A Computational Evaluation of the temperature distribution generated by thermal splints designed to treat knee pain.

A 3D modeling study was performed to evaluate the temperature distribution produced due to knee thermal splints to facilitate future investigations into the possible relationship between the temperature distribution and the pain relief related performance of the splints. Water and phase change material (PCM) were used as splint fillers at two different temperatures (42 °C and 44 °C). Free cooling and a temperature-controlled thermal splint were also considered. The study showed that a PCM filled splint or a temperature-controlled splint produced relatively larger and deeper temperature changes compared to the one produced with a water filled splint. With a PCM filled splint it was possible to reach a temperature increase of 1 °C in muscle tissue (42.61 cm3) and not only in fatty tissue.

Intelligent Spectroscopy System Used for Physicochemical Variables Estimation in Sugar Cane Soils.

The current condition of soils is a major area of interest due to the lack of certainty in their physicochemical properties, which can guarantee the quality and the production of a specific crop. Additionally, methodologies to improve land management must be implemented in order to address the consequences of many environmental issues. To date, many techniques have been implemented to improve the accuracy-and more recently the speed-of analysis, in order to obtain results while in the field. Among those, Near Infrared (NIR) spectroscopy has been widely used to achieve the objectives mentioned above. Nevertheless, it requires particular knowledge, and the cost might be high for farmers who own the fields and crops. Thus, the present work uses a system that implements capacitance spectroscopy plus artificial intelligence algorithms to estimate the physicochemical variables of soil used to grow sugar cane. The device uses the frequency response of the soil to determine its magnitude and phase values, which are used by artificial intelligence algorithms that are capable of estimating the soil properties. The obtained results show errors below 8% in the estimation of the variables compared to the analysis results of the soil in laboratories. Additionally, it is a portable system, with low cost, that is easy to use and could be implemented to test other types of soils after evaluating the necessary algorithms or proposing alternatives to restore soil properties.

Sugar Concentration Measurement System Using Radiofrequency Sensor.

A sugar solution measurement system was developed based on the dielectric properties of the sucrose molecule. An ac conductivity and tan δ study as a function of the frequency was performed to find the suitable frequency range for the measuring system. The results indicate that it is possible to obtain a better response of the sensor using the frequencies as the maxima peak in tan δ appears. Developed setup for sucrose solution was appropriate to measure in a 0.15 to 1 g/mL range with an experimental error of about 3%. The proposed system improves the measurement time over some other methods.

Microstructural and Electrochemical Study: Pitting Corrosion Mechanism on A390 Al-Si Alloy and Ce-Mo Treatment as a Better Corrosion Protection.

Sulfuric acid anodizing assisted by a hydrothermal sealing with inhibitors [Ce3+-Mo6+] was used to prevent pitting corrosion on spray-deposited hypereutectic Al-Si alloy (A390). An investigation concerning the evaluation of pitting corrosion resistance on the anodic oxide thin film with ions incorporated was carried out in NaCl solution using electrochemical measurements (i.e., potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, EIS). The influence of Si phase morphology and size on the growth mechanism of an anodic oxide film was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The results were then compared with those for its equivalent IM390 alloy (Al-17Si-4.5Cu-0.6Mg) produced through a conventional process ingot metallurgy, IM. The electrochemical findings indicate that sulfuric acid anodizing followed by a simple hot water sealing treatment was ineffective. In this manner, an intense attack was localized by pitting corrosion that occurred on the anodic oxide film in less than three days, as denoted by characteristic changes in the EIS spectra at the lowest frequencies. Improved results were achieved for Ce-Mo surface modification, which can provide better corrosion resistance on the aluminum alloys because no signs of pits were observed during the corrosion testing.