December 31, 2016 and divided into groupsaccording to BMI (40 kg/m²). We determined clin-ical parameters, systemic inflammatory markers, soluble cellular adhesion mole-cules, leukocyte‐endothelium cell interactions—rolling flux, velocity and adhesion—, oxidative stress parameters—total ROS, total superoxide, glutathione—andmitochondrial membrane potential in leukocytes.Results:We verified that HOMA‐IR and hsCRP incr…
High-definition transcranial direct current stimulation to both primary motor cortices improves unimanual and bimanual dexterity.
2017
While most research on brain stimulation with transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) targets unimanual motor tasks, little is known about its effects on bimanual motor performance. This study aims to investigate the effects of tDCS on unimanual as well as bimanual motor dexterity. We examined the effects of bihemispheric anodal high-definition tDCS (HD-atDCS) on both primary motor cortices (M1) applied concurrent with unimanual and bimanual motor training. We then measured the effects with the Purdue Pegboard Test (PPT) and compared them to a sham stimulation. Between a pretest and posttest, 31 healthy, right-handed participants practiced the PPT on three consecutive days and receiv…
Acute Exercise Modulates Pain-induced Response on Sensorimotor Cortex ∼20 Hz Oscillation.
2019
Exercise affects positively on self-reported pain in musculoskeletal pain conditions possibly via top-down pain inhibitory networks. However, the role of cortical activity in these networks is unclear. The aim of the current exploratory study was to investigate the effects of acute exercise on cortical nociceptive processing and specifically the excitability in the human sensorimotor cortex. Five healthy adults (mean age 32.8 years) were recorded with a whole-head 306-channel magnetoencephalography (MEG, Elekta Neuromag® Triux™). Participant’s right hand third fingertip was stimulated electrically with an intracutaneous non-magnetic copper tip electrode before and immediately after an exerc…
Effects of Chronic Dopamine D2R Agonist Treatment and Polysialic Acid Depletion on Dendritic Spine Density and Excitatory Neurotransmission in the mP…
2016
Dopamine D2 receptors (D2R) in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) are key players in the etiology and therapeutics of schizophrenia. The overactivation of these receptors contributes to mPFC dysfunction. Chronic treatment with D2R agonists modifies the expression of molecules implicated in neuronal structural plasticity, synaptic function, and inhibitory neurotransmission, which are also altered in schizophrenia. These changes are dependent on the expression of the polysialylated form of the neural cell adhesion molecule (PSA-NCAM), a plasticity-related molecule, but nothing is known about the effects of D2R and PSA-NCAM on excitatory neurotransmission and the structure of mPFC pyramidal n…