Fabrication and Tribological Properties of Epoxy Nanocomposites Reinforced by MoS Nanosheets and Aligned MWCNTs.

The epoxy nanocomposites reinforced by MoS nanosheets and aligned multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were fabricated by DC electric field inducement. The epoxy nanocomposites achieved improvement in the tribological properties with the addition of randomly dispersed MoS and MWCNTs compared to the pure epoxy. Furthermore, the epoxy nanocomposites exhibit anisotropic tribological and mechanical properties when the MWCNTs are aligned in the composites.

The Synergistic Lubrication Effects of h-BN and g-CN Nanoparticles as Oil-Based Additives for Steel/Steel Contact.

The synergistic effect of different types of solid particles in liquid lubricants is of great interest. In this work, g-CN nanosheets were initially prepared using a calcination method and then as-prepared, and h-BN were used as lubricating additives to the white oil. A comparison between the mixed additives and the single g-CN or h-BN additives revealed that the base oil with the addition of g-CN and h-BN showed the best lubricating properties.

Tribological Properties of Carbon Fabric/Epoxy Composites Filled with FGr@MoS Hybrids under Dry Sliding Conditions.

Hybrids of fluorinated graphite/MoS (FGr@MoS) were prepared via a hydrothermal method and used as lubricating additives to take full advantage of the synergy between FGr and MoS in carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP). The results show a 21.6% reduction in the friction coefficient compared to the neat sample when the CFRP was filled with 1.

Soft Gripper with Electro-Thermally Driven Artificial Fingers Made of Tri-layer Polymers and a Dry Adhesive Surface.

Soft grippers have attracted great interest in the soft robotics research field. Due to their lack of deformability and control over compliance, it can be challenging for them to pick up objects that are too large or too small in size. In particular, compliant objects are vulnerable to the large grasping force.

High-Temperature Tribological Behavior of HDPE Composites Reinforced by Short Carbon Fiber under Water-Lubricated Conditions.

The polymer water-lubricated bearing is widely used in marine transmission systems, and the tribological properties can be improved by addition of inorganic nano-fillers. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of SCFs and temperature on the water-lubricating properties of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) composites. HDPE composites reinforced by varying content of short carbon fibers (SCFs) were fabricated via twin-screw extrusion and injection molding techniques to study the hardness and surface wettability of those composites.

[Reconstruction of thumb opposition function by transferring extensor carpi ulnaris and extensor pollicis brevis muscle tendons].

Objective: To evaluate the results of thumb opposition function by transferring the extensor carpi ulnaris and the extensor pollicis brevis muscle tendons.

Methods: Between March 2006 and August 2009, 35 patients with dysfunction of thumb opposition were treated and the thumb opposition function was reconstructed by transferring the extensor carpi ulnaris and the extensor pollicis brevis muscle tendons. There were 25 males and 10 females with an average age of 33.

[Diagnosis and treatment of the metacarpophalangeal joint locking caused by sesamoid turned-over dislocation of the thumb].

Objective: To introduce diagnosis and treatment of the metacarpophalangeal joint (MPJ) locking caused by sesamoid turned-over dislocation of the thumb.

Methods: Five cases with metacarpophalangeal joint locking were involved in the study, male 4 and female 1. The average age was 35 years old(ranging from 18 to 47 years).

The Arabidopsis inositol 1,3,4-trisphosphate 5/6 kinase, AtItpk-1, is involved in plant photomorphogenesis under red light conditions, possibly via interaction with COP9 signalosome.

The COP9 signalosome (CSN) plays important roles in multifaceted cellular processes. Study has shown that inositol 1,3,4-trisphosphate 5/6 kinase (5/6 kinase) interacts with CSN in mammalian cells. However, the biological function of the interaction still remains unknown.